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We've almost reached the end of 2008, and we gotta say it was a good year for metal. The genre continued to grow and diversify, as best exemplified, perhaps, by the top headbanging fest of the year, Rockstar Energy Mayhem. In a single day of Mayhem, fans could witness mainstream extreme metal (Slipknot), mainstream regular metal (Disturbed, Five Finger Death Punch), power metal (Dragonforce), lumbering prog/doom metal (Mastodon), contemporary thrash (Machine Head), deathcore (Job For a Cowboy), pre-deathcore/hardcore (The Red Chord), alt-metalcore (36 Crazyfists), female-fronted metalcore (Walls of Jericho) Christian metal/hardcore (Underoath) and hard rock (Airbourne, Black Tide). Read more...

This week's episode of "Headbangers Ball" features no video premieres, no exclusive live footage, nothing you haven't seen before if you're a regular viewer. So why should you tune in? 'Cuz this is the show you dudes programmed all on your own. We've tallied your votes for best videos of the year, and on Saturday we'll run your top 10 choices from 2 to 3 a.m. EST, ending the show with your favorite metal vid of 2008.

Due to the diverse demographics of our viewers, your final 10 doesn't exactly mirror ours, which is why we've included a separate list of our own favorite videos of 2008. If you can't wait until tomorrow night to see who won, click "more" to read both lists and watch the top five vids on each. Read more...

On November 24, Underoath will release the deluxe edition of their new album Lost in the Sound of Separation, which originally came out September 2. The new version features the original CD, a 40 plus-minute DVD about the making of the record, a 56 page black cloth covered book, two sawblade die-cut 10-inch vinyl LPs, a deluxe four-fold box to hold it all and autographs by everyone in the band.

Click "more" to see something that's not included with the package -- two video interview snippets shot by the band specifically for HeadbangersBlog.com. And watch 'em again on  "Headbangers Ball," which airs Saturday from 2 a.m. to 2 p.m. on MTV2. Read more...

The Red Chord frontman Guy Kozowyk has a big mouth, and it's one of his greatest attributes. Here's a dude who speaks his mind and just doesn't give a shit, insulting friends, bands he's on tour with and crowd members who could be wearing his band's t-shirts instead of those by Suicide Silence and Job For a Cowboy. During an interview with MetalInjection.net that went down at this year's Rockstar Energy Mayhem Fest show in Long Island, Kozowyk was in rare form, bantering about diehard Machine Head and Pantera followers, teenage Underoath fans who somehow found their way into his audience and scratchy logo deathcore bands influenced by Korn. In one of the highpoints, Kozowyk busts on the followers of Mayhem bands: "Slipknot has maggots, Five Finger Death Punch has knuckleheads, Suicide Silence has wiggers and we decided that our fans are gonna be called Chordians and that quickly changed to Chodians."

It's way funnier when you see it yourself. Click "more" to check it out. Read more...

For the first time in the history of HeadbangersBlog.com we have a first place tie for "Your Vote Counts." The Sword's "Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians" and Underoath's "Desperate Times, Desperate Measures" garnered the exact same number of votes this week, which means that both will be returning for Saturday's edition of Headbangers Ball.

Click "more" to see both here now. Read more...

Deathcore fan Barack Obama learning to make devil horns

Hopefully, by now most of you have signed up to be part of the MTV Community. If you haven't, you might wanna get your ass in gear -- especially if you want to submit comments to HeadbangersBlog.com or take part in this week's "You Vote Counts" and help determine what video from the last "Headbangers Ball" returns for Saturday's show.

Just scroll to the bottom of the screen and sign up. It’s easy, and all submitted information is confidential. In addition to being able to post comments, MTV Community members will receive access to music and video premieres we can’t offer on the Blog. One thing about the sign-up sheet, though. People are getting a little tripped up by the box asking for the users “Profile URL.” So, here’s what to do.

Under "Profile URL" just type something to identify you — preferably some word that includes a couple numbers. That will then be attached to a long URL address that will be your private address for the site.

We now return to our regularly scheduled post -- "Your Vote Counts." On Saturday, we aired some pretty big premieres by Hatebreed, Underoath, The Sword and Carnifex. Choose one of them or someone else from the list below. The act with the most votes will win a return slot to Saturday's episode. As always, past winners are not eligible and neither are videos from old albums. In other words, only pick from our list. Voting runs between now and 2 p.m. on Wednesday. Click “more” to see the complete list.
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Here's Underoath guitarist Tim McTague talking about the band's new video for "Desperate Times, Desperate Measures." The track comes from their new album Lost in the Sound of Separation, which comes out September 2. Click "more" to read Tim's comment and watch the new video, which debuts on air on Saturday's "Headbangers Ball."
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On May 27, Tampa Florida Christian metalcore band Underoath will release their new live CD and DVD "Survive, Kaleidoscope." But that's not what guitarist Tim McTague is most stoked about. Just last week, the band finished the final tracking for their yet-untitled upcoming album, which is scheduled for release September 2. And judging by everything McTague told Headbangersblog.com it seems likely to be the record to break Underoath out of the metalcore and Christian rock ghettos and earn them respect as a creative, impassioned and original rock outfit.

Click "more" to read what MTVnews.com has to say about the music and to hear our exclusive podcast interview: Read more...

If you've always wanted to watch Underoath drummer Aaron Gillespie get his thumb sliced open with a scalpel, now's your chance. During a Vegas emergency room procedure, Gillespie squirms, whines and narrates with the camera rolling as a doctor slashes open the musician's infected digit, drains the oozing pus and inserts what looks like a shoelace into the open wound. Where did this guy go to med school?

Highlights include Gillespie asking the doctor if his thumb will hurt afterwards, and the physician refusing to answer, and Gillespie enduring one long slice and then exclaiming, "You're still cutting?!" as the doc goes back for a second stab. But be warned, this stuff's more grisly than the last "Saw" movie.

Click "more" to read post-op commentary from Gillespie and watch the bloody video: Read more...

Our podcast with Unearth singer Trevor Phipps starts our with some softball questions about the band's new DVD "Alive at the Apocalypse" and some commentary about the group's new music video for "March of the Mutes," which we premiered earlier today.

But a few minutes into the conversation, things get rolling and Phipps talks about the creation of the Unearth's upcoming record, which they're scheduled to start recording in June with producer Adam Dutkiewicz (Killswitch Engage, Underoath). In addition to discussing the vibe of the seven new songs Unearthed have already written, Phipps addresses the band's emphasis on strong, diverse songwriting and the trials and tribulations that have informed the lyrics. Also, Phipps talks about his passion for touring, the collapse of the record business and the status of his own record label Ironclad Recordings.

Click "more" to hear a stream or download an MP3 of our interview with Unearth frontman Trevor Phipps: Read more...