Guitarist Gary Holt checks in with this breaking news from the EXODUS camp:
"I’d like to take a moment here and welcome back Tom Hunting to EXODUS' drum throne. It was always understood that when and if Tom was ever ready to resume his drumming duties for the band, his seat would be waiting. Paul (Bostaph) always knew this, and was the first to say it upon joining the band. Paul and Tom have always been good friends and we, as a band, cannot thank Paul enough for his services on Shovel Headed Kill Machine and all the subsequent tours he did to support that album. We had a great time and kicked many asses along the way. Paul has given this reunion his whole-hearted endorsement with no mixed blessings and is happy to see Tom back in the fold. Now, some band out there may just become the luckiest bunch of suckers in the world, because one hell of a drummer is on the market! We wish Paul all the best, and he will always be a member of the extended Exodus family.
That having been said, we are so excited to have Tom back in the band he co-founded. He, other than the time spent out of the band, is the only drummer I’ve ever played with, and he and I have an unspoken language of metal that I am stoked to continue. We are hard at work on the new songs, and this shit is the best and heaviest music we’ve ever written. I’ve kept quiet until now - because everyone always brags about how great their new shit is - but this is no boast. This album will redefine thrash metal as we know it. We will be hitting the studio mid-May with Mr. Andy Sneap. You Have Been Warned."
SAMMY HAGAR "I TOTALLY ENCOURAGE" VAN HALEN REUNION TOUR WITH ROTH
According to Billboard.com, Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony said last night (Monday, March 12) backstage at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in New York City that there were no hard feelings they were not included on VAN HALEN's planned summer tour with David Lee Roth, which is now in shambles. "I totally encourage the thing with Dave," Hagar said. "If VAN HALEN has any move they should do for the fans right now, it's to do a reunion with Dave." Added Anthony of the absent Roth, "I was waiting for him to come busting through at some point during the speech."
"If we all grew up, including me, maybe all of us could do it together," Hagar said of future VAN HALEN touring. "I'm down with that." He added, "I planned on taking this year off and just hanging with my family. I haven't done that for a long time. [But] I will tour from my birthday in October through next year."
DAVE MUSTAINE "IT'S REALLY INVIGORATING TO GO BACK TO PLAYING THRASH AND SPEED METAL"
MEGADETH's new official biography contains several quotes from the band's mainman, Dave Mustaine, about the musical direction of MEGADETH's upcoming album, "United Abonimations", and Mustaine's lyrical approach on the new CD. Read on:
On MEGADETH's new CD, "United Abominations", being "a career landmark album":
"It's kind of a defibrillator for the metal community. Somebody's got to step up to the plate, play solos again, and play heavy rhythms that are actually recorded live in the studio — because it ain't the same six seconds pasted 300 times. Somebody had to do it again."
"It's really invigorating to go back to playing thrash and speed metal. I started playing this type of music because I loved the way it made me feel. When I started the turnaround with 'The World Needs a Hero' and 'The System Has Failed', it was obvious this was going to be where the buck stops."
On the recording sessions for "United Abominations":
"We were in the studio and Glen [Drover, guitar] had put his rhythms down on 'Sleepwalker'. And Andy [Sneap, producer/mixer] said to me, 'You know you don't really need to put your rhythm down there,' And I said, 'Oh yeah I do. My rhythm style is totally different from anybody's.' And as soon as I started playing, he goes, 'That's right! It's an old-school digging in, innit?' And I said, 'Yeah Andy. That's it.'"
On the new album's lyrical approach:
"If you have the goods musically, you can say whatever you want, and [on this album] I basically said it. I said how I feel about the United Nations. I said how I feel about the New World Order. I said how I feel about the ignorance and apathy of our fathers right now that are leading our country who are just letting everything be taken away from us."
"It's OK to practice freedom of speech, assembly, the press, religion, except when it comes to making you unpopular. When you take a stand for what's right you often become unpopular. I'm not a really popular guy. I may be semi-famous but I'm really more infamous than famous."
"I know there are some people who are prejudiced against this type of music. But I'm ready to get out there and see what the response is going to be like from the public.
"I can say that I have absolutely made my best MEGADETH record, ever."
"United Abominations" is scheduled for release on May 15 via Roadrunner Records. Details here
