Hit Parader Announces No Cover Metal Competition TV Show

Hit Parader — the once-mighty, defunct-since-2008 metal magazine that was brought back to life earlier this year by Ash Avildsen (Sumerian Records, Summer Slaughter), Matt Pinfield (MTV’s 120 Minutes), and Josh Bernstein (ex-Loudwire, ex-Revolver) — has announced more details about its first offering in its new era, a music competition TV show titled No Cover.

Think of No Cover as like American Idol but for metal and with original songs instead of covers. The panel of judges will be comprised of Alice Cooper, Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Gavin Rossdale (Bush), Bishop Briggs (a singer-songwriter I’d never heard of until now) and Tosin Abasi (Animals as Leaders). That’s quite an eclectic mix that’ll surely keep things interesting. Kellin Quinn (Sleeping with Sirens, Paradise City) and radio personality Caity Babs (SiriusXM’s Octane) will co-host, with behind the scenes interviews conducted by Pinfield.

Applications for unsigned bands and solo artists interested in participating are open now! Season one will be shot at the famous Troubador venue in Los Angeles and the Sunset Marquis Hotel. Winning artists are being promised a record deal, booking agency, management, slots on major U.S. festivals, studio time and new gear.

It’ll be interesting to watch how this show rolls out: will it be episodic, i.e. one new episode per week, or released all at once ala Netflix? Either way it should be fun, although with applications just now opening and therefore filming still a ways off, it sounds as if we won’t get to see it until some time next year. We’ll keep you posted.