Thrash Metal
Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine Calls Mask Mandates “Tyranny”
Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine went on an anti-mask rant at a concert (September 15th) in Camden, New Jersey on Wednesday, calling mandates “medical tyranny.” Performing in a state where over 27,000 people have died from COVID-19, Mustaine addressed the crowd before the final song of the set, decrying the enforcement of masks that have proven effective in slowing the spread of the virus. “I just wanna tell you how great it is,” Mustaine said before the last song of the night. “Look around you, guys. Look to your right, look to your left, and look how wonderful this is. We’re all here together. We’re not freaking out, and we’re not yelling at people, ‘Wear your f–king mask.’ Listen, it starts with this kind of a sensation that we build right now. We feel together, we feel like [there’s] strength ...
Metallica Release 53-Song Blacklist Covers Album: Stream
Metallica have released The Metallica Blacklist charity covers compilation. The album features 53 artists covering the 12 songs from “The Black Album.” All proceeds from the release benefit a charity of each artist’s choice and Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation. The band announced the compilation at the same time as the “Black Album” Super Deluxe Edition box set. Both celebrate the 30th anniversary of the seminal heavy metal album that launched Metallica to superstardom. Each week leading up to the September 10th digital release, the band shared new covers from the Blacklist. From Miley Cyrus’ rendition of “Nothing Else Matters” to Weezer taking on “Enter Sandman” to St. Vincent shredding through “Sad But True,” the covers have been a highly entertaining pastime for Metallica fans...
Slayer Announce Reissues of Metal Blade Catalog, Including Show No Mercy and Hell Awaits
Slayer have announced new reissues of their Metal Blade Records catalog, including vinyl re-pressings of seminal albums such as Show No Mercy and Hell Awaits. They’re due out October 22nd. In addition to the aforementioned albums, the Haunting the Chapel EP and 1984’s Live Undead will also be reissued. Each release will be available in multiple vinyl colorways and on CD and cassette tape. Metal Blade was Slayer’s label home during the band’s early years and played a vital role in proliferating thrash and speed metal in the 1980s. Slayer would go on to sign with Def American and work with producer Rick Rubin for 1986’s groundbreaking Reign in Blood, but for many hardcore fans, the early material remains just as vital. Advertisement Related Video Slayer’s obsession with Satanic and occult th...
Jason Newsted: “I Was F**king Livid” After Hearing Metallica’s …And Justice for All for the First Time
Jason Newsted has admitted that he was “livid” after he first heard Metallica‘s 1988 album, …And Justice for All, which famously had much of the bass removed during mixing. “I was f**king livid!” Newsted told The Metal Hammer Podcast in a new interview. “Are you kidding me? I was ready [to go] for throats, man!” He continued, taking a more serious tone: “No, I was out of my head, because I really thought I did well. And I thought I played how I was supposed to play.” Advertisement Related Video The phantom bass on Justice has become the most controversial mixing decision in the history of metal. The official mixing credits belong to Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero, but Metallica’s Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield were heavily involved in the process. Some suggest Newsted’s parts wer...
Exodus Announce New Album, Unveil Single “The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)”: Stream
Exodus have announced their 11th studio album, Persona Non Grata, arriving November 19th. They also shared the video for the lead single “The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves).” True to its title, the single packs a wallop. Blazing fast riffs, snarled vocals, and gang-shout choruses make for a potent thrash metal attack. This is classic stuff from the pioneering Bay Area band. “After what seems like an eon, we now have the debut of our first single, ‘The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves),’” remarked guitarist Gary Holt via a press statement. “I’m so jacked up for this and the release of Persona Non Grata! Let’s get the bloodletting started!” Advertisement Related Video Persona Non Grata translates to “an unwelcome person,” and the album “touches on themes of moder...
Jason Newsted Unboxes Metallica’s Super Deluxe “Black Album” Box Set: Watch
Metallica have shared a video of former bassist Jason Newsted unboxing the upcoming super deluxe “Black Album” box set. The massive collection arrives September 10th. In the video, Newsted sets up shop on his front porch for the lengthy unboxing. This isn’t your ordinary expanded edition, either. The sheer amount of content is mind-boggling: discs galore (the full album, bonus tracks, live cuts, alternate versions, etc.), a photo book, flyers, and copious ephemera. The goods pour out across the table as the bassist charismatically offers fans a first glimpse at the box set. As if he’s unearthing a time capsule of the era, Newsted discusses each item and even offers nostalgic anecdotes as he goes. Advertisement Related Video The pictures send him back in time to the shoots with photographer...
Sepultura Announce Spring 2022 North American Tour
Sepultura will make the trip back to North America in spring of 2022. The Brazilian heavy metal band has announced an extensive tour in support of their latest album, 2020’s Quadra, which they’ve been unable to support with live shows yet due to the global pandemic. The outing will kick off March 4th in Sacramento, California, and keep the veteran metal act on the road for a little over a month before wrapping up April 8th in Berkeley, California. Sacred Reich, Crowbar and Art of Shock will serve as support on the tour, which features both rescheduled and newly added dates. “We are extremely excited to reconnect with everyone in North America for this upcoming tour,” vocalist Derrick Green said in a statement. “We look forward to seeing all the people who have been anxious to see shows for...
Exodus Drummer Tom Hunting Is Cancer Free After Undergoing Total Gastrectomy
Exodus drummer Tom Hunting recently underwent a total gastrectomy (removal of the stomach), and it appears the surgery was a success. The veteran thrash musician is now cancer free, according to a post on bandmate Gary Holt’s Instagram account. Earlier this month, Hunting announced that he would be undergoing the procedure in his effort to battle squamous cell carcinoma of the stomach. A total gastrectomy removes the entire stomach and parts of any neighboring organs affected by the cancer. The end of the esophagus is then attached to the small intestine to allow for digestion. While he must recover and adjust to his new digestive system, the message posted on Holt’s Instagram offers an encouraging outlook: “Tom has been home for around a week now, is doing very well despite the pain, is e...
R.I.P. Mike Howe, Metal Church Singer Dies at 55
Mike Howe, lead singer of the veteran band Metal Church, has died at the age of 55. No cause of death has been reported, but the band announced his passing via Facebook on Monday evening (July 26th). “It is with our deepest regrets that we must announce the passing of our brother, our friend and true legend of heavy metal music. Mike Howe passed away this morning at his home in Eureka, California,” reads the band’s statement. “We are devastated and at a loss for words. Please respect our privacy and the Howe family’s privacy during this most difficult time.” The band formed in 1980 in the Bay Area as Shrapnel, impacting the thrash metal scene that was about to explode a couple years later. They moved to Aberdeen, Washington, early in their career and changed their name to Metal Church in 1...
Anthrax Celebrate 40 Years of Thrash with Career-Spanning Livestream Concert: Review
Setting the Stage: It’s hard to believe, but this year marks the 40th anniversary of the formation of thrash metal pioneers Anthrax. Considered to be one of the “Big 4” of thrash (along with Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth), the band — which since 2013 has featured a lineup comprised of singer Joey Belladonna, guitarists Scott Ian and Jon Donais, bassist Frank Bello, and drummer Charlie Benante — undoubtedly would have preferred to celebrate this impressive career accomplishment with a thorough world tour, but instead offered up a virtual worldwide concert event. Anthrax officially formed on July 18th, 1981, and the metal legends started the 40th anniversary celebration a couple months back with a video series documenting their illustrious career through testimonials from the band members ...
Sonic Frequencies from “The Black Album” Make Metallica’s Latest Blackened Whiskey the Perfect Sipper: Review
Metallica have unveiled The Black Album Whiskey Pack, the latest release in their Blackened American Whiskey line. The 12 songs from the classic 1991 album were used for the “Black Noise” sonic-enhancement process, literally pummeling the casks with sonic frequencies to extract flavors from the wood. The new pack includes a bottle of Batch 114 Blackened whiskey — finished to the low hertz frequencies of “The Black Album” — a collectible coin, and a Snakebite cocktail booklet. It’s a dream gift for Metallica fans and at a very modest SRP of $49.99, considering this is high-grade craft whiskey. I was fortunate enough to have been gifted a pack for this article. Knowing that I certainly couldn’t polish off the whole bottle alone — or shouldn’t, at least — I decided to bust out ...
Dave Mustaine Reveals That David Ellefson’s Bass Parts Have Been Replaced on Upcoming Megadeth Album
Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has confirmed that ousted member David Ellefson’s bass parts have been re-recorded for the legendary thrash band’s upcoming album. Somewhat ironically, Mustaine revealed the news to a fan via the celebrity video messaging app Cameo, after recently joining the platform. Mustaine had previously stated that Ellefson’s parts would be replaced after the bassist was fired from the band following the leak of private online sexual encounters. Addressing a fan named Tina, Mustaine said [as transcribed by Blabbermouth]: “I hear you’re a big pretty fan of [the Megadeth song] ‘Fatal Illusion’ right now. That’s cool. Actually, we’ve got one song on the new album — it’s called ‘The Dogs of Chernobyl’ — which is very similar to ‘Fatal Illusion’ in aggression. So I hope you...
