Facebook: Metallica Metallica fans have been drooling for the band’s upcoming 3D concert film ever since the band filmed footage for the movie over the summer of 2012. Small details have been revealed by band members, but this latest revelation put forth by drummer Lars Ulrich may be the most captivating piece of the puzzle yet. In a recent interview with Classic Rock Magazine , Lars Ulrich revealed that the 1976 Led Zeppelin concert film ‘The Song Remains the Same’ has been a major influence for Metallica’s 3D movie, especially when it comes to its more avant-garde qualities. “There are four members in Led Zeppelin, four members in Metallica, it’s a full-length movie, and there’s a lot in this film that does not take place onstage,” begins Ulrich. “The major difference is that the stuff that takes place offstage in the Metallica movie does not feature any members of Metallica. It’s two separate worlds – a Metallica show and a story that unfolds in a parallel universe – and at some point they intertwine.” Ulrich also commented on the possibility of prolific producer Rick Rubin working on Metallica’s next album, which appears to be set for a 2014 release. “I love Rick. We all love Rick,” Ulrich assures. “We’re in touch with Rick constantly. We’ll see where it goes. It would stun me if the record came out in 2013. We’ve got to finish this 3D movie, which is what we’re doing right now.” The live footage featured in Metallica’s upcoming 3D flick was recorded in Vancouver, Canada during the band’s August 2012 performance. The film is expected for a Summer 2013 release. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/metallica-obsessed-couple-baby-orion/” title=”Metallica Fans Name Newborn Baby ‘Orion'” align=”center”]
Andrew H. Walker, Getty Images Guitarist K.K. Downing may have officially retired from Judas Priest in 2011, but the rocker apparently isn’t one to stray too far from the stage. After spending time in the last few years pursuing various business opportunities , Downing is returning to the music scene as a promoter. The guitarist tells the Shropshire Star that he’s interested in finding new, young talent and providing them with a showcase to get their music heard. As such, he’s announced a pair of shows in Wolverhampton and Birmingham where he’ll highlight some rising stars. Downing’s promotion firm will operate under the moniker The Future of Heavy Metal, and it finds him collaborating with industry veteran Dave Coleman to discover the talent. The guitarist says, “The Black Country and Birmingham are known as the home of heavy metal. Back in the ’70s and ’80s the area produced so many good bands from Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin to Judas Priest and even Slade. In some ways it’s been difficult for other bands to fill the void. Now it’s time for the next generation to step up to the plate.” Among the bands he’s currently promoting are local acts such as Hostile, Left Unscarred and Under Blackened Skies, as well as French outfit Moray Firth. The first show will take place May 15 at the Slade Rooms in Wolverhampton, with the second show scheduled for May 17 at the Asylum in Birmingham. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-judas-priest-songs/” title=”Next: 10 Best Judas Priest Songs” align=”center”]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Here’s a look at the top stories of the day on Loudwire and around the Web: – Killswitch Engage have finally revealed the name of their next album, when they expect to release the first single and more juicy details about one of this year’s most anticipated albums. [ Loudwire ] – Alter Bridge have begun working on their fourth studio album. Find out more details here. [ Loudwire ] – Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has gone on another online rant, this time about aircrafts spraying toxic chemicals into the atmosphere. He also took a shot at CNN for not getting their facts right. [ Loudwire ] – Want to see Marilyn Manson live in concert? We’re giving away a pair of tickets to one of his Winter 2013 tour dates. Enter to win here. [ Loudwire ] – Hatebreed gave come out with a blazing new video for ‘Put It to the Torch.’ Watch all the fire, violence and blood here! [ Loudwire ] – Scorpions cancel their retirement plans and intend to continue rocking like a hurricane. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – New film ‘Imagines’ has been greatly inspired by Beatles legend John Lennon. Find out more here. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – The Black Keys and The Flaming Lips have announced a tour together in Spring 2013. [ Diffuser.fm ] – Royal Thunder premiere ‘Blue’ video + announce North American and European tour dates. [ Rock Music Report ]
Metal Blade When it comes to extreme metal, very few bands evoke fanatical buzz like Polish blackened death metal ambassadors Behemoth . After conquering North America last year, finally returning to our continent for the first time after frontman Nergal ‘s 2010 cancer diagnosis, Behemoth bassist Orion has let slip that the band will return once again for the 2013 Mayhem Festival. Last year’s Mayhem Festival lineup was unprecedented, featuring Slipknot , Slayer , Motorhead , Anthrax and many more. With Ozzfest only materializing as a one-off event occasionally, Mayhem Fest has arguably become the must-see tour for metalheads and the must-play tour for bands worldwide. Although it hasn’t been confirmed, Behemoth bassist Orion recently told Metal Storm that fans can expect the act to play Mayhem in 2013. “I don’t think it is confirmed yet, but we are coming back to the States this summer to play on the Rockstar Mayhem Festival,” says the Behemoth bassist. “This will be the very first thing we will do before the new record comes out. After that we plan on doing some other festivals, but they are not confirmed yet neither. We have done quite a few European festivals [in 2012] and I am not sure if it would be the best thing to do before the album comes out.” As for the health of Behemoth frontman Nergal, Orion offered a joyous update on the leukemia survivor’s current condition. “He doesn’t have any special needs now,” begins Orion, “he is just the same person he used to be before. He is actually doing better than ever as far as I can tell. I would have to say we don’t have to do anything to accommodate to the situation at all. Everything just seems to be going up for us and the entire situation is moving forwards and we just follow it.” Check out the full interview with Orion at MetalStorm.net . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/behemoth-nergal-meets-bone-marrow-donor-who-saved-life/” title=”Behemoth’s Nergal Meets Bone Marrow Donor Who Saved His Life” align=”center”]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Pantera / Down singer Phil Anselmo fans will get a taste of his solo material Tuesday, Jan. 8, with the release of the split EP titled ‘ War of the Gargantuas ‘ with Warbeast . But, Anselmo s ays that his two songs on the split are not in the same vein as his upcoming solo album. “I think those songs are still a far cry from the full-length that will be coming out this upcoming summer though,” Anselmo tells ArtistDirect.com . “To me, they’re more in line with the straight ahead songs I’ve come up with. Be prepared for a different listen when you hear the upcoming full-length. I wanted to do something different with a lot of f–king energy that would, I guess, come off as faster or more energetic than your basic fast playing at a million miles an hour with blast beats.” When it comes to his lyrical approach, Anselmo said it’s much more direct than his band Down . “With the Down lyrics, the listeners can take them and interpret them in their own ways. With the solo s–t, I’m being very direct. There isn’t any wordplay. There isn’t any hidden message. It’s all right there in front of you. There it is.” For more from Anselmo, read the full interview at ArtistDirect.com . And listen to samples from the Anselmo / Warbeast split EP here . Meanwhile, Down and Warbeast kick off a U.S. tour Friday in Houston, Texas. Down are touring in support of ‘Down IV Part I – The Purple EP,’ which was released in September. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/down-new-musical-directions-recording-while-still-alive-being-handsome/” title=”Watch Loudwire’s Video Interview With Down” align=”center”] ?
YouTube Lemmy Kilmister may be an ageless wonder, but the Motorhead frontman need not worry about his band’s music surviving for the long haul. That’s because the robot band known as Compressorhead does a pretty nifty job of taking on the Motorhead classic ‘Ace of Spades.’ The mechanical outfit is not only quite adept at playing the hard-driving song, but one of the robots, guitarist Fingers, has the headbanging action down pat as well. However, watching Compressorhead play gives you newfound respect for Motorhead drummer Mikkey Dee, as it’s noticeable that the robot drummer Stickboy has a few more appendages to pull off what Dee normally does behind the kit. Compressorhead take their “metal” roots to heart, also covering such songs as AC/DC ‘s ‘TNT’ and Pantera ‘s ‘ Becoming ‘ as part of their repertoire. Drummer Stickboy previously performed at the 2008 Big Day Out festival in Australia and will return with the full robot group to be part of the 2013 Big Day Out bill . Watch Compressorhead Perform Motorhead’s ‘Ace of Spades’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/robot-band-marilyn-manson-beautiful-people/” title=”Next: Watch Another Robot Band Cover Marilyn Manson’s ‘Beautiful People'” align=”center”]
Bazillion Points Although there is no inherent discrimination within the metal community, it’s plain to see at any concert that most metalheads happen to be white males. While music genres can become polarizing, the central focus should always be the music itself, as author and black female Laina Dawes set out to argue in her new book, ‘What Are You Doing Here?: A Black Woman’s Life and Liberation in Heavy Metal.’ Dawes found herself connected to metal music, especially that of Judas Priest , at a very young age, but due to her gender and race, the youthful Canadian metalhead found it difficult to integrate herself into the scene. “Being 11 or 12 years old, I really resonated with the sound of anger and my internal struggles or what I was going through,” Dawes explains to NPR . “I found that listening to the music in my bedroom, being able to feel like you could scream and yell and really express your anger, that really helped me out when I was a kid.” Despite Dawes finding personal salvation within metal as an individual, she faced some unnerving backlash within social circles. “There was a boy who went to another high school,” begins Dawes. “He was really into metal, and we would talk on the phone, and I remember that he said that he wanted to meet me at a shopping mall on the weekend. And he said, ‘Well, what do you look like?’ And I said, ‘Well, I’m black and this and this…’ and he hung up the phone. I never heard from him again. [I also remember] my black female friends in high school and their parents wondering why I was wearing a Def Leppard T-shirt or whatever, and really kind of questioning me on my cultural legitimacy as a black person. All of those together made me really understand at a pretty young age that, as a black woman, I’m not supposed to be doing this, and there’s something wrong with me because I enjoy this music.” Despite the barriers Dawes faced, metal has remained the soundtrack of her life. The foreward to Dawes’ book was penned by renowned black female rocker Skin of the British rock group Skunk Anansie. ‘What Are You Doing Here?’ is available for purchase at Bazillion Points Books and various online outlets.