As BLABBERMOUTH.NET reported on December 7, 2007, Billboard.com has now confirmed that SLIPKNOT and DISTURBED will hit the road this summer on the first-ever Rockstar Mayhem tour. The outing, sponsored by Rockstar Energy drink, will run in July and August, with additional artists and dates to be announced.

Rockstar Mayhem is being assembled by Vans Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman and John Reese, Lyman's partner on the Taste of Chaos tour.

SLIPKNOT will be out in support of its new Roadunner album, expected in August. DISTURBED's new album, "Indestructible", is due in May.

SLIPKNOT percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan recently told Revolver magazine that the masked nine-piece from Iowa is coming from a "different place" as it prepares to record its fourth major label album. When asked what has changed since 2004's "Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)", Crahan replied, "I can't stress enough that we're going into this from a different place. When we did (2001 album) 'Iowa', we hated each other. We hated the world; the world hated us. The next record ('Vol. 3') was like rehabilitation. We had all this healing that needed to happen. Now, everything feels good because we feel good."

SLIPKNOT went on hiatus at the end of 2005, when it finished touring in support of "Vol. 3". Since then the band members have worked on various other projects, including a second album from singer Corey Taylor and guitarist Jim Root's STONE SOUR.

Crahan said, "These breaks that we take, they get our appetites going. They let our brains slow down and then speed up again. We gotta decompress for a little bit just to feel human if we're going to be forced to be here in this reality."

The full interview with Crahan is in the February issue of Revolver, on sale now.

SLIPKNOT is scheduled to enter the studio in February with producer Dave Fortman, who's previously worked with MUDVAYNE and EVANESCENCE. There's no word yet on a release date or title.