Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t bang your head violently and still be sensitive. Metalheads get a bad rap for wearing black all the time and brooding in solitude. But guess what? We also play with kittens and hold the door for crabby old ladies who don’t say, “Thank you.” If that isn’t true love, then what is?
If Valentine’s Day is a weird time for your playlist, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Well, maybe you are. But there are plenty of people just like you. Here are six songs about that dreaded little thing called love that you can blast the next time someone says, “Your music is too angry!”
Ozzy Osbourne – “I Just Want You”
The Prince of Darkness can be a real sweetheart when he wants to be. This love letter from Ozzmosis is a perfect example. Much of “I Just Want You” is the Ozzman running down a list of things that he doesn’t believe in, like unwinnable wars and unachievable goals. Those silly notions don’t exist in his world. What exists is love, and it’s the only thing that matters.
Ozzy is so preoccupied with one person that he doesn’t care about all the nonsense happening on Earth. It’s quite the romantic mindset from a guy known for chomping down on bat brains.
Metallica – “Sabbra Cadabra”
It’s cool hearing James Hetfield sing in such a high register. And it’s weird for him to sound so happy. Papa Het never wrote lyrics like, “Feel so good, I feel so fine / Love that little lady, always on my mind.” Mushy stuff like that would be totally out of place on a Metallica record. But, on Garage, Inc., “Sabbra Cadabra” is a standout track bursting with all the love and sick Iommi riffs.
There’s a chance they picked this song because of the riffage. The band couldn’t resist throwing a chunk of “A National Acrobat” into the mix as well, even though lyrically it’s out of place. Still, Hetfield tackles Ozzy‘s vocals pretty well, and Ulrich‘s huge drum sound gives the tender tune the extra oomph that was missing from Black Sabbath‘s original. You’ll get some leg tonight for sure if you throw this on a mixtape for that special little lady.
Deftones – “Rx Queen”
Oh, the things a person will do for love. How far are you willing to go to please your soulmate? Are you okay with getting stung? Can you even say your love is real if you won’t steal a carcass for your other half?
On “Rx Queen,” Chino Moreno promises said carcass to his eternal Valentine with the added twist of feeding off the virus together. Damn, that’s hot. Chicks dig romantic crap like that. The only thing hotter than eating carcass viruses is doing so on the moon next to a fire. Chicks love fire. Think about that when you’re in Rite Aid looking for a lame piece of cardboard to express your feelings.
Black Label Society – “A Love Unreal”
Don’t let the Viking beard and Sons of Anarchy wardrobe fool you. Zakk Wylde gets all sorts of lovey-dovey on “A Love Unreal” without sacrificing the chunky riffs he’s notorious for delivering. The soft intro is just evil trickery to help set the mood before launching into a barrage of tender vows.
Zakk‘s beautiful minute-plus solo makes you believe love can exist even during the most troubling times. If someone handed you the lyrics to this song and said, “Be Mine,” you would drop your pants and be theirs forever.
Korpiklaani – “Under the Sun”
Folk metal has the power to turn any frown upside down. If you need to free yourself from a funk on Valentine’s Day (or any day), just thrown on some Korpiklaani. Your sorrows will soon disappear into an enchanting forest filled with nature’s loveliest creatures.
On “Under the Sun,” Korpiklaani sounds like they’re playing a wedding reception at The Shire. It’s impossible not to feel the love. I don’t think hobbits celebrate Valentine’s Day, but if they did, this song would be on their playlist.
Throughout the track, vocalist Jonne Järvelä acknowledges all the incredible things his significant other does for him, and you get the sense he would be nothing without this person. It’s a thank-you note without actually saying the words, “Thank you,” which is the greatest gift you can give someone.
Lamb of God – “Walk with Me in Hell”
Nothing says love like strolling through a fiery hell with your sweetheart. This song slays so hard that the average listener would think they’re getting yelled at by Satan. But it’s just the devil in disguise. If they dug into the lyrics, they’d realize it’s surprisingly sentimental. This is the tenderhearted side of Lamb of God.
Mark Morton wrote “Walk with Me in Hell” for his wife. He took the vow, “till death do us part” to a whole new level. Alongside punishing riffs and tasteful solos, he promises to remain by his woman’s side through the darkest of times.
Randy Blythe put a lot of passion into the song himself, screaming the line, “You’re never alone!” as if he wrote it. Most people can only dream about having a song this ferocious yet romantic written in their honor.
Valentine’s Day is a time for love and all the corny, sappy stuff that comes with it. But that doesn’t mean the music has to suck. What metal songs make your blackened heart flutter?
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Alternative metal icons Deftones have reportedly cashed in on their catalog, according to a new report from Billboard, signaling one of the more significant rock catalog deals in recent years.
Citing unnamed sources, Billboard claims the California band were seeking a “mid- to high-double-digit multiple” for the rights to key portions of their catalog, with Warner Music Group ultimately closing the deal. As the publication explains:
“That multiple refers to how many times net label share and net publisher’s share (a.k.a. gross profit) can be divided into the valuation price. While publishing deals usually carry a higher multiple than master-recording royalties, that gap has been narrowing in recent years.
“Today, music assets generally trade — depending on the catalog’s heritage and the rights involved — in a 12- to 18-times-multiple range, though superstar artists and songwriters have been known to achieve above 20-times multiples.”
According to Billboard‘s reporting, the sale includes master-recording royalties, co-publishing interests, and writer’s royalties. Due to Deftones‘ long-standing relationship with Warner, the label already owned the band’s master recordings, while their publishing had also remained in-house via Warner Chappell.
Notably, Billboard adds that one member of the band chose to retain their share of both publishing and master-recording royalties, while the majority of the group opted to sell. The deal is said to have been finalized within the last two years, though the exact timing has not been publicly disclosed.
The reported sale comes amid a massive resurgence in Deftones‘ cultural and commercial profile. Over the past several years, the band’s catalog has experienced a viral renaissance fueled by TikTok, introducing Deftones to a new generation of listeners and dramatically expanding their audience.
That renewed interest has propelled the band to arena-headliner status and driven consistent chart returns for their back catalog. Last July, multiple Deftones releases were newly certified gold and platinum in the United States. As recently as December, the band’s 1997 sophomore album Around The Fur surged to No. 3 on Billboard’s Hard Rock Albums chart, underscoring the sustained momentum.
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REMEMBERING AN ARTIST KNOWN ACROSS SACRAMENTO PUNK ROCK AND ART SCENE. CHARLES THOMAS, BEST KNOWN AS GROUND CHUCK, PASSED AWAY THIS WEEKEND. HE WAS A PUNK MUSICIAN AND CHALK ARTIST WELL KNOWN ACROSS MIDTOWN. LAST NIGHT, THE SACRAMENTO CITY COUNCIL TOOK A MOMENT TO HONOR HIM. TO KNOW HIM WAS TO KNOW HIS KINDNESS, HIS WARMTH AND INCLUSIVITY. THE OUTPOURING OF LOVE FROM HIM, FROM STREET PUNKS TO SOME OF SACRAMENTO’S LEGENDARY BANDS, SHOW JUST HOW MUCH GROUND CHUCK MEANT TO THE CITY AND HOW MUCH HE’LL BE MISSED. KCRA 3’S ANDRES VALLE IS LIVE AFTER SPEAKING WITH HIS CLOSE FRIENDS. YEAH, SO GUYS, A LOT OF PEOPLE DESCRIBED HIM AS A POET, A PUNK ROCKER AND A CHALK ARTIST. NOW HIS CHALK ART WAS INFAMOUS AT THE CHALK IT UP FESTIVAL AS WELL. AND TONIGHT, RIGHT BEHIND ME, A LOT OF PEOPLE GATHERED AT AN OPEN MIC IN ORDER TO HONOR HIM. FOR MANY MOONS AND STARS. A POET TO SOME. FOUND NO LIGHT. NO WHERE TO TURN, AND A ROCKER TO OTHERS. I’VE KNOWN HIM SINCE ABOUT 85. WE PLAYED A LOT OF MUSIC TOGETHER. JUST A GREAT GUY. A CHALK ARTIST TO MANY. HE WAS A CHALK ARTIST, AND HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE TO DO CHALK ART. CHARLES THOMAS, BEST KNOWN AS GROUND CHUCK, HAS PASSED AWAY, SENDING SHOCKWAVES THROUGH SACRAMENTO’S MUSIC AND ART SCENE. IF HE ONLY HAD LIKE $5 IN HIS POCKET, HE’D BE LIKE, HEY, COME HAVE A COME, HAVE A DRINK WITH ME. MY TREAT. THAT’S KIND OF GUY. HE WAS GENEROUS AND KIND AND SILLY. HIS MOST NOTABLE CONTRIBUTION TO THE LOCAL SCENE CREATING CHALK ART. HIS WORK WAS A STAPLE AT THE CITY’S CHALK IT UP FESTIVAL. CHOCOLATE WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR CHALK IT UP. LONGTIME FRIEND MARCO FUSCO, EMOTIONAL OVER HIS PASSING. I SACRAMENTO TO KNOW THAT YOU LOST A SAINT. YOU KNOW SOMEBODY THAT NEVER SAID A BAD WORD ABOUT ANYBODY? YOU LOST SOMEBODY THAT LOOKED OUT FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE AND KIDS, AND THAT PERSON THAT CAME TO THAT BAR THAT WAS TOTALLY DEPRESSED GROUND. CHUCK WOULD COME UP TO THEM AND MAKE AND TALK TO THEM ALL. THE SPECIES. MARCO, SHARING HIS COLLECTION OF VIDEOS OF GROUND CHUCK FROM THE 80S WITH US. WE ARE IN THE YEAR OF 2025. FLUTES WERE OUTLAWED. TEN YEARS AGO, THE MIDTOWN LOCAL HEAVILY INFLUENCED OTHER ARTISTS IN SACRAMENTO. I’M. I’M ON YOUR SIDE. WE’RE WE’RE ALWAYS RIGHT. FELLOW CREATIVES COMING TOGETHER FOR AN OPEN MIC NIGHT AT MATTY GROVES BREWERY IN HIS HONOR. NO SLEEP TONIGHT. I’LL KEEP ON DRIVING. HOPEFULLY THESE KIDS COMING UP WILL CARRY ON THE TRADITION AND KEEP ROCKING AND CHALKING AND ALL THE. ALL THE STUFF CHUCK LOVED. I KNOW I’M GOING TO SEE HIM WHEN I GET THERE, AND IT HURTS, BUT I’M NOT GOING TO SEE HIM WHEN I WALK DOWN P STREET. LOSING GROUND, CHUCK, IS LIKE LOSING A PART OF OUR HISTORY. YEAH. KEEP ROCKING AND SHOCKING. IT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES THAT WE HEARD FROM HIS FRIENDS TONIGHT. NOW THAT OPEN MIC NIGHT JUST WRAPPED UP RIGHT BEHIND ME. BUT TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HIS IMPACT, EVEN THE DEFTONES, YOU KNOW, THE FAMOUS ROCK BAND FROM SACRAMENTO POSTED THIS ONLINE ON THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT HIS PASSING AND SAYING, R.I.P. TO A SACRAMENTO LEGEND. REST EASY GROUND, CHUCK. WE’RE LIVE HERE IN MIDTOWN SACRAMENTO,
Sacramento mourns the loss of punk musician and chalk artist ‘Ground Chuck’
Charles Thomas, known as “Ground Chuck,” has passed away, sending shockwaves through Sacramento’s music and art scene.Friends described him as a poet, punk rocker, and chalk artist, with his chalk art being a staple at the Chalk It Up festival. Many gathered at an open mic night at Mattie Groves Brewery in Midtown to honor his memory. “I’ve known him since about ’85. We played a lot of music together. Just a great guy,” said Monte Bateman, a friend.”He was one of the first people to do chalk art,” said Marco Fuoco, highlighting his pioneering contributions to the local scene.”If he only had, like, $5 in his pocket, he’d be like, Hey, come here. Come have a drink with me. My treat. That’s the kind of guy he was. He was generous and kind and silly,” said Desiree Willson, remembering his generosity.His most notable contribution was creating chalk art, which was a staple at the city’s Chalk It Up festival. “Chuck was the inspiration for Chalk It Up,” said Fuoco.KCRA sat down with longtime friend Marco Fuoco, who expressed his emotions over Chuck’s passing. “I want Sacramento to know that you lost a saint, you know, somebody that never said a bad word about anybody. You lost somebody who looked out for homeless people, kids. And that person who came to the bar was totally depressed, Ground Chuck would come up to them and make them talk to him,” Fuoco said.Fuoco shared his collection of videos of Ground Chuck from the 1980s, reminiscing about their time together. He has a collection of videos of Ground Chuck performing poetry, skits, and music.The Midtown local had a profound influence on other artists in Sacramento, with fellow creatives coming together for an open mic night at Mattie Groves Brewery in his honor. “Hopefully, these kids coming up all carry on the tradition and keep rocking and chalking and all. All the stuff Chuck loved,” said Bateman.”I know I’m going to see him when I get there, and it hurts that I’m not going to see him when I walk down P Street,” said Willson, expressing their sorrow.”Losing Ground Chuck, is like losing a part of our history,” said Fuoco.Sacramento rock band Deftones even posted on their social media about Ground Chuck’s passing, writing, “RIP to a Sacramento legend. Rest easy, Ground Chuck.”See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Charles Thomas, known as “Ground Chuck,” has passed away, sending shockwaves through Sacramento’s music and art scene.
Friends described him as a poet, punk rocker, and chalk artist, with his chalk art being a staple at the Chalk It Up festival. Many gathered at an open mic night at Mattie Groves Brewery in Midtown to honor his memory.
“I’ve known him since about ’85. We played a lot of music together. Just a great guy,” said Monte Bateman, a friend.
“He was one of the first people to do chalk art,” said Marco Fuoco, highlighting his pioneering contributions to the local scene.
“If he only had, like, $5 in his pocket, he’d be like, Hey, come here. Come have a drink with me. My treat. That’s the kind of guy he was. He was generous and kind and silly,” said Desiree Willson, remembering his generosity.
His most notable contribution was creating chalk art, which was a staple at the city’s Chalk It Up festival. “Chuck was the inspiration for Chalk It Up,” said Fuoco.
KCRA sat down with longtime friend Marco Fuoco, who expressed his emotions over Chuck’s passing. “I want Sacramento to know that you lost a saint, you know, somebody that never said a bad word about anybody. You lost somebody who looked out for homeless people, kids. And that person who came to the bar was totally depressed, Ground Chuck would come up to them and make them talk to him,” Fuoco said.
Fuoco shared his collection of videos of Ground Chuck from the 1980s, reminiscing about their time together. He has a collection of videos of Ground Chuck performing poetry, skits, and music.
The Midtown local had a profound influence on other artists in Sacramento, with fellow creatives coming together for an open mic night at Mattie Groves Brewery in his honor. “Hopefully, these kids coming up all carry on the tradition and keep rocking and chalking and all. All the stuff Chuck loved,” said Bateman.
“I know I’m going to see him when I get there, and it hurts that I’m not going to see him when I walk down P Street,” said Willson, expressing their sorrow.
“Losing Ground Chuck, is like losing a part of our history,” said Fuoco.
Sacramento rock band Deftones even posted on their social media about Ground Chuck’s passing, writing, “RIP to a Sacramento legend. Rest easy, Ground Chuck.”
Deftones to play an arena show in Orlando next year
Deftones have announced a 2025 North American tour — and that faint roar you hear is the distance is nü-metal fans, erstwhile mall-goths and Gen-Z hipsters all collectively losing their minds.
The multi-platinum Grammy-winning Californian band kick off their tour, their first extended outing in three years, in February of next year in Portland. There are only two Florida stops in late March: Orlando, and Sunrise the next night.
Expect some new tunes making their way into the setlist as the band recently wrapped recording their next album.
Along for the tour are the Mars Volta and Fleshwater.
Deftones play the Kia Center on Thursday, March 20, 2025. Tickets go on sale Friday, Sept. 20, through Ticketmaster.
