As we reported yesterday, shredder Phil Demmel (ex-Machine Head) is stepping in for thrash legend Gary Holt for the remainder of Slayer’s current European farewell tour dates. Holt flew home to be with his dying father. Slayer performed last night (December 3) at Royal Arena, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Watch fan-filmed videos below. Continue reading
Thrash metal legend Gary Holt (Exodus) who has been touring with Slayer since Jeff Hanneman passed away in 2013, has announced his departure from the current European farewell tour of Slayer. Holt’s father is gravely ill and Holt has been performing of late with this weighing on him for some time. Holt made the announcement in a post on social media and has the full support of his band. Former Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel, fresh off his final tour with that band will step in for the remaining dates. Demmel will take over tonight (December 3rd) in Copenhagen, Denmark. Holt will fly home. Continue reading
Go and see your heroes at least once before they are gone. I say this once a week to friends of mine. I hear all the time that “I can’t believe I missed so and so and now they are done”. For some of us, that list is long. Luckily, I have seen almost everyone on my bucket list, minus a few glaring omissions (AC/DC with Bon Scott, Queen). I’ve seen Slayer in all their iterations. Every lineup and era since 1991, which was my very first time. All of them ruled. However, when they announced their start of this farewell tour, it wasn’t a question to me if I was going or not? It was a question of how many times will I get to go? How many times will they come around? That number is up in the air as of this writing, but I am tickled that I got to go to see them at Mohegan Sun Arena in Montville, Connecticut. Thanks to my brother for life Dan Christian for hooking me up with a ticket and the great hangs. I saw a bunch of my metal brothers and sisters at the show and everyone was damn happy to be there, even if it also felt like a New Orleans funeral march at times with grave, sweaty faces. Continue reading
On January 23rd, Slayer announced that it would wrap up its 37 years together with one last tour around the globe. Before the band begins that final sojourn, Tom Araya, Kerry King, Paul Bostaph and Gary Holt sat down and talked about all things Slayer. Continue reading
Metal Allegiance has announced that they’ll be returning to their second home of Anaheim, California at the House Of Blues on Thursday, January 25th for their annual January metal assault.Continue reading
Metal Maya the only All-Inclusive Heavy Metal destination vacation metal festival in 2017 has announced the details for Metal Allegiance’s planned tribute to fallen heroes set. In addition, The festival teamed up a with Jackson guitars to giveaway custom-painted guitars bearing the likeness of Lemmy from Motorhead and Cliff Burton of Metallica. Continue reading
World-renowned artist and tattooist Vincent Castiglia has carved out a reputation as one of the most creative and fascinating figures in the world. His new exhibition Sanguine Spring is currently running at the Salem Art Gallery at the Satanic Temple in Salem Mass through the end of the month. Combining sculture, paintings, and other works, this exhibit represents some of his most varied and forward-thinking collections yet. We caught up with Vincent in his studio to discuss the exhibit, his creative process, the lasting influence of H.R. Giger, working with artists like Thomas Gabriel Fischer (Celtic Frost, Tryptykon) and Gary Holt (Slayer) and much more. Video production and gallery photos by Lisa Schuchmann for Ghost Cult.
For the last five years Ghost Cult has covered some part or all of THE NAMM Show, the bi-annual music industry and gear convention that is a music fan’s dream come true. Not only do all of the music industry gear companies , celeb endorsers, and other music companies all get together and hang out, demo gear, and general have a good time, it makes for a great time. Continue reading
Metal Allegiance promised that their “Fallen Heroes” show would be something to see, and they weren’t lying. Continue reading