Bill Kelliher has been bigging up two of metal’s biggest bands. Get your Sonisphere tickets here!

Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher has been sharing his love of Mastodon and Tool with website, myYearbook.com.

myYearbook.com: You must be excited for your upcoming shows with Metallica.  Have you played with them before?

Kelliher: “We played like ten shows with them back in 2007 and we’re doing a two-month tour with them and Lamb Of God, so I’m very excited. Metallica is definitely a main influence for me. Every day after school I’d come home and plug my guitar in, put on “Master of Puppets” or “Ride the Lightening” and play along for hours. That’s how I got my sound. I always looked up to James Hetfield and those guys. When I was that age it was the perfect band for me to emulate.”

myYearbook.com: Did any bands in particular influence “Crack the Skye”?

Kelliher: “Touring with Tool had a lot to do with mellowing out a lot of the riffs. We tour with Slayer a lot and watch them, but I think for me watching Tool and meeting those guys and seeing the artists they really influenced me. I get influence from a lot of things. The Melvins record, “Senile Animal” — I wore it out listening to it. That’s a great, inspiring record.”

Sonisphere will be headlined by Metallica and Linkin Park and will take place on August 1st – 2nd at Knebworth. Also on the bill will be Nine Inch Nails, Bullet For My Valentine, Avenged Sevenfold, Machine Head, Lamb Of God, Alice In Chains, Mastodon, Anthrax, Airbourne, Thin Lizzy, Killing Joke and The Sword.

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