In case you haven’t noticed, we’re pretty pumped on San Francisco-based brand REBEL8. Unique designs and an authentic company culture combine to make them one of our new favorites and if you peep the new hats and tees for Spring that went online today you’ll definitely see why. The shirts, like the Call Girl t-shirt (above), and the Face Melter (below) showcase REBEL8 co-founder and artist Mike Giant’s unique take on the old-school tattoo flash merged with modern influences like graffiti and heavy metal, while the hats like the PMA-FTW mesh hat (bottom) feature delicious stylistic details like underbrim screenprinting and quality construction and materials. Check out our selection of REBEL8 on TruckerDeluxe.com here and be sure to bookmark their always-amazing blog here.
Since we’re on the subject of metal, it bears mentioning that Sacramento’s finest, Deftones, came out with their new record a couple weeks back. Those dudes have definitely been through some shit: from being unfairly lumped in with the decidedly defunct nu-metal genre, to almost succumbing multiple times to the internal pressures of being a multi-platinum band trying, to stay relevant six records deep into a 20 year career, to, most recently, bassist Chi Cheng’s tragic car accident, which not only caused Cheng to fall into a coma which he has so far only marginally recovered from, but also caused the band to shelf their nearly completed sixth record, Eros. Though many considered the band more or less finished, instead Deftones recruited Quicksand bassist Sergio Vega and recorded a completely new record Diamond Eyes. Diamond Eyes finds the band returning to their roots, tossing the computers and Pro Tools rigs out the window and just practicing the shit out of a bunch of heavy ass songs until they got them to sound pissed enough. The result is arguably their heaviest record since 1997′s classic Around the Fur. Check out the title track, “Diamond Eyes” below and then go buy the damn record (and save a music industry employee’s job!) Last time the Deftones came through Chico they copped some clothes at the TruckerDeluxe HQ and played one of the most epic rock shows in memory. To say that we hope they come back, is an understatement. In fact, saying that our hoping that they come back is an understatement, is itself an understatement. That’s how pumped we are.
If you’ve been on the internet for more than five minutes in the last day you’ve doubtless seen mention of the passing of Ronnie James Dio, one of the founding fathers of modern heavy metal. If you don’t know who Dio was, start on Wikipedia and work your way up, or just watch the video for “Holy Diver” above and prepare your mind to be blown by the ultimate in fantasy medieval metal madness. Dio was the quintessential rock ‘n’ roll success story; the shining example of talent and drive overcoming all odds. Ronald Padavona, a rugged looking 5’4″ trumpet player from New Hampshire, by sheer will and determination, became Ronnie James Dio, one of the most revered rock gods of all time, a man, who as many obits have pointed out, never debased his iconic status with gossip column headlines or scandal. He was dedicated entirely to metal, the genre he helped create, until the end. RIP Dio.
Armed for Apocalypse are a band from TruckerDeluxe’s hometown, Chico, CA, but they’re no longer our local secret: they just got back from a European tour with Sepultura and Crowbar, and their debut record, Defeat, is available in stores and online in everywhere. If you need something to get pissed to, forget about the what you think is heavy and check out the first track from Defeat “We Fell From the Bottom” below. The band is returning to Europe this summer for the Tuska Open Air Metal Festival in Finland, so if you’re reading this from the socialist utopia of beautiful Scandanavia, tell your blonde Viking goddess of a girlfriend to buy some tickets now and get ready to get your head crushed in the pit.
