While You Were Away: Alice Cooper’s New Holiday Song, Nine Inch Nails Scores New Video Game, RIP Slim Dunlap, And More
It’s almost time to say bon voyage to 2024. Before we close out the year and take a holiday break, we have one more edition of While You Were Away for ya. This week we’re spinning Alice Cooper’s new holiday tune, looking forward to yet another score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, remembering The Replacements’ Slim Dunlap, and more.
Rob Halford and Alice Cooper team up for animated video ‘My Christmas List’
Heavy metal titans Alice Cooper and Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford are celebrating the season with their new holiday children’s song “My Christmas List” along with an accompanying animated video.
The song is taken from the Rock for Children debut album, Solid Rock Revival. Rock for the Children is a music collective featuring Alice Cooper, Calico, Kamide, Sharon Aguilar-Kamide, Ms. Meka Nism, Recker Eans, Conrad Varela, John David Williams, and Rubén Salas. The album, Solid Rock Revival, will benefit the Norelli Family Foundation.
Listen to the song below.
IDLES share new ‘POP POP POP’ remix featuring Danny Brown
IDLES have shared a new remix of “POP POP POP” featuring Danny Brown.
Back in June, IDLES brought out Danny Brown to perform a new version of the song during their Glastonbury set. Now, they have shared the official studio version.
Talking about the song to KERRANG! frontman Joe Talbot said “That title’s based on Mica Levi’s MySpace handle, when they were Micachu And The Shapes, and they described their music as ‘pop pop pop’. I thought that was sick because it’s very violent sounding, kind of grimy music, but with pop melodies. That’s always stuck in my head for some reason.”
He continued “It’s a song about the beauty of having a kid and understanding how lucky you are to have a kid. And there’s a sense of a cycle when you have a child, when you’ve lost a parent and a child. I have a very huge sense of gratitude and weight behind being a parent because of what I’ve lost. I’m not saying I’m a better parent, or more connected because of that. But for me, I’m more connected than I would have been, I think, because of what I’ve lost. I’ve learned a sense of just joy from seeing her joy. And I think that’s amazing. And powerful. And I’m very grateful.”
Listen to the remix below.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to score new videogame ‘Intergalactic: Ther Heretic Prophet’
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross just released their score for Luca Guadgnino’s Queer, and they’re already looking ahead to their next project. The two have announced they will join forces with Neil Druckmann and Naughty Dog to score upcoming video game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
“Our incredible voyage into the cosmos also needs an equally incredible soundtrack,” said Druckmann. “As tremendous fans of their work, I’m excited to announce our collaboration with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross who’ll be scoring Intergalactic! The guys are cooking, and the trailer is just a small tease of their work for the game.”
The game is “set thousands of years in the future” and follows Jordan A. Mun ” a dangerous bounty hunter who ends up stranded on Sempiria – a distant planet whose communication with the outside universe went dark hundreds of years ago. Jordan will have to use all her skills and wits if she hopes to be the first person in over 600 years to leave its orbit.”
Watch the trailer below.
Slim Dunlap, The Replacements guitarist, dies at 73
Bob “Slim” Dunlap, the guitarist for The Replacements, has died at 73 years old.
The Minnesota Star Tribune revealed that Dunlap died Wednesday, December 18th, due to complications from a severe stroke he suffered back in 2012.
“Bob passed at home today at 12:48 p.m. surrounded by family. We played him his ‘Live at the Turf Club, (’Thank You Dancers!)’ CD, and he left us shortly after listening to his version of ‘Hillbilly Heaven’ — quite poignant,” his family said in a statement. “It was a natural decline over the past week. Overall it was due to complications from his stroke.”
Dunlap played on The Replacements’ final two albums, Don’t Tell a Soul and All Shook Down.
Our thoughts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.
Tours on sale this week
Green Day side project, The Coverups, will perform an intimate gig in London next month. The band, featuring Green Day touring guitarist Jason White, plus Bill Schneider and Chris Dugan, will perform at London’s O2 Academy Islington on January 15th. Grab tickets while you still can.
System of Down will tour South America for the first time since 2015. The trek includes seven shows and starts on April 24th in Bogota, Colombia, and wraps up on May 10th in São Paulo. Tickets are on sale now.
Cradle of Filth and Dying Fetus have been tapped to co-headline the Chaos & Carnage festival. The two will be joined by Fleshgod Apocalypse, Ne Obliviscaris, Undeath, Vomit Forth, and Corpse Pile. The tour kicks off April 17th in Berkeley, California, and wraps up May 14th in Denver, Colorado. See all the dates here.
Arch Enemy will embark on a spring North American tour in support of their upcoming album, Blood Dynasty. The “Blood Dynasty Tour” starts April 14th in San Diego, and wraps up with their performance at Milwaukee Metal Fest on May 18th. Get all the details here.
