Whatever way you want to slice it, this is not a pretty logo. It's sloppy, splattery and probably smells bad, too. The complete lack of angles is fairly uncharacteristic for extreme metal and the overall effect of the squishy white-on-black letters is kind of nauseating. By the look of things, pretty much any graphically violent or satanic band could wipe the floor with these guys. Hell, even Ratt's logo is more hardcore. Ahh, how looks are deceiving. And if you think the logo's messy, come back tomorrow to check out the band's music, which makes Anal Blast sound like In Flames.

"I think it's the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately." — George Carlin

It is with heavy heart and boundless respect that I dedicate this week's entry to the late, great, comedian-philosopher George Carlin. He was one of the few that could shock, entertain, and educate all in the same sentence. He was a master of "analytical thinking" and his words offered a fresh, sometimes startling, view on everything from sex and psychology to all things taboo including politics and religion. He, along with Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor, was of the last pure social provocateurs.

Carlin made us think about our culture, our flaws, our hypocrisies, and excesses. He fought for freedom of expression and individuality. I may not have always agreed with him or his positions, but he always made me think. Read more...

photo by Jon Wiederhorn

Here's our second clip from Lamb of God's new five-plus hour DVD package "Walk With Me in Hell," which comes out July 1. In this vid, the band discusses their experience bungie jumping off a bridge in Aukland, New Zealand. Click "more" to see who survived the ordeal: Read more...

Normally, we write something a little snarky when musicians appeal to their MySpace readers to choose their video for "Your Vote Counts," but since the new Black Dahlia Murder clip for "Everything Went Black" is so rippin', we'll spare them the public humiliation and consider it a public service to re-air the new video. Despite its excellence, the victory didn't come without a serious challenge from The Dillinger Escape Plan, who called on their MySpace readers to vote "Black Bubblegum" a return trip to the Ball. But the cry came too late and, as the deadline hour hit, it was Detroit's Black Dahlia that emerged triumphant, much to the relief of their fans.

"If I don’t see Trevor and the boys next week I’m gonna %uck $hit up!!" ranted Kim666. "TBDM. Everything Went Black. There is no other logical choice." Read more...

The Gathering land new singer?

There have been some really bad covers of heavy metal songs over the years, and we're not even including any of the ones Pat Boone did on his absurd album In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy (1997). Just off the top of our heads, Die Krupps demolished nearly all of Metallica's biggest songs on their electronic barf bag A Tribute to Metallica (1993), Tori Amos butchered Slayer's "Raining Blood" and Fall Out Boy made mincemeat of Pantera's "Walk" onstage with Every Time I Die singer Keith Buckley. Read more...

Atlanta black/death metal band, Withered, formed in 2003 and have duked it out in the club scene for almost five years. They released their first full-length, Memento Mori, in 2005 and their follow-up, Folie Circulaire came out yesterday. To celebrate, singer and guitarist Mike Thompson wrote us a guest blog about how to help lost, wandering music fans see the light.

After perusing many metal sites, band pages and magazines, I realized how ridiculously huge and widespread the world of “metal” really is nowadays. Not that this is really a revelation for me, but more of a reminder -- especially when considering how rapidly things have grown just over the last few years. Read more...

If you thought Lamb of God's 2005 DVD "Killadelphia" -- which depicted the band members fighting like the dudes in Oasis -- gave you an insider's look at one of metal's most bludgeoning major label entities, wait 'til you you see the group's new double DVD set "Walk With Me in Hell." The package comes out on July 1, but if you're in New York you can see a special sneak preview at Chelsea Cinema on June 30 at 7 p.m, and the full band will be there to greet you.

For the rest of the week, we'll be premiering clips from the nearly five hour DVD set. Click "more" to watch today's footage and read more about the project. Read more...

The only band to return to The Summer Slaughter Tour from last year's lineup, The Faceless are a technical death metal band from Los Angeles that balances virtuosity with demolition to create songs that are so fast you'll crap yourself -- but at least you'll be humming while you're releasing your bowels.

In addition to being precise, melodic and blistering, the band's music is also kind of trippy -- possibly because they've got access to some kickin' medical marijuana. Click "more" to watch MetalInjection.net unlock the story behind the band's recent lineup shifts and find out how easy it is to get medicinal weed in California. Read more...

photo by Hurith, courtesy of www.flickr.com

It's time again to send your favorite video from last week back for next week's show. Last week's winner, Kataklysm, is ineligible for your vote, as are acts that have won in the past two months (Opeth and Dead Child) and videos from before 2007. This week, the field's wide open. Maybe you'll select from our exclusive premieres (The Black Dahlia Murder's "Everything Went Black," Judas Priest's "War" or Emmure's "Sound Wave Superior"). Perhaps you'll go with Disturbed's "Inside the Fire, Machine Head's "Halo" or " Dillinger Escape Plan's "Black Bubblegum." Or, maybe you'll surprise us with something different altogether. That's the beauty of a free democracy.

Click more to see this week's choices: Read more...

One of the wittiest, funniest and most irreverent comedians of all time is gone. George Carlin, whose acerbic humor inadvertently helped the U.S. Supreme Court determine which seven dirty words couldn't be said on television in his bit "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television," died of heart failure on Sunday in a hospital in Santa Monica. He was 71.

The New York Times has printed a lengthy, insightful obituary that's worth a read. And here are a couple Carlin quotes about heavy metal that The Times seems to have missed. Read more...