Black Wizard
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JÜPITER’S PYRE supergroup featuring all-star line-up announce collaboration
In what is set to be the biggest Heavy Metal collaboration of 2020, JÜPITER’S PYRE have announced their upcoming studio partnership. This project brings together some of the top Metal musicians who are founding members of some of the genre’s most celebrated bands. The six piece - formed of Axl Rose (GUNS N ROSES), Dave Mustaine (MEGADETH), Jon Schaffer (ICED EARTH, DEMONS & WIZARDS), Gene Simmons (KISS), Joey DeMaio (MANOWAR), Mike Portnoy (SONS OF APOLLO, ex-DREAM THEATER) and Tuomas Holopainen (NIGHTWISH) – are remotely working on material for an album due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
JÜPITER’S PYRE has been a project a long in the making with each member devoting their time to their main bands. However, MEGADETH frontman Dave Mustaine says “All our touring plans have been put on hold for a while, so we thought this would be the perfect time to get this project going!” NIGHTWISH keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen adds “We’d all been discussing this for quite some time but couldn’t make the time in our schedules. These are some incredible musicians and I’m very excited about working with each of them”.
One of the unique aspects of JÜPITER’S PYRE is the presence of two bassists in the band. KISS bassist Gene Simmons comments “I don’t think Joey [DeMaio] and I will clash at all. We’re both quite humble guys and I’m sure that Joey will be happy to take a back seat when I’m doing my thing – this whole band was my idea after all!” MANOWAR bassist DeMaio describes his role in JÜPITER’S PYRE as “crucial”, saying that “I will be the lynchpin, the driving force of this band! Bringing Heavy Fucking Metal to the world is what Joey DeMaio does best!”
Ex-DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy says he is “thrilled” to work with his new bandmates: “These are all great musicians and they’ve made some of the best Heavy Metal in history!” Portnoy also commented on the band’s vocalist Axl Rose: “It’s great to be working with a singer who can still hit those high notes night-after-night! (laughs)”.
ICED EARTH band leader Jon Schaffer has been busy with his side project DEMONS & WIZARDS for the last two years, but thinks that JÜPITER’S PYRE can achieve “great things” together. “There is so much potential here. This is truly a band of brothers. Obviously Dave [Mustaine] and I have lot in common politically so I think there should be some awesome music to come out of this band.”
GUNS N ROSES frontman Axl Rose was unavailable for comment.
JÜPITER’S PYRE is:
Axl Rose – Vocals
Dave Mustaine – Guitar, backing vocals
Jon Schaffer – Guitar, backing vocals
Gene Simmons – Bass, backing vocals
Joey DeMaio - Bass
Mike Portnoy – Drums, backing vocals
Tuomas Holopainen – Keyboard
JÜPITER’S PYRE plan to release their debut album via Nuclear Blast in late 2020.
In what is set to be the biggest Heavy Metal collaboration of 2020, JÜPITER’S PYRE have announced their upcoming studio partnership. This project brings together some of the top Metal musicians who are founding members of some of the genre’s most celebrated bands. The six piece - formed of Axl Rose (GUNS N ROSES), Dave Mustaine (MEGADETH), Jon Schaffer (ICED EARTH, DEMONS & WIZARDS), Gene Simmons (KISS), Joey DeMaio (MANOWAR), Mike Portnoy (SONS OF APOLLO, ex-DREAM THEATER) and Tuomas Holopainen (NIGHTWISH) – are remotely working on material for an album due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
JÜPITER’S PYRE has been a project a long in the making with each member devoting their time to their main bands. However, MEGADETH frontman Dave Mustaine says “All our touring plans have been put on hold for a while, so we thought this would be the perfect time to get this project going!” NIGHTWISH keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen adds “We’d all been discussing this for quite some time but couldn’t make the time in our schedules. These are some incredible musicians and I’m very excited about working with each of them”.
One of the unique aspects of JÜPITER’S PYRE is the presence of two bassists in the band. KISS bassist Gene Simmons comments “I don’t think Joey [DeMaio] and I will clash at all. We’re both quite humble guys and I’m sure that Joey will be happy to take a back seat when I’m doing my thing – this whole band was my idea after all!” MANOWAR bassist DeMaio describes his role in JÜPITER’S PYRE as “crucial”, saying that “I will be the lynchpin, the driving force of this band! Bringing Heavy Fucking Metal to the world is what Joey DeMaio does best!”
Ex-DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy says he is “thrilled” to work with his new bandmates: “These are all great musicians and they’ve made some of the best Heavy Metal in history!” Portnoy also commented on the band’s vocalist Axl Rose: “It’s great to be working with a singer who can still hit those high notes night-after-night! (laughs)”.
ICED EARTH band leader Jon Schaffer has been busy with his side project DEMONS & WIZARDS for the last two years, but thinks that JÜPITER’S PYRE can achieve “great things” together. “There is so much potential here. This is truly a band of brothers. Obviously Dave [Mustaine] and I have lot in common politically so I think there should be some awesome music to come out of this band.”
GUNS N ROSES frontman Axl Rose was unavailable for comment.
JÜPITER’S PYRE is:
Axl Rose – Vocals
Dave Mustaine – Guitar, backing vocals
Jon Schaffer – Guitar, backing vocals
Gene Simmons – Bass, backing vocals
Joey DeMaio - Bass
Mike Portnoy – Drums, backing vocals
Tuomas Holopainen – Keyboard
JÜPITER’S PYRE plan to release their debut album via Nuclear Blast in late 2020.
