Kevin Winter, Getty Images On the heels of learning that Metallica will be taking over Green Day ‘s headlining gig at the 2012 Voodoo Music + Arts Experience in New Orleans, Loudwire had the chance to catch up with ‘Tallica axeman Kirk Hammett . This will be Metallica’s first concert in New Orleans since 2008, so needless to say there is a lot of excitement around the announcement . With Green Day pulling out of the festival due to lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong ‘s entrance into rehab, Hammett looks at the concert as more than just filling an open slot. “I’m very honored that we’re able to help our friends in Green Day,” he says. “I wish Billie Joe the best of luck, we’ll do anything to help them out. It’s great to be able to help him out.” What can fans expect from the show? “It’s such a recent development, so we haven’t really discussed what we’re going to do yet,” Hammett explains honestly. “New Orleans during Halloween, I’m really excited about that. I love New Orleans, I love the voodoo folklore, I love the vampire folklore. It should be pretty interesting.” With the recent release of Hammett’s book that chronicles his horror movie memorabilia collection, ‘ Too Much Horror Business ,’ there’s no doubt that fans are in for a treat on Halloween weekend in New Orleans. The 14th annual Voodoo Music + Arts Experience kicks off on Oct. 26 and runs through Oct. 28. Metallica will be headlining the Oct. 27 date. [button href=”http://ultimatemetallica.com/” title=”Get All the Latest Metallica News Here” align=”center”]
Metallica.com After pop-punk legends Green Day chose to withdraw as headliners of the 2012 ‘Voodoo Music + Arts Experience’ due to frontman Billie Joe Armstrong entering rehab for substance abuse, the band’s replacement has just been named. The replacement headliners just happen to be the most commercially successful metal band in history, Metallica . Now that Green Day have pulled out of the festival, this will mark Metallica’s first New Orleans performance since 2008, and Metallica now join Neil Young, Jack White , Die Antwoord, Skrillex and many more artists at the ‘Voodoo’ festival. Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming festival date. “We are excited to be part of our first ever Voodoo Music + Arts Experience,” says Ulrich. “Our good friends and fellow Bay Area residents Green Day had to unfortunately cancel their plans to be there, so we are more than happy to fill in for them in our own unique way. We’re hoping we can fill those very large shoes and do them proud.” Founder and producer of ‘Voodoo,’ Stephen Rehage also shared his excitement, along with relief in a new press statement. “After a hectic few days – and sleepless nights – having Metallica, one of the world’s greatest bands agree to perform at Voodoo in the place of Green Day, only two weeks before the festival, feels pretty surreal at the moment – like being part of rock & roll history in the making… something you will tell your grandkids about years from now,” says Rehage. “We are incredibly grateful to Metallica and their management team for supporting us in this unprecedented manner. I am sure Metallica’s performance at Voodoo will be remembered for many years to come.” The 2012 ‘Voodoo Music + Arts Experience’ will mark the 14th anniversary of the outing, and will be held on Oct. 26-28, with Metallica playing the Oct. 27 date. [button href=”http://ultimatemetallica.com” title=”Get All the Latest Metallica News Here” align=”center”]
Donald Kravitz, Getty Images When we arrived at Bader Field the day before Metallica ‘s Orion Music + More festival, we were greeted with the band rocking out to one of our favorite tunes, ‘Creeping Death.’ It turned out that they were performing their usual pre-show soundcheck, working out all the kinks before they kicked off their first ever two-day fest. For those who weren’t lucky enough to be in Atlantic City to experience Orion, the band released both nights’ performances as downloads via LiveMetallica.com . While those cost money to download, Metallica has now released that Friday soundcheck as a free download . The soundcheck includes the aforementioned ‘Creeping Death,’ ‘Hell and Back’ from the ‘Beyond Magnetic’ EP and the instrumental ‘The Call of Ktulu.’ With this being a soundcheck, the band was not playing as serious as they would during an actual live performance. This is obvious when frontman James Hetfield, while jamming on ‘Creeping Death,’ decides to skip out on singing the first verse. This looseness provides a unique listening experience for ‘Tallica fans, making this a download you won’t want to miss. Orion Music + More was held at Bader Field in Atlantic City on June 23 and 24, 2012. It was Metallica’s first music festival that they created and the band has promised to turn it into an annual tradition. Download Metallica’s Orion Music + More Soundcheck here. [button href=”http://ultimatemetallica.com” target=”_blank” title=”Click Here For Complete Metallica Coverage” align=”center”]
Karl Walter, Getty Images Here’s a look at the top stories of the day on Loudwire and around the Web: Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor unleashes new single ‘Keep it Together’ with his project How to Destroy Angels . Listen to the track here. [ Loudwire ] We racked our brains and lost sleep on many a night, but we finally came up with our list of the 10 best Metallica songs of all time. Check it out here and let us know what you think we missed. [ Loudwire ] Industrial metal veterans Static-X pull out of tour with Emmure + Ill Nino as Wayne Static undergoes medical procedures. Read about it here. [ Loudwire ] Mumford and Sons have just matched a 48-year-old chart record set by the Beatles. See which one it was here. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] Screaming Females have been forced to cancel their upcoming fall tour due to singer’s illness. Read all about it here. [ Diffuser.fm ] What’s your favorite Metallica album? Vote for your No. 1 pick on this new Metallica fan site. [ Ultimate Metallica ] Musical mad scientist Devin Townsend to stream sold out ‘Retinal Circus Extravaganza’ live online. Don’t miss out! [ Rock Music Report ]
Vans Metal legends Metallica are teaming up with the iconic skate shoe company Vans for a new line of sneakers that celebrate the band’s storied career. “I’ve been wearing Vans on stage my whole freakin’ career (and way before that!),” said Metallica bassist Rob Trujillo. “Whether I’m walking the streets of Venice or San Francisco, Vans provides the funk in my stride!” The collaboration kicks off with a limited edition Vans x Metallica 20th Anniversary Half Cab Pro . It’s part of of the year long celebration marking the 20th anniversary of the Half Cab, the most popular skate shoe of all time. The heavy-duty canvas and suede “black to the floor” Metallica edition features classic band lyrics embossed in the side, exclusive Vans x Metallica x Steve Caballero labeling and a unique clear rubber sole with ‘Kill ‘Em All’ album artwork showing through. “To have Metallica, my all-time favorite metal band, collaborating with me on this 20th anniversary Half Cab shoe is an honor and a dream come true,” said Caballero. “I’m very stoked that Vans is working with such a legendary band and the Half Cab is just the beginning.” In early 2013, the ‘Passion Projects’ will launch. James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Rob Trujillo each designed shoes for the collection. They created Vans shoes reflecting their own style, drawing from music, art and action sports. Members of the band’s fan club (Met Club) will have the first opportunity to buy the Vans x Metallica Passion Project shoes in January. They’ll go on sale to the general public in February. The Metallica shoes won’t stop there. In March of 2013, to mark the 30th anniversary of Metallica’s debut album, ‘Kill ‘Em All’ theme shoes will be available. Emblazoned with artwork commemorating the anniversary, the shoes will be available in the Classic Slip-On and Sk8-Hi styles. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/kirk-hammett-upcoming-metallica-album-encounters-with-kurt-cobain/” title=”Next: Kirk Hammett Talks Next Metallica Album + More” align=”center”]
Theo Wargo, Getty Images Metallica are busy with their 3D film right now, but guitarist Kirk Hammett says work on their follow-up to ‘Death Magnetic’ will ‘happen soon.’ The guitarist tells Rolling Stone , “Right now, we’re kind of preoccupied with dealing with this 3D movie that we shot up in Canada last month. So that’s kind of taking our time right now – that’s the priority, to deal with that. But once we’re done with that, we’re going to start hunkering down and putting riffs together. That’s all going to happen soon. I really don’t have an answer about Rick Rubin, although his name certainly comes up.” In the same interview, Hammett remembers his encounters with Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain . The guitarist recalls, “He told me that [‘Whiplash’ was his favorite Metallica song]. He came to one of our shows in Seattle, on the ‘Black Album’ tour. I remember at one point, we were playing ‘Whiplash,’ and he looked at me and kept punching the air with his fist and gave me this big thumbs up sign.” Hammett says after seeing the reaction, they dedicated the track to Cobain. The guitarist says, “I knew Kurt kind of well and I hung out with him quite a bit. He was a pretty big Metallica fan – I was surprised at how much of a Metallica fan he was. He loved ‘Ride the Lightning.’ He loved that album.” While the 3D movie and eventual album work are the primary priorities for Hammett, he’s also managing to find some spare time to release his ‘ Too Much Horror Business ‘ book, detailing his extensive collection of horror memorabilia. The guitarist says, “Over the last five years or so, I started to get a few items that made my collection just that much better. I mean, really raised the overall quality of my collection. I thought, ‘I can’t be the solitary collector. It’s time for me to share it with the world.’ So this book is my gift to all the other monster kids and all the other horror nerds out there, who love this stuff as much as I do.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/metallica-kirk-hammett-too-much-horror-business-book-signing-appearances/” title=”Next: Kirk Hammett Book Signing Tour” align=”center”]
Megaforce Records Yesterday (Sept. 26) marked the 26th anniversary of Metallica bassist Cliff Burton ‘s shocking death, prompting an outpouring of memories from fans — as well as a tribute from his surviving bandmates. Metallica posted its Burton remembrance on its Facebook page , offering fans a free download from its November 22, 1984 date on the ‘Ride the Lightning’ tour. Recorded in Toulouse, France, the 10-song set kicks off with ‘The Four Horsemen’ and rocks for nearly a solid hour, concluding with ‘Metal Militia’ — and bearing only a couple of minor tape flaws, which is impressive for a recording that’s nearly 30 years old. As longtime fans are already well aware, Burton’s life was cut short in 1986 during an early morning crash that occurred when the band’s tour bus hit a patch of black ice on the road between gigs in Sweden. While continuing to mourn the late bassist, fans can enjoy his work in this classic live set — as well as the tunes in our list of the Top 10 Metallica songs of Burton’s era. Turn up the volume and remember: [button href=”http://loudwire.com/top-cliff-burton-metallica-songs/” title=”Top 10 Cliff Burton Metallica Songs” align=”center”]