SanitariuM

Official 'Death Magnetic' Track Listing Revealed

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:56:00 -0700

METALLICA has revealed the official track listing (in the final running order) for its new album, "Death Magnetic". It is as follows:

01. That Was Just Your Life
02. The End Of The Line
03. Broken, Beat & Scarred
04. The Day That Never Comes
05. All Nightmare Long
06. Cyanide
07. The Unforgiven III
08. The Judas Kiss
09. Suicide & Redemption
10. My Apocalypse

METALLICA has revealed the cover artwork (see below) for the band's upcoming ninth studio album, "Death Magnetic", at its official web site. The black and white etching features what appears to be an open grave, with lines emanating out from it and the band's logo and album title underneath. In an interview conducted in Norway on Wednesday (July 16) by VG TV, frontman James Hetfield explained the meaning of the record's title, saying, "It started out as kind of a tribute to people that have fallen in our business, like (ALICE IN CHAINS frontman) Layne Staley and a lot of the people that have died, basically � rock and roll martyrs of sorts. And then it kind of grew from there. Thinking about death...just like a magnet, some people are drawn towards it, (and) other people are afraid of it and push away."
[more]
Hetfield added, "The concept that we're all gonna die sometimes is over-talked about and then a lot of times never talked about � no one wants to bring it up; it's the big white elephant in the living room. But we all have to deal with it at some point."

"Death Magnetic" is due out in September, although an exact date has yet to be announced.

METALLICA recently announced that every song on the album will be available to download for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock on the same day the CD arrives in stores.

The band is offering the record for sale in numerous configurations, ranging from a digital-only release to a deluxe "coffin box" that will come with a bonus CD, a DVD, a T-shirt, guitar picks and other goodies.

Metallica back in shape in Poland

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 07:51:00 -0700

Metallica, hard rock's living legend, performed in Poland on Wednesday to an audience of exhilarated fans.
[more]
This was the band�s seventh visit to Poland.

Fans from Poland and abroad, 60,000 people in total, were gathering around the Slaski Stadium in Chorzow from early morning.

In the afternoon members of Metallica's Polish fan club Overkill started collecting signatures on a giant Polish flag, 3 metres in width and 40 in length, which was given to the band later during the concert.

The band arrived in Poland as early as on Monday to rehearse as the Chorzow concert was the first one during the band's European tour.

Both fans and critics were enthusiastic about the gig, saying that Metallica was back in shape after its last mediocre album "St. Anger", which they also promoted with a concert in Poland in 2004.

source

METALLICA Plays Benefit Show In L.A.

Thu, 15 May 2008 02:48:00 -0700

METALLICA played a benefit show last night (Wednesday, May 14) at the 2,200-seat Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. All proceeds from the show will go to the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, a nonprofit music school for low income students that was co-founded by RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS bassist Flea. The opening act was SCARS ON BROADWAY, the new group featuring SYSTEM OF A DOWN guitarist Daron Malakian and drummer John Dolmayan. Money raised from the show will go towards programs, operations and scholarships at the school, as well as a summer camp program and funds for a new building.
[more]
METALLICA's setlist was as follows:

01. Creeping Death
02. Fuel
03. For Whom The Bell Tolls
04. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
05. ...And Justice For All
06. Sad But True
07. Disposable Heroes
08. One
09. Master Of Puppets
10. Battery
- - - - -
11. Last Caress
12. No Remorse
13. Enter Sandman
- - - - -
14. Fight Fire With Fire (with RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' Flea)
15. Seek and Destroy

Check out pictures from Film Magic, Getty Images.

source: blabbermouth.net

'Metal Is Alive And Well'

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 07:51:00 -0700

RollingStone.com conducted an interview with METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich this past Saturday, April 19 at the band's Record Store Day signing event in northern California. An excerpt from the chat follows:

RollingStone.com: You were one of the first artists to sue over copyright infringement and voice concerns over aspects of downloading. Eight years later, with bands like RADIOHEAD embracing the Net and yet charting, how has your stance changed, if at all?

Ulrich: We have FLACs and MP3s for sale. It was never about downloading per se. We have the Vault where you can download shows from twenty years ago for free, full-on and it's been there for years. You can download recent shows days after they happen for cost. Back in the day there was a much bigger question about "on whose terms?" We said, "Wait a minute, it should be about the artist." Then all hell broke loose and we sat on the sidelines for a while. We've always been fiercely independent and controlling; sometimes to a fault. That's why we exist and why all these people show up.
[more]
RollingStone.com: And as far as the next record goes ...

Ulrich: You know, this is our last record under contract with Warner, so we're looking at how we can embrace everything.

RollingStone.com: Like a 360 deal with Live Nation?

Ulrich: Mmm, we've never sold ourselves that way. No disrespect. We want to be as free a players as possible. We've been observing RADIOHEAD and Trent Reznor and in twenty-seven years or however long it takes for the next record, we'll be looking forward to everything in terms of possibilities with the Internet.

RollingStone.com: What can you say about working with mad genius Rick Rubin on this upcoming album?

Ulrich: Mad genius? You've heard then. [Laughs] It's been a great year, and it's been a lot of fun � a chance to re-invent the wheel again. It's great to have someone who sits there and throws things in your face. He's not very methodical; it's all about the vibe and the moment. We were interacting and playing off each other more. There was little method to his madness, but you learn to trust him and roll with it.

RollingStone.com: Have you thought about the climate into which you'll be dropping this new album? What is the state of metal today?

Ulrich: I think you saw. Metal is fucking alive and well and doing better than it has in many years. It seems like most of the metal in the Seventies and the Eighties is still revered. It seems like most fourteeen year olds are into DEEP PURPLE, IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST, as opposed to some alternative, grunge and especially the rap-rock of the Nineties. When you've been around a while you tend to disregard cycles, but there is a resurgence way deeper and more penetrating into the fourteen-year-old mindset all over. It's unbelievable.

Read the entire interview at RollingStone.com.

Metallica to Promote Record Store Day

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:05:00 -0700

Metallica will make a special appearance at Rasputin Records in Mountain View, California, to mark the official celebration of all independent record stores. With the collapse of Tower Records and the many other chains, this is an attempt by the metal gods to recognize and support the independent stores.

400 Wristbands will be issued for the event and the store will open at 10 a.m. on April 19th. On the band's official site, Metallica.com, the band said: "Come down and say 'Hi,' bring stuff for us to sign, and in the spirit of supporting your local independent record store maybe you'll do a little shopping while you're there."

New Metallica Album in September

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 11:23:00 -0700

Lars Ulrich has just announced that the group's follow-up to 2003's "St Anger" will be released this September. The band is currently recording the as-yet-untitled record in Los Angeles with producer Rick Rubin. As usual, they will take a break this Summer to play several festival dates.

Speaking to BBC 6 Music, Ulrich said: "We're just finishing up a record, we've got six weeks left and it should be out in September, that's the idea right now."

New KIRK HAMMETT Limited Edition Half Stack From RANDALL

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 11:22:00 -0700

Randall Amplifiers, paving the way for rockers worldwide, today announced the Kirk Hammett Limited Edition Half Stack. The highly collectable half stack features solid maple cabinetry, chrome hardware and custom paint job. The limited run of Kirk Hammett gear is the perfect centerpiece for any accomplished recording studio or rehearsal space.

The exclusive Kirk Hammett stack includes a 4 x 12" cabinet, 100W power-tube head and signature MTS modules to enable musicians everywhere to attain Kirk's legendary tones. The custom gear arrives painted in a black-burst color scheme complete with polyurethane finish. The end result is a visually stunning half stack that fully captures the defining sounds of METALLICA's legendary guitarist.
[more]
"The Kirk Hammett Limited Edition Half Stack is a seminal event in the history of Randall Amplifiers," said David Karon, Artist Relations Manager at Randall Amplifiers. "By working tirelessly with Kirk for over a full year, we have produced the ultimate head and cab for musicians worldwide. Every detail of the half stack bears his unique touch, right down to his handwriting on the preamps. The unparallel attention to every nuance of this dream rig solidifies Randall Amplifiers as an unrivaled leader in both custom designs and flawless tones."

The Limited Edition Half Stack complements the full line of Kirk Hammett Signature Series products, which includes MTS modules, all-tube heads, as well as power tubes, all to enable musicians everywhere to attain his flawless sound. Kirk worked intimately with Randall to ensure that all aspects of the products, from the look and feel of the heads and amps to the distinct tones of each MTS module, were up to the standards of rock's legendary guitarist.

Additional Limited Edition Kirk Hammett Half Stack Features:

Pre-loaded with KH1, KH2, and KH3 MTS modules:

* KH1 - Classic clean tone
* KH2 - Signature rhythm tone
* KH3 - Legendary high-gain rhythm

Easily replace power tubes with user-friendly power-tube bias MIDI In/Thru for easy switching between pre-amp modules Master volume, presence, and density controls Parallel loop with front panel mix control Series loop

The Kirk Hammett Limited Edition Half Stack retails for $9,999.90 and is available at exclusive Randall dealers. To locate a participating Randall dealer, go to this location.

Source: Blabbermouth.net

French Show Announced

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 11:20:00 -0700

MetallicA has scheduled a concert in France on August 14 in Arras at Grand d'Arras. Tickets for this general-admission show go on sale on Tuesday, March 18 at 10:00 a.m. local time. MetClub (official METALLICA fan club) presale begins on Friday, March 14 at 2:00 a.m. PST.

Swiss Date sheduled

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 08:06:00 -0800

MetallicaA has announced a Swiss date on August 17 in Wil/Jonschwil at Degenaupark. Tickets for this general-admission show go on sale on Wednesday, March 12 at 8:00 a.m. local time via www.ticketcorner.com. MetClub presale begins Sunday, March 9 at 11:00 p.m. PST and ends Monday, March 10 at 11:00 p.m. PST.

Vinyl Reissues Coming Soon

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 08:05:00 -0800

MetallicA's official web site has been updated with the following message:

"While we're finishing up the new album, we told the dudes at the record company we thought it might be cool to dust off the old tapes and get all retro with some vinyl re-releases... First up are the first two albums (duh!?), 'Kill 'Em All' and 'Ride the Lightning', coming out on April 15 in North America and pretty fucking close to that in the rest of the world.

"There will be two versions...one like the original on a single disc spinning at 33 1/3, the other a two disc, 180-gram vinyl, 45 rpm package all in a double gatefold. The music was half speed mastered from the original analog tapes at Mobile Fidelity to bring you audiophile quality. Both versions will be available in the online store here and over at MetClub.

"Oh, and in case you were wondering, 'Master' and 'Justice' will obviously be next and should be coming out on vinyl in June."

Machine Head To Support Metallica On Tour

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 14:44:00 -0800

The band have issued the following update:

"This time in English... we're psyched that our friends in MACHINE HEAD have said 'yes' to more fun and games following the good times that were had by all at Wembley last summer. They will play with us in Chorzow, Poland and Prague, Czech Republic for the two headlining shows on the first part of our summer European vacation. The remaining dates in May and June are festivals with tons of other cool bands. As usual, there's more to come..."

'Aural Amphetamine: Metallica And The Dawn Of Thrash'

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 14:38:00 -0800

Sexy Intellectual Records has set an April 15 release date for "Aural Amphetamine: Metallica And The Dawn Of Thrash" ([url=http://www.chromedreams.co.uk/ekmps/shops/chromedreams/images/sidvd534(1).jpg]cover[/url]), a study and review of thrash music, featuring interviews with members of METALLICA, MEGADETH, MACHINE HEAD, DIAMOND HEAD, ELIXIR, NEUROSIS, LAAZ ROCKIT, SACRILEGE BC, and many others. It also includes performance footage of all the pivotal thrash bands, review and re-assessment from journalists Malcolm Dome, Lonn Friend and Joel McIver, archive material, location shoots, and much more. Bonus materials on the 95-minute disc include extended interviews, the thrash metal interactive challenge, biographies and "beyond DVD."

source: Blabbermouth.net

METALLICA Confirms Bulgaria Concert

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 02:28:00 -0800

According to Tangra Mega Rock, METALLICA will perform at the Vassil Levski Stadium in Sofia, Bulgaria on July 25. Tickets go on sale on Friday, February 15 at 9:00 a.m..

The group's schedule is now shaping up as follows:

May 28 - Chorzow, Poland - Slaski Stadium
May 30 - Landgraaf, Netherlands - Pinkpop
May 31 - Madrid, Spain - Electric Weekend
Jun. 03 - Prague, Czech Republic - Slavia Stadium
Jun. 05 - Lisbon, Portugal - Rock In Rio Lisboa
Jun. 07 - N�rburgring, Germany - Rock Am Ring
Jun. 08 - N�rnberg, Germany - Rock Im Park
Jun. 13 - Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo
Jul. 16 - Bergen, Norway - Koengen
Jul. 18 - St. Petersburg, Russia - SKK Hall
Jul. 22 - Bologna, Italy - Parco Nord
Jul. 25 - Sofia, Bulgaria - Vassil Levski Stadium

MetallicA Confirm Russian Date

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:08:00 -0800

MetallicA will perform at the SKK Hall in St. Petersburg, Russia on July 18. The group's schedule is now shaping up as follows:

May 28 - Chorzow, Poland - Slaski Stadium
May 30 - Landgraaf, Netherlands - Pinkpop
May 31 - Madrid, Spain - Electric Weekend
Jun. 03 - Prague, Czech Republic - Slavia Stadium
Jun. 05 - Lisbon, Portugal - Rock In Rio Lisboa
Jun. 07 - N�rburgring, Germany - Rock Am Ring
Jun. 08 - N�rnberg, Germany - Rock Im Park
Jul. 16 - Bergen, Norway - Koengen
Jul. 18 - St. Petersburg, Russia - SKK Hall
Jul. 22 - Bologna, Italy - Parco Nord

Bonnaroo 2008

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:06:00 -0800

Pearl Jam, Metallica, Kanye West, B. B. King, Jack Johnson and Alison Krauss and Robert Plant (both below) will be among the more than 100 acts at the seventh annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts festival this year, the organizers announced. Taking place from June 12 to 15 at its regular spot, a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tenn., south of Nashville, the festival will also include Willie Nelson, Phil Lesh, the Mars Volta, Sigur Ros, Jack White�s Raconteurs, My Morning Jacket, Death Cab for Cutie, Levon Helm and the list goes on. Bonnaroo was one of the first rock festivals to specialize in broad, eclectic programming, but along with Coachella in California, it has faced stiffer competition as similar events have sprung up around the country.

source: NY Times

Bergen Concert Sells Out In Less Than 50 Minutes

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:25:00 -0800

According to Bergens Tidende and Nettavisen, all 20,000 tickets to MetallicA's July 16, 2008 concert at an old fortress (Koengen) in Bergen, Norway sold out within 45-50 minutes after they officially went on sale earlier today (Monday, February 4).

Norwegian Date sheduled

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 08:41:00 -0800

MetallicA will perform a concert at an old fortress (Koengen) in Bergen, Norway on July 16.

The group's schedule is now shaping up as follows:

May 28 - Chorzow, Poland - Slaski Stadium
May 30 - Landgraaf, Netherlands - Pinkpop
May 31 - Madrid, Spain - Electric Weekend
Jun. 03 - Prague, Czech Republic - Slavia Stadium
Jun. 05 - Lisbon, Portugal - Rock In Rio Lisboa
Jun. 07 - N�rburgring, Germany - Rock Am Ring
Jun. 08 - N�rnberg, Germany - Rock Im Park
Jul. 16 � Bergen, Norway - Koengen

MetClub, the official METALLICA fan club web site, yesterday sent the following e-mail to its members:

"Hopefully you all know by now, the boys will be heading back to Europe this summer... Just a friendly 'heads up' that a few more shows are coming your way as we're getting ready to announce dates on the second part of their summer vacation. Most of these shows will have pre-sales for Clubbers only, so keep watching MetClub for more details. As for you Americans who have been having a good moan, we'll have a little something for you next week. No more hints for now..."
[more]
Lars Ulrich recently spoke with Revolver magazine about the band's ninth studio album, which is expected out later this year and will be its first all-new effort since 2003's "St. Anger". Ulrich told the magazine that the group's new material "is certainly a lot more dynamic and a lot more varied than the last couple of go-rounds," adding, "There's a lot of light and shade in these songs. There's heavy, fast, nutty stuff, and then there's some slowdowns and musical interludes." Ulrich also said that the album has more in common with some of the group's '80s releases than more recent offerings like "St. Anger" and "Load".

Ulrich wouldn't agree that the yet-to-be-titled disc is a full-blown return to the past, saying, "I hate to be that specific, because six months from now people are gonna go, 'What the fuck? Lars lied to us!' But it feels that way to me."

The drummer also revealed that producer Rick Rubin, working with the band for the first time, wanted MetallicA to use classic efforts like "Ride the Lightning" and "Master of Puppets" as "reference points" for its new songs.

There's no word yet on an exact release date for the new MetallicA CD, although a summer release is likely.

(Thanks: Anders D. Ajer a.k.a. Bongo Fury)

Source : Blabbermouth.net

Nothing Else Matters Named All-Time Best Song

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:22:00 -0800

Albania's Top Gold Radio recently asked its web site visitors to vote for their favorite songs as part of the 100 Golden Hits contest. MetallicA's "Nothing Else Matters", from the band's 1991 self-titled album, received the largest number of votes and was named the all-time best song by the Albanian audience. Scorpions' "Wind of Change" and G N' R "Don't Cry" ballads were ranked second and third.
[more]
"All top three songs came out in the early '90s at a time when Albania's wild communist regime collapsed, and people were free to listen to foreign music without risking prison and persecution," explains poll creator Igli Gjelishti.

Other rock songs from the top ten include DEEP PURPLE's "Soldier of Fortune", LED ZEPPELIN's "Stairway to Heaven" and THE EAGLES' "Hotel California".

Randall Amplifiers Introduces Kirk Hammett Signature Series Line

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:57:00 -0800

Signature Series Includes Amplifiers, Cabinets, Modules and Combos, all Tailored After Kirk Hammett's Legendary Tones

Randall Amplifiers, paving the way for rockers worldwide, announced today the launch of the Kirk Hammett Signatures Series. The new line includes amps, cabinets, modules and combos that all reflect the tones and voices that Metallica's legendary guitarist has spent a career perfecting. Musicians of all skill levels can now harness Kirk's groundbreaking sound with Randall Amplifiers' vast variety of signature products.
[more]
The Kirk Hammett Signature Series will include gear ranging from MTS modules, all-tube heads, power tubes and even a limited edition half-stack, fully decked out with solid maple cabinetry and chrome hardware, all to enable musicians everywhere to attain his flawless sound. Kirk worked tirelessly with Randall to ensure that every aspect of the amps, from the clean and crunchy preamps to the stunning visual appeal, were fully up to the standards of one of the greatest guitar players of all time.

"This is the first time I've really done any kind of amp endorsement," said Kirk Hammett of Metallica. "I knew that there's a lot of work that goes into it, and I'm really picky anyway. But things have turned out great. I'm really proud of how these modules and amps have turned out."

The feature-packed amps, cabinets, MTS modules and combos will enable guitar players of all levels to finally capture the distinctive sounds that Kirk has worked so diligently to perfect. From the half-stacks that can be used for recording and live shows to the 15-watt practice combos, every knob and button has been tweaked to perfection by Kirk and Randall's dedicated staff.

"Working with Kirk Hammett was the ultimate joy for all of us here at Randall," said David Karon, Artist Relations Manager at Randall Amplifiers. "We worked side by side together for over a year to perfectly capture every nuance of his tones. From experienced guitar players looking to record in the studio and play live gigs, to up and coming musicians perfecting their craft, we have a Kirk Hammett Signature Series line of gear to help you rock just like one of the most recognizable names in guitar-playing history."

The full line of Kirk Hammett Signature Series products includes:

-- MTS Modules -- featuring Kirk Hammett's classic, rhythm and lead tones
-- All-tube heads
-- Custom-tweaked cabinets
-- Amps ranging from 15-watt practice combos to half-stacks
-- Limited edition half-stack featuring maple cabinetry and chrome hardware

Availability

The Kirk Hammett Signature Series line of products is available from major music retailers. To locate a Randall dealer, visit http://www.randallamplifiers.com/dealers/index.asp.

About Randall Amplifiers

Randall Amplifiers, paving the way for rockers worldwide, are played by today's leading bands, including Metallica, Anthrax, Disturbed, Kiss and Mudvayne. Located near Chicago, Illinois, Randall Amplifiers is owned by U.S. Music Corp. the corporate parent for world-recognized brands including Washburn Guitars, Parker Guitars, Eden Amplifiers, Sound Tech Professional Audio, Oscar Schmidt and Lyon Musical Instruments. For more information on Randall Amplifiers, go to http://www.RandallAmplifiers.com.

(C) Copyright 2008 U.S. Music Corp. All Rights Reserved. All other registered or unregistered trademarks are the sole property of their respective owners.

Media Contact:
Andy Coffaro
FortyThree, Inc.
831.401.3175
acoffaro@fortythreepr.com

SOURCE Randall Amplifiers

MetallicCA To Headline Spain's ELECTRIC WEEKEND Festival

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:54:00 -0800

According to MariskalRock.com (the Spanish Internet radio station hosted by the Kerrang! and Heavy Rock magazines), MetallicA has been confirmed to headline the Electric Weekend festival in southern Madrid, Spain on May 31.

MetallicA confirmed for Portugal's ROCK IN RIO

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 15:04:00 -0800

MetallicA and Machine Head have been confirmed for the Rock In Rio Lisboa festival, set to take place May 30-31 and June 6-8 in Lisbon, Portugal. Both bands will perform on June 5, with MetallicA headlining the day-long event. More acts will be announced soon.
[more]
Upcoming MetallicA shows:

May 28 - Chorzow, Poland - Slaski Stadium
May 30 - Landgraaf, Netherlands - Pinkpop
Jun. 03 - Prague, Czech Republic - Slavia Stadium
Jun. 05 - Lisbon, Portugal - Rock In Rio Lisboa
Jun. 07 - N�rburgring, Germany - Rock Am Ring
Jun. 08 - N�rnberg, Germany - Rock Im Park

Kirk Hammett: 'Everything We Play Is Great'

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 08:05:00 -0800

The February 2008 issue of Guitar World magazine features an extensive interview with METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett about the group's forthcoming album � the band's first collaboration with producer Rick Rubin (SYSTEM OF A DOWN, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, AUDIOSLAVE, SLAYER) following a split with longtime collaborator Bob Rock. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Guitar World: After 16 years and six albums with Bob Rock as your producer, how did you select Rick Rubin to produce this one?

Kirk: We knew that we needed to go down a different avenue. And it seemed like whenever I mentioned to people that we'd started writing another album, they would say, "You gotta get Rick Rubin." And we'd been considering that ourselves anyway. We've known Rick since 1986 when [SLAYER's] "Reign in Blood" came out. I can remember Rick showing up backstage at a "Master of Puppets" show and he had the master tape to "Reign in Blood". We were thinking, "Oh, wow, he has the new SLAYER album. We gotta hear it." And I remember once we heard it, we were just like, "Holy crap, that's the best thing we've ever heard."
[more]
Guitar World: Was the basic songwriting process different from the past? Or is that always kind of the same?

Kirk: We used an approach that was the same as "St. Anger", in the sense that we'd all show up and jam on songs. The seeds for the songs on this new album came out of jams that we would have on the road, before we'd go onstage. We have this thing called "the tune-up room" at our shows. It's usually a really small room with a drum kit, two guitar amps, a bass amp, a P.A. that's never loud enough and ProTools set-up. One of us would come in with a riff and we'd jam on it. James [Hetfield, guitar/vocals] was always the first one in the tuning room, so often he'd be fiddling with a riff when the rest of us came in.

And we would do this every time we had a show. So at the end of the tour we had over 50 hours of music. It was insane. We went through all of it, trying to narrow it down, which was a horrible process for me, because I think everything we play is great. So I wasn't any help. I let the other guys pick the riffs. Once all the major riffs were picked, we started jamming on them and turning them into songs. After about a year's time, we had 22 songs. We just refined it from there.

Guitar World: At what point did Rick enter the process?

Kirk: Right around the point where we had 22 songs. We had a lot of meetings with him. He listened to the songs we had written up to then, and he liked what he heard. "Yeah, keep working on those songs. Keep making them better." Eventually we had a vote on the 14 strongest songs. From there, we pretty much focused on those songs and worked on them with Rick. We were constantly tweaking the songs on this album. Even when we were recording the drum tracks, we were still tweaking.

Source : Blabbermouth.net

Czech Republic Concert Announced

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 14:57:00 -0800

MetallicA has scheduled a headlining concert in on June 3, 2008 at Slavia Stadium in Prague, Czech Republic. The group's itinerary is now shaping up as follows:

May 28 - Chorzow, Poland - Slaski Stadium
May 30 - Landgraaf, Netherlands - Pinkpop
Jun. 03 - Prague, Czech Republic - Slavia Stadiium
Jun. 07 - N�rburgring, Germany - Rock Am Ring
Jun. 08 - N�rnberg, Germany - Rock Im Park

Lars On New CD

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:02:00 -0800

According to RollingStone.com, the 1991 multi-platinum LP "The Black Album" was the last METALLICA disc recorded outside their cozy confines in the Bay Area. With that in mind, producer Rick Rubin encouraged the guys to lay down new tracks in L.A. "Rick thought it'd be beneficial for the gang to get out of the comfort zone of our back yards," drummer Lars Ulrich tells RollingStone.com. "We've been tripping up and down to L.A. since April, and the results have been better than good." As of Thanksgiving, the only hurdles left are overdubs and James Hetfield's vocals. "That's it," says Ulrich. "We're very alive and well."
[more]
In the latest issue of the METALLICA Club (the group's official fan club) members-only magazine "So What!" METALLICA's James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and Lars Ulrich offer more insight into the songwriting process for the group's forthcoming album. "We don't want pretty good, we want excellent and [producer] Rick Rubin is getting us to try and achieve that," Hetfield is quoted as saying. "He's [Rick] very good at getting the essence of an artist out and bringing that back to the top again. It's the 'Master of Puppets' mentality again. You need to prove the world that you're good, you need to be hungry again � you need to [put on] a showcase that says, 'Here we are, just like the first time we did it.'"

Added Hammett: "It's about doing the best that you possibly can. I have difficulty wading through all the ideas because I'm biased � I think everything we do has a lot of merit to it. In that regard Rick Rubin is great because he will just say, 'Such and such a part is not good, so come up with something else.' He just leaves the problem up to us and we just solve it between ourselves without too much interference from his side, which is completely different from [longtime METALLICA producer] Bob Rock whose musical thinking would permeate the record. Rick Rubin leaves a lot of the musical problem solving to ourselves, which keeps it more pure."

Lars commented: "A lot of the work we did after the band nearly broke up [during the making of 2003's 'St. Anger'] was not going to be so evident on the record we made at the time, but more evident on the next record, which is the one wer� making now. This has been a much more enjoyable experience, much more fun, creatively stimulating and working with Rick is helping a lot."

Ulrich told Examiner.com in October that the band's upcoming album will be "heavier" yet more "melodic" than "St. Anger". Ulrich explained, "Whereas 'St. Anger' was an exercise in over-pummeling the listener, these new songs echo some of our stuff from the '80s � long, epic journeys through different musical landscapes, heavier, but a lot more melodic." When asked whether the new songs will be shorter, in the four-to-five minute range, Ulrich said, "Well, the most of the intros are four to five minutes. I don't know � METALLICA and short songs just don't go that well together."

The new METALLICA album is tentatively due in the spring.

Source : Blabbermouth

JUST ANNOUNCED!

Sat, 08 Dec 2007 07:21:00 -0800

Metallica will be playing the Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park Festivals in Germany on June 7th and 8th, 2008.

To purchase tickets, please visit www.eventim.de or www.tpp.de.

Grammy nomination

Sat, 08 Dec 2007 07:19:00 -0800

The song "The Ecstasy Of Gold" is nominated in the Best Rock Instrumental Performance (For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, without vocals. Includes Rock, Hard Rock and Metal. Singles or Tracks only.) Other nominees are Rush, Joe Satriani, Bruce Springsteen, and Steve Vai.

The 50th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 10th 2008 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.[more]

Source : Official newsletter

Metallica To Premiere New Song In 'Rock Band'

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 02:24:00 -0800

Metallica are in talks to premiere the first single from their next studio album on a new version of the Rock Band video game.

MTV senior vice president of home entertainment, Paul DeGooyer, made the announcement that Rock Band manufacturer Harmonix and MTV are planning to premier a string of new songs on updated versions of the hit computer game, the biggest draw of which is Metallica.

He told Rocky Mountain News: "There are a couple of things we've committed to, one of them with Metallica for example. They've reserved the right to give us their first single from their new album for the game."
[more]
Apart from this golden nugget of information, there�s no hint of what the track is called or when it will see the light of day. Metallica are currently holed up in the studio working on their ninth studio record.

Artists that have contributed tracks to Rock Band, which hit the shelves at the start of November, include The Who, The Rolling Stones, Fall Out Boy, Radiohead and Nirvana.

Metallica enjoys acoustic challenge

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 10:26:00 -0800

For Lars Ulrich of Metallica, a set at the Bridge School Benefit is more than just an unplugged version of the band's usual head-banging fare.

"It's not just straight-up acoustic," Ulrich says. "There's a little more emphasis obviously on the vocals, on the lyrics, on the melodies than there is when you're playing full-on. So you try to find songs that have relevant lyrics and strong melodies, and then you sit down and try to come up with some different reinterpretations."

The Marin-based masters of metal are perhaps the biggest draw on a typically eclectic Bridge School bill Saturday and Sunday, which also includes host Neil Young, rock 'n' roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis and the band's North Bay neighbor Tom Waits. It's the 21st annual all-star acoustic benefit for the Peninsula school for children with severe speech and physical impairments, co-founded by Young's wife, Pegi.
[more]
Metallica made its only appearance to date on the benefit's stage in 1997, but the band's drummer says he and his band mates attend every year that their schedule allows.

"Whether you're playing or whether you're just hanging, it's always a good time, and it's always interesting," Ulrich says.

For that first booking in 1997, the nation's pre-eminent heavy metal band felt it had something to prove.

"Oh, here comes Metallica," Ulrich says, voicing the thoughts of a skeptical audience member. "Let's see if, first of all, they actually have acoustic instruments and,

second of all, if they know how to position them in their laps and if they can even play them."

But Metallica pulled it off, and the band even added an acoustic segment to its live show for the next couple of years. Ulrich says he is eager to return.

"There were some songs we did last time where we turned an uppity Metallica song into a shuffle thing," he says. "Or you take some stuff and bring it way down in tempo. So it's a great opportunity to re-look at your stuff, and to me that's one of the most inspiring and challenging things about the gig."

Another source of inspiration is the presence on the stage of the school's students, many in wheelchairs and unable to speak.

"It just puts a different slant on it," Ulrich says. "When you're playing these gigs, it's like, 'Oh, my left toe hurts,' or 'My glass of Gatorade doesn't have nine ice cubes in it, like I asked for.' You come out at the Bridge School in front of that group of young kids, and it's like, 'OK.' All of a sudden that stuff just doesn't seem so relevant anymore."

Ulrich says he wishes everyone had the chance to spend time with "such a brave group of kids. It's eye-opening, it's soul-searching, it's life-affirming," he says. "It's all that."

This will be the only North American performance of the year for Metallica, which is currently working on its ninth studio album with producer Rick Rubin. It's a change of pace for the band after recording its last four albums with Bob Rock.

"Rick has, obviously, a very different way of doing it," Ulrich says. "Everything about him is about the vibe, how we play with each other, how we connect to each other. He couldn't give a . . . [damn] what the individual sounds are like, or how perfect."

Ulrich says the change has "reinvigorated" the band, which now includes ex-Ozzy Osbourne bassist Robert Trujillo.

"You know, when you get a little older, you get kind of set in your own ways," says Ulrich, 43. "It's good when the safety net and that whole thing is stripped away from you."

The next album, which Ulrich hopes to have completed by Christmas, follows "St. Anger," a 2003 release that divided fans with its harsh, unrelenting sound and its lack of guitar solos.

"Certainly compared to the last record, there's a lot more dynamics and different shades - fast and slow, heavy and lighter," Ulrich says. He adds that the new material has more in common with the band's groundbreaking speed metal of the '80s than its bluesier offerings of the '90s. "It's more progressive and nuttier, and the songs are longer and have lots of crazy guitar solos."

After 26 years together, Ulrich says Metallica "is not just still together, but thriving."

The band survived a tumultuous period earlier this decade that included the departure of longtime bassist Jason Newsted and a stint in rehab for singer-guitarist James Hetfield. Ulrich, Hetfield and lead guitarist Kirk Hammett turned to a counselor to help them address their interpersonal issues, a process captured in the documentary "Some Kind of Monster."

Ulrich says the results speak for themselves.

"We actually enjoy being in the same room a lot more now than we did five years ago, and we're making a record now without any sort of hand-holding," he says. "It's all good."

Bridge School Benefit

With Neil Young, Metallica, Jerry Lee Lewis, Tom Waits

with the Kronos Quartet, John Mayer, My Morning Jacket,

Tegan & Sara, Regina Spektor

Source : San Jose Mercury News

CLIFF BURTON Tribute Concert in Sweden Announced

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 13:10:00 -0700

NUTELLICA, GRAVEMACHINE, AGE OF FURY, FOUREVER, FAITH and ELOHIM have been confirmed for the tribute concert to late METALLICA bassist Cliff Burton, "With Cliff In Our Mind" (poster), which will be held on September 29 at at the Gyllene Rasten restaurant/bar in D�rarp (outside Ljungby), Sweden. Tickets will be available through the Swedish/Nordic ticket site Ticnet. Price will be 100 SEK + 15 SEK booking fee.

Details: The event will start at 17:30. Tex-Mex buff� with a complementary drink of choice will be possible to purchase for 100 SEK. The bar will be open � 18 years of age apply in Sweden for purchasing alcoholic drinks or bewerages, age to be proven with valid identification papers at the bar upon request.

Lodging: There will be plenty of space around Gyllene Rasten for camping, but cabins can also be hired. Alternatively one could also be staying at some of the hotels in Ljungby.

For more information, visit www.cliffinourminds.com.

Five-Day MetallicA Party To Be Held In Helsinki

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 01:12:00 -0700

In conjunction with MetallicA's July 15 concert in Helsinki, Finland, the Official Finnish Chapter of the Metallica Club will host what it claims is a "world-record" five-day-long MetallicA party from July 11 to July 15 at Rocktown Helsinki featuring:

* An audio and video marathon of every commercially released MetallicA song and video in existence (including every b-side and compilation appearance)
* Raffles, trivia sessions and competitions, where prizes will include used MetallicA guitar strings, passes from previous tours, official guitar picks and every item in the back catalogue currently in print and available in Finland on CD and DVD
* Live music from CRAZY MACHINE on Saturday and Sunday and MECHANIX on Wednesday.
[more]
For more information, visit The Official Finnish Chapter of the Metallica Club at www.metclub.fi.

Tickets for MetallicA's Helsinki concert reportedly sold out less than 30 minutes after they went on sale on February 28, 2007.

MetallicA's last show at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland � on May 28, 2004 � was attended by 46,000 people, which is nearly 1 percent of the country's 5.5-million population.

Official 'Creeping Death' Live Video From ROCKWAVE Festival

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 15:13:00 -0700

Official MetOnTour.com video footage of METALLICA performing the song "Creeping Death" at the Rockwave festival Tuesday night (July 3) in Terra Vibe, Malakasa, Greece has been posted at YouTube. The group's setlist for the show was as follows:

01. Creeping Death
02. Fuel
03. Wherever I May Roam
04. For Whom the Bell Tolls
05. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
06. ...And Justice For All
07. The Memory Remains
08. Disposable Heroes
09. Orion
10. Fade To Black
11. Master of Puppets
12. Battery
- - - -
13. Sad But True
14. Nothing Else Matters
15. One
16. Enter Sandman
- - - -
17. Whiplash
18. Seek and Destroy

Metallica Added To London Live Earth

Sun, 24 Jun 2007 15:44:00 -0700

Metallica have become one of the final acts to join the London leg of Live Earth on July 7th.

The rockers join an already impressive line up of artists for the Wembley Stadium extravaganza, including, Bloc Party, Beastie Boys and Kasabian.

Taking place in nine countries simultaneously throughout the day, Live Earth hopes to encourage two billion people to tackle the problem of global warming.

An exclusive download of Metallica�s Live Earth performance will be made available as soon as the band come off stage at the gig. The money raised from the download will benefit four climate change charities that the band have chosen: Sierra Club, The Apollo Alliance, WWF and Rainforest Action Network.
[more]
Metallica are also due to play Wembley Stadium the day after Live Earth (July 8th) as part of their current world tour. Tickets are on sale for their own show now.

Thanks for the info to Gigwise.com.

New Rehearsal Photos Available

Sun, 24 Jun 2007 15:44:00 -0700

Several new photos of MetallicA rehearsing for its upcoming European tour have been posted online.

Photo#1
Photo#2
Photo#3
Photo#4
Photo#5
Photo#6
Photo#7
Photo#8
Photo#9
Photo#10

Rare Audio Interview With CLIFF BURTON Posted Online

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 01:43:00 -0700

An ultra-rare audio interview Cliff Burton, conducted by Ken of Metal Fanzine on January 31, 1984 in Cortland, New York (after METALLICA's show at the Riverboat in Rochester, New York) has been posted at YouTube. A photo of Ken and Cliff can be found here.

Volbeat Singer: We Are 'Proud' To Be Supporting MetallicA

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 02:50:00 -0700

Danish metal band Volbeat has commented on its upcoming appearance as the support band for MetallicA on July 13 in �rhus, Denmark. Also appearing on the bill is MNEMIC.

Says Volbeat singer Michael Poulsen: "MetallicA has been a big influence for me as a songwritter for many years, and still are, and we are all in the band big MetallicA fans. We are very happy and thankful and proud of this chance, and we are looking forward to play our guts out. Our friends in MNEMIC will also be on stage that night."

European Support Acts Revealed

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 14:37:00 -0700

Message from metallica.com:

"Easter greetings from MetallicA HQ! In our ongoing quest to keep you informed about every little thing we have planned for our upcoming jaunt through Europe this summer, we finally have an almost complete list of bands who will be joining us as we take a little break from recording to come hang with some of you in a few of the coolest cities on the planet.

"As you know, some of the shows are festival dates, so things could change a little here and there, and we may have one or two more surprises for you along the way, but as of April 8, here's what we've got for you so far. And for those of you in Denmark lucky enough to score tickets after we got done with Lars' guest list, we're spreading the Danish love with... just read Lars' extra special Easter greeting...in Danish!

"We're super psyched to be sharing the stage with great musicians from all over the world . . . see you out there!"
[more]
Thursday, June 28, Lisbon:

METALLICA
JOE SATRIANI
STONE SOUR
MASTODON
(local act)
(local act)

Friday, June 29, Bilbao:

TBA

Sunday, July 1, Werchter Rock Festival, Main Stage:

FAITHLESS (chill out slot)
METALLICA
INCUBUS
INTERPOL
THE KOOKS
MASTODON

Tuesday, July 3, Athens:

METALLICA
STONE SOUR
MASTODON
DIRT SPAWN DISEASE

Thursday, July 5 Vienna:

METALLICA
HEAVEN AND HELL
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE

Sunday, July 8, Wembley:

METALLICA
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE

Tuesday, July 10, Oslo:

METALLICA
H.I.M.
TURBONEGRO

Thursday, July 12, Stockholm:

METALLICA
H.I.M.

Friday, July 13, Aarhus

METALLICA
VOLBEAT
MNEMIC

Sunday, July 15, Helsinki:

METALLICA
H.I.M.
APOCALYPTICA

Wednesday, July 18, Moscow:

METALLICA
H.I.M.

MetallicA Confirmed For Spain's BILBAO BBK LIVE FESTIVAL

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 14:50:00 -0700

MetallicA has announced that it will perform on June 29 at Recinto Kobetamendi in Bilbao, Spain. "This is the first time that we will playing at the Bilbao BBK Live Festival, a four-day extravaganza with a ton of cool bands and we're psyched to be rockin' the closing show," the band writes on its web site.

"We can't wait to hit the road and start spreading the 'tallicA love in the summer. Hope to see you at a couple of stops along the way and we promise to keep you posted as opening acts and other details get filled in. Thanks for hangin' with us during the 'it-takes-us-six-weeks-to-announce-eleven-shows' phase!!"
[more][more]
The group's "Sick Of The Studio '07" tour schedule is now shaping up as follows:

Jun. 28 - Lisbon, Portugal - Super Bock Super Rock Festival
Jun. 29 - Bilbao, SPA - Bilbao BBK Live Festival
Jul. 01 - Werchter, Belgium - Rock Werchter Festival
Jul. 03 - Athens, Greece - Rockwave Festival
Jul. 05 - Vienna, Austria - Rotundenplatz
Jul. 08 - London, England � Wembley Stadium
Jul. 10 - Oslo, Norway - Valle Hovin Stadion
Jul. 12 - Stockholm, Sweden - Stadion
Jul. 13 - Aarhus, Denmark - Vestereng
Jul. 15 - Helsinki, Finland - Olympic Stadium
Jul. 18 - Moscow, Russia - Lushniki Stadium

Lars Ulrich told a New York radio program on March 2 that the band is laying down 14 songs for its ninth studio album, which the group officially began recording on March 12.

Unlike the troubled, turbulent sessions for the band's last album, 2003's "St. Anger", Ulrich told Launch that pre-production for the new effort has had a whole different vibe. "It's frighteningly tame (laughs)," he said. "The four of us show up and we hang out and we have a great time, and there are no psychiatrists in sweaters, there are no film crews, it's very much like it used to be. It's pretty mellow around here. All that 'St. Anger' stuff seems like a movie (laughs)."

The group plans to work in the studio until early June, take a break for its European tour, then finish recording in August. As for whether MetallicA will release the new album in 2007, Ulrich said, "I'd like to try and get it out this year, I hope we can get it out this year. If it doesn't come out this year, then it will be out at the very beginning of next year."

Source : Blabbermouth.net

Metallica To Support Rolling Stones

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 02:29:00 -0700

Launch Radio Networks reports that ROLLING STONES, PAUL MCCARTNEY, THE WHO and U2 might all be signing on for this summer's Live Earth concerts on July 7. According to FoxNews.com, the STONES will headline the London concert at Wembley Stadium, on a bill that will also include MADONNA, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, METALLICA, singer-songwriter JAMES BLUNT, and modern rock outfit BLOC PARTY. The report adds that MCCARTNEY, THE WHO, and U2 will likely sign on in the coming weeks, but there was no indication of where they might perform.

Metallica In Portugal

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 12:55:00 -0700

STONE SOUR, MACHINE HEAD, JOE SATRIANI and MASTODON will support METALLICA at the Super Bock Super Rock Festival on June 28 in Lisbon, Portugal. A local opener will also appear at the event.

Wembley Stadium Show Officially Confirmed

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 15:52:00 -0700

MetallicA has confirmed rumors that it will perform at the Wembley Stadium in London, England on July 8. "This is the newly rebuilt Wembley Stadium we're talking about, freshly delivered in time for us to test its barely dry foundations with a little live 'TallicA," from metallica.com. "Remember, we've only played the stadium once before, at the Freddie Mercury benefit gig back in Spring of '92, so to play it now as headliners, especially the brand spanking' new one, is very, very cool... We'll also be bringing a few of our friends along to add to the festivities ...and between you and us, there's still another fun time or two on our European escape to announce...and as ever, when they get officially confirmed, you'll see them posted here...until then..."

...AND RECORDING FOR ALL

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 13:42:00 -0700

Metallica left the comfort of HQ this week to descend upon the greater Los Angeles area to begin recording their 9th original album. This is the first time they've recorded outside of the Bay Area since they spent an eternity at One-On-One Studios recording The Black Album in '90 and '91. The last couple days have been devoted to each band member working out the right sounds, including Lars who remembered to turn on the snare and Kirk who played a solo! The big, shiny red button was finally pushed today - and the wait begins.

Source : MetallicA.com

MetallicA To Play Wembley Stadium In July

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 11:53:00 -0800

According to NME.com, MetallicA will perform at the Wembley Stadium in London, England on July 8. The group's "Sick Of The Studio '07" tour schedule is now shaping up as follows:

Jun. 28 - Lisbon, Portugal - Super Bock Super Rock Festival
Jul. 01 - Werchter, Belgium - Rock Werchter Festival
Jul. 03 - Athens, Greece - Rockwave Festival
Jul. 05 - Vienna, Austria - Rotundenplatz
Jul. 08 - London, England � Wembley Stadium
Jul. 10 - Oslo, Norway - Valle Hovin Stadion
Jul. 12 - Stockholm, Sweden - Stadion
Jul. 13 - Aarhus, Denmark - Vestereng
Jul. 15 - Helsinki, Finland - Olympic Stadium
Jul. 18 - Moscow, Russia - Lushniki Stadium

Lars Ulrich interview

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 15:41:00 -0800

Lars Ulrich spoke to Eddie Trunk of the "Friday Night Rocks" radio show on New York's Q104.3 FM Friday night (March 2) about the MetallicA's upcoming studio album and their future touring plans. A Blabbermouth.net partial transcript of the chat follows:

Q: So many people wanna get an update and are jonesin' for new music from METALLICA. So what can you tell us about what's going on in the studio?

Lars: Well, we're just finishing pre-production right now and we're gonna start recording next Monday. So we've got another week of pre-production next week and then tapes should start rolling for real on Monday, [March] 12th, [which] is D-Day, as it says on my calendar upstairs. We're pretty psyched about that. It's been about a year of writing and getting ideas together and the whole thing going through a couple of years' worth of riffs and all this stuff. We started out about six months ago with about 25 songs and now we've narrowed those down to 14, and we're gonna start recording 14 songs next Monday. So we're all pretty stoked.
[more]
Q: Everybody knows what exactly went on with the recording of the last album, because, of course, it was documented in a movie. So this time around I imagine things are pretty different than what went on with "Some Kind of Monster", right?

Lars: It's very, very I mean, it's about as opposite of that It's very chilled out and there's no movie crews or psychiatrists or any of that stuff it's four guys in a rock band, hanging out, having fun, making music and doing their thing. It's pretty chilled. There's not any dramas or any kind of stuff. [Laughs] I think a lot of people would actually be I don't know if they'd be disappointed, but they'd probably find it fairly uneventful. [Laughs] It's just kind of us doing our thing and after all the bullshit that we went through in 2001 and 2003 and all the stuff you were talking about with the movie, this whole go-around has been really chilled out. Everybody's kind of getting along and having fun. The spirit is a lot like back in the day. Like I said, when people would ask me about the new record in the last few months, "St. Anger", I think increasingly when I look back, was kind of like an isolated experiment, about trying to write and record and do all that in the studio, kind of in the moment, not bringing in ideas and kind of getting away from everything we had done for the previous 20 years. And this record, this go-around, is more like what we used to do, with kind of getting together, going through ideas, writing songs together, doing demos, doing pre-production. Rick's [Rubin, producer] big thing is to kind of have all these songs completely embedded in our bodies and basically next Monday, on D-Day, just go in and execute them basically, just play them instead of... so you leave the creative element of the process out of the recording, so you go in and basically just record a bunch of songs that you know inside out and upside down and you don't have to spend too much of your energy in the recording studio creating and thinking and analyzing and doing all that stuff. His whole analogy is, the recording process becomes more like a gig just going in and playing and leaving all the thinking at the door.

Q: Obviously you are aware that there was, let's just say, mixed fan reaction to "St. Anger". There were a lot of longtime METALLICA fans that weren't happy with it. What's your thoughts, looking back on it now that it's been a few years, when you listen to it? What do you think of that album?

Lars: I think it kind of set out to do what it wanted it to do, which was to be, like, a moment and to have this incredible, raw energy and to go in after the "Black" album, the "Load" records and the symphony experience and all that, which were projects that a lot of thought went into, a lot of time went into and a lot of you know, analyzing and sort of micro-managing every moment, we really wanted to go in and try and capture something completely different than that, which was just like a burst of energy. I think "St. Anger" has an incredible amount of raw energy and kind of just nutty I don't know, like, guttural kind of you know, "throwing the whole thing to the wind" kind of stuff. I'm really proud of the fact that we actually had the balls to not only try it but to pull it off. I know that there were obviously some people that were disappointed with snare sounds or lack of guitar solos and all that, but after what we'd been through for those couple of years after Newsted left and so on, it was really what we had to do, if not for anybody else then for ourselves. I'm really proud of the fact that we had the balls and the guts to stick with it, but now we're, once again, in a very different headspace and I'm glad we got that experiment out of our systems.

Q: I remember when "And Justice for All" came out and people were a little bit thrown by the sound of that record at the time, and now I talk to METALLICA fans and that's grown on them to become one of their favorite records.

Lars: Yeah, for a lot of people that's the blueprint for a lot of the stuff that's happening now. Listen, it's difficult for me, too, because I have such a personal relationship with each one of these records that's mostly based on the experience of making the record and living all the moments that not only went into the record but the moments that came in the wake of the record, you know what I mean?! I'm not the best one to probably sit and give neutral opinions about it. I've always said that all our records are in some way like your children it's difficult to sit there and kind of pick favorites or kind of put one on a pedestal over the other. I mean, the one thing that at least all the hardcore METALLICA fans know that every time we make a record, for better or for worse, they know that it's always a totally true and pure reflection of whatever headspace we're in at the moment, so I don't feel that I ever have to either apologize or defend it too much. I know that when you are fortunate enough to have a career as long as we've had and with as many different nuances and dynamics to it, you're always gonna have people that really like a particular thing or dislike something else or yearn for something of this, or do this, or more old school, or more new school, or more bluesy, or more aggro Like I've said a million times, the minute you start absorbing too much of that stuff, your head's gonna start spinning. But one thing that I'm fiercely proud of and can look back on on every moment of METALLICA's career is that we've always been true to ourselves and as honest to ourselves and to the music and to the fans to give them whatever extension of ourselves and whatever headspace that we were in at whatever particular moment.

Q: Is it fair to say that the experience that you guys went through in making "St. Anger" and documenting it and the film and everything that went on, all that drama with the band is it fair to say that the positive effects of all the therapy and the things that went on are gonna show themselves more on this record, which also is the recording debut for your new bassist, Rob Trujillo?

Lars: I think that's pretty fair. The one thing that Phil [Towle] the psychiatrist or whatever you call him [laughs] said back in the day was that everything that we were going through with the experiences of the "St. Anger" record, that that stuff was really gonna come to fruition on the next record in terms of the relationships and in terms of everybody getting along and so on. The last year that we've been fiddling around in the studio, I mean, it's been amazing. We're having fun again, which we didn't for many, many years in the Nineties, and in some way, it feels to me like it's kind of come full circle in that all the external crap and all the extra-curricular stuff has kind of subsided and now it's just a bunch of guys hanging out in a rehearsal space/studio, having a lot of fun together and sweating and laughing and making music, and kind of to me, doing what this band has always been about, and I think probably more so than certainly for some time bringing it back to its kind of point of origin, you know what I mean?

Q: You mentioned him and I've gotta ask you, are you still in touch with that guy Phil?

Lars: Yeah, he lives in the 415 [San Francisco telephone area code] up here I see him once in a while in social functions, but we haven't worked with him since the "St. Anger" record. And listen one thing about the movie, which was that... We were fortunate enough that, as the movie and the experience was unfolding that there was kind of a, what you call in the film world, like a dramatic art that started kind of intertwining itself into the movie part of it, and obviously in some way he kind of became the villain, like the Belushi character in the "Saturday Night Live" skit, you know, the thing that wouldn't leave?! But it's all good. He lives up here and he's doing a bunch of work with mostly sports people and a few other people up here, and I see him around town San Francisco is a pretty small place, you know, so I see him around town and so on. But the one thing the way he kind of got put in a position of being the villain, I'd like to defend that somewhat and say that I truly do believe in my heart that he saved the band and all the work that he put into it certainly has made the band what we are today. It's a little odd when you do interviews I've done probably about a dozen interviews in the last year and people are still talking to me about the movie and "St. Anger" and stuff, which is four or five years ago. The bottom line is that I am obviously fiercely proud of the fact that we had the balls to kind of see it through and stick with it. I think we made a decision pretty early on in our career that the relationship that we wanted to have with our fans was to be as accessible as possible. Growing up on rock in the Seventies and so on, the whole thing about your ZEPPELINs and your PURPLEs and your KISSes and so on was that whole kind of larger-than-life element the mystery and not knowing what was going on. But we came from Our roots, at least in terms of attitude, came from the punk movement, about being as accessible as possible and kind of letting everybody into what we were doing, so in some way I think that film, for better or for worse, was sort of the ulimate in letting people in and seeing what was going on and not having barriers between you and the fans and having as much of an open door as possible and feeling that there was nothing that was hidden away. And that's something that we've always believed in. I think that that's been certainly a big part of the awesome relationship that we've been fortunate enough to have with most of our fans.

Q: Speaking of landmark METALLICA albums, last year was the 20th anniversary of "Master of Puppets". I know you guys played in Europe and you did the album start to finish, right?

Lars: Yes, we did. We did three weeks' worth of gigs last summer. There's no place better than to visit Europe in the month of June, and we got invited to do a couple of festivals and then it kind of turned into a three-week thing. Kerrang! magazine out of England had done a tribute to the "Puppets" album by having all these awesome up-and-coming bands, like TRIVIUM and BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, and MACHINE HEAD and a few other guys who've been around for a while, doing these, basically covering every song on "Puppets", and we were kind of sitting there getting caught up in all that misty-eyed emotion of the whole thing as we were sitting there planning the tour and the dates and so on. We were also inspired by my friend Mike [Portnoy] from DREAM THEATER, who was telling me that they used to, back in the day, go out and play all of "Master of Puppets" as an encore. He was definitely part of the inspiration, too. And we went out and played over the course of three weeks the "Puppets" album from start to finish more or less note for note. What happens with us a lot with the older songs is we go through the years, we have a tendency to continue to edit them and re-edit them and put different bits in and kind of take them different places. But we kind of went back and played the album note for note and it was a lot of fun, and in some way I think it kind of set the bar for the record that we're making now in terms of the level that we know we're capable of writing and recording and it was an awesome experience to play that every night for 50, 60, 70 thousand people and feel that kind of love and respect and appreciation. I mean, playing it for 75,000 people at Donington (England), it was unbelievable.

Q: Did you document any of that? Did you shoot it or record it at all?

Lars: You know what? These days you can never get too far from a film camera or a tape recorder. [Laughs] There's a always a couple of guys around with a camera in case somebody gets desperate for some content, as they call it. That stuff is there. And listen, I'm not saying that we're gonna do it again, but I'm not sayng that we're not gonna do it again. I mean, that's an experience that you can always come back to. You know us we're saracastic enough and self-deprecating enough to maybe this year we'll go out and celebrate the 21st anniversary of "Master of Puppets" and in a couple of years celebrate the 23rd. You know what I mean?! That's something we can always come back to because it was so much fun.

Q: I know that was the big thing in America. Everyone was like, "Damn, I wish they'd be doing that here."

Lars: You know what? I know that it's difficult for the American fans. This year again we're going over to do a couple, two-three weeks in Europe, different countries than we were at than last year. I know that a couple of the American fans, rightfully so, are obviously moaning about why we spend so much time in Europe every summer, but I'm telling you, there's no better place to go on vacation in the month of June throw on a few gigs and have some fun. But all our American fans out there must rest assured that there will be no end to the love coming everybody's way in the next couple of years with the new record and so on. And I'm sure in my heart that we'll do the "Puppets" thing again. If not, next year we'll do the "And Justice for All" version of that. Who knows? The great thing about being in a band like is that obviously nobody tells us what to do, or there's no particular sort of formula or any of that crap that we have to follow. I would like to get into, and that's kind of what we're trying to do now with We went to South Africa last year, we went to Japan, we played a couple of weeks in Europe, and like I said, this year we're doing three weeks I'd like to get into more of a thing where it's not that you only tour on the back of your records and you have to promote your latest, quote, product and the singles and all that crap, you know what I mean?! Where it just becomes more like you go on tour when you want, you go into the studio and record when you want and everything doesn't become so segregated about "Here's a new record" and "Now here's 18 months of touring featuring 75 percent of that material" and all that kind of stuff.

Q: I would think it would be cool, too, for you guys being locked down in the studio and then in the middle of that to maybe get a jolt of a live performance. That may actually give you another kick in the ass when you get back in the studio.

Lars: That's obviously the whole point. And also we get kind of restless when the status quo thing is going on for too long at the time. So I think it's great for the creative process to get out of the studio once in a while and go and play some gigs, harness some energy from the fans, and feel the love, and give some love, and get some perspective, listen to some of the stuff you're doing in the studio while you're driving to the gig and whatever, and come back to the studio recharged again after another six weeks. So that's kind of the plan this year. We're gonna record up through early June and then hit Europe for about three weeks in, I guess, it's late June to early July, and then come back and finish recording in August.

Q: And you want the record out this year or you're looking at next year for the record?

Lars: [Laughs] Every time we put a record out, we always paint these perfect scenarios about [how] it's gonna come out and nobody's gonna stress and there's not gonna be any deadlines and everything's gonna cool and chilled out and nobody's gonna get any hernias or stomach ulcers or whatever, but it never quite seems to work out that way. We obviously wanna get it out as quickly as we can after we're done recording, to share it with everybody, but at the same time, these days, with what's going on with the music business and all the declines and all the crap, the managers are sitting there barking in one ear, going, "We need more setup time? We need this" I'd like to try and get it out this year, I hope we can get it out this year. If it doesn't come out this year, then it will be out at the very beginning of next year. I mean, the bottom line is it will be out a couple of months after it's done and everybody should hopefully be happy.

Source : Blabbermouth.net

Confirmed For Portugal's SUPER BOCK SUPER ROCK FESTIVAL

Sat, 03 Mar 2007 09:11:00 -0800

MetallicaA has been confirmed for the Super Bock Super Rock Festival on June 28 in Lisbon, Portugal. Currently confirmed "Sick Of The Studio '07" tour dates are as follows:

Jun. 28 - Lisbon, Portugal - Super Bock Super Rock Festival
Jul. 01 - Werchter, Belgium - Rock Werchter Festival
Jul. 03 - Athens, Greece - Rockwave Festival
Jul. 05 - Vienna, Austria - Rotundenplatz
Jul. 10 - Oslo, Norway - Valle Hovin Stadion
Jul. 12 - Stockholm, Sweden - Stadion
Jul. 13 - Aarhus, Denmark - Vestereng
Jul. 15 - Helsinki, Finland - Olympic Stadium
Jul. 18 - Moscow, Russia - Lushniki Stadium

Danish Date Added

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 14:36:00 -0800

"After much speculating � well, at least a half hour's worth � and the rumor mill working overtime, we (especially the drummer) are psyched to announce that we will make our 2007 'Sick of the Studio' tour of Scandinavia complete by finally confirming a show in Denmark. In our continued effort to spread as much love as possible to the rest of the country, we are happy to announce we are playing Aarhus, motherfucker, July 13th at Vestereng.

"This will be the 212th show in Denmark � well, maybe closer to the 16th, give or take � and needless to say, 'TALLICA always look forward to a Danish visit and after Lars has put his relatives and friends on the guest list, we will release the few hundred remaining tickets to the public.

"Stay tuned for more of February's theme 'announce one show at a time just to be a pain in the ass.'"
[more]
"Sick of the Studio '07 Tour" dates so far:

Jul. 01 - Werchter, BEL @ Rock Werchter Festival
Jul. 03 - Athens, GRE @ Rockwave Festival
Jul. 05 - Vienna, AUT @ Rotundenplatz
Jul. 10 - Oslo, NOR @ Valle Hovin Stadion
Jul. 12 - Stockholm, SWE @ Stadion
Jul. 13 - Aarhus, DEN @ Vestereng
Jul. 15 - Helsinki, FIN @ Olympic Stadium
Jul. 18 - Moscow, RUS @ Lushniki Stadium

MetallicA producer Rick Rubin told MTV.com last week that he wants the band to make a "defining" album when they enter the studio next month. Rubin admitted he was "really nervous" about working with the group after seeing the candid 2005 documentary about their near-breakup, "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster", but said that the band is now the opposite of how they appeared in the film. Rubin said, "They're really productive, really communicative � it seems like they really like being in the room together. It's a great process. They say they're more excited than they have been in a long time about making music...I asked them not to reinvent themselves so much as to make a defining album, like the purest of what MetallicA is."

Drummer Lars Ulrich told Rolling Stone magazine that Rubin wants to make the band sound like "the MetallicA that made them MetallicA without going backward."

Announced Tour Dates In Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 09:13:00 -0800

"Enough already with this announcing one show at a time B.S. . . . we've got four more to tell you about!

"First up, is Oslo, Norway on July 10th. Last time we were there is it was winter (Dec. '03). . . We're psyched to be playing outside in the summer, actually our first outside gig ever in Norway.

"We haven't been to Stockholm, Sweden in way tooooooo long . . . so it's very cool that we'll be back on July 12th to play at Stockholm Stadion for the second time. See how these things work ... 'cause the next show is in . . . Helsinki, Finland, July 15th, our eighth visit to Helsinki and again our second time at the Olympic Stadium. Yeah, there are a couple of days off in there . . . what to do, what to do?
[more]
"Last tidbit from tonight's update . . . a city we have only played once before, and site of one of the best and most intense shows in 'TALLICA history . . . Moscow on July 18th, this time at the Lushniki Stadium.

"They're all METALLICA shows, with of course a few cool opening bands that we'll let you in on as soon as all the details are sorted.

"We have a few more shows in the works, so we'll get back to you soon as they're confirmed . . . keep watching here."

METALLICA "Sick of the Studio '07 Tour" dates so far:

Jul. 01 - Werchter, BEL @ Rock Werchter Festival
Jul. 03 - Athens, GRE @ Rockwave Festival
Jul. 05 - Vienna, AUT @ Rotundenplatz
Jul. 10 - Oslo, NOR @ Valle Hovin Stadion
Jul. 12 - Stockholm, SWE @ Stadion
Jul. 15 - Helsinki, FIN @ Olympic Stadium
Jul. 18 - Moscow, RUS @ Lushniki Stadium

Source : http://www.metallica.com/

MetallicA To Headline Greece's ROCKWAVE FESTIVAL

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:05:00 -0800

MetallicaA will headline the 11th edition of the Rockwave Festival, set to take place July at 1-3 Terra Vibe in Malakasa, Greece. MetallicaA will perform on July 3. Pre-sale for the concert will begin on February 21. MetallicaA fan club members will be given priority when it comes to purchasing tickets. General admission tickets will cost 60 euros, Pitch A 80 euros and Distinguished Area 100 euros.

Commented MetallicaA: "We haven't been there for eight years... and looking very much forward to coming back to Athens, Greece."
[more]
Source : Metalzone

Confirmed For Belgium's WERCHTER ROCK Festival

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 04:51:00 -0800

Hey... back again with more from Nor Cal. So by now most of you have hopefully heard that we are planning on spending a few weeks this summer touring, visiting some places in Europe that we didn't "escape" to last year. We are still sorting out the final details, schedules, etc. for our little break from recording the next album, but in the meantime, we figured that you have debated/theorized long enough over last week's "W" clue... so here goes... yes, it is the Werchter Rock Festival in Belgium... we'll be playing there on July 1st. No, we haven't really played there 19 times... only four.
[more]
All the festival and ticketing information is below. Keep your eyes open for more shows... we'll post them as they get confirmed.

Source : www.metallica.com

Latest Metallica News

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 08:53:00 -0800

MetallicA has issued the following update:

Greetings from not so sunny Northern California. We know that things have been pretty quiet here in web-land, so we thought we'd throw some shit your way... here goes...

We are finishing up the last couple weeks of pre-production on the album and... really... seriously...(drumroll)... we're going to start recording on March 12th. We're pretty fuckin' psyched about it and pretty fuckin' psyched to be sharing this experience with Rick.

But wait... there's more. We kinda sorta figured that by the time June rolled around, we would be ready for a break from recording (escape??) and since we had so much fun in Europe last summer, we thought "why not go back for some more fun and games?" We're planning to share the summer love with our friends in some different countries we didn't get to last year.. okay, fuck it, maybe one or two repeats. We haven't quite worked out all the details yet, but we thought that for once we really would be the first site to break a piece of Metallica news.

So keep your eyes open for more details in the next few.. the plan right now is to head out in late June and hang out for a couple/three weeks. We might even do a certain festival that we've played 19 times in July that starts with a "W," maybe hit a certain band member's home turf... blah, blah, blah.

It's a start . . . .

Source : MetClub Newsletter

Interview with Lars Ulrich

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 11:14:00 -0800

Lars Ulrich recently spoke to Revolver magazine about the writing process for the group's new album, tentatively due before the end of the year via Warner Bros. Records. "It's nice not to walk into the studio and all of sudden there's three cameras in your face and you have to sit down and talk for four hours about how you were feeling last night," he said, referring to the film crew that documented every detail of MetallicA's meltdown during the recording of 2003's "St. Anger". We're kind of past that phase. Everybody gets along now. These days, it's fun going down to the studio � it's actually something I look forward to instead of dreading it. And I think that's a reflection of how far we've come."
[more]
Ulrich says that the sessions for the new CD, which the band is planning on recording in Los Angeles with producer Rick Rubin, actually remind him of MetallicA's early years.

"It's James [Hetfield] and me going through riff tapes and picking out the best riffs, and then molding songs around that," he explained. "There's two separate processes � a songwriting process and a recording process. 'St. Anger' was an experiment in writing and recording at the same time. But this is like what we used to do back in the day: sit down, write a bunch of songs, then uproot and go somewhere else and record them." Ulrich said that Rubin � whom the drummer remembers showing up backstage at MetallicA gigs in the mid-Eighties with rough mixes of Slayer's "Reign in Blood", which producer � "doesn't want us to start recording until every song that we're gonna do is as close to 100 percent as we can get it."

The band has roughly 25 new songs, a large pool Ulrich credits to jamming in the tuning room every night before they went onstage on the "St. Anger" tour. They're intent on whittling the final tracklist down to 12 or 14 tunes.

"The amount of material is a little overwhelming," Ulrich admitted, "so we're trying to be as self-critical as possible. It's great with Rick, because he doesn't really have any baggage with us. He just comes in and says, 'That's great. That's not so great.' I think after 15 years with Bob [Rock], it was just time to kind of reinvent the wheel. I think what happened with Bob was it got to the point where we just knew each other too well. And we needed a different dynamic."

Revolver's entire interview with Lars Ulrich can be found in the magazine's March 2007 issue, available on the newsstands now. More information is available at www.revolvermag.com.

Cliff Burton Memorial Stone Moved; Photo Available

Sat, 13 Jan 2007 11:20:00 -0800

The memorial stone dedicated to Cliff Burton, which was unveiled Sept. 30, 2006 at the Gyllene Rasten restaurant/bar in D�rarp (outside Ljungby), Sweden, has been moved so it would not suffer from the snow and the harsh weather during the winter in Sweden. Check out photos of the final location of the Cliff Burton memorial stone:

Photo#1
Photo#2
Photo#3

Source : Blabbermouth.net

ROCK AM RING 2006 Concert Available Online

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 15:04:00 -0800

Professionally recorded video footage of METALLICA's June 3, 2006 concert at the Rock am Ring festival in N�rburgring, Germany � which included a performance of the band's classic 1986 album, "Master of Puppets", in its entirety � is available for viewing at Google Video.
[more]
METALLICA's Rock am Ring appearance was the opening show of the band's "Escape from the Studio '06" tour. The group's setlist was as follows:

01. Creeping Death
02. Fuel
03. Wherever I May Roam
04. For Whom the Bell Tolls
05. Fade to Black
06. Battery
07. Master of Puppets
(James Hetfield announces that the band will perform entire "Master of Puppets" album)
08. The Thing That Should Not Be
09. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
10. Disposable Heroes
11. Leper Messiah
12. Orion
13. Damage Inc.
-------------
14. Sad But True
15. Nothing Else Matters
16. One
17. Enter Sandman
-------------
18. Last Caress
19. Seek and Destroy

Source : Blabbermouth.net

'Holiday Wishes' from Lars & Rob

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 08:25:00 -0800

Lars Ulrich and Robert Trujillo have uploaded an exclusive "Holiday Wishes" video for members of their official fan club (MetClub).

Bellow are two parts posted at YouTube:
[more]

Lars Ulrich: New Album Will Have 'A Lot Of Energy'

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 04:32:00 -0800

Launch Radio Networks reports: METALLICA has written about 25 songs for its ninth studio effort and is now concentrating on trimming that list to one album's worth of material, which it will begin recording in January. Drummer Lars Ulrich told Launch on Tuesday (December 5) that the band's summer European tour, on which METALLICA played its classic 1986 album "Master of Puppets" in its entirety, paved the way for the sound of the new album. "What I hear sounds very lively, very spunky, got a lot of energy," he said. [more]"I think that the shows we played over the summer, we were definitely leaner and kind of in better shape than we've been in a long time. I mean, having to deliver 'Master of Puppets' for three months this summer definitely revitalized some of that stuff in us, and it's been kind of fun having that in the back of our mind as we've been going through this process. I don't know what else to say. It's a little early to put it into a one-sentence soundbite on Blabbermouth, if you know what I mean."

Referring to the controversial, low-fi production on 2003's "St. Anger", Ulrich said that he's "taken the drums out of the cardboard boxes" this time, and that lead guitarist Kirk Hammett will lay down guitar solos on this record.

New studio photos available

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 13:54:00 -0800

A bunch of new photos of Metallica rehearsing and writing material for its upcoming album have been posted online at Photobucket (courtesy of trailblazer666).

[more]
Metallica has more than two dozen song ideas ready for the follow-up to 2003's "St. Anger", which it expects begin recording next month for a late summer/fall release via Warner Bros.

Contest

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 12:50:00 -0800

To celebrate the release of Metallica: The Videos 1989-2004 DVD on December 4/5, one lucky fan and a friend will get to hang out with Metallica at their HQ in San Francisco. You will win 2 nights hotel and airfare to San Francisco, a special tour of Metallica HQ, and get to meet the band!

Listen to Q101 in Chicago, The Bone in San Francisco, or Q104 in New York for a chance to win the trip to Metallica HQ and stay tuned to your favorite radio station for chances to win DVD's, autographed items (including guitars!), and maybe even another trip or two.

Or, you can enter in an online contest! Click here for full details!
[more]
Source Metallica.com

Metallica Announce DVD Release Dates

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 15:06:00 -0800

Metallica have announced the international release dates for their upcoming new DVD entitled 'The Videos 1989-2004'. Check out the dates below:

North America: Dec. 5th
Europe: Dec. 4th
South America: Dec. 4th
Japan: Dec. 18th
Australia: Dec. 2nd
[more]
Check out the track listing below:

01. One (7:41)
02. Enter Sandman (5:28 )
03. The Unforgiven (6:21)
04. Nothing Else Matters (6:24)
05. Wherever I May Roam (6:05)
06. Sad But True (5:26)
07. Until It Sleeps (4:32)
08. Hero Of The Day (4:30)
09. Mama Said (4:51)
10. King Nothing (5:26)
11. The Memory Remains (4:37)
12. The Unforgiven II (6:33)
13. Fuel (4:35)
14. Turn The Page (5:49)
15. Whiskey In The Jar (4:43)
16. No Leaf Clover (5:33)
17. I Disappear (4:28 )
18. St. Anger (5:50)
19. Frantic (4:55)
20. The Unnamed Feeling (5:29)
21. Some Kind Of Monster (4:28 )

Bonus:

* 2 Of One - Introduction (5:43)
* One (Jammin' Version) (5:05)
* The Unforgiven (Theatrical Version) (11:29)
* "Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster" Film Trailer (2:27)

Source: TuneLab Music

Video of Cliff Burton Memorial Unveiling

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 02:12:00 -0800

A memorial for Cliff Burton was unveiled last month at the site of the bus crash that took his life in Sweden. The memorial was unveiled in correlation with the 20th anniversary of his death, September 27, 1986.

'Smoke On The Water' With IAN GILLAN: Video Available

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 02:09:00 -0800

A video clip of Lars Ulrich performing the DEEP PURPLE classic "Smoke on the Water" with Ian Gillan during the PURPLE frontman's solo gig on September 11 at Slim's in San Francisco has been posted online at this location.

Kirk Hammett Is A First-Time Father

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 15:07:00 -0700

Kirk Hammett and his wife Lani recently welcomed their first child, a son named Angel Ray Keala Hammett.

Welcome to the fold, little guy.

'The Videos 1989-2004' DVD Details Revealed

Sat, 14 Oct 2006 04:15:00 -0700

METALLICA will release a DVD collection of all the promotional videos it has made, entitled "The Videos 1989-2004", on December 5 in North America (one day earlier internationally).

Commented the band in a posting on its web site: "We've been getting requests for many years to release all the promotional videos on DVD and it's finally happening! In addition to every video we've ever made, for the first time ever, the '2 of One' release (which up until now has only been available on VHS) will be available on DVD. Also included is 'Mama Said', which never aired in North America, maybe not even anywhere in the world, and a few little extras such as 'The Unforgiven' theatrical version and the 'Some Kind Of Monster' film trailer. Plus, all the audio has been re-mixed in 5.1 surround sound.
[more]
"Look for the DVD at your favorite music store on December 4 in most of the world, December 5 in North America. Keep an eye on the Metallica.com store for more details on how you can pre-order your copy...coming soon!"

"The Videos 1989-2004" track listing:

01. One (7:41)
02. Enter Sandman (5:28)
03. The Unforgiven (6:21)
04. Nothing Else Matters (6:24)
05. Wherever I May Roam (6:05)
06. Sad But True (5:26)
07. Until It Sleeps (4:32)
08. Hero Of The Day (4:30)
09. Mama Said (4:51)
10. King Nothing (5:26)
11. The Memory Remains (4:37)
12. The Unforgiven II (6:33)
13. Fuel (4:35)
14. Turn The Page (5:49)
15. Whiskey In The Jar (4:43)
16. No Leaf Clover (5:33)
17. I Disappear (4:28)
18. St. Anger (5:50)
19. Frantic (4:55)
20. The Unnamed Feeling (5:29)
21. Some Kind Of Monster (4:28)
Bonus:
* 2 Of One - Introduction (5:43)
* One (Jammin' Version) (5:05)
* The Unforgiven (Theatrical Version) (11:29)
* "Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster" Film Trailer (2:27)

DVD Of Promotional Videos To Surface Before End Of Year

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 08:20:00 -0700

In the latest issue of the METALLICA Club (the group's official fan club) members-only magazine "So What!", the following information was released:

"We can confirm that there will be, at some point, a DVD of all the promotional videos METALLICA have made. Word is it will emerge before the end of 2006, but given the nature of these things, let's just say that as details become available, we will let you know via the web."
[more]
As previously reported, Spanish METALLICA fan site CyberMETALLICA has uploaded several new photos taken during METALLICA's songwriting sessions for their upcoming album, tentatively due next summer/fall. Check them out at this location.

METALLICA's follow-up to 2003's "St. Anger" is being produced by Rick Rubin, who has previously worked with AUDIOSLAVE, SLAYER, SLIPKNOT, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS.

In a recent interview with Revolver magazine, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich had the following to say regarding the band's decision to move away from using Bob Rock, who has produced every METALLICA album since 1991's "Metallica": In 1990, when we started using Bob, it was because Bob made all the best rock records that were going on at that time ? M?TLEY CR?E, DAVID LEE ROTH, THE CULT ? and he was involved in the engineering of all the BON JOVI records. Everything that was going on in the late Eighties was all about Bob Rock. And now, everything that's great about rock ? from SLIPKNOT to SYSTEM OF A DOWN to the CHILI PEPPERS to MARS VOLTA, and even the JOHNNY CASH and NEIL DIAMOND records ? it's all Rick Rubin. The same thing that brought us to Bob 15 years ago is now kind of bringing us to Rick. We want to work with the guy who's got the total finger on the pulse. And Bob was the first one to bless it, to say, 'Look, I don't know what else I can offer you 15 years later.' We finish each other's sentences. We know what he's going to say, and he knows what we're going to say. We made, what, like, five records with him? And he really had been the fifth member of our band for the last 15 years. As painful as it is, getting his blessing first was really important to us. So, so far, every side of it has been great."

(Thanks: Matt Scafidi)

I Have A Feeling That Cliff Likes What We're Doing

Fri, 06 Oct 2006 07:36:00 -0700

James Hetfield spoke to the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter about the "memorial day" that was held Sept. 30, 2006 for late METALLICA bassist Cliff Burton at the at Gyllene Rasten restaurant/bar in Ljungby, D?rarp, Sweden. (Check out pictures at this location.) It was on September 27, 1986 ? 20 years ago ? that Burton died in a tragic bus accident in Sweden, just over the road from where Gyllene Rasten is located.
[more]
On performing "Orion" live this past summer:

Hetfield: "That was the highlight of the set for me. It sums up Cliff and I cried every time I played it, but it was good tears. I was overwhelmed with gratitude for the fact that I had the opportunity to play in the same band as Cliff and learn things from him."

On the importance of Cliff, the musical genius:

Hetfield: "We never would have written guitar harmonies or instrumentals or songs with very intricate melodies and orchestrations without Cliff. We wouldn't be where we are today."

When the memorial stone is described to James Hetfield, he is stunned and very happy.

Hetfield: "Wow. That really shows the kind of commitment and love our fans have for our music and the people behind it. Cliff is one of the icons that won't be forgotten. Apparently some fans who are very dedicated have taken the time and put in the effort to create something as timeless as a memorial stone to remind people about Cliff. It's really amazing."

METALLICA is currently working on its next album with producer Rick Rubin. On a wall in METALLICA headquarters there's a poster for the concert in Copenhagen which the band were on their way to when Cliff Burton was killed. James Hetfield says that Cliff is still present when they write songs.

Hetfield: "We talk about what Cliff would think and what he would have added. And now, especially with our new bassist Rob [Trujillo] playing so powerful and with his fingers just like Cliff, I have a feeling that he likes what we're doing."

No one in METALLICA has been back in D?rarp since the bus crash, but James Hetfield points out that they probably should visit the site.

Hetfield: "I think it would do us good. But my relationship with death is different. I grew up with Christian Science where you don't believe in funerals. In a way it's very unhealthy not to get closure, time to mourn. But the idea behind it is to let the person live on within you. I know that Cliff lives on within us."

Will you go to D?rarp to look at the memorial stone?

Hetfield: "Absolutely. There's no question all of us would enjoy it. Not so much to grieve but to see how loved Cliff is."

(Swedish-to-English translation provided by BLABBERMOUTH.NET)

Lars to rock Litquake

Mon, 02 Oct 2006 11:08:00 -0700

On Friday, October 6, Lars Ulrich will be joining other San Francisco musicians to kick-off Litquake, a non-profit literary festival encompassing nine days of reading and performances. Along with Ray Manzarek, Chuck Prophet, Mark Eitzel and many others, Lars will be paying tribute to books that have inspired musicians by doing a reading from one of his favorites. The event will be held at the Regency Center in San Francisco, begins at 8:00 p.m., and is being hosted by legendary writer and radio personality Ben Fong Torres.
[more]
For more information about Litquake, visit www.litquake.org.

Source: Blabbermouth

Get Thrashed: The Story of Thrash Metal

Sun, 01 Oct 2006 07:55:00 -0700

The makers of "Get Thrashed: The Story of Thrash Metal", the much-anticipated documentary profiling the thrash metal scene of the early Eighties and its impact on the music scene, have posted a 45-second video clip featuring Eric Peterson and Chuck Billy from TESTAMENT discussing getting signed, auditioning for Johnny Z from Megaforce and Cliff Burton's (METALLICA) death. (Windows Media).
[more]
"Get Thrashed: The Story of Thrash Metal" will world premiere at the 2006 Raindance Film Festival in London. The documentary will screen on October 3 at 9:15 p.m. at the CineWorld, Trocadero Centre, Piccadilly, London W1. Director Rick Ernst will be on hand at the event.

The Raindance Film Festival is the largest independent film festival in the United Kingdom. This year marks the 14th Raindance Film Festival and will take place from September 27 to October 8, 2006. The jury for this year's film festival includes, among others, Lou Reed, Dame Judi Dench, Marky Ramone and Dutch photographer and filmmaker Anton Corbijn.

The festival was established in 1992 and has gone on to feature such successes as "Pulp Fiction", "The Blair Witch Project", "Memento", "Oldboy", "Steve Balderson's Firecracker", "End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones", and many more.

"Get Thrashed", the brainchild of director Rick Ernst, a longtime freelance producer for MTV, will include interviews with METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX, EXODUS, GODSMACK, DISTURBED, SEVENDUST, TESTAMENT, OVERKILL, DEATH ANGEL, SHADOWS FALL, MESHUGGAH, HIRAX, IN FLAMES, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, STONE SOUR, SUPERJOINT RITUAL, LAMB OF GOD, VIO-LENCE, KREATOR, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, VOIVOD, CHIMAIRA, BIOHAZARD, FOZZY singer/WWE superstar Chris Jericho, SEPULTURA, KITTIE, THE HAUNTED, D.R.I., SOILWORK, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, HEATHEN, Brian Slagel, Jon & Marsha Zazula, authors Ian Christe ("Sound of the Beast") and Steven Blush ("American Hardcore"), NY metal radio DJ Eddie Trunk, "Radio Rampage"'s Ron Quintana, as well as unsigned thrash bands OSMIUM, CONCRETE COFFIN and VISCID.

Rest of the artice at Blabbermouth.net

Cliff Burton 'Memorial Day' To Be Held In Sweden

Mon, 25 Sep 2006 13:24:00 -0700

A "memorial day" for late METALLICA bassist Cliff Burton has been scheduled for Saturday, September 30 at the at Gyllene Rasten restaurant/bar (web site) in Ljungby, D?rarp, Sweden. It was on September 27, 1986 ? 20 years ago this Wednesday? that Burton died in a tragic bus accident in Sweden, just over the road from where Gyllene Rasten is located. The restaurant/bar will be playing METALLICA music from their early days when Cliff was in the band. Live videos will also be aired, including the "Cliff 'Em All" DVD. In addition, several bands will be performing Cliff-era METALLICA tunes, including AGE OF FURY (from Hillerstorp, Sweden), THE HAZE (Helsingborg, Sweden) and MORBID INSULTER (Gothenburg, Sweden). The first band will take the stage at 6:00 p.m.
[more]
As previously reported, metal disc jockey Drewcifer (creator of the KNAC.COM classic metal show "The Vault" and soon-to-be new host of "The Pit" on KMKF 101.5FM) will be hosting a Cliff Burton Tribute Night at the local rock club PJ's Pub in Manhattan, Kansas on September 26. Dubbed "Cliff 'Em All Again", the tribute will feature Cliff-era METALLICA music and memorabilia all night, including many live and rare recordings from his personal collection over the years. Classic METALLICA trivia and raffle giveaways, as well as personal accounts and stories from fans and patrons, can also be expected.

Blabbermouth.net

Lars Ulrich Performs 'Smoke On The Water' With IAN GILLAN

Wed, 13 Sep 2006 00:51:00 -0700

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich joined Ian Gillan on stage during the DEEP PURPLE frontman's solo gig Monday night (September 11) at Slim's in San Francisco. According to one eyewitness report at the Metclub.com forum, "Ian invited Lars to the stage and said Lars kept him drinking untill 4:00 a.m. in the morning the night before... Lars sat behind the drums and they played 'Smoke On The Water' just before the encore. It was a great treat! We all know what kind of an impact DEEP PURPLE had in Lars' life. I feel very lucky to witness him playing a DEEP PURPLE song with Ian Gillan. And I think Lars did a great job. Well done, Lars!"
[more]
Thanks to Blabbermouth.net

Cliff Burton Tribute In Kansas Scheduled For Next Month

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 02:19:00 -0700

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of METALLICA bassist Cliff Burton's untimely death in 1986, metal disc jockey Drewcifer (creator of the KNAC.COM classic metal show "The Vault" and soon-to-be new host of "The Pit" on KMKF 101.5FM) will be hosting a Cliff Burton Tribute Night at the local rock club PJ's Pub in Manhattan, Kansas on September 26. Dubbed "Cliff 'Em All Again", the tribute will feature Cliff-era METALLICA music and memorabilia all night, including many live and rare recordings from his personal collection over the years. Classic METALLICA trivia and raffle giveaways, as well as personal accounts and stories from fans and patrons, can also be expected.
[more]
Commented Drewcifer: "I can't believe that no one in the metal media has yet to mention the upcoming 20th anniversary of Cliff's death. It's sad really, because his passing still lingers with the older fans of the band and heavy metal in general, and no one has been able display talent like his since."

Cliff Burton died on September 27, 1986 in the infamous black ice bus accident in Sweden while METALLICA were en route from Stockholm to Copenhagen, Denmark supporting "Master of Puppets". Memorial services were held in his hometown of Castro Valley, CA on October 7, 1986.

"I can remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news that day, and my friends actually didn't believe me when I tried to spread the word," Drewcifer said. "I was a junior in high school and had been into METALLICA for years already. It was quite a blow at the time and the wound has never fully healed with many fans. His death was as much of a shock at the time as Dimebag's in 2004, and every bit as undeserved. The Major Rager On The 4-string Motherfucker will always live on in the hearts of die-hard metal fans."

You can view the event flier at www.chuckroaster.com.

Source Blabbermouth.net

MetallicA orchestral tribute due in october

Fri, 25 Aug 2006 09:17:00 -0700

Vitamin Records has set an October 10 release date for "Scorched Earth Orchestra Plays Metallica's Master of Puppets", an orchestral tribute to METALLICA's classic 1986 album.
[more]
"Master of Puppets" came out in the spring of 1986 and was METALLICA's first gold album and mainstream success. It featured staples of the band's live set such as "Battery", "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" and the title track.

It was also the last METALLICA album to feature bassist Cliff Burton, who was killed later that year in a tour bus crash.

A description of "Scorched Earth Orchestra Plays Metallica's Master of Puppets" reads as follows: "Vitamin Records celebrates the 20th anniversary of this incredibly influential album. Highlighting and building upon the epic 'Master of Puppets' themes, THE SCORCHED EARTH ORCHESTRA have fleshed out the entire album in this sprawling tribute. The full orchestral sound adds necessary weight while new sounds emerge from between METALLICA's notes. This is a true celebration of 'Master of Puppets' and a welcome addition to any collection."

Check out the cover artwork for "Scorched Earth Orchestra Plays Metallica's Master of Puppets" at [url=http://www.vitaminrecords.com/web/images/products/9143_lrg.jpg]this location[more][/url].

Source: Blabbermouth

Kirk Jamming With TOOL: Video Available

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 08:58:00 -0700

A low-quality video clip of METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett performing with TOOL during their headlining appearance at the Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu, Hawaii on Friday (August 18) has been posted online at YouTube.com.