Vio-Lence Frontman Hospitalized With COVID-19

Sean Killian, vocalist of thrash metal legends Vio-Lence, has confirmed on social media that he was taken to hospital a few days ago after contracting the COVID-19 virus. His message reads as follows:

"I entered the hospital Thursday (August 19th) to be treated for Covid. I contracted the virus from a friend who was unaware he was carrying it. I am feeling much better but my lung capacity at this time is diminished. My oxygen absorption is good and all my other symptoms have gone away. I will have a recovery period that will take some time.

"I’m sorry we have had to make adjustments to our schedule but at this time I cannot perform to the level our fans and the band expect and deserve. This will only be temporary and Vio-Lence will be back onstage better than ever."

Killian has survived a number of health scares in recent years, including making a miraculous recovery from stage four liver cirrhosis and was able to return to the stage for several shows, including last year's edition of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise. The band will release a new EP, "Let The World Burn" early next year.

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2021 Brutal Assault Festival Update

Brutal Assault announced many additions and a few deletions to the 2021 lineup today. Oddly, some of the bands listed as "cancelled" hadn't previously been announced as being on the bill.

A full list of bands, and tickets, can be had by clicking here.

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James Durbin (Quiet Riot) Premieres Solo Single

Quiet Riot frontman James Durbin premieres his debut solo single "Kings Before You", featuring Fozzy singer Chris Jericho and guitarist Phil Demmel (ex-Machine Head, Vio-Lence). The track is taken from his solo project's - named Durbin - debut release "The Beast Awakens ", out in stores on February 12, 2021.

Explains Durbin: More...

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Vio-Lence Releases Dead Kennedys Cover

Today (August 20th), Vio-Lence has released a new digital single: "California Uber Alles" - a cover version of the Dead Kennedys classic! The band also recently filmed a video (directed by Scott Kirkeeng) for the track, which can be viewed below.

Vio-Lence comments: "Being musicians in the Bay Area Thrash Metal scene, Vio-Lence believes it is important to acknowledge the music that had a huge influence on thrash metal - which was Bay Area punk rock. With that in mind, Vio-Lence looked to one of the most influential bands of that scene - The Dead Kennedys - and their iconic song 'California Uber Alles' to perform.
'California Uber Alles' is a song Vio-Lence has been wanting to perform live for some time. We decided that since we weren't going to be able to do that this year, and since fans haven't heard any recordings from Vio-Lence since 1994, that now was a good time to bring it to our fans. We recorded it in our rehearsal studio with our new line-up of Phil Demmel, Perry Strickland, Christian Olde Wolbers, Bobby Gustafson, and Sean Killian. So we hooked up the recording equipment and got to work. On a good day, it was about 95 deg. F, which was a motivator to nail our takes to minimize the time we had to sweat. Once the song was recorded, Christian headed home to Venice and got to work mixing and mastering the recording. We all agree that he did a great job, giving the song excellent sound without losing the raw rehearsal studio sound that we wanted to keep.

"Once recorded, the band moved onto the task of filming a video for the song. We met with Scott Kirkeeng, Senior Producer with East Peak Media, to discuss ideas. With Scott heading the production, Dan Brown editing, and Tatiana Peavy working the music playback, the video shoot began. We spent the day filming at The Back Lounge, a bar owned by Phil and Marta Demmel.
The location must keep be confidential for fear of the California Secret Police locking us up for life. The band invited 10 friends, including Chris Collins (the guy wearing the helmet camera in the 'World in a World' video) and family members (including Sean's son, Seamus), to join in the fun as masked zombie metal maniacs. Nurse Marta 'Demmon' showed up to give the band a shot of 'OBEE-D-ENCE', which was emphatically rejected. We had a great time recording and filming the video and song, and we hope you enjoy the Vio-Lence version of 'California Uber Alles'." More...

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BPMD (Overkill, Etc.) Premiere Grand Funk Cover

BPMD (Overkill, Vio-lence, ex-Machine Head, ex-Dream Theater etc.) premiere a cover of Grand Funk Railroad‘s “We’re An American Band” as their third single from the supergroup's upcoming debut release, “American Made“, that has been scheduled for a release this Friday, June 12th.

Tells bassist Mark Menghi: More...

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Vio-Lence Signs With Metal Blade Records

Thrash metal legends Vio-Lence has announced that they have signed a worldwide record deal with Metal Blade Records. A statement from frontman Sean Killian reads as follows:

"My first real exposure to thrash metal was brought to me by Metal Blade Records in the form of Slayer's 'Show No Mercy', which turned into my first live thrash metal show when I saw Slayer at The Keystone Berkley. Today, being able to announce that Vio-Lence has signed an agreement to bring new music to thrash metal fans and future thrash metal fans around the world with our partners Metal Blade Records is a very proud moment for me and Vio-Lence.

"Metal Blade has been involved in thrash metal since the beginning with their compilation 'Metal Massacre', and they have stood the test of time because of their love for heavy music.
Thank you everyone at Metal Blade Records for believing in Vio-Lence and for being fans of the music I love."

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Seven More Names Added To 70000 Tons Of Metal

The organisers of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise has announced a further seven names for the event, which will be setting sail in less than a week. Joining the already impressive roster are death metal pioneers Possessed, along with traditional metal outfit Striker, groove metal outfit Once Human featuring former Machine Head and Soulfly guitarist Logan Mader, jazz fusion metal combo Without Waves, Boston power metal ensemble FirstBourne, Colombian death metal group No Raza and Belgian thrash/metalcore band Spoil Engine. This brings the number of bands up to fifty seven, with sixty in total to perform. The ship will set sail to Cozumel, Mexico on January 7th and return to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 11th.

The lineup is now as follows:

Aborted
Aeternam
Aether Realm
Archon Angel
At The Gates
Atheist
Axxis
Bloodbound
Brujeria
Candlemass
Carach Angren
Cattle Decapitation
Cruachan
Devin Townsend
Edenbridge
Einherjer
Emperor
Epica
Exodus
Finntroll
FirstBourne
Flotsam And Jetsam
Ghost Ship Octavius
Grave Digger
Haggard
Havok
Ihsahn
Incantation
Kampfar
Kissin' Dynamite
Leaves Eyes
Michael Schenker Fest
Moonsorrow
No Raza
November's Doom
Omnium Gatherum
Once Human
Origin
Orphaned Land
Possessed
Ross The Boss
Seven Witches
Soen
Sortilège
Spoil Engine
Stam1na
Striker
Suffocation
The Agonist
The Faceless
Toxik
Trollfest
Venom
Vio-Lence
Whiplash
Without Waves
Wintersun

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Five More Bands Confirmed For 70000 Tons Of Metal

The lineup for next year's edition of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise draws ever closer to completion with the announcement of four more acts for the floating festival. Joining the already stacked lineup are two American thrash metal veterans, Toxik and the recently reunited Vio-Lence, the Mexican cartel of deathgrind Brujeria will also be dealing some brutality, while former Manowar guitarist Ross The Boss will also be on board, along with Canadian metal outfit, Aeternam. This brings the number of bands up to fifty, with sixty in total to perform. The ship will set sail to Cozumel, Mexico on January 7th and return to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 11th.

The lineup is now as follows:

Aborted
Aeternam
Aether Realm
Archon Angel
At The Gates
Atheist
Axxis
Bloodbound
Brujeria
Candlemass
Carach Angren
Cattle Decapitation
Cruachan
Devin Townsend
Edenbridge
Einherjer
Emperor
Epica
Exodus
Finntroll
Flotsam And Jetsam
Ghost Ship Octavius
Grave Digger
Haggard
Havok
Ihsahn
Incantation
Kampfar
Kissin' Dynamite
Leaves Eyes
Michael Schenker Fest
Moonsorrow
November's Doom
Omnium Gatherum
Origin
Orphaned Land
Ross The Boss
Seven Witches
Soen
Sortilège
Stam1na
Suffocation
The Agonist
The Faceless
Toxik
Trollfest
Venom
Vio-Lence
Whiplash
Wintersun

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Judas Priest And Behemoth To Headline Bloodstock

The organisers of Britain's Bloodstock Open Air festival have confirmed that Polish blackened death metal veterans Behemoth and British heavy metal icons Judas Priest will be headlining the 2020 edition of the event on Saturday and Sunday respectively. The festival will take place from August 6th - 9th in Walton On Trent, Derbyshire.

The lineup is now as follows:

Devin Townsend
Behemoth
Judas Priest
Skindred
Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals
Paradise Lost
Gloryhammer
Vio-Lence
Dark Tranquility
Sacred Reich
The Black Dahlia Murder
Jinjer
Life Of Agony
Diamond Head
Butcher Babies More...

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More Bands Confirmed For Bloodstock 2020

The organisers of Britain's Bloodstock Open Air festival have confirmed a further four bands for next year's edition of the festival. Joining the bill in 2020 will be former Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo & The Illegals, who will be performing a full Pantera set, while another band treating fans to a unique performance will be British Gothic metal icons Paradise Lost, who will be playing the "Draconian Times" album in full. Also performing that weekend will be alternative metal veterans Life Of Agony, who have just released their sixth album, "The Sound Of Scars" and New Wave Of British Heavy Metal legends Diamond Head, who also released a new album, "The Coffin Train" this year.

The lineup is now as follows:

Devin Townsend
Skindred
Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals
Paradise Lost
Gloryhammer
Vio-Lence
Dark Tranquility
Sacred Reich
The Black Dahlia Murder
Jinjer
Life Of Agony
Diamond Head
Butcher Babies

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Sacred Reich & Sworn Enemy U.S. Tour Announced

Sacred Reich announce an U.S. tour with Sworn Enemy. Excel, Vio-lence and more will support them on select stops. Sacred Reich themselves are working on a new effort entitled “Awakening”, while Sworn Enemy‘s new album “Gamechanger” is scheduled for an April 05th release.

05/04 Denver, CO – Streets
05/05 Kansas City, MO – Riot Room
05/18 Indianapolis, IN – The Citadel
05/20 Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
05/22 New Orleans, LA – House of Blues
05/23 Houston, TX – Scout Bar
05/24 Dallas, TX – Trees
05/25 San Antonio, TX – Rock Box
05/28 San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick (feat. Excel)
05/29 Oakland, CA – Metro (feat. Excel)
05/31 Los Angeles, CA – Regent Theater (feat. Vio-lence, Excel & Yidhra)
06/01 Phoenix, AZ – Club Red (feat. Vio-lence, Excel & Yidhra)

Further dates for the tour are still pending. Prior to the trek Sworn Enemy will also be playing the following shows on their own: More...

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Vio-Lence Vocalist Back In Hospital

After undergoing a liver transplant last month, Vio-Lence vocalist Sean Killian has been taken back to hospital following complications from the surgery. The singer is suffering from stage 4 cirrohsis of the liver and is seriously ill. His wife Dana Rivero Killian has check in with the following update:

"Sean is back at UCSF. We've been here since Friday. Long story short.... post-surgical complications including infection and bile leaks. Lots and lots of diagnostics, treating issues as discovered, but still symptomatic and experiencing a lot of pain. The worst is watching him suffer and not being able to help! Physically, he is wasting away. The pain has been unbearable & difficult to manage. He's so very malnourished and weak.

"Just one hour ago, he was taken to surgery. They'll re-open his incision, flush out the bile in his abdomen and make all necessary repairs. I've been by his side and while I love the intimacy and how much closer we're growing, I wish he'd just get better! Praying this surgery will be the final, once-and-for-all solution so he can begin the healing process again and not have any more setbacks. More than likely, he'll be back in the ICU. The plan moving forward depends on what they discover.

"I'm staying at a hotel with no plans to leave until we can leave together. Without the funds coming in from all the charity events, Go Fund Me account, etc... it wouldn't be possible for me to be here. The costs involved for this entire situation are simply astronomical, especially in SF. So, THANK YOU ALL!!!"

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Column

Sunday Old School: Vio-lence

One of the wonderful things about thrash metal is that while some bands became superstars, others have earned eternal credibility amongst metal fans for their furious live shows and underground classics. Perhaps one of the best examples of the latter comes, unsurprisingly, in the form of a band from San Francisco, Vio-lence. The group was formed by guitarists Phil Demmel and Troy Fua, vocalist Jerry Birr, drummer Perry Strickland and bass player Eddie Billy, brother of Testament frontman, Chuck Billy.

Changes were soon made to the band, most notably when Birr was replaced by Sean Killian, who utilised a unique cadence in his singing style and former Forbidden guitarist, Robb Flynn. They soon signed a contract with Mechanic Records and entered the studio to record their first full length album, "Eternal Nightmare." The record is now considered to be one of the best thrash metal albums of all time by dedicated thrash fans, thanks to such songs as "Kill on Command" and "Bodies on Bodies." More...

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Robb Flynn Records Tribute To Debbie Abono

MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn has recorded audio and video of an acoustic cover of BLACK SABBATH's "Die Young" song from the classic "Heaven and Hell" album for free download in tribute to the late Debbie Abono, who sadly passed away on the same day as legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio. In a statement made at the beginning of the video (which was recorded the day after Debbie's passing and which can be viewed at this location), Robb says, "I don't know why I recorded this song, it doesn't really have relevance to Debbie or Dio, but I was sad and depressed and it was the only thing that made sense in the world."

There are no plans to officially release Flynn's version of "Die Young," but an MP3 version of the track is available for free download at the MACHINE HEAD web site, www.machinehead1.com.

Debbie Abono, a well-respected and much-loved manager and promotional machine behind some of San Francisco Bay Area's strongest metal bands (POSSESSED, FORBIDDEN, EXODUS, VIO-LENCE, SKINLAB), passed away on May 16 at approximately 9:59 a.m. PST after a battle with cancer. She was 80 years old. More...

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Dublin Death Patrol Announces Livermore Show

Dublind Death Patrol, the thrash metal supergroup featuring Testament singer Chuck Billy and former Exodus vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza, has announced a show in Livermore, California for January 2nd at the Pine Street Bar and Grill.

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Defiance Signs to Candlelight Records

Candlelight Records announces the signing of Oakland, California based Defiance. The band currently featuring vocalist Steev Esquivel (Skinlab), guitarist Jim Adams, bassist Mike Kaufmann and drummer Mark Hernandez (Vio-lence, Forbidden) has started early tracking of their new album at Trident Studios and Greendot Studios in East Bay, California. The currently untitled album is expected for Spring 2009 release.

Defiance plan to finish the recording of their Candlelight debut by year's end. The band expects to tour in the early part of 2009.

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"Get Thrashed" DVD Release Date Announced

"Get Thrashed: The Story Of Thrash Metal" will be released on DVD in August. The DVD features footage and interviews with thrash legends ranging from Metallica to Kreator to Hirax. You can read an interview with director Rick Ernst at this location.

The complete list of bands interviewed is as follows:

Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Exodus, Godsmack, Hatebreed, Megadeth, Testament, Overkill, Death Angel, Shadows Fall, Meshuggah, In Flames, Strapping Young Lad, Stone Sour, Superjoint Ritual, Lamb of God, Vio-lence, Kreator, Sodom, Destruction , Nuclear Assault, Voivod, Chimaira, Biohazard, Fozzy/WWE Superstar Chris Jericho, Sepultura, Kittie, The Haunted, DRI, Soilwork, Killswitch Engage, Heathen, Hirax More...

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Forbidden Reveals Drummer For European Tour

Reunited thrashers Forbidden have revealed that Mark Hernandez will be behind the kit on their forthcoming European tour. Mark has a wealth of bands he's previously played for including Heathen, Vio-Lence and RE:Ignition amongst others.

Guitarist Craig Locicero states: "Yes, we're all very excited about going over to Europe with Mark Hernandez behind the kit. It took us a while to sort out all of the details, so we apologize for the delay. It was rumoured that Chris Kontos, whom I already have the honor of playing with in SPIRALARMS, was going to be Forbidden's European drummer. But that did not pan out because Chris had other obligations with ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT and the PART TIME CHRISTIANS. So we had to try out some other drummers and Mark was on fire for the gig! He knocked us over with his audition and showed us how good he really is. This guy is going to surprise a lot of people. He shocked all of us and really did his homework.

"I've known Mark a long time after seeing him play with Vio-Lence and Re:Ignition and most recently Heathen so I knew he had some chops. The last thing we would do is put someone onto the Forbidden drum throne who could not handle the job and pressure of filling some mighty large shoes. Obviously, Paul Bostaph and Steve Jacobs would be there if they could, but Paul's in TESTAMENT and Steve is unavailable in the time frame of this tour. So Mark won the job flat-out and he deserves it! So let's show him some love and respect to Mark when he bashing behind the kit with us in Europe. Make him feel welcome!"

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Dublin Death Patrol Announce Mexico City Show

DUBLIN DEATH PATROL (DDP) — the new band featuring TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy and former EXODUS vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza — has scheduled a concert at Hard Rock Live in Mexico City, Mexico on January 28, 2008.

Fan-filmed video footage of DUBLIN DEATH PATROL (DDP) performing at the Underworld in London, England on June 18, 2007 can be viewed below.

DUBLIN DEATH PATROL made its live debut on June 3, 2007 at The Galaxy in Santa Ana, California. Check out photos of the concert at DirtJunior.com.

DUBLIN DEATH PATROL's debut album, "DDP 4 Life", is available now on Godfodder Records.

DUBLIN DEATH PATROL's lineup is as follows:

Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT, RAMPAGE, GUILT) - Vocals
Steve "Zetro" Souza (LEGACY, EXODUS) - Vocals
Andy Billy (SACRED DOG, RAMPAGE, GUILT) - Guitar
Greg Bustamante (RAMPAGE) - Guitar
Steve Robello (OUT OF CONTROL) - Guitar
Phil Demmel (MACHINE HEAD, VIO-LENCE, DEATH PENALTY, METAL WARRIOR) - Guitar
Willy Langenhuizen (RAMPAGE, LAAZ ROCKIT) - Bass
John Souza - Bass
Danny Cunningham - Drums
Troy Luccketta (TESLA) - Drums
Eddie Billy - Bass More...

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Dublin Death Patrol Footage From London Posted

Fan-filmed video footage of DUBLIN DEATH PATROL (DDP) — the new band featuring TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy and former EXODUS vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza — performing at the Underworld in London, England on June 18, 2007 has been posted at YouTube.

DUBLIN DEATH PATROL made its live debut on June 3 at The Galaxy in Santa Ana, California. Check out photos of the concert at DirtJunior.com.

DUBLIN DEATH PATROL's debut album, "DDP 4 Life", is available now on Godfodder Records.

DUBLIN DEATH PATROL's lineup is as follows:

Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT, RAMPAGE, GUILT) - Vocals
Steve "Zetro" Souza (LEGACY, EXODUS) - Vocals
Andy Billy (SACRED DOG, RAMPAGE, GUILT) - Guitar
Greg Bustamante (RAMPAGE) - Guitar
Steve Robello (OUT OF CONTROL) - Guitar
Phil Demmel (MACHINE HEAD, VIO-LENCE, DEATH PENALTY, METAL WARRIOR) - Guitar
Willy Langenhuizen (RAMPAGE, LAAZ ROCKIT) - Bass
John Souza - Bass
Danny Cunningham - Drums
Troy Luccketta (TESLA) - Drums
Eddie Billy - Bass More...

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