“The only way you’re going to make up for it is [if you] vote in the fall and … make sure that this cancer doesn’t … metastasize any further in the American political system,” rock musician Art d’Ecco tells The Bad Penny in a recent interview. Doing his own part, the anti-war artist from Vancouver just released “How Real Is Real?,” the third single off his upcoming album Scheele’s Green, due Oct. 23 on Paper Bag Records.
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On Tyranny: Top 10 Must-See Moments From Tom Morello’s ‘Power to the People’ Revolutionary Rally
Posted in Features, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos on 10/06/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
After the record-breaking turnouts that participated in the peaceful No Kings protests over the past year and change, ICE has adopted a new strategy of unlawfully detaining people of color – and dissenters who oppose the Trump regime’s draconian tactics. Due to their cowardly methods of “disappearing” hundreds upon thousands of men, women and children – many, if not most of whom, are legally allowed to be in the U.S. – we’ve become inured to the fact that unchecked authority, rampant lawlessness and a chilling grip of fear that the vast majority of us living here feel.
In response, ex-Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello – widely considered to be one of the greatest virtuosos of the past three decades – took it upon himself to amass a diverse set of musicians for a Woodstock-esque concert extravaganza. Named after the John Lennon hit from 1971, Power to the People took place Saturday in Columbia, Missouri – specifically, at Merriweather Post Pavilion, which has a capacity of approximately 19,000 attendees.
The entire event aired just one time on MS NOW on Saturday. But alas, clips of the historic galvanizing event are scattered across the Internet. Here are our top 10 favorite moments from Tom Morello’s “Power to the People” daylong event:
1. “This Land Is Your Land” jam by various artists
Top 10 Best Chilean Metal Bands, According to Native Black-Metal Act Ad Finem Omnia
Posted in Features, Interviews, Lists with tags Acero Letal, Ad Finem Omnia, Animus Mortis, Atomic Aggressor, Chile, Inanna, Invunche, Poema Arcanus, Sol Sistere, Uaral on 09/22/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Black-metal act Ad Finem Omnia are still riding high off the release of their second studio album, Senectus Viae, in July. but multi-instrumentalist Pablo Vera still generously carved out some time from his hectic array of goings-on to contribute to the ongoing series we’re calling The Bad Penny Passport.
We’ve checked in with musicians in more than a dozen countries to get lists of the top 10 bands/musicians who hail from their homeland. Astute observers may recall we did a Chilean installment of the series with noise-punk band Niño Nuclear. But Vera’s list is more metal-oriented, reflecting a different sector of the country’s music scene (which is mostly based in the capital city of Santiago).
Vera doesn’t just write in gorgeous prose throughout his entry, he also included an introduction of his own. So let’s get to it.
Continue readingBosse-de-Nage’s ‘Hidden Fires Burn Hottest’: Two Cent Review
Posted in Album Reviews, Features, Reviews with tags Bosse-de-Nage, Deafheaven on 09/21/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
There isn’t a fine line between bands that get drawn into improv jamming as if Charybdis were beside them and acts that play consummately complex music while following sheet music they spent thousands of hours writing and revising. The line is about three feet thick.
Continue readingBattles’ ‘Mirrored’: Two Cent Review
Posted in Album Reviews, Features, Reviews with tags Battles, John Stanier on 09/21/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
To the extent that “math rock” suggests playing guitar notes perfectly and usually one note at a time, some weight could be given to the otherwise esoteric term. The repeated usage of it to describe Don Caballero guitarist Ian Williams’ one-handed finger-tapping technique must’ve driven him close to losing his mind.
Continue readingSystem of a Down’s ‘Toxicity’: Two Cent Review
Posted in Album Reviews, Features, Reviews with tags Daron Malakian, fascism, John Dolmayan, protest music, Serj Tankian, Shavo Odadjian, System of a Down on 09/21/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
“Wake up!” With those two words, the weirdest mainstream-crossover metal song of this century (its video has 1.5 billion views and counting on YouTube) still also stands as the loudest clarion call we’ve heard since Rage Against the Machine. That band’s protégé-ish followers, System of Down, took the baton from Rage and went on to come one of the most important “political” albums of this century: Toxicity.
Continue readingDarkthone Tribute: 12 Bands Tell Us Why the Badass Black-Metal Barons Rule on Their 40th Anniversary (Exclusive)
Posted in Exclusives, Features, Interviews, Lists, Videos with tags Aske, Darkthrone, Death Brigade, Fenriz, Gravehorn, Incineratus, Myrholt, Nocturno Culto, Praesepultus, Tyranno on 09/21/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
With all the hoopla surrounding bands boasting anniversaries of their major milestones, whether it be sticking together after 30-plus years or playing a tour after decades of dormany, it’s crucial that extreme metalheads don’t forget one especially important 2026 celebration, especially in the black-metal netherworld.
That would be the 40th anniversary of Norway’s Darkthrone, who influenced the development and dissemination of black metal around the world more than arguably any other band not named Emperor, Mayhem, Bathory or Burzum. This year also marks the 35th anniversary of the release of their debut, Soulside Journey – which also was, ironically, Darkthrone’s only death-metal album.
Recognizing those milestones, metal publication Antichrist Magazine – based appropriately in Hell, Norway – released the simply named but dense in high-quality material A Tribute to Darkthrone. It was one of a series of like-minded compilations the outlet has issued and dropped in late July. With enormous help from the rep behind that various-artists collection, we received a slew of testimonials from 12 of the 17 bands who contributed exclusive songs to the comp about why they worship at the altar of Darkthrone.
Continue readingTop 34 Best Bandcamp Free Downloads #21: Exbats, BeachMaster, xCHUCKxBASSx, Bleary Eyed, Spread Joy, Unearthly Trance
Posted in Features, Lists, MP3s with tags BeachMaster, Bleary Eyed, Contortionist, Deathpile, Exbats, Regal Cheer, Rivka, Spread Joy, Unearthly Trance, xCHUCKxBASSx on 09/20/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Welcome to the biggest – and hopefully best – installment of Bad Penny Freebies. These songs – which we test-ran a bunch of times to ensure they qualified. I just tried to make sure they’re solid listens, if not solid-gold hits. They also run the gamut musically more than any Freebies edition. But due to the massive number of free downloads we’re pointing to you this week, we’re gonna have to keep the descriptions short.
Home: NYC
Genre: Doom and drone metal with some power electronica
Label: Chrome Peeler
2. BeachMaster‘s One Is None demo
Home: Reno, Nevada
Genre: Black metal psych jazz
Label: self-release
The White Stripes’ ‘Elephant’: Two Cent Review
Posted in Album Reviews, Features, Reviews with tags Jack White, Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin, Meg Whitie, White Stripes on 09/20/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
After grunge stuck a dagger into the heart of guitar heroics, along came Jack White to defend the value of virtuosity. He laid out his case on Elephant—after all, as only one of two members of the White Stripes, he had to pour every ounce of his creativity into his sole instrument, right? (White later cinematically demonstrated his innovative techniques and “reinvention” of playing guitar in the 2008 documentary It Might Get Loud with U2’s The Edge and Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page.)
Continue readingElder’s ‘Lore’: Two Cent Review
Posted in Album Reviews, Features, Reviews with tags Elder on 09/20/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Elder weren’t exactly elder statesmen in the doom-metal body politic upon releasing their third album. But they were staunchly convinced that a little more of everything was needed. More volume. More melody. More prog-rock passages that’d break up the monotony of the hypnotic riffs.
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