Speed Reads
The members of Metallica tribute act Blistered Earth have a new reason to love their heavy-metal heroes. After the Washington-based cover band played a gig in Portland, Oregon, last month, their van was broken into and $20,000 worth of gear — their guitars, amps, and drums — was stolen. Blistered Earth wrote about the theft on Facebook and were stunned when Metallica's management got in touch to say that the metal legends wanted to pay for all the missing gear to be replaced. "It's pretty awesome that they would do that," says Blistered Earth drummer Shawn Murphy.