Congratulations, you found the one place on the planet where you won't find a word about Michael Jackson. Nope, we'd rather fill this space with news about Cliff Burton, Armored Saint, Demon Hunter, Vader and with all things heavy. No mug shots, handcuffs or underage boys ... just metal:

A rare video of late Metallica bassist Cliff Burton performing with Trauma is now available online. The video captures a performance that is said to have been recorded the day before Burton met Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich. You can preview the footage and purchase the entire thing at www.simulstream.com/cliff/ . ... Unsane, Mastodon, Alabama Thunder Pussy, Kung Pao, Dixie Witch, Lamont, Keelhaul, Buried at Sea and Yob are among the acts lined up for next year's Emissions From the Monolith festival in Youngstown, Ohio. Five Horse Johnson may also soon join the lineup. Additional details — including dates and more acts — are expected soon. ...

Armored Saint bassist Joey Vera says that the band is working on a DVD that captures the group from 1991 through 2002, and boasts a host of live bootleg footage as well as videos for "Reign of Fire" and "Last Train Home," soundcheck performances and bloopers from video appearances. The DVD is expected to be in stores come spring. ... The Heavils recently started pre-production work on the follow-up to their self-titled debut album, which arrived earlier this year. The band plans to return to the studio to begin recording the album in earnest in January, and hopes to release it in the spring. ...

Halfway to Gone guitarist Lee Stuart has joined forces with drummer Bob Pantella, bassist Taj Briggles and singer Mark Sunshine to form A Thousand Knives of Fire. The band hopes to have an album out on Small Stone Records next year. ... Vomitory will team up with producer Henrik Larsson in December to begin work on their fifth album, Primal Massacre. The band will toil at Örebro, Sweden's Studio Kuling on the effort. ...

There are a slew of guest singers now making appearances on Demon Hunter's forthcoming second album, Summer of Darkness, which the band is currently tracking in Seattle. It's been revealed that Michael Williams (The Agony Scene), Brock Lindow (36 Crazyfists) and Trevor McNevan (Thousand Foot Krutch), along with a few other surprise guests, will be featured alongside the previously reported Howard Jones (Killswitch Engage). ... Former This Runs Through singer Spencer Chamberlain has joined the metalcore band Underoath and will make his first recorded appearance with the band on next year's follow-up to The Changing of Times. The band plans to enter the studio in February. ...

• Metallica
• Armored Saint
• Unsane
• Demon Hunter
• Mastodon