Metalblog

German thrash metal band Destruction have announced North American “D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N. - 25 Years Of Total Destruction” tour dates.

The band recently completed a South American leg of their “D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N. - 25 Years Of Total Destruction” tour and have just started the European leg of the tour. 

Upcoming Destruction tour dates are:

METAL HAMMER presents:

“D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N. - 25 YEARS OF TOTAL DESTRUCTION (part II)”

DESTRUCTION + DEBAUCHERY + SCARED TO DEATH Tour Europe 2008

29.11.2008 (CZ) Zlin Winter Masters of Rock
30.11.2008 (PL) Warsaw Progresja
01.12.2008 (D) Berlin Kato
02.12.2008 (D) Rostock Mau
04.12.2008 (FIN) Helsinki Tavastia
05.12.2008 (FIN) Tampere Tulliklubbi
07.12.2008 (S) Gothenburg Musikens Hus
08.12.2008 (N) Oslo John Dee
09.12.2008 (DK) Copenhagen The Rock
10.12.2008 (NL) Enschede Atak
11.12.2008 (B) Vosselaar Biebob
12.12.2008 (UK) Leeds Rio’s
13.12.2008 (IRE) Dublin The Village
14.12.2008 (UK) Dudley JB’s
16.12.2008 (UK) London Underworld
17.12.2008 (D) Essen Turock
18.12.2008 (D) Saarbrücken Roxy
19.12.2008 (NL) Weert De Bosuil
20.12.2008 (CH) Pratteln Z7
21.12.2008 (I) Milan Rolling Stone
22.12.2008 (D) Nürnberg Hirsch

19.02.09 - 24.02.09 RUSSIAN TOUR

“D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N. - 25 YEARS OF TOTAL DESTRUCTION”-

North America Tour:

05.03.09 Farmingdale ,NY Crazy Donkey
06.03.09 Worcester, Mass Palladium
07.03.09 Poughkeepsie, NY Chance Theater
08.03.09 Montreal Fou Founes Electriques
09.03.09 Quebec City , Que Imperial
10.03.09 Toronto, ON MOD Club
11.03.09 Cleveland, OH Peabodys
12.03.09 Mokena , Ill Pearl Room
13.03.09 St Paul , MN Station 4
14.03.09 WInnipeg, MB Royal Albert Arms
15.03.09 Regina, SK The Exchange
16.03.09 Edmonton, AB Starlite Room
17.03.09 Calgary, AB Warehouse
19.03.09 Vancouver , BC Plaza Club
20.03.09 Victoria, BC Sugar
21.03.09  Seattle , Wa El Corazon
22.03.09 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theater
23.03.09 San Francisco,CA Slims
24.03.09 Los Angeles , CA Key Club
25.03.09 San Marcos , Ca Jumping Turtle
26.03.09 Anahiem, Ca Chain Reaction
28.03.09 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
30.03.09 Ft Worth, TX Lola’s
31.03.09 San Antonio , TX Scout Bar

02..04.09 Ft Lauderdale , FL Culture Room
03..04.09 St Pete , Fl The Garage
04.04.09 Atlanta, GA Masquerade
05.04.09 Raleigh, NC Volume 11
06.04.09 Springfield , VA Jaxx
07.04.09 New York, NY BB Kings
   

Destruction released their latest album, D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N., on August 29th. D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N. made it onto the it the German top 100 charts coming in at position 65 after its release. Which is cool as hell since it’s not very often you see a thrash metal album (and I’m talking REAL thrash metal, not modern day Metallica) make it into the charts in any country.

The Metalblog is looking forward to thrashing it up with Schmier, Mike, and Marc of Destruction at the Underworld in London as the band celebrate their 25th anniversary.

Thrash Till Death!

It’s the day after Thanksgiving and all over the web I’m seeing stories about “Black Friday”. I don’t know how many of these “Black Friday” stories I’ve clicked on and not a single one has had anything to do with the first thing that pops into my mind - Megadeth.

Metalheads rejoice, the Metalblog is here to give you what you want from a Black Friday story. Megadeth performing “Good Mourning/Black Friday”. This video was uploaded by Youtube user “Metalex83″ and is from Birmingham, England on the “Clash of the Titans” tour in 1990 when Megadeth played withfellow thrash metal bands Slayer, Testament, and Suicidal Tendencies. 

Megadeth is currently working on their new album and will be on tour in early 2009 with Judas Priest and Testament on the Priest Feast tour. 

I’ve been listening to We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year in secret over the last week. Now that Thanksgiving has passed and Black Friday is upon us, I can go ahead and come out of the closet and start listening to Christmas music in public for the next month. 

And when I do throw on some Christmas music this December, We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year is going to be the first CD I reach for.

Released by Armoury Records, We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year provides a dozen Christmas songs by a collection of musicians that includes some of the biggest names in hard rock and heavy metal.

The track listing and artists are:

1. We Wish You A Merry Xmas
Jeff Scott Soto / Bruce Kulick / Bob Kulick/ Chris Wyse / Ray Luzier

2. Run Rudolph Run
Lemmy / Billy F Gibbons / Dave Grohl

3. Santa Claws Is Coming To Town
Alice Cooper / John 5 / Billy Sheehan / Vinny Appice

4. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Ronnie James Dio / Tony Iommi / Rudy Sarzo / Simon Wright

5. Silver Bells
Geoff Tate / Carlos Cavazo / James Lomenzo / Ray Luzier

6. Little Drummer Boy
Dug Pinnick / George Lynch / Billy Sheehan / Simon Phillips

7. Santa Claus Is Back In Town
Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens / Steve Morse / Juan Garcia / Marco Mendoza / Vinny Appice

8. Silent Night
Chuck Billy / Scott Ian / Jon Donais / Chris Wyse / John Tempesta

9. Deck the Halls
Oni Logan / Craig Goldy / Tony Franklin / John Tempesta

10. Grandma Got Ran Over By A reindeer
Stephen Pearcy / Tracii Guns / Bob Kulick / Billy Sheehan / GregBissonette

11. Rockin’ Around the Xmas Tree
Joe Lynn Turner / Bruce Kulick / Bob Kulick / Rudy Sarzo / Simon Wright

12. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
Tommy Shaw / Steve Lukather / Marco Mendoza / Kenny Aronoff

Most of We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year is fun hard rock/heavy metal versions of classic Christmas songs, but two songs stand above the standard rocking.

The first is the Alice Cooper led “Santa Claws is Coming to Town”. Leave it to Alice to make the “He sees you when you’re sleeping/ He knows when you’re awake” lines sound as creepy as I always thought they were.

The other standout track is the Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Rudy Sarzo and Simon Wright version of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman”. If you like Dio and Iommi’s work together in Black Sabbath/Heaven and Hell, you’ll love this.

Is We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year a great metal album? Not really. But it is a great Christmas album and I can’t think of anything I’d rather have on the stereo while knocking back eggnog and eating some figgy pudding.

The Metalblog would like to wish all of our American readers a happy Thanksgiving.

Every American knows the story of the first Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims had a good harvest and invited the Indians over and they all ate turkey and watched the Detroit Lions lose the early game on TV followed by the Dallas Cowboys, who the Indians of course hated due to the whole Cowboys and Indians rivalry.

The problem for the Metalblog is that eating turkey and watching football doesn’t make for good heavy metal songs. But we were able to find a live video for Iron Maiden’s “The Pilgrim” and the video for Anthrax’s “Indians”. So if you can imagine Iron Maiden and Anthrax getting together on the fourth Thursday in November, playing these songs, eating turkey, and watching football, you get a pretty good idea of what the first Thanksgiving was like.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody from the Metalblog!

It’s the day before Thanksgiving, traditionally the busiest travel day of the year in America. That in mind, the Metalblog has dug up a video to get its American readers pumped up for their long drives to enjoy tomorrow’s Thanksgiving feast: Judas Priest “Heading Out To The Highway”

And for our European readers, the Metalblog has something even better than a Thanksgiving feast - ”Priest Feast” tour dates.

Heavy metal legends Judas Priest are hitting the road in early 2009 for a European tour with thrash metal bands Megadeth and Testament on a tour they’ve dubbed “Priest Feast”.

Originally only the UK and Ireland “Priest Feast” tour dates were announced, but more dates were slowly announced and this incredible triple bill tour has expanded to include dates in many European countries.

The 2009 “Priest Feast” European tour dates featuring Judas Priest, Megadeth, and Testament are:

02/10/09 02 Arena - Dublin, Ireland
02/11/09 Odyssey Arena - Belfast, Northern Ireland
02/13/09 Sheffield Arena - England
02/14/09 NEC - Birmingham, England
02/16/09 SECC Hall 4 - Glasgow, Scotland
02/17/09 Manchester Arena - England
02/18/09 Nottingham Arena - England
02/20/09 Cardiff Arena - Wales
02/21/09 Wembley Arena - England
02/24/09 Westfallenhalle - Dortmund, Germany
02/25/09 Jako Arena - Bamberg, Germany
02/26/09 Max Schmelling - Berlin, Germany
02/28/09 Globen - Stockholm, Sweden
03/01/08 Scandinavium - Gothenburg, Sweden
03/03/09 Forum Horsens - Horsens, Denmark
03/04/08 Arena Malmo - Malmo, Sweden
03/06/09 Sport Hall - Hamburg, Germany
03/07/09 Stadthalle - Offenbach, Germany
03/08/09 Porsche Arena - Stuttgart, Germany
03/10/09 Palasharp - Milan, Italy
03/11/09 Sportzetrum Tagerhatd - Wettingen, Switzerland
03/13/09 Velodromo Andromo Anoeta - San Sabastian, Spain
03/14/09 Zaragoza Arena - Zaragoza, Spain
03/15/09 La Cubierta - Madrid, Spain
03/17/09 Atlantico Pavillion - Lisbon, Portugal
03/19/09 Badalona - Barcelona, Spain
03/21/09 Le Zenith - Paris, France
03/22/09 Forest National - Brussels, Belgium
03/23/09 hmh - Amsterdam, Netherlands

It was one year ago today that the body of Quiet Riot singer Kevin DuBrow was found dead in his Las Vegas home.

For those who weren’t around back in 1983, it was Quiet Riot’s Metal Health album that brought heavy metal into the American mainstream. Quiet Riot’s cover version of the Slade song “Cum On Feel The Noize” went to number five on the single’s chart, while Metal Health went to number one on the album chart. The song “Metal Health”, in my opinion far better than “Cum On Feel The Noize”, charted at number 31.

From 83-84 Quiet Riot was everywhere, with the songs on the radio and their videos in heavy rotation on MTV. The follow up album, Condition Critical, went Platinum in the US, but was considered a failure by comparison to the runaway success of Metal Health.

By the time of 1986’s QRIII, Quiet Riot had fallen out of the public limelight. Kevin DuBrow was fired from the band at the end of a 1987 tour when all the other band members caught an earlier flight and left him stranded in Hawaii.

DuBrow later rejoined the band and led Quiet Riot through the 90s and right up until his death, though the band never again reached the lofty success of 1983.

Here is a video of Kevin DuBrow fleading Quiet Riot through “Metal Health” during the height of their popularity at the 1983 US Festival in San Bernadino.

R.I.P. Kevin DuBrow (October 1955 - November 2007)

Today marks the 17th anniversary of the passing of KISS drummer Eric Carr.

Eric Carr, real name Paul Charles Caravello, took over the drum stool from departing KISS member Peter Criss in 1980. Eric stayed with the band as they regained popularity in the 1980s until his death from heart cancer on November 24th, 1991 (The same day Queen’s Freddie Mercury died).

KISS were still in their original makeup phase when Eric joined the band and was known as “The Fox”. Here is a video of Eric drumming for KISS in full makeup in the video for “I Love It Loud” from 1982’s Creatures of the Night album.

The following year KISS removed the makeup, released the Platinum selling Lick It Up, and the band’s popularity was back on the rise after its early 80s dip.

The last song Eric Carr recorded with KISS was “God Gave Rock and Roll to You II” for the Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey soundtrack. Gene Simmons has stated that,”It’s not just a cover song for a soundtrack, but a testament to Eric Carr, and I think a lot of people don’t realize that.” Eric provided background vocals on the song and although his health was too poor to record the drums, he does play them in the video for the song.

R.I.P. Eric Carr (July 12,1950 - November 24,1991)

Ol Drake, guitarist for thrash metal band Evile, has issued a statment on the band’s forum regarding the cancellation of Evile’s European tour with Norwegian black metal band Satyricon.

The Evile guitarist wrote:

hello from my bed.thankyou for all the get well messages (even the guy who said we suck, you rule).

Ol then went on to describe the experience that caused Evile to pull out of the Satyricon tour.

 Outside the Waterfront in Rotterdam (which is literally AT the water front), I started to get blurred vision. Next thing I knew i’m being woken up by two of the Satyricon guys. I just thought, “oh shit, what happened?”. I couldn’t feel my jaw, so I didn’t notice anything at first. If i was any nearer the water; bye bye.There was a big pool of blood under where my head had been, so I wondered where it came from. One of the guys said my teeth were covered in blood so its probably a broken tooth. I checked my teeth and found one quite out of alignment and thought “woo”.

Some things are better left untold. “Then I’m suddenly touching my jaw bone”. Ewww. Gross. Did anybody think to take photographs?

The Metalblog would once again like to wish Ol Drake a speedy recovery and hope to see him thrashing with Evile on stage again in the very near future. Until then, we’ll stick their debut album Enter the Grave - one of our favourite releases from the new breed of thrash metal bands - into the CD player and send good thoughts in Ol’s direction.

Somali pirates have been making the headlines with the capture of a Saudi oil tanker this week. The problem has been going on for ages, but has worsened as of late with 9 vessels seized in the Gulf of Aden by pirates over the last twelve days.

You would think it would be easy enough to stop. Send out the navies and look for the ships flying the Jolly Roger.

Which brings me to the point of this post. I’ve seen photos of some of these Somali pirates in the newspapers. They don’t look like any pirates I know. No eye patches, no bottles of rum, no red beards, and no parrots on their shoulders. I bet none of them even say “Argh”.

And what does the modern day pirate listen to? If it’s not traditional sea shanties, it damn well better be some pirate metal. If they’re not listening to Running Wild , Alestorm , Verbal Deception , Swashbuckle , Scuurvy, or Murdered at Sea, they deserve to go down in a hail of cannonballs.

So Somali pirates, if you’re reading this, could you please comment to this post and let me know that even though you may not look the part, you’re keeping up traditional pirate values by listening to pirate metal. I need my faith in piratehood restored.

Until then, I’ll sit back and watch the original pirate metal band, Running Wild, performing Under Jolly Roger and reminisce of a bygone era when pirates were cool.

English thrash metal band Evile have had to cancel the remaining dates on their European tour supporting Norwegian black metal band Satyricon after guitarist Ol Drake collapsed and fractured his jaw.

In a post on Evile’s forum, singer/guitarist Matt Drake wrote the following:

sad news everyone, we have been forced to pull out of the remaining dates on the satyricon tour due to ol having a bad accident…

thanks, matt

The Metalblog wishes Ol a speedy recovery and hopes he is feeling better in time to play the April UK tour dates that have been going on sale recently.

Evile - “Thrasher”