When the thrash godfathers Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax all joined together on the Sonisphere stage in Sofia, Bulgaria last month, who wasn't thinking we might be just a little bit closer to a full fledged Big Four tour in the States. With news of Anthrax joining the second leg of the American Carnage Tour alongside of Slayer and Megadeth, that day hopefully is around the corner.

The second leg kicks off on Sept. 24 in Dallas, Texas and runs for 20 dates, where Megadeath will continue playing their 'Rust in Peace' set list and Slayer will play the groundbreaking 'Seasons in the Abyss' album straight through. Anthrax recently was reunited with frontman Joey Belladonna.

Arty hard rockers Oceansize will release the brilliantly-titled 'Self-Preserved While the Bodies Float Up' on Sept. 14. The title has a delightfully evolutionary bent, which vocalist/guitarist Mike Vennart expanded upon, telling Noisecreep, "I think primarily the over-riding theme is the irresistible lure of fame and all its little catches. Many of our peers have fallen foul to its charms, and whilst we've never hit the big time, we feel extremely lucky to have not been so caught up in the bulls---. We've stuck to our guns and got off on the music, first and foremost."

While the band holds fast to its sonic ideals, whether or not Oceansize will return to the U.S. to tour in support of the album remains to be seen, since they've been conspicuously absent from touring on American soil since 2004.

For a while now, 'American Idol' has toyed with the louder elements in the pop charts, bringing in the likes of Alice Cooper and Bret Michaels to perform on the long-standing television talent show. But with two judges said to be out for next season, the rumors of who will join the show begin with Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler.

Ellen DeGeneres is confimed to be leaving the show after one season, citing scheduling conflicts and the show not being a good fit. But TMZ is reporting that Kara DioGuardi is also not returning to the judges table -- and not by choice. The rumor of course is Tyler is taking her place, with pop-star/actress Jennifer Lopez hired for the other chair.

Attika 7, a brand new band featuring former Static-X bassist Tony Campos -- who is also the touring bassist for Prong -- began as a seed of an idea in the brain of guitarist Rusty Coones, a Hells Angel and custom motorcycle maker who began writing songs for the band's debut while he was in prison. Additionally, Pennywise's Fletcher Dragge co-wrote songs with Attika 7. It's clear that this project is as unconventional as it gets, from its inception through its execution.

The music is dark and doomy, as influenced by the sludge-caked riffs of Pantera as it is the industrial crunch of White Zombie, with a dose of whiskey-drenched vocals. "The first couple of years of being incarcerated in federal prison were probably the most dismal point of my life," Coones told Noisecreep.

Over the years, Eagle Rock Entertainment has released informative DVDs about the making of classic albums by Iron Maiden, Sex Pistols, Motörhead, Def Leppard and Nirvana. But the company's latest 'Classic Album' release, 'Black Sabbath Paranoid' might be its most insightful offering for headbangers, revealing how Black Sabbath gave birth to heavy metal and what historical, sociological and environmental factors contributed to the legendary album.

Noisecreep recently talked to bassist/co-songwriter/lyricist Bill Ward about the record that helped define heavy metal.

After getting a strong foothold with their self-titled debut, Deception of a Ghost are readying 'Speak Up, You're Not Alone,' their first with the Bullet Tooth label. Noisecreep is proud to give you a free download of 'These Voices,' a song displaying not only the grit and crunch of the North Carolina-bred band, but also a track that gives the lead-in to experimentations of the clean and melodic.

Frontman Blake Buchanan admitted a hope he has for listeners of the album. Sure there is a borderless hardcore pumping through it, but Buchanan desired for the messages to be just as clear as the riffs.