Seemless
Photo: B. Bettis/ Equal Vision Records

Seemless frontman Jesse Leach has no regrets.

When he walked out on his Killswitch Engage comrades back in 2002, he knew it was time. His vocal cords were barely functional and he couldn't stand life on the road when he couldn't bring his wife along with him. Plus, his relationship with the rest of the Killswitch dudes had become frayed, and the band was teetering on the brink of total collapse. So, he did what he had to do — he hopped off the Killswitch train, just as it started to pull out of Obscurity Station.

But rock was still in his system. So, while he'd cashed in his metal chips, he hadn't given up on music altogether.

"This is where I belong — this is where I feel good," said Leach, when asked if he laments the decision to leave Killswitch for his current band, straight-ahead rockers Seemless. "Mentally and spiritually, I am in the right place. I wouldn't change a damn thing. I was miserable and had just really lost my passion for singing that kind of music. I didn't feel it anymore. This band's just much easier on my soul. After doing metal for close to 10 years, I felt like it was just getting old for me. I felt like I had done all I could do. I look at [Killswitch's 2002 LP] Alive or Just Breathing, and that was sort of my farewell to that style of music. I felt like I left my mark with that album, and that was it — it was time to move on. After that album, I was ready to just stop and 'be a normal guy and have a normal life.' But I love music so much, I couldn't escape it."

Leach — who is on good terms with his Killswitch pals — said when he first heard Seemless (at the time they had a different lead singer), he recognized that the band respected rock's roots and honored its past, while injecting a modern heaviness into the mix. And that has no doubt helped Seemless win over thousands of metalheads. "It had the stuff I was raised on," he recalled. "It just seemed like a natural progression to regress back to my roots."

But the Chris Cornell-emulating Leach said the band's self-titled 2004 debut was more like a demo. At the time of the recordings, the band was still just getting warmed up. In fact, most of the tracks were recorded before he even joined the band, which also features ex-members of Shadows Fall, Overcast and Medium. Leach said the follow-up, What Have We Become, "feels like it's our first proper album. We jell now, as a unit. We're like brothers at this point. In every aspect, this feels like our first album." It hits stores on Tuesday and features "In My Blood," "Jaded," "Parody" and the first single, "Cast No Shadow." The band recently shot a video for the latter cut, DIY-style, with director Ramon Boutviseth (Sanctity, Daylight Dies).

Seemless — who're on the road with Nonpoint through Tuesday and are set to hit the road with Trivium and the Sword in October — "wouldn't change a single thing on this record," Leach added. He said the band recorded the material in about a week, even writing several of the tracks while in the studio. "I can listen to it, from start to finish, and have no problem with it. We believe in it so much. It's just a more focused album, and we had a real strong sense of who we are as a band going into this album."

And for Leach, much of the album's lyrical content was born out of his frustration with rock's money-grubbing, narcissistic ways. "It's about my disgust with the state of music and the state of the industry," he said. "And all of the rock star crap too."

But it's obvious that Seemless — who plan to stay on the road for the remainder of the year and for much of 2007 — have found a solid comfort zone and have progressed past the initial growing pains. In fact, he said, even with the release of their second LP just days away, Seemless have started working on material for album number three.

"We write songs within hours in this band," he said. "It's never a struggle for us. It just flies right out. We're already working on our next album. We have a bunch of tracks for it, and the new stuff we're working on is even more diverse than the record we're putting out next week. I am having fun for the first time in my life, with a project that works on all levels. It's great."

Still, Leach does wish Seemless could be a bit more profitable — which means he'd appreciate it if you picked up the band's latest disc on Tuesday.

"We're not looking for the fame and the fortune," he said, adding that he's working two jobs just to make ends meet, as he's facing the prospect of car repossession. "I won't lie — I have bills to pay and I would love to make some more money. But if we can just get by, we'll continue to do this band. I just want to survive off of it. There's a real blue-collar mentality to this band."

The rest of the week's metal news: Sepultura founders Max and Igor Cavalera have been involved in an intense feud since Max's stepson Dana died in a car accident in 1996; Max left the band soon after and formed Soulfly. But on August 17, at a Soulfly show in Tempe, Arizona, in tribute to Dana, the Cavaleras took the stage together for the first time in 10 years. Igor stepped behind the drums toward the end of the set to play an instrumental jam and remained onstage for performances of the Sepultura songs "Roots Bloody Roots" and "Attitude." Even if the reunion eventually triggers the rebirth of the original Sepultura, for now Max is continuing to support Soulfly's 2005 album, Dark Ages, with a new U.S. tour that begins September 18 in San Diego and runs through October 6 in Atlanta. ... In October, McFarlane Toys will release an exclusive 3-D sculpture of the cover of Metallica's seminal 1986 LP, Master of Puppets. The sculpture will be approximately 7 by 7 inches and will be made from PVC. A sculpture of the Jimi Hendrix Experience's Are You Experienced? will follow in November. On Monday, McFarlane released a 3-D cover of the Sex Pistols' Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. Additional titles will be announced in the coming months. ...

Belphegor drummer Nefastus, who replaced Torturer in early 2005, has left the band. Nefastus made the decision following the completion of the group's sixth album, Pestapokalypse VI, which will be released on Halloween. Players who wish to fill the vacant slot can contact Belphegor@aon.at, but they must have stage and touring experience, be able to rehearse in Austria, be able to play with a click track and be interested in black and death metal. Before announcing Nefastus' departure, the band shot two new videos for "Bluhtsturm Erotika" and "Belphegor - Hell's Ambassador" between August 8 and 11 with director Florian W. The former features a blood-covered naked succubus named Dani, and the latter includes shots of gnarly musicians, ghostly apparitions and lots of fog. ... Swedish grindcore outfit Regurgitate have announced an October 17 release date for their next album, Sickening Bliss. The disc was recorded at BackBone studios by RGTE and Patrik Jonsson and engineered by drummer Jocke Pettersson and Jonsson in April and May. Marking a return to the nauseating lyrics of the band's early days, the album features 26 tracks, including "Upheaval of Human Entrails," "Excremental Ingestment," "Battered With a Brick" and "Euphoric State of Butchery." ...

Glenn Danzig will release Black Aria II on October 17. The sequel to his 1993 classical album, Black Aria, features organ, strings, percussion, chiming, chanting and operatic vocals. Produced and written by Danzig, the record tells the story of Lilith, Adam's wife before Eve, and includes "Dance of the Succubi," "Bridal Ceremony of the Lilitu," "Unclean Sephira" and "The Succubus Feeds." Says Danzig: "The first Black Aria is very Wagnerian, and also has these violent, Scottish/ Celtic qualities. This one is more Eastern, because it's about Lilith. It still has a lot of the classic elements I like, but many of the sounds come from elsewhere because of this fascinating story, which has its origins in even older myths and legends." ...

Fear Factory, Hypocrisy, Suffocation and Decapitated will launch the Machines at War Tour on October 26 in San Francisco. Dates run through November 9 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The only band on the bill with an upcoming album is Suffocation, who will release their self-titled album on September 19. ... Teutonic power-metal warriors Blind Guardian have announced the dates for their North American winter tour. The shows will begin November 8 in Tempe, Arizona, and will run through December 11 in Austin, Texas. Blind Guardian's A Twist in the Myth will be released September 5. ... Youthful thrash-metal flag-wavers Trivium will launch a North American tour with equally young power-metal torchbearers Cellador starting October 1 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Dates run through October 9 in Toronto. Doom-metal heroes the Sword and schizophrenic metallers Protest the Hero will also be on the bill. Trivium's triumphant third record, The Crusade, comes out October 10.

• Seemless
• Metallica
• Sepultura
• Fear Factory
• Trivium

From a Second Story Window
Photo: Jeremy Saffer

Ask Will Jackson and he'll tell you that the forthcoming sophomore LP by metal extremists From a Second Story Window isn't a concept album — it's more of a musical piece that a single word helped inspire.

That would be delenda, a Latin term that means "the promise to destroy everything," the frontman said. "The Greeks used the delenda campaign when they were destroying Carthage."

FASSW were so intrigued by the term that they're using it as the name of their new album.

"It's an inspiring word, because the promise to destroy everything means you understand there is an end to everything," he elaborated. "That's ultimately what this record is about: It's about the human understanding of an end and all the emotional stuff that goes along with that understanding. So each song is written from an emotional human standpoint, through some sort of scripted dialogue. This album delves into the idea that as humans we're all living everything day to day, but that we're all going to face a sudden end. A lot of people choose not to deal with that."

But not FASSW, who're on the road with Cattle Decapitation, Misery Index, Animosity and Job for a Cowboy through the end of next month. Delenda, the follow-up to 2004's Not One Word Has Been Omitted, lands in stores July 11.

"I would say it's the most accomplished thing we've put together," Jackson said. "It's leaps and bounds beyond the last record they'd done [Jackson joined the band in 2005 following the departure of Sean Vandegrift]. We put our minds together and we put everything we have into this record. We want to create music that will leave a lasting message and impact the music scene in general. The music that we've tackled on this new record is more approachable, more listenable than the last record, and we're trying to take this more extreme approach to music and apply it to the masses and make it to where everyone can get into it. The scene we're a part of has always been super-underground, and if we can do anything that's going to take it to more people ... that's what we're trying to do with this record."

But at the same time, Jackson said FASSW want to push the boundaries of musical experimentation and ingenuity because, "if you're not bringing something new to the table, you are just imitating or repeating," he said. "Taking ideas or being inspired by something is a lot different than regurgitating. Nowadays, it doesn't seem like a lot of people are thinking about the music they make, they just want to write songs with breakdowns, because kids are addicted to breakdowns. It's like we can't overcome that at all as a genre. Breakdowns are the new solo. But this record's one kids will have to read the lyrics to and sit down and listen to instead of just waiting for the breakdown."

In late August, FASSW will hit the road in Seattle with Darkest Hour, Misery Signals and Versus the Mirror for a string of dates that'll keep them busy through September 8 in Baltimore. Jackson said the band's got several irons in the proverbial fire for the fall but nothing's concrete yet. Within the next year, Jackson's hoping the band can elevate its profile enough to where it's fielding even bigger touring offers.

"We'd been approached for [this year's] Sounds of the Underground, but it was all booked up," Jackson said. "We've been very close to landing a lot of giant package tours, and I think that is definitely something that's going to happen for us more in the future."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Lacuna Coil have lined up seven off-date Ozzfest gigs just as "Enjoy the Silence," the second single from their latest offering, Karmacode, is set to impact commercial-rock radio. The Coil will perform with Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold and Atreyu in Englewood, Colorado (July 5); Rob Zombie and Anthrax in Oklahoma City (July 12); DragonForce and Between the Buried and Me in Minneapolis (July 14); Atreyu in Grand Rapids, Michigan, (July 20); Avenged and Bleeding Through in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, (August 8); Atreyu in Nashville (August 10); and DragonForce and Between the Buried and Me in Atlanta (August 11). ... In related news, Between the Buried and Me and DragonForce are teaming for more off-dates: June 30 (Eugene, Oregon); July 5 (Colorado Springs, Colorado); July 12 (Fort Worth, Texas); July 13 (Columbia, Missouri, with the Red Chord and A Life Once Lost); July 17 (Traverse City, Michigan); July 24 (Louisville, Kentucky, with Bleeding Through); July 31 (Poughkeepsie, New York); August 2 (Burlington, Vermont); August 12 (Tallahassee, Florida); August 14 (Lake Buena Vista, Florida); August 15 (St. Petersburg, Florida); August 17 (New Orleans); and August 18 (Houston). ...

Soilwork will hit the road this fall with Mnemic, Threat Signal and Darkest Hour for a North American run that kicks off October 5 in Springfield, Virginia. The bands will make stops in Cleveland, San Francisco, Atlanta, New York and Philadelphia before winding down November 11 in Detroit. ... Speaking of Threat Signal, the Ontario technical thrashers will release their debut, Under Reprisal, August 22. The disc was produced by Fear Factory bassist Christian Olde Wolbers and includes "Counterbalance," "One Last Breath" and "Rational Eyes." Dave Brodsky (Bury Your Dead, God Forbid) shot a video for the latter in late April. ... All Shall Perish shot a video last weekend in California with Richie Valdez (Ed Gein, the Red Chord) for "Eradication," the first single off the technical death-metallers' August 8 release, The Price of Existence. ... Fear Factory's upcoming Machines at War Tour, featuring Suffocation, Hypocrisy and Decapitated, will launch October 26 in San Francisco. Dates are booked through December 9 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. ... The track list for Unearth's next album, III: In the Eyes of Fire, has been finalized. The LP will boast 11 tracks, including "This Glorious Nightmare," "The Devil Has Risen" and "Big Bear and the Hour of Chaos." The set hits stores August 8, as does a limited-edition version that will include a DVD containing a making-of segment and four live videos. ...

Two new tracks from Ozzfest second-stagers Full Blown Chaos have surfaced on — where else? — their MySpace page. "Chopping Block" and "Solemn Praise" come from the Connecticut metallers' upcoming disc Within the Grasp of Titans, which will be in stores July 11. ... Springfield, Massachusetts, hardcore-metal band the Acacia Strain recently shot a video for "Angry Mob Justice" with Dave Brodsky. The band will tour North America later this summer before heading to Europe in the fall. Before that, though, the Acacia Strain — whose second album, The Dead Walk, came out last week — will continue touring with Soilent Green through July 9 in New York. ... Ion Dissonance singer Gabriel McCaughry has quit the band to focus on other ventures. "It's time for me to concentrate more on different styles of music, different artistic mediums and more on personal issues," he said in a statement. "There are so many things I wanna achieve in life that were impossible for me to undertake and still be committed to the band." McCaughry's last show with Ion Dissonance will be July 9 in Ontario and, from July 15 to July 24, Despised Icon singer Alexandre Erian will fill in. Singers interested in filling the spot permanently should e-mail iondissonance@hotmail.com. ...

Pennsylvania's Circle of Dead Children have parted ways with drummer Mike Bartek. In a vague and angry statement, the band said, "He crossed way over the line and defecated on any concepts of friendship and respect possible and stooped lower than we thought even he would ever go. ... Mike's departure will be a huge blessing in disguise." The band is on indefinite hiatus while it searches for a replacement. Drummers wishing to try out for the position should e-mail salo120@circleofdeadchildren.net. ... Through the Eyes of the Dead are about to release their Jonathan Covert (Nine Inch Nails, Mortiis)-directed video for "Two Inches From a Main Artery" from their 2005 album, Bloodlust. TTEOTD are currently on tour with Terror and Death Before Dishonor and are gearing up for Sounds of the Underground, which launches July 8 in Cleveland with As I Lay Dying, In Flames, Gwar and others. ... Double CD and DVD packages of last year's Gigantour will be released August 22 and September 5, respectively. Expect to see footage of Megadeth, Dream Theater, Fear Factory, Nevermore, Life of Agony, Symphony X, Dry Kill Logic and Bobaflex. Both packages will feature performances by each band and the CD also includes two songs by Anthrax's reunited late-'80s lineup. Dave Mustaine is currently assembling Gigantour 2006 and plans to announce the dates and lineup in the coming weeks. ...

Amon Amarth have decided to name their sixth album With Oden on Our Side. The disc, produced by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia) and tentatively scheduled for a fall release, will include "Gods of War Arise," "Prediction of Warfare" and "Hermod's Ride to Hell (Lokes Treachery Part 1)." ... Straight-edge metalcore band If Hope Dies need a new guitarist. Interested players must be willing to tour for seven to 10 months out of the year and preferably be straight edge. Applicants should download "Burned Out," "Anthem for the Employable" and "Death of a Salesman" on the band's MySpace page and learn the songs. For more information, e-mail band@ifhopedies.com. ... Daughters, the Number Twelve Looks Like You, Premonitons of War and See You Next Tuesday are among the more than 50 acts confirmed for Dirt Fest, set to take place August 19 in Birch Run, Michigan. ... Mikoto have replaced drummer Dan Tracy, who left the group in April, with Mike Trevino, formerly of Vela. ... Nevermore will tape their August 25 gig at Studio Seven in Seattle for a forthcoming live DVD, which should be in stores sometime next year. ...Walls of Jericho's next LP, With Devils Amongst Us All, has been scheduled for an August 22 release. ... Deicide, Jungle Rot, Hurtlocker and Desolation will tour the continent this fall starting September 20 in Huntington, West Virginia. Dates are scheduled thus far through September 31 in Cudahy, Wisconsin, with more to be announced shortly.

• From a Second Story Window
• Soilwork
• Daughters
• Circle Of Dead Children
• Lacuna Coil

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

Slipknot's Joey Jordison (file)
Photo: Getty Images

NEW YORK — It was billed as the event of the year ... for metalheads, at least. Members of more than 30 current and former acts on Roadrunner Records came together to rattle the baseboards at the Nokia Theatre on Thursday night for Roadrunner United, a celebration of the label's 25th year in the metal business.

The night's emcee, Hatebreed frontman and "Headbangers Ball" host Jamey Jasta, perhaps said it best: "You can't call yourself a metalhead or a hardcore kid without owning a Roadrunner record."

The metalheads in attendance — including "American Idol" runner-up Bo Bice — were treated to 23 cuts of classic and contemporary metal supplied by the night's core group of Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison, Trivium frontman Matthew Heafy, ex-Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares and Machine Head bassist Adam Duce. Throughout the evening, the players changed but the feel remained the same, often coming off like a glorified jam session by one of the metal world's most gifted cover bands.

The night kicked off with a brutal rendition of Biohazard's "Punishment," with the band's frontman, Evan Seinfeld, at the mic and on bass; Biohazard guitarist Billy Graziadei, Cazares, Jordison and Sepultura guitarist Andreas Kisser backed the "Oz" star. The highlight of the energetic New York hardcore opener was Jordison's pummeling, seemingly effortless work behind the kit. Next, Jasta joined Kisser, Cazares, Jordison and Slipknot bassist Paul Gray — who, like Jordison, was sans ghoulish mask and jumpsuit — for a pulverizing rendition of Madball's "Set It Off."

The New York hardcore theme continued for one more song, with Life of Agony's "River Runs Red." LOA singer Keith Caputo's small frame bounced around the stage in an elfin manner as he belted out the song his band is perhaps best known for. Deicide's Glen Benton filled in for Obituary's John Tardy during a vicious treatment of "The End Complete," while Tim "Ripper" Owens of Judas Priest, Iced Earth and Beyond Fear fame stepped into the falsetto shoes of King Diamond and Annihilator's Randy Rampage for Mercyful Fate's "Curse of the Pharaohs," King Diamond's "Abigail" and Annihilator's "Alison Hell" (all three additionally featured Annihilator's Jeff Waters on guitar).

Trivium's performance of "Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr" was one of the night's most scathing moments and featured Machine Head's Robert Flynn and Trivium's Heafy trading vocal duties. Seemless leader Jesse Leach, who left Killswitch Engage several years ago, rejoined his old bandmates — and his replacement, Howard Jones — for the band's "My Last Serenade." And H.I.M. frontman Ville Valo did his best Peter Steele imitation for Type O Negative's "Black No. 1"; the song also featured onetime Coal Chamber bassist Nadja Peulen.

Fans also witnessed several numbers from the album that inspired the concert, Roadrunner United: The All Star Sessions, being performed live for the first — and more than likely, last — time.

In between, Slipknot's Corey Taylor and Caputo hooked up for Stone Sour's "Bother," and Shadows Fall mainman Brian Fair emulated Soulfly's Max Cavalera during a cover of "Eye for an Eye." Following takes on Slipknot's "Sic" and "Surfacing" and Machine Head's "Davidian," Flynn, Kisser, Anthrax's Scott Ian, Duce and Jordison surprised the crowd with a potent, unanticipated edition of Sepultura's "Roots Bloody Roots" — a fitting end to a punishing display of metal and a testament to Roadrunner's far-reaching impact on the genre.

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

• Hatebreed
• Slipknot
• Trivium
• Fear Factory
• Machine Head

The Bled's Mike Pedicone, James Muñoz and Darren Simoes
Photo: Vagrant Records

When you're a relatively unknown band trying to cut your teeth in the metal-and-hardcore scene, an air-conditioned tour bus is the sort of lavish convenience you've got to work your way up to. Luckily for Tucson, Arizona, metalcore band the Bled — who'll release their second album, the Mark Trombino-produced Found in the Flood, on August 23 — they've graduated from RV rentals and cramped vans, good news considering the band's fall includes a U.S. tour with Underoath and Thrice.

But James Muñoz, who handles "all things vocal," according to the band's press materials, will miss those rough-going early days — if only for the laughs they'd produced.

"Last summer, we rented this RV, and we just wrecked it," the vocalist said, guffawing as he recalled the destruction. "The guy we rented it from was pissed and wanted $10,000 from us, and we somehow squirmed our way out of that one. Our old bass player sucked at driving, but always insisted on driving, and crashed into a parked semi and hit cars on multiple occasions. The RV was brand new when we got it, and the generator was shot and the side had a huge gash when we were finished with it."

The Bled have a knack for pissing people off. Take the band's debut, 2003's Pass the Flask, which incensed NASCAR fans thanks to the track "Dale Earnhardt's Seatbelt." The song, with lyrics like, "We'll scrape the guardrail from our teeth and start again," was later renamed "You Know Who's Seatbelt."

"For a while, when we just had the promo samplers, we sent it out to some college radio stations who would play it in the South somewhere, and these redneck dudes started calling in, going, 'What the f--- is this sh--?' " Muñoz said. "Some people got stoked on it too, because they thought it was a tribute. But we didn't want to get in legal trouble, with the trademark on the name and whatever. But also, we would have had dudes with Confederate-flag tattoos on their foreheads trying to kill us."

The rest of the week's metal news:

According to Fear Factory frontman Burton C. Bell the Gigantour has been treating them just "OK." The techno-driven metal band's been performing around 6 p.m. each night, but Bell finds "85 percent of the people at these shows are Megadeth and Dream Theater fans, and maybe 15 percent Fear Factory fans." But the small contingent of Factory followers seems to be digging the group's new songs, which will be released in the form of Transgression on August 23 through Calvin Records. "On this record, we decided to actually get a producer who has some weight in this industry, Toby Wright (Metallica, Alice in Chains)," he explained. "We've never worked with a producer of that caliber, and this is the first time I've ever worked with a producer, at least this intently, with the vocal tracks. This record's sonically better than anything we've done in the past." Gigantour runs through September 11 in Portland, Oregon. ...

A host of underground icons will join forces for the Melvins tribute album, We Reach: The Music of the Melvins, which comes out August 23. The disc will include collaborations between High on Fire and Keelhaul, Isis and Agoraphobic Nosebleed and CKY and Gnarkill. Dillinger Escape Plan, Mastodon and Eyehategod have also contributed tracks. ... Iron Maiden will be inducted into Hollywood's RockWalk on August 19 at 7:30 p.m. August 20 marks the band's final Ozzfest date, after which they will play headlining spots on the Reading and Leeds Festivals in the U.K. on August 26 and 28. Two days later, Maiden will release the double live album Death on the Road, which was filmed at various stops on the band's 2003 tour. A triple DVD of the same tour will follow soon after. ...

Thrash titans Unearth embark on a U.S. club tour on September 16 in Erie, Pennsylvania; Nora and A Life Once Lost will open the first two dates of the 21-city trek, with Zao and Dillinger Escape Plan taking over support duties for the remainder of the run, which concludes October 8 in Rochester, New York. ... Finnish classical-metal band Stratovarius will launch their North American tour September 27 in Atlanta at the ProgPower USA festival. Additional dates with Into Eternity are scheduled through October 10 in Los Angeles. ...

Anthrax will release their double-disc anthology, Anthrology: No Hit Wonders (1985-1991) and their latest concert album, Alive 2, on September 20. Both are currently available for pre-order on the band's official Web site, www.anthrax.com. Anthrax will replace Dream Theater for the last five dates of Gigantour, beginning September 6 in Edmonton, Alberta, and ending September 11 in Portland, Oregon. ... A DVD of an early Samhain performance, "Samhain Live 1984 at the Stardust Ballroom," will be released on September 13. The disc was filmed on November 21, 1984, at the band's first Los Angeles show and includes "Macabre," "The Shift," "The Howl," "I Am Misery" and "Halloween II." Frontman Glenn Danzig played with Samhain between the breakup of the Misfits and the formation of his current band, Danzig. ...

The Fury of the Fall Tour, featuring Meshuggah, God Forbid, the Haunted and Mnemic, will kick off on October 4 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and run until at least October 31 in Santa Ana, California; more dates are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. ... British prog rockers Porcupine Tree's American tour launches September 23 in Tampa, Florida. The band will hit a total of 20 cities, including Boston, New York, Detroit and Los Angeles before wrapping things up on October 23 in Anaheim, California. Guitarist Robert Fripp will open on most of the tour's dates. ...

Norwegian party rockers Turbonegro will launch a tour in Baltimore on October 7. Dates are scheduled through October 21 in Seattle. The (International) Noise Conspiracy and Early Man will open all shows. Turbonegro will be on the road to support their latest album, Party Animals, out August 23. ... Beantown hardcore kings Diecast will be hitting the road with 3 Inches of Blood and If Hope Dies starting August 31 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Currently confirmed dates run through September 11 in Seattle, but more tour stops are expected to be added in the next few weeks. ...

Belgium gorecore band Aborted will launch their first U.S. tour on September 28 in Farmingdale, New York. The tour ends November 7 in New York. Suffocation, Cryptopsy and Despised Icon will play all dates, while Cattle Decapitation, With Passion, Vader and Decapitated will perform at select shows.

• Fear Factory
• Unearth

The Number 12 Looks Like You (file)
Photo: Brutal Records

New Jersey's maniacally intense, crushingly metallic chaos-core band the Number Twelve Looks Like You, fresh from a stint opening up for fellow Garden Staters the Dillinger Escape Plan, are poised to become one of short-haired metal's next big things. The Number Twelve are just the latest in a throng of hard-rock (My Chemical Romance) and metal (God Forbid) acts to spring forth from the tainted soil of America's armpit, though they're perhaps the most ferocious of the bunch.

But first they've got to get better organized. They also need a trailer to haul their equipment around.

"We have a show tomorrow, and we don't even know how we're getting there," singer Jase said. "I think we're just going to drive our cars. It makes it interesting. It's like a big action movie, a big reality show. Let's see what happens next."

How far did the boys have to drive to make it to that show? "Long Island ... um ... Setauket — I think it's a church. A big hall? I don't know," bassist Smoogs surmised. "We don't know where we're playing or what time. We wait usually until about two hours before the show, and then we look into it."

At least the Number Twelve are sure about the release of their Eyeball Records full-length debut, Nuclear.Sad.Nuclear, on June 21. The album will feature 12 tracks, including the songs "Devil's Dick Disaster," "Proud Parents Convention Held in the ER" and "An Exercise in Self-Portraiture: Go Shoot Yourself."

"We're very proud of it," Jase said. "I can't even explain how much blood, sweat and tears were put into this thing. On our first EP, we were all over the place. We didn't know what our sound was, but yet we played everything. This new one, everybody's saying it's a lot more consistent and that we found our sound."

"It's not going to be complete bedlam," Smoogs confided. "We definitely kept a lot of elements from our earlier stuff and put it in this, but we also added a lot of new elements, which I think gave it a more complete sound."

The Number Twelve are set to embark on a two-week East Coast trek after this weekend, and a nationwide tour with Ion Dissonance in late July that will keep them van-bound through August.

As long as they're able to get themselves a trailer, that is.

The rest of the week's metal news:

The initial 31 dates for Megadeth mastermind Dave Mustaine's Gigantour have been revealed. The festival trek, featuring Fear Factory, Dillinger Escape Plan, Nevermore, Life of Agony, Symphony X and others, will kick off July 21 in Fresno, California, and hit all of the nation's biggest cities before wrapping things up north of the border in Toronto on September 3. ... My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way and Glassjaw's Daryl Palumbo have contributed vocals to Gutter Phenomenon, the forthcoming disc from Every Time I Die. In other collaboration news, Hatebreed's Jamey Jasta, host of MTV2's "Headbangers Ball," will appear on a track from the forthcoming third offering from Ill Niño, One Nation Underground, due in August. ...

Sweden's Opeth, who recently joined Roadrunner Records' dysfunctional family of artists, have named their forthcoming album Ghost Reveries. A late summer release is planned. ... The Agony Scene's new album The Darkest Red is in stores now. The band will spend the next month on the road with Himsa, the Esoteric and Scars of Tomorrow. The album features the tracks "Procession" and "Scars of Your Disease," as well as the first single, "Prey." ... Oakland, California's Watch Them Die have wrapped up the recording of their new one, Bastard Son; expect an early fall release. ... God Forbid's IV: Constitution of Treason, produced by Eric Rachel (Atreyu, Dillinger Escape Plan) and Jason Suecof (Trivium), is due September 20. ...

Calling all fans of New York hardcore dudes Madball: your presence is requested at Kenny's Castaways in Manhattan on Saturday, where the band will be shooting a video for "HeavensHell," from their forthcoming Ferret debut, Legacy, due August 2. ... Finnish cello-metal group Apocalyptica will play 15 U.S. shows starting September 12 in Washington, D.C., and running through September 27 in Los Angeles. The group's self-titled fifth album, released March 8, features a guest appearance by Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo. Like its predecessor, 2003's Reflections, the classical-music disc is composed of all-original material, but the group is best known for playing covers of songs by Metallica. ...

New Jersey quintet Agents of Man will release their full-length debut, Count Your Blessings, on June 28. The band is composed of ex-members of hardcore bands Sworn Enemy, Cold as Life, Bulldoze, One 4 One and Train of Thought. ... Finland's (and Bam Margera's) favorite goth-metal group, H.I.M., are mixing a new album in New York and eyeing a September release. Dark Light, recorded in Los Angeles with producer Tim Palmer, is the follow-up to 2003's Love Metal, and will feature 10 tracks, including "Behind the Crimson Door," "Drunk on Shadows" and "Killing Loneliness." ... Doom-metal band Witchcraft will release their third disc, Firewood, on July 26. Tracks include "Chylde of Fire," "If Wishes Were Horses" and "Wooden Cross (I Can't Wake the Dead)." ...

Belgian grindcore band Aborted were dealt a minor setback when guitarist Bart Vergaert left the band because of personal and professional differences. While he has not yet been replaced, the group refused to abort its U.S. tour, which launches May 25 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and runs through June 4 in North Hollywood, California. Aborted will return to these shores in October to tour with Suffocation, Cryptopsy and Cephalic Carnage. Aborted's second album, The Archaic Abattoir, was released May 17. ... Melodic death-metal band Vehemence have hired ex-From a Second Story Window singer Sean Vandegrift to replace Nathan Gearhart, who left because of "family obligations." ... Germany's Disillusion have hired Ralf Willis to fill the band's long-vacant bass slot. Willis, who hails from Brooklyn, has moved to Leipzig, Germany, and is working on new material with the band.

• The Agony Scene
• Megadeth
• Fear Factory
• Dillinger Escape Plan

Static-X (file)
Photo: Paul Brown

The arrest in late February of former Static-X guitarist Tripp Eisen on charges of kidnapping, sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a minor — which stemmed from his alleged sexual involvement with two underage girls he'd met online — shocked Wayne Static, the heavy-metal band's frontman.

"We can't seem to put out an album without any drama," said Static, who is known for his tall wall of thick, jet-black hair. "I've talked to Tripp a couple of times. We haven't spoken about his case. Just like, 'How you doing?' We were as shocked as everyone else to hear about his arrest. There isn't really anything to talk about. If we thought he was up to no good, we wouldn't have kept time with him."

Eisen remains in police custody in California on $1 million bail and, according to Static, understood the band's collective decision to fire him. After all, Static-X have a new album, Start a War, ready for release on June 14, and there's a tour with American Head Charge and Bloodsimple they need to kick off in Las Vegas on June 8.

Static-X, now with Osaka, Japan, axeman Koichi Fukuda back in the fold, will shoot a video next week for the album's first single, "I'm the One." Paul Brown (Brides of Destruction, Marilyn Manson) will be behind the lens.

Start a War — which includes tracks like "My Damnation" and "Brainfog" — features fewer electronic elements and a greater emphasis on aggressive guitar riffage, according to Static. "All of our records seem to capture a certain period of time for us," he explained. "We had such a great time on tour that we wanted to continue that and have a lot of fun in the studio, and that comes through in the music. I wanted to strip things down on this record, so there's less loops and more straight-up drumming. It just has more of a live-band feel than our previous records."

The rest of this week's metal news:

While Scandinavian death metallers Dark Tranquility have been playing the heavy-metal game going on 17 years now, they've never amassed an Ozzfest-worthy following. Still, they've arguably become one of the genre's most resilient torchbearers. Their latest record, Character, is packed with solid, gloomy material. Frontman Mikael Stanne said, in surprisingly stellar English, that it "has been much more successful than any of our other albums," despite the fact that it's perhaps the band's least accessible work. For their latest video — for Character's infectious, ferocious opener, "The New Build" — Dark Tranquility brought director friend Roger Johansson (who shot the "Lost to Apathy" clip) on the road in Europe to film seven of the band's live gigs. "So the video's from that, the whole tour, and [features] lots of live footage, our antics backstage and us walking around in beautiful European cities," Stanne said. The band will wrap up its current U.S. tour on May 8 and then head to South America for a two-week road stint. Look for them back in the States in September. ...

As I Lay Dying, Killswitch Engage and Soilwork will be playing shows on Ozzfest off-dates this summer. A list of dates for these select gigs is expected within the week. ... Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar and Alabama Thunderpussy will embark on the Stone Breakers and Hellraisers Tour this summer, starting June 2 in Indianapolis. Dates are scheduled through June 14 in Wilmington, North Carolina. COC's first album in five years, In the Arms of God, was released April 12. Crowbar's most recent offering, Lifesblood for the Downtrodden, came out February 8, and Alabama Thunderpussy's Fulton Hill hit store shelves last year. ... The pride of Swedish metal, the progressive and melodic Opeth, have added keyboardist Per Wiberg as a full-time, permanent member of the band. Opeth, who've been toiling away on their next release, will — along with Lamb of God, Clutch and Poison the Well — co-headline the inaugural Sounds of the Underground Tour, which kicks off in Lowell, Massachusetts, on June 25. ...

New York hardcore/metal vets Madball are in a Massachusetts studio with producer Zeuss (Hatebreed, Throwdown) working on their first studio album in five years. Legacy will come out in September and will feature singer Freddy Cricien and bassist Hoya's return to the band, following their work with their other group, Hazen Street. Madball will tour this summer on Sounds of the Underground. ... Technologically driven metalheads Fear Factory's new album, Transgression, has been scheduled for an August 23 release. The disc will include "New Promise" (co-written with Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton), "540,000 Degrees Fahrenheit" and "Echo of My Scream," which will feature former Faith No More bassist Billy Gould. ...

Toronto's No Warning, the first band signed to Linkin Park's Machine Shop label, will release their third album, Suffer, Survive, on October 19. In November, the band will tour with the Used, and in December it will hit the road with Hatebreed. ... Ex-Crown guitarist Marko Tervonen has started a new group called Angel Blake with Transport League singer Tony Jelencovich. The band will enter the studio at the end of the month to work on a batch of tracks, including "Lycanthrope," "Self-Terminate" and "Thousand Storms." Tervonen says the new material is pretty different than the Crown, featuring "no blast beats" and revolving around "heavy, melancholic songs." ...

Full Blown Chaos have been added to Himsa's upcoming Dirty Black Summer Tour, which goes down in June with Scars of Tomorrow, the Agony Scene and the Esoteric. An announcement of dates and venues is forthcoming. ... Great White will return to the road Friday (May 6) in Rockford, Illinois, and will remain on tour through September 10, when they'll play in Fort Worth, Texas. All proceeds will benefit the Station Family Fund, which provides assistance to victims of the Rhode Island fire at the Station, which killed 100 people. ... Tampa Bay, Florida, melodic death-metal band the Absence have finished recording their debut full-length with Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal, Morbid Angel). ...

English grindcore legends Bolt Thrower are in final rehearsals for their eighth, as-yet-untitled studio album. Next week, the band will enter Sable Rose Studios for three months to record the disc, which is tentatively scheduled for November release. Bolt Thrower's last album was 2001's Honour Valour Pride. ... Metalcore band Bury Your Dead will record their May 10 concert at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, California, for an upcoming DualDisc live album and DVD. The as-yet-untitled album is scheduled for release July 12. ... New Jersey quintet Agents of Man will release their debut album, Count Your Blessings, on June 14. The disc was produced by Mike Barilie (Candiria, 40 Below Summer) at Purple Light Studios in Brooklyn.

• Static-X
• Dark Tranquility
• As I Lay Dying
• Fear Factory
• Great White

Slipknot's Corey Taylor performs in New York on Monday night
Photo: Amy V. Cooper

NEW YORK — Slipknot's lighting guy deserves a raise. His chaotic visual display so accurately complements the band's turbulent music that even with the sound turned off, Slipknot's punishing assault would come across loud and clear.

At Monday's stop of the Jägermeister Music Tour, which began March 30 in Orlando, Florida, whirring red emergency lights translated the dizzying guitar lines of Jim Root and Mick Thompson. Blinding white strobes pulsed in time with Joey Jordison's unrelenting bass drums. The sickly green hues that backlit the nine masked bandmembers manifested the music's creepy, menacing tones, while reality-distorting black lighting frequently bathed the stage, suggesting a horrific nightmare. (Click for photos from the show.)

Hundreds of maggots (read: Slipknot fans) packed the Roseland Ballroom to reacquaint themselves with a band that for two years has left a void in their heavy-loving hearts by working on side projects (Stone Sour, Murderdolls, To My Surprise) and a third full-length album, Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses), due May 25 (see "Slipknot Ready To Unveil New Masks, Subliminal LP").

The fans got a nostalgic blast from old songs like "Wait and Bleed" from 1999's self-titled LP, and "Disasterpiece" and "The Heretic Anthem" from 2001's Iowa. The four new songs Slipknot performed, including the single "Duality," marked the roads that pave the band's future.

The combination of the crowd's audible excitement and the band's sheer gut-rumbling volume made it difficult to pick up the new songs' subtleties — but simply the fact that there were subtleties offers some indication of the band's new material. As unbelievable as it seems, individual guitar lines distinctively pierced the songs' otherwise muddy surfaces, and melodies even provided backbone to otherwise unwieldy clashes of sound.

"The Blister Exists" could be the soundtrack to war. A marching beat in the bridge threatened with impending doom while Jordison's drums mimicked the sound of Uzi fire and programmer Craig Jones dropped rib-rattling bombs from his 808. In "Three Nil," the call-and-response interplay between singer Corey Taylor and percussionist Clown provided the backdrop for one shirtless fan to toe the ledge of Roseland's mezzanine-level VIP area and bang his head wildly for the few seconds before security evicted him.

Alongside "Duality," which surfaced at New York radio on Friday (and was already the most requested tune by Monday), the fans equally reveled in the new song "The Pulse of the Maggots," a ferocious show of gratitude many were already familiar with after hearing it stream on Slipknot's Web site. To show their appreciation for "their song," the entire floor transformed into a throbbing mass of bodies.

The enthusiasm of the band, which has retired its coveralls for matching black separates, was just as obvious. When he wasn't pounding on his three-piece kit (two kettledrums and an empty beer keg), Clown climbed atop the spidery, scrap-metal construction that housed it like he was about to launch himself into the pit. The two guitarists and bassist Paul Grey roamed freely about the stage, their pace increasing with the music's tempo. And when he wasn't manipulating his turntable decks, DJ Sid Wilson thrashed his head and raised his fist to rally the crowd.

Fear Factory drew from throughout their 14-year career for their set, playing "Martyr" from their debut, Soul of a New Machine, and "Slave Labor" off the forthcoming Archetype, due April 20. The double-bass-drum assault of Raymond Herrera provided a punishing backdrop for a set that sounded slightly muddled but painfully loud. Singer Burton C. Bell agonizingly emoted his lyrics, half the time doubled over in mock pain, as guitarist Christian Olde Wolbers spewed forth an endless barrage of riffs.

Openers Chimaira controlled of the crowd with both their blistering, short set and the specific instructions of frontman Mark Hunter. Showing how he earned the nickname Metal Moses, Hunter co-opted an old hardcore trick that involves parting the audience in half, then crashing them together upon his command to create a pile of bodies. When not choreographing the crowd, Hunter led his band in unified headbanging. The image of five long-haired guys swinging their locks like a Vegas showgirl's tassles, then stopping to rock their guitar necks back and forth, momentarily presented the image of a death-metal version of 'NSYNC.

The night's festivities, which also included local hardcore quintet Sworn Enemy, were hosted by the Jim Rose Circus' Lizard Man, who stuck power drills and condoms up his nose and served as a human dartboard between sets. The Jägermeister Music Tour continues through May 14.

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

• Slipknot
• Fear Factory
• Chimaira

Slipknot guitarist Mick Thompson (file)
Photo: Scott Gries/Image Direct

After months of silence and speculation, Slipknot fans will get the first taste of the band's new album in March when the nine-piece cacophony crew headlines its first tour in nearly two years.

Slipknot will top the bill for the fourth installment of the Jägermeister Music Tour, beginning March 30 in Orlando, Florida, according to a Roadrunner Records spokesperson. Fear Factory and Chimaira are also onboard for the five-week trek, which wraps up May 4 in Denver. Tickets for the tour go on sale February 13.

A variety of Jägermeister-sponsored bands will assume the fourth spot on the bill.

Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison, in the studio with producer Rick Rubin, described the follow-up to 2001's Iowa as darker and more melodic than its predecessor (see "Same Masks, New Sounds On Slipknot's Next Album"). Slipknot's third album, scheduled to drop May 25, still lacks a title.

Fear Factory will tour to support their fifth album, Archetype, due in April; while Chimaira, who replaced departed drummer Andols Herrick with Ricky Evensand last month, will be promoting their May-released The Impossibility of Reason.

Last fall's Jägermeister Music Tour featured Slayer and Hatebreed. Saliva and (Hed) Planet Earth headlined last spring's trek while Coal Chamber and Drowning Pool launched the inaugural tour.

Jägermeister Music Tour dates, according to Roadrunner Records:

• 3/30 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
• 3/31 - West Palm Beach, FL @ Sound Advice Amphitheatre
• 4/2 - Birmingham, AL @ Sloss Furnace
• 4/3 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
• 4/4 - Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
• 4/9 - Washington, DC @ Nation
• 4/12 - New York, NY @ Roseland
• 4/13 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
• 4/14 - Rochester, NY @ ESL Center
• 4/16 - Detroit, MI @ Harpo's
• 4/23 - Chicago, IL @ Congress Theatre
• 4/24 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave/Eagles Club
• 5/4 - Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium

• Slipknot
• Chimaira
• Fear Factory

One hundred signed copies of Jay-Z's The Black Album, which dropped Friday, are being auctioned off on eBay. In one of the copies will be tickets to Jay's November 25 benefit concert in New York. ...

Though Scott Weiland was due to have his arraignment on a DUI charge on Monday (November 17), the case was continued until December 3. The former Stone Temple Pilots frontman/current Velvet Revolver singer is completing his court-ordered stay at a residential rehab facility, and will not have to appear at the next court hearing, as his lawyer can enter a plea for him since it's a misdemeanor charge. Meanwhile, Weiland's former STP bandmates confirmed in an interview with Guitar One that the band is officially over. Lead guitarist Dean DeLeo told the magazine, "Along with the beauty of STP there was a dark trail that went right along with it ... There's not much I can look back on and say I really enjoyed, without wondering if the floor was going to drop from under us." The DeLeo brothers, having just produced Alien Ant Farm, are now focusing on producing the new band Monterey. ...

Ashanti will join country star Kenny Chesney, soul singer Joss Stone and operatic soprano Renée Fleming for "Christmas in Washington," a TNT television special scheduled to air December 14 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. President Bush and the first lady are expected to be among the guests for the holiday concert, now in its 22nd year. ... Stacie Orrico will perform her song "(There's Gotta Be) More to Life" at this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 27, which will also feature appearances by Clay Aiken, Aaron Carter, Hilary Duff and Ruben Studdard. Then on December 3, Orrico will continue to spread holiday cheer through New York by helping to light the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. ...

Archetype, Fear Factory's follow-up to 2001's Digimortal, will feature a cover of Nirvana's "School," off their 1989 album, Bleach, as a bonus track. Archetype is due in April. ... New York public-school students will get first crack at the final cinematic chapter in the "Lord of the Rings" saga. Contest winners from 17 participating schools who penned 200-word essays on the theme of the wizard Gandalf's quote, "All you have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to you," get to attend advance screenings of "The Return of the King" on December 1. Meanwhile, New Line is donating a grant to be divided amongst the participating schools, to be applied to the purchase of new books for the schools' libraries. ...

It may not be the Blues Brothers, but Dan Aykroyd is working on a blues album. The "Saturday Night Live" vet showed up at New York's La Rambla to pay his respects — and talk up his new musical venture — at the "SNL" afterparty on Saturday. He was joined by the likes of show host Alec Baldwin, conservative pundit Ann Coulter, Coulter's political nemesis Al Franken, and current "SNL" players Tina Fey and Will Forte. ... Joseph "Amp" Fiddler, keyboardist in '70s funk-rock outfit Funkadelic, is in the final stages of recording a new solo album, to be released in January. Waltz of the Ghetto Fly features songs written with Raphael Saddiq, Jay Dee and former bandmate George Clinton. ...

Two major manufacturing sites for CD bootlegs were busted last week after a year-and-a-half-long investigation by the RIAA and the New York Police Department. Nearly 56,100 counterfeit CDs were taken from one location in midtown Manhattan and one in the Bronx, where 34 CD-R burners and 20 DVD burners were also discovered. ... SoundScan isn't just for record stores anymore — the sales tracking system, which added iTunes and other digital-download services this summer, has expanded to include Napster, BuyMusic, Musicmatch and Musicnow. Last week, SoundScan reported more than 1 million tracks downloaded for the first time since it began tracking downloads in June. The main authority for retail music-sales information, SoundScan's data provides the basis of the weekly Billboard music charts. …

11.14.03

Britney Spears is often accused of lip-synching, but for her performance at this weekend's American Music Awards, she's planning to prove everyone wrong — by singing live. "I think the reason why people say that [I lip-synch] is because I am dancing a lot," the singer said in a phone press conference on Wednesday. "Janet [Jackson], when she does her shows, she dances a lot. And you know, there's parts where the background vocals and the chorus has definitely come up, but that doesn't mean I'm not singing." The American Music Awards air live from Los Angeles on ABC Sunday at 8 p.m. ET ...

Maureen Marder, the former welder/dancer whose life was the inspiration for "Flashdance," is suing Jennifer Lopez for copyright infringement over her "I'm Glad" video, which pays homage to the 1983 movie. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, alleges Lopez needed Marder's permission to make the video because she refused to grant sequel rights or to permit any further use of her story after "Flashdance" was released. ... Clive Davis threw a party in honor of Alicia Keys Thursday night at New York's Industria to kick off the festivities in promotion of her upcoming self-titled album. Pink and Tommy Lee were among the celebs who showed up. ...

Courtney Love did not appear in a Los Angeles court on Friday (November 14) but entered a plea of not guilty via her attorney in her misdemeanor drug case. Whereas Wednesday's arraignment was for possession during her overdose on October 2, Friday's arraignment was for being under the influence of opiates and/or cocaine during her arrest earlier that night. Love is due back in court December 12. ...

On November 23 soccer fans can get their kicks watching Michelle Branch performing live during the halftime ceremonies of the 2003 Major League Soccer Cup. The singer/songwriter's performance in Carson, California, will be broadcast on ABC. ... The Donnas confirmed that they will not be appearing on Australia's Big Day Out festival in January, due to the wrist injury suffered by Torry Castellano (Donna C.). On the bright side, the drummer is recovering nicely after surgery and will hopefully soon join her bandmates in rehearsals as they begin work on the follow-up to last year's major-label debut, Spend the Night. ...

Ozzy Osbourne has rescheduled three of the European tour dates that were postponed last month due to his treatment for the body tremors that have plagued him for years. The heavy metal godfather will perform in London on February 22 and two shows in Birmingham on February 24 and 26. ... Believe it or not, British Prime Minister Tony Blair is a fan of over-the-top glam-metallers the Darkness. Besides the big-haired, spandex-sporting rockers, Blair also favors U2 and Foo Fighters. ... Indiana University students taking Professor Glenn Gass' rock music history class got a surprise when John Mellencamp showed up as a guest lecturer Tuesday. The rocker offered inspiration and his views on topics ranging from politics to MTV. ...

• Jay-Z
• Stone Temple Pilots
• Ashanti
• Stacie Orrico
• Fear Factory