Metallica To Headline Download 2012 Festival
Pictured above... James Hetfield
According to Blabbermouth.net Metallica will headline the 10th installment of the Download Festival at Donington Park on Saturday, June 9, 2012, with an exclusive UK performance of the band's top-selling 1991 LP, "Metallica", a.k.a. "the black album."
It will be the eighth time the California metal titans will have played at Donington during their three-decade-long career, having previously performed at both Monsters Of Rock and Download festivals.
"Six years is way too long to be away from the hallowed grounds of Donington Park," says Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich. "We are beyond psyched and feel privileged to come back once again to soak up the energy and vibe of the most legendary of festival sites."
"I am absolutely bowled over that Metallica will be playing The Black Album at the 10th anniversary of Download," says Andy Copping, VP of Promotions at Live Nation. "The album is up there as one of the greatest albums of all time, everyone knows the songs. The Download festival has come a long way since we first started in 2003 and to have Metallica back to help us celebrate this milestone is just fantastic."
Download 2012 takes place at Donington Park on June 8-10, 2012. Weekend with camping tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. on Friday, November 18 from www.downloadfestival.co.uk.
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Black Sabbath Recording New Album
As expected, the four original members of Black Sabbath – Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward – announced today they will reunite and tour in 2012, including a headlining set at the Download Festival in June. The surprise news was that the reunion will include a new album, produced by Rick Rubin, due next fall.
The founding members of Black Sabbath took to the stage Friday at the Whisky A Go Go to announce another reunion tour in 2012, but this time is much different: The British heavy metal originators have begun working on an album of new material, their first since 1978.
"It’s now or never for us. We’re getting along great," said guitarist Tony Iommi, sitting beside singer Ozzy Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward, all now in their early 60s. “We’ve got some music to play.”
As his wife, Sharon, watched from the balcony, Osbourne added, “It was just time. We couldn’t do it any earlier.”
Osbourne had long been the band member most doubtful that Sabbath could record new material to match its early classics such as "Iron Man" and "War Pigs."
"We tried, but it didn’t work," he said Friday. "This time, for some reason, we’ve written seven or eight songs that are really good. I’m not just saying it."
"It really is back to the old Sabbath sound," Butler said. "We know this time it’s going to happen."
The album will be released next year through Vertigo/Universal Republic Records, accompanied by a worldwide arena tour, including a stop at the multiday Download Festival in England on June 10th.
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