Fact: Slipknot, Lamb of God and MEGADETH will headline the inaugural Knotfest festival in Mexico. Him, Trivium and The Dillinger Escape Plan will also be on the bill at the Foro Pegaso in Toluca on 5 December (15). This year is the third year of Knotfest - Slipknot, the event founders, and Lamb of God headlined the first festival in Iowa in 2012. The event became international last year (14), when Knotfest Japan was staged in Tokyo in November.
Fact: Past and present members of GUNS N' ROSES, Slayer, Lamb of God, Anthrax and Judas Priest have joined forces in the studio to record an album of original material under the supergroup name METAL ALLEGIENCE. The stars previously performed covers at events and on rock cruises like Motorhead's Motorboat, but now they have teamed up for the Nuclear Blast Entertainment collection, which features songs written by former Dream Theater star Mike Portnoy, Megadeth's David Ellefson and Testament's Alex Skolnick. The album is due for release in September (15).
Fact: Lamb of God star Randy Blythe is sharing his photography skills by launching his first exhibition in New York City in May (15).
Quote: "It's pretty humbling for me to see this level of support. I knew my good friends in the music industry would stand by me, but a bunch of legends really spoke up for me. Ozzy and Sharon wrote a letter to the judge. It's really overwhelming, because to think someone like Ozzy Osbourne, who was in Black Sabbath..., even knows that I exist... is extremely humbling." Lamb of God star Randy Blythe is grateful for the superstar support he received while behind bars on a manslaughter charge in the Czech Republic throughout July (12).
Fact: The inaugural Mayhem Festival Cruise, which was to feature high seas performances from Lamb of God and Anthrax, among others, has been cancelled due to "circumstances beyond" the promoters' control. The four-day cruise to the Bahamas was scheduled to set sail from Florida in December (12).