Posted: Fri, Jul 29, 2022
Marilyn Manson takes the cover of this issue. Word of warning - he dominates pretty much the entire issue, which I suppose makes sense, as Kerrang! hired him to edit it. I think he’s an absolute piece of shit, personally, which may or may not influence some of the content in this entry… I still have a massive soft spot for his music though so we’ll see how it goes. He takes the cover to help promote his next and last good album, Holy Wood, which would actually be released on this exact date in 2000.
We open with a flyer for The Offspring’s new single Original Prankster, taken from the upcoming album Conspiracy of One.
Who are the busies pestering now? (Hed)pe’s Jahred’s been done in for an ounce of green and Downset’s Rogelio got arrested for burning the American flag.
I don’t know, neither of these activities seem like they should be even remotely illegal? It’s a plant and a piece of fabric. Fucking ridiculous.
Let’s see what Hank’s up to – he’s about to become a horror host! He’s getting ready to host the horror anthology show Night Visions. It would get delayed further, not airing until the summer of 2001.
Slipknot are working on new music! It’s mad to read this… Shawn Crahan goes on, “it’s darker, it’s faster, it’s more metal. It’s fucking suicide!” as he talks about the stuff they have in the works that would eventually get released as the fucking belta of an album Iowa.
Let’s take a look now at Ozzy’s illustrious acting career and his new projects. He joins esteemed actor, comedian, and filmmaker Adam Sandler in his latest entry into the Sandler Cinematic Universe – ‘Little Nicky’. My friend over at Human Raccoon actually did a review of this film, go read it!
I do love Ozzy. Guy’s one of the most influential musicians to have ever walked the planet and he just could not give a fuck. But not in an annoying pretentious way where some musicians love the taste of their own shit but pretend fame doesn’t bother them, Ozzy just turns up, effing and blinding, not really that arsed about whatever’s going on, he’s just having a good time.
Talking of influential musicians, what’s Fred Durst up to? He was recently asked his thoughts on his music transcending social classes, as people in the middle and upper classes clock on to just how good Limp Bizkit are. Let’s see what he has to say.
I have to say, I find it weird too. I can’t imagine suits walking about blasting the classics. In fact, I have no idea what rich people listen to. Classical music? Indie music? Whenever you see a suit with headphones in they usually look like they’re on a call talking about stocks or whatever. To think they could be blasting Boiler? Very strange, I’m not a fan.
I think this means it’s time to announce yet another niche communist faction.
Next up is a page just for Godhead; they’ve just signed to Marilyn Manson’s extremely short-lived vanity label Posthuman Records. Short-lived, as in Godhead were the only band ever signed to it. Posthuman Records would only ever put out 2 albums - Godhead’s 2000 Years of Human Error, and the soundtrack to the uhh.. interesting Blair Witch Project sequel, Blair Witch Project 2: Book of Shadows.
This article did frustrate me a bit, as Godhead had been around for years at this point, were opening for Christian Death and Mortiis who are hardly unknown bands, yet here they’re painted as nowt more than Marilyn Manson’s underlings. 2000 Years of Human Error was a great album! I really like it. It has loads of bangers. It was sort of a shift from the more gothic sound they had before, especially on Power Tool Stigmata which is a criminally underrated album! My point being that Godhead were putting out fresh and original music way before Manson got his mitts on them, not to mention Jason Charles Miller has got to be one of the best vocaalists in the game. His vocals are stunning. He makes country music and does voice acting and stuff now, so good for him.
Speaking of Manson, he’s got a huge bit here next. First is a Q&A section which honestly wasn’t that interesting, save for a couple bits here.
Of course Manson is the type of girl to be like “my eye colour changes all the time, there’s no set colour!” when asked what their eye colour is. Who is surprised?
Let’s take a brief tour around Manson’s favourite places in Los Angeles. I’ll give him this - I want to go everywhere he listed. LA doesn’t really seem like a real place to me, I always picture it as a map you’d find in GTA Online or something. Something’s off about it.
Ginger Fish and John 5 had a few interview sections too.
I especially loved John’s, I just think he’s a sweetheart. Just a genuinely decent bloke and easily one of the best guitarists to ever do it. He hasn’t aged a bit either.
Manson selected a range of pullout posters to be featured in this issue. We have Marilyn Monroe, Jesus, Lenin, Charles Manson, and JFK.
Also some new releases!
I kind of got into crosswords recently. I’m canny shit at them, but they’re a great way for me to waste time at work, and I’ll never turn down an opportunity to get paid to do nothing.
Answers are at the bottom of this post if you want to give it a go!
Ugh, a fucking mint album. Snake River Conspiracy’s first and only release, Sonic Jihad. Genuinely stunning, I couldn’t name any album or any band that this sounds like. Tobey Torres is incredible. She’s still making music under the name Mojave Phone Booth with Mitchell Doran, who have just finished recording their second album as of June 2022!
“I typically like to be brought out in some method of restraint” says David Draiman. You’re a sub, we get it.
Time to explore what’s hot online. First up is buildarockstar.com which happens to still be going, but I think it’s just full of spam articles or something. Here’s the site a couple of weeks after this issue of Kerrang went out, which looks way fucking better. Actually has some personality to it. It looks like its inclusion in this mag gave it some traction, landing it in USA Today’s Hot Sites guide for mid-December. Unfortunately the video creator no longer works, you can get right to the end before it falls over. If I get the time I’ll see if I can salvage any scripts and revive it.
We also have a meme page which you can visit, it’s not the most exciting.
Another Offspring flyer! I just thought this one looked neat, what can I say.
I unfortunately don’t have K! 825 yet, but here’s a little glimpse of a very important feature. Peter Steele’s ripped underwear. 24 pairs of identical underpants? Why? Why 24? I need to know more.
To finish off this one, Rob Zombie goes into the process behind directing his first film, House of 1000 Corpses. Not much to write to be honest, you can read what he has to say for yourself!
That wraps up this magazine! The highlights for me, at least. See you in a year when I get round to writing the next one…
