What a week it’s been! Thankfully, the metal news was full of warm, goody goodness, but there’s still a lot to dive into, so read on…
Cold As Life vocalist Rodney “Rawn Beauty” Barger Suspected Murdered Finally Captured
Justice moves very slowly; ask anyone. In this case, it took 32 goddamn years to find the alleged murderer of founding Detroit hardcore band Cold As Life vocalist Rodney “Rawn Beauty” Barger. The Detroit News reported that U.S. Marshals (yes, the Marshals!) finally arrested Barger’s former roommate Richard Werstine in a dog park on April 29 for the September 1993 murder, when he allegedly shot Barger to death in his sleep. Werstine, now 56, was arrested after it happened and skipped trial, causing a warrant to be issued for his arrest in 1994. He was able to evade arrest by assuming other identities, living under various aliases, and then fleeing to Panama back in 2005. What a piece of shit.
All Shall Perish Announce The Price of Existence 20th Anniversary Tour Dates
Can y’all believe it’s already been 20 goddamn years since All Shall Perish‘s The Price of Existence came out?! I sure as shit can’t, and will be having a drink on this later about it, but here we are now. The band announced earlier this week a slew of dates for an anniversary tour, seeing them on the road for damn near two full months celebrating it.
“2006 was a wild era for heavy music,” the band wrote in their announcement post on Instagram. “So many legendary records, so many bands pushing things forward, and somehow this album became part of that wave. We’re beyond proud of what this record still means to people all these years later.”
It means a lot, you guys. It means a lot.
Converge Play Surprise Free Show in Epitaph Records Parking Lot
So jealous of all the lucky sons a’ bitches that got into Converge‘s free show at Epitaph Records on Thursday, May 14. The band surprise announced the show earlier that day on their socials, causing everyone to collectively lose their shit considering how admission was first come, first served. As far as to the exact number of people they were able to pack into the parking lot to see the show—I have no idea, but based on all the footage and photos that have been going around, it looked like a full lot. With Sara Taylor from Youth Code opening with a DJ set, it seems like everyone had a jolly good ol’ time.
Primus Release Cover of Dio’s “Holy Diver” from New EP A Handful of Nuggs
Those lovely weirdos over in Primus just released a new EP, delightfully titled A Handful of Nuggs (something I’m sure many of us are familiar with *cough*cough*). As of right now the EP is only available digitally, with a special 12″ vinyl edition to come June 22. Nuggs is the first album to include the band’s new drummer John Hoffman, and features a cover of Dio‘s classic “Holy Diver,” which you can listen to below.
Primus’s “Holy Diver” rendition also includes Puddles Pity Party, the pierrot whiteface clown alter ego of singer Michael Geier, on vocals. He’s not the only guest on the EP though, as Maynard James Keenan also pops up on the track “Little Lord Fentanyl.”
Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe Gets His Head Shaved by Fan with Stage Four Cancer
We must protect Randy Blythe at all costs. A saint of a person, Blythe invited a fan name Jessyca to their Welcome to Rockville set last weekend as part of an ongoing collaboration of sorts he has going with the Living the Dream Foundation. Jessyca is a single mother battling stage four breast cancer, and Blythe let her shave his head in solidarity of her fight. She was then able to enjoy the rest of the show from the side stage, with Blythe at one point leading the crowd in a very emphatic “fuck cancer” chant. This wasn’t Blythe’s first time doing things with or for Lamb of God fans who battle with cancer and based on his track record, it certainly won’t be the last. What a beautiful moment, and if you didn’t have an emotional response to it, you are probably a heartless monster. Just sayin.