The latest issue of Revolver magazine is a “Fallen Heroes Of Hard Rock and Metal” tribute to several late musicians, like Ronnie James Dio and Peter Steele, both of whom passed away in 2010. The issue has special cover artwork by legendary comics artist J.G. Jones.

Gracing the cover along with Dio and Steele are Paul Gray (Slipnot), The Rev (Avenged Sevenfold), Dimebag Darrell (Pantera), Cliff Burton (Metallica), Kurt Cobain (Nirvana), Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne), Freddy Mercury (Queen), and Layne Staley (Alice In Chains).

The cover painting also appears inside the magazine as a free poster. Check out the cover image here at right (click for larger, full view).

The issue is on newsstands now, but you can also purchase it online for $19.95, which includes a commemorative limited-edition 1 3/4″–diameter Dimebag Darrell “dime” along with an antiqued metal coin holder. (This is the only way to get the coin and holder, aside from at Barnes & Noble stores.) A portion of the proceeds will go to the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout cancer fund.

It’s been five years since Metallica‘s last studio album, St. Anger, and nearly two decades since the band’s original fans have been satisfied with Metallica’s musical offerings.

With their upcoming ninth studio effort, Death Magnetic, due out September 12, 2008, the Bay Area original masters of metal will seek to recapture the magic of their 1986 multi-platinum Master of Puppets.

To help them with this endeavor, Metallica ditched long-time producer Bob Rock in favor of Rick Rubin, the mastermind behind Jay Z’s hit single “99 Problems,” The Dixie Chicks’ Taking the Long Way and its controversial award-winning “Not Ready To Make Nice,” and Johnny Cash’s American IV: The Man Comes Around, which contained the popular cover of Nine Inch Nail’s “Hurt.” Rubin was also the one who came up with the idea in 1986 for Run DMC and Aerosmith to do a rap/rock hybrid of the latter artist’s classic rock tune, “Walk This Way,” which topped the charts and helped propel rap music into the mainstream.

That small sample of Rubin’s 33-year career in music producing should tell you that the man has the Midas Touch. But will Rubin’s golden touch shine through on Metallica’s Death Magnetic?