The band actually won the Humane Society's Genesis Award, a prize given to celebrities who work to promote awareness of animal cruelty. They're the only metal band to ever win the honor. The award was given for the title track of "Countdown To Extinction," which itself is a song about "canned hunts," a practice where hunters are given the opportunity to kill an animal in a confined area.
According to The Other Wiki, the song may have been a Take That to Metallica's James Hetfield, who reportedly participates in canned hunts.
