ANTHRAX ANNOUNCES SHADOWS FALL GUITARIST JON DONAIS TO FILL IN ON UPCOMING TOUR DATES

Grammy-nominated rockers Anthrax - Scott Ian, Charlie Benante, Frank Bello and Joey Belladonna - have announced that Shadows Fall guitarist Jon Donais will step in for the departing Rob Caggiano. Donais will temporarily fill in for Anthrax's upcoming tour dates in India, the series of Soundwave Festival shows in Australia, and the North American Metal Alliance Tour (dates below).

"Jon is a bro and he's also a total f**king ripper," said Scott Ian. "I've worked with him twice before on side projects and he tears it up. I'm excited to have him on my right burning up the stage with Anthrax. 13's gonna be a good year."

"I grew up on Anthrax, they're the thrash scene, they're one of The Big Four, I'd be crazy to not want to play with them," said Donais. "Initially, Rob called and told me he was leaving the band, and asked if I'd be interested in filling in. Then Scott called me and everything fell into place. Rob and I are using Skype to work on solos and other guitar parts, so he's being great. I also have to give special thanks to my band - Brian, Matt, Jason and Ed - who have been incredibly supportive and encouraged me to do this."


Dates for Anthrax's upcoming concerts with Jon Donais on guitar are as follows:

(India)
FEBRUARY
16 Fly Festival, Delhi (with Limp Bizkit, Mastodon)
17 Fly Festival, Bangalore (with Limp Bizkit, Mastodon)


(Australia - all dates with Metallica, Slayer, Linkin Park, more)
FEBRUARY
23 Soundwave Festival 2013, Brisbane
24 Soundwave Festival 2013, Sydney


MARCH
 1 Soundwave Festival 2013, Melbourne
 2 Soundwave Festival 2013, Adelaide
 4 Soundwave Festival 2013, Perth


(Metal Alliance Tour/North America - all dates with Exodus, High on Fire, Municipal Waste, Holy Grail)

MARCH
22 House of Blues, Anaheim, CA
23 House of Blues, Las Vegas, NV
24 Marquee, Tempe, AZ
25 House of Blues, San Diego, CA
27 House of Blues, Los Angeles, CA
28 Regency Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
29 Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR
30 Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC CANADA
31 Showbox SODO, Seattle, WA


APRIL
 2 Summit Music Hall, Denver, CO
 4 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
 5 House of Blues, Chicago, IL
 6 The Fillmore, Detroit, MI
 7 Bogart's, Cincinnati, OH
 9 House of Blues, Dallas, TX
10 House of Blues, Houston, TX
12 House of Blues, Orlando, FL
13 Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte, NC
14 Fillmore, Silver Spring, MD
16 House of Blues, Cleveland, OH
18 Theatre of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
20 Irving Plaza, New York, NY

HOLY GRAIL RELEASE LYRIC VIDEO FOR NEW ALBUM'S TITLE TRACK

Los Angeles-based heavy metallers HOLY GRAIL have teamed with NOISECREEP to premiere the lyric video for the title track of their upcoming album, "Ride The Void." You can view the video directly on their site HERE or by watching the video below. The album, which will be released on Jan. 22 through PROSTHETIC RECORDS in U.S., Jan. 16 via Universal in Japan, and via Nuclear Blast on Jan. 18 in Europe and Jan. 21 in the UK, is currently available for pre-order through www.RideTheVoid.com. Pre-order bundles include "Ride The Void" on CD or LP along with either a t-shirt, long-sleeve, or pullover hoodie featuring the album’s artwork (featured above).




"Ride The Void," produced by Grammy award winner Matt Hyde (Slayer, Children of Bodom), was hailed by Decibel magazine, who claimed "You'd have to go back 20 years to find a metal record that achieves this level of instant infectiousness," while receiving a 9/10 from Outburn magazine and Blistering.com (who praised its "jaw-to-the-floor, wrist-spraining moments"). The band will kick off an extensive tour cycle on the upcoming Metal Alliance tour, which will see them play alongside Anthrax, Exodus, High on Fire, and Municipal Waste. Dates & tickets can be found on www.MetalAllianceTour.com.

Statement from Anthrax about Rob Caggiano's Departure From the Band

"Rob has been an integral part of Anthrax for so many years, as our lead guitarist, in a production capacity, but most of all, as our close friend. His contributions to the band have been enormous. While we are sad that he is leaving, we wish him nothing but great success going forward, and hope to share the stage with him again sometime down the road.

"With the Metal Alliance Tour on the horizon, we have been considering several lead guitarist options, and will be making an announcement on that shortly."

ANTHRAX - Charlie Benante, Scott Ian, Frank Bello, Joey Belladonna

Rob Caggiano Leaves Anthrax

After a long and successful run as guitarist for the legendary thrash metal act Anthrax, Rob Caggiano has decided that it's time to move on and focus on his other passion: producing records for the time being. Already an acclaimed rock and metal producer, Rob has amassed a long list of production credits working with acts such as Cradle of Filth (on their Grammy-nominated classic Nymphetamine), The Damned Things, and Jesse Malin to name a few. Rob's production work on the most recent Anthrax studio album Worship Music received high recognition, as the track "I'm Alive" received a Grammy Nomination for Best Rock + Metal Performance.

Being a member of the mighty Anthrax for the better part of the last 12 years is something that Caggiano is of course very proud of. This was not an easy decision to make.

"I'm extremely proud of my time in Anthrax. Actually, that's an understatement! We accomplished so many great things together over the years and I shared some of the best times of my life with these guys. As a band, we also weathered quite a few storms along the way. It's been a wild ride (to say the least) from Day One and I wouldn't change one single thing about the last 12 years. This is an extremely difficult and emotional decision for me to make but my heart is just steering me in a different direction right now. I've always been one to follow my heart in everything that I do and while this might be one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make, it feels like the right one for me at this time. Scott, Charlie, Joey, Frankie (and John Bush) will always be part of my family and this decision doesn't change the way I feel about that in the slightest. I would also like to say thanks to all the amazing fans I've met and hung out with worldwide over the years. You guys always were and always will be the reason why I make music! In this day and age, being a musician isn't always easy -also an understatement- but the fans truly make it worthwhile for me. I hope to see each and every one of you again really soon. The fact that Anthrax is at the top of their game right now and totally 'out for blood' after all these years is a testament to this band's longevity and conviction! I'm truly honored to have been a part of their brilliant legacy."

With this new direction, Caggiano very much looks forward to getting back to producing/recording/writing again in the immediate future.

"I can't wait to get back in the recording studio again! Over the years, I've been blessed with the privilege of working with a wide range of great bands/artists from Anthrax and Cradle of Filth all the way to Bruce Springsteen, and I look forward to a hopeful continuation of that side of my career while I figure out my next move as an artist. BTW in case anyone was wondering after reading all of this, I do FULLY intend to get back out there on the road very soon in some way shape or form....it's in my blood! Please feel free to follow me on Twitter @RobCaggiano for any and all updates on what I am up to."

BUTCHER BABIES to Tour with Marilyn Manson; Band Added to Hell & Heaven Metal Fest 2013

With heavy metal and horror-inspired theatrics fascinating crowds worldwide, the BUTCHER BABIES has emerged as one of the biggest draws on the Sunset Strip in their hometown of Los Angeles, CA. Within a few short weeks BUTCHER BABIES has made two huge announcements: a record deal with metal label CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS and a 2013 North American tour with shock-rock icon MARILYN MANSON. A list of confirmed dates can be seen below.

In addition, BUTCHER BABIES is proud to announce that they have been confirmed to play Hell & Heaven Metal Fest 2013. The festival is on May 18th and 19th in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. MOTӦRHEAD, ANTHRAX, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, and MOONSPELL are already confirmed for the festival along with a number of other key acts. Additional details on Hell & Heaven Metal Fest 2013 will be released and more information on the event can be found here: www.hellandheavenfest.com

Fronted by Carla Harvey and Heidi Shepherd - named two of the year's 'Hottest Women in Rock' by Revolver Magazine - BUTCHER BABIES has brought their show worldwide wowing UK fans at this year's Download Festival and as support for ANTHRAX in Cardiff. Following their UK appearances, the band returned to America as direct support for OTEP and just wrapped up their first headlining tour.

Butcher Babies' track "Axe Wound" (listen here) is currently in rotation on Sirius XM Liquid Metal, and their short movie/video for the track "Mr. Slowdeath" can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YttVe6v31Yk. The band - vocalists Harvey and Shepherd, guitarist Henry Flury, bassist Jason Klein and drummer Chris Warner - is currently working on their full-length debut, slated for a worldwide release in Summer 2013 via Century Media Records.

Dates with Marilyn Manson:

01/18/13 - Milwaukee, WI @ Eagle's Ballroom

01/19/13 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's

01/20/13 - Columbus, OH @ The LC Pavilion

01/22/13 - Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore

01/23/13 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues

01/25/13 - Wallingford, CT @ The Dome

01/26/13 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues

01/28/13 - Montreal, QC, CA @ Metropolis

01/29/13 - Oshawa, ON, CA @ General Motors Centre

01/30/13 - Hamilton, ON, CA @ Hamilton Place Theatre

02/01/13 - Sudbury, ON, CA @ Sudbury Arena

02/04/13 - Winnipeg, MB, CA @ MTS Centre

02/05/13 - Moose Jaw, SK, CA @ Mosiac Place

02/06/13 - Saskatoon, SK, CA @ TCU Place

02/08/13 - Calgary, AB, CA @ Stampede Corral

02/09/13 - Edmonton, AB, CA @ Shaw Conference Centre

02/11/13 - Vancouver, BC, CA @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre

02/13/13 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre

02/19/13 - San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theatre

02/20/13 - Anaheim, CA @ The Grove of Anaheim

02/21/13 - Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia

02/23/13 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues

Hell & Heaven Metal Fest 2013:

*Butcher Babies performance date TBA. The festival is 05/18/13 and 05/19/13.

RISING: Irish Tour And European Festival Run Kicks Off Next Week

Danish sludge metallers RISING are preparing for a tour across Ireland and Northern Ireland, on their way to tackle festivals in Denmark and Sweden later this month.

Set to embark on June 6th, RISING will storm four Irish cities before their performances at Copenhell Festival in Copenhagen, Denmark with the likes of Slayer, Mastodon, Anthrax, Immortal, Meshuggah and tons more, followed immediately by Hultsfred Festival in Hultsfred, Sweden with an eclectic lineup including The Cure, The Stone Roses, The XX, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators and countless others.

The crushing trio will present material from their acclaimed To Solemn Ash LP, released via Exile on Mainstream in Europe in late 2011 and on North American soil in January of this year. Recorded with producer Jakob Reichert Nielsen (Lack, Trust, Obstacles, etc.), the ten-track beast To Solemn Ash is fueled by a rigorous energy, replete with monstrous, hook-laden riffs, savage vocals and organic analog tones. RISING present their infectious sounds with an urgency and originality that warrants repeated listens and most definitely needs to be witnessed live!

RISING Tour Dates:

6/06/2012 TBA - Belfast, Northern Ireland

6/07/2012 Kelly's Bar - Galway, Ireland

6/08/2012 Fred Zeppelins - Cork, Ireland

6/09/2012 The Pint - Dublin, Ireland

6/15/2012 Copenhell Festival - Copenhagen, Denmark [info]

6/16/2012 Hultsfred Festival - Hultsfred, Sweden [info]

HEATHEN SIGNS WITH NUCLEAR BLAST

The ink has finally dried and Nuclear Blast Records is proud to announce the worldwide signing of the Bay Area’s indomitable thrash metal band HEATHEN!

Founding member & guitarist Lee Altus comments on the new alliance: 

“I'm really happy and couldn't think of a better label for HEATHEN. I've known people at Nuclear Blast, some of whom have been fans of the band going as far back as the early demo days, and have been friends with them for many years. It's amazing for me to think that throughout this band’s career, every album we recorded has been released on a different label. I can finally say that we have found home. Nuclear Blast has become a mecca for Bay Area thrash bands and we are happy to join our friends and partners in crime Exodus, Death Angel, Testament and Forbidden. Now it's time to get to work on the new album!”

Lead singer David White adds: “I want to thank all the fans for their amazing support; we do not take any of this lightly! Now we move forward with a true Metal record company that really understands what we're all about, 2012 and beyond!!!”

Jaap Wagemaker of the A&R Department at Nuclear Blast Germany shares the following:

“It is no secret that the staff of Nuclear Blast has a soft spot for thrash metal. We all grew up here with classics such as Breaking The Silence and Victims Of Deception, and who doesn’t remember that legendary tour from 1991 with SEPULTURA, SACRED REICH and HEATHEN destroying the stages night after night! We are totally stoked to announce that these legendary Bay Area Thrashers have inked a deal with us and are now labelmates with EXODUS, DEATH ANGEL,TESTAMENT, FORBIDDEN, ANTHRAX, SEPULTURA, OVERKILL, KREATOR, DESTRUCTION and TANKARD!!! Since HEATHEN’s reunion for Thrash of the Titans, we had been following the band very closely over the last couple of years with first-hand information from Lee Altus - who is also swinging the axe in EXODUS - and what we heard from him made us very curious! After seeing HEATHEN play an amazing show at Rock Hard and their release of another classic album with The Evolution of Chaos, it was very clear to us that the band needed to become part of the Nuclear family as well. Seeing the band play several times at last year’s Thrashfest Classics, we were finally able to make this work!! With the signing of HEATHEN, another thrash dream has came true!! Welcome home guys!!!”

Forged in the fertile breeding ground of the Bay Area’s thrash scene in 1984 and debuting onto the worldwide tape-trading scene in 1986 with their six-song “Pray For Death” demo, HEATHEN went on to create the now classic Breaking The Silence in 1987 (whose opening track “Death By Hanging” quickly became a live staple) and 1991’s Victims Of Deception, which included the nine-and-a-half minute opus “Heathen’s Song.” 

Reunited in 2001 for San Francisco’s Thrash of the Titans benefit for Testament’s Chuck Billy and Death’s Chuck Schuldiner, HEATHEN reemerged in full force after a 19-year absence with stellar reviews for 2010’s The Evolution Of Chaos and will begin recording their fourth studio album later this year.

HEATHEN has performed their brand of guitar-driven, fuel-injected thrash metal in Europe at numerous summer festivals, on the Thrash Fest Classics tour with co-headliners Exodus & Sepultura, and the Killfest tour with Overkill, in North America on last year’s spring tour with Destruction, and most recently at the “Bonded By Baloff: A Decade Of Remembrance” memorial in Oakland in February. Their live sets continually test the endurance of headbanging audiences everywhere.

Check out the video for “Dying Season” from The Evolution Of Chaos on YouTube.

HEATHEN 2012 is David White on vocals; Lee Altus on guitar; Kragen Lum on guitar; Jason Viebrooks on bass; and Darren Minter on drums.

Anthrax Tour Kicks off Sunday

When Anthrax kicks off Leg Two of its U.S. tour with Testament and Death Angel this Sunday in Las Vegas, they will do so with their new single, "I'm Alive," already catching fire at radio. Early adds at active and mainstream rock stations in cities from Madison to Nashville to Abilene are playing the track and getting great feedback on the song from listeners.

In addition, the online rock site, Loudwire, put the song into its "Cage Match" competition this week, pitting "I'm Alive" against the Ministry track "99%," followed the next day with "Locust" by Machine Head, then Rise Against's "Satellite," and Staind's "Eyes Wide Open." When "I'm Alive" was victorious over Linkin Park's "Blackout" yesterday - the song's fifth consecutive win -the song was retired from competition and entered the Loudwire Cage Match Hall of Fame.

With the first leg of the Anthrax/Testament/Death Angel lineup included on a number of "Best Shows of 2011," the upcoming tour dates will feature performances from Anthrax's 30-year career as well as songs from the band's new album, Worship Music, singled out as the #1 Metal Album of 2011 by "That Metal Show's" Eddie Trunk, SiriusXM's Jose Mangin, and many other media outlets.

For this tour, Anthrax has put together two special VIP packages for its fans. The "Basic" package includes a special meet-and-greet with the band, a special VIP laminate with an Anthrax Army lanyard, a vinyl Fan-Banner, and a very limited edition Anthrax Army Tee with distressed print. The uber "Zoom Q3HD VIP" package gets you an Anthrax-branded Zoom Q3HD video camera, a special meet-and-greet with the band, a VIP cinematographer fan-laminate and the invitation to capture the M&G and also to record one of the band's songs performed live onstage (where available) and then placed into consideration for a viral video, seven-foot tall fan banner, limited edition Anthrax Army tee-shirt, and more. Log on to www.anthrax.com > VIP Meet & Greet for more information.

Tour Dates:

JANUARY

22 House of Blues, Las Vegas, NV

23 House of Blues, Anaheim, CA

24 Marquee Theatre, Tempe, AZ

26 Midland Theatre, Kansas City, MO

27 Egyptian Room @ Murat Center, Indianapolis, IN

28 Piere's Entertainment Center, Fort Wayne, IN

29 Expo Five, Louisville, KY

30 The Orange Peel, Asheville, NC

FEBRUARY

1 Green Iguana - Stadium, Tampa, FL

2 Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA

3 Promowest Pavilion, Columbus, OH

4 Bogart's, Cincinnati, OH

6 Crocodile Rock, Allentown, PA

7 Rams Head Live!, Baltimore, MD

8 Best Buy Theatre, New York, NY

Anthrax's Frank Bello with Buckley's Penn Badgley

Anthrax's bassist Frank Bello, is making his feature film debut, playing the New York punk rock legend Richard Hell in the biopic "Greetings From Tim Buckley." The film stars "Gossip Girl's" Penn Badgley, Imogene Poots, and William Sadler.

Bello shot his scenes in New York earlier this month, including an early call on the set the morning after Anthrax's 9/14 homecoming concert at Yankee Stadium with The Big Four.

Bello attended the film's wrap party this past weekend that was held at The White Rabbit on Manhattan's lower east side.

Anthrax's new album, Worship Music debuted this week at #12 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums charts, and the band kicks off its U.S. tour on October 14 in Grand Rapids. More info on Anthrax: http://anthrax.com/

Anthrax Adds 3 New Dates

Thrash-metal titans ANTHRAX, whose long-awaited album, Worship Music, debuts at #12 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart next week, making it the band's highest chart debut in 20 years, has announced that three new dates have been added to the band's upcoming Fall tour - Sayreville, NJ, Huntington, NY and Cleveland, OH. Anthrax will co-headline the 27-date trek with Testament; Death Angel will open all shows.

For ticket info, log onto http://anthrax.com/

OCTOBER

14 Orbit Room, Grand Rapids, MI

15 Congress Theatre, Chicago, IL

16 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN

18 The Cotillion, Wichita, KS

19 Summit Music Hall, Denver, CO

21 Independence Events Center, Independence, MO (radio show with Five Finger Death Punch)

22 Nokia LA Live, Los Angeles, CA

23 Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA

24 House of Blues, San Diego, CA

26 Sunshine Theatre, Albuquerque, NM

28 South Side Music Hall, Dallas, TX

29 Emo's East, Austin, TX

30 Warehouse Live, Houston, TX

NOVEMBER

1 House of Blues, Orlando, FL

2 Revolution, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

4 House of Blues, Myrtle Beach, SC

5 Fillmore Charlotte, Charlotte, NC

6 The Fillmore, Silver Spring, MD

8 Northern Lights, Clifton Park, NY

10 Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA

11 Palladium, Worcester, MA

12 Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ **ADDED**

13 The Paramount, Huntington, NY **ADDED**

15 Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY

17 Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA

18 House of Blues, Cleveland, OH **ADDED**

19 Rave, Milwaukee, WI

Anthrax's Worship Music Debuts at #12

Worship Music, (Megaforce) Anthrax's first studio album in eight years and its first with vocalist Joey Belladonna since 1990's Persistence of Time, blasts onto next week's Billboard Top 200 Albums chart at #12, the band's highest chart debut in two decades, and second-highest in its career, selling 28,500 copies.

And if that's not enough, Worship Music debuted at #4 on Billboard's Hard Rock Chart, #3 on the Hard Music Core Chart, and #2 at both the Indie and Indie Core Stores charts.

"I am most proud of our fans who came out and gave us the amazing support they did," said Anthrax's Charlie Benante. "To have our record debut at #12 is a great accomplishment."

Added the band's Scott Ian, "I'm absolutely thrilled with the fact that our Anthrax Army came out in force this week to show the world that good music matters. Thank you to all our friends, old and new! It's a privilege to do this for you."

While the recording of Worship Music was challenging and at some times difficult, it was at the core of an extraordinary experience for a band that had questioned its very future. Anthrax's turning point took place in 2009 at a Cleveland hotel bar with Metallica's Lars Ulrich when he first brought up the idea of The Big Four. That led to Anthrax's decision to get Belladonna back in the band on a permanent basis, and to the complete refashioning of the previously-recorded tracks for Worship Music with Belladonna's inimitable vocal stamp. Pre-release reviews of Worship Music hailed the album as not only a career-best for Anthrax, but "the metal album of the year," and last week's New York homecoming concert at Yankee Stadium as one of the original architects of speed and thrash metal with Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth - The Big Four - only added to Anthrax's remarkable renewal.

Anthrax hits the road beginning October 14 on a five-week, coast-to-coast tour with Testament and Death Angel.

Paragon Mag Interviews Anthrax!

The Paragon staff met up with Rob Caggiano and Joey Belladonna of Anthrax in NYC to discuss everything from the evolution of the band, the reunion of the members, producing the newest album "Worship Music," and the Big Four Shows, plus more! 

Check out the video interview here and feel free to leave comments on our blog page or on the YouTube page.  Also, feel free to link, tweet, share, etc.

Enjoy!

Anthrax on Rockline, "Anthrax Day" in the Bronx

Anthrax will be the featured guest on the nationally syndicated radio show ROCKLINE with host Bob Coburn on Monday, September 12, 2011 at 8:30PM PT/11:30PM ET. The band members will be talking about and playing songs from their new album, Worship Music, that will be in-stores the next day, Tuesday, 9/13. Fans are encouraged to speak with the band by calling 1-800-344-ROCK (7625). For a station near you and for information regarding how to log onto the Internet for the broadcast, go to www.RocklineRadio.com. This broadcast will be available for two weeks on the Rockline website beginning the day following the show.

In addition, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. has announced that he will name Wednesday, September 14, "ANTHRAX DAY," the same day that The Big Four plays at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx. The Big Four concert represents a homecoming for Anthrax as all five members - Joey Belladonna, Frank Bello, Charlie Benante, Rob Cagianno, and Scott Ian - are from New York, with three of them - Benante, Bello and Caggiano - born and raised in The Bronx.

Said Borough President Diaz, "These heavy metal legends grew up right here in our borough, and I am proud to welcome Anthrax back to their Bronx home."

Anthrax, one of the four original architects of speed and thrash metal (with Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth), is celebrating its 30th year as a band. Worship Music is the band's first studio album in eight years and the first with vocalist Belladonna since 1990. Belladonna, an essential part of Anthrax's lineup from 1985 to 1992, sang on some of the band's most popular albums including Spreading the Disease, Among the Living and Persistence of Time. As Scott Ian recently said in an interview, "Once Joey came back last year, that's when everything started to connect. The planets started to align properly, so 'Worship Music' is exactly what Anthrax is supposed to sound like. This will be the only version of Anthrax until there is no more Anthrax." Over the band's three decades, Anthrax has sold more than 10-million units, received multiple Gold and Platinum albums, multiple Grammy nominations, and a host of other accolades from the press, industry and fans.

 

*Editor's note: Look for an exclusive video interview with Anthrax to be posted on Paragon Music Magazine's website soon!