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We have a meme page. It has awesome stuff for metalheads. This is Thrashmemetal.
Lighten up and have a laugh!
Lighten up and have a laugh!
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]]>Whether it's having a HUGE stage and only using a small area to play (this last tour as an example), or simply stopping a song to make play the right way... they do it their own life. As the lyrics for "Escape" warned us about.
That's exactly what happened during the debut of their newest single "Lux Aeterna" at their Helping Hands solidarity concert. Something was off on the drums ( :D ) and Lars had to stop. The band resumed and played the song for the first time. We can't wait for the full "72 Seasons" album.
Watch the video:
]]>This is the possible reunion, and it happens with the blessing of the estate from the gone Abbott brothers (rest in peace). It's a beautiful tribute to the legacy one of the biggest metal bands that ever graced the planet. Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante have a tremendous responsibility... but they are nailing it. The two surviving members, Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown are also up to the highly-anticipated task.
So... watch it for yourself:
]]>Some of these albums have achieved classic status by now, and we'll show you some of them, just in case you were in dire need of a nostalgia fix. Without any particular order... here we go!
(And don't forget to check out our Thrash metal merch collection!)
Did you like this list? Share it!
Send us a message on our instagram's meme page @thrashmemetal with your suggestions!
]]>We made a list of bands who are - most likely - going to release high quality thrash metal, this year. Without further ado, and in no particular order... here they are:
While it has passed more than 7 years since the release of their latest album Skull, it's time for the next music piece from Evile, in 2021. Oh, and Ol Drake is now the singer. Can't say we're not curious about that! Stay tuned.
"Persona Non Grata" should be released in June via Nuclear Blast Records. Gary is back from Slayer, and we finally get a new Exodus record.
Also thrashing from San Francisco, Vio-lence is finally back! Sean Killian is recovered from health issues, and Phil Demmel surely has some signature-intricate riffs to release on the new record. The EP is being recorded as we type this...
We're major Mustaine fans, so this is a great year for us and all droogies out there. Also recovered from health issues, Dave Mustaine is back and we can't wait to hear the new drummer Dirk Verbeuren on record.
Lars said the band was a few weeks into "some serious writing". We'll see if the metal giants will still release the follow up to "Hardwired" (which is already 4 years old) in 2021!
Spanish thrashers Angelus Apatrida keep releasing solid records, and surely deserve WAY more recognition from thrash metal fans worldwide. So, while the new self-titled record isn't released, make sure you check out their discography (and that includes a single from the upcoming record).
It was a great day when we found out Vektor had reunited, but it was even better to hear new music from them, a few weeks ago! It won't be in a full-length, but a split with dutch band Cryptosis, named "Transmissions of Chaos". Lets call it an appetizer before the full prog-thrash-metal meal!
After the chaos of line-up changes in the Nervosa camp, comes "Perpetual Chaos", the upcoming release. Featuring the very talented Diva Satanica on vocals, we can say we're in for a death-thrash metal treat.
Portuguese thrashers Pitch Black sure take their time for each release. And what can we say? It's always worth the wait... but we wonder if we get a full-length in 2021! Listen to the newest music from the "Bastards United" split, released in 2020.
Crossover thrash veterans Municipal Waste were recently in the studio tracking material for a new album and follow-up to 2017's Slime and Punishment. We'll it see the light of day in 2021? We sure hope so!
As the band posted on Facebook recently: "To all our fans, followers and supporters, we wish absolutely nothing but the best in 2021...including a new relentless studio album from us! Stay healthy, stay metal and raise those glasses!"
So... what is the record you're more looking forward to, in 2021? Did we forget about any release? Comment below and don't forget to check out our metal merch! Click below to get it!
"Yeah, around that time was right before the 'Demonic' record, so we had finished our Atlantic contract, and we were shopping for a new deal," Chuck told Eonmusic. "We didn't really have a deal yet, and at the last minute, I just said, 'You know what? Maybe I should try to find a band that's solid, that's going to keep touring and continue on,' and at that point, Sepultura was taking auditions, and I think it was at the end [of the audition process] that I decided, 'Screw it, I'm going to do it.' I think I did three songs; I did 'Refuse/Resist', I did 'Territory', and I wrote my version of 'Choke', and gave it to them. But by the time I had delivered, they had already made their decision for [the appointment of new singer] Derrick [Green], which in the end, was probably the way it all should have worked out."
Andreas Kisser explained the band's choice back in the day: "You know, he's Chuck Billy; he's Testament. We wanted somebody new.", he told, during a Jamey Jasta's podcast interview.
And, while we're at it, listen to "Common Bonds", sung by Andreas Kisser himself:
Did you know about this? Luckily, we have a great Testament back, awesome Sepultura records - and don't forget the solid Cavalera music on several projects!
]]>
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Well... did we miss anything? Comment below or on our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.
Read the rest of our blog articles, too!
]]>We did some digging, and we'll show you the latest work from all of these bands, in the same order they were listed on the compilation. Also, we used Metal Archives to check band status. It's as accurate as we can be!
Just remember that thrash metal is alive and kicking... support the active bands and don't forget to share this article!
Formed: 2005
Status: Active (?)
Most recent album: The Aftermath (2012)
Formed: 1999
Status: Active
Most recent album: Skull (2013)
Formed: 2001
Status: Active
Most recent album: Slime and Punishment (2018)
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Formed: 1996
Status: Active
Most recent album: The Storm Before the Calm (2007)
Formed: 2002
Status: Active
Most recent album: Trapped in Perdition (2013)
Formed: 2003
Status: Active
Most recent album: Six Tape (2019)
Formed: 2004
Status: Active
Most recent album: Weapons of Tomorrow (2020)
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Formed: 2005
Status: On Hold
Most recent album: Limp.Gasp.Collapse (2014)
Formed: 2002
Status: Active
Most recent album: Speed Between the Lines (2018)
Formed: 2003
Status: Active
Most recent album: Taken Beyond (2015)
Formed: 2005
Status: Split-up
Most recent album: Fatal Deterrent (2006)
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Formed: 2005
Status: Unkown
Most recent album: Black Rivers Flow (2011)
Formed: 1999
Status: Active
Most recent album: Primal Future: 2019 (2019)
Formed: 2004
Status: Split-up
Most recent album: Laserdrome (2009)
Formed: 2002
Status: Active
Most recent album: The Hidden Face of Death (2017)
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Formed: 2001
Status: Split-up
Most recent album: The Awakening (2006)
Did you enjoy this article? Comment below!
]]>Just a reminder: we haven't event reached the second half of the year... not everything is bad in 2020! In - absolutely - no specific order, here we go...
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So... did we miss any interesting release? If so, comment and give us a hand: we can't get a hold of everything! Also, don't forget to check out our other articles from the blog... lots of great lists to enjoy.
]]>Incredibly positive so far, and that makes me extremely happy. We knew we had a good record on our hands, but the reaction so far has lead us to believe it’s a bit better than we thought. We’re proud of it.
We’re always into the idea of pushing ourselves, however it’s still us. It’s undeniably Havok. This one is more centered around good song writing, solid structures, and super cohesiveness.
"Phantom Force". I say that because it’s the first full blown tune that I’ve written for the band and it was pretty much unaltered from the start to its final form. However, "Don’t Do It" is creepin’ up there, "Fear Campaign", "Cosmetic Surgery", and "Post Truth Era".
Being the real McCoy, ya know? Being genuine and true to who we are. If you’re being real with yourselves and your audience it’s gonna shine through no matter what you try. We’re not playin’ a part, we’re not faking. We are Havok.
I don’t see it happening at all for a long while, unfortunately. As sad as it is, the state of the world can’t handle people gathering in large groups for the foreseeable future, and we’ve gotta do what’s right for everything to return to a normal pace. We miss everyone. We can’t wait until the day comes and we can play for you guys again.
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Decapitated - Nihility
Hank Williams Jr. - Whiskey Bent and Hellbound
Pantera - Far Beyond Driven
Jim Cornette’s Drive Thru - Podcast
Danny Gatton - Unfinished Business
Megadeth - Rust In Peace
Johnny Paycheck - Take This Job and Shove It
Kiss - Dynasty
Disgraceland - Podcast
Johnny Cash - Live From Folsom Prison
Bonus* 11 - The Jasta Show - Podcast)
Thank you for the continued support. Pick up “V” anywhere you can [NR: you can get it here]! Hope to see you as soon as possible!
-- -- -- --
What's your favorite album from 1990? Just keep in mind, it's only been THIRTY years...
Check out the list below - displayed in alphabetical order - and don't forget to share this on social media!
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Regarding 1986, lets not forget about other gems from that year, such as Dark Angel's "Darkness Descends", Exumer's "Possessed By Fire", Angel Dust's "Into The Dark Past", Kreator's Pleasure To Kill", Destruction's "Eternal Devastation", Nuclear Assault's "Game Over", Possessed's "Beyond The Gates", Onslaught's "The Force"... phew! You get the picture.
However... 1988 deserves it's place in the thrash history as well. It was a year in which even bands who had pushed the genre forward were beginning to become more mature. Newer bands already knew the tricks of the genre and, despite having started a few years later than the first wave, released their own thing in wild style.
Having that said, lets see some of the great GREAT records 1988 had to offer, in no particular order...
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So... what did you think? Did we miss an essential thrash metal album from 1988? Comment below and share with your friends!
]]>Fast forward to today and now we can gladly say there’s more great albums from bands formed after the year 2000 than we can fit in a short list. Ain’t this awesome?
So... we picked up a “few” ones for your listening pleasure. Some of the names will be obvious, but others might surprise you. We think these are all GREAT ALBUMS for thrash metal fans of any age. Don’t forget to check out other albums by the same bands and comment with your favorites and suggestions... and allow us to spread the word about our own awesome merch!
Here we go... in no specific order:
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Here's a sound off that album. But we want to show you cool clips, too, so:
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Toxic Holocaust.- Chemistry of Consciousness (2013)
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Gama Bomb - Speed Between the Lines (2019)
Advertising - Bonded By Thrash T-shirt (Mosher Clothing)
Dust Bolt - Mass Confusion (2016)
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Bonded by Blood - Exhiled to Earth (2010)
___
What did you think of this list? Maybe we should make another one in the future, since the scene is SO DAMN RICH. Comment below and share this!
]]>Decapitated's guitarrist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka recently posted a Facebook video of him playing one of his first songs, and - holy sh*t - look at that right hand! The video from the guitarrist who currently is also playing in Machine Head is a part of a series of "Quarantine Metal Challenges", and the video caption was the following:
20 years ago the „Winds of creation” album was released.
We were 4 teens who wanted to be the most technical,heavy and fast metal dudes on the world.
Really great times and memories I have from those days.
The song „Blessed” was the 6th song I have made (the original version was released on demo „The Eye of Horus” in 1998).
Stay home and stay safe 🤘
#quarantinemetalchallenge
We love Decapitated, and we love just as much the fact that Vogg played with a Mosher Clothing trucker hat. Thank you!
]]>Check out the album’s opening track “Post-Truth Era” in a lyric-video created by Cloud Music Typography here:
Havok guitarist/vocalist David Sanchez commented about the song as follows: “"Post-Truth Era" is debuting at a very uncertain time for humankind. Many things are unclear at the moment, so I hope that this song will resonate with people. Our species has overcome so much to get us where we are today. We should not take this for granted. Please pay attention to the lyrics and understand that we have the power to change our world. We need to read between the lines, while keeping our spirits high. Know that we are truly all in this together and we will come out of this situation, stronger and wiser than ever.“
Havok previously launched the track “Phantom Force” in a video directed by K. Hunter Lamar / Digital Myle here:
“V”, Havok’s 5th studio album and relentless follow-up to 2017’s “Conformicide” effort, was engineered, mixed, mastered by Mark Lewis (Cannibal Corpse, The Black Dahlia Murder, etc.) and showcases stunning artwork by Eliran Kantor (Testament, Hatebreed, etc.).
Havok – “V”:
1. Post-Truth Era
2. Fear Campaign
3. Betrayed By Technology
4. Ritual Of The Mind
5. Interface With The Infinite
6. Dab Tsog
7. Phantom Force
8. Cosmetic Surgery
9. Panpsychism
10. Merchants Of Death
11. Don't Do It
“V” will be available as limited edition Digipak CD including a Havok logo-patch in its first pressing and as LP on 180gr.vinyl with A2 poster. Next to the unlimited black vinyl version, there will also be the following limited coloured editions of the release as follows:
Clear vinyl: 300x (CM Distro / Webshop Europe)
Light blue vinyl: 200x (EMP & Nuclear Blast in Europe)
Neon yellow vinyl: 200x (Band exclusive in Europe)
White vinyl: 200x (Revolver Magazine USA)
Crystal clear and coke bottle swirl vinyl: 200x (CM Onlineshop USA)
Sea glass vinyl: 300x (Indie Stores via CM USA)
Transparent yellow & transparent blue splatter vinyl: 300x (Band exclusive in North America)
The pre-sale for “V” in its various formats is available here: https://havok.lnk.to/-V
Havok have previously announced the first bunch of European festival appearances for this summer as follows:
Havok – Live 2020:
30.07.2020 Tolmin (Slovenia) - MetalDays
05.08.2020 Jaromer (Czech Republic) - Brutal Assault
08.08.2020 Leeuwarden (The Netherlands) - Into The Grave
09.08.2020 Kortrijk (Belgium) - Alcatraz Festival
15.08.2020 Dinkelsbühl (Germany) - Summer Breeze
16.08.2020 Saint Nolff (France) - Motocultor
Many more dates are to be announced very soon...
Havok is:
David Sanchez - Lead Riffs / Lead Vocals
Pete Webber - Lead Drums
Reece Alan Scruggs - Lead Shred
Brandon Bruce - Lead Bass / Backing Vocals
Havok Discography:
Burn – 2009
Time Is Up – 2011
Unnatural Selection – 2013
Conformicide – 2017
V – 2020
Havok Online:
http://havokband.com
https://www.facebook.com/HavokOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/havokbandofficial
https://twitter.com/havokthrash
]]>
Dime always had his (now retro) camera recorder when he'd go out on tour, and that turned into three home videos, compiled in the DVD "3 Vulgar Videos from Hell" (featuring 3: Watch It Go, Cowboys from Hell and Vulgar Videos). Then, there was Dimevision and, back in 2017, there was a trailer for the fourth Pantera home video, but its release has yet to see the light of day...
We've gathered some of the best videos from the iconic pink-bearded texan just for you... enjoy!
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Did we miss a great video? Contact us and give us your suggestions!
]]>
The "How Dare You?" speech by teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg at the United Nations is now available as a death metal song. Gotta love the internet (in this case, Suaka - who did all the work).
You can purchase the song here. Don't worry, it's Greta-approved!
]]>
Slayer's "The Repentless Killology" will be a feature in movie theaters worldwide, in the night of November 6. The film features the band’s performance on August 5, 2017, at the Los Angeles Forum, the same venue at which the band will be ending their career this coming November. The Blu-Ray/CD release is set for November, 8.
Watch the preview footage of the movie, right here:
]]>
The song is called "Born of Hate" and it's awesome, as you'd expect from Suicidal Angels. Their thrash has always being consistent over the years, and this one is yet another kick-ass, no-nonsense metal delivered into your headbanging skull!
The new album comes out in August and you can pre-order it here. Watch the video below:
Years Of Aggression tracklisting:
"Endless War"
"Born Of Hate"
"Years Of Aggression "
"Bloody Ground"
"D.I.V.A "
"From All The One"
"Order Of Death"
"The Roof Of Rats"
"The Sacred Dance With Chaos"
PS: use the voucher code "15MOSHSUICIDAL" (or use this link) to get 15% off our new "Bonded by Mosh" shirt and patch until the 8th of June.
]]>Due April 5 via M-Theory Audio, the album — produced by Robb Flynn of Machine Head, and engineered, mixed and mastered by Zack Ohren (Suffocation, Fallujah, Warbringer) — features 11 tracks that expertly fuse metal, thrash and New York hardcore.
"It's been a while since Sworn Enemy had a chance to film a video and we are pretty stoked the way 'Coming Undone' came out," says singer Sal Lococco. "Hope you all dig it!"
Check it out below, as well as the other advance track for "Gamechanger", "Prepare for Payback".
Top picture by Ms. Dezevil
Also, here's a pic of Sal wearing Mosher (credit to João Cavaco):
Here's the official press release (promo video here):
"Let Freedom Ring! It is with great excitement that MACHINE HEAD announce the first leg of their 25 Year Anniversary tour for the band’s classic debut, ‘Burn My Eyes.’ The dates kick off in Germany on October 5th in Freiburg, and continue across Europe and the UK, wrapping in Dublin, Ireland on the 8th of November. The U.S. leg will be announced in due course; those dates are set for November into December as the tour makes its way around the globe.
Building on their wildly popular ‘An Evening With…’ format, these not-to-be-missed shows will be a three-hour musical extravaganza, comprised of two parts:
Part I - will feature a battery of MACHINE HEAD’s modern classics, such as ‘Imperium,’ ‘Halo,’ and, ‘The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears,’ featuring frontman/guitarist Robb Flynn and bassist Jared MacEachern performing alongside two, soon-to-be-announced ragers on guitar and drums.
Part II - will feature the Bay Area band’s classic debut album, ‘Burn My Eyes’ played in its entirety for the first time ever. And if somehow this historical event could not be monumental enough, taking the stage for this part of the set will be ‘Burn My Eyes’-era alumni and MACHINE HEAD’s original drummer Chris Kontos and original guitarist, Logan Mader.
Band founder and visionary, Robb Flynn tells us “Having started rehearsals with Chris and Logan several weeks ago, I’m literally giddy with excitement at the prospect of how much fun this is going to be. Both Logan and Chris are in phenomenal playing shape, the vibe between all four of us has been incredibly positive!”
Flynn continues, “Having run through deep cuts like ‘Death Church,’ and ‘I’m Your God Now’ for the first time in well over a decade, has reminded me of how fucking heavy our older songs are! This tour is going to be MASSIVE!! The timing couldn’t have been more perfect to share this milestone with the Head Cases! So just a head’s up, DO NOT sleep on this! Tell your friends, spread the word, because tickets are going to disappear!”
Logan Mader adds, “It’s a huge honor for me to take part in celebrating ‘Burn My Eyes’ 25th birthday! It’s hard to believe this is actually happening. I feel like I won the guitar player lottery.... again! The fact that BME is still relevant today has a lot to do with the fact that Robb has kept the band alive and strong for two and a half decades. I’m very grateful for this!”
Chris Kontos echoes the sentiment, stating, “This is an absolute mind blower! Playing these songs again after 23 years feels just amazing. The fact that it's 25 years later and the BME record is still relevant and revered is humbling to say the least. Doing a huge world tour in celebration of the record is a great way to acknowledge the legacy of MACHINE HEAD’s past and future. I'm so looking forward to sharing these songs with the MACHINE HEAD fans around the world. Can't wait to meet all you ‘Head Cases’ out there! You can be sure it is going to be a crushing night! See ya soon!”
The Lord of the Low-End, Jared MacEachearn is equally looking forward to the run, saying “It’s not everyday that you get to pay tribute to a classic like ‘Burn My Eyes’ and with Logan and Chris in the mix, I’m really excited to bring something special to old and new fans alike.”"
Tour dates below:
Needless to say, our own logo was HEAVILY inspired by Pantera, since we're huge fans of the band. Remember when Phil Anselmo grabbed a Mosher shirt and showed it to a whole festival in Spain? We still shake when we remember it!
Pantera will never die, celebrate it's legacy today! Try the logo generator here.
Also, if you liked the article, please share with your friends! Check out our store, too!
]]>Directed by Adam Dubin, the film is an extension of the incredible book "Murder in the Front Row: Shots from the Bay Area Thrash Metal Epicenter" (by Harald Oimoen and Brian Lew, buy here) that captured timeless snapshots of the rise of the Bay Area bands such as Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Exodus, Testament, Possessed, Death Angel and many more, in the early 80's.
The director stated: “What I loved about the book is that it wasn’t just about Metallica. It was documenting a vibrant scene, where all the bands were equal and there was real camaraderie. The photos captured the sweat of the clubs, the ringing in your ears and the power of young people. Harald [Oimoen] and Brian [Lew] captured the humanity of it, and they understood that I was somebody who could bring that out in a film.”
The film will receive its premiere on April 20th in San Francisco. In the meantime, here's the trailer:
]]>Vocalist Corey Taylor and fellow percussionist Shawn Crahan were particularly under Fehn's scope, who said his bandmates had set up "several other Slipknot affiliated business entities" to collect Slipknot-related revenue.
Corey Taylor had the feeling (or information) that this would surface soon enough, so he tweeted about this a few days ago:
Today, the band confirmed Fehn is definitely out of Slipknot:
"Slipknot's focus is on making album #6, and our upcoming shows around the world, our best ever. Chris knows why he is no longer a part of Slipknot. We are disappointed that he chose to point fingers and manufacture claims, rather than doing what was necessary to continue to be a part of Slipknot. We would have preferred he not take the path that he has, but evolution in all things is a necessary part of this life."
Enjoy one of the last performances of Chris Fehn with Slipknot from 2018:
Did you like this story? Share it! Also, check out the awesome merch we created just for you.
]]>Guess what? When listening to death metal, the fans of the genre feel joy, not an urge to be violent. Maybe because they know the narrator is somewhat a whole different entity from the author - such a wild concept!
And now we actually got scientific proof of this phenomenon. The findings are published in the Royal Society journal Open Science,
"[Death metal] fans are nice people," said Prof Bill Thompson, from Macquarie University's music lab. "They're not going to go out and hurt someone."
For the study, there was a test involved asking 32 fans and 48 non-fans listen to death metal (actualy Bloodbath's Eaten) or to pop whilst looking at some pretty unpleasant images. Fans of death metal showed the same reaction as the "normie" crowd, which tell us they did not get desensitised by extreme music.
"If fans of violent music were desensitised to violence, which is what a lot of parent groups, religious groups and censorship boards are worried about, then they wouldn't show this same bias. "But the fans showed the very same bias towards processing these violent images as those who were not fans of this music" Prof Thompson explained.
So, there you go: you're daily dose of "I always knew that". But now you have science on your side! Share this with a friend.
]]>Track listing:
Live at Birmingham's Genting Arena on February 4, 2017
01. Black Sabbath
02. Fairies Wear Boots
03. Under The Sun / Every Day Comes And Goes
04. After Forever
05. Into The Void
06. Snowblind
07. Band Intros
08. War Pigs
09. Behind The Wall Of Sleep
10. Bassically / N.I.B.
11. Hand Of Doom
12. Supernaut / Sabbath Bloody Sabbath / Megalomania
13. Rat Salad / Drum Solo
14. Iron Man
15. Dirty Women
16. Children Of The Grave
17. Paranoid
The Angelic Sessions
01. The Wizard
02. Wicked World
03. Sweet Leaf
04. Tomorrow's Dream
05. Changes
Pre-orders are available now via PledgeMusic, where exclusive bundles, such as the deluxe box set, can be found.
]]>Metal Blade honcho Brian Slagel is set to release his memoir "For the Sake of Heaviness: The History of Metal Blade Records" on the 29th of August. From his days working at a record store to the success of one of the most legendary metal labels, it's all there... including how Brian hooked Metallica with late Cliff Burton and Jason Newsted.
Billboard unveiled an excerpt explaining these episodes in full detail, which can be read below:
“During this period of late 1982, I’d been gathering music together with the idea of releasing Metal Massacre II. One of the submissions I received was a three-song demo from a San Francisco band called Trauma. It was recorded pretty professionally, and their management told me they were coming down to play a show at the Troubadour. He suggested I come out to see them.
I went to the show and the band was OK, but certainly not amazing. The bass player, though, was f—in’ out of this world. You could see there was something completely crazy happening on his side of the stage. He was wearing a blue denim vest and wide bell-bottoms, and really stood out. I discovered his name was Cliff Burton.
Cliff impressed me so much I agreed to put the Trauma song “Such a Shame” on Metal Massacre II. Shortly before it was released, I was hanging out with [Metallica drummer] Lars Ulrich one day when he said, “We need a new bass player.”
As they’d started to practice more and hone their respective abilities as musicians, the Metallica guys realized that the only member who wasn’t developing was bassist Ron McGovney. Ron was a great guy, super cool and totally into it, but Lars told me they felt that, for the newer material they were writing, Ron just wasn’t up to it from a technical perspective. Lars asked me if I knew of anyone else who would be a good fit.
“Now that you mention it,” I responded, “There’s this band called Trauma from San Francisco, and their bass player is phenomenal. They’re coming down again for another show, so you guys should go check them out.”
I saw Lars and [Metallica singer-guitarist] James [Hetfield] at Trauma’s next LA show. Maybe five minutes into the set, Lars turned to me and, with a smile, said, “That’s going to be our new bass player.”
…One of our main sources of finding new acts was from other Metal Blade bands. Bitch, for example, had gone out to play a show in Phoenix. When they came back they said, “Hey, the band that just opened for us was called Flotsam and Jetsam. They’re amazing; you should check ’em out.”
They had a demo tape at the time called Metal Shock, which I listened to and fell in love with. Then I went out to Phoenix to see them live, and they were as amazing as my friends in Bitch said they were. While I was there, I became aware of another band from the Phoenix area, Sacred Reich, that we’d also sign to the Metal Blade roster.
While we’d had a lot of proficient bands on the label by that time, the Flotsam guys seemed even more experienced than some of our existing bands. I immediately talked to them about the idea of making a record, and, because we had some money to offer, we were able to record Doomsday for the Deceiver, which was released in July of 1986.
The $12,000 we spent on that Flotsam album was the biggest budget we’d invested in any record up to that point. We really wanted it to sound good because I believed those guys had the potential for a great future. It did extremely well.
When Metallica’s Cliff Burton was tragically killed later that year, I got a call from Lars Ulrich. “Well, we need a bass player,” he said sadly. It was just two weeks after Cliff had died. “Do you know anybody?” I had already thought about Armored Saint’s Joey Vera until I heard he said he wasn’t into it. When Lars asked the question, I immediately thought of Jason Newsted, who played with Flotsam and Jetsam. “I think I know the perfect guy for you,” I told him.
Around the same time, Michael Alago - the A&R guy who signed Metallica to Elektra - had heard the Flotsam record and really liked it. Michael and I both sent the Metallica guys some stuff. “Yup, he sounds interesting,” they said. “Can you put us in touch?” I said, “Sure, let me talk to him first and make sure he’s into it.”
I knew Jason was a huge Metallica fan, and when I called him he freaked out. But I could tell he was also in a weird position. Flotsam and Jetsam was his band; he wrote the songs and ran the whole thing. Even for me, it was a little bittersweet. Here was this great band that had just put out this great record. But the Metallica guys were good friends of mine, and clearly Jason was the perfect fit for them. I wanted the best for Jason and for Metallica, but I also knew I’d be losing something to make that happen.
“Give me a night to think about it,” Jason told me. The next day he called me back and said he was in. He was the second bass player I’d recruited for Metallica, but I made a point of telling him exactly how things were likely to go. After all, he was a young, twenty-three-year-old kid. Jason was really smart, but I knew that the transition wasn’t going to be an easy one for him. He was going from a band where he controlled everything to Metallica, where he would have zero control over anything. I vividly remember saying, “You’ve got to be aware that this band belongs to James and Lars, and you will have no say in anything. You’re just going to be the bass player, and you’re going to have to be OK with that. You probably won’t get to contribute anything, and you certainly won’t have any input in terms of the band’s direction. You’re just going to get up on stage and play bass.”
He was fine with it at the start, but I know one of the main reasons he left fifteen years later — apart from the fact that he was a wreck, physically — was that he missed being able to write his own music and do his own thing. He wanted to control his own destiny, but what a great run and a great career the guy had.
Hooking them up with Jason signaled the end of my formal relationship with Metallica. We’ve always remained close friends and they’ve always been incredibly appreciative of the role Metal Blade played in terms of putting them on the map. Pretty much every time I see James he says, “Thank you so much for giving us the start. If it wasn’t for you…”
You can pre-order the upcoming memoir right here.
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