Despite its reputation for a tricky commute and arguably eyesore appearance (don’t confuse familiarity with satisfaction, fellow Londoners), the O2 Arena is a fantastic venue space for the Golden Gods and ample notice that metal is still as healthy as it ever was, showing no signs of bowing to austerity measures.

What would we do without this yearly event? 

Well, for a start we’d probably have healthier livers and better hearing in our later years, however many would also be deprived of their chance to postpone their Download hangovers or simply be given a reason to wash off this year’s festival mud and watch some of the scene’s glitterati forget about their day jobs for an evening.  Metal Hammer Magazine’s annual schmoozefest is upon us, and with it a dazzling array of leather, lip gloss & limp fringes.

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Hellyeah Interview

With Vocalist Chad Gray and Drummer Vinnie Paul

www.hellyeahband.com

Interview By Kirsty Birkett-Stubbs

Photography by Michelle Murphy

 

When it comes to rock n roll hotels, the Sanctum in Soho is right up there, and as such it’s roof terrace bar seems like a natural place to meet two of metal’s brothers-in-arms Chad Gray (Mudvayne) and Vinnie Paul (Pantera, Damageplan). Such introduction’s are clearly unnecessary, but today talk is of heavy metal supergroup Hellyeah and the new album Band of Brothers, which by all accounts is ‘the record that people expected of us from the start’. As we talk the album, touring, the end of the world, and seriously expensive drinks, with these two it can only be the real deal..

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Pantera’a Vinnie Paul
Interviewed by Keith McDonald in Jan 2001
 

Pantera – Reinventing Metal
Pantera has become the band that never goes away, the party that just doesn’t end. Despite almost no radio, MTV or other vital musical outlet support, Pantera have to their credit four Platinum albums, three Gold home videos and have grabbed two Grammy nominations in their ten year history. Their rise to the top is nothing short than miraculous. Non-stop touring and incredible live shows have allowed Pantera to accumulate a large loyal following of metal-heads all across the globe. They have recently released Reinventing The Steel, possibly their hardest offering to date and are getting ready to continue their world tour following the freak injury to singer Phil Anselmo. I had the opportunity to speak to Vinnie Paul who filled me in on what’s been going on in the Pantera camp.

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