Glenn Danzig
Photo: Scott Gries/ Getty Images

Instead of entering the studio to work on a full-length follow-up to 2004's Circle of Snakes, dark-metal godfather Glenn Danzig decided to work on a career-spanning double-disc set of songs that had never been released. More than a B-sides or outtakes collection though, The Lost Tracks of Danzig is more like a new record constructed from past data. And it might well be his best release since 1994's Danzig IV.

"These are definitely not throwaway songs," Danzig said. "A lot of them were supposed to be released as B-sides or singles, but it didn't happen. Other tracks were supposed to be included on older records but didn't get finished in time. And then some songs were good but just didn't fit the vibe of where a particular record was going."

The earliest songs on The Lost Tracks of Danzig, "Pain Is Like an Animal" and "When Death Had No Name," were written toward the tail end of Glenn Danzig's tenure in Samhain, the group he formed after leaving the Misfits in 1983 and dismantled in 1990. "I included two versions of 'When Death Has No Name' because I wanted to show how it developed," he said. "The first recording was really broad and very produced and the other one is more raw. I think we recorded that song at every Danzig session up until [1992's] Danzig III: How the Gods Kill."

Other standouts include the lumbering, distortion-drenched "Lady Lucifera," which was originally recorded for Circle of Snakes; the murky, mesmeric "Warlok," written for 1996's Blackacidevil; and the bluesy, moody "Crawl Across the Killing Floor," penned for 1999's 6:66 Satan's Child.

"I already shot a video for that one," Danzig said. "It would have been great if it could have been on the original album, but it wasn't done in time. You start working on a record and you get involved with some songs more intensely and the earlier stuff just gets left behind."

Danzig, who has never shied away from controversy, had no hesitation about including "White Devil Rise," a song he wrote about Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. "He said some inflammatory things at the time and Rick [Rubin] and I started talking and he said I should write a song about a race war. Farrakhan calls us 'The White Devil.' Well, I, personally, don't have a problem being called that. But no one wants to see a race war. It would be terrible, so the song's saying, 'Be careful what you wish for.' "

In addition to the many newly released originals, there are also three cover songs: T. Rex's "Buick McKane" ("I'm a big T. Rex fan, and most of their songs lend themselves to being Danzig-ized"); the Germs' "Caught in My Eye" ("I wanted to make it creepier and darker"); and David Bowie's "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" ("It's a great song. I made it a little more rocker-heavy").

While Danzig says he's happy with the end result, The Lost Tracks of Danzig was a lot more work than he thought it would be. Many of the tracks required additional parts, and when he got to an acoustic version of "Come to Silver" — which was written in 1995 for Johnny Cash — he discovered that his old engineer had erased the vocals.

"This whole record was a real pain in the butt," he said. "There were a lot of surprises along the way and a lot of work. I originally thought a lot of the songs were more finished, and [that they weren't] made everything harder."

Even after unearthing and resurrecting the 26 songs for the album, Danzig said he still has "a ton" of additional tracks that might surface in the future. For now, though, he's happy that his first round of nearly lost classics is on the shelves. "I think Danzig fans will really dig this stuff," he said. "A lot of them have already heard really bad demo versions of 20th generation copies, so for them to have a nice, mastered version of the songs is a lot better."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Of course, you all know that this summer's Ozzfest will be free to fans — and a lot of them are taking advantage of Sharon and Ozzy's "generosity." Since tickets were made available this weekend, passes for all 24 stops on the trek have been distributed to more than 428,000 metalheads — making this the largest number of free concert tickets ever distributed in the U.S. This summer's installment — which features Ozzy Osbourne, Hatebreed, Lamb of God and more — kicks off July 12 in Seattle and wraps August 30 in West Palm Beach, Florida. ... No one knows for sure what's going on with the Dillinger Escape Plan. Rumors suggest drummer Chris Pennie has left the band permanently to join Coheed and Cambria, and similar rumors have Stolen Babies' Gil Sharone taking his place. But the boys do plan on making a "major announcement" on Friday night (June 15) "concerning our band, its members and our future." Dillinger have been working on material for the follow-up to 2004's Miss Machine, which could be out before year's end. At least we hope it will. ...

Between the Buried and Me have set Colors as the title of their new album, which will be in stores September 18. ... Killswitch Engage's engaging cover of Dio's "Holy Diver" will be transformed into a medieval-themed video this weekend in California. Brian Thompson (Misdirection, Angels and Airwaves) is set to direct the clip, which will be included on the DVD portion of the upcoming re-release of the band's 2006's offering, As Daylight Dies. ... High on Fire will headline an upcoming North American run in support of their forthcoming LP, Death Is This Communion, due September 18. The trek will kick off September 20 in San Diego and crisscross the continent for five weeks, ending October 29 in San Francisco. Mono, Panthers and Coliseum have been tapped to open all dates. ...

Strapping Young Lad guitarist Jed Simon and his wife, Susanna, are proud parents after the May 29 birth of their son, Edward Malcolm. "Little Eddie is fine and healthy," Simon said in a statement. "You should see how long his fingers are. Maybe he and [SYL frontman Devin Townsend's] baby can start a band sometime." Metal File thinks that would be kind of awesome. ... The latest from thrash titans Dekapitator, The Storm Before the Calm, is set to drop July 24 and feature nine tracks, including "Toxic Sanctuary," "Deathstrike Command" and "Run With the Pack." You can catch Dekapitator on the road later this month, as they've booked gigs in Portland, Oregon (June 22); San Francisco (July 16); and Berkeley, California (July 21). ...

The Red Death, Diskreet, Whitechapel and the Partisan Turbine will hit the road this summer for a 24-date trek that launches June 29 in Rochester, New York, and is booked through July 21 in Mount Clemens, Michigan. ... Leng Tch'e have lost drummer and founding member Svencho, who is leaving the group to concentrate on his other band, Aborted. In a statement, the band thanked him "for the years [he'd] invested in Leng Tch'e and wish him luck in his future endeavors. This will definitely not be the end of the band." The remaining members are currently seeking a replacement for Svencho, and those interested in giving it a whirl should contact the band via its MySpace page. ... Into Eternity, Edguy and Light This City will join forces for a 20-gig North American jaunt set to get under way September 11 in Hartford, Connecticut. The bands will be on the road through October 8 in Detroit. ...

Two years of relative silence have been broken, as Columbus, Ohio, metallers Further Lo will soon return with both a brand-new video and LP. The album is titled Unresolved and being eyed for release later this summer. "The new material is a lot darker and faster than the last," the band said in a statement. "We are very proud of the material on this CD and can't wait for everyone to hear it." ... Try as they might, DevilDriver could not convince the folks over at the "Guinness Book of World Records" to recognize their proposal for "Largest Circle Pit" record, which they attempted over the weekend when they took the stage for this year's Download Festival in England. What's the big idea? Apparently, Guinness claims, "There is no way you can physically define where any circle/ mosh pit starts and ends." Fair enough. In the meantime, DevilDriver's third studio offering, The Last Kind Words, is set to hit stores July 31. ...

Cannae have been working on material for their fourth LP, the yet-untitled follow-up to 2005's Gold Becomes Sacrifice. Alas, they haven't a drummer to assist in the process. Those interested in trying out for the band should contact Cannae at cannaedrums@gmail.com. ... Tapping the Vein are all set to enter Rax Trax Recording studio in Chicago on July 14, at which point they'll begin mixing the follow-up to 2002's The Damage with producer Neil Kernon (Cannibal Corpse, Nevermore). According to singer Heather Thompson, the band "took a new approach to the writing of this album, and I am really pleased with the result. I think we've managed to streamline and 'pump it up,' so to speak, without sacrificing any of the emotional impact that we insist on." ... Emperor fans take note: On August 21, Candlelight will re-release some of the band's classic LPs in the form of limited-edition box sets. The sets will feature a digipak CD with CD-ROM extras, a double-sided poster boasting previously unseen photos and an interview booklet. Bad news is, only 5,000 copies of each will be pressed.

• Glenn Danzig
• Dillinger Escape Plan
• DevilDriver

Diddy's <I>Press Play</I>
Photo: Bad Boy Records

Mo' Diddy: It's been five years since we last heard a batch of new material from Diddy — even though he's been doing just about everything else in the meantime, between the clothing lines, record-label signings and humanitarian efforts. The mogul/artist/fill-in-the-blank is re-entering in style, getting big names to help with the Press Play festivities: Christina Aguilera ("Tell Me"), Nas and Cee-Lo ("Everything I Love"), Mary J. Blige ("Making It Hard"), Jamie Foxx ("Partners for Life"), Mario Winans ("Through the Pain (She Told Me)"), Brandy ("Thought You Said"), and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger. Plus, behind the boards he's got Kanye West, Will.I.Am, Big Boi, Mobb Deep's Havoc, Timbaland and the Neptunes. Now there's a guy with a few friends.

This week's second most impressive guest list belongs to Hi-Tek, who roped in Nas, Busta Rhymes, Common, Talib Kweli, Jadakiss, Papoose, Bun B and Ghostface Killah for Hi-Teknology 2: The Chip. Going above and beyond the call of duty, he tapped Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Slim Thug and Raphael Saadiq for three tunes that appear on a special edition only available at Best Buy stores. That set also comes with a bonus DVD loaded with videos, a documentary and more.

JoJo's Mojo: Expect to see a lot of JoJo this week — on MTV, "The Today Show" and beyond — as she hops back from the big screen to the music world for The High Road. Her "Too Little Too Late" single is skittering up the charts, but — shocker! — there are other tracks on the album as well: "Let It Rain," "Good Ol' " and "Note to God," among others. Oh, and there's a bonus DVD with plenty of JoJo fruits as well.

Circling Around: Xzibit has some mighty hip-hop competition this week in the form of Diddy, but his fans should be coming around for Full Circle. Too Short ("Movin' in Your Chucks"), Kurupt ("Say It to My Face," "Movin' "), DJ Quik ("Poppin' Off") and T-Pain ("On Ball") have all hopped onto the affair, which furthers Xzibit's pattern of releasing an album every two years since he burst onto the scene in '96.

Murder Is the Case: Also in the rap mix is C-Murder, the criminally prone younger brother of Master P who is reservicing his LP The Truest Sh-- I Ever Said with five additional cuts he laid down after getting out of prison: "I Want It," "I Live in the Ghetto," "Calliope," "On My Block" (featuring Bootleg of the Dayton Family) and "Die for Mine" (featuring B.G.). There's also a bonus DVD with a 60-minute documentary hosted by B.G., plus behind-the-scenes material and videos to boot.

			MTV News RAW: Diddy The rapper/producer tells MTV why listeners have no choice but to 'Press Play', and explains why there's a bed in his studio.

Studly Efforts: He's won "Idol," Grammy-nomination honors and sold more than 3 million albums, but Ruben Studdard clearly has an appetite for more. On The Return, he redoes "If Only for One Night" — Rube's version has more in common with Luther Vandross', as opposed to original singer Brenda Russell's — as well as three songs he co-wrote: "I'm Not Happy," "Blow Ya Mind" and "To Tha Crib." The velvet teddy bear gets some production boosts from Scott Storch, Ne-Yo, Bryan-Michael Cox and Dre & Vidal. As it turns out, Ne-Yo and Cox also lend support to Latin R&B prince Frankie J with his Priceless album, which is peppered with guests Chamillionaire, 112's Slim and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

Weird Stuff: This week's crop of new releases is a strange one indeed:

When it comes to being odd, no band does it better than Primus, and they don't fall short this week with their Primus Singles: They Can't All Be Zingers CD and "Blame It on the Fish" DVD releases. On the DVD is a 30-minute documentary in which leader Les Claypool, playing a 102-year-old, talks about what life has been like for Primus into the year 2065.

Badly Drawn Boy is also pretty batty, and to coincide with the release of his Born in the U.K. LP this week, he's put up a contest on his Web site that asks viewers to choose their favorite fish-and-chips restaurant in England. Or, more specifically, "the chance to vote for your favourite local 'Batterie' and gamble the fishy reputation of your regular chish 'n fip shop." The contest prize? Nothing.

It Dies Today haven't exactly made a reputation for themselves as a family-friendly band, after touring as part of Ozzfest and with Trivium, Machinehead and other brutal bands. But as it turns out, "Sacre Coeur" — a song featured on their new release, Sirens — is actually named after a Parisian church where singer Nick Brooks says, in a press release, "I hopefully plan on proposing to someone there someday."

A mishmash of "Whatever Happened To ... ?" musicians — including members of Jellyfish, the Candy Butchers, Self, Semisonic and Papas Fritas — have joined forces for L.E.O. It isn't exactly a cover band but tries its best to channel prog-rock legends ELO all the same with Alpacas Orgling. It's doubtful that when those guys headed to the studio they limited themselves to ingesting only bread, water, eggs, coffee and whiskey, but that's exactly what Denison Witmer did for Safe Away, which is being reissued this week with a bonus EP.

To close out a 30-year career that has seen way too much hair and too many half-hearted reunions, Twisted Sister are regrouping one last time for ... a Christmas album? Yes, it's true: With singer Dee Snider leading the pack, the band bizarrely runs through "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," "Heavy Metal Christmas (The Twelve Days of Christmas)" and other selections that will lead fans to say, "Uh ... OK." Can you take it?

Toronto quartet the Sadies have crafted the soundtrack to "Tales of the Rat Fink," a film that lives up to its odd mantle: It revolves around cartoonist/custom-car designer Ed "Big Daddy" Roth and his anti-Mickey Mouse character, Rat Fink. The soundtrack is heavy on instrumental surf music, while the film features vocal contributions from "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the Smothers Brothers, John Goodman, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and other people you wouldn't expect.

Also getting back together — a whopping 27 years after issuing their last studio LP — are all-women punks the Slits, with frontwoman Ari Up leading the pack. Equally surprising is that they've only come up with enough new material for an EP, Revenge of the Killer Slits, although it does feature appearances from such question-mark contributors as Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook and Adam and the Ants axeman Marco Pirroni. Oh, three daughters also help out: Cook's child Holly, Mike Jones' daughter Lauren, and Phoebe, who calls Slits guitarist Tessa Pollitt mom. Even if it's just an EP the Slits are putting out, it'll give them a good excuse to tour with Dmonstrations next month. That San Diego band has a CD of its own coming out this week — Night Trrors. Shock! Songs include "Hair Pretzel," "Polyp" and "Coelcanth Shower" and, according to the press release, lyrics revolve around "food, sexual politics and international playgirls."

On the subject of unusual lyrical subject matter, Houston trio the Scattered Pages invoke children's authors Lewis Carroll and J.M. Barrie on Lazy Are the Skeletons, which features "Alice to Wonderland" and the less whimsical "Annie Get Yer Gun" and "You Were Depressing Me." And Sharam — one-half of Grammy-winning electronic duo Deep Dish — spends his double-disc Sharam GU29 - Dubai focusing on a country that usually comes up in a conversation about port security, not dance music. Paul van Dyk, Felix Da Housecat and Armin van Buuren lend him a hand. And Doleful Lions obsess over pro wrestler Terry Gordy on "Oriental Spike," featured on their album Song Cyclops Volume Two, which also features Beach Boys and Misfits covers.

Other strange highlights: KT Tunstall's Acoustic Extravaganza finds the singer/songwriter covering Beck's "Golden Age," of all things; Jack White has called neoclassical musician Dexter Romweber a major influence, and Romweber's 13-track Piano was produced by Le Tigre collaborator Chris Stamey; clothing designer Todd Oldham is really into the Changes, who drop their debut LP, Today Is Tonight, this week; and Anticon one-man-band Dosh — who courted Andrew Bird and members of Tapes 'N Tapes for his LP The Lost Take — was raised by a onetime priest and mother who almost became a nun. And last but not least there's the imitable Glenn Danzig, whose Black Aria II is a classical operatic piece based on the mythological first wife of Adam. Why bother being normal?

Song Title of the Week:

"Gutrot Hogfrenzy" from Regurgitate's Sickening Bliss

Other Notables:

Bert Jansch's The Black Swan: The towering British folk musician has made the surprising leap to Chicago indie label Drag City for his first album in four years. But a cadre of luminaries are helping brighten the set all the same, including Beth Orton and Devendra Banhart. Tracks include "Maddalina's Dance," "Texas Cowboy Blues" and "Bring Your Religion."

Jeremy Enigk's World Waits: Rumors of another Sunny Day Real Estate reunion are floating around again, but in the meantime, fans will have to be satisfied with the second solo effort by the angel-voiced frontman. "Been Here Before," "Wayward Love" and "Dare a Smile" bulk up the disc, although some were written more than 10 years ago, shortly after the release of his solo debut.

Elanors' Movements: Chicago spouses Noah and Adriel Harris have been doing the orchestral-pop thing for a couple of years now, but for this outing, they convinced Judah Johnson drummer Daniel Johnson and bassist Rodrigo Palma to join the fun. Using pre-1960s music as their guide, this political-protest LP features "Counsel of Bodies," "Thieving Kings" and "Drifters."

New Releases:

• Alrights - High School (City Canyons)
• Annuals - Be He Me (Ace Fu)
• Avalon - Faith: A Hymns Collection (Sparrow)
• DJ Baby Anne - Baby Anne Rocks! (System)
• Badly Drawn Boy - Born in the U.K. (Astralwerks)
• Barzin - My Life in Rooms (Monotreme)
• Dierks Bentley - Long Trip Alone (limited-edition version with bonus DVD also available; Capitol)
• Blut Aus Nord - Mort (Candlelight)
• Ayla Brown - Forward (CBUJ)
• Cage9 - El Motivo (Long Live Crime)
• Barton Carroll - Love & War (Skybucket)
• Changes - Today Is Tonight (Drama Club)
• Cradle of Filth - Thornography (Roadrunner)
• Glenn Danzig - Black Aria II (Megaforce)
• Kevin Devine - Put Your Ghost to Rest (Capitol)
• Diddy - Press Play (Bad Boy)>
• Dmonstrations - Night Trrors. Shock! (GSL)
• Doleful Lions - Song Cyclops Volume Two (Parasol)
• Dosh - The Lost Take (Anticon)
• Earl Greyhound - Soft Targets (Some)
• Elanors - Movements (Parasol)
• Jeremy Enigk - World Waits (Reincarnate)
• The Esoteric - Subverter (Prosthetic)
• Victor Fields - Thinking of You (Regina)
• Renée Fleming - Homage: The Age of the Diva (Decca)
• Frankie J - Priceless (Columbia)
• Vince Gill - These Days (four-CD box set; MCA Nashville)
• Michael Hall - The Song He Was Listening to When He Died (Freedom)
• Hi-Tek - Hi-Teknology 2: The Chip (Best Buy limited edition features bonus tracks and DVD; Babygrande)
• Imitation Electric Piano - Blow It Up, Burn It Down, Kick It 'Til It Bleeds (Drag City)
• Insomnium - Above the Weeping World (Candlelight)
• It Dies Today - Sirens (Trustkill)
• Bert Jansch - The Black Swan (Drag City)
• JoJo - The High Road (with DVD; Blackground)
• George Jones and Friends - God's Country (Category 5)
• Eartha Kitt - Live From the Café Carlyle (DRG)
• Klaxons - Xan Valleys (enhanced EP; Modular/Interscope)
• L.E.O. - Alpacas Orgling (Cheap Lullaby)
• Layzie Bone - Cleveland (Koch)
• Little Ones - Sing Song (EP; Astralwerks)
• Lonestar - Mountains (BNA)
• Matt Mays + El Torpedo - Matt Mays + El Torpedo (Reincarnate)
• Maria McKee - Maria McKee Live: Acoustic Tour 2006 (Cooking Vinyl)
• Sarah McLachlan - Wintersong (Arista)
• Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Love Their Country (Fat Wreck Chords)
• Doug Moreland - Doug Moreland (Double Xxposure)
• Regurgitate - Sickening Bliss (Relapse)
• Dexter Romweber - Piano (Orange Sound)
• Sadies - "Tales of the Rat Fink" soundtrack (Yep Roc)
• Scattered Pages - Lazy Are the Skeletons (Three Ring)
• Sharam - Sharam GU29 - Dubai (two CDs; Global Underground)
• Shimmers - The Way You Shine (Transit of Venus)
• Shiny Toy Guns - We Are Pilots (Universal)
• Slits - Revenge of the Killer Slits (EP; SAF)
• Squarepusher - Hello Everything (Warp)
• Ruben Studdard - The Return (J)
• Thunderball - Cinescope (Eighteenth Street Lounge Music)
• Tribaljazz - Tribaljazz (Hidden Beach)
• Trucks - The Trucks (Clickpop)
• KT Tunstall - KT Tunstall's Acoustic Extravaganza (with DVD; Virgin)
• Twisted Sister - A Twisted Christmas (Razor & Tie)
• Unwed Sailor - The White Ox (Burnt Toast)
• Rhonda Vincent - Beautiful Star: The Christmas Collection (Rounder)
• Michael "5000" Watts - The Day Hell Broke Loose 3 (Swishahouse)
  
• Xzibit - Full Circle (Koch)
• Youngblood Brass Band - Is That a Riot? (Layered Music)
• Your Black Star - Sound From the Ground (Wonka Vision)
• Various artists - Infamy: Music Inspired by the Film (Image)
• Various artists - She Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool: A Tribute to Barbara Mandrell (BNA)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• Aerosmith - Devil's Got a New Disguise: The Very Best of Aerosmith (Columbia)
• Davie Allan & the Arrows - Cycle Breed (Sundazed)
• Black Oak Arkansas - The Definitive Rock Collection (Rhino)
• Blind Melon - Live at the Palace - Hollywood, CA, October 1995 (Capitol/EMI)
• Billy Bragg - Don't Try This at Home, England, Half English (with the Blokes; enhanced) Volume II (box set with eight CDs and one DVD), William Bloke and Workers Playtime (Yep Roc)
• C-Murder - The Tru Story ... Continued (limited-edition version with DVD and bonus tracks; Koch)
• Dick Dale and His Del-Tones - Surfers' Choice (Sundazed)
• Dokken - The Definitive Rock Collection (Rhino)
• Esteban - Best of Esteban (Strip City)
• Everly Brothers - 36 Unreleased Recordings From the Late '50s and Early '60s (Varèse Sarabande)
• Fat Jon & Styrofoam - The Same Channel (Morr)
• Feathers - Synchromy (Hometapes)
• Foghat - The Definitive Rock Collection (Rhino)
• Lowell Fulsom - In a Heavy Bag (Sundazed)
• Goldfrapp - We Are Glitter (Mute)
• Gomez - Five Men in a Hut (A's, B's & Rarities: 1998-2004) (two CDs; Virgin/EMI)
• Charlie Gracie - The Best of Charlie Gracie: Cameo Parkway 1956-1958 (ABKCO)
• Earl Hooker - The Genius of ... (Sundazed)
• Love - The Definitive Rock Collection (Rhino)
• Willie Nelson - 54 Songs: Songwriter Sessions (three-CD box set; DBK)
• Primus - Primus Singles: They Can't All Be Zingers (Interscope)
• Todd Rundgren - The Definitive Rock Collection (Rhino)
• Jimmy Smith - Bluesmith (Lilith)
• Sweet - Sweet Chronology (Friday)
• Frank Tovey - Fad Gadget by Frank Tovey (box set with two CDs and two DVDs; Mute)
• Denison Witmer - Safe Away (original CD plus the Are You a Sleeper? EP; Militia Group)
• Link Wray and His Ray Men - White Lightnin': Lost Cadence Sessions '58 (Sundazed)
• Dwight Yoakam - Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. (two CDs; Rhino)
• Various artists - Cameo Parkway: The Greatest Hits (ABKCO)
• Various artists - The Ultimate James Bond Film Music Collection (four-CD box set; Silva America)

Music DVDs:

• Cars - "The Cars Unlocked - The Live Performances" (with bonus CD; New Video Group)
• Diplomats - "The Diplomats Present: 140th & Lenox, Vol. 1" (Koch Vision)
• Face to Face - "Shoot the Moon (The Essential Collection)" (two DVDs; Image)
• Kinks - "One for the Road" (Velvel)
• Primus - "Blame It on the Fish" (Frizzle Fry)
• Rolling Stones - "Rock Files: Truth and Lies" (Eagle Vision)
• Neil Sedaka - "The Show Goes On: Live at the Royal Albert Hall" (Eagle Vision)
• Various artists - "Carlos Santana Presents Blues at Montreux 2004" (three DVDs; Eagle Vision)

Coming Attractions:

October 24:

• My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade (Reprise)
• Sparta - Threes (Hollywood)
• Various artists - "The Nightmare Before Christmas" soundtrack (special two-CD edition; Disney)

October 31:

• Deftones - Saturday Night Wrist (Maverick)
• Lady Sovereign - Public Warning (Def Jam)
• Kevin Federline - Playing With Fire (Reincarnate)

November 7:

• James Blunt - Back to Bedlam (limited-edition version with bonus CD; Atlantic)
• Foo Fighters - Skin and Bones (RCA)
• Jim Jones - Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment) (Koch)
• Dave Matthews Band - The Best of What's Around, Vol. 1 (two CDs; RCA)
• Ol' Dirty Bastard - A Son Unique (Def Jam)

• Diddy
• JoJo
• Xzibit
• C-Murder
• Ruben Studdard

Glenn Danzig
Photo: Getty Images/Scott Gries

This holiday season, won't you give the gift of Glenn Danzig? The quick-tempered, long-in-sideburn rocker has scads of merchandise on the horizon, including a 10-inch-tall Danzig doll scheduled to surface right before Christmas. The doll is the first in a series Japanese toy manufacturer Medicom is calling "The Three Faces of Danzig."

"That first one's going to be the Misfits-era Danzig," explained Danzig, the former/founding frontman for the hardcore-punk cult favorites. "The second one'll be the Samhain version of Danzig, all covered in blood, and the third one will be [Danzig II: Lucifuge-era] Danzig, with the upside-down medallion and the belt buckle. They debuted at the San Diego Comic-Con this summer, and Medicom's booth was mobbed."

First, though, there's Danzig's Blackest of the Black Tour, which features a lineup handpicked by Glenn himself: Chimaira, Behemoth, Himsa, Mortiis and the Agony Scene, with Danzig headlining. Former Misfits guitarist Doyle Von Frankenstein is joining him onstage each night for a special 30-minute set of Misfits classics. The 22-date trek runs through October 29 in Los Angeles.

"It's something I've been working on for a long time, and we're finally getting to take it all over the place," Danzig said. "But I don't want it to be like Ozzfest. It's for bands that get ignored by radio and television but sell out venues that are either the same size or bigger than venues that, say, bands that get played a lot on the radio can't sell a ticket to save their lives. It's exactly like when Danzig and Slayer came up. No one would play us, but we would go in and sell out venues, to everyone's shock. The Ozzfest is a corporate buy-on, and this is my answer to it.

"The first year we did Blackest, it was Superjoint Ritual, Opeth, Nile, Behemoth, Lacuna Coil," he continued. "The next year on Ozzfest, a bunch of those bands were on the bill — that's no coincidence. I'm hoping [Blackest] will maybe expose these bands and help them get on some of those other mainstream festivals. But, again, it's not going to be like Ozzfest. I'm not going to be on it every year."

In fact, Danzig said Blackest of the Black will be his last tour — well, maybe. It's possible but not definite. We think.

"I'm done after this tour," he said. "Maybe I'll change my mind and do some local shows. I don't want to tour anymore. Unless I change my mind — I might just take a break for two or three years. I'm just burned out on it. I don't enjoy it anymore. I love being onstage. But the other 22 hours of the day, spent bouncing around on a bus — I don't know anymore. I'll still be doing music, because that's my first love. But no more tours. This is it."

Of course, Danzig's a man of many loves: He's a determined weight lifter and a certified teacher of Jeet Kune Do. And he's just finished penning the third draft for "Ge Rouge," a "voodoo zombie" flick he'll also direct, which is based on the comic he publishes through his Verotika firm; Rainstorm Productions will release the project. The film is set in New Orleans at the turn of the 20th century, and Danzig says he plans to shoot part of the movie in the storm-ravaged city.

"We had scheduled at least seven to 10 days down there before this whole Hurricane Katrina thing happened," he said. "But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The French Quarter is not underwater, and that's where I need to shoot. Everything else I can fake here in Hollywood. But you can't re-create those French Quarter houses. So we'll have to go down there to do that."

Later this year, Danzig will release Black Aria 2, the sequel to 1993's Black Aria. He said it's been written for years but wasn't recorded until last year. "It's [a classical, operatic piece] based on Lilith," the mythological first wife of Adam, Danzig said. "It's different from the first record but similar in a lot of ways."

He's also been working on a two-disc Danzig box set. The collection will feature all unreleased material recorded between 1988's Danzig up to now.

"It's called The Lost Tracks of Danzig, and it's incredible," he said. "There'll be tons of old photos inside. There's a cover of Bowie's 'Cat People' that no one's ever heard. There's a cover of [T. Rex's] Marc Bolan's 'Buick Mackane' no one's ever heard, from the Danzig III sessions. Just tons of songs no one's ever heard, like 'Bound by Blood' and some other tracks. People will just be blown away." That should surface sometime next year and contain 25 tracks.

The two things Danzig's not planning on undertaking: Samhain and Misfits reunions.

"That's not going to happen," he said, laughing. As for the Misfits, "there's too much bad blood between [bassist] Jerry [Only] and me, and I think there's some problems between Doyle and Jerry that would have to be worked out as well. I don't keep in touch with any of those guys anymore. If I see [drummer Ron Reyes], he's a nice guy. I haven't seen [drummer Arthur] Googy in a while, but we don't have any problems with each other. I don't know about any of the other guys. I don't even know where the f--- they are."

• Glenn Danzig
• Danzig

Mastodon (file)
Photo: Relapse

When Lamb of God jumped from an indie to Epic Records a couple of years back, the results were mixed; Ashes of the Wake sounded somewhat watered-down, and inevitably, major-label influence was believed to be the culprit. But prog-metallers Mastodon — who became the latest addition to the Warner Bros. kith last month — claim they'll be different.

"It's a big step for a band like us that doesn't really have any radio hits or ... any plans to write any radio hits or anything like that," drummer Brann Dailor explained.

"We wanted to make sure that [Warner Bros.] knew that," guitarist Bill Kelliher added. "We told them, 'We're not going to change into a Backstreet Boys or anything like that.' We're not going to change our sound. If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Mastodon say three major labels battled over them for more than six months. Dailor said they've already started working on new material for their Warner Bros. debut, which will actually be a joint release with Relapse, the indie imprint that issued the band's critically hailed Leviathan and Remission.

"Relapse feels more like a home, and it feels like we're flying the coop, so to speak," Dailor said, "but it was the logical next step. If we don't take the chance, what are we going to do?"

The band's been compiling footage for an in-the-works DVD for the past year, but its main focus right now is a prized spot on this summer's Ozzfest. Mastodon plan to write material while on tour and hit the studio in early fall.

Dailor said Mastodon will play three Ozzfest off-dates with Iron Maiden and a slew of others with Rob Zombie. A concrete list of those dates could come as early as next week.

"I'm looking forward to those Zombie shows as much as those Ozzfest shows," singer/bassist Troy Sanders said. "That's a no-brainer, because [those shows] will be [sold out] five minutes before tickets go on sale. That should have really good energy."

The rest of this week's metal news:

Hate Eternal — which features ex-Morbid Angel guitarist Erik Rutan — will release their third album, I, Monarch, June 28. Tracks include "Two Demons," "Behold Judas" and "To Know Our Enemies." The band will launch a North American tour with Krisiun, Incantation, Into Eternity and All Shall Perish on June 16 in West Springfield, Virginia. Dates run through July 23 in Tampa, Florida. ... Cephalic Carnage just completed a video for "Dying Will Be the Death of Me" with director Darren Doane (Deftones, Nile). In the clip, the band kidnaps a mall brat and gives him a lesson in unbridled metal. The song's from the band's fourth album, Anomalies. Cephalic will launch a North American tour with Suffocation, Cryptopsy and Aborted on October 6 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and wind down at BB King's Blues Club in New York on November 7. ...

New Jersey thrashers God Forbid will play a benefit concert on June 4 at the Wayne Firehouse in Wayne, New Jersey. Proceeds from the gig will support their friend Frank Piegaro, former guitarist for the Degenerics and Ensign. Piegaro has been battling a rare skin disease for several years, and money raised during the show will help fund his recovery. Nora, the Number Twelve Looks Like You, Fanshen and Hot Cross will also perform; tickets are priced at $15. ... Founding Exodus drummer Tom Hunting has been forced to leave the veteran thrash band because of a serious but undisclosed illness, which has required several hospital stays over the past two months. In a post on their Web site, Exodus write that Hunting's ailment is not drug-related, and that he kicked his addiction more than a year ago. The band has recruited ex-Slayer/Forbidden drummer Paul Bostaph to replace him and is currently working on a new record due in September. ...

In Flames' main man, Anders Fridén, announced on the band's Web site that its forthcoming album will be titled Crawl Through Knives. The disc will feature 13 tracks, including "Dead End," "Reflect the Storm" and "Take This Life." ... Peter "Peavey" Wagner, singer for '80s German power-metal band Rage, suffered a broken elbow last week when he was hit by a car while riding his bicycle. He underwent a two-hour operation to repair the broken bones and will remain in a splint for six to eight weeks and then undergo intensive physiotherapy. He hopes to return to the stage in time for the band's June 4 show at the Tradate Iron Fest in Tradate, Italy. ... Glenn Danzig is organizing his own summer metal festival (think of it as Ozzfest lite). At this point, it appears that all Danzig's solidified is the name: the Blackest of the Black. All-important details like the lineup and dates are still being ironed out. ...

Tucson, Arizona, metalcore rookies the Bled have Found in the Flood set for a late summer/ early fall release through Vagrant. Tracks will include "Gutter Shark," "Listen for the Flood," "Daylight Bombings" and "I Don't Keep With Liars Anymore." ... Canadian muscleman Thor will release his seventh studio album, Thor Against the World, July 12. Recorded in Los Angeles in April and May 2004, the album includes "Megaton Man," "Creature Feature" and "Serpent's Kiss." Before testing his mettle with heavy metal, Thor was a professional bodybuilder and was elected both Mr. Canada and Mr. U.S.A. ... Seattle power-metal band Nevermore will release their seventh album, This Godless Endeavor, July 26. Produced by Andy Sneap (Arch Enemy, Opeth), the LP features the recording debut of Steve Smyth, who previously acted as the group's second guitarist in concert and was a member of Testament before that. Nevermore will travel this summer as part of Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine's Gigantour, which will also feature Megadeth, Dream Theater, Fear Factory and Dillinger Escape Plan. ...

English power-prog gods Biomechanical will release their second disc, The Empires of the Worlds, June 28. Tracks include "Enemy Within," "Assaulter" and the four-part epic "Absolution." ... New Jersey metalcore outfit SoIHadtoShootHim have entered Atomic Studios in Brooklyn to work on their first record, Alpha Males and Popular Girls, due November 22. ... Maryland's Recourse will issue their first disc, Weakening the Structure, on July 12. The album was produced by Dying Fetus singer/guitarist John Gallagher. ... Denver's Fear Before the March of Flames have joined the Sounds of the Underground tour, which launches June 25 in Lowell, Massachusetts. ... Sydney, Australia, metal band Daysend will launch their first U.S. tour May 12 in Pomona, California, and wind down June 25 in Detroit. All dates also feature Otep, Gizmachi and Devilinside. ...

A DVD of 2004's Metalmania festival, one of the biggest headbanging soirees in Eastern Europe, will be released June 21. The disc includes performances by Soulfly, Moonspell, Tiamat, the Michael Schenker Group, Enslaved and Krisiun. ... Some Girls, a San Diego underground ensemble featuring members of the Locust, the Plot to Blow up the Eiffel Tower, Give up the Ghost and Unbroken, have signed to Epitaph. The band will release an LP this fall. ... Ex-Kyuss bassist Scott Reeder has joined Butcher. The group's debut, Auricle, comes out in June. Reeder also recently finished producing an album by the Whores of Tijuana. ... Floridian hardcore crew Remembering Never's been busy writing God Save Us, which will be released early next year through Carl Severson's Ferret Records. ... Finnish thrashers Am I Blood have signed with A1 Metal LTD. The band just put the finishing touches on its long-awaited new disc, The Truth Inside the Dying Sun, slated for a late summer release. ...

• Mastodon
• The Bled
• Cephalic Carnage
• Thor
• Glenn Danzig