Autographed METALLICA Guitar To Be Raffled Off To Help Family

According to SonomaNews.com, Sonoma Valley High School seniors Andrew Presler and Kenny Walter are raffling off a guitar signed by all the members of METALLICA (photo) at a concert they're holding this weekend to help a friend's family pay medical bills. The concert will take place in Andrews Hall at the Sonoma Community Center, 276 E. Napa St., from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 27 with a wide range of music — from rock to hip-hop, metal, blues, rock.All proceeds will go to the Haskell family to help out with medical costs. The pair became good friends with Nefera Haskell at Sonoma Valley High School. She has been flying back east where her mother Kimberly was having surgery for a brain tumor.

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METALLICA Begin Rehearsing For 'Escape From The Studio '06' Tour

METALLICA have begun rehearsing for their upcoming "Escape from the Studio '06" tour, which is scheduled to kick off June 3 in Nurburgring, Germany at the Rock Am Ring Festival. Pictures from the rehearsal studio have been posted online at MetOnTour.com (free registration required).

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Kirk: 'We Have Fifteen Songs' Written For Next Album

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett has told the Artisan News Service that the band have "about fifteen songs" written for the follow-up to 2003's "St. Anger", which they hope to release in early 2007. In a short interview conducted at the MAP MusiCares MAP Fund concert on May 12 honoring Hammett's METALLICA bandmate James Hetfield, Kirk admitted the band is really hitting the song writing groove, even busting out two to three new songs per week.

"It's pretty early in the process," Hammett told the Artisan News Service. "We have about fifteen songs or so and we're just going to keep on writing songs until we feel we have the best dozen songs and get those into the studio. That's when I think Rick (Rubin) comes in and does his thing. But it's really really early still, we're just writing the music and that's going along really well. Sometimes we're writing two or three songs per week, which is great. It's just us four in the studio, which is really different now." [Watch a Windows Media video clip of Hammett talking about working on the new METALLICA album at this location.]

James Hetfield also stopped by to talk to the Artisan News Service about working with the legendary producer Rick Rubin on the new CD — the group's first album to be helmed by someone other than Bob Rock since 1988's "…And Justice for All".

"We have Rick Rubin working on the next project and Rick's reputation is true," Hetfield said. "He's not showing up every day at the studio. He's there when needed and we are there flying on our own. It's very different from the last record. 'St. Anger' was hours and hours of talking, talking about what was going on, what's going to happen, what will happen — all of that and going in and having coaches here and there. This one we're pretty much on our own and it does it feels really free and really nice. There's no pressure. It feels good. Sometimes it's a little unfocused so we kind of have to crack the whip every once in a while to get everybody in there." [Watch a Windows Media video clip of Hetfield talking about working on the new METALLICA album at this location.]

source: Blabbermouth.net

Kirk Hammett's vehicle is close to being finished

Kirk Hammett's custom-built '36 Ford vehicle is close to being finished and will make its public debut at the Paso Robles Custom Car show in California. One of the most hotly anticipated hot-rods, the vehicle was built by the Salinas Boys (owned by Cole Foster, renowed custom made hot-rod builder) over a three-year period and features a unique sound system with a guitar amplifier built into the trunk. Additional information can be found at SalinasBoys.com.

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James Fights Back Tears As He Recounts Battle With Addiction

Reuters has issued the following report:

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield fought back tears on Friday as he recounted his public battle with addiction, and labeled the sex, drugs and rock' n' roll ethos as a "horrible myth."

The 42-year-old singer/guitarist was being honored at a Hollywood fundraiser for the MusiCares MAP Fund, which provides access to addiction recovery for members of the music community.

The event, which also honored concert promoter Bill Silva, culminated in a three-song set by Hetfield and METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo, along with ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney. They dusted off the ALICE IN CHAINS songs "Would?" and "Them Bones", and finished with the METALLICA ballad "Nothing Else Matters".

Other performers included TOM WAITS, VELVET REVOLVER, JASON MRAZ and BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB.

Guests included Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, MOTÖRHEAD frontman Lemmy, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist Kirk Hammett, and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS singer Anthony Kiedis.

Read more at Reuters.com.

Check out pictures from the event at Wire Image, Metallica.com.

Hetfield: 'Charity award means more than a Grammy'

James Hetfield has dismissed his seven Grammy wins as unimportant compared to the charity accolade he will receive tomorrow (12MAY06).

"It's very different. I guess I never thought of inviting family to other stuff. But this is obviously something I'm more proud of.
"It's more of a lifestyle instead of an accolade of what you've accomplished. This is more internal for me."

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METALLICA Avoiding Battles On New Album

METALLICA guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield has told Tamara Conniff of Billboard.com that the songwriting sessions for the band's new album, which is being produced by Rick Rubin, are "going great because everyone is present and everyone is enjoying the process. The process is a lot easier. [Drummer] Lars [Ulrich] and I would butt heads daily. It would be going to war every day. You'd suit up in your armor before you go in the studio. Battling back and forth. Now it's helping each other do the best of their ability. It's all moving toward the same goal instead of pulling back."

On May 12, Hetfield will receive an honor he says he is more proud of than any career achievement. The MusiCares MAP Fund, a non-profit organization aimed at helping music industry professionals with addiction recovery treatment, will present Hetfield with the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award for his "devotion to helping other addicts with the recovery process" during its second annual benefit concert at the Music Box/Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood.

"I don't believe that you have to walk straight into the fire to know how hot it is," Hetfield told Billboard.com. "That was my path. The biggest awareness is that you're not alone and that there is some help. When people get so far into it, where they feel their life isn't worth anything, that's too far. But, you can survive it. That's important to know."

Hetfield admits the process of making an album while sober is "very different because there is a lot more awareness of what we are doing and sometimes over-thinking it. Now we are very present for it all and I'm not afraid to do or try anything musically."

source: Blabbermouth.net