PODCAST: Woodstock 1999 – Experiences, Pitfalls, and a Day By Day Review


In part one of a two-part series, Keefy discusses his Woodstock 1999 experience with a review of each band he saw and an overall conversation about all the highs and lows of the fest. Continue reading


Sharon Osbourne Doesn’t Rule Out a Return for Ozzfest as a Touring Festival, Still Blames Greedy Bands and Managers For its Hiatus


In the latest episode of The Osbournes Podcast, with Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly Osbourne, have released the seventeenth episode of their revived podcast. Among a plethora of topics, Ozzy asked Sharon if she would ever consider putting on another edition of the Ozzfest specifically as a traveling festival and not a one-off event. The last official Ozzfest event was on New Year’s Eve 2018 in Los Angeles at The forum and featured Ozzy, Rob Zombie, Body Count featuring Ice T, DevilDriver, Jonathan Davis of Korn, Wednesday 13, Zakk Sabbath, and more. Sharon commented:Continue reading


PODCAST: Glacially Musical Pouredcast 105: Slipknot Discography: Pt. 2 “Iowa” – If You’re 555 I’m 666


 

Arguably the biggest metal band in the world, Slipknot is the subject of our current series.  Episode 2 of 4 picks up the band following the release of their game-changing debut, from Ozzfest side-stage opener to headlining over legends in just a year, followed by the release of their second album, Iowa (Roadrunner Records).

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Mayhem Festival Comeback Pushed Back to 2021 Due to Coronavirus


 In a story Ghost Cult broke several months ago, Mayhem Fest co-founders Kevin Lyman and John Reece had been in talks about bringing the fest back and confirmed by Lyman on social media. However, now due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak, those plans are on hold until 2021. No further details had been shared yet about a new version of Mayhem Fest, but the rumor of the Megadeth/Lamb of God Tour being the headliners was debunked by Lyman and the bands. Reece even polled his fans to see if they wanted it back AFTER our news story broke. The final Mayhemfest wrapped in 2015 with Slayer and King Diamond co-headlining. Lyman’s Warped Tour celebrated 25 years last summer with a final few all-day festival dates, but not a cross country tour. Reece and Lyman were also responsible for The Uproar Festival Tour and A Taste of Chaos Tour as well. Perhaps Mayhem Festival will return as an all-dayer or an all-weekend destination fest like Lollapalooza did. The traveling summer-time metal festival was the metal answer to Warped Tour, also co-founded by Kevin Lyman and John Reece and saw Slipknot, Slayer, System of a Down, King Diamond, Five Finger Death Punch, Amon Amarth, Mastodon were among the many headliners over the years. Continue reading


PODCAST: EPISODE 78 – Corey Beaulieu of Trivium on New Album, New Realities


Ghost Cult caught up with Trivium shredder Corey Beaulieu at home recently for an interview. Trivium’s new album What The Dead Men Say is out April 24th via Roadrunner Records. Corey talked about the new album, how the new material came together, keeping his playing chops up, the impact of the Coronavirus on touring, what Alex Bent has brought to the band, what touring with Megadeath and Lamb of God In Flames means to him, Trivium’s place as a veteran band in the scene, thoughts on the Ascendancy days and 15th anniversary of their first major US tour Ozzfest 2005, some future plans, and more! You can pre-order the new album here: 

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Heart of a Coward – The Disconnect


I remember the great commercial Metalcore boom of the mid-aughts like it was yesterday. I was in the twilight years of high school, about 30 pounds lighter and with no useful insight into how to drive a car or pleasure a woman. I had it all figured out. You may not believe it, but I am wearing an As I Lay Dying tee as I type this. Heart of a Coward‘s The Disconnect (Arising Empire) takes me back to many an evening in 2004 hanging with the homies. Continue reading


Is Mayhem Festival Plotting a Comeback?


Typically we try to stay away from rumor mill material with Ghost Cult, as we like to leave that up to our peers who trade your trust for clickbait daily. On rare occasions, we will share a story that is developing that would be of great interest to fans if it comes to fruition and will let you know up front if we only have some of the facts. Such is the case with John Reece, co-founder of the now-defunct Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival. Reece posted last night on social media to the Mayhem Festival account, posing the question: should the fest should make a comeback? Reece who also used to run the Taste of Chaos tour with his then partner Kevin Lyman (also of Warped Tour) have been tight-lipped since the farewell messages at the end of the 2015 run of dates that ended the run of eight years straight starting in 2008. As of now, there is no pending announcement or further information we have to indicate the fest is coming back, but we’d love to see it! Once it went dark some of the bands that would typically play the fest went over to play Warped, which is also no longer a touring fest. Even as a destination fest (the current trend), we feel Mayhem would make a huge comeback. Both Reece and Lyman are incredible entrepreneurs with Reece involved with fests like Back To The Beach and the new Real Street Fest, and Lyman still running Warped and FEND, so there is no doubt they can make this happen and bring it back. Mayhemfest, as it was known, was a strictly Rock and Metal fest that was an answer to Ozzfest in America, after that event went on hiatus. The fest boasted lineups that included Slipknot, Korn, Disturbed, Slayer, King Diamond, Marilyn Manson, Lamb of God, Five Finger Death Punch, Avenged Sevenfold, Killswitch Engage, Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth, Hatebreed, All That Remains, Testament, Godsmack, Megadeth, Anthrax, Motörhead, Mastodon, Amon Amarth, Machine Head, Trivium and more!

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FESTIVAL REVIEW: Ozzfest 2018 Live At The Forum Los Angeles


Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Jonathan Davis, Body Count, Zakk Sabbath, DevilDriver, Wednesday 13: This was the lineup that rocked in the new year at Ozzfest New Year’s Eve 2018.

The festivities began in the parking lot of The Forum, located in (not so) sunny Los Angeles directly below one of LAX’s flight paths. The gloomy weather and high-flying airliners, however, were no match for the onslaught of heavy sounds so graciously provided by the fest’s openers: Wednesday 13 with their horror punk antics and crowd-dusting snow blower; Dez Fafara of Coal Chamber fame brought his current heavy hitting band DevilDriver and killed it as usual; and finishing out the outdoor portion of the fest was Black Sabbath cover band Zakk Sabbath, fronted by a purple-kilted Zakk Wylde.Continue reading


FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Ozzfest 2018


Kicking off in a few hours in Los Angeles, Ozzfest 2018 is poised to kick this year’s ass into next Tuesday! Taking place at the Forum in Los Angeles, attendees will enjoy ten straight hours of rock and metal madness to enjoy before they ring in the New Year with Ozzy Osbourne, as he counts down to the stroke of Midnight (PST) and welcomes in 2019.Continue reading


Slipknot Shares Knotfest Survey, Knotfest Columbia Only Festival Booked For 2018


 

Slipknot has asked its fans to fill out a survey about Knotfest, and fans feelings on future festivals. The band has only announced Knotfest Bogotá this year, and no other events. The questions of the survey seems to indicate that the future of Knotfest may either include a cruise, or a destination festival such as the Caribbean. There were specific question dedicated to the festival going experience and also about Haunted Houses, for some reason. The last Knotfest in the USA was last fall’s Ozzfest Meets Knotfest in San Bernadino, CA, which seemed like it was successful. Ozzfest is also apparently on hiatus in 2018, although Ozzy teased about a future Ozzfest in New York in a post to social media. Continue reading