Metallica Confirm Orion Music Festival to Return + More Music News

Metallica are set to play the Outside Lands festival, held Aug. 10-12 in their native San Francisco. It'll be their maiden voyage in terms of this particular fest and they are psyched, as music fans. "As a Bay Area resident and as a music fan, going to see Outside Lands every year is a huge thing," drummer Lars Ulrich said. "There's a long, long, long history of experiences and culture and music [in Golden Gate Park]. It's a history that dates back to the Sixties, when bands like the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane would perform free shows in the park."

The skins basher also confirmed that the band wants to continue Orion Music + More next summer. "We had a great experience in New Jersey, and as we look to 2013, we're definitely looking to keep it in New Jersey or to keep it on the East Coast," Ulrich said. Keep it in Dirty Jer-Z, Lars! [Rolling Stone]

Long Island's This Is Hell have dropped their video for "Acid Rain," which appears on their fourth album Black Mass. It's a collection of live footage, capturing the band on stage and rocking the fuck out. It also compiles scenes from life on the road. Watch it now. [This Is Hell Tumblr]

Lordi is parting ways with keyboardist Awa. Her final show will be at Simerock in Rovaniemi, Finland on Aug. 11. Her successor has already been selected and will perform on the band's next studio album, due in 2013. The new keyboardist and new drummer will be revealed along with the masks and outfits of the band, which will be made public before the new album drops.

Awa commented on her exit, saying: "Playing in the band has been an incredible experience and clearly one of the best times in my life. I have always been very fond of Lordi, its music and image, and will surely be following news about it closely. The band and the crew were and will always be a second family to me and I will be missing them and our fans greatly. However, seven years in the band has been physically and emotionally very demanding. You have to be in a band like this 100 %. If you are not able to do that anymore, you have to let go and give space for something new. I want to emphasize that I am not going to leave music or making music, because music is the most important thing to me in life. I am on a creative break now, but have several new ideas already. You will hear about them if and when the time is good. I also believe that I can still be seen behind the keyboards some day." [BraveWords]

If you've got a few minutes of your day and love to look at visually arresting live images of metal bands, then flip through this collection of images taken by renowned New England rock snapper Mary Oullette. She certainly has an eye for her subjects and puts you front and center, night after night, making you feel like you were right there with her at the show. [Loudwire]