Graham "Gruhamed" Hartmann

Waiting patiently outside of the band trailers during the 2012 Heavy MTL Festival in Montreal, Canada, we couldn’t help but feel anxiously elated that we were about to speak with Slipknot percussionist / backup vocalist Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan. After he allowed us into his den, we spoke with Clown about the past, present and future of Slipknot in an interview you won’t want to miss.

Since the not-so-amicable split between singer Geoff Tate and the rest of Queensryche, the band recently recruited Crimson Glory vocalist Todd La Torre to front the band. Since his debut, La Torre has been accused of using Geoff Tate’s recorded vocals during live performances — an allegation which La Torre has now officially denied.

Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer has a distinct and very metal look. When a fan pictures Schaffer, they see a black shirt or tank top, a denim or leather vest, a bandana and an angry metal face. In a hilarious doppleganger moment, Volbeat frontman Michael Poulsen joined Iced Earth onstage dressed exactly like Schaffer as the band played their classic namesake track, ‘Iced Earth.’

Ever wonder what Metallica‘s ‘Nothing Else Matters’ would sound like completely stripped down and played on electric harps by a set of blonde twins? We sure have! And after years of patiently waiting, a lovely duo have created a divine re-imagining of the classic Metallica track.

We recently had the chance to speak with legendary Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante. As one of the main acts on the 2012 Mayhem Festival, Anthrax chose to take a ‘guerilla’ style approach to their Mayhem set, pumping out song after song in an unrelenting series of bursts.

Pearl Jam superfan Brian Farias was recently given the opportunity of a lifetime. Farias, who has attended 108 Pearl Jam concerts in his lifetime, was given the honor of personally creating the setlist for one of the band’s shows in Amsterdam.

As Randy Blythe‘s legal fees begin to add up as he remains incarcerated in a Prague, Czech Republic, prison, Lamb of God have set up an online destination for donations to Blythe’s legal fund.

Germany’s massive Rock am Ring music festival concluded its three-day sonic assault yesterday. The annual festival featured an incredible batch of bands, including Metallica, Marilyn Manson and Linkin Park. In case you weren’t in the Nürburg area during the 2012 edition of the legendary gathering, some seriously awesome pro-shot footage has surfaced online.

Slipknot are planning to enter the studio in early 2013 to record a new album, which will be their first release following the tragic 2010 death of bassist and founding member Paul Gray.

Since the release of the ‘Flight 666′ documentary, it’s become well-known that Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson has a passion for flying jets. Having manned the helm for the now-defunct Astraeus Airlines, Dickinson’s decade of flying started shortly after the tragedy of 9/11.

Ozzy Osbourne is new grandfather, as son Jack Osbourne and his fiancee Lisa Stelly welcomed daughter Pearl into the world on April 24.

Marilyn Manson is no stranger to the world of film, having made some of rock’s most memorable music videos and appearing in various films, as well. Manson will take his next step on the silver screen by playing the lead role in ‘Wrong Cops,’ a short film that will be premiering at the Cannes Film Festival.