New Metallica Album.com

Randall amplifiers have released their Kirk Hammett custom amp, the RM100KH. This 100-watt amp contains three custom sound modules designed in cooperation with the Metallica guitarist to provide his clean and distorted tones. The volume, drive, and level indications on the amp’s modules are written in Kirk’s handwriting. The amp retails for $1,999.00. (more…)

by Ben Worthen wsj.com

British art-rock band Coldplay is releasing its new single on its Web site free of charge today, the latest band to experiment with new distribution models made possible by the Internet. This once again raises the question: Why can’t businesses be more like rock stars?

To celebrate its 100th issue, Sweden’s longest-running music magazine Close-Up has published a list of the top 100 albums in metal, hard rock, hardcore, punk and extreme rock released during the past 17 years (1991-2008). Compiled from 23 individual writers’ selections, Close-Up’s extensive list sees AT THE GATES classic cult album “Slaughter Of The Soul” claiming the top spot just ahead of METALLICA’s self-titled album.

Close-Up’s Top 20 albums 1991-2008: (more…)

This spring, the third edition of Dave Mustaine’s Gigantour rumbles across the country, anchored again by Mustaine’s own Megadeth, touring on the strength of their best album in over a decade, last year’s politically charged “United Abominations.”

In his 25 years heading Megadeth, Mustaine has been one of the more colorful, polarizing and successful frontmen in metal. Ages ago, he was kicked out of Metallica for being too wild; now, he’s a family man who takes pride in his role as a mentor to the younger bands on his tour (this year’s lineup includes In Flames, Children of Bodom, Job for a Cowboy and High on Fire).

We spoke with Mustaine about what Gigantour has in common with a medieval band of wandering minstrels—and some of the unexpected questions submitted to his new interactive fan site. (more…)

This summer’s Ozzfest will consist of two separate two-day (Saturday/Sunday) events — one of which will be held in Dallas — in late July/early August, with Ozzy Osbourne headlining one day and Metallica headlining the next.

Not only are these two bands been announced for the Dallas show, but so has recently re-united thrash metalliers Rigor Mortis. The band has announced that they will play in the Dallas Ozzfest on August 9th, with Metallica rumored to close that show out. (more…)

The band has asked for the amount of $1.6 million to present their show on the national stadium ‘Vasil Levski’ in Sofia, Bulgaria. (more…)

Not sure if this is confirmed but it’s been put out here. I guess we will find out after the show. It was originally put out on April 1st, Fool’s Day, so take it as you will…

“Metallica are going to invite Amy Winehouse onstage for a performance of ‘Nothing Else Matters’ during their headlining slot at Reading and Leeds Festivals.

In the most unlikely pairing since William Shatner and Ben Folds : Heavy Metal legends Metallica have announced on their website.

“We are really looking forward to working with Amy – we have all been listening to the ‘Back to Black’ Album in the studio and it has been really really rubbing off on us – we figured we have a ‘Black Album’ so let’s do a duet’.

Amy also self-announced that she would like to perform on one of the heavier tracks from Master of Puppets - ideally ‘Battery’. ” (more…)

“The world is full of critics. I mean, I don’t write music for you-I never have, and I never will. I write music for myself.”

By Jeff Kerby

Talk about polarization. When one discusses Dave Mustaine in the metal community, the opinions are hardly ever middle of the road—most headbangers either love him or hate him and there are probably several dozen reasons why. Most of these seem to stem from his days in Metallica, as it seems that from that point on, Mustaine has run the gamut (sometimes recklessly) between intelligent, engaging conversationalist and self-absorbed megalomaniac hell bent on self-promotion. In addition, his tendency towards profuse blogging and criticizing other individuals has caused many to wonder whether or not Dave truly believes the entire solar system revolves around him. Some might argue that this type of persona is exactly what’s required in order for someone to become big in the world of hard rock or metal, but for others, Mustaine will always be the loudmouth failure who couldn’t keep his spot in what may be the biggest rock band of this generation. (more…)

Is this release date for real? Has the release date for the new Metallica album been leaked? October 28, 2008?  The new Metallica album is available here for pre-order now!

Jeff Kerby of KNAC.COM recently conducted an interview with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. An excerpt from the chat follows:

KNAC.COM: There is one statement I’d like clarification on, and that concerns a comment you made in the [METALLICA documentary] film “Some Kind of Monster” where you said that sometimes you viewed your accomplishments as not being as great as another person might.

Mustaine: It’s because it was edited, and you didn’t get the entire context. (more…)

Shockwaves/HardRadio Podcast #30, dubbed ‘The Metallica Episode,’ is available for download (M4A file, 41 MB). Host Bob Nalbandian pins down journalist and author of the official METALLICA illustrated chronicle ‘So What! The Good, The Mad, and the Ugly’, Steffan Chirazi, as well as Lars Ulrich’s earliest metal comrade and NWOBHM connoisseur John Kornarens for an extraordinary three-way conversation exploring the earliest years of METALLICA’s unbelievable journey into becoming the world’s biggest heavy metal band. (more…)

Creators of Québec’s High School Tribute project have sent BW&BK the following press release:

We’re to announce the release of a tribute CD to METALLICA produced by students from La Frontalière High School, located in Coaticook, Québec, Canada. Teach ‘Em All: A High School Tribute To Metallica will be officially released on Friday, May the 23rd 2008 at 8:00 pm at the Pavillon des Arts et de la Culture in Coaticook. For the occasion a two-hour show will be presented. However, the CD is available NOW for purchase. (more…)

Lars Ulrich, the combustible drummer of heavy-metal band Metallica and long-time critic of file sharing, has apparently changed some of his views towards the Internet and digital music.

In a Rolling Stone interview last week, Ulrich said he and his bandmates have only one more album to make under the Warner Music Group’s label.

What are their plans for the future?

“We want to be as free (as) players as possible,” Ulrich told Rolling Stone during the band’s Northern California appearance for Record Store Day. “We’ve been observing Radiohead and Trent Reznor and in 27 years or however long it takes for the next record, we’ll be looking forward to everything in terms of possibilities with the Internet.” (more…)

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, also known as “the rich guy who bitched about Napster” now says that free online music may not be such a bad thing, after all.

Lars and his bandmates once took a lot of flack for publicly suggesting that “file sharers” were, in fact, not sharing music but stealing it. But that doesn’t mean he’s not interested in, say, using the Web to promote their next album — whenever that happens. Here he is in a recent Rolling Stone Interview: (more…)