Concert Review: Judas Priest, 4-17-18 Portland, Oregon

In the shadow of Mount Hood,

We were all waiting....

For Lightning to Strike!

As most of you know, I became a truck driver last year. Well, last Friday, I delivered to Portland, Oregon. I am a trainer, and since we were going to here until Monday, my student wanted to go see a Portland Trailblazers playoff game on Saturday. I told him to go ahead, and I realized that all I ever did on downtime was sit in the truck. I decided to see if anything was going on that I would want to see. Tuesday, April 17th, Judas Priest was in town. DAMMIT, I was leaving on the 16th! Son of a...

It would take an act of the Metal Gods for me to get to go to that concert. Well, they decided to smile on me because my truck broke down on Sunday. Had to be towed Monday, soooo, I was PRIEST BOUND!

I got to the arena, and Saxon was playing. I was late for them, but that couldn't be helped. While waiting in line for my $11 beer, I met a proud father, taking his 9 or 10 year old daughter to her FIRST concert. I wrote about that meeting as well because it was really cool. I went in, and my seat was appropriately in section KK. I knew it was going to be an awesome night. 

If you don't already know, guitarist, Glenn Tipton has left the band because of health issues with Parkinson's Disease, and couldn't tour anymore. He has been replaced by guitarist, Andy Sneap, along with Richie Faulkner who replaced KK Downing after he retired. He's played for some amazing bands, so I wasn't worried about him playing Glenn's parts. He's done production work for Megadeth, Accept, Testament, and many other bands known for exceptional guitar ability, not to mention been members of various heavy hitting guitar bands. 

Rob Halford and Andy Sneap

The band opened with the title track of their latest album, Firepower, which is in the top 5 albums of their entire discography. Glenn Tipton played the songs on the album, and if anyone had any doubts about Sneap and Faulkner carrying the torch, they were quickly erased. The crowd accepted both guitarists with enthusiasm. Rob Halford's vocals were piercing, and strong as ever. I had never seen Faulkner with Priest before, but I was amazed. He is one HELL of a showman. I couldn't really see Scott Travis from where I was, and Ian Hill just did his normal performance, just staying on his side of the stage, beating the deep darkness from his bass that gives Priest songs the scary essence that they are known for. 

Showman Extraordinaire, Richie Faulkner 

The band played a wide variety of hits, classic gems, and several songs from Firepower. They played Sinner, Freewheel Burning, Grinder, The Ripper, and a couple other classics. I was a little surprised to hear Turbo Lover, but it was still great. Of course, they played Painkiller, which Rob nailed, and the solo was done perfectly by Faulkner and Sneap. After Painkiller, something happened that we were all hoping for, but not expecting. Sneap joined Ian Hill at the back of the stage, and none other than Glenn Tipton emerged from side stage. The place erupted with applause, and Glenn stood there with his hand on his heart and pointing at the audience. You could tell that our enthusiasm for him met the world to him. They finished the set with Tipton playing his signature Hamer guitar. His first song with them? Metal Gods of course. He then played Breaking the Law, You Got Another Think Coming, and Living After Midnight with the band. 

Rob and Glenn

That was an incredible concert, mixed with excitement, and emotion. The band sounded great, and everyone enjoyed it. I'm sure the people in attendance were a lot happier leaving than the Trailblazers fans were who had just watched them drop a second playoff home game in a row, going to a 0-2 deficit to the Pelicans. That arena is right next to Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where Priest played. You don't get many options for a personal life out on the road. I'm glad I had this opportunity, and it was a concert that I won't forget any time soon.

Who Dat? The Replacement Singers

Who Dat?

As the legendary bands age, members come and go. Some die, some get fired, some quit. But just because an original member isn't in the band anymore, is it still the same band? Should the band call it quits because the original bass player quit? Hell, should the band hang it up if the singer or guitarist quits? Gets fired? Dies? I got into a discussion with a good friend of mine a couple days ago, and we disagreed on the subject. He was saying that if the original lineup wasn't there, it was nothing more than a cover band. I maintained that it depends on the situation. Bands like Molly Hatchet, who have a lineup that features not one single original member are cover bands. Or, Bobby Blotzer, formerly of Ratt suing the original lineup for the name, where  he would be the only original  member. However, a band like Queensryche is still the band. 3/5 of the original lineup are still there. We're going to talk about several bands in this piece, and explore the fan's reaction to the new members. Since I've already mentioned Queensryhe, we'll start with them.

Queensryche's original lineup released their first 6 albums together. The first member to depart was guitarist, Chris DeGarmo, who left the band to pursue a career as an airline pilot. Many people considered the band to be dead when he left. Since his departure, they had 2 replacement guitarists, neither of who captured the essence of DeGarmo's playing. However, the third time is the charm in this case. Current guitarist, Parker Lundgren does the best job out of the three of them at matching the style of DeGarmo. And, he's been on more Queensryche albums than the other two guitarists, including the 2 released with replacement singer, Todd LaTorre. (Both albums charted in the top 30, which had not happened in a long time) LaTorre who replaced singer, Geoff Tate after his firing as mostly accepted by the fans, although you'd never know it if you look at social media, where supporters of Geoff Tate rattle off the same tired dribble like "No Tate, no Queensryche!" over and over again. Although they never seem to dispute the counter arguments that say that Tate can't even sing the songs anymore for some reason. The song writing is back to the style that the fans wanted, which is the classic power metal that made the band famous in the first place.

Todd LaTorre of Queensryche

Next, we'll take a look at a replacement singer who was hated by the fans. Blaze Bayley of Iron Maiden. And, before you start sending me messages and comments, Yes, I know that Bruce Dickinson was also a replacement singer. We aren't talking about Bruce. Not to mention, he's back in the band, and has been for a long time, so its a non issue. Blaze had a rough time as Maiden's singer. All that really needs to be said is that the fans hated him, and they hated the 2 albums that he sang on. But, finally, Bruce came back on 2000's Brave New World, and the fans rejoiced.

Blaze Bayley with Iron Maiden

Next, we're going to talk about another group of metal gods, who are none other than the Metal Gods themselves. Judas Priest. When Rob Halford left the band to pursue a solo career, the fans were angry. But, a few years later, the band found Tim 'Ripper' Owens, who sounded just like Halford.  His first album with Priest, Jugulator was released with a mix of criticism and praise. Most fans liked the album, but there were some detractors who complained that it was too heavy. I've always maintained that if you read the album credits in Jugulator, you will see Halford's name listed in about half the songs. Jugulator was going to be the next Priest album with or without Halford. But, the next album, Demolition, a lot the praise for Ripper had gone away. Although it was a great metal album, it didn't sound like Priest, and many fans believed that it was time for Ripper to go. And, he did, and has had a pretty successful career. 

Tim 'Ripper' Owens with Judas Priest

And last, but not least, we're going to talk about the most successful replacement singer of all time...well, recent time, anyway, since Brian Johnson of AC/DC, who is the most successful replacement singer of all time is not with them anymore. Plus, he's a lot like Bruce Dickinson. He is a replacement singer, but the band got gi-normous once he came in. No, we're going to talk about Arnel Pineda of Journey. You all know his story. Guitarist, Neal Schon found him on YouTube, a singer in the Philippines, playing in cover bands, in crappy bars. They had tried to bring other singers, but were unsuccessful. But, once Pineda came in, Journey found themselves selling out arenas and stadiums once again. Having a singer who launches himself through the air like a young David Lee Roth certainly doesn't hurt. But, while there are detractors and purists for all of these singers, Pineda, I would say has had the most success. Sure, there are people who would rather have Steve Perry back in Journey, but I'm not one of them...And, neither is Steve Perry!

Perry and Pineda. Respect.

So, in conclusion, you simply aren't going to be able to please everyone. I don't think that just because an original singer goes away for whatever reason that the band simply becomes a cover band, or a 'Fake-Ryche' or 'Mock Up Priest,' or 'Iron Rip-Off' or whatever creative name that the detractors came up with. The band members want to continue to tour, and make albums, and the fans still want to see them. So, why should they quit? If you ask me, they shouldn't.

.

Arnel Pineda with journey

However, Bobby Blotzer needs to give it up! 

Album Review: Judas Priest, Redeemer of Souls

Right off the bat, let me tell you what I think of the post-Painkiller albums just so you know where I am coming from. I liked Jugulator and Demolition, although I acknowledge the fact that they weren't exactly canon. Angel of Retribution was very good, but it seemed rushed. Nostradamus? Not so much. Didn't really care for that one.

Now that we have that out of the way, let's get down to business here. I heard that Judas Priest were hanging up touring, but were going to release another album. I was excited to hear it, and I was optimistic too. I knew that Priest wasn't going to call it a career with Nostradamus being the last album that they put out. Then, I heard that they are going to be touring after all? SWEET!

The Metal God,
Rob Halford

But, what I wasn't expecting was a juggernaut of a metal album. Not only is Redeemer of Souls a very worthy successor to Painkiller in the sense that the music easily represents the next step in the musical evolution of the band's style, it also is easily the band's best sounding album. Period. It is very well produced, and the guitars sound like they were played through a wall of Marshalls, 100 feet tall. The Metal God, Rob Halford's voice is very powerful, and while Redeemer isn't full of the piercing high notes that Angel of Retribution and Painkiller had, he still showcases his vocal range with several very high screams. In fact, we get to hear him go guttural in one song. And to anyone who would say anything negative about Halford's voice, I would tell them (dis)respectfully to go back and keep listening to their auto tuned pop heroes like everyone on the radio these days. I would rather hear someone real over a singing computer any day, and that goes for music too.

Richie Faulkner and Glen Tipton

From the first track on Redeemer of Souls, we are treated to the powerful metal riffs, heavy rhythms, and brutal twin leads that Priest is known for. Guitarists Glen Tipton and newcomer, Richie Faulkner are all over the place with their twin leads, more-so than on any other recent album. There are also several anthem type songs, like Battle Cry. The bass and drum combo of Scott Travis and Ian Hill is solid and heavy as ever, and while there are no drum-gasams like in Painkiller and Machine Man, Scott Travis displays some of his finest drum work. With this album being the little brother of Painkiller, you'd expect to hear some songs that resemble that album, right? Well, the opening track, Dragonaut and title track, Redeemer of Souls could have been on it. But, the whole album really is an evolution.

Ian Hill

We are also introduced to a couple new monsters/ heroes. Dragonaut, and Metalizer. I wonder how they would match up against the formidable Priest characters, Painkiller and Nightcrawler? There is a SyFy Original Movie there somewhere, I'm sure.*

Scott Travis

If this is to be the final chapter in Judas Priest music, then I am okay with it. They will go out with a bang. But, if they decide to do another album, after hearing this one, I say **"Bring it On!" As I mentioned before, I liked all of their most recent albums except for one. I can't say that about other favorites of mine, including Iron Maiden. The fact that since 1990, Priest has taken their time between albums is very likely a reason why. Take Iron Maiden for example. They haven't. In 1990, they released No Prayer for the Dying. Not a very good album by a long shot. Their next albums were Fear of the Dark, X Factor, Virtual XI, Brave New World, Dance of Death, A Matter of Life and Death, and The Final Frontier. That's 2 more than Priest put out, INCLUDING, like Priest, 2 albums with a different singer. Iron Maiden only put out 2 good albums since 1990, and Priest only put out one bad one. Now, I'm as big of a Maiden fan as I am of Priest. They are my number one and two favorite bands. I am only bringing up Maiden for comparison, and not to bash them.

So, go get this album. Whether you are a Priest fan from the beginning, or a newer one, Redeemer of Souls will be sure to make your neck sore from headbanging. I won't say its better than Painkiller, but its easily their best SINCE Painkiller, and easily in the top 5 Priest albums.

Once again, BUY IT!

EDIT: This album debuted at #6 on the US Billboard charts, making this the most successful Priest debut of all time. Amazing, isn't it? And with bands like Black Sabbath, Queensryche, Stryper, The Winery Dogs and others all putting out awesome albums that are debuting in the top 25, I think its safe to say that....METAL IS BACK!!!

....Seems like I've heard that somewhere before. ;)

*  I have an outline for a movie like that. Contact me if you're in the business and interested.

**Bring it On is the title of a bonus song on the deluxe edition of Redeemer of Souls.

Movie Autopsy: Rock Star

I was talking with some friends last night, about the movie Rock Star, starring Mark Wahlberg, and several musicians that I respect as musicians. As actors? Not so much. They are Zakk Wylde, Jeff Pilson, and Jason Bonham. But, here we go. I'm calling this an autopsy because Rock Star is about as dead as it gets, and we need to figure out what caused the movie to die. Basically, the premise is this: A singer of a tribute band replaces the singer of the band that he idolizes. But, a couple of my friends did not understand why I hate that movie so much. I explained, and they understood, but I'm going to go into detail here.

This post contains spoilers. Lots of them.

Judas Priest with Rob Halford

We'll start at the beginning. That movie was originally supposed to be called 'Metal Gods.' And of course, every metalhead knows that 'Metal Gods' is the name of a Judas Priest song. The movie was supposed to be the story of Tim 'Ripper' Owens, who replaced Rob Halford in Judas Priest. Ripper was in a Judas Priest tribute band in Ohio, and he was discovered, and flown to England to audition after the band found out about him. I was excited to see that movie, UNTIL (Dum dum DUMMMM) Hollywood had to fluff the story with a sappy love story, and include things that never happened in the story. Priest told Hollywood that if they wanted to tell Ripper's story then they could do it, but if they wanted to make a sappy chick, then they could stuff it.

Judas Priest with Ripper Owens

Rather than dump an entire script, the producers made changes to it that made it into a movie that was 'loosely based' on Ripper Owens and Judas Priest. It was 'loosely' all right. About the only thing that even resembled Ripper's story was the premise that a tribute band singer becomes the singer for the band he idolizes. However, if you watch the movie, and pay attention, you will see that Rock Star is more than that. Of course, its the general premise, and of course a sappy love story, but the movie is also loaded with subtle jabs at Ripper Owens and Judas Priest. THAT is what we are going to cover in this post. We will also be separating fact from fiction.

Chris Cole in his bedroom, making sure he looks exactly
like his life sized Bobby Beers card board cutout

First of all, the way that Chris Cole (Wahlberg's charater) was portrayed is an obvious jab. He is a grown man who lives with his parents, and is so obsessed with Steel Dragon (the legendary band in the film) that he dresses just like Bobby Beers, (Dragon's singer) and emulates every single thing (well MOST every single thing) that Beers does in his personal life, even down to getting his nipple pierced just because Beers did it. The tribute band is Cole's only band, and he would never dream of playing anything other than Dragon tunes. He also doesn't know how to write original material.

In real life, Ripper Owens was in TWO bands. He had a band that played original songs, that he also helped write. The tribute band was a side project that opened for his other band from time to time, and played parties. Sure, Rob Halford is Ripper's favorite singer, but Ripper did not worship him like a little teenage fangirl.

Steel Dragon with Bobby Beers

Steel Dragon, as I mentioned before was the legendary metal band. The opening scenes show Cole and his friends getting ready to go see them in concert. When they get to the arena where the show is taking place, people are protesting them with signs that say 'Steel Dragon Is Satan' and things like that. Now, that happened to Judas Priest a lot. But, it would never happen with Steel Dragon. Why? Because Priest is a dark heavy metal band that uses dark minor chords, and scary lyrical content. Dragon is a glam band. You never saw people protesting Ratt because they sang about girls and partying. Same as Steel Dragon.  And, using Ratt as a comparison is appropriate because a Dragon member himself compared Dragon to Ratt later in the movie.

After the Dragon concert, Cole and his band members encountered ANOTHER Steel Dragon tribute band in the parking lot. They are advertising their show, and taking the flyers off cars that Cole's band had placed there. It then becomes 'ON' as the 2 bands appear to get into a rumble. However, since both bands are dressed just like the Dragon members they are mimicking, they start bickering about the embroidery, and when they start shoving, they are more concerned about tearing their costumes than winning a fight. Sure, this is another jab at Ripper and his tribute band, but TWO tribute bands in one city? Not likely.

I call this scene 'Attack of the Clones'

Next, we have Cole's tribute band concert. There is a crowd of at least 1500 (all of which were probably at the real band's concert just a few days before) people at a steel plant. Not a club. Its cool, but it would never happen. The band's guitarist starts adding his own touch to a Dragon song, and Cole flips out, and they fight on stage in front of everyone. He is in turn, kicked out of the band. He is bummed and depressed, but all of a sudden, the phone rings. Guess what?? Its none other than Curt Cuddy, Dragon's guitarist. At first, Cole doesn't believe its really him, so he screens him, asking what he called his third wife. After Cuddy passes Cole's test, Cole goes into fangirl mode, saying how sorry he was to hear about the death of his dog, and how he sent flowers and a card. Another jab at Ripper. Cuddy asks him to come out to LA because he heard a tape of him singing the Dragon tunes perfectly. He agrees, and he and his girlfriend, Emily fly out to LA. Once they arrive in LA, we find out that Cuddy got the tape from 2 groupies who had filmed Cole's concert, and then came on the road with Dragon.

How Chris Cole became Dragon's singer

In real life, Ripper's tribute band was playing a show, and Judas Priest drummer, Scott Travis was there. He was so impressed with Ripper that he spoke to the band about him, and had a member of management contact him. He was invited to London to audition for Priest. After the phone conversation, Ripper looked for the management person's name on his copy of Painkiller. Ripper went, and the audition scene in the movie is pretty much spot on accurate. They both started singing a song, and the song was stopped after a few lines. They had heard enough on the tape, (or concert in Ripper's case) and just needed to verify that it was really his voice. They were both offered the job on the spot. That's about the only accurate part of the movie, and it only lasts a matter of seconds.

Next, we find out that Bobby Beers is being kicked out of the band because he is gay, among other reasons. Cole is devastated. In reality, everybody knew about Rob Halford's sexuality, and nobody cared when he came out of the closet. Looking back, I'm not sure how anybody could have missed the fact, but regardless, Priest did not lose one fan because of it. Not to mention the fact that Halford left on his own because he wanted to release solo albums, and was already gone long before Scott Travis saw Ripper in concert. But, Hollywood wanted Halford kicked out because he was gay.

Steel Dragon with Chris Cole

The next portion of the movie is Steel Dragon touring, partying, getting laid, etc. Cole is trying to be good and faithful to his girlfriend, Emily, but when she decides to go to Seattle to start a business, and Cole is by himself on the road, he becomes a party animal. Dragon plays a show in Seattle, and his girlfriend goes to see him, but catches him wasted, and zipping up his pants. She leaves him. He gets bummed for a few minutes, but the final straw comes after the break when the band gets back together to record the next album. Cole has written a few songs, and Cuddy tells him to forget it. He doesn't even want to hear Cole's songs. So, they record the album, and Cole is demoralized. At a concert, he just walks off stage, and hands the mic to a Chris Cole clone who knows all of Cole's moves to finish the concert. Then, we see interviews with the band, and they are angry, but not worried about the future.

Next, we see Cole in Seattle. Grunge has arrived, and Cole has cut his hair, and is wearing gray sweaters. His old guitarist has moved to Seattle, and the 2 meet up again, and decide to start a grunge band, playing all original songs. They are playing a show at a small coffee house, and Emily shows up. The 2 reunite with a passionate kiss as the band plays on. <gag>

Next, as the credits roll, they take a shot at Rob Halford. They show Bobby Beers being interviewed, and he has cut his hair, and is downing heavy metal. He has now joined Riverdance, and will never go back to Steel Dragon. What did this Hollywood producer have against Rob Halford? 

In real life, Tim 'Ripper' Owens recorded TWO albums with Priest, and even co wrote one song on the second album. He did not quit and storm off the stage. The band and Halford decided to reunite, and Ripper and Priest parted ways on good terms, and are still good friends. Ripper did NOT start an emo grunge band. He became the singer of Iced Earth, and recorded two amazing albums with them, then sang with Yngwie Malmsteen, and did a tour with Dio's Disciples. He did this all while still recording with his ORIGINAL band in Ohio, and opening a club that national touring bands frequent.
2020 UPDATE: Ripper is joining KK Downing's band, KK's Priest.

So, now that you know all this, what do you think of that stupid movie now? Surely, the producer could have made a movie without all the childish jabs right? You would think so, but there are some real childish people out there. And, don't call me Shirley. Be sure to let me know what you think in the comments.

When Rob Halford was on That Metal Show, he gave his own movie review. It was a nice 2 word review, reminiscent of the review of the Shark Sandwich album by Spinal Tap. They did a 'Q&A With the Metal God' segment, where the audience members were able to ask questions of him. One guy asked him what he thought of Rock Star. Rob's reply: "It sucked."

Rock Star? It sucked.

Now, there you have it. Rock Star sucked. Why?
Nevermind all the reasons I listed. It sucked because The Metal God himself said so.

Metallica is Dead. Sad But True!

 Oh, I'm going to take some shots for this one...Before we get started, let me give you a summary of my view of Metallica. I think that with the albums Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets, the band peaked. While And Justice For All is a good album, it was a serious letdown to be the followup to Master of Puppets. Although topping Master of Puppets is a pretty tall order, considering that album is one of the top 5 greatest metal albums of all time. I'm not even going to get into the bass guitar or lack thereof on And Justice For All.

Anyway, Metallica released the Black album next, and while it had to grow on me, I eventually accepted it as their third best album. It was certainly their best sounding album as far as production goes. After that, Load and Reload were released. They did grow on me to the point that if it were done by a band NOT called Metallica, they would be great albums. Both albums are good and solid metal albums. Then came St. Anger. WTF were they thinking? No guitar solos? Lars Ulrich's drums sound like he is beating on a garbage can, and the guitar sound is like nails on a chalkboard. By far, the WORST Metallica album to date.

In late 2007, we started hearing rumors coming out of the studio that Metallica was working on a juggernaut of a metal album, and that the answers to all of the fans prayers would be released later the next year. We all waited in anticipation. Finally, Death Magnetic was released, and we all bought it...only to be let down once again. The songs are unnecessarily long, with extra musical bits that don't really fit with the song, seemingly just to make the song longer. And, James Hetfield confirms what we all suspected after hearing St. Anger. He does not have the voice anymore. And, if you saw them live, you would agree. Lars is slower, and that is to be expected. He's 50 something years old, and the drum parts in the first 4 albums were among the fastest recorded at the time.

So, we are still waiting for that breakthrough return to form album. You might say that it isn't possible. You would be wrong. Earlier this year, an amazing return to form or reboot album was released by another band. Click here to find out who it is.

But, all this is not even why I am saying the band is dead. Death Magnetic did not suck, and Metallica still puts on a hell of a show live, even though it isn't as fast as it was. I'm saying they are dead because of things they have said and done in interviews, and behind the scenes.

It all started with S&M...Although I thought that was a pretty cool thing to do, lots of people thought Metallica playing with an orchestra was a major non metal moment. In fact, VH1 listed that as the #23 non metal moment of all time. Some songs sounded like a train wreck, like One. Others sounded great like For Whom The Bell Tolls. The Scorpions and Deep Purple did it too.

 But, in my opinion, it started to go downhill with them in the Some Kind of Monster movie, where they showed scenes with Lars Ulrich and Dave Mustaine having a heart to heart. I thought they were going to hug and start crying. Later in the movie, James Hetfield was airing out his feelings like an after school special. Yep. That was the beginning of the end. In fact, here is a blog post written by a MAN no less, explaining why non metalheads will like the Monster movie. (the quote is also a link)

The user-friendly film focuses on the band's therapy sessions over a three-year period. It lets you see how the members react to their time with therapist and personal-enhancement coach Phil Towle and to each other, as expressed to the ever-present cameras

Next came VH1's #38 least metal moment. Avril Lavigne playing Fuel at Metallica's Icon dedication. Once again, I thought that was pretty cool. I know I'm not doing myself any favors or lending myself any credibility by saying that I think that these are pretty cool in a blog post where I am trying to make the case that Metallica is dead. Believe me. You will understand when I am finished. You know, Avril Lavigne is a rocker chick. She writes her own songs, and can actually play guitar well. I am not a fan of hers but based on the few songs I heard of hers back in 2003, I would rather hear her music than 90% of the crap that is on the radio today. I've never understood what VH1 had against her doing Fuel for that show.

Speaking of VH1's list of nonmetal moments, what I am leading up to would surely make number one on an updated list. This is worse than the current number one which is 1. Vince Neil Leads Giant Chicken Dance. 

Then came Lulu. Metallica releases an album with the late great Lou Reed. The burning question on everyone's mind was "WHY???" As the follow up to Death Magnetic, which was a letdown, this does not send a message of hope to the fans that somewhere underneath was the band that released Puppets and Lightning. One review states:

In qualitative terms, this album makes St Anger look like Master Of Puppets.

Nothing Else Matters crosses a line in my opinion. And, while Metallica can't control who covers their music, this whole mess could have been avoided if maybe...I don't know...METALLICA HAD NEVER WRITTEN THAT DAMN SONG IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!

Now, the band obviously can't control who covers their songs, but Macy Gray covering 

While that is bad, brace yourselves. This is the story that signals the demise of Metallica. No one should ever take them seriously again after this. What could be so horrible?

From TMZ: Metallica -- yes, Metallica -- just professed their love and admiration for all things Justin Bieber… and they weren’t kidding … like not even a little bit.

The band was giving an interview with a rock magazine about Bieber's recent take on their mega-hit "Fade to Black," when lead singer James Hetfield admitted, "Are we Beliebers? Yes."

Drummer Lars Ulrich backed James up ... saying, "I think the kid's really talented and obviously to go through what he's going through at that early age must be a mindf**k. So the fact that he still goes out there and does it, I admire that and I think he's super talented, so I guess I am kind of a Belieber.”Bassist Robert Trujillo added "As long as he stays out of trouble, I'll be a Belieber.”  

Now, this whole story was started because of the picture above with Justin Bieber wearing the Metallica shirt, and a 20 second video clip of Beiber vocalizing the lead intro to Fade to Black. I don't see what is so special about that, but TMZ of course had to ask the band what they thought of it. Now, the METAL thing to say would have been along the lines of "Hey, its cool. We love all our fans, but if Bieber really is a Metallica fan, we'd love to hear some influence in his music." 

Instead, the band gave Bieber yet another ego stroking by enabling him to say "Even Metallica are Beliebers!" Its SAD BUT TRUE, and what's even worse is the possibility of yet another collaboration album. 

The thing that should not be...

So, RIP Metallica. Its been real. But unfortunately, the ONLY thing that can redeem you from this would be to release an album that ranks as the number 3 Metallica album behind Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets. We won't hold our breath.

Rob Halford had it right on That Metal Show, when he said this: 

Although that was before Metallica came out as Justin Bieber fans. Had it been afterwards, he might have had something more to say other than what he did.

We'll miss you, Metallica, but we will still crank the good albums up to 11 and remember the good times. As for new music, we still have Megadeth. 

Listen to my radio show, The Will and Thunder Show as we discuss this topic. Click here.