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METALLICA ‘Rocking Along’ In The Studio
METALLICA's official Instagram account has been updated...
BLACK SABBATH’s BILL WARD Pays Tribute To METALLICA’s LARS ULRICH: He ‘Is an Exceptional Drummer’
On this weekend's edition of his radio show "Rock 50", legendary BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward paid tribute to METALLICA's Lars Ulrich. He said: "Lars is an exceptional drummer. He's spiritually sound. I really like that.
"A lot of the paths that Lars has passed through I've travelled myself. And I ended up with being able to take whatever my abilities are, and I was able to utilize that in whatever music we did with SABBATH or we're doing with my own bands now, or if I jam out with anybody, I just play whatever shows up. So it's, like, 'This is what I've got.' But I can remember going through a period over 20, probably 28, 25 or 26 years ago, where I stopped competing, so I had to find out what I could do and make good use of it. And it sounds like Lars has reached that settling ground as well. And I think he does such a good job of it.
"His drum creations have brought the sound of METALLICA to the very edge of metal spearhead, and he's worthy of much praise. He's inspirational and a must-listen for the students. So go ahead, students. If you are learning drums or need to learn the new techniques and stuff like that, listen to Lars, man. He's got some really good stuff that you can learn from."
After airing several METALLICA songs — including "Enter Sandman", "Master Of Puppets", "Until It Sleeps" and "All Nightmare Long" — Ward said: "There are so many things, drum-wise, in all of those songs that are departure points, where other drummers can look at it and go, 'Well, this didn't exist before.' Then Lars created it and we can all listen to it and go, 'Wow!' We can nick some stuff as well, you know. [Laughs] But I love the guy. I think he's just absolutely incredible."
He continued: "I sighed a deep sigh of relief when I heard [METALLICA's] 'black' album. Everything musically had seemed to be distorted feng shui until I heard Lars and METALLICA landing firmly with a statement that announced, 'This way.' And that's how it felt."
Ward added: "You know where the music scene was during the early '80s. Things were kind of, like, 'Oh, we've got this band, and we've got that going on.' And I was in bad shape. I was coming off SABBATH and we'd been through all the SABBATH years and touring and grinding. And so it was 1980 and I was just waking up into a new life, I guess, and I was listening around, looking around for music, and [a short time later] I heard a couple of METALLICA's early albums and then I heard the 'black' album, and I thought, 'Oh my god.' And it seemed to be like that was… it had the same effect that the 'white' album, THE BEATLES' 'white' album had on me. METALLICA's 'black' album, when I heard that and I heard Lars' playing, and I just was, like, you know, 'Wow! Something really neat's been accomplished here.' It pointed, 'This way, guys. This is the way we're going.' And it seemed like there was a multitude of music that followed that, and we've got this incredible heavy metal thing that we have today."
METALLICA To Serve As ‘Artists In Residence’ At 37th Annual MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL
METALLICA has been named as Artists In Residence of the 37th annual Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF), and Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Robert Trujillo will all be on hand to introduce and discuss the films they have selected to host.
Presented by the California Film Institute (CFI), the highly acclaimed event will run from Thursday, October 2 to Sunday, October 12, and will welcome stars that include Hilary Swank, Ansel Elgort and director Jason Reitman.
Says METALLICA: "Each year the internationally acclaimed Mill Valley Film Festival takes place in our very own backyard here in Marin County, California and we are honored that we have been asked to be a part of the festival this year as Artists in Residence.
"Last year we kicked off the festival with the first public screening of 'Through The Never'. Tis year we will each be hosting a film that we've selected that is significant to us personally.
"The festival is now is now in its 37th year and annually welcomes more than 200 filmmakers, representing more than 50 countries during the eleven-day event and we're excited to play a role in it.
"We'll be on hand to introduce each of our film choices, take questions and in some instances will be joined by the filmmakers.
"Tickets will be available not only to festival attendees and CFI members (watch for details from MVFF via e-mail), but also to the general public starting on Sunday, September 14 at 10:00 a.m. Fan Club members should log in for more details regarding a special allocation of tickets for them.
"The METALLI-fun kicks off on Friday, October 3 as Kirk, who, as you know, is a noted horror movie aficionado, presents the schlock-filled, Z-movie late-night screening of the 1971 favorite 'Dracula vs. Frankenstein'. That screening takes place on Friday, October 3 at 10:00 p.m. at the Rafael Theater in San Rafael, California.
"Robert is proud to offer up a sneak peek at his passion project, 'Jaco', the new documentary that brings the story of legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius to the screen. Robert co-produced the film and will be joined by some of his partners in film-making for a Q&A. The screening will be on Monday, October 6 at 6:00 p.m. at the Sequoia in Mill Valley, California and following the movie there will be a special live music event at the Sweetwater Music Hall.
"Lars' choice is the yet-unreleased 'Whiplash', an indie feature about an aspiring drummer and his ruthless teacher that won multiple awards at Sundance this year. Following the film, director/screenwriter Damien Chazelle will join Lars on stage for a conversation and Q&A. The screening will be Tuesday, October 7 at 7:00 p.m. at Cinema Corte Madera in Corte Madera, California.
"James' classic pick is 'The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly', shown in all its restored big screen glory. You just might recognize some of the music from this one! Check out his choice at Cinema Corte Madera in Corte Madera, California on Wednesday, October 8 at 7:00 p.m."
For more information, visit www.mvff.com.
Following the screening of "Jaco" on Monday, October 6, Robert will host a musical celebration honoring pioneering jazz musician Jaco Pastorius at the Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, California. The event is a benefit for the California Film Institute, the nonprofit that celebrates and promotes film as art and education through the Mill Valley Film Festival and year-round exhibitions at the Rafael Film Center.
Performers include:
* MAERIC with Mary Pastorius
* David Pastorius
* Eric Young
* Kirk Hammett (METALLICA)
* Robert Trujillo (METALLICA)
* Rodrigo y Gabriela
* Stephen Perkins (JANE'S ADDICTION)
* L. Shenkar
Tickets will be $150 and are not available through the Mill Valley Film Festival and festival badges will not be valid. Fan Club members should log in for information about an allocation of tickets for them.
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METALLICA Earns Spot In ‘Guinness World Records’ 2015 Edition
METALLICA is included in the "Guinness World Records 2015" edition, which features groundbreaking achievements across film, television and music.
METALLICA made history when they became the first and only band to perform a concert on all seven of Earth's continents after entertaining 120 scientists and competition winners at Carlini Station in Antarctica on December 8, 2013. The hour-long show, appropriately dubbed "Freeze 'Em All", saw the rock band perform ten tracks. With a Hall Of Fame-caliber career spanning more than three decades, the band earned a spot in the 60th-anniversary edition of the "Guinness World Records" book after a whirlwind year in 2013 performing concerts in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and Antarctica.
METALLICA frontman James Hetfield commented: "Seven continents in one year with Antarctica being THE gig of a lifetime... Yes, 120 scientists and competition winners. Not to mention the 300 very curious penguins!"
Added the band in a statement: "Last year as we hit the road, like we do most years, visiting a lot of our favorite places along with some new ones, we didn't realize that we were on track to break a world record! Good thing someone else was paying attention as we managed to play on all seven continents in one year, becoming the first and only band to ever do so! Our friends at 'Guinness World Records' took notice bestowing on us the distinct honor of being featured in their official book hitting stores September 10th.
"In addition to performing live in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa, the year was capped off with a visit to Antarctica on December 8, 2013 to play for 120 scientists, contest winners and their penguin friends at the Argentine Carlini Station. We were literally at the bottom of the earth for one of the most unique, special and unforgettable days in our 30+ years as a band and low and behold, our little adventure sealed the deal for the record! Who woulda thought."
"Guinness World Records 2015" contains the universe's most comprehensive collection of facts and superlatives and is a sure "must-have" for both knowledge-seekers and aspiring record breakers of all ages.
"Guinness World Records 2015" is available September 10 for the suggested retail price of $28.95. The 2015 edition marks the sixtieth anniversary since the very first edition went to print in 1955.
"Guinness World Records" (GWR) is the universally recognized global authority on record-breaking achievement. First published in 1955, over 132 million copies — and 3 million e-books — have been sold in 20 languages, in more than 100 countries. Since then, the internationally renowned brand is also available across a number of platforms; "Guinness World Records" global television shows are watched by over 750 million viewers annually, over half a million subscribe to the GWR YouTube channel, the global web site receives 14 million viewers annually and has over 6 million fans on Facebook.
For more information, visit the www.guinnessworldrecords.com.
PHILIP ANSELMO Says METALLICA’s ‘Load’ Album Should Never Have Been Released: ‘It’s A Terrible Record’
Former PANTERA and current DOWN frontman Philip Anselmo talked about some of the records that have had an impact on his life for the "Discs Of Doom" article in the latest issue of U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine. Asked which album should never have seen the light of day, Anselmo replied: "I would have to say [1996's] 'Load' by METALLICA. I mean, it's a terrible record, man. I just don't get it. If you're gonna put out a record like that, just do a fucking side project or something, ya know?"
Anselmo first publicly critized METALLICA's "Load" in 2003, when he slammed the heavy metal giants for touring with supporting acts like LIMP BIZKIT and LINKIN PARK and challenging them to a road duel, head-to-head on any stage, telling an interviewer, "Heavy metal lies in the underground and if they're worried about... Why in the hell would METALLICA be worried about ticket sales? Bring out some fuckin' good bands." He explained: "That was due to a conversation [METALLICA frontman] James Hetfield and I had years ago when I was talking to him about their new album. I think that was when 'Load' was out, and it kind of shocked everybody — everybody was freaked out." Anselmo elaborated in a subsequent interview, claiming that METALLICA never would have shared a stage with PANTERA in the U.S. "because they know what would fuckin' happen. We would fuckin' eat them alive! That's the end of the fuckin' sentence. We would crush 'em." METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich responded to Anselmo's challenge by saying, "Is he that desperate to tour? I love all these challenges. The ol' step it up...," and adding that Anselmo "has a tendency to talk a lot of horseshit most of the time."
Anselmo appeared to soften his tone by the time DOWN and METALLICA toured together in 2008, and two years later, Anselmo told Ultimate Guitar that he considered METALLICA to be "THE ROLLING STONES of metal" in terms of career longevity.
In a 2013 interview with Revolver magazine, Lars Ulrich was asked what he felt was METALLICA's most underappreciated release. "I think 'Load' and 'Reload' [1997] are great records," he replied. "They are creatively on par with every other record we've made. Obviously, they're bluesier records, and at that time, we were listening to a lot of LED ZEPPELIN, DEEP PURPLE and AC/DC, and we had a different kind of foundation than records before or after. And I understand that there are people who couldn't quite figure out what was going on with the haircuts and the rest of it, and that's fine. But musically, if you strip all that other stuff away, if you just listen to the 27 songs — 'Load' and 'Reload' were intended as one double-record — it's a great collection of songs that is on par with everything else that we've done creatively. But, I mean, who needs another person to sit there and argue about, you know, fucking 'Carpe Diem Baby'? They are different records, but that was the intention. [Laughs] It's not like we sat there and thought we were remaking '…And Justice For All'. [Laughs] We are obviously aware of that. But I think personally there's great songs on both of those records and I'm very proud of those records."
METALLICA Wants You To Share Your Memories And Snapshots From ‘Master Of Puppets’ Tour
METALLICA's official web site has been updated with the following message:
"Earlier this year we were contacted by author and major METALLICA fan Matt Taylor, who wrote the critically acclaimed, award-winning and much-respected account of Steven Spielberg's escapades as he was making his ground-breaking film 'Jaws' on the island of Martha's Vineyard in 1974. Matt came to us with a proposal to tell the definitive story of 'Master Of Puppets' and the subsequent tour that followed its release and when we took a spin through 'Jaws: Memories From Martha's Vineyard', we were so blown away by the presentation, thorough coverage, and attention to detail that went into it, we knew he was the man to help us celebrate the upcoming 30th anniversary of that release. As some of you keen observers may have noted, we have not been involved with most of the other books out there about METALLICA, but we just had to work with Matt, 'cause his first book is so damn cool!
"Matt has been very busy doing extensive interviews with all of us, our managers, record company staff, people we hung with then and Cliff's [Burton, late METALLICA bassist] dad Ray, who has graciously given us some of his time. However, Matt is still out there with his trusty recorder and scanner looking for more stories and photos. Just as he did with 'Jaws', Matt's plan for the 'Master Of Puppets' book is to lean heavily on amateur, fan-taken photos and stories reflecting the grassroots vibe of the time, so this is where you come in. Were you there in 1986? Snuck a camera into a show or two? Ran into us at a record store or in the bar? Have a funny story about getting to the gig or photos of you and your pals there? We want them all!! Cropped, blurred, overexposed? We'll take 'em! No photographs, anecdotes, or stories are too insignificant. We want YOU to be a part of this book!
"Please e-mail us at submissions@metclub.com to tell us your story and receive more info about submitting photos. All submissions must be from your own personal collection... we can only use snapshots that YOU took. Remember, we want everything! No story or snapshot is too small or trivial.
"Oh, and in case you're wondering, we are planning to have it all put together and ready for your eyes in the fall of 2015. And click here to check out Matt's first book, 'Jaws: Memories From Martha's Vineyard'."
Released on February 21, 1986, "Master of Puppets" only reached No. 29 on the Billboard album chart but has sold over six million stateside copies since. It is the last record to feature bassist Cliff Burton, who was killed later that year in a tour bus crash. A loose concept album about how we are all puppets in one way or another — be it to a cult, a drug, the government, organized religion, or, in the most extreme case, the psycho ward — it still ends on a positive note, exhorting the individual to break free of the constricting mores of society in an effort to achieve true non-conformism. It featured staples of the band's live set such as "Battery", "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" and the title track.
Spotlight: Metallica – Ride The Lightning
Year 1981: A band was founded in LA, California making its first live shows, without the encouragement by the audience and the venue owners getting chairs t...
LADY GAGA Mistakenly Posts METALLICA Concert Photo Claiming It Was Taken At Her Show
According to Mediaite, pop superstar Lady Gaga "mistakenly" posted a photo of the crowd from METALLICA's concert at Quebec, Canada's Festival D'été from 2011 claiming the picture depicted the audience that attended her July 4 performance at the same festival and venue.
Lady Gaga's appearance at Festival D'été reportedly drew around 90,000 people, roughly 40,000 less than the 130,000 attendees that showed up for METALLICA's gig at the same event three years earlier.
On Saturday, Lady Gaga, or whoever manages her social media accounts, posted a picture on Instagram of what was supposed to show the huge crowd of people that were present for her outdoor concert in Quebec. "Those little dots are fans, and that's our stage and lights beaming from the center," the accompanying caption read. "Unreal 90,000 ppl showed up! What a magical night #artraveQuebec"
After various blogs pointed out the mistake, the singer quickly corrected the error by taking to Twitter and posting actual photos from her show, insisting that she "was not trying to fool anyone." Inexplicably, she then used the opportunity to take a cheap shot at her rival Madonna, who famously criticized her in 2012 for the similarities between Gaga's track "Born This Way" and Madonna's own hit "Express Yourself". "Maybe the Madonna fans on your site can use a microscope to count the fans," Gaga tweeted in response to the celebrity gossip site Oh No They Didn't.
METALLICA’s LARS ULRICH On MOGWAI’s GLASTONBURY Comments: ‘Huh? What? Who Are You?
METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich says that the band's isn't bothered by the negative feedback to its upcoming appearance at this year's Glastonbury, explaining that he and his bandmates are "respectful" of the fact that METALLICA is the first metal act to ever headline the event in the festival's 44-year history.
A petition was launched online last month calling for the removal of METALLICA as Glastonbury headliners after it was announced that frontman James Hetfield will be hosting a new series about bear hunting on the History channel. In addition, drummer Martin Bulloch of Scottish post-rock icons MOGWAI described METALLICA as "shite," while multi-instrumentalist Barry Burns added: "I can't wait to hear that guy [referring to Ulrich] play the drums again — unbelievably bad."
Ulrich tells U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine that METALLICA is able to deflect negative comments from naysayers, explaining (see video below): "Glastonbury is like the Holy Grail in England, and we're respectful to that. But if somebody sits there and talks about petitions or what some other guy says, there's a point that it just becomes ridiculous.
"We're fairly thick-skinned. Obviously if Mick Jagger [of THE ROLLING STONES] has something to say, or Alex Turner [of ARCTIC MONKEYS], or the nice guys in KASABIAN, it's cool. But if some guy in some other band… it's like, 'Huh? What? Who are you?'"
METALLICA will close the show at Glastonbury on Saturday, June 28. Other headliners include ARCADE FIRE and KASABIAN.
During a recent interview with the BBC Radio 1's "Rock Show", Ulrich spoke further about the criticism METALLICA has received for its appearance at Glastonbury, saying: "The fact that everyone's got an opinion I'll take as a good thing because it means that people still care and are still interested and we still have one foot in relevance of some sort. It's comforting that 33 years into a career you can still manage to stir up a little bit.
"Glastonbury is the biggest, greatest festival on this planet and we're headlining Saturday night.
"Bring it on. We're going to show up and have fun, but all the hoopla is interesting."
According to The Pulse Of Radio, Glastonbury is a very laid-back type of festival, with more of a hippie/indie vibe than most, which is why there has been so much controversy over METALLICA playing the show in the first place.
Mick Jagger of THE ROLLING STONES — who headlined the festival last year — recently shared his opinion of METALLICA headlining Glastonbury, saying: "I've seen them live and they're going to be great." Jagger added that his band had a "great time" headlining the event.