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.

What started as a jam band playing covers on the Motörhead Motorboat Cruise in 2014, has evolved into a well oiled machine that has offered several albums and countless memorable shows. This April, Metal Allegiance will celebrate their 5th year of existence with four shows on the West Coast.

These special four concerts will feature the core four members - David Ellefson, Mark Menghi, Mike Portnoy, and Alex Skolnick - sharing the stage with Chuck Billy (Testament), John Bush (Armored Saint), and Phil Demmel (Machine Head) and returning to the MA live show ranks after a three year hiatus, Grammy Award winning vocalist/bassist Troy Sanders (Mastodon).

Check out a video invite from David Ellefson below:

Each night will offer a unique experience as with any Metal Allegiance show, you never know who will drop by to join the festivities. For the April 17th show in Phoenix, the band will be joined by Max Cavalera (Soulfly) whereas the April 20th show in San Francisco will include Steve "Zetro" Souza (Exodus) and Gary Holt (Slayer, Exodus). Opening the four nights are Superfix and Weapons Of Anew.

“Five years already?" comments Mark Menghi. "Geez… when I thought of the words 'Metal Allegiance' in my local taco joint and the skeleton of a concept, I never imagined MA becoming what it has become. Only a few short months after that, we were on Motörhead's Motorboat Cruise and on that boat the future of MA as I knew it (well not at the time) is when everything changed as we thought ‘hey, let's write some music together’. Well… 2 full-length albums, an EP and many memorable shows later we’re still intact and stronger than ever. I look forward to celebrating with everyone and hope to see many old faces and new ones at these special shows. Each gig is going to be different with some surprise guests planned for each city. In true MA fashion…Ya never know who is gonna show up?!?!”

Alex Skolnick states, “It’s hard to believe it’s been 5 years! While MA has had some memorable one off concerts recently, tour dates have been relatively rare due to schedules. Now the stars have aligned to make this run of shows possible, including a strong lineup that’s touring together for the first time, some great venues and very special guests. Come celebrate with us!”

“Most bands barely survive one album and a tour," comments David Ellefson. "So to go from our debut all star jam on Motorboat in 2014, to having full length releases and accompanying world tour dates under our belt, five years has packed a big loud punch from Metal Allegiance. I think it shows that great music and friendship have always been at the heart of Metal Allegiance so this five year milestone finds us a perfect celebration for just that! “

Mike Portnoy comments, “5 years of hanging, jamming, thrashing, ball crushing and ball busting with this wrecking crew! I love being able to write, record and perform this music with these guys...it’s always a blast!”

For the four shows, fans will be able to purchase an upgrade VIP package. Below is a list of items included in the package which can be purchasedhere.

- Early access into the venue
- Exclusive pre-show Meet & Greet with members of Metal Allegiance
- Personal photograph & autograph signing with members of Metal Allegiance
- Collectible Metal Allegiance 5th Anniversary poster (which they'll happily sign for you)
- Metal Allegiance Exclusive 5th Anniversary T-Shirt (sizing from Small to 3XL)
- Metal Allegiance Embroidered Logo Two Patch Set (red logo patch and white logo patch)
- Official Meet & Greet VIP Laminate
- Crowd-free access to the merch booth

Metal Allegiance's 5th anniversary dates are as follows:

April
17 - The Van Buren - Phoenix, AZ
18 - The Belasco Theater - Los Angeles, CA
19 - House of Blues - Las Vegas, NV
20 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA