Can’t wait to sink your teeth into Guitar Hero: World Tour later this Fall?  As a yummy treat for those Guitar Hero III shredders whose sweet tooth is aching, Activision announces that Metallica downloadable content will be available first for Guitar Hero III by September.  The DLC will be available for your console at the same time the new album, “Death Magnetic” hits stores.  Read on for an excerpt from the press release.

Activision Announces Partnership with Metallica for First Ever Simultaneous Release of New Record “Death Magnetic” in Stores and for Download in Guitar Hero® Video Game

Santa Monica, CA – July 15, 2007 – Activision Publishing (Nasdaq: ATVI) today revealed that Metallica’s highly-anticipated full studio album, “Death Magnetic,” will be available simultaneously in record stores and as downloadable content for the world’s best-selling rhythm-based video game series, Guitar Hero®. Metallica fans will be able to rock out to new anthems from the band in Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock this September and will be able to unite on drums, guitar and vocals as the album will also be released as downloadable content for Guitar Hero® World Tour when it ships this Fall.

This is likely the beginning of an upcoming trend we’re to see more often, based on the successes that artists have seen with music game download sales versus sales of traditional albums. Def Leppard earlier this year used Guitar Hero to debut their new single Nine Lives off their Songs From the Sparkle Lounge album, while Motley Crue and others have springboarded onto the scene using Rock Band.  This trend totally works for me, since I enjoy singing these songs on Rock Band more than I enjoy singing them in the shower anyway.