Jason Roche
LA Weekly
Los Angeles, CA, United States
Contact Jason
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Jason:
Brown Acid Series Reveals the Lost Predecessors to Today's Stoner Rock
The phrase "stoner rock" is a catch-all term that in 2019 seems to be liberally applied to any music in the rock or metal genres that has a slight psychedelic edge. We've seen it applied to bands as diverse as O.C. sand-and-surf rockers Fu Manchu, San Diego jam-out wizards Earthless and the Motörhead-on-steroids Bay Area metallers High on Fire. → Read More
Suburban Fight Pro Wrestling Stages Bar-Fight Style Pro Wrestling in a Bar, Without a Ring (Video Premiere)
Local punk-rock promoter Suburban Fight entered the crowded SoCal grappling game with their first wrestling event on Sunday, Feb. 25. Staging their matches at Resident in the downtown Arts District, the organizers of the show immediately established it by changing the formula and doing away with a standard of pro wrestling dating back more than 100 years to the art form's origins: the ring. → Read More
The Best L.A. Metal Shows to See in February
Heavy metal provides the perfect soundtrack for your romantic adventures in February, be they fulfilling or unrequited. → Read More
The Top Ten Los Angeles Pro Wrestling Moments
Wrestling fans in our city have been fortunate enough to witness some of the most historic – and infamous – moments in the history of the art form,... → Read More
Grill 'Em All Celebrates Five Years of Heavy Metal and Heavy Burgers
A vast array of heavy metal–inspired burger names adorns the menu, ranging from simple-but-still-creative sandwiches such as the Dee Snider — adorned with peanut butter, jelly, bacon and sriracha — to monstrous concoctions such as the Napalm Death, a pepper-jack cheeseburger piled high with pickled jalapeño, cream cheese and jalapeño poppers. → Read More
The Best L.A. Metal Shows to See in January
There's no better way to get off the couch, kick off your 2018 with a high-energy start, and sweat off the extra pounds than heading into the pit for the best metal shows coming to Los Angeles in January. → Read More
Behold! The Monolith, Yidhra and High Priestess Show That L.A.'s Modern Doom-Metal Scene Is Maturing
Los Angeles has long been known for its expansive metal history, but recent years have seen a resurgence locally in the thicker musical rumble of doom. These three bands below — each with their own different perspectives and approaches to delivering heavy-metal thunder — are shining examples of what our city is bringing to doom-metal fans in 2018. → Read More
Guns N' Roses Concert Review: The Not in This Lifetime Tour Has Become a Well-Oiled Machine
Though some old-school fans may miss the element of danger that accompanied GNR concerts in the past, most would have to agree that the polished, professional GNR of 2017 is a welcome improvement. → Read More
Fireball Ministry's Remember the Story Keeps the Band's Stoner Rock Vibe Alive
“We've always joked that every time we put out a record, it was when nobody cared about this kind of music,” says the Cincinnati-bred band's frontman, James A. Rota II. → Read More
There Are Way Too Many Great Los Angeles Concerts Happening on Saturday, Oct. 7
From CalJam to The Scorpions to Exodus to Kings of Leon, it's a logjam of amazing shows on one night. Which means choosing one and missing all the others. Which blows. → Read More
Brendon Small's Galaktikon Is Back, and Metalocalypse Fans Are Rejoicing
"Dethklok's fans got fucked. I didn't get fucked. I'm the luckiest guy in the world," says the creator of Metalocalypse's beloved cartoon metal band, who made his long-awaited return to music last week. → Read More
An Excerpt From Brian Slagel's New Book, For the Sake of Heaviness, The History of Metal Blade Records
In this exclusive excerpt from his new book, Metal Blade Records founder Brian Slagel recounts the last-minute nature of Metallica's contribution to the now-legendary "Metal Massacre" compilation. → Read More
Mac Sabbath's "Drive-Thru Metal" Is Now Coming at You in 360-Degree VR
What's better than a fast food-themed Black Sabbath tribute band? How about a fast-food themed Black Sabbath tribute band in 360-degree virtual reality? → Read More
Armenian-American Trio Highland's Loyal to the Nightsky Is Black Metal at Its Darkest
The umbrella genre term “black metal” covers an expansive assortment of musical directions and sounds in 2017. Deafheaven has paved the way for bands blending shoegaze rock elements into black metal. One of our favorite records last year was from Oranssi Pazuzu, a band using the black metal blueprint as... → Read More
The Top 10 Arty Metal Bands
These bands expand the compositional structures, lyrical themes and instrumentation of heavy metal, while still being loud AF. → Read More
16-String Guitarist Felix Martin Shreds Up a Storm on New Album Mechanical Nations
The self-taught Venezuelan guitarist's two-handed tapping style gives his instrumental rock a totally unique sound. → Read More
The Best Los Angeles Metal Concerts to See in April
Friday, April 1 Power From Hell Complex This Brazilian outfit — making their U.S. debut on this tour — has spent the last decade slinging dirty, lo-fi thrash metal that straddles the line between Slayer’s incubatory Haunting the Chapel phase and classic Venom black metal. Their 2004 debut, The True Metal,... → Read More
The Best Los Angeles Metal Concerts to See in March
Tuesday, March 8 Cannibal Corpse The Mayan This Buffalo death metal band was the bane of Christian soccer moms in the early ‘90s thanks to the gore-obsessed chaos perpetrated on early works such as 1991’s Butchered at Birth. Over 20 years later, the shock value has worn off, but the... → Read More
New Albums From Graf Orlock and Ghostlimb Make Justin Smith the Hardest Working Man in Metal (PREMIERE)
"It’s a little stressful, but the week goes really fast," says Justin Smith of his hectic schedule, which also involves teaching college history. → Read More
New Albums From Graf Orlock and Ghostlimb Make Justin Smith the Hardest Working Man in Metal (PREMIERE)
Guitarist/vocalist Justin Smith — previously featured in L.A. Weekly’s People issue in 2013 — gets straight to the point when discussing the inspiration behind his grindcore outfit Graf Orlock’s new album, Crime Traveler. “The idea of a Canadian assassin traveling back in time to assassinate key American figures so that Canada... → Read More