Christina Aguilera
Photo: Ellen von Unwerth

Christina Aguilera wants to open up a shelter for victims of domestic abuse, she told Seventeen for the magazine's September cover story. She said she's already working a lot with a domestic-violence and child-abuse shelter in Pittsburgh, mostly by donating her personal belongings. "Some of these women leave their homes without anything," she said. "They just grab the kids and get out of the situation. And so a lot of these women have nothing, and they have to start from scratch." But beyond helping provide necessities, the singer says, it's also important to help rebuild their self-esteem — "because it's really broken after they've been beaten down for so long." Aguilera addresses the theme of domestic abuse on several songs on her new album, but her next single is more of a feel-good number called "Candyman." ...

After collapsing on the set of "Georgia Rule" and going to the hospital for heat exhaustion on Tuesday, Lindsay Lohan reported back on the set on time on Thursday (July 27). "We're hoping she remains on schedule for the rest of production," a rep for the movie said. ...

Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson won't be getting married just once, but four times. Anderson told The Associated Press that she plans "to get married a few times this month to the same guy." The couple are expected to tie the knot on Saturday in St. Tropez, France. Then, Anderson said, they'll do it again in three additional ceremonies, in Malibu, California; Rock's hometown of Detroit; and again in Nashville. There's no word yet on when the three subsequent ceremonies will take place. ...

Jessica Simpson will help welcome new co-host Rosie O'Donnell to "The View" when the show resumes live taping on September 5. Simpson will be the first guest on the program. ... What do Madonna, Muhammad Ali and Zakk Wylde have in common? They're all participating in a Grammy charity auction on eBay. Madge and Wylde are putting up signed guitars and Ali is contributing signed sports memorabilia to the Gibson/ Baldwin Night at the Net auction, which ends Thursday. The benefit is raising money for MusiCares, which offers emergency financial assistance and addiction-recovery programs to musicians. ...

"American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks has obtained a temporary injunction preventing his former producer from releasing a song Hicks wrote and recorded nearly 10 years ago, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The order will delay the release of "The Fall" by William Smith Productions for at least 10 days. Hicks claims the song proposed for release is an unfinished version. ... Busta Rhymes will perform Thursday night on Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance." ... Outkast held a listening party for their long-delayed album Idlewild at the London Eye Tuesday night, according to the New Musical Express. The party was followed by an afterparty, held on a cruise liner called the Silver Sturgeon, that was attended by both Andre 3000 and Big Boi. The album, which features 25 tracks (including interludes), is slated for release on August 22, with the film of the same name coming three days later. ...

Looks like ex-Power 105 New York radio personality Star is off the hook. The New York DJ (real name Troi Torain) was fired for making racist and sexually threatening comments about DJ Envy's wife and daughter, but the criminal charges will be dropped in six months if he completes three days of community service and steers clear of the 4-year-old girl, Reuters reports. ... Ever since Haylie Duff joined the cast of "Hairspray" last week, ticket sales have gone through the roof, reps for the show say. Pre-Haylie, the show was at 88 percent capacity, and now, with the actress taking over the part of Amber Von Tussle, the show is at 98 percent capacity, with the gross up by $90,000 ...

Can't wait for the next Harry Potter movie or book? Worrying whether Harry won't find all the Horcruxes? Scared that Snape is only pretending to have gone over to Voldemort's side but Harry won't see through the double-agent bit? Need to hear what the experts think about all this? Then listen to Scholastic's "Think You Know Harry Potter?" podcast series, in which webmasters from the Leaky Cauldron and MuggleNet discuss the series with one of the Potter editors before live audiences across the country. Among other things, they'll discuss various theories about what they think will happen in book seven — including who lives and who dies. For information on subscribing to the podcast feed, go to Scholastic.com/HarryPotter/podcasttour/index.htm#listen. ...

The New York Post reported Thursday that Eddie Van Halen is teaming up with porn director Michael Ninn to write and perform two songs for a film called "Sacred Sin." Van Halen told the Post he's not concerned about the implications. "I'm working with a friend — very simple. I like his work. Michael Ninn is like Spielberg to me: the imagery, the way he makes things look just sensual," he said. Van Halen's publicist had no comment on the matter. ... Prince and his second wife, Manuela Testolini Nelson, are divorcing, according to People magazine, which said the sealed documents were filed on May 24 in Minnesota's Hennepin County District Court. Testolini Nelson, 29, is a former employee of Prince's charitable foundation who owns a company that makes a line of designer candles. The couple married in 2001. ...

The oft-delayed Alice in Chains retrospective collection The Essential Alice in Chains has been pushed back to a September 5 release. ... Rob Zombie is squeezing three headlining dates into his upcoming fall run with Godsmack and Shinedown. Zombie will hit New Haven, Connecticut, on September 5; Cincinnati on September 11; and Boise, Idaho, on September 26. ... Slipknot turntablist Sid Wilson plans to release his first-ever solo effort, The New Leader, August 29 under his alias, DJ Starscream. Several tracks from the LP can be found over at Wilson's MySpace page.

07.26.2006

"American Idol" runner-up Katharine McPhee is looking to take a behind-the-scenes role on a different type of stage. The singer is co-producing "Red Herring," a drama focusing on death-row prison inmates that will be presented as part of the 10th annual New York International Fringe Festival. "As soon as I read this play, I knew it was something that I wanted to be a part of," McPhee said in a statement. "Audiences know me best from 'American Idol,' but my passion has always been theater." "Red Herring" runs at the Connelly Theatre from August 12-26. ...

Not even Lindsay Lohan can escape the heat. The singer/actress collapsed on the Encinitas, California, set of her new movie "Georgia Rule" on Tuesday, and was then rushed to a nearby hospital, according to a witness. Her spokesperson chalked up the collapse to the actress being overheated and dehydrated. "She is OK, she is fine," Leslie Sloane Zelnik told MTV News. ...

Avenged Sevenfold have booked nine North American dates for September — which will be the band's first post-Ozzfest gigs. Just three of the shows will be happening in the U.S., with the remainder scheduled for Canada. Those States dates are September 7 in Anchorage, Alaska; September 13 in Fargo, North Dakota; and September 15 in Des Moines, Iowa. ...

Scarlett Johansson is getting quite a kick out of her new fashion promotion. The actress has teamed with Reebok to craft her own women's shoe, Scarlett "Hearts" Rbk, which the company's press release describes as "a fashion-forward, athletic-inspired footwear." The kicks debut in the spring, when Johansson will be featured in a new Reebok ad campaign. ...

The Rolling Stones, already in the midst of the highest-grossing tour of 2006, will kick off the second North American leg of their A Bigger Bang world tour at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on September 20, according to an announcement on the group's Web site. A yet-unannounced group of "young, contemporary opening acts" will be on the bill for the shows, which will primarily hit stadiums and some arenas in New York, Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Las Vegas. The band is also playing some smaller markets on the 17-date jaunt, such as Wichita, Kansas; Missoula, Montana; El Paso, Texas; and Boise, Idaho. The shows are scheduled to wrap up with a November 18 date at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. ...Oasis will release a two-CD greatest-hits album on November 21 titled Stop the Clocks. The 18-song compilation will feature B-sides chosen by the bandmembers, such as "Acquiesce" and "Half the World Away," as well as such well-known hits as "Supersonic" and "Wonderwall." ...

Time Inc. announced Tuesday that it is killing the eight-year-old Teen People magazine in the wake of a glut of other titles offering celebrity news and a hard downturn in ad sales. The final issue, with "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood on the cover, will hit newsstands on August 4, according to The New York Times. The magazine's Web site will continue to be updated with new stories. ... A 40-year-old, never-before-released song by Jimi Hendrix, "Station Break," will be offered for sale at an October 26 intellectual-property auction in New York. The sale includes the copyright and original reel-to-reel recording of the song, laid down in a 1966 session early in the guitar god's career. ...

Ballroom dancers and professional ice skaters have done their part to find new talents in celebrities, and now singers are stepping up to the challenge. Patti LaBelle, Cyndi Lauper, Chaka Khan, Macy Gray, Brian McKnight and Smokey Robinson are among the singers who will team up with famous people not known for their singing skills — for "Celebrity Duets," a Fox series that debuts August 29. ... Donnie Wahlberg will play an undercover CIA agent in the miniseries "The Path to 9/11," a dramatization of events detailed in the 9/11 Commission Report. The movie stars Harvey Keitel and airs September 10 and 11 on ABC.

R.E.M. have compiled their 1980s I.R.S. Records output in CD and DVD anthologies due September 12. And I Feel Fine ... The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 will come out in two versions: a 21-track single-disc collection and a two-CD edition with an extra disc of rarities, including previously unreleased mixes and live recordings. The DVD, titled "When the Light Is Mine ... The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987," features 11 music videos — including clips for "Radio Free Europe" and "The One I Love" — along with TV and film performances and interviews. ... Kylie Minogue is launching a new fragrance, but if you want to smell like the dance diva, you may have to make use of your passport. Coty Inc. signed the singer to develop a line of fragrances set to launch this fall in Australia, the U.K. and Ireland, with distribution throughout Europe and Asia to follow. The company describes the scent as "multi-faceted," to reflect Kylie's personality. ...

R&B legend Stevie Wonder was named as one of the recipients of the National Civil Rights Museum's 2006 Freedom Awards on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. Wonder was honored alongside the founder of Doctors Without Borders and civil-rights leader Joseph Lowery. ... Now that you've got Jay-Z and Jessica Simpson on your cell phone, how about a ringtone or two by Thelonious Monk and Herbie Hancock? Jazz label Blue Note has released two dozen jazz classics through its Best of Blue Tones series, and is planning more in the future. ... Dick Clark, creator and host of the long-running music TV program "American Bandstand," will be honored as part of the 58th annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Barry Manilow, who performed and co-wrote the "Bandstand" theme song, will perform a special musical tribute to Clark. The Emmys, hosted by Conan O'Brien, air August 27 on NBC.

• Christina Aguilera Performs In London, 07.20.2006

• Christina Aguilera
• Lindsay Lohan
• Slipknot
• Rob Zombie
• Jessica Simpson

Beyoncé
Photo: Carlo Allegri/ Getty Images

Beyoncé may have given up her girls in Destiny's Child, but she wants new ones to back her up — with instruments in hand. The singer is searching for an all-female band to tour in support of her second solo album, B'Day, so she's holding open auditions for keyboard players, bassists, guitarists, horn players, percussionists and drummers around the country on Monday. Musicians have to be at least 18, should have a "look," be prepared to re-create "Work It Out" as performed on the "Beyoncé: Live at Wembley" DVD and be able to pull off at least a one-minute solo. Think you've got what it takes? Bring a headshot and résumé to auditions at New Jersey's SST; Atlanta's Crossover Entertainment Studios; Burbank, California's Center Staging; Chicago's Pressure Point Recording Studios; or Houston's VT2 Studios. Finalists from local auditions must be available to fly to New York to perform for Beyoncé later in the week and must be available to begin working by June 20. ...

After rumors surfaced last week that Madonna would be posing for H&M, the company announced Thursday (June 8) that it will supply a complete offstage wardrobe for the singer and her entire touring troupe (including her band, dancers and crew members). In exchange, Madonna and her dancers will pose in an advertising campaign for the retail chain. "Partnering up with H&M feels like a perfect fit," Madonna said. "We'll all get to express ourselves in our own individual ways. The dancers and I are excited to go shopping together." H&M will also produce a specially designed Madonna tracksuit, which will be in stores in mid-August. ...

In a strange twist of fate, a woman who worked for the prosecution during the Michael Jackson child molestation trial is now suing the Santa Barbara district attorney's office — and she's represented by one of the singer's lawyers. Annette Reichert was hired to develop a searchable computer database of documents, images and other evidence during the trial, and in a federal lawsuit filed Friday, she claims she wasn't compensated for her work. Her lawyer, Brian Oxman — who also represented Jackson during part of the trial and often represents the Jackson family — says Reichert is due $40,000 for the work and another $100,000 for giving up other work to create the database in the first place. Her former boss, Tom Sneddon, however, counters that Reichert never completed her task and disappeared during the middle of the trial. ...

Taylor Hicks will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sales of his single "Do I Make You Proud" to the American Red Cross. The single is due June 13. ... JC Chasez has finished recording his second solo album, according to a post on his MySpace page. The former 'NSYNCer leaked one track already called "I'm Not Sleeping Alone." ... Beth Orton will support her recently released Comfort of Strangers with a second North American trek, kicking off July 7 in Burlington, Vermont. The outing ends July 31 in Los Angeles. ... Sonic Youth are playing a private Los Angeles show on July 8 for fans who purchase their new album at certain retailers (listed on their Web site). The band's Rather Ripped is due June 13. ...

A Catholic seminary located in Yonkers, New York, was desecrated on Tuesday by vandals who apparently took the National Day of Slayer a bit too far. According to a St. Joseph's Seminary staffer who asked not to be named, workers discovered early Wednesday morning that the building has been defiled with spray-painted pentagrams, upside-down crosses and Slayer-related messages, including "Reign in Blood," the title of the metal band's classic 1986 album. The phrases "Better to Reign in Hell" and "Than To Serve In Heaven" were spray-painted across two columns near the building's main entrance. A statue of Jesus was also marred with pentagrams. About a month before the advent of June 6, a Web site was launched calling on Slayer fans to honor the National Day of Slayer by listening to the band's music, killing a "neighbor's dog" and spray-painting "Slayer logos on churches, synagogues or cemeteries." The site is registered to someone affiliated with the American Nihilist Underground Society. ...

Blame Janet. The House overwhelmingly approved legislation on Wednesday to increase fines on indecent programming tenfold, from $32,500 per incident to $325,000. President Bush praised the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act and vowed to sign it into law, saying in a statement, "I believe that government has a responsibility to help strengthen families. This legislation will make television and radio more family-friendly by allowing the FCC to impose stiffer fines on broadcasters who air obscene or indecent programming." After approval in the Senate last month, the legislation passed in the House by a 379-35 vote. ... Petra Haden, who is touring as a violinist with the Foo Fighters this summer, has recorded an a cappella rendition of the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" as a quasi-sequel to her acclaimed Petra Sings: The Who Sell Out album. The song is available for free download at PetraHadenMusic.com. ...

Fans of Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society who anticipated grabbing a copy of the band's forthcoming album, Shot to Hell, on July 3 will now need to wait until September 19, according to a spokesperson for the Society's label. No explanation for the rescheduled release date was offered. ... Double-disc reissues of classic Cure albums The Top, The Head on the Door and Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me are due in stores August 8. The deluxe editions of the band's 1984-1987 LPs will feature unreleased music, including live performances as well as home and studio demos. Rhino Records, the label releasing the discs, will reissue a double-disc version of Blue Sunshine, the only album from Cure frontman Robert Smith's side project, The Glove, on August 8 as well. ...

Teddy Geiger has added some more stops to his summer tour, which is now set to begin Saturday with a show on Pier 17 at New York's South Street Seaport and wrap up September 23 at Washington's Puyallup Fair. Dirtie Blonde will open for Geiger for much of the tour, including stops in St. Louis (July 13), Dallas (July 18), New Orleans (July 22) and Chicago (August 16). ... Nebraskan indie rockers Cursive are hitting the road July 5 for a nine-date tour that's set to run through July 15. The band will be previewing fresh material from its forthcoming album Happy Hollow, which lands in stores August 22. The trek, which kicks off in Champaign, Illinois, will make stops in Lansing, Michigan; Cleveland; Pittsburgh; New York; Norfolk, Virginia; Newport, Kentucky; Des Moines, Iowa; and the final destination on the tour, Omaha, Nebraska. Cursive will be performing August 4 as part of this year's Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago.

06.07.2006

Lawyers representing the city of Los Angeles in the long-running Notorious B.I.G. (born Christopher Wallace) wrongful-death lawsuit lashed out against the slain rapper's family in court papers filed Tuesday, The Associated Press reports. The attorneys accused the Wallace family of going to "odious" and "absurd" lengths to "satisfy their ambition to extract hundreds of millions of dollars" from the municipality. The city's attorneys allege the Wallace family misled the court by claiming city attorneys and the Los Angeles Police Department withheld informant statements and additional evidence, linking two rogue cops to the rapper's unsolved 1997 shooting death. One of the family's attorneys, Perry Sanders, has denied any deliberate attempts to deceive the court. Dorothy Wolpert, one of the city's attorneys, suggested in the filing that the Wallace family lied because they "were not happy with the way the trial was developing," and asked U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper, who declared a mistrial in the wrongful-death case last July, to pave the way for a new trial to commence "as soon as [the court's] calendar will allow." ...

Hearing wedding bells for Brad and Angelina? Maybe your ears are ringing. "There is nothing in the air," Jolie said Wednesday (June 7) during a news conference for local journalists in the Namibian coastal town of Swakopmund, The Associated Press reports. "The focus is the kids, and we are obviously extremely committed to the children and as parents together. So that kind of says it for us, and to have a ceremony on top of it is nothing." The couple plans to leave Namibia in the coming days. "We are very proud that our daughter was born here," Brad Pitt said, "and we leave with fond memories and definitely hungry to return." The press conference was the couple's first public appearance since the birth of their daughter, Shiloh Nouvel. In other Brangelina baby news, People and Hello! magazines, which bought publishing rights for the photos in the U.S. and U.K., respectively, have launched legal action against two Web sites that posted what appeared to be the upcoming cover of Hello! featuring a photo of the couple with their new baby. ...

After announcing in mid-April that she would be joining the Aaron Eckhart comedy "Bill," Lindsay Lohan has dropped out of the production because of a scheduling conflict, the film's producers said. Lohan was set to play the part of Lucy, the friend of a rebellious teenage boy who Eckhart's character mentors as he tries to find a new purpose in his life. Lohan will be replaced by Jessica Alba when filming starts Thursday in St. Louis. ... Jennifer Lopez was honored Tuesday at the Women in Film's Crystal and Lucy Awards in Los Angeles, and her husband Marc Anthony took out a full-page ad in Variety to show his support. The ad, designed as a mock page from a screenplay, described Lopez (who he called "Lola") receiving her award. "Cut to: Marc Anthony, her proud husband, sitting in the audience aware of how lucky he is to be with the love of his life and sharing in this moment." Geena Davis was also honored. ...

Ashanti's former manager, Linda Berk, filed suit against the singer in a New York federal court on Tuesday, seeking millions of dollars in damages for breach of contract. According to a Reuters report, Berk — who co-managed along with Ashanti's mother — claims that she was instrumental in guiding the career of the 25-year-old R&B singer from an unknown teen to a "music and entertainment superstar" before her contract was cut short in May 2003. Ashanti's spokesperson said Berk's contract expired and wasn't renewed. ... Police in Florida's Miami-Dade County are investigating an act of vandalism that transpired outside the home of ex-2 Live Crew member Luther "Luke" Campbell Wednesday morning. A landscaping brick was allegedly thrown through the window of one of Campbell's cars and had several notes attached to it. According to reports, one of the notes said ''Sign or die.'' Miami police have not named a suspect in the incident. ...

Danger Mouse will serve as the Artist in Residence at the 2006 Los Angeles Film Festival. The Gnarls Barkley/ Gorillaz producer has scheduled several films that have inspired his music, including Woody Allen's "Deconstructing Harry" and Richard Kelly's "Donnie Darko," for his portion of the event. Danger Mouse will also partake in a pre-festival discussion June 12 at the Hammer Museum. ... After nearly 16 years as lead singer, Paul Roberts has left the Stranglers to concentrate on his new band, Soulsec. Roberts joined the scowling British punks in the early '90s after their original singer/guitarist, Hugh Cornwell, departed for a solo career. Initially renowned for deliberately provocative songs like "Bring on the Nubiles" and "Nice 'N' Sleazy," the Stranglers gradually moved away from their willfully contemptuous origins toward mainstream pop in the late '80s and maintained their sizable following in Europe throughout the '90s with Roberts. Though longtime fans may pine for an unlikely reunion of the original foursome, the Stranglers plan to soldier on with guitarist Baz Warne assuming vocal duties. ...

Queen Latifah knows rap, soul, acting — and politics? The singer/actress was on Capitol Hill Wednesday to advocate for a National Women's Confidence Day, according to AP. "I got the support I needed from my mother, grandmother and aunts. But many women today do not have the confidence they need," Latifah said, backing the day of observance Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) wants celebrated in June. How does Congresswoman Dana Owens sound? ... Bunny Wailer — who played with Bob Marley as part of the original Wailers — is hooking up with his late friend's sons on this summer's Roots, Rock, Reggae Festival, AP reports. The 59-year-old legend will be on the bill alongside Stephen and Ziggy Marley when the monthlong tour kicks off August 6 in Redway, California. ...

After struggling for nearly three years, the founders of WeirdAlStar.com — the Web site dedicated to raising the $15,000 necessary to land "Weird" Al Yankovic his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame — have announced that they've finally reached their goal. The $15,000 needed for the honor will be sent (along with Al's application) to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which will decide later this month if he's worthy of a star. If all goes according to plan, Yankovic could have people walking all over him by 2007. ... The first pressing of the New York Dolls' July 25 release, One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This, will feature a 45-minute making-of DVD chronicling the creation of the seminal rock act's first album in more than 30 years. The DVD will also boast a special bonus tune called "17." ...

The Jared Leto-led 30 Seconds to Mars have extended their touring plans by 17 gigs. The band is booked to play Louisville, Kentucky, on June 17, followed by stops in Knoxville, Tennessee; Buffalo, New York; Hartford, Connecticut; Asbury Park, New Jersey; Salt Lake City; and Denver. The group's traveling plans end with an August 5 appearance at this year's Lollapalooza festival in Chicago. ... Disco-pop act Scissor Sisters and Scandinavian shoegazers Serena Maneesh have been added to the 6th annual Village Voice Siren Music Festival lineup, which already includes She Wants Revenge, Stars, Tapes 'N Tapes and the Stills. Other new additions include Man Man, the Roger Sisters and Deadboy & the Elephantmen. The Siren fest takes place at New York's Coney Island on July 15. ...

Stone Sour recently shot a video with director Tony Petrossian (Head Automatica, Avenged Sevenfold) for the track "Through Glass," the first single off of the band's forthcoming album Come What(ever) May. The album's set to hit stores August 1, with the single expected to hit rock radio's airwaves later this month. ... Long Island, New York, hardcore legends Vision of Disorder, who have temporarily reunited for a spate of summer gigs, looked to have added some dates to their schedule. In addition to the band's appearances on the Sounds of the Underground Tour July 16 in Camden, New Jersey, and the Strhess Tour 2006 on August 12 in Worcester, Massachusetts, Vision of Disorder have booked an August 11 gig at Club Ritual in Levittown, New York, with God Forbid, and another for August 13 — same town and venue — with Nora. ...

Ozomatli will kick off the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour's Toyota Hermosa Beach Open with a free concert at California's Hermosa Beach Pier on Friday. The band's performance, scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., will feature songs from their Grammy-winning Street Signs as well as new music. ... If listening to discs from the Kidz Bop Kids has you wishing you could experience the sound of top hits (by everyone from Rihanna to Green Day) performed by children live, you're in luck. Club Kidz Bop, billed as an "interactive concert," will be entertaining Six Flags theme parks this summer. The tour, which kicks off Wednesday at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, will hit parks across the country before wrapping up at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, on September 3.

• Beyoncé
• Madonna
• Michael Jackson
• Notorious B.I.G.
• Zakk Wylde

If Hope Dies
Photo: Metal Blade Records

Auburn, New York's known for two things: It's the birthplace of sound-equipped film and home to leather-chaps-lovin' primal metal sensations Manowar.

Gary Mann's hoping his band If Hopes Dies will become the next biggest thing to emerge from Auburn. But no, folks — he's not at all ashamed of his hometown heroes. Not one bit.

"Dude we all have Manowar tattoos," said the bassist, who signs autographs "Gary Manowar." "I have one tattoo on my body and it's Manowar. It says 'Brothers in Metal' on it and it's got an axe and a torch on it. Both of our guitar players got lessons from their guitar player [Karl Logan]. I personally love that band. And I get to see [Manowar bassist] Joey DeMaio at Wal-Mart all the time."

If Hopes Dies' Life in Ruin will hit stores March 7 and feature 11 tracks, including "Fear Will Keep Them in Line," "Water Into Wine Cooler" and the first single, "Anthem for the Unemployable." Mann said the band worked with producer Jason Suecof (Trivium, God Forbid) on the effort, and while there's loads of aggression on the disc, If Hope Dies took a different approach with their "Anthem."

"This album is the first time we sat down and said, 'Hey, let's write songs this time,' " Mann said. "The chorus [to 'Anthem'] is very Shadows-Fall-like ... I mean, you can understand what we're saying, I guess. This is the first time we've had a taste of something marketable."

If Hope Dies will soon shoot a clip for the track with directors Frankie Nasso (Mudvayne, Sworn Enemy) and Dale Resteghini (Shadows Fall, Candiria). Because "Anthem" is an anti-work song, Mann said the band had originally planned on producing a video spoofing "Office Space."

"So we're thinking about having us sitting in this office building in button-up shirts and ties, and we're sitting there and during our lunch break, we go down into the boiler room and all our instruments are down there," he explained. "So we start playing, and we're just rocking out and going crazy, and upstairs, at the same time, without us knowing, people hear the song, and they go from, 'Hey, what's that noise?' to 'Yeah, this rules.' And everyone upstairs starts moshing and going crazy and breaking all this stuff. We don't even know about it, but when our lunch break's up, we go back upstairs and return to work, and the whole place is in shambles."

On March 20, a few weeks after Life in Ruin's release, the band will hit the road with Still Remains, Nodes of Ranvier and Demiricous. Dates run through May 7.

The rest of the week's metal news:

The Dillinger Escape Plan have begun writing songs for the follow-up to 2004's Miss Machine, but there's no word yet on when the as-yet-untitled album might surface. A posting on the band's Web site says the new stuff's "going to completely shatter any expectations or preconceptions of what you think it will be. We don't know how long this is going to take, but we do know that we are committed to pushing this thing we call the Dillinger Escape Plan to levels and extremities never before seen (or heard). We are still going to be standing while originality and authenticity burn down around us." ... Strapping Young Lad are four tracks into the writing process for their next album, which, according to a drummer Gene Hoglan, should surface in July. "I'm really psyched with the new stuff — hell, we all are," he wrote on the group's site. ... Asesino — the grinding death-metal band featuring former Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares, Andreas Kisser of Sepultura and Static-X bassist Tony Campos — headed into Los Angeles' Undercity Studios this week to start recording Solo Putos Muertos, the forthcoming album and follow-up to 2002's Corridos De Muerte. A summer release is being eyed for the release. ... More dates have been announced for Opeth's upcoming North American tour, featuring Dark Tranquillity, the Devin Townsend Band and DevilDriver opening on various dates. The band has booked gigs in Louisville, Kentucky; New York; Hartford (with Catalyst); Chicago; Milwaukee; and Eugene, Oregon, between February 20 and March 11. ... Chimaira have lined up six shows for March with Children of Bodom and Bullet for My Valentine. The gigs commence March 18 in New Haven, Connecticut, and run through March 24 in Toronto. ... Yakuza's new album Samsara will drop March 21 and feature 10 tracks, including "Monkeytail," "Transmission Ends ... Signal Lost," "Just Say Know" and "Back to the Mountain." ...

Manchester, England, metallers Beecher have thrown in the towel after five years as a group. Why? Well, a statement from the band explains that, "it seems ... right now, you either need to look stupid or sound sh-- (or more often than not, a combination of the two) to get anywhere in this 'scene,' two things that have never applied to Beecher. The reason for our breakup is a combination of personal reasons that no one outside of our band needs to know. But rest assured, now is the time — the time for us all to get our lives back." ... Darren Doane will direct As I Lay Dying's video for "The Darkest Nights." On Doane's MySpace page, he wrote that the clip will be a "really big project — sort of 'Lord of the Rings,' but darker. Horse chases through forests, battle scenes and burning cities. This is probably the biggest video I have ever done." ... Kreator, Napalm Death and A Perfect Murder will launch the Enemy of God II Tour February 21 in Rouen-Noranda, Québec. Dates run through March 25 in Springfield, Virginia. Napalm Death started working on material for their 12th album last month. ... Zakk Wylde and Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci will guest on a new album by former Dream Theater keyboardist Derek Sherinian. The disc, tentatively scheduled for release in June, will also feature Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, ex-Blue Murder bassist Tony Franklin and respected studio drummers Simon Phillips and Brian Tichy. Sherinian is working on the follow-up to his 2004 Mythology at his Beachwood Manor Studios in Burbank, California. ... New York grindcore outfit Skinless have started recording the follow-up to their 2003 disc From Sacrifice to Survival. Tentatively due in the spring, Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead will be the band's first effort featuring singer Jason Keyser, who replaced Sherwood Webber in winter 2004. Skinless are working with engineer Brett Portzer in Albany, New York's Max Trax Studios. ...

Darkest Hour are about to enter the studio with engineer Brian McTernan to remix and remaster their second album, So Sedated, So Secure, which was originally released in 2001. The reissue will include covers of Pentagram's "Be Forewarned" and Battery's "Go Back to the Gym" and is scheduled to hit stores in March. Darkest Hour will launch a tour with Himsa, A Life Once Lost, the Acacia Strain and Dead to Fall February 17 in Cohoes, New York, with dates running through April 1 in Washington, D.C. ... Fort Lauderdale, Florida's Remembering Never will release their third album, God Save Us, February 6. The disc was produced by Zeuss and includes "Con Artist," "Pocket Full of Dirt" and "Slaughterhouse Blues." Remembering Never's last album, Women and Children Die First, came out in early 2004. ... Traditional heavy-metal band Seven Witches will release Amped January 24. The disc was recorded at Mix-O-Lydian Studios in Lafayette, New Jersey, and features "West Nile," "Dishonor Killings" and "Fame Gets You Off." The album will be the first to feature two new members, singer Alan Tecchio and bassist Kevin Bolembach, both of whom were previously in Non-Fiction. ... Swiss melodic-metal band Shakra will release their first album in the States, Fall, January 24. The group's fifth album includes "Take Me Now," "All or Nothing" and "She's My Ecstasy." It will be the band's first offering to feature new singer Mark Fox. ... Italian extreme-metal band Aborym will release their fourth album, Generator, March 21. Tracks include "Armageddon," "A Dog-Eat-Dog World" and "Suffer Catalyst." The band's lineup has changed considerably since the release of 2003's With No Human Intervention. Ex-Mysticum singer Prime Evil has taken Attila Csihar's former spot and ex-Emperor drummer Barg G. Eithun (a.k.a. Faust) has replaced the group's longtime drum machine. ...

Eagle Rock Entertainment will release the DVD "Deep Purple: Live in California 74" January 24. The show was recorded on the band's tour for Burn at the Ontario Speedway in front of 200,000 people. The lineup for the show featured Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), David Coverdale (vocals), Glenn Hughes (bass), Jon Lord (keyboards) and Ian Paice (drums). ... Cerberus will soon enter the studio to record What Have We Become, a six-song EP that should hit stores in July. ... Vader, Kataklysm, Nuclear Assault, Speed Kill Hate, Graveworm and the Absencse will launch a North American tour in May. Dates confirmed thus far for the Metal Crusaders Tour run from May 26 in Montreal to June 29 in Seattle. ... Nebula's forthcoming disc Apollo, produced by Daniel Rey (Ramones, the Misfits), will land in stores February 21. ... Enslaved's new album, Ruun, will be released May 8 and, according to guitarist and composer Ivar Bjørnson, feature songs that "are stronger than ever. We've found the ultimate studios and the guys in the band are in very high spirits. Now it's just a matter of working as hard as body and mind permits." ... Reunited New Jersey metal act Attacker's forthcoming album The Unknown will be available April 11. ... Former Godbelow and Brand New Sin drummer Mike Rafferty has been named Demiricous' touring drummer. He'll be working with the band on a trial basis before being made a permanent member of the fold. ... Beyond the Embrace and Green Carnation will hit the road together starting February 24 in Buffalo, New York. Dates run through April 1 in Toronto.

• If Hope Dies
• Beecher
• Zakk Wylde
• Dillinger Escape Plan
• Darkest Hour

Zakk Wylde
Photo: Clay Patrick McBride

In the coming months, numerous artists, including Nickelback and Brides of Destruction, will release songs about or dedicated to late Damageplan/Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. One of the most heartfelt tributes comes from his close friend Zakk Wylde of Black Label Society, who conceived a music video for the ballad "In This River" that's an allegory of his relationship with Darrell.

In the clip, the guitarists are depicted as children who ride their bikes to the edge of a river, then dive in and attempt to swim across. The young Wylde makes it to the other side; Darrell doesn't.

"The river is a metaphor for life in general," Wylde said, "all the bullsh-- that you deal with from being a kid growing up. The whole thing's just about life and death."

Other scenes include Wylde singing and playing piano in the middle of a (shallow) river, then smashing the instrument to pieces with an axe before setting it on fire and rocking out on a double-necked guitar. The video also incorporates black-and-white footage of Darrell onstage, which was supplied by his widow, Rita.

Wylde came up with the concept for the clip, which was directed by Eric Zimmerman (Megadeth, Napalm Death) and shot in March in Southern California, and worked closely on the project with Rita, who cast the two children. "When she chose them, I said to her, 'I think we might have to cast some other kids — I don't remember me and Dime ever looking this good," Wylde joked. "One kid's got the Kiss shirt on with the Dime razorblade necklace, and the other's got the Sabbath stuff on. We were all laughing seeing the little dudes dressed up. It was funny because they don't know who I am or who Dime was because they're just little guys."

Although the tone of "In This River" is somber, Wylde had a good time during the shoot. "Everything was a celebration of Dime's life, which was really important for me," he said. "But it was also really fun smashing the piano. No one's gonna turn down the chance to smash sh--."

Wylde wrote "In This River" for Black Label Society's 2005 album Mafia, several months before Darrell was killed. It wasn't until after his death that the track was turned into a Dimebag tribute. "I was looking at the lyrics, and I just said, 'Man, this has gotta be Dime's tune,' so we just made it Dime's song and that's how the video came about," he said. "I think it's really emotional and it came out great. Everyone loves it: [Dimebag's brother] Vinnie, Rita. It's all about Dime's memory and there ain't a dry eye in the house every time you see it."

Click here for more on the tragic death of Dimebag Darrell and the Ohio club shooting.

• Zakk Wylde
• Black Label Society

Black Label Society's Zakk Wylde (file)
Photo: Getty Images/Jo Hale

New Jersey's own Zakk Wylde generally just doesn't give a damn about much. For example, beyond Killswitch Engage and As I Lay Dying, he doesn't know who's playing Ozzfest's second stage this year. But really, you can't exactly blame the dude. He usually doesn't get up until after noon, and even then, he's often nursing a hangover.

So when asked what he thinks of Wicked Wisdom, it's not too surprising when Wylde replies, "What's that?" After being told that it's the Jada Pinkett Smith-fronted group that takes the stage long before he rolls out of bed, he asks, "What does Jada Pinkett Smith do?" When he finds out she's the Hollywood actress married to Will Smith, who's also been attending all of the Ozzfest dates, he perks up. "F---ing Will Smith's been on the Ozzfest? What the hell? I need to get an autograph, dude. 'I loved you in "Ali," bro.' "

Wylde says he just doesn't care about "any of that [second stage] sh--. It cuts into time at the Irish tavern, you know what I mean, dude? Why? Is everyone pissing and moaning? What, because they're a new band? Dude, I don't get up that early. Have people been bottling them?"

Bottling?

"Heaving sh-- at them? Bottles? Dude, I remember when we did a show up in Toronto back in 2001, and ... it's too bad, because they were really nice dudes, too. But what were they? Crazytown? You know how you look at a light at night, and there's nothing but f---ing moths around it? Well, there's nothing but these f---ing bottles, these little Evian and Poland Spring bottles, and they're throwing them up there in f---ing droves. Poor bastards. But hey, it's a metal bill and you're doing hip-hop. Get this sh-- the f--- out of here."

For Wylde, who's been a part of Ozzfest for the last seven years, this summer's edition has been like all the rest. "Just a f---ing ass-kicking time, dude. It's like going to Great Adventure."

Once the tour's over, Wylde said he's got two projects in the works he needs to finish. The first is a DVD with live footage from several recent shows his Black Label Society played over in Paris and London; that, he said, could see release early next year. There's also a compilation CD that should be out around the same time, featuring all of the earliest BLS material as well as some bonus tracks, to be called Kings of Damnation.

The rest of the week's metal news:

Bränn Dailor, drummer for Atlanta grindcore masters Mastodon, told Metal File the band's been "collecting riffs and accepting ideas as they come" while on the road during this summer's Ozzfest. He said Mastodon plan to take a few weeks off this September before hitting the studio, where they'll "dump those ideas out and start putting it all together. We've got a lot of good ideas." Dailor said the band hopes to release its Warner Bros. debut next summer. ... Trivium will hit the road in November with Children of Bodom for a full U.S. tour; there are no definitive dates yet. ... Explosive D.C. grind act Pig Destroyer have lined up three West Coast dates with Uphill Battle, Phobia and Triac: August 5 at the Showcase Theater in Corona, California; August 6 at Los Angeles' Hanging Jury; and August 7 at the Voodoo House in Tijuana, Mexico. ... Roadrunner United— The All-Star Sessions, a disc slapped together for the label's 25th anniversary, is set to hit stores on October 11. The album features collaborations involving past and current heavyweights from Roadrunner's roster, including Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt, Glassjaw's Daryl Palumbo, Slipknot's Jim Root, Max Cavalera, King Diamond, Type O Negative's Peter Steele, Vision of Disorder's Tim Williams and others. Tracks include "Roads," "Constitution Down," "Annihilation by the Hand of God" and "The Dawn of a Golden Age." ...

Killswitch Engage guitarist and funnyman Adam Dutkiewicz was asked recently whether he'd be interested in touring with new Roadrunner labelmates Opeth: "I would love to. We can discuss math problems and castles. It would be awesome. I think they'll be into it. They just seem like they'd be down with both of those things." ... Sacramento's With Passion have lost two and gained another. The band's original drummer, Jacob Peete, is back in the mix, while keyboardist Brandon Guadagnolo and guitarist Andy Burt have departed to pursue other musical interests, according to the band's Web site. ... New York extreme metallers Genghis Tron were almost killed by a bunny last week. The band was driving to a gig in New Mexico at 70 mph when it struck a jack rabbit and lost control of its van and trailer. The vehicle rolled off the highway and the trailer was thrown 30 feet into the desert, but no one was injured. The accident forced Genghis to cancel the rest of their U.S. tour, which they hopes to make up at the end of the year. ... Irreverent hard-rock band My Ruin will release their new studio album, The Brutal Language, September 27. The band added bassist Chris Lisee and drummer Jason Brunk to its lineup after completing the disc. ...

Los Angeles stoner-metal band Fireball Ministry will release their third album, Their Rock Is Not Our Rock, October 18. The disc was produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Velvet Revolver, Foo Fighters) and recorded at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 West and the late Elliott Smith's New Monkey Studios. The album will be the first to feature ex-Systematic bassist Johnny Chow, who replaced original bassist Janis Tanaka. Fireball Ministry will open for CKY from August 8 in San Diego through September 11 in Norfolk, Virginia. ... Doom/punk powerhouse Debris, Inc., which includes Trouble bassist Ron Holzner and Saint Vitus guitarist Dave Chandler, will play a string of East Coast dates to support their self-titled debut, which came out in April. The 10-date tour will launch August 4 in Chicago and end August 13 in Dayton, Ohio. ... Canadian experimental thrash-metal vets Voivod have signed a deal with the End Records and will enter the studio in the fall to record their 11th album, which is due in early 2006. The band's last, self-titled album, its first to feature ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted, came out in March 2003. ...

Thine Eyes Bleed have been added to this fall's International Extreme Music Festival, which also features God Dethroned, Byzantine, Nightrage, Hell Within, Epoch of Unlight and Lilitu. Thine Eyes Bleed's debut album, In the Wake of Separation, came out June 21. ... Sunset Strip rockers Beautiful Creatures will release their second album, on August 23. The disc will be the band's first since its 2001 self-titled debut. Beautiful Creatures are fronted by Bang Tango singer Joe Leste, previously played Ozzfest and opened up for Kiss before being dropped by Warner Bros. ... New York hardcore legends Madball will hit the road on September 7 in Revere, Massachusetts, for a 21-date U.S. headlining tour, with support acts Walls of Jericho, Misery Signals and Full Blown Chaos. ... God Forbid's IV: Constitution of Treason will be in stores on September 20 and features "The End of the World," "Crucify Your Beliefs" and "To the Fallen Hero." ... Guitarist Kevin Rampelberg has left the Red Chord; they are performing as a four-piece for the time being, as they search for a replacement. ... Converge have started working on the follow-up to 2004's You Fail Me. They'll preview some of their new material on an upcoming Canadian tour and at this year's Hellfest in late August.

• Zakk Wylde
• Black Label Society
• Voivod
• Mastodon
• Madball

Megadeth's Dave Mustaine (file)
Photo: Getty Images

Dave Mustaine's never been afraid to speak the truth — or at least his version of the truth. So when the Megadeth frontman is asked what exactly inspired his decision to pull an Ozzy and launch his own metal festival — the ominously named Gigantour — you'd expect him to come back with a biting comment about how he's trying to change the deplorable state of heavy metal for the better. Something like that.

But instead, Mustaine said his festival — which features Dream Theater, Nevermore, Dillinger Escape Plan, Life of Agony, Symphony X and his own band — is about spreading positive vibes, dude. And no, he's not looking to eradicate Ozzfest.

"I have no crosshairs on any of the other festivals," he said. "I'm not the giant-slayer that's gonna go take on these other festivals and make 'em look bad. I want to have a festival that's positive, encouraging, fun — something people will look forward to. After all, what are the first two syllables of festival? Festive, man!"

The bands the legendary metal axeman handpicked for Gigantour's inaugural trek, he says, craft and execute superb metal.

"The music business recently has been bereft of any kind of guitar heroes," he explained. "Certainly, the ones that show up in guitar magazines nowadays, who say they're guitar heroes, ain't the kind of heroes I knew growing up: [Michael] Schenker, [Jeff] Beck, Jimmy Page. Some of these guys today, it's like, 'OK, tune your guitar down to Z and never do a solo because it's not cool.'

"As of late, there have been numerous musicians who have decided to take naps onstage, and I don't want to be around that negativity. I wanted to have positive and encouraging bands out there who would be positive and encouraging for young people, young musicians, young music fans. People, they're gonna come [to Gigantour] and see people take a guitar and actually make it work."

Mustaine added, in so many words, that, at an average of $35 a ticket, Gigantour's a better headbang for the buck. He plans on adding one more band to the lineup — he has two in mind but hasn't decided which one to go with yet. He also said he hopes Gigantour becomes an annual event: "I would love to say 10 years from now, 'Thank you for you wishing me a happy 10th anniversary,' like Ozzfest," he said.

As for whether we'll see new material from Megadeth in the future, Mustaine didn't entirely rule it out. "You can probably expect to see some music come out of us at some point, whether I decide to call it Megadeth or go on as my own."

In the meantime, Capitol will release a collection of Megadeth tunes on June 28 called Greatest Hits: Back to the Start, and there's also a two-DVD retrospective, "Arsenal of Megadeth," due September 27.

Gigantour starts July 21 in Fresno, California, and runs through September 10 in Seattle.

The rest of the week's metal news:

Swedish thrash titans the Haunted — who'll be playing a number of Ozzfest off-dates this summer with Arch Enemy, Black Dahlia Murder, Shadows Fall and It Dies Today — recently shot a video for the track "No Compromise" with acclaimed director Roger Johansson (In Flames, Soilwork); look for it to debut on "Headbangers Ball" next month. Singer Peter Dolving described it as a "pretty boy-band video to make us ugly f---ers look sweeter than your next-door, Class-A, golden-boy jock meat." ... Less than two months after the death of guitarist Bryan Ottoson, American Head Charge have scheduled a full tour with Static-X. Dates run from June 13 in Tempe, Arizona, through August 15 in Portland, Oregon. Guitarist Benji Hellberg — who took Ottoson's place during the remaining shows of the Mudvayne tour — will play all shows. ...

Bassist Matt Deis has left Massachusetts metallers All That Remains "to pursue other exciting avenues," according to the band's Web site. In the same posting, it was revealed that Deis' replacement has already been found. Josh Venn of Blood Has Been Shed has decided he'd like to be in two bands — much like BHBS' singer, Howard Jones, who also fronts Killswitch Engage. ... Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society have shot a video for the "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott tribute track "In This River" with director Eric Zimmerman (Megadeth, Napalm Death). In the video, Wylde's seen strumming an acoustic guitar and seated at a grand piano set in the middle of a flowing river. Once the song reaches the guitar solo, the Wyldeman smashes his guitar and sets the piano ablaze. ...

On June 28, Twisted Sister will release the DVD-plus "Live at Wacken: The Reunion," which captures the band's 2003 appearance at the German rock festival. One side of the disc will be a DVD of the show and the other will feature a CD of the same concert. Twisted Sister will perform a show in Philadelphia on July 15 to help fund a liver transplant for their former sound engineer, Charlie Barreca. ... Monster-loving shock-rocker Alice Cooper will release his new album, Dirty Diamonds, on August 2. Cooper will also launch a tour with power-pop legends Cheap Trick on August 20 in Cincinnati, with dates running through September 16 in Phoenix. ... Industrial-tinged death-metal band Fear Factory will release their seventh album, Transgression, on August 23. The group will preview some of the songs live during the aforementioned Gigantour. ...

Alabama slammers Haste have spent the last few months writing material for the follow-up to 2003's The Mercury Lift. The band's completed a three-song demo, and in a posting on its Web site, guitarist Nick Brunson claims Haste have been getting some positive feedback on the tracks. "Most of the people that heard them said they liked it a lot," he wrote. "Maybe that's because I had a gun pointed at them and dared them not to like it." ... Death legends Obituary will film a video for "Insane" next week. The track's from the band's forthcoming, self-produced album, Frozen in Time, which hits stores July 19. ... Himsa have finished working on Hail Horror; look for a late September/ early October release. ... Death merchants Paria need a new singer. That's because barker Brian Craig's decided to pull a Rodney Dangerfield and go back to school to "further his education and continue pursuing a career." In the meantime, former Analog frontman Paul Pettit's been called on to substitute during Paria's August tour. It's quite possible he may become a permanent member of the band. ...

Finnish black-metal veterans Impaled Nazarene have just released the live album Death Comes in 26 Carefully Selected Pieces ahead of schedule. The record was recorded in Helsinki in December 2004 and includes the tracks "The Horny and the Horned," "Goat Perversions," "Motorpenis" and "The Endless War." ... "Osmose NoisyMotions," a two-and-a-half-hour black- and death-metal DVD, will be released August 23. The disc includes performances by Immortal, Absu, Melechesh, Dark Tranquillity and Abominator. ... The last three dates of Eyehategod's U.S. tour have been canceled due to "logistical reasons." Fans who bought tickets for shows in Birmingham, Alabama (June 16); Hickory, North Carolina (June 17); and Johnson City, Tennessee (June 18), can obtain refunds at point of purchase. ...

• Megadeth
• Zakk Wylde
• American Head Charge
• Twisted Sister

Zakk Wylde (file)
Photo: Clay Patrick McBride

Even when he's not in the studio or on the road, it's hard for Black Label Society maestro Zakk Wylde to get any rest. His home, located about an hour outside of Los Angeles, is a sanctuary of sorts for wayward rockers and friends, who keep him up all night partying. His most current tenant is Phil, a noisy, obnoxious friend from New Jersey who keeps interrupting our phone interview by shouting homophobic comments.

When it becomes impossible to finish a thought, Wylde wanders outdoors so he can properly discuss his new album, Mafia. But the peace only lasts a couple of minutes. While the guitar player and singer talks about spreading the gospel of Black Label Society, the connection is pierced by what sounds like the feral roar of a chainsaw; it's actually Wylde's 11-year-old son, Jesse, baiting his dad by riding a mini motorcycle in circles around him. "He might as well have a chainsaw," Wylde growled.

Jesse isn't the only one who regularly yanks his dad's lumberjack beard. There's his co-manager and wife, Barbaranne, whom Wylde affectionately calls "My Sharon," and their other son, Hendrix, who just entered his terrible twos. Rock stars don't always make the best or most enthused parents, but for Wylde, music and family have always been inextricably intertwined. And his extended family members have been as important as his blood relatives.

When Wylde was 19 years old, he was adopted by Ozzy Osbourne and his band to play on 1989's No Rest for the Wicked. For the next four years, Wylde cut his teeth touring the world with Ozzy, and performed on 1991's No More Tears and 1995's Ozzmosis before setting sail on his own the next year with his first solo album, Book of Shadows. He formed Black Label Society in 1999; six years and five albums later, what started as a side project has turned into a new musical family and a formidable rock force. With the release of the galvanic Mafia, Wylde seems on the verge of breaking Black Label Society beyond the fringes of Ozzfest and into the heavy-metal mainstream.

The album is a showcase of metallic energy that combines the stomp of Pantera, the sluggish chug and guitar squeals of Alice in Chains and the six-string virtuosity of Eddie Van Halen. And to mix things up, there's a pair of piano-fueled ballads, which demonstrate Wylde's flexibility and offer a hint of vulnerability. Mafia is easily Black Label's most mature and fully realized disc to date, one that sounds like it was carefully written and painstakingly finessed.

"To us, it's just another Black Label Society record," Wylde dismissively said. "That's how it is every time. We go in there with nothing, then we kick it around, and within an hour we have a couple songs. That's the way it should be. I think if you really try to figure out what the f--- you're doing and image yourself, then you just end up trying too hard and it doesn't sound real."

Whatever they're doing, Black Label Society are on the right track. Last week, "Suicide Messiah," the first single from the album, was the #1 most-added song at mainstream and active rock radio, which should help build buzz and anticipation for the LP's March 8 release. The song is a crunchy, pounding slugfest with shuddering vocals that sound like a cross between Ozzy and Axl Rose. But while the sound is basically familiar, the subject matter is new for Wylde.

"It's my take on power trips and the way people follow blindly, whether it's Jesus or George Bush or one of those freaks overseas that we're fighting a war against," he explained. "People always need something to put their faith in and they choose these power-crazy mother----ers in the name of religion."

For Wylde, this is an epiphany. That he's incorporated the idea into lyrics for his new album is even more revelatory. After all, here's a wild-eyed guy whose drinking exploits are as legendary as his outstanding guitar playing — a dude who has crashed cars into trees for kicks.

"In the world we live in these days, how can you not [touch on politics]?" he said. "But that doesn't mean I don't still like to have a good time and do crazy sh--. If there isn't something crazy that goes on in the span of the day then something's not right."

• Zakk Wylde

Bruce Dickinson (file)
Photo: MTV News

Guitar slinger Zakk Wylde and his Black Label Society are set to follow up last year's Blessed Hellride with Hangover Music: Volume 1 on April 20. As the title suggests, BLS' third album will feature such softer, less head-jarring elements as piano and acoustic guitars. ...

After 1998's Chemical Wedding, Bruce Dickinson is ready to honeymoon with another solo album. The Iron Maiden frontman has penned a handful of tunes for an LP expected by late this year or early 2005. ... Metal memories and ripping recollections are corralled in "Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal & Grindcore," a new book by metal scribe Albert Mudrian due this fall. ... Lemmy Kilmister's rockabilly band, Lemmy, Slim Jim & Danny B, filmed their January 13 performance at the Cat Club in Hollywood for an upcoming DVD. The disc will include covers of songs by Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Jimmy Reed and Elvis Presley. ...

Testament, Symphony X, Joey Belladonna and Vital Remains featuring Deicide's Glen Benton are among the first crop of bands slated for March Metal Meltdown 6, set for March 12 and 13 at the Cricket Club in Irvington, New Jersey. ... Meanwhile, former Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph has joined Testament. Bostaph, who replaces John Tempesta, previously toured with the band in 1993. The new lineup will tour in March. ... The upcoming Queensrÿche DVD "The Art of Live" has been postponed from March 24 to April 6. The band will play two weeks of dates starting April 15 in Detroit. ...

Israeli death metal band Orphaned Land have resurfaced after seven years to record their third disc, Mabool — The Story of the Three Sons of Seven, due April 6. The concept album tells the biblical tale of three sons who unite in an attempt to hold back God's wrath prior to the Great Flood. ... Poland's Vader were forced to delay the recording of their new album when drummer Doc injured his hand and leg during the band's third day in the studio. They will continue with Vesania drummer Daray, who'll play in the studio and tour with Vader until Doc recovers. The LP is due in September. ... Norway's Mayhem will release their new album, Chimera, on April 6. The disc was recorded at a mobile studio in the mountains of Norway and will include the tracks "Whore," "My Death" and "Slaughter of Dreams." Mayhem's previous studio disc was 2000's Grand Declaration of War. ...

Reunited New York female-fronted thrash band Crisis have completed work on Like Sheep Led to Slaughter, due in May. The disc was produced by Billy Anderson (Brutal Truth, Neurosis). ... Atlanta '80s thrash speed band Hallows Eve have decided to reform after being contacted for an interview by Steve Cannon, editor of an Internet fanzine, who they then invited to be their new singer. The resurrected group also features guitarist Skellator and bassist Tommy Stewart. Hallows Eve plan to record and play shows after hiring a drummer. ... Death Angel will release their new album, The Art of Dying, on May 4. The disc will include the songs "Thrown to the Wolves," "Thicker Than Blood" and "Famine." The Art of Dying will be the band's first release since 1990's Act III. ...

Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo recently spent a day in the studio with film composer Tyler Bates recording music for the upcoming remake of the George Romero 1979 horror film Dawn of the Dead. The original's creepy score was created by Italian prog-rock band Goblin. The film comes out March 19. ... Florida's Obituary have reformed and will perform in Tampa at the Sun N' Steel Festival on March 6. The band is writing new music and talking to its former label about a recording deal. ... New Orleans' Soilent Green will enter the studio next month to create the follow-up to 2001's A Deleted Symphony for the Beaten Down. The band recently completed a split 7-inch with Eyehategod, which is only available at www.incisionrecords.com. ... After sending a demo to M.O.D. frontman Billy Milano, 22-year-old Jon Aaron has been invited to join the band. M.O.D. are developing material for their next album. ...

• Bruce Dickinson
• Zakk Wylde
• Slayer
• Obituary

Dave Grohl
Photo: MTV News

Hey everybody, what's up? What's new? How's things? Iann Robinson here, back out in sunny L.A. again. Yeesh, I might as well move here. Anyway, some cool things have been going on that I'm stoked about. I got a record called Unhallowed by the Black Dahlia Murder that just kills, I mean really kills. If you're into anything from hardcore to death metal to thrash, this is a band you need to check out.

I found out that Foo Fighter Dave Grohl is finally releasing his long-awaited Probot CD on Southern Lord Records in the next couple of months. If you haven't heard about it, Probot is Dave — who's an old-school metalhead — writing a batch of metal songs and then getting the likes of Lemmy, King Diamond, Lee Dorian and other metal gods to add vocals and some of their own splash to the songs. I, for one, can't wait to hear it.

I got to hang a little with Fireball Ministry in the studio this week. I heard their new songs, and they're pretty amazing. They just signed to Nuclear Blast, so watch out for their new album. Well, that's it from me, see you guys soon, and as always, see you at the shows:

Black Label Society, the band fronted by Ozzy guitarist Zakk Wylde, will release the live DVD "Boozed, Broozed & Broken-Boned" before the end of the summer. The disc will feature a September 2002 concert recorded at Harpo's in Detroit. The DVD will include the video for "Stillborn," directed by Rob Zombie. ... Death metal legends Cannibal Corpse will release a box set containing three CDs and one DVD in November. Included on the CDs will be Cannibal Corpse's original demo that the band made before signing to Metal Blade in 1990, three new cover songs, the unreleased Created to Kill album (recorded during the Vile sessions with Chris Barnes on lead vocals), and a best-of collection to be picked out by the band. The DVD will contain a Moscow concert recorded on May 25, 1993, and the group's performance at the Metal Blade Records 20th anniversary party. ...

Mudvayne will release a DVD single of "Not Falling" to coincide with their appearance on the Summer Sanitarium Tour. The DVD includes commentary by director Dean Karr, a making-the-video segment and additional performance footage. ... Sludge masters Crowbar will team up with Pantera bassist Rex Brown on their new album, You Don't Need an Enemy to Have a War. Brown will also produce the disc. ... Sweden's Opeth will be joined by experimental visionaries Porcupine Tree — whose frontman, Steven Wilson, is a frequent collaborator and producer for the progressive death metal band — on a North American tour that begins July 15 in Toronto. ...

Great White will team up with L.A. Guns and XYZ for a summer tour to raise money for victims of the Station club fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Dates have not yet been confirmed. ... Keith Barney, guitarist with Eighteen Visions and Throwdown, recently co-founded a record label called the Plan Audio/Visual, which will release material from the band Capsize later this year. Throwdown's Haymaker album will see release July 15 through Trustkill. ... Satyricon will issue a vinyl version of Volcano through Moonfog Productions at the end this month. The band won two awards for the album at Norway's Alarm Awards earlier this year, including Best Metal Album of the Year and Best Song for "Fuel for Hatred." ...

The new album from Six Feet Under, Bringer of Blood, will come with a bonus DVD that includes 45 minutes of footage capturing the making of the disc. The band will hit the road with the Black Dahlia Murder and the Heavils to support the album and DVD, which will hit stores September 23. ... Somber Swedish black metal band Marduk will release the DVD "Funeral Marches and Warsongs" in mid-November. The band is currently working on new material for its next album. ... Fellow Swedes Entombed will release their next album, Inferno, on August 4. The disc was produced in Stockholm by Pelle Gunnerfeldt. ...

— compiled by Iann Robinson, Ryan J. Downey, Jon Wiederhorn and Robert Mancini

• Cannibal Corpse
• Foo Fighters
• Zakk Wylde
• Pantera
• The Black Dahlia Murder

Drowning Pool's Dave Williams
Photo: Amy V. Cooper

Drowning Pool's Dave Williams will be remembered with "Sinema," a DVD that combines a history of the band with personal accounts of the much-loved singer.

Due November 19, "Sinema" features uncensored, behind-the-scenes footage of the bandmembers on tour and whooping it up in their hometown of Dallas, according to a Wind-Up Records spokesperson. Pantera's Dimebag Darrell, one of Williams' closest friends, contributed a 15-minute pastiche culled from home videos that he edited himself. Rare performance footage, including a cover of Mötley Crüe's "Shout at the Devil," is also among the DVD's offerings.

Williams, who died August 14 from heart disease (see "Drowning Pool's Dave Williams Died From Heart Disease, Coroner Says"), is remembered through the testimony of P.O.D.'s Sonny Sandoval, Disturbed's David Draiman, Rob Zombie, Zakk Wylde, and members of Ill Niño, Adema, Seether and Finger Eleven. Others who appear in the home video include Sammy Hagar, Slayer's Kerry King, Mötley Crüe's Vince Neil, Ozzy Osbourne, Sevendust and MTV News' Iann Robinson.

All three of the band's videos, "Bodies," "Sinner" and "Tear Away," and scenes from the production of each, are also contained, as is an option to hear the band's audio commentary.

Plans for the DVD arose at a public memorial for Williams held a week after his death (see "Drowning Pool Fans Asked To Contribute To Memorial DVD"). Wind-Up Records will use $250,000 from the sale of the video to buy a house for Williams' parents, realizing one of his lifelong dreams.

• Drowning Pool
• P.O.D.
• Disturbed
• Rob Zombie
• Zakk Wylde

MTV.com Exclusive: Zakk Wylde Photos 07.05.2005

• Zakk Wylde