Kerry King’s new band and Unearth will serve as special guests
This summer, heavy metal mainstays Lamb of God and Mastodon are joining forces for a monstrous co-headlining run. The Ashes of Leviathan Tour will see the two storied acts perform classic albums in full to celebrate their respective 20th anniversaries. Lamb of God will grind out Ashes of the Wake, while Mastodon will churn through Leviathan. The landmark tour kicks off on July 19 at Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie, Texas, and wraps up on August 31 at the The Astro Amphitheater in Omaha, Nebraska. Very special guests will be Kerry King’s new band, along with Malevolence and Unearth, on select dates.
Check out the full tour itinerary below.
The tour is going to be quite the family affair. Hellyeah bassist Kyle Sanders, brother of Mastodon frontman Troy Sanders, plays bass for Kerry King. Their brother, Darren Sanders, serves as Mastodon’s guitar tech. The trek should be an experience to remember for the Sanders brothers.
Lamb of God’s seminal outing Ashes of the Wake was released on August 30, 2004 through Epic/Prosthetic. Produced by Machine (Clutch, The Amity Affliction, Crobot), the album hit No. 27 on the Billboard 200 and No. 11 on the UK’s Rock & Metal Albums chart. The record gets off to a running start with the signature track and lead single, “Laid to Rest.” The rest of the disc is anchored by songs like “Hourglass,” “Now You’ve Got Something to Die For,” and the bone-crushing “Omertà.” Since its release, Ashes of the Wake has been certified Gold by the RIAA.
As fate would have it, Mastodon’s sophomore effort Leviathan was released also released on August 30, 2004. Featuring hits like “Iron Tusk,” “Megalodon,” “I Am Ahab,” and the epic “Blood and Thunder,” which features a special guest appearance by Clutch frontman Neil Fallon. The critically acclaimed album took many “Album of the Year” crowns that year, and is widely regarded as one of the best heavy music albums of the last two decades.
A special artist pre-sale launches today, February 6 at 12pm ET. General tickets go on sale starting on Friday, February 9 at 10am local time. In addition, Lamb of God and Mastodon will have special VIP ticket packages available starting today.
Both Lamb of God and Mastodon will be supporting a charity of their choice throughout the tour, and fans will have the opportunity to opt-in to donate at check out when buying their tickets. Lamb of God will support the Living The Dream Foundation, which makes dreams come true for music fans living with life threatening illnesses. Dream Days include hanging out onstage, backstage, and special meet and greets with their favorite bands and artists.
Mastodon will support the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. After their manager Nick John tragically passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2018, Mastodon partnered with the organization and has raised nearly $60,000 to fight the disease and support researchers and patients around the globe. The Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research is focused on finding a cure for pancreatic cancer, and empowering patients and families whose lives are touched by this disease. Founded in 1997, the Hirshberg Foundation funds groundbreaking scientific research, provides patient education and support, and sustains hope that this cancer will be eradicated once and for all.
Last October, Lamb of God embarked their inaugural Headbanger’s Boat Cruise. The outing also featured Mastodon, Hatebreed, Testament, Shadows Fall, and many more. This spring, they are set to perform at the second annual Sick New World festival in Las Vegas, Nevada alongside System of a Down, Slipknot, and more. In 2023, Lamb of God released their acclaimed eleventh studio album, Omens. Featuring the hit single “Nevermore,” the record debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums chart. The band is currently out on the road supporting Pantera once again on the second leg of their North American tour.
Mastodon released their ninth album Hushed and Grim on October 29, 2021. The double-LP featured the GRAMMY® Award-nominated track “Pushing The Tides.” It performed well commercially, peaking at No. 20 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums Chart. It also marked the band’s third straight chart-topping album on Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums.
After much anticipation, Kerry King finally unleashed the first taste of his highly anticipated solo project yesterday [February 5]. His debut single, “Idle Hands,” can be streamed now below. The track is from the Slayer guitarist’s forthcoming album, From Hell I Rise.
For the album, King recruited Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph, Death Angel vocalist Mark Osegueda, Hellyeah bassist Kyle Sanders, and former Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel, who briefly toured with Slayer back in 2018.
The forthcoming LP From Hell I Rise was produced by Kerry King himself, alongside Josh Wilbur (Avenged Sevenfold, Lamb of God, Korn). It is slated to arrive on May 17 through Reigning Phoenix Music. It will be available on CD, cassette, and digital download, as well as several colored vinyl variants. A special vinyl + CD + t-shirt bundle is also available.
July 19 – Grand Prairie, TX – Texas Trust CU Theatre
July 20 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
July 21 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
July 23 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place
July 24 – Orlando, FL – Orlando Amphitheater
July 25 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
July 27 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater
July 28 – Richmond, VA – Virginia Credit Union LIVE!
July 30 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
July 31 – London, ON – Budweiser Gardens
August 1 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Augus 3 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
Augus 4 – Manchester, NH – SNHU Arena
August 6 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheatre
August 8 – Reading, PA – Santander Arena**
August 9 – Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion**
August 10 – Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre @ Freedom Hill**
August 13 – Moorhead, MN – Bluestem Center For The Arts Amphitheater
August 15 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
August 16 – Penticton, BC – South Okanagan Events Centre
August 17 – Kent, WA – accesso ShoWare Center
August 18 – Portland, OR – Theater of the Clouds
August 21 – Los Angeles, CA – The Kia Forum
August 23 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
August 24 – Rio Rancho, NM – Rio Rancho Events Center
August 25 – El Paso, TX – El Paso County Coliseum
August 27 – Magna, UT – The Great Saltair
August 29 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
August 31 – Omaha, NE – The Astro Amphitheater
**No Malevolence, Support from Kerry King & Unearth
Tickets and VIP Packages will be available HERE