2008 was a banner year for SPIN.com readers: Fans were treated to behind-the-scenes footage of Slayer and Bayside working on their new albums; were invited along on Pearl Jam’s North American tour with our blogger Zach Newman, who hit every show along the way and even interviewed guitarist Mike McCready; and were the first to hear new tunes from Scott Weiland, Minus the Bear, Death Cab for Cu

As you get ready to celebrate Columbus Day, check out our scoop on Green Day's next full-length and Metallica's upcoming tour, and listen to exclusive new tunes from Manchester Orchestra, Minus the Bear, and others. Plus: Get more of the best from the past week:

Minus the Bear's previous efforts seemed very dependent on all things plugged in, from the synthesizers that deepen their sound to the electric guitars through which the Seattle outfit builds their layered, detail-laden prog pop.

While fans fisted and elbowed their way to the front of Memorial Stadium Monday night for a closer look at festival-closing headliner Death Cab for Cutie, fellow Seattleites Minus the Bear mounted the Rockstar Stage across the festival grounds and -- with their decidedly different math rock sound -- showed Bumbershoot concertgoers that Ben Gibbard and crew aren't the only heavyweights in town.<

SPIN.com has confirmed the release of These Arms Are Snakes' Tail Swallower & Dove, the band's ambitious follow-up to 2006's Easter. The record is scheduled to slither out Oct.