Metal Blade Records has just welcomed all-star heavy metal band, Category 7, into the fold. The new band features vocalist John Bush, guitarists Phil Demmel and Mike Orlando, bassist Jack Gibson, and drummer Jason Bittner, all drawn from such legendary acts as Armored Saint, ex-Anthrax, Adrenaline Mob, ex-Machine Head, Violence, Kerry King, Overkill, Exodus, and Shadows Fall. An album is already planned for 2024. Keep reading below for more information on this new partnership.
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Tag Archives: Phil Demmel
Phil Demmel Announces His Official Departure From Vio-Lence, Says its Unrelated to Joining Kerry King’s Band
After almost 39 years in the band Vio-Lence Co-founder and guitarist Phil Demmel is permanently leaving the band after one final show on February 11th. In a post to social media and transcribed by Metal Injection, Demmel, explains that this recent development has nothing to do with him joining Kerry King’s new band, and more about the direction he has been heading in for a while, as he and vocalist Sean Killian are “not on the same page, and never have been!” Perry Strickland left the band in 2023. As Injection also reported, Demmel played with every incarnation of Vio-Lence across their career between 1985 and 2024, but he also stepped back from the band in 2023 as the band began touring without him and Demmel only playing occasional festivals like Milwaukee Metal Fest and a hometown show in Oakland. At that Oakland show last summer, Phil gave several lengthy thank yous and tributes to current and former members, that felt to those in attendance, like a goodbye moment from him. Demmel has also filled in for Lamb of God on tour in recent years and Slayer in 2018. Vio-lence has confirmed spring tour dates booked for the USA. Continue reading
CONCERT REVIEW: Vio-Lence – Skeletal Remains – Fueled By Fire – Phantom Witch Live and Outside at Line 51 Brewing
It was the second of two days in a row in Oakland for the Live and Outside concert series produced by the Oakland Underworld Metro Opera House at Line 51 Brewing. I had barely recovered from seeing YOB the night before when it was time to head back over to Line 51 Brewing, but this time for some Thrash and Death Metal greatness. Although I ended up getting there early, there were many more people here today than for yesterday’s smaller, but also intense show.
Rock For Ronnie Concert In The Park Benefiting Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund All-Star Talent Announced
The Rock For Ronnie Concert in the Park will take place on Sunday afternoon, May 7, 2023 at Los Encinos Historic Park in Encino, benefiting the. Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund (https://www.diocancerfund.org). The Rock For Ronnie event, slated to be an afternoon of live rock music, silent and live auctions, food trucks and fun geared to the entire family, is the cancer charity’s first post-Covid event back in the park. The event just named a who’s who of Rock and Heavy Metal luminaries for the finale/all-star jam.
PODCAST: Episode #199: Gary Alcock Interviews Phil Demmel of Vio-Lence About Their New EP and Phil-ing in with Lamb of God
Ghost Cult scribe Gary Alcock interviewed the swiss-army knife of metal guitarists, Phil Demmel of Vio-Lence, just after the band’s first-ever UK show at Bloodstock Open Air 2022. Phil discusses his past success in the UK with Machine Head, how hot it was at BOA, his current status with Vio-Lence, filling in with Lamb of God, gigs trying to navigate the landscape of being a working musician, the new EP Let The World Burn (Metal Blade), and more!
Roadrunner United Release Celebrating The Iconic Label to See a Rerelease in 2023
Roadrunner United was a project organized by iconic hard rock record label Roadrunner Records to celebrate its 25th anniversary, culminating in the U.S. Billboard Top 200, UK Albums, and Australian ARIA Albums-charting original The All Star Sessions. Four “team captains” (Slipknot’s Joey Jordison (RIP), Machine Head’s Robb Flynn, Fear Factory’s Dino Cazares, and Trivium’s Matthew K. Heafy) were chosen to lead 57 artists from 45 past and present Roadrunner bands. On December 15, 2005, a concert celebrating the project, album, and anniversary took place at the Nokia Theater in New York City. That star-studded event featured multiple musicians, both past and present, from Roadrunner bands — as well as musicians that did not originally perform on the All-Star Sessions album. Now that album is getting a release in 2023 on multiple formats. Watch the live performance video of “The End (Live)” featuring Fear Factory’s Dino Cazares, and Trivium’s Matthew K. Heafy – right now!
FESTIVAL REVIEW: Bloodstock Open Air 2022 Part 2
Catton Park, United kingdom, 14 Aug 2022, Lamb of God performing on the Ronnie James Dio Stage at Bloodstock Open Air Festival Credit: Rich Price/Ghost Cult Magazine
SATURDAY
Considering most people are already feeling like overcooked baked potatoes wrapped in tin foil, the fact that today is meant to be the hottest day of the festival really isn’t the best news. Still, that certainly doesn’t deter a healthy crowd from shaking off the hangovers and getting on with the business at hand, Baest and Lost Society both grabbing the main stage by the scruff of the neck while Sister Shotgun and Mastiff do the same on the Sophie stage.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Machine Head – ØF KINGDØM AND CRØWN
I remember one-time reading Revolver magazine’s review for Through the Ashes of Empires and while it was a very positive piece the writer felt that despite being a great step forward it may have been too little, too late for Machine Head. Hard to believe now, but in those days some perceived Machine Head as being dead in the water following the more mainstream stylings of The Burning Red and the ill-timed Supercharger.
Watch Phil Demmel Play Through Vio-lence’s “Flesh From Bone” for Jackson Guitars
House of Blues, Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV 8/18/19
Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel, long an endorsed artist for Jackson Guitars has filmed a “Behind the Riff” playthrough video on their channel. Watch Phil jam his way through the riffs of “Flesh From Bone” – a track off of Vio-Lence’s new EP Let The World Burn (Metal Blade Records). Watch the video and check out Phil’s signature guitars at the link below!
Lamb of God’s John Campbell to Miss Their Next Few Shows, Phil Demmel of Vio-Lence to Fill-In
Lamb of God bassist John CampbelJohn Campbelll will be forced to miss the next couple of shows on the band’s “The Metal Tour Of The Year” (review here) in order to “take care of a family matter back home.” He will be temporarily replaced by former Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel, who filled in for Lamb of God guitarist Willie Adler during LOG’s ShipRocked cruise performance earlier in the year! Watch footage of the band performing together!