The Violent Hour (Ex-Butcher Babies, Etc.) Premiere New Single & Music Video "Hell Or Hollywood" - Zakk Wylde Guests

The Violent Hour have premiered a music video for their newest single, “Hell Or Hollywood,” with direction handled by Vicente Cordero (Black Veil Brides, Ministry). The track features Zakk Wylde on guitar and was filmed at the iconic Rainbow Bar and Grill in West Hollywood, CA.

Fronted by Carla Harvey (ex-Butcher Babies, current Lords Of Acid vocalist), the project also includes her partner Charlie Benante (Anthrax, Pantera, etc.), who takes on most of the instrumental work and contributes to the songwriting. A debut EP from The Violent Hour is currently in development, with further details yet to be announced.

Speaking on the video’s concept, Harvey shared:

“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.

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.”

Adds Benante:

“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.”