THE VIOLENT HOUR (feat. Ex-Butcher Babies, Anthrax Members) Debut “Hell Or Hollywood” Featuring Zakk Wylde

The Violent Hour have released the official music video for their latest single “Hell Or Hollywood”, a gritty rock anthem now brought to life under the direction of Vicente Cordero (Black Veil Brides, Ministry). The band is fronted by former Butcher Babies vocalist Carla Harvey, who also recently took over vocal duties for Lords Of Acid.

Her partner, Charlie Benante (Anthrax, Pantera), is behind the bulk of the songwriting and instrumentation for the project. Lending his signature style to this track is none other than modern-day guitar legend Zakk Wylde, who guests with a blistering solo.

The video was shot at the legendary Rainbow Bar and Grill in West Hollywood, CA, a location rich in rock history. Harvey reflected on its personal meaning:

“Shooting the ‘Hell Or Hollywood’ video at the Rainbow was a full-circle moment for me. 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. When I moved to LA, I practically lived there. I made my first friends at the Rainbow, found my first bandmates there, and got into plenty of trouble. The Rainbow is more than a backdrop; it’s a living, breathing piece of rock history.”

The video concept explores the struggle between dreams and disillusionment in Los Angeles, told through temptations and surreal encounters:

“This video tells the story of chasing a dream to LA (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. 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.

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.”

Benante added more context on the song’s musical direction:

“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. The riff on ‘Hell or Hollywood’ is the kind that stands on its own — even without vocals, it’s got a swagger to it. 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.”

A debut EP from The Violent Hour is currently in the works, with more details expected soon.

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