Formed: 1983
From:
San Francisco,
CA,
United States
Last Known Status: Active
Latest Megadeth News
Below is our complete Megadeth news coverage, including columns and articles pertaining to the band. Some articles listed may be indirectly related, such as side projects of the band members, etc.
Displaying records 501 - 520 of 943 1 2 ... 24 25 26 27 28 ... 47 48 Last
James LoMenzo To Record With Hydrogyn
This week, Megadeth shockingly announced that James Lomenzo would be leaving Megadeth. Even more surprising would be former Megadeth bassist and co-founder David "Jr." Ellefson to return to Megadeth. Already, James Lomenzo has his mind set on another project. More...
David Ellefson Comments On Megadeth Tour
As was previously reported, former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson has re-joined the band for their upcoming tour. Ellefson has now issued the following statement about preparing for the tour:
"Greetings Droogies, Rattleheads and Everyone Around the World! It is great to be back in Megadeth! As you can imagine, it's been quite a week getting back in the saddle with a gazillion things to get a handle on before we hit the road. We are rehearsing for the upcoming 'Rust In Peace' 20th Anniversary tour this week at Vic's Garage, and I must say, the songs are ripping! Dave and I sound like we haven't missed a beat. We have a special style we've created together over the years and it just fell right back into place instantly. I've definitely missed his ferocious guitar playing....no one does it quite like him.
"Chris Broderick is a fantastic player and Shawn Drover lays down a nice pocket that keeps the songs sounding like the records, which makes them a treat to play to. Overall, the studio is a great hang and kind of like a music boot camp with guitars, amps and drums at our disposal so we can always be playing and working on tunes.
"As always, there are gear needs to sort out before a tour, especially with music this demanding and particular. The crew is working very hard to get the details in order now to ensure an amazing show.
"I want to thank you all for your overwhelming support, congratulations and excitement on my return back with the band and I look forward to seeing you all at the upcoming shows. Be ready for 'The Punishment Due'!"
Former Megadeth Bassist Speaks On Lineup Change
James Lomenzo, the former bass player of White Lion, Black Label Society and most recently Megadeth, has posted a message online giving his opinion on Megadeth's decision to bring back original bassist David Ellefson. His message reads as follows:
"Friends, my heart is full with your kindness and well wishes. This is the richest part of my years with the mighty Megadeth. I'm truly excited about the two Daves getting back together. I think it will be great for Megadeth fans. Anyone who knows me, knows I love doing all kinds of things musically and other wise so I'm excited for what's ahead and very grateful for all the great music, fantastic shows and the many friends and fans I've come to know over the past four years. Stay tuned and I'll let you know what's next when it's next!"
Exodus Guitarist Speaks On Megadeth Tour
Gary Holt, co-founder and guitarist for Bay Area thrash metal legends Exodus, has checked in with his views about the band's forthcoming tour with Megadeth and Testament. The message reads as follows:
"I am so stoked to be a part of this tour with our long-time friends Megadeth and Testament! This will prove to be a thrash metal wet dream and I cannot wait to get the party started and hit the road on this beast of a tour! It's been about six years since we last toured with Megadeth and after all these long years, this will be our first one with Testament, so I for one am fired up! Let the bloodbath begin!"
Megadeth Bassist Speaks On Returning To The Band
Speaking with Classic Rock magazine, returning Megadeth bass player David Ellefson revealed the reasons and factors as to why he has rejoined the band. An excerpt from the interview reads as follows:
“It literally happened over the weekend. And I can hardly believe it myself. There was clearly gonna be a change in the line-up, because James Lomenzo was leaving. Dave (Mustaine) and I talked on the phone, and all the feuds, all the arguments we’ve been having over the years just melted away. It just goes to show what direct contact can achieve!"
According to Ellefson, it was drummer Shawn Drover who instigated the whole thing. More...
Former Megadeth Bassist Rejoins The Band
Megadeth has announced that co-founder and former bass player David "Junior" Ellefson has returned to the band as a full time member. This reunion is appropriately timed to Megadeth’s upcoming historic month-long Rust In Peace 20th anniversary tour which launches March 1 in Spokane, WA. Ellefson and band leader Dave Mustaine were feuding for a small period after the band's breakup in 2002 and attempted to sue one another, as a result of which, Ellefson was not a part of the band when Mustaine revived the Megadeth name in 2004.
"This shows the power of brotherly love and forgiveness," Mustaine says. "David Ellefson belongs in Megadeth. Next we are going to show you the power of getting your asses kicked...HARD!
"We'd like to thank James LoMenzo for several years of loyal service on the bass, and wish him the very best." Mustaine adds.
David Ellefson concurs: "This is a huge moment for all of us, band and fans alike. It is a great celebration of the music from one of the biggest landmark albums of our career."
Megadeth Issues Band Update
Megadeth front man Dave Mustaine has issued the following update about the band's upcoming activity:
"Droogies! For the last few weeks I have been telling you about a huge project coming up. Well, yesterday I submitted our work for approval and it was approved, so very soon we will be able to say 'what' this very big announcement is. Rest assured it involves a new song that I have just recently written, with more co-writing from Chris Broderick. It's another aggressive, complicated Megadeth track, and I will give you more details as soon as I can. I was looking at the top 100 albums on Amazon in the Thrash category and we have 16 records in the Top 100 on their site. What a great feeling!
"You also no doubt saw all of the tour dates coming in for 2010, which promises to be an extensive touring year. We are planning on (in no particular order - but this is close) doing the R.I.P. tour all of March with our dear friends in Exodus and Testament, which is progressing, then to South America in April, then Europe in June and early July, then Canada in late July, then the States in August with Slayer, then back to the Pacific Rim after that and HOPEFULLY Australia and New Zealand again. We are trying to make our "Pac Rim Tours" always include New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, South Korea.
"Hopefully we will soon be playing in China (and surrounding areas like Hong Kong, Taipei, and Taiwan), and also in Malaysia (of course we would need the government's permission because we have been banned from playing in Malaysia because of a Satanic ritual where someone painted Megadeth at a crime scene and the government blamed us and banned us). More to follow..."
Slayer, Megadeth American Carnage Tour Rescheduled
Slayer and Megadeth are thrilled to announce the new, confirmed routing for the American Carnage North American Tour, which will commence with the rescheduled Canadian Carnage East dates in Quebec City on Friday, July 23. Slayer will then head to Europe for a run of festival dates, returning to kick off the American Carnage leg in Albany, NY on August 11. American Carnage will play 26 dates across the United States and Eastern Canada up to the Labor Day weekend, ending in Portland, OR on September 4. Testament will be Special Guest on all shows. Tickets purchased for the American Carnage shows when they first went on sale late last year will be honored for these rescheduled dates.
Due to venue availability and other conflicts, the shows originally scheduled in El Paso, Houston, Nashville, Duluth, and Louisville cannot be rescheduled at this time, and ticket holders may obtain refunds at point of purchase. However, new cities have been added to the American Carnage itinerary, with dates now scheduled in Cleveland, Kansas City, San Diego, and Sacramento. The confirmed, complete itinerary is below.
The American Carnage Tour, originally scheduled to take place in January and February, had to be put on hold due to Slayer's vocalist/bassist, Tom Araya's ongoing, minimally-invasive treatments for what was diagnosed as a Cervical Radiculopathy, an occupational hazard for the rocker who is known for aggressively swinging his long mane of hair while performing. Right after the first of the year, Araya made the difficult decision to undergo a surgical procedure, called an Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion, a relatively routine practice with an excellent recovery rate. That surgery took place early last week.
"The doctors said that Tom's surgery went very smoothly and was a resounding success," said Rick Sales, long-time Slayer manager. "He's home now, doing really well, and he said the numbness in his fingers had already diminished considerably."
Shortly after the surgery, Slayer's Kerry King received a text from Tom: "Awake and feeling good, actually whatever he did, it feels better."
The American Carnage Tour will mark the first time that Slayer, Megadeth and Testament will have toured the U.S. together since 1991's epic "Clash of the Titans" tour.
Slayer recently announced the rescheduling of its headline tour in the UK and Europe, and Megadeth and Testament are currently on tour together playing U.S. cities that will not be on the American Carnage itinerary.
The complete, confirmed itinerary for the American Carnage North American Tour are as follows: More...
Headline News
Judas Priest And AC/DC Win Grammy Awards
Two of the biggest names in hard rock and heavy metal walked away with Grammy awards last night as British metal legends Judas Priest picked up the award for Best Metal Performance, beating Lamb Of God, Megadeth, Ministry and Slayer, with their song "Dissident Aggressor," taken from their live album, "A Touch Of Evil: Live." Australian based hard rockers AC/DC also scooped the prize for Best Hard Rock Performance for their song "War Machine," which appears on their most recent studio album, "Black Ice" and the forthcoming "Iron Man 2" soundtrack. They were able to beat Metallica, Alice In Chains, Nickelback and Linkin Park in their category.
Megadeth Frontman Speaks On Upcoming Tour
Megadeth are currently busy rehearsing for their upcoming tour with fellow thrash legends Testament and Exodus, during which they will be performing their 1990 classic album, "Rust In Peace" in full. A message from lead vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine reads as follows:
"Droogies!
"Rust In Peace rehearsal are going pretty good. We are sorting out some new gear, organizing the stuff we've got, hot-rodding everything, and deciding on several aspects of the show. Of course we realize that RIP was approximately 45 minutes long, and our show is longer than that, that we are going to need to keep several other classics in the show as well as our favorite new songs too.
"So far we went over 'Holy Wars', 'Hangar 18', 'Tornado of Souls', 'Take No Prisoners', 'Five Magics', and 'Poison Was The Cure'. I am letting a DAT run in the background for serendipity in case I have a moment where I come up with something new and it doesn't slip away if I don't record it.
"It may sound strange to hear that we are going over the songs that we already know, but this is a pivotal record in heavy metal and it didn't become that way by playing what we think is right. We have all been under the microscope and we have found several things that we have improved on, as well as learning the new RIP songs, and I can't stop smiling while we are playing. More...
Hydrogyn Announces New Lineup
Ashland, Kentucky based rockers HYDROGYN have announced a new line up for their next phase of albums and touring. Founding members, Julie 'the voice' and guitarist Jeff Westlake have joined forces with Jeff Young (ex-Megadeth) on guitar and kHz drummer, Joe Migz. A unique element in the band's evolving sound includes one of the world's few master 6-string fretless bassists, Jake Wolf.
Following a recent interview on Jeff's weekly JFL radio show, Westake & The Pig, the possibility of David Ellefson (Angels of Babylon, Hail, ex-Megadeth) adding some bass work on the album was raised. "It would be an awesome treat for the fans if we can all find time to get that classic duo of Ellefson and Young back together on a song or two!" More...
Testament Guitarist To Miss Megadeth Tour
Due to other commitments, Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick has been forced to miss the band's forthcoming tour supporting Megadeth. His position on the trek will be filled in by former Megadeth guitarist Glen Drover. A message from Drover reads as follows:
"Well, its been quite sometime since my last update. Have been working in the studio with various projects, as well as my own instrumental album that I have been slowly working on over the last year or so, and all is going very well. Everyone is playing amazing and we will also have a few special guests lending their talents for guitar solo spots. So far we have Jeff Loomis (NEVERMORE) and Frederik Akesson (OPETH, ARCH ENEMY) who have recently sent me their solos, which of course are no less than amazing. Just wait till you hear what they have done!!!! We have six out of eight songs recorded now and should have everything wrapped up in the next few months or so. Will keep you updated on that soon.
"Also, During the time of me trying to finally finish this album, I will be playing with TESTAMENT on the upcoming MEGADETH, Testament, EXODUS tour In the US and Canada. My buddies in Testament called me up to see if I could help for the tour, as Alex (Skolnick) will be away during this time. It will be great to get back out for a little bit and see all my friends in those bands, as well as the fans, and of course being a part of playing The Legacy album, which has always been one of my faves!!!!!
"Looking forward to seeing you in March!!!!"
The tour dates are as follows: More...
Megadeth Announces "Rust In Peace" Tour
American thrash metal legends Megadeth have announced that they will be heading out on the road in March to not only support their new studio album, "Endgame," but also to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of their classic 1990 album, "Rust In Peace." The band will be performing the album from start to finish on the tour and will also be joined on the trek by fellow thrash metal titans Testament and Exodus.
The initial tour dates are as follows: More...
First Bands Confirmed For Download 2010
The organisers of the United Kingdom's Download festival has announced the first batch of names for this year's edition of the event. The biggest news is that AC/DC will be headlining the first day of the event, marking their first appearance at Donington since 1991. Many other big names have also been added to the bill, including Them Crooked Vultures, Motorhead, Megadeth, Deftones, Stone Temple Pilots, Bullet For My Valentine, Wolfmother and Volbeat. The festival will be held at Castle Donington from June 11th - 13th. Stay tuned for more confirmations and details.
Megadeth Guitarist Cuts Hand With Boxcutter
Megadeth guitarist Chris Broderick has issued the following statement about laying down his guitar for a few weeks while he recovers from accidentally cutting his hand:
"Hey Everyone, how many times have you been told safety first? I always felt like I was being nagged, but now I am the one advocating safety. Last night I was breaking down boxes to put in the recycling bin, and the unthinkable happened. I cut my thumb on my right hand with a box cutter (razor blade). Instantly I knew I needed to get to the emergency room to make sure I hadn't cut my career along with my thumb. Luckily I didn't cut any tendons and will only have to lay off the guitar for a couple weeks. If you are squeamish at all don't look at the pictures. Here was the initial cut, at least a 1/4" deep. I feel very lucky that I could take this picture(all is well that ends well), hopefully you guys will take notes from my mistakes.
"P.S I'm bummed I didn't get to play with my brothers at the NAMM jam. I was told no one in Megadeth was playing and decided not to go to that party. Needless to say I missed out on a great time."
Dave Mustaine To Appear On "That Metal Show"
Megadeth has issued the following update about Dave Mustaine appearing on VH1's That Metal Show:
"Dave Mustaine was in New York City, NY last night (Tuesday, January 12) to tape the first episode of Season 4 of VH1's 'That Metal Show' - a talk show hosted by Eddie Trunk with co-hosts Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson. The show focuses on discussions and debates about 'all things hard rock & heavy metal,' past and present. 'That Metal Show' airs on VH1 Classic Saturdays at 11/10C and is rebroadcast throughout the week. See Dave Mustaine in the first episode of Season 4 when it premieres February 6 on VH1 Classic."
Westlake and The Pig interviews Dave Ellefson
In this podcast, Dave talks about his new projects: F5, Hail!, and the new album by Angels of Babylon "Kingdom of Evil." Westlake and the Pig play one of the new singles "Oh How the Mighty Have Fallen," off the album. The new album is scheduled to be released January 29th.
Ellefson has also a new channel on youtube called the "Rock Shop." New episodes are frequently posted.
Westlake and The Pig's Interview with Omar Sheira
Omar Sheira, age 21 was 19 when Megadeth's "United Abominations" came out in 2007. Omar has always been a die-hard Megadeth fan and thought it would be a neat idea creating some artwork to pay homage to the hit song "Gears of War." Posting the artwork on some Megadeth forums, Dave Mustaine's management got in contact with Omar in an attempt to sign over the artwork so Dave Mustaine can use it for a future "product." Without contacting or seeking out any legal advice, Omar signed the artwork over and Mustaine eventually used it on a guitar design. Without any recognition or a thank you, Omar feels that Mustaine did not give credit where credit was due. He was hoping that Mustaine would be the "cool cat" and give him some recognition, a thank you, or even a guitar of the design. Listen to his story on a podcast here.
Headline News
Tom Araya To Undergo Back Surgery
"Tom gave various medical treatments more than a fair shot," said Slayer's manager Rick Sales, "but they just haven't handled the problem, so he's biting the bullet and is scheduled for back surgery at the end of this month."
This difficult decision made by the band's bassist/vocalist Tom Araya means the cancellation of Slayer's immediate tour plans that include the American and Canadian Carnage Tour dates that were set to kick off on January 18, as well as the band's UK/European headline tour scheduled for March and April. Booking agents for both Slayer and Megadeth are already hard at work rescheduling the tour dates; tickets already purchased for these shows will be honored at the rescheduled dates.
Araya began experiencing back problems while on the band's Australian/New Zealand/Japanese tour last October. In spite of his rapidly increasing pain and discomfort, he carried on with the tour, but immediately upon returning home saw an orthopedic specialist who diagnosed a Cervical Radiculopathy. Araya initially did not want to take the major surgery route, so the specialist recommended a series of minimally-invasive procedures. While those procedures have resulted in some improvement, Araya continues to deal with intermittent bouts of severe pain, numbness and muscle spasms. The surgical procedure that Araya will undergo, called an Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion, is a relatively routine practice and the recovery rate is excellent.
Sales added, "As unfortunate as this is for so many people - the Megadeth and Testament camps, the concerts' promoters, and, of course, the fans - Tom's health is the number one priority, and this has to happen."
Megadeth Issues Holiday Update
Megadeth front man Dave Mustaine has issued the following holiday update and information about an upcoming contest:
"I want to start with saying Merry Christmas to you all and I hope that you all have a wonderful, rewarding day. Anyway, I went to go get a Coronary Calcium Cat scan or in other words, a heart scan, and I have good news! They found one!! All kidding aside, I had my heart scan done and my score was a mind blowing zero. This means that I have 0% plaque in my heart and my mom died from congestive heart failure, and that stuff is hereditary I hear, so I was worried.
"I am so stoked about the result and I owe it to my family, band mates, and my advisers and handlers for inspiring me to get better, to be better, and to stay better. I can't tell you how much my team, even the label have really supported me and helped me understand what we can and cannot do, instead of what 'I' can't do. Believe it or not even the media and the press, both positive or negative have been instrumental in helping me become a better person. There have been a lot of life's lessons I haven't been able to learn until recently, but I can tell you I have NEVER felt this good in my 48 years of life on this planet.
"Hell, some stuff can be changed and some can't. I just need to be smart enough to know which is which. My manager Mark has mentored me in a business that is constantly changing (he was very instrumental in helping make the Big Four happen - for that, my hat and prolly several thousand other's hats are off to you). Funny thing is that I have been praying hard that I would be friends with the guys in Slayer again, and Metallica too. Is it just me or does it seem like some prayers have been answered? Now, I am just praying that all of the fans around the entire globe will get to see this tour. Personally, I wish we would hit every single country and every major city. That would rule!!! One last thing and I will let ya go for Christmas. You are going to want to read this, if you have even read this far. More...
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