Nick Menza documentary This Was My Life Screening dates announced

Everyone who was able to see drummer Nick Menza perform will remember his tight way of playing drums. He was one of those performers who knew how to put a spotlight on his drumming at the proper timing and to play the rhythm straight forward at other times.

A documentary has been put together that is described as a in-depth exploration of the life of Nick Menza, the former drummer of Megadeth, and one of the greatest thrash metal drummers of all time. It is a collection of stories from his childhood all the way through to the end of his life, recounted by those who knew him best. The documentary, authorized by the Menza family, will be the first to memorialize the drummer's legacy.

The poster for the Red Carpet premiere of "This Was My Life".

Two screening dates have been set up so far. The first one is going to happen on Thursday, April 10th at the Laemmle Royal theater in Los Angeles, CA. Located at 11523 Santa Monica Blvd. West L.A., CA 90025. Members of the cast and crew will be in attendance for a Q&A session after the screening of the film.  

Tickets for the screening are available at https://www.laemmle.com/film/was-my-life-nick-menzas-metal-memories-megadeth-and-beyond

The second one has been announced for Thursday, April 17th, at Hawthorne Theatre , located at 300 Lafayette Ave, Hawthorne, NJ 07506. Members of the cast and crew will be in attendance for a Q&A session after the screening of the film. 

Tickets for the event may be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/this-was-my-life-east-coast-premiere-hawthorne-theatre-tickets-1255857727269

Here is a trailer showing some scenes of the documentary.

Marty Friedman & Brian Auger perform on new Fusion Syndicate single

It's moments like this that make you wonder what's able to happen in the world of music - and only there is seems to be possible. These thoughts rushed through my head as I've become aware of the new Fusion Syndicate single.

It comes with two guest stars I never thought would come together in such a music frame. Marty Friedman is known to many as the guitar player with Megadeth in the 90's. His performance is one of a kind and he also puts out own solo albums ("Dragons Kiss" still rotates on my mind).

Brian Auger took part in the german TV show "Super Drumming" that was broadcasted way back in August 1989 here in Germany. Pete York was the sticksman who brought together many great drummers of that time among them Cozy Powell, Simon Phillips, Ian Paice and Gerry Brown to name just a few. 

It was all centered around the history of the drums in Rock and Blues music. A core band called "The All Styles band" performed classic tracks in a church - amongst them Brian Auger on keyboards. The drummers added their own signature drumming and solo parts into those songs. It left a massive feeling behind in me that music is something very special here on earth.

And now both can be heard in this jazz fusion supergroup called Fusion Syndicate. This link has been given to me with a overview on several music services that have "Meteor Shower" on offer for streaming and download.

Marty Friedman and Brian Auger unite in the Jazz Fusion Band The Fusion Syndiacate.

A first listen left a balanced impression on me. It's happily not a too overloaded release coming in two parts. It all starts out with a more basic performance with lots of atmosphere and few splitters of all contributors taking part. The topic of a meteoric shower is well present in my mind as I listen to the music. It's very well worked out in the details and the sound. The second part clearly put's the guitar into the bright spotlight. It's a typical hefty axe attack that shows Friedman's abilities very well most of all towards the end of the track. 

There's also a full album coming up. Read the following announcement for more details on this:

f you thought you would have to wait another 10 years for a new Fusion Syndicate album to light up the night sky, we have some exciting news for you! Yes it took over a decade for the jazz fusion supergroup to follow up its 2012 debut self-titled album with their sophomore effort, A Speedway On Saturn’s Rings, released earlier this month. But now comes the announcement that the group is set to release another full-length album, Beautiful Horizon, on November 3, ensuring that their fans and followers will have plenty to tide them over for at least another decade or more!

Beautiful Horizon is in many ways a companion piece to Speedway, continuing its cosmic theme while expanding its universe with a mindblowing array of eclectic performers including Fishbone's Angelo Moore, The Door's Robby Krieger, PiL's Jah Wobble, Mahavishnu Orchestra's Jerry Goodman, Megadeth's Marty Friedman, Chrome's Helios Creed, and more. The album showcases even more adventurous, musically complex master works, including the album’s first single “Meteor Shower,” which is released today. The combination of fiery metal guitarist Marty Friedman and icy cool keyboardist Brian Auger creates a brilliant once-in-a-lifetime cosmic event that not even Haley’s comet could upstage!

Watch for the full album experience of Beautiful Horizon to be released on CD and digital with bonus tracks that feature additional performances Steve Morse, Tony Kaye, John Etheridge, Steve Hillage and others! And keep watching the night sky for the appearance of the vinyl version following shortly after.

Order the CD: https://cleorecs.com/store/shop/the-fusion-syndicate-beautiful-horizon-cd/

Pre-order/pre-save the digital: https://orcd.co/beautifulhorizon 

David Ellefson & Jeff Young to perform classic Megadeth albums live soon

There were already rumors spreading around but nothing was confirmed until now...

Yes, it's true that David Ellefson and Jeff Young have joined forces again with Chris Poland under the banner of "Kings Of Thrash".

Along with Chaz Leon and Fred Aching they will perform the Megadeth classic albums "Killing is My Business…and Business is Good" and "So Far, So Good…So What" in it's entirely.

Maybe a once in a lifetime chance to see these albums performed live by those who recorded the original records.

So far four shows in the United States have been confirmed. Let's hope they will turn out well and more shows can be revealed soon. Until then we are able to see and hear how the rehearsals went as the band uploaded a six minute long cut to YouTube for all of us to enjoy.

KINGS OF THRASH - 'THE MEGA YEARS' OCTOBER WEST U.S. TOUR 2022 

October 12th- Brick by Brick- San Diego

Click here for tickets

October 13th- Crescent Ballroom- Phoenix, Arizona

Click here for tickets

October 14th- The Space- Las Vegas

Click here for tickets

October 15th- Whisky A Go Go- West Hollywood, California

Click here for tickets

VIP packages will be available on all shows. Go here for more info.

Make sure to keep in touch for all further updates.

Official Website

Facebook

Instagram

Fatal Opera sends some light with new single and album towards us

In all of the uncertainties of times we're living in music always shone a light for me. It contains my hope and keeps me pushing on forwards.

This goes even more in these days for me. So it was a massive highlight as I got the info that a brand new track by experimental progressive metallers Fatal Opera surfaced. 

Almost 20 years after the initial recordings, a brand new Fatal Opera record see's the light of day.

It's not "just" a song. It lives and breathes the typical soul of a song by this particular band. The many timing changes, the dark tonality, the unique lyrics but most of all a glimpse of uplifting positivity is what keeps me sticking to this particular band. There are also few slower parts that add to the great atmosphere - these lay the foundation for a even heavier next part of the single.

"The Raven" holds all of this. Plus it is some sort of reunion. David Ellefson contributes the bass guitars while Chris Poland can be heard on the six strings. Don't wait any longer and go straight to the music.

But we're even graced with more good news as as full new album by Fatal Opera also shines now on Spotify. Read all of the story below, I think a lot of the history guys out there will love to know how the story around Gar Samuelson (R.I.P.) moved on after he left Megadeth back in the day.

FATAL OPERA 3 can be streamed here:

https://open.spotify.com/album/4jOX9voVjVxg6PNPTPda7G

Following his departure from Megadeth in 1987, Gar Samuelson assembled his new band Fatal Opera, along with his brother Stew on guitar. Gar went on to produce the group’s debut album in 1994, which also featured Dave Inman on vocals, Travis Karcher on bass and Billy Brehme on guitar. The group’s second album Eleventh Hour was released in 1997 and introduced Andy Freeman on vocals, reaching top 10 on European charts while the group continued building a loyal fan base touring across the USA that year. Sadly, in 1999 Gar became ill and passed away, at which point the group disbanded.

Then, in 2018 Andy and Stew set out to remix the Eleventh Hour LP and in the process discovered a collection of demos with Gar which were intended to become the band’s third album before his passing. Although the demo tapes were damaged after many years of neglect, Freeman labored to revive the tracks with some songs lost forever. However, he was able to complete 12 tracks, inviting Ellefson & Poland to participate on "The Raven" as a way to conclude the legacy of Gar and Fatal Opera.

Chris Poland recalls, “Back in the day, long before Megadeth, Gar and his brother Stew were the heart and soul of a heavy instrumental jazz/rock project called THE NEW YORKERS. I played guitar with them and Robbie “Pag” Pagliari played fretless bass. It was everything we could do just to keep up! Stew’s right hand was a machine. Flawless. And Gar was right there with him always pushing things to the next level. 

And again, these two brothers were the heart and soul of Fatal Opera. It was a privilege to be a part of this release, and playing on ‘The Raven’ with David Ellefson made it that much more special. Gar was a true artist. Be it his amazing drumming, his painting or his wood sculpture pipe (he made by hand). Gar was one of a kind. And here Gar, Stew and crew push the limits of experimental metal. These songs are complex yet accessible. Music with a dark side that draws you into their world and keeps you wondering 'what’s next!'” Chris Poland also added additional guitar work to the track "Mask of Time".

David Ellefson adds,“This is a really cool moment for Chris and me to musically reunite with our friend Gar, now almost 35 years after our last studio session together, which was the 1987 re-recording of 'These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ for the Dudes movie soundtrack, compiled by director Penelope Spheeris. Gar was always such a free spirit with his music, no click tracks or digital reinvention for him. And, he seldom played the same thing twice, quite unusual for heavy metal! He just went for it with real gusto and that became the hallmark of his sound."

He continues, "When I was laying down the bass track for 'The Raven' it reminded me once again of Gar’s spontaneity in the studio, as if we were recording live in the same room together. I’m super happy these tracks were brought to life so we could have one last go around with Gar behind the kit. It’s a reminder that he truly was one of the greats!”

Track Listing for Fatal Opera 3 :

1. The Raven (Feat. David Ellefson & Chris Poland)

2. Live Again

3. Mask of Time (Feat. Chris Poland)

4. Killers in the Night

5. Swept Away

6. Burning of the Midnight Lamp

7. 10 Years Gone

8. Little Sister

9. Salt

10. Rise

11. Wings of Pain

12. Jumped in the Pot

Fatal Opera 3 Line-up:

Andy Freeman – Vocals, Keyboard, Guitar

Stew Samuelson – Guitar

Billy Brehme – Guitar

Travis Karcher – Bass

Gar Samuelson – Drums

David Ellefson donates income of new single to Italian COVID victims

It's drastic to see what a virus can do with the world we're living in. Everything seem's to be upside down.

The world of music is afflicted by this in many ways. No shows anymore and many record retailers having to close their shops. But there's also hope out there that this event will let us get closer together as humans.

Megadeth bassist David Ellefson is going to throw out a brand new single called "Simple Truth" on all digital outlets on 4/17, with a direct BANDCAMP release on 4/10, via Ellefson's COMBAT RECORDS,  with all profits from downloads and streams donated to the CROCE ROSSA ITALIANA, the Italian Red Cross, who are at the frontlines of the war on Covid-19, coordinating the nation's pandemic response with Italy’s Ministry of Health.

David Ellefson donates all proceeds of the new single to the Italian Red Cross. Photo Credit: Melody Myers.

This is also the first sign that a follow up album to the 2019 release "Sleeping Giants" has been worked on in the recent time with the line-up of vocalist Thom Hazaert, with Italian guitarist and drummer Andy Martongelli and Paolo Caridi. 

The group have worked on the album remotely recording tracks in Italy, London, Phoenix, and Wisconsin during quarantine.

Says Ellefson, “We actually wrote the song in Milan during a tour rehearsal, and a lot of it was recorded there. We’ve gone back and forth with Andy in Italy, from the Platinum Underground in Phoenix, and with our mixer and co-engineer Alessio Garavello in London. While we’re all staying positive and just keeping busy, it’s heartbreaking to see what’s going on over there with the death toll climbing every day."
He adds, "We played several shows in Italy on our European 'MORE LIVE WITH DETH' tour last year, and I was just there with Megadeth back in February. It’s absolutely devastating to see what the country is going through right now.  The people, and it's culture, have been so welcoming to me over the years, that i’m honored to do anything I can to give something back to them during this time of need"

Thom Hazaert explains the special meaning of the new track: "Lyrically, the song is really about not giving up, and not taking any shit. Tuning out the noise and going after your dreams no matter what, and not letting anyone tell you can’t do something.”

More information can be found in the meantime at:

combatrecs.com
davidellefson.com

Donate to the Italian Red Cross here: https://www.cri.it/home

David Ellefson and Chris Poland reunite for Japan/Australia Tour in May

This sounds like a tour that won't happen ever again!David Ellefson and Chris Poland will hit the road in May 2020 for a double headliner tour featuring full sets from Ellefson and Poland,  with an epic finale any thrash fan will not want to miss.

If it wouldn't happen in Australia and Japan I would like to attend these shows myselves.

The tourposter for the Australia leg of the Ellefson / Poland tour package.

Here are the exact dates of the Ellefson / Poland tour.

JAPAN
Sunday 17 May - Trad, Osaka
Monday 18 May - Liquid Room, Tokyo

AUSTRALIA
Friday 22 May – Max Watts, Melbourne
Saturday 23 May – Manning Bar, Sydney
Sunday 24 May – Crowbar, Brisbane
Monday 25 May – The Basement, Canberra
Tuesday 26 May – Enigma Bar, Adelaide

Tickets & VIP upgrades on sale
www.destroyalllines.com

In addition to these great news it has been announced that the first Chris Poland record "Return to Metalopolis", celebrating its 30 year anniversary in 2020 will see a reissue from Ellefson’s Combat Records, in stores in the US, and digitally worldwide on Friday 2/21.

To skip the waiting time listen to the single "Hammer comes down" of the David Ellefson record "Sleeping Giants" that features Chris Poland on guitars.

Chris Poland to play Megadeth classics at Induction into Metal Hall of Fame 2020

Happy new year! 2020 starts with a bang of a event. Chris Poland will perform some Megadeth classics at his own induction ceremony into the Metal Hall of Fame. I think this is one of the rare chances to hear tracks of "Killing is my business" and "Peace Sells" with the legendary guitar player in a live version.

Chris Poland will be inducted into the Metal Hall of Fame 2020, Picture Credit: Melody Myers.

The non-profit charity Gala takes place on Wednesday, January 15, 2020 at the Marriott Delta Garden Grove in Anaheim, CA.

Proceeds go to bringing free therapy services to special needs children at specific health facilities and community centers throughout the United States.

Geoff Tate, Don Dokken, Stephen Pearcy, Graham Bonnet, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and Metal Church will be joining Chris Poland in person as 2020 Metal Hall of Fame Inductees. Various bands and Inductees will be performing as well.

The Gala will be hosted by iconic television and radio personality Eddie Trunk, and co-hosted by Whiskey A GOGO Ultimate Jam Night / Almost Fama Show Host Jes Fama.

Poland will also be performing Megadeth classics live at the Gala with special guests Thöm Häzäert, vocalist for Megadeth bassist David Ellefson's eponyous solo project, who performed vocals and co-produced Ellefson's recently released debut release 'Sleeping Giants', (including the hit Metal radio track "Hammer (Comes Down)", which also features a guest appearance from Poland, along with Mark Tremonti), and guitarist Dave Sharpe and drummer Opus Lawrence of Dead By Wednesday, who also recently toured with, and performed on the Megacruise, as part of Ellefson's "Sleeping Giants" backing band, and appear on the 'Sleeping Giants' track "Vultures".

Tickets: 45.00 at the door / 35.00 in advance.

Pre-Order and more information on the event here:
www.thehallofheavymetalhistory.org

Chris Poland to release new solo album in 2020

The music that Chris Poland put out while he was playing the guitar for thrashers Megadeth has become iconic. A little lesser known is that he released a solo album in the time after the departure.This text tells the story of that time. It is a long read but all worth it - it's sort of mini-biography and holds many details unknown to me so far.

The very end of the text reveals that a brand new solo record will see the light of day in 2020. Let's have our fingers crossed that everything will turn out well until then.

Says Poland, “I was out of Megadeth, and went through rehab and had gotten clean. I had no gear, and I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to ever play guitar again. Friends started bringing me gear; guitars, amps, pedals, telling me, “you have to play again.” So, I started playing. Andy Sommers, Megadeth’s agent, heard I was clean and doing well, and the Circle Jerks needed a bassist, so I toured with them for over a year, playing bass. And while I was doing that, I was in the back of a 16-passenger van, writing the songs that would become Return to Metalopolis.”

“I didn’t have a drummer, so I asked my brother Mark to play on it. I said, “We’re gonna make a record, and I need you to play drums.” He agreed, and we started doing demos. Janie Hoffman shopped it and we got a really good deal with Capitol Records, but shortly after we did the deal, for whatever reason, we get a call from the A&R guy who says they can’t do the deal on Capitol, but they offered me a deal on Enigma. So that’s where it came out.”

Poland continues, “I just feel like it’s timeless. I don’t listen to it and think that it’s some dated 80’s bullshit. It’s not like that for me. Of course, I’m super close to it, and I love it, but I really feel like it has held up well.”

The cover of Chris Poland's "Return To Metalopolis".

The Return to Metalopolis reissue will be released on November 22nd on double CD, and digital, and in December on limited edition double LP, and Cassette, remastered with bonus material, including live tracks that originally appeared on the out of print 2007 release Return to Metalopolis Live, plus 3 brand new tracks recorded in 2019, featuring the rhythm section of Carlos Cruz and Chase Bryant of Warbringer.

Pre-order now at the following location: http://empmerch.com/?submit=&s=chris+poland&post_type=product

Note of the author of the blog: The link seems to be down at the moment. Not sure what's happening there but no other link is available right now. As soon as I have more info I'll add it here.
Update 10/30/19: The page is back online again.

After over a decade with Metal on the backburner, despite guest appearances with Lamb of God, Tourniquet, Redemption, and more, with Poland focusing his energy on playing and recording with his Jazz fusion trio OHM, which also featured late former Megadeth drummer Nick Menza, and the Chris Poland Resistance, another fusion project being released by the eclectic Modern Jazz-centric Ropeadope Records, Poland has also announced work on the long-awaited follow up to METALOPOLIS, to be released in 2020 on COMBAT.

“I never really got away from Metal, I’ve always been a Rock guy. And even the stuff we do with Ohm is really heavy and dynamic. But when I started playing with Nick (Menza) he really put a fire under my ass to write new, heavy music. I was over at his house every night after work, my wife told me I was having a “bro-mance”, but I couldn’t stop writing songs. Nick and I had hooked up with James Lomenzo (ex-Megadeth, White Lion), and we were actually going to start a band together, which didn’t work out, but I had literally hours and hours of ideas for songs that me and Nick were going to do together when he passed away. Now I’m working on putting them all together for a new solo release that will also come out on Combat.”

New David Ellefson track feat. legendary hip-hop MC Darryl “DMC” McDaniels

News coming in from the David Ellefson camp. The title track of the new album has been uploaded to YouTube. It's a great pushing track that helped me to move on with my life on a day when things seemed to be down all the way. You know these situations when things don't turn out the way you want them to and you just sit there thinking of how to change for the better.

David Ellefson at the set of the "Sleeping Giants" video

At this moment the song came in. Music is like fuel for me. Nothings goes without. It centers me when I don't know where to go. Make sure to stay on the screen once the song finishes. It's well worth and a fine smiler.



Besides all of these good news even more showed up. They say that the album will also come out in Europe in November 2019 and shows over here in Europe are in a planning stage for that time frame!

Next week will see the Ellefson troop moving around in America showcasing more live music and looks behind the scenes of David Ellefson's career with Megadeth and his other projects.

BASSTORY MORE LIFE WITH DETH 2019 DATES

Thursday 9/5 – Fullerton, CA – The Slidebar (w/ SYMBOLIC)
Friday 9/6 – Ramona, CA – Ramona Mainstage (w/ SYMBOLIC)
Saturday 9/7 - Phoenix, AZ - Joe's Grotto (w/Fatal Malady)
Tuesday 9/10 – Phoenix, AZ – Changing Hands (Book signing/Q&A)

Attention! Chris Poland will perform live with David Ellefson Thursday, September 5th in Fullerton, CA at The Slidebar, as part of David Ellefson’s BASSTORY tour.

See David Ellefson's Basstory Facebook page for further info and updates.

David Ellefson to release companion LP to upcoming memoir More Life With Deth

Today we received news from the David Ellefson camp that couldn't have surprised me more. There wasn't a glimpse to be seen of it before but Ellefson will be coming up with a Compact Disc that works as a companion to the upcoming memoir. What a cool idea to give readers of the book the chance to listen to some material of the time he is writing about. Here are more details:

Megadeth bassist David Ellefson has announced the release of SLEEPING GIANTS, a companion LP to be released July 5th (CD/DIGITAL, Aug 30th on LP) on COMBAT RECORDS, in conjunction with his upcoming memoir MORE LIFE WITH DETH, in stores July 16th via Jawbone Press. Co-written with Ellefson’s business partner Thom Hazaert, MORE LIFE WITH DETH is the follow up to Ellefson’s celebrated MY LIFE WITH DETH, and delves deeper into the later stages of Ellefson’s career, as well as a thorough exploration of the earliest days of Megadeth and beyond.

The cover of Sleeping Giants, (c) by David Ellefson, used with kind permission

Featuring cover art by Melody Myers (Altitudes and Attitude, Marc Rizzo, Escape The Fate), SLEEPING GIANTS will be a retrospective featuring several new tracks recorded by Ellefson and Hazaert, plus a collection of demos, and unreleased material, from F5 and David’s other projects, including the unreleased demo “If You Were God”, featuring John Bush (Anthrax, Armored Saint), plus several unreleased demos featuring House of Lords/Giuffria vocalist David Glen Eisley. The CD version will also include a second bonus disc, featuring a compilation of EMP and COMBAT RECORDS Artists.

Produced by Ellefson and Hazaert, with additional production from ICON guitarist John Aquilino at the Platinum Underground in Phoenix, Sleeping Giants is tentatively set to include a multitude of guests including legendary MC Daryl “DMC” McDaniels, who shares vocals with Hazaert on the title track, Ken Mary (Alice Cooper, Flotsam and Jetsam), Steve Conley (Flotsam and Jetsam, F5), Ethan Brosh, Bumblefoot, Dave Sharpe and Opus Lawrence of Dead By Wednesday, Mark Tremonti, Juan Garcia (Abbatoir, Body Count), Illias Papadakis (Memorain), Dave McClain (Machine Head, Sacred Reich), a remix by Game of Thrones star Kristian Nairn, and more.

Check out a teaser video of the title track right here:

Pre-order SLEEPING GIANTS on CD, LP, and in bundle configurations at this location: http://empmerch.com/?submit=&s=sleeping%20giants&post_type=product&fbclid=IwAR2P1_lRbOKxiq2kWAsBDnKG2cVS-TqZ844yyEsyqRguJeWO8CVorrAtGH0

Note: I changed the URL of the pre-order link. The old one seemed to be corrupted so I think it's safe to do do.

Says Hazaert, “David and I were in Tampa for PBX - Playback Independent Music Expo, and had just finished an amazing run of BASSTORY, where I ended up performing with him, and several of our friends, including Bumblefoot, and Dave Sharpe and Opus from Dead By Wednesday. We capped it off with an amazing all-star BASSTORY jam at the Brass Mug in Tampa with Dirk Verbeuren, Troy Sanders from Mastodon, Jason Bieler of Saigon Kick, Head from Korn, Kyle Sanders from Hellyeah. It was insane. So, we went into a local studio, MASTERSOUND in Tampa, with the Dead By Wednesday guys, and ended up writing and tracking “VULTURES”.

He adds, “David had all these other amazing instrumental songs and parts, laying around, that I had always loved, and we just ended up getting a bunch of guests to play on them, polished some of them up, I wrote lyrics, laid down vocals, and the rest is history.”

Says Ellefson, “I love to collaborate and It’s timely and fitting to work up these song ideas with my friends, and get to break out and release some of these great demos and oddities from over the years, the stories behind many of which are told in the book. And to be able to include many of the EMP and COMBAT artists, I think it really brings another dimension to the stories we’re telling in More Life With Deth.”

Adds Hazaert, “It truly was just writing and making music from the purest place of writing and making music… like, buddies in the garage jamming on songs. And while everyone knows him as a bassist, David is such an incredible guitar player, and songwriter, and I love that we can finally showcase that. And to have a bunch of our friends who are IN the book play on it, and for me and David to collaborate the way we did. I think it’s really special. And, at first, we really didn’t know what to do with it, or if we would even do anything with it, for that matter. We’d discussed the idea of releasing the new tracks as singles, then an EP, and then we came up with the idea to create a sort of “island of misfit toys” b-sides release, with all this killer stuff David had been involved with over the years, and it really all just kinda fell into place.”

The tracklist of "Sleeping Giants":

1. Vultures
2. Sleeping Giants (ft. DMC).
3. Hammer Comes Down
4. Vultures (Kristian Nairn Remix)
(Unreleased Demo)
4. If You Were God” (ft. John Bush)
(F5 Demos)
5. Deadman Rise
6. I Fall
7. Bleeding
8. Why Can’t We Die
9. Dying on The Vine
10. Faded
11. Undeniable
12. Feel Your Pain
(Unreleased Demos)
13. Out In The Rain (ft. David Glen Eisley)
14. Voices (ft. David Glen Eisley)

David Ellefson to tell his Basstory on upcoming clinics

Do you remember the bass riff that opens the song "Peace sells but who's buying"? I've heard it many times and sure as that it is one of the many great one's that can beard in the music of Megadeth. Just think of "Architecture of Agression" of the Countdown to Extinction album.

So how are these riffs played and how did they came to life? David Ellefson himself is going to give some insight into his playing techniques as well as he will tell background stories that have not been shared before in the string of upcoming clinics.

The flyer for the Basstory clinic sessions, many more dates can be found below

Be sure to visit his bass clinics entitled "Basstory" already starting this week in the US and continuing over the next couple of weeks further to Europe.

There will be opening acts on many nights so be sure to show up early - you will not want to miss the opportunity to warm up with some music. Those special guests vary from date to date. So far Bumblefoot (ex-Guns N’ Roses, Sons of Apollo), Dead By Wednesday as well as Green Death and Wrath have been confirmed. Please check the list for all the details.

BASSTORY will also include special VIP meet and greets, exclusive merchandise, and more.

Tickets and limited VIPS are available for purchase at davidellefsonbasstory.com

BASSTORY US:
9/20 Portland, OR - Dante's
9/21 Spokane Valley, WA - The Roadhouse
9/22 Fife, WA - Louie G's
9/28 San Antonio, TX - Fitzgerald's
9/29 Houston, TX - BFE Rock Club
10/3 Bradley, IL – The Looney Bin (w/ Green Death)
10/4 Lombard, IL - Brauer House (w/ Green Death, WRATH)
10/5 Sturtevant, WI - Route 20 Outhouse(w/ Green Death, WRATH)
10/6 Ringle, WI - Q and Z Expo Center (w/ Green Death, WRATH)
10/7 Mankato, MN – What’s Up Lounge (w/ Green Death, WRATH, Kublai Khan)

NEWLY ADDED
11/16 Manchester, NH - Jewel Nightclub (w/ BUMBLEFOOT, Dead By Wednesday)
11/18 Holyoke, MA - Waterfront Tavern (w/ BUMBLEFOOT, Dead By Wednesday)
11/20 NYC - The Iridium (w/ BUMBLEFOOT, Dead By Wednesday)
11/21 Albany, NY – Chrome (w/ BUMBLEFOOT, Dead By Wednesday)
11/23 Niagara Falls, NY – Evening Star Concert Hall (w/ BUMBLEFOOT, Dead By Wednesday)
11/25 Waterbury, CT - Shamrock Pub (w/ BUMBLEFOOT, Dead By Wednesday)

BASSTORY EUROPE:
(Presented by Metal Casino)
15 October: BIMM-Bristol/UK+
16 October: ACM-Guildford/UK+
17 October: Rockhal-Esch Sur Alzette/Luxemburg (https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/5750754/david-ellefson-basstory-eschalzette-rockhal-luxembourg)
18 October: 013-Tilburg/Netherlands (https://www.ticketmaster.nl/event/225801?CAMEFROM=013&brand=nl_013web)
21 October: Le Relais des artistes-Les Bioux/Switzerland (Reservations via email only valprod.management@gmail.com
22 October: Riff Megastore-Warsaw/Poland
23October: Private Club-Berlin/Germany+

+Private events. No public ticketing available.

For more information:

Davidellefson.com

Davidellefsonbasstory.com

Facebook.com/davidellefson

Facebook.com/ellefsontouringagency

Eyestral put out horror-themed lyric video

I haven't come across a Thrash Metal band that put's out such stuff in a long, long time. In fact I remember Megadeth put out such stuff way back in their beginnings (just had a look into the booklet of the Peace Sells album and that was a fine reminder of how they wrote song text in those days).

The nice thing about this particular one of french Thrashers Eyestral is that the video doesn't just show the song text but also changes in various ways throughout the song duration. The lyrics make me feel a bit scary at times with it's dark and bad setting. In addition it's great to have some progressive elements in the music. It rounds out the package with nearly 10 minutes of ripping guitars and powerhouse drums very good. It's a fine neckbreaker.

This first full song comes along as a sign of the coming release of Eyestral who will put out their first full length record "Beyond" on digital plattforms on October 25th. The longplayer will be available from November 10th in Europe. You may also pre-order the physical release straight away through the webstore of Music Records.

Just make sure to follow Eyestral via Facebook to be notified in your News Stream about further updates.

Grand Opening of Ellefson Coffee Outlet April 7-9 with

This event that takes place this coming weekend looks nice especially for Megadeth fans but also for all people loving the heavier side of music since it has many attractions that sound thrilling.

Having the chance to fetch some coffee that has been inspired by Megadeth bass guitar player David Ellefson along with music performances featuring songs of KIK TRACEE and ZFM along with a special event centered around the paranormal author and investigator Adrian Lee sound cool so here's the detailed info:

In addition to Ellefson himself, who will be in attendance all 3 days, the event will be co-hosted by special guest, comedian, and THAT METAL SHOW co-host Don Jamieson appearing on Saturday.

The grand opening will feature special acoustic performances by Kik Tracee/Zen From Mars vocalist Stephen Shareaux, with Bang Tango/ZFM guitarist Drew Fortier, who will play several sets over the weekend of KIK TRACEE and ZFM material.

Also joining the festivities on Satuday is Bryn Arens, frontman of local Minneapolis legends FLIPP, paranormal author and investigator Adrian Lee, who will lead Ellefson and co. on an exploration to LOON LAKE CEMETARY, the local Jackson burial ground that inspired the Megadeth classic “Mary Jane”, and local Jackson Stock Car driver Luke Sathoff, who will have his ELLEFSON COFFEE CO sponsored car on display.

Also on display is the “Museum of Deth” featuring permanently displayed artifacts and memorabilia from Ellefson’s personal collection, including highlights such as David’s Jackson High marching band uniform, as well as memorabilia from other artists including Machine Head, Max Cavalera, Coal Chamber, and fellow 2017 Grammy Nominees KORN.

You can pay ECC a visit at 404 Second St, Jackson, MN, 56143

Medevil mix thrash of the 80's with classic metal and razorsharp vocals

Today it is more than ever a exciting time that see's a lot of new bands emerging that are offering a wide variation of styles, influences and mixes. Today's metal scene has become more diverse and colourful than ever in my eyes offering a bandwith like never before. It's like the best is yet to come so we all should do our best so the metal scene can continue to evolve and survive and bring us all the music we love and need.

So how would it sound like if you mix up elements of old thrash classics of Metal Church, comine them with a songwriting attempt in a style of old Iron Maiden albums and round it all out with raw vocals reminiscent of Udo Dirkschneider? Well, Medevil is the answer in my ears. The new album of them is straight around the corner and set for release on 26th August 2016. In support of the release the band has set up three tracks as a prelisten and I'd like you to check out their newest video of the track "Nightwalk" which is the opening track of the record. You can pre-order the album "Conductor Of Storms" through the band's website. 
You can find the other songs on the Youtube channel of Medevil.


Medevil will play some shows these year. See the flyer below for the exact dates and the album cover.

The flyer for the Medevil tourdates 2016, (c) by Medevil, used with kind permission

Make sure to connect with them for updates via Facebook, Twitter or their homepage.

Hellfest livestream coming up next weekend

Finally we arrived at wednesday - the middle of the week. Time to see what the weekend may bring. This time you're in for another treat. :-)

Hellfest 2016 is coming to a screen near you.

The french Hellfest is going to be broadcasted in 2016 and big and small bands have already been confirmed to have their sets shown online. Currently the schedule looks like this:

Friday 17th June 2016 (all times MEST)

Altar & Temple Stage

18:35 Inquisition
19:30 Sacred Reich
20:30 Korpiklaani
21:35 Overkill
22:40 Aura Noir
23:45 Testament
00:45 Abbath

Mainstage

17:40 Turbonegro
18:35 Bullet For My Valentine
19:40 Mass Hysteria (Différé)
20:45 Volbeat
22:05 Dropkick Murphys
00:45 The Offspring


Saturday 18th June 2016

Altar & Temple Stage

17:40 Entombed A.D.
18:35 Archgoat
19:30 Asphyx
20:25 Moonsorrow
21:20 Terrorizer
22:15 Primordial
23:15 Napalm Death
01:00 Dark Funeral

Mainstage

17:40 Sick Of It All
18:35 Joe Satriani
19:30 Disturbed
01:00 Korn


Sunday 19th June 2016

Alatr & Temple Stage

17:40 Insomnium
18:35 Taake
20:30 Empyrium
21:30 Grand Magus
22:35 Enslaved
00:45 Deicide

Mainstage

15:50 Tarja
17:40 Blind Guardian
19:40 Amon Amarth
20:45 Megadeth
22:05 Ghost

You can find the overlook page right here on the ARTE concert page. Just select the date and stage you want to see and the link will take you to a subpage with the stream on it.

Underneath every stream you can also find the updated schedule for each broadcast. Things may be changed so make sure to check in every here and there to keep up to date.

PANIKK release free EP to pass the time til the next album

So Nuclear Assault, the legendary thrash metal band from the USA that played the music in such a traditional way without any modern elements put inside their sound has announced to call it quits after the upcoming EP release and the following shows. To explain the split-up I remember that the band said in a interview that they all have different lifes to follow these days which keep them busy and don't allow them to keep the schedule like back in the day.

But who will carry on the torch? PANIKK seems to be the answer. Their music reminds me a lot of the old times when I used to meet with friends and listen to records from bands like PANIKK. I like the oldschool sound, it makes it clear from the beginning that you listen to stuff from the traditional style without all the modern stuff attached. Besides the reference to Nuclear Assault I think they add slightly elements of technical playing techniques that give the sound a very sharp approach when it comes to timing and precision. Think of the way Megadeth and Xentrix like to write their music.

The band has already a full length album out since 2013 titled Unbearable Conditions. At the moment they are recording the follow-up album. Since it takes a lot of time to record a full album that meets the high standards that are set in the thrash genre these days it is scheduled for a release in 2016. Having thought on the support from the fans the band decided to release a free EP to give their followers something to cross the waiting time.

(c) by PANIKK, used with kind permission

Properly labeled as the "Pass the time" EP you can download it directly from the Bandcamp site of their new label Xtreem Music or have a first isten to it directly here on my page. Note that the content of the EP can be described as all killers, no fillers. To be honest I've been blown away by the power and precision along with the tyical fun feeling that listening to thrash can give you. It's a record I love to hear.


If you want a physical copy of this EP, which comes as a limited edition, you can buy it directly at the band's own Bandcamp site for just 2 Euro.

To buy a CD copy of their debut album "Unbearable Conditions", click here.

Don't forget to like them on Facebook or Twitter to keep in touch with them about the further progress of the upcoming album.

Bloodstock 2014 broadcasts shows through internet livestream

This weekend another fine festival takes place - it't time for the Bloodstock Open Air.

Best of all for those who can't be there: in cooperation with dailymotion a stream has been set up to broadcast some of the shows of the festival. Jump over to the site of dailymotion or check it out right here:



Live Stream - Bloodstock Festival 2014 by BloodstockFestival
The schedule for the stream is as follows (all times CET):

Saturday, August 9th:

Evil Scarecrow - 11.00am
Shining - 12.00
Decapitated - 13:05
Orphaned Land - 14.10
Lacuna Coil - 16.35
Children of Bodom - 17.55
Carcass - 19.40
Emperor - 21:30

Sunday, August 10th:

Arthemis - 11.00am
Aborted - 12.00
ReVamp - 13.05
Biohazard - 14.10
Obituary - 16.35
Amon Amarth - 19.30
Megadeth - 21.15

Full album streams from Evile, Megadeth and Tesseract available

Wow, these days many bands offer there albums on the internet for free streaming mostly even prior to the official release date. Today I'll give you a package of three bands, that have all set up their entire brand new albums for listening via the World Wide Web.

So let's start out with Tesseract and their album Altered State. The band has put quite a interessting concept behind their album, something that often run's across my mind - the changes in life we all go through and how we deal with them.

The band describes the concept in their own words: "The concept behind the presentation of 'Altered State' is very simple. It is about change, and how life is change. We have been through a very difficult period of time over the last few years. It is a miracle that the band has survived. I feel it is the ability to step back and see everything for what it is (hence the 'Perspective' EP) that has allowed us to get on with life and try to enjoy it. Reality is change."

Here is how the music turned out after this process:

It's been a sad day recently when I read about the sudden death of Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman. Rest in peace! You'll be always remembered for this unique playing style and some of the most intensive thrash songs ever.

If we focus on things there's often a feeling like it's black clouds and silver linings. Meaning most stuff doesn't look too good for some or other reason but there's sometimes a glimpse of hope hanging in the air.
As for this moment for me it's the young fresh bands that give these glimpse I'm talking about.

One of them is currently Evile, a young band digging also in this thrash direction. They got my attention some time ago when I first saw the video to the song "Cult" and now they are back with a fresh record entitled "Skull". Their record company has set up the whole album as a stream on youtube so without any further words enjoy it. :-)

Let's close these round-up with the full proven thrash music from US veteran's Megadeth that have just put out the new album called "Super Collider". Actually my very first impressions on this album are quite mixed but I'm looking forward to check out the full album later. First of all here is the link to the german Rock Hard magazine for you, so you can quickly check the record out for yourselfs. While you do so, why not leave a little comment here? I'd like to know what you think about these three albums.  

In the studio with Airbourne, Black Sabbath and Megadeth

2013 is promising to be quite a massive year when it comes to fresh new albums from bigger Metal bands. Luckily nowadays through youtube many bands are offering studio reports on their website's that keep you informed about what's currently going on while they are recording. So you don't need to wait until the new album is out to hear something from it because these report's often do feature shot audio snippet's from the recording sessions.

Let's start with Airbourne. Airbourne's Album "Black Dog Barking" will be out on 2013/5/17. Here's the studio update for you to check out:





Next in line for todays's topic are the Heavy Metal pioneers Black Sabbath. Their new album is entitled

"13". It's going to be released in June 2013 in the old line-up Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi und Geezer Butler doing their first record together since1978. Here is what they have to say about the recording process.

The finish for this studio round up comes from Arizona/USA thrashers Megadeth who are in the studio to blast our ears with a new record called Super Collider which is set for release in June 2013. Megadeth's Super Collider is the first release through Mustaine's new label, Tradecraft, through Universal Music. There are already four updates out there so I'll put here the newest of them. The rest can be found on their youtube channel. 


Update 2013/02/18: The band has released another cool studio update yesterday, so I'll put it up here as well. Sounds very, very heavy and cool. Can't wait to hear the album.

Liveshows from Megadeth, Trivium and Korn

The december is a expensive months for most of us. Christmas is near and it's time to give some nice presents to all those people who are next to you or who do matter the most to you. Anyway, this shouldn't keep you from having the possibility to watch some fine concerts also tickets aren't cheap and bands aren't always touring every country in the world. Here is some live stuff I gathered on youtube. Enjoy and share these gifts with as many of your friends as possible. :-)






Edit and Update 12/18/2011: the second part of the Trivium set has been taken off from youtube. Don't know why, I just found out for myselfs and just wanted to let you know so you hopefully don't wonder what's up with this. If you have more info on this, please let me know I'd like to know and put up a new link, if that's legally possible.