To celebrate what would have been the start of one of the most highly anticipated tours of the year, showcasing four of the world’s very best metal bands, The Metal Tour Of The Year will be broadcasting a mammoth streaming event this Friday, June 12th beginning at 2pm PST/5pm EST/10pm BST/11pm CEST. The stream will behosted by SiriusXM’s Jose Mangin and will feature full sets from MEGADETH, LAMB OF GOD,TRIVIUM and IN FLAMES along with an exclusive interview with each band prior to the broadcast of their set.
MEGADETH will be streaming their 2016 secret show from St Vitus in Brooklyn.
LAMB OF GOD will be streaming their surprise show from House Of Vans in Chicago from February this year.
TRIVIUM will be streaming their 2019 performance from DreamHack Dallas.
IN FLAMES will be streaming their 2019 headline set from their own festival Borgholm Brinner in Sweden.
In addition to the concert streams and exclusive interviews, The Metal Tour Of The Year will also launch a brand new merch store featuring new, exclusive tour items that will only be available for 72 hours. A portion of the proceeds from the merch store will go to Crew Nation, Live Nation’s fund to help support live music crews who have been directly impacted as shows are put on pause due to COVID-19.
The Metal Tour of The Year is also partnering with Spotify and taking over the Kickass Metal playlist beginning on June 12th. Listen to the playlist, exclusively on Spotify, to hear multiple songs from each band plus more of the biggest metal tracks of the moment. Visit each of the bands profiles on Spotify to donate to MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund which aids the music community during this crisis.
Be sure to tune into http://www.MetalTourOfTheYear.com on Friday June 12th to catch all four performances, exclusive interviews and to get your hands on some limited edition tour merch.
The Metal Tour Of The Year, co-headlined by MEGADETH and LAMB OF GOD with TRIVIUM and IN FLAMES, was due to kick off the summer leg of it’s gargantuan, 55-city tour on June 12th in Bristow, VA before being postponed to 2021.The fall leg the trek is currently scheduled to start on October 2nd in West Palm Beach, FL. For full information, head to MetalTourOfTheYear.com
Saturday May 30th, the David Ellefson Youth Music Foundation, the nonprofit charity started by GRAMMY-winning Megadeth co-founder and bassist David Ellefson, in partnership with the GRAMMY Music Education Coalition, is proud to present THE DECADE THAT ROCKED, the third offering in their “OH SAY CAN YOU STREAM” livestream series. Once again, hosted by Ellefson and his partner, co-author, and solo band vocalist, Thom Hazaert, with legendary music photographer Mark “Weissguy” Weiss, THE DECADE THAT ROCKED will be a loving nod to all things Metal and Hard Rock, a decadent celebration of Weiss’ upcoming book, THE DECADE THAT ROCKED: THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF MARK “WEISSGUY” WEISS, available June 2nd from Insight Editions.
Weighing in at a hefty 6.1 lbs (and featuring a foreword by the “Metal God” himself Rob Halford), THE DECADE THAT ROCKED features almost 400 pages of Weiss’ iconic images, with over 700 photographs of legendary artists including Motley Crue, Guns N’ Roses, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Megadeth, Twisted Sister, Joan Jett, Van Halen, Aerosmith, KISS, Judas Priest, Led Zeppelin, and many more.
As one of the driving artistic forces of the 80’s, and one of its most notable “go-to” music photographers, Weiss’ resume reads like a who’s who of platinum 80’s Hard Rock, celebrated for his photographic work and creative direction on iconic covers and imaging elements for artists including Bon Jovi, Dokken, Twisted Sister, Anthrax, Suicidal Tendencies, Skid Row, Raven, W.A.S.P., and more. Mark’s work has endured through subsequent decades as well, including work for Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Osbourne, and exhibitions in the Hard Rock in Vegas and the GRAMMY Museum.
In the spirit of Weiss’ book, we present THE DECADE THAT ROCKED, featuring a studded-leather dais worthy of the Weissguy himself, including Zakk Wylde, Anthrax’s Scott Ian and Charlie Benante, Stephen Pearcy (Ratt), Marc Storace (Krokus), Mark Slaughter, JJ French (Twisted Sister), Don Dokken, Taime Downe (Faster Pussycat), Roxy Petrucci (Vixen, Madam X), Dean Davidson (Britny Fox, Blackeyed Susan), PJ Farley (Trixter), Steve Whiteman (KIX), Jack Russell (Great White), Bruce Kulick (KISS), and many more.
With the first two events, “Oh Say Can You Stream” and “The Make-Up Test,” attracting over half a million viewers, across social media and streaming platforms, and TV and Radio simulcast, and a laundry list of some of the most notable rockers of the 80s (and today), THE DECADE THAT ROCKED is sure to live up to its name. The David Ellefson Youth Music Foundation (DEYMF) has also set up an eBay auction in connection with the event, with auctions running all week including signed Mark Weiss prints, a collection of Ellefson’s stage-used clothing and gear, and other donated items. You can find the listings at: https://www.ebay.com/usr/ellefsonyouthmusicfoundation
Says co-host Hazaert, “The first two OH SAY CAN YOU STREAM events were a phenomenal success, really beyond our wildest imaginations, and we were so thrilled with the outpouring of support and excitement that came with it. Since then, David and I have livestreamed several times a week, just, if anything, to try and keep people entertained, and aside from raising awareness, and funds, for the Ellefson Youth Music Foundation, and all of our work there, that’s really what these events are about. And I think, as far as entertainment goes, we are definitely going to outdo ourselves this time around.
“Of course our mission of spreading music and music education is on the agenda, as well as having options for people who want to donate and support the foundation, with some amazing prints and items generously donated by Mark, and some of our other friends, and a ton of David’s stage-worn clothing, and gear, that we will auction off to benefit the DEYMF. Not only is it another chance to spread the word of the foundation, but a celebration of our friend Mark, and his incredible book. There is something so over-the-top iconic about the 80’s, and all the amazing Rock and Metal music that came from it. Personally, I think you’d be hard pressed to find a decade that rocked harder. And we’re truly honored to have many of the guys who made it rock so hard joining us on Saturday.”
Ellefson adds, “We’re so appreciative for all the support from our friends on the first two OH SAY CAN YOU STREAM events, Alice Cooper, Dee Snider, our partners at Cisco, Jackson Guitars, Hartke, Samson, Shure, Peterson Tuners, of course the GRAMMY Music Education Coalition and so many more of our amazing friends who joined, and supported us. It’s always a great time when you can get that many friends together, all with a common goal and purpose. Not only has it given us an incredible platform to support and inspire kids around the World through music, but to bring people together in a time when I think we all so desperately need it.
“And we will continue that with THE DECADE THAT ROCKED, not only paying homage to Mark, his incomparable career, and the incredible book that it has now inspired, but to the decade that spawned not only Megadeth, but, really, all of our contemporaries. And it’s really an amazing event to be able to get so many of us together to talk about it.”
The David Ellefson Youth Music Foundation is an affiliate of the GRAMMY Music Education Coalition, a collaborative movement whose goal is ensuring all students in public schools across America have music education. Lee Whitmore, the Coalition’s executive director, shared, “Our Coalition of supporters of public music education numbers more than 70 organizations, and the David Ellefson Youth Music Foundation joined us early on. David’s enduring support for what music does in students’ lives is unwavering. Oh Say Can You Stream has an amazing lineup. It will be awe-inspiring, supporting kids, music education, and helping provide COVID-19 relief in our communities.”
ELLEFSON, the solo band of Grammy-Winning MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson will release their cover of the POST MALONE track “Over Now”, currently available exclusively on BANDCAMP, and on all other digital outlets today. The track will appear on their as yet-untitled debut album, tentatively due in October.
Track is available here:
Produced by Ellefson, Vocalist Thom Hazaert, and guitarist Andy Martongelli, engineered and mixed by Alessio Garavello, with vocals engineered by Richard Easterling and Matt LaPlant (Nonpoint, Skindred), and featuring cover art by Melody Myers (Altitudes and Attitudes, Escape The Fate) the track is a heavy re-imagining of the R&B flavored Posty favorite (co-written with Tommy Lee), also featuring drummer Paolo Caridi, and guest background vocals by legendary former Guns N’ Roses guitarist, Asia vocalist, and frequent Ellefson/Hazaert collaborator Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal.
Ellefson (the band), debuted on the compilation release SLEEPING GIANTS in 2019, a 2 LP/CD collection of David Ellefson B-sides and rarities, which first showcased the collaboration of Ellefson and Hazaert (with contributions by Thal) on the tracks “Vultures”, “Hammer (Comes Down)”, and the title track, “Sleeping Giants”, which featured guest vocals by legendary Hip-Hop MC Darryl “DMC” McDaniels.
They recently released their single “Simple Truth”, with proceeds donated to the Italian Red Cross. “Simple Truth” was also released as part of a Bandcamp exclusive EP featuring a Max Norman (Megadeth, Ozzy Osbourne) remix of “Vultures”, and live versions of “Vultures” and “If You Were God”, recorded in Milan, Italy during their 2019 MORE LIVE WITH DETH Tour.
Says Hazaert, “Posty has become a good friend to our camp, David and I have both gone to shows, and hung out and spent some time with him, and we have definitely spent some nights texting and nerding out over classic Metal, and our fanboy devotion to Metallica, Megadeth, etc. Meanwhile I am honestly a huge fan of his stuff, his lyrics. I can honestly say, and I talk about it all the time, there is not an artist who has come out in a long time that has impressed or influenced what I do more than Post Malone.”
“As I actually told him, some of my stuff on Sleeping Giants was heavily influenced by Beerbongs and Bentleys, which I spent 2 months on tour last year driving around the country listening to on repeat, which was really where the impetus for the cover came from. So, it was a huge honor to put our stamp on this song, and pay my respects to what he does, and how much I appreciate it. And I think the emotions and dynamic of the song really lend themselves to the heavier arrangement. Posty is a Rock and Metal guy at heart, and I think “Over Now” is definitely a Metal song at heart.”
Says Ellefson, “We’re all fans of Posty, and he’s also been a huge fan of Megadeth and all things Metal. Aside from being a great song for any genre, our cover of “Over Now” is our way of showing our mutual admiration and paying homage to our friend.
He adds, “The old adage used to be that if you could strip a song down to just an acoustic guitar and a vocal, you probably had a great song. But times have changed now, that if you can take a song from another genre, and seamlessly transform it to a completely different genre, it just proves what a great song it really is. And it’s a cool dynamic, as he’s a Pop, R&B and Hip-Hop guy, who dips into Rock and Metal, and we’re Rock and Metal guys who have dipped into pop, R&B and Hip-Hop, collaborating with DMC on Sleeping Giants, etc. So, I think this really just pushes that whole idea of exploration forward.”
“And with everything we’ve been doing with our David Ellefson Youth Music Foundation and the Grammy Music Education Coalition, we’ve been fortunate to stay productive, and continue to inspire people to grow and create in the face of an unprecedented situation. Just because we’re locked down, doesn’t mean we’re locked in.”
Jimmy Kay and Alan Dixon from The Metal Voicerecently spoke to Megadeth‘s Bassist David Ellefson live on Youtube. Ellefson spoke about his SCHOOL’s OUT Initiative, playing with K.K. Downing, an Update on Megadeth’s new album and a timeline on his new solo album.
Watch the whole interview here:
Some excerpts from the chat
Tell us about your School’s out initiative?
“Students and musicians are locked down because of Covid19 and from this, the idea came to me and my partner, foundation co-chair Thom Hazaert ( DAVID ELLEFSON YOUTH MUSIC FOUNDATION). So Thom rang me and said why don’t you do some bass lessons over Skype and I said I’m just one guy and there is no way I can give that many lessons. So I got on the phone and called my friends, Jimmy Degrasso (Ex-Megadeth, Alice Cooper), Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Sons of Apollo, Ex-Guns N’ Roses), Nita Strauss (Alice Cooper), Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth), Kiko Loureiro (Megadeth) and asked would you be able to donate one or two lessons to students 18 and under.They said yes. So since the lessons are free we are doing a charity marathon fundraiser this weekend, Saturday April 11 2020 4pm Eastern, to raise funds for DAVID ELLEFSON YOUTH MUSIC FOUNDATION for the operating expenses. ”
Can you give us an update on the new Megadeth Album
“We have been working on it, it’s written and ready to be recorded. We were going to start recording it toward the end of March but of course Covid19 happened. We were going to go to Nashville and start cutting tracks for the album but with everything shutting down we obviously had to postpone. Once the lock down lifts and it is safe we will be ready to rock ASAP.”
What would be the musical direction of the new Megadeth album
“I think it’s a great record, it’s very heavy with a lot of fast thrashing stuff. There is a vibe that feels very cohesive between the 4 members as we all worked on the album together. We spent a lot of time as a band. Last summer before Dave’s throat cancer treatments we were all working on the album and that added a whole different angle to the flavour of the record, that’s how we used to make all our early albums, writing, pre production and rehearsing together. There is a feeling on this record that we want this to be a band effort. ”
Which Megadeth New album would the new album sound like
“I think its a combination of all the Megadeth records cause you can’t help by not being influenced a little bit by your own past. We have everything from that thrashy stuff from Killing is my business and Peace Sells, to the more refined moments of Youthanasia and Cryptic Writings. So I think the albums going to have a little bit of everything, so that is good news for Megadeth fan.”
Two of the biggest bands in heavy metal – MEGADETH and LAMB OF GOD – will be joining forces on a co-headline tour across North America this year, presented by SiriusXM. And to add to the firepower of this already formidable tour, Trivium and In Flames are joining, making this THE must-see heavy music package of the year. Tickets will go on general sale Friday, February 14 from livenation.com
MEGADETH, fueled by Dave Mustaine’s triumphant return to the stage following his diagnosis and recovery of throat cancer, will embark on their first North American tour since 2017. Speaking on the epic announcement, Megadeth’s leader and frontman, Dave Mustaine says, “Hello me! I’m back again, better than ever and coming to a town near you with Lamb of God, Trivium and In Flames. If you want high octane metal madness this is the tour for you.”
LAMB OF GOD released their first new music in five years last week with the single “Checkmate.” The track is the first to be released from the band’s self-titled eighth studio album, due out May 8, which is one of the most anticipated and important metal records of the year. Commenting on their upcoming co-headline run, Mark Morton, lead guitarist of LAMB OF GOD, adds, “The world has never needed heavy more than it does today and top to bottom, this tour delivers! LAMB OF GOD has toured with and been friends with all of these bands for years, but for all of us to be on the same bill is something extra special. Come early and stay late. This is THE metal tour of the year.”
TRIVIUM’s Matt Heafy adds, “We are happy to be a part of the biggest real metal tour of the year. This tour is the main event and represents heavy metal and the culture that goes with it.“
With IN FLAMES singer, Anders Fridén stating, “We were honored to be asked to join this package. We were actually supposed to take this summer off, but of course we couldn’t say no. After playing shows with all of these guys for years, 2020 is going to feel like a kick ass reunion. See you on the road, Jesterheads!”
Produced by Live Nation, this epic 55-city tour will stretch across summer and fall, kicking off June 12 in Bristow, VA, and hit every region of the U.S. before wrapping November 13 in Reno, NV. Multiple Canadian shows are scheduled as well. See full itinerary below.
Tickets and VIP packages for all four artists go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, February 14 at 10 a.m. local time at LiveNation.com. Citi is the official presale credit card of the tour. As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets & VIP packages beginning Tuesday, February 11 at 10 a.m. local time until Thursday, February 13 at 10 p.m. local time through Citi Entertainment®. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.
Megadeth and LAMB OF GOD NORTH AMERICAN tour dates:
Summer 2020:
6/12 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
6/13 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
6/14 – Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater
6/16 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
6/17 – Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
6/18 – Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion
6/20 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
6/21 – Boston, MA @ Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion
6/23 – Syracuse, NY @ St. Joseph’s Heath Amphitheater at Lakeview
6/24 – Providence, RI @ Bold Point Lake Amphitheater
6/28 – Burgettstown, PA @ S&T Bank Music Park*
6/29 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
7/1 – Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theater
7/2 – Mount Pleasant, MI @ Soaring Eagle Casino Amphitheatre
7/3 – Indianapolis, IN @ Ruoff Music Center
7/5 – Atlanta, GA @ Ameris Music Center
7/7 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion
7/8 – Cleveland, OH @Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
7/10 – Chicago, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Chicago, IL
7/11 – St. Louis, MO @ Chicago, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – St. Louis, MO*
7/12 – Nashville, TN @ Nashville Municipal Auditorium
7/14 – Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP*
7/16 – Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater
7/17 – Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
7/18 – Irving, TX @The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory+
7/20 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater
7/21- Phoenix, AZ @ Isleta Amphitheater
7/23 – Irvine, CA @ FivePoint Amphitheatre
7/25 – Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre
7/26 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center
7/29 – Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre
7/30 – Pocatello, ID @ Portneuf Health Trust Amphitheatre
8/1 – Concord, CA @ Concord Pavilion
Fall 2020:
10/2 – West Palm Beach, CA @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
10/6 – Birmingham, AL @ Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
10/7 – New Orleans, LA @ UNO Lakefront Arena
10/9 – Corpus Christi, TX @ American Bank Center Arena
10/11 – El Paso, TX @ Don Haskins Center
10/14 – Springfield, MO @ JOH Arena
10/16 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
10/21 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
10/23 – Huntington, WV @ Mountain Heath Arena
10/24 – Bethlehem, PA @ The Wind Creek Event Center
10/27 – Quebec City, QC @ Centre Videotron
10/28 – Laval, QC @ Place Bell
10/30 – St, Paul, MN @ Armory
10/3 – Green Bay, WI @ Resch Center*
11/2 – Omaha, NE @ Baxter Arena
11/3 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
11/5 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
11/7 – Las Vegas, NV @ Mandalay Bay Events Center
11/10 – Spokane, WA @ Spokane Arena
11/11 – Nampa, ID @ Ford Idaho Center Arena
11/13 – Reno, NV @ Reno Events Center
*on sale starts 11 a.m. local time
+on sale starts 12 noon local time
Legendary bay area thrash metal giants TESTAMENT delivered two killer shows on the inaugural MEGADETH‘s ‘Megacruise 2019’ abroad the ‘Norwegian Jewel’ (October 13th-18th). Get more information on the cruise here.
Watch below the fan-filmed video footage from the TESTAMENT shows (courtesy of Alex Vigil).
TESTAMENT will team up with EXODUS and DEATH ANGEL for “The Bay Strikes Back 2020” European tour, kicking off on February 6 in Copenhagen, Denmark and will hit 25 cities before concluding on March 11 in Hannover, Germany.
Find all the upcoming TESTAMENT shows and tours at this location.
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Please Note, STEVE DI GIORGIO is available for studio sessions as well as session bassist for tours. For further information, please contact via email: alexalphaomega@gmail.com – robertoalphaomega@gmail.com.
The fretless guru, STEVE DI GIORGIO doesn’t need any longer introductions, as he is widely renowned as a pioneer on the fretless bass in heavy metal music, being the bassist of TESTAMENT, DEATH and SADUS, among others. Within his genre, STEVE DI GIORGIO is respected for his playing skills, versatility and incredible technique. He has more than 40 studio album recordings and over 20 years of touring the world.
Watch Steve Di Giorgio LowDown: Bass Playthrough | Terra Odium – Crawling:
