Ninju over at the www.trivium.org has put together some great-looking and easy-to-use codes for all fans of Trivium to trick out their MySpace pages. You can grab them HERE.

Trivium have started their European tour for The Crusade. In support are fellow Roadrunner band Sanctity. Get yer tour dates HERE.

www.trivium.org

Is The Blackening the best metal album ever?

The reviews would suggest as much. We have set up a page to debate such a notion.

Have your say

Blabbermouth reports there are clips of DevilDriver’s music being played on NBC Comedy ‘Scrubs’, you can view the three shirt clips on YouTube:

Clip 1
Clip 2
Clip 3

DevilDriver’s third album ‘The Last Kind Words’ was recorded at Sonic Ranch Studios with Jason Suecof, who has also worked with Trivium. The cover artwork can be viewed at this location.

Speaking to Classic Rock magazine, Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine chats about AC/DC’s ‘Let There Be Rock’ LP:

“When I was in my teens, I lived in Huntington Beach, California, and there was a girl called Cindy who worked at a record store,” Mustaine began. “I used to sell pot, but I would trade her pot for records. She liked to come over to my house to smoke it and [makes a rude gesture], so that's how I discovered AC/DC.

“The first time I put the record on, I was looking at the back cover and wondering, 'What the hell's up with that dude's lip?' But hearing the music, my life… totally changed.

“To me it sounded like something was wrong, like it was too close to my face. Most records are all around you, but this one was right there [spreads his hand in front of his nose]. It was… unsettling.

“I remember everything, from that first millisecond, that little crackle before 'ga-dun-GAR!' in 'Go Down…', to the last guitar noise in 'Whole Lotta Rosie'.

“This album is in my Mercedes right now. Always is, always has been. It's my 'Let's rock!' album. Whenever I have to drive from my [now former] home in Arizona the 120 miles up to Los Angeles, this is the first thing I listen to. I've got radar and laser jammers on my car — hopefully no cop will read this and pull me over — but when I can I like to drive at 100mph, and it's always listening to this!

“I remember the first time I heard the song 'Let There Be Rock', I couldn't understand what 'schmaltz' was, and I thought this guy Bon Scott sounds like he's got peanut butter stuck to the roof of his mouth. But I just started to really love this band. I started collecting everything I could get my hands on.

“Bon was one of my heroes. His pants didn't fit, but for me he remains one of the bad-assed-est — if 'bad-assed-est' is a word — frontmen that there ever has been. I was really sad when he died.

“I remember exactly where I was when I heard — walking across a handball court in my school. I still love and respect AC/DC. Brian [Johnson], and I know he's an absolute star, but it's never really been the same for me since then.

“When I was a kid, I had this huge poster of Angus [Young] and he had his shirt off — schoolboy uniform on, of course — and his guitar strap looked like someone had been hawking loogies all over it. It was disgusting. And he had a big grolly in his nose, too. Years later I spoke to some guy that had worked with them who told me: 'All he does is smoke and drink, so when he plays, he turns into a headbanging snot machine; it goes all over the place!'

“When we played with them a few years ago, I gave Angus a hug, and he's so tiny it was like hugging a little doll.

“Thank God for AC/DC. Great band!”

SOURCE: BLABBERMOUTH

Posted on YouTube is a video message from Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor, who is looking forward to their Australian tour.

Corey Taylor recently spoke with Detroit’s WRIF 101.1 FM and the 22-minute interview has been posted online at this location (Windows Media).

The latest single from “Come What(ever) May” is “Sillyworld“.

SOURCE: BLABBERMOUTH

As if it wasn't good enough that you can get your hands on the new Megadeth album 'Untitled Abominations' on 14th May, this smash of an album will come with limited edition numbered 'First Day Card' through selected indie stores. Be one of the first 100 to register your card and you will receive a free poster and a beermat to rest your drink on while you listen! Not only that, you will be entered into a prize draw to win a stunning Dean Guitar signed by the man himself Dave Mustaine and fellow Megadeth members.

Webisode 7 is now live on Artist Direct here .Watch artist Angry Johnny in action as he creates the artwork for Threads of Life.

www.shadowsfall.com

Will there be a metal release under more of a critical microscope this year than the new SHADOWS FALL? The band is, tangentially at least, tied to a metalcore scene that's seen as glutted and past its expiration date. And they're making their major-label debut after slogging it out for years at the indie level, with a producer whose credits include bands like FOO FIGHTERS. Never mind the years of hard work and no-hope gigging these guys did in the trenches; if the wind is right, you can hear the sound of the self-appointed guardians of metal cool sharpening their carving knives for this one.

And here's the thing “Threads of Life” is slick. It's slick as all hell. From the chunky, muted rhythm guitars to the punchy drums to the smooth-like-buttah multi-tracked wall-of-vocals choruses, the bigger budget shines through here. There's an immediacy to the songs on “Threads of Life” that the band seemed to be trying for before, but lacked either the skill or the time to fully realize. You can almost feel the conscious restraint when the drums leave room for the vocals to take center stage it's a lack of sonic clutter, a decision of what to put where sonically that makes things sound almost orderly.

But give it a few listens, past when the choruses sink in and the genial rockin-ness of the album as a whole settles with you. Put the headphones on and really listen there's a lot going on here. Take opener “Redemption” the guitar lines twist and squirm like writhing animals, never content to settle into mere “riffs,” endlessly tossing out bits of ear candy under the surface even when the vocals are going full-blast. And the soloing! There's some serious old-school guitar hero shit going on here, the kind of playing that's going to inspire a big chunk of MySpace-surfing thirteen-year-olds to head for the guitar shop.

All this talk of ear-friendliness may cause some to worry about heavy moments, but there are still plenty of mosh-worthy bits on “Threads of Life“. “Failure of the Devout” is a thrash monster with nary a clean vocal in sight, and only an acoustic intro right out of 1990-era TESTAMENT to offset the crunch. Even a more midtempo song like “Venomous“, where Brian Fair sings in a more tuneful, Hetfield-ian rasp and the drums propel the catchy riff urgently along, the overall effect isn't lack of heaviness. It's more a newfound confidence and professionalism, if that makes sense, a more forceful presentation that puts these admittedly more accessible tunes over. The band has hit that very elusive line between broadening the appeal of the music and selling out completely talk about the art of balance!

Despite its '80s thrash ballad feel, I'm not 100% sold on “Another Hero Lost“, but the rest of “Threads of Life” is chock-full of memorable songs, impassioned performances, ripping solos, and vocals you'll be singing along to for months to come. SHADOWS FALL have created a record so perfect for this time in their career, so well-executed, its seamlessness almost makes it look too easy. Don't fret, scene police this is the same band you fell in love with in the underground, only better.

Keith Bergman: 8/10

’Threads Of Life’ is in stores now!

See the review first hand at Blabbermouth

Blabbermouth reports Dave Mustaine, Megadeth mainman is an ESP DV8R LTD guitar and Line 6 amplifier from his personal collection via eBay. You can get more information at this location.

‘United Abominations’ is the forthcoming album from Megadeth and is due for release on 15th May. Check out this page for links to tracks from this awesome album!

Adam Dutkiewicz, Killswitch Engage guitarist who underwent emergency back surgery in January during their European shows, has issued the update below:

“So it's become apparent that it will be time for me to rejoin the KILLSWITCH family this summer for the Warped Tour. Yes, I am looking forward to several months filled with dirty fairgrounds, deli meat, beer farts, and endless six-packs underneath the summer sun.

“Muchas gracias to Pat [Lachman, DAMAGEPLAN, HALFORD, DIESEL MACHINE] for filling in on this last tour. He did a sweet job and we all appreciate it…we couldn't have gotten through without him. And also, thanks to all of those who participated in the 'Jerky Across The World' campaign. What started as a cruel joke to flood our A&R representative's office with jerky turned out to be a sweet outpouring of love from the KILLSWITCH ENGAGE fans. You are all too kind, my sincere thanks goes out to all of you (especially Japan…gotta love that octopus and squid jerky)!!!

“See you on Warped. God bless you guys! Long live dried meat products.”

Killswitch Engage’s latest single ‘The Arms of Sorrow’ is taken from their recent album ‘As Daylight Dies’

SOURCE: BLABBERMOUTH