News : HOLY GRAIL Support ARMORED SAINT

Apr 142010

(New York, NY) – Los Angeles-based quintet Holy Grail has been hand-picked to open for classic metal icons Armored Saint at their only show this year – Friday, May 28^th at the House Of Blues – Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, CA. Armored Saint’s Joey Vera commented, “When I heard Holy Grail, it reminded me of 1982 all over again, which was a great time for the beginning of heavy metal in the U.S. The band’s riffs are both timeless in their familiarity, and a breath of fresh air.” Holy Grail frontman James Paul Luna added, “Opening for Armored Saint is such an honor, it’s like living the dream. I can’t believe they actually know who we are! I’m truly psyched for this one – it’s a great match-up. I just hope I get to meet the band!” Please click here to purchase tickets for the show.

Holy Grail is currently on the road in support of Amon Amarth (please see below for tour dates). The band will play several of the world’s largest metal festivals this summer in Europe, with a slot on the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany. In addition, they have just been confirmed for the Download Festival in Donington Park, UK this June. James Paul Luna recently commented on the Amon Amarth tour, “The tour got off to a bumpy start, since we are also trying to finish our album simultaneously, but once we left Los Angeles everything began running smoothly. The response has been other-worldly! We are converting first-time listeners into fans every night. We’re extremely thankful for this opportunity to get our name out there alongside such heavyweight bands as Amon Amarth.”

In other Holy Grail news, the band has received a nod for “Best New Band” for the 2010 Metal Hammer Golden God Awards. The winners of each category will be determined by public voting online at http://goldengods.metalhammer.co.uk/ and will be announced live at the Eighth Annual Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards. Holy Grail is putting the finishing touches on their debut full-length album, CRISIS IN UTOPIA, due out on Prosthetic Records this summer.

Assembled less than a year ago, Holy Grail is already at the forefront of the new wave of metal that pays homage to such legends as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Dio. The band’s debut EP Improper Burial (released in late 2009), featuring just two original tracks and two covers, has earned Holy Grail significant press accolades including a 2-page feature in hometown paper LA Weekly, a spot on Decibel‘s “25 Most Anticipated Releases Of 2010″ list and inclusion on Metal Hammer‘s “Guide To The Best In The Upcoming New Wave Of Trad Metal”. With monster vocals, not one, but two guitar virtuosos and a thundering rhythm section, Holy Grail’s sound is at once classic, yet contemporary, encompassing the best of traditional metal with a youthful spirit. Holy Grail is James Paul Luna (vocals), Eli Santana (guitar), James J. LaRue (guitar), Blake Mount (bass) and Tyler Meahl (drums).