Several influential heavy metal musicians, led by Deep Purple’s Ian Gillian and Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, are banding together to help save an Armenian music school that was damaged by an earthquake in 1988, reports Music News.
The pair is joined by Jason Newsted of Metallica, Jon Lord of Deep Purple and Whitesnake, Nicko McBain of Iron Maiden, and Linde Lindstrom of HIM, to create a metal ‘super-group’ called WhoCares.
Their debut single, Out of My Mind/Holy Water, will be released May 6, with proceeds going towards a struggling music school in Armenia.
WhoCares founders Gillian and Iommi first became involved with the country through the 1989 charity project Rock Aid Armenia.
"It was going to Armenia and seeing the actual devastation caused by the earthquake that really made me realize that funds were still needed," explained Iommi. "Despite all the money that was raised last time, here was a music school doing their best, forgotten, in basic tin sheds."
"The idea came as Tony and I flew back from Yerevan together after being inspired by the enthusiasm of everyone there to get this thing done," added Gillian.