Metal Masters conquer North America
Metal icons Judas Priest , Heaven & Hell, Motorhead and Testament will go out together for the first time this summer on the Metal Masters Tour.
The 15-date trek is scheduled to kick off Aug. 6 in Camden, NJ, and visit cities across the US, with a stop in Toronto, through the end of the month. Judas Priest and Testament will also team for a North American run in July. Details are listed below.
Tickets for the Metal Masters Tour go on sale to the public beginning this week, and Citi credit card holders can access pre-sale offers at Citi's Private Pass Program website.
On the road, Judas Priest will focus on its classic material, but the quintet will also offer up a few tracks from its forthcoming set, "Nostradamus," which is due June 17. The double-disc concept album tells the tale of the world-famous 16th Century French prophet. The title track is currently available as a free MP3 download at the band's Live Nation web page.
Heaven & Hell, which features Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler along with former members Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice, will be supporting "The Rules of Hell" box set, which is scheduled to hit stores July 22. The five-CD collection features re-mastered versions of all four Dio-era Black Sabbath albums (" Heaven and Hell ," "Mob Rules," "Live Evil" and "Dehumanizer") in a deluxe package with new liner notes.
By the time the tour rolls around, Motorhead hopes to have its 20th album on the streets. The hard rockers are currently recording the set at Dave Grohl's studio. Last year, they put out a two-disc live album, "Better Motorhead Than Dead: Live At Hammersmith," which captures Motorhead's 2005 30th anniversary show in London.
Thrash-metal vets Testament are backing their new record, "The Formation of Damnation," which is due April 29. The set is the band's first new studio album in nine years.
Judas Priest/Testament dates:
July 2008
22 - Seattle, WA - Wamu Theater
23 - Victoria, British Columbia - Save On Foods Memorial
24 - Vancouver, British Columbia - General Motors Place
26 - Calgary, Alberta - McMahon Stadium/Monsters of Rock
27 - Edmonton, Alberta - Shaw Conference Centre
29 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Credit Union Centre
30 - Winnipeg, Manitoba - MTS Centre
31 - Minneapolis, MN - Epic (Judas Priest does not appear on this date)
Masters of Metal Tour with Judas Priest, Heaven & Hell, Motorhead and Testament:
August 2008
6 - Camden, NJ - Susquehanna Bank Center
7 - Bristow, VA - Nissan Pavilion
9 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
10 - Wantagh, NY - Nikon at Jones Beach
13 - Toronto, Ontario - Molson Amphitheatre
16 - Burgettstown, PA - Post Gazette Pavilion
18 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
19 – Tinley Park, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
22 - Dallas, TX - Superpages.com Amphitheatre
23 - Woodlands, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
24 - Selma, TX - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
27 - Albuquerque, NM - Journal Pavilion
28 - Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Wireless Pavilion
30 - Devore, CA - Glen Helen Pavilion
31 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
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