MONTCLAIR, NJ—I remember first buying the album Love by The Cult.  It wasn’t 1985, but I probably did have too much hairspray and eyeliner on at the time.  I knew a couple of their hits and liked Ian Astbury’s ruffled shirts, so I figured it’d be a good filler record…

When I first saw the cover of The Scruffs’ new album, Conquest, I thought they were another thrash band thanks to the diminished ruins on the cover and golden skulls on the back. Turns out The Scruffs are a long-time power pop band that has been churning out catchy tunes…

I thought horror fanatics around the world were going to cut Rob Zombie’s dreads off one by one when he started to remake classic horror movies.  Truth is, they love him!  From being a successful artist to living the rock star life, he’s never caught without his cowboy hat and…

If you could weigh Pelican’s songs I don’t think any of them would be less than two tons.  Known for their instrumentals ranging from sludge to doom metal, this Chicago band doesn’t need vocals thanks to their aggressive 10-minute stoner rock melodies.  With their blast beats and crushing fans with…

Marinate the members of Blackie and The Rodeo Kings, Cowboy Junkies, and Skydiggers. Then sauté their folk rock flavors together in a black cauldron of spooky malevolence, and you’ll end up with a pot of beatnik hippies, who could sound anywhere from Kenny G to Shawn Mullins and still be…

Thousands of years ago, before the dawn of man as we knew him, there was Sir Joe Perry: A creature who wouldn’t dare battle without his unbuttoned shirts, golden jewelry and highlighted hair.  I beseech you brethren to not relinquish your power against his malevolent sorcery, which can be seen…

If you’re a graphic designer and feel the need to travel outside the world of typography, start a band.  That’s exactly what Nolen Strals and Bruce Willen of Double Dagger did and they’ve gotten to play with legends like Pere Ubu and The Buzzcocks.  Though their simple line-up of bass,…

Volbeat can’t seem to make up their mind.  They could easily be pop-punk thanks to their vocal harmonies and chewy pop melodies, metal because of their breakdowns of thrash guitar riffs, one of those radio friendly hard rock bands, or rockabilly due to Michael Poulsen’s doo-wop styled vocals.  Fusing the…

It seems like every metal band who called it quits back in the day are getting back together.  In the ‘90s, Non-Fiction were on MTV with their hit “Reason To Live,” and touring Europe, but their rock ‘n’ roll fantasies ended in 1994 and are now selling hot sauce online. …

ASBURY PARK, NJ—You know how there’s always that one guy at shows who’s really into it? Well, he’s been around the last three times I’ve seen New Model Army and guess who was the first person I saw when I walked in the door? Fourth time’s a charm, no? Though…