On January 25th 2024, Metal Allegiance performed at The House Of Blues Anaheim for their 10th anniversary celebration (which coincided with the return of the Winter NAMM show). The band took over a sold-out venue for an onslaught of killer music.
The core four members of Mark Menghi (BPMD), Alex Skolnick (Testament), David Ellefson (Megadeth, Kings of Thrash, Dieth) and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, The Winery Dogs) all were on-hand for a 2-hour Metal Summit. Culling songs from their own band’s catalogs and original music they added some deep cuts from the bands that got them into music.
In addition to Menghi, Portnoy, Skolnick and Ellefson, the show featured John Bush (Armored Saint), Chuck Billy (Testament), Phil Demmel (Machine Head, Vio-lence), Troy Sanders (Mastadon), Brann Dailor (Mastadon), Andreas Kisser (Sepultura), Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth (Overkill), Gary Holt (Exodus, Slayer), Doc Coyle (Bad Wolves), Hel Pyre (Nervosa) and Chris Poland (Megadeth).
After a killer 16 song set, all the performers came out on stage for two encore songs. First, they played “Damage Inc” (Metallica), then “Damage Case” (Motörhead) and finished off the night with “Iron Maiden”. I have attended several Metal Allegiance shows over the years and they seem to get better every time.
Fans who returned to see the Metal Allegiance at the House of Blues Anaheim for the first time since 2020, right before the world shut down, had options for VIP upgrade packages. Those packages included early access, photo opportunities, collectible posters, and crowd-free merch access.
The night was sponsored by Dean Guitars, ddrum and Heavys Headphones, with opening acts being Dieth, Held Hostage and QUOR.
Metal Allegiance began as a celebration of heavy metal, powered by the almost tribal bond shared between the extreme music community’s most revered trailblazers, armed with a list of contributors onstage (and off) that read like a Wikipedia entry on the genre itself.
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You can also show your support by following us @ThePureRockShop on Facebook and Instagram. Watch for more festival coverage like Rokisland Fest as well as local shows including Mr. Big this past weekend, Lynch Mob, The Guess Who and Extreme early next month. In March, we’ll be on the Monsters of Rock Cruise, and in May, you’ll find us at the M3 Rock Festival in Baltimore.
Live Photos and recap for Metal Allegiance – Anaheim, CA – 1/25/2024 by contributor Joe Schaeffer for The Pure Rock Shop posted on 1/30/2024. Full gallery can be found here.
