That’s right, folks.  The second annual Beard Team USA National Beard and Moustache Championships are coming.  This epic event will be held October 8, 2011, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

It going to be an awesome weekend.  It all starts with a chance to “go Amish” and attend Amish camp on Thursday October 6.  You’ll live and work with the Amish, eschewing electricity and admiring their classic beards.  If an entire camp sounds intimidating, but you still want to chance to hobnob with the Amish, there is a Meet The Amish dinner on Friday night.  And if you don’t feel like giving up the modern lifestyle at all, there a brewery tour organized for Friday during which you will sample the great local beers that Lancaster County has to offer.  In addition to these great preliminary festivities, there will also be the First Annual Whiskerinas Ladies’ Beard and Moustache Competition.  Awesome?!

The main event kicks off with a Beard Parade at high noon on Saturday, followed by the competition at 1 pm.

Sunday promises the annual Beard Team USA meeting and picnic.

What a weekend, right?!  For more information on activities and competition categories or to register your beard to compete visit the Beard Team USA website. Did I mention the top prize is five thousand bills?

Today, I’m proud to present a guest post on bearded metal artists by Beard Coach reader Michael Bashford.  If you would like to contribute an article to the Beard Coach, click the contact link above and let me know. – Coach Adam

My name is Michael, and I am a beard enthusiast from London, England.  I am also a heavy metal music fan. I recently came across Beardcoach.com and Coach Adam on You Tube and read the Beardifesto.  I sent him a message, and he asked me to write a guest post based on beards in metal music. So here is my top ten. Should any metal fans stumble across this (or maybe someone newly discovering metal) note that it is a representation of my favourite beards and not bands.

10. Jonathan Davis (Korn)

What I like with this facial hair is the fact that he has gone for the absolute minimum possible. Jonathan Davis is the vocalist for the band Korn who are often described as the pioneers of what is known as the Nu-metal genre.

9. Adam Dutkiewicz (Killswitch Engage, Times of Grace)

Ok, so maybe this isn’t technically a BEARD but it is facial hair, and those are some epic sideburns he’s sporting! Adam is a guitar player in the bands Killswitch Engage (KSE) and Times of Grace. Originally he was the KSE drummer but moved to guitar when they wrote the album Alive or Just Breathing which featured a two guitar sound, so they recruited a new drummer. KSE are referred to as the pioneers of the Metalcore genre. Times of Grace were formed by Adam and the original KSE vocalist Jesse Leach (also featured on the list).

8. Lemmy (Motörhead)

I like this beard as it’s a good example of the handlebar style. This band and man needs no introduction really, everyone knows the classic Ace of Spades! (Unless you’re really young or you’ve been living under a rock, which would probably suggest you’re not reading this anyway. I myself have never come across a wireless rock or a bearded toddler). Motörhead are a British heavy metal band formed in 1975, although Lemmy does not like this label. He classes Motörhead as a rock and roll band, usually opening live shows with the line “We are Motörhead. We play rock and roll.”

7. Jon Howard (Threat Signal, Arkaea)

The thing I love about this style is it’s just that! Stylish! This man has talent and style seeping from every pore. He is Threat Signal and Arkaea’s vocalist. I could write a whole essay on the reason why I love Threat Signal and Arkaea for that matter. Threat Signal is a Canadian metal band probably best described as a melodic death/thrash metal band. They started their career with the song Rational Eyes which they wrote before they were even a fully formed band and put it on a website known as Garageband.com and the rest is history. Jon Howard and bassist Pat Kavanagh later created Arkaea along with Fear Factory members Raymond Herrera and Christian Olde Wolbers

6. Jesse Leach (KSE, The Empire Shall Fall, Times of Grace)

I love Jesse’s beard because of its length and shape. Jesse was the original vocalist for KSE before he left in 2002 and was replaced by Howard Jones. Jesse’s lyrics are very strong in the sense that he says that we should be honest and question and challenge those around us who might try to cause us harm or create chaos.

5. Kerry King (Slayer)

Kerry king is metal personified! He is one of the guitarists for the thrash metal band Slayer. Although thrash was made popular by the band Metallica, Slayer are top of their class. I like this beard as its the classic goatee style but styled in a way you would expect from a character in a fantasy novel! The bands are known for their lyrics of war, death, and against religion.

4. Shavo Odadjian (System of a Down)

Although similar to the style of number five, he has gone for a longer, thinner style. He is the bass player and backing vocalist for System of a Down (SOAD). SOAD’s early work feels very experimental and unique. A lot of their lyrics are based around the corruption of governments and how we should stand against them and question them.

3. Dimebag Darrell (Pantera, Damageplan)

This style is a very unique, almost demonic style; I like it because of its originality. Two-tone beard that he’s clearly used a hairstyle product on. Dimebag is one of the most influential guitarists of his time. He was famously known for recording his guitars without a metronome or ‘click-track’. After Pantera split he then went on to form Damageplan with his drummer brother Vinnie Paul (also in Pantera). Sadly, a crazed Pantera fan who blamed Dimebag for Pantera’s splitting up jumped on stage at a Damageplan show and murdered Dimebag and other arena staff members (R.I.P). Pantera is considered one of metal’s greatest and most influential bands.

2. Johan Hegg (Amon Amarth)

EPIC. VIKING. BEARD! Enough said! Johan is the vocalist for Amon Amarth. Amon Amarth are often described as a Viking metal band but this isn’t accurate; they are a melodic death metal band with Viking lyrical content (bands are defined by their sound not their lyrical content). This, coupled with the fact that they have a really epic atmospheric sound, makes them unique.

1. Chad Gray (Mudvayne, Hell Yeah)

And so we reach number 1 in the top ten beards in metal. This is my number 1 because it is so unique, outlandish and very…… well, blue. Chad is the vocalist for both Mudvayne and Hell Yeah and occasionally performs with gothic styled makeup such as this. He also has an amazing vocal range from clean singing to low growling vocals.

So that concludes my top ten beards in metal music. Before I go I’d just like to show you one more beard.

This is me (right) at a gig where I met Jon Howard (#7 on the list) when his band Threat Signal were playing in London and some friends and I went to see them.

Thanks for reading,

Michael Bashford