Metal Allegiance will pay tribute to Lemmy, David Bowie, and Glenn Frey on a new EP.
The supergroup release Fallen Heroes on August 12 and say it is in homage to three late music stars – Motorhead man Lemmy Kilmister, David Bowie and Eagles founder Glenn Frey. Pre-orders will be available from July 22.
Metal Allegiance’s rotating all-star line-up includes Megadeth’s Dave Ellefson, Alex Skolnick of Testament, Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater, Charlie Benante from Anthrax, Mike Menghi and Slayer’s Gary Holt.
Their self-titled debut album was released last year.
Fallen Heroes features covers of Motorhead’s Iron Fist, Bowie’s Suffragette City and the Eagles’ Life In The Fast Lane.
Menghi says: “The end of 2015 and most of 2016 has been a brutal year with many of our heroes passing. When Portnoy called me in January to alert me that Glenn Frey had passed, I literally broke down.
“That night after having a few tequila sunrises in Glenn’s honour, a lightbulb went off – we’re going to record a few tunes to honour our fallen heroes.
“I called back Mike that evening and asked him what he thought and the next day we were in the studio recording. By week’s end, all guitars, drums and bass were complete. I can’t begin to explain the influence that Glenn Frey, Lemmy, and David Bowie had on me.
“Each of their music has helped me immensely during some real dark periods of my life and not to mention their influence on me as a musician and songwriter. Lemmy is God, Glenn is King and David is the architect.”
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The EP includes guest appearances from Mastodon’s Troy Sanders, Arch Enemy’s Alissa White-Gluz and Death Angel’s Mark Osegueda.
White-Gluz, who sings on the version of Life In The Fast Lane, says: “I’m really excited to be a part of the Fallen Heroes EP. I think we have all felt the weight of losing so many great musicians this year.
“I think these songs are a cool way to pay tribute to a few people who contributed so much to the world of music and showcase a different side of ourselves.”
Lemmy died last year at the age of 70, while Bowie passed away at 69 in January. Frey, who was 67, also died in January.
Alex Skolnick adds: “These brilliant artists have an extensive catalogue that is sometimes on the softer side, with the exception of Motorhead, of course. So when it came to the Eagles and Bowie, we specifically chose tunes of theirs that are riff-based and translatable to high energy arrangements.
“For Lemmy, we immediately crossed out Ace Of Spades – great tune but the last thing the world needs is yet another cover version – and chose Iron Fist, which we already had a good handle on from playing live and to us is every bit as much a signature Motorhead tune.”
Fallen Heroes was recorded at Conclave Studios in New York and was produced by Mark Menghi and Alex Skolnick before being mixed by Jay Ruston in Los Angeles.
Metal Allegiance play at this year’s Bloodstock festival.
Metal Allegiance Fallen Heroes tracklist
1. Iron Fist featuring Troy Sanders
- David Bowie: A Newspaper History 1947-2016
- Lemmy’s life and Motorhead celebrated in new magazine
- In Pictures: How Metal Allegiance was formed
- Don Henley leads tributes to Glenn Frey
Tour Dates
| Thursday, August 11, 2016 at 7:00PM | Saint Vitus | Brooklyn, United States |
| Sunday, August 14, 2016 at 12:00PM | Catton Park - Bloodstock Festival | Derby, United Kingdom |
