Iconic be-masked metal outfit Slipknot and rambunctious rapper The Game took part in a stand off between heavy metal and hip hop heavy weights today.

All Hope Is Gone, the masked mob’s fourth studio album, was initially announced today as a number two debut in the American Billboard Top 200, coming in just 13 copies behind The Game's LAX. But 13 proved unlucky for the rapper and hope appeared to be on the metallers' side after all when the positions were reversed after a SoundScan recount.

The chart positions resulted from a reported 238,272 copies of All Hope Is Gone sold in its first week in stores, while The Game’s LAX reported 238,285. With such an unprecedented margin, Roadrunner Records and WEA requested an historic recount. SoundScan obliged and chart positions have been reversed, with Slipknot claiming #1 and a new margin of 1134 albums.

This is the first time that one of The Game's albums hasn't debuted at number one - which is a shame given that it is his last. He said he would only need three albums to get his "point across". Which appears to be: 1, bracelets are top; 2, 50 Cent is a nob rash; and 3; so are G-Unit. Job's a good 'un.

Meanwhile the pantomime villains of the apocalypse are looking forward to their Xmas tour of the UK when they will play the following dates:

Mon 1st Dec – London Hammersmith Apollo

Tue 2nd Dec – London Hammersmith Apollo

Wed 3rd Dec – London Hammersmith Apollo

Fri 5th Dec – Cardiff International Arena

Sun 7th Dec – Birmingham NIA

Mon 8th Dec – Glasgow SECC

Tue 9th Dec – Manchester MEN Arena

Thu 11th Dec – Newcastle Metro Arena

Fri 12th Dec – Sheffield Arena

Read our track by track review of All Hope Is Gone here.