The Violent Hour, the new project from former Butcher Babies vocalist Carla Harvey, has shared “Hell or Hollywood,” featuring Zakk Wylde. The song is from an upcoming EP to be released via Megaforce Records.
“I wanted to write a song that felt the way I did when I first moved to Los Angeles at 20,” Carla Harvey said, “like my motorcycle boots hitting the Sunset Strip for the very first time. I had driven across the country with nothing but a paper map, no friends, no plan—just a dream. I figured I’d survive somehow, and every day was exactly that: survival. There were moments that nearly broke me, followed by the kind of euphoric highs that made it all worth it. That’s what ‘Hell or Hollywood’ is: the chaos, illusion and grit in perfect juxtaposition. Wouldn’t leave it if you could …”
“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,” said Anthrax’s Charlie Benante, who wrote the project’s music and played all instruments on the EP. “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.”
The Violent Hour released its first single, “Sick Ones,” featuring John 5, in April 2025.
“’Sick Ones’ is a rock ‘n’ roll anthem about cutting the toxic people out of your life,” Harvey said. “It’s a call of freedom, a fist-to-the-face to anyone who has tried to hold you down, hold you back or dim your light. It was written at a vulnerable time in my life when I was forced to end relationships I thought would last forever.
“When choosing a theme for this song, I thought about a phrase I had scrawled across a journal from 1999: ‘Cut the Sick Ones Loose.’ Those words became my mantra over the last couple years and felt perfect to chant over Charlie’s guitar riffs. ‘Sick Ones‘ also features an absolutely shredding guitar solo by John 5 that brings this thrasher to a whole different level.“
Harvey was a member of Butcher Babies from 2010 to 2024. During her time, the band released five full-length albums and two EPs. The split was announced in July 2024.
In addition to launching The Violent Hour, Harvey has joined long-running industrial/dance act Lords of Acid as its new singer. She was set to record vocals for the band’s new album last winter and, earlier in June 2025, embarked on a 27-date tour with the band.
Harvey also is a comic book author, artist, novelist and the holder of multiple degrees in mortuary science and thanatology.
