Rock Report 11-19-21

Turning 40 is a big deal, and even more so when you’re a band that’s reached a full four decades of music. You don’t get to 40 without doing something right, and Metallica have definitely done plenty right. So, to celebrate the big 4-0, Metallica are doing it up big time by announcing a 40th Anniversary San Francisco takeover. The festivities start off on Thursday, Dec. 16 with White Reaper, who appeared on the Metallica Blacklist album, playing alongside Taipei Houston (featuring Lars Ulrich’s sons) at August Hall.

Tom Morello continues to remain busy working on new music, now revealing that another Atlas Underground album will arrive before the year concludes. And like its predecessor, this one is filled with plenty of special guests. In fact, Morello is previewing three new tracks with such guests as alt-rockers Barns Courtney, Ben Harper, Nathaniel Rateliff and rappers Jim Jones and Chipotle Joe.

Judas Priest singer Rob Halford has confirmed that he was one of several people who received a bullet from late Motorhead frontman Ian Lemmy Kilmeister as a personal gift. He said when Lemmy passed away, I had this beautiful opportunity to speak at his memorial. We had a great get-together; all of us musicians from all over the world, we met in Hollywood and we talked about Lemmy and his great life and the things that he’s left us.