Tag: Anthrax
0 New RONNIE JAMES DIO Covers Album “This Is Your Life” Celebrates the Life and Legacy of a Legend
New RONNIE JAMES DIO Covers Album “This Is Your Life”
Celebrates the Life and Legacy of a Legend
available April 1, 2014 via Rhino
This Is Your Life Pays Tribute To The Late Singer With Covers Of
His Greatest Songs From Rainbow, Black Sabbath, And Dio
Features Newly Recorded Tracks From Anthrax, Halestorm, Rob Halford, Metallica, Motörhead, Scorpions, Corey Taylor, And Tenacious D, Among Others
To Benefit The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund
Ronnie James Dio is one of the most beloved figures in rock history. His gifts, both as a singer and songwriter, are instantly recognizable, whether he was with Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, or leading Dio. Sadly, Dio lost his battle with stomach cancer in 2010, but his towering voice and legacy live on.
To celebrate one of rock’s most powerful voices, an all-star group of his friends and fans recorded 13 of their favorite tracks for a tribute album that will raise funds for the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund (diocancerfund.org). Produced by his longtime manager and wife Wendy Dio, the album includes contributions by such metal heavyweights as Metallica, Motörhead, Scorpions, Anthrax, and Rob Halford, as well as appearances by many of the musicians who performed with Dio over the years.
This Is Your Life will be available from Rhino on April 1, 2014 for a suggested list price of $18.98. A digital version will also be available.
Although the songs featured on the album touch on the different eras of Dio’s career, several spotlight his time with Rainbow, including Metallica’s epic, nine-minute “Ronnie Rising Medley,” which combines the Rainbow songs “A Light In The Black,” “Tarot Woman,” “Stargazer,” and “Kill The King.” Scorpions add a scorching take on “The Temple Of The King” while Motörhead is joined by Biff Byford from Saxon on “Starstruck.” Rob Halford teams with frequent Dio collaborators Vinny Appice, Doug Aldrich, Jeff Pilson, and Scott Warren for “The Man On The Silver Mountain.” The final line-up of Dio’s solo band – Simon Wright, Craig Goldy, Rudy Sarzo and Scott Warren – are joined by Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath) for “Catch The Rainbow,” a track from Rainbow’s 1975 debut.
Anthrax and Adrenaline Mob honor Dio’s memorable stint with Black Sabbath with their takes on “Neon Knights” and “The Mob Rules” respectively, as does a group, led by Oni Logan on vocals along with Jimmy Bain, Rowan Robertson, and Brian Tichy, which performs “I” from Dehumanizer.
This Is Your Life also includes songs from Dio’s back-to-back platinum albums Holy Diver (1983) and The Last In Line (1984), with Doro’s take on “Egypt (The Chains Are On)”, Halestorm tackling “Straight Through The Heart,” Corey Taylor (Stone Sour, Slipknot) covering the classic “Rainbow In The Dark” and Tenacious D (Jack Black and Kyle Glass) putting their signature spin on “The Last In Line.” Killswitch Engage’s cover of “Holy Diver,” a hit in its own right when released in 2006, is also included here.
Fittingly, Ronnie James Dio provides the finale (and the album’s title) with his moving performance of “This Is Your Life.” Originally released on Angry Machines (1996), the song’s lyrics explore mortality and are backed by a stark and beautiful arrangement that features Dio accompanied only by his longtime keyboardist Scott Warren on piano. The song serves as a poignant reminder that we will never hear a voice like Dio’s again.
The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, co-founded by Wendy Dio, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable fund dedicated to supporting cancer-prevention research, raising awareness and educating the public about the vital importance of early detection and prevention when dealing with this deadly disease.
RONNIE JAMES DIO: This Is Your Life Track Listing:
- “Neon Knights” – Anthrax*
- “The Last In Line” – Tenacious D*
- “The Mob Rules” – Adrenaline Mob
- “Rainbow In The Dark” – Corey Taylor, Roy Mayorga, Satchel, Christian Martucci, Jason Christopher*
- “Straight Through The Heart” – Halestorm*
- “Starstruck” – Motörhead with Biff Byford*
- “The Temple Of The King” – Scorpions*
- “Egypt (The Chains Are On)” – Doro
- “Holy Diver” – Killswitch Engage
- “Catch The Rainbow” – Glenn Hughes, Simon Wright, Craig Goldy, Rudy Sarzo, Scott Warren*
- “I” – Oni Logan, Jimmy Bain, Rowan Robertson, Brian Tichy*
- “Man On The Silver Mountain” – Rob Halford, Vinny Appice, Doug Aldrich, Jeff Pilson, Scott Warren*
- “Ronnie Rising Medley (Featuring A Light In The Black, Tarot Woman, Stargazer, Kill The King)” – Metallica*
- “This Is Your Life” – Dio
* Previously unreleased
4 Vie’s Verses – Strange And Odd Rock Songs That Are Highly Addicting
You probably remember hearing “The Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats or “Focus” by Hocus Pocus at some point in your life. Most likely you heard these songs and thought they were freaking amazing, even though they may have been about the oddest songs you’ve ever heard.”It’s safe to dance?” Really? I still remember the first time I heard “Focus.” The song was so odd, yet I could not bring myself to turn it off.
And then after it was finished, I immediately wanted to listen to it again. As weird as it was, the song was still magnificent in its own right. Rock and roll has a lot of songs like that. They are the strangest things we’ve ever listened to, yet they are so enjoyable that we want to hear them over and over again. I’ve decided to reminisce for this edition of Vie’s Verses. Take a stroll down memory lane with me as I try to recall the oddest hard rock songs that still rocked like no other.
David Lee Roth – Hot Dog And A Shake
After parting ways with Van Halen, Diamond Dave went out on his own and released a fantastic album in Eat ‘Em And Smile. He then followed that up with the brilliant Skyscraper. The addition of Billy Sheehan and Steve Vai as band members only added to the greatness of each of these records. And while not every song was a huge hit or an unforgettable anthem, there was always one song that stood out to me as a great tune that I never understood lyrically—“Hot Dog And A Shake.” According to Dave, that’s what you’re hungry for. And while the lyrics may be ultra-corny, the music was so fabulous, that I found myself singing along after just a few listens. Steve Vai’s solo is one of the greatest on the entire album and the riff just made this song so addicting. And yet, it’s about hot dogs and shakes. To this day, I still move my feet and sing along whenever I hear this tune. And yes, I know there are plenty of innuendos in this song. 13 year old me, did not, Okay?
Queen – Bicycle Race
When it comes to Queen, there are several songs that could be chosen as odd and yet still addicting. “Fat Bottomed Girls” came to mind immediately, and while that is a weird song, there are plenty of men with a fetish for big bottomed women. To me, “Bicycle Race” was always the strangest Queen song I had ever heard. And yet, I loved it as much as I loved “Another One Bites The Dust,” and “We Will Rock You.” All Freddie Mercury wants to do is ride his bicycle—yes he wants to ride his bike. “Bicycle Race” could lyrically be one of the dumbest songs in existence, and yet Queen made it a memorable hit that I still enjoy.
White Zombie – Thunder Kiss ’65
I think the biggest part of what makes this song so odd is the fact that without looking up the lyrics, I have no idea what Rob Zombie is singing. Whenever I hear the song I sing along as such: “Blah, blah, meh, meh… NINETEEN SIXTY FIVE…YEAH!!!” Looking at the lyrics to the song just makes me more confused. Pig sweat a million miles? I’ve got a heart atomic style? What the hell does all of that mean? Truthfully, it doesn’t really matter, because “Thunder Kiss ‘65” is one of the hardest rocking songs I’ve ever heard and I will always scream “NINETEEN SIXTY…FIVE…YEAH!” at the top of my lungs any time this song is played within my general vicinity. Zombie may be strange, but he’s a master when it comes to music (and horror movies).
I’m The Man – Anthrax
At the end of the 80s, rap and metal came together and in a creative outburst, “I’m The Man” was born. As a pre-teen, this was one of the coolest songs I had ever heard and it made me fall in love with Anthrax. As a well-seasoned hard rock loving adult, I think the song is just plain silly. And yet, secretly, I still listen to it every now and again to make sure that I remember the lyrics—don’t worry, I do. The song was meant to be campy and comical, and it certainly succeeded in that regard, but the song was also a great rocking tune. Everyone wanted to sing along when this song came on. Everyone. So we learned the lyrics and did our part. To this day I still know the sexual organ located in the lower abdominal area…..! No man, it’s, dick! Not! Not!
Baby Snakes – Hurricane
This is a song about a high school guy that fails miserably in trying to attract a girl he is lusting after, as told through telephone conversations and jaw dropping guitar solos. This song basically summed up my freshman year of high school, so naturally the first time I heard it I was in tears from laughing so hard. Jenny is the subject of the narrator’s lust interest, and as the song opens he is psyching himself up that today is his lucky day, he’s going to ask her to go out and she’s going to say yes. And in his nervous confused state, he dials the wrong number. Enter hard hitting drums by Jay Schellen and some amazing guitar riffs from Robert Sarzo. “Baby Snakes” takes off from there, documenting the failed attempts of the narrator continuing to call Jenny and annoy her to no end. Cleverly put together, “Baby Snakes” remains one of the oddest, yet coolest, rock songs that I have ever heard. If you’ve never heard the song, you need to seek it out. It’s worth the effort.
Follow RyoVie on Twitter at Twitter.com/RyoVie
0 Metal Alliance Announce Tour Dates
The Metal Alliance Tour is back for their third ferocious year of wrecking heads have booked and is now announcing this year’s round of dates. The Metal Alliance has become the genre’s biggest spring tour and this year is no different. Festival organizers Dan Rozenblum and Steve Seabury of High River Entertainment are proud to announce and welcome ANTHRAX, the undisputed titans of metal, as their 2013 headliner. The band will be performing their fan favorite 1987 classic Among The Living in its entirety. The album was produced by Eddie Kramer and includes the tracks “Caught In A Mosh”, “Indians” and “I am The Law”.
Ryan Waste reveals his excitement for the tour. “I grew up listening to ANTHRAX and EXODUS and they inspired me to start playing speed metal from the beginning. I’m thrilled to hit the road and rip it up along-side some the most influential ‘bangers of our time!”
“We hope to see all you die hard metalheads at these shows doing the Toxic Waltz. This is such a bad ass tour and will be one for the ages.” Adds co-organizer Seabury.
General Admission Tickets will be available on January 11th but fans can now order their VIP Tickets. There are only 50 VIP Tickets per market and will quickly sell out. Each VIP Ticket will include the following items:
General Admission Ticket
Meet & Greet 30 Minutes Before Doors
Limited Edition VIP Laminate
Limited Edition 11 x 17 Tour Poster
Metal Alliance Beer Koozie
Bottle of High River Sauce’s Hellacious Hot Sauce (The Official Hot Sauce of The Metal Alliance Tour)
Issue of Revolver Magazine
You can now purchase the VIP Tickets from our friends at Sound Rink: http://www.soundrink.com/collections/metal-alliance
Sharing the stage each night and crushing heads on the Metal Alliance Tour will be San Francisco thrash legends EXODUS, MUNICIPAL WASTE, HOLY GRAIL and a couple of additional bands will be announce at a later date.
Date Venue City/State
3/23 House of Blues Las Vegas, NV
3/24 Marquee Theatre Tempe, AZ
3/25 House of Blues San Diego, CA
3/27 House of Blues West Hollywood, CA
3/28 Regency Ballroom San Francisco, CA
3/29 The Crystal Ballroom Portland, OR
3/30 Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, BC
3/31 Showbox SoDo Seattle, WA
4/2 Summit Music Hall Denver, CO
4/4 First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
4/5 House of Blues Chicago, IL
4/6 The Fillmore Detroit Detroit, MI
4/7 Bogarts Cincinnati, OH
4/9 House of Blues Dallas, TX
4/10 House of Blues Houston, TX
4/12 House of Blues Lake Buena Vista, FL
4/13 Tremont Music Hall Charlotte, NC
4/14 The Fillmore Silver Spring, MD
4/16 House of Blues Cleveland, OH
4/18 Theatre of the Living Arts Philadelphia, PA
4/20 Irving Plaza New York, NY
You miss this you miss it all.
For more information please visit the Metal Alliance Tour website: http://metalalliancetour.com
0 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival – Cincinnati, Oh Review & Photo Gallery
The Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival came to the Riverbend Music Center in July. This tour is easily the biggest Metal festival of 2012, and the lineup this year is pretty incredible. You have two of the Big Four thrash bands, Anthrax and Slayer, as well as Motorhead, Slipknot, As I Lay Dying, Asking Alexandra, The Devil Wears Prada, Whitechapel & more. Work commitments kept me from making it to the venue for the 2 P.M. start time, but I did manage to make in for the start of Anthrax’s blistering set.
This was the second time I have seen Anthrax in 2012, and much like the first time, the bodies started flying as soon as the music began. The security guys in the pit were having a time keeping up with all of the crowd surfers. Anthrax was incredible as always, but as good as they were, they weren’t the best band of the evening. I watched the conclusion of Anthrax’s set, and made my way to the main stage for As I Lay Dying.
This was a night of many firsts for me. I haven’t ever seen As I Lay Dying, Slayer or Motorhead, so I was excited to see these bands play for the first time. I have to admit, I am not much of a metalcore fan, but As I Lay Dying was very good at what they do. They hair was flying, and lead singer Tim Lambesis never stayed in place for a minute. My neck hurt just watching him perform. Lots of headbanging and hair flying fun!
Next up was the mighty Motorhead. I can’t believe that I haven’t seen the band play before now, but Lemmy Kilmister and company were excellent. Lemmy is still getting it done at the nice young age of 66. Of course, Motorhead closed out their set with the one and only “Ace of Spades” and it was as awesome as I expected it to be.
To my ears, the best band of the evening without question was Slayer. I readily admit that I haven’t been a big Slayer fan, but they blew me away. The band was on fire all night (as was their stage, with tons of pyro.) Kerry King might just be the most metal looking musician ever! I enjoyed watching him play.
I wasn’t able to photograph Slipknot, so I grabbed my seat for their set. I saw the band in the inaugural Mayhem festival back in 2008, so I already knew that they put on an in incredible show. They didn’t disappoint. Their is always something going on the stage during a Slipknot show. From Clown’s hydraulic drum kit, to the masks, random crowd surfing, and pyro you never know where to look during their set. I can’t remember Slipknot coming to Cincinnati before, but I am pretty sure this was their first time here. Judging from the people who raised their hand when Corey Taylor asked if it was their first time seeing Slipknot, there were thousands of people who have not seen them play before. They got their money’s worth at the 2012 Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival. This is a great festival for fans of metal music. I can’t wait until the next one.
1 New Video – Anthrax – The Devil You Know!
How about a new Anthrax video on this thrash metal Thursday?! Check out the new Anthrax clip, “The Devil You Know” below!
9 Rob Rockitt’s Top 20 Best Hard Rock & Metal CD’s of 2011
Every year putting together a top 10 list becomes harder and harder. There were so many outstanding releases in 2011, there were far too many to do a top 10 list. Below are my top 20 Hard Rock & Metal Releases of 2011. Agree or disagree? Let us know what you think!
20. The Poodles – Performocracy
Can anyone take a band seriously with the name, The Poodles? Maybe, not, but the band’s latest album Performocracy
is cram packed with excellent hard & melodic rock tunes that you should take notice of.
19. Five Finger Death Punch – American Capitalist
Five Finger Death Punch may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but this heavy metal band has been putting out some of the best
new music from a newer metal band. Their third effort American Capitalist does not disappoint in the least.
18. Anvil – Juggernaut of Justice
Anvil’s Juggernaut of Justice came as somewhat of a surprise to me. I never expect to enjoy an Anvil CD so much, and JOJ is easily
one of Anvil’s best releases yet.
17. Chickenfoot – III
Sammy Hagar & company turned in another outstanding CD with their sophomore effort III. This CD is much better than the band’s debut.
16. Alex Beyrodt’s Voodoo Circle – Broken Heart Syndrome
Sinner/Primal Fear/Voodoo Circle guitarist Alex Beyrodt has released a killer CD with classic influences that include
Whitesnake & Rainbow. Every hard rock fan needs to give Broken Heart Syndrome a listen.
15. King Kobra – S/T
For King Kobra to come in at position 15 tells you just how good the music is in front of it. King Kobra’s reunion
effort, with Paul Shortino on vocals, is easily one of the best in King Kobra’s catalog.
14. Emphatic – Damage
I am not a huge modern rock fan, but every year there are some outstanding releases that deserve attention. Emphatic
simply outdid their Peers (Nickelback, Theory of a Deadman, Pop Evil) with their debut effort Damage.
13. Tora Tora – Revolution Day
It seems like every year a long-lost CD that was buried due to record company politics, finally gets a proper release.
Tora Tora’s third CD Revolution Day was released by FNA Records, and carries on the excellent bluesy hard rock
that Tora Tora is known for.
12. Coldspell – Out From the Cold
Coldspell has already released two outstanding CD’s with Infinite Stargaze & Out From The Cold. I can’t wait to hear
the next set of tunes from Coldspell. Out From The Cold should not be missed.
11. Havok – Time is Up
Havok is one of the new bands leading the Retro-Thrash Metal movement. Time is Up is their second effort and easily their
best. If you are a thrash metal fan, you need to seek out Time is Up now!
10. Michael Monroe – Sensory Overdrive
I have been a Michael Monroe fan forever but I never expected one of his solo CD’s to be THIS good. Sensory Overdrive is easily
the best Michael Monroe CD since 1989’s Not Fakin It.
09. Warrant – Rockaholic
Warrant’s Rockaholic is easily my favorite Warrant CD since the band’s 1992 effort, Dog Eat Dog. The late Jani Lane will always
be missed, but Robert Mason is an outstanding singer, and he may be the best vocalist Warrant has ever had. Rockaholic will
make people take notice of Warrant again.
08. Sixx A.M. – This is Gonna Hurt
With the recent news from the Motley Crue camp as of late, it sounds like a farewell tour may be coming from the band soon. If this
is truly the case, Nikki Sixx can carry on his band Sixx A.M. This is Gonna Hurt took a while to grow on me, but it has become a favorite of mine
over the last few months.
07. Black Country Communion – 2
Out of all of the supergroups, Black Country Communion outdid them all with their second effort 2. 60-year-old Glenn Hughes could (and probably
should) give a clinic to young rockers, on how to rock. He is still getting it done.
06. Anthrax – Worship Music
You would think that Joey Belladonna returning to Antrax would be create a major amount of excitement, and it has. Belladonna’s vocals are
not the high point of Worship Music. This is easily Anthrax’s best CD from a musical standpoint, and the best thrash metal CD of 2011.
05. Whitesnake – Forevermore
If Doug Aldrich & Reb Beach keep helping David Coverdale put out CD’s like Good To Be Band and Forevermore, folks may forget about the
band’s monster hits from the 80’s. Forevermore is another outstanding effort from the Whitesnake camp.
04. Mr. Big – What If…
Mr. Big’s reunion CD What If is the band’s best CD since 1993’s Bump Ahead. You SHOULD NOT miss What If…!
03. Alice Cooper – Welcome 2 My Nightmare
Alice Cooper’s reunion with producer Bob Ezrin was a very good one. Welcome 2 My Nightmare is an outstanding sequel that should not be missed.
02. Vain – Enough Rope
I can not say enough good things about Vain’s latest CD, Enough Rope.If you liked Vain’s debut, No Regrets, you need to seek out the band’s latest
effort Enough Rope. It is quality all the way through, and easily to my ears one of 2011’s best.
01. Electric Boys – And Them Boys Done Swang
I never would have thought The Electric Boys could have outdone their debut, but with And Them Boys Done Swang, they have done just that.
Sure, some of the lyrics are somewhat cheesy, but the band has every bit of the Funk that was found in their debut.
The Japanese edition has some excellent bonus tracks which pushes this one over the top.
Honorable Mentions:
Rival Sons – Pressure & Time
Black Stone Cherry – Between the Devil & The Deep Blue Sea
Megadeth – Th1rt3en
Badmouth – Heavy Metal Parking Lot
Motorhead – The World is Yours
Riot – Immortal Soul
House of Lords – Big Money
The Answer – Revival
Pop Evil – War of Angels
Beggars & Thieves – We Are The Broken Hearted
George Lynch – Kill All Control
Michael Schenker – Temple of Rock
Want more Top 10 lists? You can find them at the following websites:
All Metal Resource — http://allmetalresource.com/
Bring Back Glam — http://bringbackglam.squarespace.com/
The Crash Pad of Ray Van Horn, Jr. – http://www.rayvanhornjr2.blogspot.com/
Hair Metal Mansion — http://hairbangersradio.ning.com/
Hard Rock Nights — http://hardrocknights.com
Heavy Metal Addiction — http://heavymetaladdiction.com/
Heavy Metal Time Machine — http://metalmark.blogspot.com/
Imagine Echoes — http://www.imagineechoes.com/
Layla’s Classic Rock — http://laylasclassicrock.blogspot.com/
Metal Excess — http://metalexcess.com/
Metal Odyssey — http://metalodyssey.wordpress.com/
The Ripple Effect — http://www.ripplemusic.blogspot.com/
0 Stone’s Top Ten Metal Albums of 2011
Top Ten Metal Albums Of 2011 – Oh the Metal albums I listened to during 2011! Metal be thy name, there were a Metal many. Metal many again. Regardless of how many Metal albums that did rip my eardrums apart and psyched me out during the process, I couldn’t possibly listen to every Metal album released this past year. It’s not humanly possible. I’ve compiled below, a list of ten Metal albums that for all Metal intents and purposes… kicked my Metal lovin’ ass during 2011.
Yes, you will see a couple of albums tied in this top ten list and it was an unavoidable and welcomed outcome. Choosing my top ten Metal albums for any given year is not easy! However, choosing my number one Metal album for 2011 was easy and Hemoptysis is without a doubt in my Metal mind, one of the best Metal bands to come forth in the past ten and possibly twenty years. You can call Hemoptysis Thrash, Death Thrash, Extreme and Metal. I call this band exceptional and their Misanthropic Slaughter album is number F’n ONE!
Hopefully you may agree with a few of these albums I’ve chosen for my top ten. A personal list of Metal taste it is. Each Metal album here for me bestows quality musicianship and songs, from beginning to end. The common thread each band below shares with one another, that can never be denied: They are all Defenders Of The Metal Faith and I salute each and every one!
Stone’s Top Ten Metal Albums Of 2011:
#10
HUNTED – WELCOME THE DEAD
(MASSACRE RECORDS)
#9
ANA KEFR – THE BURIAL TREE (II)
(Muse Sick)
#8
SARAH JEZEBEL DEVA – The Corruption Of Mercy
(Listenable Records)
#7
MORBID ANGEL – Illud Divinum Insanus
(Season of Mist)
#6 (Tie)
SPEED\KILL/HATE – OUT FOR BLOOD
(HAMMERFIST RECORDS)
#6 (Tie)
EASTERN FRONT – BLOOD ON SNOW
* (Was released in North America on January 25th, 2011)
(Candlelight Records)
#5 (Tie)
ANTHRAX – WORSHIP MUSIC
(MEGAFORCE RECORDS)
#5 (Tie)
MASTODON – THE HUNTER
(Reprise)
#4
ARCH / MATHEOS – SYMPATHETIC RESONANCE
(Metal Blade Records)
#3
BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME
THE PARALLAX: HYPERSLEEP DIALOGUES
(Metal Blade Records)
#2
AMON AMARTH – SURTUR RISING
(Metal Blade Records)
#1
HEMOPTYSIS – Misanthropic Slaughter
(Rock It Up Records)
* To read the complete album review I wrote for Misanthropic Slaughter posted on January 22nd, 2011, click on the large header link below!
HEMOPTYSIS “Misanthropic Slaughter” – Debut Album Is CAN’T MISS Thrash Metal For 2011 and Beyond!
Congratulations and THANK YOU to all the METAL bands above!
LONG LIVE METAL.
Stone.
0 Ryo Vie’s Top 10 Best Hard Rock Albums Of 2011
This week at Hard Rock Hideout, we have our Best of 2011 picks by HRH Staff Writers Ryo Vie, Stone and Rob Rockitt. Check out Ryo Vie’s Top 10 Best Hard Rock Albums of 2011 below!
Another year has passed us by, which means we’ve gone through another year of some great music releases. While I still think that 2010 was a stronger year overall, 2011 did have its share of fantastic releases and magnificent surprises. From an unexpected release by Vain to a mind blowing album from Megadeth, 2011 delivered some real gems. Here now are my picks for the ten best of 2011.
10. Hurtsmile – Hurtsmile
Early in the year, Gary Cherone and his brother Mark released the debut album from their newly formed band, Hurtsmile. The result was spectacular. Taking the funked up, jazz infused hard rock sound of Extreme, and blending it with snippets of modern era music made for an incredible experience. Hurtsmile is unto a class themselves. The disc combined elements of Extreme, Gary’s days in Van Halen, and his more recent solo albums, and combined all the ingredients into an identity that was unique and fun. Hard rocking and filled with gems, Hurtsmile is an album that Gary Cherone fans are bound to love.
9. Foo Fighters – Wasting Light
I’m almost positive that it was the last song, “Walk,” that hooked me on the new Foo Fighters record. I’ve never been a huge fan of the band. I’ve enjoyed their music over the years, and the heavier singles, but I would never call myself a “fan.” However, when the movie THOR came out this past spring, it featured the song “Walk” from Wasting Light. As a huge fan of the movie Thor this song resonated with me the first time I heard it. It was the perfect song for the ending sequence. Sometimes songs can leave lasting images in the brain when associated with something that produced great feelings. That song compelled me to check out their latest record. I must admit that I am very glad I did. Wasting Light is chock full of enjoyable gems, hard rockers, and even a ballad or two. The Foo Fighters may be a band that I have to pay more attention to in 2012.
8. Vain – Enough Rope
Once, they were close to being the next darlings of hair metal. Unfortunately, bad timing cost them their chance at superstardom. Now, many years later, Vain has returned with a disc full of spectacular new songs that shows why they could have conquered the metal world more than 20 years ago. Enough Rope is a magnificent album that fans of hard rocking hair metal are going to love. Being able to hear such great guitar licks and the amazing vocals of Davy Vain after all the time that has passed is a real treat. It’s sad that Vain was a victim of bad timing. If you love 80s metal, or any metal, you should definitely pick up a copy of Vain’s Enough Rope. It is one of the greatest records released this year.
7. Bullet – Highway Pirates
Swedish metal act, Bullet, released their sophomore effort, Highway Pirates, this year to the delight of many hard rock fans. Highway Pirates is hard rocking, head banging, guitar shredding, heavy metal mayhem at its finest. The one thing I’ve always liked most about Bullet is lead singer’s Dag Hofer’s voice. He has power and range and can really unleash a metal scream as he does often on Highway Pirates. Packed with exceptional guitar solos and all the metal madness you can handle, Highway Pirates was a phenomenal album and certainly one of 2011’s best.
6. Mr. Big – What If…
One of the best hard rock treats of 2011 was a fully reunited Mr. Big releasing an album of brand new material. The last time the four original members of Mr. Big recorded a new record was in 1996. It was quite a wait for fans to hear new music from this astonishing quartet. Thankfully, 2011 finally saw the wait come to an end, and Mr. Big delivered a rock solid record in What If… From the funk/slap/sensational bass antics of Billy Sheehan to the incredible vocals of Eric Martin, this disc really had it all. Why the album would have sold on nostalgia alone, it was the band’s commitment to deliver something worthy of the Mr. Big moniker that pushed it over the top. You’d be hard pressed to find another record that is so much fun to listen to.
5. Sebastian Bach – Kicking And Screaming
With a brilliant young axe wizard in the mix, Sebastian Bach released a solo album worthy of your hard earned dollars. Before hearing this record, I had no expectations of what it would be. I thought that it might be a decent record, but I didn’t have high hopes. The past couple of years Bach has not shown much, so I figured his new album would be watered down rock. Boy was I wrong! Wrong in a HUGE way! Kicking and Screaming is one of the most superb albums of 2011. Not only does young guitar wizard, Nick Sterling, light up the songs with his astounding fret work, but Bach’s voice has never sounded stronger. Kicking and Screaming is a collection of greatness that blew me away. This is truly Sebastian Bach at his best.
4. Whitesnake – Forevermore
Even after rocking the world for over 30 years, David Coverdale can still put together music with meaning that fans will care about. This year’s Forevermore was a treat for the ears that was highly unexpected. Sure, I figured that Whitesnake was going to release a solid album in Forevermore, I just didn’t realize how amazing it was going to be. From the moment I played the record for the first time this past March, I knew this was going to be included on my top 10 albums of the year. The beauty of Forevermore is how the songs hit the listener immediately and with such definition. It’s like the band never went away.
3. Megadeth – Th1rte3n
Megadeth unleashed an absolutely astounding album earlier this year in the form of Th1rte3n. A whirlwind of fun, heavy metal, thunderous tunes, Dave Mustaine and company have put together a truly grand record that shines as bright as albums from the bands early days. Th1rte3n is one of Megadeth’s strongest albums to date and serves as a reminder to all metal fans what great hard rock sounds like. The glory of the album is the return of the guitar solo. While other bands are forgetting what guitar solos are and how they make a song grow into something much stronger, Megadeth is taking solos to the next level. The blazing speed and intensity of the guitars is featured mightily on this record and it’s all for the better. Simply stated, Th1rte3n is metal done right.
2. Anthrax – Worship Music
Prior to the release of Worship Music, Anthrax claimed that this was the best album the band had ever recorded. While that was a bold statement, after listening to the album just once, I realized that they may be right. After multiple listens, I am sure of it. Worship Music is not only an incredible Anthrax record it is an incredible rock record. It’s been 20 years since the band recorded with Joey Belladonna and after hearing Worship Music all I could think was “what the hell took them so long?” It’s not that Anthrax released bad albums with their other singers, it’s just that they never released an album this great. From the intense, heart pounding, hard rocking “The Devil You Know” to the Maiden-esque “In The End,” Anthrax has served up a serious record. There are very few metal records that could even come close to being this grand. Not just for 2011, but for all time. If Anthrax continues to create music in this capacity, they will spend the next 20 years of their career celebrating with a lot of gold and platinum.
1. Pop Evil – War of Angels
Between magnificent power ballads, hard rocking openers, and good old fashioned fun rock and roll, Pop Evil’s War of Angels is a record that should be added to any hard rock fans collection. I have waxed poetic about this band for a while now, and their latest release only proves that I should continue to sing the band’s high praises. Yes, perhaps I have a man-crush on lead singer Leigh Kakaty, but that’s all right. Beyond my envy, the man is a talented singer and a hell of a front man. Packed with memorable ballads such as “Purple” and “”Open Your Eyes,” in addition to hard core rockers like “Last Man Standing,” War of Angels contains nothing but songs you will be singing for years to come. Give them a few more years, and Pop Evil will be the darlings of hard rock radio. They are a cut above most of the new breed of rockers that are out there. Nickleback, Theory, even Hinder, can’t hold a candle to what Pop Evil is doing. War of Angels is the best rock record I’ve heard this year… the others don’t even come close.
And there they are…my choices for the best in rock, 2011.
Honorable Mentions
Nelson – Lightning Strikes Twice
Sinner – One Bullet Left
3 Anthrax – Worship Music (2011)
When listening through some of the releases for my top 10 of 2011, one CD that I keep gravitating back to is Worship Music from Anthrax. It is a great injustice that I have not reviewed this CD before now.
Worship Music is the first CD Anthrax has recorded with Joey Belladonna in twenty-one years. Not since 1990’s awesome Persistence of Time record has Belladonna recorded with Anthrax. I am not sure what has been missing with Anthrax, but the band has recaptured the magic with Belladonna on the microphone. Worship Music is one of the strongest Anthrax CD’s to date. From a musical standpoint, the incredible riffs of Rob Caggiano and Scott Ian, the amazing drums of Charlie Benante and killer bass riffs from Frank Bello, are amongst the best Anthrax has ever recorded. Belladonna’s range may have diminished a little over the years, but he still sounds awesome!
Anthrax has never been radio darlings, but a couple of tunes that seem tailor-made for radio play would be “Crawl”, or “In The End” (with a few minor edits for expletives). “The Devil You Know” or “Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t” are two outstanding slabs of molten metal that are going to make a lot of headbangers happy (self included). I am a sucker for anything that has to do with zombies, so I absolutely loved the intro on “Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t”. I can only imaging the mosh pit craziness that ensues when Anthrax plays this tune live.
If the Big 4 shows with Metallica, Megadeth & Slayer didn’t return Anthrax to the top of the metal mountain, Worship Music will certainly help them get there. Anthrax has outdone their Big 4 peers by releasing what is easily the best metal album of 2011. I highly recommend it!
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
01. Worship (Intro)
02. Earth On Hell
03. The Devil You Know
04. Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t
05. I’m Alive
06. Hymn 1
07. In The End
08. The Giant
09. Hymn 2
10. Judas Priest
11. Crawl
12. The Constant
13. Revolution Screams
Anthrax is
Joey Belladonna – vocals
Scott Ian – rhythm guitar
Frank Bello – bass
Rob Caggiano – lead guitar
Charlie Benante – drums
0 ANTHRAX’S “WORSHIP MUSIC” DEBUTS ON BILLBOARDS TOP 20!
“Worship Music“, (Megaforce) Anthrax’s first studio album in eight years and its first with vocalist Joey Belladonna since 1990’s “Persistence of Time,” blasts onto next week’s BillboardTop 200 Albums chart at #12, the band’s highest chart debut in two decades, and second-highest in its career, selling 28,500 copies.
And if that’s not enough, “Worship Music” debuted at #4 on Billboard’s Hard Rock Chart, #3 on the Hard Music Core Chart, and #2 at both the Indie and Indie Core Stores charts.
“I am most proud of our fans who came out and gave us the amazing support they did,” said Anthrax’s Charlie Benante. “To have our record debut at #12 is a great accomplishment.”
Added the band’s Scott Ian, “I’m absolutely thrilled with the fact that our Anthrax Army came out in force this week to show the world that good music matters. Thank you to all our friends, old and new! It’s a privilege to do this for you.”
While the recording of “Worship Music“ was challenging and at some times difficult, it was at the core of an extraordinary experience for a band that had questioned its very future. Anthrax’s turning point took place in 2009 at a Cleveland hotel bar with Metallica’s Lars Ulrich when he first brought up the idea of The Big Four. That led to Anthrax’s decision to get Belladonna back in the band on a permanent basis, and to the complete refashioning of the previously-recorded tracks for “Worship Music” with Belladonna’s inimitable vocal stamp. Pre-release reviews of “Worship Music” hailed the album as not only a career-best for Anthrax, but “the metal album of the year,” and last week’s New York homecoming concert at Yankee Stadium as one of the original architects of speed and thrash metal with Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth – The Big Four – only added to Anthrax’s remarkable renewal.
Anthrax hits the road beginning October 14 on a five-week, coast-to-coast tour with Testament and Death Angel.
Dates are listed below.
10/14 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Orbit Room
10/15 Chicago, IL @ Congress Theater
10/16 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
10/18 Wichita, KS @ The Cotillion
10/19 Denver, CO @ The Summit Music Hall
10/22 Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theater
10/23 San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
10/24 San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
10/26 Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
10/28 Dallas, TX @ South Side Music Hall
10/29 Austin, TX @ Emo’s East
10/30 Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
11/1 Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
11/2 Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
11/4 Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
11/5 Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
11/6 Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore
11/8 Clifton Park, NY @ Northern Lights
11/10 Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
11/11 Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
11/12 Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom * NEW
11/13 Huntington, NY @ The Paramount * NEW
11/15 Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
11/17 Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
11/18 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues * NEW
11/19 Milwaukee, WI @ Rave Ballroom
Anthrax – “Worship Music” out now! CD/LP [Best Buy]
0 Anthrax get their own day in the Bronx and perform on Jimmy Fallon live!
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is rolling out the welcome mat for fans coming to town to see iconic heavy metal bands Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth and Slayer, “The Big 4,” all performing live right here in the Bronx on Wednesday, September 14 at Yankee Stadium.
The “Big 4” concert also represents a homecoming for Anthrax, which features three native Bronxites among their members–Charlie Benante, Frank Bello and Rob Caggiano. Both Benante and Bello grew up in Throggs Neck, while Caggiano is a native of Pelham Parkway. In honor of the band’s return home, Borough President Diaz will officially declare September 14 as “Anthrax Day in the Bronx.”
“The Bronx may be known as the home of hip-hop and salsa, but make no mistake, our musical contributions are much more expansive. These heavy metal legends grew up right here in our borough, and I am proud to welcome Anthrax back to their Bronx home,” said Borough President Diaz.
Check out Anthrax performing their new single “The Devil You Know” on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night, September 7.
Anthrax will be kicking off “The Trashfest Extravaganza” tour with Testament and Death Angel in October. See below for date:
OCTOBER
14 Orbit Room, Grand Rapids, MI
15 Congress Theatre, Chicago, IL
16 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
18 The Cotillion, Wichita, KS
19 Summit Music Hall, Denver, CO
22 Nokia LA Live, Los Angeles, CA
23 Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA
24 House of Blues, San Diego, CA
26 Sunshine Theatre, Albuquerque, NM
28 South Side Music Hall, Dallas, TX
29 Emo’s East, Austin, TX
30 Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
NOVEMBER
1 House of Blues, Orlando, FL
2 Revolution, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
4 House of Blues, Myrtle Beach, SC
5 Fillmore Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
6 The Fillmore, Silver Spring, MD
8 Northern Lights, Clifton Park, NY
10 Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA
11 Palladium, Worcester, MA
15 Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY
17 Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA
19 Rave, Milwaukee, WI
Anthrax – “Worship Music” out 9.13.2011 CD/LP [pre-order on iTunes]
0 Anthrax to Play a Free Show at Best Buy Theater in Times Square on September 12th!
Preorder Anthrax “Worship Music” at Bestbuy.com HERE and gain entry into a free exclusive Anthrax show; then go to http://www.freesecretshow.com and enter your Best Buy 12 digit order number to get your free ticket. The show will be at the Best Buy Theater in Times Square NYC on Monday September, 12 at 8 PM. Bring your ticket, bestbuy.com receipt, and photo ID the night of September 12 to get into the show.
0 ENTER TO WIN TICKETS TO THE BIG 4 CONCERT AT YANKEE STADIUM ON 9/14 FEATURING ANTHRAX
Anthrax has launched a contest, presented by f.y.e., to see the band perform live in New York City with the original singer Joey Belladonna. Starting now, one very lucky winner will have the opportunity to win a trip to the Big 4 concert at Yankee Stadium on September 14th. The winner and a guest will receive round trip airfare tickets to New York City, hotel, and tickets to one of the biggest metal events this year! In order to enter and for official contest rules, go to www.redmusic.com/anthrax/anthraxsweepstakes.html
Make sure to pick up your copy of the new Anthrax “Worship Music” record on September 13th or preorder your copy of the record now on fye.com.
3 Anthrax Unveil Artwork For New CD “Worship Music”!
The long drought is officially over. For all of those ANTHRAX fans who have been waiting for the band to finally release new music, ‘Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t’, the first track available from the upcoming album Worship Music, has just gone on sale at Amazon below. Worship Music is the first new studio album from Anthrax in eight years, and the first with vocalist Joey Belladonna since 1990’s Persistence Of Time. What a way for the band to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
The “classic Anthrax-sounding” ‘Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t’ is a song about killing zombies, and is the one new track that Anthrax – Belladonna, guitarists Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano, drummer Charlie Benante and bassist Frank Bello – has played live since they Belladonna rejoined the line-up a year ago. Anthrax offered the track as a free download last month, and fan comments in chat rooms have been overwhelmingly ecstatic.
In addition, Anthrax is revealing the CD cover artwork for Worship Music (photo above). Renowned comic book artist Alex Ross, who has worked with Marvel Comics and DC Comics and is known for his Marvels, Kingdom Come and Astro City illustrations, created the original painting for the cover. Ross also did the original artwork for Anthrax’s We’ve Come For You All and Music of Mass Destruction albums.
Courtesy of Bravewords.com
0 ANTHRAX – Free Download “Fight ’em ’til You Can’t” (Brand-New Track)!
Legendary thrash metallers ANTHRAX have just uploaded the brand-new track “Fight ’em ’til You Can’t”.
You can listen to the song HERE!
And you can download the MP3 file for free HERE!
ANTHRAX have posted the following statement:
“To all of our friends around the world –
Anthrax fans are the most loyal fans ever. You’ve been waiting a long, long time for us to release new music. With Joey back in the band, we know that the anticipation is really high, and we love you for that.
So, as a way for us to say THANK YOU, we decided to make our brand-new track, “Fight ’em ’til You Can’t,” available as a free download, giving all of you a taste of what’s to come on our first new studio album in eight years – “Worship Music” that will be out September 13.
Thank you for sticking with us my friends and now join us on this zombie killing thrill ride we call “Fight’em ’til You Can’t.”
“BANG YOUR HEADS!!!” Scott, Charlie, Frankie, Joey & Rob
0 METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER, ANTHRAX COMING TO YANKEE STADIUM!
Following last Saturday’s (April 23) first U.S. “Big Four” concert in Indio, California, the “Big Four” bands of 1980s thrash metal — Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax — have announced that they will perform in the new version of the famed Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York on September 14, 2011. All seats are reserved for this show and tickets go on sale Friday, May 6 at 10:00 a.m. via Ticketmaster.com.
0 METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX: ‘Big Four’ U.S. Dates Coming Soon
U.S. dates for Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax, collectively known as the “Big Four” of 1980s thrash metal will be announced soon! “The Big Four: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria” 2-DVD set and Blu-ray containing footage of the June 22nd, 2010 Sonispherecinecast from the Sofia, Bulgaria leg of the touring rock festival featuring the “Big Four” was recently RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) certified Double Platinum in the US for shipments in excess of 100,000 copies. More details regarding the U.S. dates will be announced soon, but in the meantime a Facebook page has been launched here: http://www.facebook.com/TheBig4
0 METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX CONFIRMED FOR U.K.’S SONISPHERE
Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax — the “Big Four” of 1980s thrash metal — will headline the first night of next year’s U.K. edition of the Sonisphere festival, set to take place July 8-12, 2011 at Knebworth Park. Dave Mustaine: “The “Big Four” concerts are the most important, most exciting event to happen in the history of live concerts in our genre, and perhaps the entire music industry. I am glad to be a part of this enormous celebration of thrash, speed, and good ole heavy metal!” For more information and tickets, visit uk.sonispherefestivals.com.
1 Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth And Anthrax Free ‘Am I Evil?’ Video Download
Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax — the “Big Four” of 1980s thrash metal — and iTunes in the U.S. have teamed up to celebrate the upcoming release of the “The Big 4: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria” DVD by offering you a FREE video download of members from all four bands performing a cover version of Diamond Head‘s “Am I Evil?”together that night. Download the video and check out discounts on all four bands’ audio and video releases that are available on iTunes in the United States here. This Heavy Metal treat is only good for one week. Download your free video now!!
0 ANTHRAX AND THE DAMNED THINGS ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE METAL CLUB RELEASES
Hot off the heels of Metallica’s breaking news for their “Live at Grimey’s” CD/10″ comes the news of releases from Anthrax and The Damned Things (the band formed by Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano of Anthrax, Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley of Fall Out Boy and Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die). Both bands, in addition to Metallica, will be releasing Metal Club exclusive items which can be found at participating stores on Black Friday (11/26).
Anthrax will be releasing Live at the Sonisphere 10″, a picture disc featuring the tracks “Medusa” and “Only” which are live recordings from the Big 4 DVD (a DVD of the day Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer and Megadeth shared a stage in Sofia, Bulgaria). These recordings will be the first with Joey Belladonna as singer of Anthrax in more than 20 years. Meanwhile, The Damned Things will be releasing a 7″ and CD single for their debut single “We’ve Got A Situation Here” including the track “Ironiclast.” The full length debut from The Damned Things, Ironiclast will hit shelves December 14.
Charlie Benante of Anthrax had the following to say about independent record stores, “Indie stores are our only hope! People should cherish these wonderful treasures. Go, get lost in an indie record store, you may discover a band or record that could blow your mind.”
Metal Club is a group of record stores throughout the US and Canada that work to connect the vibrant metal community with their local record store. Fans will be able to visit their local Metal Club store for special metal promotional pieces, exciting in-store events, and a series of exclusive Metal Club releases.
These and other special metal releases are available at Metal Club stores across the country, please visit www.mymetalclub.com for store locations, news and information on other Metal Club releases.
1 ‘The Big Four’ Super Deluxe Box Set: First Photo Available
The first photo of the limited-edition “super deluxe” “The Big Four: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria” box set — including the DVD set, five CDs with ALL the music, a 24-page booklet, a poster, photos of each band, and a “Big Four” guitar pick — can be viewed below.
Universal Music will release “The Big Four: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria” DVD and Blu-ray containing footage of the June 22, 2010 Sonisphere cinecast from the Sofia, Bulgaria leg of the touring rock festival featuring the “Big Four” of 1980s thrash metal — Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax. The DVD hits the streets on October 15 in Northern Europe, October 18 in most of the rest of the world, October 19 in North America.
METALLICA track listing:
01. Creeping Death
02. For Whom The Bell Tolls
03. Fuel
04. Harvester Of Sorrow
05. Fade To Black
06. That Was Just Your Life
07. Cyanide
08. Sad But True
09. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
10. All Nightmare Long
11. One
12. Master Of Puppets
13. Blackened
14. Nothing Else Matters
15. Enter Sandman
Encore:
16. Am I Evil? (with the Big Four)
17. Hit The Lights
18. Seek and Destroy
SLAYER track listing:
01. World Painted Blood
02. Jihad
03. War Ensemble
04. Hate Worldwide
05. Seasons In The Abyss
06. Angel of Death
07. Beauty Through Order
08. Disciple
09. Mandatory Suicide
10. Chemical Warfare
11. South of Heaven
12. Raining Blood
MEGADETH track listing:
01. Holy Wars… The Punishment Due
02. Hangar 18
03. Wake Up Dead
04. Head Crusher
05. In My Darkest Hour
06. Skin O’ My Teeth
07. A Tout Le Monde
08. Hook In Mouth
09. Trust
10. Sweating Bullets
11. Symphony Of Destruction
12. Peace Sells/Holy Wars Reprise
ANTHRAX track listing:
01. Caught In A Mosh
02. Got the Time
03. Madhouse
04. Be All, End All
05. Antisocial
06. Indians/Heaven And Hell
07. Medusa
08. Only
09. Metal Thrashing Mad
10. I Am The Law
0 Megadeth, Slayer, Testament Launch ‘American Carnage’ Tour
Megadeth, Slayer, and special guests Testament kick off the first leg of the “American Carnage” tour today (August 11) at the Glens Falls Civic Center in Glen Falls, New York with the 19-city trek wrapping up in Portland, Oregon on September 4. After a successful “Canadian Carnage” run in July, Megadeth will continue to roar through its landmark 1990 album “Rust In Peace” from front to back, while Slayer will rip the roof off by performing its much-lauded “Seasons In The Abyss” album, which was also released in 1990. The second leg of “American Carnage” will kick off on September 24 with special guests Anthrax. For all tour info, visit the Killing Road.
AMERICAN CARNAGE FIRST LEG
SLAYER ~ MEGADETH ~ TESTAMENT
August
12 East Rutherford, NJ Izod Center
14 Lowell, MA Tsongas Arena
15 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Center
16 Wallingford, CT Oakdale Theatre
18 Cleveland, OH Tower City Amphitheater
19 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena
20 Chicago, IL UIC Pavilion
21 St Paul, MN Roy Wilkins Auditorium
23 Bonner Springs, KS Sandstone
25 Denver, CO Magness Arena
26 Albuquerque, NM Tingley Coliseum
27 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre
29 Chula Vista, CA Cricket Wireless
30 Long Beach, CA Long Beach Arena
31 San Francisco, CA Cow Palace
September
1 Sacramento, CA Arco Arena
3 Seattle, WA WaMu Theatre
4 Portland, OR Washington County Fairgrounds
AMERICAN CARNAGE SECOND LEG
SLAYER ~ MEGADETH ~ ANTHRAX
Date Location Venue
September
24 Dallas, TX Superpages.com Amph
25 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center
26 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater
28 New Orleans, LA Lakefront Arena
30 Knoxville, TN Knoxville Civic Coliseum
October
1 Duluth, GA The Arena at Gwinnett Center
2 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Live
3 Miami, FL Bayfront Park Amphitheater
5 Hampton, VA Hampton Coliseum
6 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena
8 Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum
9 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion
10 Columbus, OH Lifestyle Communities Pavilion
12 Louisville, KY Broadbent Arena
14 Ft Wayne, IN War Memorial Coliseum
15 Grand Rapids, MI DeltaPlex
16 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom
19 Salt Lake City, UT E Center
20 Las Vegas, NV The Pearl
21 Hollywood, CA Gibson Amphitheatre
2 The Big Four (Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer & Metallica) in My Local Movie Theater
Call me crazy if you will, but Tuesday night I ponied up my $18.00 to see the Big Four ( Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer, & Metallica) in my local movie theater. The bands recorded their Sonisphere concert from Sofia, Bulgaria on June 22nd, and broadcast it in movie theaters across the United States. The bands are in talks to play together in the states, but it may not be until 2011 or 2012. Those talks and negotiations could easily stall, and I wanted my shot at seeing the bands play together! Obviously, I wasn’t going to spend the big bucks to fly overseas. After a scorching hot day at M3 on Saturday, getting to see four of the biggest Metal bands of all time in a reclining seat with air conditioning seemed like a pretty cool idea.
I guess they wanted to build up some anticipation for the live show, as the first half hour was taken up with a small round table discussion featuring Lars Ulrich, Scott Ian and Dave Mustaine. A variety of topics were covered but Dave Mustaine said it best that “Tonight we are making music history”!
Anthrax played first, and man they came out firing. I quickly came to realize that I have not ever seen Anthrax with Joey Belladonna. Joey Belladonna still sounds great singing those classic Anthrax tunes. The band covered all of the songs you would expect them to including (in no certain order) “Indians”, “Got the Time”, “Antisocial”, “Madhouse”, “Caught in A Mosh”, “Only”, “Metal Thrashing Mad”, & “I Am The Law”. Anthrax also did a pretty cool tribute to the late great Ronnie James Dio during the show. Joey Belladonna is the ageless wonder. He still pretty much looks exactly the same. Hopefully the band will record some new tunes with Joey. My only disappointment with the Anthrax set is, it was too short. They only played for 45 minutes at best.
Luckily, right after Anthrax was done, they immediately cut to Megadeth. No long delay between sets in this film. (Thank Goodness!)
With Megadeth’s set, the crowd began to swell at Sonisphere. As more and more people were pouring into the stadium, the sky cut loose, and it appeared to have poured a flood during their set. It was awesome to see Dave Ellefson up on the stage with Mustaine once more. I am glad the guys buried the hatchet. Over all Megadeth sounded great, although I thought the sound on Mustaine’s microphone was mixed too low at times. At least to me, it seemed like Dave ‘s vocals were hard to hear. It could have been the rain that was creating some issues. This wasn’t present throughout all of Megadeth’s set by any means, and it was only a small issue. I enjoyed Megadeth’s set quite a bit, and can’t wait to see them play again in the States.
I have to admit that I have never been a big Slayer fan, so seeing the band in a movie theater for the first time was pretty cool. I must admit, Slayer was pretty tight even if I didn’t know many of their songs. Much like Anthrax and Megadeth’s sets before them, Slayer’s set was fairly short, and it seemed like no time before the mighty Met hit the stage.
It hasn’t been that long since I have seen Metallica live. They played in Cincinnati last year, and were pretty awesome then. I don’t know if it was the energy of the 
packed house in Bulgaria, but Metallica seemed like they were on FIRE for this show. By the time Metallica took the stage, it appeared that there was well over fifty thousand people in the Sonisphere venue. It was a solid sea of metal fans, as far as the eye could see. Metallica had the biggest stage set up, including a huge video wall behind them, and plenty of pyro. None of that really mattered as the band sounded great. I wont even attempt to try to post the set list, but they played a great mix of songs from all stages of their career.
Towards the end of Metallica’s set, the brought out Anthrax, Megadeth and Slayer to join them on stage to do their cover of the Diamondhead classic, “Am I Evil”. Man oh Man, even from a movie screen, it was AWESOME. I can’t even begin to say how cool it was to see Dave Mustaine performing on the same stage as Metallica after all of these years. Having all of those incredible guitar players on the stage at the same time was unbelievable. The clip below doesn’t really do it justice..
The entire show was over four hours long, and well worth the price of admission. Hearing this show in my theater’s surround sound and big screen was truly a cool experience. On a side note, my local theater catered to the Metal heads that packed the theater by bringing a portable beer both, to make the concert experience a little more authentic. It made me wonder, could this be a new way to experience concerts in the future? I would gladly pay my 20 bucks in my local theater if it meant getting to see some live shows like the Download festival, Sonisphere, Hard Rock Hell, or some of the bigger music festivals that happen over seas. Food for thought!!
Overall, The Big Four was a great experience even if it was in a movie theater. I hope they do more shows like this in the future!
1 The Big Four – Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax & Megadeth – In Your Local Theater Tonight!!!
Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Megadeth – broadcast via satellite to select movie theatres tonight, Tuesday, June 22!!!
For one night only, metalheads around the world can experience history: On Tuesday, June 22, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax perform on one stage together, and through the wonders of satellite technology, you can be part of this historic concert event, broadcast exclusively to select movie theatres around the world. Beyond the limited European festival dates, there are no additional tour dates planned for this extraordinary line-up.
Click on this link to find participating theater locations and tickets.
1 Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, & Megadeth At A Theater Near You!!
Can’t make it to Europe this June for one of the seven Sonisphere “Big Four” shows featuring us along with Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax? No problem . . . we’ve got the next best thing through the magic of satellite technology with a special HD simulcast from Sofia, Bulgaria on June 22!
Here’s how it works: The live show will be transmitted via satellite to over 450 movie theaters in the U.S. and over 350 theaters across Europe, Canada, and Latin America. Within hours of all of us walking off the stage, depending on what time zone you live in, you’ll be able to rock out to each set in the cozy confines of your local movie theater that same night.
Now the nitty gritty details: Tickets for the one night only event are available at the local theater box offices and online at thebigfourlive.com where you can see a complete list of presenting theaters. They will start to go on sale Friday, May 21 in the U.S and Friday, May 28 internationally. Please note that ticket on sale times and even days will vary by theatre, so check with your friendly neighborhood participating movie theatre for exact days and times tickets will be available and keep watching thebigfourlive.com for theatre additions/changes. For our friends in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, delayed screenings will be coming your way. Again, keep watching here and thebigfourlive.com for updates.
A few more tidbits you might find helpful: Ticket prices in the U.S. will be around $20 plus whatever service charges your local theater may add. No, unfortunately each band’s entire set will not be shown, but trust us, you’ll see most of the action.
If you’re still with us here and want a little more info about the good people helping to make this happen, check out: byexperience.net. They’ve done some awesome events!
1 METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH & ANTHRAX TO PERFORM TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY
* THE BIG FOUR CONFIRMED FOR SONISPHERE POLAND AND CZECH REPUBLIC *
* MORE BIG FOUR APPEARANCES AT SONISPHERE SHOWS PLANNED *
The world wide web has been abound with speculation on a possible “BIG FOUR” tour for several months. Now, SONISPHERE can exclusively reveal that METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX will play together for the first time in history, in a move that will have metalheads across the globe frenzied with excitement.
Says LARS ULRICH/METALLICA of this historic announcement:
“Who would have thought that more than 25 years after its inception, thrash metal’s big 4 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!”
“It’s about fucking time this happened,” said SLAYER’s KERRY KING. “and about time the fans finally get what they want. This is fucking awesome.”
ANTHRAX guitarist SCOTT IAN agrees, commenting on the enormity of the announcement.
“People have been talking about these four bands playing together since 1984. That’s twenty-six years of expectation!!! And the thing is, I believe not only will we live up to the expectations, we will shatter them!! No other four bands as influential as the four of us have ever done this. Imagine if The Beatles, Stones, The Who and Zeppelin had done shows? Or Sabbath, Priest, Maiden, Motorhead? Well, I may be getting into some rarified air here but as a fan, that’s how big I feel this is.”
These four legendary acts broke out of the underground thrash movement to dominate the metal world in the 1980s, selling millions of records and packing arenas across the globe. The metal giants have never before all shared the same stage, despite huge demand. But on 16th June 2010, METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX will take to the SONISPHERE stage at Bemowo Airport, Poland, to make the dreams of headbangers the world over become a reality. A second Big Four appearance is planned for SONISPHERE CZECH REPUBLIC three days later, with more SONISPHERE shows featuring the awesome combo to be announced in the coming days and weeks.
“This is a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity for Heavy Metal “Fans” to see the four greatest Heavy Metal “Bands” in American History back together on one stage” concludes MEGADETH mainman DAVE MUSTAINE. “If there are any heads left at the end of this Festival that haven’t banged, they don’t belong there.”
Tickets available from www.sonispherefestivals.com
3 Turkey Video #2 – Anthrax with Public Enemy – Bring the Noise
Did anyone really think Anthrax with Public Enemy was a good idea? Did this song help give birth to Nu-Metal (shudder)? Does Flavor Flav bring anything remotely musical to hard rock? This Public Enemy cover may have been a hit for Anthrax, but it doesn’t get any airplay today. This song can be found on the 1991 Anthrax album, Attack of the Killer B’s. I doubt you will want to seek this turkey out though.
0 Anthrax’s Metal Classic Among the Living Digitally Remastered for the First Time and Expanded for CD+DVD Deluxe Edition with Bonus Tracks and Concert Film ‘OIDIVNIKUFESIN’
Two-CD Caught in a Mosh: BBC Live in Concert, with Two 1987 U.K. Concerts, Also Makes U.S. Debut
“Unmistakable riffs, mindf**k drumming and classic songs–they’ve opened too many doors to mention. Badasses.”–Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters
“In the pantheon of modern metal, Anthrax are certainly a cornerstone, and if one listens, one can hear their influence on any number of up-and-coming bands of the new generation.” — Kirk Hammett, Metallica
“Anthrax rules!…If you don’t own Among The Living, you’re f**king stupid.” –Comedian/metalhead Brian Posehn
Pioneering metal band Anthrax, one of the genre’s most influential, innovative and respected groups, melded the speed and fury of hardcore punk with the guitars and vocals of heavy metal to help create speed and thrash metal. Now what many consider the group’s greatest album, 1987’s Among The Living, has been expanded with bonus tracks and a concert DVD, and digitally remastered for the first time, for the CD+DVD package Among The Living (Deluxe Edition) (Island/Megaforce/UMe), released November 10, 2009.
Issued simultaneously will be the two-CD set Caught In A Mosh: BBC Live In Concert (Island/Megaforce/UMe), which brings together 1987 U.K. concerts from the Among The Living world tour recorded at Hammersmith Odeon and the Donnington Festival. Making its U.S. debut, Caught In A Mosh: BBC Live In Concert was originally released internationally in 2007.
Among The Living, originally produced by Eddie Kramer and Anthrax, was the band’s third full-length album and featured the lineup of singer Joe Belladonna, lead guitarist Dan Spitz, rhythm guitarist Scott Ian, bassist Frank Bello and drummer Charlie Benante. Building on an underground following with signature tracks such as “I Am The Law,” “Caught In A Mosh” and “Indians,” the album catapulted Anthrax to widespread recognition and earned the group’s first gold award. Among The Living also marked the height of the band’s use of horror and comic book inspirations, with the title track and album cover image based on the Stephen King novel The Stand, “A Skeleton In The Closet” on King’s novella Apt Pupil, and “I Am The Law” on the comic book character Judge Dredd.
Added for the new Among The Living (Deluxe Edition) version are previously unreleased studio outtakes of “Indians,” “One World” and “Imitation Of Life,” an instrumental of “I’m The Man,” a live-in-Dallas 1987 version of “I Am The Law,” and “Bud E Luv Bomb And Satan’s Lounge Band,” originally released as the “I Am The Law” b-side. The bonus DVD is the live-in-London concert film “OIDIVNIKUFESIN (N.F.V.),” which went gold when issued on video in 1987. “This record was done at a time when life was moving so fast for us, and I think the music reflects that pace. I really enjoyed going back into 1986/87 and found some great stuff in my vault I had forgot about. I think Anthrax fans will enjoy this remastered collection; the high end and low end is back as how it was intended to sound. Thrash metal is alive and well in Among The Living,” says drummer Charlie Benante.
Anthrax would go on to score a platinum EP and four more gold albums as well as break new ground with a fusion of rock and rap. The classic lineup reunited to tour from 2005-2006, after changes a dozen-plus years earlier. On its solo dates, Anthrax played one album in its entirety–Among The Living.
AMONG THE LIVING (DELUXE EDITION) – TRACK LISTING
DISC ONE (CD):
ORIGINAL ALBUM
1. Among The Living
2. Caught In A Mosh
3. I Am The Law
4. Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)
5. A Skeleton In The Closet
6. Indians
7. One World
8. A.D.I./Horror Of It All
9. Imitations Of Life
BONUS TRACKS
10. Indians (Alternate Lead)
11. One World (Alternate Take)
12. Imitation Of Life (Alternate Take)
13. Bud E Luv Bomb And Satan's Lounge Band
14. I Am The Law (Live in Dallas)
15. I'm The Man (Instrumental)
DISC TWO (DVD):
"OIDIVNIKUFESIN (N.F.V.)"
Live in London 1987
1. Intro
2. Among The Living
3. Caught In A Mosh
4. Metal Thrashing Mad
5. I Am The Law
6. Madhouse
7. Indians
8. Medusa
9. Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)
10. Armed And Dangerous
11. A.I.R. / I'm The Man / A.I.R.
12. Gung Ho
CAUGHT IN A MOSH: BBC LIVE IN CONCERT – TRACK LISTING
DISC ONE - Hammersmith Odeon 2/15/87:
1. A.I.R.
2. Metal Thrashing Mad
3. Panic
4. The Enemy
5. I Am The Law
6. Madhouse
7. The Howling Furies
8. Medusa
9. Armed And Dangerous
10. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
11. God Save The Queen
12. Gung Ho
DISC TWO - Donnington Festival 8/22/87:
1. Among The Living
2. Caught In The Mosh
3. Madhouse
4. I Am The Law
5. Medusa
6. Indians
7. God Save The Queen
8. A.I.R.
9. I'm The Man
3 Anthrax Parts Ways With Dan Nelson
As announced last week, thrash legends Anthrax regretfully cancelled the first three dates on the second leg of their European tour due to new vocalist Dan Nelson’s unexpected illness. An additional seven European dates are also cancelled, those scheduled from July 22 to July 30. Anthrax is thrilled to announce that they will play the August 1 Sonisphere festival in Knebworth, England, with their good friend John Bush joining them for a very special one off performance.
The members of Anthrax have confirmed the departure of vocalist Dan Nelson. In light of this development, Anthrax’s slot on the U.S. Slipknot dates set for August and September, has also been cancelled. Anthrax is already actively considering lead singer candidates, and look forward to hitting the road before the end of the year.
0 Classic Video Triple Shot – Leatherwolf, Anthrax and Saxon
Rocklahoma’s metal night last Thursday night inspired me to find some classic videos, from the bands performing.
Check out the clips below!
Leatherwolf’s “The Calling”
Anthrax’s “Antisocial”
Saxon’s “Just Let Me Rock”
Hard Rock Hideout 