You read it right, it’s Matthew Leone day (27th of July) today! This was declared exactly one year ago, at the Metro benefit show by the governor of Illinois, Pat Quinn.
Matthew was hospitalized (June 30th 2010) with severe brain trauma after intervening to stop a woman he passed on the street from being beaten by her husband. Matthew Leone didn’t have health insurance at the time and more than $50,000 dollar was collected by fans and supporters to pay the medical bills.
Lets all think about how lucky Matthew is and that he is a true hero. This hero should get an overload of hugs this upcoming tour! Let’s make this a trending topic on Twitter! #matthewleoneday

MLfans.net is online for 5 years now and still going strong! Here a short list of sites and parts of the website you shouldn’t miss out!

Forum - Official ML forum. Not a part of MLfans.net!
Graphics - Such as icons and avatars. I’m always accepting donations!
Twitter- Would love to reach the 250 followers till the end of June! Haha. Keep updated about the latest news about the guys!
Youtube – 102 video’s including karaoke, interviews and trips abroad!

The first dates has been announced, more to come!

12th Nov – O2 Academy, Birmingham.
14th Nov – Corporation, Sheffield.

Tickets go on sale Satuday, 18th of June at 10 AM.

Madina Lake rocker Matthew Leone has returned to the stage less than a year after he was left fighting for his life in a coma – and he admits he was terrified of performing live again.

The bassist was subjected to a savage beating in Chicago, Illinois in June last year (10) after intervening in a domestic dispute between two strangers.

He made a remarkable recovery after undergoing brain surgery following the attack, and he wowed fans by returning to the stage at the band’s gig in their hometown of Chicago last month (23Apr11).

Leone tells Kerrang! magazine, “I was really scared. By the time we started with Never Take Us Alive, everything came back to me and felt normal. All that fear just disappeared and the energy of the fans carried me along the whole way.”

Frontman Nathan Leone – Matthew’s twin brother – adds, “We wanted to do this show so badly so we could be Madina again… We’re all so proud of him.”

“As Dresden Codex arrives, each disch is #’d to 2000. Whoever gets #629, will discover a secret” that’s what the guys wrote months ago, and finally someone has  this copy!

The lucky girl is Ebbie, she posted the following pictures:

June, 29th 2010. (Which is the day the incident took place).

READ MORE »

You lot have honoured Madina Lake bassist Matthew Leone by voting him your Hero Of The Year in the 2010 Kerrang! Readers’ Poll.

Matthew was brutally assaulted in June of this year after intervening in a domestic dispute in his native Chicago. He was left in a coma and fighting for his life.

“Being called a ‘hero’ is pretty damn awkward,” he tells Kerrang!. “Regardless, to hear your words and to snatch your killer vibrations is inspiring and profoundly appreciated. The pathetic act of a man beating a woman is the ultimate cowardice. If you’re a victim, don’t tolerate it. You’re better than that. Thanks for the nod and, I must admit, being recognised for getting my ass kicked is kind of enjoyable!”

For the full list of K! Readers’ Poll winners, check out this week’s Kerrang! magazine.

Madina Lake bassist Matthew Leone has spoken to Kerrang! for the first time about the brutal assault in June that left him in a coma and fighting for his life.

Speaking from his home in Chicago, Matthew told Kerrang! that the last three months have been an extremely difficult and emotionally exhausting time, following the horrific injuries he sustained after breaking up a domestic dispute in the West Town area of Chicago in the early hours of June 29.

“I was 15 minutes away from dying,” Matthew tells K!. “So the surgeons sawed my dome open because I had extreme internal brain haemorrhaging. The first surgery removed a third of my skull to allow for brain swelling, while the second surgery was when they put my lid back on and drilled it in with titanium. I had some oral surgeries as a result of my dislocated jaw. I also had a few flatlines on the operating table, too.”

However, despite his medical care, Matthew says that it was the messages of support from Madina Lake fans from around the world that made him want to fight for his life.

“I can’t tell you how much they truly saved my ass,” he adds. “Nathan [Matthew's twin brother and Madina Lake frontman] the letters while I was unconscious in hospital. When I went home for the first time, Nathan and Autumn [Matthew's girlfriend] showed me all the letters, emails and videos. You get to a point where you’re so vulnerable and weak that you almost wanna say ‘Fuck it!’ and throw down your hand. But having that support kept me so happy and surrounded by love – there was no way I was going anywhere!”

For the full interview, which features exclusive pictures from the Leone twins’ private archive, be sure to pick up a copy of this week’s Kerrang! magazine, on sale tomorrow (Wednesday, October 20).