Tool performs at the Aftershock Festival on Oct. 13, 2019. Courtesy of Aftershock. SACRAMENTO — Northern California’s annual hard rock festival, Aftershock, continued its upward trajectory as one of the premiere national events for heavy music. What began back in 2012 as a one-day and one-stage event has ballooned…

SACRAMENTO — Tool is an aberration in the modern music landscape. Every choice the L.A. band makes seems to counter conventional wisdom and trend. Many of the band’s songs cross the 10-minute mark with brooding instrumentals. A decade passed between albums. At concerts, enigmatic frontman Maynard James Keenan spends…

Staind. Courtesy photo. Mike Mushok may be the most enthused man alive for the reunion of early aughts hard rock mainstays Staind. “I mean, I wanted to do it all along,” the Staind guitarist said of kickstarting the discussions to get the band back together. “It was just about trying…