Iggy Pop’s Noise Became My Chemical Romance’s Language in Detroit
At Comerica Park, Detroit’s original punk provocateur Iggy Pop turned a supporting slot into a confrontation between rock’s past and its future.
hard rock
Nine Albums In, Russian Circles Are “Opening the Marriage”
PopMatters speaks with Russian Circles guitarist Mike Sullivan about what has kept the Chicago post-metal outfit going for two decades and nearly double-digit albums.
Bloodrock’s Declassification of the Pentagon Papers
Daniel Ellsberg of the Pentagon Papers was a political whistleblower. Bloodrock had a hit song about death. Their worlds converged in 1972.
Evil Island on Reunion Tours, I.C.E., and Best Album Yet
“I truly feel that this is the best record I’ve ever made,” says the Blood Brothers’ Johnny Whitney of Evil Island, his new fiery, political, and defiantly different project.
Rush Hit “Fifty-Something” with Tremendous Show and Peart Tribute
Rush delivered another tremendous three-hour performance on the fourth night at MSG, paying tribute to Neil Peart and digging through their rich catalogue
A.A. Williams’ Vocals and Tragic Persona Shine Brightly
With Solstice, A.A. Williams cements her status as one of her generation’s transcendent singers and further develops her persona as the tragic shero.
Foo Fighters’ New LP Shows Dave Grohl Needs to Go Solo
Foo Fighters’ Your Favorite Toy begs the question of why Dave Grohl opted to issue it as a band record when it could just as easily have been a solo album.
UltraBomb’s Punk Legends Deliver a Fiery, Fun Time
There aren’t enough great punk records coming out about the current hellscape, but UltraBomb’s latest is certainly one of them.
UltraBomb on Minnesota, Hard Rock, and Being Unapologetic
UltraBomb’s Greg Norton is unapologetic about his new LP, The Bridges that We Burn: “If you don’t like my politics, you can listen to Kid Rock.”
Nu Metal Anomalies Slipknot, System of a Down, and the Strange Math of Mass Appeal
Nu metal’s ecosystem in the 1990s allowed unexpected forms of extremity to break into mainstream success, and Slipknot and System of a Down exemplify that.
Detroit 1967: From Uprising to Amplification
The 1967 Detroit Uprising did not create the music that followed; it clarified it by stripping away ambiguity, making it harder to ignore what was already there.
Shinedown’s ‘Rock the Country’ Controversy Proves Nothing Is Safe from Politics
Years of kindness and calls for unity from a band like Shinedown, whose very name implies radiant light, warrant a thoughtful, rather than reactive, pause.