MAYHEM Fest Launches With Over 42K Attendees At First Two Shows; Biggest Opening Days In The Festival's History!

Verifying Yahoo.com’s rating as the #2 “Best Summer Tour of 2012”, the ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL kicked off this weekend to a record-breaking start—over 26,000 heavy metal headbangers attended the tour kick-off in San Bernardino on Saturday, July 30th alone! That is over 4,000 more attendees than the previous record. Overall during the entire first two days, the festival brought 42,000 fans together to celebrate heavy metal, making this year the biggest yet for the world’s largest touring heavy music festival. Check out the first official tour update below, hosted by 2012 ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL correspondent Mistress Juliya.



“After the first two dates of Mayhem, we have set an all-time attendance record at our first show in San Bernardino (26,150) and a record attendance at day two in San Francisco (15,850)”, confirms ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL co-creator John Reese. “Mayhem is off to a rip roaring start and we look forward to a great year with an awesome lineup of artists”.

Check out an amazing write up about this year’s festival at RollingStone.com and a killer behind-the-scenes photo gallery at Spin.com, and make sure to grab your tickets now at www.rockstarmayhemfest.com to experience ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL’s heaviest and biggest year yet!

“What a sick show to kick off Mayhem 2012! I counted 13 pits during Indians!!! SoCal always brings it”, states ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian. “If this is any indication of how this tour is going to be, it's going to be a great summer!”

"We've been looking forward and counting down to Mayhem for a while now, especially since we've wanted to be a part of the tour for the past few years”, states THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA vocalist Mike Hranica. “The tour kick-off was great and I'm very excited to finally be playing Mayhem rather than just talking about it”!

“The first day of Mayhem was awesome”, adds WHITECHAPEL guitarist Alex Wade. “It feels great to be on this amazing tour again and to see old friends and make new ones”.

2012 ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL Line-Up:

- MAIN STAGE:

SLIPKNOT
SLAYER
MOTORHEAD

(daily opening rotation of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, ASKING ALEXANDRIA)

- Jägermeister Stage:

ANTHRAX
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
ASKING ALEXANDRIA
WHITECHAPEL

(opening rotation of UPON A BURNING BODY (6/30 – 7/11), I THE BREATHER (7/25 – 8/04), BETRAYING THE MARTYRS (7/13 – 7/24))

- Sumerian Stage:

UPON A BURNING BODY
I THE BREATHER
BETRAYING THE MARTYRS
DIRTFEDD

The 5th annual ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL will also feature ROCKSTAR METAL MULISHA JUMP TEAM, the World’s Greatest Freestyle Motocross team. ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL attendees can enjoy a plethora of festival activities, including perusing vendors, attending autograph signing sessions and a slew of other interactive activities that enhance the concert experience.

In 2008, the ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL bulldozed onto the scene and quickly made itself known as the preeminent summer destination for the hard rock and metal community.  ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL boasts the most powerful artist line-ups in heavy music.  Artists who have performed on the ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL have included hard music legends SLAYER, SLIPKNOT, KORN, ROB ZOMBIE, DISTURBED, GODSMACK, MEGADETH, LAMB OF GOD, MARILYN MANSON, MACHINE HEAD, IN FLAMES, TESTAMENT, HATEBREED, CANNIBAL CORPSE, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, MASTODON, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, KINGDOM OF SORROW, DETHKLOK and many more.  All have pummelled the stage, while delivering the intensity and heaviness that fans have grown to expect year after year.

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL (remaining tour dates):

7/3 – Seattle, WA
7/6 – Phoenix, AZ
7/7 – Albuquerque, NM
7/8 – Denver, CO
7/10 – Dallas, TX
7/11 – Houston, TX
7/13 – Tampa, FL
7/14 – Atlanta, GA
7/15 – Indianapolis, IN
7/18 – Oklahoma City, OK
7/20 – St. Louis, MO
7/21 – Chicago, IL
7/22 – Detroit, MI
7/24 – Cincinnati, OH
7/25 – Cleveland, OH
7/27 – Philadelphia, PA
7/28 – Pittsburgh, PA
7/29 – Washington, DC
7/31 – Saratoga, NY
8/1 – Buffalo, NY
8/3 – Boston, MA
8/4 – Scranton, PA
8/5 – Hartford, CT

Related links:
Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival
Livenation

GHOUL Release HILARIOUS Blood-Splattered Update From The Road!

 Splatterthrash crossover kings GHOUL are currently on tour with GWAR, MUNICIPAL WASTE, and LEGACY OF DISORDER, merrily massacring their way across the continental United States and having a devil of a time shredding through classic cuts as well as newer material from 2011's critically acclaimed and viciously fun 'Transmission Zero' (now available on CD/LP/digitally from Tankcrimes).

Cremator has supplied us with the following update, assuring us that he and his fellow numbskulls are alive and well. The rest of the crew... well, you'll see.

"We thought Creepsylania was a dump, but now we are homesick… this backwards country we are touring, called by locals, "'Merica," is horrible! Granted, we like violence, but never has GHOUL witnessed citizenry that is so bent on hurting and destroying each other.

"While these "moshing pits" of yours are eminently hilarious to view from the stage, it leaves us a little sad that we have so few people left to kill ourselves at the end of the show. I guess we shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, as the littered corpses have kept us well fed for long drives.

"From the beast coast to the midwest, we've had a very hard go of it. Every night the Creepsylvanian authorities show up and try to shut down our show before we even begin. Just when we think we've gotten rid of them and are pummeling the audience to submission, their bastard creation Killbot shows up and beats the shit out of Cremator. Luckily, we brought the best roadie in the world, Kogar the Destructor. He is the whole road crew all in one and manages to beat the mechanical moron back without fail… so far.

"Thrashing out excellently next to us has been the band of original party dudes, MUNICIPAL WASTE. What a burden, though! They keep drinking all the rot gut and numbskull that Fermentor makes before we are even off the stage. How is a Ghoul to get drunk? Your 'Merican beer may have made Bud wiser, but it just makes us vomit. Another day fucked up by the Waste and waking up with the gutbucket blues.

"The lads from New Zealand, Legacy of Disorder, are rocking it just as hard and representing the Shire well. Digestor is repeatedly disappointed, however, to find our deli tray emptied by them. The LOD members eat first breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, tea, dinner, AND supper. I wonder if anyone has told them our deli tray is full of human viscera?

"The lords and masters of this tour, GWAR, seem to act like our friends. We're not so sure. Many a night we've heard tale of groupies waiting for us and then Dissector finds a pile of dead chicks, assholes ripped apart, smelling of cuttlefish. We have our suspicions.

"Still, we Ghouls persevere along with our comrades on the tour, Mr. Fang and Baron Samedi. We cram in our bloodied van night after night, Kogar on top, and get ready to hit the next town. The slavering sycophantic crowds have been welcoming to our splatterthrash. We're looking forward to more nights of haunting your nightmares and emptying your cemeteries. We are the things that go bump in the night… and bleed your ear drums with rock 'n' roll."

Ghoul With GWAR, Municipal Waste, and Legacy of Disorder:

- 4/2: Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theater
- 4/3: San Diego, CA @ House Of Blues
- 4/4: Ventura, CA @ Majestic Ventura Theater
- 4/5: Chico, CA @ Senator Theater
- 4/6: San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
- 4/7: Reno, NV @ Knitting Factory
- 4/9: Las Vegas, NV @ Hard Rock Café
- 4/10: Magna, UT @ The Great Salt Air
- 4/11: Ft. Collins, CO @ Aggie Theater

Ghoul With GWAR With Kylesa, and Legacy of Disorder:

4/13: San Antonio, TX @ Backstage Live
4/14: Corpus Christi, TX @ House of Rock
4/16: Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall
4/17: Orlando, FL @ Beacham Theater
4/18: Jacksonville, FL @ Free Bird Live
4/19: Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
4/20: N. Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues SC
4/21: Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
4/22: Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
4/23: Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
4/25: Buffalo, NY @ The Town Ballroom
4/27: Hampton Beach, NH @ Wally's Pub
4/28: Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock

Related links:
Ghoul's Official Site
Ghoul's Blog
Ghoul on Facebook
Click here to get tickets for Zombie Prom
GWAR
GWAR on YouTube

Exhumed: Legendary Goregrinders Issue Tour Update

Goregrind henchmen Exhumed are currently pulverizing the masses on the second leg of their North American tour with Goatwhore and Havok. This is what Matt Harvey (vocalist/guitarist) had to say about the tour so far.

“We’re really chuffed to by how the second leg of our 'Back From The Dead And Ready To Party' tour has been going. The shows have been a shitload of fun and we're having a great time raging with the boys in Goatwhore and Havok. So if you're anywhere near our path of destruction, dysfunction and debauchery, come out and get your sense splattered."

EXHUMED Back From The Dead And Ready To Party North American Tour 2011 with Goatwhore, Havok [remaining dates]:

11/08/2011 The Palladium – Worcester, MA
11/09/2011 Europa – Brooklyn, NY
11/10/2011 Championships – Trenton, NJ
11/11/2011 Mojo 13 – Wilmington, DE
11/12/2011 Sonar – Baltimore, MD
11/13/2011 The Casbah at Tremont Music Hall – Charlotte, NC
11/14/2011 Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
11/15/2011 The Brass Mug – Tampa, FL
11/16/2011 The Engine Room – Tallahassee, FL
11/17/2011 Siberia – New Orleans, LA
11/18/2011 Korova/Goregrowler’s Ball – San Antonio, TX w/ Suffocation
11/19/2011 The Juggernaut – Gallup, NM *
11/20/2011 Orpheum Theatre – Flagstaff, AZ *
* = no Goatwhore

The latest output from EXHUMED, "All Guts, No Glory", marks the band's first new record in almost eight years and offers up 11 choice cuts of grinding Death Metal combined the raw, blisering ferocity of their legendary "Slaughtercult" album with the wild ambition of 2003’s "Anatomy Is Destiny". As crimson concertos such as 'Dis-assembly Line', 'As Hammer To Anvil', and 'Funereality' illustrate, "All Guts, No Glory" is Exhumed’s finest moment to date.

Related links:
Exhumed
Goatwhore
Havok