Tool, Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold, Pantera Lead Welcome To Rockville 2023 Festival Lineup first appeared on Game On Media.

2020 has been an atypical year for the music industry. The usual album and tour cycles have been turned on their heads. Some bands chose to hold their albums for when touring starts up again. Some bands found creative ways to release their albums, many with livestreams to go with it. Other bands took the opportunity to record and release unexpected music, and much more of that will be coming in 2021. Heavy Metal has always been a cathartic release, and that was much needed in 2020. There were plenty of incredible headbangers to help us get through it all. Here are our Five Fave: 2020 Mainstream Metal Albums.

5 – Lamb Of God – Lamb Of God

This self-titled album from metal masters Lamb Of God is everything you hope for. The sounds, the screams, the lyrical messages, are all American metal at its best. Vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, bassist John Campbell, and new drummer Art Cruz are in perfect sync.

4 – Trivium – What The Dead Men Say

Trivium has been kicking ass and taking names for a long time. They consistently deliver crushing tunes, full of aggression and lyrics that make you think. There is plenty to love about “What The Dead Men Say” and we simply cannot wait to finally hear these songs performed live.

3 – Killer Be Killed – Reluctant Hero

The second release from supergroup Killer Be Killed is outstanding.  The band has three lead singers, and they all take their moments to shine. KBK is The Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist/guitarist Greg Puciato, Soulfly / Cavalera Conspiracy / ex-Sepultura frontman Max Cavalera, Mastodon bassist/co-vocalist Troy Sanders and Converge drummer Ben Koller.

2- Armored Saint – Punching The Sky

Legendary thrash masters Armored Saint dropped their first new album in 5 years, and all of the pent-up energy is fully released on “Punching The Sky”. John Bush, Joey Vera, Jeff Duncan and the Sandoval brothers, Gonzo and Phil, are still as relevant and impressive 4 decades in as they have ever been.

1 – Avatar – Hunter Gatherer

Sweden continues to produce creative and dynamic rock bands, who continue to push themselves with each album release. Avatar continues to push boundaries with “Hunter Gatherer”, possibly their most completely satisfying effort to date. Check out their upcoming livestream specials coming in January.

Five Fave: 2020 Mainstream Metal Albums first appeared on Game On Media.

UMLÄUT your name on the loudest MOTÖRHEAD playlist of all time and create your own custom Warpig artwork! first appeared on Game On Media.

The annual DIMEBASH is an all-star jam honoring the life and legacy of “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, the late co-founder and guitarist of Pantera and Damageplan, and the unofficial kickoff party for the NAMM convention. Jose Mangin and Riki Rachtman co-hosted the event on January 16, 2020 at The Observatory OC in Santa Ana, California.

Over 5 incredible hours, artists from dozens of bands rotated on and off the stage, performing 40 songs, including Pantera classics and other legendary tunes. Sadly, this event now also honors the late Vinnie Paul, drummer of Pantera, Damageplan and Hellyeah, and Dimebag’s brother. Both men were more than stellar musicians, they were incredible human beings who brought light into so many lives. It is no surprise that their musical peers and friends show up in droves to honor their memory by playing their songs, and sharing their love for these two giants.

The one-of-a-kind lineup featured members of Accept, Act Of Defiance, Anthrax, Armored Saint, Bad Wolves, Bad Guys Wear Black, Broken Hope, Butcher Babies, Cody Jinks, Crowbar, Cypress Hill, Dylan Rose, Foo Fighters, Grim Reaper, Hatebreed, Hellyeah, In Flames, In This Moment, Iron Maidens, Kill Devil Hill, King Diamond, King’s X, Kyng, Lamb of God, Lita Ford, Pearl, Prong, Sebastian Bach, Sepultura, Stone Sour, The Haunted, Testament, Tyr, Vio-Lence and more, including the debut of Revel Ian, son of Scott Ian and Pearl Aday.

Jose “Metal Ambassador” Mangin kicked things off on lead vocals, performing the second song from all over the crowd, as fans surfed him from the front of the house all the way back to the stage. He also shared emotional speeches about the power of music and love and gratitude. Riki Rachtman also told stories from his days on MTV’s Headbangers Ball, where he was forced to call him “Diamond” Darrell instead of “Dimebag” due to outrageous censorship.

Ron Williams of RONZ WORLD Custom Painted Guitars delivered yet another amazing original piece, which was auctioned off, as the winner was chosen by Rita Haney, Dime’s longtime girlfriend and keeper of his legacy. Proceeds from the event will benefit music education and animal rescues.

After the show, VIP guests were able to join the artists backstage to enjoy Back Beat BBQ, which none other than Dave Grohl himself had been cooking since 8:00 that morning. This was the best pulled pork and ribs that I have ever eaten. Is there nothing this man cannot do? All in all, it was an emotional, empowering evening of entertainment and excess.

NAMM 2020 Dimebash

57 photos

Dimebash 2020 Honors “Dimebag” Darrell with All Star Jam and Dave Grohl’s BackBeat BBQ first appeared on Game On Media.

Additional All-Star Talent Announced For

Dimebash

Event Honoring “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott Will Feature Members Of

Anthrax, Bad Wolves, Cypress Hill, Foo Fighters,

Hatebreed, Hellyeah, In Flames, In This Moment,

 Lamb of God, Sepultura, Stone Sour, Testament & More

Co-Hosted by SiriusXM’s Jose Mangin and Riki Rachtman

Thursday, January 16

At The Observatory OC In Santa Ana, CA

With Exclusive Artist & VIP Backstage Afterparty Featuring

Dave Grohl’s BackBeat BBQ

Limited Number Of Tickets Still Available

Additional talent has been announced for the upcoming Dimebash all-star jam tribute to “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, the late co-founder and guitarist of Pantera and Damageplan. Set for Thursday, January 16 at The Observatory OC in Santa Ana, California, the one-of-a-kind lineup will feature members of Accept, Act Of Defiance, Anthrax, Armored Saint, Bad Wolves, Bad Guys Wear Black, Broken Hope, Butcher Babies, Cody Jinks, Crowbar, Cypress Hill, Dylan Rose, Foo Fighters, Hatebreed, Hellyeah, In Flames, In This Moment, Iron Maidens, Kill Devil Hill, King Diamond, King’s X, Kyng, Lamb of God, Lita Ford, Pearl, Prong, Sebastian Bach, Sepultura, Stone Sour, The Haunted, Testament, Tyr and more surprise guests.

The all-star jam will feature Dime’s music and some of his favorite songs, with the Texas homegrown sounds of WhiskeyDick opening the show as top rock and metal artists honor the guitar legend 15 years after his untimely passing. See highlights from the 2019 Dimebash and Backbeat BBQ event in this new video:

www.facebook.com/dimebagdarrell/videos/996125130761585/

The all-ages event, which also serves as the unofficial kick-off for the Winter NAMM show, starts at 7:00 PM and will be hosted by metal ambassadors Jose Mangin (Affliction / SiriusXM) and Riki Rachtman (former MTV Headbangers Ball host / Cathouse founder). A limited number of general admission tickets are still available for $33 (plus fees) via www.DimebagDarrell.com. There will also be lots of great raffle prizes to win throughout the night.

Dimebash 2020 partners include Metal Blade, Dunlop Manufacturing, Dean Guitars, BackBeat BBQ, Affliction, Paiste Cymbals, Creekstone Farms and Ronz World Guitars. Proceeds from the event will benefit music education and animal rescues.

The Observatory OC is located at 3503 S. Harbor Blvd. in Santa Ana, CA.

To further celebrate Dimebag’s life, fans can order Dimevision Vol. 2: Roll With It Or Get Rolled Over via Metal Blade Records here: https://www.metalblade.com/dimevision/#order. Dimevision Vol. 2… is a true celebration of Dimebag and how he lived his life. The DVD/CD set includes classic video clips as well as five demos picked from a vast catalog that Dimebag accrued starting in 1984 when longtime girlfriend Rita Haney gave him his first 4-track. Dimevision Vol. 2 also includes never before published photos from Stephanie Cabral, dates, stories, and notes on the five tracks. Rita worked in collaboration with Daryl “Bobby Tongs” Arnberger–who was one of Dimebag‘s closest friends and an official videographer for Pantera and Damageplan—and film editor Rob Fenn to choose 33 segments for Dimevision Vol. 2.

For more information on Dimebash 2020, visit:

www.DimebagDarrell.com

www.facebook.com/dimebagdarrell

@dimebagdarrell

Dimebash Event Honoring Dimebag Darrell Announces All-Star Talent first appeared on Game On Media.