In a new interview with the "Brutally Delicious" podcast, OVERKILL frontman Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth spoke about how he is dealing with the coronavirus crisis and what the touring circuit might look like post-pandemic. "We're all in this — musicians, carpenters, chefs, lawyers — everybody's in it," Bobby said (hear audio below). "I've always thought of ...
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Vocalist Sean Killian of reunited San Francisco Bay Area thrashers VIO-LENCE spoke to the "Heavy Metal Mayhem" radio show about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's new EP, tentatively due in 2021 via Metal Blade Records. Asked what the new material sounds like, Sean said (hear audio below): "If you listen to ...
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BPMD — the new heavy metal juggernaut featuring vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth (OVERKILL), drummer Mike Portnoy (THE WINERY DOGS, SONS OF APOLLO), bassist Mark Menghi (METAL ALLEGIANCE) and guitarist Phil Demmel (VIO-LENCE, ex-MACHINE HEAD) — will release its debut album, "American Made", on June 12 via Napalm Records. The 10-track homage to some of rock ...
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Richie Faulkner (JUDAS PRIEST), Mike Inez (ALICE IN CHAINS), Lzzy Hale (HALESTORM), Phil Demmel (VIO-LENCE, ex-MACHINE HEAD) and Dave McClain (SACRED REICH, ex-MACHINE HEAD) recently joined forces to to record a cover version of THIN LIZZY's "Bad Reputation". The accompanying video was shot in quarantine, with each musician separated in his or her home, and ...
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Guitarist Phil Demmel of reunited San Francisco Bay Area thrashers VIO-LENCE spoke to EXODUS frontman Steve "Zetro" Souza's YouTube channel, Zetro's Toxic Vault, about the progress of the songwriting sessions for VIO-LENCE's new EP, tentatively due in 2021 via Metal Blade Records. He said (see video below): "We've got two songs done. We've got ideas ...
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Former MACHINE HEAD and current VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel has told Ultimate Guitar in a new interview that he is concerned about the touring industry in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, with some estimates indicating that live shows and big sporting events won't return until at least 2021. "Yeah, you ...
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Phil Demmel (MACHINE HEAD, VIO-LENCE), Marta Demmel (BLEEDING THROUGH), Dave McClain (MACHINE HEAD, SACRED REICH) and Eric Bass (SHINEDOWN) have joined forces to record a quarantine cover version of ALICE IN CHAINS' "No Excuses". Regarding how the cover came together, Demmel said: "'No Excuses' is a song I had been wanting to cover with our ...
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Earlier today (Friday, April 17), BPMD members Mike Portnoy (drums; THE WINERY DOGS, SONS OF APOLLO), Mark Menghi (bass; METAL ALLEGIANCE) and Phil Demmel (guitar; VIO-LENCE, ex-MACHINE HEAD) took part in a live chat via the Napalm Records YouTube channel. You can now watch the question-and-answer session below. BPMD — which is completed by vocalist ...
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BPMD — the new heavy metal juggernaut featuring vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth (OVERKILL), drummer Mike Portnoy (THE WINERY DOGS, SONS OF APOLLO), bassist Mark Menghi (METAL ALLEGIANCE) and guitarist Phil Demmel (VIO-LENCE, ex-MACHINE HEAD) — will release its debut album, "American Made", on June 12 via Napalm Records. The 10-track homage to some of rock ...
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Former MACHINE HEAD guitarist Phil Demmel has told the "Scandalous Podcast" that he has no misgivings about his 15-year stint with the band. "I will never regret being in MACHINE HEAD," he said. "It was an amazing time for me jumping into that band [in 2003], getting out of a failed marriage and going into ...
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Ex-MACHINE HEAD guitarist Phil Demmel has apologized for letting his former bandmates' comments about his contributions to "The Blackening" album "get the best" of him. In a March 26 e-mail blast to its mailing list, MACHINE HEAD celebrated the 13th anniversary of "The Blackening" by stating the following, in part, about the LP: "While ex-guitarist ...
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On the 13th anniversary of the release of MACHINE HEAD's "The Blackening" album, frontman Robb Flynn hopped on Facebook Live to stream an impromptu guitar run-through of some of the LP's deeper cuts. Check out video footage below. In a March 26 e-mail blast to its mailing list, MACHINE HEAD stated the following, in part, ...
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BPMD — the new heavy metal juggernaut featuring vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth (OVERKILL), drummer Mike Portnoy (THE WINERY DOGS, SONS OF APOLLO), bassist Mark Menghi (METAL ALLEGIANCE) and guitarist Phil Demmel (VIO-LENCE, ex-MACHINE HEAD) — has signed a worldwide contract with Napalm Records. The members of BPMD first came together in the summer of 2019 ...
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The David Ellefson Youth Music Foundation, the nonprofit started in 2018 by MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson, has announced the "School's Out" initiative, providing free music lessons and one-on-one mentoring sessions via Skype from major artists to students stuck at home due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Skype sessions will be held by legendary rock and metal ...
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In a recent interview with "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, guitarist Phil Demmel of reactivated San Francisco Bay Area thrashers VIO-LENCE was asked what the most fulfilling has been about being able to revisit the band's early music with the same people he played it with as a teenager. He ...
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Reunited San Francisco Bay Area thrashers VIO-LENCE have inked a deal with Metal Blade Records. The band's new EP is tentatively due to be recorded in the coming months. Vocalist Sean Killian comments: "My first real exposure to thrash metal was brought to me by Metal Blade Records in the form of SLAYER's 'Show No ...
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San Francisco Bay Area metallers HEATHEN have set "Empire Of The Blind" as the title of their new album, due later in the year via Nuclear Blast Records. A flyer showing the "Empire Of The Blind" artwork can be found at the merchandise table during "The Bay Strikes Back" 2020 European tour featuring TESTAMENT, DEATH ...
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Former MACHINE HEAD and current VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel recently spoke with Everblack Media. The full conversation can be streamed below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On reuniting with VIO-LENCE: Phil: "I quit MACHINE HEAD and did a brief thing in SLAYER. [Sean Killian, VIO-LENCE vocalist] texted me, ...
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TESTAMENT vocalist Chuck Billy recently spoke with Finland's Kaaos TV. The full conversation can be seen below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): On the band's recent ferry ride to Finland, which was described as "fucking terrifying" by EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt: Chuck: "Oh my god. We were the ...
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Reunited San Francisco Bay Area thrashers VIO-LENCE are about to sign a deal with an as-yet-undisclosed record label to release a new EP. The news of VIO-LENCE's return to the studio was broken by guitarist Phil Demmel in a recent interview with the "Talk Toomey" podcast. Speaking about his plans for the coming months, Demmel ...
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MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and former MEGADETH guitarist Chris Poland will join forces for a tour of Japan and Australia in May. It will mark the pair's first time hitting the road together in 37 years. Dates: Japan May 17 - Trad, Osaka May 18 - Liquid Room, Tokyo Australia May 22 - Max Watts, ...
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Former MACHINE HEAD and current VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel spoke to "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show" about his soon-to-be-released collaboration with drummer Mike Portnoy (ex-DREAM THEATER), vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth (OVERKILL) and bassist Mark Menghi (METAL ALLEGIANCE). "It's called BPMD," he said. "So it's Bobby Blitz, Mike Portnoy, Mark Menghi and Phil Demmel ...
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Former MACHINE HEAD and current VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel has launched a music umbrella called Echoes Of Reckoning. According to Phil, Echoes Of Reckoning will encompass his various solo projects and collaborations canvassing many genres: thrash, groove, rock and acoustic. The label's first release will be the song "The Permanent Decay", featuring an all-star cast, ...
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Reunited San Francisco Bay Area thrashers VIO-LENCE have parted ways with guitarist Ray Vegas. His temporary replacement for VIO-LENCE shows starting in late February will be former OVERKILL guitarist Bobby Gustafson. Says the band: "VIO-LENCE would like to thank Ray Vegas for all his hard work and contributions to this band. It's been an incredible ...
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Former SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo joined Gary Holt (guitar; SLAYER, EXODUS), Phil Demmel (guitar; MACHINE HEAD, VIO-LENCE), Jack Gibson (bass; EXODUS) and Mark Osegueda (vocals; DEATH ANGEL) on stage this past Thursday night (January 16) at the METAL ALLEGIANCE concert at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, Californa to perform three SLAYER "Reign In Blood"-album ...
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Former SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo joined Gary Holt (guitar; SLAYER, EXODUS), Phil Demmel (guitar; MACHINE HEAD, VIO-LENCE), Jack Gibson (bass; EXODUS) and Mark Osegueda (vocals; DEATH ANGEL) on stage last night (Thursday, January 16) at the METAL ALLEGIANCE concert at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, Californa to perform three SLAYER "Reign In Blood"-album classics: ...
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"Ultimate Jam Night", the long-running community-oriented show in residency at the Whisky A Go Go, presents its third annual show at NAMM on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at the Hilton Anaheim California Ballroom. Entry is free of charge and requires no NAMM badge. The show is again presented by RCF. Called "Ultimate NAMM Night" to ...
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Corey Glover (vocalist of LIVING COLOUR and BOWIE EXPERIENCE), George Pond (former bassist of NEGATIVE SKY), Corey Pierce (former drummer of GOD FORBID), Mark Monjoy (rhythm guitarist, SEKOND SKYN) and Danny Puma (lead guitarist, NEGATIVE SKY) have joined forces in a new metal band called DISCIPLES OF VERITY. The official music video for DISCIPLES OF ...
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The 10th-anniversary remastered reissue of HEATHEN's "The Evolution Of Chaos" album will be made available on January 31 via Mascot Records. The release will be available on CD/DVD, 2LP and digitally with a previously unreleased bonus track, "Seasons Of Purgatory". The CD/DVD will be accompanied by a two-hour "making-of" documentary on the album as well ...
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Former MACHINE HEAD and current VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel has released the song "The Permanent Decay", featuring an all-star cast, including BLEEDING THROUGH vocalist Brandan Schieppati, MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson, and SACRED REICH (and ex-MACHINE HEAD) drummer Dave McClain. The official lyric video for the track, which was written by Demmel in late 2016 and ...
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