Well guys, here it is: The very best of the 29 installments of my Pet Sounds series for New Noise thus far. Cattle Decapitation’s vocalist revealing that his love for animals often brings him to tears? Doesn’t get better than this, metalheads. Thanks to Travis, Justin and New Noise!
Cattle Decapitation Vocalist ‘Can’t Imagine a World Without Animals’
Posted in Interviews with tags Cattle Decapitation, Travis Ryan on 02/27/2025 by Kurt OrzeckYear of the Cobra Poised to Kick Asp in 2025
Posted in Interviews with tags Year of the Cobra on 02/26/2025 by Kurt OrzeckFifty bucks to anyone with the balls to tell these Seattle-bred, doom/sludge obsessives that they’re wrong. Read the full piece on New Noise‘s website.
The Unfit Report for Duty — Somewhat Reluctantly This Time
Posted in Interviews with tags Jake Knuth, The Unfit on 02/26/2025 by Kurt Orzeck
Seattle stalwarts The Unfit occupy a distinct place in their home city. While it’s largely responsible for spawning the punk-rock sound that defines the band, the quartet are all but divorced from any music “scene” the city has—if it still has one at all. On Friday, The Unfit release their Disconnected LP, which collates four previous releases into one nifty, 10-song item. New Noise recently chatted with the sheepish, good-hearted frontman for the band, vocalist Jake Knuth, about what makes The Unfit so anomalous that they couldn’t have landed on a more apt moniker. Read the feature story here.
Spy Vocalist Says Last Five Years ‘Have Been a Crazy Time for Hardcore’
Posted in Interviews with tags Closed Casket Activities, Spy on 02/25/2025 by Kurt Orzeck
Spy frontman Peter Pawlak introduces us to Seen Enough, the Bay Area hardcore-punks’ debut EP for Closed Casket Activities and first collaboration with producer Jack Shirley. Read my feature on the red-hot band via FLOOD.
On Tyranny: ‘People in America Have Blinders On,’ Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe Says
Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny with tags Lamb of God, Randy Blythe on 02/25/2025 by Kurt OrzeckAs part of The Bad Penny‘s new series called On Tyranny and focusing on how artists deal with living under authoritarian regimes, we’re dusting off an interview with Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe conducted on December 23, 2007.
At the time, Blythe—known more as a deviant class clown than a philosopher—was one of the only vocalists in metal or punk screaming unabashedly about the Gulf war and the crimes of George W. Bush.
Check out the prescient words of one of metal’s greatest frontman in this interview, originally published in unparalleled graphic novel/ rock magazine Royal Flush and now presented online for the first time.
Check out these related stories:
• “‘On Tyranny’: Musicians Living Under Authoritarian Rule Speak Out” (2.24.25)
• “Thy Catafalque Mastermind Talks About Meaning of Life, Living Under Dictator Viktor Orbán” (12.10.24)
• “Malist Creator ‘Exhausted’ By Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine” (9.7.24)
• “Moscow Metal Band Malist Voices Opposition to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine” (5.15.23)
• “Faith In Metal: Orphaned Land Push For Peace In The Middle East” (9.28.10)
• “Steve Earle: ‘It’s Very Dangerous To Be Ignorant Of Islam’” (9.8.10)
Also related: “My Friend Neamah And The State Of Our Country” (9.21.24)
Julia & the Squeezettes Leader Loves Teaching Music to Kids
Posted in Interviews with tags Julia & the Squeezettes, The Coathangers on 02/25/2025 by Kurt Orzeck
Labyrinth: The History Of Nirvana
Posted in Fun And Games with tags Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Kurt Cobain, Nirvana on 02/24/2025 by Kurt Orzeck
If you enjoyed the Jesus Lizard labyrinth we brought you a few light years ago, crack yer knuckles and get to work on this new puzzle revolving around their fallen friends, Nirvana.
Continue readingBeg Your Pardon? The Dollyrots Own Chickens—and Ghost Shrimp!
Posted in Interviews with tags The Dollyrots on 02/24/2025 by Kurt OrzeckMy Pet Sounds series on New Noise returns with a helluva comeback, showcasing one of the mag’s favorite bands (lovable legacy punks The Dollyrots) and their makeshift Noah’s Ark with chickens, two cats, a dog and three ghost shrimp. Read the full story here.
On Tyranny: Musicians Living Under Authoritarian Rule Speak Out
Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny with tags Malist, Orphaned Land, Steve Earle, Thy Catafalque, Timothy Snyder on 02/23/2025 by Kurt Orzeck
With the U.S. now unquestionably (pun intended) operating as an autocracy, The Bad Penny is launching a new feature series called On Tyranny, consisting of conversations with artists who are current or former residents of countries ruled by dictators (other than the U.S. and per the nonpartisan World Population Review). After more than a week of reflection, it became apparent that taking action and initiating this modest effort seemed like a healthier idea than giving up and obeying in advance.
On Tyranny, inspired by Timothy Snyder‘s book of the same name, is not intended to foster policy debates but rather facilitate artists who have lived under authoritarian regimes to educate artists who have not. With any luck, maybe some will discover ways to prepare, strategize, cope or simply find a sense of camaraderie as America’s new dictatorial regime targets artists, always one of the first groups to be assailed during times of right-wing political upheaval.
While we assemble our first proper installment of On Tyranny, here are some related articles that might catch your interest in the interim:
• “Thy Catafalque Mastermind Talks About Meaning of Life, Living Under Dictator Viktor Orbán” (12.10.24)
• “Malist Creator ‘Exhausted’ By Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine” (9.7.24)
• “Moscow Metal Band Malist Voices Opposition to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine” (5.15.23)
• “Faith In Metal: Orphaned Land Push For Peace In The Middle East” (9.28.10)
• “Steve Earle: ‘It’s Very Dangerous To Be Ignorant Of Islam’” (9.8.10)
Also related: “My Friend Neamah And The State Of Our Country” (9.21.24)
Autumn Kings Say ‘Delusional’ Pursuit Earned Them Record Deal
Posted in Interviews with tags Autumn Kings, Joe Coccimiglio on 02/22/2025 by Kurt Orzeck
“Delusion and unwavering self-belief is the very thing that sustained us through difficult times for the band, like the pandemic a few years ago, when it was much easier to throw in the towel than it was to keep charging forward as an independent band,” Autumn Kings vocalist Joe Coccimiglio instructively confides in my latest Signing Story for Music Connection.
The Bad Penny (beta) 