No, seriously — COREY AND ANSO FUCKING KILLED IT THIS WEEK while we were at the Golden Gods, didn’t they? I’m still catching up, but I’ve been getting a serious boner from reading all the shit I didn’t write this week. Some of my favorite pieces that neither Vince nor myself had anything to do with:

• Phil Anselmo’s thoughts on weed, and, oh yeah, Corey’s update on the progress of Mr. Anselmo’s book.
• This awesome interview with Hate Eternal’s Erik Rutan. (Okay this one I actually had a little to do with, but Anso did the heavy lifting.)
• Mike IX Williams from EyeHateGod/Arson Anthem/Drip/Crawlspace/Outlaw Order’s thoughts on being underground and unsigned.
• Anso’s mourning for the loss of Nevermore.
• Corey’s analysis of the Columbine massacre on its twelfth anniversary.
• Anso’s assertion that Nicko McBrain wants to fuck Lady Gaga.
• Corey’s wrangling of about a million cool metal folk to give their thoughts on weed, too.
• Anso’s decisions to let his hatred for Kiss flow.
• Corey’s coverage of K.K. Downing’s retirement from Judas Priest.
• Anso’s coverage of Dream Theater’s ongoing search for a new drummer.

Unfortunately for all of you, Vince and I are now back full-time, and you’ll be stuck with us all next week. See ya then.

-AR

Happy Fat Tuesday, metal fans! May your evening be full of beads, booze, and bodily harm! In celebration, I tried to find some New-Orleans-Mardi-Gras-type music on my iPod today that would be appropriate for this day, and the closest I came was Down’s III: Over The Under. I love this fucking record.

While we’re still waiting for word on a full list of tour dates for that NOLA supergroup, news that southern sludgesmiths Outlaw Order (essentially Eyehategod minus one guy) are planning a few weeks of U.S. gigs to support 2008′s Dragging Down The Enforcer on the Season of Mist label. Support on all dates comes from Ivan Drago fanatics If He Dies He Dies. To say that these concerts will slay is a huge understatement.

-GS

[Gary Suarez is going to win Mega Millions tonight. He also writes for Brainwashed and sporadically manages the consistently off-topic No Yoko No.]