This week, Lil Wayne plead guilty to felony gun possession charges and Nirvana fans got a peek at the upcoming concert DVD Live at Reading. Meanwhile, the CMJ Music Marathon invaded New York City, Slayer talked about their new record, and SPIN honored the sixth anniversary of Elliott Smith's death.

With World Painted Blood, Slayer's new album out Nov. 3, the Huntington Park, CA, quartet tried out some new tricks -- including writing a song from the perspective of a woman for the first time ever!

Would it really be a heavy metal festival without a sweaty mass of devil horns, flying fists, and bleary-eyed drunkards lumbering recklessly toward the bathroom?

Friday's first stop of Marilyn Manson and Slayer's Mayhem Festival at Sacramento's Sleep Train Amphitheater had those and more, as a 16-band bill played to some 9,000 fans.

Head bangers, rejoice: thrash metal titans Slayer have announced that their ninth studio album, World Painted Blood, will be released late this summer. The album will drop after the band wraps the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour with Marilyn Manson.

Prepare for a double dose of hard rock!

Thrash-metal luminaries Slayer -- who are hard at work on their next record -- will join shock-rocker Marilyn Manson to co-headline this summer's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour.