Visual Darkness dungeon keeper Mike Hrubovcak rocking with Vile

When denizen of the Underworld, Mike Hrubovcak, isn't fronting death metal bands Monstrosity or Vile, he's hunched over a Mac in his darkened cave creating ghastly heavy metal art to sicken the world. Recently, he's been spending a fair amount of time creating t-shirts, prints and posters of his designs to sell via his online store. But he's still found time to create some new illustrations for various groups. Click "more" to see the art work he's recently done for the new album by Rumpelstiltskin Grinder and to hear his thoughts on the images. Read more...

Is this the hottest chick to promote Wacken? She's just one of 15 finalists competing for the title Miss Wacken 2007. Admirers can vote for her or the 14 other candidates at the Sexy Girls of Wacken Web site. The URL also features photos of the girls who didn't make the cut, many of whom are certainly worthy of Wacken accolades as well.

According to a message sent to Blabbermouth.net, 68 girls consented to take part in the contest by having their pictures taken at the Wacken Open Air 2007 festival. The winner will receive a surprise gift. "Last year's winner received a large French luxury fragrance, and this year's special prize is going to be even better," organizers said.

Finalist voting began on September 1 and will run through September 30. We're guessing the 12 babes with the highest viewer ratings will be featured on a Wacken calendar, so vote carefully. And remember, wackers who vote more than once will be disqualified.

No, there were no fireballs at this concert by Norwegian band Silver, just photographer Espen Stranger Seland with a really well timed shot that stands as one of the coolest live photos we've ever seen -- one that captures the firepower and turbulence of an exciting show.

Lots of other cool shots of punk and indie bands, including New Bomb Turks and Nine Pound Hammer can be found at Seland's Official Web site.

Ask Henry Rollins or System of a Down's bassist Shavo Odadjian and they'll agree. The Bad Brains are one of the most under-appreciated bands in the history of music. You think Axl Rose's hissy-fits or Marilyn Manson's absinthe parties are scary? You shoulda been there in the '80s when Brains frontman H.R. went off on one of his wild tirades. The dude even went to jail for splitting open a fan's skull with a vicious swing from his mic stand.

And that's not saying anything about the band's music. For the past 28 years, the Bad Brains have been rocking out, breaking up and getting back to create songs driven by a genuine love for music and an overwhelming sense of spirituality. And few groups have been opened the door for more musical styles.

In the early '80s, the Brains' firestorms of sound lay the groundwork for hardcore, their lyrical positivity inspired straight-edge punk, their hybrids of metal and reggae birthed bands like 311 and their mid-'80 combinations of funk, rapid rhythm shifts and metal were an epiphany for Living Colour, 24-7 Spyz, Mind Funk, Psychofunkapus and, yes, System of a Down.

For a complete history of the Bad Brains, check out this month's Revolver magazine. Now, here's the group's new video for "Give Thanks And Praises"/"Jah Love," which was, conveniently enough, directed by Brains lover, Odadjian.

photo by Hannibal Smith, courtesy of flickr.com

What do we see here? It looks like a pair of Norwegian romantics out for a stroll through the local Wal-Mart. No doubt they're looking for a little hemlock, eye of toad and hair of dog. Or maybe they've run out of that black and white face paint, which keeps them looking youthful and zesty.

Are they planning to pay for those items or will they snap their fingers and disappear in a flash of vapor before a row of startled cashiers? Then again, they're the only ones in the picture so maybe there's no one else in the store. Maybe they sacrificed everyone else, or perhaps they broke in at 4 a.m. after desecrating their local church and, now they're jonesing for snack foods?

Only the devil knows, and he's too busy nurturing a world of hate, disease and world conflict to worry about what these two Darkthrone fans are doing.

While we ponder their wicked fate, here's Cradle of Filth with "Temptation":

We can't even fathom how much this guy must have drank before staggering into a tattoo shop and asking for oversized leg tats of Ratt, Motley Crue, Cinderella and Poison. But if we had such bad taste in music we totally wouldn't share it with the world, let alone post a picture of ourselves on flickr.com. Obviously, that major work cost some serious bucks and even more serious pain. We're fine with the pain inflicted on the dude -- consider it punishment to fit the crime -- but as for the money he spent, it breaks our heart that it didn't go to a worthy cause like The Society for the Research and Embetterment of Double Jointed Canines.

Maybe the list of hair bands is a cheeky reference to the overgrowth of hair on his limbs. If he ever wants that junk removed (the tats, not the hair), he's gonna have to shave his entire leg and endure many hours of painful removal techniques, possibly including skin grafts. We suggest complete leg amputation. That way he won't be able to get hammered and do it again.

Combining the words of the '60s political rockers MC5 with those of Black Panther, Eldridge Cleaver -- a dude we're not sure would have been such a big fan of crossover metal -- North Carolina's Corrosion of Conformity called for fans to help build an army that could help overthrow the system, or at least have a good, violent time at their shows.

Don't bother calling the phone number on the flyer. No one in the band lives there anymore. At the moment, the members of Corrosion of Conformity are actually scattered. Frontman Pepper Keenan is performing in Down, and who knows where guitarist Woody Weatherman and bassist Mike Dean are?

The band's last album, 2005's excellent In the Arms of God, would be a great disc to go out on. Still, we certainly hope C.O.C. will be back -- and not just because they have one of the coolest logos in metal.

Just check out that skull with bad-ass spikes and vicious teeth. And notice how the eyes and nasal cavity form the symbol for dangerous radiation. Rad.

Anyone for "Dance of the Dead"?

This is the coolest photo we've ever seen of a heavy metal moshpit. The demonic swirl of flailing headbangers spinning in a violent circle is pure art. Check out the sole dude in the middle in the eye of what appears to be a very fierce storm. If you look closely, you can even see gritted teeth -- a must for surviving concentric pummeling.

If we had to guess, we'd say Slayer were onstage, but the propeller-like velocity of the rotations lends itself more readily to blasters like Napalm Death or Immolation. Of course, since this photo was obviously shot with a long shutter speed, it's entirely possible someone like Staind or Saliva were playing. And, that's a far more scary notion than a gigantic moshpit devouring everything in its path.

Somewhere in New York there's a walk sign that promotes moshing in the street, traffic be damned.

Of course, careful investigation of the light -- which appears to be missing bulbs in just the right places -- reveals that the rock-worthy sign is really the "don't walk" part of the traffic control equation. If memory serves, the other symbol is a little white poser who appears to be walking.

Then again, considering the moshpits we've seen over the years, we're guessing that the headbangers who flail, lunge and storm through this intersection are intimidating enough to stop traffic. Either that or they have no fear of winding up roadkill.

Mosh on, my fellow pedestrians.

As they say, a picture says a thousand words. But here's about 100.

This black metal warrior is getting caught up on current events and gently relieving his bowels before returning to the fine art of blasphemy and degradation. The fact the the toilet stall lacks walls and a door doesn't seem to bother him, which could indicate total disregard for the rest of the world -- or maybe he's done time on the inside and is used to such awkward seating arrangements.

Either way, it's interesting to see a member of such an extreme subculture doing something everyone can relate with. We just can't help wondering what article he's so engrossed in. We also can't help wondering if he washed his hands after he flushed, but that's just us.

Now, in the spirit of black metal, Here's Dimmu Borgir's video for "Progenies of the Great Apocalypse."