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  • Burton C. Bell – The Path of Most Resistance

    Burton C. Bell – The Path of Most Resistance

    Burton C. Bell is the trailblazing founding vocalist of Fear Factory, whose powerful talent has also shone in projects with G/Z/R, Ministry, Ascension of the Watchers, and his solo material. He was inducted into the official Metal Hall of Fame in January 2025.
    What follows is an excerpt of Burton’s Metal Hall acceptance speech, reposted here with his permission. It’s an inspiring explanation of what motivates great artists to navigate their difficult, treacherous, often-punishing journeys in pursuit of artistic fulfillment.
    Huge shoutout and thanks to Pamela Parks.

    “I have been an artist my entire life, and I have been very fortunate to live my life through creativity for the past 35 years. To choose the life of an artist is a voluntary choice toward the path of MOST RESISTANCE. Much like Sisyphus pushing his boulder up the mountain, or Icarus spreading his wax wings to fly beneath the sun, the life of an artist can be frustrating, and even disheartening. It’s the process of creativity that offers purpose to my life. 

    Creation it is an addiction I have. Much like other vices, where you rise and feel the high, or when you fall to crash, and burn. Always chasing that dragon. It is not for the fame, infamy, adoration, or disdain that drives most of us, it is that spike of beautiful dopamine we feel when our creativity is blossoming into creations. 

    This is what has always driven me in every medium, or media, I create with. Striving for greatness in my art, always evolving in my pursuit for a daunting perfection to reflect who I am through art, music, and words I create. To honor the artists whom I look up to, and living that reflection the reflection of their work, is what life is all about.”


    Burton C. Bell, 2025

    ♫

    (Photo from Burton C. Bell’s 2025 Metal Hall of Fame red-carpet interview with Jack Mangan. Full video available on The Metal Voice Facebook page)

  • SLAM Summit – Kevin J. Anderson and Cathy Rankin – The Grief Journey (Remembering Neil Peart)

    SLAM Summit – Kevin J. Anderson and Cathy Rankin – The Grief Journey (Remembering Neil Peart)

    This one hits Closer to the Heart. Two incredible guests joined Jack Mangan for this S.L.A.M. Summit, focused on creatives persevering through grief.

    ~Kevin J. Anderson. New York Times best-selling author, wonderful human, and close friend and collaborator of Neil Peart.
    https://wordfire.com/series-books-in-order/

    ~Cathy Rankin. Musician, journalist, actress, model, spokesperson, emcee, a damn good writer, and another wonderful human.
    https://www.cathyrankin.com/

    Hosted by Jack Mangan, founder/Executive Director of Support Life And Music, journalist, podcaster, author, musician, owner of many nice hats.

    S.L.A.M. interstitial from comics legend, Brian Pulido, of Coffin Comics https://coffincomicsshop.com/

    Topics covered:
    ♫ Neil Peart
    ♫ The Bubba Bash celebration of Neil Peart (https://support.cedars-sinai.edu/fundraiser/5043373)
    ♫ Cathy Rankin’s “Now You’ve Gone” tribute to Neil Peart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44RtTwgLgvY
    ♫ Kevin J. Anderson’s “Clockwork Angels” books, co-written with Neil Peart
    ♫ Rush
    ♫ The grief journey
    ♫ Loss
    ♫ Coping mechanisms
    ♫ Positive habits
    ♫ Kevin J. Anderson’s career
    ♫ Rebecca Moesta
    ♫ Writing
    ♫ You sometimes drive me crazy, but I worry about you.

  • Michael Alago

    Michael Alago

    “My life in sobriety is very rich and full and I feel like I can do anything. I am now becoming the person I have always wanted to be. Friends and family know that I’m reliable and responsible and they can count on me. I am here to be of good service to everyone that I meet.

    “Life is still a mystery to me, though I have learned many valuable lessons along the way. And the most important lesson I have learned is to live in love and not fear. It took me a long time to get there. I know many strive for perfection, which I don’t believe exists. But what I do know is that I work on myself every day to be the best person I can be, so that I can show compassion and gratitude to everyone I encounter.”


    – Michael Alago

    I Am Michael Alago:
    Breathing Music. Signing Metallica. Beating Death

  • SLAM Summit: Jarvis Leatherby of Night Demon – Embrace the Struggle

    SLAM Summit: Jarvis Leatherby of Night Demon – Embrace the Struggle

    Jarvis Leathery of Night Demon He delivered some incredibly powerful words on suicidal thoughts, sobriety, sleep, and finding your purpose. You can see the full MetalAsylum.net interview here, featuring journalist Rich Catino and S.L.A.M.’s own Jack Mangan.

  • S.L.A.M. Summit – SLAM Band Meeting – Music for Healing

    S.L.A.M. Summit – SLAM Band Meeting – Music for Healing

    A roundtable discussion with the Support Life And Music (S.L.A.M.) Advisory Council – – the SLAM Band!


    On the call:
    Dr. Sheila Dee
    Jack Frost
    Sarah Hyde
    Jack Mangan
    Evo Terra

  • A new study shows that musicians have one of the highest suicide rates

    A new study shows that musicians have one of the highest suicide rates

    The musician suicide crisis is real.

    A March 2025 report by Dr. George Musgrave and Dr. Dorian Lamis at Frontiers in Public Health shows that musicians are among the most at-risk of all professional workers.

    Per their article: “Occupational mortality data from the Office for National Statistics in England (2011-2015) demonstrates that ‘musicians, actors, and entertainers’ rank among the five occupational groups with highest suicide mortality. . .” This trend is not confined to England: “. . . comparable patterns emerge in (the) United States,” and “This phenomenon also extends beyond Anglo-American contexts.”

    The numbers are troubling for all musicians, but they indicate an even greater risk for women in music. Female musicians “recorded the highest suicide mortality rate across all occupational groups in 2012, 2015, and 2021.”

    The inherent dangers in this profession have long been shrouded in fatalistic mystique, romanticizing self-destruction and early graves, with too much cliched narrative about the necessity of suffering and excess to be a legitimate star. These widely-accepted beliefs and perceptions allow the real risks for musicians to remain unaddressed, dismissed, and trivialized.

    Despair knows no boundaries. The kinds of problems may vary across different ways of life, but misery and mental illness are not exclusive to any social group. No status is immune.

    What’s the solution?

    Musgrave and Lamis discuss a “Support plan for musicians” with emphasis on prevention through training, intervention, de-stigmatization, engagement, transitions, and data analysis at various levels of the music industry.

    Support Life And Music is also implementing programs of support, education, inspiration, and connection to fight back against this scourge in the musical and art worlds. Contact us to ask how you can aid us in our mission to save and improve lives. Your volunteer time and tax-deductible donations do make a difference.

    Here’s The Guardian’s coverage of Dr. Musgrave and Dr. Lamis’s findings:

    https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/mar/07/high-suicide-rates-show-music-industry-profoundly-dangerous-researchers-say

    “Sad Man” by Le Roy Flint, 1967
  • S.LA.M. Summit: Eamon O’Neill – Tomorrow is Another Day

    S.LA.M. Summit: Eamon O’Neill – Tomorrow is Another Day

    Jack Mangan and Eric Haley of S.L.A.M. talk to
    The incredible YouTuber, journalist, musician, and good guy, Eamon O’Neill of Eonmusic https://www.youtube.com/@eonmusicuk / https://www.eonmusic.co.uk/, straight out of Ireland! He spoke to Jack Mangan and Eric Haley of Support Life And Music about the practical realities of making it as a professional musician – – from an Irish perspective.
    And “Wonderwall.”

  • Paavo Lötjönen of Apocalyptica – Do it Honest

    Paavo Lötjönen of Apocalyptica – Do it Honest

    Words of inspiration from super cellist Paavo Lötjönen of Apocalyptica, talking backstage with Jack Mangan of  @SupportLifeAndMusic  Many thanks to The Metal Voice for making this interview happen. See the full conversation and article at:

    https://www.themetalvoice.com/post/we-have-given-metallica-some-courage-inspiration-for-their-s-m-symphonic-metallica-says-apocal-1

    Also – – big thanks to Eric Haley for being the cameraman.

  • S.L.A.M. Summit – Surviving the Indie Music Career

    S.L.A.M. Summit – Surviving the Indie Music Career

    George Hrab and Dani Cutler talk with Jack Mangan about how to survive the Independent Music lifestyle. And about Duran Duran. And Ringo.

    George Hrab: https://www.georgehrab.com
    Dani Cutler: https://danisdiner.podbean.com/

  • The Greatest Songs of All Time, Like Ever

    The Greatest Songs of All Time, Like Ever

    What is the Greatest Song Of All Time, and why is it “Fish Heads”?*

    Support Life And Music seeks to transform the musical world into a safer, less treacherous, more survivable place, and part of that mission is to communicate the fundamental human need for music and its creators, benefitting us as individuals and for our shared global cultures. There are songs that have transformed and inspired multitudes across generations. The “Greatest Songs of All Time, Like Ever” S.L.A.M. column will present musings/essays/articles/quotes on the most awesome, important, and culturally impactful songs ever released. 

    Music is life, blood, intellect, heart, and soul. 

    More than the music itself, though, as recordings of notes in patterns and rhythms, it’s the connection and impact of music that is transcendental, that is important, that is vital. People only bond on emotional levels with four things: other living beings, visuals, stories, and – – music.* Each of those kinds of connections feels unique; e.g.: your deep fandoms for Spider-Man (or Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Bernie Sanders, Sydney Sweeney, Martin Scorsese, Bridget Jones, Robin Williams, your cat, etc.) are not the same as your swooning for your favorite songs. It’s this blissful connection that we wish to discuss and understand better. Rapturous musical affinity doesn’t require greatness or grandeur; you can feel something in your bones for a jingle or a ringtone. But the momentary endorphin rush of a pleasant or catchy melody can’t be equated to the profound experience of one of the GSoATLE. These are the songs which change our lives, and which change our shared society. 

    So, to answer one of the questions in your mind: what will qualify a song for analysis in this series? Topping Billboard charts? Grammy Awards? Getting played at weddings and/or funerals? When every drunk in the bar sings along to it on the jukebox? Covered by Kidz Bop? Must the “Best Song” recipient be some kind of enduring cultural phenomenon, or can it be an obscure personal favorite? Well, none of the above would disqualify a song from this feature. . . But no. S.L.A.M.’s chief writer and founder, Jack Mangan, along with guest writers, will be identifying the GSoATLE by more intangible qualities, a sense of widespread human resonance to them, songs that appear to be profoundly and enduringly meaningful to a large number of people. The criteria for inclusion will not be based on anyone’s personal tastes, although biases will come through in the analyses. 

    So, “The Macarena” and its dance have been inescapable since it was unleashed in the 1990s. Will that be covered? Probably not, but you’ll just have to keep reading to find out. . . “Beat It” was a massive phenomenon when it hit; will it be listed as a GSoATLE? Or is “Eat It” more worthy? Beethoven’s “Fur Elise?” “Stairway to Heaven?” “Respect?” “Hey Jude?” “Rhapsody in Blue?” “Fight the Power?” “Just a Friend?” (RIP Biz Markie) “Islands in the Stream?” “Smells Like Teen Spirit” “Imagine?” “The Salaminizer?” “Theme from ‘Star Wars?’” “Superstition?” “Free Bird!!” 

    Feel free to make suggestions. And please, keep reading and keep listening. 

    __________________________________________

    *The Barnes and Barnes classic absurdity was a Dr. Demento favorite. 

    **Forgive me if you feel like food and drink should be in this list. I won’t discount the culinary as an artform; I just think a plate of amazing food is too far afield from the things I listed.