German metal masters Kreator are still alive and kicking, preparing to enter the studio this July to record a new album, the follow-up to 2005's well-regarded Enemy of God. The album - which will be recorded at Titonus studios in Berlin starting July 20 according to Blabbermouth - will be the thrashers' twelfth. The album, which is currently untitled, is expected to be released in January 2009.

According to reports from The Pulse of Radio, it appears as if Metallica will be departing from Warner Bros. Records following the release of their upcoming album. Their split with the label would mark the end of a remarkable era, as the band has been with the label in some form or another since 1984. Metallica were signed to Elektra, an imprint of  Warner's, shortly after the release of their second album, Ride the Lightning. Elektra took them from being an underground sensation to the international superstars they are today. The new album will make the final release required by the band's current contract with the label. But what if...

Our friends over at TheGauntlet just posted a great new "Top 10 Banned Metal Album Covers" list. Some of their choices may surprise you. I had no idea that some of these albums were meant to have different covers! See if you agree with their list right here.

Industrial-thrashers Strapping Young Lad have released a new trailer for what could be their swansong - a DVD released earlier this year titled "1994-2006 Chaos Years." The career-retrospective disc contains the band's entire  42-minute performance from the UK Download festival in 2006, as well as other rare live live footage, promo clips and a video for "Almost Again." Check out the hilarious new trailer featuring frontman Devin Townsend's trademark humor:

Metalcore's favorite Floridians, Shai Hulud, have put forward a new video for the title track of their new album, Misanthropy Pure. The video is Hulud's most professional to date by far, obviously helped in large part by a Metal Blade recording budget. It was directed by David Brodsky, who was also directed videos for The Black Dahlia Murder... would you be proud of that though? Check it out: