🎤🎸💀Oh, sweet baby Jesus! BUTCHER BABIES’ founding screamer, the one and only Carla Harvey (who apparently moonlighted as a mortician and comic book scribbler – talk about range 🤣), has unleashed her new solo project, THE VIOLENT HOUR, upon us. And guess what? She even managed to snag Zakk Wylde, the dude who shreds for PANTERA and fronts BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, for her latest single, “Hell Or Hollywood.” Because, you know, why not? 🤷♀️ The video, filmed at the legendary Rainbow Bar & Grill, is apparently where she found her true calling. 🙄
Directed by some dude named Vincent Cordero (who also did stuff for BLACK VEIL BRIDES and Kat Von D – edgy!), the “Hell Or Hollywood” video is supposed to be all about Harvey‘s deep and meaningful experiences in L.A. 🥺 Described as a “swampy metal induced rocker,” it apparently captures the chaos, grit, and euphoria of her Hollywood journey. I’m sure it’s totally relatable to everyone who’s ever dreamed of making it big in La-La Land. 🙄
“Shooting the ‘Hell Or Hollywood’ video at the Rainbow was a full-circle moment for me,” Carla said. “As a kid growing up in the Midwest, I saw the Rainbow in rock mags and iconic GUNS N’ ROSES videos… It exuded that gritty, dangerous, rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle I craved.” Oh, so she wanted to be Axl Rose? Got it. 🤔 “When I moved to L.A., I practically lived there. I made my first friends at the Rainbow, found my first bandmates there, and got into plenty of trouble.” Yeah, because that’s what the Rainbow is known for: wholesome, family-friendly fun. 😇
She went on: “This video tells the story of chasing a dream to L.A. (both the pleasures and the pitfalls) and toys with the question: do you have to sell your soul for rock ‘n’ roll? Is this Hell or Hollywood? The answer reveals itself at the end of the video.” Spoiler alert: It’s probably both. 😈 “It was important for me to have Lemmy (played by Luke Edwards of KILLED BY DEATH) in the video as one of my ‘tempters’ because of his iconic presence at the Rainbow.” Because nothing says “selling your soul” like a Lemmy impersonator. 💀 “You’ll spot a Janis Joplin too (actress Shannon Corbett) and I had to throw in a little tongue-in-cheek humor as well with a Kurt Cobain lookalike (Gabe Maska) because let’s be real, if Kurt showed up at the Rainbow, you’d definitely be in hell.” I’m sure Kurt would be thrilled with that analogy. 😒
Harvey‘s fiancé, ANTHRAX and PANTERA drummer Charlie Benante, who apparently wrote all the music and played all the instruments on the EP (talk about a control freak 🙄), said in a statement: “Carla grew up loving GUNS N’ ROSES, and since they were so heavily influenced by AEROSMITH, I wanted to write something that paid tribute to both.” So basically, it’s a GUNS N’ ROSES and AEROSMITH cover band, but not really. 😴
“The riff on ‘Hell Or Hollywood’ is the kind that stands on its own — even without vocals, it’s got a swagger to it.” Yeah, a swagger of mediocrity. 🙄 “And having Zakk Wylde on the solo? He brought this raw, six string grit that rips through the track. You hear it and instantly know — it’s him.” Because Zakk Wylde can’t play anything BUT raw, six-string grit. 🤣
When “Hell Or Hollywood” was first released earlier this month, Carla commented: “I wanted to write a song that felt the way I did when I first moved to Los Angeles at twenty, like my motorcycle boots hitting the Sunset Strip for the very first time.” So, basically, she wanted to write a song about being a cliché. 🙄 “I had driven across the country with nothing but a paper map, no friends, no plan — just a dream.” Wow, so original! 🙄 “I figured I’d survive somehow, and every day was exactly that: survival. There were moments that nearly broke me, followed by the kind of euphoric highs that made it all worth it. That’s what Hell or Hollywood is: the chaos, illusion and grit in perfect juxtaposition. Wouldn’t leave it if you could…” Yeah, because where else would she find a Lemmy impersonator? 🤷♀️
In April, Carla released the official music video for “Sick Ones,” the first single from THE VIOLENT HOUR. The track features MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist John 5. Because apparently, she’s collecting guitarists like Pokémon. 👾
“‘Sick Ones’ is a rock ‘n’ roll anthem about cutting the toxic people out of your life,” said Harvey. “It’s a call of freedom, a fist-to-the-face to anyone who has tried to hold you down, hold you back or dim your light.” So deep! 😔 “It was written at a vulnerable time in my life when I was forced to end relationships I thought would last forever.” Oh, the drama! 😭
“When choosing a theme for this song,” Harvey added, “I thought about a phrase I had scrawled across a journal from 1999: ‘Cut The Sick Ones Loose.’ Those words became my mantra over the last couple years and felt perfect to chant over Charlie‘s guitar riffs. ‘Sick Ones’ also features an absolutely shredding guitar solo by John 5 that brings this thrasher to a whole different level.” Because apparently, a shredding guitar solo can fix anything. 🛠️
“‘Sick Ones’ has a modernized NWOBHM (New wave of British heavy metal) vibe to it,” added Benante. “The riff is very catchy and stays with you like a good riff should. ‘Sick Ones’ is just the tip of the iceberg for this project. Many of the songs we crafted for THE VIOLENT HOUR are unlike anything Carla has ever done as a vocalist, reflecting different moods and a new beginning. The music flowed out of me because I had this motivation, this drive…it was unstoppable.” Unstoppable mediocrity, maybe. 🤷♂️
The “Sick Ones” video script, written by Harvey and directed by Industrialism Films‘ Vicente Cordero (again!), sees Harvey portraying each of the video’s five personalities. Because she’s just that versatile! 🎭
“While ‘Sick Ones’ is about cutting toxic people out of your life — those who constantly devalue you — I wanted to flip that narrative for the video,” Harvey said. “I’ve always been interested in the idea that sometimes the most dangerous person to confront is yourself. The video explores what it means to face those darker versions of who we’ve been and whether we can truly leave them behind… or, as the ending suggests, learn to coexist peacefully. Vicente took my vision and brought it to life. I came to him with a wild idea and no clue how to execute it — and we made it work! I loved getting a chance to play multiple larger-than-life characters.” I’m sure she did. 🙄
Not many people have comic book author, embalmer and musician on their resumes. Carla boasts all three and so much more. Because she’s a Renaissance woman… of mediocrity. 🎨
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