In a press conference held in New York's Times Square, the three leaders of Korn -- frontman Jonathan Davis, bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu and guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer — announced their efforts to help clean up the environment. Their greatest strides, for now, are being made by traveling on the Family Values tour in vehicles that operate on domestically produced biodiesel fuels, reported Chris Harris of MTVnews.com.

The conversion of the group's eight buses and eight cargo trucks will help reduce by almost 50 tons the amount of CO2 emissions the tour produces, Davis said. He added that Korn will encourage the rest of the bands on the festival's bill -- including Evanescence, Atreyu, Hellyeah and Trivium -- to follow suit.

"We all have children, and I just worry about my kid's kids," said Davis, the proud owner of a Toyota Prius. "[I worry about whether] they will have a place to live [and I hope] that they won't have to live underground. I think it's time we really did start trying to do something about getting rid of oil in general. We have the means to fuel cars in different ways. We have the technology to do it. We're doing our part to set the wheels in motion."

In addition, Korn — whose untitled eighth studio album lands in stores today — discussed the launch of Korntastic, the band's own brand of biofuel, which they're cultivating, in conjunction with Music Matters' SMART (Sustainable Minded Artists Recording and Touring) program. The formula, according to the band's publicist, is still in development and will be revealed soon via the band's new Web site, korntastic.com. At some point, Davis said the band would like to release the fuel for commercial consumption.

"We want to do something for our environment," Davis said. "I know it won't happen overnight, but little things like this, everyone being conscious about it ... we can't change the world, but we can all make a difference."

On a less environmental, but equally magnanimous note, Korn said they'll also be giving away free Family Values tickets to all U.S. soldiers on leave who want to check out the concert when the 'fest rolls through their towns.

"We got together with the U.S.O. and we're offering, in any city we're stopping in, free tickets to the show [to members of the armed forces on leave], so that they can have a good time," Davis explained. "We've always looked out for those guys who're going over to Iraq, risking their lives for us. It's the least we could do — offer them some entertainment and have them forget about what's going on over there for a little bit."

Back in November of 2005, the band gave a special live performance on a transatlantic flight to London before an audience of contest winners and eight U.S. soldiers who had served in either Afghanistan or Iraq.

Tonight, Korn will celebrate the release of their self-titled eighth album with a free concert at South Street Seaport.

Complete coverage of the Korn press conference can be found at MTVnews.com.

And now, Korn's environmental friendly video for "Evolution":

When your motto used to be, "It's a satanic drug thing, you wouldn't understand" and you have a history of releasing discs with names like Tab... 25 and Dopes to Infinity, people aren't gonna be too surprised to find out you've got a drug problem. But Monster Magnet frontman Dave Wyndorf seemingly kicked his addiction to heavy drugs. It was the prescription stuff that nearly did him in.

In a recent interview with UK journalist Dave Ling that which was posted on Blabbermouth.net, Wyndorf had a lot to say about the night in February 2006 when he hit the pill bottle hard and almost didn't wake up.

"It had been a long time coming," he told Ling. "Everything began when I couldn't sleep on tour, so the doctors gave me something that would put down a wild animal. This was an anti-anxiety drug; the stuff that airline pilots and astronauts use. I was doing a lot of transatlantic flying, and on a plane one day I just started gobbling them down. All of my paranoias came at me like a giant, three-headed beast. My biggest mistake was not asking for help. The things are supposed to clear you mind before you go to sleep. They wipe out all the worries and concerns you might have, but what I didn't understand is that it's like a computer."

"The problems are not deleted [when you reboot]. In fact they get magnified by ten. It was f---ing horrible. I was utterly powerless, on a slipperly slope. I don't recall doing it but on the day concerned I took the whole goddamn bottle — a hundred pills, man, just like they were a shot glass — and the next thing I knew, I woke up in a f---ing loony bin. [Drugs are] supposedly a gateway into creativity. You know what? It's all a myth. They suck, and they'll get you in the end. They certainly got me."

Monster Magnet's new album, 4 Way Diablo is tentatively due for release on November 2. Now here's the video for "Unbroken (Hotel Baby)":

In 1989, BBC2 television aired a five-part music genre documentary series in the UK called "Arena." One of the episodes, "Heavy Metal," featured live footage from Metallica, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Napalm Death, Motörhead, Slayer and others.

The production features no narration, instead relying on interview commentary and concert clips to place the viewer in the heart of the metal scene and elliptically tell the story of the genre.

Various scenes specifically delve into metal culture: a club full of kids, but no bands, mosh around a dancefloor to music broadcast on a PA; and a kid who couldn't be more than 10 shreds out solos with more agility than most thrash metal veterans.

There are also straight-out humorous moments, like when an interviewer asks W. Axl Rose, "Do you have anything in common with Iron Maiden, and he replies without a pause, "I hope not."

All in all, this is one of the better metal documentaries, one that never stoops down to provide a dull history lesson and always relies on near stream-of-consciousness fim and editing to convey the excitement, chaos and intensity of the music we cherish like no other.

The Big Apple might as well change its name to the Big Korn Cob. Okay, maybe that's a big Korny, but tomorrow will be a pretty big day in New York for the forefathers of nu-metal.

First, the band will set up a Korn field in the middle of Times Square for a noon press conference, then Korn will head over to the South Street Seaport Pier 17 to perform a special live set to celebrate the release of their self-titled eighth studio album, which can be heard streaming in its entirety streaming at The Leak on MTV.com.

The press conference will be held at the Armed Forces Recruiting Station andKorn are expected to talk about the new record,their plans for working with the USO and their upcoming plans to upgrade their environmental efforts on this summer’s Family Values Tour in partnership with MusicMatters and SMART.

The free concert at the South Street Seaport will begin at 6 p.m. After the 45 minute concert, Korn will sign autographs for fans at the J&R store on 23 Park Row. The first 500 fans who purchase the new disc at J&R will receive an invite to a special VIP meet-and-greet.

Korn's Family Values tour, which also features Evanescence, Atreyu, Hellyeah, Trivium, Flyleaf and others, started July 20 in St. Louis. Dates run through September 2 in Irvine, California.

Last week we heard from 3 Inches of Blood singer Cam Pipes about his obsession with Dungeons & Dragons. Now, for our Bang of the Week, guitarist Shane Clark speaks out about his obsession with Clutch and their video for "Electric Worry."

I'm a big fan of Clutch and this powerful video was made for a killer song. I love how there are a lot of awesome camera angles that take a less-is-more perspective by focusing on the band close up. It's very simplistic and showcases the band the way Clutch should be. Towards the end, after you think they've been shooting in a small room, the camera backs up to show that they are on a large stage in a huge theater and it really makes you appreciate the band's intensity.

By now you should be getting pretty used to this clip; Darkest Hour plugged it just three weeks ago. But we aim to please. Here's "Electric Worry":

There was a time in the early '80s when a kid wearing an Iron Maiden shirt would get his ass kicked if he stepped foot into a Black Flag concert. Sadly, the hardcore vs. metal war waged for years, long after members of each genre began expressing admiration for one another's music. It took crossover groups like North Carolina's Corrosion of Conformity, Houston's D.R.I. and New York's Agnostic Front to hammer some sense into audience's heads and create a bridge for the two styles to coexist.

Then, for a while, there was a peacefully aggressive union between hardcore and metal. That's around the time Throwdown frontman Dave Peters began discovering heavy music, as he explains in his articulate and convincing guest blog. Sadly, as Peters says, the metal scene itself has since splintered into a dozen or so subgenres, and there seems to be a growing dissent and intolerance within the ranks of each. So, heed his wise words. Metal is already an outsider's genre, and there needs to be as much support and harmony as possible to keep it thriving outside of the mainstream. But maybe it sounds more convincing coming from Dave:

There’s something that’s been getting under my skin more and more lately. Let me start by saying that when I was ten years old I got into Metallica. Following Metallica was Sepultura, Pantera and eventually Slayer. In 1992, I heard my first song from a local Orange County hardcore band that my friend’s older brother played in called Function. The same kids that showed me the demo tape (yeah an actual tape; Wikipedia it, if you don’t know what I’m talking about) let me borrow their Unbroken tape as well. I kept saying to them that both bands “sound like Pantera without the solos! I love it!” They thought that was funny, but hey it was true enough.

When I went to my first Unbroken show, I was shocked that it wasn’t in an arena or huge theater. I mean, surely if a band were putting out their own tape they must be huge, right? The show ended up being just down the road across the street from the worst mall in California at this place called Olde World Village. They held Oktoberfest there each year, whereupon they hosted a bratwurst cook-off and a wiener dog race too. Both pretty awesome for obvious reasons.

At any rate, the point of my little story is that I found this whole new planet of music that I could afford to see live and that had a similar vibe to the stuff I already listened to at home. I still see it happening that same way today (both ways) and it makes me excited ‘cause it takes me back to my own childhood. Something else I see, though, doesn’t make me so excited.

When I went to that Unbroken show, I didn’t even think about whether or not I was supposed to be there with my Maiden shirt or whether or not the dude in the Mouthpiece shirt was supposed to say he liked my shirt when he let me cut in line with him. I knew what I liked and I went where it was. There weren’t rules about what I was supposed or allowed to like, or if there were I wasn’t aware or paying attention to them. I didn’t think about that then and I still don’t today.

I might be way off base, but I think musical genres were created just to make it a little easier for people to describe a band or artist to someone else – simple tools for reference/comparison purposes. But when the hell did they become these forbidding lines in the sand that people dare not cross? Especially when the genres/sub-genres in question are only slightly different versions of one another to the point that the untrained ear couldn’t tell the difference anyway.

I don’t expect Iron Maiden fans to get down with Jay-Z. I don’t expect George Strait fans to get into Cannibal Corpse. And I know it’s often a stretch for fans of aforementioned artists to even understand one another’s styles (let alone their fans). But how the f--- can someone tell me, for example, they love Hatebreed but hate Slayer? Sure the lyrical content and haircuts are different, but we’re not talking Whitney Houston and Skrewdriver for f--- sake. They’re both great bands that are great for some of the same reasons.

Now, I’m not saying that every Slayer fan should love Hatebreed and vice versa (And I’m just using those two bands as an example ‘cause I like ‘em both and they’ve toured together). I’m just saying if you are into one’s music and “f---in’ hate” the other’s then you’ve got your head pushed so far up your ass, I’m surprised you can hear either of even if you’re standing right in front of the PA.

Maybe it’s because I’m a little older now and I’m seeing things I didn’t before, but it seems like people try way too damn hard now to fit into these imaginary molds that were never actually created but are just -- there.

If you listen to Motörhead, you have to grow a handlebar mustache and tie a flannel around your waist. If you listen to Terror, you wear mesh shorts and a flat brim hat tilted to the side. If you listen to Children Of Bodom, you need long black hair and you play the card game Magic: The Gathering. Jesus H. Christ. I mean, I know there aren’t people out there saying this to other people that are finding these bands for the first time, but there are these general and absurd stereotypes for sub-genres that aren’t that f—in’ different – At least, Not different enough to fuss over trivial bullsh--.

And, while I love and hold in the highest regard “lifestyle bands”(as my friend and I refer to them): bands that embody something bigger than just music, you still have to come back to the fact that what these bands actually do before anything else is make music.

Heavy music -- metal, hardcore, grindcore, death metal, black metal, thrash metal, post-hardcore, metalcore, power metal, speed metal, etc… -- collectively, is still just a drop in the bucket in a vast ocean of music. And that’s something that real fans of heavy music are and should be proud of. It’s a great feeling to be a part of something special that the majority of the world, listening to whatever the radio is force-feeding that month, has no f---in’ clue about and can’t/will never understand. Hell, that’s a huge part of what it all means to us. F--- casual music fans. I don’t have time for them. I live and breathe music. It never let me down and put a roof over my head. So I want to be around people who appreciate it (in their own unique way) as much as I do. But how far do we go? How many sub-genres deep does it really need to go? How cliquey must it get ‘til it ceases to be about the music itself and becomes just about the fashion and less important fodder surrounding it.

I’m not gonna throw the Rodney King quote at you as a punch line ‘cause I don’t give a shit if we all get along. Sure, it’d be nice, but that’s not how it is. All I’m challenging fans of heavy music to do -- young or old y-- is be honest with themselves. That’s what makes the music effective and dangerous – the honesty. Listen to what sounds good to you. Don’t question who is in the band, what country they’re from, how young or old they are, whether there is a chick in the band, whether too many people know about them, what record label they’re on, and certainly not what goddamn genre they’re in. Just decide whether or not you like what you hear first, then worry about whether or not you’ll look cool in their t-shirt.

I had a variety of directions I could go for my music when I was a kid and I have way more today. What brought me here and what always brings me back is the energy and the honesty in it. If you lose the first, you have the watered down radio acts that cite heavy bands as influences because they are starved for cred and are about as real and dangerous as a room full of stuffed animals. If you lose the second --- well, you don’t have even a trace of what makes heavy music important.

Think about that next time you’re at a show trying your hardest to be different from the guy standing next to you -- the guy who is there for the same reason you are.

The correct answer is: a) Vesperian Sorrow.

You could certainly be excused for thinking Vesperian Sorrow are from Scandinavia. Not only do they play symphonic black metal -- the music of choice for the Nordic region -- they also write as if English wasn't their native language. The following is pulled directly from the band's official Web site:

Considered the premiere symphonic dark metal band in North America, Vesperian Sorrow's music evokes the darkest depths of searing human tragedy, juxtaposed with soaring heights of orchestrated symphonic melody. Their undeniable songwriting and passion sets them apart in their genre. In addition to three full-length albums two of which were released by Holland's Displeased Records, Vesperian Sorrow has also been featured on five compilation albums.

Originally started as Unholy Descent in 1994, Vesperian Sorrow was a project from then Death of Millions guitar player Donni, and freelance drummer/Keyboardist Kristoph to express their interest in melodic death metal. Inspired by the likes of bands such as Edge of Sanity, Unanimated, Hypocrisy, and Necrophobic, Donni and Kris started working on Unholy Descent full time after Donni left Death of Millions. Donni and Kristoph played locals shows in Austin, TX and eventually went through various band members until they found William in late 96. Tony and Jerry soon followed to complete the line-up.

In the summer of 97 they changed their band name to Vesperian Sorrow to fit their more melodic style, and recorded their first demo with Stuart Lawrence (ex-Agony Column guitarist). The same year they inked a deal with Dutch metal label Displeased Records for two albums. In 1998, they released their first album “Beyond the Cursed Eclipse”. Despite the production quality of the album, the album gathered many great reviews and put Vesperian Sorrow on the metal map.

In January 2001, they released their sophomore effort “Psychotic Sculpture”, recorded at Music Lab studios with Mark Dufour (ex-Skrew drummer). The album’s production was far superior to their previous effort and gathered much praise and high reviews. “Psychotic Sculpture” also brought the addition of Mike V on keyboards that had joined VS in early 2000.

The next 4 years would be an uphill battle for VS. Mike V, Jerry,and Tony left the band on good terms to pursue their own personal and musical directions. This left Vesperian Sorrow with finding new members and writing a new album which is the reason for the hiatus.

In 2004 Vesperian Sorrow drummer Kristoph and guitarist William opened Amplitude Studios. The same year they started working on their third effort titled "Regenesis Creation”.

2005 brought the addition of Tony back into the band and James Hardin on Guitars. In 2006 with the release of “Regenesis Creation” Vesperian Sorrow has completed shows in UK and a USA/Canadian tour in support of their new release. Vesperian Sorrow decided to release the album on their own label Underscape Records, as they pursue a larger more reputable label to work with. 2006 also brought Sean Hudson in the band to share Keyboard duties with Kristoph.

Vesperian Sorrow is clearly at the forefront of the American symphonic melodic metal scene with their textural symphonic soundscapes and remains one of the few U.S. bands respected by the international metal scene in this genre. Vesperian Sorrow is living proof of the spirit of Symphonic Metal, complimenting and challenging each genre their music touches with power and unfailing intensity.

With tours and shows in Germany, UK, Mexico, Canada, California, New Jersey, Florida, Michigan, Illinois, Arkansas, Tennessee, New York and Texas under their belts, Vesperian Sorrow is ready for the long haul.

You all know Wayne Static -- the Static-X dude with the hair that looks like the Statue of Liberty's crown. Well, Wayne was cool enough to agree to write a guest blog for us about his misadventures on Ozzfest. While he very well might like playing videogames and watching DVDs, Static's not spending his downtime soaking up the latest media. He's out in the trenches getting crazy with other bands on the bill, old-school style. Every entry from Static makes reference to drinking, so, while he's probably not doing his liver any favors, we're guessing he's having more fun than those sober emo bands on the Warped Tour. Now, here's Wayne's world:

7/12/07 White River Amphitheater - Seattle, WA
Ozzfest kicked off today in Seattle at the White River Amphitheater. We actually arrived yesterday to do a soundcheck and meet all the Ozzfest security and tour crew. Once business was over for the day, I started drinking with some of the Lamb of God guys. This year's lineup is pretty crazy, and with Ozzfest being free, we weren't exactly sure how it was going to work, but we knew it would be a good time as always. The show was great! It was really fun being back in Seattle. The crowds are always crazy there, whether we're playing at the White River Amphitheater or at the Showbox. Well, time to get back to drinking.

7/14/07 The Gorge - George, WA
Wow, the show at the Gorge was out of control! You crazy f---ers up in George, Washington really know how to party. There was even a guy out at the FYE tent who had a Static-X logo tattooed on his nipple. Probably the strangest Static-X tattoo I've ever seen! We always love playing the Gorge. It's one of our favorite venues in the world. Gorgeous venue and crazy out of control metal heads! Time to go, the bottle's calling again.

??/??/????
Woke-up, had a few drinks, met some cool fans, had a few more drinks, stumbled onto the stage, did some shots, stumbled offstage, had some more drinks, passed out, woke-up god knows where, god knows when.The end.

7/21/07 Hyundai Pavilion - Devore, CA
What a day! I started off with a few shots of Cabo Wabo, then I got up out of bed and headed out to do some interviews and signings at the Monster and FYE tents. Jose from Sirius Satellite radio was onsite and it was nice talking to him again. We played the Hyundai Pavilion, which is just outside of our home town of Los Angeles. John 5 from Rob Zombie's band joined us onstage to perform "Cannibal." John's an awesome guitar player and it's always an honor to have him perform with us. Afterwards, we partied with some friends who came out to the show and hung out at the backstage BBQ that Hatebreed put on. [Ex-Fear Factory guitarist] Dino [Cazares] was out and gave us a CD by his new band, Devine Heresy, which is awesome! Those guys will be hitting the road with us in October, along with Shadows Fall and 3 Inches of Blood.

Check on this week's Headbangers Ball for a video interview with Static from the Gorge in George, Washington.

Now check out Static-X's video for "Destroyer":

When it comes to drummers and Nashville's acrobatic noise-metal band Today is the Day, nine seems to be the magic number.

The group, which has been putting out albums since 1992, recently hired its ninth, and, according to frontman Steve Austin, best drummer yet. Derek Roddy, who has played with Nile, Malevolent Creation and Hate Eternal, came aboard and his multidimensional playing has allowed the band to explore a new realm of sonic terrorism for the band's upcoming album, Axis of Eden, which comes out September 18.

"He does some of the most extreme and inventive extreme playing I've ever heard," Austin told MTVnews.com's Metal File. "His style is his own and you can't pin him down to one genre of music. He's so super-versatile it blows my mind."Finding Roddy wasn't simply a matter of putting out up a "drummer wanted" ad in the local Guitar Center after the departure of Mike Rossweg (ex-Circle of Dead Children), who played on 2004's Kiss the Pig, but quit because he didn't want to tour. First the band hired Jeff Lohrber, who played in the group for eight months before leaving in November 2005 because of "personal and music differences with Austin." His successor, Graham Leduc, lasted just long enough to record demos for Axis of Eden. And, other dudes were auditioned before Roddy offered his services.

"He's so dedicated it's amazing," Austin said. "When he first contacted me, I said, 'Do you want to hear a copy of the songs before you commit to doing it?' and he said, 'No, are you kidding me? We're doing this. I'm down. I'm not just gonna play in the studio. I love Today is the Day and I want to make it clear that I'm in this band and doing sh-- with you.' And I was like, 'Damn, that's exactly what I need.' "The writing process for Axis of Eden started three years ago and Austin, who produced the record, began tracking late last year. The album was mostly recorded by January, and Austin has spent the last seven months tweaking and finessing the cuts. Tracks include "No Lung Baby," "Free at Last," "If You Want Peace, Prepare for War" and "IED." Austin isn't quite gearing up to take on Al Jourgensen in the "anti-Bush sweepstakes," but he said he just couldn't keep quiet about the sorry state of the world.

"This album definitely has a military and militant feeling to it," he told Metal File. "I'm just trying to expose what's really going on right now with planet Earth. The title is obviously a play on the term 'axis of evil,' and it's a reference to the religious right in America and the power and control they have over things that are going on within government."

For the complete interview with Today is the Day and far more metal news than you'll get from CNN, check out this week's edition of Metal File.

Okay, it's not totally indecipherable, but is sure looks cool. The triangular shape kinda resembles a shield -- or maybe we've just been listening to too much Medieval, swords and sorcery power metal lately. The near-mirror image effect of the second word is pretty effective and the jagged shapes of the letters is very metal. Without any guidance, it might be hard to figure out what these dudes call themselves, but as a multiple choice, it's not the most baffling logo we've ever posted. We'll try harder next week. Here are your choices:

a ) Vesperian Sorrow b) Uuderion Sorrow c) Motorhead d) Uuderion Pomoij