In 2018, Revolver's intrepid video producers traveled to Tijuana with Brujeria, jumped in the tour bus with Deafheaven, hit the skate park with Steve Caballero and tried to make Zakk Wylde cry. We spent time with young metalheads on a Navajo reservation, hung out with Al Jourgensen at his new home, and visited an artist who paints with human blood in his NYC studio. The result was an array of compelling, in-depth, cinematic pieces that, dare we say, shine new light on the world of heavy music. Below are 10 videos from the past year that we're especially proud of.
Rob Halford: Stories Behind Classic Judas Priest Photos
Judas Priest's Rob Halford is a true heavy-metal OG with stories that will blow your mind. We took him on a trip down memory lane with an array of classic Priest photos shot by Ross Halfin, and he had us literally LOLing during this shoot.
Zakk Wylde: Rise Above
Ozzy Osbourne guitar hero and Black Label Society main man Zakk Wylde is best known for his absurd shredding skills and Viking-uncle goofball personality, but he got deadly serious for our "Rise Above" series, opening up with brutal honesty about his fight for sobriety and his life, including sharing some heartfelt advice from the Ozzman himself.
Deafheaven: Corrupt Love Across America
We joined Deafheaven on their North American tour in support of their triumphant 2018 album Ordinary Corrupt Human Love and got an intimate, impressionistic view into the mindset of the optimistic young band and into what life can be like on the road at its most inspiring.
Run the Jewels: Secret Metalheads
Run the Jewels make heavy hip-hop, so perhaps it would be no big surprise that Killer Mike and El-P are metalheads. What was surprising when we talked with them about their love of heavy music across genres was how deep and passionate their fandom is. The result is part music-history lesson, part evidence of how art can defy boundaries and bring us together.
Steve Caballero: Ride the Lightning
Steve Caballero is a lifelong skater and metal fan, helped invent "skate rock" with his band the Faction and has collaborated with Metallica on a pro model shoe, the Vans x Metallica Half Cab. In one of our favorite episodes of our skate series "Ride the Lightning," we roll with the Powell-Peralta pioneer — who explains how his first introduction to rock & roll was made through skateboarding — as he hits the skate parks with his son Caleb Caballero, who is following in his dad's footprints.
No Distortion: YOB "Marrow"
Whe we visited YOB's Mike Scheidt in his Oregon hometown, the singer-guitarist took us to his father's tree farm for a poignant one-man acoustic rendition of his band's signature song "Marrow" in the midst of nature. Raw, gorgeous and grippingly real, the performance expressed more about Scheidt, who faced near-death in early 2017, and his passion for life and art than any interview ever could.
Vincent Castiglia: World Painted Blood
H.R. Giger protege Vincent Castiglia paints in human blood — mostly his own, but sometimes also that of his clients, who have included Slayer, Triptykon and Gregg Allman. We visited with the lifelong metalhead in his NYC studio for an inside look at his dark art and inspirational philosophy.
Metal Saves: Brujeria
For our "Metal Saves" series — which profiles fans and their deep connection to their favorite bands — we teamed up with Los Punks director and renowned photographer Angela Boatwright. In episode one, Boatwright traveled to Tijuana, Mexico to meet young metalhead Rocio Ruvalcaba — who shared her story of fighting off muggers so she had money for an upcoming show — and introduce her to Mexican metal heroes Brujería.
Ministry: "Thieves" Rehearsal Performance
When Ministry's Al Jourgensen invites you over to tour his new house, you drop what you're doing, grab your cameras and go. Upon arriving at his L.A. digs, the far-out frontman led Revolver on an appropriately surreal tour of his new pad, before treating us to a vicious live rehearsal-studio performance of the classic Ministry track "Thieves." Behold the madness above.
