MEGADETH Drummer Is 'Very Excited' About 'Priest Feast' Tour With JUDAS PRIEST And TESTAMENT

MEGADETH drummer Shawn Drover has commented on the band's participation in the upcoming "Priest Feast" tour, also featuring headliners JUDAS PRIEST and openers TESTAMENT, which will hit the UK and Ireland in February 2009.

He said in an online posting, "Let me be the first here to say I am very excited about these shows with PRIEST and TESTAMENT for the obvious reason that it is a great lineup, but as well this same lineup was one of my all-time favorite concerts I have seen from back in 1990 ('Painkiller' tour) where Glen [Drover, former MEGADETH guitarist and Shawn's brother] and myself witnessed this show in Toronto and to this day, I still remember a good chunk of it (I was sober at that show). So for me, to be a part of this same lineup all these years later is a very cool thing for me!!! I hope those of you who attend these shows will enjoy it as well."

"Priest Feast" tour dates:

Feb. 10 - Dublin, Ireland - The O2
Feb. 11 - Belfast, Northern Ireland - The Odyssey Arena
Feb. 13 - Sheffield, UK - Sheffield Arena
Feb. 14 - Birmingham, UK - NEC
Feb. 16 - Glasgow, UK - SECC Hall 4
Feb. 17 - Manchester, UK - Manchester Arena
Feb. 18 - Nottingham, UK - Nottingham Arena
Feb. 20 - Cardiff, UK - Cardiff Arena
Feb. 21 - London, UK - Wembley Arena

Tickets for the Irish dates go on sale this Monday, October 6 at 9:00 a.m. from all Ticketmaster outlets nationwide.

JUDAS PRIEST's new double-disc concept album, "Nostradamus", has sold more than 90,000 copies in the United States since its June 17 release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD shifted 42,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 11 on The Billboard 200 chart. This marks the band's highest-ever chart position in the U.S. In Canada, the CD opened at position No. 9 after shifting close to 4,000 units.

According to a posting on MEGADETH's web site, acclaimed British record producer/engineer Andy Sneap (MACHINE HEAD, NEVERMORE, EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY) arrived Sunday night (September 28) to meet up with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine and the crew at the band's new studio near San Diego, California. The studio is being custom-built to record the next MEGADETH album and more. Over the next few days Andy will be tweaking and mixing the new MEGADETH live DVD which was recorded in San Diego during the last tour, and will soon be seen on HDNet TV.

Sneap produced MEGADETH's last album, "United Abominations", which came out in May 2007 via Roadrunner Records.

MEGADETH's forthcoming CD will be the group's first with guitarist Chris Broderick (NEVERMORE, JAG PANZER),who replaced Glen Drover (Shawn's brother) at the end of last year.

TESTAMENT's new album, "The Formation of Damnation", is available on limited-edition green vinyl at www.testamentlegions.com. Supplies are limited to 2,500 copies worldwide, so order your copies today before they sell out! "The Formation of Damnation" limited-edition green vinyl also ships with a bonus poster and band logo patch.

TESTAMENT just returned from Australia and is preparing to kick off a headlining tour with SOILENT GREEN starting October 1. A tour of Mexico with JUDAS PRIEST will follow in late October.