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.  

Jeff Hanneman is not ready to rejoin Slayer

As we previously reported, Jeff Hanneman will not be touring with Slayer through the summer of 2011. A spokesperson for SLAYER has informed fan site Slayerized.com that it is not very likely that founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman will join the band for the upcoming South American tour which kicks off next week (June 2) in Santiago, Chile. A replacement guitarist hasn't been officially named, but it is believed to once again be Gary Holt of EXODUS.

Hanneman stepped onstage with SLAYER at the April 23 "Big Four" concert in Indio, California, marking the first time he has played with the band since last October. In January, Hanneman contracted necrotizing fasciitis, likely caused by a spider bite, and has been undergoing surgeries, skin grafts and intense rehab since. Hanneman surprised the crowd of 50,000 when he walked out onto the stage, unannounced, and played the two-song encore,"South Of Heaven" and "Angel Of Death".

Holt (EXODUS) has been the primary guest guitarist with SLAYER since the band started its 2011 touring schedule in February, and will continue in that capacity until Hanneman has completely recovered.

No word as to whether Hanneman will be ready for this fall's Big Four Tour date at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, NY.

More details revealed about Slayer and Rob Zombie US tour

VDOB can exclusively reveal that the upcoming Slayer and Rob Zombie US tour will feature both bands rotating closing the show during the tour in a true coheadlining fashion.

We can also reveal that openng band Exodus's guitarist Gary Holt will pull double duty by filling in for guitarist Jeff Hanneman durng Slayer's set. Apparently Hanneman has not recovered quickly enough to rejoin the band on tour.

Rob Zombie discusses drummer switch.

In an interview with The Pulse of Radio Rob Zombie talked about the difference between outgoing drummer Joey Jordison (Slipknot/The Murder Dolls) and the incoming Ginger Fish (ex-Marilyn Manson). Here is an except of the chat:

"It's hard to describe how they're different," he said. "I mean, you know,Joey's a very, like, more of a power drummer I would say, you know, just a more bombastic sort of drummer, and Ginger's more of a, kind of like a groove-style drummer. It's kind of funny 'cause as with anything, either style seems to work really well with our music, so it's good."

Ginger first played with Zombie this winter when Jordison had to leave for a Murderdolls tour of Europe. Fish officially quit Marilyn Manson this march in the middle of recording that groups next album. The first extensive touring Fish will do with his new band will be on this summers' tour of the US and Canada with Zombie and Slayer co-headlining. Exodus will be the opening act. You can read the VDOB story about that tour here.  

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.

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."

Cannibal Corpse guitarist to follow Gary Holt as next Slayer fill-in guitarist.

Cannibal Corpse guitarist Pat O’Brien will follow Gary Holt as the fill in guitarist for Jeff Hanneman beginning April 6^th in Croatia. Holt has played with the band since late February, but with his responsibilities with Exodus heating up again he'll need to step away. Hanneman is still recovering from his emergency surgery in January for flesh eating bacteria that damaged his right arm. There is no time table yet for his return to the band and no word if O’Brien will be on stage with Slayer on April 23^rd in Indio CA for the very first (so far) American Big 4 of Thrash Metal concert.  

Rob Zombie, Slayer and Exodus US tour dates for summer of 2011

SLAYER AND ROB ZOMBIE TO BRING HELL ON EARTH TO NORTH AMERICA
The Two Metal Icons Will Together for the First Time in More than a Decade

LOS ANGELES, CA - MONDAY, March 28, 2011 -- Get ready for hell on earth, because for the first time since they tour together on Ozzfest 1999, Rob Zombie and Slayer are teaming up to hit the road, bringing a glorious purgatory to fans in 12 North American cities. The co-headline trek kicks off Wednesday, July 20 at the Sovereign Center in Reading, PA. Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 1 at 10:00AM local time. Tickets for all shows are available at the venues' box office, and via the online outlets as listed below.

"We haven't toured with Zombie since Ozzfest 1999, so you can expect no less than 'hell on earth,'" said Slayer's Kerry King. "Total sonic annihilation and a visual bludgeoning. Bring your own body bag..."

"Total destruction on stage and off is what this combination promises," states Zombie, "Seriously, how much more Hell could you ask for? The answer is none more Hell."

Both Zombie and Slayer will present their full headline sets at every show, and both bands will close shows over the course of the tour. San Francisco's thrash-metal band Exodus has been confirmed to open all shows.

Slayer has been performing its classic 1990 Seasons In the Abyss album in its entirety over the past several months, but will instead draw from its entire 30-year catalogue for this tour's setlist.

Never one to play it safe, Zombie will be bringing his legendary stage show out in full force. Audiences can expect an exploding non-stop barrage of sin, sex and Satan guaranteed to rip your face off. This a true rock and roll spectacle at its finest.

Rob Zombie: With more than 15 million albums sold, seven Grammy nominations, the helming of five major motion pictures (including the #1 record-breaking Halloween) and dozens of music videos under his belt, Zombie is truly a force to be reckoned with in today's entertainment landscape. For over 25 years his unique meld of horror and hard rock has influenced his sound as a musician, and more recently, his vision as a director and writer. After the tour, Zombie will be starting production on his sixth feature film, The Lords of Salem, with the producers of the Paranormal Activity franchise.

Slayer: The Chicago Tribune's Greg Kot wrote that the four-time-nominated, two-time Grammy winning Slayer is "one of the great American rock bands of the last 30 years, forget about genre." Indeed, few bands come close to matching the intensity that Slayer brings to its live shows, having been named "Best Live Band" by numerous media outlets including Revolver, SPIN, and Metal Hammer. With songs that mirror the turmoil and aberrations of our society - God's terrifying global genocide, the chaos of our broken political system, chemical warfare, the hideous minds of serial killers, and the way-too-close proximity of world horrors that technology has brought us, Slayer remains crushing and brutal, steadfastly refusing to cater to the Mainstream.

Dates for the Slayer and Rob Zombie tour are as follows:

JULY
20 Sovereign Center, Reading, PA - ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations
22 DTE Amphitheatre, Detroit, MI - ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations
23 Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA - ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations
24 Heavy T.O. at Downsview Park, Toronto, ON Canada - ticketmaster.ca and all Ticketmaster locations
27 MTS Centre, Winnipeg, MB Canada - ticketmaster.ca and all Ticketmaster locations
29 Credit Union Centre, Saskatoon, SK Canada - ticketmaster.ca and all Ticketmaster locations
30 Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB Canada - ticketmaster.ca and all Ticketmaster locations
31 Rexall Place, Edmonton, AB Canada - ticketmaster.ca and all Ticketmaster locations

AUGUST
2 Save-On-Foods Memorial Center, Victoria, BC Canada - SelectYourTickets.com
3 Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC Canada - ticketmaster.ca and all Ticketmaster locations
5 Rose Quarter Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR - ComcastTix.com
6 WaMu Theatre, Seattle, WA - ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations

Rob Zombie and Slayer rumored to team up for US tour

Sources close to one of the bands has hinted to us that Rob Zombie and Slayer are likely to coheadline a tour in the US this summer. We have no other details at this time. Rob Zombie is scheduled to play a radio festival in July with All That Remains and As I Lay Dying on the bill. It could be possible that either of those bands are on the Slayer and Rob Zombie tour. We will have more info on this tour soon.

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.”

Slayer's Tom Araya is on the mend in Australia.

Tom Araya of Slayer, via the Soundwave Festival organizers released the following statement:

“Sorry I couldn't make the syndey festival show. I am feeling much better and look forward to performing in Melbourne (on March 4^th).”

Tom who was hospitalized for Vertigo following the first Soundwave show on February 26^th looks to perform this Friday barring further issues.

Slayer's Tom Araya suffering from vertigo.

According to a post on Facebook by Sandra Araya, her husband Tom is suffering from vertigo. Referring to Tom's hospitalization in Australia and the cancellation of a show at the Sydney stop on the Soundwave Festival:

“Tom was suffering from vertigo due to extreme dehydration and lack of rest.”

She also added:

“Our doctor is in the process of getting the results on the test that were ran (major time zone difference and being the weekend has held up those results). Hopefully there will be nothing more to add after the results are returned”.

Vertigo is also known as Vestibular Neurontitis and effects the inner ear, sense balance and causes extreme nausea as the major symptom. Read more about it here.

Slayer, who is already out on the road without Jeff Hanneman due to illness and injury and have Exodus axe man Gary Holt filling in. Hopefully Tom recovers soon and the band doesn't have to cancel any more shows. The band is slated to play the next Soundwave Date this Friday, March 4^th in Melbourne.

The Vulgar Display of Blog team wishes Tom a speedy recovery. You can read our earlier coverage of this story here. We are tracking the story closely with more updates to follow as news becomes available. 

Slayer frontman hospitalized after first Soundwave Festival gig, cancels tonights show.

Following Slayer's first show of the Soundwave Festival Tom Araya was hospitalized and they have canceled tonight's show at the Sydney venue, the second of six nights of the tour. No details were released as to what caused Araya to be kept overnight. Slayer has canceled several shows the last few years due to illness and surgery on Tom's back. The band is on tour in Australia with Gary Holt filling in for Jeff Hanneman on guitar who is sitting out the tour after illness (flesh eating bacteria on his right arm) and surgery. As more information becomes available we will report it.

Vulgar Display of Blog wishes Tom a speedy recovery.

Gary Holt Comments on fill-in gig with Slayer.

As reported earlier in the week Gary Holt has been named as the temporary replacement for Jeff Hanneman in Slayer. Hanneman is sitting out the upcoming Soundwave Festival Tour of Australia. Holt commented on the occasion:

“How Can I put into words how excited I am to have been asked to play with Slayer? Hard to describe, sure.”

“Legendary band, check. Old friends since the birth of thrash metal. Check. Get to play “Angel of Death live, priceless.”

“I'll do my best to live up to the standard they've set for so many years, while we all wish Jeff a speedy return to health and his rightful place in Slayer.”

As previously reported Hanneman was hospitalized in late January when he underwent emergency surgery for a series infection in his right arm. The diagnosis was necrotizing faciitis, more commonly known as flesh-eating bacteria syndrome. Although he is expected to make a full recovery there is no timetable when he can return to the stage.

SLAYER GUITARIST TO MISS AUSTRALIAN SOUNDWAVE TOUR. REPLACEMENT TBA SOON.

Slayer guitarist and thrash metal legend Jeff Hanneman has been forced to sit out the groups' upcoming trip to Australia for the annual Soundwave Festival Tour. Jeff was hospitalized in late January when he underwent emergency surgery for a serious infection in his right arm. The initial diagnosis was necrotizing fasciitis, more commonly known as flesh-eating bacteria syndrome. Jeff is at home recovering and is undergoing treatment, including skin grafts. He is expected to make a full-recovery. He will however, miss all five dates of the already partially sold-out tour that is slated to hit every major Australian city. No word as yet if he will be recovered in time to be able to play The Big Four Show, April 23^rd in Indio, California.

Slayer made the decision to do the shows without Jeff rather than cancel the tour together. They are in the process of recruiting a fill-in guitarist until Jeff is ready to perform again. The band released a statement from the explaining the decision:

“Jeff is our brother, we've all been friends and together as a band for almost 30 years, so we want him to completely recover as soon as possible.” said Tom Araya of Hannemen.

Added Kerry King: “After everything that happened last year we all agreed that we just can't let our fans down again. Jeff is totally on board with this decision, so he'll be back as soon as he possibly can. And we can't wait for Jeff to get better and get his ass back on the road.”.

King was of course referring to the last few years which saw Slayer postpone and cancel several tours due to health concerns, mostly due to Tom Araya's ongoing neck and back problems.

All of us here at the Vulgar Display of Blog wish Jeff a speedy recovery.  

2011 Grammy Awards Feature Ozzy Osbourne, Them Crooked Vultures, Alice In Chains, Slayer, Megadeth, Korn, Lamb Of God, Iron Maiden

The 2011 Grammy Awards are this Sunday February 13th at 8:00 p.m on CBS. Here are the only categories we care about:

Best Hard Rock Performance
"A Looking In View" -- Alice In Chains
"Let Me Hear You Scream" -- Ozzy Osbourne
"Black Rain" -- Soundgarden
"Between The Lines" -- Stone Temple Pilots
"New Fang" -- Them Crooked Vultures

Best Metal Performance
"El Dorado" -- Iron Maiden
"Let The Guilt Go" -- Korn
"In Your Words" -- Lamb Of God
"Sudden Death" -- Megadeth
"World Painted Blood" -- Slayer

I expect Them Crooked Vultures and Iron Maiden to win this year.

Metallica and Anthrax members comment on the Big 4 USA concert

RollingStone.com interviewed Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich about the upcoming Big 4 concert in Indio, CA on April 23rd, 2011. Here are comments from Mr. Ulrich:

"Most of the egos and sandbox issues from the Eighties and Nineties have dissipated," Ulrich said. "We actually enjoy each others' company and are comfortable celebrating the past while continuing our path into the future. It's cool. Who would have known that anybody actually still gives a shit? We're very fortunate."

He added, "A lot of this music has aged really well. There are a lot of 12-year-olds that show up at these rock shows. It's scary to see a whole slew of 12-year-olds up against the barricade down in the front. It's a great thing to be part of their right of passage."

Regarding the possibility of additional "Big Four" U.S. dates, Ulrich said, "I'm not saying this is the last one. But I don't want this to turn into something that overtakes everybody's schedules for the next couple years. If we keep it special, it's better than to overstay your welcome and people run screaming away. Let's see what happens."
Artosan News Service interviewed Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian who had the following to say:

"Under the umbrella of hard rock and heavy metal, you've had so many different branches come off that tree. We're just another branch, we created something new in the early '80s. We were all influenced by the same thing, we all came from the same school, so to speak, and, you know, we created thrash metal. We started something new. And I think that's the best thing you could say about any band, or any musician or any artist... is if you create something that wasn't there before. It's just an amazing thing to be able to say that all these years later — we started this band in 1981, Metallica formed in '81 — 29 years later, we're still doing this, because there's so many people on this planet that still love what we do and that are interested in what we do and that wanna be a part of this scene and a part of this music. It's just amazing to me that all these years later... We're on almost a second generation of fans now — 13-year-olds coming to the gigs still just love what we do so much. And that's just such a privilege that we get to go out and do this."

Tickets are on sale starting Friday, January 28, at 10:00 a.m. PT. Metallica fan club members are advised to visit MetClub.com for pre-sale and VIP package info.