In 2008 Linkin Park hit the road on the fifth installment of their Projekt Revolution tour, joined by acts including electro-rockers the Bravery, A Perfect Circle guitarist Billy Howerdel's other band Ashes Divide and metalcore stalwarts Atreyu, as well as Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell. Cornell was out supporting his 2007 solo album, Carry On, and during the trek, he and Linkin Park's Chester Bennington traded off guest appearances in each other's sets. Bennington joined Cornell for his performance of Temple of the Dog's "Hunger Strike," and Cornell returned the favor, coming onstage during the second verse of Linkin Park's "Crawling" to finish the song in duet with Bennington. Watch fan-shot video of such performances above and below.

Chester Bennington and Chris Cornell were not only musical collaborators but also good friends. After Cornell's death in May, the Linkin Park singer posted an intense, grieving message to Twitter. He wrote of Cornell, "You have inspired me in many ways you could never have known. Your talent was pure and unrivaled. Your voice was joy and pain, anger and forgiveness, love and heartache all wrapped up into one. I suppose that's what we all are. You helped me understand that. I just watched a video of you singing ' A day in the life ' by the Beatles and thought of my dream. I'd like to think you were saying goodbye in your own way. I can't imagine a world without you in it."

Slayer released their fourth album, South of Heaven, 30 years ago today, July 5th, 1988. The record marked their second collaboration with hip-hop impresario Rick Rubin (whose earth-shattering production on 1986's seminal Reign in Blood paved the way for the California shredders' mainstream takeover), and their highest-charting effort at the time: It reached No. 57 on the Billboard charts and went Gold in the United States.

Of course, at the time South of Heaven was also an album laden with controversy: the songs were slower, the guitars cleaner, the vocals more refined. And yet, despite the knee-jerk reactions of many fans and critics, the LP nonethless stands as a powerful testament to the band's enduring brutality, and more importantly, their willingness to take risks and defy the static expectations forced upon them by thrash metal purists.

While Tom Araya and Co. may have dialed back their tempos on South of Heaven, they didn't sacrifice an ounce of strength: If anything, their mammoth sound merely underwent a growth spurt, leaving us with a lumbering, lethal beast that feels just as deadly almost three decades later. Nowhere is this more evident than in the band's performance of South of Heaven's "Mandatory Suicide" at London's Hammersmith Odeon in 1988, just after the album's release.

Along with the title track, the song's been a fixture of Slayer sets ever since its release, and for good reason. Between Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King's dueling riffs, Araya's bloodthirsty screams, and Dave Lombardo's nonstop percussive assault, it remains one of their biggest shows of force, even if it lacks the fleet-footedness of "Raining Blood," "Angel of Death" and the like. See for yourself below, accompanied by Slayer's abrasive run-through of the title track in New York City (also filmed in '88).

New Hampshire metal outfit Vattnet Viskar are back — but not as you remember them.

Consider Nick Thornbury, the band's co-founder and former frontman, the catalyst. Following Vattnet Viskar's tour behind Settler, 2015's excellent Century Media debut, Thornbury parted ways with the group, leaving the remaining members — guitarist Chris Alfieri, bassist Casey Aylward and drummer Seamus Menihane — at a creative crossroads. Nevertheless, the trio soldiered on under a shortened name, Vattnet, with Aylward as their new frontman. "There is a lot of self-realization when you go through that process," Alfieri says of the shift. "You take an inventory on yourself. We got into the shed a week after and just started writing songs."

Vattnet emerged from that experience with the skeletal compositions that would eventually comprise their new self-titled LP, which is scheduled for release on September 15 via New Damage. The eight tracks on Vattnet are a significant departure from Settler's highly technical black metal, and by extension, Vattnet's musical M.O. writ large. Where their sound was once dominated by tremolo picking and blast beats, Vattnet leans on clean vocals and prog-inflected fretwork à la Isis. After unveiling their new sound with last month's "Dark Black," Vattnet are showcasing their heavy hypnotic sound yet again, today, by way of a mesmerizing visual for "Spun." Check it out below, and pre-order Vattnet here.

Here's what Aylward had to say about "Spun":

"Spun" was the last song I wrote for the record and also the last song we recorded and put together. Conceptually it's about being uncomfortable and very unhappy in your situation at the time, feeling helpless, feeling like it won't ever end. The video touches on this theme by using the idea of searching for light within a world of darkness. While some choose to accept or live within the blackness, others try to find or create a light to see their way out. Definitely a song that poured out of me, as if I needed it exorcised from me. When it was done I knew it had to be the first song on the record, and I'm happy Shay and Chris shared that vision. I feel like it perfectly introduces what you can expect to hear from the rest of the record, albeit it on a pretty dark note.

Slayer were musical guests on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon last night. In addition to ripping through a killer performance of their watershed song "Raining Blood," the icons took part in the show's "Tales From Tour" segment.

The series finds artists looking back at their wildest times on the road — and, man, have these four seen (and done) some shit. Kerry King recalled the band's unsuccessful search through the streets of Amsterdam for a very stoned friend, whom they ended up abandoning (don't worry, there's a happy ending). The band members also shared tales of botched free throws, leaving drum techs behind Roy Rogers truck stops and — because this is Slayer we're talking about — awe-inspiring acts of projectile vomiting. Check out their performance and interview above and below.

Shortly after their 'Fallon' appearance, Slayer headed to nearby Madison Square Garden for the New York stop on their North American headlining tour. The group's latest round of shows behind last year's Relentless continues tonight in Baltimore, Maryland, with dates scheduled through late August. Check here to view the full itinerary of Slayer's summer trek, which features support from Lamb of God and Behemoth.

Speaking with Revolver earlier this month, King revealed that Slayer have new music in the works. "Funny thing is, Repentless isn't even two years old yet, though it seems like it is — but from that session, there are six or eight songs that are recorded: some with vocals, some with leads, but all with keeper guitar, drums and bass," he revealed. "So when those songs get finished lyrically, if the lyrics don't change the songs, they'll be ready to be on the next record. So we already have more than half a record complete, if those songs make it."

"This is actually the most prepared we've ever been for the next record in our history; there's no reason to not do more work, because it's already more than halfway done," he continued. "Just write four or five new songs, and give the others some attention, and we'll be good to go. If we get a down period of time, which I know is coming at the end of this year, maybe we'll focus on that and get to it."

Grave Pleasures, the Finnish death-rock outfit formerly known as Beastmilk, have unveiled the turbulent new anthem "Infatuation Overkill." It's the first single off the band's sophomore album Motherblood, which hits shelves later this fall. The bruising cut finds the group picking up where last year's Funeral Party EP left off, delving into the insanity of modern times by way of an ear-splitting, post-punk fever pitch. 

"Obsession and omnipresent violent lust have become the norm as mania begins to seep into our intrinsic make-up," vocalist Mat McNerney said of the track in an interview with Decibel. "We attempt to portray the feeling of being pulled apart as the volcano erupts on our species and the dawn of man begins to draw to a close." The frontman's self-directed, black-and-white video for "Infatuation Overkill" takes the song's arduous, existential tug-of-war in an appropriately frenzied direction, splicing performance footage with dramatic, darkly sensual scenes which showcase human contact at its most lethal and alluring. 

Check out Grave Pleasures' "Infatuation Overkill" song and video below, and pre-order Motherblood digitally here ahead of its September 29 release date via new label home Century Media. (Physical pre-orders will become available July 29.) 

Grave Pleasures provided the following explanation of the record's themes (and eye-catching cover art) last month:

Like the great sacrament of ancient times that was the blood sacrifice of the mother, we too have laid down our most holy flesh at your feet. This record, which is a bold re-definition of death-rock and our totemic challenge to our pretenders, shall be our most grand and sordid testament. If you have never danced with the skeletons, then this album is your gateway drug to all the nihilistic pleasures of the grave. Apocalyptic post-punk never sounded so desperately bleak and wild yet never grinned so maniacally and writhed so fervently with tongues that whip the tombs. The Kali figure of our cover is the eternal icon of nuclear fear. She presides over the religion of an apocalyptic future. A desolate future we proudly celebrate with caustic music of the most furious punk. Come imbibe and wash your mind in our Motherblood. We're dancing in the lion's mouth. The elevator only goes down.

August Burns Red have just announced a new record, Phantom Anthem, and premiered the album's first single and potentially nightmare-inducing video, "Invisible Enemy."

A first glance it appears that director Samuel Haileen has just filmed the Pennsylviana band performing the explosive song in a range of extreme backdrops, from snow fields to packed concert halls. What's so scary about that, you ask? Well, for starters, it's not actual humans we're staring at, but rather their marionette counterparts: a pack of creepy, dead-eyed homunculi whose eerie appearance, however badass, can't help but stir up uncomfortable flashbacks of that one dummy from Goosebumps, or perhaps 'N Sync's "Bye Bye Bye" video by way of Child's Play.

Phantom Anthem, the follow-up to 2015's Found In Far Away, hits shelves on October 6 via Fearless, and was produced by Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland, who manned the band's last three full-lengths. Watch below (if you dare), and scroll down to check out Phantom Anthem's artwork and tracklisting, plus August Burns Red's upcoming tour dates. Pre-order the album here.

Phantom Anthem Track Listing

1. "King of Sorrow"
2. "Hero of the Half Truth"
3. "The Frost"
4. "Lifeline"
5. "Invisible Enemy"
6. "Quake"
7. "Coordinates"
8. "Generations"
9. "Float"
10. "Dangerous"
11. "Carbon Copy"

Jul. 28 - London, England – Underworld
Jul. 29 - Bristol, England – The Fleece
Jul. 30 - Manchester, England – Sound Control
Jul. 31 - London, England – Underworld
Aug. 1 - Cologne, Germany – Essigfabrik
Aug. 3 - Copenhagen, Denmark – Pumpehuset
Aug. 4 - Oslo, Norway – John Dee
Aug. 5 - Stockholm, Sweden – Fryshuset
Aug. 7 - Helsinki, Finland – Tavastia
Aug. 8 - Tallinn, Estonia – Tapper
Aug. 9 - Riga, Latvia – Melna Piektdiena
Aug. 10 - Warsaw, Poland – Proxima
Aug. 11 - Josefov, Czech Republic – Brutal Assault
Aug. 12 - Bildein, Austria – Picture On
Aug. 13 - Rasnov, Romania – Rockstadt Extreme
Aug. 14 - Sofia, Bulgaria – Mixtape 5
Aug. 16 - Budapest, Hungary – Durer Kert
Aug. 17 - Dinkelsbuehl, Germany – Summer Breeze
Aug. 18 - Allstedt, Germany – Destruction Derby
Aug. 19 - Hamburg, Germany – Elb Riot
Aug. 20 - Stuttgart, Germany – Universum
Aug. 21 - Zurich, Switzerland – Earshakerdays
Aug. 22 - Dornbirn, Austria – Conrad Sohm
Aug. 23 - Aschaffenburg, Germany – Colas Saal
Aug. 24 - Amsterdam, Netherlands – Melkweg
Aug. 25 - Sulingen, Germany – Reload Festival
Aug. 27 - Antwerp, Belgium – Trix Club
Aug. 28 - Paris, France – Petit Bain
Oct. 7 - Camden, NJ – Rock Allegiance Fest
Oct. 15 - Spring, TX – Houston Open Air Festival
Oct. 21 - Sacramento, CA – Aftershock Festival

Rage Against the Machine are a band that is almost impossible to match in their sociopolitical outrage, unbridled energy and groundbreaking creativity. The group hasn't played together since 2011, but Prophets of Rage are out doing their best to keep RATM's legacy alive, and now Stone Sour have joined in that cause, by covering the iconic band's "Bombtrack" — the lead cut off the group's watershed 1992 debut album. Listen to Corey Taylor and Co.'s rendition below.

Stone Sour's bluesy, pissed-off take on Rage Against the Machine's "Bombtrack" is but one of 15 pummeling trips down memory lane featured on Hammer Goes 90s, the companion CD to Metal Hammer's new '90s-themed issue. Elsewhere on the disc, Halestorm cover Soundgarden's "Fell on Black Days," Enslaved tackle Faith No More's "Jizzlobber" and Hatebreed crush Sepultura's "Refuse/Resist."

Stone Sour released their sixth album, Hydrograd, back in June. The band recently announced a slew of fall North American shows behind the record, with support from Steel Panther, Beartooth, Man With A Mission, and Cherry Bombs on select dates. They're also set to perform at Ozzfest Meets Knotfest (a merger of Ozzy Osbourne and Slipknot's respective festivals) in early November. Find a full list of dates here.

Here's the original for comparison:

Hammer Goes 90s Track Listing:

1. Stone Sour – "Bombtrack" (Rage Against The Machine) *
2. Halestorm – "Fell On Black Days" (Soundgarden)
3. Prophets Of Rage – "Shut Em Down" (live) (Public Enemy)
4. Epica – Replica (Fear Factory)
5. Hatebreed – Refuses/Resist (Sepultura)
6. Powerwolf Night Crawler (Judas Priest)
7. Enslaved – Jizzlobber (Faith No More) *
8. Cult Of Luna – Bodies (Smashing Pumpkins)
9. 36 Crazyfists – We Die Young (Alice In Chains) *
10. Fleshgod Apocalypse – Heartwork (Carcass)
11. Whitechapel – Strength Beyond Strength (Pantera)
12. Palm Reader – Bachelorette (Bjork) *
13. The One Hundred – New Skin (Incubus) *
14. Eighteen Visions – March Of The Pigs (Nine Inch Nails) *
15. Were I Blind – Enjoy The Silence (Depeche Mode) *

* Metal Hammer exclusive

Chelsea Wolfe is gearing up to drop her sixth studio album, Hiss Spun, on September 22nd via Sargent House. After sharing its show-stopping lead single "16 Psyche" last month, the California musician has upped the ante further with "Vex," a foreboding track which juggles black metal, industrial rock, and dark, haunting doom pop. In addition to guest vocals from Aaron Turner (Old Man Gloom, SUMAC), "Vex" features some blistering fretwork from Queens of the Stone Age guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen. Listen below, and check out Wolfe's upcoming tour dates here.

Here's what Wolfe has to say about her latest Hiss Spun single:

Every day, at dawn and dusk, a mysterious hum resounds in the deep sea for about an hour. The source of this hum is unknown, but it may be a kind of instinctual guide to the creatures who live in those dark depths, to rise and feed, surviving another day. I follow my own hum, pushing forward despite anxieties, nightmares, and scavengers that try to pull me down into their depths. I also acknowledge my own fragility in contrast to my own strength and anger.

"Vex" began almost as a black metal song, with a pummeling blast beat, thenBen (Chisholm) and I stripped it back to a more industrial electronic sound. Once we were in the studio, Jess Gowrie' s drums and Troy Van Leeuwen' s guitar parts began to shepherd it back toward its heavy origins.

I knew from the beginning that I wanted Aaron Turner' s voice somewhere on this album, and could hear him in my head on "Vex." I had already recorded my vocals for the song but decided to send it to Aaron without them on. Happily, the first time we played it back with both vocal parts they fit together in a very compelling way.

Turner adds:

The invitation to contribute vocals to "Vex" was a welcome—if slightly daunting—prospect. Aesthetically, it's a leap for me to meld a harsh vocal approach with music as melodically inclined as Chelsea's. Added to that was the fact that I was working remotely rather than us all being in a room together discussing the work as it was unfolding. This removed approach to collaboration imposes a distance that can be hard to overcome. That said, feeling apprehensive about trying something and reckoning with the vulnerability of potential failure is more of an impetus to do something for me rather than a deterrent - perhaps increasingly so as time goes on. In the end it was surprising how seamlessly I was able to find my way into the song, and perhaps more importantly, how enjoyable it was to work on. Aside from facing fear as a primary creative motivator, having fun making music is an eternal goal. Working on this track provided an opportunity for both and I'm thankful to CW for entrusting me with their work given the leap of faith required for all involved.

Last year, attendees at Germany's Wacken Open Air Festival witnessed an honest-to-god miracle: Ronnie James Dio appearing in the middle of the stage during a live performance — nearly six years after his 2010 passing. The seemingly-reincarnated icon's run-through of "We Rock" resulted from neither pagan spell nor divine intervention, but rather the power of modern technology. Naturally, I'm talking about Dio's hologram, a uncanny digital clone of the icon right down to the incessant devil-horn slinging and vocal showboating.

Today, Eyellusion, the company who designed the hologram, have announced their plans to take Dio 2.0 on the road this fall. The tour, appropriately titled Dio Returns, will find "Dio" and his backing band — including Dio Disciples vocalists Tim "Ripper" Owens and Oni Logan, on select dates — playing theaters in Europe, South America, Australia and Asia. A North American leg will follow in the spring, with several festival shops planned. Find a preliminary list of dates below, and for an idea of what to expect from "Dio Returns," check out some footage of the hologram's performance at Pollstar Live!'s industry showcase earlier this year.

According to Rolling Stone, "Dio Returns" will feature a constantly-shifting setlist, with highlights spanning the legend's whole career. In addition to stand-alone classics like "Holy Diver," "Rainbow in the Dark" and "King of Rock And Roll; and Rainbow staples like "Man on the Silver Mountain," the performances will touch upon his tenure with Black Sabbath with tracks including "Neon Knights" and "Heaven and Hell." Craig Goldy, the Dio Band's guitarist, says the band hopes to perform 80-100 dates altogether. "When we perform on this tour, for me, it is a memorial service in the form of a rock concert," said Goldy. "This gives [fans] a chance to experience [Dio live] without relying on the poor-quality videos on YouTube."

In a sense, Dio Returns represents a moment of wish fulfillment for the late singer, a huge special effects fan. Wendy Dio, the rocker's widow, told Rolling Stone he's giving the trek his blessings from beyond the grave. "In 1986, for the Sacred Heart Tour, Ronnie and I created the Crystal Ball with Ronnie filmed and speaking in a suspended crystal ball effect, done with back projection, which was the closest we could get to a hologram," she said. "Ronnie was always wanting to experiment with new stage ideas and was a big Disney fan. With this said, I am sure he is giving us his blessing with this hologram project. It gives the fans that saw Ronnie perform an opportunity to see him again and new fans that never got to see him a chance to see him for the first time. We hope everyone will enjoy the show that we have all worked so hard to put together."

Nov. 30 - Helsinki, Finland – The Circus
Dec. 03 - Stockholm, Sweden – Fryshuset
Dec. 04 - Oslo, Norway – Rockefeller Music Hall
Dec. 06 - Warsaw, Poland – Progresja
Dec. 13 - Barcelona, Spain – Bikini
Dec. 15 - Santander, Spain – Escenario Santander
Dec. 17 - Bucharest, Romania – Arelene Romane
Dec. 20 - Antwerp, Belgium – Trix
Dec. 21 - Tilburg, Netherlands – 013

Municipal Waste have never been shy about their love of the rager: Hell, they named their third album The Art of Partying. Keeping that high mark in mind, prepare to have your mind blown by the band's new "Breathe Grease" video, as metal's biggest party animals catch a bad case of rabies. Directed by filmmaker Whitey McConnaughy (naturally, of "Jackass" fame), the latest visual off Slime and Punishment chronicles the sickest house party known to man: a vomit-caked Wonderland where booze flows like water, scantily-clad women wrestle like WWE pros, and brave, ostensibly trashed individuals ride around on jet skis and tricycles, among other debauched delights. Naturally, the Virginia thrashers can't help but get in on the fun (although they're considerably laidback compared to some of the other guests, which include a guy guzzling bong water and some rando in a penguin suit). Needless to say, this is one shindig to remember. Watch below.

Suffering from FOMO? Never fear! Municipal Waste have a slew of Warped Tour dates coming up. While we can't promise a rager of "Breathe Grease" proportions, we can guarantee a good time, owing to a different kind of grease: namely, the elbow variety. "We're goofy, but we take our music very seriously and we tour really hard," the band told Revolver in a recent interview. "We make sure our instruments are tuned and everything sounds as good as it can. We care about it, and not just for us. We really want to deliver something that people want to listen to. So, we take that shit real seriously — even though we are ridiculous human beings."

Jul. 26 – Maryland Heights, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
Jul. 27 – Bonner Springs, KS – Providence Ampitheater
Jul. 28 – Dallas, TX – Gexa Energy Pavillion
Jul. 29 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
Jul. 30 – Houston, TX – NRG Park
Aug. 01 – Las Cruces, NM – New Mexico State Intramural Field
Aug. 04 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Aug. 05 – San Diego, CA – Qualcomm Stadium
Aug. 06 – Pomona, CA – Pomona Fairplex