Earlier this week, The Bad Penny caught up with Joe Love, vocalist/guitarist of brand-new, badass Boston band Merry Brigade, who freshen up grunge-era alt-rock with a modern sound. The quartet — which also features Dave Holmes (guitar/backing vocals), Kevin Delprete (bass) and Ben Chase (drummer) — self-released their debut EP, DDD, in mid-March. After taking that first step, Merry Brigade are moving full-steam ahead, with their first full-length slated to come out later this year and a second LP — which the band is already toiling away at — poised to materialize in 2027.
Continue readingArchive for the The Visionaries Category
Merry Brigade’s Joe Love Took Tips From Soundgarden, David Foster Wallace for His Aspiring (and Inspiring) New Band
Posted in Interviews, The Visionaries, Videos with tags David Foster Wallace, Joe Love, Merry Brigade, Soundgarden on 05/02/2026 by Kurt OrzeckMetallica Fans Commemorate Death of Beloved Bassist with Community-Friendly ‘Cliff Burton Day’
Posted in In Memorium, News, The Visionaries, Videos with tags Cliff Burton, Metallica on 02/10/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
For many, today will be somber, sober and sad, as it marks the 40th anniversary of late Metallica bassist Cliff Burton. Perhaps the fastest-rising star in the metal community, a bus accident cut his life short in 1986 in Sweden. He was only 24 years old. All metal fans, whether or not they liked Metallica, mourned Burton because of the tragic accident and because of his stunning gift at playing guitar. Burton continues to a hero in his hometown of Castro Valley California, the city holiday has received more attention
The city in which Burton lived is hosting Cliff Burton Day 2026, which will tangentially recognize the 40th anniversary of Metallica’s Damage Inc. tour. It’ll take place at the Chabot Theater. Starting at 7 p.m. PT, Burton’s family members, family members and work pals will share stories and memories about the family member so tragically lost. The event will feature live music too. Check out The Chatbot for more info.
That’s all the news we have right now, so we’ll leave you with three rad videos: the first, with Burton crushing it for 25 minutes; a discussion among haters who eventually came around to recognize Burton’ brilliance; and a pro-cam taping of Metallica playing “Orion,” a song primarily written by Burton.
The Visionaries: Jeremy Moore and Saccharine Underground – A Comprehensive Career Overview
Posted in Features, Interviews, The Visionaries with tags Jeremy Moore, Saccharine Underground, Zabus on 12/22/2025 by Kurt Orzeck
Hop over to Veil of Sound to read my exhaustive primer on the works of ultra-prolific musician Jeremy Moore, currently the top story on the respect German music website. You may recall the artistic genius from his edition of The Bad Penny‘s On Tyranny series. Now you have the chance to acquaint yourself with the sheer size, scope and high quality of Moore’s many music endeavors.
For more installments in The Bad Penny’s Visionaries series, check out:
• The Visionaries: Sadness Finds His ‘Purpose’ in Music, Readies for Breakout Year in 2026
• The Visionaries: ‘Dungeon Synth’ Master Jute Gyte Exudes Empathy in Rare Interview
• The Visionaries: Journey to the Center of Aaron Turner
The Visionaries: Sadness Finds His ‘Purpose’ in Music, Readies for Breakout Year in 2026
Posted in Features, Interviews, The Visionaries with tags Damian Ojeda, Life, Sadness on 12/16/2025 by Kurt Orzeck“If I have a purpose in life, it’s to make music.” That’s a powerful statement from a young man named Damián Antón Ojeda, whose solo blackgaze project Sadness exudes the sincerity, intensity and deep emotion of an artist proving his credo through his art. All those factors combined make him an ideal entrant in The Bad Penny‘s new series “The Visionaries,” in which we interview introverted musical savants who typically don’t do many interviews. Following Aaron Turner and Jute Gyte, Ojeda is in very good company.
While Sadness has crafted dozens upon dozens of releases over the past decade or so – most recent the exquisite EP Shimmer – 2024 marked the first live performance for the project. But now, having really broken out of his shell, Ojeda is ready to tour next year and – while he’s too humble to say so himself – is well-positioned for global domination.
Continue readingThe Visionaries: ‘Dungeon Synth’ Master Jute Gyte Exudes Empathy in Rare Interview
Posted in Features, Interviews, The Visionaries with tags authoritarianism, black metal, Doctors Without Borders, Jute Gyte, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Planned Parenthood on 12/14/2025 by Kurt Orzeck
“If I’m focusing on sources of human suffering, then maybe it would be nice to put [part of the proceeds I earn from selling that] material to try to alleviate some of that suffering.”
-Jute Gyte
This year, The Bad Penny has had the incredibly unexpected, transformational, good fortune of interviewing more than 200 musicians across the globe. But as 2025 (mercifully) comes to a close, we’ve reflected on many of those conversations and come to realize that we connected with some truly exceptional human beings who just happen to make music.
These are individuals who often but don’t always work in isolation, truly treat making music as a cherished endeavor, take their work seriously, have a very strong work ethic and regiment – and, as a result, transcend the simple act of songcraft, recording and performing live.
To these remarkable individuals, music is not a diversion, and certainly not a means to striking it rich or becoming famous. They devote themselves to their craft because it is their vocation, their calling – not their calling card to getting signed to an oily record contract.
Last week, The Bad Penny unofficially launched a new series, which we’re calling “The Visionaries” – a term each humble subject of the series will surely reject, but sorry guys, them’s the breaks – with an uncharacteristically intimate look into the creative process and soul of underground legend Aaron Turner that Treble generously published.
For the first “official” edition of the series “The Visionaries” published on The Bad Penny, we are thrilled to present you a conversation with perhaps the most unsung drone-metal musician of the century, Jute Gyte (Adam Kalmbach). If his name doesn’t sound familiar, don’t be embarrassed; hell, this guy flies so low under the radar, he would probably rather you don’t know who is, so long as his music is getting out there and assuaging some music listeners (particularly those who gravitate toward challenging listens).
Continue readingThe Visionaries: Journey to the Center of Aaron Turner
Posted in Interviews, The Visionaries with tags Aaron Turner, Hydra Head, Isis, Jussi Lehtisalo, Mammifer, MOOR Mother, Old Man Gloom, Pharaoh Overlord, Sumac on 12/10/2025 by Kurt Orzeck
If an ultra-prolific music maker writes and plays songs in the woods, do they really exist if no one can hear them? Not if they release the music in the form of records, one supposes. But it is kinda the case these days with Aaron Turner, the former frontman for Isis; member of Sumac, Old Man Gloom and Mammifer; collaborator of Pharaoh Overlord; father; illustrator; swimmer; and deep thinker. Join Post-Trash for a journey into the mind of one of the most fascinating and prolific underground artists of the last 25 years.
The Bad Penny (beta) 