EMG can refer to:

• E-mail games, see Play-by-mail games
• Electromyography, a technique for evaluating physiologic properties of muscles
• Elektronikus Mérőkészülékek Gyára (Hungary) Factory of electric meters
• EMG, Inc., a company that manufactures guitar pickups.
• Emperor Multimedia Group, see Emperor Entertainment Group, a company in Hong Kong
• English Manufacturer of Gramophones, a high-end gramophone company located in London, England in the 1930s.
• Escape Media Group, Inc., the company that created Grooveshark
• European Masters Games, a multisport competition
• Exponentially modified Gaussian distribution

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

James Hetfield
James Hetfield performing with Metallica in 2012.
Background information
Birth name	James Alan Hetfield
Born	(1963-08-03) August 3, 1963 (age 48) Downey, California, United States
Genres	Heavy metal, thrash metal, hard rock, speed metal
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, producer
Instruments	Guitar, vocals, drums, piano, bass
Years active	1978–present
Labels	Warner Bros., Elektra, Megaforce
Associated acts	Metallica, Spastik Children, Leather Charm
Website	www.metallica.com
Notable instruments
Gibson Explorer ESP Truckster Ken Lawrence custom models Gibson Les Paul Custom "Iron Cross"

James Alan Hetfield (born August 3, 1963) is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler, searching for band members. Since then, Metallica has won nine Grammy Awards and released nine studio albums, three live albums, four extended plays and 24 singles. In 2009, Hetfield was ranked number 8 in Joel McIver's book The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists,^[1] and ranked twenty-fourth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Metal Vocalists of All Time.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Hetfield was born August 3, 1963.^[2] He is of German, English, Irish and Scottish descent. He has two older half-brothers from his mother's first marriage and one younger sister. He attended Downey High School his freshman and sophomore years.

His father, Virgil, was a truck driver who left the family when Hetfield was young. His mother, Cynthia, was a light opera singer. The two divorced in 1976. Virgil and Cynthia were very strict Christian Scientists, and in accordance with their beliefs, Hetfield's parents strongly disapproved of medicine or any other medical treatment and remained loyal to their faith even as Cynthia was dying from cancer. This upbringing became the inspiration for many of Hetfield's lyrics later in his career with Metallica, such as songs like "The God That Failed".

Cynthia Hetfield died of cancer in 1979 when James was 16 years old. After the death of his mother, Hetfield went to live with his older half-brother David. Virgil died in late 1996, during Metallica's Load tour.^[3]

Musical influences[link]

Hetfield was nine years old when he first began piano lessons, after which he took on his brother David's drums and finally, at the age of fourteen, he began to play guitar with Robert Okner .^[4] He also was in a few bands as a teenager – one being Leather Charm and another, Obsession.

Hetfield identifies Aerosmith as having been his main musical influence as a child,^[5] and has said they were the reason he wanted to play guitar. He also cited Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Motörhead, Thin Lizzy, Ted Nugent and Deep Purple as important influences.

Metallica (1981–present)[link]

In the early days of the band, Metallica experimented with a few different vocals and guitar combinations, essentially creating a setup similar to that of Diamond Head. Some of the options considered included adding another guitar player, having John Roads play lead guitar, as well as asking John Bush from Armored Saint (who later joined Anthrax) to sing for the band. The finalized line-up of the band became Hetfield (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Lars Ulrich (drums), Dave Mustaine (lead guitar), and Ron McGovney (bass) who was replaced by Cliff Burton soon.

From 1982 to 1983, Mustaine's alcoholism sparked heated altercations between Hetfield and himself.^[6] Mustaine also once poured beer onto Ron McGovney's bass^[6] nearly causing serious damage. On April 1, 1983, the band recruited lead guitarist Kirk Hammett from the band Exodus and 10 days later Hetfield and Ulrich officially ejected Mustaine due to his alcoholic tendencies.^[6][7] Mustaine was sent home on a 4-day bus journey, and went on to form the heavy metal band Megadeth. Later, Mustaine would be quoted to wonder why Metallica did not send him to rehab, but the other band members themselves drank heavily, Hetfield in particular, though Mustaine's alcoholism was of a more aggressive nature.

Hetfield in 2008

Until the mid-1990s, Hetfield recorded all rhythm tracks and most harmony tracks^{[citation needed]}. Since the recording of Load, Hammett is recording rhythm guitars as well. Hetfield occasionally plays guitar solos on songs such as "Nothing Else Matters", "My Friend of Misery", the outro solo on "The Outlaw Torn", the second solo on "To Live Is to Die", the first solo on "Suicide and Redemption", the first interlude solo on "Master of Puppets", the harmonized solo on "Orion" and the introduction harmonic solo in "The Day That Never Comes". He also writes the majority of the guitar harmonies, as well as writing the lyrics, vocal melodies, and co-arranging the songs with Ulrich.

Hetfield has been involved in a number of onstage accidents, most notable being an incident with pyrotechnics at Olympic Stadium in Montreal during the Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour on August 8, 1992. Hetfield was the victim of a severe pyrotechnics accident during the song "Fade to Black", in which a pyrotechnic exploded. Hetfield's guitar protected him from the full force of the blast; however, the fire engulfed his left side, burning his hand, arm, eyebrows, face and hair. He suffered second and third-degree burns, but was back on stage 17 days later, although his guitar duties were delegated to former guitar tech and Metal Church guitarist John Marshall for four weeks while he made a full recovery.^[8]

Hetfield has also broken his arm a number of times while skateboarding, which prevented him from playing guitar on stage, and subsequently caused Hetfield's management company Q Prime to add a clause in Hetfield's contract forbidding him to ride a skateboard while Metallica was touring.^[9] During a live performance on tour for the Metallica, Hetfield experienced complications with his vocals after performing a cover of the Anti-Nowhere League song "So What?", forcing him to take vocal lessons for the first time. He did basic warm-up exercises to piano keys with his vocal coach who also gave him a cassette tape of the piano warm-up for future use. Hetfield still uses the same cassette he was given in the early nineties to this day before any live performance or any recording Metallica does. Hetfield talks about his vocal training endeavours in the Metallica documentary film, Some Kind of Monster produced & directed by Joe Berlinger & Bruce Sinofsky.^[10] During the recording of the band's eighth studio album St. Anger in 2001, Hetfield went into rehab to address his alcohol addiction. He rejoined the band after seven months in rehab and four months recovering with his family. He is now clean and sober and is determined to remain so, all of which is featured in Some Kind of Monster.^[10]

Some Kind of Monster also shows the making of the St. Anger album and documents the various conflicts and issues the band were facing at the time including the departure of Jason Newsted, alcoholism, family commitments, and the future of the band with many in the rock press questioning whether the band would even still be together to see the completion of the St. Anger album.

Hetfield and Metallica addressed their need for a new bassist by recruiting Robert Trujillo, former bass player of Ozzy Osbourne. It was more of a swap since Ozzy Osbourne surprisingly recruited Jason Newsted shortly after Trujillo's transfer.The new line-up has continued to make music and tour worldwide. Metallica's ninth studio album, Death Magnetic, was released on September 12, 2008. Like St. Anger and every album of original material released by Metallica since 1991's Metallica, Death Magnetic went to #1 on the Billboard charts in over 30 countries during its first week of release.^[11]

On April 4, 2009, Hetfield, along with remaining Metallica members Ulrich, Hammett, Trujillo, as well as former bassist Newsted and the deceased Cliff Burton were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.^[12] In an interview after their nomination, Hetfield commented that everyone who had appeared on an album with the band would be inducted. This excluded original guitarist Dave Mustaine and original bassist Ron McGovney, as both had appeared only on the band's early demo tapes.

Hetfield was ranked 24th in the Hit Parader's Top Metal Vocalist of All Time.^[13] In 2009 he was listed at number 8 in Joel McIver's book The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists.

Personal life[link]

When he is not writing, singing or playing, Hetfield engages in a variety of outdoor activities including hunting, skateboarding, snowboarding, water and jet-skiing; sketching, working in his garage customizing cars and motorcycles, watching his favorite football team the Oakland Raiders, and going to hot-rod shows.^[14]

He also collects vintage guitars — particularly those from 1963 — and enjoys working on classic automobiles. Among his favorites are a '74 Chevy Nova, which he helped restore, and "The Beast", an all-terrain four wheel drive Blazer.

He put his 1968 Chevrolet Camaro up for sale on eBay, with the proceeds going to a Music for Schools program.^[15] The car was used in the video for "I Disappear" and was given to him as a gift upon the video's completion. Years later, James donated the car to the Hard Rock Cafe which is featured in the movie Hard Rock Treasures. "Slowburn," his 1936 Auburn boat tail speedster won the 2010 Goodguys West Coast Custom of the Year.

Hetfield has a number of tattoos, including one which shows flames encasing four cards, – ace (1), 9, 6 and 3 – representing the year of his birth, and the words "Carpe Diem" ("seize the day", also part of the title of the track "Carpe Diem Baby" of ReLoad). The flames from the tattoo are in reference to the pyrotechnic accident which he suffered in 1992 during a concert in Montréal, Canada.^[16] He has tattooed an 'M' on his right hand which stands for "Metallica" and 'F' on his left hand which stands for "Francesca". He also has some Christian tattoos, including crosses and one of Jesus in his right arm. He has a tattoo of two razors forming the straight edge X symbol on his left wrist.^[17]

Aside from these pursuits, Hetfield says he is often happiest spending time with his wife Francesca and their three children:^[14] Cali (b. June 13, 1998), Castor (b. May 18, 2000), and Marcella (b. January 17, 2002). Hetfield married his wife Francesca Tomasi on August 17, 1997.

During an interview ^[18] on NPR's Fresh Air, Hetfield stated that his wife had helped him to mature and learn to deal with his anger issues more constructively, explaining that after they met, his destructive tendencies embarrassed both of them. He is also sober and has been since undergoing a rehab program in 2002 (documented in the film Some Kind of Monster), maintaining total abstinence from alcohol. In a 2010 interview with So What!, the official magazine of Metallica's fan club, Hetfield stated that he is a "reborn straight edge".^[17]

The first single he ever bought was "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd.^[19]

He and his family currently reside in Marin County, California, north of San Francisco. He was featured in a documentary, called Absent, directed by Justin Hunt, which takes a look at the effects of absent fathers on their children and the "father wound" that they leave behind.^[20][21] Hetfield and Hunt were interviewed about the film by Fox News Channel's Fox and Friends program on March 30, 2011.^[22]

Hetfield has expressed his disdain for politics and celebrities who "soapbox their opinions," stating that, "For us, people are people — you should all have your own opinion."^[23] In 2007, Metallica performed at London's Live Earth concert. When James was asked for his thoughts on climate change, he responded by saying,

Equipment[link]

Guitars[link]

Hetfield has been a major endorser of ESP Guitars since the 1980s, and is best known for playing custom-made Explorer-style guitars with an EMG 81/EMG 60 set for pickups. Hetfield's main guitar from the early days was a Flying V copy made in Japan by Electra, used almost exclusively until 1984 when he switched to the Gibson Explorer model.

During the mid-1990s, ESP produced the first of his signature model guitars. To date, Hetfield has had six signature guitars (may soon be seven)^{[citation needed]} with the company. However, Hetfield often uses guitars from Gibson and other companies instead of ESP despite his endorsement.

Some of Hetfield's current tour guitars are:

• ESP Truckster signature models in grey and black finishes
• ESP "Iron Cross" – Has the Eclipse body shape; distressed black with gold hardware, with a gold racing stripe and a gold Iron Cross on the body. It is based on the design of his 70's Gibson Les Paul Custom.
• ESP Explorer – distressed black finish with white pickguard
• ESP Explorer – silver diamond plate
• ESP Explorer – black diamond plate
• ESP Explorer "Papa Het" – with a white finish and some drawings by Dirty Donny
• ESP Explorer – black diamond plate with deer antler inlay
• ESP Flying V – white finish (replica of his old Flying-V copy)
• ESP LTD "The Grynch" – signature guitar, black with green flames on both the front and back of the body and neck, used for the song Frantic
• ESP "Snakebyte"- custom guitars in black and white finishes; feature a custom body and headstock designed by James. The retail model was revealed to the public at the Winter NAMM 2011 show.
• Gibson Explorer – silverburst with white pickguard
• Gibson Explorer "Rusty" – black satin with tarnished metal pickguard
• Gibson Flying V – sunburst
• Gibson Flying V – silverburst
• Gibson Flying V – white, chrome pickups
• Gibson Les Paul Custom- 70's era Les Paul with distressed black finish, gold stripe and gold iron cross on body; referred to as "Uncle Milty" and was the inspiration for his ESP Iron Cross signature model
• Gibson Les Paul Custom- purple satin finish
• Gibson Les Paul Custom- natural finish with drawing on body that says "Cliff Burton RIP"
• James Trussart metal Explorer
• James Trussart Steel DeVille – Les Paul-shaped guitar with a perforated, rusted steel front
• Ken Lawrence Explorer- The first of three custom made Explorer-type guitars made by Northern Californian luthier Ken Lawrence. It features a mahogany body with a chechen bark laminate top, modified Kenneth Lawrence headstock and custom "Tribal Hunting Scene" inlays.
• Ken Lawrence Explorer- It features a mahogany body with a quilted bubinga top, modified Kenneth Lawrence headstock, chechen rear cover plate and custom "Sun-Ray" inlays.
• Line 6 Variax Acoustic 700 – used live for songs featuring acoustic guitars, such as Fade to Black and The Unforgiven
• "Dave of England custom aluminium engraved tattoo finish" – a Zemaitis guitar with an engraved metal top
• Fender Telecaster – with B-Bender in butterscotch finish

Other guitars owned/previously used by Hetfield include:

• 1984 Gibson Explorer#1 – white finish with "MORE BEER" written on white tape in the bottom left corner, the stock pickups were swapped for EMG 81/EMG 81 set
• 1984 Gibson Explorer#2 – white finish with "So What" written in the bottom left corner, the stock pickups were swapped for EMG 81/EMG 81 set
• ESP Explorer – black finish with EMG pickups, used as a warm-up guitar in the early '90s
• Several Gibson Les Paul models – including Standard models in black, cherry sunburst, and lemon burst finishes
• Gibson EDS-1275 – red finish
• 1963 Gibson SG – red finish with Gibson Vibrola vibrato system
• Gibson Moderne – black finish, gold hardware
• Gibson Firebird – seen in practice
• ESP Explorer#1 – Hetfield's first ESP guitar: white finish, "EET FUK" on the body, "middle finger" inlays. The headstock broke many times and so the guitar was eventually retired from live use, it has been seen in use on the recording of the new album during the making of "Suicide and Redemption"
• ESP Explorer#2 – Hetfield's second ESP guitar: white finish, occasionally used live but Hetfield retired it for studio use
• Numerous other ESP Explorer models – including models with black finishes and custom inlays (including the "man-to-wolf" inlays model and eagle inlay model); a double-neck model; a model with a custom "Burnt Elk Skull" finish; and a model with a black finish and EMG pickups in an H/S/S configuration.
• ESP JH1 Flying V – signature guitar with flames over a black finish
• ESP Flying V with green flames (similar to the JH1)
• ESP Eclipse JH3 – Eclipse with black finish, with white "hot rod" pinstripe design, gold hardware, and checkered flag inlays
• ESP Eclipse – "kustom kulture" graphic finish with iron cross inlays
• Other ESPs include: a Viper with custom artwork, several Eclipses and F-series models (including 7-strings in standard and 6-strings in drop-C tuning)
• ESP Horizon Double-neck – Used while touring for the Black Album. Was possibly used after his ESP Explorer Double-neck was damaged in a pyrotechnic accident
• Ken Lawrence Doubleneck Explorer
• Ken Lawrence Dragon Les Paul
• Zemaitis GZ Series GZV500MF-MBK – V-shaped guitar that has an engraved metal plate on the front of the body. Recently used by James in the World Magnetic Tour.
• Fender Stratocaster – modified with natural finish, gold hardware and EMG pickups
• Jackson King V – white finish with chrome hardware, used during the Master of Puppets tour
• White Flying V copy – This guitar is not a Gibson Flying V, but a Japanese copy made by Electra which Hetfield purchased for $200. It was retired after the neck broke twice and the guitar started to go out of tune easily. The stock bridge pickup was later replaced with Seymour Duncan Invader. Recently James had ESP make an exact copy of it even down to the bolt on neck. The pickups were swapped for EMG 81/60, knobs were replaced with Gibson style black speed knobs, pickup selector has been moved up and stock machineheads were replaced with Shaller machineheads. This guitar has been seen during the making of Death Magnetic during the making of "The Judas Kiss".

(This list is not exhaustive – he has a large collection of guitars, not all of which are listed.)

Amplifiers and cabinets[link]

Throughout Metallica's career, Hetfield has used a wide range of different amplifiers. For the first two albums, he used Marshall heads and cabinets, with occasional effects. The specific Marshall that he used for Kill Em All was stolen after a concert prior to the recording of Ride The Lightning; Hetfield was extremely upset by the theft, as his mother had helped him purchase the amp before her death. In 1986, for the recording of Master of Puppets, he and Kirk Hammett each bought a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ amplifier (the preamp sections of which were connected to Marshall power amps), and since then he has mostly used Mesa/Boogies, including the Triaxis and Rectifier models. Around the time of St. Anger, Hetfield began using the Diezel VH4 head. The majority of his clean tones come from a Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus Guitar Amplifier, although many different amplifiers have been used over the years.

In December 2011, it was announced by Fortin Amps that they would team up with Randall Amplifiers to start a new line of tube amps based on the Fortin Meathead amplifier. Kirk Hammett currently has two prototypes, and Hetfield will eventually be receiving one.

The amplifiers currently used on tour by Hetfield are:

• Mesa/Boogie TriAxis preamp (x4)
• Mesa/Boogie Simul-Class 2:90 power amp (x2)
• Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier heads
• Diezel VH4 heads
• Mesa/Boogie 4x12 cabinets with Celestion V30 speakers in isolation cabinets
• Roland JC-120 combo amplifiers

Effects[link]

To avoid problems with pedals being damaged during live performances, Hetfield keeps his effect pedals in a rack along with his amplifiers and his tech controls them through a pedalboard sidestage. The pedal controller allows him to change between different effect pedals and amplifiers.

Hetfield's live rig in 2008 included:

In 2010, a Line 6 effects unit was added to the list, along with the TC Electronics unit, perhaps indicating that this had replaced his stompboxes.

Accessories[link]

In addition, Hetfield uses Shure Super 55 microphones for vocals.

Discography[link]

Metallica[link]

• Kill 'Em All (1983)
• Ride the Lightning (1984)
• Master of Puppets (1986)
• ...And Justice For All (1988)
• Metallica (1991)
• Load (1996)
• ReLoad (1997)
• St. Anger (2003)
• Death Magnetic (2008)

Guest appearances[link]

• Hetfield sang "Stone Cold Crazy" at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, accompanied by the remaining members of Queen and Tony Iommi on rhythm guitar.
• He provided backing vocals on "Man or Ash" on the Corrosion of Conformity album Wiseblood.
• He sang backing vocals on "Twist of Cain" and "Possession" on Danzig's debut album, Danzig.
• He played guitar on "Eclectic Electric" from the Primus album Antipop.
• Though previously believed to have been sung by Trey Parker, the song "Hell Isn't Good" from the film South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut was actually sung by Hetfield. He admitted to doing so in 2000, confirming what many Hetfield fans had already recognized as his trademark growling style.The Playboy Interview: Metallica (April 2001).
• Hetfield sang on the Gov't Mule song "Driving Rain" with fellow guest Les Claypool, which appears on the compilation album Crank It Up with NASCAR.
• He also performed at the Outlaws Concert in 2004, alongside Hank Williams Jr., Cowboy Troy, Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, and Kid Rock. Hetfield played one of close friend Waylon Jennings's songs, "Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's Done Got Out of Hand," the very same he recorded on the tribute album to Jennings, I've Always Been Crazy. At this same event, he performed Metallica's "Mama Said" with Jesse Colter, the widow of Waylon Jennings, though this was cut from the television broadcast.
• Hetfield, as well as Metallica's lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, voiced characters in a number of episodes of the Adult Swim cartoon Metalocalypse.
• Hetfield, along with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, voiced a pair of teenage dragons in an episode of Disney's Dave the Barbarian, entitled "Here There Be Dragons".
• He also appeared as a guest in an episode of Space Ghost: Coast to Coast entitled "Jacksonville" alongside Hammett.
• Hetfield, along with the current Metallica lineup, appeared on an episode of Discovery's Time Warp, aptly titled "Metallica."
• Hetfield appeared on an episode the MTV show, Celebrity Deathmatch in which he killed Limp Bizkit vocalist, Fred Durst, but he and ref Mills Lane disappeared after Mankind jumped from the top of the roof and onto the ring and then it collapsed.
• A photo of Hetfield appeared on Rammstein's music video Haifisch, and was apparently "picked" to be the replacement for the "dead" Till Lindemann (only a video set and was not official despite him actually still alive as seen later in the clip).
• Hetfield and Metallica also appeared in a Simpson's episode, The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer.
• Hetfield appeared onstage with Seattle grunge band Alice in Chains in 2006 at Rock Am Ring, singing deceased lead vocalist Layne Staley's vocal parts on the song "Would?". Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell has also joined Metallica in concert, performing "Nothing Else Matters".
• Hetfield was invited by Mike Portnoy to make a guest appearance on Dream Theater's ninth studio album, Systematic Chaos, on the song "Repentance" to speak spoken apologies along with a number of other musicians, as part of Portnoy's Twelve-step Suite program, though Hetfield declined this invitation.^{[citation needed]}
• Hetfield and filmmaker Justin Hunt were interviewed about the documentary Absent, which was directed by Hunt and features Hetfield and takes a look at the effects of absent fathers on their children, on Fox News Channel's Fox and Friends program on March 30, 2011.^[22]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: James Hetfield

• James Hetfield at the Internet Movie Database
• NPR Interview With Metallica Guitarist and Vocalist James Hetfield (2004, audio)
• James Hetfield discography at MusicBrainz
• Peisner, David (February 2007). "Rock Stars Who've Caught Fire Onstage!". Blender Magazine Online. http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?ID=2529&src=blender_ed. Retrieved 2007-02-27. 

Tosin Abasi is a Hollywood, CA based guitarist who is best known for playing in the instrumental progressive metal band Animals as Leaders. Before Animals as Leaders was formed, he was the guitarist for the technical metalcore band Reflux.^[1] He has recorded and released two albums with Animals as Leaders: a self-titled debut and Weightless.

Career[link]

Tosin Abasi is a self-taught guitarist. He was the guitarist for the Silver Spring, Maryland based metal band PSI. He joined Reflux in the early to mid-2000s. During a Reflux show, Prosthetic Records noticed his skill and offered him a record deal as a solo artist. At first, he refused saying he didn't feel comfortable with his skill level to write his own record.^[1] Afterwards, Abasi enrolled at the Atlanta Institute of Music, and after he graduated, he contacted Prosthetic Records asking if the offer still held.^[2] He then formed his "solo" project, Animals as Leaders, the name loosely being derived from the book Ishmael.^[1] At first, producer Misha Mansoor (from Periphery) programmed all the drums and synthesizers in the album, but Tosin then chose Javier Reyes and Navene Koperweis on rhythm guitar and drums, respectively.^[2]

Tosin has recently been making material with his new band T.R.A.M., consisting of Animals as Leaders alumnus Javier Reyes, Suicidal Tendencies drummer Eric Moore and former Mars Volta wind instrumentalist, Adrian Terrazas. 'T.R.A.M.' stands for Terrazas, Reyes, Abasi, Moore. In mid March, 2011, T.R.A.M. played their first show at South by Southwest, a multi-day music festival in Austin, Texas.

Animals as Leaders released their second album, entitled Weightless, on November 8, 2011.

[edit] Equipment^[2]

• Guitars:
  • Strandberg Custom Headless 8-string
  • Ibanez RG2228 8-string Custom 2011
  • Ibanez RG2228 8-string
  • 8-string Ibanez LACS RGA
  • 7-string Ibanez LACS
  • 7-string Eastman ER-1 hollow body
  • Custom Illustrated Luthier 8-string
  • 2 Custom Strandberg 8 strings
  • Legend custom 6 string
  • Mayones Regius 8 string
• Pickups:
  • Lundgren guitar pickups M8
  • Q-tuner BL-5
  • EMG 808/EMG 808X
  • Kent Armstrong Handmade Pickup
  • DiMarzio D Activator 8™
• Amp(s):
  • Fractal Audio Axe-FX Ultra preamp (previously he used a Line 6 POD unit)
  • Fractal Audio Axe-FX II
  • VHT 2/50/2 stereo power amp
  • Port City Pearl
• Cabinet(s):
  • Orange Amplification 4x12 speaker cabinet
  • 2x12 OS Vertical Wave cabinet loaded with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers
• Effects:
  • Voodoo Lab Ground Control Pro MIDI Foot Controller
  • Fractal Audio MFC-101 MIDI Foot Controller
  • Boomerang Plus Phrase Sampler

Discography[link]

PSI[link]

• Virus (2001) (Not Found)

Reflux[link]

• Illusion of Democracy (2004)

Animals as Leaders[link]

• Animals as Leaders (2009)
• "Waves of Babies (Digital Single)" (2010)
• Weightless (2011)

T.R.A.M.[link]

• Lingua Franca (2012)

Notes[link]

Jason Newsted
Newsted performing live in 1989
Background information
Birth name	Jason Curtis Newsted
Also known as	Jasonic, Jason "Newkid"
Born	(1963-03-04) March 4, 1963 (age 49) Battle Creek, Michigan
Genres	Heavy metal, thrash metal, speed metal, progressive metal, hard rock, stoner rock, punk rock
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Bass guitar, vocals, guitar, double bass, violin, drums, theremin
Years active	1980–present
Labels	Metal Blade, Elektra, Chophouse, The End, Surfdog
Associated acts	Metallica, Flotsam and Jetsam, Papa Wheelie, Voivod, Echobrain, Rock Star Supernova, Ozzy Osbourne, Spastik Children, WhoCares
Website	www.chophouserecords.com (defunct)
Notable instruments
Sadowsky Vintage Custom Bass Alembic Basses Rickenbacker 4003

Jason Curtis Newsted (born March 4, 1963 in Battle Creek, Michigan) is an American bassist known for his work with Metallica, Voivod and Flotsam and Jetsam. Joining Metallica in 1986 after Cliff Burton's death, Newsted remained a member until 2001, making him the band's longest-serving bassist. After he left Metallica, he continued with his project Echobrain, played with Ozzy Osbourne and joined heavy metal band Voivod. Newsted uses the pseudonym Jasonic, which serves as both his alias in Voivod and the name of his music publishing company. He is also the founder of the Chophouse Records studio and label based in California.

Career[link]

Flotsam and Jetsam[link]

The early part of Newsted's music career had him performing bass for Flotsam and Jetsam and their 1986 album Doomsday for the Deceiver. Newsted wrote the majority of lyrics for the album as well.

Metallica[link]

Following the death of Metallica's bassist Cliff Burton in September 1986 on the Europe leg of the Damage Inc. Tour, the group began a search for a new bassist. Newsted auditioned along with roughly 39 other musicians and in winning the role, his first live performance with Metallica was at the Country Club in Reseda, California. He was often subjected to pranks and ridicule which increased as time went on.

His debut with Metallica was on its extended play The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited in 1987. This was followed by his first studio album with the band, ...And Justice for All (1988), which was subject to controversy and criticism for its poor production, among other issues, for its murky bass sound. Newsted claims this was further hazing on the part of Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield, although both Ulrich and Hetfield claim they were also disappointed with the production of the album.^[1] In addition, they claim that most/all of Newsted's bass lines closely followed the rhythm guitar lines to the point of being indiscernible from each other.^[2] Nonetheless, the album peaked at number 6 on the Billboard 200 and projected the band to higher success.

Newsted performed on ...And Justice for All (1988), the self-titled Metallica (1991), which is the best-selling Metallica album to date and made the group a world-known band, Load (1996) and ReLoad (1997). The live concerts Live Shit: Binge & Purge and Cunning Stunts were produced in 1993 and 1997 respectively, and S&M in 1999. Newsted also played bass on the song "I Disappear" in 2000.

During his time in Metallica, Newsted played the bass guitar and also sang backing vocals on a number of Metallica songs. During the tours after 1991, he would often sing parts of "Creeping Death", "Whiplash" and "Seek and Destroy", and he performed lead in most songs for three shows at the Summer Sanitarium Tour where Hetfield was recovering from injury.^[3][4]

He is known for his bass solo which included parts of "My Friend of Misery" (which Newsted had originally written as an instrumental)^[5] and bass parts from his former band, Flotsam and Jetsam.

He has co-written three Metallica songs:

• "Blackened" (...And Justice for All)
• "My Friend of Misery" (Metallica)
• "Where the Wild Things Are" (ReLoad)

Departure from Metallica[link]

During a meeting between the members of Metallica in January 2001, Newsted, who was unhappy with the direction Metallica was taking, proposed that the band should take a year-long hiatus, and he would use that time to focus on his side-project Echobrain. By 2001 James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich at this point were married and had children. As Newsted had no interest in being married or having children, he felt focused on music, even if it meant through side-projects. When the other band members objected to Newsted's proposals, he decided to quit the band.^[6] And on January 17, as plans were being made for the band to enter the recording studio to record its eighth studio album St. Anger, Newsted announced his departure. Newsted's statement revealed his departure was based on "private and personal reasons and the physical damage I have done to myself over the years while playing the music that I love."^[7] During a Playboy interview with Metallica, Newsted revealed that he wanted to release an album with Echobrain. Hetfield was against the idea and said, "When someone does a side project, it takes away from the strength of Metallica."^[8] Newsted countered his statement by citing Hetfield's contributions to other musical outlets. Hetfield replied, "My name isn't on those records. And I'm not out trying to sell them" and pondered questions such as "Where would it end? Does he start touring with it? Does he sell shirts? Is it his band?".^[8] Newsted's departure from Metallica, along with Hetfield's decision to go to rehab a few months later, nearly led to a breakup of the band. After Hetfield rejoined Metallica, the band finished recording St. Anger, with record producer Bob Rock filling in the bass slot. Robert Trujillo became the band's new bassist in 2003.

Newsted has stated that he has never regretted leaving the band. "I tell you very honestly, one billion percent, I have never regretted leaving Metallica. It was the right thing for everyone. It was the right thing to do for the camp, that’s it. I’ve never told anyone that I wanted to go back or anything like that, not once. I made up my mind. It was not an easy thing to do, but it was something I had to do. I thought about it very much before I pulled the trigger and because of that, I have never looked back. The past is where it's supposed to be."^[9] It was stated in the film Some Kind of Monster that there was a rumor for Newsted to possibly rejoin the band, but it was proven false.

Despite his departure from Metallica, Newsted remains close with the other band members.^[10] On April 4, 2009, Newsted joined Metallica for its induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.^[11][12] He also performed three songs at the event, "Master of Puppets","Enter Sandman", and "Train Kept A-Rollin'" with Hetfield, Ulrich, Hammett, and Robert Trujillo, and Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, Ron Wood, and Flea. On December 5, 7, 9, and 10 2011, Newsted reunited with Metallica during all four of their 30th anniversary shows and performed several songs with the band, Trujillo and, in some cases, other guest musicians.^[13]

Ozzy Osbourne Band[link]

Newsted joined Canadian thrash metal band Voivod in 2002. Coincidentally, he was also Trujillo's replacement in Osbourne's band (having switched sides) during Ozzfest 2003, which included Voivod as a Second Stage act. During an MTV interview, both Osbourne and Newsted showed extreme enthusiasm in writing a new album together, with Osbourne comparing Newsted to "a young Geezer Butler." However, this would not come to fruition as Newsted left Osbourne upon finishing tour duties in late 2003.^[14][15] He would soon be replaced by Rob Zombie bassist Rob "Blasko" Nicholson.^[16]

Newsted then focused solely on Voivod where, much like Echobrain, the group was funded entirely through him. They recorded two albums before Newsted's participation in Rock Star Supernova, a supergroup created through the reality television series, Rock Star: Supernova, in 2006.

Voivod[link]

The last incarnation of Voivod featured three of the four founding members: Denis Bélanger (aka Snake, vocals), Denis D'Amour (aka Piggy, guitars), and Michel Langevin (aka Away, drums), with Jason Newsted (aka Jasonic) on bass guitar. Guitarist D'Amour died at the age of 45 on August 26, 2005 due to complications from colon cancer.^[17] The record Katorz (a phonetic spelling of quatorze, the French word for fourteen), released in July 2006, was based around riffs found on D'Amour's laptop. A December 2008 update on Voivod's website noted that Newsted played "all the bass tracks" on their latest album Infini, which was released on June 23, 2009.^[18][19]

Rock Star Supernova[link]

Supernova formed the basis of the second season of the Rock Star television program on CBS in the quest to find a lead singer. The show began online on the Rock Star web site on MSN on Monday, July 3, 2006 with an Internet exclusive weekly episode and premiered on CBS on that Wednesday, July 5. Votes were cast via the Rock Star website. On September 13, 2006, Lukas Rossi was crowned the winner.

Shoulder injury[link]

On October 23, 2006, Newsted was injured while attempting to catch a falling bass amp head. The accident resulted in a torn anterior labrum in his left shoulder and a rotator cuff and biceps tear in the right. He was scheduled for immediate surgery, and underwent a lengthy rehab process. During this time he was unable to play, and began to express himself through painting.^[20] On January 4, 2007, he was back playing his bass again.^{[citation needed]}

Art career[link]

While recovering from his shoulder injury, Newsted found solace through painting. Newsted has turned out a number of large original works of art over the last half a decade.^[21] Jason Newsted says that he went "from making crazy and colorful music to making crazy and colorful paintings."^[22] His first gallery show opened on May 4, 2010 at Micaëla Gallery in San Francisco.^[23]

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction[link]

On April 4, 2009, Newsted was present with Metallica and played with the band alongside current bassist Robert Trujillo at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland.^[24] It was his first performance with the band in nearly 9 years, their last performance together having taken place at the 2000 VH1 Music Awards. Both Newsted and Trujillo performed onstage at the same time, which was a first for the band.

WhoCares[link]

In October 2010 it was announced that Newsted would be joining a supergroup with singer Ian Gillan and former keyboardist Jon Lord from Deep Purple, guitarist Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath, second guitarist Mikko Lindström from HIM and drummer Nicko McBrain from Iron Maiden. The band, called WhoCares, recorded a charity single titled "Out of My Mind".^[25] The charity single also features a track titled "Holy Water" and is available as via digital download or CD format as of 6 May 2011.^[26]

Equipment[link]

Bass guitars[link]

• Aria Pro II SB1000 (originally owned by Cliff Burton, used on the Damage, Inc. Tour, and now resides in Metallica's current recording studio)
• Fender 1958 Precision Bass (recording/studio bass) - Sunburst w/anodized gold pickguard (4-string)
• Sadowsky - Black Vintage with Ash body
• Sadowsky - Black Vintage (x2)
• Sadowsky - PJ - Cherry Sunburst and Caramel Sunburst
• Sadowsky - Vintage - Lake Placid Blue (4 string and 5 strings)
• Sadowsky - Vintage - Cherry Sunburst
• Sadowsky - Black Vintage - 24 Fret (x2)
• Alembic - Elan - Converted to Series II electronics - Formerly featured J/P/J pickup configuration (can be seen in this form during the ...And Justice For All tour) - Black (5-string)
• Alembic - Europa - Series II electronics - Black (5-, 6- and 10-string)
• Alembic - Spoiler - Converted to Series II electronics - Black (4-string)
• Alembic - Persuader - Converted to Series II electronics - Black (4-string) - Formerly sporting a clear gloss natural finish and two J-Bass pickups, it was repainted black when Jason sent the bass back to Alembic to have Series II electronics installed; it is erroneously referred to as a Spoiler, though Jason DID have a black Spoiler made for him as well and both basses are nearly identical; the only telltale sign being the location of the bird-shaped bridge.
• ESP Horizon Bass - Red (5-string) - Jason added a Metallica logo decal and a decal of the Jump In The Fire demon.
• ESP B-1 - Black (4-string)
• 1981 Spector NS-2 - Black, used in studio only (4-string) - According to Jason, this bass once belonged to Phil Soussan.
• Stuart Spector Design JN-4, JN-5, and JN-6 Signature Models - Transparent black satin (4-, 5-, and 6-string) - Extremely rare, modified SD body shape, quilted maple top, piezo pickup option, and red fiber optic side markers. Jason used these basses live from 1994-1995.
• Guild acoustic bass
• Wal MKII - Black w. Gold hardware (4- & 5-string, 5-string as seen in Metallica's video for "One")
• Hamer 12-string bass (used on Wherever I May Roam "and other minor key pick-bass stuff," according to Jason)
• Zon Legacy Elite fretless 5-string & Sonus Special 5-string
• Rickenbacker 4003 - White (4-string)
• Dingwall Voodoo Bass

Effects[link]

• Boss Flanger BF-2
• MXR Phase 100
• Mu-tron III Bass Pedal
• Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI
• Tech 21 XXL Overdrive
• Korg G-5 Bass Synth Processor
• Electro-Harmonix Big Muff
• Alesis Midiverb II
• Barcus-Berry Electronics Sonic Maximizer
• Morley Power Wah Boost

Amplifiers[link]

• Mesa/Boogie 1x15 combo
• Mesa/Boogie with SWR Heads
• Gibson Skylark Guitar amp
• Fender Folded Horn 1x18
• Ampeg 1974 SVT head
• Ampeg SVT cabinets
• Ampeg SVT II-Pro (x4)
• Ampeg 1980s SVTs
• Ampeg SVT 8"x10" pro speaker cabinets
• Ampeg ISO Vent 10"x15" speaker cabinets
• Ampeg B-15 combo amp

Philanthropy[link]

In 2004, Newsted signed on as an official supporter of Little Kids Rock, a non-profit organization that provides free musical instruments and instruction to children in underserved public schools throughout the U.S.A. Newsted sits on LKR's Honorary Board of Directors.

Discography[link]

Echobrain[link]

• Echobrain (2002)
• Strange Enjoyment (2002) (EP)
• Glean (2004) (writing credit on one song, producer)

Flotsam and Jetsam[link]

• Doomsday for the Deceiver (1986)
• No Place for Disgrace (1988) (writing credits on three songs)

Gov't Mule[link]

• The Deep End, Volume 2 (2002)

IR8/Sexoturica[link]

• IR8 vs. Sexoturica (2002)

Metallica[link]

• The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited (EP) (1987)
• ...And Justice for All (1988)
• Metallica (1991)
• Live Shit: Binge and Purge (1993)
• Load (1996)
• ReLoad (1997)
• Garage Inc. (1998)
• S&M (1999)
• Six Feet Down Under (2010)

Moss Brothers[link]

• Electricitation (2001)

Papa Wheelie[link]

• Unipsycho (2002)
• Live Lycanthropy (2003)

Rock Star Supernova[link]

• Rock Star Supernova (2006)

Sepultura[link]

• Against (1998) (Hatred Aside)

Unkle[link]

• Psyence Fiction (1998)

Voivod[link]

• Voivod (2003)
• Katorz (2006)
• Infini (2009)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jason Newsted

This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (March 2012)

• CBS's "Rock Star" to Select Lead Singer for New Band
• Papa Wheelie's MySpace page
• HardRadio.com interview Newsted on Ozzy and Voivod
• Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame: Metallica FuseTV

Marc Rizzo
Rizzo live in Aschaffenburg, Germany, 2007
Background information
Born	(1977-08-02) August 2, 1977 (age 34) Carlstadt, New Jersey, United States
Origin	Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Genres	Heavy metal, flamenco guitar
Occupations	Guitarist, musician, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, bass
Years active	1986–present
Labels	Roadrunner, Phlamencore, Shrapnel
Associated acts	Ill Niño, Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy
Notable instruments
B.C. Rich 7 string Stealth, Peavey HP Special, ESP Viper and Yamaha Acoustics

Marc Rizzo (born on August 2, 1977 in Carlstadt, New Jersey, United States) is the lead guitarist of American metal band Soulfly and formerly of Ill Niño. He has featured on five Soulfly albums to date: Prophecy, Dark Ages, Conquer, Omen, and Enslaved. He has also released three solo instrumental albums; Colossal Myopia, The Ultimate Devotion, and Legionnaire. Marc is also a member of Cavalera Conspiracy, a side project with the co-founders of Sepultura, Max and Igor Cavalera. The band released their debut album Inflikted in 2008 and "Blunt Force Trauma" in 2011.

While primarily regarded as a metal guitarist, Rizzo's solo work demonstrates an interest in a wide range of styles, combining elements of hard rock, metal, jazz, classical and flamenco guitar. 2007 saw him headline his first US tour to sell out venues across the country. In 2008 Rizzo's two solo records were released under Shrapnel Records and are available on iTunes (itunes.com).

As a former standout athlete in his youth, Marc tirelessly trains with weights/shadow boxing/sprints while on tour. He is known to eat a jar of peanut butter coupled with hard boiled eggs for extreme protein.

Marc Rizzo was endorsed by Peavey and Yamaha, and traveled the world undertaking clinics for Peavey when his tour schedule allowed. Rizzo, as of 2009, is endorsed by B.C. Rich. A signature 7 string Stealth model has been built for him and made available for to the public as an import model in 2010.

In 2004 Marc created the indie Phlamencore Records with younger brother Luke. Since has released two sampler CD's (international distro) and 3 full lengths.

Marc is a huge soccer fan and supports Inter Milan football club, alongside the Italian national football team.

Rizzo is an amateur boxer whom fought in New Jersey (USA) Golden Gloves.

During live shows, Marc is known for his frequent jump-kicks, and was also known for regularly wearing a backpack while playing live shows, although more recently he has stopped this practice. He is also known for occasionally wearing soccer shirts on stage, such as AC Milan and FC Internazionale. This can be seen at the Download Festival 2004.

Rizzo grew up in Carlstadt, New Jersey,^[1] where he attended Henry P. Becton Regional High School.

Discography[link]

Committee of Thirteen[link]

• Self Titled (2004) (Phlamencore Records)

Coretez[link]

• Coretez EP (2003) (re-released in 2011 on iTunes through Phlamencore Records)

Ill Niño[link]

• Ill Niño EP (2000) (C.I.A. Records)
• Revolution Revolución (2001) (Roadrunner Records)
• Confession (2003) (Roadrunner Records)
• The Best of Ill Niño (2006) (Roadrunner Records)

Soulfly[link]

• Prophecy (2004) (Roadrunner Records)
• Dark Ages (2005) (Roadrunner Records)
• Conquer (2008) (Roadrunner Records)
• Omen (2010) (Roadrunner Records)
• Enslaved (2012) (Roadrunner Records)

Solo[link]

• Marc Rizzo (2004) (Phlamencore Records)
• Colossal Myopia (2006) (Shrapnel Records)
• The Ultimate Devotion (2007) (Shrapnel Records)
• Legionnaire (2010) (Phlamencore Records)
• Prague (2011) (Phlamencore Records) - digital single
• Cascades (2011) (Phlamencore Records) - digital single

Cavalera Conspiracy[link]

• Inflikted (2008) (Roadrunner Records)
• Blunt Force Trauma (2011) (Roadrunner Records)

Instructional DVDs with Rock House[link]

• Metal Guitar- Mondern, Speed & Shred, level 1 & 2

Guest appearances[link]

• 2007 - Divine Heresy - Bleed The Fifth (Roadrunner Records) (appears in the intro of Rise Of The Scorned)
• 2010 - Cloak Dagger - Argila (Phlamencore Records) - digital single available on Itunes
• 2011 - Benjamin Woods - Vision (Flametal Records) (appears on two tracks)
• 2012 - Cloak Dagger - Ale' Sofi (Phlamencore Records) - digital single available on Itunes
• 2011 - Cloak Dagger - Cascañata (Phlamencore Records) - digital single available on Itunes
• 2012 - Strife - Upcoming studio album

References[link]

External links[link]

• Marc Rizzo's Myspace Page