Artist

Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian—whose band recently released a song all about zombies, titled "Fight'em 'Til You Can't" (see the zombie-themed art below)—announced today that he will appear in makeup on the AMC series The Walking Dead. He tweeted, "What have I wanted to do since 1978? Be a ZOMBIE!!! Full story on my day on Walking Dead coming later!!!" Check out his zombie makeup below.

Exodus guitarist Gary Holt recently spoke with Guitar World about filling in for Slayer's Jeff Hanneman, as the latter heals up from his necrotizing fasciitis infection. Read an excerpt below and read the rest here. For more on the Big Four, check revolvermag.com and guitarworld.com regularly as we count down the Big Four Weeks leading up to Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax's concert at Yankee Stadium on September 14.

GUITAR WORLD How were you approached initially about filling in for Jeff? Was your reaction an immediate "yes" or did you take time to think about it?
GARY HOLT Kerry called me right after we returned from the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise and told me what was up and asked if I was down. I said sure, told him I had a gig in Chile with Iron Maiden that I couldn't miss, and they'd have to get someone else for the last few shows, and we went from there. I planned on taking it easy anyway this year, select gigs and song writing. Year's been a bit busier than I thought it was going to be, but it's been awesome.

Were you invited to take part in the Big Four "jam" at the Indio show? If so, was there a reason you didn't take part? Have you taken part in one since?
I could have, but I had my fiancee and two of my daughters there, and I was just kind of hanging with friends and stuff, so I skipped that one, but it was awesome when we did do the jam in the end.

Unless you've been living under a boulder, you know that the Big Four of thrash—Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax—are playing Yankee Stadium in New York City on Wednesday, September 14. It's only the second time these four metal colossuses have shared a stage in the United States.

Since nobody knows whether we'll get another chance to see them onstage again, Revolver and Guitar World are celebrating the event with the Big Four Weeks. For the next month or so, leading up to the show, our websites will be giving fans eye-popping exclusives, previously unseen backstage video, excerpts from our interviews with the bands—including those in Revolver's special issue devoted to the Big Four, which you can buy right here—and much, much more.

To kick things off, Revolver is presenting a first look at the Big Four trading cards we're including in newsstand editions of our September/October issue, which you can buy right here right now and will be available everywhere else on Tuesday, August 16. We've modeled the cards after the Topps baseball cards in 1986—the year that three of the bands released their masterpieces—and the backs feature vital stats, selected discographies, and fun facts sponsored by our friends at Samson, Zoom, and Hartke.

We hope you enjoy them and check back regularly for more cool Big Four–related coverage!

Doom-rock legends Pentagram will be releasing their first-ever DVD, When the Screams Come on August 30 via Metal Blade Records. Check out a clip from that show below.

When the Screams Come features a full Pentagram live show, recorded on May 30th, 2010 at the end of the Bobby Liebling / Victor Griffin reunion dates at Sonar in Baltimore, during Maryland Deathfest VIII. There release also includes bonus interview footage with vocalist Bobby Liebling.

When The Screams Come track listing:
1. Day Of Reckoning
2. Forever My Queen
3. Ask No More
4. Run My Course
5. You're Lost, I'm Free
6. Review Your Choices
7. Relentless
8. All Your Sins
9. 20 Buck Spin
10. Sign Of The Wolf
11. When The Screams Come

Pentagram Live Dates:
08/12 Springfield, VA Jaxx
08/13 Echo Park, CA Echo - Power Of The Riff Festival (DVD release show)
08/14 Las Vegas, NV Cheyenne Saloon
08/16 San Francisco, CA Mezzanine - Power of the Riff Festival
08/17 Nashville, TN Exit / IN w/ JEFF The Brotherhood
Tour w/ Valient Thorr, JEFF The Brotherhood
08/18 Chicago, IL Reggie's Rock Club
08/19 Cleveland, OH Peabody's
08/20 Rochester, NY Montage Music Hall
08/21 New York, NY Les Poisson Rouge
08/25 Reading, PA The Reverb
08/26 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Small's
08/27 Baltimore, MD Sonar
End Tour
09/03 Seattle, WA Bumbershoot

Pentagram, featuring Bobby Liebling, Victor Griffin, Greg Turley, and new drummer Albert Born, recently released their full-length album Last Rites via Metal Blade Records.

Mistress Juliya is best known for her work on Fuse TV hosting such metal-themed shows as Uranium, Metal Asylum, Let It Rock, and Slave to the Metal. She has also made appearances at the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival and Rock on the Range. She currently co-hosts the Top Twenty Countdown on Fuse premiering at 5 P.M. every Tuesday. Email your advice questions for her to AskJuliya@revolvermag.com and check back every Wednesday for her latest column.

Dear Juliya, I'm currently 17. There's this girl that I wound up with, and we started seeing each other more frequently during this summer. However, it was also something that was kept under our hats to some other people, such as our parents. To them, we were only friends. We began to get closer to each other, and she said she's falling for me and I think I feel the same way. One day her dad found out about me from reading in her journal and made it clear that I'm not allowed back there again, and now there's no way for us to see each other anymore and it broke both of our hearts. We are still going through this and I have no clue what to do.
—Lennon

Lennon, I feel for you. This is always a complicated situation. If I was the girl, I'd try to explain to my parents how I felt and that this was a normal age for people to be dating. And they should feel better about it since it started with a friendship. Of course, parents can be very not understanding. In which case, if your girl is 17, too, and you guys really care for each other, you will find ways to see each other until she reaches 18 when her parents can't really tell her what to do. If she is much younger, you're going to have to move on, dude!

Hi Juliya, me and my boyfriend dated at least two times off and on, and I really actually loved him, but he went and broke it off and I still can't get over it. Every night I cry. What could I do? My friends keep telling, "Oh, you'll get over him in a couple of days," but I don't. I just want him back. Really bad.
—Lina

Hi Lina, did you ask him why he broke it off? If it is something you guys can work on? If he doesn't want or have an answer to that, perhaps his feelings for you are not like the ones you have for him. In which case, you must realize that it is not the kind of relationship you belong in anyway. Love is tough and there are many disappointments, but the truth is you will get over it—once you realize that being with someone that doesn't feel the same is not real love.

Mistress Juliya is best known for her work on Fuse TV hosting such metal-themed shows as Uranium, Metal Asylum, Let It Rock, and Slave to the Metal. She has also made appearances at the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival and Rock on the Range. She currently co-hosts the Top Twenty Countdown on Fuse premiering at 5 P.M. every Tuesday. Email your advice questions for her to AskJuliya@revolvermag.com and check back every Wednesday for her latest column.

Hi Juliya, I've been single for a really long time now and I'm having trouble dealing with it. It's making me doubt myself and my ability to ever have a woman again. Everyone tells me to just "wait it out" or "be myself," but it's hard when I don't know what to do or say. What advice do you have for getting back out there?
—Matt

Matt, what will attract others is you feeling confident and comfortable in your skin. So, first, reflect on what it is that makes you awesome: your interests, hobbies, whatever, and feel good about it. Try to do more social activities where you can meet someone with similar interests and thereby making you more comfortable, with something in common to talk about. And finally, be open-minded to approach someone new and just be yourself and friendly. Approach conversation as you would with a friend. That way, if you feel the person isn't interested, you can casually back off. But if you feel that the girl is vibing on your casual comment or conversation, keep it going and see where that takes you!

Juliya, what advice would you give to someone who struggles with self-esteem issues about their appearance?
—Ashley

Dear Ashley, that exact issue is something I suffered with tremendously in my adolescence and early 20s. The worst part about it is, no matter what anyone else said, even if it was sincere, I just didn't believe it. At one point I got really sick of it and decided that if I did things for myself that I enjoyed and surrounded myself with better people, it should help. So, I would save money to get clothes I really liked. Do my hair. Go to a spa here and there. Started exercising. I started taking care of my skin and hair, which all made me feel very female and kinda fancy. And I focused on hobbies I really enjoyed with friends who were really sincere and fun. That made a lot of difference. The fact is, if you feel good, you will look good. And exercising  had a huge impact on my confidence a well. It made me feel good and enjoy wearing clothes.

Noise-rock stalwarts Today is the Day are releasing their ninth album, Pain is a Warning (Blackmarket), which was produced by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou, on August 16. The band formerly included future members of Mastodon in its ranks; today it features members of New York metallers Wetnurse. In anticipation of the record, Today is the Day are unleashing a new song, "The Devil's Blood," exclusive right here. Listen to it below, read what frontman Steve Austin has to say about the song, and let us know what you think in the comments.

REVOLVER What's "The Devil's Blood" about?
STEVE AUSTIN It's an understanding about how hard it is to be a parent, when you are totally broke. Shit is so expensive, and when you have two young sons who are 7 and 10, keeping with the costs of technology is fuckin' hard. Our society is so driven by marketing for products that are ridiculously priced and, when you can't even afford heating oil or food, an iPhone or iPod is the equivalent of buying a new car.

Which part of it did you come up with first?
The first section of the song was written first, and it reminded me of the Dead Kennedys. The lyrics for the second section—the "iPhone, iPod, iPad, PS3" part—were the first lyrics written.

Was this an easy song to write or record?
No, it wasn't easy. It's a complicated song and getting both the music and vocals delivered right was a pain in the ass. I am pleased with the end result.

What sort of feedback have you gotten on this song so far?
A lot of people relate to it because a lot of people are fucking broke and sick of consumerism.

Photo by Karen Novak

Contributing writer Chris "Pear Vodka" Krovatin is the author of two young adult novels, Heavy Metal & You and Venomous. He is currently working on multiple new writing projects, as well as new material with his New York metal band Flaming Tusk. Many people call Chris an alcoholic. He prefers the term "mixologist." Join him as he makes a series of potables based on songs and albums by his favorite extreme-metal bands and serves them to his unwitting friends.

Ah, the dulcet sounds of Electric Wizard. With a brilliant mixture of Dennis Wheatley–inspired Satanism, bikerish sexuality, and chalk-white clouds of weed smoke, this British stoner-doom band has entranced potheads for over a decade with their crushing sound and brilliantly clever lyrical themes. (I'm especially a fan of their recent Hammer Horror-inspired trend of writing songs about "Count Drugula"). Their sound is like Sabbath on steroids, like H.P. Lovecraft's ghost screaming at the bottom of a lake of bong water, like the Devil we all love, the Man of Wealth and Taste, playing a game of poker with a pack of drunk werewolves. So, of course, I needed to make a drink for them.

This drink, named after the band's sextastic bondage dirge "Torquemada '71", reflects the band's style—delicious, infectious, sweet, but powerful as the dickens. I modeled the basic ingredients after a Zombie; I was saddened by not being able to find Tiki glasses in time for the mixing. The special additions were the nutmeg (stolen from a Rum Punch, for flavor), the Absinthe (to make it green, like, you know, weed), the limeade (ditto), and the ganja (originally, I planned to sprinkle some on top, but that's a waste). Let's stir this cauldron together and see what happens…

Electric Wizard's "Torquemada '71"

2 oz dark rum

2 oz light rum

1/2 oz pear vodka

2 oz limeade

1 ½ oz ginger ale

Absinthe

Nutmeg

Marijuana

Blend ingredients in a Collins glass (Tikis are also allowed) filled with ice. Float the absinthe on top, add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Smoke marijuana, then sip and feel the green.

Reactions:

ALEX: This is actually pretty tasty, in a sweet drink sort of way.

MADDY: Definitely a success. It's kind of a beach drink.

BERNARD: The absinthe adds some good flavor to it—a little minty, and nice.

ANDY: The weed helps, too.

FINAL RATING: HAIL! Though the ingredients were a little lady-like (pear vodka, really?), the resulting drink is absolutely delicious, and goes well with a cloud of smoke and a stupid grin. If you ever find yourself on a beach with a bunch of metalheads, definitely order a chosen few of these barbaric concoctions.

If you or your friends can come up with metal-themed cocktails, send your recipes to krovatinc@gmail.com. Remember, though, these should be metal-themed, not the usual fare like Blacktooth Grins and Butt Burners. Use your imagination, and get slaughtered!

Death-metal stalwarts Dying Fetus released their limited-edition covers EP, History Repeats…, this week. Here is your chance to hear that release, in its entirety, right here (the day they embark on the Summer Slaughter tour). It includes covers of songs by Dehumanized, Napalm Death, Broken Hope, Bolt Thrower, Pestilence, and Cannibal Corpse. Vocalist-guitarist John Gallagher fills us in on the album below. Let us know what you think in the comments.

REVOLVER Dying Fetus have covered Napalm Death and Integrity in the past, but you haven't done that many covers lately. Why did you decide to do a covers EP?
JOHN GALLAGHER Well we don't want to build a career on doing covers because I think too many covers can start being cheesy. With History Repeats... the band and I wanted to give our fans something special to hold them over to our next full length due to come out in April 2012 And it's always good to remain active and record as much as possible because each time we record and visit the studio we learn more about refining our sound.

How did you pick the bands and songs that you covered?
We wanted to do some songs that we have listened to and enjoyed over the years. I have always been a fan of Broken Hope so I wanted to do one of their songs and also to commemorate the passing of Joe Placek [the band's singer who committed suicide last year]. "Gorehog" seemed like a suitable cover because of its bruality and slam. "Unchallenged Hate" from Napalm Death has always been a classic to us and fits with our style so I thought that was a suitable selection. The Dehumanized's "Fade Into Obscurity" cover demonstrates the sound of the mid '90s New York Slam genre. We used to play alot of New York gigs with these dudes back in the day and had many good times. "Unleashed Upon Mankind" is just a killer death metal song with a memorable main riff so we thought that would be a ripper. The Cannibal Corpse song was recorded in 2001 for a Cannibal Corpse cover album which never came out so we threw that and the Pestilence song on it as a bonus. The Pestilence song was originally on the War of Attrition CD [Dying Fetus' 2007 album] as a Japanese bonus track.

Did any songs "almost make the cut?"
I wanted to do some more hardcore covers from Blood for Blood, Madball, No Innocent Victim, and 25 ta Life, but we didn't get a large enough recording budget from Relapse to do them all. So I thought it would be best to just go with some good solid death-metal songs. In the future I might approach a hardcore label to do a hardcore tribute album but it's just a thought at the moment.

What's your favorite cover another band has done of a Dying Fetus song?
That's a good question, I've heard some good covers of "Kill Your Mother, Rape Your Dog" and "Grotesque Impalement" but I can't remember the name of the bands who did them. Just kinda ran into them on YouTube and whatnot. It would be cool to see a glam band do a cover of our joke song "North Forest Trolls of Satan" I bet Steel Panther could do a good job with that.

New "Alaskan mountain metal" outfit Turbid North have just announced tour dates for August. The band recently finished a stint supporting Unearth through their adopted home of Texas in early July. Unearth mainman Trevor Phipps recently released the band's full-length album Orogeny through his label Ironclad Recordings.

Orogeny is a mix of galloping Eighties-inspired thrash and abrasive death-tech shredding. Turbid North is Brian McCoy (vocals), Nick Forkel (guitar/vocals), Alex Rydlinski (guitar) his brother Adam Rydlinski (drums) and Chris O'Toole (bass).

Check out this video for the single "Between the Glacier and the Sea":

Turbid North tour dates:

8/12 Lawton OK, Railhead Station
8/13 Amarillo, TX, The Sorority House
8/14 Denver, CO, Sidekick's Saloon
8/17 Seattle, WA, Studio Seven
8/18 Portland, OR, The Knife Shop @ Kelly's Olympian
8/19 Medford, OR, Johnny B's Rocking Diner
8/20 Redding, CA, Bombay's Bar
8/21 Reno, NV, Treehouse Lounge
8/22 San Francisco, CA Kimo's Penthouse Lounge
8/23 Bakersfield, CA, The Dome
8/24 Anaheim, CA, The Doll Hut
8/25 San Diego, CA, The Ruby Room
8/28 Tempe, AZ, Big Fish Pub
8/26 Las Vegas, NV, Meathead's Bar