Recently, a growing number of metal bands are choosing to release animated videos instead of the normal performance or vaguely concept-oriented clips. The latest to cross over to the art side is Gojira, who hired Spanish artist Jossie Malis to render abstract and psychedelic images for their "All the Tears" video.

Late last year, Metallica released the animated "All Nightmare Long," which was created by Roboshobo (a.k.a. Robert Schober), who also directed Mastodon's excellent "Sleeping Giant." And Japanese eccentrics Dir En Grey have become well known for combining weird animation, surreal, unsettling live footage and performance shots, as they did on the new, trippy "Dozing Green," which was created with their longtime director Hiroyuki Kondo. 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...

Japanese art-metal band Dir En Grey have already proven their immense visual creativity with striking videos for "Saku," "The Final" and "Agitated Screams of Maggots." The band's new clip for "Dozing Green" continues the tradition with footage from Kazuo Umezu's horror manga "The Drifting Classroom."

"Being one of the most renown in its genre, the manga depicts cruel imagery of a battle for survival by a group of elementary school children," says guitarist Kaoru. "The story was also adopted into a Japanese drama series with a more modern twist. We are actually fans of Mr. Umezu’s works and simply wanted to use his manga in our video. The play in the video shows puppets in an imaginary world created using 'fumie,' or the 'step-on stone.' 'Fumie' are originally stones with carvings of Christ or the Virgin Mary used in the Edo period by officials of the Japanese government to reveal practicing Catholics and sympathizers." Click "more" for additionally commentary and the video, which will debut on air on Saturday's "Headbangers Ball," which airs from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. on MTV2. Read more...

Headbangers Ball can exclusively reveal that Japanese experimental metal band Dir En Grey will release their seventh full-length album, Uroboros, on November 11 on The End Records in the U.S. The disc will come out the next day in Japan on Firewall and November 14 in Europe thorugh Gan-Shin.

Domestically, the album will be available in four format: digital album; CD jewel case; deluxe limited-edition CD digipak with bonus track and DVD; and 12" LP with a digital download card included.

Click "more" to see the tracklist and read our new email interview with guitarist Kaoru. Read more...