Tim Millar’s big day has finally arrived. Millar, guitarist of Canadian metal powerhouse Protest The Hero, has been growing his beard for three years in hopes of competing in the 2009 World Beard and Moustache Championships. This Saturday, May 23, the Championships will be held in Anchorage, Alaska and Millar will be competing in the “Alaskan Whaler” category.

A film crew will be accompanying Tim as he and Beard Team Canada compete for the first time in this global event. Fans can log on to http://www.beardteamcanada.bigcartel.com/ to support the team and more information about the competition can be found at http://www.worldbeardchampionships.com/ Read more...

We recently posted an item about how a growing number of major bands, including Metallica, Judas Priest and Gojira have chosen to release animated videos over performance-based clips. Now, Heaven and Hell (a.k.a. Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio) have joined the pack. The band's video for "The Bible Black," the first single from their new album The Devil You Know (out tomorrow) features cartoon imagery of a bored angel who discovers an evil book and plummets into Hell, where he meets the cartoon version of Sabbath and Dio. The clip was produced by Joseph A. Russo II and James A. Fino of 23d Films, Inc. and directed by Ben Ceccarelli. Click "more" to watch the video, stream the full album and hear our podcast interview with Dio and bassist Geezer Butler. Read more...

When you're a metal thrashin' madman, family gatherings can be a little awkward. Unearth guitarist Ken Susi seemed to have nipped that problem in the bud by breaking out his guitar and helping his sister's kid, Alison, record the stompin' video "I Want Candy." Take that, Laurie Berkner. Click "more" to watch Read more...

When you pose for publicity photos like tongue-in-cheek metal band Psychostick in the above shot, maybe sex, drugs and fame aren't really an option. But that seems to be just fine with guitarist Josh Key, who titles his HeadbangersBlog.com guest entry, "Screw the Sex, Drugs and Fame... We Tour for Food." Click "more" to read what the dude's got on his plate. Read more...

Clearly they're not strictly a comedy band, but Goblin Cock are funny as s--t. The group is fronted by Rob Crow, who has been involved in such indie rock projects as Pinback and Heavy Vegetable, but don't let that turn you off 'cause Goblin Cock rock balls. Click "more" to learn why and watch three of the band's humorously gloomy videos. Read more...

Unless you're buying them from the dudes who swarm the parking lot after concerts, metal t-shirts are pretty durable. We've still got a Corrosion of Conformity sweatshirt from 1991 and Napalm Death and Entombed shirts from 1993, and each looks good as new despite countless washings with multicolored clothing. But we were amused when we saw this post by BoingBoing.net called "How to Launder Precious Heavy Metal T-Shirts," and if you've been less fortunate than us with your heavy metal delicates, maybe their tips will do you well. Click more to read to article. Read more...

Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan has posted footage on his MySpace of a staged press conference about the first schedule concerts by his side project Puscifer. The shows themselves will take place February 13 to 15 in Las Vegas at the Pearl concert theater at the Palms Casino.

The humorous clip was filmed in black and white by Mike King of Flea Circus Films and depicts Keenan as a military general answering inane questions by clueless journalists, two of which mispronounce the band's name. A third is more interested in finding out information about Tool and A Perfect Circle than he is in learning anything about Puscifer.

Laura Milligan, Paul Greenberg, Jackie Harris, Paul Koslowski, Mark Fight and Ron Lynch co-star in the video, which Keenan describes as "sort of a Dr. Strangelove spoof." Click more to watch. Read more...

Say you've got dreams of heavy metal stardom but you're stuck in Singapore, floating in limbo like Scarlett Johansson's character Charlotte from the Sofia Coppola film "Lost in Translation." Okay, she was in Japan, but you get the idea. You wanna break through and be heard by millions, but there seems to be no way to burst out of the local, insular scene -- or is there?

Michael Kalember, a multi-instrumentalist and metal head with a degree from the Berklee School of Music, moved to Singapore in 1991 with a woman who's now his ex-wife, and has jammed with numerous musicians, taught music and written jingles for TV and radio commercials. And now, thanks to pop star Rihanna and the power of the Internet, hundreds of thousands of people -- if not more -- are hearing him play. Read more...

Cattle Decapitation have never minced words when it comes to their disdain for minced meat -- or any other kind of meat for that matter. So, why would a restaurant in their hometown of San Diego name a burger after the grindcore veterans? Simple, there's no meat in the burger.

The Cattle Decapitation burger at Hamilton's Pub and Cafe is an all-vegan patty made from black beans, garlic, corn, potatoes and a secret mix of spices. The burger comes with homemade pub chips and a side of vegan sweet coconut curry sauce.

The burger is now available on the menu for $7.50. On January 20 Cattle Decapitation's new album The Harvest Floor will be on the menu of most decent record stores and online outlets. Click "more" to find out how you can hear it streaming in full. Read more...

What is it about Japanese adolescents and the instrumental showstopper "YYZ" by Canadian power trio Rush?

By now, you've probably seen the viral video of an 11-year-old girl playing an amazing cover of the song on synthesizer. But we recently unearthed a clip of a 13-year-old bashing out the tune on drums, with just a few tempo gaffs that can be easily remedied on Pro-Tools. Besides, she spins her sticks better than Tommy Lee and smiles through the whole performance. Omedetou gozaimasu!

With the help of the Ancient Ones, maybe we can inspire these two gals to hook up and form the greatest Rush tribute band of all time? It would be so cute to watch them giggle in concert between songs. Click "more" to watch the girl Neil Peart would be proud to adopt. Read more...