With the headbanging release of Texas-based HELSTAR's 30 Years Of Hel on AFM Records, WVOX Metal Mayhem host Matt O'Shaughnessy unleashes frontman/vocalist James Rivera in a prime time interview at 9:30 PM, EST, this Friday, November 16th on WVOX.com worldwide and 1460 AM.

Bobby Liebling of PENTAGRAM and James Rivera of Helstar will perform special one-time-only sets with members of doom / classic metal band SANCTUS BELLUM, at The El Birthday Metal Fest II on December 22nd, at Rudyard’s British Pub in Houston, TX.

The sets with Liebling and Rivera, styled Sanctus Bellum Sanctuary and Sanctus Bellum Sanctus respectively, will see the heavy metal icons performing songs that they have rarely, if ever, performed previously during their lengthy careers.

For the Sanctus Bellum Sanctus set with Rivera, the band will perform a set of classic metal covers reflecting Sanctus Bellum and James Rivera’s shared influences. The set will include material by both well-known and comparatively underground bands and is sure to please fans of Rivera’s extensive body of work.

For the Sanctus Bellum Sanctuary set with Bobby Liebling, the band will perform a full set of 70s Pentagram classics, most of which have not been performed live in decades and some of which have never been performed live at all.

Speaking on the Sanctus Bellum Sanctuary set, Sanctus Bellum bassist Ben Yaker stated that, “anyone who knows me knows that I’ve been a huge Pentagram fan for years and that my favorite incarnation of the band is the 70s lineup. This show has given me the opportunity to select some of my favorite, but often overlooked, Pentagram tracks that I’ve always wanted to hear Bobby perform live. It’s an incredible honor to be able to share the stage with Bobby, who’s been the driving force behind my all-time favorite band, Pentagram, and with James, who’s helmed the most significant metal band ever to come out of Houston.”

The festival, which will feature performances by Sanctus Bellum, CAULDRON (ex-GAMMACIDE), H.R.A., OWL WITCH and SERPENT SUN, celebrates the birthdays of Yaker and Sanctus Bellum guitarist Jan Kimmel.

Artwork for the event by Will Broadbent Illustration, which will be available as a full color 24x36 poster at the show, features the members of Sanctus Bellum, along with Liebling and Rivera, animated as members of the Legion of Doom.

Advance tickets are available at this location.

The El Birthday Metal Fest II

Saturday, December 22nd, 2012, 5 PM

Rudyard’s British Pub

2010 Waugh, Houston, TX 77006

$15, 21+

Sanctus Bellum’s most recent album, The Shining Path, was released on June 12, 2012.

More on Sanctus Bellum at this location.