If you head to your local news agent today, you will see that this week’s issue of Kerrang! is jam packed full of Roadrunner treats! First up is a 4K live review of Hatebreed’s London headline show, where the band are described as “…as furiously potent as ever…”. Label mates Baptized In Blood are listed in the mags ‘Rising Stars of 2011’, describing the quartet as “A breathless blend of modern thrash and rampant melodic death metal…” and they have a chat to frontman Joel about what the UK can expect from the Canadian newcomers.

Next up the mag chat to Ko퐌¿n front man Jonathan Davies in a cracking 2 page interview covering the success of the band’s latest offering Ko퐌¿n III- Remember Who You Are and the band’s path from the early 90’s to now.

The main attraction this week however is this issue’s cover star COREY TAYLOR. The Stone Sour / Slipknot frontman answers questions submitted to the mag via their website at the tail end of last year, covering subjects as broad as the future of Slipknot, ruling the planet, keeping his arse nice n’ peachy and much more. As Kerrang! puts it, “It doesn’t matter what the topic is, be it the death of a dear friend, or some lunatic on a club pulling down his trousers for a horribly unique autograph opportunity, Corey Taylor will listen to the question, frame the answer and run with it…“

Pick up the mag now in all good news agents.

Amazon UK have named Roadrunner their Label Of The Month as “the dominant force in the heavier alternative to mainstream rock“. If you head on over to the site now, they are offering a FREE 12 track download sampler as an introduction to the label and offering physical and digital albums at rock bottom prices- with some being available for as little as

“The intensity of their live show is magnified tenfold on the smaller stages, and tonight’s a schooling for any pretenders to the throne in how to do hardcore the right way.”

So states a Punktastic 4/5 live review of the recent London headline show of Hardcore heavyweights

As reported yesterday at blabbermouth.net, the DREAM THEATER camp are indeed hard at work on their new album, set for release later this year.

While the band still has yet to reveal their new drummer, guitarist John Petrucci checked in via his Twitter to offer the following update: “First day in studio and the dawn of a new era for DT. Can’t wait to get the music flowing.” More news on the new stixman and the album as and when we get it!!

We here in the UK already have the promise of some Dream Theater action this coming summer as the band are set to co-headline this year’s High Voltage Festival in London’s Victoria Park. The festival takes place July 23rd – 24th in Victoria Park and you can nab more info and tickets HERE.

This coming Friday- January 7th- MTV World Stage will feature footage from SLIPKNOT’S crushing headline performance at Download Festival 2009- the last major performance with the band’s bassist and founding member Paul Gray who tragically passed away in May this year.

The show saw the guys perform in front of a packed Donington to over 80,000 fans who lapped up the show. The metal special, which will also feature footage from Korn’s Ozzfest performance (30 mins from each band) will be broadcast across the world (ex North America) on the MTV network in over 160 countries! UK viewers can see the show on MTV UK (Sky channel 350 and Virgin Media channel 311) at 11pm, broadcast in high definition. Check your local MTV website for time of broadcast.

The full Download performance can be found on Slipknot’s latest DVD release (sic)nesses, which is in stores now. Pick it up online HERE.

At the tail end of 2010, TIMES OF GRACE began a series of teasers of the tracks from their forthcoming debut album The Hymn Of A Broken Man. The video clips not only feature a sample of the featured track but also stunning imagery to reflect the track.

Today the guys continued the series of clips, only this time, they have launched the clip on their stunning new website www.timesofgraceband.com. Fans if the band should sign up to the site now- it’s free and members will, from time to time, get access to exclusive content before anyone else!

Check out the clip now HERE and have a wander around the site and see what you think!

‘The Hymn Of A Broken Man’ will hit stores on the 17th January. You can pre-order the CD online now with Play.com or digitally over at iTunes.

The folks over at Planet Rock have announced their top picks of 2010 and winning the category for Best Album is our very own SLASH with 2010’s self titled solo debut. Slash was also a runner up in the Band Of The Year and Guitar Hero of 2010.

You can check out the full run of results, which also include mentions of Airbourne and Kiss by pointing your mouse in this direction.

Slash will release a special CD/DVD edition of ‘Slash’, which also received Album of the Year from Classic Rock, on March 7th. Check out the full details of the edition and pre-order at this location.

As you are heading back to work/school/college this Tuesday (4th January), be sure to tune in to The Radio 1 Breakfast Show for on that fateful morning, you will hear a musical dual between none other than DJ Zane Lowe and our very own COREY TAYLOR (front-man with Stone Sour and Slipknot)!!

Tune in Tuesday 4th Jan, at 9am, to hear the hour long duel as Zane steps in to host the Chris Moyles show for a week. Zane and Corey will do musical battle, playing records off against each other, one by one, for a full hour, with one of them being crowned the ‘winner’ by the Radio 1s listeners!!! Be sure to tune in and tweet / text your support for Corey as it plays out on ‘81199’.

You can listen to BBC Radio 1 across the UK on FM, DAB, SKY, Virgin Media and online HERE. If you’re in the USA, you can tune in on Sirus radio, but note the show will be played at 9am your local time and so will not be live. To check it out live and partake in the twittering/feedback, tune in online at 4am EST.

Corey’s most current release is with Stone Sour- Audio Secrecy– and is in stores now. Pick it up online HERE and over at iTunes.

As we see in a New Year today, we wave goodbye to 2010- the year that saw Roadrunner Records celebrate it’s 30th year as a label; a label that has beget some of the biggest names in metal and rock. As we enter 2011 and the new challenges of the music industry it’s good to be able to also look back at what has made the past 30 years so special. In the final installment in our series, we speak to our good friend Brock Lindow from 36 CRAZYFISTS…

In 30 years you will be…
I’ll be a sports bar owner living fat and sassy in Alaska

Best music moment of the last 30 years
Meeting Jonah Jenkins of Only Living Witness

Highlight of your career thus far?
Playing main stage at Download Festival

Crappiest moment in music in the last 30 years.
Ronnie James Dio passing away.

Album from your generation that will be legendary in 30 years.
Only Living Witness – Innocents

Roadrunner classic album
Killswitch Engage – Alive or just Breathing. Some of my best pals are in that band, and that record struck a chord in me that will remain timeless.

The 36 Crazyfists boy’s current album Collisions And Castaways is in stores now. Pick it up online at Play.com and iTunes.

Next in the penultimate interview in our 30th anniversary series with Roadrunner artists, we talk to LAMB OF GOD’S stix-man Chris Adler abut music in the past 30 years and his personal highlights…

In 30 years you will be…
I’m looking forward to staying as active as possible in heavy music. Sooner or later my body might give out, but I’ll never stop listening and loving it. If I can do that from a beach somewhere, no complaints!

Best music moments of the last 30 years?
Starting at 1980 huh….wow. Well we’ve all seen the rise of heavy metal as we know it today in that time. That’s pretty huge for me. The death of rap-metal was a real good move, too.

Highlight of your career thus far
Touring the world has been great and we’ve been very fortunate to have such a long career. The awards, plaques and nominations are all very nice to have as well, but for me I think the highlight has been showing my mom all the magazines we make it in to. She’s very proud and very supportive and it always makes her smile.

Crappiest moment in music in the last 30 years
Two words, Fred Durst. Also, I’ve never been a fan of country music, but I’ve noticed how it has become very pop oriented. I’m sure that drives real country artists nuts, because most of that shit sucks.

Album from your generation that will be legendary in 30 years?
Radiohead ‘OK, Computer’, Refused ‘Shape of Punk to Come’, Meshuggah ‘Destroy Erase Improve’

Roadrunner classic album
Death Symbolic.