A Taste:

2pac, Pantera, Stone Temple Pilots, Z-Ro, Michael Jackson

Rock n’ roll needed a gangsta.

For a long time, there’s been a void for a badass with real attitude, swagger and talent to step in and take over. Houston-born, L.A.-based MC Hyro da Hero seized the moment, and he’s ready for both hip hop and rock supremacy.

Hyro is armed with a fiery flow and a rock n’ roll intensity that makes his “gangsta rock” simply explosive. Looking at his playlist, it’s clear that Hyro knows his shit when it comes to both rock and rap. He opened up his iTunes for ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino in this exclusive feature. Check out Hyro’s playlist below and be sure to keep your eyes on him…see his video for “Dirty South Rock” below!

Hyro da Hero’s Playlist:

1. Hyro da Hero — “Dirty South Rock”

One must always listen to something amazing to start the day!

See the video here!

2. 2pac — “Nothin’ to Lose”

I love this track! I can’t find it in good quality so I always listen to it on Youtube.

3. At the Drive-In — “One Armed Scissor”

Amazing song, amazing CD, awesome band…and they rep Texas like I do!

4. Pantera — “Cemetery Gates”

I sit back and close my eyes and vibe to this all the way through. The Dimebag strings at the beginning make a brother lose it. I repeat it over and over—Texas reppin’.

5. 50 Cent — “Baby By Me”

Both versions—the song is catchy!

6. Flight of the Conchords — “The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room”When I first heard this I laughed so hard. Some girls are the most wonderful human beings, depending on the street.

7. Michael Jackson — “PYT”

An iPod is not complete without this!

8. The Bravery — “Believe”

The song had me hooked right at the beginning, I bump this when I’m skatin’ in LA!

9. Stone Temple Pilots — “Plush”

I loved the song already, but then I saw them in concert and loved it even more.

10. Z-Ro — “Too Many N*****”

If you are like me and come from where I’m from, you’ll dig this.

—Rick Florino
11.12.09

Check out Rick Florino’s new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…

Check out Hyro’s video for “Dirty South Rock” below!

A Taste:

Slipknot, Pantera, Slayer, Deftones

Paranormal Activity is the scariest film of the past decade and one of the year’s best movies.

Like a demon, it takes up residency inside your conscience and rips and tears at every last shard of sanity—until you’re thoroughly, completely and utterly terrified beyond belief. Since it’s the best movie about possession to ever come out, ARTISTdirect.com editor Rick Florino compiled the perfect playlist for the film.

This is the ideal soundtrack for Paranormal Activity, featuring the best anthems of the devil, drugs and bad dreams ever recorded. The only thing scarier would be the licensing cost for all of these KILLER songs…

Check out Rick Florino’s Paranormal Activity playlist below and demand the film NOW! After one-million demands it will infect theaters everywhere, and you too won’t be able to sleep.

Also, speaking of scary, check out Rick Florino’s first illustrated horror novel Dolor: Lila now!

Rick Florino’s Paranormal Activity Playlist:

1. Slipknot — “Purity”

A “love song” about a dead girl in a box…only Slipknot could write a song this entrancing and hypnotic about a subject so sickening and evil. Corey Taylor’s voice engages during the chorus, while ripping a hole right through your soul during the bridge. The paranoia, sense of lost love and connection to good ole Lucifer make this best song for Paranormal Activity’s most emotionally charged freak-out scenes.

2. Deftones — “Rikets”

Chino Moreno questions sanity, himself and basically everything else over a twisted and gnashing guttural riff. As he screams in demonic fashion over a wall of distortion, any apparition would smirk at his unbridled pain. It fits the film’s scenes where characters end up running from the unknown.

3. Korn — “Helmet In the Bush”

As James “Munky” Shaffer cuts through a woozy detuned riff, Jonathan Davis pleads to God for the chance to sleep this one night away without more torment. That’s half the premise of Paranormal Activity right there!

4. Metallica — “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)”

The song’s slow build-up into a thrash massacre mirror’s Paranormal Activity’s catatonic to chaotic flow all too perfectly. Plus, this is just one of the greatest metal songs—EVER.

5. Slayer — “Bloodline”

It’s Slayer. It talks about killing people and dreams. Need I say more. Again, it’s Slayer…all you need to know…

6. Pantera — “By Demons Be Driven”

Phil Anselmo never sounded more possessed as he tears through a refrain given to him by Satan and fueled by Dimebag Darrell’s inimitable fretwork.

7. Acid Bath — “Venus Blue”

Dax Riggs asks, “How much more must we bleed her?” As Paranormal Activity’s Katie Featherstone inches further away from sanity, the question resounds like a demon’s voice in the wind.

—Rick Florino
10.08.09

For more on this incredible film visit the below sites…

Twitter – “Tweet Your Scream”

Facebook

Official Site

Also, be sure to DEMAND the film now to ensure nightmares!

A Taste:

White Zombie, Slayer, Slipknot, Pantera, Alice In Chains, Devildriver

Surviving Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights is not going to be easy this year.

Chucky’s crazy ass will be on the loose, Michael Myers will be only a few steps behind you and Jigsaw will be behind the curtain manipulating every little detail in an attempt to inflict pure punishment on you. Universal has put together what’s bound to be their scariest and most fright-tastic Halloween Horror Nights yet, and it all kicks off tomorrow, October 2, after their Chiller Eyegore awards!

ARTISTdirect.com editor Rick Florino compiled the perfect playlist of songs for you to listen to in order to get pumped up to out run these iconic screen demons. Crank these tunes and you’re guaranteed to have enough adrenaline to escape…as long as Jigsaw doesn’t plant anything in your car, that is.

Go to Halloween Horror Nights this month!

Halloween Horror Nights Survival Music Mix:

1. White Zombie — “More Human than Human”

This is the best song for any narrow escape! It’s been in more horror movie trailers than we can count including, My Bloody Valentine 3-D, which also has a maze dedicated to it at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights. Plus, Mr. Rob Zombie will be present at the Eyegore awards earlier in the evening.

2. Alice In Chains — “Check My Brain”

You’re going to need to check your brain to make sure it’s still there after Michael Myers swings his butcher knife at you! Spin this incredible new Alice In Chains tune at full blast while Michael is coming after you. Jerry Cantrell’s guitar is almost as evil as Myers!

3. Slayer — “At Dawn They Sleep”

It’s Slayer. It’s about vampires. It sounds straight up evil. Need I say more?

4. Pantera — “Living Through Me (Hell’s Wrath)”

Wait until the breakdown where Phil Anselmo starts talking—it’s the most Satanic interlude you’ve ever heard, and that riff will get you running from Michael Myers too!

5. Slipknot — “The Heretic Anthem”

Slipknot crafted the ultimate anti-everything anthem. The double bass, guitar and vocal assault is so deadly it may just help you get off the Terror Tram trip alive if you play it loud enough. Keeping chanting it over and over again, “If you’re 555, then I’m 666…if you’re 555, then I’m 6-6-6…”

6. Devildriver — “Pray for Villains”

With demons all over Universal, you’d better be praying. Devildriver gives the perfect sermon.

7. Ministry — “Psalm 69″

Uncle Al feeds us the gospel of industrial metal, and it’s oh so filling.

8. KoRn — “Sean Olsen”

This eerie early KoRn gem gets really evil, really fast. It’s slow, brooding and sick. It’s also the perfect soundtrack for trying to weave through Jigsaw’s clutches.

9. Deftones — “Headup”

This song has one of the most bludgeoning riffs of all time. Vocalist Chino Moreno also bleeds all over the hook alongside Max Cavalera. Their back-and-forth makes for one of the best metal collaborations ever. It’s great for dodging the scare zones in Universal as well.

10. Nine Inch Nails — “March of the Pigs”

What would any horror playlist be without the prince of pain himself, Trent Reznor? Jigsaw definitely listens to The Downward Spiral.

11. Type O Negative — “Love You to Death”

The ultimate in vampire love ditties…

12. Five Finger Death Punch — “The Bleeding”

You’ll be bleeding inside and out from the Saw maze. Five Finger Death Punch has made the best song to bleed too.

13. Lady GaGa — “Just Dance”

The undead like to get down…Home girl will prob have her own maze one year too…

—Rick Florino
10.01.09

A Taste:

Pantera, Tool, Slipknot, Down

Drowning Pool axeman C.J. Pierce knows metal better than most.

He’s been slinging riffs for Drowning Pool for a long time, and his playing has only gotten more and more fiery with each and every album. Coming off a successful run on this summer’s Crüe Fest 2, C.J. remains pretty stoked right now. Not to mention that Drowning Pool will soon be heading back in the studio to record their next album.

C.J. gave us a bit of a hard rock education in this exclusive feature. Check out his playlist below and pick up Drowning Pool’s Full Circle if you haven’t already!

C.J. Pierce’s Playlist:

1. Pantera

I always go back to my all-time favorite bands every single day just to get pumped up for the shows. Pantera is always on. I don’t know if it comes from growing up in New Orleans and living in Dallas now or just the fact that they’re the most metal band ever. Even when Phil screams, you can understand all of the words and it comes across as powerful. Phil has a lot of soul and flavor when you break it down musically.

2. Tool

I love Tool! I just can’t get past it. They can play 10-minute long songs and you never lose interest. The dude can play one riff 40 different ways in 10 minutes, and it’s mindblowing. If you listen to Undertow and then Aenima, you can hear the transition. But when you listen to Lateralus, they just go off into Pink Floyd land. They evolve by leaps and bounds on each of their records. I really like A Perfect Circle too. I got right into 10,000 Days. I went to Jamaica with my wife and we listened to it then. It was the only CD we had with us for the whole week. We didn’t have a TV just a radio. We spent the whole week jumping in the ocean, going out to eat and listening to 10,000 Days. It soaked in right away.

3. A Perfect Circle

4. Slipknot

5. Stone Sour

I’m a big Corey Taylor fan. He has a great voice. For hardcore music, he’s got a great scream. A lot of that stuff sounds like Cookie Monster nonsense, but he’s got a lot of conviction in his voice. I listen to Come Whatever May every day, and I’m really looking forward to what Corey Taylor is going to bring to the table next. He has one of the greatest rock voices right now.

6. Down

The Down records are awesome! I’m a Corrosion of Conformity fan. The whole mix of Pepper Keenan’s guitar and Phil’s voice is just pretty perfect. I listen to Down all the time.

7. HELLYEAH

The HELLYEAH record is awesome! I’m looking forward to their next record as well. Hopefully we can tour together. That would be a great tour!

—Rick Florino
08.30.09

A Taste:

Muse, Alice In Chains, Deftones, Pantera

Devildriver conjure a catchy cacophony of guttural grooves, double bass dementia and searing solos. It’s a heavy metal formula that’s impenetrable and strangely infectious. Right now, the band is finishing their hotly anticipated fourth epic, Pray for Villains, due out summer 2009 on Roadrunner Records.

However, while at Fangoria Weekend of Horrors, guitarist Jeff Kendrick talked to us about what he’s currently spinning for our playlist feature. He delved into some other inspirations too!

“Heat is one of my favorite movies ever, and I’ll always go back to that. However, my musical taste is all over the place, and that shows in my playing,” said Jeff. “We’re a band that a lot of people who don’t necessarily love metal can listen to. We’re catchy and we write songs that display technical proficiency at the same time. Our fans know we’re not going to let them down. We’ve stuck around.”

There’s no doubt they’ll be around for a long time to come too. Check out Jeff’s playlist below and get ready for Villains this summer.

Jeff Kendrick’s Playlist:

1. Muse — Absolution

“I just bought Absolution, and I’ve been listening to that a lot.”

2. Devildriver — Pray for Villains

“I’ve been cranking our new record non-stop because we’re going over mixes now. It sounds amazing.”

3. Guns ‘N Roses — Chinese Democracy

“I listen to Chinese Democracy all the time. The guitar playing is incredible!”

4. Alice In Chains

“I don’t feel like there’s anything coming out that’s going to really surpass the bands I’ve loved forever. Getting into music at a certain age, certain bands will seem more magical because you were in that moment. Alice is one of them along with Pantera.”

5. Pantera

6. Metallica — Death Magnetic

7. Deftones — White Pony

8. Lamb of God — Wrath

—Rick Florino
04.19.09

A Taste:

Alice In Chains, KoRn, Pantera

Static-X frontman Wayne Static has got quite the house cleaning soundtrack. “My wife and I put music on while we clean the house, and we’ve been playing KoRn, Alice In Chains and Nine Inch Nails the most,” he laughs with a big smile. “Those are all of the standbys, and they’ve been getting me ready for the Sno-Core tour.”

It’s no surprise that Wayne displays an equal affinity for Pantera’s groove-driven metallic sludge and Ministry’s speed-freak electro death stomp. Wayne has patented his own style of percussive evil disco, and it’s been perfected on Static-X’s latest offering, Cult of Static.

Right before Wayne finished cleaning and packing for the band’s co-headlining run on Sno-Core, he gave ARTISTdirect.com an exclusive peek at his iTunes. Check out what Wayne Static is spinning below.

Wayne Static’s Playlist:

1. KoRn

“It seems like I listen to a lot of the same stuff.”

2. Alice In Chains

3. Nine Inch Nails

4. Deftones

5. Ministry

6. Audioslave

7. Pantera

“I always throw Pantera on once in awhile. I don’t really listen to too much new stuff. Everything I listen to is either from ten years ago or older [Laughs].”

—Rick Florino
03.30.09

A Taste:

AFI, Pantera, Brand New

In The Haunting In Connecticut, Kyle Gallner gives a dark and chilling performance as Matt Campbell, a cancer-stricken boy tormented by supernatural demons in his family’s new Connecticut home. Gallner imbues Matt with a tangible fear and shakiness that heightens the film’s overall terror. It was strange for sure, but luckily Kyle had some great tunes on his iPod while filming.

About his playlist, he laughs, “It was so hard to pick and choose!” Kyle’s musical tastes run the gamut, and he’s got favorites in pretty much every genre. He opened up his iTunes for us in this exclusive feature and gave us a peek inside.

Check out Kyle’s playlist below and don’t forget to see The Haunting In Connecticut this Friday. It’s one damn good bad dream!

Kyle Gallner’s Playlist:

1. AFI
2. Cloud Cult – Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornados)
3. Alanis Morissette
4. Goodbye Elliott
5. Alkaline Trio
6. At the Drive-In
7. Bleed the Dream
8. Blue October
9. Brand New
10. Say Anything
11. Bushwalla
12. The Clash
13. Cold War Kids
14. Collective Soul
15. The Decemberists
16. Dirty Heads
17. The Dresden Dolls — “Sex Changes,” “Backstabber,” “Two-headed Boy”
18. Elevators
19. Green Day — Dookie
20. Harvey Danger
21. (hed)P.E.
22. Houston Calls
23. Everyone Everywhere
24. Incubus
25. Intercept
26. Jack’s Mannequin
27. Jimmy Eat World
28. Johnny Cash
29. The Juliana Theory
30. The Kills
31. Killswitch Engage
32. Just Surrender
33. Like Lions
34. Maria Mena
35. Marilyn Manson
36. Mike Doughty
37. Motion City Soundtrack
38. Mute Math
39. N.W.A.
40. New Found Glory
41. Nickel Creek
42. Nine Inch Nails
43. Pantera
44. Placebo
45. The Postal Service
46. The Promise Ring
47. Queen
48. Rage Against the Machine
49. Saves the Day
50. Shiny Toy Guns
51. Simple Kid
52. Smashing Pumpkins
53. Sublime
54. T.I.
55. Taking Back Sunday
56. Underoath
57. The Used
58. Weezer
59. Zao
60. The White Stripes

—Rick Florino
03.25.09

A Taste:

Led Zeppelin, Pantera, Machine Head

Anthrax’s Scott Ian is a busy man these days. Between recording and playing shows with Anthrax and hosting “Scott Ian’s Home Game” on UltimateBet.com, the legendary axeslinger has little time for R&R. Nevertheless, he’s always cranking good tunes. The Anthrax guitarist opened up his iTunes and gave us an exclusive look inside.

About his current favorite tunes, he explains, “I listen to lots of shit that I always listen to—Thin Lizzy and AC/DC. In my car, I keep my radio tuned to the ‘Sound of the Boneyard’ on Sirius.”

Check out Scott Ian’s playlist below and be on the lookout for Anthrax’s next metallic epic due out this summer.

Scott Ian’s Playlist:

1. Led Zeppelin

2. Pantera

3. AC/DC

4. Thin Lizzy

5. Metallica

6. Machine Head – The Blackening

“That was the best metal record of the last ten years!”

—Rick Florino
03.18.09