Composite image. Original photo of My Chemical Romance by Onome Uyovbievbo/STAFF. Traditionally during this time of year, I either write about the best (2020, 2022) or worst (2019, 2021) of Christmas music. I had a whole pattern going but I didn’t write one last year so I find myself…

Rob Zombie performs at Toyota Pavilion in Concord, Calif. on Sept. 22, 2023. Nate McKinley/STAFF. CONCORD, Calif. — It was a rock and roll show meets a horror film and a Broadway show seen through the lens of an insane fever dream. Friday’s Freaks On Parade Tour stop at…

Alice Cooper, “Road.” Alice Cooper offers up a re-introduction on the opening track of his latest album, Road. Road Alice Cooper earMUSIC, Aug. 25 7/10 Get the album on Amazon Music. “The master of madness/ The father of fright/ I’m Alice!” Cooper declares. The 75-year-old shock rock icon is showing…

Nita Strauss, courtesy Ana Massard. Nita Strauss had just kicked off a headlining tour in Nashville and then slept soundly on her bus all the way to Atlanta. When you’re as busy as she’s been lately, you’re allowed to get Zs whenever you can. Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie Ministry,…

Nita Strauss, “The Call of the Void.” Guitarist Nita Strauss seemingly knows no musical bounds. From a successful solo career to playing lead for Alice Cooper and Demi Lovato, and as the official guitarist of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams. She’s wanted just about everywhere. Strauss harnesses all of…

Michael Jackson in “Thriller.” It’s finally Halloween! Well… it’s finally Halloween weekend. The important thing is it’s happening! Last week was my 10th Halloween column in three years, and today is the 11th. I embedded a playlist of the songs from the columns at the bottom for your Halloween…

Alice Cooper, “Detroit Stories.” It could be said that rock legend Alice Cooper is a hard man to pin down. Is he a decadent, glammed-out creep or an affable guy who helps his friends? An edgy punk provocateur, or a religious conservative? A man named Alice? Even deciding where…

Rob Zombie gets festive. We’ve made it! Halloween is less than a week away and after columns about horror punk and horrorcore we’ve finally reached the main event: Metal. Horror metal is a thing, of course, but why limit ourselves to that narrow box? There are so many Halloween-appropriate…

Santana performs at BottleRock Napa Valley at the Napa Valley Expo on May 26, 2019. Photos: Shawn Robbins. NAPA — Guitar legend Carlos Santana, closing out BottleRock Napa Valley 2019 on Sunday along with Mumford and Sons, saw it as his mission to fight fear with love. On several occasions,…

Alice Cooper enters the batter’s box. Courtesy. As you read this—assuming of course you’re frantically refreshing the site on the day it’s posted—I am in Mesa, Arizona to watch my beloved Oakland Athletics play baseball. Well… sort of, since they’re mostly players destined for the minor leagues and the…