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Los Angeles hosted the star-studded Ozzy & Black Sabbath premiere while James Hetfield fired shots from the Sphere stage — a look at how this week's biggest metal headlines connect back to California's underground, from Ere's black metal grind to the state's overlooked NWOTHM scene.
This week's national metal headlines — from abuse allegations to Frank Carter's women-only mosh pit stance to Dregen's Iron Maiden daydream — carry lessons and parallels for California's own metal and hardcore communities.
Guns N' Roses joins Aerosmith at the Hollywood Bowl, L7 kicks off their final tour in San Diego, and a MetalSucks column goes goblin mode on System Of A Down — plus a look at how California's underground bands keep the lights on.
Nekrogoblikon marks 20 years of comedy metal chaos, Slash gets honored with the Les Paul Spirit Award in Hollywood, and Alien Ant Farm goes after toxic relationships with a new single — plus a look at how a California producer is shaping Roadrunner's newest signing.
Slayer's 'Reign In Blood' hits 40 with a new liquid-filled vinyl, Death Angel's Dennis Pepa reveals a stage 4 cancer diagnosis, and Hollywood rolls out the purple carpet for Ozzy and Aerosmith — plus a look at the California bands keeping thrash and NWOTHM alive right now.
Cherie Currie's Cleopatra Records homecoming, Richie Kotzen's L.A.-inspired new single, and Voivod's canceled U.S. tour headline a week where California's metal infrastructure — labels, venues, and touring economics — takes center stage.
Chad Gray cancels two California solo shows with vocal issues, Aftershock Sacramento's radio-row interviews with Atreyu and Killswitch Engage keep making waves, and Tom Morello's festival delivers a surprise Geezer Butler cameo.
California Metal Index's database shows Death Metal leading the state with 654 bands — 33% of all 1,991 indexed acts — ahead of Black Metal (436) and Thrash Metal (423).
Metallica kicks off their Sphere residency in Vegas as California-rooted thrash royalty, Killswitch Engage's Jesse Leach talks going heavier after Aftershock Sacramento, and Bay Area death metal/grind act Deathgrave gets dissected by MetalSucks — a week that spans arena spectacle to underground grind.
Venom's Cronos and Motörhead's Phil Campbell are gone, Exodus is going digital with Gary Holt, and Northern California's All Shall Perish just ended a 15-year silence — a heavy week for California's metal scene to process.
San Diego's P.O.D. teases new material while San Francisco Bay Area thrashers Forbidden reshuffle their touring lineup, framing a week where California's metal scene proves it can adapt without losing its identity.
From Pearl Jam's surprise Ohana Festival reunion in Dana Point to Brujeria's newly announced European run and the passing of GWAR co-founder Chuck Varga, California's metal orbit had a lot to process this week.
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