Thrash Metal
Kerry King Prepares to Launch Post-Slayer Project, Confirms Paul Bostaph as Drummer
Kerry King is getting ready to debut his long-gestating post-Slayer project. In a new interview, the guitarist said he was waiting out the pandemic before launching the band, and that it won’t be that much longer before he unveils the project. He also confirmed that Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph was on board. This comes after the guitarist revealed he was sitting on two albums’ worth of new material in 2020. “You know me, so you know what it’s going to sound like,” he told Metal Hammer. “I played this new song for a buddy, and I said to him, ‘If there’s anything I’ve written in the last few years that sounds like Slayer, it’s this.’ And he said, ‘That sounds like you could have pulled it off of any Slayer record.’” Related Video Regarding the band’s lineup, King refrained from naming a...
Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante to Round Out Pantera Lineup for 2023 Tour: Report
On Wednesday (July 13th), news broke that surviving members Philip Anselmo and Rex Brown would resurrect Pantera for a 2023 tour. According to a new report from Billboard, Zakk Wylde and Anthrax’s Charlie Benante will fill the band’s guitar and drum positions held by late brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul, respectively. Billboard cites a source close to the band as confirming that Wylde and Benante are on board, while also revealing that Pantera will headline major North American and European festivals next year, in addition to playing headlining shows. The report further divulges that the estates of Dimebag and Vinnie Paul have given the tour their blessings. Wylde, who fronts Black Label Society and is the touring guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne, has long been mentioned as a potential...
30 Years Ago, Megadeth’s Countdown to Extinction Tackled Politics and Personal Demons
By the start of the ’90s, Megadeth were on track to dominate heavy metal. After all, 1990’s Rust in Peace garnered stellar sales and press reviews, with the corresponding Clash of the Titans tour — featuring Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax — further bolstering their hegemony. Plus, as he confessed to Guitar School in 1993, Megadeth mastermind Dave Mustaine was finally getting “stone sober” after years of addiction to marijuana, cocaine, cigarettes, heroin, and other vices. At the same time, however, the meteoric rise of grunge meant that metal was becoming “the red-headed stepchild of the music industry” (as Mustaine postulated to Goldmine in 2012). Advertisement Although they faced some industry pressure to follow the tides, Mustaine told Patch.com the same year, Megadeth chose instead to “...
Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” Enters Billboard Hot 100 for the First Time Following Stranger Things Inclusion
First Kate Bush, now Metallica: Thanks to a high-profile feature on Season 4 of Stranger Things, the metal legends have enjoyed a nice little bump on the Billboard charts, with the 1986 song “Master of Puppets” entering the Hot 100 for the first time ever. After Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) shredded the song from the Upside Down (with an assist from Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo’s son Tye, who recorded additional guitar parts for the scene), “Master of Puppets” entered at No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week of July 16th. Metallica already thanked the popular Netflix series for the feature by duetting with Munson on TikTok, with each member of the band sporting “Hellfire Club” T-shirts. Advertisement Related Video Kate Bush was the first artist to benefit from the so-called...
Metallica Duet with Stranger Things’ Eddie on “Master of Puppets”: Watch
Metallica are officially members of the Hellfire Club, as they’ve shared a duet with Stranger Things 4 hero Eddie Munson on the epic “Master of Puppets.” Much like Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” the 1986 thrash metal classic played a pivotal role in the most recent season of the hit Netflix series. And just like Bush’s track, “Master of Puppets” has seen a major bump in streams as a result. Metallica have openly expressed gratitude for their part in the epic Stranger Things final, and now they’ve taken it a step further, giving Eddie the ultimate stamp approval by duetting with him via the magic of TikTok. Advertisement Netflix posted a duet challenge on the app earlier this week, tasking fans with playing along with Eddie as he ripped “Master of Puppets” from atop an RV. Do...
Metallica Help Shred Some Demons In Stranger Things Season 4
[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers through the Season 4 finale of Stranger Things, “The Piggyback.”] For a show already known for killer needle drops, Stranger Things Season 4 took things to a new level with its season finale. In the epic-length Episode 9, “The Piggyback,” our heroes decide to venture into the Upside Down to take down the malevolent demon known as Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). The plan: Use Max (Sadie Sink) as bait to lure the demon into making a psychic attack, while the rest of the gang attacks Vecna’s comatose body. Vecna isn’t defenseless, though, as he’s guarded by an army of demonic bats. That’s when Eddie Munsen (Joe Quinn) — and his guitar — come into play. Eddie pulls out an amp and electric guitar and, with Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) headbanging beside...
Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine Will “Forgive” David Ellefson but “Won’t Play Music With Him Anymore”
Upon the announcement of Megadeth’s new album, The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead, frontman Dave Mustaine has opened up about last year’s ouster of longtime bassist David Ellefson. While Mustaine says it was a “hard decision,” he insists he “won’t play music with him anymore.” Ellefson was fired from Megadeth in 2021 when an embarrassing online sexual encounter between him and a young woman surfaced on social media. His bass parts for the upcoming album were subsequently re-recorded by Testament’s Steve DiGiorgio, while James LoMenzo has since been named as Ellefson’s permanent replacement. In a new interview with Metal Hammer, Mustaine discussed his decision to let Ellefson go from the band. “Let me just say this – it was a hard decision that had to be made,” said Mustaine. “There were a l...
Anthrax’s Frank Bello Announces Debut Solo EP Then I’m Gone
Anthrax bassist Frank Bello has announced his debut solo EP, Then I’m Gone, arriving November 4th. The release is a personal one for Bello, who played every instrument (except drums) on the EP’s three core tracks: “Then I’m Gone,” “It Won’t Be Long,” and “See Me Now.” He also scored and played additional narrative pieces that see Bello reading excerpts from his 2021 autobiography, Fathers, Brothers, and Sons: Surviving Anguish, Abandonment, and Anthrax. “I revisited some really dark times in my life when I was writing my book, and writing these songs was the result of reliving them,” said Bello via a press release. “Music has always been a great outlet for me as a coping mechanism. I felt it was a good time to put out these songs for people who connected with the book and maybe some who ha...
Anthrax Announce Blu-Ray and CD Release of 40th Anniversary Livestream Concert
Anthrax are releasing their 40th anniversary “Anthrax XL” livestream concert on Blu-Ray, CD, and digitally on July 15th via Megaforce Records. Ahead of its arrival, the thrash greats have offered up a clip of their performance of “Aftershock.” In July 2021, Anthrax celebrated four decades of thrash-metal excellence with a virtual concert and retrospective featuring interviews, testimonials, and reflections from the band members and many close associates from the scene. Guitarist Scott Ian even gave a “walking tour” of Anthrax’s stomping ground: New York City. “Forty years doesn’t feel like 40 years,” said drummer Charlie Benante via press release. “Sometimes, I have to remind myself about how long this strange trip has been. I enjoy playing these songs, they’re such a huge part of my life,...
Megadeth Name James LoMenzo as New Permanent Bassist
Megadeth have officially named James LoMenzo as their new permanent bassist. The veteran metal musician had already joined the legendary thrash band’s touring lineup as of last year, and now he can call himself a full-fledged member. LoMenzo essentially replaces founding bassist David Ellefson, who was ousted from Megadeth last year after an embarrassing online sexual encounter with a young woman. Testament’s Steve DiGiorgio was called in to re-record bass parts on the band’s upcoming album, The Sick, The Dying and The Dead, but LoMenzo was recruited to join the band on their co-headlining “Metal Tour of the Year” with Lamb of God, which just completed its second leg. This marks LoMenzo’s second stint with Megadeth, after being a member from 2006 through 2010. He played on the albums Unite...
Metallica Take Over Napa Valley with BottleRock Set and Late-Night Covers Show: Recap, Photos + Video
Napa, California’s BottleRock Festival finally returned after a two-year absence this weekend, and with Metallica headlining day one on Friday (May 27th), it got off to head-banging start. As they usually do, the legendary metal band made the show an event for their fans, making sure that they would have maximum Metallica intake. One of the bands that performed prior to Metallica’s headlining set was Bastardane, a hard-rock trio that includes James Hefield’s son Castor on drums. Although the band has a thrash metal influence, they have their own unique sound that seemed to get a seal of approval from the Metallica fans watching the show. Also approving was James himself, who could be seen behind the wings of the stage watching and nodding along, but soon he would be on a much bigger stage....
Vinnie Paul’s Estate Auctioning off Hundreds of the Late Pantera Drummer’s Items
The estate of the late Vinnie Paul is auctioning off hundreds of items and gear owned by the late Pantera drummer. Over 700 items are hitting the block, which will be hosted by Backstage Auctions. Highlight pieces include several drum kits played by Paul in Pantera, Damageplan, and Hellyeah; a collection of guitars (including a vintage Dimebag Darrell Washburn); slot machines; record awards; clothing; artwork; and a huge collection of sports memorabilia, as Vinnie loved hockey, football, and baseball. “Outside his impressive career, one that lasted nearly four decades, Vinnie Paul was a collector at heart, enjoying and appreciating every single memento,” the auctioneers noted. “This event is a tribute to his legacy, as much as it is an opportunity for all of his fans to continue that legac...
