SLAYER has commented on Westboro Baptist Church's plan to picket the public memorial celebration for the band's late guitarist Jeff Hanneman, which will be held May 23 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.
The event — which will run from from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m — will be free and open to the public on a first-come, first-in basis (subject to venue capacity, which is listed at around 4,000 people). All ages are welcome, and paid parking will be available around the venue.
A new message on SLAYER's official Facebook page states: "Message to fans: Want to really piss off the Westboro Baptist Church at Jeff's memorial celebration? Do exactly what SLAYER members and family are going to do — totally ignore them. They don't exist. And then come inside and celebrate Jeff's life with us."
In a "news release" announcing its plans to picket Hanneman's memorial celebration, Westboro Baptist Church said: "Jeff Hanneman received his 'talent' from God. Indeed, his very breath of life was from God… Instead of being thankful and using his talents to glorify God, and warn the generation into which he was born to fear and obey God, Hanneman used this resource to encourage sin.
"In last week's Kerrang! magazine, Westboro Baptist Church explained why we will picket this memorial: to warn the living!
"Jeff made a mock of sin through SLAYER's music. No wonder God struck him down early in life.
"In the Kerrang! article, we also speak to the many threats from SLAYER fans.
"Hanneman had been out since 2011, recovering from necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating disease), but was finally slain May 2, 2013 from alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver. He was literally pickled in sin.
"God hates and casts down all your idols.
"Repent and obey God Almghty — otherwise HELL AWAITS!"
Westboro Baptist Church previously said that it would sing its "parody" of OZZY OSBOURNE's "Crazy Train" "at full voice" at Hanneman's funeral.
Members of the Westboro Baptist Church — the fringe group which continues to make headlines for its anti-gay protests at the funerals of U.S. soldiers regardless of their sexuality — first used lyrics from "Crazy Train" at events surrounding the October 2011 Snyder v. Phelps Supreme Court hearing. An attorney — a daughter of the church's founder, along with her sister — paraphrased lyrics from the song at a post-Supreme Court hearing press conference in Washington D.C.
The Westboro Baptist Church is described by the Wall Street Journal as a "tiny Kansas church… [that] … preaches that U.S. deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq are punishment for American's tolerance of homosexuality and abortion." As Examiner.com noted of the church, "their flamboyant demonstrations at the funerals of non-gay service members, using the events to highlight their belief that military deaths overseas are justified punishment for U.S. tolerance of homosexuality. ('You're Going to Hell,' 'Thank God for Dead Soldiers,' and 'God Hates You' are popular Westboro slogans.)."
Members of SLAYER released a statement on May 9 saying that Hanneman died of alcohol-related cirrhosis.
The guitarist had actually not been playing with SLAYER for more than two years since he contracted necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating disease, from a spider bite in his backyard in January 2011. The infection ravaged the flesh and tissues of Hanneman's arm, leading to numerous surgeries, skin grafts and intense periods of rehab that forced him into semi-retirement and left him near death at several points.
Hanneman's last appearance with SLAYER was in April 2011, when he played an encore with the band at the "Big Four" concert in Indio, California.
Hanneman recalled in a 2011 interview with Classic Rock magazine that he initially didn't even feel the spider bite, adding, "But an hour later, I knew that I was ill. I could see the flesh corrupting. The arm was real hot. I got to the emergency room, and thank god the nurse knew straight away what it was . . . At that point, I was an hour away from death."
For a long time, SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor seemed the most hesitant to get back into the studio and make a new album following the 2010 death of bassist Paul Gray. But with three years having passed since Gray's death, and with Taylor making three albums with STONE SOUR since then, the singer told The Pulse Of Radio that he thinks 2014 will finally be the year of the KNOT. "I know everybody is pretty keen on getting together and seeing what happens next year, so I mean, if it takes us a year to write an album, so be it," he said. "The main goal is to just get us in the room and just see what happens, you know. If we can get past that first day, I think it'll come together. Now that we're all kind of in better places in our lives and whatnot, it's making it a little easier to be excited about it again. It's just starting to feel like it's time."
SLIPKNOT has performed live over the past two years but has not recorded a new album since 2008's "All Hope Is Gone".
STONE SOUR issued "Audio Secrecy" in 2010, "House Of Gold & Bones - Part 1" last fall and "House Of Gold & Bones - Part 2" last month.
Taylor has also written two books, with the second one, "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Heaven (Or, How I Made Peace With The Paranormal And Stigmatized Zealots And Cynics In The Process)", due out on July 16 through Da Capo Press.
SLIPKNOT plays the Download festival in the U.K. on June 14 and the Graspop Metal Meeting festival in Belgium on June 29.
The official trailer for METALLICA's upcoming feature film, "Metallica Through The Never", can be seen below.
Award-winning filmmaker Nimród Antal ("Predators", "Kontroll") creates a groundbreaking 3-D motion picture event, "Metallica Through the Never". The music-driven feature film combines a bold narrative and spectacular live-performance footage of one of the most popular and influential rock bands in history to produce a bracing, raw and visceral cinematic experience. Emerging young star Dane DeHaan ("The Place Beyond thePines", "Kill Your Darlings", "The Amazing Spider-Man 2") portrays Trip, a youngroadie sent on an urgent mission during METALLICA's roaring live set in front of a sold-out arena.
As the band performs its most iconic songs for thousands of their fans in a never-before-seen performance created exclusively for the film, Trip is dispatched outside the arena to meet a disabled delivery truck and recover a mysterious item beingtransported to the show. But the seemingly simple assignment turns into a surreal adventure when his car is hit by an out-of-control driver. Trip, dazed and bruised, climbs out of his van only to find himself pitched in the middle of a tense standoff between angry protesters and charging riot police. In the ensuing mayhem, a vicious masked horseman sets his murderous eye on Trip while delivering indiscriminate deathblows to rioters and cops alike. Fleeing through the desolate, post-apocalyptic urban streetscape, Trip has only his wits toprotect him as he attempts to deliver the band's precious cargo and avoid becoming the horseman's next victim.
Featuring dazzling pyrotechnics, the most elaborate live-performance stage ever built and imagery drawn from the band's trailblazing iconography, the immersive 360-degree show creates a mind-bending, ear-shattering mirror image of the destruction and chaos of Trip's journey. "Metallica Through The Never"'s state-of-the-art 3-D photography, captured using up to 24 cameras simultaneously, engulfs audiences in one of the most innovative andexciting cinematic experiences ever imagined.
"Metallica Through The Never" will open on IMAX screens in the U.S. on September 27, with a wider release following on October 4.
METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich said about the filmmaking process, "Making a movie at this level has been a little overwhelming. In the music world, you get very used to controlling your environment and in the film world there is nothing to control . . . it's just like a complete clusterfuck . . . and there's a bizarre beauty in that."
All rockers can now enjoy a rosé wine that comes in a bottle full of attitude. Motörhead Shiraz Rosé has a massive rock'n'roll feeling to it and appeals to both the female and male rock audience.
Just like rock concerts, music festivals and BBQs, the absolute peak season for drinking rosé is during the summer months. Rosé is no longer looked down upon as the lightweight stepchild in the wine family, on the contrary, rosé wine is climbing in popularity everywhere.
Why, then, does a hard-rocking lifestyle band like MOTÖRHEAD make a rosé? The answer is as simple, straightforward and classic as the wine itself!
"Myself and the other band members have always liked drinking rosé, it's as simple as that," says MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee.
Made from 100% Shiraz, Motörhead Shiraz Rosé has a fruity, rich and flavorful taste with good spiciness. It is best served chilled and with foods such as quality charcuteries and cold cuts, which have both the saltiness and spice that makes rosé wine such a great accompaniment. It also works really well with grilled meats and spicy food, and, of course, on its own… with some Motörmusic in the background.
Name: Motörhead Shiraz Rosé Vintage: 2010/12 Grape composition: 100% Shiraz Origin: Southeastern Australia Bottles per case: 6
99.7 The Blitz conducted an interview with former ANTHRAX and current VOLBEAT guitarist Rob Caggiano at this year's Rock On The Range festival, which took place May 17-19 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below.
VOLBEAT will take part in this summer's Monster Energy's Rock Allegiance Tour alongside HIM, ALL THAT REMAINS and AIRBOURNE.
"The fans have made our North American visits thus far this year great fun and truly memorable," Poulsen said in a statement. "We are looking forward to headlining Monster Energy's Rock Allegiance festival tour this summer, and sharing the stage with HIM, ALL THAT REMAINS and AIRBOURNE."
VOLBEAT's fifth studio album, "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies", sold 39,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart. The record arrived in stores on April 9 via Universal Republic
Caggiano, who was a producer on the new disc, recently joined the band as its new guitarist. He replaces guitarist Thomas Bredahl, who was given his walking papers in November 2011.
The new disc follows up 2010's "Beyond Hell/Above Heaven", which featured three No. 1 rock radio hits, "A Warrior's Call", "Still Counting" and "Heaven Nor Hell".
Jackson recently conducted an interview with Wayne Lozinak and Chris Beattie of Connecticut hardcore/metal masters HATEBREED. You can now watch the chat below.
HATEBREED's latest album, "The Divinity Of Purpose", sold 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 20 on The Billboard 200 chart.
The band's previous, self-titled CD opened with 15,000 units back in 2009 to enter the chart at No. 37.
HATEBREED's "Supremacy" album premiered with around 27,000 copies in September 2006 to land at No. 31. This number was roughly in line with the first-week tally registered by its predecessor, "Rise Of Brutality", which shifted more than 32,000 copies in November 2003 to debut at No. 30.
HATEBREED's covers album, entitled "For The Lions", sold around 10,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release in May 2009 to debut at position No. 58 on The Billboard 200 chart.
"The Divinity Of Purpose" was released on January 29 in North America via Razor & Tie and on January 25 in Europe through Nuclear Blast. The CD was co-produced by HATEBREED, Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SUICIDE SILENCE, ALL THAT REMAINS, SHADOWS FALL) and Josh Wilbur (LAMB OF GOD, AVENGED SEVENFOLD), with Wilbur also handling mixing duties. The cover artwork was created and illustrated by Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, ATHEIST, SIGH, ANACRUSIS, GWAR) and can be seen below.
Heather of Manchester Rocks conducted an interview with bassist Derek Boyer of New York death metal veterans SUFFOCATION prior to their May 15 performance at NQ Live (formerly Moho Live) in Manchester, England. You can now watch the chat below.
SUFFOCATION has recruited John Gallagher (DYING FETUS) to handle lead vocals on a number of shows this spring. Gallagher is filling in for SUFFOCATION's regular vocalist, Frank Mullen, who is unable to make the dates due to personal commitments.
"I'm stoked to be performing on several shows with longtime friends and my brothers in metal, SUFFOCATION," said Gallagher a couple of monts back. "It's going to be a blast and since I'll JUST be singing the vocals, they are going to be super sick and guttural. So make sure to come out and party with us and witness the brutality!"
"Pinnacle Of Bedlam", the new album from SUFFOCATION, has entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 58. The CD was released on February 19 via Nuclear Blast Records. The artwork was handled this time around by Raymond Swanland and can be found below.
As previousy reported, "Pinnacle Of Bedlam"sold 3,200 copies in the United States during its first week of release to land at position No. 152 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort landed at position No. 2 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
"Pinnacle Of Bedlam" was produced by the band at Full Force Studios in New York with longtime collaborator Joe Cincotta. The mixing and mastering of the effort was handled by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (HATEBREED, ARSIS, SUICIDE SILENCE).
"Pinnacle Of Bedlam" features 10 genre-defining-bone-crushing tracks and also marks the return of drummer Dave Culross, who previously played on the "Despise The Sun" EP. Founding member and former drummer Mike Smith also makes a special guest appearance on the re-recorded "Breeding The Spawn" track "Beginning Of Sorrow".
Sacramento, California's modern death metal juggernauts THE KENNEDY VEIL will enter NB Recording in Santa Rosa, California in June with producer/engineer Nick Botelho (ENIMUS, DEADLY REMAINS, HATCHET) to begin recording their debut full-length, "Trinity Of Falsehood", for a late 2013 release via Unique Leader Records.
Comments drummer Gabe Seeber: "*FINALLY! We're so excited to get into the studio to record 'Trinity Of Falsehood' this June.
"This album will be leaps beyond 'Sentence Of Their Conqueror' and will really showcase where the songwriting is going with future material.
"We've been working on this album for a long time now and it's exactly what we want it to be, so we can't wait to get it out there for everyone to hear!"
Added the band's new vocalist, Taylor Wientjes: "After collectively working on this album for the last two years, we are SUPER-stoked to hit the studio to record our debut album for Unique Leader Records. Not only are we ecstatic about recording, but to hit the road as well.
"THE KENNEDY VEIL got a small taste of touring, doing a few dates on the 'Bloodletting North America' tour with VALE OF PNATH, INANIMATE EXISTENCE, KAMIKABE, and the absolutely crushing GOROD. As the new guy and young blood in the band, I have to say that it was a surreal experience to be a part of. Meeting so many amazing people and talented musicians was incredible. It was a small preview of what's to come. We are ready to hit the road and show the metal community what we have to offer. Prepare yourselves!"
Former and current members of JUDAS PRIEST, ALICE COOPER, OZZY OSBOURNE and SCORPIONS are currently taking part in a week-long tour of Russia where they are playing classic songs from their respective bands under the banner ROCKSTAR.
In a video interview, Owens said about the ROCKSTAR project: "We all have such diverse backgrounds in so many different bands that we just want to get there and play WHITESNAKE and ALICE COOPER and DIO and PRIEST and GUNS N' ROSES. So I think this project is just to go play for the fans with this special show with all these songs and all these bands."
ROCKSTAR's tour kicked off on May 19 in Krasnodar, with stops in Rostov, Voronej, Penza and Saratov, before the tour ends May 28 in Moscow.
Fan-filmed video footage of the May 21 concert in Rostov can be seen below.
Ai Weiwei, a Chinese dissident and countercultural artist, has released a "heavy metal" single called "Dumbass", inspired by his 81-day detention in 2011, which was part of an overall crackdown on dissent by the Chinese government. The official clip for the song, which was directed by Ai and features cinematography by acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Doyle, can be seen below.
In 2011, Ai Weiwei disappeared for nearly three months after angering the authorities with his criticism, highlighting sensitive issues, particularly the death of children in poorly built schools during the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan.
Authorities said that Ai was detained for tax evasion and insisted his case was unrelated to human rights.
"This is dedicated to all those people who do not have the opportunity to raise their voice, who will never be able to raise their voices," Ai said about the "Dumbass" video.
"This is not just one generation. In the past 60 years there have been innumerable amounts of people who have been killed or taken away from their homes, even tortured to death."
The music for "Dumbass" was composed by Zuoxiao Zuzhou, a Beijing-based heavy-metal artist and friend of Ai.
Weiwei will release a six-song album, "Divina Commedia", named after the poem by Italian poet Dante, in June. Two of the songs on the CD are dedicated to Chen Guangcheng, the civil rights crusader who escaped incarceration from a Chinese prison while blind and on an injured ankle.
Regarding the quality of his musical output, Weiwei told Reuters: "It doesn't sound very good, because I don't have any real skill... And I found that in making music, I have a lot of difficulties. But I am trying very hard, and I will keep doing it, and I have hope to become someone who sings comparatively well."
Roadrunner Records recently caught with bassist Martín Méndez of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH for an exclusive interview. Check it out below.
OPETH celebrated "Record Store Day" with a free acoustic performance and signing on April 20 at Newbury Comics in Leominster, Massachusetts.
OPETH's current 30-plus-city tour kicked off on April 18 in Buffalo and is taking the band throughout North America.
On April 20, OPETH made a stop to headline alongside ANTHRAX, HATEBREED and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES at the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival.
Released September 20, 2011, OPETH's latest album, "Heritage", garnered rave reviews from everyone from Rolling Stone, who called the CD "a career record that reimagines prog as actual rock 'n' roll," to Pitchfork saying "a pretty, well-thought-out collection" to NPR who called it "equally vast, thoughtful and heavy."
"Heritage" sold 19,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart.
AS I LAY DYING singer Tim Lambesis was booked at the Vista Detention Facility in Vista, California on May 7 on suspicion of solicitation to commit murder for allegedly hiring someone to kill his estranged wife. He has pleaded not guilty.
Lambesis, who at one time has said he considered himself to be a Christian and acknowledged that he found inspiration for lyrical content from biblical texts, was taken into custody without incident at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Oceanside, California, according to San Diego Sheriff's Department.
An employee of the Barnes & Noble store, who did not want to be named, recounted the Lambesis arrest to San Diego Reader this way: "It was about 2 p.m. My buddy was outside the store doing face-painting and the cops told him that he needed to stop immediately and go inside. Tim was there with a friend just browsing. I saw one special task-force cop, two regular officers, and two undercover officers. They just pushed everyone aside and handcuffed him. It all happened so fast. It seemed like they were planning it out for a long time."
According to the San Diego Reader, the 32-year-old metal frontman/entrepreneur's net worth is said to be $14 million. He is the founder of Modern Rebellion, a successful rock-swag clothing line, and owner of Lambesis Studios, a recording studio he and partner Daniel Castleman launched two years ago, which has drawn metal bands from Australia (AS SILENCE BREAKS), New York City (SWORN ENEMY), Pennsylvania (WAR OF AGES), and Salt Lake City (CHELSEA GRIN) for extended recording sessions.
Metal Blade Records has sold a million AS I LAY DYING records between their seven Metal Blade releases.
Lambesis had his bail lowered from $3 million to $2 million during a May 17 bail review hearing.
Prosecutors initially requested that Superior Court Judge Martin Staven set Lambesis' bail at $20 million, saying the singer remains "substantially motivated to kill his wife."
Lambesis' family is unable to make bail, so he will remain in jail, the singer's defense attorney, Tom Warwick, said. The lawyer had asked for bail of $250,000.
Former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted was knocked off stage by an overzealous fan during NEWSTED's May 21 concert at New York City's Highline Ballroom.
According to Metal Insider, Newsted's new band was halfway through a rendition of METALLICA's "Whiplash" when "the fan leapt onstage, appeared to attempt a stage dive into the middle of the audience and instead ran into Newsted from behind, knocking them both off the stage and into the audience. With the crowd stopping the fan in the mosh pit while others yelled at him, a security guard immediately escorted the fan from the venue with one forearm wrapped around his neck, pursued by other members of the venue's security detail.
"Visibly disoriented from a roughly five-foot fall that could have caused serious damage with a slightly different angle, Newsted returned to the stage with the help of security, replacing an in-ear monitor knocked out by the fall and addressing the crowd: 'You know, no matter how many shows I've done, that just happened for the first time. …I trust my brothers here to take care of it. Anyone get a good look at that motherfucker? Don't kill him, just bruise him up a bit.'"
A fan who attended the concert, Ryan D, filmed the incident and posted the clip on YouTube (see below, starting at around 3:08 mark). He tells BLABBERMOUTH.NET: "I caught up with Jason after the show and showed him the video. He was feeling sore a little bit but was still OK. He even said to me, 'Put it on YouTube."
NEWSTED has been confirmed for this year's edition of Gigantour, the critically acclaimed package festival founded in 2005 by MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. Also scheduled to appear on the bill are headliners MEGADETH, along with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, DEVICE, HELLYEAH and DEATH DIVISION.
NEWSTED kicked off its first-ever U.S. tour on April 19 at Red House in Walnut Creek, California. The 14-date trek will conclude on May 23 in Asbury Park, New Jersey and will lead into a number of European festival appearances for the band, which is rouded out by STAIND guitarist Mike Mushok, drummer Jesus Mendez Jr. and guitarist Jessie Farnsworth.
NEWSTED has just completed recording its first full-length album, to be released later this year. NEWSTED began mixing the effort last month, with more details to be announced soon.
NEWSTED's debut EP, "Metal", sold around 6,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 62 on The Billboard 200 chart.
NEWSTED is:
Jason Newsted - Bass, Lead Vocals Jesus Mendez Jr. (THE NAPOLEON BLOWNAPARTS) - Drums Jessie Farnsworth - Guitar, Backing Voice Mike Mushok (STAIND) – Guitar
The incident in question can be seen below starting at around 3:08 mark.
TheRockRevival.com's Matt Bishop conducted an interview with Californian rockers PAPA ROACH at Carolina Rebellion 2013 on May 4 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina. You can now watch the chat below.
PAPA ROACH's latest album, "The Connection", was re-released in Europe as a special tour edition on May 6 via Eleven Seven Music. The effort contains a bonus DVD of a concert at Club Nokia in Los Angeles featuring performances of new songs as well as the band's biggest hits, including "Still Swingin'", "Give Me Back My Life", "Before I Die", "Last Resort" and "Between Angels & Insects".
"The Connection" was produced by rock veteran James Michael (SIXX: A.M., HALESTORM) and John Feldmann (PANIC AT THE DISCO, THE USED, BLACK VEIL BRIDES). The CD sold 22,000 copies in its first week of release to debut at No. 17 on the Billboard album chart.
PAPA ROACH singer Jacoby Shaddix underwent surgery in September 2012 to remove nodes from his vocal cords. Shaddix's condition forced him to stop singing and led his band to drop off last summer's Rockstar Energy Uproar Festival tour.
Even before his vocal problems started, Shaddix admitted in several new interviews that he came close to committing suicide earlier last year as he struggled with both marital problems and falling off the wagon.
"This record is a snapshot of me at my most desperate," Shaddix told The Aquarian Weekly about "The Connection". "As I was writing this record, [my wife and I] were split, so there was a lot of pain and anger and frustration. As the dust settles in my life, I realize that I'm the orchestrator of all this chaos. I'm the one at fault. I'm the fucking problem. When you go through that stuff, sometimes it's hard to own your own shit, to step up to the plate and own it. I just had to because I wanted to do the right thing."
He added: "I was able to make this record, express myself and get my family back together and get my respect from my band. At the eleventh hour, I pulled it off. I don’t know, man, this is a repeating cycle in my life. I don’t know how many more times I can do this to myself."
Mike Bax of Lithium Magazine conducted an interview with Swedish occult rockers GHOST on May 6 at The Opera House in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. You can now watch the chat below.
GHOST's sophomore album, "Infestissumam", sold around 14,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 28 on The Billboard 200 chart.
The CD topped the official chart in the group's home country after selling nearly five times as many copies as the No. 2 album, MISS LI's "Wolves".
The release date of "Infestissumam" was reportedly pushed back a week to April 16 after four compact disc manufacturers allegedly refused to print a piece of artwork that was meant for the deluxe version of the new CD. The manufacturers all took issue with the sacrilegious imagery, inspired by the work of Gustave Dore, which showcases what looks like a forest nymph orgy.
"We kept on getting turned down because of the CD art, which is basically a 16th century illustration of an orgy," a source close to the band told SPIN.com. "[The bandmembers] weren't surprised. The comment was 'Well, I thought this would have happened sooner.' The artwork was meant to provoke some sort of thought, but it's been one obstacle after another."
The controversial art can still be found on both the vinyl and European copies of the "Infestissuman" CD. "Vinyl manufacturers don't have a problem with the artwork. Neither does Europe," the source told SPIN.com.
GHOST was forced to modify its name in the U.S. to GHOST B.C. for "legal reasons."
Hailing from Linköping, Sweden, GHOST formed in in 2008. They released their heralded debut album, "Opus Eponymous", in 2010. In 2011, GHOST performed at the annual Download festival in the United Kingdom. The band's fanbase began to swell and not long after added some of hard rock's finest to this group. Additionally that year, GHOST took part in the "Defenders Of Faith III" tour with TRIVIUM, IN FLAMES and RISE TO REMAIN. In early 2012, they embarked on their first tour of the United States and later that year shared the stage with MASTODON and OPETH on their "Heritage Hunter Tour" in North America. That summer the band was invited by METALLICA's James Hetfield to perform on the main stage of METALLICA's first annual Orion Music + More festival.
