Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Metallica Unleashed

WHAT A remarkable Metallica concert in Helsinki’s Hartwell Arena 14 June. The band was more alive then ever opening up with That Was Just Your Life, followed by The End of the Line, the first two tracks off the new album Death Magnetic.

Singer and guitarist James Hetfield comments that “what goes well with the new stuff … is the old stuff,” as he pounded the stage with electric presence and high powered energy. Kirk Hammett continues to prove that he’s more than just a thrasher - he’s an extremely talented musician as lead guitarist. This was the first time I’ve seen bassist Rob Trujillo performing in person, and he was equally impressive matching the intensity of Hetfield.

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Metallica playing benefit for Rock Museum exhibit

Metallica will play a benefit concert for the Marin County Museum in San Rafael, California this September, according to the Contra Costa Times. The announcement was made by frontman James Hetfield in a video screened at a museum gala last week for the "Marin Rocks" exhibition, where attendees paid $200 a ticket to raise funds for the project. The Museum pulled the project from its original intended location in a downtown space owned by the local Masonic Lodge, citing concerns over the cost of renovating the space, its size, and the length of the lease that the Lodge was offering.

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Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Jason Newsted On Leaving Metallica: “I Have Never Looked Back”

Jason Newsted’s 15-year stint playing bass for one of heavy metal’s biggest acts came to an end nine years ago, when he exited Metallica for “private and personal reasons and the physical damage I have done to myself over the years while playing the music that I love.” On April 4th, when Metallica are inducted into Cleveland, Ohio’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Newsted will be there to accept rock’s highest honor, and he’s even agreed to reunite with drummer Lars Ulrich, frontman James Hetfield and guitarist Kirk Hammett for an impromptu set he promises will include “at least one song about Satan.”
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