Slayer (Band)

Five Artists With Their Own Brand of Booze

It's 2:45 in the morning and you're stumbling to the bar. You've had a few to drink, and you just got your face rocked off by your favorite rock band in the universe. It's time to have one for the road and then get on home (responsibly, in a cab or on a bus, of course). You look up to order and thi ... More >>

Houston's 10 Sweetest 420 Shows and Festivals

I'm not going to launch into some long diatribe as an opening to this blog; there's no need. All that needs to be said can be summed up in one word -- weed. That's right. This is a blog about all the sweet 420 festivals and events around Houston to help you declare your love for the mean green hol ... More >>

Last Night: Anthrax & Exodus at House of Blues

Anthrax, Exodus House of Blues April 10, 2013 I am going to come right out and say it: I never thought Anthrax should have been a part of The Big Four. When laying out the titans of thrash metal, the boys from New York -- a fact they never seem to want you to forget -- always seemed a bit out of p ... More >>

Hell Freezes Over: The Ends of Five Great Musical Feuds

Last month marked the end of one of the great musical feuds of the 1990s. Any Britpop fan knows you can either be a fan of Oasis or of Blur, but not a fan of both. The two bands hated each other's guts and were in constant competition throughout the decade. So all of us in the press were shocked wh ... More >>

Five Rock Supergroups That Actually Worked

NOt long ago, we finally saw the release of the long-awaited album from Radiohead/Red Hot Chili Peppers supergroup Atoms for Peace and it got me thinking: supergroups are a tough trick to pull off. We all fantasize about our favorite musicians playing together, but when it actually comes to fruition ... More >>

Exploring Songza: Four Offbeat Playlists From the Curated Music Service

We introduced you to Songza -- the service that acts as a "music concierge" -- a few weeks back. Using curated playlists sorted not only by genre and theme, but also by activity, Songza helps you pick the best songs for the occasion. More importantly to me, the playlists are expertly curated, mean ... More >>

15 Notable Houston Concerts of 2012

As we look back over 2012 this week, it is now time to revisit some of this year's memorable shows. It wasn't easy narrowing the list down to 15. Concerts are in chronological order. CHRIS GRAY DAY, The Continental Club So much local talent and so much love. Uh, if I'm maybe a little too biased on ... More >>

Merry Christmas, High Rollers: The Most Expensive Vintage Concert Tees On eBay

A few days ago I asked Rocks Off fans on Facebook what the most they had ever spent on a concert tee was. Most people topped out at $50 for touring legacy acts, while some shelled out a lot more for hoodies and limited-edition tees. Now the world of concert posters is a whole other animal unto its ... More >>

Last Night: Sir Paul McCartney at Minute Maid Park

Sir Paul McCartney Minute Maid Park November 14, 2012 Seeing Paul McCartney live is a lot of things. It's communing with a spirit that touched millions and will touch millions for as long as humanity lurches forward. It's hearing the old schmaltzy bedrock anthems and the proto-everything blasts tha ... More >>

Last Night: Skeletonwitch, Havok & Legion at Walters

Skeletonwitch, Havok, Mutilation Rites, Legion Walters Houston October 17, 2012 Wednesday night's Skeletonwitch show at Walters was one I'd been looking forward to since it was announced. The speedy Ohio metallers nearly eviscerated a Warehouse Live crowd back in April opening for Nile and Black Da ... More >>

Z Rock 106.9 FM Returns In Web Form

A few months back, Heath Bilbrey made waves in Houston by resurrecting the KLOL brand and format with an online radio station. This week Rocks Off has learned that he has also brought back Z Rock 106.9 KKZR from the radio cemetery with the same treatment. "We plan to follow the same formula we are ... More >>

5 Shows We'd Like to See at HMNS' Burke Baker Planetarium

Recently I decided to put down the cash and become an honest-to-God card-carrying member of the Houston Museum of Natural Science. I find that walking the halls of the HMNS is a fine way to kill a few hours before a concert. There is a part of the HMNS that I hold near and dear to my heart, even t ... More >>

Fun Fun Fun Fest Releases Daily Schedule

This morning Fun Fun Fun Fest organizers released the daily schedule for November's three-day orgy of booze, denim, and loudness in the middle of Austin's Auditorium Shores. The color-coded stages -- black, yellow, orange, and blue -- are set up according to genre and size of the act. Last year th ... More >>

Saturday Night: Iron Maiden at The Woodlands

Iron Maiden, Coheed and Cambria Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion August 18, 2012 Rewind: Iron Maiden Gets Superfan Treatment in New Coffee-Table Book 10 Iron Maiden T-Shirts Sure to Prove Your Metal Cred With 15 studio albums and at least as many world tours now under its belt, Iron Maiden is not ... More >>

Don't Tread on Me: The Top 10 Musical Celebrations of American Might

Rock and pop music in the United States has earned a distinguished reputation for quality protest anthems and anti-war songs, from Country Joe and the Fish all the way up to friggin' Green Day. And that's great; it really is. Not only are many of the tunes timeless, but criticism of our society's m ... More >>

Friday Night: Black Breath, Martyrdöd & More at Walter's

Black Breath, Martyrdöd, Burning Love, Enabler Walter's on Naylor June 29, 2012 All of six months has gone by since Walter's on Washington reopened in its new location on Naylor St., and last week I realized I'd yet to take in a show at the new place. The old joint had a fairly long reign as the t ... More >>

Readers Poll: Who Is the Most Overrated Artist in Rock History?

The concept of "overrated" and "underrated" has always confused me. There are groups that are critically lauded, yet got little commercial love, like The Band. And then there are groups that were almost universally reviled by critics, like Journey, who consistently managed to sell out shows, sell mi ... More >>

Friday Night: That Big Metal Show At Bayou Music Center

That Big Metal Show Bayou Music Center March 23, 2012 Early in his band's set on Friday night, Downfall 2012 front man Danny Gil told the crowd to expect something special. "Get ready for a metal show like you've never seen," he said. Gill wasn't exaggerating -- Downfall 2012 delivered a dense s ... More >>

Upcoming: Jane's Addiction, Ted Nugent, Yanni, Spoon, David Allan Coe, Doobie Brothers, Garbage

Adelaine, Kameron, The Blackout Heist: Mon., April 2. Fitzgerald's, 2706 White Oak, Houston. Anders Osborne: Wed., May 9. Dosey Doe Coffee Company, 25911 I-45 N., Spring. Another Run, The Suffers, Mantis, Tax The Wolf: Sat., March 31. Fitzgerald's Band of Skulls, Balam Acab, Superhumanoids: Fri., ... More >>

Unchained: The Man In Black's Late-Life Comeback

The Resurrection of Johnny Cash: Hurt, Redemption, and American Recordings By Graeme Thomson 254 pp., $19.95, Jawbone Press In 1993, Johnny Cash may have been a country-music icon, but for all intents and purposes, he was also one in need of some serious restoration. Two decades removed from his la ... 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 >>

Gigantour Hitting Houston March 2 With Motorhead And Megadeth

And just like that, my normally non-soiled jeans were not. Yes, March 2 the traveling metal bonanza Gigantour is hitting Houston's Verizon Wireless Theater, with Megadeth, Motorhead, Lacuna Coil, and Volbeat in tow. Are we excited? A little. Kind of a fan of Motorhead fan and all. Megadeth last ca ... More >>

GET LIT - Glenn Hughes: The Autobiography

In the '70s and '80s, during stints with Trapeze, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and solo/duo efforts, Glenn Hughes proved a triple threat musically as a singer, songwriter, and bassist. Plus, he had fucking rock star hair. The problem was, he also did three times the amount of drugs -- cocaine in par ... More >>

Verbal Abuse

Our Top Ten Picks For Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011

Photo By Marc BrubakerBest Coast at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010​This weekend the Rocks Off team will cover their third Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, at the festival's new home Auditorium Shores. Each year this fest seems to get bigger and better, without losing it's grimy luster. Is it the Austin City ... More >>

Charlie Benante Keeps The Beat Steady For Anthrax

Photos by Andy BuchananAnthrax 2011 (L-R): Scott Ian, Frank Bello, Joey Belladonna, Charlie Benante, Rob Caggiano​After a tumultuous few years both musically and memberwise, New York thrash metal pioneers Anthrax will be able to close out 2011 on a pretty high note. In addition to releasing th ... More >>

Buckethead

Yes, Inferno: No Meaning at All. None.

It's a well-known fact that most band names are essentially gobbledygook, but here at Rocks Off we're trying hard to find meaning in the oddest monikers. ​San Antonio is loaning Houston a band called Yes, Inferno this weekend. The best way to describe the few songs we've had the chance to lis ... More >>

Last Night: Ben Sollee At Fitzgerald's

Photos by Jessica Perry​Ben Sollee, Thousands Fitzgerald's July 21, 2011 "I don't know anything about cello or classical arrangements but I like this stuff," Aftermath said to our classical-music teacher, great friend and sometime colleague Meghan Hendley, keyboardist for local group Tyagaraj ... More >>

Walk on the Wild Side

One tour unites three very different faces of glam-rock.

Everyone Loves You When You're Dead: Almost Almost Famous

​Neil Strauss Everyone Loves You When You're Dead: Journeys into Fame and Madness ItBooks, 554 pp., $16.99 While most music-journo compendiums usually collect a sonic scribe's most famous interview pieces into one book, Strauss - one of the finest currently practicing the trade - takes a whol ... More >>

Idol Beat: Durbin Warfare

It's James' world; we just live in it.​That wonderful sound you heard last night - that distinct lack of atonal screeching that used to climb up your spine like a mongoose wearing stiletto heels - was the sound of a Jacob-free American Idol. What a beautiful thing. I'm not sure which was more ... More >>

One Night with Glenn Beck: A Twitter Diary

Photo by Craig HlavatyThey lined up to hear Glenn Beck.​Glenn Beck was in Houston on Friday for a stop on his current speaking tour, dubbed the "Glenn Beck Live On Stage!" tour; it was everything I hoped it would be, with a few twists and turns. As an observer of most things Tea Party and cons ... More >>

The 10 Best Rock Samples In Hip-Hop

​Rocks Off just finished reading Ian Christe's 2007 Van Halen biography, Everybody Wants Some, which chronicles the band's history from the Van Halen boys' entry into the U.S., the upbringing of David Lee Roth, and devastating, fatal 1985 crash into Mount Sammy Hagar. Sad stuff if you're a Rot ... More >>

Adios "Age Of Aquarius": A Zodiac Realignment Playlist

​If Twitter is good for one thing, it's the immediate and rapid dispersal of breaking news. If Twitter is good for two things, it's that, plus the immediate and rapid dispersal of whatever trumped-up rumor, lie, or fakery that manages to draw the ire of the millions of poor saps reading along ... More >>

Billy Gibbons And Tequila A Winning Combination

ZZ Top's recording date with Rick Rubin inching closer, he says... Photos by Marc Brubaker​Thursday afternoon, Rocks Off got an invite to a launch party for a new tequila on the scene, Pura Vida Tequila. Where else would this party be at but at the newest tequila joint on Washington Avenue, T ... More >>

Ten Songs We Are Sick Of Hearing At Football Games

Take that Crazy Train right on out of here, Ozzy. Thanks.​That sound you heard Sunday was the collective shattering of the playoff hopes of thousands of Houston Texans fans as the team suffered yet another home loss, this time against the hapless San Diego Chargers, bringing their record to 4- ... More >>

Last Night: Rodrigo y Gabriela At House Of Blues

Photos by Liana Lopez​Rodrigo y Gabriela House of Blues September 2, 2010 Aftermath is not going to lie. Thursday night was about as cold as we've ever gone into a concert. We knew next to nothing about Rodrigo y Gabriela besides the fact that they are a male-female duo from down Mexico way. ... More >>

Saturday Night: Weird Al Yankovic At Verizon Wireless Theater

Photos by Jason Wolter​Weird Al Yankovic Verizon Wireless Theater July 17, 2010 Aftermath is probably not going to write very many, and you're probably going to read even fewer, concert reviews that begin by delineating the finer points of parody and satire. But this is Weird Al Yankovic we'r ... More >>

Last Night: Ted Nugent At The Pasadena Fairgrounds

Photos by Marc Brubaker/ Click here for a slideshow​Ted Nugent Pasadena Fairgrounds July 11, 2010 It was one of the most offensive shows that Aftermath has probably been to, but that didn't stop us from buying a T-shirt. It was a show that would have made the cast of liberal pundits on CNBC s ... More >>

Sorry Little Monsters, Lady Gaga Tickets All Gone-Gone

​Tickets for the second date of Lady Gaga's Houston stand in July sold out less than an hour ago in just 15 minutes, falling short of the record six-minute record set last week. Way to go, little monsters of Houston. Mama Gaga has to be pretty excited about all the weird love going on. Speaking of ... More >>

Megadeth

Houston Coffee Scene: Nicholas Lundgaard of Home-Barista.com

​Nestled in Houston lies one of the most amazing home coffee-making set-ups in America. Nicholas Lundgaard, a moderator on the ever-famous www.home-barista.com forum, has chosen Houston as his home and brought with him this heavily modified La Marzocco GS3 and a special grinder he imported per ... More >>

He Said She Said: Songs That Remind Us of Our Exes

​One thing that struck He Said while we were making this list was the lack of metal and/or punk rock associated with the women in our past. It's kind of odd that someone so dirty and haggard never dated anyone with a Crass patch on her denim jacket or Misfits tramp stamp. By looking at us, you wou ... More >>

Season of the Witch

U2's awe-inspiring Reliant Stadium show prompts a search for the unknown — and unknowable — in music.

Straight from the Sole: Houston's Best Metal Bands

You know Soledad. He's the vocalist from controversial Houston rap-metal act Daylight Coma. He's got a lot to say. Sometimes it's insightful, sometimes less so, but it's almost always said with conviction. This week, in honor of the fast-approaching HPMA, we asked him who he thinks are Houston's fiv ... More >>

Mostly Metal: The Mighty Anvil, In Their Own Words

Craig HlavatyIn the early '80s, Anvil was on the verge of being Canada's leaders of metal mania. Frontman/guitarist Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner were the Toronto outfit's masterminds, writing songs like "Metal on Metal" and "Hot Child" that helped them influence a multitude of young b ... More >>

The Master Interpreter

Losing the Beat

Not long ago, Anthrax's Charlie Benante wondered if he could still pound it out

Down and Dull in Austin

South by Southwest disappoints -- again