SanitariuM

The 2012 Summer European Vacation

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:14:00 -0800

Here is how the 2012 Summer European Vacation is shaping up:

May 23, 2012 - Oslo, Norway Vallehovin
June 1, 2012 - Nurnberg, Germany Rock Im Park
June 2, 2012 - Nurburgring, Germany Rock Am Ring
June 6, 2012 - Horsens, Denmark State Prison Open Air
June 9, 2012 - Donington, England Download Festival
June 10, 2012 - Nickelsdorf, Austria Nova Rock

Ticket information can be found on the tour page of Metallica.com. MetClub members, be sure to login for pre-sale info on the Oslo and Horsens shows. Those of you have been following along know that this year's European vacation features 'The Black Album' in its entirety to celebrate the 20th (ish!!!) anniversary of its release in August of 1991. We just can't stay away from this anniversary stuff!!

Four Previously Un-released Tracks On iTunes

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:17:00 -0800

Last week we celebrated our 30th anniversary together with Fan Club members from around the world by playing four nights at the historic Fillmore in San Francisco . . . it was quite the bash each and every night! If you were able to join us at any or all of the parties, thanks for coming out to hang with us. And whether or not you were there, you may have heard that we added some unreleased tracks from the Death Magnetic sessions to the set list � one �new� song each night as part of the shenanigans on stage.

This week, we�re releasing those four tracks through iTunes exclusively in North America and on iTunes and additional digital retailers in other parts of the world as the "Beyond Magnetic" EP. All four studio versions of these songs were sent to Met Club members for free immediately following their live debut on stage at the Fillmore and are available now to everyone via the magic of digital downloading. They are the rough mixes, unfinished to their original degree of mixing from March of 2008, and those of you with very keen senses of sound might recognize bits and pieces from the �Mission Metallica� videos posted in the summer of 2008.

Thanks again to everyone who visited us in San Francisco. As Lars mentioned at the end of the last show, we�ll be back here in January with an announcement about a special interactive fan event in June of 2012 . . . we may ask you to do a little traveling again!

iTunes North America: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=485472347

iTunes Mexico: http://itunes.apple.com/mx/album/beyond-magnetic-ep/id487495053

iTunes Worldwide: http://smarturl.it/beyondmagneticep

BEYOND MAGNETIC TRACKLISTING:

1. Hate Train
2. Just A Bullet Away
3. Hell And Back
4. Rebel Of Babylon

30th Anniversary Concerts with $6 Tickets

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:03:00 -0700

Metallica turn the ripe age of 30 this year, and the band thinks �it�s cause for a major celebration.�

�Thirty years of Metallica� can you believe it?� the guys state on their official website. So, how is the world�s biggest metal band celebrating their 30th? With a concert, of course. Actually, four of them. The veteran band announced they�ll commemorate their glorious past with four special, fan-only shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco on December 5, 7, 9 and 10.

To sweeten up the celebration, the group is offering �80s pricing at just $6 per ticket or $19.81 for all four concerts (Get it � 1981?). These tickets are for fan club members only. Additional details will drop on the band�s website, and Metallica are �taking reservations" through August 8.

�These unique shows will include special guests and events, rare songs, varied set lists, odds and ends, and all the nutty stuff you expect from Metallica... fun for the entire family!� the site states.

�Come to the Bay Area and spend the week with us to not only close out 2011 out with a bang, but to celebrate over three decades worth of craziness� Hope to see you for a week of madness in December!�

METALLICA On Cover Of BILLBOARD's 'Musician's Guide'

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 23:54:00 -0700

METALLICA is featured on the cover of Billboard's Musician's Guide To Touring & Promotion summer/fall 2011 edition.

According to a press release, the book features "more than 6,000 updated contacts. It's everything the working musician needs to book gigs, contact record labels, find a manager, locate tour services, and more. It's information you can trust from the publishers of Billboard. And, unlike annual directories, the Musician's Guide is updated every six months."

For more information, click here.

Source: Blabbermouth.net

METALLICA HISTORY - 30 YRS DOCUMENTARY- 1981/2011

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 04:34:00 -0700

"Drummer looking for other metal musicians to jam with. Tygers of Pan Tang, Diamond Head and Iron Maiden." A 1981 newspaper ad run by drummer Lars Ulrich got things started and, 30 years later, Metallica are on top of the world.

Here >>

Big 4 To Sweden!

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 01:22:00 -0800

The final announcement in our recent series of European adventures finds us in Gothenburg, Sweden on July 3, 2011. Of course Anthrax, Megadeth and Slayer will all be there for our first Big 4 show in Scandinavia!

Tickets go on sale Monday, March 7 at 9:00 AM local time. Met Club members should check MetClub.com for more details about a special pre-sale this week.

That's it with announcements... for now!

Vinyl Re-Issues Return

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 07:46:00 -0800

Vinyl is back as we close out the re-issue series with the final three albums all in the pipeline now. First up is �Garage Inc.,� available in the Official Metallica Store this Thursday, February 24 and at your favorite record store next week on Tuesday, March 1 in North America. It hits the streets one month later on March 28 in the rest of the world, but you can pre-order it now here: Garage Inc. 3LP - Garage Inc. 6LP

Just like the previous releases, there will be two packages. Because �Garage Inc.� was originally released as a double CD, the vinyl sets will include a three disc gatefold package for the 33.3 version and a box set with six discs for the 180 gram, 45 rpm deluxe edition. All the music was half speed mastered from the original analog tapes at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood, CA to bring you audiophile quality.

A limited edition pressing of 100 copies of a white vinyl version of the deluxe box set will be available for MetClub.com members and on www.becausesoundmatters.com on this Thursday, February 24 at 1:00 PM PST

�S&M� is up next . . . look for that release in April.

Big 4 Again!

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 07:46:00 -0800

Last week we told you there would be a few more Big 4 shows and today's installment takes us to Milan, Italy. Look for more good times with Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer, and yours truly at the Fiera Open Air Arena on July 6, 2011.

Tickets will be available Friday, February 24 at 9:00 AM local time at www.ticketone.it. MetClub members should check MetClub.com for more details on a special pre-sale for Clubbers only.

METALLICA To Enter Studio In March Or April

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 13:09:00 -0800

Danish tabloid newspaper Ekstra Bladet conducted an interview with METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich last month at the band's headquarters in San Rafael, California. A few excerpts from the chat follow below. (Note: All original Danish-language quotes were translated into English by BLABBERMOUTH.NET.)

On when the band plans on returning to the studio to begin work on the follow-up to 2008's "Death Magnetic":

"There's a really good vibe in the band at the moment. In the past, we would be fed up with METALLICA whenever we returned home after a gigantic world tour, but this time it's different. Therefore it won't be that long before we start working on a new album. I think that we'll probably already get the creative process going in March or April and go into the studio. We really want to get back to METALLICA quickly because we are enjoying it so much right now."

On how the relationship between the METALLICA bandmembers has changed over the years:

"It helps our relationships that we've all got families and children and they all get along with each other. We really fucking like each other at the moment. There were a few years when things were really bad. We never really got to talk to each other; we would just grab a bottle of vodka and go out looking for girls. That meant that we weren't sharing our feelings with each other. Today we talk a lot about our children and our families. And the fact that we have something to talk about other than tonight's setlist is or if someone made a mistake during yesterday's show makes a big difference. In the last five or six years, we've found out where our limits are and we've made some rules regarding METALLICA. That's been necessary in order to make sure the entire thing doesn't collapse. For instance, we have a rule that we cannot be on the road for more than two weeks at a time during the school year and we make sure that we spend two weeks at home before going back on tour. That prevents us from burning out and falling into the trap that you can sometimes fall into when you are tired and worn out."
[more]
On playing 215 concerts in 45 countries in support of "Death Magnetic":

"Of course it's still hard to play that many shows, but the older you get, the less you take success for granted. It's beginning to dawn on us that what we have together is very special and that we're not gonna live forever. It's awesome that a bunch if semi-old farts like us can still travel around the world and thousands of people wanna share that experience with us."

On the 30th anniversary of his meeting with METALLICA frontman James Hetfield and the band's formation:

"It's been totally awesome. When I look back, what I'm most proud of is that we've actually survived, that we've lived through the last 30 years and come out of it relatively unscathed and that we are now able to function as a unit, as people and as fathers. We found solutions to the problems that we've had instead of letting internal squabbles destroy the band, which, for instance, happened to our friends in GUNS N' ROSES."

On whether Danish fans can expect to see METALLICA again anytime soon:

"The tour schedule hasn't been finalized yet, but as of right now, there are no plans to play Denmark. But let's see what happens. We usually come around every two or three years and our friends from the Roskilde festival also call us every now and then and ask us to play. If it doesn't happen this year, we will play in Denmark in 2012."

When asked in a December 2008 interview if "Death Magnetic" was a return to form for METALLICA, Ulrich replied. "I don't agree or disagree with it. The more I hear people say they're back and they're back to form. I sort of sit back and scratch my head and wonder, 'Well, we never went anywhere.' And the last time I checked the last several years have been very successful, sold-out concerts and so on. But then I also understand that maybe somehow we are doing something that is a little more of something that people perceive to be classic METALLICA. It's difficult for me to get into that categorization. For me, it's all one kind of ride or journey or whatever it is. But there's a obviously a lot of good will, a lot of love for METALLICA."

Regarding whether the band had an idea of what its wanted to do when it went into the studio, or if it was open to suggestion, Ulrich said, "We were always very open because we were working with [producer] Rick Rubin for the first time. We forced ourselves to be open to see where it would take us. As we started getting more and more into it we started getting heavier and heavier and a little more progressive. But it was not the place we started, it's where we ended."

Back in September 2008, METALLICA was the first group to see five of its albums bow at No. 1 on The Billboard 200. Previously, the act was tied with THE BEATLES, U2 and the DAVE MATTHEWS BAND, with four each. "Death Magnetic", which sold nearly half a million copies in the United States in just a three-day sales window, was also METALLICA's fifth consecutive studio album to debut at No. 1 and its seventh release to start with more than 300,000 since 1991, when Nielsen SoundScan began tracking data.

METALLICA is one of the top-selling artists of the SoundScan era, with cumulative U.S. sales of nearly 53 million copies. The band's 1991 self-titled fifth album, commonly known as "the black album," in 2009 surpassed SHANIA TWAIN's 1997 record, "Come On Over", as the best-selling CD of the SoundScan era. To date, the black album has sold more than 15.6 million copies.

The Big Four Coming To The States!

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 03:34:00 -0800

You've probably heard us all say it . . . the vibe was just so incredible at last year's Big 4 shows that we can't stop now!! So we're finally bringing the love to our home turf on April 23, 2011 with 'Tallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax in Indio, CA at the Empire Polo Club (yes, the more observant of you will note that this is the same spot where the Coachella Festival takes place the weekend before).

It's true - this is indeed the only scheduled stop in America this go around, so we're hoping that you can head West to join us. Tickets go on sale this Friday, January 28 at 10 AM PST and Fan Club members can check MetClub.com for pre-sale and VIP package info.

For more info about the show, including ticket pricing and transportation information, check out TheBig4Festival.com.

METALLICA No. 2 On Billboard's 'Hot Tours' List

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 07:17:00 -0700

According to Billboard.com, METALLICA ranks second (behind TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS) on the Hot Tours list with more than $6.1 million in ticket sales from three sellouts at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre (October 16, 18-19). The arena was one of five Australian venues booked during the final leg of the heavy metal band's "World Magnetic Tour" that originally kicked off in 2008. 42,603 total tickets were sold at the Brisbane arena for the three nights. Support at the shows came from LAMB OF GOD and BARONESS.

METALLICA To Release 'Six Feet Down Under' EP

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:56:00 -0700

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

"We're getting psyched up for our return to Australia and New Zealand next week . . . It's been six long years since we've visited and we're ready to throw down! The nice people at Universal Music were so darn excited that they actually suggested that we release something special to commemorate this last run of World Magnetic tour dates, so . . . ta-da . . . we present the 'Six Feet Down Under' limited-edition EP! Coming to Trans-Tasman record stores and right here at the Metallica.com store on September 20.

"Here's the story . . . The collective brain trust came up with what we thought might be a kinda fun idea . . . how about some live recordings from each time we have been lucky enough to visit the area? It was all well and good until we realized that we did not start making multi-track recordings of every show until 2004 . . . oops! But you guys, the fans, came to our rescue with some pretty decent bootleg options and we trimmed those down to two songs from each tour in 1989, 1993, 1998, and 2004. In digging a little deeper, it occurred to us that we had tracks that had never before been released as 'live b-sides' (we're not counting the bonus songs on iTunes, okay?) and that that added to the adventure of pulling it all together.

"Be gentle with us . . . a few of these songs are, well, we'll say 'rough,' which may be an understatement!! They do, however, capture the live moments and hopefully you'll have as much fun listening as we did playing on those nights."

"Six Feet Down Under" track listing:

01. Eye of the Beholder - Recorded live on May 4, 1989 at Festival Hall in Melbourne
02. ...And Justice For All - Recorded live on May 4, 1989 at Festival Hall in Melbourne
03. Through the Never - Recorded live on April 8, 1993 at the Entertainment Centre in Perth
04. The Unforgiven - Recorded live on April 4, 1993 at the National Tennis Centre in Melbourne
05. Low Man's Lyric (Acoustic) - Recorded live on April 11, 1998 at the Entertainment Centre in Perth
06. Devil's Dance - Recorded live on April 12, 1998 at the Entertainment Centre in Perth
07. Frantic - Recorded live on January 21, 2004 at the Entertainment Centre in Sydney
08. Fight Fire With Fire - Recorded live on January 19, 2004 at the Entertainment Centre in Brisbane

The Big Four . . . Coming To Your Local Theatre

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 04:26:00 -0700

Live from Sofia, Bulgaria on this Tuesday, June 22 . . . right to your local movie theatre via satellite. Don't miss this historic show with Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer, and of course Metallica as it beams into over 1,000 theatres in 31 countries. Check TheBigFourLive.com for the closest theatre and information on how to purchase tickets. Additional theatres are added almost daily, so be sure to look again if you were disappointed before . . . there are even some new countries on board! And in the U.S., there will be a special encore presentation at a number of theatres on Thursday, June 24.

More Tour Updates

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 04:25:00 -0700

More shows in Australia . . . that's correct, you're reading this right!! The boys will be heading down under a little earlier with shows added on September 15 in Melbourne at Rod Laver Arena and September 18 in Sydney at Acer Arena. Tickets go on sale June 25 at 9:00 AM, check here for various pre-sale information.

Tickets for the shows at Saitama Super Arena in Japan on September 25 and 26 go on sale July 3 at 10:00 AM, for more details, click here.

Back On The Road

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:44:00 -0700

The band will be back in Europe starting Monday, June 14 in Madrid. As usual, www.metontour.com and www.livemetallica.com will be following all the action with photos, videos, and live downloads of all the shows.

Tickets for the two shows in Tokyo on September 25 and 26 go on sale on July 3. Check www.metallica.com for all the details.

Stay tuned for a few more announcements of Fall shows in the coming weeks.

Big Four Movie Event

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:43:00 -0700

Tickets are still available for the special HD simulcast of one of the seven Sonisphere "Big Four" shows featuring 'Tallica along with Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax. The show will be coming to YOU from Sofia, Bulgaria on June 22 through the magic of satellite technology all right to your local movie theatre.

Lots of theatres have been added all over the world and the broadcast will now be available in 31 countries! On top of that, encore presentations on June 24 have been scheduled in select U.S. theatres with tickets going on sale starting June 11.

Check out www.thebigfourlive.com for more details, see a list of theatres, and buy tickets.

New Load Vinyl Available!!!

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:41:00 -0700

Wish I may, wish I might! Load Vinyl and Deluxe Vinyl is now available! A two-disc gatefold 33.3 version is available, as well as a four-disc, 180 gram, 45 rpm deluxe edition box set! All music was half speed mastered from the original analog tapes to bring you audiophile quality!

Warner Bros. Records AND metclub.com each are holding a one-time sale of 50 copies of the four-LP 45 rpm deluxe edition of Load on WHITE vinyl on Monday, June 14th at 1pm Pacific Time. Only 100 copies of this special set were pressed and were never released to retail.

Look for Load on vinyl at your local record shop in N. America on Tuesday, June 15 and in the rest of the world on July 5 with more vinyl reissues to come. Expect to see Re-Load next and, in the meantime, browse our selection of previous albums available on vinyl and deluxe vinyl formats here.
[more]
Are you satisfied? In honor of this special Load vinyl release, we have re-released the T-shirt featuring Pushead's original artwork inspired by the song "King Nothing!" Check in for these and even MORE new items at the MetStore including the One Allover Zip Hoodie, Cyanide Warning, Cyanide Bottle, and Kill Em Allover T-shirts!

Check out more new stuff in the Metallica Store.

Metallica add even more shows to Australian tour

Tue, 11 May 2010 16:24:00 -0700

Metallica�s upcoming World Magnetic Australian tour has grown even bigger with the addition of extra shows.

KYS previously reported that the band added second shows to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

However, now Metallica have been confirmed to play third and final shows in both Sydney and Melbourne with the addition of an extra concert in Perth and Adelaide.

The additional concert in Adelaide may well help die-hard fans who were recently affected by scalpers secure a ticket.

Tickets go on general sale 9 am Thursday May 13.

Metallica�s World Magnetic tour dates:

Monday 18th October � Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
Tuesday 19th October � Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
Friday 22nd October � Burswood Dome, Perth
Saturday 23rd October � Burswood Dome, Perth � (JUST ADDED)
Wednesday 10th November � ACER Arena, Sydney
Thursday 11th November � ACER Arena, Sydney
Saturday 13th November � ACER Arena, Sydney � (JUST ADDED)
Monday 15th November � Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
Tuesday 16th November � Entertainment Centre, Adelaide � (JUST ADDED)
Thursday 18th November � Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Saturday 20th November � Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Sunday 21st November � Rid Laver Arena, Melbourne � (JUST ADDED)

'Load' To Be Re-Released On Vinyl

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:32:00 -0700

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

"We know it's been a little time since we last talked vinyl, but we're keepin' our promise to release the entire catalog, bringing you 'Load' on May 18.

"If you've been following along, you know the drill � there will be two packages, a two-disc gatefold package for the 33.3 version, and a box for the four-disc, 180-gram, 45-rpm deluxe edition.

"All the music was half-speed-mastered from the original analog tapes at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood, California to bring you audiophile quality.

"Check out your fave local record shop, or just head over here to the METALLICA store to pick up a copy starting Tuesday, May 18.

"We don't have details on a release for our friends outside of North America at this time so we'll hit you back here as soon as we know more. And, of course, 'Re-Load' is next in the queue... tentative date for that to hit the streets is at the end of June."

Unauthorized JAMES HETFIELD Biography Due In April

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:22:00 -0700

"James Hetfield: The Wolf At Metallica's Door", the unauthorized biography of METALLICA's iconic frontman, is scheduled for release on April 22 via Independent Music Press. Penned by Scottish author and journalist Mark Eglinton, the book features interviews with key figures from Hetfield's past, telling insight into the gritty upbringing that moulded the man he would later become.

A description of the book reads as follows: "While the METALLICA story and that of Hetfield are closely linked, this honest and definitive biography focuses exclusively on the man himself, and successfully humanizes and demystifies one of metal's most guarded individuals. Not just that, some of Hetfield's childhood friends from his days growing up in Downey, California have agreed to talk for the first time about their relationship with him; a feature which truly sets this book apart from all related titles to date. Additionally, there is vital input from metal peers such as Charlie Benante [ANTHRAX], Jerry Cantrell [ALICE IN CHAINS], Rex Brown [PANTERA, DOWN], Jeff Waters [ANNIHILATOR] and Mille Petrozza [KREATOR], among a list of equally important others, and to kick things off there's an excellent and fitting foreword by legendary [TESTAMENT] singer Chuck Billy.

"A sad fact worth mentioning too is that both of James Hetfield's parents succumbed to cancer, and as a gesture of recognition, the U.K. publisher IMP is donating 25p of every copy sold to the Cancer Research charity."
[more]
"James Hetfield: The Wolf At Metallica's Door" is described as "essential reading for both fans of the man, or indeed anyone receptive to a genuinely inspiring human story."

The book is available to pre-order now on Amazon.com
.

source: Blabbermouth.net

Metallica to Give Two Concerts in Moscow

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:28:00 -0800

The 24th and 25th of April will see two concerts of Metallica in the Olympic Stadium, Moscow.

The band will visit Russian capital in the framework of its world tour World Magnetic Tour 2010 in support of its last album Death Magnetic.

The previous concert of Metallica band in Russia took place only in St.-Petersburg on the improvised Day of Metallica in Russia on 18th July, 2008 � on that day in 2007 they band gave a concert in Moscow Luzhniki Stadium.

For the first time the legendary group made its appearance in Russia in September, 1991 at the memorable concert in Tushino, Moscow, together with AC/DC, Pantera, Black Crowes, and other American and Russian bands.

Source: daymusic.ru

METALLICA Confirmed For ROCK IN RIO MADRID

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:27:00 -0800

METALLICA has been confirmed for this year's Rock in Rio Madrid festival, which will take place over two six days � June 4-5, June 10-12 and June 14 � at Rock City, a 200,000-square-meter (50-acre) area in Arganda del Rel, 17 km (10 miles) from Madrid, Spain. METALLICA will appear at the event on Monday, June 14.

Tickets go on sale February 23 at 12:01 a.m. at www.rockinrio.com or in Spain through El Corte Ingles (902 400 222). The daily ticket price is 69 euros and VIP tickets may be purchased by sending an e-mail to taquilla@rockinrio.com.

According to Billboard, Rock in Rio was founded in Rio de Janeiro in January 1985, and subsequent events in Lisbon and Madrid have been arranged by Brazilian founder Medina. This will be the second Rock in Rio Madrid. The first, in 2008, was attended by 290,000 fans.

MALIGNO To Support METALLICA In Mexico

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:31:00 -0800

Mexican doom rockers MALIGNO will support METALLICA and MASTODON on the Mexican leg of their 2010 "Death Magnetic" world tour.

The dates are as follows:

March 01 - Guadalajara, Mexico - Estadio Tres de Marzo
March 03 - Monterrey, Mexico - Estadio Universitario

MALIGNO says in a statement: "We are truly honored to be selected and play with these great bands that have a very strong connection with our style of music and especially in our hometown Monterrey."
[more]
MALIGNO released its second album, "Universevil", on September 1, 2008 in Mexico via Iguana and Asenath Records. The CD was named one of the top ten albums of 2008 by Latin artist by Rolling Stone magazine Mexico, and it was honored in the "Best Metal Album" category at the Indie-O awards, which recognizes the best of independent music in Mexico.

"Universevil" was recorded at La Nave studios in Monterrey, Mexico and was mastered by Alan Douches (MASTODON, HIGH ON FIRE, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, BARONESS).

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/malignodoom.

METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH And ANTHRAX To Share Stage In Europe

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:20:00 -0800

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

"You've been posting and chatting about it for months and we're here now to confirm it . . . METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH, and ANTHRAX will all share the same stage for the first time EVER! Look for the four of us at the Sonisphere shows in Warsaw, Poland and Prague, Czech Republic on June 16 and 19, 2010, with a few more of the festival dates still in the works. You can be sure these shows won't be the only ones."
[more]
Commented METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich: "Who would have thought that more than 25 years after its inception, thrash metal's 'Big Four' would not only still be around and more popular than ever, but will now play together for the first time...what a mindfuck! Bring it on!"

The announcement on METALLICA's official web site seems to directly contradict MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine's December 8, 2009 online posting in which he said, "Although there have been many rumors about a reunion of the 'Big Four' set to happen in Eastern Europe next summer, the plan never came together for us. We are hopeful that this will happen for real one day and will keep you posted as things develop."

Rumors of a massive tour featuring thrash metal's "Big Four" � METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX � first began circulating this past summer after SLAYER guitarist Kerry King told U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine that Ulrich was trying to make the package a reality. Those rumors were seemingly squashed when METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett said that the outing would never see the light of day. Kirk said in an early October radio interview, "That tour is not gonna happen. I've been hearing that, we've all been hearing that for awhile. I get asked about it regularly. And as far as a tour going on, it's not gonna happen." When asked why, Hammett said, "Conflicting schedules, conflicting personalities, a lot of conflicting things. It's a good idea though. And, personally, I can see the significance of playing a tour like that, but... it's not gonna happen."

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield recently gave The Pulse of Radio a little more insight into how the "Big Four" tour rumor started. "I think it was certainly spurred on by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and getting all these great, nostalgic feelings, you know. And, you know, the more we thought about � 'Hey, you know what? We should celebrate the Bay Area thrash scene. Why don't we make a reunion of that or something?' And it basically morphed into, you know, the Big Four doing a gig together, and how cool that would be. Pretty much it went as far as that."

Hetfield added that while the idea was looked into, it never really got that far. "We kind of talked a little bit about it, went back and forth," he said. "No one really looked into it. But then the rumor got out and it's one of those things like, 'Well, is it true?' It's one of those awkward positions that you're in � you have a good idea, and you haven't followed through with it quite yet. But I think it would be a great celebration of the past and where we are now in our lives. I think it would be great."

Much of the fan speculation about such a tour revolved around the participation of MEGADETH, which is led by former METALLICA guitarist Dave Mustaine. Mustaine has expressed ambivalence about opening for the band that kicked him out 27 years ago and has gone as far as to say that he would not be interested in playing "in the round" (with the stage in the center of the arena and the crowd surrounding), which seems to be METALLICA's preferred stage setup nowadays.

Mexico DVD and New Shows Announced

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:34:00 -0800

Orgullo, Pasion y Gloria: Tres Noches En La Ciudad de Mexico

In June of this year we were fortunate enough to return to Mexico City for three sold out shows at Foro Sol Stadium and with 155,000 of you there over the three nights, we knew it would be extra special. So we asked our friend Wayne Isham to join us with a film crew and the results of that crazy, magical, most memorable long weekend will be available on DVD and CD starting November 30 as "Orgullo, Pasion y Gloria: Tres Noches En La Ciudad de Mexico" ("Pride, Passion, and Glory: Three Nights in Mexico City").
[more]
The region free DVD's and CD's include songs from all three shows recorded on June 4, 6, and 7. Each show had a unique set list, totaling 34 different songs . . . they're all there on the two DVD set along with interviews with us. Other versions that will be available include one DVD (18 tracks), Blu-ray version of that DVD, a digi-pack with the DVD and two CD's, and finally the aforementioned deluxe version in a slip case with two DVD's and two CD's. Track listings for each configuration can be seen here. In keeping with the local theme, all the credits will be in Spanish (Portuguese for our Brazilian buddies) and will only be available at stores in Latin America. Of course we will also have it in The Official Metallica.com Store, starting sometime the week of December 7.

Most areas of Latin America will have the DVD available on November 30, however if you live in Brazil, check your local music store on December 8 and for fans in Argentina and Chile, "Orgullo, Pasion y Gloria: Tres Noches En La Ciudad de Mexico" hits the stores on December 10. All DVD's are region free and will play on any player worldwide.

And of course since we had such an amazing time in Mexico, we can't wait to go back . . .check out the just added tour dates below!

Click here for tracklists and format availablity by country.

More cities we have never been to!

We're really excited for today's installment of "where are they going now" as we tell you about four shows coming up in cities we have never played in!! The March leg of the World Magnetic tour kicks off on March 1 in Guadalajara, Mexico (which, btw, we were honored to visit as part of the MTV Latin American Music Awards), heads to Monterrey, Mexico on March 3, and then over to Guatemala City, Guatemala on March 5. We will close out this leg of the tour in San Juan, Puerto Rico on March 14, where we technically have BEEN before, but two or three of you may remember that unfortunately the show scheduled in 1993 was rained out.

All the specifics are below. Head over to www.metclub.com for more details about special pre-sales for members.

Jan 19 Lima, Peru Estadio San Marcos
Jan 21 Buenos Aires, Argentina River Plate Stadium
Jan 26 Santiago, Chile Club Hipico
Jan 28 Porto Alegre, Brazil Zequinha Stadium
Jan 30 Sao Paulo, Brazil Morumbi Stadium
Mar 1 Guadalajara, Mexico Estadio Tres de Marzo
Mar 3 Monterrey, Mexico Estadio Universitario
Mar 5 Guatemala City, Guatemala Estadio Mateo Flores
Mar 7 San Jose, Costa Rica Saprissa Stadium
Mar 8 Panama City, Panama Plaza Figali
Mar 10 Bogota, Colombia Park Simon Bolivar
Mar 12 Caracas, Venezuela La Rinconada
Mar 14 San Juan, Puerto Rico Coliseo de Puerto Rico
Apr 13 Oslo, Norway Telenor Arena
Apr 14 Oslo, Norway Telenor Arena
Apr 17 Riga, Latvia Riga Arena
Apr 18 Riga, Latvia Riga Arena
Apr 20 Vilnius, Lithuania Siemens Arena
Apr 24 Moscow, Russia SK Olimpiisky
Apr 25 Moscow, Russia SK Olimpiisky

Keep watching the website. . . there's more to come!

souce: Metallica Mailing List

More Tour Dates in 2010 in Latin America and Europe

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:30:00 -0800

Shows in Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Norway, and Russia added!

Jan 19 Lima, Peru Estadio San Marcos
Jan 21 Buenos Aires, Argentina River Plate Stadium
Jan 26 Santiago, Chile Club Hipico
Jan 28 Porto Alegre, Brazil Zequinha Stadium
Jan 30 Sao Paulo, Brazil Morumbi Stadium
Mar 7 San Jose, Costa Rica Saprissa Stadium
Mar 8 Panama City, Panama Plaza Figali
Mar 10 Bogota, Colombia Park Simon Bolivar
Mar 12 Caracas, Venezuela La Rinconada
Apr 13 Oslo, Norway Telenor Arena
Apr 24 Moscow, Russia SK Olimpiisky
Apr 25 Moscow, Russia SK Olimpiisky

Metallica to play again in Argentina

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:08:00 -0800

Metallica will return to Argentina to give a show on January 21 in the River Plate stadium. While so far only this date has come to light, it is estimated that there will be more concerts.

There will be a presale of tickets for the fans club on 23 and 24 Nomvember, and other for CITI members from November 25 to December 9.

On line: at www.ticketek.com.ar from 09.00 pm. Phone: Call 011 5218 2484 (CITI), from 9.00 to 21 pm.[more]

Anyway, the sale to the general public will begin on December 10 and it a maximum of four tickets may be sold per person.

James Hetfield�s band, who has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, will launch Death Magnetic, his ninthy studio original album.�

The band�s bassist, Robert Trjillo said: �For me, going to South America is special. Fans are on another level. Going down to that region of the world and seeing that culture is very exciting for us.�

Source: momento24.com

South American AND Central American Dates

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:52:00 -0800

We've been having such an amazing time on the road that there is no way we're stopping now! So in the first of what will be quite a few announcements of 2010 dates, we are super psyched to confirm that we will indeed be visiting South and Central America in the first part of the year. It is extra special because we're actually going to places that Metallica has NEVER played before, including our first show in the new year in Lima, Peru on January 19, 2010 at Estadio San Marcos. In March, we will again be in cities we have never played before . . . San Jose, Costa Rica and Panama City, Panama to be specific. And as we've only had the chance to visit Caracas and Bogota once before in 1999, this leg of the World Magnetic tour is sure to be a memorable one.
[more]
All the show and ticket details are here:

January 19 Lima, Peru Estadio San Marcos On Sale November 14
March 7 San Jose, Costa Rica Saprissa Stadium On Sale November 17
March 8 Panama City, Panama Plaza Figali On Sale November 17 at Ticket Plus Stores
March 10 Bogota, Columbia Park Simon Bolivar On Sale November 17
March 12 Caracas, Venezuela La Rinconada On Sale November 17

Met Club members, be sure to check MetClub.com for information about how you can purchase tickets in special pre-sales.

Metallica Planning Metal Super-Tour, Loved By Monkeys

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:51:00 -0700

The men from Metallica continue to plow through the country on a seemingly never-ending tour for their most recent album Death Magnetic, and this morning they find themselves the subject of two very different but equally compelling news stories. The first comes from an interview with Slayer's Kerry King in U.K. rock magazine Metal Hammer. King told the magazine the he has heard from several sources that Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich was thinking about planning a tour that would feature Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax (referred to in metal circles as the "Big Four" of thrash). "I don't know Lars that well and I haven't heard it from Lars, but apparently he's talking to somebody about it," King said. Such a tour would not only be really loud but would also represent a homecoming for Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine, who was Metallica's original guitarist.
[more]
In other Metallica news, they have been cited in a U.K. study that is looking into how human music may have evolved. Researchers played a series of musical selections for tamarin monkeys and gauged their response. The scientists played songs by Nine Inch Nails, Tool and Samuel Barber, as well as "monkey music." The only human tune they had any noticeable reaction to? Metallica's "Of Wolf and Man" (from 1991's self-titled record). Amazingly, the metal tune had a calming effect on the animals, which is unusual considering its aggressive nature. Perhaps the tamarins will soon be able to see their new favorite band � along with Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax � live in concert.

Source: MTV

Metallica Beat AC/DC and Zeppelin Among Radio Listeners

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 02:19:00 -0700

Metallica's Enter Sandman is the number one song on Rock Radio listeners' top 500, it was revealed over the bank holiday weekend. Thousands of fans voted in Rock Radio Manchester's online poll, submitting their top ten tracks of all time, which was then built into a total top 500.

But while Metallica had four entries in the top 50 � matching Led Zeppelin and Guns n'Roses - AC/DC appeared six times. The Rolling Stones and Iron Maiden had three each, with Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath and the Who on two apiece.
[more]
Classic-era bands made up the majority of the placings, with Muse the youngest band to appear in the top 100 � their Knights of Cydonia was at No.89. Pearl Jam, Green Day, Soundgarden, Pantera and Foo Fighters also made the cut. - Check out the top 10 and other results

Performance At Belgium's ROCK WERCHTER To Be Streamed Live

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:25:00 -0700

METALLICA's July 5, 2009 concert at the Rock Werchter festival in Werchter, Belgium will be available for listening and/or viewing via live radio and webcasts.

Here's how you can tune in:

On the web: www.rockwerchter.be

On the radio:

Belgian (Flemish speaking): Studio Brussel
French: Pure FM
German: BRF
Dutch: 3FM
[more]
As previously reported, METALLICA's July 7, 2009 concert in Nimes, France at Ar�nes de N�mes will be professionally filmed for a forthcoming DVD release. The disc will be made available on October 19 through French music stores and online shops only, as well as via the band's official web site, Metallica.com.

WorMee will stream METALLICA's concert in Nimes from July 10 until July 13. You just need to register with the site to watch, and the stream is available to everyone around the world.

METALLICA's three concerts in Mexico City were also filmed for a separate DVD release. The band played Mexico City for the first time in a decade on June 4, June 6 and June 7, with the group keeping the shows on its schedule despite the recent outbreak of swine flu that originated in the area.

source : blabbermouth.net

First-Ever CLIFF BURTON Biography

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:05:00 -0700

METALLICA is currently selling "To Live Is To Die: The Life And Death Of Metallica's Cliff Burton", the first-ever Burton biography, via the band's official web site. Written by U.K.-based author Joel McIver and published by Jawbone Press, the book includes a foreword by Cliff's close friend in METALLICA, Kirk Hammett.[more]

"I'm deeply honored that Kirk spoke to me for the Cliff Burton biography," McIver (pictured below with Hammett) told BLABBERMOUTH.NET earlier this year. "We talked about the rollercoaster ride of METALLICA's early career which he and Cliff experienced, from the time that both men joined the band in early 1983 until Cliff's death three and a half years later. The impact that Burton had on the rest of METALLICA, both musically and as an example of how to stick to your principles in the music industry, was profound � and Kirk provided a perspective on that impact which couldn't have come from anywhere else."

Other interviewees who spoke to McIver for this book, many for the first time on the public record, include Cliff's bass teacher Steve Doherty; legendary reporter and photographer Brian Lew; Bay Area headbanger Harald Oimoen, the subject of "The Ballad Of Harald O" by the infamous SPASTIK CHILDREN, in which Cliff played; that band's frontman Fred Cotton; EXODUS founder Gary Holt; Metal Blade label founder Brian Slagel; photographer Ross Halfin; Cliff's first guitar tech Chuck Martin; METALLICA's first fanclub manager K.J. Doughton; "Ride The Lightning" and "Master Of Puppets" producer Flemming Rasmussen; the last reporter to interview Cliff, J�rgen Holmstedt; roadie and ex-METAL CHURCH guitarist John Marshall, who was also in the bus crash which killed Burton; Lennart Wennberg, the photographer at the scene of the crash; and Cliff's girlfriend for the last year of his life, Corinne Lynn.

After Kirk Hammett's foreword, separate introductions are provided by a range of musicians influenced by Burton, including Mikael �kerfeldt (OPETH), Alex Webster (CANNIBAL CORPSE), Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT), Dave Ellefson (F5, ex-MEGADETH) and a host of other musicians and writers.

McIver's earlier book, "Justice For All: The Truth About Metallica", will be republished in its third edition in the summer by Omnibus Press. "Looks like that first METALLICA book has taken on a life of its own," comments the author. "Since its publication five years ago it's been translated into nine languages: clearly there was a gap in the market for a fully comprehensive book on METALLICA. Lars Ulrich told me recently that he's constantly asked to sign copies of it all over the world."

source: Blabbermouth.net

LAMB OF GOD To Support METALLICA On North American Tour

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:04:00 -0700

Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD will be the main support act on the fall leg of METALLICA's North American tour, starting on September 14 in Nashville and running through the end of November. According to LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler, "We will be doing a considerable amount of headline shows throughout this tour as well." He added, "This will be our final U.S. tour of 2009."[more]

For a list of the LAMB OF GOD dates with METALLICA, go to this location.

MetallicA has a "secret" and moves Ottawa show back 5 days

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:25:00 -0700

MetallicA have been forced to reschedule their planned Ottawa appearance, but they're being very secretive as to why. The band had been set to play the Canadian city on October 29th but sent an e-mail to fans last night saying it's been pushed back five days to November 3rd. As for the reason, they simply say, "We're happy to report that it has nothing to do with oysters, but can only tell you right now that the date change is due to a scheduling conflict with a very cool event coming up around that time. We wanted to let you know about the new date in Ottawa ASAP, but we've been sworn to secrecy on all other fronts." You may recall that James Hetfield blamed some bad oysters for the illness that forced him to miss a planned Stockholm show earlier this year.
[more]
To make up to Ottawa fans for the inconvenience of rescheduling, everyone who attends the November 3rd show will receive a certificate for a free MP3 download of the concert. In the meantime, the band are promising more details on the secret "very cool event" in mid to late July.

source abc radio network

Metallica Unleashed

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 07:30:00 -0700

WHAT A remarkable Metallica concert in Helsinki�s Hartwell Arena 14 June. The band was more alive then ever opening up with That Was Just Your Life, followed by The End of the Line, the first two tracks off the new album Death Magnetic.

Singer and guitarist James Hetfield comments that �what goes well with the new stuff � is the old stuff,� as he pounded the stage with electric presence and high powered energy. Kirk Hammett continues to prove that he�s more than just a thrasher - he�s an extremely talented musician as lead guitarist. This was the first time I�ve seen bassist Rob Trujillo performing in person, and he was equally impressive matching the intensity of Hetfield.[more]

The metal band wouldn�t count without a drummer and what a drummer he is. Lars Ulrich, one of the founders and original members of Metallica, has been literally on the edge of his seat during the concert banging, clashing, whacking and trashing with the power of 1000 watts.

Metallica delivered sharp and melodic metal along with incredible energy that makes you want to slam and mosh. There�s nothing like a crowd that knows every word to every song. Hetfield repeatedly stepped back to let the crowd take over and take part in the making of music.

Metallica fans obsessively recognised every step, every song that connected with the electric energy emanating from the band. The beat pulsed through their bodies, the sound filling their souls as the band built up the atmosphere with innovative laser and lighting effects. Classic pieces like Sad But True, All Nightmare Long, Master of Puppets and Enter Sandman brought fans and artists alike into one metal family, one metal soul, one metal head.

Some personal highlights include Master of Puppets and a new track, The Day That Never Comes.

Jacek Walczak
http://www.jazzphoto.fi/

Metallica playing benefit for Rock Museum exhibit

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 01:44:00 -0700

Metallica will play a benefit concert for the Marin County Museum in San Rafael, California this September, according to the Contra Costa Times. The announcement was made by frontman James Hetfield in a video screened at a museum gala last week for the "Marin Rocks" exhibition, where attendees paid $200 a ticket to raise funds for the project. The Museum pulled the project from its original intended location in a downtown space owned by the local Masonic Lodge, citing concerns over the cost of renovating the space, its size, and the length of the lease that the Lodge was offering.
[more]
The Museum is now looking for a new and larger space for the exhibition, which will tentatively open next spring and showcase Marin Country's rich rock history.

Also appearing in the video with Hetfield was Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro. Hetfield and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich both live in Marin and send their children to local schools.

The Metallica show will be the first in the county by the group, who are likely to play at the 2,000-seat Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium.

Museum executive director Merry Alberigi said, "Metallica very much supports the 'Marin Rocks' project, and especially the educational programs to be offered for our youth. They have kids in school here in Marin County and they want to give back."

Metallica is currently touring in Europe but will launch a North American trek in September.

The Rock Radio

On Upcoming DVD Shoot

Thu, 28 May 2009 03:51:00 -0700

"There's been a little chatter here and there about us filming a few shows this summer for potential release on DVD and among the countless Internet rumors, these ones are actually true! We thought it would be cool to document a few shows that are unique and sure to be extra memorable for us, and hopefully for you too . . . First up are the three sold out shows in Mexico City, Mexico at Foro Sol on June 4, 6, 7 and later this summer, we also plan to have the cameras rolling at the sold-out show in Nimes, France at Arenes de Nimes, the historic Roman amphitheatre where we'll be on July 7. For any METALLICA friends going to these shows, bring your war faces and don't be scared of the cameras!!"
[more]
METALLICA has issued several DVDs in the past, including "Cliff 'Em All", "Cunning Stunts", "S&M With The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra" and "A Year And A Half".

HETFIELD Once Again Performs With MACHINE HEAD

Mon, 18 May 2009 12:23:00 -0700

James Hetfield once again joined MACHINE HEAD on stage last night (Sunday, May 17) at Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany to perform the song "Aethetics Of Hate", taken from MH's latest album, "The Blackening".

Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.[more]

JAMES HETFIELD Performs With MACHINE HEAD In Oberhausen

Sun, 17 May 2009 13:16:00 -0700

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield joined MACHINE HEAD on stage last night (Saturday, May 16) at KoPi-Arena in Oberhausen, Germany to perform the song "Aethetics Of Hate", taken from MH's latest album, "The Blackening".

Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.[more]

MACHINE HEAD is in the middle of a lengthy world tour as the support act for METALLICA.

In a 2008 interview with Revolver magazine, Hetfield spoke highly of MACHINE HEAD, stating, "We just did some dates with them over in Europe. And man, I couldn't get enough. It was unbelievable . . . They're so heavy, and super-friendly. They get it, and they love it. The last album, 'The Blackening' � unbelievable. Unbelievable sound, power. It sounds like a band on fire. They have really turned it on again for me."

Speaking to Metal Hammer magazine, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich concurred, stating, "The staying power of that record ['The Blackening'] is unbelievable. I have a six-CD changer in my car and that has been in there for the better part of the last year. I listen to it and my kids listen to it � it's a great record. MACHINE HEAD have been around for a while now, but on this record, it seems like they found their strength again and made a mindfuck of a record. Even though it's a couple of years old now, they're out there playing with us every night and fucking bringing the house down. And on top of that, it's a pleasure to have them around. Even though Robb [Flynn, MACHINE HEAD frontman] does such a good job of giving this impression that he's an absolute lunatic, he's actually a really nice guy to be around. All of them, the whole gang, it's just a pleasure to have them around. But, like I told Robb the other day, maybe they should think about going and recording another record soon. [Laughs.] We all wanna hear it!"

Asked by Metal Hammer magazine what his thoughts were on James Hetfield saying how influential "The Blackening" was for METALLICA, Flynn said, "I saw some YouTube clips of some stuff he said in interviews, [and] my brain basically discombobulated! I could not believe it. I was so honored and amazed, dude. Maybe it's because I'm from the Bay Area, maybe it's because METALLICA has meant so much to me over my life. I mean, MACHINE HEAD was formed at a METALLICA show, at the Day On The Green [festival in San Francisco] on the 'black album' tour. So they've been so important to me [that] maybe I've wanted some kind of approval from them for some reason. I've wanted some kind of 'Yeah, you guys are cool' from them. To read the things James said about 'The Blackening', my jaw hit the fucking floor, dude. My jaw hit the fucking floor!"

(Thanks: TakeMyScars.com)

Jason Newsted On Leaving Metallica: �I Have Never Looked Back�

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 06:41:00 -0700

Jason Newsted�s 15-year stint playing bass for one of heavy metal�s biggest acts came to an end nine years ago, when he exited Metallica for �private and personal reasons and the physical damage I have done to myself over the years while playing the music that I love.� On April 4th, when Metallica are inducted into Cleveland, Ohio�s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Newsted will be there to accept rock�s highest honor, and he�s even agreed to reunite with drummer Lars Ulrich, frontman James Hetfield and guitarist Kirk Hammett for an impromptu set he promises will include �at least one song about Satan.�[more]

Since splitting the band to form the short-lived Echobrain, Metallica fans have wondered whether Newsted has ever regretted leaving the band. With less than a week to go before the Rock Hall, Newsted tells Rolling Stone the answer is absolutely not.

�I tell you very honestly, 1 billion percent, I have never regretted leaving Metallica,� Newsted says. �It was the right thing for everyone. It was the right thing to do for the camp, that�s it. I�ve never told anyone that I wanted to go back or anything like that, not once. I made up my mind. It was not an easy thing to do, but it was something I had to do. I thought about it very much before I pulled the trigger, and because of that, I have never looked back. The past is where its supposed to be.�

Perhaps that�s why Newsted has yet to see a copy of Guitar Hero: Metallica, a video game that doesn�t even feature him in pixilated glory. According to Newsted, he wasn�t even aware of his absence from the game.

�I haven�t seen it, but it�s a wonderful thing that we were able to do, as long as it�s the music that we played and we recorded that everybody is playing along to or listening to,� he says. �And a new generation is getting turned on to Metallica� all of these are positive things. But I�ve never touched a Guitar Hero. I don�t play video games. I play the real instruments. I don�t waste my time with anything else.�

Newsted, who says he�s recently put the finishing touches on Voivod�s 15th studio offering (it will be the band�s last effort featuring late guitarist Denis �Piggy� D�Amour�s contributions, and is slated for release in June), says Metallica is worthy of the Rock Hall, and says he�s still a fan of his former band.

�I was one of the biggest fan of the band before I went in, and I�m a Metallica fan still,� he says. �I was always the one person in the world who had an inside look and an outside look at the band, at the same time, and now, I�ve been out for a while, and I�m able to be a fan again.�

Does that mean Newsted likes Death Magnetic? �It was better than St. Anger.�

Source: Rolling Stone blogs

JASON NEWSTED With METALLICA At ROCK HALL Induction/update

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 14:22:00 -0700

As previously reported, the Metallica guest list for the April 4 induction includes staffers from the band's previous labels, Megaforce and Elektra, journalists and photographers who have been supportive over the group's career, producers and musician friends.

It was also reported that Dave Mustaine would not be able to attend. However, what wasn't reported [here] are some vital details that Metallica Blog Magnetic reported: that Dave Mustaine will not be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the rest of the band, including all three bassists. Perhaps it goes without saying, but Jason Newsted cleared things up.[more]

"There's three bass players getting inducted, and James, Lars and Kirk," former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted said. Former guitarist Dave Mustaine will not be inducted. "Its not my decision. I have nothing to do with that. It was decided by the band, and I think it was just a hard-and-fast rule� anyone who has recorded on any Metallica recordings that have been released to the public as an official release were invited to the induction. So, that's kind of that."

That excludes Ron McGovney of the three bassists as well, for those who were counting.

Ray Burton, father of Cliff Burton, who was Metallica's bassist from 1982 until his death in 1986, will accept on behalf of his son.

Newsted plans to perform with Metallica during the ceremony. For the first time in nine years, "the Black Album band will be back together and mow the shit down," as Jason Newsted puts it.

"I talked to Lars, and it's all good," Jason Newsted said. "I was happy to hear from him. I hadn't talked to him for a long time, so it was nice to hear his voice. It was basically as if no time had passed, as far as the conversation went. We picked up right where we left off. It was just absolutely positive. It was like, there we were, getting ready to get a beer some place. And Lars is ready to rock. He sounded like a kid again talking about the induction, and I felt pretty much like that, too. Getting fired up to rock after that many years� it's pretty special."

Source: Metallica Blog Magnetic

JASON NEWSTED With METALLICA At ROCK HALL Induction

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 08:25:00 -0700

Flea of the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS will induct METALLICA at the sold-out Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony Saturday, April 4, at Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio.

"It's cool that he's not in a heavy metal band but is a well-respected musician you might not expect," METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett told Billboard.com. Former bassist Jason Newsted will join the band that night and will "most likely" perform with the group," Hammett told About.com. "He put in 14 years with METALLICA, so I think there's no reason for him not to be there," he said. Drummer Lars Ulrich told Billboard.com that the evening "will be like a family reunion � a whole big pile of people, lots of friends."
[more]
The event will be televised live on Fuse and available online at www.fuse.tv.

Joining the band as inductees are guitar legend JEFF BECK, RUN-DMC, BOBBY WOMACK, and LITTLE ANTHONY & THE IMPERIALS.

METALLICA are first-time nominees, with the nomination coming 25 years after the release of the band's 1983 debut album, "Kill 'Em All". An act must be recording for a quarter century in order to be eligible.

Frontman James Hetfield tells EW.com, "We're very honored to be recognized. There's a whole genre around us that hopefully we can invite through the door. Hopefully there will be recognition for some of the bands that have changed music and changed people�s lives. That's what I think the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame should be about. There are certainly a lot of bands that aren't in there that I can't believe aren't: MOT�RHEAD, RUSH, JUDAS PRIEST, DEEP PURPLE. But for us to be in there, hopefully we can bring some awareness to heavy stuff."

source: Blabbetrmouth.net

Metallica Cancel Swedish Concert

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 01:53:00 -0700

Metallica cancelled a concert in Stockholm, Sweden on Sunday night after James Hetfield was brought down by a stomach bug and taken to hospital just before the band was to take the Globe Arena stage.

"Trust me, none of you guys wanna hear me, Rob or Kirk sing," Lars Ulrich told the 16,000 people who showed up to see Metallica. He added the band were "truly, truly, truly sorry" about the cancellation.

Hetfield was also suffering from dehydration, but was released from hospital and returned to the U.S. with his bandmates.

DAVE MUSTAINE: 'I Am So Very Proud Of All You Have Accomplished'

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 01:29:00 -0800

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has posted the following "open letter" on the band's official web site:

"METALLICA, as you know, has been selected to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So, it is with much respect that I say congratulations!

"I also had the nice surprise of hearing that they called to invite me to the pre-ceremony party the night before, and then to the actual ceremony. Unfortunately, as you all know, I will be winding down our European tour with JUDAS PRIEST, so I will be unable to attend. However, I'd like to say to Lars (Ulrich) and James (Hetfield), I am so very proud of all you have accomplished. I will continue to pray for the very best for you and your families, as I always have.

"Thank you for the invitation and thinking of me."
[more]
MEGADETH's "Priest Feast" European tour with JUDAS PRIEST and TESTAMENT is scheduled to wrap on March 23 in Amsterdam, Holland.

METALLICA will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during an April 4 ceremony at Cleveland's Public Hall.

In a late 2008 interview with Rolling Stone magazine about the band's nomination for induction, Hetfield was asked who will be onstage with METALLICA when they get inducted. "Everyone that played on a record should be there," he said. "You're considered for the Hall 25 years after your first recording, not after you formed." After being told that this would omit Dave Mustaine, Hetfield replied, "He wasn't on a record. Jason Newsted [former METALLICA bassist] should be up there � he was in the band for 14 years and played on quite a few records. And so should Robert [Trujillo; current METALLICA bassist]." Asked if it will be weird to be there with Jason, Hetfield said, "There's no reason for it to be weird. We don't want to be part of the soap opera of the Hall of Fame. Everybody wants a train wreck, like with BLONDIE onstage arguing over crap [in 2006]. That really cheapens the moment."

METALLICA Performs 'The Judas Kiss' For First Time

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:55:00 -0800

Official Metallica.com video footage of METALLICA performing the song "The Judas Kiss" for the first time last night (Wednesday, February 25) at the kick-off show of the band's current European tour at the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, England can be viewed below.
[more]

METALLICA Kicks Off European Tour; Setlist Revealed

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:44:00 -0800

METALLICA kicked off the 2009 leg of its European tour earlier tonight (Wednesday, February 25) at the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, England.

The group's setlist was as follows:

01. That Was Just Your Life
02. The End Of The Line
03. The Four Horsemen
04. Leper Messiah
05. One
06. Broken, Beat And Scarred
07. The Judas Kiss
08. Sad But True
09. No Leaf Clover
10. All Nightmare Long
11. The Day That Never Comes
12. Master Of Puppets
13. Fight Fire With Fire
14. Nothing Else Matters
15. Enter Sandman
------------------------------------
16. Breadfan
17. Helpless
18. Seek And Destroy
[more]
METALLICA is issuing a digital "box set" called "The Complete Metallica" that will feature the band's entire 163-track recorded catalog. According to the band's publicist, the package will be available exclusively through iTunes beginning on March 31, before surfacing at all other digital outlets on April 28.

"The Complete Metallica" will include all nine of METALLICA's studio albums, including the current "Death Magnetic", the 1998 covers collection "Garage Inc.", 1999's concert set "S&M", the 2004 EP "Some Kind of Monster", the 2007 EP "Live From Live Earth", and "I Disappear" from the 2000 "Mission Impossible 2" soundtrack. Buyers will also receive eight bonus live tracks: "The Four Horseman", "Whiplash", "For Whom The Bell Tolls", "Creeping Death", "Battery", "The Thing That Should Not Be", "One", and "...And Justice For All".

The set is expected to retail for under $100.

Bassist Robert Trujillo told The Pulse of Radio that METALLICA's catalog is so extensive that the band doesn't necessarily remember how to play all of it. "OK, if you go album to album, like, we know everything on 'Master Of Puppets', you know," he said. "We know almost everything on 'Ride The Lightning'. So all the early stuff, for the most part, we've got covered. A lot of the 'Load' and 'Reload' stuff, we've only dabbled in, you know, a handful of songs. 'St. Anger', OK, we played the whole album at one point for the DVD, and 'Death Magnetic', I can play the whole album right now. I don't know about the other guys, but (laughs) I've done my homework on that one."

"The Complete Metallica" will arrive just two days after the March 29 release of Guitar Hero: Metallica, and four days before the band is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland on April 4.

source: blabbermouth.net

METALLICA Confirmed For Austria's NOVA ROCK Festival

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 01:06:00 -0800

MetallicA has been confirmed for this year's Nova Rock festival, set to take place June 19-21 on the Pannonia Fields in Burgenland, the easternmost federal state of Austria (near Nickelsdorf and the Hungarian and Slovak borders). Other headliners are Placebo and Die Toten Hosen. MetallicA will perform on Friday, June 19.

Three-day tickets are already on sale at www.musicticket.at and you can currently only purchase a pass for the entire weekend.
[more]
MetallicA will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, it was announced at a press conference in New York on January 14. Joining the band as inductees are guitar legend Jeff Beck, RUN-DMC, Bobby Womack, and Little Anthony & The Imperials. The Stooges were once again left off the list, despite being nominated several times and enduring the death of guitarist Ron Asheton last week.

MetallicA are first-time nominees, with the nomination coming 25 years after the release of the band's 1983 debut album, "Kill 'Em All". An act must be recording for a quarter century in order to be eligible. The induction ceremony will take place in Cleveland on April 4 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum itself and will be broadcast live on the Fuse cable channel. Previous ceremonies have been held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York.

Presenters and performers at the ceremony have yet to be announced.

In addition to current MetallicA members James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo, previous bassists Jason Newsted and Burton will also be inducted.

About ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME Induction

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:15:00 -0800

METALLICA held a press conference earlier today (Wednesday, January 14) in New York City to answer questions about their upcoming induction into the the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The entire 20-minute question-and-answer session can be viewed below (courtesy of Fuse TV). A couple of excerpts from the conference follow.

Q: You've won so many accolades throughout your career. Is this one different in any way, and if so, how?

James Hetfield (guitar, vocals): I think it is pretty different � as in, it happens once. Some of the other shows and things where you're getting awards, you're continuing on with your career and you're exploring, doing new albums and things like that, and you can continue to get those, but this happens once. And I think management has helped us realize that this is extremely important and this is a celebration of not only us but all the people who have helped with the vision to get there. And to include everyone in the celebration of the career.

Lars Ulrich (drums): To me, it's about unity. We are part of the bigger picture. You're a link in some chain of everybody that's come before you and everybody that's coming after you. I really personally love rock 'n' roll history, love everything about how everything fits together in different genres and different bands and all this type of stuff, but to be part of that kind of history and also to be in there to help inspire what's coming after us, to me, it's a great, great honor.
[more]
Q: Who would you like to have induct you?

James Hetfield: I think that's an ongoing discussion. Between who the people actually know and care about, who actually respects you as a band� You don't want just some popular guy who's attracting TV viewers to induct you just because of that. So there's an ongoing discussion [about that].

Q: Is every member who's ever been in METALLICA part of the induction?

James Hetfield: Absolutely. Whoever's been playing on albums is kind of it, I guess. From the recording of your first record on. Absolutely, absolutely.

Q: What do you think Cliff [Burton; late METALLICA bassist] would have thought about this whole thing?

James Hetfield: The spirit of Cliff lives in us � we take him everywhere we can � and so I want to think that he would love this: The fact that METALLICA is being recognized as something to be reckoned with.

Lars Ulrich: Cliff was a big believer in doing your own thing, being unique in your way, not selling out and kind of� When I look at the last 25, 27 years, what I'm proudest of is the fact that we can sit here and look at you and say we've done this our way � we've taken all these different turns and steps and all this, and a few missteps here along the way, but 27-28 years later, we're here, you guys are here, we're sharing this moment, and I know Cliff would be super-proud of that. I know he would champion this moment as much as anybody else.

Q: James, you mentioned that you'd like Jason [Newsted; former METALLICA bassist] to accompany you guys, or be there, at the induction ceremony. Have you reached out to him?

James Hetfield: Yes, there's been contact with him, for sure.

Q: And what was his response?

James Hetfield: I haven't heard exactly what his response was, but there's been an invite put out, no doubt. I mean, the fact that we're relevant today, we're being inducted, we've got an album that's doing really good, there's Grammy nominations, AND we're being inducted into the Hall of Fame?! At that point, it's unbelievable. And we're in a good space. We want everyone to celebrate that fact � everyone who's been a part of it. Jason has been a big part of that. You don't want to see the drama of a� unfortunately, BLONDIE or PISTOLS or VAN HALEN. It's ridiculous. This is METALLICA's moment � along with others � but let's celebrate. Let's forget the crap� [Let's] invite whoever wants to be part of it. Have a party with all the people who have been there.

Kirk Hammett (guitar): It's gonna be like a big reunion for us.

The induction ceremony is scheduled for April 4 in Cleveland, Ohio, where the Hall of Fame and Museum are located. The show marks the first time since 1997 that it will be staged in Cleveland after several years in New York.

transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET

JAMES HETFIELD On Life, Death And METALLICA

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:21:00 -0800

Graeme Wood of The Cape Breton Post recently conducted an interview with METALLICA guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

The Cape Breton Post: Are you happy with this new-old direction [on "Death Magnetic"]?

Hetfield: Yes, it feels right. It feels like the right time. I certainly know fans have forever been asking, basically telling us what to do, which for us, it doesn't work. Whether it's my Dad or a fan it never worked. I had to feel it myself, and eventually we go to the point where we were able to embrace the stuff we've done in the past and not keep running from it.
[more]
The Cape Breton Post: Talk to me about the new album and you being sober now. You went through alcohol addiction, so did that change your writing in any sense (since) thrash metal is so synonymous with drinking?

Hetfield: The fans will have to say. This new album, I think, is pretty darn good and (I'm) completely clean and sober. There's always people that worry for you, too . . . And then I write the angriest stuff of my life on "St. Anger" and everyone hates it or something. You know, you can't do it for others. You have to be the artist (who's) making the art.

The Cape Breton Post: You figured things out in terms of your private life so does that make you and the band get along more than ever before?

Hetfield: Absolutely. I think the fact is that we can read each other better because we know each other better, and want to know each other better, and we're able to communicate a lot better . . . We've been through some tough times and because (we've) walked through the fire and survived it there's almost a kind of honour that you have with each other � that we've gone through this we don't need to go there it again."

The Cape Breton Post: You've mentioned before it's important to talk about death. Maybe you can elaborate on that.

Hetfield: The band came close to calling it quits. We got to the point where egos, and resentments and things had grown so big and strong that it was almost an impossible hill to climb. So the fact that we got through that and came out with the strongest album I think in a long time is a testament to hard work and to sticking it through because you never know what's going to happen. And for us it was close to death and it's a pretty scary thought. And obviously there's life after METALLICA but is it worth it? So we started talking about that in the metaphor of life and death.

The Cape Breton Post: Are you still political in a sense?

Hetfield: Never was. lyrically I was writing from what I felt . . . A lot of the things that we do are hopefully universal (such as) plugging into emotion � it's human. Songs like "One" and "Disposable Heroes" talk about more of the ugly side of war. And there's more than just those songs. The song "Don't Tread on Me" showed the other side of that. We in the band have pretty diverse political opinions and it's best to leave that at the door. It gets in the way, it's a roadblock. Looking at the bigger picture, we all want to protect our families and there are certain ways we think it should be done. But we all have concerns about the globe and mankind and where it's going and I don't think we're the first people to have concerns about that.

Read the entire interview from The Cape Breton Post.

'All Nightmare Long' Video Released

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:16:00 -0800

"All Nightmare Long" can be viewed at Metallica.com.

METALLICA performed "All Nightmare Long" live for the first time this past Friday night (December 5) during the band's headlining appearance at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
[more]
Lars Ulrich recently told RollingStone.com that the band's massive world tour behind "Death Magnetic" could very well last beyond next year. "We're booked up through August of next year, and right now we're sort of laying out fall of '09 and the spring of '10," he said. "We're waiting for a few other countries to be actually formalized as nations so we can be the first band in. We're also waiting for the polar caps to stabilize so we can go play there. There's talk about some other planets too."

Regarding the band's first American arena tour in four years, Lars said, "It's great to be back indoors. We're right in the thick of it in the middle of the arena. It completely exposes every nuance and that adds a real tone of vitality and excitement."

METALLICA will wrap up the current leg of its North American tour on December 20 in Oakland.

Blabbermouth.net

'Black' Album Reissued On Vinyl

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:40:00 -0800

METALLICA is about to reissue its classic 1991 self-titled album on vinyl as part of the ongoing series that will eventually see the entire catalog available again. The "black" album will be available in North America on November 28 as a two-disc package for the 33.3 version, and in a box for the four-disc, 180 gram, 45 rpm edition. Check out your favorite local record shop or just head over to the METALLICA.com store to pick up a copy. Look for the re-release on vinyl in the rest of the world in late December.
[more]
Released in August 1991, "Metallica" features some of METALLICA's most popular songs, including "Enter Sandman", "The Unforgiven", "Nothing Else Matters", "Wherever I May Roam" and "Sad but True". It spent four consecutive weeks at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 chart and is the band's best-selling album to date, with over 15 million copies sold in the United States and over 22 million copies worldwide. It's also one of the best-selling heavy metal albums of all time.

The album cover features only the band's logo and a coiled snake (derived from the Gadsden flag). The motto of the Gadsden flag, "Don't Tread on Me", is also the title of a song featured on the album.

"Metallica" DVD-Audio 5.1 mix was released in 2004 through Elektra Records.

Was JASON NEWSTED's Bass On 'Justice For All' Intentionally Turn

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 04:58:00 -0800

METALLICA's classic 1988 album "�And Justice for All" is featured in the December 2008 issue of Decibel (web site) as part of the magazine's ongoing Hall of Fame feature. The Hall of Fame feature highlights influential and pivotal releases in metal history, and "�And Justice for All" has joined the ranks of previously profiled classics such as SLAYER's "Reign in Blood", SEPULTURA's "Roots", BLACK SABBATH's "Heaven and Hell" and AT THE GATES' "Slaughter of the Soul". METALLICA members James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and Lars Ulrich, as well as the group's former bassist Jason Newsted, were interviewed for the article, which coincides with the album's 20th anniversary. An excerpt from the feature follows below.
[more]
Decibel: Some fans are under the impression that the bass was intentionally turned down in the mix as part of the infamous hazing process Newsted was subjected to when he joined METALLICA. Is that the case?

Ulrich: No, it wasn't intentional. Like I was saying earlier, "Justice" was the James and Lars show from beginning to end, but it wasn't "Fuck this guy � let's turn his bass down." It was more like, "We're mixing, so let's pat ourselves on the back and turn the rhythms and the drums up." But we basically kept turning everything else up until the bass disappeared. (Laughs)

Hammett: The reason you can't hear the bass so well is because the bass frequencies in Jason's tone kinda interfered with the tone that James was trying to shoot for with his rhythm guitar sound, and every time the two blended together, it just wasn't happening. So the only thing left to do was turn the bass down in the mix. It was unfortunate, but for some reason or another, that album is known for the low end being there without the bass being very high up in the mix. It was an experiment, too � we were totally going for a dry, in-your-face sound, and some people really like that sound. A lot of the newer-generation bands, especially, think that album sounds great. But at the end of the day, it was an experiment. I'm not really sure it was 100 percent successful, but it is a unique sound that that album has.

Newsted: METALLICA has always recorded in a very different manner than any type of popular rock or country music, where the drums and the bass are recorded first and you put the melodies and the guitars and all that stuff on afterwards. For the entire existence of METALLICA � and the only band Lars has ever been in is METALLICA � he has had only the rhythm guitar and the vocal coming out of his monitor at 130 decibels behind his head. There's no bass in his monitor at all, so it's not a situation where the drummer and the bass player go together on groove, like in any band I've ever listened to. So that was real different for me to get used to and for any bass player to deal with. And Robert [Trujillo] probably has to deal with it to this day. There's just no bass coming out of the drummer's monitor. So you have to think of that as part of the equation.

But to answer your question about the intentional thing? Maybe they were still exorcising that thing that they were still trying to deal with and obviously didn't deal with until like 2002 or something, when they finally came to grips with what had been taken from them. That was still present, absolutely. They didn't know how to channel those feelings and emotions at that time. It wasn't something they had the capacity for. When you get young guys together and they all become millionaires by age 25, you miss a few developmental stages that everyone else � people who live a less-accelerated lifestyle � go through. So the developmental things could've played a part in them just keeping the bass down rather than going through and listening to what was played good and what wasn't played good. Being drunk at three c'clock in the afternoon, going into some studio in upstate New York with a couple of cats who are getting paid real good and could really give a shit about being there or not at sometimes� you know what I mean? Guys who were assigned to make a certain product sound a certain way. This was a chance for METALLICA to get on the radio, so they're mixing with that kind of thing in mind � those were the kind of people who were hired to mix the record. Look at the credits � those were people who mixed radio songs. Those weren't the guys who mixed SEPULTURA records. So all those factors must play a part in what we hear with our ears now. But it'd be cool as fuck for somebody else to go back and remix it, because I think it could be really fun to have a whole new album. Because that's what it would be.

Decibel magazine's December 2008 is available on newsstands now.

For more information, visit DecibelMagazine.com.

thanks Blabbermouth.net

'Death Magnetic' Officially Certified Platinum In US

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:21:00 -0700

"Death Magnetic", the current album from Metallica, has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) just six weeks after its release on September 12 by Warner Bros. Records. The CD shifted 52,000 copies in the United States for the week ending October 26, bringing its U.S. sales total to 1.21 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
[more]
"Death Magnetic" debuted atop The Billboard 200 chart, Metallica's fifth consecutive album to do so, making them the only band in chart history to have five albums debut at No. 1. It breaks the band's tie with The Beatles, U2, and the Dave Matthews Band, all of whom have four No. 1 album debuts. "Death Magnetic" remained at No. 1 for three consecutive weeks.

In addition to debuting at Number 1 atop Billboard's Rock, Alternative, Hard, and Internet album charts in the U.S., the album racked up No. 1 chart positions in 31 foreign countries, including the U.K., Canada, and Australia, and Top 3 chart slots in seven more, including Japan.

Metallica's first proper tour of the United States and Canada in four years is currently in full swing with support bands Down, The Sword, Lamb Of God, and Machine Head. Critics attending the October 21 opening night in Glendale, Arizona, were ecstatic with Spin.com declaring that if the first show was "was any indication, rock's not dead. Check its pulse." The Arizona Republic noted that "Metallica burst out of the starting gate with a ferocious two-hour show that left no doubt that the band is still the monster of American heavy metal."

Thanks for the report to Blabbermouth.net.

Metallica Blasts Off With Arsenal Of New Tunes

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:26:00 -0700

Metallica officially kicked off its first North American arena tour in almost four years on Tuesday night in Phoenix, and the set list was chock full of new tunes from Death Magnetic as well as some classics from their older albums. The band played in the round on the arena floor, thrilling fans with laser displays and pyrotechnics. A Reuters review also noted that singer James Hetfield ran around the stage quite energetically, looking nothing like the struggling man who checked into rehab in 2001.
[more]
Metallica played five tracks from Death Magnetic, opening with "That Was Just Your Life" and "The End Of The Line" before delving into their back catalog with "Sad But True" and "One." Other new tunes included "Broken, Beat And Scarred," "Cyanide" and the single, "The Day That Never Comes," along with fan favorites like "Master Of Puppets" and "Fight Fire With Fire." The set included 18 songs in all.

The one thing that has changed for Metallica is the after show parties, which drummer Lars Ulrich told Reuters are a thing of the past. The band is taking better care of themselves now, even bringing a chiropractor on tour. "I'm 44 years old. I've got a great girl and three beautiful kids," Ulrich said. "I certainly can drink like everybody else occasionally, but it's mostly red wine, not vodka tonic like it used to be."

He also said that the band could go on forever if it wasn't for their physically demanding live performances. "I've got nothing but respect for the Rolling Stones, but what they're doing is still pretty different than what we do. It's difficult not to play [hard] when I'm up on stage in front of 20,000 people," Ulrich noted. "I just don't know if it's possible to do this 20 years from now. I look forward to finding out, but I also hope we have the grace to say 'thank you, we're out of here', when it gets silly."

FMQB

'Death Magnetic' Featured In 'Shockwaves Skull Sessions' Podcast

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:22:00 -0700

For the thirteenth installment of the "Shockwaves Skull Sessions" podcast, host Bob Nalbandian is joined by Joel McIver, the British metal maven journalist and author whose book, "And Justice for All: The Truth About Metallica" was released by Omnibus Press in 2004; William Irwin, associate professor of philosophy at King's College and editor and co-author of last year's "Metallica and Philosophy: A Crash Course in Brain Surgery", published by Blackwell Publishing; and former Roadrunner head of New Media and current master of the digital domain at Sony/BMG's RCA Records Ed Rivadavia (who has been one of the most-prolific contributors to the metal genre at AllMusic.com, where he has been writing and reviewing for over 10 years). They come together to discuss METALLICA's latest album, "Death Magnetic".
[more]
Listen to the podcast at this location.

METALLICA Nominated For Two MTV EUROPE MUSIC AWARDS

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 08:47:00 -0700

METALLICA has been nominated in the "Rock Out" and "Headliner" categories at the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards, which will be broadcast live from the Liverpool Echo Arena in Liverpool, England on Thursday, November 6.

Between September 29 and November 2, MTV viewers will be able to vote at www.mtvema.com to decide who will win in each category.
[more]
The nominees in the "Rock Out" and "Headliner" categories are as follows:

Headliner:

FOO FIGHTERS
LINKIN PARK
METALLICA
THE CURE
TOKIO HOTEL

Rock Out:

30 SECONDS TO MARS
LINKIN PARK
METALLICA
PARAMORE
SLIPKNOT

"The range of this year's finalists really does demonstrate the breadth of taste of the MTV audience," says MTV Europe Music Awards executive producer Richard Godfrey.

"Alongside such superstars as BEYONC�, PINK and BRITNEY, MTV viewers have recognized the massive talent of bands such as THE CURE, GREEN DAY and the FOO FIGHTERS as well as new artists KATY PERRY, DUFFY and JONAS BROTHERS."

Metallica makes history with 'Death Magnetic' sales

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 10:34:00 -0700

Metallica, which kicks off the first leg of a new world tour on October 21, has made history with its ninth studio album, "Death Magnetic," as the only band with five albums debuting at No. 1.

The album was released worldwide September 12, a Friday. It sold close to 490,000 copies, an extraordinary amount for a three day total. Albums are generally released on a Tuesday, and very few top the half million mark in its first week of release.
[more]
"Death Magnetic" is Metallica's fifth consecutive studio album to debut at No. 1, following 1991's "Metallica" (known as The Black Album), 1996's "Load," 1997's "ReLoad," and 2003's "St. Anger." The platinum-selling metal rockers break their ties with the Beatles, U2 and Dave Matthews Band, all of whom have four No. 1 album debuts.

"Death Magnetic" also scored big around the world with No. 1 debuts in Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and Turkey.

Metallica has North American tour dates booked through fall and early winter before finishing up on January 21. Support bands are Down, The Sword, Lamb of God, and Machine Head.

Metallica nominated for Rock Hall

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 10:32:00 -0700

Metallica are amongst the names nominated for this year's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. This marks their first nomination for this prestigious honor that you are only eligible for 25 years after their first release.

Death Magnetic hits UK shops early

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:44:00 -0700

Metallica's new album Death Magnetic has gone on sale in the UK ahead of its planned release.

The metal band's hotly anticipated 12th album was due out on Friday.

But their record label Vertigo is believed to have told shops to go ahead and sell it early after some retailers broke the sales embargo.

Zavvi's flagship store on London's Oxford Street started selling it on Wednesday, while HMV also said it was now available in its stores.

An HMV spokesman said: "We were advised yesterday by the label that because it's been leaked quite heavily, they should bring forward its physical release and allow retailers to merchandise it.
[more]
"That was the communication we received and we've responded to that. I'd imagine it's a similar picture across the whole of retail."

There is no suggestion that HMV or Zavvi broke the sales embargo.

Music Week magazine reported that more than 2,500 copies of the album had been sold on CD by the end of Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for the band said Friday was still the official release date. Representatives for Vertigo were unavailable to comment.

Death Magnetic may now have the edge in the battle for the number one spot this Sunday.

Its main rival is the self-titled debut album by Glaswegian rockers Glasvegas.

Bookmakers Ladbrokes have made Glasvegas favourites at 4/7, with Metallica at 5/4.

source:BBC NEWS

Death Magnetic hits Guitar Here Friday

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:37:00 -0700

Death Magnetic is coming to Guitar Hero III in it entirety on Friday, the same day as the release of the studio album.

The $18 download will include all ten tracks from the band's new album, as well as two additional versions of the song "Suicide & Redemption" that feature extended solos by James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett.

The best part? The download will also be fully compatible with Guitar Hero World Tour, out in October.

Ask LARS ULRICH A Question

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:52:00 -0700

Blender.com is offering its readers the chance to submit questions for METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich. Ulrich's answer to the questions may appear in a future issue of Blender magazine.

To submit your question for Lars, go to this location.

METALLICA is offering a "Death Magnetic Experience" pre-sale ticket package between now and September 13, the official general on-sale date for tickets to the band's upcoming North American tour. Members of the group's fan club have already had first crack at tickets, and now American Express cardholders will get their shot on Monday and Tuesday (September 8 and September 9), followed by a general public pre-sale on Wednesday (September 10). The package includes purchase of up to four tickets with better seating, a free download of the show you attend at LiveMetallica.com, and delivery "right to your door" of the band's new CD, "Death Magnetic". The pre-sale ends at midnight on September 12.
[more]
Source: Blabbermouth.net

Up Close And Personal

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:49:00 -0700

Legendary rock photographer Ross Halfin has posted a number of new photos of METALLICA taken during the band's recent European tour, including this one very touching shot of Lars Ulrich kissing James Hetfield.
[more]
METALLICA's official web site is currently streaming no less than six full songs from the band's forthcoming "Death Magnetic" album. The tracks, which were all premiered Thursday night (September 4) during the broadcast special "Metallica: The World Premiere Of Death Magnetic", are as follows:

* "The Day That Never Comes"
* "My Apocalypse"
* "Cyanide"
* "All Nightmare Long"
* "Broken, Beat & Scarred"
* "The Judas Kiss"

Several copies of "Death Magnetic" were sold early at a Paris record store on Tuesday (September 2), which led to the entire album being leaked online within hours.

Due on September 12, "Death Magnetic" will also be available to download for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock the same day that the record is released.

'We Could Not Have Made A Better Album'

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:45:00 -0700

The latest issue of UK's Kerrang! magazine (web site) includes an interview with METALLICA and report on the band's July 27, 2008 concert in Istanbul, Turkey. A couple of excerpts from the interview portion of the article follow.

On staying relevant more than 25 years after the band's formation:

James Hetfield (guitar, vocals): "Despite the earthquake that is going on in the record industry, this band is still relevant. We worked through our problems and now we've gone to work capturing our musical essence. We've challenged ourselves; we're hungry."
[more]
"We understand the importance of staying relevant. We understand the importance of playing new songs. We understand how important it is not to become a nostalgia act. No one in the band wants us to be that. [METALLICA] still has something to offer. No matter what the public thinks, as a band we will do what we have to do. We always have."

On METALLICA's new album, "Death Magnetic":

Lars Ulrich (drums): "I can honestly say that this album is the best album we could possibly have made. Can I guarantee that people will like it as much as they like our older albums? No, I can't; I can't offer any guarantees. But I promise you that we could not have made a better album."

Kirk Hammett (guitar): "This album is some of the best music we've made in the past 15 years. A lot of the albums we made post-'Black' album were us trying to get away from a perceived METALLICA sound. That was the right thing for us at the time, but we don't feel we haveto do that anymore. And to be truthful, it's fun to play fast, to be heavy. We're now all on the same page with regards to that. I'd even go so far as to say that we even missed playing that way."

James Hetfield: "This album has a hunger and a youthfulness about it. We had a new producer, a new bass player� and we worked really hard to get it right. So when you ask me if it is good, if it's really good, I can honestly say, 'Yes, it is!'"

Kirk Hammett: "I think we're all aware of the danger of becoming a band that exists in the past. I think any band that's been around as long as we have has to face that. But ['Death Magnetic'] is going to prove to people that we never lost our ability to make an album like this. We just chose not to. And I'll stand by those words."

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

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

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.

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.

Kirk Jams With Tool In Hawaii

Sun, 20 Aug 2006 11:34:00 -0700

Kirk Hammett reportedly joined TOOL onstage during their headlining appearance at the Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu, Hawaii on Friday (August 18 ). According to one TOOL fan's eyewitness account posted at the ToolNavy.com web site, TOOL frontman Maynard James Keenan introduced Hammett by saying, "We have a special guest tonight. He's not [unintelligible], and he's not Elvis. Well, maybe he's their bastard son, Mr. Kirk Hammett." "[Kirk] then proceeded to come out and play guitar on 'Sober'. I've never been partial to METALLICA, and for those of you who are, I'm sorry to report that Kirk damn near butchered the song. His drunken so-called 'solo' was particularly sloppy and completely extraneous. [more]Only the band coming back through to thrash the rest of the song out extremely hard saved it. Then he totally tripped out and flustered Adam [Jones, TOOL guitarist] by grabbing him for his 'hug' and kissing him on the mouth! Only to return at the end of the show to the stage to perform the 'we're not worthy!' bow on his knees before the guys. At least he realizes."

In other news, a pro-shot video of METALLICA performing the song "Creeping Death" at the Summer Sonic festival in Tokyo, Japan on August 12 has been made available for streaming at this location.

METALLICA is currently writing material for its ninth studio effort, which is tentatively expected in the summer or early fall of 2007. "I think we've realized that the creative process works a little slower for us than it used to, and we're OK with that," METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich recently told BBC Radio 1. "It's not a bad thing, unless, of course, you're waiting for a record."

Source: Blabbermouth.net

'Booming Good Time'

Sat, 19 Aug 2006 02:12:00 -0700

Cathy Rose A. Garcia of The Korea Times has issued the following report:

Heavy metal fans came out in full force for METALLICA's concert Tuesday night (August 15), at the Olympic Main Stadium, southern Seoul. Thousands of Korean and foreign fans braved the scorching summer heat for a chance to rock the night away with METALLICA.

"Did you miss METALLICA?" James Hetfield asked the crowd, who responded with a resounding cheer. "It's good to be back," he said. METALLICA last came to Seoul for a concert in 1998.
[more]
To the crowd?s delight, METALLICA performed their best-known songs such as "One", "Nothing Else Matters", "Enter Sandman", "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and "Wherever I May Roam", as well as songs from their eighth album, such as "St. Anger" and "Frantic".

Each of the METALLICA members impressed the fans with their solo performances.

The concert marked the 20th anniversary of the release of their album "Master of Puppets", which was released in 1986 and catapulted the group to stardom. Their performance of "Master of Puppets" had everyone bobbing their heads, throwing their fists to the beat, and chanting the chorus "Obey your master".

Read more at The Korea Times.

METALLICA in Seoul, Korea ? August 15, 2006 video clips:

"Creeping Death" (video)
"Master of Puppets" (video)
"Unforgiven" (video)
End of Show (video)

Blabbermouth.net

Video Of Second New Song

Thu, 17 Aug 2006 04:23:00 -0700

A video clip of MetallicA performing a second new song ? tentatively dubbed "The Other New Song" ? during their headlining appearance Tuesday night (August 15) at Seoul Olympic Main Stadium in Seoul, South Korea has been posted online and you can see it at our blog.

MetallicA On 'The Simpsons': Photo Available

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 04:50:00 -0700

METALLICA's much-anticipated appearance on "The Simpsons" will air as the program's season premiere on September 10, 2006 on the Fox network. Check out a photo at this location.

The four members of METALLICA recorded their voices for the program last September.
[more]
METALLICA joins a long list of artists who have been featured on the show, including BLINK-182, Mick Jagger, 'N SYNC, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, AEROSMITH, Elvis Costello, SONIC YOUTH, CYPRESS HILL, SMASHING PUMPKINS and Bette Midler.

As previously reported, METALLICA's James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett ? along with members of ARCH ENEMY and NEVERMORE ? lent their voices to the cartoon series "Death Clock Metalocalypse", which had its premiere earlier in the month.

METALLICA had previously recorded their voices for the animated show "Dave the Barbarian".

Thanx to Blabbermouth.net

Return To Korea To Perform For Old-School Fans

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 08:26:00 -0700

The Korea Herald reports that METALLICA, one of the world's most successful heavy-metal bands, will return to Korea on August 15 to play at Jamsil Olympic Stadium in southeastern Seoul.

Formed in 1981, the American hard-rock band has sold more than 90 million albums. During their first live concert in the country, which was eight years ago, some 35,000 fans filled Seoul Olympic Gymnastics Hall ? even though Korea's economy was struggling.
[more]
"It was shocking to see Korean fans sing with us throughout the concert," said James Hetfield, lead singer of the band, in an interview. "I thought here are true METALLICA fans."

The upcoming concert is being planned to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of "Master of Puppets".

The band's third album came out in the same year that bassist Cliff Burton died in a tragic bus accident. The album is now considered essential for any heavy-metal fan.

"It is true that our musical style has changed over time, but the essentials that characterize our music remain unchanged," Hetfield said.

Popular American progressive rock band TOOL will make a guest appearance during the concert to promote their Billboard chart-topping new album "10,000 Days", which was released in May.

Read more at www.koreaherald.co.kr.

Thanx to Blabbermouth.net

METALLICA Still Remains The Biggest Ambassadors To Heavy Metal

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 09:34:00 -0700

Devin Pratt of FHM (For Him Magazine) recently conducted an interview with former METALLICA and current VOIVOD/SUPERNOVA bassist Jason Newsted. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:
[more]
FHM: How much electricity does Tommy Lee produce?

Jason: "I am so psyched about playing with Tommy and it hasn't been like that since I joined VOIVOD. And now that I know I'm gonna have this big, powerful dude behind me going, 'woo da do do da do da.' Man, holy God, it's like the whole sky is opening up! It's some kind of feeling that hasn't been churned up in me in a long time."

FHM: Not since METALLICA?

Jason: "METALLICA was the thing I put most of my energy into, but it didn't mean I didn't want to do other stuff. When I left METALLICA, I stopped for about three hours to have a sandwich, and maybe too many beers that night, and that was about it, dude."

FHM: Do you miss playing with them?

Jason: "I miss the people. That was a big part of me ? the connection with the people. I prided myself in meeting 500 people a day for however many years. That ambassadorship was fuckin' giant and METALLICA still remains the biggest ambassadors to heavy metal. Period."

FHM: Not many people would argue with that.

Jason: "The gods are BLACK SABBATH. METALLICA did a different thing than them, though. We were always approachable. People could easily come up to me. Yes, METALLICA was with the people, but I was really with the people! Now I have an opportunity to reach out to more fans with SUPERNOVA. 'Rock Star' is gonna go around 70 or so countries, including places where people have never heard of fuckin' METALLICA or GUNS N' ROSES before. We're going to take this music to them!"

FHM: Do you think Axl Rose will release "Chinese Democracy" this year?

Jason: "Yeah, sure. Whatever. SUPERNOVA's album will be out before his."

FHM: You've crossed paths with Axl. Is he crazy or is he a genius?

Jason: "I haven't spent enough time with him to give a judgment like that. As a fan coming out to see their favorite band, and having the singer walk offstage or throw the mic down in frustration because the monitors were funky, it's not professional and it's not giving the people what they came for. Man, we did like 50 shows with Axl. We used the same monitors every night. I don't remember James or myself complaining once about that kind of stuff. The dude recorded some great vocal on some great rock songs, but you don't sell 50,000 tickets and walk off the stage. Fuck that!"

Read the entire interview at www.fhmus.com.

Source: Blabbermouth.net

'Lullaby Renditions' Collection Due This Month

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 04:11:00 -0700

How many sleepless nights have new parents spent trying to soothe a restless newborn? With the August 29 release of "Lullaby Renditions of Metallica" (cover), a solution is on the way. Enter Sandman.

That's right, the music that set the standard for aggressive, concussion-inducing rock will soon be lulling infants to sleep through dreamy re-workings of their head-banging fury. Classics like "Battery" and "Master of Puppets" feature glockenspiel, vibraphone, melotron, harps, bells and more. The music is arranged and performed by Michael Armstrong.
[more]
Part of the Rockabye Baby! series from Baby Rock Records, the METALLICA edition includes 11 of the band's most well-known songs. For those who grew up cranking "...And Justice for All" until their ears bled, it's a chance to share with a new generation the music of a band that's sold 29 million albums. At appropriate volume levels, of course.

Due on August 29, the METALLICA version is one of the first three releases in the series, along with albums of RADIOHEAD and COLDPLAY renditions. Future releases will focus on music from TOOL, THE CURE, NIRVANA, PIXIES, BJORK, PINK FLOYD, THE EAGLES, LED ZEPPELIN, THE BEATLES, THE BEACH BOYS, NO DOUBT, SMASHING PUMPKINS, and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE.

Children's music is the fastest growing musical category. The Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions series is targeting today's parents with today's tastes in a way that's gentle enough for even the youngest listener.

The albums will be available both in the respective artist's bin and "Children's Music" bin at retailers. Visit www.babyrockrecords.com for additional information and sound clips.

"Lullaby Renditions of Metallica" track listing:

01. And Justice For All
02. Battery
03. Enter Sandman
04. Wherever I May Roam
05. Nothing Else Matters
06. The Unforgiven
07. One
08. (Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth
09. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
10. Fade To Black
11. Master of Puppets

Check out audio samples at this location.

Source: Blabbermouth.net

High-Quality Video Of New Song Available Online

Mon, 31 Jul 2006 16:39:00 -0700

A high-quality video clip of METALLICA performing an as-yet-untitled new song during their headlining appearance at the Gelredome in Arnhem, Holland on June 8, 2006 as part of their recently completed "Escape From The Studio '06" European tour has been posted online at YouTube.com.

Lars Attends KID ROCK's Wedding In Saint-Tropez:Photos Available

Mon, 31 Jul 2006 16:14:00 -0700

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich attended the wedding of his pal Kid Rock and actress Pamela Anderson Saturday (July 29) on a yacht in Saint-Tropez. Check out pictures from Denmark's Ekstrabladet.dk (Photo#1, Photo#2), Sweden's Aftonbladet.se (Photo#1, Photo#2).
[more]
This is the second union for Anderson (she was previously married to M?TLEY CR?E drummer Tommy Lee) and the first for Rock (real name: Robert Ritchie) ? and, apparently, there are more to come. "I'm going to get married a few times this month to the same guy," Anderson, 39, said July 26 during a news conference in Las Vegas. "We had to do Malibu, we've got to do Detroit, and we've got to do Nashville."

According to People magazine, Anderson and Rock, 35, began dating in spring 2001. They became engaged on April 11, 2002, in the Las Vegas desert, but split the following year. Still, when they ran into each other early this month in Saint-Tropez on a mutual friend's yacht, the feelings were still there.

"It was like we'd never been apart," Rock told People on July 11. "(I) love her to death." Anderson announced their engagement on her web site on July 18.

Source: Blabbermouth.net

Metallica catalog hits iTunes

Fri, 28 Jul 2006 04:37:00 -0700

Longtime digital music holdouts, who waged a public battle with Napster in 2000, jump into the digital music fray.

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich was once the poster child for the record industry's opposition to digital music technologies, particularly those that allowed users to download free music from the likes of the former Napster.
[more]
Today, with both the illegal peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing services Napster spawned and Apple's legal download store iTunes thriving, Metallica joined the digital music fray, licensing its entire back catalog to iTunes.

"From the 'It's about f***ing time!' file, comes this," the band said in announcing the move. "Over the last year or so, we have seen an ever-growing number of Metallica fans using online sites like iTunes to get their music. So...we are now offering fans the opportunity to obtain our songs individually."

Metallica's move to digital sales, and a move by Detroit rocker Bob Seger earlier this month, leaves only a few holdouts, most notably the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Radiohead. The Beatles and its Apple Corps record company have engaged in a long standoff with Apple over the use of the apple logo and Apple's ability to sell music. A British court ruled in favor of Apple in that dispute in May.

To bolster its late entry in the digital music game, Metallica said it was adding previously unreleased live tracks on to each of the first four albums, Kill 'Em All, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, and ...And Justice For All, for sale in iTunes.

Metallica's catalog is only available in iTunes in the US and Canada, however.

"This is unfortunately due to the fact that our record company overseas doesn't seem to want to play ball with us on this at the moment," the band said. "Hopefully this will get sorted out ASAFP, but we didn't want our fans in North America to have to wait any longer while our overseas record company tries to get their sh** together!"

Giving its fans the chance to buy individual songs had long been a point of contention for Metallica, which was concerned about moving away from the traditional album format. When iTunes launched in 2003, the band explained its absence from the iTunes catalog with a statement that it "would rather not contribute to the demise of the album format."

Metallica placed itself at the center of the controversy surrounding the dawn of digital music in 2000, when Ulrich appeared at a Redwood City, California, courthouse bearing a list of the names of tens of thousands of Napster users.

The move drew the ire of many Napster users and digital rights advocates, and was the subject of a series of online parodies by the Web site Camp Chaos.

Source: MP3.com

'We Want To Work With The Guy Who's Got Finger On The Pulse'

Fri, 14 Jul 2006 12:11:00 -0700

AVENGED SEVENFOLD frontman M. Shadows interviewed METALLICA members Lars Ulrich (drums) and James Hetfield (vocals, guitar) for the latest issue of Revolver magazine (web site; see cover here) prior to METALLICA's headlining appearance at the Gelredome in Arnhem, Holland on June 8, 2006. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

M. Shadows: Why did you decide not to work with Bob Rock on your new album? And how is it working with Rick Rubin?

Lars Ulrich: "We're just[more] getting started, really. 'St. Anger' was kind of an isolated experiment, where we wrote and recorded everything at the same time in the studio. But we're kind of back to the way we use to do it before 'St. Anger', which is kind of a writing phase and then a recording phase. Contrary to general belief, we're not actually in the recording phase yet ? we're just writing. We've had half a dozen meetings with Rick, and he just comes up and listens. We're just kind of feeling each other out, kind of getting to know each other. Once we start the recording phase of it, which should hopefully be this fall, that's when his big input will come. 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."

M. Shadows: Music has changed a lot since you began, and I'm sure your influences have changed, as well. What drives you to continue playing, and what are your current influences in music and in life in general?

Lars Ulrich: "Honestly, it's you guys. Seriously! You guys put out music that inspires us, and I appreciate all the love we get from all of you guys, from TRIVIUM, from BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE ? everybody. That's what inspires us ? hearing people re-re-reinterpret what we've done in the same way that we re-reinterpreted BLACK SABBATH and everything through that whole lineage. You guys spit stuff back in our face, and it keeps us on our toes and fresh. We're all just music fans, and the reason we do what we do is because we love music. We're always listening to new stuff and trying to keep our finger on the pulse to the best of our abilities. And I'd say just being in a musical environment that continues to reinvent itself and be stimulating is what inspires us. We've been doing it so long. There's so many ups and downs and so many dynamics in the relationships. And I think what's really inspiring us right now is that we're all getting along, we're all really having fun. As you can see, there's no psychiatrists around ? there's not all this bullshit going on. Phil ['enhancement coach' Phil Towle, whose group-therapy sessions with the band were captured in the 2004 documentary 'Some Kind of Monster'] said the whole time that all the work we were doing three or four years ago was going to pay off on the next record, not 'St. Anger'. And it's really true ? every day going into the studio to write and seeing these guys, it's fun again. It's not like, 'Now I've gotta battle James Hetfield all day,' you know what I mean? And it's showing in everything ? the way we play onstage and just the whole vibe."

James Hetfield: "Yeah, for sure. The fact that we don't know our potential, and we're still thriving for that ultimate thing ? 'never satisfied' is both a curse and a blessing, you know? The next song you write is always going to be the best of your career. And bands like yourself are getting us to step up again and getting us to remember the roots where we came from. Also, hooking up with a Rick Rubin, another entity. It's like, 'Imagine if 'TALLICA did a record with Rick Rubin? Whoa, what would that be like?' There's a lot of untapped stuff, and we don't know where we can go until we try. Also, when you evolve in life, you listen to music differently than when you were younger. Songs from way back take on a whole new meaning and inspire you in a whole new way ? especially lyrically."

M. Shadows: How has having a family changed your life on the road?

James Hetfield: "It's changed a lot. Just in terms of being out for long periods of time, I can't have it. I just won't do it. I'm not going to miss my kids growing up, you know? And if we are out ? like the Download festival is on my daughter's birthday, and we're taking her out of school early and bringing her over for it. Stuff like that is pretty important ? you don't get second chances at that. That doesn't mean that gigs will always be there for us, either, but there's a priority there. And having them live together? really, introducing them to each other was pretty important. You know, 'Family, meet band! Band, meet family! You're going to live together, so you've got to get along.' So that's going pretty good. And the fact that Lars and I are on the same page with the kids and the time off and the priorities ? that is the saving grace with this band. I think if we were very different on that, it would be very difficult to get anything done. [Laughs]"

Lars Ulrich: "Yeah, it used to be METALLICA, and now it's family and METALLICA. Like James says, it's also helped us in our relationship, because our kids are exactly the same age. We have a lot of differences ? the things we share are METALLICA and family ? so little things like that really help us get along better and coexist, and that makes METALLICA better. Just a couple of weeks ago, before we came out here, we threw a little Memorial Day barbecue. His son and my son were playing air hockey together, and I was like, 'Wow this is really cool ? the kids are getting along!' the fact that they can coexist in the same space makes everything a lot easier. You asked about life on the road, and obviously the days of two-year, never-ending tours and drunken blitzes and endless strip clubs and hookers and all that shit ? it's a different thing. Back then, it was about staying on the road as long as possible ? like, 'I don't wanna go home! I wanna fuckin' stay out here and get laid every night!' And now it's, like, two or three weeks max, and you've gotta get back and deal [with reality]. When I was your age, I was like, 'Fuck, having kids? Ugh!' But I'm proud to say that we've had kids and can still rock as hard as ever onstage. I know it's a clich?, and I know it sounds hokey to some 19-year-old kid, but we're playing harder now than in as long as I can remember, and playing better."

M. Shadows' entire interview with Ulrich and Hetfield is available in Revolver magazine's September 2006 issue, available on the newsstands now.

Source: Blabbermouth.net

First European 'Escape From The Studio '06' Concerts Available F

Mon, 26 Jun 2006 15:49:00 -0700

According to a posting on METALLICA's official web site, the first five shows from the band's European "Escape From The Studio '06" tour are now available for download via the LiveMetallica.com web site. "Check out Berlin with the first-ever performance of 'The New Song' or maybe Donington, which includes a performance of 'Nothing Else Matters' with Jerry Cantrell [ALICE IN CHAINS] on vocals," the posting adds. [more]"All five shows have the complete 'Master of Puppets' album played live and of course each show has its own unique vibe and local flavor. Look for the rest of the 'Escape from the Studio' European tour by the end of the week."

The following METALLICA "Escape From The Studio '06" shows are currently available for download:

Jun. 03 - Rock Am Ring Festival - Nurburgring, GER
Jun. 04 - Rock Im Park - Nurnberg, GER
Jun. 06 � Waldbuhne - Berlin, GER
Jun. 08 � Gelredome - Arnhem, NETH
Jun. 10 - Download Festival - Donington, UK

For more information, visit Metallica.com.

Source : Blabbermouth.net

John Zazula

Mon, 26 Jun 2006 07:42:00 -0700

G'Day

For Whom Metallica Tolls Chapter has just published an interview with John Zazula, also known as Johnny Z, on the chapter website www.forwhommetallicatolls.org.ru

For those who are not familiar, Johnny Z is a major player in the early history of Metallica. He paid for them to travel to New York to do some gigs and record Kill 'Em All, he founded (with Marsha, his wife) Mega Force Records, which released Kill 'Em All, and many records by Metallica's contempories, and got them a distribution deal with Music For Nations in Europe.

We are also in negotiations with Johnny for an online chat, so watch this space.

Check out the interview, and let me know what you think

Pharmer4

New MetallicA Album To Arrive Summer/Fall 2007

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 11:52:00 -0700

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told Mike Davies of BBC Radio 1 during this past weekend's Download festival in England that the group's new album will not be released until the summer or early fall of 2007. "I think we've realized that the creative process works a little slower for us than it used to," he explained. "And we're OK with that. It's not a bad thing, unless, of course, you're waiting for a record."[more] Asked if he thought it was scary that everybody seemed to know everything about the band since the "Some Kind of Monster" movie was released, Ulrich said, "No, it's not scary. I'm proud we put that shit out there. It's just kind of weird because it's like four years ago. Everybody's kind of still assuming that that's the way it is now, which is like� couldn't be further from the way it is now. We're in the studio, no psychiatrists, no film crews� everybody's getting along, having a great time. [We're] just kind of doing our thing. Back on that record [2003's 'St. Anger'], it was just a very different experience 'cause we had to kind of get it back together. Now everything's cool."

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett recently told the Artisan News Service that the band have "about fifteen songs" written for the follow-up to 2003's "St. Anger", which they hope to release in early 2007. In a short interview conducted at the MAP MusiCares MAP Fund concert on May 12 honoring Hammett's METALLICA bandmate James Hetfield, Kirk admitted the band is really hitting the song writing groove, even busting out two to three new songs per week.

"It's pretty early in the process," Hammett told the Artisan News Service. "We have about fifteen songs or so and we're just going to keep on writing songs until we feel we have the best dozen songs and get those into the studio. That's when I think Rick (Rubin) comes in and does his thing. But it's really really early still, we're just writing the music and that's going along really well. Sometimes we're writing two or three songs per week, which is great. It's just us four in the studio, which is really different now." [Watch a Windows Media video clip of Hammett talking about working on the new METALLICA album at this location.]

Source : Blabbermouth.net

James & Kirk Lend Voices To ??˜Metalocalypse�

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 11:49:00 -0700

James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett have lent their voices to a new The Cartoon Network series ??˜Metalocalypse� follows a Norwegian heavy metal band called Dethlok and the mayhem they get up to.

MetallicA Break Attendance Records In Estonia

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 11:46:00 -0700

According to a press release issued by the Estonian concert agency BDG, METALLICA's June 13, 2006 concert at Tallinn Song Festival Grounds in Estonia was attended by around 78,000 people � breaking all previous audience records (the previous record was set by MICHAEL JACKSON in 1997).
[more]
Preparations for the massive event started already last Friday (June 9). METALLICA arrived in Tallinn few hours before the show and left with police escort right after the concert to Austria. The band also gave a unique small press conference to the Baltic press. Some traditions continued: "Like in year 1999 when METALLICA was here first time, we went with drummer Lars Ulrich for a half-hour run by the seaside near the venue," commented executive producer of the show, Peeter Rebane from BDG. "This show crossed all our expectations. I'm convinced that both the band and the audience got unforgettable memories."

Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip and the Mayor of Tallinn JĂĽri Ratas came to greet the band before the show. Georgian Defence Minister was also present at the concert.

METALLICA's show in Tallinn was the only one in Northern Europe and brought to Estonia almost 30,000 people from the neighbouring countries. "It is great for our concert tourism," commented Peeter Rebane.

METALLICA setlist for Tallinn show � June 13, 2006:

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
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. So What
19. Seek & Destroy

Source : Blabbermouth.net

Download festival, day 2: Drama for Korn, glory for Metallica

Mon, 12 Jun 2006 05:56:00 -0700

Metallica thrilled Donington by playing the most important album in metal history as its spiritual home, in an awe-inspiring end to day two.

First track 'Battery' sounded as vital as ever 20 years on, its striking riffs loaded with adrenaline and still imbued with youthful aggression. The rest of the set unfolded like a metal head's dream, the interplay between Hetfield and the others cementing their reputation as a loving - if at times dysfunctional - family.
[more]
It was a different story for nu-metal act Korn, however, who were left without their frontman Jonathan Davies - hospitalised in London while his band prepared for their second headline slot at Donington. The show went on though, with a raft of guest vocalists, including Matt Heafy from Trivium and M Shadows from Avenged Sevenfold taking vocal duties.

Meanwhile, Trivium made a triumphant return to the main stage that brought them success last year, the crowd already primed by clichĂ?d hell-raisers Avenged Sevenfold. Singer M Shadows sported a customised number 7 England shirt emblazoned with his name in support of England's glorious victory, as the crowd swelled with those coming back from the giant cinema screen.

The whole afternoon was dedicated to football fever, which was only truly set aside when it came to Metallica. Never mind football coming home, metal already has.

Source: Sound Generator

Great-Quality Audio Recording Of New Song Available

Wed, 07 Jun 2006 13:06:00 -0700

An excellent-quality audience recording of METALLICA performing an as-yet-untitled new song during their headlining appearance Tuesday (June 6) at Waldbuhne in Berlin, Germany has been posted online: Location#1, Location#2, Location#3 (password: www.metallica-world.de) (NOTE: With James Hetfield's introduction, the file clocks in at 9:37).
[more]
Source: Blabbermouth.net

New Song Video/Audio From Berlin Posted Online

Wed, 07 Jun 2006 02:32:00 -0700

Two low-quality video clips of METALLICA performing an as-yet-untitled new song during their headlining appearance Tuesday (June 6) at Waldbuhne in Berlin, Germany have been posted online at YouTube.com: Part#1, Part#2.

Video Of 'Orion' From ROCK AM RING Festival Posted Online

Tue, 06 Jun 2006 14:55:00 -0700

A video clip of METALLICA playing their rarely performed classic track "Orion" at the Rock am Ring festival in NĂĽrburgring, Germany on Saturday, June 3 � which included a performance of the band's classic 1986 album, "Master of Puppets", in its entirety � has been posted at YouTube.com.
[more]
METALLICA's Rock am Ring appearance was the opening show of the band's "Escape from the Studio '06" tour. The band played "Master of Puppets", in its entirety again Sunday night (June 4) at the Rock im Park festival in NĂĽrnberg, Germany.

(Thanks: Johan MĂ?rling)

Source: Blabbermouth.net

'Master Of Puppets' Album Again At Germany's ROCK IM PARK

Sat, 03 Jun 2006 14:52:00 -0700

METALLICA performed their classic 1986 album, "Master of Puppets", in its entirety again Sunday night (June 4) at the Rock im Park festival in NĂĽrnberg, Germany.[more] The band played all eight songs in their proper sequence for the first time ever at yesterday's (June 3) headlining appearance at the Rock am Ring festival in NĂĽrburgring, Germany � the opening show of the band's "Escape from the Studio '06" tour. The group's setlist for tonight's show at Rock im Park was as follows:

01. Creeping Death
02. Fuel
03. Wherever I May Roam
04. The God That Failed
05. Unforgiven
06. Battery
07. Master of Puppets
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. So What!
19. Seek and Destroy

Source: Blabbermouth.net

METALLICA's ROCK AM RING Performance To be Broadcast On MTV EURO

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 12:37:00 -0700

According to a posting on METALLICA's web site, MTV Europe will be broadcasting METALLICA's June 3 performance at the Rock Am Ring festival in NĂĽrburgring, Germany (first hour for all MTV Europe, complete show for Germany). Check local listings for exact show times and channel.
[more]
METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett recently told the Artisan News Service that the band have "about fifteen songs" written for the follow-up to 2003's "St. Anger", which they hope to release in early 2007. In a short interview conducted at the MAP MusiCares MAP Fund concert on May 12 honoring Hammett's METALLICA bandmate James Hetfield, Kirk admitted the band is really hitting the song writing groove, even busting out two to three new songs per week.

"It's pretty early in the process," Hammett told the Artisan News Service. "We have about fifteen songs or so and we're just going to keep on writing songs until we feel we have the best dozen songs and get those into the studio. That's when I think Rick (Rubin) comes in and does his thing. But it's really really early still, we're just writing the music and that's going along really well. Sometimes we're writing two or three songs per week, which is great. It's just us four in the studio, which is really different now." [Watch a Windows Media video clip of Hammett talking about working on the new METALLICA album at this location.

Source Blabbermouth.net

2004's Download Festival Clips With Lombardo, Jordison Online

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 12:34:00 -0700

A live video of Metallica members James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo performing the track "Battery" with Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo at the Download festival in England on June 6, 2004 has been posted online at YouTube.com. More footage � including interview clips with some of the other bands performing at the Download 2004 festival (such as Damageplan, Hatebreed and Ill Nino) - can be found here.
[more]
Metallica's regular drummer, Lars Ulrich, was taken to hospital with an undisclosed illness just hours before Metallica were due to headline the festival. Rather than pull the show and risk a revolt from fans, Metallica called upon Slayer and Slipknot drummers, Lombardo and Joey Jordison (respectively), alongside Ulrich's long-standing drum tech Flemming Larsen, to rescue the gig. Jordison played in his Slipknot mask. Watch a clip of Joey Jordison performing "Enter Sandman" with Metallica at this location. Video of Jordison's rendition of "For Whom the Bell Tolls" with Metallica can be viewed here.

Thanks for the info to Blabbermouth.net.

Metallica's James Hetfield Saved By 'Monster' Documentary

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 12:32:00 -0700

James Hetfield has credited the band's documentary with saving him from an alcoholic hell.

Filming Some Kind Of Monster made the now-sober singer see how his lifestyle was destroying himself and hurting those around him.

Hetfield says, "(The film) took the black veil away, it took the mystique and the mystery out of the rock myth of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. Music is the best drug in the whole f**king world and moves me like no other. I thank God that I discovered that gift early on."
[more]
(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)

Autographed METALLICA Guitar To Be Raffled Off To Help Family

Thu, 25 May 2006 03:39:00 -0700

According to SonomaNews.com, Sonoma Valley High School seniors Andrew Presler and Kenny Walter are raffling off a guitar signed by all the members of METALLICA (photo) at a concert they're holding this weekend to help a friend's family pay medical bills. The concert will take place in Andrews Hall at the Sonoma Community Center, 276 E. Napa St., from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 27 with a wide range of music � from rock to hip-hop, metal, blues, rock.
[more]
All proceeds will go to the Haskell family to help out with medical costs. The pair became good friends with Nefera Haskell at Sonoma Valley High School. She has been flying back east where her mother Kimberly was having surgery for a brain tumor.

Even if people can't attend the show, they can support the cause by buying raffle tickets (people do not have to be present to win) or by donating money into an account the pair has opened in the name of the Haskell family at the Sonoma Valley Bank.

Tickets are $5 for students and $7 for adults, and the pair are also selling raffle tickets for $2 apiece or three for $5 at such local stores as Sonoma Music Shop and the Barking Dog.

For more information, click here.

Source: Blabbermotuh.net

METALLICA Begin Rehearsing For 'Escape From The Studio '06' Tour

Thu, 25 May 2006 03:32:00 -0700

METALLICA have begun rehearsing for their upcoming "Escape from the Studio '06" tour, which is scheduled to kick off June 3 in Nurburgring, Germany at the Rock Am Ring Festival. Pictures from the rehearsal studio have been posted online at MetOnTour.com (free registration required).
[more]
METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett recently told the Artisan News Service that the band have "about fifteen songs" written for the follow-up to 2003's "St. Anger", which they hope to release in early 2007. In a short interview conducted at the MAP MusiCares MAP Fund concert on May 12 honoring Hammett's METALLICA bandmate James Hetfield, Kirk admitted the band is really hitting the song writing groove, even busting out two to three new songs per week.

"It's pretty early in the process," Hammett told the Artisan News Service. "We have about fifteen songs or so and we're just going to keep on writing songs until we feel we have the best dozen songs and get those into the studio. That's when I think Rick (Rubin) comes in and does his thing. But it's really really early still, we're just writing the music and that's going along really well. Sometimes we're writing two or three songs per week, which is great. It's just us four in the studio, which is really different now." [Watch a Windows Media video clip of Hammett talking about working on the new METALLICA album at this location.]

source: Blabbermouth.net

Kirk Hammett's vehicle is close to being finished

Wed, 17 May 2006 14:51:00 -0700

Kirk Hammett's custom-built '36 Ford vehicle is close to being finished and will make its public debut at the Paso Robles Custom Car show in California. One of the most hotly anticipated hot-rods, the vehicle was built by the Salinas Boys (owned by Cole Foster, renowed custom made hot-rod builder) over a three-year period and features a unique sound system with a guitar amplifier built into the trunk. A picture of the car can be found here. Additional information can be found at SalinasBoys.com.
[more]
In related news, METALLICA's performance at this year's Rock Am Ring festival in Germany on June 4 will be broadcast live by MTV Germany, according to the MTV web site (MTV.de). The festival is broadcast live on TV every year. The Heineken Jammin Festival in Imola, Italy on June 17 may also be broadcast live on TV but no official announcement has yet been made.

Source: Blabbermouth

Hetfield: 'Charity award means more than a Grammy'

Thu, 11 May 2006 10:49:00 -0700

James Hetfield has dismissed his seven Grammy wins as unimportant compared to the charity accolade he will receive tomorrow (12MAY06).

James will be presented with the STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN Award for his dedication and support of the MusiCares MAP Fund, which helps people in the music industry receive addiction treatment, in a Hollywood ceremony tomorrow evening.[more]
But despite his clutch of glittering musical accolades, Hetfield insists the charity honour gives him the most pride and is begging his friends and family to join him on the night.
He says, "I noticed I've been inviting everyone I know to this thing as opposed to the Grammys or some other awards show.
"It's very different. I guess I never thought of inviting family to other stuff. But this is obviously something I'm more proud of.
"It's more of a lifestyle instead of an accolade of what you've accomplished. This is more internal for me."
The evening will feature performances by a host of special musical guests including ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist JERRY CANTRELL and drummer SEAN KINNEY, as well as Metallica bassist ROBERT TRUJILLO.

Source: PR inside

James honoured for addiction work

Sun, 07 May 2006 07:33:00 -0700

James Hetfield is being honoured for his work in helping musicians recover from addiction.

The Metallica frontman will receive the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award from the MusiCares MAP Fund.
[more]
The charity aims to help industry professionals recover from addiction, and wants to recognise former alcoholic Hetfield's help in this area.

Hetfield said it was important for addicts to know there was help available, telling Billboard.com: "I don't believe that you have to walk straight into the fire to know how hot it is."

"That was my path. The biggest awareness is that you're not alone and that there is some help. When people get so far into it, where they feel their life isn't worth anything, that's too far," he continued. "But, you can survive it. That's important to know."

The star will receive his award at a ceremony on May 12, where he will perform with Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney.

Hetfield, whose band is currently recording, also said work was easier without drink. Recording is "very different because there is a lot more awareness of what we are doing and sometimes over-thinking it," he explained. "Now we are very present for it all and I'm not afraid to do or try anything musically.

"[It's] going great because everyone is present and everyone is enjoying the process. [Drummer] Lars [Ulrich] and I would butt heads daily. It would be going to war every day.

"You'd suit up in your armor before you go in the studio," he said. "Battling back and forth. Now it's helping each other do the best of their ability. It's all moving toward the same goal instead of pulling back."

Read more at Digital Spy

Metallica, Alice in Chains join forces for LA gig

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 06:45:00 -0700

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Members of hard rock bands Metallica and Alice in Chains will play together at a Hollywood benefit concert next month honoring Metallica singer James Hetfield, organizers said on Wednesday.
[more]
Hetfield and Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo will share the stage at Music Box at Henry Fonda on May 12 with Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney.

The concert/dinner is a fund-raiser for the MusiCares MAP Fund, which provides members of the music community access to addiction recovery treatment regardless of their financial situation.

Both bands have struggled with addiction issues. Hetfield's personal battle was chronicled in the documentary "Some Kind of Monster," while Alice in Chains lost singer Layne Staley to a fatal drug overdose four years ago.

Their paths have also intersected musically. Alice in Chains bass player Mike Inez was one of many high-profile musicians to try out for the slot that opened up when Jason Newsted left Metallica in 2001. Alice in Chains was also supposed to open some dates for Metallica in 1994, but pulled out at the last minute because of internal tensions.

Metallica are recording a new album, having kept a relatively low profile in the past year. Alice in Chains will launch their first tour in a decade in Los Angeles on May 18.

Hetfield's bandmates, drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist Kirk Hammett, will attend the Hollywood event, as will their friend and idol, Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead. Other scheduled guests include Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro, and Sully Erna of Boston hard rock band Godsmack.

Also scheduled to perform are rock band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and singer/songwriters Jason Mraz and Tom Waits. Besides Hetfield, veteran concert promoter Bill Silva will also be honored. Balcony tickets are priced at 0 each.

Reuters/VNU

� Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved

The Songs That Drove METALLICA: 'Full Metal Garage' CD

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 05:15:00 -0700

The Songs That Drove METALLICA: 'Full Metal Garage' CD Due In June

Sanctuary Records are re-packaging the "Metallic-era" albums into one double set billed "Full Metal Garage - The Songs That Drove Metallica" for release on June 26.

Originally conceived by Rockdetector.com's Garry Sharpe-Young, all of these original tracks are available together, at last, on one double CD, "Full Metal Garage � The Songs That Drove Metallica". This album � fully approved by METALLICA � features artists such as BLACK SABBATH, MOTĂ?RHEAD, MISFITS, DIAMOND HEAD and THIN LIZZY. It's a genuinely inspirational collection of music and when you listen it's easy to see how this group of talented bands has influenced the lives and music of METALLICA.
[more]
Says Garry Sharpe-Young: "It's well known that METALLICA drew their inspiration from many of the NWoBHM bands, classic '70s rockers and British punk, and they themselves have been quick to honour these acts with their infamous 'Garage Days' sets and a swathe of B-sides over the years. It suddenly dawned on me one day, whilst working on album projects for the likes of SAVAGE and HOLOCAUST, that although fans knew of these tracks, most had never heard the originals. I then set wheels in motion to compile all of them into one collection. I can remember talking to DIAMOND HEAD's Sean Harris who told me that when they supported METALLICA at the Milton Keynes festival they got booed when they opened with 'Am I Evil' because the METALLICA fans thought they were doing a cover version! Also, perhaps the most direct inspiration for the band, Mansfield's SAVAGE, never got their justice by way of an official METALLICA cover but the band included a track on their first demos and used to play 'Let It Loose' live, neglecting to tell the audience it was a cover! Somehow, history got a bit skewed simply because METALLICA got so big. Here, you can hear all the originals, such as BUDGIE's 'Breadfan', which METALLICA used as a set opener for a huge number of shows, or Scotland's highly influential HOLOCAUST, SWEET SAVAGE's 'Killing Time' and JAGUAR from Bristol. Being a well-known obsessor over historical detail, it was a fun job putting these tracks together and, most importantly, getting some of these lesser known bands some well-overdue recognition."

METALLICA have dominated, changed and inspired the musical landscape since they burst onto the metal scene with the release of their debut album "Kill 'Em All" in 1983. The truly innovative and fresh approach from the San Francisco four-piece has materially changed the music we listen to today. Credited with creating thrash metal, METALLICA have always celebrated the music that has influenced them and have made previous homilies to the bands and musicians on the albums "Garage Days" revisited EP and the double album "Garage Inc."

"Full Metal Garage � The Songs That Drove Metallica" track listing:

Disc One:

01. DISCHARGE � "Free Speech For The Dumb"
02. DIAMOND HEAD � "It's Electric"
03. BLACK SABBATH � "Sabbra Cadabra"
04. MISFITS � "Die Die My Darling"
05. NICK CAVE � "Loverman"
06. MERCYFUL FATE � "Curse Of The Pharaohs"
07. MERCYFUL FATE � "Evil"
08. BLUE Ă?YSTER CULT � "Astronomy"
09. THIN LIZZY � "Whiskey In The Jar"
10. LYNYRD SKYNYRD � "Tuesday's Gone"
11. DISCHARGE � "The More I See"

Disc Two:

01. DIAMOND HEAD � "Helpless"
02. HOLOCAUST � "The Small Hours"
03. KILLING JOKE � "The Wait"
04. BUDGIE � "Crash Course In Brain Surgery"
05. DIAMOND HEAD � "Am I Evil"
06. BLITZKRIEG � "Blitzkrieg"
07. BUDGIE � "Breadfan"
08. DIAMOND HEAD � "The Prince"
09. ANTI NOWHERE LEAGUE � "So What"
10. SWEET SAVAGE � "Killing Time" ('96 version)
11. MOTĂ?RHEAD � "Overkill"
12. MOTĂ?RHEAD � "Too Late Too Late"
13. SAVAGE � "Let It Loose"
14. DIAMOND HEAD � "Sucking My Love"
15. SAVAGE � "Dirty Money"
16. JAGUAR � "Stormchild"

source: Blabbermotuh.net

Cover Of METALLICA's 'Master Of Puppets' Posted Online

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 10:38:00 -0700

TRIVIUM's cover of METALLICA's "Master of Puppets", which was recorded for the recently released Kerrang! magazine tribute to the METALLICA album "Master of Puppets", has been posted online at http://www.myspace.com/trivium.
[more]
As previously reported, "Remastered" was packaged with a special issue of Kerrang! commemorating the 20th anniversary of "Master of Puppets". Other bands contributing to the CD include MACHINE HEAD ("Battery"), MENDEED ("The Thing That Should Not Be"), BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE ("Welcome Home (Sanitarium)"), CHIMAIRA ("Disposable Heroes"), FIGHTSTAR ("Leper Messiah"), MASTODON ("Orion"; audio) and FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND ("Damage, Inc."). Check out the "Remastered" cover artwork at this location.

TRIVIUM's acclaimed "Ascendancy" CD will be receiving a re-release in the U.S. on May 9 in a special-edition package similar to the album's recent U.K. re-release, but with even more extras, videos and goodies.

The U.K. version of TRIVIUM's "Ascendancy - Special Edition" CD/DVD package, which was released on February 27, came in an embossed slipcase featuring new artwork and included a previously unreleased studio track plus a bonus DVD. The DVD featured four promo videos, including the previously unseen "Rain", plus five live tracks recorded in the U.K. in September 2005. More information is available at this location.

"Ascendancy" was recently certified silver in the U.K. for sales in excess of 60,000 copies.

Source: Blabbermouth.net

'Creeping Death' Rehearsal Video Posted Online

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 10:37:00 -0700

A video of METALLICA rehearsing their song "Creeping Death" prior to the band's concerts in South Africa in March has been posted online. Check it out in the Windows Media format: 300KB, 100KB.
[more]
METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich recently told England's Kerrang! magazine that the band's new music has a more "old-school" sound than its controversial 2003 release, "St. Anger", according to Launch Radio Networks. He told the magazine that the group has gone back to an earlier method of songwriting, explaining, "Everything you hear on ('St. Anger') was given birth to in the studio. This time around we've each brought in ideas as we used to � as well as working on some jams we had from two summers ago � and James (Hetfield) and I are sorting through our CDs of riffs to put together stuff as we did back in the day."

Ulrich said the new material is "much more organic, more old-school. It certainly doesn't feel like 'St. Anger Part Two'."

The drummer still defended the band's eighth studio album, which drew criticism for its underproduced sound. "'St. Anger' was a statement, 55 minutes of brutality packed onto a CD, proving to ourselves that we still had the spark," he said. "'St. Anger' was fun but we don't need to make that album again."

Ulrich said that the band has six or seven songs nearly completed for its next release, which is due out in early 2007. The band is working with producer Rick Rubin after 15 years with Bob Rock behind the board.

METALLICA will play some European and Japanese festivals this summer.

Frontman James Hetfield will be honored at the second annual MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert on Friday, May 12 in Hollywood, California.

Source: Blabbermouth.net

METALLICA Host Winners Of 'Some Kind Of Monster' DVD Release 'G

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 10:35:00 -0700

METALLICA hosted the winners of the "Some Kind Of Monster" DVD release "Golden Ticket" contest at their headquarters in San Rafael, California on Friday, April 21. The winners came from all over: Oregon, Virginia, Colorado, Iowa, Wisconsin, and even Germany.
[more]
The day started with the six winners and their guests relaxing with the guys in the band lounge, sharing stories and finding out how they won their "Golden Ticket." A superb barbeque lunch of burgers, hot dogs, steak, chicken, and fish was served with all the fixings and extras you could eat. In the game room, you could hear the dings of the pinball games and the slappings of the air hockey table.

Read the rest of the report � and check out pictures � at Metallica.com.

Source: Blabbermouth.net

'TALLICA LEND VOICES AGAIN

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 10:33:00 -0700

According to a posting at TV.com, METALLICA members James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett have lent their voices to another cartoon series, titled "Death Clock Metalocalypse".

Brendon Small, known for the series "Home Movies", co-created "Death Clock Metalocalypse" about a Norwegian heavy metal band called DEATHKLOK. Although they rock to the top of the charts with gusto, they are also incredibly stupid and leave a path of destruction and mayhem behind wherever they tour. The new series will premiere in August on the Cartoon Network.
[more]
METALLICA have previously lent their voices to animated shows including "The Simpsons" and "Dave the Barbarian".

Source: Blabbermouth

Metallica Continue Work On New LP

Thu, 20 Apr 2006 10:32:00 -0700

Metallica are mentioned in the latest issue of Kerrang! magazine, where drummer Lars Ulrich offers a small update on the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's new album, reports Blabbermouth.net.
[more]
According to Ulrich, Metallica have "six to seven" new songs completed without vocals and have gone back to the old approach of Lars and guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield sifting through riff tapes the band have recorded on hours of jam sessions from the last world tour.

Regarding the band's collaboration with producer Rick Rubin (Slipknot, System Of A Down, Red Hot Chili Peppers), Lars said that its been good working with him because he sees things in the big picture and it was good to change producers because after 15 years they felt spoiled.

In other news, the Mercury News is reporting that Hetfield and guitarist Kirk Hammett attended a live show by Queen at the HP Pavillion in San Jose last week. They hung out backstage and were later introduced to the audience by Queen guitarist Brian May.

Metallica return to "old school" metal

Thu, 20 Apr 2006 10:30:00 -0700

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has told England's Kerrang! magazine that the band's new music has a more "old school" sound than its controversial 2003 release, St. Anger. He told the magazine that the group has gone back to an earlier method of songwriting, explaining, "Everything you hear on (StAnger) was given birth to in the studio. This time around we've each brought in ideas as we used to -- as well as working on some jams we had from two summers ago -- and James (Hetfield) and I are sorting through our CDs of riffs to put together stuff as we did back in the day."
[more]
Ulrich said the new material is "much more organic, more old school. It certainly doesn't feel like St. Anger Part Two."

The drummer still defended the band's eighth studio album, which drew criticism for its underproduced sound: "StAnger was a statement, 55 minutes of brutality packed onto a CD, proving to ourselves that we still had the spark. StAnger was fun but we don't need to make that album again."

Ulrich said that the band has six or seven songs nearly completed for its next release, which is due out in early 2007. The band is working with producer Rick Rubin after 15 years with Bob Rock behind the board.

Metallica will play some European and Japanese festivals this summer.

Frontman James Hetfield will be honored at the second annual MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert on Friday, May 12th in Hollywood, California.

The Rock Radio online

Metallica prepare for Stones concerts

Thu, 03 Nov 2005 08:37:00 -0800

Metallica have begun rehearsing for their upcoming stint as opening act for the Rolling Stones. A five-minute video clip of the group practicing in its rehearsal studio has been posted online. Metallica will warm up for the Stones on November 13th and 15th in San Francisco. These are Metallica's only live shows of 2005.[more]

Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett will appear on the cover of the January 2006 issue of Guitar World magazine, which is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the release of the band's landmark Master Of Puppets album. The issue goes on sale November 22nd.

The band will reportedly reconvene after the Stones shows or early in 2006 to begin working on material for its ninth studio album.

GUITAR WORLD Salutes METALLICA's 'Master Of Puppets' Album

Thu, 27 Oct 2005 14:19:00 -0700

The cover of the January 2006 issue of Guitar World magazine, featuring METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett and the 20-year salute to the band's "Master Of Puppets" album, has been posted online at Metallica.com. Hammett was interviewed, and took part in a new photo shoot, for the magazine, which goes on sale November 22. Check out some of the pictures at this location.[more]

METALLICA will be the special guest for THE ROLLING STONES as part of their "A Bigger Bang" world tour at SBC Park in San Francisco on November 13 and November 15.

source : Blabbermouth

Kirk Hammet to answer fan questions

Wed, 26 Oct 2005 15:11:00 -0700

Guitar World magazine is launching a question-and-answer section featuring talented guitarists such as Kirk Hammett, Trey Anastasio, and Yngwie Malmsteen. People wishing to ask questions of a guitar player of their choice can go to the Guitar World web site or submit their questions by writing directly to [email]dearguitarhero@guitarworld.com.[more][/email] Please include the guitarist name in the subject line to whom you are directing the question. All the winners who have their questions selected for publication will receive an answer from the hero of their choice, plus a Planet Waves guitar accessory.

If you have some questions for Kirk click here to visit the "Dear Guitar Hero" page.

source : Blabbermouth.net

Happy birthday to Robert

Sat, 22 Oct 2005 21:00:00 -0700

Today is Rob's 41. birthday. We wish you all the best Rob.

So What! Fan Club Magazine Editor Speaks Out

Wed, 19 Oct 2005 14:13:00 -0700

Overkill.pl recently conducted an interview with Steffan Chirazi, a full-time METALLICA chronicler and editor of "So What!" magazine, a quarterly that is mailed to the 22,000 members of the METALLICA fan club. Chirazi also edited METALLICA's "So What! The Good, The Mad, and The Ugly" book, a collection of original interviews, handwritten notes from the band, intimate journal entries and more than 1,000 exclusive photos.[more] A couple of excerpts from Overkill.pl's question-and-answer session with Chirazi follow:

Overkill.pl: Who are the guys from METALLICA for you? Gods? Friends? Employers? All of the above? Has it always been so? If not, what has changed in your relations during all those years?

Steffan Chirazi: "First and foremost, they are people with whom I've had a relationship since I was a teenager (we're talking over 21 years) so we have a long, almost familial, history with each other. To break it down, I feel that we're all friends, but I've had a particularly stong and trusting friendship with Lars and James over the years. One of the best things has been the fact that since I was invited by them to become the So What! editor in 1999, our relationships really haven't changed. Often work can affect such things, but there's always been an ability to keep work matters and friendship stuff separate. I would also add that obviously the daily nature of friendships shift and change due to our respective families, lives and so on, but the bottom line is that I would always be right there for them as human beings if they needed me, and I feel the same very much back from them. Thus I'd have to conclude by saying it's always been an incredibly consistent friendship and working relationship."

Overkill.pl: What was your aim in writing this book? How, according to you, could a fan benefit from it, taking into account that lot of publications (maybe not authorized, however carefully covering the subject) about METALLICA have beed issued so far. How the book was meant to surprise us? Did it make your dreams come true and fulfill your expectations? Is it (the book) was in your mind?

Steffan Chirazi: "The primary aim in putting the book together was to give true fans a deep, inside look at the band via a selection of the best moments (in my opinion) from their magazine So What! being the band's own magazine, it seemed like the logical place to draw material from. We did not want to to do a biography right now, thus I really wanted this to be a very meaty and satisfying 'coffee table' book, the METALLICA version of the excellent book on THE BEATLES titled 'Anthology'. I also really wanted a book where fans had to keep on coming back to it over a long period of time to enjoy it, where there was a lot to find, and I think we achieved that. So far as fans benefiting, no other book out there has as many handwritten notes, personal photos or exclusive photography. I am very, very proud indeed of the book, and is it the book I had in mind? Y'know, I have a theory that you should never, ever be 100% satisfied with what you've done, but I would say that it is 98% satisfaction and every time I look back over it, I like it a helluva lot."

Read the entire interview at Overkill.pl.

source: Blabbermouth.net

Metallica Featured In Surfing Film

Wed, 19 Oct 2005 13:43:00 -0700

Metallica are featured in the surfing film "A Day In The Life...", which was recently released on DVD.

Shot in virtually every corner of the earth and shinning an alternate light on the sport of surfing, the film shows how diverse every surfers life is, "A Day In The Life..." could be described as a tale of classic short stories. Shot on 16-mm film and video, the film has a great blend of water shots and land footage. Unique in structure, the film shows just how different the life of every surfer can be.
[more]
Metallica make a guest appearance in the film and provide music to the soundtrack. The group's guitarist, Kirk Hammett, is featured on the front cover of the DVD.

Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo are both known for surfing in their spare time.

For more info on the film, go to Surf.uk.com and Seven-films.com.

source: Ultimate-guitar.com

SKOM movie third greatest ever

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 11:57:00 -0700

Metallica's 2004 documentary, Some Kind Of Monster, has been named the third greatest rock movie of all time by Blender magazine, according to the Associated Press. The magazine's "100 Greatest Rock And Roll Movies Of All Time" has the classic This Is Spinal Tap topping the list, followed by Saturday Night Fever at Number Two. The list is due out in the magazine's November issue.
[more]
Some Kind Of Monster chronicled the turbulent making of Metallica's 2003 album, St. Anger, during which the group nearly disintegrated due to internal problems. Guitarist Kirk Hammett told us that he's rarely heard anything negative from Metallica fans about the sometimes unflattering way the film portrays the band:
"Hardly anyone comes up to me and, you know, has anything negative to say. Most people just come up to me and say, 'God, you know, I can't believe what you guys went through and now I understand why St. Anger sounds the way it is and why it is the way it is, and what took you guys so long, and what you've been doing during that time.' I really am glad that the movie fills in a lot of gaps."

Other notable entries on the Blender list include Purple Rain at Number Four, Almost Famous at Number Five, the Eminem biopic 8 Mile at Number 14 and Grease at Number 19.

In other Metallica news, an autographed copy of the band's deluxe scrapbook, So What! The Good, The Mad, and The Ugly, is being auctioned on eBay. Proceeds from the sale will go to the Step Up Women's Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing community resources for underprivileged women and girls.

source: The Rock Radio online

Kirk Hammett For Guitar World Magazine's Content

Wed, 12 Oct 2005 08:31:00 -0700

According to a posting on the official Metallica web site, Kirk Hammett stopped by the band's headquarters outside San Francisco over the weekend to provide some content for a very special issue of Guitar World magazine. Check out pictures at Metallica.com. More details will be made available soon.
[more]
In related news, Guitar World magazine offers you a chance to ask Kirk anything you want by mailing [email=dearguitarhero@guitarworld.com?subject=Dear%20Guitar%20Hero:%20Kirk%20Hammett]here[/email]. To maximize your chances of having your question printed, read the following suggestions:

01. Ask funny and imaginative questions.
02. If you are asking a tech question, be specific.
03. It's fine to ask how something is played, but because of restrictions placed on Guitar World magazine by print publishers, they'll only be able to address a couple of tablature-oriented question in each edition of Dear Guitar Hero. So, please do not overload them with questions like "How do you play the opening lick to Iron Man?"

source: Ultimate-guitar.com

Autographed 'So What!' Book Auctioned For Charity

Wed, 12 Oct 2005 08:28:00 -0700

An autographed copy of METALLICA's "So What! The Good, The Mad, and The Ugly" book is being auctioned on eBay, with all proceeds going to the Step Up Women's Network, a non-profit women's organization dedicated to providing community resources for underprivileged women and girls.
[more]
Published by Broadway Books and edited by Steffan Chirazi, full-time chronicler of the band and editor of "So What!" magazine, a quarterly that is mailed to the 22,000 members of the METALLICA fan club, "So What! The Good, The Mad, and The Ugly" includes original interviews, handwritten notes from the band, intimate journal entries and more than 1,000 exclusive photos. With the intimate involvement of band members, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo and compiled with the hard and humorous attitude that has earned METALLICA their place in the rock-god stratosphere, "So What! The Good, The Mad, and The Ugly" provides an all-access pass to the backstage.

source: Blabbermouth.net

Cliff Burton

Tue, 27 Sep 2005 07:16:00 -0700

Cliff Burton (RIP) died on 27.09.1986. when the band's tourbus crashed in Sweden. He was thrown from the window and the bus fell on top of him.
James: "I saw the bus lying right on him, I saw his legs sticking out. I freaked. The bus driver was trying to yank the blanket from under him, I already wanted to kill the guy.

"I don't know if he was drunk or if he hit some ice. All I knew was he was driving and Cliff wasn't alive anymore."

Kirk Hammett to per perform on new Santana album

Fri, 23 Sep 2005 07:10:00 -0700

As most METALLICA fans have heard by now, the group's lead guitarist, Kirk Hammett, was asked by legendary guitarist Carlos Santana to contribute to the multi-Grammy-winning artist's upcoming release, "All That I Am". The CD, which features Kirk on the track the instrumental track "Trinity", will be in stores on November 1. In the meantime, you can listen to the full song "Trinity" Ă˘�??ť which also boasts harmonized guitars from Carlos Santana and pedal-steel virtuoso Robert Randolph Ă˘�??ť at this location.[more]

Kirk has previously worked with Carlos in 2001 at a live show benefit in San Francisco. Carlos was also invited into METALLICA's studio in 2002 while the band were recording "St. Anger".

Source: Blabbermouth

MetallicA To Guest On The Simpsons

Tue, 20 Sep 2005 09:16:00 -0700

MetallicA were in the studio today (Sept. 20) to record their voices for an upcoming episode of "The Simpsons". The show will air sometime in May 2006, so you have plenty of time to set those recorders. [more]More information will be made available soon. In the meantime, click here to check out the pictures of the guys saying their lines.

Source: Blabbermouth.net

Kirk Hammett Performing With Flux Quatret:Video Clips Avaiable

Sat, 17 Sep 2005 17:16:00 -0700

Joshua Kosman of the San Francisco Chronicle reviewed METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett's Sept. 15 appearance with string ensemble the FLUX QUARTET at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco as part of the Morrison Artists Series. A couple of excerpts from the review follow:
[more]
"Kirk Hammett, lead guitarist for the heavy-metal band METALLICA, was on hand to bring a measure of raw energy to an all-too-brief collaboration with the New York string quartet FLUX. Traditional values were represented by the ST. LAWRENCE STRING QUARTET, playing DvorĂˇk with sweetness and vigor.

"Hammett's appearance was the evening's most glamorous aspect, but the whoops of appreciation from the balcony that greeted his appearance were the sole indication that there was a star in the house.

"He and Gropman, a classical guitarist, took up their positions alongside the members of FLUX like a true ensemble, and the music Ă˘�??ť a semi-improvised piece by FLUX first violinist Tom Chiu named 'SAS' Ă˘�??ť featured all the give-and-take of a genuinely collaborative effort.

"Like some kind of chamber concerto, the music alternated between full-bore sonic tumult and solo episodes by Hammett with Gropman's support. After a massive introduction, the guitarists came to the fore with some chunky walking chords, and soon Hammett's guitar was wailing and searing above the din.

"I don't know how much of the music was pre-composed and how much developed on the spot, but there was quick response on all sides. When Hammett took off into some virtuosic guitar patterns based on blues scales, those scales spread as if by osmosis to the quartet.

"Transitions seemed a little clunky, but at 12 minutes, the piece sounded, if anything, too short Ă˘�??ť its abrupt ending left plenty of provocative ideas still unexplored."

Read the entire review at this location. A couple of blurry photographs taken at the show can be viewed here.

Source: Blabermouth.net

METALLICA Featured On Directors Label Series DVD

Thu, 15 Sep 2005 14:53:00 -0700

METALLICA is featured in a special DVD series called "Directors Label Series" that includes two of their videos, "Hero of the Day" and "Mama Said". Other artists on this special Anton Corbijn DVD include NIRVANA, U2, DEPECHE MODE, HENRY ROLLINS, and more. Also on this DVD is commentary from the band, and a new documentary called "NOTNA" about Anton, featuring an interview with Lars Ulrich.

For more information on the special "Director's Label Series", go to OnlineDirectorSteam.com. To order the "Director's Series Vol. 6 - Work of Director Anton Corbijn" DVD, go to Amazon.com.

Metallica Game Iced

Fri, 09 Sep 2005 05:13:00 -0700

Back in February of this year, Lars Ulrich announced that the heavy metal band were to be immortalized in a computer game.

Now, according to GermanyĂ˘�??˘s Krawall Gaming Network (www.krawall.de) Vivendi Universal Games have canceled any plans for the game, stating that ideas and concepts for the game werenĂ˘�??˘t up to their standards.[more]
Click here for the Full Story

source: antiMUSIC

Canadian SKOM Small-Screen Premiere Scheduled For Sep. 7, 2005

Thu, 08 Sep 2005 02:31:00 -0700

The Canadian small-screen premiere of the "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster" documentary is scheduled for this Friday, September 9 at 8:00 p.m. on the Documentary Channel. A repeat airing will take place on Thursday, September 15 at 8:00 p.m.

Filmed over three tumultuous years, "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster" examines the personal, professional and creative struggles of one of the most successful heavy metal bands of all time. The film begins with the band at a low point: they had unexpectedly split with their long-time bassist, relations between the remaining band-mates were souring and, as they hadn't toured or released an album for several years, fans and the music press were questioning the band's future. So was METALLICA.[more]

At the desperate request of their manager, the band begins group therapy. It soon becomes clear that, despite their many years together building a multi-million dollar global business, wide personal chasms exist between these men. No longer rebellious boys, they are now men in their forties, with the problems, responsibilities and concerns of middle age.

Click here to view the "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster" trailer.

For more information, visit www.documentarychannel.ca.

(Thanks: Blistering.com)

Source : Blabbermouth.net

BEATALLICA Frontman: 'I Wouldn't Want To Mess' With LARS ULRICH

Thu, 08 Sep 2005 02:10:00 -0700

RiverFrontTimes.com recently conducted an interview with frontman Jaymz Lennfield of Milwaukee-based BEATALLICA, a satirical mashup act whose hilarious schtick marries the songwriting prowess of the BEATLES to the deep-throated rock growl of METALLICA. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

RiverFrontTimes.com: If [METALLICA's Lars Ulrich] and Ringo Starr [of THE BEATLES] got into a fight, who'd win?

Jaymz Lennfield: "Definitely Lars. Ringo's a really smart guy, but Lars has a ridiculous amount of energy. When he called me up about the cease-and-desist order [in February, BEATALLICA found themselves on the ugly end of a cease-and-desist order from Sony, demanding that they shut down their heavily trafficked site for good], he was out on the slopes on a skiing vacation with his family in Colorado and the guy was talking a mile a minute. Every few words would have to be bleeped out. I wouldn't want to mess with that guy."[more]

On their upcoming European tour:

Jaymz Lennfield: "We definitely like to play dress-up, but we're a real band Ă˘�??ť these guys can play. You remember that scene from 'The Blues Brothers' where they have the fence up around them as they're playing? Well, we need to have chainlink fence up just to keep Krk [Hammettson, BEATALLICA guitarist] from jumping out from the stage and landing on people. He's ruined so much perfectly good equipment that way."

Kirk Hammett Talks About FLUX QUARTET Collaboration

Wed, 07 Sep 2005 09:17:00 -0700

Joshua Kosman of the San Francisco Chronicle recently spoke to METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett about his Sept. 15 appearance with string ensemble the FLUX QUARTET at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco as part of the Morrison Artists Series.

Hammett will join the FLUX QUARTET for "SAS", a semi-improvised work by FLUX's first violinist, Thomas Chiu. Also appearing with FLUX for the piece will be Saul Gropman, a classical guitarist.

"When I think of classical music, I immediately think of Bach or Beethoven," Hammett said. "I've had very little experience with contemporary classical music.

"But when I heard this piece, it was very interesting. It's atmospheric, almost like a movie soundtrack. And after looking at the score and hearing the piece, I thought, 'Why not?' It takes me far enough out of my safety zone to challenge me."[more]

"The combination of METALLICA and FLUX might seem like an aesthetic stretch," said Chiu, "but the piece has that built-in flexibility, so that when a collaborator comes in, it just means a new interpretation of the piece.

"The important thing to know is that we're not doing a cover of a METALLICA song. We're inviting him into what we do, and to do something collaborative that allows him to express what he's about."

It was Gropman Ă˘�??ť who in addition to running the Morrison Series and teaching classical guitar at San Francisco State University is co-owner of Cafe La Haye in Sonoma Ă˘�??ť who brokered the deal. Hammett had become a regular patron at the restaurant, and the two had struck up a friendship; when Gropman needed a starry opening lineup for the anniversary season, he knew where to turn.

"Kirk is passionate about food, about music Ă˘�??ť about all kinds of music," he said. "He's the kind of person who can help bring in a whole new audience for chamber music."

METALLICA have been keeping a relatively low profile since completing their world tour in late 2004. The band is expected to begin working on a new album sometime before the end of this year.

source : Blabbermouth.net

Kirk Hammett To Perform With FLUX QUARTET

Tue, 30 Aug 2005 14:47:00 -0700

According to MorrisonSeries.org, Kirk Hammett will be performing with FLUX QUARTET on Thursday, September 15 at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, California. Kirk and FLUX QUARTET will perform a world-premiere collaboration: "SAS" (for string quartet and improvised electric guitar), a work written by the QUARTET's experimental violinist Thomas Chiu.

The Morrison Artists Series celebrates 50 years of presenting, free of charge, the world's best chamber music to Bay Area audiences.[more] Also on the program is the ST. LAWRENCE STRING QUARTET, an ensemble the New Yorker hails as "remarkable not simply for the quality of their music makingĂ˘��but for the joy they take in the act of connection." The ST. LAWRENCE performs "String Quartet Opus 96 in F Major" (American) by Antonin Dvorak and then is joined by the FLUX and San Francisco Symphony bassist Stephen Tramontozzi for "Last Rounds" (for double string quartet and double bass) by Osvaldo Golijov. FLUX rounds out the program with a "classical" work, "String Quartet No. 3" by Conlon Nancarrow.

Source : Blabbermouth.net

Lars Ulrich Attends 'The Great Raid' Premiere

Fri, 19 Aug 2005 17:05:00 -0700

Lars Ulrich and Danish actress/girlfriend Connie Nielsen attended "The Great Raid" New York City premiere on August 10 at The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. Check out pictures from Film Magic (Page#1 / Page#2), ISIFA, Globe Photos, LFI, and Wire Image.[more]

Source: Blabbermouth.com

METALLICA Track Performed On 'Canadian Idol'

Wed, 17 Aug 2005 08:35:00 -0700

METALLICA's version of BOB SEGER's "Turn the Page" was performed by one of the surviving six hopefuls on "Canadian Idol" Tuesday night (August 16).

Rex Goudie received the loudest performance of the night, when he sang the track, according to CTV.ca.

With the microphone stand in tow, Goudie darted in and out of centre stage as he interacted with several of the band members.

"You're stiff as a rock but you roll with soul baby," judge Farley Flex said.

While singer Sass Jordan also called Goudie "the stiffest man on the planet," she appreciated his natural instincts.

"You got the vibe. You got it down Rex, that's the stuff," she said.

Zack Werner called his stage movements "contrived nonsense" but at the end shrugged his shoulders and said, "It's probably not going to matter anyway."[more]

Jake Gold, on the other hand, told Goudie: "It's all about passion and that's what you have."

"Canadian Idol"'s six survivors get to rock out one more time before someone gets the boot on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET on CTV.

(Thanks: Shane Goudie)

Source : Blabbermouth.net

Metallica To Support Rolling Stones In Germany?

Tue, 16 Aug 2005 14:09:00 -0700

According to German online ticket agency Eventim.de, Metallica will be playing several German dates with the Rolling Stones. No official announcement on the matter has yet been made by the tour promoter, Metallica or the Rolling Stones.

Metallica have been tapped as the opening act for the Rolling Stones during the group's 11/13 and 11/15 shows at San Francisco's SBC Park, joining the ranks of previously announced support bands as Pearl Jam, Maroon 5, John Mayer Trio, Beck and the Black Eyed Peas (read story on UG).

"After having the thrill of playing with some of our personal heroes such as AC/DC, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden and Ozzy (Osbourne), how could we say 'no' to the quintessential rock band, who are in some way responsible for all of this?" Metallica said in a statement.[more]

Metallica last performed on November 28 last year, when their world tour ended in San Jose, California.

Source : Blabbermouth.net

Jason Newsted keeping busy with several projects

Thu, 11 Aug 2005 11:54:00 -0700

One thing Jason Newsted isn't likely to be accused of is musical predictability. The former Metallica bassist is a member of a myriad of projects for his Chophouse label, while he still gets his metal fix as a member of the veteran Canadian group Voivod.

The latest Newsted/Chophouse project is a surprisingly bluesy/psychedelic outfit, Heard Of Elements, which sees Newsted (who handles bass, keyboard and vocal duties) joined by slide guitarist Roy Rogers and drummer Carl Coletti (best-known for his work with flamenco guitarist Ottmar Liebert). Instead of releasing an album, the trio has begun posting songs on the Chophouse Web site.

"There's psychedelic stuff going on," Newsted tells Billboard.com. "There's the obvious elements of each of the players 'forte.' I think it's very refreshing kind of music. All the stuff you hear is just us playing from the floor -- there are no overdubs or things like that."[more]

Newsted says that while no touring plans have been discussed for the band, they wouldn't be opposed to the odd live gig. "I wouldn't want to say never on anything like that, because it's fun to turn people's heads around with something like that," he says. "But we only have about 25 minutes of solid music of our own -- we could pull together a couple of covers or something like that and make a set for someone. If it presents itself, we'd look at it for sure."

Also upcoming will be a new Voivod studio album via The End label, which Newsted says will hopefully be out early next year. "It's the most complete demos I've ever been involved in," he says. "[Voivod singer] Snake has already chosen his effects -- exact timing of milliseconds for delay. We've had a long time to develop the demos, so there's about 23 or 25 songs that are absolutely listenable right now."

Like Metallica, Newsted was a huge fan of Voivod before he was invited to join and he remains a great admirer to this day. "They created something a long, long time ago that may have been emulated many, many times since -- but nobody can do it like the original," he offers.

Newsted has also been recording music with the ongoing project Papa Wheelie. "I play guitar and scream," he says. "Full metal. We still rock that a couple times a week, and we have hundreds and hundreds of hours of music. It's very much an improv vibe; we have some songs that are set, but for the most part, it's really like Kyuss/desert jams each time we play."

By Greg Prato, N.Y.
Source : Billboard.com

Metallica To Play 2 Shows In November

Thu, 04 Aug 2005 13:55:00 -0700

Metallica will be the special guest for the Rolling Stones as part of their "A Bigger Bang" World tour at SBC Park in San Francisco on November 13th and 15th. An additional opening act will be announced shortly with times for both concerts being moved up an hour to 6pm PST. Metallica joins a diverse list of top opening acts, including the Black Eyed Peas, Maroon 5, Pearl Jam, John Mayer Trio, Les Trois Accords, The Tragically Hip, Our Lady Peace, Trey Anastasio, Joss Stone and Beck.

"Over the course of our career we've been fortunate enough to share the stage with a select few of the bands we grew up on, admired and respected including AC/DC, Deep Purple, Guns N' Roses and Iron Maiden. The only band that we have never played with but have always wanted to is The Rolling Stones," says Metallica's drummer Lars Ulrich.

"Having the opportunity to play with them this November in our hometown of San Francisco is both an honor and a privilege. And it's bound to be a lot of fuckin' fun especially since we haven't special guested since 1992! These shows will enable us to recharge our batteries, both creatively and physically, as we prepare for the next phase of Metallica." [more]

Tickets for The Rolling Stones at SBC Park on November 13th are sold out. Tickets for the November 15th performance are on sale now at BGP.com, Ticketmaster.com and at all Ticketmaster outlets including Tower Records, Wherehouse Music, Ritmo Latino, select Save Mart and select FYE stores, and Tix Bay Area in Union Square. To charge tickets by phone, call (415) 421-TIXS, (408) 998-TIXS, (510) 444-TIXS, (209) 485-TIXS or (707) 528-TIXS.

The U.S. leg of the "A Bigger Bang" World Tour is presented by Ameriquest Mortgage Company. Rolling Stones World tour 2005/2006 will be presented by Concert Productions International and produced by WPC Piecemeal Inc.

source: Metallica.com

Today is James' Birthday

Tue, 02 Aug 2005 16:00:00 -0700

Today 03. August, James is 42, so happy birthday James. SanitariuM team wishes you all the best!

James' Auctions Animal Trophies For Charity

Tue, 02 Aug 2005 07:14:00 -0700

James Hetfield is selling some of his animal trophies that he has obtained over the years on eBay. All of these items have been "harvested" by James himself and at one time hung up in the living room (renamed the "Dead Room" by his wife) of his house.[more] Each item comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by James Hetfield. Proceeds from the sale of these items will be donated to MAP (Musicians' Assistance Program) and the VH1 Save The Music Foundation. Click here for all the auction listings. Bidding ends August 3 at 6:00 p.m. Pacific time.

Source : Blabbermouth

Robert Trujillo helps Jerry Cantrell

Tue, 02 Aug 2005 06:59:00 -0700

Former Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell will be teaming up with Puddle Of Mudd frontman Wes Scantlin for a rare "unplugged" performance[more] on Sunday, July 31 at Rain at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Cantrell recently told MTV.com that he has been working on his new solo album with several high-profile musicians, including Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, ex-Jane's Addiction bassist Chris Wyse, ex-Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, Alice In Chains' Sean Kinney and Mike Inez, producer Marti Frederiksen (Mick Jagger, Aerosmith) and Faith No More's Mike Bordin, who played drums on Cantrell's most recent disc, 2002's "Degradation Trip".

Source : Ultimate Guitar

Misc : Beatallica To Tour Europe In October

Tue, 02 Aug 2005 06:53:00 -0700

BEATALLICA, the Milwaukee-based parody group known for METALLICA-infused covers of BEATLES songs, will be touring Europe in October.[more] "The band will be playing mainly in Germany and Austria with our brothers-in-armbands THE PUNKLES, and possibly other countries as well," BEATALLICA write on their web site. Exact cities and dates will be announced next week.

BEATALLICA recently received help from METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich in their dispute with the Sony Corporation over BEATALLICA's "unlawful use" of the group's compositions "without authorization or license." The case has since been resolved, with BEATALLICA being allowed once again to operate their web site, Beatallica.org, and continue performing their patented blend of BEATLES tunes in a METALLICA style.

source : Blabbermouth

"The History of Metallica: Out of the Loop"

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 11:10:00 -0700

Spain's Locomotive Records has set a July 19 release date for a documentary-styled two-hour DVD history of METALLICA, filled with exclusive interviews, interactive trivia, extensive discographies, onstage/offstage/backstage action and the kind of critical analysis that only "unauthorized" projects like these could muster.[more]

"The History of Metallica: Out of the Loop" chronicles the metal superband's humble beginnings as an upstart young San Francisco thrash quartet on to the death of Cliff Burton and the defection of Jason Newsted. The METALLICA story is filled with controversy, tragedy, humor, a myriad of adventures and only the kind of heavy metal music that this one juggernaut of a band could possibly produce. "The History of Metallica: Out of the Loop" is a must for all METALLICA fans.

Source: Blabbermouth

James Hetfield attends Jesse James' wedding

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 11:08:00 -0700

James Hetfield attended the wedding of actress Sandra Bullock and mechanic and reality TV star Jesse James on Saturday (July 16) at a ranch near Santa Barbara, according to "Entertainment Tonight" and Us Weekly magazine.[more]

It's the first marriage for "Miss Congeniality" star Bullock, who had been engaged to actor Tate Donovan, according to the Associated Press. She recently played the wife of a district attorney in the film "Crash". James, who previously married twice and has three children, appears on The Discovery Channel's "Monster Garage".