Atlanta metallers, MASTODON, have announced a UK tour in February of next year. You can check out the dates below or by heading over to our tour page.

Sat 5 Feb

SLIPKNOT’s Clown has the whole front cover of tomorrow’s Kerrang! all to himself this week. You can see an image of that cover below and be sure to pick up a copy of the magazine to read Clown’s thoughts on both the original and the reissue of Iowa – it’s a corking article!

ALTER BRIDGE’s AB3.5 is now available to pre-order on iTunes for a modest

WITHIN TEMPTATION have been documenting their tour and you can see the first two video blogs below. In the first video Sharon shows you around backstage, including her wardrobe, and in the second video she takes viewers onstage for a soundcheck and you get to see some tour bus antics.

Video update #1:

Video update #2:

The band also revealed a video last week introducing their new guitarist Stefan Helleblad, which you can see below:

WITHIN TEMPTATION are touring the UK in November and you can find dates by clicking this link.

HARD NEWS CAFE caught up with DREAM THEATER’s James LaBrie before the band’s show in Salt Lake City recently – they spoke about everything from the band’s past, life on the road, Mike’s playing on the new album and more. You can see some extracts from that interview below:

HNC: You’re four shows into the tour now. How are things working out with new drummer Mike Mangini, and how has the fan response been?

LaBRIE: We did a festival run over in Europe during July and the first week in August. We were over there almost six weeks, and the fan response over there was almost overwhelming. Each and every night, he got a standing ovation. People were up clapping and were quite ecstatic with his involvement. He’s infectious. First and foremost, he’s a phenomenal drummer. Secondly, he’s somebody that exudes such a great and positive energy. He draws you into his vibe, and he has such a great aura and is very charismatic on stage.

I think everyone is naturally drawn to him. Each and every day he goes out there and he pulls it off, does what we knew that he would do. I think the beautiful thing about Mike is that he’s been doing this just as long as any one of us has been doing it. He knows what to do, he knows how to prepare, and he knows it’s not just about playing, it’s putting on a good show. He is all of that.

We’ve done four shows in North America, and the fans have responded exactly the same way. They’ve welcomed him with open arms, and it’s quite encouraging to see this — for him especially. It’s very gratifying to see that.

HNC: His playing is solid on the new album.

LaBRIE: Yes. Wait until you see him tonight. He’s phenomenal! He really is a very unique, one-of-a-kind drummer.

HNC: The other exciting part is that we have a whole new production out with us for the rest of the world tour. A lot of people are going to be blown away, and so far they have been. It’s a big step up for us production-wise.

HNC: What was the most difficult song that you’ve had to perform other than Octavarium?

LaBRIE: That’s a good question. It depends on where you’re at. It depends on your mental state and on your physical state. That’s what puts up the challenge as to how you feel or how you connect to any one given tune. That changes, and is never a constant. I never look at a song like “Learning to Live” and go, “OMG, I’ve got to sing that tonight.” Sometimes yes, depending on if I’m not feeling well or am tired. It can even be a very mellow tune that tends to not connect with me, just depending on where I happen to be. I think that question would always change. I’m feeling great, and am right where I want to be vocally. Everything feels good.

Read the full article over on the HARD NEWS CAFE website. You can pick up a copy of the album and find out more about DREAM THEATER on the band’s profile page.

Robb Flynn spoke to LocalBozo.com recently about MACHINE HEAD’s recent release, Unto The Locust and you can hear that interview below:

The Special Edition of Unto The Locust will be released on the 24th of October and you can pick up a copy by clicking this link.

MASTODON recently caught up with Kerrang! to take part in their podcast. Watch the video below as Troy and Brann discuss hearing The Hunter for the first time since they recorded it, how long it took and the process of writing and recording:

Jackson Guitars, Roadrunner UK and MusicRadar have teamed up to offer fans of metal titans, MACHINE HEAD, the competition prize of a lifetime! One lucky winner will scoop a Jackson Phil Demmel signature PDX Demmelition King V electric guitar – in black, naturally – and a signed copy of MACHINE HEAD‘s Special Edition album Unto The Locust, which is out on the 24th of October. Not only will they win the guitar, they will also win a pair of tickets to the show of their choice on the band’s upcoming December UK tour and the winner and their guest will be treated to a private 30-minute tour of Mr Demmel’s live rig before the show from the man himself!

To enter this awesome competition, simply visit the competition page over on MusicRadar and answer the question. The winner will be responsible for their own transport and accommodation costs.

MACHINE HEAD tour in the UK in December with support from Bring Me The Horizon, DevilDriver and Darkest Hour. The dates are as follows:

3 Dec – Wembley Arena, London – Tickets
4 Dec – NIA, Birmingham – Tickets
5 Dec – SECC, Glasgow – Tickets
6 Dec – Central, Manchester – Tickets

Wearing band logos on your t-shirt is, like, so last summer. We all know the 2012 style for showing your band love will be on your FEET. Which is good, because we’ve got a pair of sweet custom Vans trainers from THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA to give away. Answer the question and fill out your details on our Facebook page to be in with a chance of winning!

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