Away Team

Former GUNS N’ ROSES bandmates STEVEN ADLER and DUFF MCKAGAN will be presenting the “Riff Lord” award at the REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARDS SHOW.

The fourth annual REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARD SHOW presented by Epiphone® will take place Wednesday, April 11, at Club Nokia in Downtown Los Angeles. For the first time ever, the event will be broadcast live in its entirety on Xbox LIVE, as well as on the Xbox and Revolver Facebook pages.

The 2012 REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARDS SHOW will feature one-of-a-kind special performances and collaborations that honor both the past, present and future of heavy music. The night’s hard-rocking musical performances will include sets by MARILYN MANSON (in his first U.S. performance in nearly three years); iconic GRAMMY-winning guitarist SLASH featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators; EVANESCENCE; SIXX:A.M. featuring Nikki Sixx of MÖTLEY CRÜE, James Michael, acclaimed rock producer and songwriter, and DJ Ashba of GUNS N’ ROSES (in their first performance in almost four years); and 2011 Best New Band Golden God Award winner BLACK VEIL BRIDES, who will perform their only U.S. show of 2012 so far.

Adler, McKagan, Slash, singer Axl Rose and guitarist Izzy Stradlin will all be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame next month in Cleveland, along with later GUNS N’ ROSES members, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and drummer Matt Sorum.

Steven Adler’s new band, simply called ADLER, will be releasing their debut single “The One That You Hated” April 10th on iTunes.

In addition to Steven, ADLER features Lonny Paul (ADLER’S APPETITE) on guitar and Jacob Bunton (LYNAM, MARS ELECTRIC) on vocals/guitar. The group has been recording its debut album in Los Angeles with producers Jeff Pilson (former DOKKEN and current FOREIGNER/TOOTH AND NAIL bassist) and Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER, ADRENALINE MOB).

ADLER’s CD will feature guest appearances by ROB ZOMBIE/ex-MARILYN MANSON guitarist John 5 and Steven’s former GUNS N’ ROSES bandmate Slash (guitar).

For More Info click here.

The main stage for this summer’s Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival will feature Slipknot, Slayer, and a major special guest which will be announced on March 5th. The fourth slot on the main stage will feature a rotation of The Devil Wears Prada, As I Lay Dying and Asking Alexandria.

.In 2012 the tour has upgraded the production on the festival stage and this year the Jagermeister Stage will feature a special headline set by Anthrax supported by a rotation of The Devil Wears Prada, A I Lay Dying and Asking Alexandria, along with Whitechapel, High On Fire and the Jagermeister opener. Please note that bands may vary per market.

Mayhem will kick off the 26 date trek across the U.S. beginning on June 30th at the San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino, California and ticket sales kick off on April 6th with the GET OFF YOUR ASS pre-sale ticket promotion.

Tune in to the Mayhem site for up-to-date ticketing info, news and sign up HERE for the pre-sale ticket mailing list and the first crack at 2012 pre-sale ticket.

June
30 – San Bernardino, CA – San Manuel Amphitheater
July
1 – San Francisco, CA – Shoreline Amphitheater
3 – Seattle, WA – White River Amphitheater
4 – Boise, ID – Idaho Center Amphitheater
6 – Phoenix, AZ – Ashley Furniture Home Store Pavilion
7 – Albuquerque, NM – Hard Rock Casino Albuquerque Presents The Pavilion
8 – Denver, CO – Comfort Dental Amphitheatre
10 – Dallas, TX – Gexa Energy Pavilion
11 – Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
13 – Tampa, FL – 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre
14 – Atlanta, GA – Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood
15 – Indianapolis, IN – Klipsch Music Center
18 – Oklahoma City, OK – Zoo Amphitheatre
20 – St. Louis, MO – Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
21 – Chicago, IL – First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
22 – Detroit, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
24 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
25 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
27 – Philadelphia, PA – Susquehanna Bank Center
28 – Pittsburgh, PA – First Niagara Pavilion
29 – Washington, DC – Jiffy Lube Live
31 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
August
1 – Buffalo, NY – Darien Lake PAC
3 – Boston, MA – Comcast Center
4 – Scranton, PA – Toyota Pavilion
5 – Hartford, CT – The Comcast Theatre

For more on the ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL click here

ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT and DEATH ANGEL have announced the second leg of their US tour.

Tickets go on sale today Friday, December 9th and Saturday, December 10th at 10 AM local time. For all details or to purchase tickets, log onto www.Anthrax.com, www.TestamentLegions.com or www.DeathAngel.us.

ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT & DEATH ANGEL dates:
January
22 – House of Blues – Las Vegas, NV
23 – House of Blues – Anaheim, CA
24 – Marquee Theatre – Tempe, AZ
27 – Egyptian Room @ Murat Center – Indianapolis, IN
28 – Piere’s Entertainment Center – Fort Wayne, IN
29 – Expo Five – Louisville, KY
30 – The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC
February
2 – Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA
3 – Promowest Pavilion – Columbus, OH
6 – Crocodile Rock – Allentown, PA
7 – Rams Head Live! – Baltimore, MD
8 – Best Buy Theatre – New York, NY

VOLBEAT‘s Live From Beyond Hell/Above Heaven will be released on November 25th on limited 2DVD + 1CD, 2DVD, Blu-Ray, CD and 3LP packages.

The DVD/Blu-Ray contains a total of 28 live tracks from Denmark, Germany and the US and a short documentary, Beyond The Scenes.

Filmed on 11 cameras, leaving no musical stone unturned, this is as close to a back stage pass as you can get. And joined by such musical greats as Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano of ANTHRAX/THE DAMNED THINGS, Michael Denner (MERCYFUL FATE), Mille Petrozza (KREATOR), Jacob Øelund, and L.G. (ENTOMBED), viewers also witness Volbeat in a rock and metal Hall of Fame.

The tracklisting:
DVD1 (Live at Forum / Copenhagen):
Intro
The Mirror And The Ripper
Maybellene I Hofteholder
Hallelujah Goat
16 Dollars
Heaven Nor Hell
Guitar Gangster’s & Cadillac Blood
Who They Are
Evelyn
Mary Ann’s Place
Sad Man’s Tongue
We
7 Shots
Pool Of Booze, Booze, Booza/BOA
A Warrior’s Call
The Garden’s Tale
Fallen
Thanks
The Human Instrument

DVD 2:
Live at House Of Blues / Anaheim:
A Moment Forever / Hallelujah Goat
Radio Girl
Angelfuck
Mr. & Mrs. Ness
Still Counting
Pool Of Booze, Booze, Booza/BOA
I Only Wanna Be With You

Live at Rock am Ring / Nürburgring:
Sad Man’s Tongue
Mary Ann’s Place
Still Counting

- Beyond The Scenes [Behind the Scenes]

CD:
Intro
The Mirror And The Ripper
Maybellene I Hofteholder
16 Dollars
Heaven Nor Hell
Who They Are
Evelyn
Sad Man’s Tongue
7 Shots
Pool Of Booze, Booze, Booza/BOA
A Warrior’s Call
The Garden’s Tale
Fallen
Thanks
The Human Instrument
Angelfuck
Still Counting
I Only Wanna Be With You









For more VOLBEAT click here.

Queensryche
30th Anniversary Tour
Tuesday 8NOV11
Lincoln Theatre
Raleigh, NC



I think I’ve said on here once or twice that I am a huge Queensryche fan. If not, here ya go. That being said, I have tried to like their newer albums. American Soldier actually was a good album, their best since Promised Land, but the rest just fall a little flat for me.

I have listened to Queensryche since I first heard the EP in 1984. I first saw them in 1988 when the opened for Metallica on the Damaged Justice Tour in San Francisco. Loved the music but thought they were lost on stage in an arena (I was really high that night too, so it could have just been me).

I wouldn’t have the chance to see them again until Building Empires Tour in 1992 where they blew me away by performing Mindcrime in its entirety! They filled the arena and performed like they deserved to be there too.

Many years have gone by and Queensryche has released several albums that the fans (me included) have debated whether they were Ryche worthy or not. But one thing Queensryche has always done well (at least since 92 for me) is perform well live.

They have made sure that they always have a reason for you to come see their show, whether it’s performing suites (large sections of albums) or albums in their entirety, they always give you a reason to see their next tour (besides being a tremendous live band now).

For their 30th Anniversary Tour they have actually reverted back to the old fashioned tour dogma of playing a little something from everything. And I do believe every album was represented (other than their recent covers album) in the set they performed here in Raleigh.

The band in their infinite wisdom didn’t just come out and perform ‘The Lady Wore Black’ and run through their hits chronologically, they mixed it up, Starting the set with the latest ‘Get Started’ and moved on to a brilliant version of ‘Damaged’. The sole representation of Promised Land was a real treat for me and live was great and no small feat to pull off in my opinion!

‘Desert Dance’ off of Tribe was actually a great tune live. And maybe that’s what their latest studio albums need to bring them to life or more favor to their fans, to be performed live. You can always tell the newer tunes (anything after Promised Land in my opinion is the ‘newer’ stuff) when they’re performed because they just seem to be a little less… connected maybe? It is very difficult for me to describe, but my girlfriend was with me at the show (her third Queensryche show thanks to me) and she would even turn to me during the newer stuff and remark that it must be a newer song because it was missing something. It wasn’t as ‘rich’ as the other tunes and this is from someone who only hears them when I play them and live she can even tell the difference between pre-Promised Land and post-Promised Land material.

The highlight of the night for me had to be ‘The Real World’. I have never seen it performed live and never thought I would considering it was a cast off from the soundtrack to Last Action Hero. And I wasn’t sure they could pull it live considering the heavy string arrangement by the late Michael Kamen (RIP Sir) but it sounded fantastic and had half the crowd shaking their head wondering where the song was from and the other half drooling over it.

Queensryche‘s run from NM 156 to Screaming In Digital was a stroke of brilliance and I’ve often wondered why they haven’t done it before. Geoff Tate’s voice hasn’t lost a step over the years, he may not be able to hold the higher notes as long as he used to, but he still puts on a hell of a show and sings his ass off and does himself and the band proud. In the age of all these 80’s bands trying to sing their old stuff after 30 years of vocal abuse and simple age and mangling their legacy doing so (see Joe Elliot of Def Leppard, Stephen Pearcy of Ratt, Joey Belladonna of Anthrax, etc, etc, etc) it is great to see someone able to still sing their material correctly and not just that, but very well done!

The Ryche may not be headlining arenas anymore but based on their live shows they should be. The theaters we’re seeing them in today makes for an intimate setting but the sound that the band generates should be filling arenas around the world. A live Queensryche show is always something to behold and they always come up with a new reason to go see them, and see them you should. The band has been around for 30 years for a reason, and their live show says everything you need to know about them. Michael Wilton is a great guitarist and Parker Lundgren holds his own with Michael and the band. Eddie Jackson has always been a beast at the bass and there may only be one or two people better on the drums that Scott Rockenfield. The man can certainly go step for step with Mike Portnoy and Neil Peart. And as I’ve already stated, the showmanship and vocals of Geoff Tate are nothing short of spectacular 30 years on!

For more QUEENSRYCHE click here.

GIGANTOUR—the critically acclaimed package festival founded in 2005 by esteemed metal titans MEGADETH–will make its highly anticipated return for the first time since 2008. The multi-artist bill–with metal heavyweights MOTÖRHEAD, VOLBEAT and LACUNA COIL all personally picked by MEGADETH frontman DAVE MUSTAINE–will kick off January 26 in Camden, NJ. Before wrapping February 28 in Denver, CO, the tour will make stops all across the U.S. and Canada including a January 28 show in New York and February 24 in Los Angeles. Tickets are on-sale beginning November 4. For more information visit: http://www.gigantour.com. MEGADETH has also teamed up with VIPNation.com to provide fans with Ultimate VIP packages including premium tickets, meet and greets, exclusive gifts and more. Go to www.megadeth.com for all the details.

GIGANTOUR is a chance to, as MUSTAINE says, tour with like-minded artists “that play heavy music in a high-energy environment,” with a fan-friendly ticket price. He founded the tour in 2005 and invited such artists as Anthrax, Dream Theater, Fear Factory, Lamb of God, Opeth, Static-X and In Flames to join MEGADETH.

Lemmy, frontman of the legendary MOTÖRHEAD, looks forward to performing at this year’s GIGANTOUR amongst all the other talented musicians. “We’ve done festivals in Europe with Lacuna Coil and they’re workaholics as well! Volbeat are great too; the whole bill is pretty diverse and I advise everyone who likes being deaf, and/or can lip-read already, to come out and see what the stuff that doesn’t get any MTV Video Awards sounds like! Gigantour is just that!”

He goes on to say, “Megadeth are one of the greatest bands to tread a stage anywhere and me and Dave have been promising each other we’d tour together ever since we met! Volbeat and Lacuna Coil are interesting choices and I think it’s gonna be incredible trying to understand each other backstage! Come and see what eclectic means! (look THAT up in your Funk & Wagnall‘s)! See you!”

VOLBEAT vocalist and guitarist Michael Poulsensaid the band couldn’t refuse MUSTAINE‘s offer to join the tour. “This is something you don’t think twice about; it’s a must and a blessing. They [Megadeth and Motörhead] are two of the world’s biggest/best and most important bands in heavy rock history. Since the beginning, Megadeth and Motörhead have been a huge inspiration of my/our musical careers. To have the opportunity to go on the road and share the stage with these two legendary rock bands, is another dream come true in the Volbeat adventure. We are very thankful and cannot wait to play in front of these two legendary bands’ audience for some intense minutes of Volbeat rock!”

LACUNA COIL is eager to return for their second GIGANTOUR; they first performed as part of the 2007 tour. “When we were invited to join Gigantour once again, we were really happy as it seems like the perfect way to start the Dark Adrenaline album cycle in the US,” says co-vocalist Andrea Ferro. “Our new album will be released during the tour and it’s gonna be great. We will be playing alongside metal legends like Megadeth and Motörhead and it’s gonna be awesome. It’s a great touring package with two classic bands and two younger bands who each have a unique sound like Lacuna Coil and Volbeat. I Can’t wait!”

Co-vocalist Cristina Scabbia agrees. “WOW! Gigantour! I am super excited!! I mean are you kidding me? A tour with Megadeth, Motörhead, Vollbeat and us? This is going to be so crushing that I think the walls are gonna fall down in some of the venues!! Are you guys ready? I definitely am!”

GIGANTOUR 2012 Tour Dates:
Thu 1/26 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center
Fri 1/27 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
Sat 1/28 New York, NY Theater at Madison Square Garden
Sun 1/29 Lowell, MA Tsongas Arena
Wed 2/1 Glens Falls, NY Glens Falls Civic Center
Thu 2/2 Quebec City, QC Colisee Pepsi Arena
Fri 2/3 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
Sun 2/5 Kingston, ON K-Rock Centre
Tue 2/7 Oshawa, ON General Motors Centre
Wed 2/8 Hamilton, ON Copps Coliseum
Thu 2/9 Auburn Hills, MI Palace of Auburn Hills
Fri 2/10 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom
Sun 2/12 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom
Tue 2/14 St. Paul, MN Myth
Thu 2/16 Saskatoon, SK Prairieland
Fri 2/17 Edmonton, AB Shaw Conference Centre
Sat 2/18 Calgary, AB Big 4 Building
Mon 2/20 Abbotsford, BC Abbotsford Ent & Sports Centre
Tue 2/21 Kent, WA Showare Center
Thu 2/23 San Jose, CA Events Center
Fri 2/24 Universal City, CA Gibson Amphitheatre
Sat 2/25 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre
Sun 2/26 Albuquerque, NM Tingley Coliseum
Tue 2/28 Denver, CO The Fillmore Auditorium

For more GIGANTOUR click here.

Dane Wolf, known to many throughout the metal community as a skilled guitar tech, tour manager, and overall kind & hardworking human being, was badly beaten in Denver, Colorado last week while on the Death Angel/Testament/Anthrax tour. As a result, he had to drop off the tour and was recently released from the hospital in Denver.

Dane’s mother, Jenna Wolf, issued the following statement on Dane Wolf’s Give Forward fundraising page: “Please help in whatever way you can by assisting with his medical bills and upcoming travel expenses to and from Colorado when things go to court. There will be additional medical costs in the future as well, as he continues to recover and requires follow-up care. The goal has now been raised due to the amazing response of Dane’s friends and family. Thank you so much for your continued support, and for sharing the link, and his story!”

The goal is to raise $7,500.00 to pay Dane’s medical & travel expenses. Thus far, $3,760 (50%) has been raised. YOU can help a metalhead who worked a metal tour you attended by visiting GiveForward.com/DANEWOLF and donate what you can. Every dollar helps!

Monday’s online update from Dane Wolf: “The doctor’s appt. went well today, and I have been deemed travel ready and will be finishing my recovery with my Mother who has been worried sick, and kitty cat in Saint Louis! I leave on my first flight in a few hours. My brain IS there, and looks alright stitches come out in another week, chicks dig scars, right? I am trying a different pain medication to see if it can reduce side effects, as I am still battling major headaches as my fractures heal and the swelling subsides. I will be meeting with a specialist in Saint Louis to determine if I will require surgery to repair my orbital socket, fingers crossed. None of these options would have been available without your help, I am so grateful to spend the rest of my recovery with Mom, because we all know that no one takes care of you like mom does. The many positive actions this week so far outweigh the negative in my mind, that I can’t help but look forward to getting healed and paying it back to others. I will be back in The Bay with all you crazy fuckers when I’m fully Dane again, and back out on the road with my brothers and sisters when duty calls. Thanks to my Uncle Brad, cousin Brandon, doctors, nurses, police, and friends in Denver for watching over me I will welcome seeing my Saint Louis friends as soon as my body tells me I’m ready to do so, as I will be strictly following doctor’s orders to give it the full opportunity to rest and recover as I have been. Thank you all, so much, once again.
Much Love
Dane”

Visit the Dane Wolf Facebook Group here and post some get-well messages.
Every positive word helps!

Bay Area thrash kings TESTAMENT are pleased to announce that current Dark Roots Of Earth studio drummer and world-famous percussionist GENE HOGLAN will be joining them on the road for select dates on their upcoming co-headlining run with Anthrax. Gene will join TESTAMENT from October 28th through November 13th.

“As many of you know, I just played on the new TESTAMENT record, Dark Roots Of Earth, which went amazingly well,” states Gene Hoglan. “The dudes were kind enough ask me to join them for a couple weeks on this tour with Anthrax and Death Angel. I’m super stoked to do the shows. It’s going to be a great time. Just so everybody knows, I will be selling my Drum Instructional DVD, The Atomic Clock, at the shows (shameless plug). If you can’t make it out to one of the shows, buy it on line!”

TESTAMENT recently announced that they will again be offering special VIP/Meet & Greet Packs on their upcoming co-headlining tour with Anthrax with support from Death Angel. The band is pleased to announce that the cut off time to purchase VIP/Meet & Greet packs before each individual show has been extended to eight (8) days! The VIP/Meet & Greet packs are selling quickly, so make sure to purchase your pack soon! For more information on how to obtain your special VIP/Meet & Greet Pack, head over to www.slotix.com now.

Purchasing a VIP/Meet & Greet Pack allows you the opportunity to spend intimate, quality time with TESTAMENT. TESTAMENT offered these packs on last year’s monumental American Carnage Tour also featuring Megadeth and Slayer, which presented fans with a unique and exclusive chance to spend time with the band before doors opened, take photos and get autographs, throw up the horns, and chat. This year with the VIP/Meet & Greet Packs, fans will have another chance to hang out, sign autographs and take photos with the band, as well as have access to a ticket to their performance, special merchandise hand-picked by the band, and a collectible TESTAMENT laminate to commemorate this ultimate fan experience!

Testament Meet & Greet Package Includes (Full Details):
• One General Admission ticket
• Meet & Greet with select members of Testament
• Photo with select members of Testament
• Autograph opportunity with select members of Testament
• Testament merchandise items*
o T-shirt of your choice from the merch booth (before doors open)
o Opportunity to purchase a second item at half off from the merch booth (before doors open)
o Assorted guitar picks
o Wristband
o Rare, out of print “Live At The Filmore” cassette
o Original printing of “Demonic” CD
• Collectible Testament laminate

“We love connecting with our fans and showing them same the respect and admiration they show us year after year,” states vocalist Chuck Billy. “Hanging out and talking to the fans was a phenomenal experience for everyone last year. It was a first for us as well as the fans. It’s a great way to join us at the shows in celebration of all that is heavy metal and to make a personal connection with us, so come hang out and commemorate this great tour!”

TESTAMENT have been spending time in the studio recording Dark Roots Of Earth, the follow up to their 2008 Golden God ‘Album of the Year’ award winning album, The Formation of Damnation, released on Nuclear Blast Records to critical acclaim. The album was named SiriusXM Liquid Metal‘s ‘Album of the Year‘ in 2008, and debuted at #59 on the Billboard Top 200. The Formation of Damnation is TESTAMENT‘s highest charting release in their 24-year history.

The band has spent the last three years touring the world in support of The Formation of Damnation, and now brings its original, classic lineup back home to the United States with Anthrax and Death Angel. See below for all currently confirmed tour dates.

TESTAMENT w/ Anthrax & Death Angel:
10/18 Wichita, KS @ The Cotillion
10/19 Denver, CO @ The Summit Music Hall
10/21 Las Vegas @ LVCS – No Anthrax
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









For more TESTAMENT click here.

Guitarist Rob Cavestany of Bay Area thrash legends DEATH ANGEL is giving away three autographed Jackson JS32 Rhoads guitars! Rob and Jackson Guitars will be giving these away while DEATH ANGEL is on tour in the US with ANTHRAX and TESTAMENT. To enter the drawing and find out more info visit this link and then come out to your select show.

DEATH ANGEL
10/07/11 Hawthorne Theater – Portland, OR
10/08/11 Studio Seven – Seattle, WA
10/09/11 Rickshaw Theater – Vancouver, BC – CANADA
10/10/11 The Distillery – Calgary, AB – CANADA
10/11/11 The Exchange – Regina, SK – CANADA

ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT, DEATH ANGEL
10/14/11 The Orbit Room – Grand Rapids, MI
10/15/11 Congress Theatre – Chicago, IL
10/16/11 First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
10/17/11 Riot Room – Kansas City, MO  DEATH ANGEL ONLY
10/18/11 The Cotillion – Wichita, KS
10/19/11 The Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO
10/21/11 LVCS – Las Vegas, NV  NO ANTHRAX
10/22/11 Club Nokia – Los Angeles, CA
10/23/11 The Warfield – San Francisco, CA
10/24/11 House of Blues – San Diego, CA
10/25/11 Martini Ranch – Scottsdale, AZ  DEATH ANGEL ONLY
10/26/11 Sunshine Theater – Albuquerque, NM
10/27/11 Sorority House – Amarillo, TX  DEATH ANGEL w/ EXHUMED, CEPHALIC CARNAGE, HAVOK
10/28/11 South Side Music Hall – Dallas, TX
10/29/11 Emo’s – Austin, TX
10/30/11 Warehouse Live – Houston, TX
11/01/11 House of Blues – Lake Buena Vista, FL
11/02/11 Revolution Live – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
11/03/11 Brass Mug – Tampa, FL  DEATH ANGEL ONLY
11/04/11 House of Blues – North Myrtle Beach, SC
11/05/11 The Fillmore (Charlotte) – Charlotte, NC
11/06/11 The Fillmore (Silver Spring) – Silver Spring, MD
11/08/11 Northern Lights – Clifton Park, NY
11/09/11 Mavericks – Ottawa, ON – CANADA  DEATH ANGEL ONLY
11/10/11 Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA
11/11/11 The Palladium – Worcester, MA
11/12/11 Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ
11/13/11 The Paramount – Huntington, NY
11/15/11 Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY
11/16/11 Alrosa Villa – Columbus, OH  DEATH ANGEL ONLY
11/17/11 Stage AE (Indoor Stage) – Pittsburgh, PA
11/18/11 House of Blues – Cleveland, OH
11/19/11 The Rave – Milwaukee, WI
11/20/11 Vaudeville Mews – Des Moines, IA  DEATH ANGEL ONLY

TESTAMENT, DEATH ANGEL
11/21/11 Fargo, ND – The Club at The Venue
11/23/11 Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
11/25/11 Reno, NV – Knitting Factory









For more DEATH ANGEL click here.

“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 Billboard Top 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.

Upcoming ANTHRAX dates:
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









For more ANTHRAX click here.

Thrash titans ANTHRAX and TESTAMENT, who haven’t toured together in more than a decade, are set to co-headline a U.S. tour beginning Friday, October 14 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. ANTHRAX will close all shows, and DEATH ANGEL will be main support for the entire tour. The coast-to-coast trek will figure to decimate more than two dozen cities over a five-week period, with both ANTHRAX and DEATH ANGEL debuting brand new material from their new albums. The ANTHRAX fan club presale begins today at www.anthraxarmy.com, and the public on-sale kicks off Friday, September 9 at 10 a.m. local time.

“We’ve been tight with the guys in TESTAMENT for a long, long time,” said ANTHRAX‘s Charlie Benante, “so we’re really looking forward to hanging out with them on the road. And all of us in ANTHRAX are big DEATH ANGEL fans, so this is going to be a monster of a good time — for all of us and for the fans. Plus, with the incredible success of The Big Four shows over the last year, we wanted to tour with some of the ‘second wave’ of thrash bands.”

The tour will follow ANTHRAX‘s Big Four “hometown” appearance at Yankee Stadium on September 14, with METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.

“We’re excited to do this tour because ANTHRAX was actually the first band we ever toured with,” adds TESTAMENT vocalist Chuck Billy. “It’s an accomplishment 20 odd years later that we’re going to do it again. The tour kick-off date is actually about five days difference from the kick off date of the first tour 20 years ago. The first time we performed with ANTHRAX, we only had a total of ten songs, so obviously now we have many songs to pick from so it will be very different. It’s good to see that a lot of the faces in the bands are the same as back when we first did this original tour 20 years ago.”

ANTHRAX / TESTAMENT / DEATH ANGEL fall 2011 tour dates:
Oct. 14 – Orbit Room, Grand Rapids, MI
Oct. 15 – Congress Theatre, Chicago, IL
Oct. 16 – First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
Oct. 18 – The Cotillion, Wichita, KS
Oct. 19 – Summit Music Hall, Denver, CO
Oct. 22 – Nokia LA Live, Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 23 – Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA
Oct. 24 – House of Blues, San Diego, CA
Oct. 26 – Sunshine Theatre, Albuquerque, NM
Oct. 28 – South Side Music Hall, Dallas, TX
Oct. 29 – Emo’s East, Austin, TX
Oct. 30 – Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
Nov. 01 – House of Blues, Orlando, FL
Nov. 02 – Revolution, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Nov. 04 – House of Blues, Myrtle Beach, SC
Nov. 05 – Fillmore Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Nov. 06 – The Fillmore, Silver Spring, MD
Nov. 08 – Northern Lights, Clifton Park, NY
Nov. 10 – Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA
Nov. 11 – Palladium, Worcester, MA
Nov. 15 – Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY
Nov. 17 – Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA
Nov. 19 – Rave, Milwaukee, WI

More shows will be announced.

For more ANTHRAX click here.
For more TESTAMENT click here.
For more DEATH ANGEL click here.

ENTER TO WIN TICKETS TO THE BIG 4 CONCERT
AT YANKEE STADIUM ON 9/14 FEATURING ANTHRAX, METALLICA, MEGADETH, AND SLAYER

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.

Is there life on other planets?  With the introduction of the hard rockin’ quartet MESSAGE TO VENUS we just may find out.  Jandre Nadal, John Feliciano, Edgar Ramos, and JuanMa Font are just beginning to unleash their wrath unto the masses, with a style that’s both melodic and metal, that will no doubt be played loud enough to invoke a visit from the planet next door.  So fasten your seatbelts, stow all carry-on items in the overhead compartment (don’t worry no unecessary pat-downs here), and join me as I get the chance to catch up with John Feliciano, M2V’s aspirational axe-man, to get the story behind rock’s next great tympanic treasure.

AWAY-TEAM: I’d first like to congratulate you on the release of your killer E.P. The Envelope, and perhaps even more importantly on the upcoming release of your first full length album Victims and Villains.

JOHN FELICIANO: Thank you so much man!

AWAY-TEAM: I’m excited to hear the whole album.  I know there’s not a set release date yet for Victims and Villains, but can you give us an idea as to when we might see it?

JOHN FELICIANO: Well right now, today, the singer is actually in the studio working on another song.  We have four songs left to record, and the album is done.  Then it will go, of course, to mixing stages and mastering.  We’re hoping that the album will be finished by around October of this year.  In terms of when it will be released, we are working with management to see what route we will be taking, because we have the option of releasing it independently like we did with The Envelope, but we are also open to the possibility of maybe having a record label involved.  Ya know partnering up with them to release that album to maximize it’s release.  So we have our options open, but in terms of a release date, we would love to see it released early next year, but there’s no set release date, as of yet.

AWAY-TEAM: Now, how did the band all meet and get started?

JOHN FELICIANO: Well, JuanMa and Edgar, they are the drummer and bassist, they’ve been friends for many, many years.  I went to the same University that JuanMa went to; I’ve been involved with bands for about 14 years now, and in the local scene we knew each other.  JuanMa and Edgar played in a band together, I played in another band, and Jandre, who is from the west side of Puerto Rico, had a pretty good local following.  So we knew each other from the music scene.  But basically, in 2003 I started a band with a couple of friends and we needed a bassist, so I called Edgar.  Fast forward to 2006, bands change and go through different stages, the drummer that we had at that time quit.  So we called JuanMa who I’ve always wanted to play with because he’s a very technical drummer, and he has pretty good chops, and I always wanted to have a project with him.  Edgar, being a good friend of JuanMa as well, it made complete sense.  So JuanMa joined the project, which wasn’t this band, but we all decided that we wanted to move to the United States in the future, because if we really wanted to pursue this we had to make that jump.  Maybe not now, but that would be the ultimate goal.  So we decided to go into the studio and record a three song demo with the band.  The producer Leo Alvarez tells us, “You know guys, you should really start recording a full length, before you do anything.  Because right now you have the means, and that would be really good to have up your sleeve” So we start recording this full length album, but then in the process of recording it the singer that we had at the time; for personal reasons, he’s a really good friend, he decided to leave.  So that’s when we got the opportunity to call Jandre to join the project, and work with him in the studio with Leo Alvarez, the producer, to make this record that will be Victims and Villains. So it’s basically an evolution of bands, ya know, and a process of natural selection that we got together.  Because in this business, there’s some people that are really good musicians, but they get married, they have kids, and they decide to take another route with their lives.  But the four of us, we’ve been very focused and this is what we wanna do.  The music was already recorded when Jandre joined the project, and it has been a challenge for him, but so far it’s been great.  And being that we already knew each other for at least 5-6 years it’s even better, because you already know the person on a personal level and then to be able to create music with them, it’s good.  There’s no surprises in terms of friendship, ya know.  We’re friends first, and bandmates second.

AWAY-TEAM: The name of the band is quite interesting, what’s the significance behind the name MESSAGE TO VENUS?

JOHN FELICIANO: The name of the band comes from a song that Jandre was writing, lyrics that he was writing, in that song he was talking about life on another planet.  Possibility of life, and we are not alone or whatever, in a part of the song he mentioned “Message to Venus”.  The song never worked, as a song, but he always found that phrase very interesting, because it’s kind of open to interpretation.  People might say “Message to Venus” is a message to the women, or it’s a message to another world, or it’s something out of this world.  So we incorporated it as the band name because we felt that it’s a name that allows us to explore, in the musical aspect.  We can be heavy, we can be subtle, and the lyrics of the songs are like short stories.  We have a beginning, an end, a climax and you can hear that in the songs.  If you really listen to the songs, they have characters.  Like for example, in “Cold and Grey” you have this person that basically is a psychopath, and is obsessed with this woman, and he’s basically telling her “If I don’t have you, no one will.” That’s why it’s called “Cold and Grey”, if someone else is gonna have you, he’s gonna have you “Cold and Grey”, ya know.  It’s kinda harsh, but it is what it is.  So you have characters, you have the psychopath, and in a part of the song you have this girl screaming “Let me go”; and in the songs, that’s how Jandre, and Edgar go about creating lyrics, they’re basically short films.  So that’s the story behind the name, we’re comfortable with it because it allows us to explore with our music, and gives us the flexibility.

AWAY-TEAM: Now, Puerto Rico is not typically a place that you associate with Hard Rock music.  Usually when you think Puerto Rico, you think Salsa, or Merengue, or Reggaeton, anything but Rock music…

JOHN FELICIANO:  Ricky Martin! (laughs)

AWAY-TEAM: Yeah. (laughs) …is that just a misconception? Or are we missing out on alot of great bands?  What’s the Rock scene like in Puerto Rico?

JOHN FELICIANO: In terms of an industry, and let’s talk about the local scene first.  You have the full spectrum of rock, over in Puerto Rico, you have from the very light alternative, pop band, to the very heavy death metal.  But in terms of a local scene, and a business, the island doesn’t support it.  I think it’s a mixture of cultural, and size.  If you play in San Juan, how many times are you gonna play in San Juan? You know what I mean?  So it’s really not the ideal environment, for a local scene to develop, and bands to be able to be successful.  Because you can measure success in many ways, but for this example let’s measure success by a band that is able to meet their means by playing music.  Unfortunately, at least that’s my personal opinion, the conditions are not there in terms of the business aspect.  But of course, you have many, many talented bands in Puerto Rico that… ya know, we have really good friends in all the genres.  You asked if we’re missing out, and I think the world is missing out on the talent that is there.  There’s some really, really good bands from the island.

AWAY-TEAM: Well maybe you’ll help shine a light on that!

JOHN FELICIANO: Hopefully!  We really hope to make it!  We’re doing the part that is our responsibility, that is we’re working hard, and it makes us feel proud because we’re working hard for what we really love.  Another thing I was gonna tell you, in Puerto Rico there’s many rockers.  Iron Maiden was there a couple of months ago, 30 Seconds to Mars was there like a month ago, and Van Halen sold out show, Paul McCartney sold out show.  Ya know, there’s many people that like rock music, but those bands are already established, they have already gone mainstream.  They have been fortunate enough to have the means of letting themselves be known, but for a band that is starting, and starting in Puerto Rico the conditions are not there, for the reasons that I already explained to you, to be successful, measuring success as financial success.

AWAY-TEAM: So how did you first get started plating guitar?  And what was the first song you ever learned to play?

JOHN FELICIANO: Wow… I got an interest in music when I was around 15, I had a friend that had a guitar, you know I think it’s always like that, that’s the cliche!   I had a friend that had a guitar and he knew how to play a couple of things, and I was like “Wow, I really would like to play guitar!” So then for Christams, I asked for, and received a guitar.  I didn’t have the slightest idea of how to tune the guitar, what to do with it, but I played with it.  Even though I was doing nothing that made sense, but I played with it for hours.  Then I moved schools, and I made friends with a guy that knew how to play guitar.  He taught me a couple of chords, what to do with the guitar, how to tune it.  And that’s how I started playing something that actually made sense.  I don’t remember exactly the first song, but I think it was “About A Girl” by Nirvana.  That was the first song that I could play, put two chords together, E-minor with G-major.  I never took classes, never.  I would just spend hours, and hours, and hours playing.  And at that time, we’re talking about maybe 1995, the internet was really a blessing, because you were able to download these tablatures, and everything.  So you could basically go home for hours, and learn a song by reading tablature.  Really early on, like maybe a year into playing guitar, I knew I wanted to make my own stuff.  I just felt it pretty quickly, I put learning to play other people’s songs to the side and starting writing my own things.  Of course this was a long time ago, it’s not really what we write today, but I had that urge really early on.

AWAY-TEAM: So what was your parent’s reaction when you told them you were moving to Miami to become a rock star?

JOHN FELICIANO: (laughs)  Well, in Puerto Rico I think we tend to be a little bit more conservative about those things.  But, I really have their support, my dad and my mom support us all the way.  And we are fortunate that the rest of the band has parents that are the same way.  Their really supportive, and they really believe that you have to make life what you want it to be.  One of the worst things that I think can happen to a human being is getting to the last phases of their life and looking back and saying “Gee, I never tried it.  Maybe I had a shot!” I prefer to fail, but at least I tried.  Because if I don’t know, I think I would go crazy, I would go completely nuts!  Wondering what could’ve been, what if…  that would drive me crazy!

AWAY-TEAM: So why Miami?  What made you choose Miami over an L.A. or a New York?

JOHN FELICIANO: You know I had a… you know like any person, we have to work, and it basically fell in my lap.  I had the opportunity to relocate, and I didn’t even think about it.  I had my girlfriend back in Puerto Rico, who is now my wife, and I thought “This is the chance, this is it! I’m moving, I’m taking this step.” I was given the opportunity on Friday, and by Sunday I was already in Miami.  It was super fast.  I said “This is what I have to do.” I told my girlfriend, not to worry, we’re gonna make it, I’ll find a way; and now look, a couple of years later we’re here and settled, we got married.  I think if there’s a will there’s a way, ya know what I mean?  We hadn’t even finished tracking the album yet when I moved, so I flew back to Puerto Rico and finished my part of the album in one weekend, three days of like 16 hours apiece.  Basically, the opportunity came in Miami, and it’s pretty strategic in terms of it being on the east coast, and you can get to Puerto Rico pretty easily, and to other parts of the nation.

AWAY-TEAM: You mentioned that you relocated for your job.  I understand that you have a pretty good day job, in fact it just recently landed you on CNN.  Tell me about that.

JOHN FELICIANO: (laughs)  Ha! Oh my God… Yeah, you know, the company is a human resource recruiting firm, and they were doing a story on illegal immigration, and illegal immigrants working in the United States.  It was a hot topic.  You know there’s a lot of federal agencies that go into Puerto Rico to find talent, especially bilingual talent, because Puerto Rico mainly speaks Spanish, but educated people are bilingual.  They wanted to do a story on companies going to Puerto Rico, and why it would be good for a company to look at Puerto Rico as a good source of talent, etc. etc.  And since I’m in that business, I don’t know why someone referred me because I’m Puerto Rican, and they were talking about Puerto Ricans, but… I live in Miami, and CNN in Miami called me to do an interview with CNN en Espanol.  So I went there and did that.  It’s crazy because you see the studios and you think that they’re very big, it’s not.  It’s like a closet.  You’re in a closet with a camera there, and no one else with you.  The reporter is in like Atlanta, and that’s it.  It’s just you inside a closet with that camera.  It’s pretty funny.

AWAY-TEAM: The Envelope contains a really great cover of the Depeche Mode classic “Stripped”.  Who were some of your strongest influences growing up?

JOHN FELICIANO: I would have to say that one of my main influences is Tool.  I love how they evolved, you listen to the first E.P. Opiate, and you listen to the last one 10,000 Days and it’s great.  It has technical, musical value, and it also is entertaining.  I could hear a band that makes something difficult, but I don’t like difficult music just for the sake of being difficult.  I like technical music, that might be pretty challenging to play, but it has to be entertaining, it has to catch my attention and I have to be entertained.  I have to feel that there’s some sentiment being transmitted through that song, and I feel that with Tool. Of course, you can branch out to A Perfect Circle, in which you have a different set of musicians.  You have a great drummer, great guitar player, bassist, and of course Maynard from Tool.  Another band that I was really into, at the time, was Nirvana.  That was like my favorite band, at that time, like in 1994-95.  What I liked about Nirvana was their energy, you know the music was simple in terms of verse-chorus-verse-chorus-interlude-chorus, but it was powerful, entertaining, and straight to the point.  I think my biggest influence has to be Tool, but if you want to include other bands I would say, from my early years I would say Nirvana, and right now I listen to alot of music.  I like heavy stuff, I like 36 Crazyfists, I like Pierce the Veil, I like Nonpoint, Puya, Pantera, all of that.

AWAY-TEAM: It’s funny, I knew you were gonna say Tool, because I hear quite a bit of Tool in “Change”. The guitar work on that is very Tool.

JOHN FELICIANO: Yeah, it’s got that oriental scale.

AWAY-TEAM: “Universal You” debuted on Music Choice yesterday, and “Cold and Grey” is being played on Sirius XM’s Octane.  I understand that Jose Mangin of Sirius XM said that you guys were the first band from Puerto Rico to be played on Octane…

JOHN FELICIANO: Yeah, I don’t know if it was Jose Mangin, the DJ at that time, but the DJ that was on shift said that was the first band coming out of Puerto Rico to be played on Sirius XM Octane which was very flattering for us, ya know.  We are very proud, but at the same time we feel very humbled, because it’s a big weight to carry on your shoulders to be the first one.

AWAY-TEAM: Yeah, that kinda makes you guys like the godfather’s of the Puerto Rican rock scene. (laughs)

JOHN FELICIANO: Yeah, at least in the Active Rock/ Hard Rock scene.  Because you have Nonpoint which has it’s roots or beginnings in Puerto Rico, and I’m not talking bad about them I love that band, that’s one of my favorite bands, but they really were made here in South Florida.  It started over there, but the people that were the original ones from Puerto Rico are no longer with the band.  The original, original member is Robb Rivera the drummer.  So I think that’s what they were talking about, a band that was formed in Puerto Rico, and coming straight out of Puerto Rico.  And we feel very proud about that.

AWAY-TEAM: You guys have played alongside many great bands, Anthrax, Puya, Ill Nino to name a few.  What was the most memorable of those shows?

JOHN FELICIANO: Just to be clear, that was from our personal experiences in other bands.  It wasn’t with MESSAGE TO VENUS. For me the most memorable one, is when we played a show with three great bands in one night.  It was Ill Nino, Ankla, and Nonpoint. That was the bill, and then us with the band that I had at that time.  That was a great experience to play in front of many thousands of people, and people that don’t know you that were like “Wow, you guys played great! I really loved your band.” That was amazing.

AWAY-TEAM: I think I know the answer to this, but if you could make anyone live or dead a fifth member of the band, who would it be and why?

JOHN FELICIANO: Alive or dead… ya know, I would really love to have Tool’s guitar player Adam Jones.  (laughs)

AWAY-TEAM: That’s where I thought you were going with it. (laughs)

JOHN FELICIANO: I would really love to be able to collaborate with that guy.  He has a certain style of playing, which is kind of dark, but at the same time it doesn’t go to that point of no return.  It’s still energetic, it’s still listenable.  It’s not simple, in terms of being easy, but he makes music that’s not complicated for the sense of being complicated.  It flows, you know what I mean?  The patterns might be odd, but it flows as a composition, as a whole, as a song, as a story.  It would be amazing to be able to drink from that fountain of knowledge.

AWAY-TEAM: With Victims and Villains on the horizon, what new song do you most look forward to playing live?

JOHN FELICIANO: There’s this song called “The Unknown”, the reason I look forward to playing that song is, not only that I live the song, but in the middle of the song when it’s in it’s climax there is a chorus of people.  We brought 20 of our closest friends into the studio to sing a part, they sing ‘We are not alone.’ So I really look forward to playing that song and getting that reaction from the crowd, having the crowd sing that part.  You’ll be able to hear that part on the album, but being able to hear the crowd sing that part back to you, that would be amazing.

AWAY-TEAM: So last, but not least… Captain Morgan or Bacardi?

JOHN FELICIANO: For me it’s Bacardi. (laughs)

AWAY-TEAM: John, I wanna thank you for your time.  Best of luck to you, I know you’re probably not gonna need it, you guys are solid as they come.  I know you’re destined for great things.  Hopefully next time we talk, we’ll be talking major label release.

JOHN FELICIANO: Hopefully!  Thank you so much.

AWAY-TEAM: Talk to you soon buddy.

JOHN FELICIANO: Definitely, we’ll talk soon. Bye.

AWAY-TEAM: Bye.

For more MESSAGE TO VENUS including to purchase music and tour dates click here Also be sure to check out their Facebook page for updates on the album, and their YouTube page for rockin’ new videos

Special thanks go to John Feliciano for so graciously giving me his time.

From METALLICA.com:
“A huge thanks to everyone who came out to the desert this past weekend . . . we felt the enormous love and support, so we just had to find a way to make one more Big 4 show in the States happen. Enter New York . . . that’s right, the Big 4 of Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer, and ‘Tallica will be in the new version of the famed Yankee Stadium on September 14, 2011! We can’t wait for a night in the Bronx as our second American show and for those of you who love fun facts, this will also be the second live music event hosted at the new ballpark.
ALL seats are reserved for this show and tickets go on sale Friday, May 6 at 10:00 AM via www.ticketmaster.com. Met Club members should log in for more information about a special pre-sale starting on Wednesday, May 4. Yankees season ticket holders will have their own pre-sale, also on May 4, starting at noon.
Check back here next week for more information about VIP packages and long distance shuttles.”

For more on the BIG 4 announcement click here.

So the greatest metal show of all time is set to take place this Saturday April 23rd in California. It is every metal heads dream gig. It is The BIG 4: METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH, & ANTHRAX all performing on the same stage. Yes, this IS a big deal. I will not be there, but it IS a big deal. It is a show that everyone thought would never happen.

Then something funny happened on the way to the polo club. Jeff Hanneman caught some kind of flesh eating virus, and Scott Ian knocked up Pearl Aday. And now Gary Holt (EXODUS) is taking Jeff‘s place and Andreas Kisser (SEPULTURA) is taking Scott‘s place.

In Jeff‘s case we all wish him a speedy recovery and hope he returns to the SLAYER ranks soon and healed up 100%. Word is he is almost ready to return, and wanted to for this show, but he just isn’t quite there yet.

In Scott‘s case his fiancée Pearl Aday is pregnant, and due to spill any day. So, wanting to be the good first time father he is not attending any Anthrax dates currently until the birth of their child. No word on how long of a Paternity leave he will be taking once the baby is born.

Here’s where Scott‘s logic gets a little fuzzy for me. He can’t attend the BIG 4 concert to play in the US in front of possibly 200,000 people but he can attend the Golden Gods Awards yesterday WITH Pearl in tow? Really? No, he did. And here is a picture to prove it.

Who am I to jump on him for making the difficult decision of not playing the biggest US show of his career? Why not appear at some awards show in LA on a Wednesday and not appear two hours southeast of LA to perform for a quarter million people three days later? Makes perfect sense to me.

So I ask you this question, can the BIG 4 be the BIG 4 if they are missing 2 of the most well known metal guitar players in the world?