Metallica unveils "secret project" with Lou Reed

Metallica.com today revealed that the "secret recording project" they have been planning for months is a full album collaboration with Rock N Roll Hall of Famer Lou Reed. They have an entire album of songs written (10), but no release date as of yet.

“A few months ago our own Kirk Hammett hinted at a new Metallica project that’s “not really 100 percent a Metallica record.” While Kirk may have jumped the gun a little (and has since been properly punished with a series of push-ups!), we are more than proud to announce that we have just completed recording a full length album that is a collaboration with none other than the legendary Lou Reed.

Ever since we had the pleasure of performing with Lou at the 25th Anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at Madison Square Garden in October of 2009, we have been kicking around the idea of making a record together. 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. In what would be lightning speed for a Metallica related project, we recorded ten songs during this time and while at this moment we’re not exactly sure when you’ll hear it, we’re beyond excited to share with you that the recording sessions wrapped up last week.

Neither Metallica or Lou Reed have record deals and the possibility exists for a self-release since "Metallica Inc." is so big they don't need to rely on traditional distribution options. Metallica.com is the third largest seller of mp3's in the world outside of iTunes and Amazon.com.

Kirk Hammett discusses new Metallica album, The Big Four.

Blabbermout.net reports that Shawn Fernandes of GibsonGuitar.in recently conducted an interview with METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

GibsonGuitar.in: Can Indian fans expect any new material at the [upcoming] shows [in October]?

Kirk Hammett: Well, as far as new material is concerned we're just now starting to think about writing new material. I guess if anything is going to be finished between now and the end of October, who knows? We may play a new song, we may not, but because India's kind of a special place and it's the first time we're playing there, we might even break out a song that we haven't played for a while.

GibsonGuitar.in: Which band, in your opinion, is the best band of the "Big Four?"

Kirk Hammett: Err… well, us [laughs]. But, of course, I'd say us. The better question is who's my second favorite?

GibsonGuitar.in: Fair enough. So who's your second favorite band?

Kirk Hammett: I have to say SLAYER. What can I say, they're evil, they're heavy and they don't really compromise. SLAYER just rules. I also have to say though; Scott Ian [from ANTHRAX] is one of my best friends. I've known him for as long as I've been in the band and we hang out a lot socially. We do things together, our families get together, so I have to say I really just like hanging out with Scott 'cause he's one of my bros.

GibsonGuitar.in: With all the touring, has the band been able to get cracking on a new album?

Kirk Hammett: We haven't really started yet; we're thinking about it, though. [laughs] There's just a bunch of other things that we're doing right now. We keep telling ourselves that we're going to get 'round to start writing songs but, you know, something comes up. Normally it's a show or us having to travel to India to play or something or the other, and then the album gets put on the backburner for a bit. But I think personally, the new album will just happen when it happens.

GibsonGuitar.in: You learnt under a legend, the great Joe Satriani. How did that happen and what was it like?

Kirk Hammett: Well, by that time I had my Flying V and one day I said to a friend of mine, "Your guitar playing's really good. What's up? How come you're playing so good?" He said, "Oh, I found this new teacher in Berkeley, his name is Joe. You should check him out." So I went to this music store called Secondhand Guitars in Berkeley and I walk in and in the back I can hear someone playing guitar, crazy guitar, like no other guitar playing I'd ever heard. I went back there and there was Joe sitting on a chair and he says, "Hi, are you my new student?" I said "Yeah," and so we sat down and Joe just started playing. Even back then he sounded like he does now. I mean, all the components of his guitar style were in place back then. I was just so totally blown away by his technique and his style. The first thing he said to me is: "OK, if you're going to take lessons from me I expect you to learn your lessons. If you come in next week without learning the lessons, you're just going to be wasting our time and there's no real lesson for you to be taking lessons." So he kinda basically told me to have my act together when I came in the next week. So I had the lesson, learnt everything over the week and came back the next week. It just totally grew from there. I could tell that Joe really liked playing with me because we would always play longer than the allotted time. I mean usually he'd spend about a half an hour with his other students but for some odd reason he'd spend more time with me. I found out later that it was just because he liked playing guitar with me. Later on in interviews, Joe said that when he first started teaching me he could see something in my playing style and my approach that was just radically different from most people's approach at the time. A lot of it had to do with the fact that I was way into heavy metal at a time when heavy metal wasn't even popular. It probably also had something to do with the fact that I was listening to guitar players like Ulrich Roth and Michael Schenker. I mean, there weren't a whole lot of people in the United States back then who even knew who those guitar players were. So I was coming from a pretty unique sort of perspective. I learnt a lot of things from Joe, a lot of things about technique especially. I also learnt that feel is better than anything and everything. So I've always strived be a player with a lot of feeling rather than a player with a lot of technique. I was always aware of the fact that you can say just as much with five notes as you can with five thousand notes. Learning that was very, very important to me.

GibsonGuitar.in: METALLICA's been around 28 years now. We've seen many metal bands come and go, the genre itself has been through its ups and downs. What's that special sauce that's kept METALLICA at the very top for the last 30 years?

Kirk Hammett: I honestly don't know. All I can tell you is that I think our music stands the test of time. The music still sounds modern and still sounds relevant 30 years in. People are hearing it and they still hear it fresh. All I can say is that it's just incredible that it's actually happened to us.

GibsonGuitar.in: We have to ask you about this new book about horror movie memorabilia that you're working on called "Too Much Horror Business".

Kirk Hammett: It's a book on vintage horror movie posters and vintage monster toys. I've been collecting this stuff for, like, forever. I bought my first monster movie magazine when I was five years old and I've been into this stuff forever. I just decided one day that because I have this huge collection of posters and monster toys, that I was going to share it with the world. Basically that's what I'm doing right now, I'm just sharing it with the world. It's really fun. It's a lot of work and I'm still working on it right now but it's a lot of fun and I can't wait to release it.

Read the entire interview from GibsonGuitar.in.  

Suicidal Tendencies frontman talks history, touring and new album.

In a new interview with www.killyourstereo.com Suicidal Tendencies frontman “Cyko” Mike Muir opens up about the bands' history, touring and plans for a new album. Here is an excerpt:

Is there anything you can tell us about the new album?

One of the things we’ve realized is when you’re young and out your first record and start playing it to people you are never thinking about thirty years down the track, I mean that’s twice as old as you are at the time. What we’ve learned is that when we do a new record, we know what we’re doing, we know it will be a great record and we’re not going to worry about what people are listening to at any given time. We just have to make sure we like it and we’re not trying to be some kind of a tribute to something else. An album has to be a statement of what we believe in. Consequently I think our music has obviously held up against the test of time. The new record will be the same, we’re not going to try and fit in with what other people are doing, it’s something that we are going to think very strongly of and that in 10-20 years later it will still sound good to someone who is hearing it for the first time. I think that’s the most important thing.

Definitely, and one of the biggest things I’ve noticed from what I’ve seen of your shows you tend to get pull crowds that are largely quite cross-generational. Do you find it awesome that kids are still discovering your stuff even though there hasn’t been new material in quite a while?

Definitely, we’ve kind of always taken the family approach to our band and our fans. We played a show a few years ago where we had four generations of the same family there. And then there was a show in Arizona where we had 23 people who were all related to each other. You stand there and think ‘wow, this is a really great situation.’

How long have you been writing new material for?

Well we have our own studio back home in The States and being our own label and with the way music is now, we don’t have to worry about putting something out by a certain time. Right now we have so much music, and we’ll play stuff and people will be like ‘fuck, what’s that?’ and one of us will be like ‘I don’t know man, just some stuff I’ve been working on’ and then (they would ask) ‘when’s it coming out?” and we’d be like ‘I don’t know man, I don’t even know if it will!’ We’re not really worried about ‘the game’ as much as we are about the music. I think that will probably come across when the next record comes out. Probably early next year I would imagine. I think in October I’ll be doing a Cyco Miko record which will have a taste of new Suicidal, old unreleased Suicidal, new Infectious Grooves, old Infectious Grooves and a bunch of other stuff as well. I think that will give people a taste of what’s to come and also surprise a few people with some of the stuff that we never put out.

Suicidals music has always been held synonymous with the world of skating. How closely do you think music and extreme sports are related?

Well now obviously a lot with all the sponsorships and shows and all that, but I think originally with skating for us, I mean my brother was a Dogtown skater and he was one of the very first people who skated pools. I mean now if you were going to skate in a pool people would think nothing of it, but back then if somebody said they were going to skate in a pool they would be like ‘What!?’ A lot of things that have become mainstream were very irrational at the time. Skaters were some of the first people who got into punk rock and into Suicidal because the punk rockers didn’t like the fact that we weren’t trying to fit in and we definitely weren’t wearing the leather or the make-up that the metal people were wearing. We’ve never tried to fit into a category, we didn’t care. I think the skaters were the most open minded people at the time. To me, skating, surfing an all that, it’s all high energy stuff and that’s what we do musically so it goes very well together.

Obviously Suicidal have always had a very dedicated fanbase, what would be the craziest fan tribute to your band that you’ve ever seen?

That’s the sort of question that if there was a bunch of people here they would all start rambling things off [laughs]. The first tour Infectious Grooves did, we opened for Ozzy Osbourne. One of the first shows we did on that tour was in Texas and the hotel was just across the parking lot from the auditorium. We were just walking and we saw Robert Trujillo and Dean [Pleasants] sort of bent over and staring at something and I’m just thinking ‘what the fuck are they looking at?’ So we went over an there’s like this pentagram with a dead owl in it an we’re just like ‘Dude, I wonder what this tour’s going to be like?’ I think that’s the difference, we don’t get the stuff like that where people feel like they have to act a certain way. People love our music, they identify with it and they’re there to have a good time.

Have you got anything planned for the band’s 30th anniversary?

Nah not at all, I can’t see us doing anything like that. I’m not a ribbons and balloons kind of guy, I think my last birthday party I was 8 years old! I don’t really get into that kind of thing. I’m not a sentimental sort of person.

Do you think since Robert Trujillo joined Metallica, many new kids discovering Metallica and doing the bookwork have latched on to your band that way?

Not really man, it’s hard to say really. We’ve done shows and met the younger people who have been like ‘oh dude, I brought my little cousin to come check you guys out and now he loves you guys’ I’ve never heard someone say ‘dude, Metallica’s my favourite band so I’m coming to see you guys’ [laughs].

After thirty years in the game Mike has done it all and seen it all and lived to tell about it. For those that don't know, ST is one of the most influential bands in the history of both punk and metal (only Motorhead and The Misfits can truly say that!) and they have many classic albums. In addition to international shows and festivals ST play a huge, sold-out US tour last fall with The Cro-Mags and D.R.I who are also legends in their own right.

Big 4 Bronx Pricing Info Released

You asked for it, you got it!! We read your posts, e-mails, tweets and saw the pleas for a general admission floor at this show, so ask and you shall receive! We know you won’t be sitting down for one second, so here’s how it will work – the floor will be divided into two sections, literally a front and a back (simple, uh?).

Ticket prices are as follows:

Front G.A. floor: $225
Back G.A. floor: $175
Reserved lower level seats: $119
Upper deck reserved seats: $90
Additional Ticketmaster and facility fees will be applied.

Check back shortly for hotel packages and shuttle bus/ferry travel packages. There will not be a VIP ticket package now that the entire floor is G.A.

"A huge thanks to everyone who came out to the desert this past weekend . . . we felt the enormous love and support, so we just had to find a way to make one more Big 4 show in the States happen. Enter New York . . . that's right, the Big 4 of Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer, and 'Tallica will be in the new version of the famed Yankee Stadium on September 14, 2011! We can't wait for a night in the Bronx as our second American show and for those of you who love fun facts, this will also be the second live music event hosted at the new ballpark.

ALL seats are reserved for this show and tickets go on sale Friday, May 6 at 10:00 AM via www.ticketmaster.com. Met Club members should log in for more information about a special pre-sale starting on Wednesday, May 4. Yankees season ticket holders will have their own pre-sale, also on May 4, starting at noon.

Check back here next week for more information about VIP packages and long distance shuttles."

source: metallica.com

The Big Four is coming to New York in September

Following the success of last weekend's Big Four of Thrash show in Indio, California Metallica has announced that there will be a second show in Yankee Stadium on September, 14. Tickets for the show go on sale next Friday May 6^th via www.ticketmaster.com. All seats will be reserved meaning there will likely not be general admission seating available. This makes sense with the Yankees likely in the thick of a pennant race. Lars Ulrich commented in the announcement:

“A huge thanks to everyone who came out to the desert this past weekend . . . we felt the enormous love and support, so we just had to find a way to make one more Big 4 show in the States happen. Enter New York . . . that’s right, the Big 4 of Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer, and ‘Tallica will be in the new version of the famed Yankee Stadium on September 14, 2011! We can’t wait for a night in the Bronx as our second American show and for those of you who love fun facts, this will also be the second live music event hosted at the new ballpark.”

The attendance last weekend was placed at over 50,000. The new ballpark that opened in 2009 usually holds upwards of 50,000. The seating can be expanded to 54,000 plus as it was for a college football game last December. 

Metallica drummer confirms more Big 4 US shows will be announced in the coming weeks

Lars Ulrich spoke to RollingStone.com concerning more Big 4 US shows:

"We are looking to book something on the East Coast because of the success of this — it should hopefully come together in a week or two," Ulrich said. "Maybe we'll do somewhere in the Midwest and South, too. Still, I don't think it will turn into a 40-date arena tour; that would make it less special. I like the fact that there's an element of chaos to the whole thing. It shouldn't be sterile, streamlined and perfect: it needs an edgy underbelly to remain authentic."

Megadeth's Mustaine and Slayer's King talk Big 4

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine spoke with Steve Appleford from LA Weekly this week about a number of topics including tomorrow's (April 23rd) Big Four show at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA and finally getting over METALLICA. Here are a few excerpts from the chat:

LA Weekly: Leaving Metallica and then becoming a platinum-selling artist on your own was a huge accomplishment, but your acrimony with that band seemed to go on for years.

Mustaine: "It was a pretty big mountain to climb. The thing was, I wasn't really looking at what was right in front of me. I was looking down the road at my pals that had left me behind because the different chemical reaction that alcohol had on us. When we drank, those guys would get happy and I would get angry. I grew up fighting. My whole life I was living on the streets, scratching and clawing. I'm almost 50, and when I think back . . . David Ellefson and I had an asinine agreement: We were panhandling in Hollywood, and if we didn't make it, we were going to handcuff ourselves to a light pole and pull a hand-grenade pin and go out in a bang. Obviously we were stupid and probably stoned at the time."

LA Weekly: You've said that performing 'Am I Evil?' with all those guys in Bulgaria last year was an important moment for you.

Mustaine: "Well, I think it was important for everybody. It was almost like a cosmic polarity thing that happened between two opposing forces. Me and James (Hetfield) were the guys that people used to always put against each other. For us to be onstage finally playing . . . The sad thing was, when they put a face to the feud, it was me against James. So when it was over, I remember hearing the audience when I hugged James and how loud they were - it was like a global sigh, like the world going, 'Uhh, finally.'"

LA Weekly: Tom Araya of Slayer told me he would actually be interested in doing 'The Four Horsemen' (an early Metallica song originally written by Mustaine). He said it was more representative of what you guys were all about.

Mustaine: "Wow. On tour I've gotten to know Tom and I really like that guy. He's a really interesting and cool guy. Today I just walked in [to Slayer's dressing room] and said I heard from (ailing Slayer guitarist) Jeff Hanneman - because I texted Jeff and told him I've been praying for him about his arm and asking if he wants to talk to me. I said to Jeff, "Look, I want you to remember I had an arm injury that almost ended my career. And I know what it feels like to not be able to play."


SLAYER guitarist Kerry King spoke with Steve Appleford from LA Weekly about a number of topics including tomorrow's (April 23rd) Big Four show at at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA and the status of guitarist Jeff Hanneman. Here are a few excerpts from the chat:

LA Weekly: That's a gigantic venue to fill in Indio. How are these four metal bands (METALLICA, Slayer, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX) able to fill it?

King: "Metallica is pretty huge on their own. The historic-ness of it - four of the biggest metal bands to come out of the US getting together. The media named us the Big 4 so long ago, it's been every fan's pipe dream."

LA Weekly: What is the latest news with [guitarist] Jeff Hanneman?

King: "He's trying his ass off. He's been talking about playing that show, but I just don't see how physically he'd be able to do that. I'm just being realistic. He came to the last rehearsal and surprised everybody. I was blown away that he was even out of the house. That was after his first or second skin graft to fix the huge opening he had. He was totally out of gas because he hadn't left the house much. He was cold because his immune system was all fucked up. We haven't talked since then. I get updates through management. He's doing whatever the doctors tell him to do."

LA Weekly: Outside the Long Beach last time, there were a couple Christian protesters. Do you still get a lot of that?

King: "I think it was bigger before. Now I think people are more tolerant of different people's views and opinions. The funny thing about protesters is, you never see atheists or Satanists protest anything. They're comfortable in their beliefs. It's only Christians that are so uncomfortable with how they feel, they're not happy unless everyone believes what they believe."

Exodus guitairst Gary Holt will fill in for Jeff Hanneman during Slayer's set in Indio, CA for the Big 4 show.

Metallica's Lars Ulrich contributes to Megadeth Peace Sells remaster

Megadeth's breakthrough album Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?, has been digitally remastered for the first time and expanded for a commemorative 25th Anniversary release in multiple configurations on July 12 by Capitol/EMI.
All of the versions, including a 2CD lift-top box, digital album, and a deluxe 5Disc+3LP box set, include a previously unreleased 1987 concert from the band's first world tour and new liner notes written by Megadeth's Dave Mustaine and Metallica's Lars Ulrich.

The deluxe box set also includes previously unreleased and rare mixes of the album's tracks and hi res audio for the remastered album and concert, as well as an expanded 20-page book, plus 8"x10" photos and reproductions of vintage Megadeth memorabilia. The cover of the box uses a new, unique process of lenticular 3D which reinterprets the original cover, creating the illusion of Megadeth's Vic Rattlehead character jumping out of the art.

Released in 1986, Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? was Megadeth's second album and the band's first Capitol/EMI release. The acclaimed album thrust Megadeth into the international spotlight, and it remains a powerful thrash metal staple.

In his liner notes for the new edition, Dave Mustaine reflects on writing the album's title track: "I had written other lyrics by now, but there was something different about 'Peace Sells' because it told my story about my faith; my beliefs; my distrust of government; my work ethic; my integrity. This was MY song."

"If there's a new way, I'll be the first in line"

"Amen!," continues Mustaine. "I was so tired of not shaving, not bathing, not eating, not having a home, a companion, NOTHING. Yeah, I'll be the first in line, but it had better work this time. Well, it was working, thank God, just fast enough for what I needed, but not nearly as fast as I would hope."

"Whether you heard this record for the first time in 1986, or you hear this record for the first time today or tomorrow, Peace Sells is a great heavy metal album," writes Lars Ulrich in his liner notes for the new edition. "Nothing more, nothing less. It has stood the test of time. And will continue to do so."

Dave Mustaine pioneered the hugely successful Megadeth after his departure from Metallica. Beginning with the band's 1985 debut album, Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!, and evolving through a shifting series of lineups, Megadeth has crafted a dynamic, intelligent style that combines the aggressiveness of thrash metal, the improvisational nature of jazz, and cynical, articulate, politically-charged lyrics into an innovative mix that has built a rabid worldwide following.

MEGADETH: Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? [2CD; digital]
Booklet with liner notes by Dave Mustaine and Lars Ulrich

Disc 1 (original album, remastered)
Wake Up Dead
The Conjuring
Peace Sells
Devil's Island
Good Mourning/Black Friday
Bad Omen
I Ain't Superstitious
My Last Words

Disc 2 (previously unreleased 1987 concert)
Wake Up Dead
The Conjuring
Bad Omen
Rattlehead
Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good
Looking Down The Cross
My Last Words
Peace Sells
These Boots Were Made For Walkin'
Devils Island
Mechanix
Last Rites / Loved To Deth
Good Mourning / Black Friday

MEGADETH: Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? [deluxe 5Disc+3LP box set]
Two 8x10 photos / two 8 ½ x 11 reproduced vintage concert flyers / one reproduced vintage ticket stub / 20-page book with liner notes by Dave Mustaine and Lars Ulrich

Disc 1 (original album, remastered - tracklist above)

Disc 2 (Dave Mustaine mixes & masters for 2004 album reissue - tracklist above)

Disc 3 (Randy Burns mixes, remastered)

Wake Up Dead [previously released as bonus track on '04 reissue]
The Conjuring [previously released as bonus track on '04 reissue]
Peace Sells [previously released as bonus track on '04 reissue]
Devil's Island [previously unreleased]
Good Mourning/Black Friday [previously released as bonus track on '04 reissue]
Bad Omen [previously unreleased]
I Ain't Superstitious [previously unreleased]
My Last Words [previously unreleased]

Disc 4 (previously unreleased 1987 concert - tracklist above)

Disc 5 (hi-res audio: original album + previously unreleased 1987 concert - tracklists above)

LP 1 (original album, remastered - tracklist above)

LPs 2 & 3 (previously unreleased 1987 concert - tracklist above)


Megadeth On Tour: Upcoming Dates
JULY
4 Hamburg, Germany Docks

The Big Four: Metallica • Slayer • Megadeth • Anthrax
April
23 Indio, California Empire Polo Club
July
2 Gelsenkirchen, Germany Veltins Arena
3 Gothenburg, Sweden Ullevi Stadium
6 Milan, Italy Fiera Open Air Arena
8 Knebworth, UK Sonisphere Knebworth House
9 Amneville, France Sonisphere Snowhall Parc

Mayhem Festival
Disturbed • Godsmack • Megadeth • Machine Head • In Flames • Trivium
JULY
10 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre
12 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheatre
13 Nampa, ID Idaho Center Amphitheater
15 Phoenix, AZ Desert Sky Pavilion
16 Albuquerque, NM Hard Rock Casino
17 Englewood, CO Comfort Dental Amphitheater
19 Maryland Heights, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
20 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
22 Mansfield, MA Comcast Center
23* Toronto, ON Downsview Park (*Heavy T.O. Festival - heavyto.com)
24 Hartford, CT Comcast Theater
27 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
29 Burgettstown, PA First Niagara Pavilion
30 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live
31 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center
AUGUST
2 Virginia Beach, VA Virginia Beach Amphitheater
3 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Pavilion
5 Tinley Park, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
6 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
7 Noblesville, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center
9 Oklahoma City, OK Zoo Amphitheatre
10 Dallas, TX Gexa Energy Pavilion
12 Atlanta, GA Aaron's Amphitheatre
13 Tampa, FL 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre
14 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre

Source: Antimusic.com

Famed author Stephen King speaks on how Metallica, Anthrax and Judas Priest inspires him to write

According to Theatlantic.com, the May 2011 issue of The Atlantic features the short story Herman Wouk Is Still Alive, by Stephen King. James Parker, The Atlantic's entertainment columnist, talked to King about how the story came into being, about King's creative process, about the state of short fiction today, and about the relative merits of BLACK SABBATH and JUDAS PRIEST as background music to write to. They spoke on April 1.

Here are a few excerpts from the chat:

Theatlantic.com: Are you still listening to music when you write?

King: "I listen to music when I rewrite now. I don't listen to music when I compose anymore. I can't. I've lost the ability to multi-task that way!"

Theatlantic.com: You used to listen to METALLICA, right?

King: "Metallica, ANTHRAX, I still listen to those guys... There's a band called the LIVING THINGS that I like a lot. Very loud group. I never cared for Ozzy very much."

Theatlantic.com: I'm obsessed with BLACK SABBATH.

King: "No, no. They don't really work for me. 'I AM IRON MAN!'"

Theatlantic.com: That doesn't do it?

King: "No. JUDAS PRIEST, now…"

Theatlantic.com: I love Judas Priest.

King: "Did you ever hear their cover of 'Diamonds And Rust'?"

Theatlantic.com: Yes. I love it. Now: In your grand maturity...

King: "(laughs) I don't feel very mature."

Theatlantic.com: ...what is your favorite part of the creative process?

King: "It's still when you sit down and you get a really good day, and something happens that you don't expect and you just take off, you just go off on the material - I love that, when that happens."

Read more at Theatlantic.com.

This article is courtesy of Bravewords.com.

Slayers's Kerry King talks about relationship with Metallica and Megadeth

ARTISTdirect News has an interview with SLAYER guitarist Kerry King. An excerpt from the interview follows:

Q: When did it you realize you'd be in Slayer as your career?

A: "When I was 25-years-old, I didn't think I'd be doing it when I was 40. As your heroes get older and you see other people do it, you're like, 'Man, I don't feel old'. You get a different perspective on age when you get there, at least I do. I don't feel like I did when I was 20, but I certainly don't feel 46 either. Touring and the stage time keep me in shape. If I didn't drink, I'd be a little skinny bastard, but that's self-medicating to get you through the tour."

Q: Have you been writing new music at all?

A: "Not really, I've got a couple riffs married together. That's just me messing around though. I've definitely got things I want to accomplish with these riffs floating around in the back of my head. I tape them on my iPhone so I don't have to carry around a recording device. It's good enough to remember a moment in time. I don't care what it sounds like; I just have to remember where it is."

Q: If The Big Four were a movie, what would it be?

A: "The Expendables! [Laughs] It's just a big dude movie. It has all of the big action stars from when we first started. There's that connection. They blow up shit throughout the entire movie, and there's going to be all kinds of carnage when all of us play so I think it's perfect."

Guns N' Roses, Metallica, ACDC land on Rolling Stones magazine Top Albums Of The 80's

Rolling Stone's Top 10 albums of the eighties:

1. U2 - The Joshua Tree
2. GUNS N' ROSES - Appetite For Destruction
3. MICHAEL JACKSON - Thriller
4. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - Born In The U.S.A.
5. PRINCE - Purple Rain
6. AC/DC - Back In Black
7. THE SMITHS - The Queen Is Dead
8. THE CLASH - London Calling
9. THE CURE - Disintegration
10. METALLICA - Master Of Puppets

Metallica tops Gibson.com's Top 50 Metal Songs

Metallica, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Pantera, Akice In Chains and Judas Priest are a few of the bands featured in Gibson.com's Top 50 Metal Songs which you can view by clicking HERE.

More details released for Eddie Trunk's upcoming book.

Publishing house Abrams has released more details about the upcoming book “Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal”. Trunk is well known as the host of  VH1 Classic's hit program “That Metal Show” as well as his shows on Sirius Satellite radio and his syndicated Friday Night rocks show as well. The book, which contains a forward written by no less than “The Metal God” Rob Halford covers Eddie's favorite bands in rock and metal with a brief overview of each bands' career. He details all of the crucial albums, important songs and adds Eddie's own one-of-a-kind anecdotes and memories of his career in music.

New jersey born, Trunk got his start in radio at WDHA-FM before beginning his career in the music business at Megaforce Records during the First Wave of American Thrash Metal. Eddie contributed to such iconic bands successes as Anthrax, Overkill, King's X, Metallica, Raven, helped revive Ace Frehley's solo career after Kiss as well as supporting and promoting tons of underground bands. In addition to his TV and radio work Eddie is an expert on all things in metal history, runs his website, writes liner notes for bands and still a sought after MC at many New York and New Jersey rock and metal events.

New episodes for the 8th season of That Metal Show begin this Saturday night, March 19th. 

Volbeat adds additional dates to upcoming US tour.

The Gauntlet website is reporting that Danish band Volbeat, who is about to embark on their next headline tour of America has added extra dates to the tour based on demand. The band who rose to fame touring all across Europe and later opened for Metallica on their 2009 US tour. Their latest album Beyond Hell/Above Heaven (Universal Republic) cements the bands status of rising stars with their blend of Rockabilly, Misfits influenced horror punk and thrash. Opening up the shows will be modern rock supergroup The Damned Things and Hourcast. They are also slated to appear at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in Los Angeles on 4/20.

Full Schedule of Dates:

3/23 New York, NY – Irving Plaza

3/24 Philadelphia, PA – Theatere of the Living Arts

3/25 Toronto, ONT – Sound Academy

3/26 Detroit MI - St. Andrews Hall

3/27 Chicago, IL - House of Blues

3/28 Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre

3/29 Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex

4/01 Missoula , MT - Wilma Theater

4/03 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom

4/05 Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades

4/06 W. Hollywood, CA House of Blues LA

4/08 San Francisco, CA - The Filmore

4/09 Anaheim, CA - House of Blues

4/10 San Diego, CA - House of Blues

4/13 Dallas, TX - House of Blues

4/14 Houston, TX - Scout Bar

4/16 Atlanta, GA - Center Stage

4/17 Lake Buena Vista, FL - House of Blues Orlando
4/22 Baltimore, MD - Sonar

4/23 Clifton Park, NY - Northern Lights

4/25 Boston, MA - The Paradise

4/27 New York - Irving Plaza

Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson Jr. talks Big 4 bands and future concerts

Legendary Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson Jr. was interviewed by Mitch Lafon for Bravewords.com. Here is an excerpt from the interview:

Bravewords.com: It really is great, but it was a little late in the making don’t you think? The Big 4 should have been done ten years ago.

Ellefson: "The truth of it is – it should have been done twenty-five years ago, but there was a period of time where we were all carving out our own paths and our own destinies which would eventually become our own names for ourselves. To be honest with you, we all had our own course to chart and I think that the fact that we all four went and did that… We were called the Big 4 in the early ‘90s or late’80s even, but it took us to go through what we needed to go through to build our own legacies. Every one of these bands has its own legacy, which then creates this dynasty called the Big 4.”

Bravewords.com: You mentioned Judas Priest earlier. They’re on their ‘farewell’ tour. Has that topic come up with Megadeth or are you ready to go for another fifty years?

Ellefson: "You know with Megadeth, we really live for the moment. It’s always been like that since day one. From the day Dave and I met, this thing has always been for the moment. Yes, there has been ideas and planning about what’s supposed to happen, but anytime we’ve gotten in to these long terms strategic plans… shit changes. It never works out and sometimes I hear people talk with corporate lingo like that and I’m like ‘dude, this is a rock ‘n roll band that you’re talking about and rock ‘n roll is a wild beast that changes. It ebbs and it flows and like a wild animal when it gets hungry it wants to eat. That’s how rock ‘n roll is. It’s wild and untamed. Megadeth is most definitely a real rock ‘n roll band.”

Bravewords.com: Before we wrap up – can I get a quote about your Big 4 brothers? Slayer what does that mean to you?

Ellefson: "Slayer were the one band that never changed, never went with the trends and really carried the torch for our genre through thick and thin and without deviating at all.”

Bravewords.com: Anthrax…

Ellefson: "Anthrax are a rowdy New York party band, but they’re from the street and not from the club which is what makes them cool.”

Bravewords.com: And Metallica…

Ellefson: "We wouldn’t be here without Metallica – plain and simple. If Lars hadn’t put those feelers out through The Recycler to try and put a band together… none of us would be here. We owe a lot to him and certainly to him and James for carrying the torch all these years. Metallica is the 800 lb gorilla and I’m thankful for them every day.”

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrch talks Death Magnetic

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich was recently interviewed by TheVine.com. Here is an excerpt from that interview:

Q: Has playing the Death Magnetic songs in amongst your back catalogue made you understand the record in a different way?

Ulrich: "I would say the main thing the last two years have done for Death Magnetic is made me appreciate it even more. And this is coming from a guy who has not always had a great relationship with [our] records once they're done. There's been a lot of questions, a lot of raised eyebrows, a lot of 'What were we thinking?'. And that has sometimes set in rather quickly.

Every record's always been a very compulsive, momentary, instinctive kind of thing. A very pure thing. But in the wake of that, three months later or six months later, it's always like...you sit there and go 'What the fuck were we thinking?'. But with Death Magnetic, which we finished about two and a half years ago, I can definitely tell you that we've never had a record that has been appreciated by members of the band - at least speaking for myself - for as long as Death Magnetic. I heard three or four songs in the car while I was home on the last break [from touring]; it still sounded amazing. I was listening to one of the songs earlier just to check on something that we have to play tonight, and it still sounds great. Two and a half years later. It just blows my head off. So I can absolutely tell you that there's no Metallica record that's stayed in such a positive light as Death Magnetic has for me. Which is a good thing. It also makes me a little wary about it. As we're sitting there thinking about the next record [laughs]."

Q: It must be encouraging in that, arguably, that record was celebrating your history. And it's been so well received, comparatively.

Ulrich: "Oh yeah. The best thing about those songs, in a live situation, is how effortlessly they all slot in with all the older stuff."

Q: There must be kids that are getting Death Magnetic first. And going back.

Ulrich: "Sure, it's worked out rather well. I never expected it to work out quite that well. I think there's always been - sometimes been - a borderline elitist reluctance to embrace the new records from some fans. Because if you embrace the new records in some way, it's [somehow perceived] as a diss on the old stuff. Which I've never quite been able to understand. But this record has really been embraced by the fans, it's probably the most openly embraced Metallica record since the first four."

Metallica producer reflects on Master Of Puppets 25th anniversary

Metallica Master Of Puppets producer Flemming Rasmussen was interviewed by the Phoenix Times Up On The Sun newspaper about the 25th anniversary of the album. Here are a few excerpts from the interview:

Up on the Sun: Master of Puppets is widely regarded as one of the best heavy metal albums of all time. Did you know you were onto something special when you were working on it 25 years ago?

​Flemming Rasmussen: Oh yes. Right from the demos, we pretty much knew this was gonna be a killer album. I think we all felt that this was gonna be the best Metallica album yet, as we had a bunch of really strong songs. Even the instrumentals were awesome.

UOTS: Puppets was the last album to feature the late Cliff Burton on bass. Were you very close to him? How did his death affect you? Was it any different working on ...And Justice for All after Jason Newstead had joined the band?

FR: No, I wouldn't say I was close to Cliff, as he was spending the least amount of time in the studio, but it affected me greatly when he died. He was surely one of a kind, and even though Jason is a great bass player, it was impossible to fill out Cliff's shoes. Jason is a bass player in his own right, and never got the recognition he deserved.

UOTS: You produced three consecutive Metallica albums - Ride the Lightning, Puppets and Justice - but they have three distinctly different sounds. Was that a conscious decision by you and the band?

FR: Yes. The difference between Ride and Master is evolution, as Master is a perfection of the sound we started to evolve on Ride. And in my opinion, we did really master it on Master. That album sounds so good. When I got onto the Justice album, they were a month into the session, and it was a new studio, etc., so we decided on a more up-front and dry sound. As for the mix, they had already hired someone else to do this, so I had no say in that. But it's still a classic metal album, and the sound has inspired a whole new generation of metal bands.

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich talks new album

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich was recently interviewed about the new album his band is planning:

Thevine.com.au: James told me he has 800 and something new riffs on his iTunes.

Ulrich: "We'll see how it plays out. I look forward to getting back and creating, I look forward to just getting back and playing. I look forward to getting back to that side again. We started working on Death Magnetic five years ago this month. And we spent a lot of time and put a lot of effort into that record, and it was certainly worth it,. But I don't take for granted that we can top it - I will set out to top it. I hope we can - but it's a motherfucker of a record. So we'll see how it plays out."

Thevine.com.au: There must be kids that are getting Death Magnetic first. And going back.

Ulrich: "Sure, it's worked out rather well. I never expected it to work out quite that well. I think there's always been - sometimes been - a borderline elitist reluctance to embrace the new records from some fans. Because if you embrace the new records in some way, it's [somehow perceived] as a diss on the old stuff. Which I've never quite been able to understand. But this record has really been embraced by the fans, it's probably the most openly embraced Metallica record since the first four."

Metallica To Begin Recording A Secret Project

RollingStone.com's Andy Greene reports:

Metallica just wrapped up a grueling two-year tour behind 2008's Death Magnetic, but in May they'll head back into the studio to begin a new project.

"We want to record it in two weeks," guitarist Kirk Hammett tells Rolling Stone. "We had planned on doing it in March, but we pushed it back to May. I don't want to give too much away, but it's not really 100 percent a Metallica record. It's a recording project, let's put it that way. Without getting too deep into it, it's more a recording project than a bona fide Metallica album. Whether or not we can pull it off in just two weeks remains to be seen."

Metallica frontman to join filmaker for discussion of Absent documentary

On March 3rd, 2011 filmmaker Justin Hunt will be joined by musician-composer Metallica frontman James Hetfield in presenting and discussing the award-winning documentary Absent, exploring the worldwide crisis of absent and disengaged fathers and the negative impact that the "father wound" makes on society. Weaving interviews with participants who speak from observation and personal experience, the film includes on-camera testimony from author John Eldredge, World Champion boxer Johnny Tapia, fitness model Robin Decker and James Hetfield, best known as co-founder of Metallica. "The father wound is so deep and so all-pervasive in so many parts of the world that its healing could well be the most radical social reform conceivable," says Father Richard Rohr, and this film makes a strong case that this issue is central to the human condition. Associate Producer: Tiffany Cromartie. Writer/Producer/Director: Justin Hunt. (US 2010) 89 min. plus discussion.


For more on this special event please go to the San Rafael California Film Institutes website at:
http://www.cafilm.org/rfc/films/1511.html