James Hetfield

Top 10 Spitters In Music History (w/VIDEO)

Spitting. It's a symbolic form of communication that means nothing good in any language or culture -- a sign of disrespect that garners admiration or adoration from no one. Well, except for fans. Stars and celebrities themselves get mighty pissed off if you spit on them, but if they spit on you, you ... More >>

The Five Greatest South Park Musician Cameos

Last week I looked at some of the worst musical guests on The Simpsons, a show almost as well-known for the appearance of musicians as Saturday Night Live, though with a hit -or-miss success rate since they can't just have the musicians come on and perform their songs. Rewind: The Five Worst Music ... More >>

Friday Night: Badass Weekend at Walter's

While much of Houston was embroiled in NBA All-Star Weekend, the north end of downtown was operating on an entirely different end of the spectrum as Walter's hosted its Badass Weekend. Packed with over 30 bands across two days, the show boasted hardcore, noise and grindcore acts from all over the co ... More >>

The 5 Best Onstage Band Pranks

You might think that it's a little bit early for April Fool's, but pranks go on between musicians and bands year-round. Given that musicians are an immature, jocular sort, tied inherently to an adolescent dream of being a rock star, it should be no surprise that they get into all kinds of crazy insi ... More >>

Def Leppard's Rick Allen and 10 More Miraculous Rock Recoveries

Twenty-eight years ago this week (New Year's Eve), Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen became famous. Well, he was already famous, we guess, for being the drummer for one of the finest pop-metal bands of all time. But on December 31, 1984, Allen became even more famous for being pretty much the only pop- ... More >>

Red Fang Brings the Heat Back to Houston on Sunday

Autumn temperatures may finally be creeping into Houston at last, but Portland's Red Fang promises to work up one last sweat in the city on Sunday when the shaggy rockers roll into Fitzgerald's. The band had too much fun hitting the road this summer to close the books on it just yet. Red Fang playe ... More >>

When the Voice Goes: 5 Rock Singers Who Have Lost It Live

Last week, this video of Guns n' Roses playing at the Bridge School Benefit in California surfaced on YouTube, raising a lot of eyebrows among music fans. It was an acoustic performance of "Welcome to the Jungle" which might sound like a confusing prospect in and of itself, but what has everyone tal ... More >>

Yes and Zeppelin? 5 True All-Star Near-Collaborations

Quick, what's your dream supergroup, living or dead? When I was a big prog nerd, mine was Peter Gabriel on vocals and lyrics, David Gilmour and Robert Fripp on guitar, Geddy Lee on bass, Bill Bruford on drums, Tony Levin on Chapman stick, and Rick Wakeman on keys. Come to think of it, that still sou ... More >>

Saturday Night: Nickelback & Bush At Toyota Center

Nickelback, Bush, Seether, My Darkest Days Toyota Center June 2, 2012 While the rest of the Rocks Off crew at Summer Fest was settling in for a long night of Snoop Dogg, Flaming Lips, and more, this guy was leaving the Fest and making the short trip over to the Toyota Center for Saturday night's bi ... More >>

Forever Young: Musicians Who Refuse To Age

The other day, looking around on YouTube for Pantera stuff -- did you know that this month Vulgar Display Of Power turns 20? -- I found a relatively recent clip of lead singer Phil Anselmo VH1 Classic's That Metal Show from late 2010. The current Down crooner and mouth from the south was guesting on ... More >>

5 Most Needless Song Updates

We got into rock journalism from being a local musician, so we understand both sides of the industry pretty well. We've recorded songs that later-on we wish we'd done very differently, and the temptation to go back and re-try for perfection can be very overpowering. Take it from us, though, do not f ... More >>

With a Rebel Yell: 10 Rockers Gone Country

Photo by Matthew KeeverAaron Lewis at the Verizon Wireless Theater in 2010.​When Staind singer Aaron Lewis rolls into Verizon Wireless Theater tomorrow night, odds are he'll leave his mudshuvel back at the hotel. As modern rock radio turns to the next generation of angst, the former Fred Durs ... More >>

Playbill: What's In The DNA Of Titan Blood?

​I get a lot of local music across my desk, mostly defanged and bloodless. Things that I feel an obligation to enjoy, an act which is starting to take it's toll on a soul. I'm too nice to say something sucks because something-something social contract. Cool story, bro. Like James Hetfield sang ... More >>

Top 5 Guns N' Roses Riots

More literal than metaphorical.​"The World's Most Dangerous Band." That was the tag applied to Guns N' Roses in their late '80s heyday, and though the smacked-out bad boys of Appetite for Destruction have largely mellowed into comfortable, safe middle age, Axl's crew can still lay a claim as ... More >>

Turbo Lovers

British metal icons Judas Priest are still living after midnight — but aren't retiring.

New Music Releases April 5: Leon Russell, Robbie Robertson, The Ravonettes, The Kills, Etc.

​Last week brought new releases from Britney Spears, Radiohead, and a few Pearl Jam re-issues hitting store shelves amid reports that the industry was finally starting to see some improvement. Spears' Femme Fatale is currently projected to enter the top spot of the Billboard 200 chart with sal ... More >>

R.I.P.: Notable Passings Of 2010

​Editor's Pick: Dio, man. Neph Basedow: 2010 commenced on a sad note with the passing of Memphis garage rocker Jay Reatard (aka Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr.). I'd seen him play a tiny show at Chicago's Empty Bottle in 2008 and still consider it one of the best shows I've ever seen. It was definitive ... More >>

The Ten Funniest Misunderstood Lyrics Ever

Photo illustrations by John Seaborn GrayJust another day of kicking the dancing queen...​Everybody knows that the part in "Purple Haze" where Jimi Hendrix (who died 40 years ago this month) sings "'Scuse me while I kiss the sky" sounds a lot like "'Scuse me while I kiss this guy." There's even ... More >>

Last Night: Aerosmith At Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Ed. note: See a slideshow from Thursday night's concert with Aerosmith and Sammy Hagar here. Photos by Groovehouse​Aerosmith Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion August 5, 2010 Remember when you were little and would watch your parents fight around the house? Everyone can relate, unless you grew ... More >>

When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong: Metal Edition

​Dave Chapelle teaches us that the art of "keeping it real" may sometimes go awry. According to urbandictionary.com, this occurs when "in the act of keeping it real, the outcome is unexpected and usually has a negative effect on the individual who decided to keep it real." Rock stars are not i ... More >>

Whoa! 21 Famous Musicians' High-School Yearbook Photos

Willie Nelson, the LAST time he had his hair short.​While Rocks Off was seeking out the best rock star yearbook photos for this blog, we came to a conclusion: Everyone was ugly in their yearbook photos, except Gwen Stefani and Beyonce Knowles. Everyone else looks weird as hell, or nothing like the ... More >>

Aftermath: Megadeth And Testament Power-Metal Through Irritating Fans

Photos by Groovehouse / Click here for a slideshow​Why would you want to piss off Dave Mustaine? The Megadeth front man doesn't seem like the proverbial shrinking violet. He's a pissed-off and generally irritable redhead who sings about crushing people's heads and not taking prisoners. So wh ... More >>

He Said She Said: The Sweet, Sweet Sounds of Revenge, Part 2

​For someone who wears motorcycle boots and carries a knife, the bald(ing) He Said rightfully looks like he should be one of the most vindictive cats in the world. But in reality, the only revenge we have ever taken has been of the emotional variety, and that's probably much worse than any windows ... More >>

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inducts Metallica, Run-DMC, Jeff Beck, Wanda Jackson

Yesterday marked a tremendous day for rappers and thrashers across the world: Metallica and Run-DMC were announced as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's newest inductees, along with Jeff Beck, Wanda Jackson, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Bobby Womack, two members of Elvis Presley's backing band ... More >>

Aftermath: Metallica at Toyota Center

Photos by Craig Hlavaty / Click here for more Fandom is a funny thing. It can make the stodgiest businessman a KISS makeup wearing teenager from 1975. It can turn your Mom into a wannabe groupie when she gets a little too close to Steven Tyler. You yourself may wake up one tragic morn and grasp th ... More >>

Metallica for Soccer Moms

No one else in thrash metal's so-called Original Top 4 (Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Metallica) will ever be as a pleasing to the average pop fan’s palate as James Hetfield and pals. Slayer, is well, Slayer. Need we say more? Songs about blood and the Holocaust don’t really move units. The other ... More >>

Metallica's Death Magnetic

Fade to Plastic via Guitar Hero III

Stupid Baby Names

Metallica Jones

Band Suicide

Why so many Houston music groups self-destruct right on the brink of having it made

Fahrenheit 2004

Remembering the movies that heated up cinemas this year

Leaning Sideways

In a year when small movies came up big, picking the best was a Payne

Up from the Underworld

This year, blood-soaked extreme metal took its rightful place in the world of heavy music

Up from the Underworld

This year, blood-soaked extreme metal took its rightful place in the world of heavy music

A Thin Line...

Introducing the most hated men in rock (besides Sting)

Head Trip

Between hard rock and a safe place, Metallica finds itself

Grumpy Old Men

Metallica returns with the most anticipated metal album in ages

Appetite for Reconstruction

After hitting the top and then bottoming out, the Hunger refuses to go gently to the graveyard of bands

November Pain

Call 'em Guns N' Poseurs if you like, but Axl Rose can still incite riots with the best of them

Damming the Streams

The major labels want the Internet to be as arid as the airwaves

EchoBrain

El Rockero in His Labyrinth

Juanes ditches heavy metal and embraces the music of his native Colombia

Rotation

Rotation

Corrosive Talent

Rotation

Static

Crit Picks