SPIN

February 7, 2012 – Clear your calendars, Metallica fans. And... indie rock fans! In an announcement on their site this afternoon, the metal titans confirmed that they'll be hosting a festival, dubbed Orion, on June 22 and 23 at Bader Field in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Joining James, Lars, Kirk, and Robert will be a stunningly diverse lineup including Arctic Monkeys, Modest Mouse, the Gaslight Anthem, Best Coast, and many more.

January 26, 2012 – It's a good day for aggressively brooding Chicago instrumental rock. First came word the Windy City quintet Del Rey has seen its album sales jump in Germany — never mind if it's mostly thanks to coincidentally named pop seductress Lana Del Rey. Now comes a new track from fellow atmospheric Chicago heavies Pelican since 2009's What We All Come to Need.

January 18, 2012 – Darkness-looming Italian gothic metal belters Lacuna Coil are back for their sixth go-round, Dark Adrenaline. Dropping January 24 via their longtime home Century Media, the album matches their timeless, ever-bombastic, black-clad swoon with some of their stickiest, sweetest, most popcentric hooks to date.

January 11, 2012 – Fresh after Earth's Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light was named one of SPIN's 20 Best Metal Albums of 2011, the tumbleweed-chasing slowpoke masters of Cormac McCarthy metal are back for the sequel! Though it was recorded in the same two-week session as part one, Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II (due February 14 via Southern Lord) seems even more dusty, desolate and somber.

December 19, 2011 – Five Brooklyn bands, a few members of the Big 4, two albums named Path of Totality, and one sinister minister in a rubber skull mask. Watch the throne room. Plus, click below to download our Metal List Mixtape, a two-hour zipfile tour through our best-of list featuring tracks from every artist on our rundown (except Mastodon -- thanks, bros!).