Metallica Launch Competition for Local Opening Bands, Get Slapped with Cease and Desist/Plagiarism Accusation
Two separate pieces of Metallica news you might find interesting:
1. The band has launched a competition to find local bands to open five of the dates on their upcoming summer stadium tour. These are dates on which only one of their three openers are available to appear, so the winning local band will ostensibly be taking Volbeat or Avenged Sevenfold’s slot. The dates are as follows:
May 19 – Foxborough, MA – Gillette Stadium (also with Volbeat)
June 4 – St. Louis, MO – Busch Stadium (also with Volbeat)
June 14 – San Antonio, TX – Alamodome (also with Avenged Sevenfold)
June 16 – Dallas, TX – AT&T Stadium (also with Avenged Sevenfold)
June 18 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field (also with Avenged Sevenfold)
Here’s the competition part: Metallica is asking the fans to help decide which local band will receive this amazing opportunity. To vote, go to the below website which corresponds with your market. Two finalists from each market will then face off on Metallica’s website, with the final winner once again being selected by popular vote.
St. Louis
San Antonio
Dallas
Chicago
Don’t ask me why there isn’t a link to round one voting for Foxborough, there just isn’t.
2) A couple of weeks ago, we got an e-mail about a band called Opprobrium (formerly Incubus — not that Incubus) and their label, Brutal Records, sending Metallica a cease and desist. The reason for the legal action? Opprobrium and Brutal Records claim Metallica’s recent hits “Moth Into Flame” and “Spit Out the Bone” both stole from Opprobrium’s song “Hunger for Power.” The reason we didn’t report on the tip at the time we received it? Because “Hunger for Power” sounds about as much like these two Hardwired tracks as Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.” This is total nonsense, a blatant publicity grab and possibly an attempt to extort Metallica, who may be inclined to just pay Opprobrium and Brutal Records to fuck off. In any case, the story has since gathered steam from some other press outlets, so we’re telling you about it. But c’mon. This is a ridiculous accusation.
https://youtu.be/EH11hCqyPJI
https://youtu.be/voiU4JkcP7w
