The Artisan News spoke with singer/bassist Tom Araya from US thrash legends SLAYER about the band's new album, World Painted Blood, album sales and their diehard fan-base. Check out the brief report here (note: this story was produced before news broke of Tom Araya's health).

According to Hits Daily Double, World Painted Blood is headed for between 35-40,000 units in sales in the US, guaranteeing the band another Top Ten album on the Billboard charts. Slayer's last album, Christ Illusion, hit #5 in the US in August 2006, improving on its previous highest charting album, Divine Intervention, which had debuted at #8 in 1994.

Yesterday, Slayer's Kerry KIng, Jeff Hanneman and Dave Lombardo signed autographs at Hot Topic in Hollywood, CA - check out a report at this location.

Slayer's Tom Araya is currently under the care of a specialist for a back injury, thought to be related to his on-stage activity, and the physician has ordered an immediate surgical procedure which took place in Texas this past Tuesday.

Check out BraveWords.com's review of World Painted Blood at this location.