Metallica is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Revolver Golden Gods Awards have been handed out and now it's time to get back to the day-to-day coverage of heavy metal. And that means another edition of "Your Vote Counts."

Last week, we premiered Hatebreed's "Ghosts of War" video, which is totally rippin.' But we also played new videos from Oceano, Static-X and Suicide Silence, among others. Click "more" to vote for your favorite. Only one vote per IP address.The winner will be chosen on Wednesday at 3 p.m. Read more...

We're real fond of the new Cattle Decapitation video for "Regret and the Grave," so we're kinda banking on you guys showing it your support and voting it back for next week's episode of "Headbangers Ball." Now, we're not trying to sway your vote or nothin,' but for some reason we just love the idea of a slaughterhouses being built for humans, and the image of cows forcing people through herding mazes and into tiny little cages -- and we're full-fledged carnivores, though, for health reasons, we're partial to the mistreatment of chickens than cows.

Since new videos by Mastodon, Lamb of God and Dope have already won "Your Vote Counts" recently (meaning they can't win again), and old videos are ineligible, the competition's not all that stiff. Click more to see who Cattle Decapitation are up against and place your vote. Read more...

We don't want to sway voters or anything, but we're pretty sure we're going through the motions with this week's "Your Vote Counts." Sure, Static-X's "Stingwray" video is kind of cool and it does feature a former porn star and all, but it would take a video on the level of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" to top Mastodon's new clip "Divinations."

So, we'll just declare Mastodon this week's winner now and encourage you to leave comments about why the band, the video and director Roboshobo deserve the frickin' Nobel prize of metal. Click "more" to watch the video and see the other contestants who don't have a chance of winning. Read more...

It's hard to believe that 2009 marks the 10th anniversary of Static-X, a blazing outfit that fuses alt-metal, thrash, industrial and even techno into celebrations of nihilism, hedonism and destruction. During their career, about half of their records, including 2001's Machine and 2007's Cannibal, have been rooted mostly in hostility and dissonance, while others, such as 1999's debut Wisconsin Death Trip and 2005's Start a War, contained more melody and groove within the demolition site framework.

Static-X's new album, Cult of Static, which comes out March 17, is a hybrid of both worlds, melding aggressive, insistent riffs and explosive energy with a tangible sense of control and even finesse. Frontman Wayne Static, who writes all the riffs, is joined once again by gifted guitarist Koichi Fukada, who quit in 2000 and was replaced by ex-Dope guitarist Tripp Eisen, only to rejoin the fold after Eisen was arrested in 2004 for statutory rape.

Click "more" to read more and hear our podcast interview. Read more...

photo by Jon Wiederhorn

If you didn't catch the last "Headbangers Ball," you missed video debuts by Static-X, Lamb of God and These Arms are Snakes. Whether you were there or not, here's your chance to vote the best of the batch back for next week's show. Choose ONE video and please include a comment about why it deserves the honor of returning to the ball. Remember, past winners of "Your Vote Counts" are ineligible, so only pick from our list. One vote is allowed per IP address. Polls are open until 3 p.m. Wednesday. Click more to see this week's choices and watch the videos. Read more...

The first video from the upcoming Static-X album, Cult of Static, is kind of about a Chevy Corvette Stingray, but it's more specifically about the driver of the car, ex-adult film actress Tera Wray, who married Static-X frontman Wayne Static last year and stars in the video. According to Wayne, "Stingwray" is a heavy metal love song that encapsulates the danger, excitement and passion of their relationship. Click "more" to watch the video and catch it again on "Headbangers Ball," which airs Saturday from 2 to 3 a.m. on MTV2. Read more...

The new video by industrial metal band Static-X, "Cannibal," comes from the band's upcoming DVD and CD "Cannibal Killers Live," which comes out October 14. The DVD was shot on June 2, 2007 and the 17-song set chronicles songs from the band's 14-year career. In addition to the full concert, the DVD will include all of the band's music videos and an audio CD of the show. A limited edition released October 7 also features a bonus DVD of a 1997 show at Hollywood's Whisky A G-Go. Click "more" to check out "Cannibal." Read more...

Today's guest blog comes from Static-X frontman Wayne Static, who may like "Headbangers Ball," but he probably doesn't log on to HeadbangersBlog.com -- or any Web site for that matter -- too often. Here's why.

Don't get me wrong, the Internet is a useful tool. Even though I dislike it in general, I sometimes shop online and use it for research. I just think that, when it comes to the Web, the bad outweighs the good. I'm old enough to remember life without the Internet, and everyone did just fine without it.

You're probably thinking I'm going to go on a rant about downloading music. Actually, that's only a minor issue in the big scheme of things. The biggest problem I have with the Internet is that the anonymity it provides emboldens people to post whatever they want and not be held accountable. They can lie about virtually anything and many people will accept it as truth. This contributes to the problem of a misled public, which has no idea it's being manipulated. I love this country and I believe in freedom of the press, but freedom should come with responsibility. Read more...

What could Paris Hilton possibly have in common with Filter's frontman Richard Patrick, Slipknot percussionist Clown and Ozzy Osbourne bassist Blasko -- besides a taste for Paris' homemade porn, that is? They've all contributed to the wacko horror film songfest "Repo! The Genetic Opera," the soundtrack of which comes out September 30. The opera also features Broadway star Sarah Brightman, Paul Sorvino, "House of 1000 Corpses" actor Bill Mosely, ex-From First to Last singer Sonny Moore, Skinny Puppy screamer Nivek Ogre and more.

The production was written by Darren Smith and Terrence Zdunich ("Chain of Souls") and directed by "Saw" franchise writer and director Darren Lynn Bousman, who helmed a version of the rock opera when it opened as a stage play in Los Angeles in 2001. The show has also been performed in New York. Repo! "The Genetic Opera" takes place in the future at a time when a worldwide epidemic of organ failures devastates the planet. Out of the tragedy, a savior emerges: GENECO, a biotech company that offers organ transplants... for a price. And those who miss their payments are scheduled for repossession and hunted by The Repo Man. Click "more" to read a guest blog from Bousman and stream eight songs from the offbeat production, which is best described as a cross between "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and "Blade Runner." Read more...

It's a pretty good time for metal. This week, you'll find Shadows Fall's first new studio album in three years, as well as some premo emo metal from the drummer of Underoath and the screamers in Poison the Well. And let's not forget Black Sabbath: The Dio Years, which features three new songs from the only other Sabbath singer that matters.

Shadows Fall — Threads of Life (Atlantic) Okay, here's the question. Will Shadows Fall's ascension from the minor leagues to the majors make them pennant champions or will they be lost in the shuffle? It's too early to say, but they've sure delivered the album that could make them the next Lamb of God. Threads of Life is heavy, immediate and packed with the kind of infectious hooks that echo in your head, even as you sleep. Songs like "Redemption," "Stormwinds" and "The Great Colapse" are less derivative than those of most new American metal bands and they're just as endebted to thrashers like Testament and Exodus as they are to Scandinavians such as At the Gates and In Flames. Seek refuge from the heat in the comfort of the Shadows.
All out War — Assassins in the House of God (Victory) Hardcore metal that combines the minor-key guitar violence of Slayer with the pummeling screamscapes of Sick of it All. The band's fifth release should further help unite fans of hardcore and thrash metal without ever resorting to melodic, sing-songy choruses.

The Almost — Southern Weather (Victory) A more rock-based side project from Underoath drummer Aaron Gillespie, The Almost combines jangly emo guitars, ripping riffs, strained vocal yowls and some pretty irresistible melodies that should appeal equally to fans of Fall Out Boy and Underoath.

American Head Charge — Can't Stop the Machine (Nitrus) The band's third album is a surging mix of metal, alt-rock and industrial music that proves there is still life after nu-metal. Tracks like "JSYK Wired all Wrong" and "Take What I've Taken" could help return the band to the public eye following a few years in limbo.

Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath: The Dio Years (Rhino) For years, Ozzy Osbourne has been the focal point of Black Sabbath. Now it's Ronnie James Dio's turn. In the ‘80s, Dio replaced Ozzy in the band after the Ozzman was fired, and played on three killer albums before drifting into the mist. Black Sabbath: The Dio Years compiles the best of the Dio Sabbath era and features three new songs that fit in well with the rest of their catalog. In case you're still not sold, have a flashcard. Devil horns now, please. http://www.rhino.com/flashcards/blacksabbath/

Poison the Well — Versions (Ferret) Screamo metal fans, this is the album you've been waiting four years for. Following a puzzling stint on Atlantic Records, Versions marks Poison the Well's return to an indie label and a resurrection of the fury and craft that defined them on their debut album, 2002's Tear From the Red. Now mosh and cry.

Static-X — Cannibal (Warner Bros.) This industrial metal band has flirted with various styles including nu-metal, technical metal and hard rock, but with their sixth album, Cannibal, the group has return to the short, sharp shocks and simple arrangements of their 1999 debut, Wisconsin Death Trip, and with crushing results.

Saxon — The Inner Sanctum (SPV/Steamhammer) One of the forefathers of the new wave of British heavy metal, Saxon simply refuse to go away. Their new album, The Inner Sanctum is packed with dramatic arrangements, galloping rhythms and fist-in-sky choruses that'll make you swear 1981 never ended.