Nuclear Blast California is the American Mecca for thrash metal. With top thrash innovators such as Metallica , Testament , Autopsy, Exodus , Death Angel and more having risen to fame together in the early ’80s, a very tight-knit brotherhood has been created between these musicians. Despite this bond, Metallica and Testament have never toured together, and during our recent chat with Testament singer Chuck Billy , he told us it’s his “dream” for the two acts to share a bill. Between Metallica and Testament, there are 62 years of thrash history shared among the two acts, with Metallica forming on 1981 and Testament coming together in 1983. Both bands are constantly performing with the world’s biggest thrash acts, such as Metallica headlining numerous ‘Big 4′ shows with Slayer , Megadeth and Anthrax , while Testament toured extensively in 2012 with Anthrax and Death Angel. Testament are even scheduled to headline another iconic tour in 2013 when they hit the road with Overkill . With these simple facts presented, it’s almost unfathomable to believe that Metallica has “never toured or played” with Testament, but according to Billy, it’s 100 percent true. “The band that we’ve always looked up to is Metallica,” reveals Billy. “From day one the songwriting, the aggression of the music, the vibe and what they stood for has always been an iconic goal for us to try and reach. Unfortunately, we’ve never gotten to perform with Metallica. So hopefully one day they look down and say, ‘They’ve come to our shows in the Bay Area, but we’ve never toured with them or played with them before.’ Maybe one day we will get our dream met and we’ll be able to play some shows and share a stage with them. They’ve always been one of those bands we’ve looked up to. I’ve always looked up to James [Hetfield] as a songwriter and a performer.” We can declare with a deep sense of certainty that there is no thrash fanatic out there who would miss a Metallica / Testament tour, so we issue this challenge to Metallica; once you’re finished writing and recording the new album, we call upon you to draft Testament for your next world tour! Who agrees with us? Let your voices be heard in the comments section below. Stay tuned for our full interview with Testament’s Chuck Billy. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/testament-overkill-more-to-embark-on-2013-dark-roots-of-thrash-tour/” title=”Testament + Overkill 2013 Tour Dates” align=”center”]
Posts Tagged ‘death-angel’
Scott Ian: ‘This Will Be the Only Version of Anthrax Until There Is No Anthrax’
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Anthrax have been on a hot streak after reuniting with singer Joey Belladonna in 2010. The band has since toured around the world, with high-profile slots on the Big Four concerts and the 2012 Mayhem Festival, along with releasing the critically acclaimed 2011 album ‘Worship Music.’ With the current lineup remaining strong, guitarist Scott Ian has declared, “This will be the only version of Anthrax until there is no Anthrax.” Scott Ian recently spoke with the Georgia Straight about the return of Joey Belladonna and his strongest traits as a frontman. “There’s a certain maniacal energy that Joey has onstage,” says Ian, “and that’s his thing. I mean, if I just compare him to our contemporaries in the Big Four, between James [Hetfield] and Dave Mustaine and Tom Araya you’ve got three frontmen that are all attached to the microphone—but Joey’s all over the place onstage. He’s a maniac, and I always felt like that was one of the things that gave us the kick in the ass we needed way back when to be able to break through and make it, so to speak.” Ian also spoke about how if the current lineup ever changes, Anthrax will cease to exist. “I’ve gone on record saying this will be the only version of Anthrax until there is no Anthrax,” claims Ian. “That’s how I feel, absolutely, in my heart. I don’t see why we would do anything different. This band sounds so great; we made a great record. And I’m super-excited about the future of this band creatively.” Anthrax are currently on the latest leg of their North American tour with fellow thrash legends Testament and Death Angel. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/anthrax-scott-ian-to-record-comedy-metal-album-with-funnyman-brian-posehn/” title=”Scott Ian to Record Comedy Album with Brian Posehn” align=”center”]