Hellbound Glory Calls Its Own Death on Halloween. Again.
Well here we go. Again.
On Halloween 2020, not only do you have the pleasure of looking forward to little asymptomatic vectors of disease gracing your stoop looking for “fun size” Snickers, you will also get the opportunity to unravel the latest obtuse riddle emanating from the headquarters of important underground country band Hellbound Glory, who for a second time is promising to kill itself off in observance of the Pagan holiday.
The vehicle for singer, songwriter, and last remaining original band member Leroy Virgil, Hellbound Glory was seminal to setting the table for the rise of independent country superstars such as Sturgill Simpson and Tyler Childers when the band first showed up in the late oughts. Often and unfairly overlooked, Leroy is considered by many to be one of the best country songwriters of this generation, and Hellbound Glory offered further evidence of this on their 2020 record released in June, Pure Scum.
But in a Thursday morning missive (10/1), Hellbound Glory says they will be celebrating the death of the band on October 31st, posting no further details, aside from a photo of Leroy Virgil in front of a distressed background similar to when we first experienced this operation back in 2014. Yes, this isn’t the first time Hellbound Glory has been sacrificed on All Saints Eve. In 2014, the same ritual went down at the Buckhorn Lodge in Pioneer, California, a couple of hours from the home base of Hellbound Glory in Reno, Nevada. There was a casket and everything.
What was the end result? Leory Virgil emerged as a solo artists named Leon Virgil Bowers—basically his real, given name. But this didn’t last very long. By the next year, he was going under Leroy Virgil again, formed a band called The eXcavators, and by 2017 when the album Pinball was released, Hellbound Glory was once again the name Leroy Virgil was using.
What’s the rationale behind all the name changes? It’s probably best chalked up to a love/hate relationship Leon Virgil has with the “Hellbound Glory” name, along with perhaps some legal entanglements that have arisen over the years. It hasn’t been easy for some to follow Leroy’s career path through all of the name changes, but those who have, they’ve been handsomely rewarded with good music.
What will rise out of the ashes of this latest sacrifice? Well that’s for Leroy Virgil to know, and the rest of us to find out on October 31st, or shortly thereafter. Whatever it is, let’s just hope it doesn’t mean the real end of Hellbound Glory, or Leroy Virgil music.
October 1, 2020 @ 9:42 am
What’s the story on the “legal entanglements” is that like the Jada-Pinkett Smith thing?
October 1, 2020 @ 9:55 am
Eh, I wouldn’t make too much of it, and I don’t want to speak out of turn because I don’t know the full story. But there might have been some issues with using the “Hellbound Glory” name in the past. Not sure if or how that plays into the current situation.
October 1, 2020 @ 10:05 am
Typical BS i guess. I half figured that as an independent artist, who is (probably?) the primary songwriter. he could have avoided that kind of legal crap that comes along with the industry…
Maybe ill start a band called Hellbound Glory and start gigging to get both our names in the papers.
October 1, 2020 @ 10:20 am
Didn’t Shooter kind of push Leroy back into making music under the moniker Hellbound Glory?
Well, you can’t take away those HBG albums and the last two times I’ve seen him in a concert-like setting it was him and the guy who played with him on those eXcavator songs. So, nothing really changes… I guess. I had a couple commenters push back when I recently said Leroy was burned out, but I have no other way of explaining his behavior. But, I love him!
Have you heard Leroy has been working with Tayna Tucker on a new album (a real outlaw album)? I heard he and Bob Wayne were recently in the studio with her.
October 1, 2020 @ 11:22 am
Just cued up Pure Scum, and damn, I could relish hearing Tanya singing with that band. It would be her REAL comeback.
October 1, 2020 @ 3:47 pm
If you haven’t, check out the song they do together called, Better Hope You Die Young.
October 1, 2020 @ 7:54 pm
It’s good, but I think I’d like it even more if they hadn’t pushed the rasp in her voice quite as hard.
October 1, 2020 @ 3:57 pm
LOL, didn’t mean to be pushing back! I was honestly just asking. Turns out maybe you were right, unfortunately.
October 1, 2020 @ 10:52 am
It doesn’t matter what name he uses to record under I’ll be first in line to buy his music
October 1, 2020 @ 10:59 am
Pure Scum was in my rotation most of the summer. Not a great album but solid enough.
October 1, 2020 @ 11:25 am
Rather than eXcavator, should’ve been eXhumer.
October 1, 2020 @ 1:25 pm
You’d think anything legal like that worked out upon album release
October 1, 2020 @ 7:38 pm
This time the ritual sacrifice will be filmed…..
October 2, 2020 @ 9:30 am
He’s a modern day poet, kind of like in the olden times.
October 10, 2020 @ 5:58 pm
Leroy Virgil is absolutely brilliant. He is with out restriction, or limitation one of the best modern day country singer and song writers. To say he is underrated a complete understatement. To listen to Hellbound Glory is revel in sheer bliss. I can’t wait to see what happens on Halloween!!!!