Every October, as the autumn leaves fall and darkness creeps in, the world of music takes a haunting twist. This year, prepare yourself for one-of-a-kind electrifying Heavy Metal Halloween, brought to you exclusively by AXS TV.
The frightful festivities begin with the premiere of Metal Massacre: The Story Of The Legendary Album on October 28 at 9 PM. ET. This documentary takes you back to the dark and gritty world of 1982 when a vinyl compilation called Metal Massacre emerged. It was more than just an album; it was a sonic celebration that kickstarted the careers of iconic bands like Metallica and Ratt, and led to the birth of the legendary independent record label Metal Blade Records.
Dive deep into this tale with all-star interviews, rare photos, and priceless commentary from Metal Blade founder Brian Slagel and his friend and collaborator John Kornarens, as well as Metallica members Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield; Ratt frontman Stephen Pearcy; and Black N’ Blue singer Jaime St. James, among many others. But that’s not all; after the premiere, you can catch an encore presentation of Metal Massacre at 11 PM ET for those who crave more metal madness.
For those unaware, featured the following tracklisting:
- “Cold Day in Hell” – Steeler
- “Live for the Whip” – Bitch
- “Captive of Light” – Malice
- “Tell the World” – Ratt
- “Octave” – Avatar
- “Death of the Sun” – Cirith Ungol
- “Dead of the Night” – Demon Flight
- “Fighting Backwards” – Pandemonium
- “Kick You Down” – Malice
- “Hit the Lights” – Metallica
A second pressing replaced Steeler with Black N’ Blue, while Metallica submitted a second version of “Hit the Lights”. The original version featured Hetfield on bass and guitar, Ulrich on drums, and Lloyd Grant playing a guitar solo. Metallica was also mislabeled as Mettallica on the release.
The Heavy Metal Halloween Saturday block continues with an immersive look at shock rock pioneer Alice Cooper in the documentary Super Duper Alice Cooper, a stream of Judas Priest‘s electrifying set at the Wacken Festival 2015 in Judas Priest: Battle Cry Live At Wacken Festival 2015, and a behind-the-scenes peek at Black Sabbath and their iconic album Paranoid.
Then on Halloween itself, AXS TV will air Biography: The Nine Lives Of Ozzy Osbourne – a look at the life and enduring legacy of one of metal’s most iconic figures, Ozzy Osbourne. So prepare to get spooky.
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