Another Death Shocks the Metal World: RIP Paul Gray

Damn. I came out of graduation to hear that Ronnie James Dio passed away and then as I ended my road trip back from Texas I saw that Slipknot bassist Paul Gray died close to home, in Urbandale, Iowa, yesterday.

This is sad news, whether you like Slipknot or not, and I'm sure this is a rough time for both the members of the band, family and all of the friends the group has made while on the road.

Here's to you Paul Gray. May you also rest in peace alongside James "The Rev" Sullivan, Peter Steele, Ronnie James Dio in Heaven ... or Hell (depending on your preference).

UPDATE: Just caught the end of Slipknot's press conference. The whole band (and Gray's wife) were there and seemed very torn up over the bassist's death. Pretty intense stuff and crazy to see all these guys in a room without masks on such a somber occasion.

Rest in Peace Dio!

I heard the news of Dio's passing right after my graduation ceremony. Talk about a bittersweet moment. Like I said I am taking a week hiatus from the blog, but not without posting this live clip as a personal tribute to the heavy metal legend!

Pray to the Metal Gods for Ronnie James Dio!

Today, it was announced that metal god Ronnie James Dio has been diagnosed with stomach cancer (thankfully it is in its early stages).

No matter what kind of metal you are into, I think we can all agree that this man has done more for heavy metal than just about any other. At age 67, his pipes are still in top shape, and he never puts on a bad show.

Send your prayers to the metal gods that Dio recovers from this terrible disease. It's going to be a tough fight, but I think he can pull through and maybe even show us how to rock once more!

Iron Maiden and Ronnie James Dio to Hit the Studio (Not together of course)

Iron Maiden recently announced it would be returning to the studio to work on new material for its 15th studio album.

None of the more recent releases have held my attention all that long since The Wicker Man (although I do like a lot of the newer material), so hopefully the guys spend the time to make this one count.



A close inside source has also told me that Dio guitarist Craig Goldy received a call from Dio himself about setting up a date to begin recording new Dio material, so I always look forward to that, seeing as Dio can still sing like a beast.

Epiphone Revolver Golden God Awards: Hell Yeah!

Watch a comedy bit taken from the intro of the recent Revolver Golden God Awards show that features Brian Posehn and some heavy metal legends.

You can check out the full show streaming on MTV's Web site. They do play metal after all, but only when it's trendy to do so.

MTV Shows