Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain (pictured above) is known for his prowess behind the kit, but the skinsman is also pretty good at being a restaurateur. McBrain owns Rock N Roll Ribs in Coral Springs, Fla., and the establishment's ribs have been christened "Best Ribs 2012" by the Broward-Palm Beach New Times. The paper gushed over the recipe, saying, "the coma-inducing combination of crispy charred pork slathered in the restaurant's sticky, sweet and tangy barbecue sauce is a recipe for one totally bitchin' rack." Mmm. Our mouths are watering at that description. [BrowardPalmBeach.com]

Exodus axe Gary Holt is filling in for Slayer's Jeff Hanneman on the band's upcoming summer tour stint on the annual Mayhem fest while Hanneman continues his long recovery period from a particularly nasty bout with necrotizing fasciitis. Slayer guitarist Kerry King sang Holt's praises as more than competent fill-in, comparing him Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest fame, saying, "Probably more than I've ever let on, but I always regard Gary as the Glenn Tipton of our era -- really good, really polished and nobody talks about him. To this day, nobody really references Priest and Tipton that much as guitar players and I feel the same way about Gary." What a huge compliment. [Full Metal Jackie]

If you've got a few spare minutes in your day, you must head over to Loudwire to check out their feature on animated album covers. You can check out Nirvana's In Utero or Alice in Chains' Jar of Flies as they have been updated with animation, thanks to the miracle of modern technology. It's certainly a new way to view classic images that are no doubt ingrained in your brain and are already incredibly familiar to you. Be prepared for a few "Whoa!," Bill & Ted-type reactions to these slightly "reworked" covers. [Loudwire]

Black Veil Brides have canceled the last of their European tour dates due to the death of frontman Andy Biersack's grandfather. Biersack shared the news with fans, posting: "I am sorry to say that due to the recent passing of my grandfather I will not be able to complete the final week of this current tour. I feel it is necessary for my own grief and heart that I take this time to attend his funeral and celebrate his life with my family and loved ones before I head back into the studio to resume work on our next record." Our thoughts and prayers go out to the singer and his family in this difficult time. No one can fault him for bowing out of tour dates to go home and grieve amongst family. [Black Veil Brides Facebook]

The Locust will release Molecular Genetics From the Gold Standard Labs on July 31 via Anti-Records. The collection boasts 44 songs, including hard-to-find and out-of-print material from the early years of the San Diego band, known for making quite a racket with their potent and glorious grindcore and their overall extreme oddness. The release collects the band's pre-Epitaph recordings. [Epitaph/Anti Press Release]

Watch Iron Maiden's 'Run to the Hills' Video


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