EVERY DAY IS GREEN DAY ON SUNSET
Our favorite NorCal pop-punk band, Green Day, is providing the Sunset Strip with a splash of color — green, of course — via huge rockin’ ads adorning the exterior walls of Rock Row’s most famous music clubs.
The attention-grabbing billboards, which are hyping Spotify’s new online video series, Green Day: The Early Years, are covering the exterior walls of both the Roxy and the Whisky A Go-Go.
Sure beats those Lady Gaga billboards that were covering the Whisky.
EX-KISS SHREDDER PUTS L.A. IN THE N.Y. GROOVE WITH SMOKIN’ HITS-PACKED SET
KISS‘ legendary original guitarist Ace Frehley rolled into Los Angeles’ Saban Theatre on Feb. 3 for a stellar show of new tunes from his latest album, Space Invader, and, of course, unforgettable KISS classics.
Appropriately enough, this particular Friday evening in L.A. was unusually chilly, moody and rainy, making it feel more like autumn in New York. So, when this famous native New Yorker cranked up his most loved jam, “New York Groove,” the crowd was definitely feeling every beat of Ace’s groove.
The best moment during a night that included many was when Frehley pulled out his famous Gibson and played a smokin’ solo while his axe literally smoked, just like back in KISS’ early days.
After opening the show with the KISS classic “Parasite,” the influential guitarist shared lead vocals with his various band members on a number of KISS’ best songs, including, of course, “Cold Gin,” “Rocket Ride” and “Shock Me.”
The Spaceman was in fine form and seemed to be having as much fun as his audience, sharing stories and his famous chuckle between songs. He mentioned that he is celebrating 10-plus years of sobriety, a revelation that justifiably got as much applause as his set did.Â
Opening acts Smash Fashion and late-Eighties/early-Nineties stalwarts Enuff Z’Nuff were also fantastic and a lot of fun. L.A. newbies Smash Fashion offered a dose of solid, catchy Stone Temple Pilots-like original rock songs.
Likewise, Enuff Z’Nuff’s original jams, particularly the 1989 smash “Fly High Michelle,” were well-received and had the crowd on its feet and singing along at full volume. The timeless rock ballad was almost overshadowed by the band’s excellent cover of David Bowie‘s “Gene Genie.”Â
All in all, this was a three-homerun heavy metal bill that knocked it out of the ballpark.Â
STILL ON THE FENCE OVER THE PRESIDENTIAL RUN? SUPERSTAR HARD ROCKERS SOUND OFF ON THE CLINTON/TRUMP RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE
By David Ciminelli
There’s a growing roster of superstar rockers who are sounding off, sometimes onstage and sometimes off, about their preferred choice for the next President of the United States. Still on the fence? Check out what some of your favorite rockers are proclaiming about Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton‘s race for the White House.
KISS’ GENE SIMMONS
Infamously outspoken KISS frontman Gene Simmons is never one to mince his words. During a KISS concert earlier this year in Eugene, Oregon, while handling vocals on the killer KISS classic “I Love It Loud,” Simmons improvised a request to the capacity crowd: “Vote Trump!”
Earlier this year, Simmons told Rolling Stone: “Trump is not a politician. He does not need your money, and he will speak his mind, God damn it, whether you like it or not. And he has no problem saying ‘F*ck off.’
“I like that, even if I disagree,” said Simmons.
BON JOVI’S JON BON JOVI
He’s with her.
“I pray that [Hillary Clinton]’s going to win,” Jon Bon Jovi told the U.K. site I News in a recent interview. And the Bon Jovi frontman has been trying to make that prayer come through by showing his support loud and clear and rocking the stages of recent Clinton campaign stops in New York, Florida and North Carolina. JBJ, who famously played at Barack Obama‘s inauguration, was joined at a recent Clinton event by fellow rock legend Paul McCartney.
MEGADETH’S DAVE MUSTAINE
Thrash metal legend Dave Mustaine has been vocal in the press about his decision to remain mum on exactly who he will be voting for on November 8. The Megadeth frontman, however, has made it very clear who he won’t be voting for.
“Am I a Donald Trump fan? Well, he’s a very successful businessman, Am I gonna vote for him? That’s none of your business,” Mustaine said in response to a fan inquiry during an interview on Periscope last summer. “And if I did, I wouldn’t tell you,” he added. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t tell you. I can tell you one thing: I am not voting for Hillary.”
MOTLEY CRUE’S NIKKI SIXX
Judging by his prolific tweets, metal legend Nikki Sixx isn’t exactly pleased with either Presidential candidate, asking fans on Twitter: “So, which devil are you voting for?” And not too long ago, the Sixx A.M. bassist pontificated online during the last Presidential debate: “Why don’t we have random drug testing for the Presidential debates?”
The hit-making Motley Crue founder also vigorously dumped on Trump many times. In September, Sixx tweeted: “If Trump becomes president your children will die because he will cause a world war that will hit American soil.”
TED NUGENT
Motor City Madman Ted Nugent took to Facebook last summer to offer up a 14-item list of reasons to vote for “The Donald.” Primarily, the list reasoned that Trump is top choice after considering those who are opposed to the Presidential hopeful, like “the Pope” and “hateful, racist, violent Liberals.”
KID ROCK
Hard-rockin’ hip-hopper and self-proclaimed “Bullgod” Bob “Kid Rock” Ritchie is raisin’ his fists in support of one particular candidate, telling Rolling Stone: “I’m digging Trump…I fell like a lot of people…if you get Hillary…there’s going to be the same sh-t [as Obama]…My feeling: Let the motherf–king business guy run it like a f–king business. And his campaign been entertaining as sh-t.”
WINGER CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF HITS AT WHISKY, NOV. 11
If you do the math, that nearly-jailbait babe that Kip Winger was serenading in 1988’s “Seventeen” would be a 44-year-old cougar today. But Kip and crew will still be cranking out the obsessive pop-metal ode to young lust when Winger hits the Sunset Strip to rock the Whisky A Go-Go on Nov. 11. And that’s a good thing.
The New York rockers will be in town to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of the band’s 1988 debut, Winger. The album spawned the hit singles “Headed for a Heartbreak,” “Madalaine,” “Hungry” and, of course, “Seventeen.”
Singer-bassist Kip Winger and his crew–guitarists Reb Beach and John Roth and drummer Rod Morgenstein, will be rockin’ and rollin’ out all the hits from Winger straight up to “Better Days Comin'” and the scorching guitar-heavy rocker “Rat Race” from 2014’s Better Days Comin’.
Evolution Eden and Osairis are opening the Whisky show.
FLOTSAM &Â JETSAM CELEBRATE THREE DECADES OF DOOMSDAY, NOV. 5 AT WHISKY A GO-GO
Metallica‘s ex-bassist Jason Newstead‘s old band Flotsam and Jetsom is bringing its manic metal anthems to the Whisky A Go-Go on Nov. 5 . The metal stalwarts have just returned from a European tour and are promoting F&J’s self-titled 12th studio album, which was released last spring.
But even decades later, the Newstead-era “Hammerhead” and “She Took an Axe” from Flotsam’s 1986 debut, Doomsday for the Deceiver, and “Wading Through the Darkness” and F&J’s cover of Elton John‘s “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting,” from 1988’s breakthrough album Cuatro, are still as blistering and badass as they come.
“We are very excited to get out with this package and thrash through the United States, playing material from our new album, fan favorites, as well as celebrating the 30-year anniversary of Doomsday for the Deceiver,” promises Flotsam and Jetsam drummer Jason Bittner.
Bay Area thrash-metal newbies Hatchet will also be shredding at Whisky as Flotsam’s support act on the U.S. tour.
ALEX VAN HALEN WAS NOT THRILLED WITH KING OF POP’S ’80s REIGN
In his new book, The Speed of Sound: Breaking Barriers Between Music and Tehhnology, electro-pop music wiz Thomas Dolby reveals a couple of great stories about hanging out at guitar legend Eddie Van Halen‘s house.
Ironically, the scenarios happened after the “She Blinded Me with Science” hit-maker nearly insulted Eddie with an off-the-cuff Spinal Tap joke.
Some of the scenarios, however, seem like they could inspire a Spinal Tap sequel.
Here’s a conversation Dolby recounts about meeting Alex Van Halen when Eddie was working on Dolby’s 1992 album, Astronaughts & Heretics:
Thomas Dolby to Alex Van Halen: “I hear you’re not nuts about Eddie [Van Halen] playing on my album?”
Alex Van Halen: “You got that right, bro. Last time we let him do that, he did a solo on that little f—er Michael Jackson‘s record. That was the only reason 1984 got stuck at No. 2 [for five weeks, behind Thriller].”
GREEN DAY SPOTTED ON SUNSET
One of our favorite Bay Area bands, Green Day is immortalized on the Sunset Strip courtesy of some fresh spray paint. We spotted this reminder about the punk-rockin’ trio’s new album on the sidewalk in front of Viper Room. Revolution Radio is due out Oct. 7.
Check out Greens Day’s lyric video for the title track here. Revolution Radio‘s kick-ass kick-off single, “Bang Bang,” proves that Billie Joe Armstrong and his crew haven’t lost their touch. Check out the video here.
YOU WANTED THE BEST…SO WHY ISN’T KISS’ ‘FREEDOM TO ROCK TOUR’ SELLING?
By David Ciminelli
Armed with an arsenal of timeless hard rock anthems and high-energy sing-along hits, KISS has proved for four decades that the band can effortlessly pack any arena around the world. So, why isn’t the iconic group’s current “Freedom to Rock Tour” selling? Has KISS’ sonic boom gone bust? After 40 years as the hottest band in the land, have fans grown too tired to rock and roll all night and party every day?
When one KISS fan, Ron Valdes, went to Facebook and posed these questions about KISS current tour, which launched July 7 in Boise, Idaho, the response was overwhelming. Valdes accompanied his query about the tour’s poor ticket sales with screen shots of the seating charts from arenas across the country, which revealed that approximately two months after they went in sale, there are more seats available than sold at pretty much all venues. So, what gives? KISS unarguably still gives fans the greatest live show in rock, but why has the “Freedom” not even come close to selling out?
“This [was] truly depressing, an exercise in depression,” says Valdes about putting together his comprehensive Facebook post. The longtime KISS fan does however have a solution: “Two words can fix this tour: Ace Frehley,” he says with a laugh.
“I wish I could’ve seen the real KISS,” says fan Owen Walton. “[Instead] I’m stuck watching FrankenAce [Thayer] perform ‘Shock Me.'”
“Why play the same show every year?! Doesn’t make sense,” commented Jeff T., another member of the KISS Army who posted his theory on Facebook about the dismal ticket sales.
Dozens of KISS diehards have logged on to offer up their opinions on the matter, with many amending that the current line up pales in comparison to the original, and some surmise that perhaps the band tours too much without mixing up its set list.
“No Motley Crue, no Def Leppard, no real KISS, [that’s why there is] nobody there,” says Bill Wang, citing the lack of a decent support act on the “Freedom to Rock Tour” and the obvious absence of well-liked original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, who were replaced long ago with lead guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, respectively. Not helping matters is the fact that KISS chose American Idol Season 13 winner Caleb Johnson as an opening act. (Fortunately, ex-Motley Crue frontman John Corabi‘s band Dead Daises (pictured right) replaces Johnson from August 10 to the end of the tour on September 10.)
“They’re not the greatest anymore,” adds Valdes. “They are near 70 years old. Paul Stanley‘s vocals can’t hold up any more. They have been doing the same show for decades. It’s over.”
“They just couldn’t [retire] after the “Farewell [reunion] Tour,” so here we are,” says Jeff T. “Even Bruce [Kulick (right), who replaced Frehley for a brief period in the mid-80s to mid-90s] could get me to go if it was a no makeup show. I have a feeling Ace might get the call.”
There is a hint of good news in this dilemma, however. Fans that have attended shows on the “Freedom to Rock Tour” have unanimously posted glowing reviews on Facebook, calling the current your “outrageously fun” and “the best show ever.”
Also, controversy over the seemingly lax ticket sales could be premature, with things picking up closer to showtime.
“Wait for day of,” suggests KISS fan Marshall Harrod. “So far the shows have been packed.”
Fans have until fall to catch KISS live as the “Freedom to Rock Tour” ends with a bang on September 10 in Huntington, West Virginia.
Check out the tour dates for the remaining shows below.
July 25: Wichita, KS (Intrust Bank Arena)
July 27: Sioux City, IA (Tyson Events Center)
July 29: Cheyenne, WY (Cheyenne Frontier Days)
July 30: Minot, ND (North Dakota State Fair)
Aug. 1: Mankato, MN (Verizon Wireless Center)
Aug. 3: Duluth, MN (Amsoil Arena)
Aug. 5: Moline, IL (iWireless Arena)
Aug. 6: La Crosse, WI (La Crosse Center)
Aug. 8: Milwaukee, WI (BMO Harris Bradley Center)
Aug. 10: Green Bay, WI (Resch Center)
Aug. 12: Fort Wayne, IN (Allen County Memorial Coliseum)
Aug. 13: Grand Rapids, MI (Van Andel Arena)
Aug. 15: Saginaw, MI (Dow Event Center)
Aug. 17: Springfield, IL (Illinois State Fair)
Aug. 20: Rockford, IL (BMO Harris Bank Center)
Aug. 22: Dayton, OH (Nutter Center)
Aug. 24: Toledo, OH (Huntington Center)
Aug. 26: Youngstown, OH (Covelli Centre)
Aug. 27: Erie, PA (Erie Insurance Arena)
Aug. 29: Rochester, NY (Blue Cross Arena)
Aug. 30: State College, PA (Bryce Jordan Center)
Sept. 1: Allentown, PA (Great Allentown Fair)
Sept. 3: Worcester, MA (DCU Center)
Sept. 4: Portland, ME (Cross Insurance Arena)
Sept. 7: Bridgeport, CT (Webster Bank Arena)
Sept. 9: Richmond, VA (Richmond Coliseum)
Sept. 10: Huntington, WV (Big Sandy Arena)
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH PAYS TRIBUTE TO ROCK LEGENDS KURT COBAIN, JANIS JOPLIN & SCOTT WEILAND IN SEARING NEW VIDEO FOR ‘I APOLOGIZE’
By David Ciminelli
Hard-working arena rockers Five Finger Death Punch have managed to produce another great music video without interrupting their current world tour in support of the band’s hits-packed sixth album, Got Your Six. Frontman Ivan Moody and his crew released 5FDP’s new clip for “I Apologize” this week, showcasing a slick and arty homage to late, great rock legends from John Bonham and Elvis Presley to Janis Joplin and Kurt Cobain.
Directed by prolific rock-video visionary Nathan “Karma” Cox, who has helmed clips for Disturbed, Marilyn Manson and Black Veil Brides, the unapologetic tribute is the band’s fourth smash single from Got Your Six. It features a somber Moody making his way through a cemetery and past the gravestones of famous artists lost to addiction and echoes the strong anti-drug sentiments of Five Finger Death Punch’s previous music video for “My Nemesis.”
“We have been losing exceptionally bright, talented people who you’d assume know better,” says Moody about fellow rock stars like Scott Weiland and Alice in Chains‘ Layne Staley, who are referenced in the “I Apologize” clip. “No matter how much support you provide, ultimately it’s everyone’s own decision to face their demons or perish.”
RELIVE HOLLYWOOD’S HEAVY METAL GLORY DAYS WITH THE BEST OF RATT, DOKKEN, SKIDROW, CINDERELLA & MORE MONSTERS OF METAL AT CATHOUSE LIVE, AUG. 15 IN THE O.C.
Legendary club promoter Riki Rachtman is back to save the modern music scene by opening up a big ol’ can of heavy metal whoop ass on August 15 with the hotly anticipated return of one of his most famous Hollywood clubs, the Cathouse. And he’s bringing a few famous friends with him when Cathouse Live rocks The O.C. this summer.
Bringing added heat to Southern California’s summer concert season are legendary hard-rock frontmen Sebastian Bach, Stephen Pearcy (right), Tom Keifer, Don Dokken and Tracii Guns, who will be covering the greatest hits of Skidrow, Ratt, Cinderella, Dokken and L.A. Guns, respectively, on the Cathouse Live main stage at Irvine Meadows.Â
The heavy metal hit-makers will be sharing an all-star bill with Extreme, Trixter, Saigon Kick and Sunset Strip refugees Bang Tango, BulletBoys, Junkyard, Pretty Boy Floyd and Little Caesar. Plus, there are many more timeless metal bands that will keep Cathouse Live rockin’ from sun up ’til sun down on August 15.
Rachtman’s rockin’ summertime revival offers a rare opportunity for fans to get a taste of the famous club he launched in 1986 with some help from Faster Pussycat’s Taime Downe. Cathouse became a favorite hangout for the likes of everyone from Axl Rose (right) to Lita Ford and hosted every band from Pantera to Pearl Jam. The Hollywood hot spot, which closed its doors on Highland forever in the Nineties, is immortalized in classics by Motley CrĂĽe, Alice Cooper and Faster Pussycat.
We raise our Bics to Rachtman for bringing the best of classic metal back to SoCal this summer with Cathouse Live. And the best part? Tickets start at $15! Get more details here.
(Main photo: (clockwise from top, left to right): Don Dokken, Bang Tango, Sebastian Bach, Riki Rachtman, Trixter, Extreme, BulletBoys’ Marq Torien and Tracii Guns)
BEVERLY HILLS ADDS SOME ROCK TO ITS RITZ WHEN WHITESNAKE HEADLINES SABAN THEATRE, JUNE 9
The still of the night in the 90210 won’t be still for long!
Hit-making heavy metal band Whitesnake is slithering its way over to Beverly Hills’ Saban Theatre on June 9, when frontman David Coverdale will rock Wilshire with the band’s endless list of metal classics, like “Still of the Night,” “Slow an’ Easy” “Fool for Your Loving” and “Here I Go Again.”
The hits are gonna keep rollin’ all night, straight through to 2011’s “Love Will Set You Free” from Forevermore.
Coverdale and his crew — guitarists Reb Beach and Joel Hoekstra; drummer Tommy Aldridge; bassist Michael Devin; and keyboardist Michele Luppi — will also be crankin’ amped-up Deep Purple classics from Whitesnake’s recent covers release, The Purple Album.
The 90210 may never be the same!
Get ticket details here.
THE RUNAWAYS’ CHERIE CURRIE TALKS BOOKS & BEATS, JUNE 6 IN SANTA MONICA
On June 6 in Santa Monica, the night will not be all about “Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!” when The Brady Bunch star Susan Olsen, who played Cindy on the classic TV show, interviews rock icon Cheri Currie of the groundbreaking all-girl rock band The Runaways (pictured right in 1977).
Beginning at 2 p.m. at the Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club Ballroom, the showcase is part of the Santa Monica Library‘s 2015 Adult Summer Reading series and will focus on Currie’s best-selling 1989 memoir, Neon Angel.
The special event is free to fans and will also feature a showing of the 2010 movie The Runaways, which stars Dakota Fanning as Currie (right) and is based on Neon Angel, followed by a chat between pop culture legends Currie and Olsen.
Currie is also celebrating the release of her rockin’ new album, Reverie, her first full-album release since 1980’s Messin’ with the Boys.
Get more information about the Santa Monica event here.
LED ZEPPELIN LEGEND ROBERT PLANT TO ROCK HOLLYWOOD HILLS, JUNE 2
Been a long time since you rock and rolled?
Robert Plant is returning to L.A. to grace the gorgeous Hollywood Hills summer skyline with his golden pipes when he headlines the Greek Theatre on June 2.
This time around, the Led Zeppelin legend is bringing along his new band, the Sensational Space Shifters, pictured right at L.A.’s Shrine Theatre in 2013.  The iconic singer-songwriter and his band will be focusing on music from their 2014 album, Lullaby and… the Ceaseless Roar.
Get ticket information and more details on the Greek show here.
Check out and the Sensational Space Shifters in the short film Returning to the Borders, below.
STEPHEN PEARCY BRINGS RATT’S HEAVY METAL HITS BACK TO SUNSET APRIL 12 TO ROCK RAINBOW’S ‘PARKING LOT’ PARTY
Few things can trump watching Pasadena-launched hard rock legends Van Halen shake the foundation of Hollywood Boulevard earlier this week for Jimmy Kimmel Live. However, there is another awesome artifact from the Eighties that will soon be crawling out of the cellar and right into the heart of West Hollywood!
On April 12, the Rainbow Bar & Grill will be welcoming back to Sunset Ratt rocker Stephen Pearcy, who is set to headline the hot spot’s annual Party in the Parking Lot with some of the greatest songs to ever put metal on the pop culture map.
From 2 to 10 p.m. next Sunday, the Rainbow (9015 Sunset) will once again be pulling out all the stops to rock WeHo in celebration of the L.A. landmark’s 43rd anniversary with a free concert by Pearcy along with former Guns N’ Roses and Slash’s Snakepit guitarist Gilby Clarke; L.A.’s Little Caesar, who scored a hit with a cool cover of “Chain of Fools” in 1990; Sunset Strip mainstays Barb Wire Dolls and more string-breaking, ball-busting bands.
The party is happening behind the Rainbow and Roxy, which will be gloriously transformed into one huge heavy metal parking lot!
Gazzarri’s and Whisky refugee Pearcy is headlining the concert event armed with an arsenal of timeless metal hits that spanned the Eighties, including: the 1984 smashes “Round and Round,” “Wanted Man, “Back for More”” and “Lack of Communication”; 1985’s “You’re in Love” and “Lay it Down”; 1986’s “Body Talk” and “Dance”; 1987’s “Slip of the Lip”; 1988’s “Way Cool Jr.”; the 1989 hits “Loving You’s a Dirty Job” and “I Want a Woman”; right through to 1990’s “Shame, Shame, Shame.” Plus, recent tracks like “Best of Me” from 2010’s Infestation prove that Pearcy still reigns as one of metal’s greatest frontmen.
The Rainbow party offers a rare chance to experience the best of Ratt live from the voice and songwriter behind the hits, because, as Pearcy confirmed earlier this year on the Eddie Trunk Podcast, he and the remaining members of the Sunset Strip-launched band won’t be reuniting anytime soon.
“If people wanna hear the band, they can hear Ratt music with me, singing my songs, but I doubt there will ever be another Ratt record, no” Pearcy told Trunk last February.
The 58-year-old singer, who ditched his rocky tenure in Ratt once again last year, is sure to shake up his Rainbow set with some of the guitar-heavy, hooks-packed songs from his scorching, hard-hitting 2011 solo album, Suckerpunch.
All things considered, one thing is certain: Rainbow’s Party in the Parking Lot is gonna take you back to the glorious metal years of the Eighties — and you won’t even need a hot tub time machine.
IF IT WASN’T FOR ROCKIN’ VISUAL ARTISTS LIKE MARGO NAHAS, DAVID WILLARDSON &Â DEREK RIGGS, YOUR BAND T-SHIRT COLLECTION WOULD BEÂ TOTALLY LAME
Rock and roll has always been all about breaking the rules, unpredictability and raw originality. It’s an ageless m.o. that has led to some of the greatest moments in music history, in regard to both music and art.
For instance, in the early Eighties, when Van Halen was searching for just the right visual accompaniment to showcase the amp-shaking original music on the Pasadena band’s hits-packed sixth album, 1984, they sought the artistic talents of Margo Nahas.
However, when the artist declined the offer to bring to life the band’s concept of sexy female robots for the album cover, destiny intervened.
Later, when the band came across one of Nahas’ original renderings of a rebellious young angel indulging in a cigarette, Van Halen knew they found an even better image that perfectly captures the youthful energy, rebellious spirit and wholly original scope of the classic album.
And when it comes to great album cover art, Van Halen’s 1984 keeps good company with a select few equally impressive and iconic album covers that share a heavy metal history that is just as brilliant and badass as the music that the artwork evokes.
In fact, Nahas’ awesome image tops Sunset and Clark’s list of The Greatest Hard Rock Album Cover Art of All Time.
VAN HALEN, 1984, art by Margo Nahas
It’s hard to believe but the famous lil’ angel puffing away on a cigarette on the cover of Van Halen‘s classic album 1984 turned 30 last year. And three decades later, artist Margo Nahas‘ awesome artwork still holds up as one of the most memorable and celebrated album covers of all time.
Although the painting was not commissioned for the album cover, the band-selected graphic perfectly captures the tone and style of VH and the 1984 album: polished, attention-grabbing and unique mixed with a streak of rock and roll rebellion and abandon.
The image is based on a photo shot by Nahas, who used a friend’s tot and a candy cigarette to create her now-iconic painting’s source material.
Van Halen is represented in high-style photo portraits featured on the back cover and shot by Raul Vega. Nahas’ husband, Jay Vigon, a professional graphic designer, added the futuristic text.
Although it seems tame by today’s standards (or lack of them), the album, which was released in 1984, did cause a stir in the U.K., where officials decided to plaster a sticker over the angel’s cancer stick.
Van Halen fans can pick up a print of the painting via the artist’s website.
IRON MAIDEN, The Number of the Beast, art by Derek Riggs
Sure, pretty much all of Iron Maiden‘s album covers are comprised of excellent commissioned artwork that is evilly evocative of each album’s brilliant and badass musical content. However, when it comes to Maiden’s nĂşmero uno cover art masterpiece it’s the band’s defining 1982 album The Number of the Beast.
Created by the band’s longtime collaborator Derek Riggs, the graphic includes one of the best visual concepts of any Maiden cover: an image of the band’s walking dead mascot, Eddie, controlling a Satan puppet as the devil controls a smaller version of Eddie, also like a puppeteer.
Riggs has revealed that the devilish “Who’s manipulating who?” concept was inspired by a similar one that caught the British artist’s eye in a Doctor Strange comic book during his formative years.
The iconic image that continues to adorn t-shirts of metal fans around the world was initially erroneously printed with a blue-sky background instead of Riggs’ preferred and more ominous gray and black backdrop. The faux pas was fixed when the graphic was used on Maiden’s 1998 remastered release of the groundbreaking metal album that featured Bruce Dickinson making his debut as the band’s frontman.
KISS, Love Gun, art by Ken Kelly
KISS‘ cover art for its 1977 Love Gun album rivals the band’s own Destroyer cover as the coolest rock art ever.
Both album covers, which famously feature vibrant, superhero-like images of the group, were painted by prolific American artist Ken Kelly, who also created cover art for Rainbow‘s Rising and Manowar‘s Kings of Metal.
Love Gun‘s sexy fantasy image of KISS and its harem of beautiful groupies perfectly captures the success and excess of the world’s biggest rock band.
DIO, Holy Diver, art by Gene Hunter
For Dio‘s career-defining 1983 album Holy Diver, Ronnie James Dio‘s wife, Wendy Dio, came up with the moody and captivating good verses evil concept for the cover art, which showcases metal-loving demon Murray, the band’s mascot, stirring up trouble with a hapless holy man.
When it came time to develop the album cover concept, it was illustrator Randy Berrett and painter Gene Hunter that brought the idea to life with a now-iconic image that expertly evokes the eerie urgency, adrenaline rush and heavy metal moodiness of Dio’s awe-inspiring debut record. Simon Levy and Jeri McManus art directed the overall design.
MOTLEY CRUE, Theatre of Pain, art by David Willardson
When former longtime Disney artist David Willardson decided to moonlight for Motley Crue and Elektra Records no one could have imagined that his rockin’ interpretation of the iconic Commedia dell’arte masks for 1985’s Theatre of Pain would become almost as famous as Mickey.
Willardson, a Pasadena Art Center College of Design grad, is a prolific and prominent visual artist whose incredible array of iconic art extends even beyond his world-famous Crue cover. He is also the legendary artist behind the logo to Raiders of the Lost Ark and American Graffiti as well as the movie posters for the Disney classics The Little Mermaid and The Lion King.
Check out more of Willardson’s incredible work on his official site.
METALLICA, Master of Puppets, art by Don Brautigam
From a shiny sword poking through a toilet and a full throttle electric chair lighting up the skyline to a crumbling Lady Justice, Metallica‘s awesome demo, singles and album cover art has always been intriguing, controversial and attention-grabbing. The iconic band’s piece de resistance, however, is the moody metal masterpiece Master of Puppets.
Frontman-songwriter James Hetfield and the band came up with the creepy concept of a mysterious, all-powerful marionette maintaining control of drug-addled puppets straight to the grave to evoke the stark, cautionary tone of the 1986 album’s title track.
Metallica’s manager Peter Mensch helped design the cover and turned the band onto legendary New Jersey-born artist Don Brautigam, who created the original cover art.
In addition to Master of Puppets, Brautigam, who passed away in 2008, created cover art for countless other multi-platinum-selling albums, including AC/DC‘s Razor’s Edge, Motley Crue’s Doctor Feelgood and Anthrax‘s Persistence of Time.
SUNSETandCLARK.blog 