Clash of the Titans (tour)
Tour by Megadeth, Slayer, Testament, Suicidal Tendencies, Anthrax, Alice in Chains | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A promotional poster for a European show | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Associated album |
Rust in Peace Seasons in the Abyss Souls of Black Lights...Camera...Revolution! Persistence of Time Facelift | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Start date | September 22, 1990 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
End date | July 14, 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Legs | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. of shows |
18 in Europe 49 in North America 1 cancellation 67 in total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Clash of the Titans was a concert tour co-headlined by American thrash metal bands Megadeth and Slayer, which took place in September and October 1990 and again from May to July 1991. Launched in support of their respective albums Rust in Peace and Seasons in the Abyss, the tour had two legs, first in Europe (supported by Testament and Suicidal Tendencies) and second in the United States (with Anthrax as one of the three headliners and Alice in Chains as the opening act). Clash of the Titans is considered one of the most successful tours in heavy metal history, and bridged the gap between the popularity of thrash metal and rise of the alternative rock and grunge scene.[1][2]
History
The tour began in 1990 with a three-week European leg featuring Megadeth, Slayer, Testament and Suicidal Tendencies, promoting their then-new albums Rust in Peace, Seasons in the Abyss, Souls of Black and Lights...Camera...Revolution! respectively.
A second leg in 1991 in the United States and Canada had a slightly different lineup: Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax headlined, and Alice in Chains supported. Metallica was the only one of the "big four" of thrash metal to not participate. Testament was the opening act for the May 26, 1991 show at the Cow Palace in Daly City, effectively reuniting three-fourths of the European lineup.[3]
Alice in Chains was not originally on the bill for the U.S. tour. According to the documentary Get Thrashed, Death Angel was to be the supporting act – however, after a near-fatal tour bus crash, they were forced to bow out.[1] Sepultura was also mooted for the tour, but, according to then-frontman Max Cavalera, "got kicked out", and instead embarked on the New Titans on the Block tour with Sacred Reich, Napalm Death and Sick of It All.[4][5] Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian stated in an interview with Guitar World that they wanted Pantera as the opening act of the Clash of the Titans tour.[1]
"We didn't start making any money until 1991, on the Clash of the Titans tour in the States – not even a dime," recalled Ian. "I got home from that tour to receive a cheque for a sizeable amount and called my accountant, saying, 'There must be a mistake.' We were of Iron Maiden's style of mindset, where we had to have these huge stage sets, and everything went straight back into the band."[6]
Spin-offs
On November 16, 2009, it was announced that the European Clash of the Titans lineup would be reunited after nineteen years on the American Carnage Tour, featuring Megadeth, Slayer and Testament. On July 13, 2010, a second leg of the American Carnage Tour was announced that would feature the American Clash of the Titans lineup: Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax. Neither Suicidal Tendencies nor Alice in Chains featured in either lineup.
Possible reboot
On December 9, 2017, Ultimate-Guitar.com reported that a rebooted Clash of the Titans tour featuring Megadeth, Slayer, Testament and Sepultura was in the works, and scheduled to take place in 2018 or 2019 in support of new albums from these four bands.[7][8] More speculation about a tour similar to Clash of the Titans was renewed in January 2018, when Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine mentioned a potential tour featuring Exodus and three of the "big four" (Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax);[9] a month later, Mustaine tweeted another potential tour similar to Clash of the Titans, titled "The New Big 4", featuring Megadeth, Anthrax, Exodus and Testament.[10]
When Slayer announced their farewell tour in January 2018, it was suggested that the recently-rumored Clash of the Titans tour (also featuring Megadeth, Sepultura and Testament) would take place as part of the aforementioned tour.[11][12][13][14] Although Mustaine cryptically denied that this tour was in the works,[15] he stated in a June 2018 interview with Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon that, "I hope that Megadeth and Slayer get to go one more round somewhere. I think it would be great, especially if it was a 'Big Four' show, but that's entirely up to them. And if it doesn't happen, we've had our share of Slayer and Megadeth shows, and I'll always appreciate those times together."[16] Testament frontman Chuck Billy also commented on the tour rumors, referring to Slayer's farewell tour, "I doubt it, this is Slayer's last tour so this is it. There will be no more Slayer tours, ha ha."[17]
When asked in August 2018 by CBS San Francisco about the possibility of a new Clash of the Titans tour with Slayer and Megadeth, Anthrax bassist Frank Bello stated, "I wouldn't say it's under wraps because I don't know about it. But I would absolutely love for the Big 4 thing to happen again. That would be the right thing to do for everybody. I would love that. I mean, as far as Slayer goes, I'm sure they're going to do more shows next year, but I don't know if we'll be on them, because we do have our album to write. It's all about scheduling and agents and all that. But we'd be open to any of that, specifically the Big 4. I think all four bands that were involved with the Big 4 would love to do it again. But that's totally up to Metallica."[18]
Tour dates
Cancellations
Date | City | Country | Venue |
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June 17, 1991 | Cincinnati | United States | Riverbend Music Center |
References and notes
Footnotes
- 1 2 3 "Clash of the Titans Tour: Iron Giants". Guitar World. April 13, 2010. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
- ↑ "Spreading The Disease: An Oral History Of Thrash Metal". medium.com. March 13, 2017. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
- ↑ "Testament Concert Setlist at Cow Palace, Daly City on May 26, 1991". setlist.fm. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
- ↑ "From 'Schizophrenia' to 'Psychosis:' The Evolution of Max Cavalera". joelgausten.com. November 12, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ↑ "Max Cavalera: Why Sepultura Were Booted Out from the 1991 'Clash of the Titans Tour'". Ultimate-Guitar.com. April 3, 2018. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
- ↑ Ling, Dave (March 2017). "Live! Anthrax". Classic Rock #233. p. 104.
- ↑ "Rumor: Slayer, Megadeth, Sepultura and Testament to Embark on New Version of the 'Clash of the Titans' Tour". Ultimate-Guitar.com. December 9, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
- ↑ "Is the Revamped 'Clash of the Titans' Tour (Megadeth, Slayer, Sepultura and Testament) Actually Happening? Facebook Page Weighs In". Ultimate-Guitar.com. December 28, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
- ↑ "MEGADETH's DAVE MUSTAINE Would Love To Play 'Big Four' Show Where All Bands 'Got Treated Fairly'". Blabbermouth.net. January 30, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
- ↑ "MEGADETH's DAVE MUSTAINE Reveals New 'Big Four'; METALLICA And SLAYER Are Out". metaladdicts.com. February 8, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
- ↑ "Slayer geben Auflösung bekannt, finale Tournee angekündigt". metal.de. January 31, 2018. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
- ↑ "Report: The New 'Clash of the Titans Tour' (Megadeth, Slayer, Sepultura, Testament) Could Be the Last of Slayer". Ultimate-Guitar.com. March 12, 2018. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
- ↑ "Slayer have announced their farewell UK arena tour". tickx.co.uk. May 13, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
- ↑ "The New 'Clash of the Titans' Tour (Megadeth, Slayer, Sepultura, Testament) Might Be a Reality After All". Ultimate-Guitar.com. May 16, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ↑ "Dave Mustaine: There's No Truth to Rumors That Megadeth Will Embark on a New Version of the 'Clash Of The Titans' Tour with Slayer, Sepultura and Testament". Ultimate-Guitar.com. May 21, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ↑ "DAVE MUSTAINE: I Never Said That LARS ULRICH Was Standing In The Way Of More 'Big Four' Shows". Blabbermouth.net. June 27, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ↑ "Testament Interview – MHF". Metalheads Forever Magazine. July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
- ↑ "CBS SF Talks To Anthrax Bassist Frank Bello". CBS San Francisco. August 22, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
- ↑ "Alice in Chains Concert Chronology 1991 ((c) 2005, Dionysian Home Page)".
- ↑ Review of show at Philadelphia Note that review, in 7/3 newspaper, mentions show taking place "last Saturday night", which should be the 29th of June – a date already on this list. More research needed for this venue and the Buffalo one
- ↑ http://www.theciviccenter.com/1991.asp