The legendary Anthrax announced the The Killthrax Tour with Killswitch Engage and The Devil Wears Prada last week, and just to get you more excited for those dates, they’ve released a brand new video. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Scott Ian
Anthrax Books 2017 Headline Tour Of The UK, To Play All of Among The Living In Full
New York thrash legends Anthrax have booked a headline tour of the UK for next winter. They have announced they will play all of their classic Among The Living (Island Records) album in its entirety on the dates to celebrate 30 years since its release. Continue reading
Anthrax – Death Angel -Avatar: Live At The Orpheum Theater
Anthrax, along with Death Angel, have spent the better part of the last 2 months on the road-supporting and pumping up their new album For All King’s (Megaforce) and as well as supporting their brothers in metal crime the almighty Slayer. But what is a thrash metal band suppose to do once a Big 3 metal assault across the USA comes to an end? Grab Death Angel and do it some more… And that’s what Anthrax set out to do. Continue on and melt the faces of more metal heads!Continue reading
Video: Anthrax Performs At Saint Vitus Bar In Brooklyn For Gilda’s Club
Photo by Gretchen Robinette (Brooklynvegan.com)
Anthrax is currently out on the road with Slayer and Death Angel, but they took a quick break from playing huge stadiums for two benefit shows at Saint Vitus Bar over the weekend.Continue reading
Video: Anthrax Covers Comfortably Numb By Pink Floyd Live On Opie Radio
Anthrax will be performing a special benefit show for cancer support group Gilda’s Club on Friday at Saint Vitus Bar (details). Today the thrash legends stayed in New York City, and stopped by the SiriusXM studios to perform a rare acoustic set for their friends at Opie Radio.Continue reading
Tuska Festival 2016: Day Three – Helsinki, Finland
Day 3
Myrkur has generated lots of attention, and seemingly Amalie Bruun, primus motor, has received threats to her life for being a female musician doing the post black metal thing. It seems to be the ultimate blasphemy to certain individuals, that probably haven’t been there from the inception of the scene nor have they understood the rebellious primary foundation of the initial scene, where most of the legendary figures embrace both musical diversity and experimentation. I must admit to first seeing it as yet another cash-cow of everything that is black metal, like most things these days, it seems. However, with the release of her début album, M (Relapse), she won me over. Therefore I really wanted to catch her full set, as this would be my first exposure to her music in a live setting. Sadly, we didn’t manage to be at the festival site until Myrkur were in the middle of their set. Yet, even from afar, in between all the bustle from festival-goers elsewhere on the site, her angelic voice penetrated and created a welcoming atmosphere.
Gojira were simply incredible! It’s not the band I have played the most, although I became a fan around From Mars To Sirius (Roadrunner). But as a live band they are simply amazing! The level of musicianship, the songs’ ability to balance brutality and catchiness… It’s simply one of the best live bands in the metal genre these days, just like Behemoth. Both bands are able to create this energy that just makes the audience feed from it for the entire time the show lasts. With a set consisting of twelve songs, and with a good variation of songs from all their five albums, the show had a little for everyone of their fans. But maybe the most spectacular about the show was seeing them perform ‘Stranded’ live for the first time. That song manages to take some minor details and create an enormously catchy extreme metal song.
The mood was entirely different as we entered the tent stage again to catch Swedish gloomsters Katatonia. The band used to struggle live, but has since the mid 2000’s also become a live band worth catching. Their new album, The Fall Of Hearts (Peaceville) is really good, and it was nice to get to hear a couple of songs from it. The only negative aspect of the show was really that it didn’t last long enough, and that they neglected their back catalogue somewhat. Then again, they played ‘Nephilim’, and ‘In The White’, two personal favourites of mine, and two songs I never had expected for them to play. And of course the band played the hits, and by saying that, I am thinking of ‘My Twin’, and ‘July’.
Finishing off the Tuska experience: Children Of Bodom. Actually they seem to be more about calling themselves The Children of Bodom Hate Crew these days, which makes Alexi Laiho slightly come across as an emo boy at 37 years of age with mascara and nailpolish and an attempt at the teenage rebellion thing going with his image. Musically on the other hand the band are rock solid, and if you enjoy seeing keyboards tilted forwards to show off solo skills or you enjoy endless solos more reminding of power metal than extreme metal, I’m sure this would be the show for you. I, as you might have figured out, think Children Of Bodom are a bit too cheesy to my taste. I enjoyed my sixth serving of muiku immensely more than this last Tuska headliner.
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WORDS BY PÅL LYSTRUP
PHOTOS BY TJ FOWLER PHOTOGRAPHY
Tuska Festival 2016: Day Two – Helsinki, Finland
Saturday was hot, and very very bright, and somehow the head had felt better. With a yearning for some sunglasses, it was time to get to the main stage and catch Primordial’s set. The band where one would think it was a solo performance with some backing musicians, but it has always seemed like nobody minds Alan Nemtheanga stealing the spotlight. Seven songs with what one can only assume is filled with the struggle of Irishmen and dissatisfaction with modern times – of course without any countering solution, but at least in ‘Bloodied Yet Unbowed’ what seems to be a defense and rationalization of black-and-white thinking.. But it’s good fun! And who were we to ever expect intellectualism or deeper psychological self-awareness from extreme metal, and to most of us I expect the intellect to seek out food for thought elsewhere.
Next up was Tsjuder, the festival alibi for true Norwegian black metal, anti-life anti-human, so on and so forth. Right from the start no energy was saved as the band kicked off their set with ‘The Daemon Throne’ and ‘Slakt’. What from afar looked as a tent crammed to the brim with people actually turned out to be a half empty in the front towards the stage. Apart from the disappointment in terms of turnout, it didn’t seem to have any effect on the band, who kept the audience on their toes throughout their entire set. In terms of putting on a proper show the trio may have fallen short though, compared to other bands. Not that primitive black metal was ever about putting on a show – or so they would probably claim –, but three guys in makeup on a large stage lacks a little in terms of the visual aspects.
Back at the main stage Anthrax was about to prove that age is no limit to putting on a good show. As someone said: “I’m amazed at how they still have all that energy and jump and run around on stage as if they were still teenagers”. Indeed this was true, the band were on fire! Yet, it was somewhat special to have crossover thrash metal legends on stage for ten songs, when one fifth were actually covers. Then again, their own songs included ‘Indians’, ‘Caught In A Mosh’, ‘Madhouse’, and they did finish it all off with ‘Among The Living’. As this for some reason was my first time experiencing the band live, I can’t say anything else than that I would sure like to be able to experience it again sometime. On our way to catch Anthrax we were also able to visit the smaller Inferno stage at the other side of the festival area. On stage Jess And The Ancient ones were seemingly pulling of a great gig, but staying at the smaller club scene was not an option when Anthrax were set to perform, as much as the Finnish band recently released a great album.
Finishing off the second day of the festival were none other than Ghost, the band that have grown to mega size over the course of just three albums. The melodic rock had people come from all sorts of places to catch the band live, at least judging from the people I was able to talk to before, during, and after the show. Where the first album was a bit more on the hard rock side of things the music has also taken a turn towards the more poppy. And there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just that love songs about the devil seems a bit far out there, and almost completely surreal. The lyrics could just as easily have been about the more worldly concepts of love, but I guess the satanic stuff makes it a little more mysterious, or something like that. I think it’s starting to become slightly cartoonish by now. That the weather turned full on Marvel with thunder and lightning as they finished off their set only seemed even more fitting.
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WORDS BY PÅL LYSTRUP
PHOTOS BY TJ FOWLER PHOTOGRAPHY
Anthrax – For All Kings
In 2016, for the first time since the eighties, New York thrashers Anthrax find themselves with a genuine burden of expectancy being placed upon their shoulders. Not since John Bush joined in 1992 have the eyes of so many been fixed on the band.
The reason for this is all thanks to 2011’s Worship Music (Megaforce, Nuclear Blast). After the rather colourless Stomp 442 (Elektra/Warner) and its largely forgettable follow-up Volume 8 – The Threat is Real (Ignition), the band released the perennially underrated We’ve Come for You All (Sanctuary/Nuclear Blast). Although clearly superior to their previous couple of outings, its reception was still mixed and far from anything they had enjoyed during the 80s and the turn of the 90s.
However, when Worship Music landed, all that changed. Although possibly helped by a combination of expectancy levels being at an all time low due to more publicized unrest and personnel changes within the camp, as well as there being a gap of eight years between records, the 2011 “comeback” album helped itself no end by simply being one of the strongest records the band had released to date. All of a sudden, the messy upheavals and well documented hirings and firings were forgotten as fans were treated to one of the best Metal albums of the year. Worship Music was a roaring success.
So, having firmly re-established themselves with a critically lauded new album and almost constant touring, the band’s next trick had to be how to maintain that momentum from inside the studio again. A pretty mammoth task they just about succeed in achieving with latest album For All Kings (Megaforce).
After a restrained drum and cello introduction, a typically Anthrax riff takes over and opener ‘You Gotta Believe’ begins properly, hammering away at you until you can catch your breath during its quiet middle section, before it builds back up to a suitably big finish. I’m afraid that by the time vocalist Joey Belladonna belts out “your golden halo is burned and melted” during ‘Monster at the End’ it’s already all over for you as the chorus digs its claws in, almost physically forcing you to sing along, regardless of where you are and how many strange looks you may attract.
Initially led by Belladonna, the title track is simply a monster, with drummer Charlie Benante quickly taking centre stage, owning the song completely with one of his most confident performances in recent years. ‘Breathing Lightning’ and ‘Suzerain’ are big songs with big choruses, and the thrashy as hell ‘Evil Twin’ is as close to old school Anthrax as you could possibly wish for. ‘Blood Eagle Wings’ is a lengthy, but worthwhile eight minutes, and ‘Defend Avenge’ has an opening riff reminiscent of ‘Among the Living’ but is also the album’s first throwaway track, although it does contain a quality guitar solo and improves as it goes along. ‘All Of Them Thieves’ is another (slight) disappointment, but again features another great solo from new boy Jon Donais (Shadows Fall) and gets better towards the end.
Bassist Frank Bello takes control of the intro to ‘This Battle Chose Us’, an improvement on the previous two tracks, and proceedings are brought to an impressive close with a short, sharp burst from the satisfyingly speedy ‘Zero Tolerance’.
A couple of wobbles during the second half aside, ‘For All Kings’ is every bit the worthy successor to Worship Music, although there could be a question as to how much material (if indeed any) was salvaged from the studio at the end of those previous sessions, such are the distinct similarities between the two records in places.
Mainman Scott Ian might come in for a lot of (mostly anonymous, and online) flak when it comes to decisions within the band (his band to be fair), but whatever missteps he may or may not have made in the past, he’s certainly helped make sure the band have a firm footing both for now and a few years to come.
8.0/10
GARY ALCOCK
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Video: Full Lemmy Kilmister Memorial Event Posted Online
The two-plus hour video of Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead‘s funeral is now available to watch online. You can watch the ceremony at this link or below:
https://youtu.be/qSAXVdIj6jY
Hundreds of mourners filled the chapel at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles to celebrate the life and the memory of Lemmy. Motörhead manager Todd Singerman was the host with eulogies by many legendary musicians and celebrities such as drummer Mikkey Dee, Lemmy’s close friend Dave Grohl of The Foo Fighters, Lars Ulrich and Robert Trujillo of Metallica, Slash and Matt Sorum of Guns `N Roses fame, Rob Halford of Judas Priest, Mike Inez of Alice In Chains, Slim Jim Phantom of Headcat and The Stray Cats, Scott Ian of Anthrax, members of Skew Siskin, Whitefield Crane of Ugly Kid Joe, Triple H from the WWE, and countless others. Lemmy’s son Paul Inder, his partner Sheryl and many family, friends, roadcrew and other friends also spoke. Others in attendance, but didn’t speak were Ozzy and Sharone Osborne and Gene Simmons of KISS.
Family, Friends, And Musicians Honor Lemmy At His Funeral
Hundreds of mourners filled the chapel at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles to celebrate the life and the memory of Ian Frasier “Lemmy” Kilmister of Motörhead today. Their manager Todd Singerman was the de facto Master of Ceremonies which was fitting. A cadre of Lemmy’s family, loved ones, peers, friends and his loyal road crew reminisced and regaled all in attendance in person and online via the webcast on YouTube. Although an official number has not been released, at one point the number of viewers online topped 246,000. Lemmy’s urn was at the center of the deus, a stage adorned with red and white flowers, two huge Marshall stacks and his bass, and giant Iron Cross other tributes and a lectern as well. Many in attendance could be seen sporting Lemmy’s trademark hat. Many carried shots and drank liberally. As expected everyone spoke glowingly of Lemmy, relating their personal experiences with the man being enormously talented and famous, but remaining down to earth and even comically self-aware at times.
Lemmy’s son Paul Inder spoke first and lovingly about his father, ultimately praising him for never quitting on the band or his fans. Next was Mikkey Dee who represented Motörhead with Phil Campbell unable to attend. Dee confessed that prior to the last few years when Lemmy’s health started to fail, the two had never talked about intimate, personal topics as friends, just band stuff.
Some other memorable quotes and moments:
“It was an absolute honor playing, writing, and laughing with you.” Phil Campbell via a letter read by Whitfield Crane (Ugly Kid Joe)
“Lemmy was gravitational…” “We are mourning two deaths. Motörhead is no longer.” “Motörhead eats sunsets for breakfast”. Mike Inez of Alice In Chains
“A true rock and roll maverick.” “Faith, Family, Friends, and Fans. God Bless you Lemmy.” Rob Halford of Judas Priest
“He gave me the gift of his sound.” “He was a true gentleman'” – Triple H
“It was you who taught us how to rock You taught us how to be fucking real.” Scott Ian of Anthrax
“What a great example of Rock And Roll. We love you Lemmy!” – Slash
“Many people say Lemmy is God. I believe that.” Matt Sorum
“I never saw him rude to a fan or inappropriate with women.” – Slim Jim Phantom of The Stray Cats and The HeadCat.
“We must always celebrate, respect and enjoy our elders.” – Robert Trujillo of Metallica
“Lemmy was always so fucking hospitable, like the greatest host ever.” – Lars Ulrich of Metallica
“I have always cited Lemmy and Motörhead as the primary source of inspiration for Metallica, and I always will.” Lars Ulrich of Metallica
“Lemmy had the biggest heart, because he was so kind.” – Dave Grohl
“Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I’m tired, I’m weak, I’m lone
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me homeWhen my way grows drear precious Lord linger near
When my light is almost gone
Hear my cry, hear my call
Hold my hand lest I fall
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me homeWhen the darkness appears and the night draws near
And the day is past and gone
At the river I stand
Guide my feet, hold my hand
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home”Dave Grohl reading an excerpt of the Little Richard song ‘Precious Lord, Lead Me Home’