Chris M. Junior

Three unreleased Nirvana tracks that are part of the upcoming deluxe 20th anniversary reissues of ‘Nevermind’ are now streaming free on the web. One’s a scorching demo, another is a rather good quality “boombox” recording and a third is a concert version of the band’s most famous song.

Given the choice of touring for another year or more behind 2009′s ‘War Is the Answer’ or “jump right back in the studio” and make another album, Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Jason Hook and his band mates chose the latter option. The result is ‘American Capitalist,’ due Oct. 11, and the faster-than-usual follow-up is all part of 5FDP embracing the evolution in and around the music industry in

There’s no mistaking Metallica‘s thick guitar attack and Lou Reed‘s spoken, attitude-driven vocals in ‘The View,’ a 38-second sample of which can be heard now online in advance of their joint album, ‘Lulu.’

It’s not too late to rename it Nirvanathon. Over the course of 12 hours, local performers from Canada will take a crack at playing the Nirvana anthem ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ 144 consecutive times as part of the Scotiabank Nuit Blanche art festival in Toronto on Oct. 1.

The drummer slot in Black Label Society has seen a lot of turnover in recent years. Former drummer Will Hunt left in early 2011 to resume his role in Evanescence. This fall, the band is touring with Judas Priest. The man in charge of, as Black Label frontman Zakk Wylde puts it, “holding down the foundation of the black cathedral” will be former Breaking Benjamin drummer Chad Szeliga.

A friendly rivalry, trying to be better than the next guy — members of Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer all have a slightly different way to describe their relationship with one another back in the day. They’re on good terms lately, proven by the fact they’ve shared the same concert stage this year in California and New York, collectively billed as the Big 4. And while the metal bands are s

Former Guns N’ Roses/current Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash has been part of some iconic TV moments, such as the Michael Jackson 30th anniversary special in 2001, the 100th episode of ‘South Park’ in 2003 and the Super Bowl XLV Halftime Show in 2011 with the Black Eyed Peas. It’s not too soon to add this one to his impressive list: Playing guitar during actor Charlie Sheen’s Comedy Central roast,

With his third solo album, 2009′s ‘Scream,’ Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell surprised and frustrated longtime fans by abandoning heavy guitars and exploring more pop- and hip-hop-flavored textures. So what should the Soundgarden faithful expect from the recently reunited band, which is working on its first studio album since 1996? According to Cornell, something unlike its back catalog, but not n

Last year, Courtney Love was a no-show in London at an impromptu gig by her revived band, Hole. Last week, Love served as a pinch hitter of sorts when another notable and controversial rocker, Motley Crue singer Vince Neil, backed out of his scheduled pre-Fashion Week performance in New York.

Certain guitarists are known for playing certain makes and models. Jimi Hendrix was quite loyal to the Fender Stratocaster. Former KISS member Ace Frehley has made a good living with the Gibson Les Paul. And AC/DC‘s Angus Young has a thing for the Gibson SG. For Nirvana leader Kurt Cobain, the electric guitar he’s probably most identified with is the Fender Jaguar. By mid-to-late September, musici

It seems so far-fetched, even by Hollywood’s standards: Actor Shia LaBeouf, star of ‘Transformers’ and other mainstream blockbuster films, rubbing elbows with musician Marilyn Manson, the reigning king of shock rock. But not only are they friends, they’re also collaborators. And the result of their recent work together is now available for the world to see — the graphic and NSFW video directed by

Clapping to the beat and triumphantly raising his microphone above his head, My Chemical Romance singer Gerard Way channeled his inner Freddie Mercury while the band played the Reading Festival set in England last weekend. Adding to the Queen connection was a guest appearance by the legendary British band’s own Brian May, who joined My Chem onstage to play guitar on signature songs by both groups.