THE VIOLENT HOUR, the new band fronted by former BUTCHER BABIES vocalist Carla Harvey, has released the official music video for the song “Sex And Cigarettes”.
“Sex And Cigarettes” is the third video from THE VIOLENT HOUR‘s self-titled debut EP, following clips for the tracks “Sick Ones” and “Hell Or Hollywood”.
Joining Harvey in THE VIOLENT HOUR are Kiana De León on lead guitar, Allie Kay on rhythm guitar, Jewell Steele on bass and Sasha De León on drums.
Kiana and Sasha previously played together in the PANTERA tribute band FAR BEYOND HOSTILE and the covers project VIXEN VENDETTA.
“‘Sex And Cigarettes’ was the first song I wrote for THE VIOLENT HOUR EP,” said Carla. “It’s fun, sexy, and a full-throttle riot-grrrl love letter to chaos and chemistry.” For the music video, Carla wrote the treatment, personally scouted most of the locations, from Circus Liquor to Los Angeles’s infamous Mustang Motel, and tracked down the badasss red convertible that was part of the adventure.
“I wanted to capture the energy and instant camaraderie we have as a band in a modern, Russ Meyer-esque fever dream that turns a simple road trip to a gig into absolute madness,” Harvey added. “I enlisted director Nathan Mowery to bring the vision to life. He’s not only a filmmaker, but also a wrestler, so I knew he’d nail the finale I imagined. The final cut is exactly how I dreamed it — gritty, sexy, and a little unhinged… just like the song.”
“We hadn’t been a band for very long before filming the video,” said Kaye, “but spending a full day together to shoot these killer scenes brought us closer together as a group.”
“The energy on the set of our first music video was truly unforgettable,” said Kiana De León. “Every moment filming felt less like work and more like hanging out with your friends, everyone just naturally vibed with each other. The chemistry was instant, and we all clicked as a whole. It was all good vibes, start to finish, and you can truly feel that excitement in every single scene.” “If you’re not having fun with your band mates,” added Sasha De León, “then what are you doing?”
“I never had so much fun filming a music video,” said Steele. “My favorite part was Carla driving the 63′ Ford Falcon Futura all around L.A. while we were rocking out and having a blast!”
THE VIOLENT HOUR has been added as direct support for the December STEEL PANTHER dates:
Dec. 04 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
Dec. 06 – Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
Dec. 07 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bogarts
Dec. 10 – Flint, MI @ Machine Shop
Dec. 12 – Green Bay, WI @ EPIC
Dec. 13 – Council Bluffs, IA @ Horseshore Whiskey Roadhouse
Dec. 14 – Columbia, MO @ The Blue Note
Dec. 16 – Springfield, IL @ Boondocks
Dec. 17 – St Charles, IL @ The Arcadia Theatre
Dec. 18 – Madison, WI @ Sylvee
Dec. 20 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
Dec. 21 – Huntsville, AL @ Mars Music Hall
When the touring lineup of THE VIOLENT HOUR was first announced in August, Harvey commented: “As a huge fan of the ’90s Riot Grrl movement, I’ve dreamed of having an all-girl band my whole life. After a long search, I finally found them. Four incredible women who share the same drive, passion, and fire that fuels me. We are THE VIOLENT HOUR and we are your new favorite band.”
THE VIOLENT HOUR‘s self-titled debut EP was released in July via Megaforce Records. Carla wrote all lyrics and handled all the vocals on “The Violent Hour”, while Harvey‘s now-husband, ANTHRAX and PANTERA drummer Charlie Benante, wrote the music and played all instruments on the EP. The track “Sick Ones” features an absolutely shredding guitar solo from MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist John 5, and PANTERA guitarist and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY frontman Zakk Wylde makes an explosive cameo on the track “Hell Or Hollywood”.
“Writing this EP was a liberating experience,” Carla said. “When I started, I felt lost… but by the time I sang the last note, I had found myself again. From the beginning, I wanted the music to come out organically: no agenda, just whatever needed to be released. I’ve been immersed in a world of guttural screaming for so long, but when I sat down to write my own material, what came out felt lighter — like I was reconnecting with parts of myself I hadn’t explored in years. It reminded me of why I fell in love with music in the first place. Writing became fun again.
“This EP reflects all sides of me: it’s made by the 16-year-old who loved everything from LYNYRD SKYNYRD to thrash metal, the grit and riot girls of the ’90s, and the danger of GUNS N’ ROSES. It’s raw and it’s real.
“Working with Charlie on these songs was a dream. He is so talented and he really inspired me to be better; I couldn’t have made this album without him.”
Said Benante, who also conceived the EP’s cover art: “Carla was my muse in all of this. I was inspired and motivated by her to write the songs that fit her voice. Once we got started, it was that lightning-in-a-bottle-feeling.
“I think that this EP, when people hear it — I don’t care if you’re 13, 33, or 63 — I think you’re going to feel the power of it. And I think that once the songs and the choruses hit you, it’s going to be unstoppable, it’s going to be infectious, and this just might become your favorite new band.”
Not many people have comic book author, embalmer and musician on their resumes. Carla boasts all three and so much more.
Carla was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan — a city known for its grit, resilience, and often deep divides. Navigating life as a bi-racial kid in a fractured environment wasn’t easy, but Carla found her escape in art, music, and self-expression. By day, she hustled, attending the prestigious College For Creative Studies alongside working odd jobs like perfume counter girl and gas station attendant, and by night, she was on stage with local bands, saving every dollar she could for a one-way trip to Los Angeles.
At twenty, she put all her belongings in her car and navigated from Detroit to Hollywood with a paper map. In L.A., she landed acting roles on shows like “Rules Of Engagement”, played in bands searching for her sound, and never stopped creating. But beyond the music was a driven academic. Carla had a deep love for science and eventually pursued a Bachelor Of Mortuary Science (graduating as valedictorian) and a Master Of Science in thanatology. Carla became a licensed funeral director and embalmer and founded her own grief counseling service — all while touring the world extensively as a founding member of the BUTCHER BABIES.
Today, In addition to her music career, Carla is a grief specialist for the innovative death care company Parting Stone that transforms cremated remains into environmentally friendly stones that the departed’s family can hold, treasure and honor.
Beyond her professional life, Carla is a devoted collector of pop culture oddities: comics, wrestling figures, vintage Barbies, Elvira, the Incredible Hulk, and rock relics from her wildest nights in Hollywood. She still holds on to her Rainbow Bar & Grill drink tickets from the ’90s and a poker chip from Lemmy‘s last birthday party. Her creative heroes — Russ Meyers, Robert Williams, Robert Crumb and Charles Bukowski — mirror her love of the bold and the raw.
To date, Carla has released six albums, multiple comic books and a 2014 novel, “Death And Other Dances”. But if you ask her…she’s still just a blue-collar kid from the Midwest with big dreams.
BUTCHER BABIES announced their split with Harvey in July 2024, saying in a statement that “Carla has been an integral part of our journey, bringing her unique talent, passion, and energy to the band,” and wishing “her all the best in her future endeavors.”
Carla, who co-founded BUTCHER BABIES in 2010 with fellow vocalist Heidi Shepherd, confirmed her exit from the band in a separate post, saying that she was “super proud” of her work with BUTCHER BABIES and adding that she was “not done making music and performing.”
In the fall of 2023, BUTCHER BABIES completed a European tour without Carla, who sat out the trek in order to undergo emergency surgery on her left eye.
In January 2024, Harvey and Benante announced that they were officially engaged. They married on October 12, 2025 at The Secret Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada. KISS bassist and co-lead singer Gene Simmons officiated the ceremony, which was attended by more than 200 guests, including members of KISS, PANTERA, ANTHRAX, MÖTLEY CRÜE, DREAM THEATER and NICKELBACK.
Photo credit: Shelby Ingham
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source blabbermouth.net ’
