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First names announced for Graspop Metal Meeting 2008!

 

iron maiden – judas priest – whitesnake – ministry – sonata arctica – bullet for my valentine – volbeat – my dying bride – at the gates – forbidden – hollenthon – deathstars – converge – comeback kid

 

Graspop is pleased to announce the first names for next year’s edition of the Graspop Metal Meeting! How about that for an early Xmas present!

 

In 2008 IRON MAIDEN are undertaking their biggest and most ambitious tour ever with the ‘Somewhere Back in Time World Tour 2008’, playing in 30 countries to over one and a half million fans. Already this tour promises to be a series of sold-out stadiums and major festivals: 125,000 tickets for the band’s three shows in Sweden and Finland sold out in two and a half hours. Naturally Graspop was more than happy to welcome IRON MAIDEN in what promises to be their best stage production ever! On the Somewhere Back in Time world tour the band will play material almost exclusively from their classic 80s albums with a stage set based on the Egyptian concept of their legendary Powerslave tour of the mid eighties.

During the first leg of the tour Bruce Dickinson will personally fly the ‘tour mobile’, an Astraeus Boeing 757 decorated with Maiden and Eddie designs! Comments Bruce Dickinson: “This enables us to fit everything we need for the show, such as 60 crew members and 12 tons of equipment, into one single means of transport. We intend to give the fans something very special to remember with this project. And it allows me to combine two of my greatest passions, music and flying!”.

 

Another standard-bearer of the NWOBHM is JUDAS PRIEST. Albums like ‘British Steel’, ‘Screaming for Vengeance’, ‘Defenders of the Faith’ and ‘Painkiller’ helped put Great Britain on the heavy metal map. Their much anticipated ‘Nostradamus’ album is set for a May 2008 release.

 

With WHITESNAKE we’ve managed to snare yet another top-rated British act, or perhaps we should say American act now frontman and former Deep Purple vocalist David Coverdale has officially become an American citizen. The band’s most famous album is ‘1987’, released in the same year, and with hits like ‘Here I Go Again’ and ‘Is This Love’.

 

Following their 1996 split, Swedish death metal legends AT THE GATES have reformed for what the band members claim is a one-time reunion tour. The Swedes were the founders of the infamous ‘Gothenburg sound’ and their ‘Slaughter of the Soul’ album proved a great inspiration to the likes of Trivium, Lamb of God, God Forbid and many others.

 

US thrash metallers FORBIDDEN are yet another band making a comeback with a series of gigs both in the US and in Europe. Originally called Forbidden Evil, the band ceased to exist in 1997 but reformed briefly in 2001 for ‘Thrash of the Titans’, a thrash festival organised for a charitable cause. FORBIDDEN are bringing their original line-up to Dessel: Russ Anderson, Craig Locicero (ex-Death guitarist), Matt Comacho, Glen Alvelais (ex-Testament guitarist), Paul Bostoph (Testament drummer, ex-Exodus en ex-Slayer guitarist).

 

Graspop Metal Meeting 2008 is not just about resurrecting old glory, it’s also about saying goodbye to MINISTRY! The industrial project of frontman Al Jourgensen is calling it quits. The band are currently recording their final album ‘The Last Sucker’, which will be released shortly. Don’t miss out on the last Belgian show of the world’s premier industrial metal band!

 

We are pleased to welcome VOLBEAT again after their unforgettable performance in the Metaldome last year. This year the Danes can set the marquee afire with such staple songs as ‘I Only Wanna Be with You’, ‘Sad Man’s Tongue’ and ‘Radio Girl’.

 

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, SONATA ARCTICA, MY DYING BRIDE, HOLLENTHON, DEATHSTARS, CONVERGE and COMEBACK KID have also been confirmed for GMM2008.

 

More names to follow soon!

 

TICKET INFORMATION

 

Soon more information about the ticket presale.