According to The Metal Den, the Rock Legend Wax Museum in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada has honored "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott by unveiling a life-sized wax figure of the late PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN guitarist.
The figure was conceived by Mandy De Vere of Mangry Inc. and sculpted by local Niagara Falls artist Pasquale Ramunno exclusively for the museum.
The "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott wax figure is on display from today (Saturday, May 25) at the Rock Legend Wax Museum.
The Rock Legend Wax Museum features one-of-a-kind life-like wax sculptures of your favourite musical heroes. Designed by Ramunno, these realistic life-size figures will have you posing and pretending to be chums with both classical crooners and modern-day rock deities.
Back in 2007, KnuckleBonz released a limited-edition Dimebag Darrell Rock Iconz figure. The figure was created from the "Far Beyond Driven" era, with Dimebag's tobacco Dean guitar, the cammo shorts and "all the tats." Only 3,333 figures were produced.
Dimebag was co-founder and lead guitarist for PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, Dimebag and Vinnie Paul formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by Nathan Gale. He was 38 years old.
Since his brother's murder, Vinnie Paul has released several Dimebag-related items through his Big Vin Records label, including DVDs and the paperback book "He Came to Rock".
Asked about criticisim from people on the Internet, questioning why the proceeds from these various posthumous releases weren't being earmarked for charitable causes, instead going to him, Vinnie Paul told the nationally syndicated radio program "Rockline" in a 2008 interview: "I don't even know where to go with that other than, you know, [my critics are] not in the same position I'm in or had to go through what I've gone through here. It's really none of their business where it goes, so I don't know how else to address it — I really don't even think about it. It doesn't cross my mind."
Vinnie Paul added that the Dimebag-related releases weren't an attempt to cash in on his brother's tragic end but rather a way to keep Dimebag's legacy alive and well.
"I'm doing this for the fans and for them to enjoy what Dime was all about and give them more than what they already had — to increase his legacy and to make him larger than life forever," he said. "And he'll outlive all of us. I'm beyond letting things like that pick at me or irritate me. I just have to look past them and keep rolling."
BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne is doing "incredibly well" after relapsing into drug and alcohol abuse for 18 months, according to his wife and manager, Sharon.
Ozzy admitted that he relapsed into drug and alcohol abuse in a statement posted by the BLACK SABBATH singer on April 15 on his Facebook page. He wrote: "For the last year and a half, I have been drinking and taking drugs. I was in a very dark place and was an aasshole to the people I love most, my family. However, I am happy to say that I am now 44 days sober.
"Just to set the record straight, Sharon and I are not divorcing. I'm just trying to be a better person.
"I would like to apologize to Sharon, my family, my friends and my bandmates for my insane behavior during this period... and my fans. God bless, Ozzy."
In a brand new interview with USAToday.com, Sharon stated about Ozzy's recovery: "He's doing incredibly well. He is. Eighty-plus days clean and sober. He's working his program rigidly."
She added: "It's amazing to see how somebody in just over 80 days can change their life around. You know, miracles happen all the time and he has (gone from) hating himself, from a place of despair, to being a responsible husband and father again and it's amazing to see. I'm very proud of him. He's a great example, too, for people. He's not the only person that suffers from addiction.
"Tomorrow's a new day and you start all over again. You just don't give up, it doesn't matter what you have, or your position in life, you still have those demons in you.
"This problem affects so many people. It doesn't matter what you have. It's the same battle for everyone."
Ozzy has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction throughout his entire 40-plus-year career, both with SABBATH and as a solo artist, although in recent years he seemed to have achieved a steady level of sobriety.
Ozzy told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that the many years he spent drunk and high took a toll on his relationship with his kids — especially his son Jack. "The one downside about being the crazy guy of rock 'n' roll was the fact that I missed out on my children somewhat and they missed out on me," he said. "I had an argument with my son one time, and I go to him, 'Jack, what are you moaning at me for? You never wanted for a damn thing.' And he goes, 'Oh yeah? What about a father?' And it just kicked me straight between the legs and I was like, 'Good God.'"
Amanda Ferrante Batista of The Aquarian Weekly recently conducted an interview with KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
The Aquarian Weekly: This time is really a special celebration for KORN. You've returned to the band to tour and record a new album. What is the experience like for you individually?
Welch: It's so good. It's so meant to be. The timing could not be more perfect. When the timing is perfect, everything just feels smooth. That's exactly how it feels for everybody involved, from managers, producers, the band, of course, to the crew, everybody, it's just so cool. It's exciting. I look forward to it. It keeps getting better because we're chomping along with the album. Jonathan's [Davis] working on vocals right now. It's a new, fresh sound, but also sounds familiar. It's KORN and, I think, it's just another level. It's really exciting.
The Aquarian Weekly: KORN fans obviously are excited for the next record, more so because you are a part of it. What can fans expect of the new music? If you had to compare it with an older KORN record, which one would you point to?
Welch: I really do think it sounds a little different, but maybe along the "Issues" side. The record has got the best choruses I've heard Jonathan do. The lyrics — he's putting words together in a way that I've never seen him do before. It's really cool for me to hear how he has [evolved vocally]. It's really heavy in parts, and really exciting. He's still tracking vocals right now. He's got a couple more songs and bridges to do. So I haven't heard everything. From what I have heard, it's slammin'. It's guitar-driven but it sounds new and fresh, too. So it sounds like 2013, but familiar with the past, too.
The Aquarian Weekly: Earlier this year you told Rolling Stone, "Fans looked up to us like their family. And to see their family split up was hard on them. To get it put back together, there is a joy around the people who care about it." How do you feel knowing that you're making so many fans happy?
Welch: So awesome. That's exactly what I meant. The people that care about it — you care about it — and the fans who are out there, we were there for them at a time in their lives when they were growing up, going through hell. It feels really cool to be able to put that back together and to come back swinging so strong with this music that I'm really proud of. It feels like reconciliation. That's my word. That's the word of the year. It's all restored and reconciled. It's a big part, because everybody gets broken — families get broken. Almost everybody's, except I think my parents — who are still together after 43 years. But it's rare. It's totally rare. So I love when people reconcile stuff. I'm stoked to be a part of a reconciliation story.
Matt Bahan of the 105.7 The X Rocks radio station conducted an interview with STONE SOUR and SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor before STONE SOUR's appearance at the 105.7 the X Tececig Spring Fling on Thursday, May 16 at Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, Illinois. You can now watch the chat below.
"House Of Gold & Bones - Part 2", the second part of STONE SOUR's two-album series, "House of Gold & Bones", sold 35,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 10 on The Billboard 200 chart. The record arrived in stores on April 9 via Roadrunner.
The "House Of Gold & Bones" albums were recorded at Sound Farm Studios just outside of the band's native Des Moines, Iowa with producer David Bottrill (TOOL, MUSE) at the helm.
STONE SOUR has issued a new music video for "Do Me A Favor", the first official single from "House Of Gold & Bones - Part 2". A four-issue comic book series adapted from singer Corey Taylor's story is coming out this spring, with the first issue having arrived on shelves on April 17 and the second one due later this month.
"Why Should We Say Goodbye?", the new video from the Brazilian female-fronted progressive power metal band VANDROYA, can be seen below. The track comes off the group's debut album, "One", which was released on January 18 via Inner Wound Recordings. The Japanese edition of the album wasmade available on December 19, 2012 through Spiritual Beast and the Brazilian edition followed on February 4 via Voice Music. The CD artwork was created by Felipe Machado Franco (BLIND GUARDIAN, RHAPSODY OF FIRE, ICED EARTH) and can be seen below.
VANDROYA is one of the best-kept secrets from Brazil, led by the fantastic vocalist Daísa Munhoz (SOULSPELL). According to a press release, the band "should be a perfect fit for fans of KAMELOT, SYMPHONY X, ANGRA and SONATA ARCTICA."
"One" track listing:
01. All Becomes One 02. The Last Free Land 03. No Oblivion For Eternity 04. Within Shadows 05. Anthem (For The Sun) 06. Why Should We Say Goodbye? 07. Change The Tide 08. When Heaven Decides To Call 09. This World Of Yours 10. Solar Night
The cover artwork for "Vincent Price", the new single from DEEP PURPLE, can be seen below. It will be released on June 7 as download, CD single and seven-inch transparent vinyl.
"Vincent Price" will become a PURPLE collector's item, due to the inclusion of the song "First Sign Of Madness", which was recorded during the "Now What?!" sessions and not included in the final selection.
Seven-inch single:
Side A: Vincent Price Side B: First Sign Of Madness
CD single and download
01. Vincent Price 02. First Sign Of Madness 03. The Well Dressed Guitar (from the now-deleted "Rapture Of The Deep" limited-edition CD) 04. Wrong Man (live) (from the now-deleted "Rapture Of The Deep" limited-edition CD) 05. Vincent Price (video)
DEEP PURPLE's first video in over 20 years — for "Vincent Price" — can be seen below. The track comes off the band's latest album, "Now What?!", which sold 4,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 115 on The Billboard 200 chart.
"Now What?!", the 19th studio album from DEEP PURPLE, was released in North America on April 30 via earMUSIC, the Hamburg, Germany-based international rock label which is part of Edel Group.
"Now What?!" was also released in a limited quantity with a bonus track and a bonus DVD featuring DEEP PURPLE in conversation plus additional audio material. This edition was made available in a digipak with a cut out front cover. "Now What?!" was also released as double vinyl LP containing a bonus track, as in the limited-edition CD.
After various songwriting sessions in Europe, the band recorded and mixed the album in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Bob Ezrin (KISS, PINK FLOYD, PETER GABRIEL, ALICE COOPER, KANSAS). The CD contain 11 tracks, including "Out Of Hand", "Weirdistan", "Uncommon Man" and "Above And Beyond". The latter song references the band's late keyboard player, Jon Lord, in the lyric "Souls having touched are forever entwined."
According to a press release, "Now What?!" was recorded with no musical rules… and it shows a modern and fresh production… to the point that DEEP PURPLE have never sounded so close to the spirit of the '70s in the last 20 years as they do now. The CD has the excellence and elegance of "Perfect Strangers" and the wild freedom of "Made In Japan".
Hal Leonard has just released the official note-for-note guitar tab book for "Awakened", the sixth album from San Diego metallers AS I LAY DYING. It includes notes and tab for all 11 songs off the CD:
01. Cauterize 02. A Greater Foundation 03. Resilience 04. Wasted Words 05. Whispering Silence 06. Overcome 07. No Lungs to Breathe 08. Defender 09. Washed Away 10. My Only Home 11. Tear Out My Eyes
The "Awakened" guitar tab book can be ordered from MusicDispatch.com.
"Awakened" sold around 28,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 11 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on September 25 via Metal Blade Records, the CD was produced by Bill Stevenson, who has played drums for both the DESCENDENTS and BLACK FLAG and is one of the most highly renowned producers in rock. His production credits include work on records by RISE AGAINST, NOFX, PROPAGANDHI, THE CASUALTIES, ANTI-FLAG and many more. The album was mixed by Colin Richardson (MACHINE HEAD, NAPALM DEATH, SLIPKNOT).
The cover artwork for "Awakened" was created by Metastazis with Tiffanie Uldry.
AS I LAY DYING singer Tim Lambesis was booked at the Vista Detention Facility in Vista, California on May 7 on suspicion of solicitation to commit murder for allegedly hiring someone to kill his estranged wife. He has pleaded not guilty.
Transgender singer Mina Caputo — once known as Keith Caputo, the front-person for the popular rock band LIFE OF AGONY — recently spoke to Artisan News about transitioning from her former self and creating her first album as a female, "As Much Truth as One Can Bear", while having the support of artists like Amanda Palmer and former AGAINST ME! singer Mary Jane Grace. You can watch the chat below.
In an October 2011 interview with Advocate.com, Mina stated about how becoming a "rock star" delayed her transition, "I was very boxed in that metal thing," she said. "The first album I've ever done was released and then it pretty much exploded in Europe and I kind of had no choice but to leave school. I didn't want to sing in a band. That wasn't really what I set out to do. I wanted to go to Julliard. I wanted to play the classics, get good grades… and I pictured myself living more of a feminine life then at 19 when this whole alpha male world just pretty much took over. I was in hell for years. . . It was more of a sense of responsibility and not getting labels down… the management, the band, and the fans. And I mean, we were a really, really really, really big band. We were doing concerts in Europe where 60 to 100 thousand people were showing up."
Asked whether she planned on having bottom surgery any time soon, Caputo said, "The whole penis… I'm OK with that down there, you know. Most people don't realize that there's more to being a woman than just, I guess, putting on dresses and wearing makeup and your genitals. [People think] you have a male body and a penis so that makes you the man. But they can't dig deep enough unless they really want to understand what's going on in the subconscious mind and what I like to call subconscious sex."
On the topic of how she's already faced discrimination Stateside, Caputo said, "I've had run-ins on the train, ignorant people, you know, calling me 'he-she' or 'he-man.' If anyone tries to screw with me, I will not hesitate to cut somebody up like a piece of meat. I will do anything and everything to protect myself. I mean I don't want to hurt anybody but if someone lays their hands on me, I'm going to shank somebody. My father's been in prison his whole life, so just because I'm wearing a skirt doesn't mean I don't got big balls, OK? Because I will not hesitate to do anything and everything to protect myself."
The QUEENSRŸCHE "Icon" compilation was made available on May 14 via Capitol. The collection features "Silent Lucidity" and QUEENSRŸCHE's other top Modern Rock singles, including the Top 5 track "Sign Of The Times", Top 10 songs "Jet City Woman", "I Am I", "Bridge" and "Another Rainy Night", Top 20 cut "You", Top 30 songs "Best I Can" and "Empire" and Top 40 hit "Eyes Of A Stranger".
The aptly named "Icon" series from Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) launched in August 31, 2010, with releases from 30 major artists spanning rock, pop, R&B and country. The albums feature "the greatest hits, signature tunes and fan favorites of the most popular artists in music history" and promise to offer "unprecedented value to consumers." Each album, at a "great price," includes roughly a dozen hit tracks.
QUEENSRŸCHE "Icon" compilation track listing:
01. Silent Lucidity 02. Jet City Woman 03. Another Rainy Night 04. Bridge 05. Sign Of The Times 06. I Am I 07. Empire 08. I Don't Believe In Love 09. Best I Can 10. You 11. Eyes Of A Stranger
Rachel Belle, a feature contributor and personality on "The Ron & Don Show" on KIRO Radio, recently spoke to QUEENSRŸCHE lead singer Geoff Tate about the legal dispute between him and his estranged bandmates over the rights to the group's name.
Tate, who was fired from QUEENSRŸCHE in June 2012 after fronting the group for three decades, sought to prevent his former bandmates from touring and operating under the QUEENSRŸCHE name without him.
"I had filed an injunction to try and get everyone to stop using the name because it's a brand and brands have a value and they can be damaged," Tate said.
Asked whether the existence of two different versions of QUEENSRŸCHE — one featuring him on vocals and the other comprised of Todd La Torre (vocals; ex-CRIMSON GLORY), Michael Wilton (guitar), Parker Lundgren (guitar), Eddie Jackson (bass) and Scott Rockenfield (drums) — is confusing for the fans, Tate said: "I think most people are pretty smart and they can figure it out."
Regarding how the two different versions of QUEENSRŸCHE differ from each other musically, Tate said: "I think one of the situations, creatively, that came to a head and caused the breakup of the band was that you have a camp that was still exploring and still working to redefine themselves with every record. And you had a camp that wanted to stay the same. Sort of rest on their laurels and play the same kind of songs. So it's philosophical difference, really."
On how the split with his bandmates came about:
Tate: "After 30 years, I think we finally just reached a breaking point where things went awry and everyone felt that it couldn't be fixed. Of course, going about it all wrong we had an explosion, it all got cut up in the media and there's a court case. It's all very messy."
On his chances of coming up victorious in November when the dispute over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name will finally be decided in court:
Tate: "It's a matter of who has put the most time and energy into it. I'm the major songwriter, I've written 81 percent of the songs in the QUEENSRŸCHE catalog. It's my creativity, my vision, my art. And it's about money. Down and dirty. It's about who has the money to buy the band."
"The Ron & Don Show" interview with Geoff Tate (audio):
Juliya Chernetsky conducted an interview with GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal backstage at the fifth annual Revolver Golden Gods awards on May 2 at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles, California. You can now watch the chat below.
Will the current version of GUNS N' ROSES ever make a new album? If Thal has any say in the matter, the answer is yes. Although the group has a few shows coming up, Thal told Rolling Stone that there is music ready to go for a follow-up to 2008's "Chinese Democracy". He explained, "There's a lot of stuff, it's just a question of all of us organizing. We're still doing shows, and I think once we clear our schedule and focus more on new music, it'll happen. We just have little things on the back burner, just waiting for the right time for us to organize and make something new out of it. Hopefully we can make more music — that's what it's about."
According to The Pulse Of Radio, Thal believes that the group's fans want to hear something new from GUNS too, saying, "They want new music, and we can do it. It's not that we're done. I'm not ready for that. We need to keep making music. We have a great band that's ready to do it and can do it well."
Any chances of a new album, of course, depend on frontman Axl Rose. It took Rose 13 years to finish "Chinese Democracy", burning through hundreds of thousands of dollars, multiple producers, every last remaining original member of the group and a few replacements before he was done.
The finished product got mixed reviews and was a relative flop, moving less than one million copies in the U.S.
But Rose remains an enigma. He has not spoken about making a new album in any of his rare interviews, still insists on going onstage late, and skipped out on GUNS' induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2012.
Keyboardist Dizzy Reed, not an original member of GUNS but a 20-year veteran of the group, told The Pulse Of Radio that unpredictability has always been part of being in the band. "The volatility is definitely still there, especially for me, because I've seen a lot," he said. "It keeps you on your toes for sure. I just show up every night as prepared as possible to do my job, and anything else that happens is out of my control. There's really no way to truly deal with that."
Romanian Thrash Metal Club conducted an interview with MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson the day before the band's May 22 concert in Bucharest, Romania, You can now watch the chat below.
"Super Collider" is MEGADETH's first release since the band's recent split with Roadrunner Records.
MEGADETH filmed a video for the title track and first single from the band's new album, "Super Collider", on May 10 in the Los Angeles area. California-based model, actress, singer and songwriter Hunter Elizabeth was cast in the lead role in the clip, which she says is "about a high-school couple still loving each other after all the years after graduation, and at the 10-year reunion, both characters find themselves successful (a model and a mathematician) and still very in love."
As previously reported, MEGADETH will guest on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn on Monday, June 17 at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to speak with MEGADETH by calling 1-800-344-ROCK (7625). The show will be streamed on the "Rockline" web site for two weeks beginning the afternoon after the live broadcast.
The track "Super Collider", which was premiered on Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio metal show on April 20, was released digitally on April 23 via iTunes.
"That song kind of came from that 'Symphony Of Destruction' corner of my mind," Mustaine told Guitar World magazine. "You can't always play aggressive, thrashy stuff. Sometimes those aren't even songs; they're like musical rams. But because I'm not a pop guy, I'm also not really comfortable playing sing-along songs. To me, 'Super Collider' made sense like a normal song — a verse-chorus-verse-chorus kind of thing. It's written the way a real songwriter would write the song, instead of just taking all these musical twists and turns."
G&L Guitars recently conducted an interview with ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist Jerry Cantrell. You can now watch the chat below.
ALICE IN CHAINS' new album, "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here", is due out May 28 and features the singles "Stone" and the chart-topping "Hollow". The group's fifth studio effort is its second with William DuVall on vocals and follows up 2009's "Black Gives Way To Blue", ALICE IN CHAINS' first all-new collection of material in 14 years and first since the 2002 death of original singer Layne Staley.
Cantrell told Revolver about the new album, "I don't think you'll be surprised by anything you hear. It's us. But it's also really unique. It's got all the elements of any record we've put out, but it's unlike any record we've put out."
ALICE IN CHAINS began working on new material in 2011, but the sessions for the album were delayed when Cantrell had to undergo shoulder surgery.
ALICE IN CHAINS kicked off a tour to promote the new disc on April 25 in Miami Beach. The band will also headline the Rockstar Energy Uproar Festival later this summer.
The U.S. broadcast premiere of JUDAS PRIEST's new concert film, "Epitaph", is scheduled for tonight (Saturday, May 25) at 8 p.m. Eastern time on VH1 Classic.
A unique live career retrospective, "Epitaph" will be made available on Blu-ray and separate DVD on May 28 through Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. This release precedes a new studio album by JUDAS PRIEST which the band are working on now.
Says the band: "The 'Epitaph' world tour came to an exciting conclusion at the renowned Hammersmith Odeon (now known as the Apollo) in London. Knowing our fans around the planet recognize that venue for many legendary metal moments, and of course with JUDAS PRIEST being a British metal band it was the perfect gig for us to film and record. Big thanks as always to you our metal family of fans — so start banging your heads one more time with us as we scream together 'The PRIEST is back!'"
JUDAS PRIEST's current lineup comprises lead singer Rob Halford, lead guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis.
Heavy metal historians will regard "Epitaph" as the most far-reaching live concert recording in the band's career. The set revisits the climactic closing date of the 50-week "Epitaph" world tour, captured live at London's HMV Hammersmith Apollo on May 26, 2012. Adding to the drama is the fact that this was JUDAS PRIEST's final large-scale world tour ever.
"Epitaph"'s 23 tracks represent at least one song from every one of the band's 14 studio albums, from 1974's "Rocka Rolla" ("Never Satisfied") to 2008's "Nostradamus" ("Prophecy"). In the special case of "British Steel", four songs are featured: "Rapid Fire", "Metal Gods", "Breaking The Law" and perennial set closer "Living After Midnight". Others exempted from the one-song-quota are the LPs which appeared before and after "British Steel". The first of these is 1979's "Hell Bent For Leather" (U.K. title: "Killing Machine") which lends the title song as well as "The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown)". The other LP is 1982's "Screaming For Vengeance", source of "The Hellion", "Electric Eye" and "You've Got Another Thing Coming".
"They have epitomized the genre with their Harley riding frontman, rapid-fire guitar assaults, and spectacular stage shows," wrote journalist Bryan Reesman in his liner notes for 2004's leather-bound, metal-spiked "Metalogy" box set. "Influential, innovative, and exuberant in expression," he wrote, "they are the true Metal Gods who have been as unwavering in their desire to expand the boundaries of their music as they have been in crossing international borders to deliver it to their disciples.
"Unabashedly committed to their cause, and unrepentant in proclaiming themselves a true heavy metal band even when others have shied away from the term, Judas Priest have forever been defenders of the faith."
"Epitaph" track listing
01. Battle Hymn (L) 02. Rapid Fire (F) 03. Metal Gods (F) 04. Heading Out To The Highway (G) 05. Judas Rising (M) 06. Starbreaker (C) 07. Victim Of Changes (B) 08. Never Satisfied (A) 09. Diamonds And Rust (C) 10. Prophecy (N) 11. Night Crawler (L) 12. Turbo Lover (J) 13. Beyond The Realms Of Death (D) 14. The Sentinel (I) 15. Blood Red Skies (K) 16. The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown) (E) 17. Breaking The Law (F) 18. Painkiller (L) 19. The Hellion (H) 20. Electric Eye (H) 21. Hell Bent For Leather (E) 22. You've Got Another Thing Coming (H) 23. Living After Midnight (F)
Album index:
A - from "Rocka Rolla" (originally issued 1974, on Gull Records) B - from "Sad Wings Of Destiny" (originally issued 1976, on Gull Records) C - from "Sin After Sin" (originally issued 1977, on Columbia Records) D - from "Stained Class" (originally issued 1978, on Columbia) E - from "Hell Bent For Leather" (originally issued 1979, on Columbia; aka Killing Machine in UK) F - from "British Steel" (originally issued 1980, on Columbia) G - from "Point Of Entry" (originally issued 1981, on Columbia) H - from "Screaming For Vengeance" (originally issued 1982, on Columbia) I - from "Defenders Of the Faith" (originally issued 1984, on Columbia) J - from "Turbo" (originally issued 1986, on Columbia) K - from "Ram It Down" (originally issued 1988, on Columbia) L - from "Painkiller" (originally issued 1990, on Columbia) M - from "Angel Of Retribution" (originally issued 2005, on Epic Records) N - from "Nostradamus" (originally issued 2008, on Epic)
A photo tribute to late SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman by photogapher Kevin Estrada can be found at this location. It consists of photos from this past Thursday's (May 23) public memorial celebration for Hanneman at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California as well as photos of Jeff and SLAYER that Kevin took between 1984 and 2010.
Says Kevin: "I started shooting SLAYER in 1984… and in that time, I became close with the band. From sneaking my camera into the club shows to becoming a co-producer on the 'Soundtrack To The Apocalypse' box set — it has been a great ride. But this one hit hard.
"At [Jeff's] celebration, every snap of my camera brought me closer and closer to the end of a big chapter in my life.
"I know SLAYER will go on — in one form or another — but there is such a sense of unwanted closure. It is hard to put in words — so I am giving you a little taste of what SLAYER gave me over the years.
"Thank you Tom, thank you Kerry, thank you Dave, thank you Paul and Jon… and lastly — thank you Jeff, and farewell."
Members of SLAYER released a statement on May 9 saying that Hanneman died of alcohol-related cirrhosis. He is credited for writing many of the band's classic songs, including "Angel Of Death" and "South Of Heaven".
The guitarist, who passed away in Los Angeles on May 2, had actually not been playing with SLAYER for more than two years since he contracted necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating disease, from a spider bite in his backyard in January 2011. The infection ravaged the flesh and tissues of Hanneman's arm, leading to numerous surgeries, skin grafts and intense periods of rehab that forced him into semi-retirement and left him near death at several points.
Hanneman's last appearance with SLAYER was in April 2011, when he played an encore with the band at the "Big Four" concert in Indio, California.
Hanneman recalled in a 2011 interview with Classic Rock magazine that he initially didn't even feel the spider bite, adding, "But an hour later, I knew that I was ill. I could see the flesh corrupting. The arm was real hot. I got to the emergency room, and thank god the nurse knew straight away what it was . . . At that point, I was an hour away from death."
Hanneman was well known for his aversion to the spotlight, avoiding interviews and even turning off his phone when he was not on tour to spend time with his family. He is survived by his wife Kathy, his sister Kathy and his brothers Michael and Larry.
SLAYER was founded in 1981 in Los Angeles and went on to become one of most popular bands of the speed/thrash metal movement, eventually being considered one of the "Big Four" alongside METALLICA, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX.
While never a band that got any substantial radio airplay, the group has long been considered a major influence on the metal genre and acclaimed as one of the best live metal acts of the past 30 years.
SLAYER guitarist Kerry King received a huge ovation from the crowd at the Revolver Golden Gods awards show on May 2 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, where he said that Hanneman would have wanted "noise" rather than a moment of silence and then drank two shots in his bandmate's honor.
SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo sat out the band's recent Australian tour due to a contract dispute with the other members of the group. Filling in for him was Jon Dette (TESTAMENT, ANTHRAX).
