Nuclear Blast has issued that the thrash metal legends ANTHRAX have released the special edition of the band’s successful last album, “Worship Music“. The special edition will contain both the regular album as well as the brand new “Anthems“ EP featuring cover versions of songs originally performed by RUSH, AC/DC, BOSTON, JOURNEY, CHEAP TRICK and THIN LIZZY.
A 3,5 minute video including snippets of every song and comments by the band’s members can viewed at this location:
ANTHRAX live 2013:
10.05. CHI Santiago – Teatro Caupolican
12.05. AR Buenos Aires – El Teatro Flores
15.05. BR Sao Paulo – HSBC
17.05. MX Mexico City – Hell & Heaven @ Sala De Armas
18.05. MX Guadalajara – Hell & Heaven Festival
02.08. PL Przystanek – Woodstock
03.08. D Wacken – Wacken Open Air
11.08. UK Derbyshire – Bloodstock
17.08. D Hamburg – Open Air Festival
18.08. D Herford – X Rockfest
The Outaouais Rock team has announced the complete line-up for the 8th edition of the Amnesia Rockfest, now the biggest rock festival in Quebec. The festival will kick off with a series of indoor shows from June 10th – 16th at the Montebello marina in the Outaouais region. Main outdoor festivities take place June 14th and 15th.
The line-up includes ALICE COOPER, LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and more!
In addition to a significant enhancement of the three existing stages, Rockfest will introduce two new “international” stages that will focus on cult favorites and rare bands. Taking to these stages include the reunion of BLACK FLAG, which will play under the name FLAG, BAD BRAINS (after an 18 year absence in Quebec), SICK OF IT ALL, BIOHAZARD, DISCHARGE and many others.
Rotating with the main stage, the Québécois stage will feature CRYPTOPSY (with the band’s original frontman Lord Worm), GHOULUNATICS, GRIMSKUNK, KATAKLYSM, as well as many others.
In total, over 150 bands will take to the stages during the event. It cannot be left unsaid that camping zones and festival grounds will be expanding the week leading up to festival as will indoor show venues (the lineup for indoor shows will be released in the upcoming weeks). There will be numerous activities taking place over the course of the event including rides, a rock and roll museum, a haunted house, buskers and fire spitters to enhance the carnivalesque and festive atmosphere.
Details:
Amnesia Rockfest – 8th edition
June 10-16
June 14-15 : Outdoor festivities starting at noon
June 10-11-12-13-16 : evening showcases
Marina de Montebello (111, rue Laurier)
ANTHRAX have been confirmed to play Woodstock Festival Poland on August 2nd. Held on the German-Polish border, this is the biggest open air music event in Europe. It attracts up to an incredible 600,000 – 700,000 people. Fans can reach it easily from Berlin, as it’s only about 60 miles away from the German capital. Festival entry is free.
Go to this location for event information and updates on the festival line-up.
Anthrax are gearing up for The Metal Alliance Tour where they will be performing their fan favorite 1987 classic Among The Living in its entirety. The tour also features EXODUS, HIGH ON FIRE, MUNICIPAL WASTE, HOLY GRAIL and SHADOWS FALL on select dates.
Tour dates:
March
22 – House of Blues – Anaheim, CA
23 – House of Blues – Las Vegas, NV
24 – Marquee Theatre – Tempe, AZ
25 – House of Blues – San Diego, CA
27 – House of Blues – West Hollywood, CA
28 – Regency Ballroom – San Francisco, CA
29 – The Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR
30 – Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver, BC
31 – Showbox SoDo – Seattle, WA
April
2 – Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO
4 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
5 – House of Blues – Chicago, IL
6 – The Fillmore Detroit – Detroit, MI
7 – Bogarts – Cincinnati, OH
9 – House of Blues – Dallas, TX
10 – House of Blues – Houston, TX
12 – House of Blues – Lake Buena Vista, FL
13 – Tremont Music Hall – Charlotte, NC
14 – The Fillmore – Silver Spring, MD
16 – House of Blues – Cleveland, OH
18 – Theatre of the Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA
20 – Irving Plaza – New York, NY
21 – Irving Plaza – New York, NY
Australia’s “Purest Heavy Music Magazine” Heavy spoke with drummer John Dette, who recently completed double-duty, filling for both legendary SLAYER and ANTHRAX drummers, Dave Lombardo and Charlie Benante at this year’s Soundwave shows. Here are a few excerpts from the chat:
Dette on the possibilities of staying with Slayer:
“It’s baby steps right now. I think it would be too early for me to make a comment like that at this time, but all I can tell you is that we’re having a great time. It feels great on stage and everybody that’s actually at the shows and seen the shows, not just the fans, but even the crew on the side of the stage all have smiles on their faces so I must be doing something right and I guess we’ll see what the future brings.”
Slayer fans being up in arms when the news broke that Lombardo wouldn’t be touring Australia:
“Lombardo has been such an integral part of Slayer and it’s only natural for fans to feel upset right now. I mean I’m a Slayer fan first and, of course, I… paused a little bit when I heard the news, but… you’re never going to please everyone and the only thing that I can do… is give it the integrity that the music deserves then I feel that I’ve done my job and that’s all I can do. If the fans accept it then they accept it, if they don’t, they don’t, but that’s out of my control really.”
With Dette having replaced or filled in for Bostaph and Lombardo in Slayer and with Bostaph and Lombardo getting to record with both Slayer and TESTAMENT where Dette has only played with the bands; any animosity or grudges held?
“I don’t know how Dave feels. I haven’t spoken to Dave in a few weeks. I saw Dave back in January at the NAMM convention, which is a large music convention in California that happens every year, and… I’ve known both of those guys for years now obviously. I certainly don’t hold anything against them. There’s nothing to hold against them for the fact that they’ve recorded albums.” He continues “There’s no reason to hold a grudge on anything like that and as far as my history with Slayer in the past it’s just something that was so long ago. You know, it’s funny because when people start asking me questions about it again because of all of this has happened so suddenly I’m trying to remember because it was literally 16 years ago when I was in the band… I think that obviously Bostaph has done an amazing job with his time in Slayer and he’s done an amazing job in Testament as well and it’s great that he’s still on there playing and I’m sure regardless of what happens with Dave, if he comes back to Slayer, great, if he goes on and does other things I’m sure whatever he does will be phenomenal as well.”
Check out video of Dette with Slayer from Soundwave’s Brisbane below:
ANTHRAX is preparing to hit the road as part of the Metal Alliance Tour where it will be perform its classic 1987 album, “Among The Living”, in its entirety.
Video footage of ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante getting his chops ready for the tour can be viewed below.
The Metal Alliance Tour, which also features EXODUS, HIGH ON FIRE, MUNICIPAL WASTE, HOLY GRAIL and SHADOWS FALL on select dates, is scheduled to kick off on March 22 at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California.
ANTHRAX recently tapped former TESTAMENT/SLAYER and current ANIMETAL USA drummer Jon Dette to sit behind the kit for the veteran thrash metal band’s Australian tour, which kicked off on February 21 in Brisbane. Dette filled in as a temporary replacement for Benante, who was “dealing with personal issues right now and can’t leave” the U.S., according to ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian.
Dette previously filled in for Benante on ANTHRAX‘s European tour last fall as the support act for MOTÖRHEAD.
Benante and his wife were arrested on July 27, 2012 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Elkhart, Indiana for domestic battery in front of a child. The drummer later issued a statement through his attorney claiming that he “was assaulted several times during an altercation that sent him to the emergency room with a gash at the back of his head that required several staples to close.”
Charlie and ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello (who is Benante‘s nephew) missed several shows on ANTHRAX‘s North American tour in February 2012 in order to spend time with Charlie‘s mother, who was terminally ill. On February 4, 2012, Benante informed fans via his official web site that his mother passed away.
More recently, Benante was forced to miss a number of shows on last summer’s Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival while he was recovering from a minor hand injury. Filling in for him was SHADOWS FALL drummer Jason Bittner.
Celebrating the art and pure awesomeness of monster makeup and gore effects, Fangoria and ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian teamed up with the Nerdist Channel in 2012 to bring you the all new show, Blood & Guts, which premiered on October 3rd. A trailer for the second season of Blood & Guts, which returns on March 19th, has been posted online and can be viewed below:
As previously reported, Scott Ian is gearing up for his spoken word UK tour which he says “ain’t no poetry reading. This isn’t an evening of sensitive discourse. It’s an evening of ridiculous truth. It’s me talking (swearing) about this insane life I’ve led over the last 31 years, the people I’ve met and the shit that’s happened. And when I’m done swearing, you can ask me anything you want, the floor is yours.”
Dates include:
May
24 – Oxford, England – O2 Academy
25 – Cardiff, England – The Gate
26 – Gloucester, England – Guildhall
27 – Plymouth, England – White Rabbit
29 – Rugby, England – The Vault
30 – York, England – The Duchess
31 – Liverpool, England – O2 Academy
June
1 – Manchester, England – Sound Control
2 – Stoke, England – Underground
4 – Newcastle, England – The Cluny
5 – Glasgow, Scotland – The Arches
6 – Belfast, Ireland – Limelight 2
7 – Cork, Ireland – Cyprus Avenue
8 – Dublin, Ireland – Button Factory
10 – Bournemouth, England – O2 Academy
11 – London, England – The Garage
Source: Bravewords.com
Last night (February 23rd) at Soundwave 2013 in Brisbane, Australia at the RNA Showgrounds, for the first time in their career, thrash legends SLAYER performed with only two original members on stage – frontman Tom Araya and guitarist Kerry King. EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt continues to fill-in for the ailing Jeff Hanneman and a contract dispute with drummer Dave Lombardo saw the band replace him this week with former drummer Jon Dette (also ANTHRAX).
Check out Araya and King on-stage below:
According to Setlist.fmSLAYER performed the following:
‘Disciple’
‘Die By The Sword’
‘War Ensemble’
‘Chemical Warfare’
‘Altar Of Sacrifice’
‘Mandatory Suicide’
‘Seasons In The Abyss’
‘Dead Skin Mask’
‘Angel Of Death’
‘South Of Heaven’
‘Raining Blood’
SLAYER as part of Soundwave 2013:
February
24 – Sydney, Australia – Olympic Park
25 – Sydney, Australia – Big Top Luna Park *
March
1 – Melbourne, Australia – Flemington Racecourse
2 – Adelaide, Australia – Bonython Park
4 – Perth, Australia – Claremont Showground
Danish rockers VOLBEAT recently announced that former ANTHRAX and THE DAMNED THINGS guitarist Rob Caggiano has officially joined the band. Caggiano served as producer on Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies, alongside long-time production partner Jacob Hansen, who produced and mixed the band’s prior four albums. Caggiano was a member of Anthrax for two tenures from 2001-2005 and again from 2007-2013.
Caggiano made his live debut with Volbeat on February 19th in Copenhagen, Denmark at Store Vega. Fan-filmed video is available below:
Volbeat singer/guitarist Michael Poulsen commented on Caggiano joining the band when the announcement was made: “The collaboration with Rob in the studio was so inspiring and in good spirit that we the decided to keep him. Basically we went into the studio as a three piece and came out as a whole band!”
Volbeat returned to Denmark after nearly two years of absence to world premiere brand new material from their forthcoming album. The band will allow their fans a unique opportunity to hear brand new material plus Volbeat classics in intimate club surroundings.
Volbeat will then hit North America in March with openers DANKO JONES. The itinerary is as follows:
March
6 – Dallas, TX – Palladium Ballroom
7 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom
9 – San Antonio, TX – Freeman Coliseum
10 – El Paso, TX – Speaking Rock Entertainment Center
11 – Lubbock, TX – Lonestar Pavilion
12 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
14 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues at Mandalay Bay
15 – Los Angeles, CA – House of Blues
16 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
17 – Reno, NV – Knitting Factory
19 – Boise, ID – Revolution Center
20 – Missoula, MT – The Wilma Theater
22 – Seattle, WA – Showbox At The Market
23 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory
24 – Calgary, AB – MacEwen Hall
25 – Prince George, BC – CN Centre
27 – Dawson Creek, BC – EnCana Events Centre
28 – Edmonton, AB – Shaw Conference Centre
29 – Medicine Hat, AB – Cypress Center
30 – Regina, SA – Brandt Centre
April
1 – Saskatoon, SA – Credit Union Center
2 – Winnipeg, MB – MTS Centre
3 – Minneapolis, MN – Mill City Nights
6 – Ft. Wayne, IN – Piere’s
9 – New York, NY – Best Buy Theatre
10 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head
11 – Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero
Caggiano offers a detailed explanation of the chain of events that transpired in adding: “Wow! I have to say I’m completely blown away by the turn of events over the last few weeks here in Denmark and at this point an update is definitely in order. To start with, I came to Denmark about a month ago to produce the new Volbeat record which in and of itself has been an incredibly exciting adventure from a producer’s perspective thus far. However, I’m extremely happy to say my relationship with these guys will not end there as it turns out……it’s just beginning! Michael had asked me on the phone before I got out here if I would play some guest solos on the new album in addition to my other duties and of course I was thrilled about that and agreed to do so. When I actually got to Denmark and started going through the material, this turned out to be so much more than that. After weeks of collaboration between Michael and I it became quite clear that we had an amazing creative chemistry together and a huge mutual respect for one another. It’s so refreshing and inspiring to be creative again on a songwriting level that words can’t even describe it and the vibe between Anders, Jon, Michael and I is just awesome. I’d say an artistic relationship like this one is very rare and it’s also something I don’t take for granted. When the guys asked me if I was interested in joining Volbeat the other day, my jaw just about hit the floor! It actually didn’t even register in my brain properly until the next morning but I gotta say, it also didn’t take me long to decide. It really isn’t the way I envisioned the rest of my year to play out but at the same time, THIS feels more “right” to me than anything I could have possibly imagined and I’m going for it! To all my fans, family, friends and overall supporters that have reached out to me over this last month wondering if I’m ever gonna play guitar again or what I’m up to in general etc……..See you all soon my friends and get ready for a wild ride!!!”
Poulsen adds: “Half of the album tracks will take you into the world of outlaw gunslinger stories sometime in the 1800s. Some of the characters are true legends, while others are fiction. The listener will hear inspiration from classic spaghetti western movies which gives you a clue to the album title and cover artwork.”
Poulsen also offers additional detail on the recordings sharing: “We are still ‘rocking out’ in the studio, and working on the last details. We are very excited about this album. We feel that we’ve achieved the goals we set out. The heavy stuff on the album is perhaps more old school heavy riffs than earlier, and the rock songs rock out with tons of melodies and take us into unchartered territory. All that without losing the Volbeat sound that is the cornerstone of our band.”
Mexico’s Hell And Heaven Metal Fest 2013 is being held in Guadalajara, Mexico May 18th and 19th at the Esplanade adjacent to the Arena VFG. The premise of this festival, apart from presenting the most important groups of the genre in the world, was to promote national talent, and becoming a benchmark for heavy rock lovers in Latin America. Therefore, the scenarios presented, in addition to 16 international groups, 45 national bands championed various styles within the heavy rock, from various regions of Mexico.
The 2013 edition will present the following confirmed bands: MOTÖRHEAD, ANTHRAX , TESTAMENT, IN FLAMES, EPICA, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, SODOM, EXODUS, SIX FEET UNDER, MOONSPELL, SUFFOCATION, HAGGARD, ILL NINO, DOKKEN, HEATHEN, MUNICIPAL WASTE, WARBRINGER, AS BLOOD RUNS BLACK, GILBY CLARKE, RESORTE, VITAL REMAINS, DDLM, CATTLE DECAPITATION, ORIGIN, TRANSMETAL, HERE COMES THE KRAKEN, BLACK OIL, BUTCHER BABIES, PINHEAD, MORPHIUM, PRO-FE-CIA, AGONY LORDS, DRAKSEN, ATTACKHEAD, NIGHTBREED, WRECKER, THELL BARRIO, INTOXXXICATED, SABACTHANI, CTHULHU, CEMICAN, PSICOVOMITOSIS, THANTRA, IRA, ARCHETYPE, GODLESS PROCESSION, SACHIEL, MULUC PAX, BUFFALO GRILLZ, HACAVITZ, PROFANATOR, SUBHUMAN, LECUMBERRI, SPERPENTUM, ARCADIA LIBRE, THE BILLY’S, RINDERPEST, MORTOSS, INES CHAVEZ and TDH.
“Anthems”, ANTHRAX‘s long-awaited, eight-track EP that pays tribute to the classic songs by some of the band’s favorite acts from the 1970s, will be released in North America on March 19 (MRI/Megaforce), and on March 22 in Europe (Nuclear Blast).
ANTHRAX‘s cover of AC/DC‘s “TNT” can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.
Speaking to Music Radar, ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante stated about the decision to cover “TNT”: “This was Joey‘s [Belladonna, vocals] track. We already had ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ recorded, but he wanted ‘TNT’. I can see why: his voice totally lends itself to this track.
“AC/DC is probably one of the greatest bands ever. The came in with a certain sound, and they’ll end with that same exact sound. They never altered it; they just stayed true to what they were. To me, that’s an honest-to-goodness rock ‘n’ roll band.
“It would have been obvious to pick something off of ‘Highway To Hell’ or ‘Back In Black’, and so we didn’t. [laughs] I studied every Phil Rudd lick, and I did not go overboard with anything. I played exactly what he played on ‘TNT’. You can’t do a fast drum fill on the song — it’ll stand out as being out of place. I laid it down, pulled it back, and that was that.”
The “Anthems” EP will be available on CD as well as digitally via iTunes and other online retailers. In addition to “Anthems”‘ cover art, Benante and artist Stephen Thompson have subtly redesigned each track’s original album cover art to “Anthrax” it. The “Anthems” EP will first be housed in one of the “re-imagined” digipak covers, and then inserted inside the main CD cover sleeve. The main cover sleeve has been designed in such a way so fans will be able to see which one of the six “re-imagined” covers is inside.
“Anthems” was produced by ANTHRAX, Jay Ruston and Rob Caggiano and recorded for the most part throughout 2012 literally all over the world: at Benante‘s home studio, in Ruston‘s New York studio, on the band’s tour bus while on last summer’s Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, in hotel rooms, and backstage at their Berlin show last December.
The Grammy-nominated ANTHRAX has just hit the road in support “Anthems” with dates in Australia, and will return to North America to headline the Metal Alliance Tour that kicks off March 22. For all of these dates, ANTHRAX is being joined by SHADOWS FALL guitarist Jon Donais.
