In what should be great news for headbangers south of the border, Metallica has just announced newly added dates to their upcoming world tour, including two stops in Mexico City, which the band promises will be twice the size of last year’s effort.
"After years in the making, we are beyond excited to finally unveil the all new, out of control, massive stage and Metalli-show to some of our most rabid fans in the world with two shows in Mexico City at Sports Palace on August 1 and 2, 2012,” wrote the band through their official website.
"When we last visited Mexico City in June of 2009, those three sold out nights with over 150,000 of our craziest friends at Foro Sol Stadium were some of the most memorable, over the top, insane shows we have ever played.
"Now we'll be back with a brand new show that features your favorite iconic elements spanning our entire 30 year touring career all on a massive stage that is twice the size of the World Magnetic set up... we think it's something that needs to be seen to believed!!”
Metallica will be stopping by our neighbors down under August 1st and 2nd at the Mexico Sports Palace in Mexico City.
It is always difficult for bands and artists to stray from what made them famous in the first place. Sometimes it is hard to put yourself in the shoes of an artist that has had success, and then releases an album very different from what they have put out in the past.
Metallica’s collaboration album with Lou Reed, “Lulu” was one of those instances, where many fans could not see where the band was coming from. The band has acknowledged that the album was a critical failure, but feel that 20 years from now, it will be recognized as a classic work.
Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich had this to say about the situation:
“I think it was the LA Weekly or something, somebody sent me, talking about how the actual real album of 2011 was 'Lulu', but nobody is gonna recognize it for another 20 years. So, one by one, they're crumbling. [Laughs] In about 900 years from now, people will be able to talk about 'Lulu' face to face with each other without hiding behind masks. So we look forward to that day.”
Ulrich went on to talk about the effect it had on him and the band, but especially on Lou Reed:
“It was difficult for Lou Reed because he takes everything very personally. And I think he was very surprised. We told him all along: 'Listen, there are some very, very, very hardcore metal fans out there that like everything pre-packaged in a particular little box that looks like this, and the minute that you slightly veer outside of that, then they have a hernia.'
He Continued:
“People have to understand, and I think I've been saying this for the better part of 30 years now [laughs], and I'm still trying to come up with different ways of saying it, but it boils down to the same thing, which is that people have to understand that in METALLICA, we sort of need to continue to shake it up for ourselves and to try different things and to try different experiences; that's part of what we need to survive creatively.”
Ulrich went on to talk about the 3D movie that Metallica is working on, and how they are being cautious about it, after the negative response to “Lulu”. The film will be based on the band members and the back story of a Metallica concert. The film is set to enter production in 2012.
Today Metallica announced their music festival, Orion Music + More. Slated for June 23rd and 24th in Atlantic City, NJ, the Metallica boys hand-picked some of their favorite artists to support the band for two days. Artists announced so far include:
Arctic Monkeys, Avenged Sevenfold, Modest Mouse, The Gaslight Anthem, Cage The Elephant, Fucked Up, Best Coast, Hot Snakes, Titus Andronicus, Gary Clark Jr., Lucero, Roky Erickson, The Black Angels, The Sword, A Place to Bury Strangers, Liturgy
Metallica is slated to headline both nights, and will play the Black Album in its entirety on one of the nights for the first time ever in the U.S. The festival will also have a lifestyle element showcasing Metallica member's individual interests, allowing fans to interact directly with each of them as well.
"We've had the idea of doing our own lifestyle festival with lots of diverse music and fun and games for years," said Lars Ulrich. "Finally this year all the practical ducks lined up in a row, and we are beyond psyched to bring Orion to our fans, friends and the curious. After the most incredible of weeks ever in December 2011 celebrating our 30th anniversary at the Fillmore in San Francisco, CA, bringing the spirit of that week, the looseness of that week, the possibilities of that week, the fan interactive elements of that week, and the (fill in your own blank here) of that week to a festival setting is so exciting we can hardly contain ourselves."
The Lou Reed/Metallica project "Lulu" is going to polarize more Metallica fans than ever before. For fans who want nothing than to reminisce the good ole days of Cliff Burton on bass and "Kill Em All’s" skull crushing blitzkriegs this is not the album for you. In fact there probably hasn't been a Metallica album for you since "Master of Puppets". Ride The Lightning is my personal Favorite and I spent hours back in the day wood shedding Cliffs bass lines, but music is about traveling a road less traveled at times, and I'm cool with them taking a chance at something unexpected. My bet is Cliff would have been right alongside them letting Lou spew his ironic salute to the misfits of the world.
The first video. Short of calling it a single, "The View" has been the band's focus track since the album launched, having performed the track live on various European tv and radio programs.
The black and white clip was directed by Darren Aronofsky, and shot at the Metallica HQ in the San Francisco Bay area.
"The first time I heard 'The View' I was stunned," Aronofsky said. "I had never heard anything like it. Half was all Lou. The other half all Metallica. It was a marriage that on the surface made no sense, but the fusion changed the way I thought about both artists and morphed into something completely fresh and new. I couldn't stop listening to it. Lou's crushing lyrics, and the band's incredible licks."
Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield and Robert Trujillo from Metallica at the F1 Rocks India Metallica concert press conference on October 28th, 2011
The organizers of a planned Metallica concerts in India were arrested after the show was called off, leading fans of the band to destroy the stage and vandalize equipment. Metallica had been booked to play in Delhi on Friday, but they postponed the show after a security barrier in front of the stage collapsed.
The group issued a statement explaining that they were "notified that there was a serious question as to whether the show could proceed with regard to the safety of the concert audience, and our first and foremost concern is always for the safety of you, the fans." The promoters were unable to secure a permit for a concert on the following day.
The four executives of DNA Entertainment Network, the promoters of the gig, were arrested on fraud charges after they refused to refund ticket money for the event. Reports indicate that around 25,000 people had purchased tickets to see what would have been Metallica's first-ever concert in India.
Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine says he wants to form a Megadeth/Metallica supergroup. He told Texas radio station 97.1 The Eagle Rocks, “I’ve talked to Lars [Ulrich] and James [Hetfield] about me and David [Ellefson, Megadeth bassist] doing a supergroup record with Lars and James.
“Well, James said ‘no,’ but it’s still kind of out there in the air,” he said. “I’m gonna keep hammering on him. It’s on my bucket list.”
Mustaine was one quarter of the original Metallica lineup in the 1980s, but was fired. Kirk Hammett replaced him. After years of animosity between the bands, Metallica and Megadeth have been touring together recently as part of the Big Four – Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax.
While Mustaine is reaching out to his ex-Metallica bandmates, he says there is no way back for Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman. “It’s not that he’s not welcome, it’s just that there’s no position for him. And Marty’s not as good as Chris [Broderick, current Megadeth guitarist].
“And Marty wanted to be a pop guitar player. He left to join a girl in a band in Japan... The lineup featuring Friedman [and drummer Nick Menza] wasn’t the most important lineup anyways. The lineup that we have right now has achieved more than those guys ever did. If you think about it, the groundwork, the building the band back up from nothing… Marty and Nick got in the band when the band was already huge.”
Thrash metal fans worldwide should most definitely start preparing themselves as the iconic Metallica announce four 30 year anniversary shows to mark their first performances back in California.
The band promise a special and unique couple of performances, with the insanely low price of $6 (or £3.60!) for a ticket – the price of a ticket to their old gigs from back in the day. The gigs are set for early December and will be held in the San Francisco Fillmore.
A post on the band’s website revealed the planned party and came with the message that the ‘unique’ shows would be special, one-off performances that fans may never see the likes of again.
“These unique shows will include special guests and events, rare songs, varied set lists, odds and ends, and all the nutty stuff you expect from Metallica," the band posted on their site.”
A rock band wouldn’t be complete without a great drummer. Sometimes drummers play other instruments on the album, sing (back) vocals and co-write the songs as well.
But we most appreciate those impressive drum solos. It’s a given that they value sound quality, comfort and customization. It’s time to look at the brands of their choice:
Tico Torres – Bon Jovi
Born in 1953, Torres is the band’s oldest member and has been with the band through its whole discography. Tico’s favorite drums and drum equipment are:
Drums/Hardware: Pearl drums
Cymbals: Paiste
Sticks/gloves/griptape: Easton Ahead Tico Torres
Drumheads: Remo
Snare: Emperor X (Ambassador Snare)
Toms: Coated Emperors on (Ambassador Ebony)
Bassdrum: Powerstroke 3 on (Powerstroke Ebony)
DW hardware
LP percussion
Beato bags
Lars Urich – Metallica
Lars Ulrich is referenced in the movie Prince &Me (2004) , when the prince of Denmark is trying to come up with famous Danish names to impress the crowd he is dining with, and Lars’ name does the trick.
Founding member/co-song writer of Metallica, Lars’ tour kit of the past 3 years is as follows:
Drums: Tama Starclassic Maple, LU Magnetic Orange
Snare- on tour: (standard Lars Ulrich Signature LU1465
Snare- studio: LU1465 and LU1465BB (bell brass)
Cymbals : Zildjian
He also used K Zildjians or K Customs in the studio
According to Rolling Stone readers, Bonham is still their favorite drummer today. And we can’t blame him, since his style fast, unique and powerful.
Drums: Ludwig Green Sparkle, Ludwig Amber Vistalite, Ludwig Stainless Steel
Snare: Ludwig Chrome Supraphonic 402 Snare
Bass Pedal: Ludwig Speed King Bass pedal
Cymbals: Paiste Cymbals
Drum heads: Remo (Remo Coated Emperors or Ludwig equivalent
Bass drum pedal: Ludwig Speed King Pedal
Rick Allen – Def Leppard
My favorite drummer is Rick Allen. It’s not because I’m a drummer. It’s not because I have all the technical knowledge and made an expert decision on his talent. But I am an absolute rock fan, and a Def Leppard fan. And any rock fan can appreciate a drummer who remains in his band, (and remains their drummer) after he lost one arm!
Rick’s drum gear is split into two:
Before the accident:
Drums: Pearl Drums, Ludwig drum kit
Cymbals: Paiste’s RUDE and 2002 cymbal lines
Snare: Black Beauty Super Sensitive snare
After the accident:
Allen used a customized kit built by Simmons – drum pads as he played the snare drum and toms with his one arm.
James Hetfield's acceptance speech included a cool story about being forced to choose between football and music.
James Hetfield struggled with family problems during the two years he spent at Downey High School in Downey, CA. At the time he had no idea he would go on to sell a million records as the singer and a guitar player in one of the biggest rock bands in the world and even get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. With his impact as a musician felt around the world, his old high school found it appropriate to recognize him for achievements, and inducted him into the school's Hall of Fame.
Among the highlights of his acceptance speech was this story about a coach who told him he'd have to cut his hair if he wanted to stay on the football team:
"The thing that happened to me was I on a football team as a freshman, I came back the next year to be on the sophomore team, and Coach Cummings was his name, he says, 'You're gonna have to get a haircut. Your hair is way too long. It's past the ear.' And I look at football players now and say, 'Well, you have to have big hair to be a good football player.' But at that point he said, 'You've gotta cut your hair or you're off the team.' And at that point it was a very major decision. Do I wanna be a rocker? Do I wanna be a football player? 'Cause my whole life growing up, I wanted to be on the Oakland Raiders. That was it. That was my life. And the other dream was I wanted to be the guy on the poster, the Aerosmith poster I had in my room. So at that point I made a decision. You know. So I handed in my gear and I just concentrated on music. So thank you to him for making that very, very, very distinct. Very distinct. He stood his ground and so did I. So I'm very glad that that happened at this school."
You can watch Hetfield's entire acceptance speech in this video:
Lou Reed is about to take a walk on the wild side with Metallica.
A few months ago, guitarist Kirk Hammett hinted that a new record was “not really 100 percent a Metallica record.” And so yesterday, the California-based heavy metal rockers revealed in a statement on their website that they have completed a full-length album with the legendary Velvet Underground frontman.
The group stated that they have “been kicking around the idea of making a record together” ever since they performed with Reed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th Anniversary at Madison Square Garden in 2009.
“Some of you astute Bay Area residents may have picked up news of recent Lou Reed sightings in the greater San Francisco area and we have indeed been working at our home studio at HQ on and off over the last few months,” the statement confirms.
Metallica did not give any further information on the upcoming album except that they recorded 10 songs.
“We can’t wait for you to listen to the finished record,” they said.
When the Big Four announced their upcoming date at Yankee Stadium on September 14, undoubtedly the first thing that came to mind for many Yankees fans was “Enter Sandman.” The 1991 Metallica classic has been a staple of Yankees games for years, heralding the entrance of the greatest relief pitcher of all time, Mariano Rivera. Lest fans be worried the band might leave the song off the set list, James Hetfield has appeared in a new video on the Yankees homepage to set their minds at ease.
In the video, Hetfield says, “Hold on, Mo. Hey, Yankee fans. This is James here from Metallica. And we know that ‘Enter Sandman’ over the last decade has been played here in the Bronx because of #42. Now is your chance to hear it live, here, in your house.”
The Big Four also released a trailer for the concert last week, which can be seen below.
Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax are collectively known as thrash’s Big Four – the cornerstones upon which the entire thrash movement is built, and the compass one uses to orient oneself when navigating the turbulent waters of that aggressive, precise, angry, powerful metal variant.
But thrash does not begin and end with those four bands. For each one of the Big Four there are dozens more who trod similar ground but never quite made the leap to superstardom. Here are the great thrash bands that came mighty close to dislodging one of the Big Four but didn’t quite get over the line.
10. Forced Entry
This Seattle-area thrash band’s sound was so ahead of its time that only now are bands like Cynic catching up. Guitarist Brad Hull was a technical monster, writing cracking riffs punctuated with staccato harmonics and a fat, warm, midrange-heavy tone in an era when everyone else scooped the mids right out. Hull was also a wild man when it came to whammy bar tricks. The band’s crowning glory is 1991’s As Above, So Below, which was reissued in 2009 after many years out-of-print.
9. Sacred Reich
These Phoenix, Arizona, thrashers were fiercely political in their lyrical approach and equally aggressive in their raw, in-your-face production. Drummer Dave McClain joined in 1991 and went on to join Machine Head in 1995, while founder Phil Rind has reconvened Wiley Arnett, Jason Rainey and Greg Hall to play occasional shows. The 1993 album Independent is an excellent entry point into the band’s particular brand of aggressive thrash.
8. Kreator
Founded in Essen, Germany, in 1982, Kreator built on the sound of early thrash influencers Venom (see honorable mentions below) and punched it up with more precision and aggression. Guitarist/vocalist Mille Petrozza is one of the most furious rhythm guitarists in the genre, and is no slouch when it comes to soloing either. Check out the band’s 2009 release Hordes Of Chaos or their 1989 classic Extreme Aggression.
7. Overkill
Featuring the inimitable vocals of Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth, Overkill was at one time the musical home of future Anthrax lead guitarist Dan Spitz, and they hit the big time with The Years Of Decay in 1989. Produced by Terry Date (Pantera, Soundgarden, White Zombie), the album combined stellar production with complex song structures. It was followed up in 1991 with Horrorscope, which featured new guitarists Rob Cannavino and Merritt Gant, who teamed up for a particularly memorable cover of Edgar Winter’s Frankenstein. The band is still active today, and their most recent release is 2010’s Ironbound.
6. Voivod
A prog-inspired thrash outfit from Quebec, Canada, Voivod also tempered their metal with an occasional punkish edge, and were not afraid to delve into political post-apocalyptic science fiction themes in their lyrics. Although there are gems on all of the band’s albums (including those made after original guitarist Dennis “Piggy” D’Amour passed away in 2005), Nothingface (1989) and Angel Rat (1991) are held in particularly lofty regard among prog-thrash connoisseurs.
5. Bathory
Essentially a one-man band apart with occasional contributors brought in under a revolving door policy, Bathory was the creation of Quorthon, who formed the band when he was 17 years old in 1983. Bathory’s albums were typically quite lo-fi but Quorthon never let the limitations of his 4-track recording medium affect his songwriting or playing. Tragically, Quorthon passed away of heart failure aged 38 in 2004.
4. Death Angel
These Bay Area thrash icons were formed in 1982 by cousins Rob Cavestany, Dennis Pepa, Gus Pepa and Andy Galeon. Right as they were poised to hit the big time with 1990's Act III, Galeon was sidelined by a traffic accident and the band were never quite able to capitalize on the buzz surrounding them. After a hiatus lasting most of the 1990s, the band returned in 2000, and their most recent thrashfest is 2010’s Relentless Retribution.
3. Annihilator
Another classic thrash band from Canada, Annihilator are led by virtuoso guitarist Jeff Waters, a huge influence on modern metal heroes Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom) and Willie Adler and Mark Morton (Lamb of God). Waters has played V-style guitars throughout almost his entire career, and currently dishes out ferocious thrash riffs on his signature Epiphone Annihilation-V guitars. Annihilator’s most recent release is a self-titled 2010 album that features a cover of Van Halen’s “Romeo Delight.”
2. Sepultura
The brainchild of Brazilian brothers Max and Iggor Cavalera, Sepultura’s early lo-fi works were underground classics but the band started to shrug off the Slayer influences with Beneath the Remains in 1989. By the time Arise was released in 1991, Sepultura were poised to become the new kings of thrash, and their 1996 hit Roots was one of the few metal albums to survive the ’90s intact. Sepultura, however, did not: Max left to form Soulfly that same year, and Iggor left in 2007. The brothers reunited in the thrash-influenced Cavalera Conspiracy in 2007 and the band is preparing to release their second album, Blunt Force Trauma.
1. Exodus
Another classic Bay Area thrash stalwart, Exodus was formed in 1980 by Kirk Hammett and Paul Baloff, with Hammett’s guitar tech Gary Holt stepping up to the co-axeman role early in the group’s history. While Hammett went on to bigger things with Metallica, Holt and Co. released the classic Bonded by Blood in 1985, and a few more albums before calling it a day after 1992’s Force Of Habit. A 2001 reunion led to several new classics, including 2010’s brutal Exhibit B: The Human Condition. Most recently, Holt was drafted into Slayer to sub for Jeff Hannemann while he recovers from surgery.
Honorable Mentions
Venom – This influential band caught the end of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and their first two albums, Welcome to Hell and Black Metal, were hugely inspirational to those who would go on to create thrash. Their musicianship was often a little rough around the edges compared to the ultra-precise thrash that followed, but their attitude and influence could not be denied.
Hydra Vein – This British thrash band released only two albums – Rather Death Than False of Faith and After the Dream. The former received strong exposure on Tommy Vance’s Friday Rock Show on BBC Radio One and the band picked up some prestigious support, but despite their raw yet technical sound they never quite hit the big time.
Destroyer 666 – Originally from Australia but now spread between the Netherlands, England and Germany, Destroyer 666 have veered between thrash, black metal and extreme metal during their 17 years. Debut EP Violence is the Prince of this World features Damaged drummer Matt “Skitz” Sanders, recognized as one of the fastest skinsmen in metal.
Forbidden – A breeding ground for metal stars, Forbidden’s ranks have included Paul Bostaph (Slayer), Glen Alvelais (Testament), Robb Flynn (Machine Head) and Tim Calvert (Nevermore). The band’s most recent album is 2010’s Omega Wave.
Possessed – Straddling the jagged chasm between thrash metal and death metal, Possessed were notable for their incredible speed, guttural vocals, and for being home to future Primus guitarist Larry Lalonde.
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Source: Antiquiet
Metallica Announces 2012 Festival Line-up
