BLACK VEIL BRIDES' ANDY BIERSACK Got Into METALLICA Through His Love Of DANZIG And SAMHAIN

In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", BLACK VEIL BRIDES frontman Andy Biersack was asked if he is a fan of METALLICA. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "You know what? It's interesting. I'm a METALLICA fan through DANZIG, SAMHAIN, [original DANZIG bassist] Eerie Von, all that stuff. So, METALLICA wearing those [MISFITS and SAMHAIN] shirts… It's kind of the reverse how most people found METALLICA. Most people found the MISFITS and SAMHAIN through METALLICA. I was a kid who, for whatever reason, I just wasn't heavily exposed to beyond the 'Black' album; I didn't know much about METALLICA. So, then years of being such a MISFITS, DANZIG, SAMHAIN fan, I got more and more into it. And one of best friends, Ryan Downey, does 'Speak N' Destroy', which is a METALLICA podcast. So I'm learning more every week through him about METALLICA. I love METALLICA. And, obviously, 'Ride The Lightning' is iconic. My guitar player Jinxx is also — I gotta give him a shoutout — he's like a METALLICA historian. When we played with them in 2012, he caught me up to speed on what the snakepit meant and all the other stuff. So, again, I can't claim that I'm — I'm a fan, but he's the guy who knows everything."

Back in 2012, Andy spoke about his appreciation for METALLICA's music while promoting "Obey Your Master", an art exhibition which saw pieces from a range of different artists — including Biersack — who had interpreted various songs from METALLICA in their own unique way. At the time, Biersack said that one of his most fond memories of early adolescence was sitting in his living room with his childhood friend watching METALLICA VHS tapes. They would thrash along, singing every lyric and banging their heads until their necks felt as if they had been in a car crash. He stated: "As I got older and began to write my own songs, the tone and style of James's [Hetfield] lyrics and singing became a huge influence to me. The use of religious and cult metaphors and tenacity with which he sang was something I aspired to, and to this day continue to be inspired by. METALLICA to me is the quintessential heavy metal band. Equal parts darkness, intellect and vitriol."

In a 2013 interview with Guitar International, Jinxx reflected on METALLICA's influence on his musical upbringing, saying: "I had a hard time growing up without a lot of friends. My guitar was my friend. It got me through some really rough times as a kid. I would learn every METALLICA riff and solo. It kept my mind busy and I said, 'One day I'm going to show the world I can do something,' and now here I am."

Earlier this month, BLACK VEIL BRIDES released the title track from their new EP, "Bleeders", inspired by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's "Sweeney Todd". The band paid tribute to the classic musical with a music video for the title track that is inspired by the musical's 2007 Tim Burton-directed film adaptation.

The three-track EP, which will include "Bleeders", a cover of "My Friends" from the Sondheim classic, and a cover of U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday", will be BLACK VEIL BRIDES' first release for Spinefarm.