I know a lot of crazy shit has happened since then, but remember when UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down in front of a New York City hotel in the early morning of December 4, 2024 and the manhunt that ultimately resulted in the arrest of Luigi Mangione? That whole thing is still going through the courts, but it’s been pretty quiet on the news lately because, well… *points wildly at all the horrific shit going on everyday*

Unless you’ve been following his trial extensively, chances are you have no idea what’s goin on with Mangione’s situation. I know it’s not reported much, but a little tidbit about his music tastes has surfaced in a letter he apparently penned. It turns out, our boy Luigi’s a Linkin Park fan. Not only that, but he’s digging the Emily Armstrong era, specifically shouting out the track “Up From the Bottom”.

What’s interesting is the fact that many people believe Linkin Park was referencing Mangione in the “Up From The Bottom” music video. Maybe that’s how the 26-year-old accused assassin was made aware of the track?

While most metalheads have pretty much dismissed this current iteration of Linkin Park as lesser than the original, it’s great to see that even in a high security detention center Mangione’s still able to enjoy his tunes. I also find it hilarious that he calls the three serious trials he’s facing as a result of his alleged involvement in Thompson’s murder the “Triple Trap Cup.” That’s good stuff.

The murder of Thompson and Mangione’s arrest a couple days later has sparked a conversation among the general public about the overall shittiness of the American healthcare system as a whole. What’s wild is how okay people seemed to be in the wake of the assassination, with many people saying Thompson had it coming due to the fact that United Healthcare is one of the most egregious healthcare providers when it came to denying people’s claims, either saddling them with extreme amounts of medical debt or causing people to ignore their needs, leading to painful conditions and even death in many instances.

Regardless of how based as fuck the actions may or may not have been (you decide where I fall on that conversation…) but Mangione remains innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Now excuse me while I read up once again on the concept of jury nullification…

Today officially marks 25 years of Papa Roach‘s 2001 nu metal album Infest – feel old yet? Although bursting into the scene with their ’97 debut record Old Friends from Young Years, it wasn’t until Infest that Papa Roach were put on the map in the heavy music scene.

Consisting of 13 gritty, punk-induced metal bangers, Infest quickly took Papa Roach from being an up-and-coming outfit to a band that was about to get real big, real fast. Over the years, Papa Roach has been a bit of a comedic project in the heavy scene. And depending on the circles you were in, they were either a band you listened to genuinely, ironically or not at all.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll have noticed that “Last Resort” has been generating a lot of traffic lately. The song has been accumulating large numbers on TikTok as Gen Z has seemingly just discovered the emo anthem. Using the sound bite “Cut my life into pieces, this is my last resort” for comedic videos. But don’t worry, to all the emos who sing along to this one seriously, we see you. We hear you. We also fear you might be getting old.

Infest is Papa Roach’s sophomore album and quickly joined a lineup of some of the best and biggest nu metal records of the early 2000s. The album marked a grandiose step forward for the band, firstly, because it was their debut major label release, officially shared via DreamWorks Records. Secondly, because of two hit singles, “Last Resort” and “Between Angels and Insects.”

The late 90s and early 2000s were primitive years for the nu metal scene. Rap rock, hip hop and metal were becoming the blueprint for alternative music. Birthing a brand-new sound that multiple bands wanted to jump onto.

Infest‘s genre fluidity is one of the reasons the album has lived on to be a timeless classic. The year of its release, System Of A Down unleashed their monumental album, Toxicity. A year before that, Linkin Park dropped Hybrid Theory, and Korn unveiled their cutting-edge Untouchables two years after. Although these bands were all chasing the nu metal wave at the time, each of these records posed its own authentic identity.

During the height of the nu metal scene, bands and artists began to express themselves more freely. Leading to the merge of rap and metal, which at the time had a reputation for being the epitome of rebellion. Hip hop, albeit an already represented scene, was still looked upon as somewhat thuggish, while metal was outlandish and anarchistic. In today’s world, we have conversations about what metal is every day, with amazing new bands challenging and reinventing the wheel, but this isn’t news. Papa Roach was doing exactly that 25 years ago when they unleashed Infest into the world.

Infest is a raw and brutally transparent record. The main theme woven throughout is depression, as the band explore topics such as suicide, adversity and self-hatred at length. “Last Resort” is the first glimpse of this in the album, and explores frontman Jacoby Shaddix’s experience of his friend’s attempted suicide. “Broken Home” is as self-explanatory as its title, and perfectly summarises the pain of living amongst unsteady family foundations. Driven by a guitar-heavy chorus and emotionally-penned lyrics, on this track, the band dives further into the void.

At large, “Between Angels And Insects” is an emo ballad, and though pretty cringeworthy, the sooner you allow yourself to succumb to its cheesiness, the clearer its gloomy message becomes. “‘Cause everything is nothing, and emptiness is in everything,” – a line, albeit cringeworthy, packs huge weight. There’s a deep sense of existential crisis in “Between Angels And Insects” that provides a sinking feeling and realisation about the mundanity of everyday life.

Though lyrically not the most impressive group alive, their music and this record is pivotal in the story of the evolution of nu metal. The album finale, “Thrown Away/Tight Rope”, threw a spanner in the works as its reggae undertones weren’t the usual protocol in metal, and showcased a unique flair on the album.

For their second-ever record, Papa Roach took a chance to produce what is arguably their most progressive project yet, and it’s fair to say it served them well. In early December 2024, the album ranked groundbreaking numbers as it was confirmed as certified 4× Platinum in the U.S.

Today, the group celebrate 25 years of Infest. Say what you will about Papa Roach, whether you’ve outgrown them or never quite got into them, you can’t deny the radical impact Infest had in the heavy scene at the time.

Last May, Slayer guitarist and tribal tattoo enthusiast Kerry King dropped his long-awaited solo album. It was largely okay, if not a little predictable solo album From Hell I Rise. He gathered an elite team of people to play with him, put the music together, and toured on the back of the record.

Now, with that all behind him and his time being taken up by Slayer, King is eyeballing yet another solo album in hopes of being done pretty soon. News of his plans for a sophomore record came after comments he made on the Rolling Stone Brasil show while talking about said plans for a second album.

“I made up two songs since I’ve been home from this U.S. run [in late February]. So we keep working on stuff. We haven’t played together yet, but we have stuff to work on when we get together.

“What the plan is, is whenever [the] cycle [for ‘From Hell I Rise’] is done, and right now that looks to me like October, Paul [Bostaph, KERRY KING and SLAYER] drummer] and I have always talked about going straight from playing live, taking maybe a week off and go right in the studio to keep your tour chops, so you’re firing on all cylinders — you don’t gotta practice to get good; you’re already good — and get in there and record it. So, ideally, in my perfect world, it would be done this year and then just hand it to the record company and say, ‘Put it in line, whenever you want it to come out.’”

One of the biggest complaints made about King’s solo debut was how safe and samey it was to the final days of Slayer. During the interview, King was asked if he’d pull from other influences for the second album and this is what he had to say:

“I don’t know. I think punk was pretty well covered on [‘From Hell I Rise’], from ‘Everything I Hate About You’ to ‘Two Fists’, two very different punk styles. So it wouldn’t surprise me if that shows up ’cause it’s part of my history. And I think, overall, my thought would be just make an extension from what ‘From Hell I Rise’ is, just keep doing [things the same way], see what the next 10 or 12 [songs] sound like.”

Who knows what the world’s got in store for King and his solo efforts. Only time will tell.

It’s no news that at one stage, the late drummer and multi-instrumentalist Joey Jordison was a part of many growing and acclaimed projects. Today, Jordison’s family revealed that the heavy metal band he co-founded Vimic is in the process of releasing their long-awaited debut studio album, Open Your Omen.

The record was originally scheduled for release in 2018, but was postponed following the tragic death of their producer Kato Khandwala. A few years later, the devastating news of Jordison’s death followed, which left Vimic at a standstill.

Now, six years later, we have an update, and it’s looking pretty good. Jordison’s family has confirmed that following a long battle reclaiming the rights to his music, they finally have a promising release date for Vimic’s debut album.

However, it’s looking like the band will need your help. The family has listed an official crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to help towards the cost of an independent release. It hasn’t officially launched just yet, but fans can sign up to be notified when the campaign goes live so they can be among the first

Jordison’s family shared on the website:

“Joey didn’t do anything small. We want to release this album the way he would have wanted; with the designs he was so actively involved with creating for the CD, double LP, merch, and with the support of his fans to make the biggest splash we can upon release.”

Watch the official Vimic Open Your Omen album campaign below to find out more: