At The House Of Blues January 23rd

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All Photos By Lisa Holt Photography

Heavy Metal fans of all ages once again are gathered for the inaugural meeting of metal. You know it's late January when all the metal brothers and sisters gather for music, mayhem and metal community. Home base for this event takes place during the NAMM convention at the House Of Blues in Anaheim. It is always a sold out crowd. METAL ALLEGIANCE was birthed in New Jersey in 2014 by Mark Menghi, Dave Ellefson (MEGADETH), Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER) and Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT). This heavy metal supergroup brings the metal community together annually. Filled with a prominent line up of rotating musicians, METAL ALLEGIANCE is always a spectacular display of sheer metal and camaraderie. Most of the musicians preforming have all been friends and colleagues since the birth of the metal scene in the 1980s. Every year has new additions and new songs on the set list. This year we were treated to some familiar faces like Gary Holt (EXODUS/SLAYER), Doc Coyle (BAD WOLVES/GOD FORBID). Brandon Ellis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER) slaying on guitar was a new face this year, trading shreds with Andreas Kisser (SEPULTURA) and Jeff Loomis (ARCH ENEMY), and another newbie to MA, guitar virtuoso Angel Vivaldi (BLACK MARKET HEROES). The list of musicians goes on and on as the set list includes originals from the METAL ALLEGIANCE albums and covers that include classic metal songs. METAL ALLEGIANCE's commitment to delivering powerful metal and rock performances commence here tonight, bringing together a diverse group of musicians. We also were treated to special guests, Marty Friedman (MEGADETH) and Alyssa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY), Mark Tornillo (ACCEPT), John Bush (ARMORED SAINT), Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth (OVERKILL), Derrick Green (SEPULTURA) and the amazing Troy Sanders (MASTODON) on powerful vocals.

Robert Trujillo (METALLICA) also was a guest along with new additions Jack Gibson (EXODUS/CATEGORY 7) on bass and amazing guitarist Alyssa Day (THE IRON MAIDENS). We also had David Sanchez (HAVOK) on vocals. Everyone got a chance to slay classic metal and rock songs together as a team. This is something I personally love to witness and the fans all know that their love of Heavy metal is shared by their musical heroes. We all reveled together on this night of metal excellence. I never miss METAL ALLEGIANCE, my metal heroes all playing together under one roof for an amazing, unforgettable night in January.

I was also amazed with the opening band WICKED. I had seen them backstage prior to their performance and was really eager to see them just based on their appearance and I was not disappointed. This spectacular looking rock band really delivered a supreme rock experience. WICKED, the self proclaimed "Last American Rock Band", formed 2012 in New York, blends classic 1970s rock and glam. They ripped the stage up and left it all there. Chad Michael on lead vocals and bass player Danny Doll play hard along with drummer Gunnar C and guitarist Scotty V. I loved every second of their set and was amazed at the reincarnation of 1970s Glam Rock right before my eyes. Their set was filled with beauty, sex, glam and hard rock. Back bends, extreme rock poses and massive talent carried us to an amazing rock and roll fantasy. This is a band not to be missed. Setting the stage for METAL ALLEGIANCE, this band more then sufficiently warmed all of us up for the main event. I was glad to have seen and documented this unforgettable evening.

METAL ALLEGIANCE Setlist:

• "Pledge of Allegiance" (Bush, Skolnick, Kisser, Ellefson, Menghi, Portnoy)
• "Fast as a Shark" (ACCEPT cover) (Tornillo, Skolnick, Kisser, Holt, Ellefson, Portnoy)
• "Terminal Illusion" (Tornillo, Skolnick, Kisser, Menghi, Portnoy)
• "Light Up the Sky" (VAN HALEN cover) (Tornillo, Skolnick, Ellefson, Portnoy)
• "Liars & Thieves" (Sanders, Skolnick, Kisser, Ellefson, Portnoy)
• "Let Darkness Fall" (Sanders, Skolnick, Kisser, Menghi, Portnoy)
• "Parasite" (KISS cover) (Sanders, Skolnick, Coyle, Ellefson, Portnoy)
• "Disposable Heroes" (MEYALLICA cover) (Sanders, Kisser, Coyle, Menghi, Portnoy)
• "The Accuser" (Bush, Skolnick, Kisser, Ellis, Menghi, Portnoy)
• "Bound By Silence" (Bush, Skolnick, Kisser, Coyle, Menghi, Portnoy)
• "Hy Pro Glo" (ANTHRAX cover) (Bush, Coyle, Loomis, Gibson, Portnoy)
• "A Lesson in Violence" (EXODUS cover) (Sanchez, Holt, Ellis, Gibson, Menghi, Portnoy)
• "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang" (TED NUGENT cover) (Blitz, Kisser, Coyle, Menghi, Portnoy)
• "Mother of Sin" (Blitz, Skolnick, Kisser, Menghi, Portnoy)
• "Elimination" (OVERKILL cover) (Blitz, Holt, Coyle, Vivaldi, Ellefson, Portnoy)
• "Territory" (SEPULTURA cover) (Green, Kisser, Vivaldi, Ellefson, Portnoy)
• "Symphony of Destruction" (MEGADETH cover) (White-Gluz, Loomis, Vivaldi, Day, Ellefson, Portnoy)
• "Dissident Aggressor" (JUDAS PRIEST cover) (Tornillo, Friedman, Loomis, Vivaldi, Ellefson, Portnoy)
• "Killers" (IRON MAIDEN cover) (Bush, Kisser, Holt, Friedman, Menghi, Portnoy)
• "War Pigs" (BLACK SABBATH cover) (Blitz, Tornillo, Skolnick, Kisser, Trujillo, Menghi, Portnoy)
• "Iron Fist" (MOTORHEAD cover) (Everybody)