Mary J. Blige
Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images

Word to Mike Seaver and Boner: Mary J. Blige has some Growing Pains of her own. The singer has settled on that as the title for her new album — and has bumped its release by a week, from November 20 to November 27. The first single is called "Just Fine" and will be released to radio on Thursday (September 27). The track was produced by Jazze Pha and Tricky Stewart (Britney Spears, Mya), and is an uptempo party record with a dance/disco sound. On the track, Mary expresses the joy of having high self-esteem. "No time for moping around/ Are you kidding?" she sings. "And no time for negative vibes, 'cause I'm winning ... Got my head on straight, got my vibe right, ain't gonna let you kill it/ See, I wouldn't change, my life's just fine." ...

Is Kanye West the next MLK, Gandhi or Jesus? His mother, Donda West, didn't shy away from such comparisons in a recent interview with the Baltimore Sun — she was in town to promote her recent book, "Raising Kanye." "Kanye keeps it real," she said. "He touches the people. You never know how words can save a person's life, physically or otherwise. People like Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi or, in my view, Barack Obama, or Jesus Christ — people whose job it is to tell the truth — I see that in Kanye. Now, people like you are gonna go, 'Oh, Kanye's mom said he's like Jesus!' but ... when you have a gift, you didn't get it by yourself. ... Your truth is your truth." ...

Amy Winehouse isn't one to hold back either — the troubled U.K. starlet has named her new DVD "I Told You I Was Trouble," according to Uncut magazine. Packed onto the disc is a documentary, a full concert she played in April at London's Shepherds Bush Empire, her "Rehab" performance from the Brit Awards, an early acoustic version of "There Is No Greater Love" and more. "I Told You I Was Trouble" will drop November 6, her publicist confirmed to MTV News. ...

Paul Wall's next album is going to have more of a rock edge, now that Travis Barker is producing it. "Paul usually stays around the same element," Barker told MTV News in Las Vegas while he was in town for the VMAs. "Most of the Houston stuff is slow and real feel-good. This has faster tempos. Still feel-good, but it'll be different for Paul." ... Before he took his wild imagination to the big screen with "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," French director Michel Gondry was best known for his frequent collaborations with Björk, perhaps most memorably on the video for her song "Human Behaviour." Now the two are at it again. Gondry revealed to MTV News that a month from now, he will be directing the music video for "Declare Independence," from the Icelandic singer's latest album, Volta. ... Dave Grohl is getting axed — Gibson Guitar has come up with a new specialized model, the DG-335, for the Foo Fighters frontman. The instrument — which has a rare Pelham blue finish and looks like Grohl's signature guitar — will be available October 4. The price tag for the blue model is $4,468, while the ebony version is a bit cheaper at $3,880. ...

Evan Rachel Wood apparently isn't too afraid of boyfriend Marilyn Manson's fans. "I do feel [some of] his fans like me," she told People for its new issue, which streets Friday. But the actress revealed that she was a little more nervous about Manson seeing her sing onscreen in the new flick "Across the Universe." "I was shy because I didn't want to scare him off," she said. "I'm a singer too! Listen to me! But he's been really supportive, it's great. He's encouraged me about my singing more than anybody." The shock-rocker wasn't the only one who inspired Wood to sing, however — she also name-dropped David Bowie and let it be known that she has a tattoo of his Aladdin Sane lightning bolt. She also has matching tattoos with Manson. "We both got black hearts," she said. "It represents mad love." ...

The Smashing Pumpkins have issued a statement regarding the death of a man at their concert in Vancouver, British Columbia, Monday night, in what police believe was a crowd-surfing accident. "The Smashing Pumpkins were deeply saddened to learn about the passing of a young man who attended their Vancouver show Monday night," read the statement, which was posted on their Web site. "As they and everyone else await news from the investigation into the nature of his passing, the band wants to express their sincerest condolences to his family and friends." ... Vivica A. Fox pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor counts of drunk driving on Thursday, The Associated Press reports. The actress, who was arrested after being caught speeding in March, could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted. ...

Paris in Rwanda: Hilton is making good on her promise to engage in philanthropic efforts by traveling to the impoverished African country, according to "Access Hollywood." The heiress will travel with a member of Playing for Good, a group that connects celebrities with charity organizations, and she is expected to make a financial contribution as well. According to TMZ.com, Hilton will go to Rwanda in November after she finishes filming her horror rock opera "Repo! The Genetic Opera." ... Will Ferrell's charity auction has been won by a Dallas man, and his 10-year-old son will get the chance to play an extra in Ferrell's upcoming "Step Brothers" flick, People reports. The man, who has chosen to remain anonymous, put in a winning bid of $47,000, which will go to the Cancer for College foundation run by Ferrell's friend Craig Pollard. ...

Looks like it's almost Tool time again: The indefatigable heavy-rock band is putting together yet another stretch of dates in support of 10,000 Days, which came out way back in May 2006. Dates have yet to be confirmed, but according to Tool's site, they're stirring up a stretch across the West Coast that will begin in mid-November and last until Christmas. ... Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell recently told MTV News' Tim Kash that he wants to see the fest travel across the world "before I die," but while those plans haven't come about yet, the dates are in place for next year's annual Chicago installment. Lolla will go down August 1-3, once again at Grant Park. ...

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Magic isn't happening until Tuesday, but they snuck out a vinyl version of the release on Wednesday that will allow it to be considered for the Grammys, according to the Los Angeles Times. ... The Wu-Tang Clan's Killah Priest has been added to several dates on Bury Your Dead's upcoming headlining run. Look for him to take the stage in Richmond, Virginia (October 17); Wilmington, North Carolina (October 18); Jacksonville, Florida (October 19); and Tampa, Florida (October 20). ... Bad news for fans of hardcore hip-hoppers Twiztid: The band's upcoming Toxic Terror Tour, featuring openers Mower, has been nixed following a recent car accident involving Twiztid's Monoxide. He suffered a torn ACL muscle in his knee, which will require he stays off it for the next month or so. ...

While System of a Down's members go off and do their own things — what with the band on hiatus — drummer John Dolmayan has firmed up plans for his new comic book site, TorpedoComics.com. The Internet retail shop goes live November 1 and will boast some 15 million items, including comics, toys, graphic novels, trade paperbacks, superhero action figures and other related memorabilia. Dolmayan has also teamed with guitarist Daron Malakian for a new project, Scars on Broadway. ... Former Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, former Anthrax frontman Joey Belladonna, ex-Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson and Sevendust singer Lajon Witherspoon are among the celebrities who'll appear at the Morgan Rose Celebrity Golf Classic, scheduled for November 15-16 at the Heritage Golf Club in Tucker, Georgia. Proceeds from the event will help support the Atlanta Children's Shelter. ...

Mudvayne will release their latest LP, By the People, for the People, on November 27. The disc will boast several live recordings, rarities, demos and two new studio tracks, "Dull Boy" and a cover of the Police's "King of Pain." The album will be entirely fan-generated; the band is asking its fans to participate in creating the album's contents. Fans can visit the band's Web site and MySpace pageMySpace page to help pick the track list, submit fan-generated album artwork and participate in creating the video for "Dull Boy," the first single. ...

Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," which has been shown in some college and high school classrooms, got blowback earlier this year when a Washington school put a moratorium on the global-warming movie. Now a British school governor is taking an even stronger measure by suing the British government for distributing the movie to more than 3,500 secondary schools, according to AP. Paul Downes, a lawyer for Stewart Dimmock, said, "Given the serious inaccuracies in the film and the misrepresentations it contains, the film is irredeemable." The lawyer added that even though the movie has already been shown to some students, the High Court could still rule that the government had acted unlawfully and cease distributing it. ...

There's no stopping the Martin Scorsese rock-doc train. The esteemed director, who has directed films about the Rolling Stones, the Band and Bob Dylan in the past, will focus his lens next on the life of George Harrison, according to Variety. Scorsese will produce the yet-untitled picture with Harrison's widow, Olivia, and the late guitarist's former Beatles bandmates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will also participate. The flick will revolve around Harrison's time in the Beatles and his later years, and also touch on his involvement with Eastern spirituality as well. In related news, McCartney and Starr are participating in Liverpool, England's European Capital of Culture celebration. Macca will perform at the Anfield soccer stadium on June 1. Starr will return to the city — where the Beatles hailed from — for a ceremony at St. George's Hall on January 11, and he will also appear at the Echo Arena on January 12.

09.26.07

Mariah Carey got a win in court last week when a federal judge decided that a copyright-infringement case against her had no merit. Singer Rachele Chafir had sued Carey in April 2006, claiming that Carey's hit "It's Like That" was copied from her song "Sexy" and lifted key pieces, including the music, for the chorus. Chafir, who copyrighted the song in 2004, claimed Carey had access to "Sexy" since it was available on a Web site, but U.S. District Court Judge Kimba Wood decided that wasn't proof Carey or her collaborators had gone to the Web site or lifted the material, which wasn't "strikingly similar" enough to be considered infringement. With "no genuine issues of material fact," Wood closed the case. "It was the right decision," Carey's lawyer Ilene Farkas told MTV News. "The record was clear in this case." Meanwhile, Carey is moving on with her yet-untitled follow-up to The Emancipation of Mimi, which her record label confirmed is now due December 4. ...

Going, going ... to Cooperstown. And with an asterisk on it. Baseball star Barry Bonds' record-breaking home-run ball, which was purchased two weeks ago in an online auction by hip-hop fashion mogul Marc Ecko, will be heading to the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum after all. Ecko bought the ball and launched a Web site giving fans the chance to vote on the ball's final destination: outer space or to Cooperstown, with or without an asterisk signifying Bonds' alleged steroid use in helping him become the all-time home-run king. The announcement was made Wednesday morning (September 26) on the "Today" show after a week of voting. According to Vote756.com, over 10 million votes were cast, of which 47 percent chose to send the tagged ball to the famed baseball museum. ...

The twisted saga of the investigation into the unsolved 1997 murder of the Notorious B.I.G. took another turn this week when Waymond Anderson, an inmate serving life for murder, recanted testimony in which he had implicated the Los Angeles Police Department in the rapper's murder. The Los Angeles Times reports that Anderson said in a recent deposition that he lied about LAPD involvement as part of a "scam" cooked up with two other convicts to get a big monetary settlement from the city of Los Angeles. Most shockingly, Anderson accused the rapper's family — which has filed a wrongful-death suit seeking damages from the city — and its lawyer of taking part in the scheme and offering to pay him a percentage of the settlement for false testimony against the LAPD. In the August 20 testimony, Anderson said he had never met the officers he implicated, despite earlier statements in which he described conversations with the two disgraced ex-LAPD cops. A lawyer for Biggie's family, Perry Sanders, called Anderson's allegations "100 percent, demonstrably false," adding yet another twist to the already-knotted-up story by saying that Anderson appeared to be changing his story at the behest of Chuck Philips, a Times reporter who has written extensively about the murder investigation and has questioned the theory of LAPD involvement. Phillips and the Times dismissed the allegations. ...

In other Biggie news, the recently released documentary "The Notorious B.I.G.: Bigger Than Life" follows the rapper's life from his early days to his death with interviews from many of the behind-the-scenes music-industry figures and friends who watched the rapper rise from a street-corner hustler to one of the biggest rap stars in the world. The film also features several minutes of previously unreleased footage shot by a bystander of the scene on the night Biggie was gunned down. The fan's video — which director Peter Spirer ("Beef," "Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel") said has been reviewed by authorities — doesn't capture the moment Biggie's car was shot at, but it does have audio of the shots and shaky footage of the chaotic aftermath. ...

Embattled football player Michael Vick is facing stricter release conditions after testing positive for marijuana earlier this month, The Associated Press reports. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson imposed the new conditions, which include restricting Vick to his home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. with electronic monitoring and making him submit to random drug tests. He was ordered to continue participating in substance-abuse and mental-health counseling. Vick was put under pretrial release supervision in July, and the restrictions included refraining from the use of narcotic drugs or other controlled substances. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback, who pleaded guilty in August to federal dogfighting charges, is awaiting sentencing December 10 — and Vick's violation of the conditions of his release could be taken into consideration by the judge. He faces up to five years in prison for the federal charges, and has been indicted on additional state charges in Virginia as well. ...

A second woman has filed a lawsuit against Lil Wayne over a melee that broke out during one of his shows at Morgan State University in Baltimore in October. According to an AP story, Carlisa Dixon said she was impaled on a metal pole after the crowd surged to snatch up money that was being tossed from the stage. Dixon is seeking $1 million from Wayne's record label and touring companies, and another $1 million from the university, claiming she underwent surgery for a puncture wound as a result of the crowd surge. A lawsuit was filed in August by another woman who claimed she was trampled in the same money-throwing incident. A spokesperson for Wayne could not be reached for comment at press time. ...

A man died at a Smashing Pumpkins concert in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Monday night in what police think may have been a crowd-surfing or moshing accident. The Canadian Press reports that Vancouver police say the man was unconscious when he was dragged out of the crowd at the Pacific National Exhibition Forum during the show and worked on by first-aid personnel on site before being transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police have ruled out foul play. ... The Voodoo Music Experience is shifting locations, but just slightly. The fest, to take place October 26-28, has a new site in New Orleans City Park to accommodate ongoing restoration and improvement of the park. The shift brings the fest closer to Tad Gormley Stadium, where Voodoo was first held in 1999. ...

Do you march to Nelly's beat? The rapper is cobbling together a marching band for his performance at the BET Hip-Hop Awards on October 13. Auditions will be held Sunday starting at 11 a.m. in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, New Orleans and St. Louis, and Nelly is looking for girls who can play drums, tri-toms, bass drum, tuba or trumpet. Prospective players need to know how to perform his song "Grillz" and move to the beat of the song while playing their instruments. Final auditions will be held October 8 in Atlanta, and those who can't make the auditions in person can post a one-minute video clip on Nelly's drum-line-audition site. ... If you've been doubting Swizz Beatz's fashion sense, think again — Gap has tapped the hugely popular producer for its spring ad campaign. ...

VH1 Rock Docs picked up its first Emmy win on Monday as "DMC: My Adoption Journey" earned the award for News & Documentary Emmy for Outstanding Arts & Culture Programming. The program, which revolves around the Run-DMC member's search for his birth mother, premiered in February 2006 and will re-air on VH1 on Saturday at 10 p.m. ... Have you already imported Babyface's Playlist into your own playlist? Then mark you calendar — the singer is putting together a tour in support of his recently released LP. Babyface will play a gig in the Philippines on October 13, followed by a stretch in Japan; after that he'll hit Oakland, California, on November 23, and Sparks, Nevada, the following day. ...

During a recent visit to "The Howard Stern Show," Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx spoke out about drummer Tommy Lee and his apparent departure from the band. He told Stern that Lee quit, and Sixx blamed the current legal problems the band is having with one of its former managers for the turmoil. Sixx said that, since Lee isn't the Crüe's frontman or chief songwriter, the band should be fine without him. He added that he harbors no ill will toward Lee. ... Snow Patrol keyboardist Tom Simpson was expected to appear in court in Glasgow, Scotland, on Tuesday to answer to drug-possession charges filed against him this summer. While the charges weren't dropped, the prosecution doesn't intend on taking "further action," meaning the charges will either have to be re-raised again or dropped altogether. ...

Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard's side project Brad are getting back together for a one-night-only show on October 17 at New York's Webster Hall. The benefit event will also feature Billy Bragg and be hosted by Tim Robbins. It is being held to support Woody and Marjorie Guthrie, and the 40th anniversary of the Huntington's Disease Society of America, which was founded by Marjorie. ... Puddle of Mudd aren't ones for Southern hospitality, apparently. Frontman Wesley Scantlin has been banned from Memphis' Graceland after hopping in the pool in Elvis Presley's mansion during a tour on Monday. ...

The Eagles will perform on an awards show for the first time when they take the stage at the Country Music Awards, which will air November 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Carrie Underwood is also slated to perform. ... The Rolling Stones' recent tour didn't just carry the band to the top of Forbes' list of biggest-earning music acts — it landed them in the Guinness World Records, according to Reuters. The classic-rockers' A Bigger Bang tour took $437 million dollars to give them a new record, for the world's most successful music tour. ...

Killswitch Engage and Lamb of God will be teaming up for a late-fall co-headlining tour, which is set to kick off November 28 in Lowell, Massachusetts, with dates booked through December 17 in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. DevilDriver and Soilwork will open on all dates. ... Chris Cornell has added another round of dates to his North American tour, which began in the spring. He has booked another 28 gigs, meaning the trek will continue through November 23, when he's expected to perform at the Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. ...

A photo from Elton John's collection has been pulled from a British gallery where it was to be displayed over concerns by police that it might be child pornography. The photo — which was taken by award-winning American photographer Nan Goldin — shows two young girls, one with her legs spread apart, and was to be displayed at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in northern England before it was seized by police, according to London's Times Online. John released a statement, explaining, "The photograph entitled 'Klara and Edda belly-dancing' (1998) is one of 149 images comprising the 'Thanksgiving' installation by renowned U.S. photographer Nan Goldin ... The photograph exists as part of the installation as a whole and has been widely published and exhibited throughout the world [and] has been offered for sale at Sotheby's New York in 2002 and 2004, and has previously been exhibited in Houston, London, Madrid [Spain], New York, Portugal, Warsaw [Poland] and Zürich [Switzerland] without any objections of which we are aware."

• Mary J. Blige
• Travis Barker
• Paul Wall
• Marilyn Manson
• The Smashing Pumpkins

Mariah Carey
Photo: Mariah Carey/Getty Images

Mariah Carey got a win in court last week when a federal judge decided that a copyright-infringement case against her had no merit. Singer Rachele Chafir had sued Carey in April 2006, claiming that Carey's hit "It's Like That" was copied from her song "Sexy" and lifted key pieces, including the music, for the chorus. Chafir, who copyrighted the song in 2004, claimed Carey had access to "Sexy" since it was available on a Web site, but U.S. District Court Judge Kimba Wood decided that wasn't proof Carey or her collaborators had gone to the Web site or lifted the material, which wasn't "strikingly similar" enough to be considered infringement. With "no genuine issues of material fact," Wood closed the case. "It was the right decision," Carey's lawyer Ilene Farkas told MTV News. "The record was clear in this case." Meanwhile, Carey is moving on with her yet-untitled follow-up to The Emancipation of Mimi, which her record label confirmed is now due December 4. ...

Going, going ... to Cooperstown. And with an asterisk on it. Baseball star Barry Bonds' record-breaking home-run ball, which was purchased two weeks ago in an online auction by hip-hop fashion mogul Marc Ecko, will be heading to the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum after all. Ecko bought the ball and launched a Web site giving fans the chance to vote on the ball's final destination: outer space or to Cooperstown, with or without an asterisk signifying Bonds' alleged steroid use in helping him become the all-time home-run king. The announcement was made Wednesday morning (September 26) on the "Today" show after a week of voting. According to Vote756.com, over 10 million votes were cast, of which 47 percent chose to send the tagged ball to the famed baseball museum. ...

The twisted saga of the investigation into the unsolved 1997 murder of the Notorious B.I.G. took another turn this week when Waymond Anderson, an inmate serving life for murder, recanted testimony in which he had implicated the Los Angeles Police Department in the rapper's murder. The Los Angeles Times reports that Anderson said in a recent deposition that he lied about LAPD involvement as part of a "scam" cooked up with two other convicts to get a big monetary settlement from the city of Los Angeles. Most shockingly, Anderson accused the rapper's family — which has filed a wrongful-death suit seeking damages from the city — and its lawyer of taking part in the scheme and offering to pay him a percentage of the settlement for false testimony against the LAPD. In the August 20 testimony, Anderson said he had never met the officers he implicated, despite earlier statements in which he described conversations with the two disgraced ex-LAPD cops. A lawyer for Biggie's family, Perry Sanders, called Anderson's allegations "100 percent, demonstrably false," adding yet another twist to the already-knotted-up story by saying that Anderson appeared to be changing his story at the behest of Chuck Philips, a Times reporter who has written extensively about the murder investigation and has questioned the theory of LAPD involvement. Phillips and the Times dismissed the allegations. ...

In other Biggie news, the recently released documentary "The Notorious B.I.G.: Bigger Than Life" follows the rapper's life from his early days to his death with interviews from many of the behind-the-scenes music-industry figures and friends who watched the rapper rise from a street-corner hustler to one of the biggest rap stars in the world. The film also features several minutes of previously unreleased footage shot by a bystander of the scene on the night Biggie was gunned down. The fan's video — which director Peter Spirer ("Beef," "Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel") said has been reviewed by authorities — doesn't capture the moment Biggie's car was shot at, but it does have audio of the shots and shaky footage of the chaotic aftermath. ...

Embattled football player Michael Vick is facing stricter release conditions after testing positive for marijuana earlier this month, The Associated Press reports. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson imposed the new conditions, which include restricting Vick to his home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. with electronic monitoring and making him submit to random drug tests. He was ordered to continue participating in substance-abuse and mental-health counseling. Vick was put under pretrial release supervision in July, and the restrictions included refraining from the use of narcotic drugs or other controlled substances. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback, who pleaded guilty in August to federal dogfighting charges, is awaiting sentencing December 10 — and Vick's violation of the conditions of his release could be taken into consideration by the judge. He faces up to five years in prison for the federal charges, and has been indicted on additional state charges in Virginia as well. ...

A second woman has filed a lawsuit against Lil Wayne over a melee that broke out during one of his shows at Morgan State University in Baltimore in October. According to an AP story, Carlisa Dixon said she was impaled on a metal pole after the crowd surged to snatch up money that was being tossed from the stage. Dixon is seeking $1 million from Wayne's record label and touring companies, and another $1 million from the university, claiming she underwent surgery for a puncture wound as a result of the crowd surge. A lawsuit was filed in August by another woman who claimed she was trampled in the same money-throwing incident. A spokesperson for Wayne could not be reached for comment at press time. ...

A man died at a Smashing Pumpkins concert in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Monday night in what police think may have been a crowd-surfing or moshing accident. The Canadian Press reports that Vancouver police say the man was unconscious when he was dragged out of the crowd at the Pacific National Exhibition Forum during the show and worked on by first-aid personnel on site before being transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police have ruled out foul play. ... The Voodoo Music Experience is shifting locations, but just slightly. The fest, to take place October 26-28, has a new site in New Orleans City Park to accommodate ongoing restoration and improvement of the park. The shift brings the fest closer to Tad Gormley Stadium, where Voodoo was first held in 1999. ...

Do you march to Nelly's beat? The rapper is cobbling together a marching band for his performance at the BET Hip-Hop Awards on October 13. Auditions will be held Sunday starting at 11 a.m. in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, New Orleans and St. Louis, and Nelly is looking for girls who can play drums, tri-toms, bass drum, tuba or trumpet. Prospective players need to know how to perform his song "Grillz" and move to the beat of the song while playing their instruments. Final auditions will be held October 8 in Atlanta, and those who can't make the auditions in person can post a one-minute video clip on Nelly's drum-line-audition site. ... If you've been doubting Swizz Beatz's fashion sense, think again — Gap has tapped the hugely popular producer for its spring ad campaign. ...

VH1 Rock Docs picked up its first Emmy win on Monday as "DMC: My Adoption Journey" earned the award for News & Documentary Emmy for Outstanding Arts & Culture Programming. The program, which revolves around the Run-DMC member's search for his birth mother, premiered in February 2006 and will re-air on VH1 on Saturday at 10 p.m. ... Have you already imported Babyface's Playlist into your own playlist? Then mark you calendar — the singer is putting together a tour in support of his recently released LP. Babyface will play a gig in the Philippines on October 13, followed by a stretch in Japan; after that he'll hit Oakland, California, on November 23, and Sparks, Nevada, the following day. ...

During a recent visit to "The Howard Stern Show," Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx spoke out about drummer Tommy Lee and his apparent departure from the band. He told Stern that Lee quit, and Sixx blamed the current legal problems the band is having with one of its former managers for the turmoil. Sixx said that, since Lee isn't the Crüe's frontman or chief songwriter, the band should be fine without him. He added that he harbors no ill will toward Lee. ... Snow Patrol keyboardist Tom Simpson was expected to appear in court in Glasgow, Scotland, on Tuesday to answer to drug-possession charges filed against him this summer. While the charges weren't dropped, the prosecution doesn't intend on taking "further action," meaning the charges will either have to be re-raised again or dropped altogether. ...

Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard's side project Brad are getting back together for a one-night-only show on October 17 at New York's Webster Hall. The benefit event will also feature Billy Bragg and be hosted by Tim Robbins. It is being held to support Woody and Marjorie Guthrie, and the 40th anniversary of the Huntington's Disease Society of America, which was founded by Marjorie. ... Puddle of Mudd aren't ones for Southern hospitality, apparently. Frontman Wesley Scantlin has been banned from Memphis' Graceland after hopping in the pool in Elvis Presley's mansion during a tour on Monday. ...

The Eagles will perform on an awards show for the first time when they take the stage at the Country Music Awards, which will air November 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Carrie Underwood is also slated to perform. ... The Rolling Stones' recent tour didn't just carry the band to the top of Forbes' list of biggest-earning music acts — it landed them in the Guinness World Records, according to Reuters. The classic-rockers' A Bigger Bang tour took $437 million dollars to give them a new record, for the world's most successful music tour. ...

Killswitch Engage and Lamb of God will be teaming up for a late-fall co-headlining tour, which is set to kick off November 28 in Lowell, Massachusetts, with dates booked through December 17 in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. DevilDriver and Soilwork will open on all dates. ... Chris Cornell has added another round of dates to his North American tour, which began in the spring. He has booked another 28 gigs, meaning the trek will continue through November 23, when he's expected to perform at the Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. ...

A photo from Elton John's collection has been pulled from a British gallery where it was to be displayed over concerns by police that it might be child pornography. The photo — which was taken by award-winning American photographer Nan Goldin — shows two young girls, one with her legs spread apart, and was to be displayed at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in northern England before it was seized by police, according to London's Times Online. John released a statement, explaining, "The photograph entitled 'Klara and Edda belly-dancing' (1998) is one of 149 images comprising the 'Thanksgiving' installation by renowned U.S. photographer Nan Goldin ... The photograph exists as part of the installation as a whole and has been widely published and exhibited throughout the world [and] has been offered for sale at Sotheby's New York in 2002 and 2004, and has previously been exhibited in Houston, London, Madrid [Spain], New York, Portugal, Warsaw [Poland] and Zürich [Switzerland] without any objections of which we are aware."

09.25.07

While her fellow Black Eyed Pea Will.I.Am is hyping his new project, Songs About Girls, Fergie isn't slowing down with her own solo affair, last year's The Dutchess. The singer just shot a clip for the song "Clumsy" with directors Marc Webb (Diddy, the Pussycat Dolls) and Rich Lee (Chamillionaire, Dashboard Confessional). The surreal, humorous clip features Fergie falling head over heels — get it? — for love in various scenarios. ...

A House panel cast a congressional light on hip-hop lyrics on Tuesday (September 25), with David Banner and Master P giving sharply different views. The Associated Press reports that the latter rapper (real name: Percy Miller) told the Energy and Commerce subcommittee that he is determined to create clean lyrics. "I want to apologize to all the women out there. I was honestly wrong," he said of his prior material. Banner (real name: Levell Crump), on the other hand, defended his profane lyrics, saying, "Change the situation in my neighborhood, and maybe I'll get better." But while P and Banner didn't see eye to eye in terms of who is responsible for derogatory language in hip-hop, they agreed that the government shouldn't censor lyrics. "If by some stroke of the pen hip-hop was silenced, the issues would still be present in our communities. Drugs, violence, sexism and the criminal element were around long before hip-hop existed," Banner said. According to AP, the hearing was similar to the 1985 event in which late rocker Frank Zappa made a feisty appearance also railing against censorship. ...

Like the sound of the "Rocawear Arena" instead of the "Continental Airlines Arena"? Yeah, so does Jay-Z. The ambitious hip-hop mogul is bidding for the arena's naming rights, according to New Jersey's Star-Ledger. Although he is the co-owner of the New Jersey Nets and his Rocawar is a sponsor of the NBA team — which currently plays at Continental — sportswear maker Southpole has made the highest bid so far, $2 million. But there's a catch: The reason the name is up for grabs is because Continental is backing out of its deal with the arena, and both the Nets and hockey team the New Jersey Devils are planning to move to other venues. ...

Life isn't getting any easier for Britney Spears. Kim Robard-Rifkin, the reported woman whose car the singer hit in August — for which she was charged with two misdemeanors on Friday — has spoken out to CelebTV.com. "I was not surprised with the criminal charges — this is what happens when somebody hits your car and runs — especially when it is all caught on video," she said in a statement. Spears' former bodyguard Tony Barretto also spoke out on Monday, telling "Today" show host Matt Lauer that he had witnessed her using drugs on two occasions. While Barretto did not specify which drugs he supposedly saw her taking, he said both incidents occurred at a nightclub in Los Angeles, one at the table she was sitting at and the other in a private restroom. When Lauer asked him about a third incident in which he alleges to have seen her strung out in a Los Angeles hotel room, Barretto replied, "I did." ...

Sarah Silverman was surprised by the reaction that met her controversial VMA monologue, in which she flung derogatory insults at Britney Spears, among others, she told Us Weekly. Regarding one of her saltiest remarks — that Spears' kids "are the most adorable mistakes you will ever see" — Silverman replied, "The joke that everyone was upset about ... was the most innocuous joke. It never occurred to me that [it] would be deemed hurtful or over the line." She also told the magazine for its new issue, which streets Friday, "I don't want to get into feuds with girls half my age. I'm in it to be funny and not for the drama. It's embarrassing." ...

Look, up in the sky, it's a new Gnarls Barkley album! And as Cee-Lo recently told MTV News of the follow-up to St. Elsewhere, "It sounds otherwordly. ... It sounds like an original, if I do say so myself. The theme is progression and how there's a first time for everything. You just have to go for it." Beyond that, though, Cee-Lo didn't want to give up too much. Asked about collaborators, he demurred: "Danger Mouse is my special guest. He's my counterpart in the enigma of Gnarls Barkley." No duh — we meant, anyone else? "Let me continue to surprise you," Cee-Lo smiled. For those who caught Cee-Lo's take on Prince's "Darling Nikki" with the Foo Fighters at the VMAs, he wants fans to know that his performance at the show was supposed to be a surprise appearance with Amy Winehouse, "believe it or not." But since she had to bail from the show, he's saving that collaboration for a future appearance. ...

The Sex Pistols — who just tacked two more gigs onto their upcoming November reunion in London, according to BBC News — have another trick up their collective sleeve: A newly recorded rendition of their punk staple, "Anarchy in the U.K." The band entered the studio for the first time in 30 years to record the track, which will surface on "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock." ... As I Lay Dying clearly have more than a few gasps left — the metal band edged out Switchfoot, Jason Mraz and others to win the San Diego Music Award for Artist of the Year. AILD nabbed the same honor in 2005. ... Canadian singer/songwriter Patrick Watson and his band have pulled off an arguably more impressive feat: The Montreal quartet have nudged by Arcade Fire and Feist to land the Polaris Music Prize for Best Album. ...

Despite the recent head injuries sustained by guitarist Brent Hinds, Mastodon have booked a gig, opening for the Queens of the Stone Age on October 29 in Los Angeles. The band is also scheduled to appear at the Vegoose festival on October 27 in Las Vegas, where Hinds was jumped following Mastodon's performance at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. Police claim Hinds was attacked outside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on September 10 during an encounter with System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian and his friend William Hudson. According to police, Hudson assaulted Hinds, and Odadjian witnessed the incident. ... While at the VMAs, Mastodon told MTV News that they wrote their best song ever — even though it's not quite finished yet — while on the way to the big show. "It's pretty much the best record we've yet to write," guitarist Bill Kelliher said before singing a couple of the riffs with Hinds. "That's how it goes — du-duh-du-duh na-nah-nah. We wrote it in the car on the way over here, at least the intro of it. Part one. We're at the really beginning stages. It's going to be awesome, though. Everything we do is amazing." ...

The Game entered his expected not-guilty plea on Tuesday to three felony counts stemming from a pickup basketball game in Los Angeles in February. The rapper (real name: Jayceon Taylor) is free on $50,000 bail and has a pretrial hearing set for October 30. ... Jack Bauer might not be such a hero after all: Kiefer Sutherland was arrested early Tuesday morning for drunken driving in Hollywood, Reuters reports. The actor was pulled over after making an illegal U-turn and blew more than the .08 legal limit upon taking a breathalyzer test. He posted $25,000 bail at a Hollywood police station and is due in court on October 16. ...

The Phil Spector murder trial is in the hands of the jury now, but that hasn't stopped more bizarre developments from emerging in the case. According to AP, over the weekend, a threatening post appeared on a MySpace page possibly belonging to the music producer's wife, Rachelle. "I love Phil Spector!!! The Evil Judge Should Die!!!! Xoxo Chelle," read the post, a police spokesperson told the news outlet. The page, which features an image of Rachelle wearing a "Team Spector" tee, was referred to a sheriff's department unit that investigates such threats. The post has since been removed. ...

Amazon's new digital-music store is up and running, with songs going for 89 to 99 cents and albums selling for around $6-$10. The songs, which don't have copyright protections, can be burned onto CDs and copied to multiple computers. Record-label giants Universal and EMI, in addition to a flood of indie labels, are selling their songs through the site. ... A former trustee in James Brown's estate might have misappropriated up to $7 million of the late music legend's money, special administrators told a South Carolina judge on Monday. State Circuit Judge Jack Early told David Cannon, the former co-executor of Brown's will, to pay $400,000 and produce additional documents. Early also said Brown's family could pursue the claims. ...

The Cult will headline the fall installment of the Jägermeister Music Tour, which is set to launch October 17 in Pala, California, and run through mid-December, with the full list of dates coming soon. Rounding out the bill will be Vietnam, the Cliks and Action Action. ... Former L7 leader Donita Sparks is going out on her own with her debut solo effort, Transmiticate, due January 22. The effort, which will feature her new backing band, the Stellar Moments, shifts away from the grunge and metal sounds that defined L7 and tinkers with more pop and dance elements. ...

Fans of Los Angeles ska act Hepcat are mourning the passing of bassist Dave Fuentes, 36. While details are scarce, the band did issue a statement, saying, "We are sad to announce that our brother, beloved bandmate and amazing friend, David Fuentes, is no longer with us. He will be missed by everyone but especially everyone in the Hepcat family." He leaves a wife, Yohanna, and two sons, Andrew, 7, and Darren, 3. A memorial fund has been established to help his family. ... A special-effects technician working on the set of the Batman sequel "The Dark Knight" was killed when a truck carrying a camera platform rammed into a tree on Monday in London, AP reports. Filming was not taking place at the time of the accident, which is under investigation.

• Mariah Carey
• Notorious B.I.G.
• Lil Wayne
• The Smashing Pumpkins
• Killswitch Engage

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

DevilDriver
Photo: Roadrunner Records

DevilDriver's first two albums, 2003's self-titled LP and 2005's The Fury of Our Maker's Hand, combined the savagery of classic thrash and death metal with some modern musical touches. More importantly, the discs established frontman Dez Fafara (ex-Coal Chamber) as more than a casualty of the nü-metal movement. At times, however, the records seemed a bit too much like apologies for a misguided past. Well, Fafara is done apologizing. DevilDriver's new disc, The Last Kind Words (out June 5), is a scathing declaration of war to anyone who continues to deny the band's importance.

"The 'last kind words' could be 'f--- you' before complete annihilation," Fafara said. "For me, this album is about being motivated to stand up to the punishment of being a human and to have the character in you to go on when all people want to do is hold you down."

Even so, the album isn't just a tirade of hostility. Lyrically, Fafara also aims to be constructive, addressing the importance of living in the moment ("Not All Who Wander Are Lost"), band solidarity ("Bound by the Moon") and moving on after the ugly demise of friendship ("Clouds Over California").

"Lyrically, it's dark and foreboding," Fafara said. "But it's gonna give you inspiration to go through this earthly experience and keep kicking."

As insightful as the best lyrics are, it's the band's musical evolution that makes The Last Kind Words truly exceptional. Like DevilDriver's other albums, this one is filled with jackhammer beats, chainsaw riffs and demonic roars, but the compositions are more complex and progressive, interlaced with melodic and textural nuances and stunning rhythmic variation.

"I think we knew we had to reach within ourselves as a team and pull something out that was really different," Fafara said. "Everyone totally put aside their egos and stepped up to the plate to do what needed to be done. In America right now, there's so much of that sing-songy metal going on, so we knew if we did something totally balls-out it was going to be well-received."

As if intuitively sensing that they needed extra time to make album number three eclipse their first two discs, guitarists Mike Spreitzer, Jeffrey Kendrick and bassist Jon Miller started writing riffs immediately after the completion of The Fury of Our Maker's Hand. Song parts were finessed on the road and then everything was assembled in the rehearsal room. By the time DevilDriver entered the studio on November 13 with Jason Suecof (Trivium, Chimaira), they were ready to hit "record."

"There was literally no preproduction to be done," Fafara said. "Jason said, 'Wow man, these are ready to go.' And everyone didn't just stick to his instrument either. The guys switched guitars and basses a lot — whatever was best for the song. Sometimes, if some guy writes a song, he may not be the best person to track it, and he's gotta be able to give that up to someone else. And when you see that happen with no fights, that's an amazing thing."

The only moments of tension came from working with Suecof, who Fafara described as "a total wing nut."

"We couldn't be more polar opposite, and I had to tell him to shut the f--- up so many times," Fafara recalled. "We actually got into it about two or three times where he would criticize something and I would just be like, 'You suck, you've got no groove.' But the friction worked and we actually came out of it the best of friends. More importantly, he really captured this band, and now I feel like it would be hard to work with anyone else."

There's no question that Suecof and his bandmates played a major role in making The Last Kind Words the most impacting DevilDriver disc to date. However, it was Fafara's clear focus and refusal to compromise that really drove DevilDriver to new heights.

"Years ago I used to think about commerce as an artist, but now I'm just thinking of pure art," he said. "So hopefully what we put out is going to be a kick in the face to what's going on in metal right now. That's the most important goal."

The rest of the week's metal news:

According to Megadeth's Dave Mustaine, his annual Gigantour festival won't be happening this summer, but will return in 2008. Mustaine said time constraints forced the suspension of the tour, which was launched in 2005 and featured Megadeth, Lamb of God, Opeth, Arch Enemy and more last year. ... Behemoth, who'll be on this summer's Ozzfest, have unveiled the track list for their forthcoming album, The Apostasy, which hits stores July 17. The LP will boast 11 cuts, including "Slaying the Prophets Ov Isa," "At the Left Hand Ov God" and "Christgrinding Avenue." ...

Seems the Red Chord have had a change of heart concerning the name of their forthcoming album. Instead of Birdbath, which frontman Guy Kozowyk told MTV News last year would be the LP's title, the band is going with Prey for Eyes, and it will land in stores this summer. Produced by Zeuss (Hatebreed, Shadows Fall), the disc will boast 14 tracks, including "It Runs in the Family," "Intelligence Has Been Compromised" and "Birdbath." ... P.O.D. have reportedly enlisted Suicidal Tendencies frontman Mike Muir to guest on their upcoming, yet-untitled album. According to singer Sonny Sandoval, P.O.D. are honored that Muir would lend his talents to the LP. No word yet on when the album might surface or what tracks it will include. ...

The Sword have announced that they'll be taking the summer off from touring so they can continue writing material for the forthcoming follow-up to their debut LP, 2006's Age of Winters. "We have withdrawn to our stronghold to forge new implements of sonic destruction and plan the next phase of our campaign of conquest," the band said in a statement. "Look for us when the days grow short and the air turns cold." ... Every Time I Die's forthcoming album The Big Dirty has been set for a September 4 release date through Ferret. The disc was produced by Steve Evetts, who has worked with the Dillinger Escape Plan and Sepultura in the past. ... Former Motograter guitarist Matt "Nuke" Nunes has aligned himself with bassist Johnny Montanio for a new project they're calling Curiosity Killed the Cop. CKTC have written seven tracks but are still light on members, and they've been auditioning singers, guitarists and drummers. Interested in trying out? E-mail the band at jmontanio43@yahoo.com. ...

The release date for Horse the Band's forthcoming album A Natural Death has been pushed back to August 28 from the previously announced June 26 date. The band's label has not offered an explanation for the delay, but fans can head on over to Horse the Band's MySpace page to check out the album's first single, "Murder." ... Katatonia, Scar Symmetry, Insomnium and Swallow the Sun will team up in a few months for a North American run. The tour is set to get under way September 4 in West Springfield, Virginia, and run through September 26 in Houston. ... Fireball Ministry have begun writing new material for their next studio offering. Frontman the Rev. James A. Rota II said in a statement that the next LP is "going to be a bit different than our last three. We've definitely decided to take the band to some new territory, but it's definitely Fireball Ministry." It's possible the band will preview some of the latest material when it plays a show June 23 in Malibu, California, with Fu Manchu. ...

Iced Earth have a new guitarist — with a pretty metal name — in Troy Steele. "Troy did a few solos on the new record and will be touring with us," main man Jon Schaffer said in a statement. "He's been a friend of mine for about 10 years and is from the Indianapolis area. He's by far the best guitar player in Indy and will be bringing some cool vibes to the table." The band's forthcoming EP, Overture of the Wicked, will land in stores June 5 and feature two cuts: "Ten Thousand Strong" and the three-part "Something Wicked Trilogy." ... Blessed By a Broken Heart have wrapped recording their Century Media debut, Pedal to the Metal. The album was produced by GGGarth (Atreyu, L7) and is being eyed for release later in the year. "We are very excited to announce that our record is finally done," the band said in a statement. "This is and will always be the greatest record of all time — well, except for maybe Rick Astley's Whenever You Need Somebody, but it sure comes close."

• DevilDriver
• Iced Earth
• Megadeth
• Lamb of God

Otep
Photo: Capitol Records

Otep's forthcoming third full-length album, The Ascension, was written long before the Los Angeles metallers boarded a plane bound for New Orleans — where they'd track the effort with Grammy-winning producer Dave Fortman (Evanescence, Mudvayne) over the course of several months.

During the band's stay, though, frontwoman Otep Shamaya said she couldn't help but get caught up in the emotion of living and working in this forgotten, battered metropolis, left devastated in the wake of 2005's Hurricane Katrina. Shamaya said the cheerless vibe that permeated this once grand city, and the hopeful spirit of the resilient survivors who continue to rebuild their lives down there, bled into Otep's new material.

"We went there for a couple of reasons: Dave was there, and we wanted to get out of L.A.," she explained. "It's very easy for bands to make records where they live, but when you go home every night, it becomes more of a job. You can't live the album all day, every day. In New Orleans, we could never escape that energy. We also really wanted to try to bring something to the economy of that area, but we didn't realize how bad it was. Nothing's happening there."

When Otep arrived, Fortman drove the band through the city's Ninth Ward, "and it was shocking. Absolutely shocking. There are entire neighborhoods that are just gone — pulverized. Boats pinned beneath houses. So that kind of seeped into the songs a bit. A part of that energy — part of the people who asked us when they saw us not to forget about them — that did seep into what we were doing. It had to. It was very important for us to include that energy in our music and remember how important art is and what it can do."

Working with Fortman on The Ascension, which hits stores March 20 and features a cover of Nirvana's "Breed," was important for the bandmembers, Shamaya said, because they are huge fans of his previous collaborations.

"We liked the sound of his albums, the tonality of them," she said. "For the type of band that I think we are, where every instrument counts, I wanted every instrument to have its own voice and tell its own story. With Dave, when you listen to the records he's made, every instrument has a clear, signature sound. That was really important for us for this album; that's what we wanted to happen."

Otep — made up of Shamaya, guitarist Karma Cheema, bassist "Evil" J. McGuire and drummer Brian Wolff — had to refocus their attention for this effort, the singer said, and forget about anything they'd done in the past.

"From my perspective, knowing a lot of bands and listening to a lot of bands, the first record — even if it isn't their best record — has this energy about it, this risk," Shamaya said. "It seems that there's this sophomore curse for most bands, but they still seem to become confident in the idea that they can write the music. But there's something missing sometimes. I wanted to refocus our attention and pretend this was our first record and really try and not look at what we know, what's worked and get mixed up in that whole corporate mentality. I wanted to fall back on our instincts and write songs that are important to us."

On her end, Shamaya feels she's grown as a growler and that, through her lyrics, she's become a better storyteller. "I just wanted to be better at what I do. I think our strength lies in our ability to be a fusion band. Every player has their own influences and own styles, and that helps us create something different and new each time."

But longtime fans shouldn't expect a complete shift in Otep's sound. Shamaya said this third set contains the same elements found on the band's previous LPs, along with several fresh sonic elements. Lyrically, the singer said she derived inspiration from her own observations on society. The track "Invisible," for instance, is a commentary on conformity, while "Perfectly Flawed" is a song that celebrates "uniqueness, and how we don't all have to look like supermodels." "Noose and Nail" is an attack "on the pharmaceutical culture in this country," while "Home Grown" addresses the issues of domestic violence. "Eat the Children" was inspired by "those mothers who've been murdering their children, sometimes in the name of God," she said.

"Sometimes," she added, "I wish I could just sit back and write a song about a sunny day or a car passing, but that's just not the way my instincts work at this point."

The rest of the week's metal news:

How's this for a killer metal package? Dimmu Borgir, Unearth, Devildriver and Kataklysm have announced that they'll tour the U.S. this spring, hitting more than 25 cities, including New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Seattle and Los Angeles. The trek kicks off April 20 in Cleveland, with dates booked through May 29 in Atlanta. Dimmu's forthcoming album, In Sorte Diaboli, has been set for an April 24 release. ... The Red Chord are in need of a new guitarist, given Jonny Fay's departure this week. Fay said he wants to devote more time to running his New Hampshire recording studio, hence, the Chord will hold auditions in March. Those interested should make a video or audio recording of themselves playing "Black Santa," from the band's 2005 LP Clients. Touring experience is a must, and candidates should be willing to give up eight to 10 months of the year to the road. Interested? Contact the band through its MySpace page for more details. Fay, who will still contribute to the Red Chord's forthcoming album, said the decision "was not an easy [one] to make. I have loved every second of my time in this band, and I will miss it dearly. However, as long as I have been involved in music, my true passion has been recording, and I feel that the time has come for me to give it my undivided attention." ...

Mastodon's recent stroll across the Grammy Awards' red carpet caught the attention of E!'s "Fashion Police." The boys were slammed for their "greasy hair" and offending "rat tails." Not that the 'Don's about to take fashion advice from anyone, but you can watch them get raked over the proverbial coals in an arresting clip on YouTube. ... Comeback Kid, It Dies Today, This Is Hell and Endwell will be hitting the road together next month for a series of 25 gigs. The tour will get under way March 21 in Philadelphia and run through April 17 in Seattle. Parkway Drive will also be on the trek between April 5 in Metairie, Louisiana, through the Seattle date. ... Century Media's inaugural "Metal For The Masses" tour, which will be co-headlined by the Haunted and Dark Tranquillity, with Into Eternity and Scar Symmetry providing support, will launch March 19 in Orlando, Florida. The trek will make 22 stops, including Atlanta, New York, Detroit, Chicago and Seattle, before wrapping up in Hollywood on April 14. ...

Lacuna Coil and Shadows Fall will play a number of off-dates during the upcoming Jägermeister Music Tour, which also features Stone Sour. The bands will be rattling the floorboards of Piere's in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on March 29; Northern Lights in Clifton Park, New York, on April 2; the Lincoln Theater in Raleigh, North Carolina, on April 11; the Rialto Theater in Tucson, Arizona, April 26; and on April 27, the Sunshine Theater in Albuquerque, New Mexico. ... Massachusetts metallers — and Ozzfest 2006 vets — All That Remains, who are on their first North American headlining jaunt, will film their February 25 gig in Philadelphia. The footage will be featured on the band's forthcoming, yet-untitled DVD, which should hit stores before year's end. The band has been compiling footage for the effort for more than two years. ... Italian black metallers Graveworm have put the finishing touches on their sixth, yet-untitled LP with producer Andy Classen (Krisiun, Belphegor) at the helm. The album will feature 10 fresh cuts, with guest appearances by Kataklysm's Maurizio Iacono and the Sorrow's Matze. Look for the disc in stores May 11. ...

Victory Records has signed South Dakota's Nodes of Ranvier. According to frontman Jon Parker, the band "could not be any more excited about the opportunity to continue to do what we love with a label that understands what it means to have humble beginnings and achieve big dreams." The band plans to hit the studio later this month to start working on its Victory Records debut, which should surface in July. ... Will Haven's reunion LP, Hierophant, has been set for a June release through Bieler Bros. In other album-release news, Porcupine Tree's Fear of a Blank Planet has now been slated for an April 24 release. ... Canadian power trio Rush will release their new album, Snakes & Arrows, on May 1. The first single, "Far Cry," will hit radio in March, and a full North American tour is being scheduled for this summer. The album was recorded in fall 2006 and was co-produced by the band with Grammy-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver). ...

Prog-rock maestros Dream Theater have signed with Roadrunner Records for their next album, Systematic Chaos, which is scheduled for release in June. "This album's got all of the elements we've become known for," drummer Mike Portnoy said in a statement. "The focus on musicianship, the skull-crushing riffs, the big progressive epics and the heart-wrenching melodies are all there." A world tour will follow the album's release. ... Slipknot guitarist Jim Root and axe maestro Joe Satriani will guest on the new solo album by Rob Zombie guitarist John5 (ex-Marilyn Manson). The disc, The Devil Knows My Name, comes out April 3, and the songs are all about serial killers. "I wanted a different tone to the instrumental with twisted imagery of sounds," John5 said. "Utilizing serial killers came to light for this project while looking at their crimes and how distorted their minds work." If that's not scary enough, the disc will include a cover of Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle." Backing John5 on the album is Zombie drummer Tommy Clufetos and bassist Piggy D. ...

Demiricous will enter the studio on February 15 to start recording the follow-up to their self-titled 2005 debut. The disc will be the band's first to feature new drummer Justin Boltjes (ex-The Dream is Dead). ... Canadian misanthropes Unexpect have hired a new violinist named Blaise. "His talent will undoubtedly contribute to the developing mutation of our music," the band said in a statement. Unexpect's debut, In a Flesh Aquarium, came out in 2006.

• Otep
• Dimmu Borgir
• Unearth
• DevilDriver
• The Red Chord

DevilDriver
Photo: Roadrunner Records

Ask any member of any metal band what fans can expect from whatever it is they're working on at the moment, and they'll usually come back at you with one of three possible responses: The material is either the most "brutal," "extreme" or "hardest" they — or anyone else, for that matter — have ever churned out. But DevilDriver frontman Dez Fafara took things a bit further in describing his band's next opus.

"When you hear this record, you're gonna sh--," he promised. Tempting as that already sounds, he didn't stop there. "In a time when art of this sort is in total despair and everybody sounds the same, and everybody's trying to sound like Metallica, Pantera or Iron Maiden, we're making a definite move towards our own individuality, and it's definitely gonna show on this record. We're onto something here, and it's an exciting and inspiring time for me, man. Seriously."

Well then, the next question is obviously when this yet-untitled aural laxative is going to be out. Fafara assures this spring, but no definite release date has been etched in stone yet. One thing's for sure: DevilDriver didn't waste any time tracking the LP at Sonic Ranch studio, located just outside El Paso, Texas. Fafara said that initially, the band wanted to take two months in the studio to get the album just right. But thanks to producer Jason Suecof (God Forbid, Bury Your Dead) and engineer Mark Lewis (Trivium, Seemless), the album should be in the bag before the weekend.

"It's unbelievable, man," said Fafara, who fronted Coal Chamber before doing time with the Driver. "We tracked what we thought would be two months' [worth of work] in 22 days, and we have two or three more days of vocals. So it looks like we're gonna be tracking the whole record in 31 days. ... In all the records I've done with many different producers over the years, these guys manage to capture some intense vibes.

"It feels like a train moving forward, the way they capture it," he continued. "Rather than just laying down the songs, there's this feeling to 'em, man. They have managed to capture DevilDriver in such an intense, raw form that ... I mean, this feels like the album we should have always made. Everybody likes to say that, but this surely does feel that way."

DevilDriver wrote 13 tracks for the follow-up to 2005's The Fury of Our Maker's Hand but plan to release an album with just 11 cuts, Fafara said. That will include "Cattle Call," "Damning the Heavens," "The Last Kind Words," "Monsters of the Deep" and the likely first single from the LP, "Bound by the Moon." Fafara says he's a fan of every single tune they've written: "I mean, we can't find a B-side, which is the most killer thing about this record. Usually it's obvious. You play 'em back and you go, 'Eh, that's a good song, but it doesn't fit with the rest.' Right now, we can't find [one]."

While Fafara said DevilDriver's self-titled 2003 debut sounded — at least to him — like a band trying to find itself, and The Fury of Our Maker's Hand was just the next step in the band's evolution, this next one's a rager. "My bass player [Jon] Miller walked in the other night and said, 'This record is sincerely pissed — pissed like I've never heard you,' " Fafara explained. "And the music these guys brought in was really thought-out, with lots and lots of guitar work, lots of solos, lots of melody that can be carried off without clean vocals and still sound killer to the ear. We didn't want to carry anything off in a wimpy way. We wanted it to be brutal all the way through. The musicianship has definitely stepped up, and if I ever had to go do soul-searching for lyrics, I did for this record. I just opened up the floodgates, because it was time. People are just gonna go, 'Holy sh--, what a brave move,' when they hear this record."

The rest of the week's metal news:

A belated congratulations is in order for Killswitch Engage bassist Mike D'Antonio, who married his longtime girlfriend, Kerri, in Hawaii in late October. Killswitch's latest, As Daylight Dies, is in stores now. ... Sevendust, Diecast and Bloodsimple will team up for a North American tour that's set to begin February 8 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Sevendust's forthcoming album, Alpha, will be in stores March 6. Dates for the run are booked through February 24 in Providence, Rhode Island. ... The first leg of dates for Terror's upcoming All for Revenge tour have been revealed, and the Warriors, All Shall Perish, War of Ages and Stick to Your Guns have been tapped as support acts. The trek launches January 22 in Detroit, and dates are scheduled through February 3 in Atlanta. ... It Dies Today will head out with Papa Roach next month for a string of 13 North American shows — the first is in Eugene, Oregon, on January 23, and the last is set for February 9 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. ... The Jonbenét, the American Black Lung and Blues will hit the road together starting January 1 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Thirty dates have been scheduled for their trip, which concludes February 3 in Austin, Texas. ...

Polish black-metallers Behemoth have begun tracking their forthcoming LP. According to frontman Nergal, the band has "11 songs plus intro ready to go" for The Apostasy. "It all sounds huge and our sound has never been this intense, while being very epic and catchy at the same time," he added. "It has all the Behemoth trademarks, enriched with some fresh ideas. I guarantee some people are going to be surprised." Songs slated for the album's final track list include "Prometherion," "Pazuzu (The Desert Storms Bringing)," "Slaying the Prophets Ov Isa," "Arcana Hereticae" and "At the Left Hand Ov God." The record is expected to drop early next year, but no official release date has been set. ... The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza has signed with Black Market Activities and will begin work soon on their next studio offering. No word yet on when the LP will be in stores, but we'll keep you posted. ...

Norwegian black-metal specialists 1349 will join forces with Goatwhore, Nachtmystium and Averse Sefira for a North American road excursion that'll kick off March 28 in Nashville. Dates run through April 14 in Corona, California, with more expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks. ... Atmospheric Ukrainian black-metal force Drudkh will release their forthcoming album River of Tears sometime next year. No official date has been set just yet for that one either. ...

Power-metal sextet 3 Inches of Blood continue recording their next offering, with Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison in the producer's chair. The record should surface sometime this spring and include "Night Marauders," "Goatrider's Horde," "Assassins of the Light" and "Black Spire." ...

Canadian technical death-metal band Beneath the Massacre will release their full-length debut, Mechanics of Dysfunction, February 20. The album was recorded and produced by Yannick St-Amand (Despised Icon, Neuraxis), mixed by Pierre Rémillard (Cryptopsy, Krisiun) and mastered by Alan Douches (Dillinger Escape Plan, Shadows Fall). Tracks include "The Stench of Misery," "Society's Disposable Son" and "Modern Age Slavery. The band's debut EP, Evidence of Inequity, came out in 2005. ... Ambient psych-metal band Isis will launch a new tour February 22 in San Diego, with dates running through April 8 in Los Angeles. The band's In the Absence of Truth LP came out on Halloween, and its "Clearing the Eye" DVD dropped in late September. Opening for Isis will be Jesu, the latest project from ex-Godflesh frontman Justin Broadrick. The band put out its second EP, Silver, in April and will release its first full-length, Conqueror, February 20. "Old Year," "Transfigure" and "Horizontal" are just a few of the songs to be featured on the latter. ...

Anyone bummed that there were only three Megadeth tracks on the "Gigantour" DVD will be pleased to know that the band will release a new DVD, "That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires," March 3. The disc features an October 9 show from Obras Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and includes songs spanning the band's career from 1986 to 2004. Highlights include "Wake Up Dead," "Hangar 18/ Return to Hangar," "Peace Sells" and "Holy Wars ... The Punishment Due." ... Theatrical Finnish warlords Lordi have seen their album The Arockalypse already go triple platinum in their homeland this year, and they'll release the LP in North America on March 20 with extra tracks and a bonus DVD. Lordi rocketed to fame after winning the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest, and in Finland the band has since been graced with its own credit card as well as branded cola, candy, kebab and comic book endorsements. Related stamps, coins and restaurants are on the way. Is it any wonder that the band's manager is none other than original Kiss manager Bill Aucoin? Lordi will make their North American live debut at the Bamboozle Festival in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 5 and 6, and will launch a full invasion of the continent this spring. ...

Onetime Kayo Dot contributor Forbes Graham appears on the debut album by Irepress, Samus Octology, which is due out in early 2007. Tracks include "Samus," "FridOhm" and "June Ipper." ... Canadian death-metal veterans Kataklysm will release the CD and DVD package Live in Deutschland in late January. That same month, the band's U.S. label will also reissue the group's 2006 album, In the Arms of Devastation. That CD will come with the bonus DVD "The End of Serenity: Live in Strasbourg," which was filmed in France during its tour for 2004's Serenity in Fire. The releases will coincide with Kataklysm's participation in the Trendkiller Tour with Sworn Enemy, Suicide Silence, As Blood Runs Black and Too Pure to Die. Dates start February 1 in Worcester, Massachusetts, and run through March 11 in New York. ... Operatic and classical-metal Swedes Therion will release their 12th studio album, Gothic Kabbalah, January 12. Tracks include "Mitternacht Lowe," "Tuna 1613" and "The Wand of Abaris." The album was mixed in Stockholm by Stefan Glaumann (Rammstein, Apocalyptica).

• DevilDriver
• Lordi
• Killswitch Engage
• Behemoth

Poisonblack
Photo: Veli-Veikko Elomaa/ Century Media

Poisonblack's Ville Laihiala says the band's forthcoming second album Lust Stained Despair sounded "like sh--" the first time he heard it. The band recorded the LP more than two years ago, but it didn't quite live up to the ex-Sentenced frontman's standards. "That's the reason why we postponed it," he explained. "And also, I opened a bottle, and it stayed open for six months, so that was also a reason."

But this spring, the Finnish gothic metallers headed back into Tonebox Studio, in the band's hometown of Oulu, Finland, to record several new tracks and revisit others. "We recorded three new songs and some additional keyboards here and there, and then I flew to Denmark to mix it, so it would sound the way it sounds right now," Laihiala explained. "I am happy with it now. Everything feels great. We know we have a pretty strong album that we really feel honest about, and we've been rehearsing like apes."

The album, which is due in stores August 22, features 11 mind-melting tracks, including "Hollow Be My Name," "Soul in Flames" and "Pain Becomes Me." The singer said he tried to make the lyrical content "clever, and talk about getting rid of stuff through sex and whatever, because when I was 12, the only two things I had in life were music and masturbation. I know what I was thinking when I wrote those things, and the lyrics should have their own meaning to people."

But the follow-up to 2003's Escapexstacy is a different sound for Poisonblack, according to Laihiala. "We were really trying to find a sound of a band playing live," he said. "Obviously, we wanted to do effects with keyboards. But there's only two rhythm guitarists, and we don't sound like eight guitarists live." So the album needed to sound more simplified than the band's debut offering.

Last month, Poisonblack shot a clip for the track "Rush," even though Laihiala didn't want to. "I've always hated doing them, because I think they're a waste of money. Obviously, I care about how it looks — that it's not us eating diapers or whatever. But still, it doesn't play a big role in this [band]. It's not the reason why people do music."

This fall, Poisonblack will tour Europe in support of Lacuna Coil — the trek begins September 22 and runs through November 8. Laihiala said he'd eventually like to tour the U.S. but added that "in the past, we've had a lot of issues with alcohol, and I kind of have this weird feeling of self-confidence to go back out on tour, but not too much immediately — I need to adjust my head again to the bus and that lifestyle."

Laihiala says he has managed to get his drinking under control, and gone are the days when he'd be drunk for three weeks straight, eating nothing but potato chips. But that doesn't mean he doesn't still like to imbibe.

"Some of us, including myself, drank booze for the wrong reasons," he said. "We dealt with those reasons, and the level of alcohol use is pretty much the same as it used to be — but for the right reasons."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Norma Jean's forthcoming album Redeemer has, after numerous scheduling changes, an official release date: September 12. Look for it to include "A Small Spark vs. a Great Forest," "The End of All Things Will Be Televised" and "No Passenger: No Parasite." ... As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis has teamed with Metal Blade Records to start his own imprint, High Impact Recordings. "After being on tour for the past five years, I decided I should start a record label," he said. "I've met so many amazing musicians and I know this is the right way to give exposure to those bands I believe in." The label's first signing, A Love Ends Suicide, is a progressive-metal band from Covina, California. Its sophomore album, In the Disaster, will come out September 5. ... Venom have started rescheduling the North American tour they canceled this week due to immigration problems. The tour was due to get under way in New York on August 13. DevilDriver had been tapped as the support act but will not be appearing with Venom on the rescheduled dates, which, so far, includes September 5 in New York; the following day in Springfield, Virginia; and September 8 in Philadelphia. ...

Experimental Swedes Meshuggah will reissue their classic 2002 album Nothing on October 31. The frantic, brutal disc will include a bonus DVD featuring frantic, brutal performances from the band's recent European tour. ... It's looking like November 21 will be the day the next Killswitch Engage LP lands in stores. The New England metallers have yet to come up with a title for the effort. ... Shai Hulud, who recently reunited, have signed with Metal Blade Records. There are no details yet regarding the band's forthcoming debut outing for the label. ... Orthodox black-metallers Watain have booked studio time and plan to start recording their third LP soon, with plans to finish the effort "during the last death spasms of 2006," according to the band. The disc, for which a release date hasn't even been hinted at, will include "eight songs of darkest metal magic" and, "as a warning of what is to come," Watain have posted a sample of a track called "Storm of the Antichrist" on their Web site. ... Brooklyn, New York, hardcore dudes Most Precious Blood will begin working on new material in the next few weeks. The band hopes to release the tentatively titled Do Not Resuscitate in late 2007. ...

This Is Hell have welcomed guitarist Chris Reynolds to the fold; Reynolds, formerly of Scraps and Heart Attacks, replaces Joe Osolin, who jumped ship last month. In other comings and goings, bassist Jeff Tiu has also left the group so that he can attend medical school and get married. The band has already replaced him with former Subterfuge member John Moore, who will make his live debut with the band on August 23. ... American death-metallers Arsis will release their new one, United in Regret, on October 24. Eyal Levi (Daath) produced the effort. ... Byzantine and Demiricous will team up next month for a brief run of Midwest gigs, starting September 20 in Cincinnati. The brief tour's final date will be September 28 in a venue and city still to be determined. ... Viking metal band Unleashed will release their eighth studio full-length Midvinterblot this fall. "Our mission is to create one of the most memorable records in the history of death metal," frontman Johnny Hedlund said in a statement. "The songs will be anthems in the true traditional Unleashed way and will have you screaming along with the choruses." The band's last disc, Sworn Allegiance came out in 2004. ...

The new Blind Guardian video for "Another Stranger Me" can be viewed here. The clip depicts a detective several seeds short of a full melon, searching for a murderer who may be the sanest person in the video — excluding the bandmembers. "It has very vivid power," singer Hansi Kürsch said in a statement. "The song is about a schizophrenic person who discovers his multiple eyes and tries to find a way out." "Another Stranger Me" is the first priority track from the kraut band's new album A Twist in the Myth, which comes out September 5. ... Austrian killjoys Belphegor will release their sixth album Pestapokalypse VI on October 31. The disc was written over the last 11 months and produced by Andy Classen (President Evil, Krisiun). "Never before have we spent so much time in the rehearsal room, and never before have we put so much energy [into] our new material," said singer and guitarist Helmuth. Pestapokalypse is our masterpiece so far. Hell awaits." Tracks include "Belphegor - Hell's Ambassador," "Seyn Todt in Schwartz" and "Bluhtsturm Erotika." ...

Some Girls will be hitting the road with the Plot to Blow up the Eiffel Tower starting October 5 in San Francisco. Dates are scheduled through November 19 in Tucson, Arizona. ... Alabama Thunderpussy will enter the studio next month to start working on their next album, tentatively titled Open Fire. The disc, due in the spring, will be recorded at Etching Tin Studios in Richmond, Virginia, with engineer Ian Whalen. It will be Alabama Thunderpussy's first offering to feature new singer Kyle Thomas, who replaced Johnny Weils in May. ... The first video from North Carolina doom band Daylight Dies, for the track "Lies That Bind," has been posted at the band's MySpace page. The clip was filmed on location near Raleigh and directed by Ramon Boutviseth. "It was a scorching-hot and humid summer day," drummer Jesse Haff said on the site. "We filmed inside a filthy, decaying building complex and later moved on to a rickety wooden salt-mine platform." The song can be found on the band's second studio album, Dismantling Devotion, which came out in March.

Where do your favorite metal bands rank on our list? Find out in the feature "The Greatest Metal Bands of All Time."

• Poisonblack
• Meshuggah
• Shai Hulud
• Norma Jean
• As I Lay Dying

DragonForce
Photo: Roadrunner Records

In two months U.S. record stores will, at long last, be able to stock an album by British power-metallers DragonForce. While the band's been around since 1999, the sextet's presence in the U.S. hasn't been felt much, considering DragonForce's three albums — 2003's The Valley of the Damned, 2004's Sonic Firestorm and 2006's Inhuman Rampage, which was issued four months back — haven't been released here. Hell, the band has yet to set foot on American soil, so DragonForce fans here have been deprived to say the least.

But that's all about to change, guitarist Herman Li said. Visa problems kept DragonForce from performing at New York's CBGB club back in November, but Li said that's not going to happen again on April 30, when the band plays its first U.S. gig at the New England Hardcore and Metal Festival. But he did warn fans that DragonForce shows aren't like most metal shows.

"We're famous for accidents onstage now," he said. "We have trampolines we jump on and four different boxes of different heights, which allow us to jump in the air and spin around. Even though the music is really fast and complicated, we're jumping in the air, playing the guitar upside down ... it's fun. We finish each tour with bruises on our legs and everything."

Eight additional U.S. club dates have been lined up: May 2 (New York), May 3 (Philadelphia), May 4 (West Springfield, Virginia), May 5 (Cleveland), May 6 (Chicago), May 8 (Denver), May 10 (San Francisco) and May 11 (West Hollywood, California), with Protest the Hero and Sanctity. Most of those shows have already sold out, but Li did mention that the band's working on securing a spot on an American festival tour, like Sounds of the Underground or Gigantour 2 — so fans who miss them this time around might be able to catch the 'Force this summer. But Li said the band hopes, in time, to be headlining tours in the U.S.

First, though, there's the matter of getting an album on store shelves. On June 20, Roadrunner Records will release Inhuman Rampage in the U.S., but DragonForce have already begun writing new material for that record's follow-up. Fans, Li said, can expect the new stuff to be just as fast, frenetic and technically perverse.

Most of Li's guitar stylings have been inspired by video game music, he said. In fact, on Inhuman, he tweaked and scratched the strings to create sounds he claims he borrowed from "Pac-Man." And those sounds are difficult to replicate live.

"When we finish an album, it's like, 'Whoa — we've got to learn these songs? It's going to be tough,' " Li said of the recording process. "But it's better that way because it makes you a better player afterwards."

The rest of the week's metal news: Cradle of Filth's forthcoming album, Thornography, will hit stores September 19. Look for it to include "Libertina Grim," "Tonight in Flames," "Cemetery and Sundown," "I Am the Thorn," "The Byronic Man" (featuring guest vocals from H.I.M.'s Ville Valo) and "Temptation." ... Arch Enemy's Angela Gossow will lend her pipes to Demonized, the forthcoming LP from Greek female metallers Astarte. The disc should be in stores before year's end. ... Fear Factory's late-fall headlining trek with Suffocation, Hypocrisy and Decapitated will launch October 26 in San Francisco. Dates thus far run through November 26 in Saginaw, Michigan. ... Slipknot's Joey Jordison has signed on to produce the forthcoming, yet-untitled 3 Inches of Blood album, which should feature "Night Marauders," "Goatriders' Horde" and "Black Spire" when it's released early next year. ... Devin Townsend-led Canadian extremists Strapping Young Lad have revealed the tentative track list for their forthcoming opus, The New Black, which will hit stores July 11. The album will feature 11 cuts, including "You Suck," "Far Beyond Metal" and "Almost Again." ...

Ill Niño, God Forbid, Eyes of Fire, Silent Civilian and Bleed the Sky will hit the road together under the tour banner One Nation Undivided. The trek kicks off May 10 in New York and will pass through 25 cities. Dates so far are booked through June 1 in Chicago, with additional gigs to be announced in the coming weeks. ... It Dies Today, Haste the Day, the Showdown, Chiodos and Flee the Seen will tour together starting June 1 in Syracuse, New York. Dates run through June 26 in Memphis, Tennessee. ... San Diego gore-grinders Cattle Decapitation have found someone to fill the void left behind the kit with the departure of Michael Laughlin: ex-Unholy Ghost drummer J.R. "Kid Gnarly" Daniels. ... DevilDriver will be this weekend's guests on MTV2's "Headbangers Ball." The band launches a U.S. tour May 8 in San Diego with Bury Your Dead, Remembering Never, If Hope Dies and Artimus Pyledriver, with dates running through June 2 in Sayreville, New Jersey. ...

Grind specialists the County Medical Examiners — "a collection of real-life pathologists with an unhealthy adoration of and fixation on Carcass," with one member who's said to be 63 years of age — have signed with Relapse Records. They'll release Olidus Operattas, their first album in three years, this fall. ... Brooklyn's Made Out of Babies will begin recording Coward, their second full-length LP, next month in Chicago with Steve Albini (Nirvana, Mono). ... North Carolina vegan metallers Undying have parted ways. "As is always the case, we have our reasons for the breakup — some petty, some great, none of which we will go into here," the band said in a post on its MySpace page. "Suffice to say that for the past eight years we have had the rare opportunity to travel the world, have more than a few interesting experiences and make friends, too many to be counted here, who we will hold heart-close and dear for a lifetime and more. Be kind, live well, go vegan." ... The Vows — a new hardcore band featuring John Pettibone (Himsa, Undertow), Rob Moran (Unbroken, Some Girls), Ryan Murphy (Undertow, Ensign), Aram Arslanian (Champion) and Chris Williams (Champion) — will issue its debut EP later this spring. ...

Finnish black-metal outfit Horna's next offering, Ääniä Yössä, will land in stores June 6. The epic record features four tracks and runs about 40 minutes. ... Live In: Nerd Rage, the debut CD by comedian Brian Posehn, will be reissued July 11. The record features Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, Shadows Fall guitarist Jonathan Donais, Armored Saint bassist Joey Vera and ex-White Zombie drummer John Tempesta. It also has the cut "Try Again, Again" by the mock metal group Titannica, which were featured on the HBO cult-classic comedy "Mr. Show." ... Richmond, Virginia, crossover metal band Municipal Waste have posted a gory, uncensored live music video for "Unleash the Bastards" on Earache's Web site. The clip depicts fans in the crowd tearing stage divers limb from limb and eating their body parts "Dawn of the Dead"-style. Not a great incentive to attend their gigs, if you ask us. ... Slipknot and Korn producer Ross Robinson is in the studio with Norma Jean working on the band's follow-up to 2005's O God, the Aftermath. The team entered the studio April 7 and hopes to finish by the end of May before embarking on Ozzfest. "We are thrilled to an insane degree," singer Cory Brandan said in a press statement. "We really think Ross Robinson will be able to bring something out in us and our music." ...

Grindcore band F--- the Facts are working on their debut album, Stigmata High-Five, in Montreal. The disc is slated for a late summer release and includes "The Wrecking," "Carve Your Heart Out" and "The Sound of Your Smashed Head." The Ottawa band begins a monthlong Canadian tour April 14. ... Longtime Origin drummer John Longstreth has rejoined the Kansas technical metal band. He replaces James King, who left in October due to personal and creative differences. The group starts a tour July 19 in Oklahoma City with dates running through August 26 in Milwaukee. ... Two classic melodic death/black-metal albums by Sweden's Dissection will be reissued June 27 as double-CD sets. The Somberlain, which originally came out in 1993, will be resurrected with the 1991 EP Into Infinite Obscurity, previously unreleased live recordings, demos and rehearsal room tapes. Storm of the Light's Bane (1995) will re-emerge with an alternate mix of the full album, demos and the 1996 EP Where Dead Angels Lie. Dissection's long-awaited new album, Reinkaos, comes out May 16.

• Dragonforce
• Cradle of Filth
• Anthrax
• Horna
• Fear Factory

DevilDriver
Photo: Roadrunner

After jumping the Coal Chamber ship three years ago, singer Dez Fafara found himself back at square one.

Fafara had joined an unknown band, DevilDriver, and was about to start working his way back up the metal ladder. Fafara says he wouldn't have approached the transition any other way.

"People kind of expected me to jump right out after Coal Chamber and start headlining, but I want to do it the right way, which is open up for everybody under the sun," Fafara explained.

This spring, for the first time since the band's inception, DevilDriver will headline their own U.S. club tour with Bury Your Dead, Darkest Hour, If Hope Dies and Remembering Never in the supporting slots.

"It's one hell of a metal package," Dez reflected. "It's going to be killer for us because after 40 minutes — which is [the set length] we're doing now [in Canada with Opeth and Dark Tranquility] — I get off the stage and I'm ready to go for another hour. So on this next tour we will be playing an hour and 20 minutes and giving the kids everything they want."

Before the summer and after DevilDriver's first headlining jaunt, Dez said he and the rest of the band will hit the road for seven U.S. shows in support of Venom.

"I'm doing it just to get the shirt," he joked.

While Fafara said his summer's still wide open — he believes DevilDriver will tour in July and August as part of a big U.S. festival, but confirmed that the quintet "won't be doing Ozzfest and we won't be doing Sounds of the Underground." He added that there will be another headlining run kicking off in mid-September, with dates scheduled into early December. No accompanying bands have been confirmed for the trek yet, but Dez promises another brutal bill.

Before the year's out, Fafara hopes to have at least enough new songs written for DevilDriver's third album, which he said they could start recording by this time next year. He said they've written four songs while they've been on the road and they're "heavy and brutal with lots of hooks, but definitely more technical — there's going to be a lot more riffage, because we want to kick it up for this next album."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Between the Buried and Me will issue an album's worth of covers called The Anatomy Of sometime in June. The band puts its stamp on Pantera's "Cemetery Gates," Sepultura's "Territory," Soundgarden's "The Day I Tried to Live," Mötley Crüe's "Kickstart My Heart," Pink Floyd's "Us and Them," Queen's "Bicycle Race," Metallica's "Orion" and "Blackened," and Faith No More's "Malpractice." The boys also tackle "People Are Strange" by the Doors, Depeche Mode's "Little 15," "Geek U.S.A." by the Smashing Pumpkins and Blind Melon's "Change." ... In addition to persevering with their new heavy-metal crusade, Judas Priest continue to celebrate their glory years. On April 4 the band will release its latest DVD "Live Vengeance '82," which captures an arena performance in Memphis, Tennessee, from the band's Screaming for Vengeance tour. Originally released on home video as "Judas Priest — Live" in 1983, the concert was also included as a bonus disc on the first pressing of the 2004 box set Metalogy, before the band decided to repackage it for a wider audience. ... In Flames will embark on a North American tour in May with Throwdown, Nevermore and Evergrey supporting. So far just four dates have been revealed for the Come Clarity tour: May 5 in New Haven, Connecticut; May 6 in Burlington, Vermont; May 8 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and May 9 in Jacksonville, North Carolina. More dates are expected to be announced soon. ...

All That Remains have entered Zing Recording Studios in Westfield, Massachusetts, to document the follow-up to 2004's This Darkened Heart. The yet-untitled disc will feature 12 tracks, including "This Calling" and an update on "Follow," which appeared on the band's 2002 debut, Behind Silence and Solitude. ... The Sounds of the Underground Tour is going international: A European edition will launch in Manchester, England, on May 10, with All That Remains, Chimaira, Madball, Unearth, Terror and Manntis anchoring the bill. Dates have still not been released for the U.S. edition of the tour, which will feature As I Lay Dying, the Black Dahlia Murder, Cannibal Corpse and more. ... Ozzfest 2005 vets It Dies Today have started writing new material for their forthcoming album. In April the band will hit the studio with producer GGGarth (L7, Bloodsimple) to begin recording the disc, which should hit stores September 5. ... Hyperactive psychedelic metallists An Albatross will release the follow-up to their eight-minute long 2003 EP, We Are the Lazer Viking, in June. Titled Blessphemy (Of the Peace-Beast Feastgiver and the Bear-Warp Kumite), the breakneck album will include "In the Court of the Bear King," "Lysergically Yours, My Psychedelic Bride" and "Dimensional Gymnastics." The Philadelphian freaks will offer a live dose of the madness on a tour that starts March 16 in Austin, Texas, during South by Southwest and runs through April 15 in Oberlin, Ohio. ... Walls of Jericho will release their latest album, With Devils Amongst Us All, June 27. ...

Various Norwegian black-metal dudes have done time for burning churches or murdering their fellow musicians since the early '90s. Dissection frontman Jon Nötveidt upped the ante by fatally stabbing an Algerian immigrant who had nothing to do with religion or black metal. The killing uprooted his band for 11 years while Nötveidt sat in jail, but he's been a free man since 2004, and Dissection are about the unveil their new album, Reinkaos. The disc, which comes out May 16, took 11 months to record and includes "Dark Mother Divine," "Internal Fire" and "Starless Aeon." In addition to releasing the disc, the band's North American label will reissue the group's influential 1993 album, The Somberlain, and their 1996 offering, Storm of the Light's Bane. A documentary film on Dissection is also in the works. ... Maybe Lemmy's just trying to get lucky, but Motörhead continue to actively support mostly female Swedish band Meldrum. In 2005 he invited the headbanging chicks (and their male drummer) to join Motörhead's 30th anniversary tour of Europe, and now he has co-written some tunes with them and handpicked them to open Motörhead's four scheduled West Coast shows. The hard-rockin' quartet has also opened for Black Label Society, Sepultura, Danzig and Nashville Pussy. Following the Motörhead dates, Meldrum will return to Los Angeles to finish their second, yet-untitled disc. ... Crucified Barbara, another female Swedish metal band, will release their U.S. debut, In Distortion We Trust, May 30. The disc features a cover of Motörhead's "Killed by Death." ...

Long-running Florida death metallers Malevolent Creation have begun work on their 10th studio album. Called Doomsday X, the outing should hit record store shelves later this year. ... D.R.I. and Subzero will travel the U.S. this spring as part of a 29-date tour that kicks off May 22 in Seattle. Dates run through June 25 in San Antonio, Texas. ... Michael Murland, who fronts the Jonbenet, has been sidelined with a serious ankle injury, forcing the band to cut short its current U.S. tour, which was expected to run through March 19. The band's April run with At All Cost is still on, and Murland should be healed by that time, according to a statement from the Houston post-hardcore act. ... Entombed were hoping to finish their new album Serpent Saints in time to get it out by June 6 so they could celebrate their kinship with the Dark Lord (6/6/06, get it?). But the songs weren't progressing fast enough, and the band has rescheduled the album's release for September 18. They'll still commemorate the wicked date with an EP called When in Sodom, which will be its first unholy offering since the departure of guitarist Uffe Cederlund in September. ... Baltimore's heaviest drone-group Darsombra will release their debut full-length, Ecdysis, March 28. Songs include "Thinning the Herd," "Swelter" and "The Place Where There Is No Darkness." The band is the side project of Meatjack frontman Brian Daniloski and will launch a tour April 14 in Cleveland and wrap it up May 1 in the band's hometown. ... New York doom warriors Black Cobra will release their first album, Bestial, April 25. A tour to promote the disc launches in New York on April Fools' Day.

• DevilDriver
• Between The Buried & Me
• Entombed

In Flames
Photo: Patric Ullaeus

It wasn't playing in broad daylight that bothered In Flames frontman Anders Fridén during his band's stint on this summer's Ozzfest, where the Swedish metallers served as the mainstage openers. It wasn't even the fact that In Flames were restricted to 20-minute sets, or that those sets were performed in arenas teeming with metalheads sitting in plastic seats and downing hot dogs and jumbo pretzels.

That Fridén could deal with. But knowing In Flames had an entire album in the hopper, waiting to be unleashed upon the world, but no label deal that would get it out there on store shelves? That bothered him.

"It's been frustrating waiting this long to get an album out," he said of the band's eighth studio LP, Come Clarity, the cover art for which has already been illustrated by renowned metal and hardcore artiste Derek Hess. "It was finished in April [of 2005]. We wrote it at the end of 2004. And now it's going to be released on February 7. The songs still feel fresh to us and to our fans — no matter when it was recorded, it's a new album to them. I think it still represents In Flames and where we are. But it was hard."

Before signing with New Jersey's Ferret Music, In Flames spent the summer wondering just what would become of Come Clarity. Now that everything's in order and the brutal Swedes have a full U.S. tour planned with Trivium, DevilDriver and Zao (set to kick off in January), Fridén's trying to relax a bit. That, too, will be hard. In Flames need to devote loads of time to pre-tour rehearsals, as they'll be introducing a number of cuts they've never performed live — including material from 1994's Lunar Strain — into their set list.

On the topic of touring, was the Ozzfest gamble worth it for In Flames? The singer's not sure. "We saw it as a big promotional machine, and we got a chance to play in front of a huge crowd that doesn't normally listen to In Flames," he admitted. "But we won't know for sure until the album is out. I mean, looking back, I'd rather have been on the second stage."

Fridén considers Come Clarity "a bit more aggressive, and a bit more uptempo," but said it still possesses all the "elements of In Flames. It's always been about this balance between aggression and melody. It's just another step in our evolution. I don't know where we're going exactly. But I know where we've come from. We just try to top ourselves each time and be happy with the result. That's all we can do. Now it's up to the public to judge us."

He said the clip for the album's first single, "Take This Life," has been shot. It'll feature performance footage of the band superimposed across billboards in Times Square, interspersed with scenes from the video's mysterious story line. Fridén wouldn't discuss the details, as director Patric Ullaeus (Lacuna Coil, Dimmu Borgir) was still working on the video's overall concept at the time of the interview.

As if In Flames isn't keeping him busy enough, Fridén's also working on the second album from his side project Passenger.

"It's in the works, but I don't have time," he said. "I would like to release [a Passenger LP] sometime [in 2006], because we've recorded 10 of the album's 12 songs already. It's been a very slow process." Fridén once again worked with guitarist Niklas Engelin, bassist Hakan Skoger, drummer Patrik Sten and keyboardist Pierre Sten on the outing, which has no definitive release date yet.

The rest of the week's metal news:

Florida death-metal demons Deicide will release the DVD "When London Burns" on March 7. The disc captures a 2004 show recorded at the club Mean Fiddler and includes "Dead by Dawn," "Lunatic of God's Creation" and "Scars of the Crucifix." The DVD also includes a 30-minute documentary called "Behind the Scars," which was filmed in 2003 during the making of the band's last disc, Scars of the Crucifix. ... Death-metal veterans Morbid Angel will launch a tour April 2 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Dates are scheduled through May 1 in Houston. Behemoth, Krisiun and Despised Icon will support. ... New York electro-metal outfit Genghis Tron will enter the studio in January to begin recording the follow-up to their Cloak of Love EP. The band will tour with Child Abuse starting January 2 in Atlanta and ending January 8 in Philadelphia. Genghis Tron will return to the road in March with Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower and Akimbo. ... Drummer Dom Lizzio, who left Bodies in the Gears of the Apparatus two months ago, has thought twice about the move and returned to the band. "We're a f---ing family," a statement from the group read. "We've had a tight lineup with no problems for a good while now, and Dom loves this music as much as we do, so f--- it." BITGOTA's first full-length album's scheduled for an April release. ...

Buffalo, New York's Herod will release their new album Rich Man's War, Poor Man's Fight March 7. The disc is the follow-up to 2004's For Whom the Gods Would Destroy and is the first to feature singer Jason Russo, who replaced Judah Nero last year. Rich Man's War, Poor Man's Fight was recorded at Watchmen Recording Studios with producer Doug White and includes "Assimilation," "Lies and Betrayal" and "The Fire." ... The Black Dahlia Murder recently shot a video for the title track of their new album Miasma with director Joe Lynch. The group is still searching for a drummer to replace Zach Gibson, who was booted in November because he was unable to play the band's material, according to a post on the group's official Web site. The Black Dahlia Murder are scheduled to launch a European tour January 20 in Essen, Germany. ... Influential Pittsburgh math-noise band Don Caballero are working on their first album in five years for Relapse. The disc is being produced by Al Sutton at Rustbelt Studios in Detroit and will include "World Class Listening Problem," "And And And" and "He Lowered the Twin Down." No release date has been announced. ... Misery Index will issue a split 7-inch with Japan's Bathtub Sh--ter. The disc will hit stores early next year and include Misery Index's song "Conquistadores." Meanwhile the band will start working on its forthcoming second album in the middle of next month. ...

Soilwork guitarist Peter Wichers has left the band. In a statement he called it "one of [the] hardest decisions to make" and said he was "just worn out from all the touring and, I have reached a point in my life where touring is just not possible for me anymore. I need a break from the touring so that I can actually begin to build a more solid ground to stand on for the future." Soilwork responded by making session drummer Dirk Verbeuren a full-time member of the band. ... Providence, Rhode Island, mathcore band Daughters are writing and recording their upcoming album — their first for Hydra Head Records. The disc will be the band's first since the frenzied Canada Songs, which dropped in 2003. The band was formed in 2001 out of the ashes of As the Sun Sets. ... Georgia experimental band Kylesa are working on the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2005 disc, To Walk a Middle Course. The band is also still looking for a drummer to replace Brandon Baltzley, who left in June. Auditions will be held through the end of January, and those interested in giving it the old metal try should check out the band's Web site, kylesa.com, for details. ... Witchery, the Swedish thrash/death group that features the Haunted guitarist Patrik Jensen and Arch Enemy bassist Sharlee D'Angelo, has signed a new deal with Century Media. "[We] are really glad that we will be handled by the same team that has done such a great job for our other bands," said the group on its Web site. The band's fifth album, Don't Fear the Reaper, was recorded at Berno Studios in fall 2004 and is scheduled for release in March.

• In Flames
• Morbid Angel
• Witchery
• Trivium
• DevilDriver