John Dyer Baizley - Album Cover of Meir, by Kvelertak (2013)

Tonight Norwegian power rock band Kvelertak play Webster Hall along with Georgia stoner hardcore metallers Black Tusk. (Canadian punks Cancer Bats open, as well.)

Besides loudness and shouted vocals (in very different languages), what do Kvelertak and Black Tusk have in common? That would be the artist who created their album artwork: John Dyer Baizley, better known as the guitarist of sludge metal band Baroness, also from Georgia.

See also: What Makes NYC Metal?

Baizley's art is easily recognizable for its primal beauty, and he's been commissioned to create covers for quite a few bands--not all of them metal, and, as in the case of Kvelertak, not all of them from the Savannah, GA, sludge scene.

We're not visual art critics, so we're not going to rank the covers. And we're not going to rank these bands, either. Just think of this as a greatest hits list of the best music with Baizley artwork.

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Photo by Kevin Hodapp.

Megadeth and Slayer.

If you've got a lot of time on your hands and a heart full of darkness, you'd be wise to check out Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal, out Tuesday on Harper Collins/It Books. The key word in that title is "Definitive." This is quite a weighty tome, over 600 pages across every twist, turn, peak and valley of the genre. Gary Cherone is even quoted in this fucking thing. So is Fred Durst. Because everyone who ever tuned their guitar to drop-D, snorted a line of ants or sacrificed a goat is quoted in it. The book covers every metal base, and then sets that base on fire. DEFINITIVE!

We ran an excerpt about NYC's unique Metal and Hardcore Crossover scene on our cover yesterday. It's very stabby. These guys were maniacs. And they weren't the only ones. Contained in the book are many a metal photo from back in the day. Let's look at some of them, shall we?

See also: The Oral History of NYC's Metal/Hardcore Crossover

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RIP Jeff Hanneman

Death has always been one of the most predominant themes in heavy metal music, taking a backseat maybe only to Satanism. Death, disease, murder and chaos have accompanied heavy riffs since Sabbath first began playing them back in '68. This dark subject matter is part of what has always made metal controversial -- revolting to some, but appealing to those musicians interested in facing the things we all fear. But there's often a strange irony that comes into play when we have to realize that these musicians are also human beings, capable of falling victim to the very horrors they seem to embrace.

Disclaimer: In no way do I intend to make light of these deaths. Many of these musicians were heroes of mine and died far too early. Also, one that might seem like an obvious choice, Dimebag Darrell's death, will not be included here. Getting shot and killed for no reason is a hip-hop way to die, not a metal one.

See also: How to Determine if Something Is Metal as Fuck

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By Jason Roche

When music from Los Angeles metal group The Faceless' newest album, Autotheism, began to leak out into the blogosphere last summer, fans were divided, and so were critics. "A botched experiment of sorts," opined SputnikMusic.com; "razor sharp," countered ThePRP.com.

The group's previous work, 2008's Planetary Duality, had gained near-universal accolades for its impressive display of death-metal brutality, anchored by the dizzying guitar work of Eagle Rock native and band co-founder Michael Keene. Their fan base grew through their venerated live show, as well as high-profile tours with acts like Lamb of God and Meshuggah.

The Faceless perform with Dillinger Escape Plan, Royal Thunder + Primitive Weapons Sat., April 27 at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Sold out.

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In the early- to mid-80s, Raven--who play Saint Vitus on Sunday--and their "athletic rock" were essential to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Known for their wild live shows, they opened for the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Iron Maiden before joining Metallica's first major American tour in 1983.

(Want to hear about a Lars Ulrich hissy fit? Keep reading.)

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New York City is intrinsically metal. But, before we get into why: what makes anything "metal"? What does calling something "metal" mean?

Among those uninitiated into the metal "scene" (a word used mostly by journalists and not so much by the occupants of said "scene"), metal conjures images of extremely loud music played and listened to, usually, by very hairy males. Other associations may include drunkenness, drugs, the color black, and Satan. While there's some truth in all of these points of reference, they're really not what metal is about. In fact, they're about as representative of the adjective "metal" as they are of New York, which isn't populated by drunk Satanists, either. Not entirely, anyway.

See also: The Best Metal Shows in NYC This Month (A/K/A Extended Saint Vitus Listings)

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Chainsaw Guy

Better Than: It's hard to think of something that this wouldn't be better than.

This was one of the wildest shows I've seen at Saint Vitus. It seemed telling that the venue had moved all the tables out of the bar, presumably to make more space for mayhem.

See also: The Best Metal Shows in NYC This Month (A/K/A Extended Saint Vitus Listings)

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Suffocation

These are the best metal shows in NYC in April.\m/

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Do you want a list of every stupid thing Dave Mustaine has ever said? It exists.

By Jason Roche

Next time you find yourself in a shouting match with a metal head about what band's penultimate album had the best guitar solo on the third track (it happens) you'll probably find yourself thinking 1) What have I done with my life? B) How drunk am I? Or III) Are there online resources I could pore over that would help me when I get into these inevitable pissing matches? The answers to the first two questions lie within. Dig deep. The answer to the third, though, is a resounding FUCK YES. Here, we've rounded them up for you. Use the following websites to brush up on your metal knowledge, and never be wrong about anything metal ever again.

See also: The Best Metal Concerts in New York This Month

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Gary Copeland

Miami stoner rock band Torche write music that's something of a paradox. It's definitely heavy, but it's also sunny and pop. Is it metal? Some say yes. Some say no. You can decide for yourself if you see them play Saint Vitus Saturday night. Guitarist Andrew Elstner spoke to us from Florida, where the band was recording two new songs, and we got his thoughts on the whole "happy metal" thing and the correct pronunciation of "Torche".

See also: http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2012/12/10_best_metal_albums.php

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