Metallica's James Hetfield
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

It has been four years since Metallica last toured North America, but in that time, the band has rocked millions of fans overseas, spending three of the last four summers playing the European festival circuit. It's not that Metallica has been snubbing its U.S. and Canadian fans — the boys just didn't have an album to promote. But now they do: Death Magnetic hits stores September 12, which means the band will be hitting the road again — this time, taking the Sword, Lamb of God, Down and Machine Head along for a 32-date tour that kicks off in late October.

"It's our first full indoor tour in America," guitarist Kirk Hammett told MTV News during a recent interview. "For the last three or four summers, we've been going over to Europe and doing all the festivals, and it looks like we just totally ignored our fans in America, but that's not the case. As a consequence, the American fans miss us, and they want their Metallica, so this will be a good homecoming for them and us."

Good things will come to those who've waited on October 21 in Glendale, Arizona, where the first leg of the trek begins. While the Sword have been tapped for the duration of the entire tour, Down — featuring former Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo — will be on the tour only through the November 23 gig in New Orleans, their hometown.

The Sword have fans in Metallica — drummer Lars Ulrich digs them. Two years ago, during a chance meeting, Ulrich told the band he'd like to have them open for Metallica. "[We were talking to Lars, and he goes], 'We're going to take you guys on tour.' And I'm just like, 'Sure. This is one hell of an ego inflator, but I'll believe it when I'm on it,' " recalled bassist Bryan Richie.

Despite earlier reports that Lamb of God had turned down an offer to open in order to focus on the recording of their next LP, the band will get in on the madness after all, starting December 1 in Seattle, when the tour's second leg kicks off. They'll be on the tour through December 20 in Oakland, California. Three weeks later, when the trek's third and final leg gets under way in Milwaukee, Machine Head will join the bill and continue on through the tour's finale, which is set for January 31 in Newark, New Jersey.

Metallica tour dates, according to their Web site:

» 10/21 - Glendale, AZ @ Jobing Arena
» 10/23 - Albquerque, NM @ Tingley Coliseum
» 10/25 - Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
» 10/26 - Des Moines, IA @ Wells Fargo Arena
» 11/1 - Portland, OR @ Rose Quarter
» 11/3 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Energy Solutions Arena
» 11/4 - Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
» 11/6 - Omaha, NE @ Qwest Center
» 11/8 - Moline, IL @ iWireless Center
» 11/9 - Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
» 11/17 - St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center
» 11/18 - Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
» 11/20 - Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
» 11/22 - Little Rock, AR @ Alltel Arena
» 11/23 - New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Arena
» 12/1 - Seattle, WA @ Key Arena
» 12/2 - Vancouver, BC @ GM Place
» 12/4 - Calgary, AB @ Pengrowth Saddledome
» 12/7 - Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
» 12/12 - Ontario, CA @ Citizens Bank Arena
» 12/13 - Fresno, CA @ Save Mart Center
» 12/15 - San Diego, CA @ Cox Arena
» 12/17 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
» 12/20 - Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
» 1/12 - Milwaukee, WI @ Bradley Center
» 1/13 - Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena
» 1/15 - Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
» 1/17 - Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
» 1/18 - Boston, MA @ TD Banknorth Center
» 1/26 - Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena
» 1/29 - Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
» 1/31 - Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center

• Metallica Find Harmony, But Aren't Stumping For Peace

• Raconteurs, Metallica More Are On Fire At The 2008 KROQ Weenie Roast In L.A.

• Metallica
• Machine Head
• Down
• Lamb of God

Witchcraft
Photo: L. Helsing

While they may not be terribly well-known in North America, former Norrsken guitarist Magnus Pelander and his bandmates in Witchcraft are owed a debt of gratitude by Down fans the world over. After all, the Swedish sludge-rockers are largely responsible for getting Down back together.

Sound strange? Well, it isn't. Long before Down began writing material for this year's Down III: Over the Under, frontman Phil Anselmo got a hold of one of Witchcraft's LPs and instantly fell in love with the band — so much so, in fact, that it inspired him to show up, unannounced, on Down guitarist Pepper Keenan's doorstep after a long silence. Anselmo wanted to introduce Keenan to his "new favorite band" and, through an impromptu listening session, the pair's relationship was rekindled — and Down were resurrected.

Pelander's not quite ready to take credit for Down's revival, but he certainly appreciates Anselmo's endorsement.

"I found out a couple of years ago, and it was mind-blowing to hear that," the singer/guitarist said. "I remember hearing the rumor that we were one of Phil's favorite bands, and I was like, 'What?' He's a metal icon, and I have nothing but respect [for] all those guys. We actually met Phil and Pepper twice, once when we were touring the U.S., and Phil's been talking about us in interviews — and that's really nice."

And in fall 2006, the members of Down were presented with a chance to return the favor to Witchcraft, for unintentionally bringing them back together. "We first met the Down guys in Stockholm [Sweden], and at the time, we were still shocked that they liked us," Pelander explained. "Then we met them again in New Orleans, and it was surreal, to say the least. We ran out of gear [on our tour] — one of our amps was broken — and we started thinking about it ... and we figured maybe the guys in Down could help us out. Our manager phoned Phil, and he was like, 'Sure.' There were maybe 30 people in the crowd that night, and half of them ended up being from either Down or Eyehategod. It was cool."

Unfortunately, Anselmo's love of Witchcraft hasn't led the band to an opening slot on a Down tour. But Pelander said he'd be up for the challenge. He's just waiting for the invite — and while he's at it, Pelander wouldn't mind if the Osbournes came calling on Witchcraft, either. "I guess we're on the rise now, so maybe that will be an option," he enthused. "We'll see what happens."

For now, Witchcraft are on their own headlining run, which kicked off Thursday night in New York and runs through December 1 in — that's right — New York. Saviours have been tapped to open on the tour's first leg, with Radio Moscow doing the honors on the second half. The band is touring in support of The Alchemist, which hits stores Tuesday, but it also has a limited split 12-inch EP with like-minded metallers the Sword coming out November 13.

With any luck, this headlining trek Witchcraft are on now will end up being more successful than some of the tours they staged in the past. Unfortunately, Witchcraft have had their fair share of bad luck, with tours that inevitably ended up canceled.

Back in 2005, Keenan invited Witchcraft to take part in Corrosion of Conformity's U.K. tour — but then Hurricane Katrina hit. Keenan, a New Orleans resident, was displaced by the storm and forced to cancel the trek. Not long after, Monster Magnet picked the band to open on their European jaunt, but unforeseen circumstances forced that tour's abolition.

But Pelander takes it all in stride: "We've had so much good stuff happen for us as well," he explained, "so you have to take the good with the bad."

Witchcraft, who've been dubbed everything from "doom metal" to "prog rock," were primarily influenced by bands like Black Sabbath and Pentagram, the singer said. They've got a classic hard-rock sound that incorporates elements from various kinds of metal and is further sprinkled with folk, blues and psychedelic influences. At times, the band has even been lumped into the "hipster" metal class, along with bands like Mastodon, the Sword and Clutch.

"I've always wondered what that means," Pelander said. "But it's cool — it's always good to reach a wider audience, so I don't mind."

The Alchemist is Witchcraft's third studio offering and, to most fans, captures the band at its sludgy best. While he wouldn't characterize the effort as the album "we've always been working towards," Pelander does think the sound they captured on the record has been a long time coming.

"It's definitely something that's been growing inside of us for quite some time, and we're just generally happy that we managed to get it down right," he said. "We're really happy with this record, and we wanted our sound to progress with it. There's always some concentrated effort to do things differently, but for us, it comes rather naturally. After we finish one record, we want to progress with the next record. The aim is always to be a bit more progressive than before — at least that's the idea."

Being from Sweden, the guys in Witchcraft grew up around a vibrant, thriving metal scene. And Pelander freely admits that, when it comes to that scene today, Witchcraft stick out like a sore thumb.

"It's not very usual for a band like us to come out of Sweden and not be a black-metal or death-metal band," he said. "We're a crossover band, and that's a good thing, I think. Maybe it makes us more unique, in a way."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Slipknot are gearing up for their next record, but that's not stopping some of their bandmembers from taking on extracurricular production projects. Drummer Joey Jordison took on his first major role as producer for 3 Inches of Blood's recent Fire Up the Blades LP, and now singer Corey Taylor and percussionist M. Shawn "Clown" Crahan have lined up their own endeavors. Taylor will produce the upcoming, yet-untitled Walls of Jericho EP over a 14-day period next month at his home studio in Iowa. "I love this band, and the fact that [they have] trust in me makes me incredibly grateful. I'm so excited to do this," he said in a statement." The EP will be included with Walls of Jericho's upcoming DVD, "Live in South America," which comes out in March. While Taylor is working with Walls, Crahan will be teaming with Lincoln, Nebraska, band Dirtfedd for their new album, The American Nightmare. The recording is set to be held at Omaha's ARC Studios, which is owned by indie-rock producer Mike Mogis. "They are from the Midwest, which gives them a big advantage in how to shape their own vision, rather than get caught up in clichéd scenes," Crahan said. "I personally cannot wait until we give this art to the world. It's time things change." ... High on Fire have just announced the second U.S. leg of their tour for Death Is This Communion, which came out in September. The five-week trek will start January 17 in Santa Cruz, California, and run through February 23 in Oakland, California. A Life Once Lost and Saviours will open all dates; Archons, Rwake and Intronaut will play select shows. ...

All That Remains ran into all kinds of problems leading up to the release of their first live DVD, which was bumped three times before its final October 30 release date was settled. Initially, "Live" was supposed to come out in the summer and feature a full Philadelphia show shot in the spring. But, mysteriously, the audio on several songs was not recorded. So, All That Remains contracted for a second show to be shot in Baltimore in July. However, days after the shoot, the production company filed for bankruptcy and its assets, which included the ATR footage, were seized by the IRS. After an arduous legal battle, the band recovered the video and scheduled the DVD for mid-October. Then ATR found out that the entrance music they used, which is from the video game "Halo," was not cleared, even though they had allegedly been led to believe it would be approved. So the opening had to be edited out — hence the final delay. "We are wicked pumped to be able to offer our fans a feature-packed DVD," singer Phil Labonte said. "Thanks to all the ATR fans everywhere who have waited patiently for this. It's a long time coming, and we feel like it's full of good stuff and worth the wait." ...

Teen '80s-style metal band Black Tide — whose youngest member, Gabriel Garcia (vocals, guitar), is 14 — will release their major label debut, Light From Above, in February. The band played Ozzfest this summer and will open a tour for Avenged Sevenfold and the Confession starting October 27 in Los Angeles and running through December 13 in Portland, Oregon. ... Atreyu guitarist Dan Jacobs launched his Rokk Clothing line earlier this month at BringtheRokk.com, and has so far received orders from across the U.S., England, Australia, Germany and Italy, according to a press statement. "I wanted to design my own brand because I wanted to produce the kind of T-shirt I would buy at a reasonable price," Jacobs said. "These tees had to look like real '80s stuff — classic-rock band T-shirts in bold primary colors and design. They've got to look so good that at first glance you'd think it was the real thing." We're guessing Jacobs isn't planning to compete with Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. clothing line. ... Canadian thrash band Thine Eyes Bleed — whose bassist, Johnny Araya, is the brother of Slayer frontman Tom Araya — have nailed down March 4 as the release date for their self-titled second album. The disc will be the follow-up to the group's 2005 debut, In the Wake of Separation. "This ain't your one-note-chug-along-and-dance-to-bad-haircut metal," Araya said in a statement. "There is thought behind the music and passion behind the musicianship. This is the real deal." ...

Japanese experimental-metal madmen Sigh will reissue their 2005 album, Gallows Gallery, November 27. The disc will be fully remastered by ex-Death guitarist James Murphy, and will contain six bonus tracks and new artwork. "In the beginning, Gallows Gallery was planned to be pretty much a jazzy album," frontman Mirai Kawashima said in a statement. "You'll hear the discarded pieces along with some alternate versions never heard before. Finally Gallows Gallery will be released in the form of what it should have been." ... Eighties thrash band Hirax are in their California rehearsal space writing new songs for their upcoming full-length album, El Rostro de la Muerte/The Face of Death. The band recently released the four-song EP Chaos and Brutality throughout Europe, although no U.S. release is planned. ... Sludge-metal warriors the Sword will launch a U.S. tour with Black Cobra starting November 30 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Dates are scheduled through December 20 in Reno, Nevada. Valient Thorr and the Roller will play select shows. ... Demiricous, Dying Fetus, the Absence and Skeletonwitch will launch a new tour November 1 in Baltimore. Cephalic Carnage will join the bill on November 15 in Louisville, Kentucky, and remain through the closing date: December 1 in Denver.

• Slipknot
• Down

Mariah Carey on the cover of <i>Interview</i>
Photo: Bruce Weber

Mariah Carey is "thankful" to ex-husband Tommy Mottola but also felt like she was being controlled by the music executive while they were married, she divulged to Interview for the magazine's September issue, which hits newsstands Tuesday. In the magazine — the cover of which features a Bruce Weber photo of a barely clothed Carey — she says, "I am thankful to [Mottola] in a lot of ways. I try not to vilify him. I have to forgive him for being so restrictive. I understand him not wanting me to go out and hang out all night, but going to a spa with friends every now and then, or doing things on my own would have made a world of difference. And I'd probably still be with him if I had. Maybe it's for my own good that I wasn't 'allowed' to do those things, but that's not how it felt. It felt like suddenly I had a strict father. ... With Tommy it felt like I had this controlling situation where I wasn't allowed to be myself. This conversation that we're having now would never have taken place." Carey also opened up about the catastrophic Glitter collapse that preceded her surprise rebound. "I consider 'the breakdown' a breakthrough — I needed to hit rock bottom, however it happened. I needed to understand the cost of pushing so hard, fighting so hard against the system." ...

Diddy's Labor Day party is going to be a little less explosive than anticipated. Officials in the Hamptons, New York, have nixed the hip-hop mogul's planned $100,000 fireworks show over the Northwest Harbor on September 2 both for safety reasons and because it might have conflicted with another nearby fireworks bash set for the same night. Diddy intended to go with all-white fireworks so they would match the "white party" theme. ...

Beyoncé turned out Tuesday night at her sister Solange's "R&B Live" showcase at Times Square's Spotlight Live club in New York. Tina Knowles, Bow Wow and the Simmons sisters — Angela and Vanessa — also took in the show, which featured other acts on Mathew Knowles' Music World Entertainment, including #1 Crush, Katy Shotter and more. ...

Britney Spears chatted with Life & Style on Sunday night at a club in Los Angeles, revealing her concerns that ex-husband Kevin Federline could gain primary custody of their two children, sons Sean Preston and Jayden James. "My babies are my life. I love them more than anything," said an "emotional" Spears, according to the magazine. But the boys are doing "so good," she added. ...

Ja Rule and Game have joined forces for "Sunset," a track to be featured on Ja's Mirror LP, due November 13. "I don't think people were expecting that," he told RollingStone.com in regards to teaming up with his former rival. Ja also disclosed that another track, "Father Forgive Me," updates the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby." "Hopefully I make the Beatles proud," he said. "Big shout-out to Paul McCartney and the whole gang, Ringo and everybody!" The rock icons are getting lots of love from the rap set these days, with Wu-Tang Clan covering George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" — with Harrison's son Dhani and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante in tow — for their upcoming 8 Diagrams LP, also due November 13. ...

Juelz Santana is hammering away at his third LP, Born to Lose; Built to Win, which is due in stores in the winter. "This time around, I'm talking about survival — maintaining my lifestyle and overcoming the obstacles and challenges life brings," he said in a statement. Santana was also set to debut his new RoyElz clothing line but has had to postpone the unveiling until February due to the terminal illness of a family member. ...

Swizz Beatz was a busy man on Tuesday. The multiplatinum producer and rapper celebrated the release of his solo album, One Man Band Man, with a live performance at the Apple store in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan in New York during the afternoon. After that he hosted a party at Xchange Loft that drew the likes of Remy Ma, Birdman, Brooke Hogan, G-Unit's Young Hot Rod, Steve Stoute, Kid Capri, Free and singer Mashonda, Swizz's wife. He then capped his long day at Manhattan night spot Sol for another album-release party. ...

Keyshia Cole and Fort Wayne, Indiana's Voices of Unity Youth Choir will get the NFL season under way by performing the national anthem at the New Orleans Saints/ Indianapolis Colts game September 6. The half-hour pre-game show — featuring performances by Kelly Clarkson and others — will air at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. ... Cobra Starship will land again, on October 23, with a new LP called If the World Is Ending, We Are Throwing the Party. The disc will be issued by Fueled by Ramen and follow the band's 2006 disc, When the City Sleeps, We Rule the Streets. ...

Paris Hilton and Zeta Graff settled Graff's lawsuit Wednesday (August 22), the same day jury selection was due to begin in the trial, TMZ.com reports. Graff, an actress/model, filed a $10 million defamation suit against Hilton in 2005 for allegedly planting gossip about her in the tabloids. ... Amy Winehouse fans can get ticket refunds for her postponed U.S. tour at their point of purchase, her publicist said Wednesday. ... A judge halted a lawsuit against Michael Jackson on Tuesday, ruling that it can't continue as filed, AP reports. The singer is being sued — along with the Marian Medical Center in Santa Maria, California — by the family of a woman who died at the hospital after she was moved to make room for Jackson. In the suit, the family claims the woman was kept from critical care after suffering a heart attack on the same day Jackson went to the hospital with flu-like symptoms during his child-molestation trial. Attorneys for Jackson and the hospital have claimed the facts of the case didn't merit the suit. Judge Rodney Melville — who was also the judge in the aforementioned trial — gave the plaintiffs' attorney, James McKiernan, 30 days to redraft the suit. ...

A neuropathologist rejected on Wednesday a previous claim made by Phil Spector's defense that Lana Clarkson might have lived for up to a few minutes after being fatally shot in the music producer's mansion, the Los Angeles Times reports. Dr. John Andrews, who participated in the deceased actress' autopsy, is expected to be the last prosecution rebuttal witness. The defense is expected to present its rebuttal case in the next few days, with closing arguments expected soon after Labor Day. ...

The Chemical Brothers have firmed up their first, albeit brief, U.S. tour in more than five years. The group will bring its visually intensive show to New York's Hammerstein Ballroom (September 21); Brooklyn, New York's McCarren Park Pool (September 22); Chicago's Riviera Theatre (September 24); Denver's Fillmore Auditorium (September 26); San Francisco's Concourse (September 28); and Los Angeles' Nocturnal Bar (September 29). ... In other tour news, Bad Religion will trek through the States from September 29 in Queen Creek, Arizona — where they'll play at Edgefest &38212; through October 20 in Sayreville, New Jersey. Gallows and the Briggs will open most dates. And Cold War Kids will tour from November 17 in San Francisco through December 11 in Boulder, Colorado, after gigging in September and October with the White Stripes. ...

In hard-rock tour news, Down's upcoming U.S. headlining run is finally taking shape, with dates confirmed from September 27 in Reno, Nevada, through November 13 in Houston. The band — which features former Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo — will release its latest, Down III: Over the Under, September 25. The Melvins will tour from September 16 in Sacramento, California, through October 18 in Dallas with Big Business. Prog-rockers Porcupine Tree will be on the road for a headlining run that begins October 3 in Orlando, Florida, and visits 18 other cities through October 29 in Atlanta. And Queens of the Stone Age have tacked seven additional shows onto their current tour. ...

Bill Murray refused to take a breathalyzer test after getting caught speeding in a golf cart in downtown Stockholm, Sweden, early Monday — and he might face a drunk-driving charge as a result, The Associated Press reports. "He refused to blow in the [breath-test] instrument, citing American legislation," Detective-Inspector Christer Holmlund told the wire service Wednesday. "So we applied the old method — a blood test. It will take 14 days before the results are in." Murray signed documentation admitting that he had been driving under the influence and agreed to allow a police officer enter a guilty plea for him if the case goes to court. A very high blood-alcohol level could result in a potential prison sentence, but fines are more likely for the actor. ...

Darren Hayes, former lead singer of Australian pop duo Savage Garden, turned himself in to London police on Friday and was arrested for an alleged racist attack against a waiter in a Thai restaurant in Soho. According to The New Zealand Herald, Hayes is alleged to have verbally abused a staffer at the Busaba Eathai Thai restaurant on July 22. Hayes was released on bail and his lawyer said he is denying the allegations. ... DNA testing carried out after James Brown's death has confirmed a third person is a child of the late rock and roll icon, his adviser Buddy Dallas told Georgia's The Augusta Chronicle on Monday. Roughly a dozen DNA tests have been carried out, and some are still pending. ...

Actress Bridget Moynahan gave birth to her child — a boy — with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The couple split up late last year. ... Wal-Mart is the latest retail giant to unveil an online music store aimed at challenging Apple's iTunes by offering DRM-free music. The Wall Street Journal reported that Wal-Mart is selling the unfettered tracks from two major labels, Universal Music Group and EMI, for 94 cents a piece and $9.22 an album. The songs can play on almost any portable music device, including iPods and iPhones.

08.21.07

First Amy Winehouse pulled out of shows in Norway and Denmark two weeks ago, then she pulled the plug on her V Festival appearances last week — now the U.K. starlet is shelving her remaining 2007 North American tour dates until next year. "Due to the rigors involved in touring, Amy Winehouse has been advised to postpone her upcoming September U.S. and Canadian tour dates," Winehouse's publicist said in a statement Tuesday (August 21), according to The Associated Press. "Amy's European and U.K. tour dates in October and November remain in place. Plans are being made to reschedule her U.S. tour for early 2008. Until then, Amy has been ordered to rest and is working with medical professionals to address her health." It is unclear whether the change in her North American tour plans will affect Winehouse's previously announced performance at the VMAs on September 9. ...

Forget 50 Cent — Kanye West considers Justin Timberlake his biggest rival. In an interview with XXL magazine for its October issue — which hits stands September 11 — Kanye called Justin his "biggest inspiration and biggest competition," adding that "he's the only other person that gets an across-the-board response and respect level — black radio, white radio. If Justin hadn't come out and killed the game, I can't say that my album, singles and videos would be on the same level that they're on. We push each other. I look at me and Justin like Prince and Michael Jackson in their day." ...

Award-show nominations and #1 records don't seem to be enough for Nelly Furtado this year, so the Canadian beauty decided to add directing to her lengthy list of 2007 accomplishments. Furtado recently made her debut behind the camera shooting a clip for the Loose song "Do It" with co-director Aaron A., her tour documentarian. The video was filmed on location in Detroit during a tour stop and included her dance team, among others. Furtado also announced that she will re-release Loose with bonus material — including her cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" — this fall. ...

Spike Jonze has launched a series of diary-style video interviews through online-broadcast network VBS.TV. The series will capture Jonze interviewing and traveling the world with various artists and entertainers, including the premiere guest, M.I.A. The set kicks off this week with a six-part episode that follows Jonze and M.I.A. around London and at the singer's various enclaves. An interview with Kanye West is scheduled to go live next week. ...

R. Kelly appeared Tuesday in a Chicago court where prosecutors and defense attorneys ironed out a few more details in the R&B singer's child-pornography trial before jury selection starts September 17. After the prosecution tried for a reversal, Judge Vincent Gaughan upheld his ruling that the media and public could view the sex tape that allegedly depicts Kelly having sex with an underage girl and is at the heart of the charges. Gaughan said he wouldn't reconsider his original ruling because the girl who prosecutors say is in the video isn't cooperating with investigators and denies that she's the person on the tape. Had she said she was, the judge would give her victim status and protect her from a public viewing. Instead, he ruled Tuesday that the state can't call her a "victim" but must instead call her an "alleged victim" or the "state's witness." To attempt to prove that she is in fact the girl on the tape, the prosecution wants to call an expert witness to testify that denial is a common issue with victims of child pornography, but the defense argued that the theory is not backed up by science. Judge Gaughan delayed ruling on this, as well as whether an expert could testify that the veins in Kelly's hand are consistent with those in the hand of the man in the video. He is expected to rule on those matters at the next hearing, on September 10. ...

Another day, another problem for Foxy Brown. The troubled rapper is being accused of lying to police during a traffic stop on Wednesday in suburban Mahwah, New Jersey. According to Bergen County's The Record, Brown (born Inga Marchand) was pulled over for talking on a cell phone and failing to stop at a stop sign while driving her SUV. After a check found that the car's registration had been suspended, Brown, 27, reportedly gave officers a different version of her real name and a birth date that was a year off. When the information didn't come up, Brown then gave her correct information, at which point the officers found out that her license was suspended. She was taken to police headquarters and given seven traffic tickets and released. The traffic tussle came one day after Brown was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a New York neighbor with a BlackBerry. But still, Brown has some good news to help take her mind off things — according to the New York Post, she said outside a store in New York earlier this week, "I'm getting married in September. I'm pregnant." ...

With Jane's Addiction on ice and his latest project, the Panic Channel, without a label deal, Dave Navarro has taken up a new side gig: porn-movie director. The guitarist has shot a feature-length adult film titled "Dave Navarro: Broken," the first in a series of flicks to be directed by celebrities. The film for Teravision — owned by adult star Tera Patrick and rocker husband and former Biohazard member Evan Seinfeld — is due September 27 and features an all-star cast of porn actors and actresses (Victoria Sin, Spyder Jonez, etc.). ...

Ben Lee really likes the new Against Me! album, New Wave. In fact, the Australian pop singer likes it so that he has posted a song-for-song cover album on his MySpace page and blog that are available for download or streaming. He's even cooked up his own cover for the effort, Ben Lee Sings Against Me! New Wave — it replaces the fearsome panther on the Florida punk band's original with a less ferocious kitty cat. ...

Devra Robitaille, one of Phil Spector's ex-employees, testified Tuesday that he once threatened her at gunpoint when she attempted to leave his house. The scenario is similar to the ones outlined by four additional women during the music producer's murder trial. After the defense announced it was conditionally resting its case — and that Spector would not be taking the stand during the trial — the prosecution called Robitaille as a rebuttal witness, contrary to the wishes of the defense. She recalled being in Spector's house during a party in which he became heavily intoxicated, after which she said she was going to go home. "He said no and locked the door," testified Robitaille, who added that she had a romantic relationship with Spector. "I remember standing in the lobby with a door in front of me, and when I turned, there was a gun pointed at my temple. ... It was like a long-barreled shotgun." She added that Spector repeated three times, " 'If you leave, I'll blow your f---ing head off.' " Robitaille said he eventually put down the gun and let her leave. ...

Some Lollapalooza footage — of performances by LCD Soundsystem and the Black Keys — finally went up on AT&T's Blue Room site last week, following the revelation that its webcast of the festival featured several edits of anti-President Bush comments made by Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder. Clearances are still being sought for Pearl Jam and other artists, while Lupe Fiasco's comments against Bush — which were also reportedly edited — have not been posted. ...

Five people were arrested early Sunday morning at a campground near the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, following the Warped Tour performance at the venue Saturday night. The Associated Press reported that sheriff's deputies were called out to the campground following reports of a person being injured at another nearby campground. When officials arrived, they reportedly saw a number of campers involved in fights and a comfort station with portable toilets and sinks that had been set on fire. Some of the 400 campers in the area allegedly set additional fires and pelted deputies with beer bottles, cans and rocks, shattering the windshield of a fire truck with debris. Those incidents led to five arrests for obstructing a law-enforcement officer, disorderly conduct and intimidating a public servant. ...

Additional shows for Van Halen's first tour in more than 22 years — with original frontman David Lee Roth — have been added in Philadelphia (October 3); Detroit (October 20); and Washington, D.C. (November 1). Tickets for the previously announced gigs went on sale over the weekend, and fans snatched them up fast — sellouts were reported in at least five markets so far. ...

Pete Doherty — who was arrested on suspicion of drug possession in London early Monday morning — was released Tuesday because authorities didn't get him to court on time. The charge of breaching bail conditions that he was facing has been dropped as a result of the technicality. ...

The Jacksonville, Florida, chapter of the NAACP is protesting an editorial cartoon that criticized the "no snitchin' " street mantra and ran in the Friday edition of The Florida Times-Union. The image shows a black man wearing a "Don't Snitch" T-shirt, holding a smoking gun and standing over a gunshot victim. Behind him are two children, one a girl with dreadlocks who also wears a "Don't Snitch" shirt and says, "I didn't see nuttin'." In the cartoon, the man responds, "Now that's a good little ho." The comic, which is captioned "The new rule of law!," also has a billboard in the background with an image of a rapper holding a gun below the words "rap your life away," with BET and Warner Music Group called out at the bottom of the billboard. According to local TV affiliate NBC12, on Sunday, a Times-Union editorial-page editor apologized for the "bad judgment" in using the word "ho" in the cartoon. "The object of the cartoon was to comment on the rise of a no-snitching culture, something that is widely in the news today," Mike Clark explained.

• Mariah Carey
• Britney Spears
• Ja Rule
• Game
• Keyshia Cole

Full Blown Chaos
Photo: Zeiss

It isn't easy to sum up in one word Full Blown Chaos' forthcoming album, Heavy Lies the Crown, but "vicious" certainly comes to mind — even "venomous." The New York hardcore punks' music is downright evil, and the lyrics ... well, they're straightforward and to the point. You see, FBC frontman Ray Mazzola's not a subtle dude, and he doesn't censor himself — he speaks his mind, regardless of the consequences.

"You f--- with someone in this band, and you're going to end up with a song about you," the stout singer explained. "There will be people who'll read these lyrics, and they'll know the song's about them — they'll read it and go, 'Ouch.' Some of the actual lyrics are from letters I'd written to people, and e-mails, just basically confirming or cutting off friendships. I have no qualms with putting that into my music, because that's who I am. I can't deny myself. If you deny yourself, then who are you? I'm a person, an individual, and I have very strong emotions towards things. It's time people see what's been going on this last year."

Mazzola said a lot has gone down since the band's memorable appearances on last year's Ozzfest. In that time, Full Blown cut ties with Hatebreed ringleader Jamey Jasta's Stillborn Records and bids came in from many metal labels — including Century Media, Metal Blade and Roadrunner Records — all of whom wanted to add some Chaos to their rosters. In the end, the band inked a deal with Ferret, which will release Heavy Lies the Crown August 21. The set — produced by Biohazard's Billy Graziadei — features a dozen tracks, including "The Hard Goodbye," "Fail Like a Champ" and "Raise Hell."

But label politics aside, Mazzola said that, on a personal level, he has learned over the past year who his true friends are, and much of the resulting disappointment and ire that came with that understanding helped shape the disc's feel.

"There have been a lot of people who were supposed to be in our corner fighting for us that just totally neglected the situation," he explained. "We were throwing punches, and they should have been holding our back the whole time. They weren't. We needed to know where our friends were and where we stand and who was going to have our back at the end of the day. The album's title refers to a friend who we came up [with] ... going to shows, doing our thing, pushing our bands. One person went one way and one person went the other way. You can go the one way and remember where you came from, or you can go the other way and manipulate situations for your own greedy endeavors. And that's what's happened.

"Everyone will be able to take something from it, whether it's how to maintain and use their anger in a positive way or help them understand that not everybody in the world feels like they do," he added. "This record deals with everything from problems with general life, the music business, relationships and trying to keep everything under control [to maintaining] your own individual self."

Unfortunately, Full Blown Chaos haven't been able to line up any tours around the album's release. But they will head out this fall with Obituary, Hemlock and Alabama Thunderpussy for a U.S. run that's scheduled to launch September 1.

Mazzola said he can't wait to get back out there and play the new material, which is punishing and ultra-aggressive, and teems with sludgy, Southern metal influences. While Mazzola said there are some positive moments on the record, they are few and far between.

"This album shows you the problem and gives you the solution — that's the type of record it is," he said. "Our New Year's resolution was, 'It's time to step it up and take it to the next level, and see if we can roll with the bigger bands.' I know we can. We focused on the material more, the songwriting, and we came together to make this awesome record. It's a real record — it shows you where we stand and that we're not going to stop fighting. Cut our legs off, and we'll drag ourselves. That's how it works: Nothing's going to stop the momentum of this band — at least not while I'm fronting it."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Megadeth will release Warchest, a box set containing four CDs and one DVD, October 2. The package features 33 previously unreleased audio and video tracks, including a full 1990 concert from London's Wembley Stadium, B-sides and demos of "Holy Wars ... the Punishment Due," "Tornado of Souls," "Five Magics" and "Architecture of Aggression." The DVD features 10 songs recorded at London's Hammersmith Odeon in 1992. "This is, by far, the best and most comprehensive look at all things Mega," frontman Dave Mustaine said in a press statement. "With some of the most famous, and infamous, shows and any of the fluid, or flammable, lineups, listening to this box set — when it was all done — was an adrenalin surge. I have got to hand it to my past bandmates, they played great for how turbulent times could get in the blink of an eye." ...

After months of speculation, Down's forthcoming album III -- Over the Under has finally been scheduled for release: Look for it in stores on September 25. ... Divine Heresy, the new band featuring ex-Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares, will release their debut album, Bleed the Fifth, August 28. The day of release, the group will play a record-release show at West Hollywood, California's Whisky a Go Go — its second gig with new bassist Joe Payne (ex-Nile). "I began my musical career in Los Angeles, and I felt that there was no better place to launch the debut," Cazares said in a statement. "The Whisky is the perfect-sized venue for this record-release show so we can get close to the fans and give them the most intense performance we possibly can." The band recently shot with director Christoffer "Salzy" Salzgeber (Damageplan, Soulfly) a video for its first single, "Failed Creation," that which will go to video outlets soon. ...

Cellador guitarist Bill Hudson will take the stage Friday night (August 10) with one of his idols, Danger Danger singer Ted Poley, for a concert in São Paulo, Brazil. "I'm sure it'll be an amazing experience," Hudson said in a press release. "As much as Danger Danger sounds nothing like Cellador, they're one of my favorite bands of all time." (Maybe so, but if you've heard Cellador's music, they clearly take a back seat to Iron Maiden.) Cellador will enter the studio with Erik Rutan (Morbid Angel, Hate Eternal) in November to record the follow-up to 2006's Enter Deception. ... Sick of It All, As I Lay Dying, Unearth, Converge, Earth Crisis and Walls of Jericho raised money in a recent German eBay auction for the charity organization Zartbitter, which provides help for sexually abused children. For the auction, which ran through Sunday, each band signed a skateboard deck at the Pressure Festival in Herne, Germany. ...

Vancouver, British Columbia's comical extreme-metal band Zimmers Hole have started tracking their third full album, which will be released by their new label Century Media later this year. Tentative track titles include "The Dark Church of Whatever," "We Rule the F---ing Land" and "Hair Doesn't Grow on Steel." "As you can see, it's all about having a good time with the Hole," the band said in a press release. "Make no mistake, though, we are very serious about our love of metal: It made us who we are, and we wear our influences on our sleeves proudly." Zimmers Hole feature ex-Strapping Young Lad members Byron Stroud (bass) and Jed Simon (guitar), along with singer Chris "The Heathen" Valagao and drummer Steve Wheeler. ...

Experimental Norwegian pagans Ulver will release Shadows of the Sun, the band's first offering since 2005's Blood Inside, October 2. "We believe we have succeeded in giving our fears some kind of form," the band said in a statement of the new songs. "We feel it is our most personal record to date. Low-key, dark, and tragic. As we are." Tracks include "Eos," "Vigil," "Let the Children Go" and "Funebrae." ... Power-metal powerhouses Brainstorm have entered Gate Studios in Wolfsburg, Germany, with producers Sascha Paeth (Angra, Kamelot) and Michael Rodenberg (Rhapsody of Fire, Heaven's Gate) to record their seventh album, which should drop in early 2008. "Recordings are going extremely well so far and we are simply overwhelmed how [impressive] the new songs sound," the Krauts wrote on their MySpace site. "These are definitely the best Brainstorm songs that have seen the light of day yet." ...

Los Angeles thrash band Warbringer have signed to Century Media for the release of their full-length debut. The band is currently in the studio working on the album with producer Bill Metoyer (Slayer, D.R.I.). "Working with Bill has been excellent," singer John Kevill said in a press release. "He completely gets the kind of sound we are going for. He's an easy guy to work with and has a lot of good input on how to make things sound right. The album has been coming along at a very nice steady pace and we think it's sounding great so far." The yet-untitled disc is scheduled for release in January, in time for the band's tour with Exodus, Goatwhore and Arsis. Dates will be forthcoming. ... Speaking of Exodus, they're the latest band to land guest slots in the metal cartoon series "Metalocalypse." Singer Rob Dukes described the experience as a dream come true. "If I died today it would all be good," he wrote on Exodus' MySpace page.

• Full Blown Chaos
• Megadeth
• Down

Down
Photo: Elektra

Guitarist Pepper Keenan is driving through New Orleans' beleaguered Lower Ninth Ward, and even though he's done so hundreds of times before today, he still can't believe that more than 17 months after Hurricane Katrina touched down, the city he lives in — the city he loves — is still in such disarray.

"It looks like something out of a different country," Keenan said over the telephone, with anguish in his voice. "I just can't see how they're gonna figure this sh-- out. They can put 10 gazillion dollars into Baghdad, but nothing's changed around here. Dude, I am driving past houses, and it just looks like the house threw up all over the street. It's sickening."

But Keenan hasn't abandoned New Orleans. In fact, it's here, in this ravaged metropolis, that he and the rest of his band Down have been writing material for what will be the sludge metallers' third full-length album. For now, they're simply calling the effort — which producer Warren Riker (Crowbar, Sublime) has signed on to helm — Down III. Katrina's devastating aftermath has helped inspire a great many of the 18 tracks they've composed for the LP, the band's first since 2002's Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow.

"It's been a rough couple of years for everyone in this band," Keenan said. "We've been through a lot. We're trying to use all of that but really keep a positive energy and write some killer, heavy sh-- for people. I feel like the story of New Orleans ain't been told, and I wouldn't mind telling it from our point of view. Not that I want to use the band as a political platform, but we do have a certain voice and I think that the people we'll be talking to [with this record] are people who will understand."

Phil Anselmo, singer for Down and ex-Pantera frontman, has been penning the disc's lyrics. The album will be the band's first since Anselmo underwent back surgery in late 2005.

"Phil's really good at [lyrics]," Keenan said. "Several songs address Katrina's aftermath and how life changes on you, man. We've got a lot of ammunition for this one, I'll put it that way — a lot of things have not necessarily gone right for everybody these last couple of years. Everybody's just trying to stay positive. We're not writing Christian songs. These are still angry, frustrated songs."

Down began writing material for the LP well before the storm hit. Like most of the city's residents, the bandmembers — Keenan, Anselmo, guitarist Kirk Windstein, bassist Rex Brown and drummer Jimmy Bower — were displaced by Katrina, which inevitably delayed Down III's creation.

"We weren't allowed back here for months," Keenan said. "By the time we got back, everything was in shambles. It was a year before we even spoke again. We were all knocked off-track. But this band doesn't ever seem to die. It's just this energy that keeps us alive."

Another track addresses the death of Anselmo's former Pantera cohort, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, who was gunned down in 2004 while performing with Damageplan in Columbus, Ohio. The guitarist was shot five times at point-blank range and died onstage (see "Dimebag Darrell, Four Others Killed In Ohio Concert Shooting"). Anselmo has remained quiet on the matter ever since.

"He's got a lot of demons he needs to get off his chest," said Keenan, who also fronts Corrosion of Conformity. "This is gonna be a hard record for us to make because there's just a lot of emotional things going on. I think we'll all be better after we get this thing done. But Phil's got one beautiful song about Dime that really surprised me. When I heard it, I was pretty watery-eyed. Those [Pantera days] were beautiful days for him. The whole song is pretty intense, and it's actually a heavy song. That's the wild thing about it — it's not a ballad or anything."

Down plan to begin recording the album February 15. They'll take about a month off, first to tour Canada with Heaven and Hell, the band that is reuniting Ronnie James Dio with his former Black Sabbath bandmates (see "Half Of Black Sabbath Reunite With Dio; Tour Begins In March"). That trek, which will also feature Megadeth, kicks off March 11 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Then Down will play four headlining gigs between March 30 (Worcester, Massachusetts) and April 2 (Washington, D.C.).

"It's Heaven and Hell — we have to do it," Keenan said. "It's a good excuse for us to get out there and expose ourselves again."

After the tour wraps, Down will return to the studio to track the remainder of Down III, which the guitarist said could be out by summer's end. "Once we get in the studio, we shouldn't be more than six, seven weeks," he said. "We've already spent all the time [writing it] — we're just getting ready to bang the sh-- out."

Keenan says some of Down's fans are going to be surprised by how much the band "went backwards" on this LP.

"We've progressed a lot, but we didn't forget those first Down demos," he said. "We still get off on those big, giant, heavy riffs. But at the same time, we're not afraid to play acoustic guitars in a circle. It's not a one-direction evolution for us."

As far as Corrosion of Conformity are concerned, Keenan says he's still recovering from the recording of 2005's In the Arms of God and has no immediate plans to do anything with the band.

"We've had interest from a bunch of labels to do another record, but that last record took a lot out of me," he said. "I want to be more cautious about the next move COC does, if [we do] anything at all."

• Vinnie Paul Opens Up About Dimebag

• Down
• Dimebag Darrell

Pantera's Philip Anselmo
Photo: Robert Mancini

It looks like the cowboys from hell might be headed for the cemetery gates.

Pantera frontman Philip Anselmo said that although the band has not officially broken up, there are no immediate plans to work together.

"If five or 10 years down the way, [everyone] wants to get together and do more Pantera music, then we'll see," Anselmo said. "Of course, it would take some soul searching from all of us."

For now the singer is focusing his attention on his hardcore metal band Superjoint Ritual, while guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul work on their new outfit, New Found Power.

Pantera's last studio album was 2000's Reinventing the Steel. Last year, after releasing the second disc by his side project Down, Down II, Anselmo announced that Pantera would return to the studio before the end of the year. It never happened.

"I think each and every one of us needs to get some other pieces of music out of their systems," he said. "And I think that some of us need to take some time for ourselves to get on with life again instead of reliving the past over and over and over."

Anselmo insisted that he and his former bandmates are still on good terms but that no one feels emotionally ready to revisit Pantera. The band's label hasn't made things any easier.

"They're looking for a new Pantera record," Anselmo said. "And I guess they just don't understand English. If you're not happy in a situation — which none of us were at the time — you take time off and you let the air clear."

Despite his frustration, Anselmo still has fond memories. He's especially proud that no matter how many fads came and went, Pantera's fans remained endlessly devoted.

"Pantera always had its definite, deadly hardcore following," he said. "You get your name of the week on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine because they sold 100,000 copies in two days and no one realizes that they're a band that's gonna be gone in six months or a year. Hell, give 'em two years. Pantera put out Cowboys From Hell in 1990. Our crowds never diminished."

Pantera is not Anselmo's only project on indefinite hold. Down, the sludge band he was in with Brown, Corrosion of Conformity frontman Pepper Keenan, Crowbar guitarist Kirk Windstein and Eyehategod drummer Jimmy Bower (who's also in Superjoint Ritual), may also be down for the count.

"As much work and as much blood and sweat that we gave to those two records is how much we weren't given back or helped or even pushed a minute at all by our record label," he growled. "It's basically sabotage and it's painful to take a knife in the back like that. They don't give a sh-- at all that Down is some people's favorite band. They don't care that the new Metallica sounds a lot like Down. They don't care that Jack Osbourne, who's on the cover of People magazine, has a Down shirt on. No way. They're just telling us that this record's run its course and it's over with. So until a lot of business is taken care of with and between the record labels, it's very tough for a band like Down to function at all."

Superjoint Ritual's upcoming A Lethal Dose of American Hatred, which sounds a lot like '80s bands Agnostic Front, D.R.I. and Crumbsuckers, may be one of the heaviest and most intense projects Anselmo has worked on, but being furious is what makes him the most happy.

"Right now it feels absolutely thrilling to be playing back in smaller clubs and to have kids right dead in front of my face and be playing hard-ass-core music that people are reacting to violently," he said. "I f---ing love that, and that is Superjoint Ritual."

• Pantera
• Down
• Superjoint Ritual

Down's Phil Anselmo
Photo: Amy V. Cooper

Pantera singer Phil Anselmo doesn't seem to believe in relaxation. He's just finished up touring on Ozzfest with Down, he's about to begin a new tour with his hardcore metal group Superjoint Ritual and in November, he and Down will hit the road again.

Down — composed of Anselmo, Pantera bassist Rex Brown, Corrosion of Conformity guitarist Pepper Keenan, Crowbar guitarist Kirk Windstein and Eyehategod drummer Jimmy Bower — has lined up 20 dates, beginning November 2 in Austin, Texas, and others will likely follow, a spokesperson said.

Superjoint Ritual will be on tour from October 7 to 21.

Down tour dates, according to Elektra Records:

• 11/2 - Austin, TX @ Stubb's Barbeque
• 11/3 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
• 11/5 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
• 11/6 - Combined Locks, WI @ Ryan's Ballroom
• 11/9 - Detroit, MI @ Harpo's
• 11/10 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
• 11/12 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Metropol
• 11/13 - Cleveland, OH @ Odeon Concert Club
• 11/15 - Toronto, ON @ Opera House
• 11/16 - Montreal, QC @ Le Spectrum
• 11/17 - Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre
• 11/19 - Providence, RI @ Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
• 11/20 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero
• 11/21 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
• 11/23 - North Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
• 11/24 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
• 11/25 - Tampa, FL @ The Masquerade
• 11/27 - Dallas, TX @ Deep Ellum Live
• 11/29 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
• 11/30 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theater

• Down

System Of A Down's Serj Tankian performs at Ozzfest 2002.
Photo: MTV News

MANSFIELD, Massachusetts — When Ozzy Osbourne was chiefly known in middle America for decapitating winged creatures and urinating on the Alamo, he and his annual hard rock hoedown were greeted with protests, boycotts and prayer meetings.

But, oh, what a difference a year makes.

The former most-feared man in rock has now become its most beloved father figure, courtesy of the rib-tickling warts-and-all series "The Osbournes." So as he returns to the road for the first time since becoming the toast of prime time, Ozzy and Ozzfest 2002 are being greeted not with protests but with open arms, and at least a few lingering questions: Can you still be the "prince of f---ing darkness" when that very title has become your copyrighted catchphrase? Can you stand as a larger-than-life rock icon when the world has seen you hunching over scooping poop? In short, can you be America's favorite dad without losing your fangs?

If these roles do in fact exist in conflict, no one bothered to tell the 19,000 fans who turned out on Tuesday when Ozzfest 2002 rolled into the Tweeter Center (Click for photos from the show).

"Come on you motherf---ers," Osbourne pleaded while ripping through the Black Sabbath anthem "War Pigs," producing a field of hands and a wall of appreciative screams.

It's safe to say that Ozzy's fans were well aware of his family-man ways long before a camera crew moved into his home. Those well-versed in Oz lore know the role his loving wife Sharon plays in his career, and his children often sidle up next to him during interviews.

Still, Ozzy and the Ozzfest class of 2002 seemed hell-bent on shaking any residual warm fuzzies lingering as the tour wrapped up its first week on the road (Ozzfest 2002 kicked off on July 10 in Scranton, Pennsylvania).

With Sharon resting at home with her children following her recent colon cancer surgery (see "Sharon Osbourne Recovering From Colon Cancer Surgery"), traces of "The Osbournes" phenomenon were few. Some T-shirts were being hawked, and Ozzy passed along warm wishes from his wife during his set, but for the most part, this was a solitary Ozzy, clad in a black long-sleeve T emblazoned with red sparkling crucifixes, ignoring trends and sticking with what has worked for years: prowling the stage like a madman, crouching and springing like a frog, and dousing his audience (and himself) in gallons and gallons of water. Musically, Osbourne also stuck with tradition, mixing newer tracks like "Dreamer" and "Gets Me Through" with such classics as "I Don't Know," "Believer" and the obligatory "Crazy Train."

If Osbourne was hoping to shed the taint of doting fatherhood and familial goodwill, he did well in surrounding himself with the likes of Rob Zombie, System of a Down, P.O.D., Drowning Pool and Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society, all of whom hit Ozzfest's main stage with their not-ready-for-prime-time ferocity intact.

"We're all on drugs, even on Ozzfest," System of a Down guitarist Daron Malakian chanted before the band launched into "Aerials." For System, no strangers to the Ozzfest stage, this go-round showcases the band's continuing evolution into one of the most important rock bands of today. Flanked only by amps and accented by waves of light, the band delivered its message of political awareness and cynicism — which has never seemed more timely — with manic energy and uncompromising musicianship.

Zombie preferred to let the music do the talking as well, offering up his set on a Spartan (at least by Zombie standards) stage set. Backed only by 15-foot-tall black-and-white photos of classic movie monsters, Zombie left his giant robot and wall of flames at home, preferring to save most of his ghoulish imagery for tracks like "Never Gonna Stop (The Red, Red Kroovy)," "Dragula" and "Living Dead Girl."

Drowning Pool's early main-stage set inspired the most mayhem of the day (or at least the most costly) as fans seated on the lawn of the amphitheater dug up sizable chunks of sod and sent them hurling down on those seated closer to the stage.

This year's second-stage acts upped the brutality even further, as Down, Hatebreed and Meshuggah ruled the wide-open spaces of stage 2. Ozzfest's second stage has provided a well-documented springboard for the likes of Slipknot, System of a Down, Mudvayne, Static-X and Drowning Pool. This year, Lost Prophets, Pulse Ultra, Neurotica, Chevelle, Ill Nino, Flaw, Otep and Soil are among the "baby bands" jockeying for position, but it was Hatebreed, Meshuggah and Apex Theory who commanded the lion's share of the buzz on Tuesday.

But in this field of relative unknowns, the veterans of Down — Pantera's Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown and Corrosion of Conformity's Pepper Keenan — offered a lesson in pure, simple, brutal rock.

"Bad ass, motherf---ers. Bad ass," Anselmo observed as a heaving mass kicked up dust in front of the stage.

While Ozzfest 2002 offered its best snarl, second-stage Ozzfest virgin Andrew W.K. was serving up hugs. Saddled with a 9:55 a.m. start time (the second-stage schedule rotates daily, with the first act hitting at 9:30 a.m.), A.W.K. mustered up his usual peak-hour level of mania and topped his set by leaping into the crowd for a round of handshakes, embraces and general goodwill for those in the first few rows.

"I look like a big idiot up there, but people still seem to be having a good time," he said of his set.

For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

— Robert Mancini

Enter our sweepstakes to win a trip to Ozzfest.

• Ozzy Osbourne
• System of a Down
• Rob Zombie
• Drowning Pool
• Down

Andrew W.K.
Photo: Island

If you're fed up with bubblegum pop and need a hard rock primer course, this week in new releases is for you. While you won't find much along the lines of mainstream releases, you will, however, be bombarded with numerous reissues from such rock gods as Ozzy Osbourne and Iron Maiden.

Newcomers Andrew W.K. and the Walkmen drop their debut albums as well. These two might sound familiar: former Jonathan Fire*Eater members The Walkmen from "You Hear it First" and Andrew W.K. from the virtually inescapable pictures of his bloody mug on the cover of I Get Wet.

If you're looking to rock a wee bit harder, Pantera frontman Philip Anselmo unveils the fruits of his labors with bandmate Rex Brown, Corrosion of Conformity's Pepper Keenan and members of Crowbar and Eyehategod with Down II, Down's follow-up to 1995's NOLA.

In recognition of the seven-year anniversary of Eazy-E's death, Ruthless Records will release Impact of a Legend, a CD/DVD combination package that includes music videos, interviews, song lyrics, photos, a collectors' comic book and the EP The Godfather of Gangsta Rap.

And, to further feed your nostalgic tendencies, it's all about compilations from Extreme (Millennium Collection), April Wine (Classic Masters) and Mr. Rico Suave himself, Gerardo (Fame, Sex, Y Dinero). Yeah right, like you're not curious. ...

Out Tuesday, March 26:

• All-4-One - A41 (AMC)
• All That Remains - Behind Silence & Solitude (Prosthetic/Metal Blade)
• Gregg Allman - 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection (Mercury)
• Andrew W.K. - I Get Wet (Island)
• April Wine - Classic Masters (EMI)
• Avant - Ecstasy (MCA)
• Baha Men - Move It Like This (S-Curve/Capitol)
• Big Head Todd & the Monsters - Riviera (Big/Warner Bros.)
• Blend - Echo Warrior (Shadow)
• Bludgeon - Crucify the Priest (Metal Blade)
• Brass Construction - Classic Masters (EMI)
• Cam'ron - Harlem's Greatest (Epic)
• Carpathian Forest - Black Shining Leather (World War III)
• Caitlin Cary - While You Weren't Looking (Yep Roc)
• Beth Neilsen Chapman - Deeper Still (Artemis)
• Cheap Trick - Cheap Trick at Budokan (reissue, Legacy)
• Chinchilla - Last Millennium (Metal Blade)
• The Commodores - Live! (reissue, Motown)
• Con Funk Shun - 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection (Mercury)
• Ferry Corsten - Global Trancemissions 2 (Moonshine)
• Crimewave - Scripturewon: Beginning of (Crimewave)
• Jack Dangers - Variaciones Espectrales (Instinct)
• Diamond Rexx - Rated Rexx (Crash)
• Dixie Dregs - 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection (A&M)
• Down - Down II (Elektra) Read about it ... Pantera's Phil Anselmo Gets Down And Dirty
• Drag the River - Closed (Upland)
• Dr. Hook - Classic Masters (EMI)
• Eazy-E - Impact of a Legend (Ruthless)
• Mark Elf - Dream Steppin' (Jen Bay)
• Mark Erelli - The Memorial Hall Recordings (Signature Sounds)
• Ester Drang - Goldenwest (Burnt Toast)
• Extreme 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection (A&M)
• Fine China - You Make Me Hate Music (Tooth & Nail)
• Jeremiah Freed - Jeremiah Freed (Universal)
• Funky Green Dogs - Super California (MCA)
• G. Love & Special Sauce - Best of G. Love & Special Sauce (Epic)
• Jeff Gauthier Goatette - Mask (Cryptogramophone)
• Gerardo - Fame, Sex Y Dinero (Thump)
• Johnny Gill - Ultimate Collection (Hip-O)
• Gomez - In Our Gun (Virgin)
• Ben Green - Ben Green (Artemis)
• Eric Hansen - Nuevo Flamenco Romancero (Neurodisc/Priority)
• Ed Harcourt - Here Be Monsters (Heavenly/Capitol)
• Corey Hart - Classic Masters (EMI)
• Hatebreed - Perseverance (Universal)
• Hillbilly Idol - Hillbilly Idol (Slewfoot)
• The Hollies - The Hollies' Greatest Hits (Legacy)
• Huntingons - Rock'N'Roll Habits for the New Wave (Burnt Toast)
• Infamous Mobb - Special Edition (Landspeed)
• Infinity Tha Ghetto Child Pain (MCA)
• Iron Maiden - Fear of the Dark (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Killers (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Life After Death (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Live at Donington (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - No Prayer for the Dying (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Powerslave (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Real Live Dead One (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Rock in Rio (Columbia) Read about it ... Iron Maiden's Eddie Makes A Killer Toy
• Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - Virtual XI (reissue, Portrait)
• Iron Maiden - X Factor (reissue, Portrait)
• Isley Brothers - Isley Brothers Greatest Hits Volume 1 (Legacy)
• Jaz-O & Immobilarie - Kingz Kounty (D&D)
• Mason Jennings - Century Spring (Bar/None)
• Jetenderpaul - Presents the Modal Lines (Burnt Toast)
• Jetenderpaul - Wooden Spires (Burnt Toast)
• Jon B. - Are U Still Down: Jon B.'s Greatest Hits (Epic)
• Juba Collective - Juba Collective (Premonition)
• Richard Kaufmann - Common Senses (Record Cellar)
• Keplyn - Animus Diaries (Beatnik)
• Kidneythieves - Zerospace (Extasy)
• Kinky - Kinky (Nettwerk)
• Mac Dre - Mac Dre Presents the Rompalation Volume 3 (Cavvy R.)
• Masterbeat - Black Party 2002 (Master Ent.)
• Masterbeat - White Party 2002 (Master Ent.)
• Nicole McCloud - So What (Artemis)
• Mindy McCready - Mindy McCready (Capitol)
• Mediaeval Baebes - The Rose (Nettwerk)
• Missing Persons - Lost Tracks (One Way)
• Moodswings - Horizontal (Water Music)
• Estrella Morente - My Songs and a Poem (Narada World)
• Steve Morse Band - Split Decision (Magna Carta)
• My Morning Jacket - Chocolate & Ice> (EP, Badman)
• The Nels Cline Singers - Instrumentals (Cryptogramophone)
• Ted Nugent - Ultimate Ted Nugent (Legacy)
• Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz (reissue, Epic)
• Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman (reissue, Epic)
• Ozzy Osbourne - No More Tears (reissue, Epic)
• Ozzy Osbourne - Tribute (reissue, Epic) Read about it ... Ozzy Bringing Back Blizzard, Madman, More With Bonuses
• Pepper - Kona Town (MCA)
• Porter Hall, TN - Welcome to Porter Hall, TN (Slewfoot)
• Power Houze - Family Business (Power Houze)
• Billy Preston - King of the Road (Park South)
• Pretty Willie - Enter the Life of Suella (Universal)
• Procol Harum - Classic Tracks and Rarities: An Anthology (Metro)
• Psychotogen - Perverse & Unnatural Practices (Crash)
• Ra Desperidos - Tired of Strugglin' (Koch State)
• Rae & Christian - Nocturnal Activity (K7)
• Randy & Rainbows - 2002 Millennium (Park South)
• Rene & Angela - Classic Masters (EMI)
• Pepesito Reyes - Pepesito Reyes (Narada World)
• Minnie Riperton - Come to My Garden (reissue, Varese Sarabande)
• Diana Ross - Diana Ross (Remastered, Motown)
• Scientific - From the Nest of Idea (Burnt Toast)
• Seafood - When Do We Start Fighting (Nettwerk)
• The Secret Machines - September 000 (EP, Ace Fu)
• Sinister Luck Ensemble - Anniversary (Perishable)
• Sleeping Flies - You Are Superior (Kindercore/_EWB)
• Sparta - Austere (EP, DreamWorks) Read about it ... Sparta Rise From At The Drive-In's Ashes With EP, Tour
• St. Germain - Boulevard (Pias)
• Tony Stampley - Rebelution (DreamWorks)
• Sukilove - Talking in the Dark (Hidden Agenda)
• Supertones - Live Volume 1 (BEC)
• T-Connection - Classic Masters (EMI)
• Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends (Victory)
• Tavares - Classic Masters (EMI)
• Tied & Tickled Trio - Electric Avenue Tapes (Clearspot)
• Tower of Power - Soul With a Capital "S" (Legacy)
• The Trouble With Sweeney - Dear Life (Burnt Toast)
• TwoThirtyEight - Regulate the Chemicals (Tooth & Nail)
• Ultimate Fakebook - Open Up and Say Awesome (Initial)
• Various artists - Audio NL (Shadow)
• Various artists - The Best of Narada New Age (Narada)
• Various artists - Blazin' Hip Hop & R&B (Columbia)
• Various artists - "Clockstoppers" soundtrack (Hollywood)
• Various artists - Club Hits 2002 (SPG)
• Various artists - Lowrider Scrapin' Tour 2002 (Thump)
• Various artists - MTV: The Best of TRL Pop (UTV)
• Various artists - "National Lampoon's Van Wilder" Soundtrack (Ultimatum Music)
• Various artists - Pledge of Allegiance (Columbia)
• Various artists - Pure Energy 8 (SPG)
• Various artists - Riot Contract Killers (Riot)
• Various artists - "The Rookie" soundtrack (Hollywood)
• Various artists - "The Scorpion King" soundtrack (Universal) Read about it ... Creed, Nickelback, System Of A Down On 'Scorpion King' Soundtrack
• Various artists - "The Time Machine" soundtrack (Varese Sarabande)
• Various artists - Urban Legends Volume 1 1990-2001 (Epic)
• Various artists - WWF Forceable Entry (Columbia) Read about it ... Creed, Limp Bizkit Meet In Ring On WWF Forceable Entry
• The Walkmen - Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone (Star Time) Read about it ... The Walkmen: You Hear It First
• Weekend Excursion - Take Me Home (Redeye)
• Cassandra Wilson - Belly of the Sun (Blue Note)
• Denison Witmer - Of Joy & Sorrow (Burnt Toast)
• Ying Yang Twins - Alley: The Return of the Ying Yang Twins (Koch)

Coming Soon (Dates Subject to Change)

April 2:

• Apex Theory - Topsy-Turvy (DreamWorks) Read about it ... Apex Theory Offer 'Hope' To Metal — Diggy-Da
• Ashanti - Ashanti (Island/Def Jam) Read about it ... Ashanti Asserts Her Independence On Solo Debut
• Tweet - Southern Hummingbird (Elektra)
• Various artists - Loud Records 10th Anniversary (Loud)

April 9:

• Baldwin Brothers - Cooking With Lasers (TVT)
• Bonnie Raitt - Silver Lining (Capitol)
• Sloan - Pretty Together (RCA)
• Ultrapull - From All Directions (Gold Circle)
• Quarashi - Jinx (Columbia)

April 23:

• Naughty by Nature - Iicons (TVT)
• Tina Novak - Been Around the World (Arista)
• Q-Tip - Kamaal the Abstract (Arista)
• Sneaker Pimps - Bloodsport (Tommy Boy)

April 30:

• Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow (MCA)
• Donell Jones - Life Goes On (Arista)
• Various artists - "Spider-Man" soundtrack (Columbia)

June 4:

• Lil' Romeo - Game Time (Universal/No Limit)

• Andrew W.K.
• Down
• Cam'ron
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Iron Maiden

Pantera's Phil Anselmo
Photo: Elektra

NEW YORK — He was only scheduled to do a single interview and was supposed to have the rest of the afternoon free, but the minute Pantera and Down vocalist Philip Anselmo stepped into the Elektra building, he found himself burdened with unexpected appointments.

First, one of the label's lawyers hooked him into a closed-door meeting for an hour, then the chairman of the company, Sylvia Rhone, spontaneously decided she wanted to meet with him. A good 45 minutes later, Anselmo — clad in black jeans, a death metal T-shirt and a "cross-me-and-die" scowl, wearily entered a small metal-plated conference room for the interview.

Meeting with business-suit-clad attorneys and top executives is enough to frazzle any musician, but for Anselmo, who lives to defy authority and usually prefers solitude to even the most casual social interaction, such appointments are torture.

"There's a lot of false feelings there that send me running," he said, lighting up a smoke. "But sometimes you just gotta grit your teeth and face it. It's kind of like going to court. You don't want to go, but you gotta put on a suit and a tie and wake up at eight in the f---ing morning and have a judge tell you how to live. It sucks, but you gotta do it."

For Anselmo to admit he's "got to do" anything for a capitalist corporation is a revelation, which proves just how important the new Down record, Down II, is to the misanthropic frontman.

The band is a supergroup of sorts comprised of Anselmo, Pantera bassist Rex Brown, Corrosion of Conformity guitarist Pepper Keenan, Crowbar guitarist Kirk Windstein and Eyehategod drummer Jimmy Bower, but while other such bands are pretty much side projects, Down is a big priority for everyone involved. Down II, the follow-up to 1995's NOLA. is moody, epic and roaring, but not in the manner suggested by the bandmembers' résumés. Unlike the group's debut, which was pretty much a ripping Black Sabbath tribute, the new one explores various aural territory including stoner metal, chaw-spittin' Southern rock, atmospheric classic rock and blistering metal.

"It's very mature, compared to the first album," Anselmo said. "NOLA has always reminded me sound-wise and approach-wise as a really loud demo, and it was based on three three-song demos that we did just for fun. We were still growing and finding out what we were as a band, and we were into a lot of bands that were influenced by Black Sabbath, like St. Vitus, Trouble and Witchfinder General. With this LP we were all very clear on the approach we wanted to take, which was to do something heavy, but also experiment with a lot of other things we really like."

One of those things is Led Zeppelin, which explains both the epic scope of the music and why the words "a bustle in your hedgerow ... " — a reference to "Stairway to Heaven" — appear on the bottom of the album art.

"I don't know why, but the session just had this Led Zeppelin vibe the whole time. And there's not a moment on the record where you can say, 'Ah, that sounds like Led Zeppelin,' " Anselmo said. "It just felt like we were doing something classic. It was the attitude of when Zeppelin made Zeppelin IV or the feeling of what was on Black Sabbath's mind when they were doing Sabotage. That kind of magic that hung over us like a shroud."

Down wrote and recorded Down II in 26 days last year at Anselmo's huge ranch in New Orleans, and they were on the clock the whole time. The gear they rented was only around for the allocated time, after which it was removed on huge trucks. So once the stopwatch was triggered, the bandmembers locked themselves in the compound and worked feverishly. Despite the intense pressure, the material flowed quickly and suffered not one iota in quality.

"The riffs these guys were writing just kept coming and coming," Anselmo boasted. "It got to the point where I almost had to physically grab these motherf---ers and choke them to death, because they were writing so many bad-ass riffs. It was like, 'Stop! We've got 10 days left! Let's make this record!' And I tell you, we had enough riffs to make eight records."

While his bandmates jammed away on the parts they had written, Anselmo sat upstairs in his house and feverishly penned lyrics. The band's penchant to party only added to the chaos.

"No one had anything done in advance," guitarist Keenan said later during a call from his New York hotel. "So we're bringing tapes up to Phil as we finish them. And I'm downstairs with Kurt working on guitars. And Jimmy and Rex are trying to figure out how to keep the rhythms tight. In the meantime we're all eating truckers' speed, drinking beer and going apesh--. It was like a warzone."

Adding to the turbulence were the personal demons Anselmo battled throughout the record's creation. The vocalist, who has a past history of drug abuse, wrote a number of songs about the dangers of heroin. On "The Man That Follows Hell," he howls over a wall of surging sludge metal, "I do one thing, I do it well it takes up most my time/ Advantage is beyond me, it's cursed beyond my eyes ... I gave my life to this and it's fooled me oh so well/ the name they've given me is the man who follows hell." On the murky, bluesy acoustic section of "Learn From This Mistake," he moans, "When you're up close it blinds you brilliantly/ Just one rush can change your life forever/ Just one push can end it altogether."

"I'll say there's not one f---ing lie on this record," said Anselmo, not blinking an eye. "There's not one thing I over-exaggerated and there's not anything I under-exaggerated. In dealing with a band like Down, you gotta realize where we got the name and what the name means to us. There's a feeling that we have from Down, and it's called the Brotherhood of Eternal Sleep. See, Down was meant as not like, 'Yo, G, I'm down with you.' It ain't that at all. It means Down, like downtrodden. Like Down syndrome, downcast. And what the lyrics are about is all part of that."

Down have scheduled an 18-date tour that begins May 1 in New York and ends May 25 in Dallas. If the dates go well, the band will schedule additional shows.

Down tour dates, according to the band's publicist:

• 5/1 - New York, NY @ Roseland
• 5/2 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero
• 5/3 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
• 5/5 - Cleveland, OH @ Odeon Concert Club
• 5/6 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's
• 5/7 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
• 5/9 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Orbit Room
• 5/10 - Detroit, MI @ Harpo's
• 5/11 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
• 5/13 - Minneapolis, MN @ Quest Club
• 5/15 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
• 5/17 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• 5/18 - West Hollywood, CA @ House of Blues
• 5/19 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
• 5/21 - Scottsdale, AZ @ Cajun House
• 5/23 - San Antonio, TX @ Sunset Station
• 5/24 - Houston, TX @ Verizon Wireless Theater
• 5/25 - Dallas, TX @ Deep Ellum Live

• Pantera
• Down

Ozzfest 2002 In Boston, MA

• System of a Down
• P.O.D.
• Rob Zombie
• Down
• The Apex Theory

Down Live Photos

• Down