“We’ve had the idea of doing our own lifestyle festival with lots of diverse music and fun and games for years,” said Lars Ulrich. “Finally this year all the practical ducks lined up in a row, and we are beyond psyched to bring Orion to our fans, friends and the curious. After the most incredible of weeks ever in December 2011 celebrating our 30th anniversary at the Fillmore in San Francisco, CA, bringing the spirit of that week, the looseness of that week, the possibilities of that week, the fan interactive elements of that week, and the (fill in your own blank here) of that week to a festival setting is so exciting we can hardly contain ourselves.”

Orion Music + More will feature multiple live music stages plus a lifestyle element that reflects each of Metallica’s band members many personal interests. Metallica will headline both nights of Orion Music + More and play “The Black Album” in its entirety one night Ride The Lightning in its entirety the other. This will be the only time the band will perform these albums in North America in 2012. The lineup for Orion Music + More will span multiple musical genres. From punk to country, over 20 bands will perform, including: Arctic Monkeys, Avenged Sevenfold, Modest Mouse, The Gaslight Anthem, Cage The Elephant, Fucked Up, Best Coast, Hot Snakes, Titus Andronicus, Gary Clark Jr., Lucero, Roky Erickson, The Black Angels, The Sword, Liturgy, and more to be announced in the coming weeks.

The Metallica Met Club fan club presale starts tomorrow – February 8th at 10am (Eastern) and runs through Friday, February 10th at 10pm (Eastern). Met Club members get first dibs on buying festival tickets and with a couple of options to choose from.

- A Super Special Price at $125 including all fees for a 2-Day pass OR
- The MET CLUB ULTRA 2-DAY PASS, which includes Front of Stage Viewing Area Access, Exclusive Ultra Lounge Access & More for $225 including all fees!

Tickets will go on-sale to the public on Saturday, February 11th at 10 am (Eastern) for $150 for a 2-Day Pass including all fees. Visit www.orionmusicandmore.com to buy tickets.

Stay tuned for additional Orion Music + More announcements.

ABOUT METALLICA
Formed in 1981 by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, Metallica (www.metallica.com) have become one of the most influential and commercially successful rock bands in history, having sold 100 million albums worldwide and playing to millions of fans the world over. They have scored almost a dozen multi-platinumalbums, including 1991′s Metallica (commonly referred to as “The Black Album”), which is the best selling album in history of Soundscan scanning almost 15.7 million albums in the United States alone, and over 28 million worldwide. In October 2008, their latest album, DeathMagnetic, debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart and in 27 additional countries around the world. It was certified platinum in the United States just six weeks later. Metallica have also garnered numerous awards and accolades, including nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, and multiple MTV Video Music Awards. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. Metallica recentlycelebrated its 30th anniversary as a band last month, performing four shows at the Fillmore Theatre in San Francisco, CA, exclusively for members of their fan club, the Metallica Club. They released the Beyond Magnetic EP via digital retailers on December 13, 2011 after giving the songs away to their fan club members. A CD version of the Beyond Magentic EP was released on January 31, 2012.

“Hate Train” quickly proves this is more than some garbage that didn’t make the cut. Metallica once, long ago, tried to create epic songs and finally you find them back and as ambitious as ever.

“Hell and Back” feels a bit more like the modern Metallica rather than the band on ‘Death Magnetic’ that was trying hard to duplicate past successes. It’s a bit experimental but not too shabby.

“Just A Bullet Away” sounds unfinished but is still quite potent. “Rebel of Babylon” is a bit of a return to form. A bit more work and these songs could have been a bit tighter and overall better.

Every song is over seven minutes which means so four songs clock in at nearly a half hour. It’s not going to satisfy Metallica fans who want a full release and a return to past form, but its aa quick way to make some fans forget the regretful ‘Lulu’.

Rating: 8/10

Hogan said that he used to be friends with Metallica’s drummer Lars Ulrich during his days as a session musician.

He told The Sun: “I used to be a session musician before I was a wrestler. I played bass guitar. I was big pals with Lars Ulrich and he asked me if I wanted to play bass with Metallica in their early days but it didn’t work out.”

Hogan also spoke about his love for The Stone Roses and said that the reunited Manchester band were once the soundtrack to his workout sessions. He said of this: “I love the Stone Roses. They’re getting back together, right? That’s cool man. I used to work out to some of their songs”.

Thirty years of Metallica… can you believe it? We think it’s cause for a major celebration! You’ve been asking for a while now “just what the hell are you going to do to mark 30 years as a band?” closely followed by “why don’t we have more exclusive shows for Fan Club members?” We’ve heard you loud and clear and are beyond psyched to announce that the week of December 5, 2011 will be a full on Metallica week in the Bay Area, more specifically we will be playing four shows for Met Club members only at the historic Fillmore in San Francisco on December 5, 7, 9, and 10 to celebrate our 30th anniversary. These unique shows will include special guests and events, rare songs, varied set lists, odds and ends, and all the nutty stuff you expect from Metallica… fun for the entire family! Come to the Bay Area and spend the week with us to not only close out 2011 out with a bang, but to celebrate over three decades worth of craziness.

Participate in the entire week of festivities with special four pack tickets (one ticket for each of the four shows) and automatic entry into the contests for various other special events, available for the clever price of $19.81 (get it??). If you can’t join us for the full week, we’ll have individual show tickets too and as you can see we’re going back to early ’80′s ticket pricing (but not the hair!)… single show tickets will be just $6.00 each. Both four packs and individual show tickets will be available for Fan Club members only through a reservation system and we do have to add facility fees, blah, blah. Clubbers can log in for all the details… we’re taking reservations through August 8.

With music ranging from one of the first and most influential alternative rock bands, R.E.M., to the timeless GRAMMY® award-winning rock anthem “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield, Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced a rich and diverse lineup of launch week downloadable content for the highly-anticipated Guitar Hero® World Tour. Available exclusively on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft for two weeks starting October 30, the R.E.M. Track Pack features three songs, which can also be downloaded as singles, from the band’s newest album, Accelerate, “Horse to Water,” “Man-Sized Wreath” and “Supernatural Superserious.”

Available at the launch of Guitar Hero World Tour is the Classic Rock Track Pack that offers fans three rocking party anthems “Rock and Roll Band” by Boston, “Hot Blooded” by Foreigner and “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield, also available for download individually.

Created specifically for Guitar Hero World Tour, the Guitar Duels, original compositions by Ted Nugent and Zakk Wylde, will be available for free at launch to download and play outside of the Career.

The 1990’s era-defining “No Rain” by alternative rock group Blind Melon will be available as downloadable content during the launch week of Guitar Hero World Tour. The breakthrough single off the band’s quadruple platinum, self-titled album reached No. 1 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock and U.S. Modern Rock charts and firmly planted the group in 1990s pop culture.

Fans who have been shredding to Metallica’s critically acclaimed Death Magnetic on Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock since its day-and-date release with the album need not purchase the album again as it is forward compatible and will integrate seamlessly with Guitar Hero World Tour. The Death Magnetic downloadable album, compatible with both Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and Guitar Hero World Tour, will continue to be available for download on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 and in the PLAYSTATION®Store for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment.

The R.E.M Track Pack, Classic Rock Track Pack and “No Rain” single will be available for download on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 and in the PLAYSTATION®Store for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment.

When the house lights go down on October 26, a new generation of guitarists, drummers and fearless frontmen will come together and rock with Guitar Hero World Tour. The latest installment in the #1 best-selling video game franchise of 2007, Guitar Hero World Tour transforms music gaming by expanding Guitar Hero’s signature guitar gameplay into a cooperative band experience that combines the most advanced wireless controllers with new revolutionary online* and offline gameplay modes including Band Career and 8-player “Battle of the Bands,” which allows two full bands to compete head-to-head online for the first time ever. The game features a slick newly redesigned guitar controller, drum kit controller and a microphone, as well as an innovative Music Studio music creator that lets players compose, record, edit and share their own rock ‘n’ roll anthems. Music creators will also be able to share their recordings with their friends online through GHTunesSM where other gamers can download and play an endless supply of unique creations.

Metal lives on! MTV2’s Headbangers Ball, the longest running show on the network celebrates its 20th anniversary with a bang. Beginning on October 20th, Headbangers Ball takes you on a hard rock journey with noteworthy interviews, archive footage from the past 20 years, a round-table discussion from Headbanger VJ’s themselves, and many more.

Headbangers Ball, the hardest show in the world, which airs on approximately 400 channels worldwide, replaced Heavy Metal Mania, helmed by Dee Snider of Twisted Sister fame. The Ball’s first long term host was Adam Curry who was then replaced by the one and only Riki Rachtman in 1990. Moving from MTV to its current home on MTV2, Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed-fame took over the reigns and interviewed some of the sickest metal bands around. Jamey may be gone now, but keep on the look out constantly for special guests and the freshest videos on the web and TV. This week includes exclusive content and footage, killer music, and in-depth interviews. Some of these interviews include many of heavy metal’s best such as Metallica, Mudvayne, Lamb of God, Testament, Anthrax and more.

Below are descriptions of the shows that are scheduled to air:

MTV Essential: Metallica

Premiere: Monday @ 11pm

This special takes a look at the evolution of Metallica & also catches up with the band now. New interviews discussing their new album “Death Magnetic” and also about their recent performance at Rock Am Ring Festival.

Avenged Sevenfold: Live in LBC

Premiere: Wednesday @ 11pm

This performance special from Avenged Sevenfold’s Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough DVD features the band’s April 10th 2008 hometown show at the Long Beach Arena headlining the Rockstar Taste of Chaos tour.

Best of Headbangers Ball Video Blocks

Premiere: Monday-Thursday @ 10pm, Slipknot Video Premiere Saturday

Best moments from Headbangers Ball will air along with classic metal videos which include the highly anticipated video from Slipknot, “Dead Memories” and The Sword “How Heavy The Axe”

Headbangers Ball Special Anniversary Edition (2-hour)

Premiere: Saturday @ 10pm

This special is a roundtable discussion with some of Headbangers most notable VJ’s such as Riki Rachtman, Dee Snider, and Jamey Jasta. They will discuss all things heavy metal, some archive Headbanger moments, and their favorite episodes. The show will also take a look back at some classic metal videos that have been featured on the program since the show’s inception.

Can’t get enough of Headbangers and the world of metal? Visit the Headbangers Blog (headbangersblog.com) where you can get up to the minute metal news, video premieres, exclusive interviews, archival footage and bonus content that you won’t see on air. You can also check out the Headbangers Blog podcast on October 24th for the first ever video podcast with Lars from Metallica.

Opening line:
When “That Was Just Your Life” opens all you can do is wonder: Where the hell has Metallica been all these years? It’s as if they were in a coma and have been awaken after a seventeen year nap and picked up where they left off. It’s as if “Load” and “St. Anger” where a figments of our imaginations. Metallica fans be prepared for the “Death Magnet.”

The great:
“The End of the Line” – Is this about Hetfield’s worst nightmare… a rockstar that has reached the end of their stardom? Perhaps he is singing about a bad nightmare and he’s awoken to rock the hell out of the song. Hammett is back and his solo sounds like he melts the strings on his guitar. And then there is the bridge that sounds like a new song. Metallica might have been able to harvest the bridge for its own really cool song. This is the surprise of the album. This wasn’t written for the radio–not when it lasts almost eight minutes–which fans have to appreciate when they realize the band is back at making music for the love of it not for the money it makes.

“That Was Just Your Life” – Kirk Hammett is unleashed as is Lars Ulrich. James Hetfield is his same-old-vicious-self. As great as it is to hear the latter back to his old ways–the return of the immense guitar of Hammett is the most welcome. His phenomenal riffs and solos are what used to make the hair standup on the back of your neck.

“Broken, Beat & Scarred” – “What don’t kill you make you more strong” is fitting as the band pummels ever note. The songs seems autobiographical when you think of the pummeling the band has taken over the last few albums from fans and critics.

The good:
“All Nightmare Long” – A relentless onslaught of riffage.

“The Unforgiven III” – Hetfield doesn’t throw in his iconic growling voice and yet it never once sounds wimpy. It’s the one song on the album that if you let it–it will grow on you. Whereas other tracks you either love first listen or don’t. Again, Hammett kills on the solo.

The rest:
“The Day That Never Comes” – The first single is probably the biggest let down on the album. The video and its military theme doesn’t have any of the potency or power of the epic track “One.”

“My Apocalypse” – The best moment comes when Hetfield rips through the lyrics and Hammett tears off a solo–the rest isn’t so great.

Finally:
Metallica is back to answer fans and critics alike who have written them off. This is Metallica’s announcing that they are back. It should be heard loud and clear with “Death Magnet.” This might be the comeback of the year. Honestly, I wrote Metallica off after “Load” and “St. Anger.” Their music seemed to become too smart for its own good. Metallica became a band that worried more about outthinking themselves rather than making great music. They appeared to forget what used to come naturally. “Death Magnet” sounds natural. They only miss is the single “The Day That Never Comes”–that is saying a lot for a band that was written off a decade ago. Metallica has thrown the rock-pop rules out the window and have gone back to their roots. It worked. The mighty Metallica are back.

Watch the video for “The Day That Never Comes”