The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus' <I>Don't You Fake It</I>
Photo: Virgin Records

Hold on to your allowance this week, kids: This latest batch of new releases has your parents' names written all over it (really — look in the liner notes). Billy Ray Cyrus, Bruce Cockburn, Steve Miller and a cavalry of other aging men you couldn't care less about are lumbering into the racks, and if that's not enough, they're joined by a couple of younger acts pining after the same demographic: Los Lonely Boys and Rodney Atkins.

But if you're feeling adventurous or your tastes skew indie, you're in for some treats too. Here's a host of newcomers you oughta know about:

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus: If you've heard their name, you probably haven't forgotten it. And if you haven't, you probably haven't been watching mtvU, catching Jared Leto's 30 Seconds to Mars on tour or monitoring our You Hear It First reports (shame on you). RJA look to make an indelible imprint with Don't You Fake It, which has their buzz cut, "Face Down," plus "Misery Loves Its Company," "Cat and Mouse" and "Seventeen Ain't So Sweet."

The Bronx: The punks have splattered many a Los Angeles club with their blood, sweat and beers, and now it's time for them to finally unveil their three-years-in-the-making major-label debut. Have no fear, fans — even though this record is also self-titled, it's not the same batch of tracks they put out in 2003. This Michael Beinhorn-produced set has "Transsexual Blackout (The Movement)," "White Guilt" and "History's Stranglers" and is also available as a digipak.

Feist: She birthed her debut, Let It Die, two years ago, but the Broken Social Scene singer is hoping to up the interest with a compendium of remixes and leftovers from the LP. The complementary Open Season features "Simple Story," with legendary singer and Serge Gainsbourg ex-wife Jane Birkin; "One Evening," featuring a piano solo by frequent collaborator Chilly Gonzales; and remixes by the Postal Service, Apostles of Hustle, K-os and more.

MSTRKRFT: Take one of the guys from Death From Above 1979, add DFA's producer and you've got — well, something pretty incomprehensible. The duo have already twiddled knobs for Bloc Party and Wolfmother, and by giving us The Looks, they've provided a handy guide on how to get indie rockers on the club floor. Don't miss "Neon Knights," "Bodywork" and "She's Good for Business."

French Kicks: The Freedom Sneakers have been skulking around Brooklyn, New York, since 1998, but with longtime label StarTime getting a boost from affiliate Vagrant, the refreshed group hopes to boost its album sales by at least Two Thousand. The band recently lost a founding member, the unfortunately named Matt Stinchcomb, but the Kicks have taken on guitarist/keyboardist/percussionist Kush El Amin to fill his seat. Take a stroll with "Basement: D.C." or "England Just Will Not Let You Recover."

More Than You Bargained For: Metalcore fans have been digging Orange County, California's Eighteen Visions for 10 years, but this time around, they have even more to rip into. The band's Machine (Lamb of God, White Zombie)-produced, self-titled LP endowed preorders with five trading cards, a sticker and a poster. In case you missed those goodies, you can still enjoy "Your Nightmare," "The Sweetest Memory" and "Last Night" all the same.

Fans of graphic-novel writer Neil Gaiman are also getting more bang for their buck with Where's Neil When You Need Him?, an unusual collection of songs inspired by Gaiman's stories and characters. Tori Amos, Tapping the Vein, Rasputina, Future Bible Heroes and others chalk up songs about Stardust, Coraline and more, while Gaiman writes the liner notes — alas, he doesn't sing or perform — and "Sandman" artist Dave McKean creates the artwork.

This week there's also more Particle than you could ask for. The L.A. jam band captures its recent reconfiguration with Transformations Live for the People, a two-CD set that immortalizes its February 28 gig at the Music Box at the Fonda in Hollywood. It was at that show that Particle introduced their new five-member roster, a milestone event for which they were joined by Blackalicious, DJ Logic and Joe Satriani. A DVD version of the show, which has three more performances but does not contain either CD, is also due.

Alien Ant Farm are taking a similar approach by putting out their new album, Up in the Attic, in conjunction with a fresh DVD, "Busted." The audio disc features "San Sebastian," "Consti2tion" and "Sleepwalker," while the DVD has 10 videos, a live set from Germany and a "60-minute nude and crude documentary." And if that's not enough, Circuit City's offering a free AAF tee with purchase of the new CD.

Last but not least, Counting Crows and Goo Goo Dolls tour partners the Working Title signed copies of their new release for fans who preordered the disc through Tower. About-Face was produced by Brad Wood (Placebo, Pete Yorn) and the Crows' own David Bryson.

Song Title of the Week:

"Senor Hombre de Tamale" from the Bronx's The Bronx.

Other Notables:

Golden Smog's Another Fine Day: Since 1992, this ensemble's provided an outlet for members of Wilco, the Replacements and Soul Asylum to decompress and mess around. Now they deliver their fourth disc and first for Lost Highway, Another Fine Day, which finds Jeff Tweedy joining forces with the Jayhawks' Gary Louris for a cover of the Kinks' "Strangers" and much more.

Helmet's Monochrome: After bouncing back with 2004's Size Matters on Interscope, the band is already getting another makeover with a new label, Warcon, and two new members, drummer Mike Jost and bassist Jeremy Chatelain. That's not to mention Helmet's unlikely stint on the Warped Tour, where you can expect to hear new config barreling through "Monochrome," "Gone" and other new tracks.

Heather Duby's Heather Duby: The Northwest songstress takes her time with her LPs, issuing one about every three or four years, and for her third she hooked up with one of the region's most vaunted producers, Steve Fisk (Nirvana, Low). Duby has a newcomer in the mix as well: Minus the Bear drummer Erin Tate, who brushes up "Never Even Made a Voyage," "A Sort of Flat Curve" and "Places Shape Lives."

New Releases:

• Alien Ant Farm - Up in the Attic (New Door)
  Buy Now: Up in the Attic (New Door)
  
• Rodney Atkins - If You're Going Through Hell (Curb)
  
• Shane Bartell - Too Soon to Say (Sarathan)
  
• Black Stone Cherry - Black Stone Cherry (Roadrunner)
  
• Bone Crusher - Release the Beast (Body Head Entertainment)
  Buy Now: Release the Beast (Body Head Entertainment)
  
• The Bronx - The Bronx (digipak also available; White Drugs/ Island)
  Read: "The Bronx Strive For Imperfection On Major-Label Debut"
  
• Michael Brook - RockPaperScissors (High Wire)
  
• Cactus - V (Escapi)
  
• Eric Church - Sinners Like Me (Capitol Nashville)
  
• Bruce Cockburn - Life Short Call Now (Rounder)
  
• The Coma Recovery - Drown That Holy End in Wine (Underground)
  
• Albert Cummings - Working Man (Blind Pig)
  
• Billy Ray Cyrus - Wanna Be Your Joe (New Door/ Universal)
  
• Heather Duby - Heather Duby (Sonic Boom)
  
• Eighteen Visions - Eighteen Visions (Epic)
  Buy Now: Eighteen Visions (Epic)
  
• End of a Year - Sincerely (Revelation)
  
• Feist - Open Season (Cherrytree/ Interscope)
  
• Kristy Frank - Freedom (Ruffnation)
  
• French Kicks - Two Thousand (Startime/ Vagrant)
  Buy Now: Two Thousand (Startime/ Vagrant)
  
• Neil Gaiman - Where's Neil When You Need Him? (Dancing Ferret)
  
• Lisa Germano - In the Maybe World (Young God)
  
• Golden Smog - Another Fine Day (Lost Highway)
  Buy Now: Another Fine Day (Lost Highway)
  
• Nicholas Gunn - Beyond Grand Canyon (Gemini Sun)
  
• Helmet - Monochrome (Warcon)
  Buy Now: Monochrome (Warcon)
  
• Hidden Cameras - The Arms of His Ill (EP; Absolutely Kosher)
  
• Joe Jackson - Body and Soul (Fontana)
  
• Janid - Goddess (Dead Ninja)
  
• Jil Station - Still Love (enhanced; Platform Group)
  
• Kokane - Back 2 Tha Clap (SMC)
  Buy Now: Back 2 Tha Clap (SMC)
  
• Los Lonely Boys - Sacred (deluxe edition with DVD also available; Or/ Epic)
  Buy Now: Sacred (Or/ Epic)
  
• Minders - Bright Guilty World (Future Farmer)
  
• MSTRKRFT - The Looks (Last Gang)
  
• Naked Rhythm - Frequency (Caravan)
  
• One Dead Three Wounded - Moving Units (1x1)
  
• Ozric Tentacles - The Floor's Too Far Away (Magna Carta)
  
• Particle - Transformations Live for the People (two CDs; Shout! Factory)
  
• Bill Perry - Don't Know Nothing About Love (Blind Pig)
  
• John Pizzarelli - Dear Mr. Sinatra (Telarc)
  
• The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Don't You Fake It (Virgin)
  Read: "The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus: You Can Call Them Sellouts"
  Buy Now: Don't You Fake It (Virgin)
  
• Sinking Ships - Disconnecting (Revelation)
  
• Sissy - All Under (Global Underground)
  
• Jeremy Spencer - Precious Little (Blind Pig)
  
• Stream of Passion - Live in the Real World (two CDs; Inside Out)
  
• Chip Taylor - Unglorious Hallelujah (two enhanced CDs; Back Porch)
  
• The Working Title - About-Face (Universal)
  Buy Now: About-Face (Universal)
  
• Various artists - "John Tucker Must Die" soundtrack (Wind-Up)
  
• Various artists - "The Lady in the Water" soundtrack (Decca)
  
• Various artists - "Monster House" soundtrack (Varèse Sarabande)
  
• Various artists - "You, Me and Dupree" soundtrack (Varèse Sarabande)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• A Flock of Seagulls - We Are the '80s (Arista/Legacy)
  Buy Now: We Are the '80s (Arista/Legacy)
  
• Johnny Adams - The Greatest Johnny Adams R&B Album (Rounder)
  
• Mose Allison - Mose Allison Sings: Rudy Van Gelder Remasters (Prestige)
  
• Bangles - We Are the '80s (Columbia/Legacy)
  Buy Now: We Are the '80s (Columbia/Legacy)
  
• Bow Wow Wow - We Are the '80s (RCA/Legacy)
  Buy Now: We Are the '80s (RCA/Legacy)
  
• Crosby/ Nash - Highlights (Sanctuary)
  
• Richard "Groove" Holmes - Soul Message: Rudy Van Gelder Remasters (Prestige)
  
• Lakeside - Fantastic Voyage (Capitol)
  
• Yusef Lateef - Eastern Sounds: Rudy Van Gelder Remasters (Prestige)
  
• Loverboy - We Are the '80s (Columbia/Legacy)
  Buy Now: We Are the '80s (Columbia/Legacy)
  
• Midnight Star - No Parking on the Dance Floor (Capitol)
  
• Steve Miller Band - Fly Like an Eagle (with DVD; Capitol)
  
• Eddie Money - We Are the '80s (Columbia/Legacy)
  
• Thelonious Monk/ Sonny Rollins - Thelonious Monk/ Sonny Rollins: Rudy Van Gelder Remasters (Prestige)
  
• Mott the Hoople - An Introduction to Mott the Hoople (Fuel)
  
• Oliver Nelson - Screamin' the Blues: Rudy Van Gelder Remasters (Prestige)
  
• The Original Five Blind Boys of Mississippi - An Introduction to the Original Five Blind Boys of Mississippi (Fuel)
  
• Emitt Rhodes - The American Dream (Lilith)
  
• Scandal - We Are the '80s (Columbia/Legacy)
  
• Shalamar - Ultimate Collection (Capitol)
  
• Rick Springfield - We Are the '80s (RCA/Legacy)
  
• Third Eye Blind - A Collection (Rhino)
  Buy Now: A Collection (Rhino)
  
• Venom - Cast in Stone (Castle/ Ryko)
  
• XTC - Apple Box (four-CD box set; TVT)
  
• Various artists - Billboard #1s: Classic Country (Rhino)
  
• Various artists - Dave Hamilton's Detroit Funk - Rare and Unreleased Twisted Funk 1967-1973 (BGP)
  
• Various artists - Doo-Wop Forever, Volume 2 (Empire Musicwerks)
  
• Various artists - Funk N' R&B (three-CD box set; Thump)
  
• Various artists - Playboy Cocktail Mix (Playboy Jazz)
  
• Various artists - Soul Sistas (three-CD box set; Thump)

Music DVDs:

• Alien Ant Farm - "Busted - The Definitive DVD" (New Door)
  
• Anathema - "A Moment in Time" (limited edition comes with CD; Music Video Distributors)
  
• Jeannie Bryson - "Live at Warsaw Jazz Festival" (Music Video Distributors)
  
• Chic - "Live in Amsterdam" (Music Video Distributors)
  
• Del the Funky Homosapien - "The 11th Hour" (Hieroglyphics)
  
• Fatboy Slim - "The Greatest Hits - Why Make Videos" (Astralwerks)
  
• H20 - "One Life, One Chance" (Music Video Distributors)
  
• Neal McCoy - "Live!" (903 Music)
  
• Particle - "Transformations Live" (Shout! Factory)
  
• Stream of Passion - "Live in the Real World" (Inside Out)
  
• Various artists - "Best of Bang Your Head!!! Festival" (two DVDs; Locomotive)
  
• Various artists - "Hot in Here, Vol. 3" (DJ Vlad)
  
• Various artists - "Kung Fu Vs. Hip Hop" (Cleopatra)

Coming Attractions:

July 25:

• Flogging Molly - Whiskey on a Sunday (DualDisc; Side One Dummy)
  
• Jurassic 5 - Feedback (Interscope)
  Preorder: Feedback (Interscope)
  
• Pharrell Williams - In My Mind (Star Trak/ Interscope)
  Read: "Pharrell Williams: Fired Up"
  Preorder: In My Mind (Star Trak/ Interscope)

August 1:

• DMX - Year of the Dog, Again (Sony)
  Read: "DMX Signs With Columbia, Will Release Long-Delayed LP This Spring"
  Preorder: Year of the Dog Again (Sony)
  
• Stone Sour - Come What(ever) May (Roadrunner)
  Read: "Slipknot's Taylor Gearing Up For Stone Sour LP — And Tenacious D Tribute"
  Preorder: Come What(ever) May (Roadrunner)
  
• Various artists - Kidz Bop 10 (Razor & Tie)

August 8:

• Lupe Fiasco - Food and Liquor (Atlantic)
  Preorder: Food and Liquor (Atlantic)
  
• Rick Ross - Port of Miami (Def Jam)
  
• Slayer - Christ Illusion (Warner Bros.)
  Read: "New Slayer Album Might Be Their Fastest Yet"
  Preorder: Christ Illusion (Warner Bros.)

• The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
• The Bronx
• Feist
• Alien Ant Farm
• Eighteen Visions

Helmet's Page Hamilton
Photo: Warcon Records

Page Hamilton, the prolific guitarist behind the thunderous hardcore outfit Helmet, is just going to assume that most of the kids attending this summer's Warped Tour don't know who the hell he is — or that his band's back catalog influenced perhaps half of the bands on this year's bill. But that's fine by him.

For Hamilton, playing Warped — something Helmet have never done before, although they've been asked several times since the tour's inception a dozen years ago — is all about challenging the audience (see "Warped Tour Kicking Off A Day Early — Dates And Venues Revealed").

"We did the SnoCore tour last year, and you could see 15-year-old girls who were horrified," he said. "If Helmet goes over their heads, or is too frightening for them, I can't really worry about it. Would I like them to like it? Yes. Do I think they would benefit from it? Yes.

"Being challenged is a positive thing," he continued. "There's some meat on [Helmet's] bones, musically, and I don't expect that you're going to hear any odd time signatures in straight-ahead punk rock these days. I don't know many of the bands on the [Warped] bill."

Hamilton — who has been rehearsing in New York this week in preparation for his band's headlining stint on Warped, which kicks off June 15 in Columbia, Maryland, and features Motion City Soundtrack, Thursday, Rise Against and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts — is in his late 40s, and just couldn't care less about appeasing today's punk and hardcore fans.

"I hear so many bands that, to me, I can't distinguish between them," he said, talking about the current scene. "It's sort of like, 'Insert four guys with tattoos here.' And it's pseudo-hardcore or pseudo-punk rock or emo. It just seems like you get your 'Rock Star 101' manual and fill in the blanks. This music just doesn't interest me at this point in my life."

Perhaps this irreverent attitude played a role in the band's formal divorce from longtime label Interscope Records late last year; Helmet's forthcoming sixth album, Monochrome, the follow-up to 2004's Size Matters, will be released by Warcon Enterprises, the label co-owned by Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman and the founder and CEO of Concrete Marketing, Bob Chiappardi, on July 18.

"It's always that sort of nebulous ground of 'Do they not want you around anymore?' or 'Do you want out?' " Hamilton said. "[For major labels,] it's about hits," he said.

"I write and sing and play all the songs in Helmet, and there's no team of songwriters behind me. I mean, Beyoncé must have a thousand people involved in every album. It's just a different world. Sure, you feel the pressure occasionally of, 'You should think about your image,' or 'You should write a radio-friendly song.' That's not why I do it. Helmet will be what I'm known for, and at this point, it doesn't make sense to fit in with what's going on in order to have some sort of commercial success."

In addition to working on his own material with Helmet — which is now Hamilton, guitarist Chris Traynor, drummer Mike Jost and bassist Jeremy Chatelain — and his Warped plans for this summer, Hamilton continues to produce albums for other bands, despite the fact that he's "not a hitmaker." Last year, he produced Distort Yourself, the debut by former Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale's new band, Institute. On April 11, Orange County neo-punks Bullets and Octane released In the Mouth of the Young, another Hamilton production.

In recent months, Hamilton has also worked with Northern Californian hard rockers Totimoshi and Australian outfit the Exploders, and has been approached about producing New England metallers Shadows Falls' Atlantic Records debut. He has been brainstorming with Blestenation, a New York-based rap collective who he says "will freak people out," and has met with pianist Guyora Katz, as well.

"I won't guarantee you'll have a multi-platinum record, but I'll make it sound better," he said of his production work. "I have heard some albums I didn't get the gig for, and it's like, 'Wow, that is not what I envisioned that becoming at all.' "

One such record was Avenged Sevenfold's most recent album, City of Evil, which "I was very disappointed in," Hamilton said. "I wanted to do it because I heard this Iron Maiden thing they had going. Bullets and Octane are friends with them and told me they can play, but you wouldn't know it from the record. The approach they took was completely wrong.

"We all make mistakes," he concluded. "I have made plenty, although I am not embarrassed by anything we've done."

• Helmet

AFI
Photo: James Minchin

Prior to the release of 2003's Sing the Sorrow, an album that helped shoot AFI from relative obscurity into the musical mainstream, the Northern California hardcore quartet was largely considered an underground act. But with Decemberunderground, the band's seventh studio offering, AFI have proven they're anything but. Following a solid performance during last week's MTV Movie Awards, the androgynous rockers' latest album has helped elevate the band to unfamiliar heights, earning the first Billboard-topping debut of its 15-year career.

Decemberunderground sold more than 182,000 copies during its first week out, ousting the Dixie Chicks' Taking the Long Way from the album-sales throne it held for two weeks. According to SoundScan, the initial tally for AFI's latest nearly doubles the debut of the band's previous effort — Sing the Sorrow debuted at #5 with 96,000 scans more than three years ago. That album has gone on to sell 1.1 million copies.

"It's an amazing feeling to have something that you believe in so strongly, that is so much a part of you, touch so many people," frontman Davey Havok commented in a press release issued late Tuesday. "But it was truly our fans that did this. They have brought us this recognition and we are deeply honored. I am truly elated not just for us but for them as well. This is one for the team."

But the Dixie Chicks didn't go down without putting up a fight. Taking the Long Way slides one spot on the chart to #2, with sales coming in at close to 175,000. And while AFI put up the strongest debut, 25 other fresh releases crack the next Billboard top 200 — with four discs bowing in the top 10.

Opening at #3 is rapper Yung Joc's inaugural LP New Joc City, which put up first-week sales of more than 148,000, besting Ice Cube's latest, Laugh Now, Cry Later, by nearly 4,000 copies. Cube controls the #4 spot, followed at #5 by the soundtrack to the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical," with close to 87,000 scans. The Red Hot Chili Peppers' Stadium Arcadium is at #6 with 86,000 units sold.

The soundtrack to the box office-busting animated film "Cars," featuring tracks from Sheryl Crow, Rascal Flatts and Brad Paisley, debuts in the #7 slot with 68,000 in sales, followed at #8 by chart regulars Rascal Flatts' Me & My Gang with week-10 scans reported at just under 66,000. Rihanna's Girl Like Me climbs two spots to #9, moving more than 51,000 units, followed at #10 by the 21st installment in the Now That's What I Call Music! compilation series, which netted another 49,000 in retail sales.

The rest of the chart is spattered with newcomers, including Terror Squad's DJ Khaled and his Listennn. . .The Album, which claims #12 with 44,000 copies sold — just behind Gnarls Barkley's St. Elsewhere, which jumps three spots to #11 with nearly 48,000 scans. Gnarls Barkley's "Star Wars"-inspired performance at the MTV Movie Awards must have been persuasive, as sales of the disc received a 32 percent boost in the televised ceremony's wake.

The double-disc Warped Tour '06 compilation, featuring tracks by Underoath, NOFX, Helmet, Saves the Day and Motion City Soundtrack, among others, opens at #27, selling 30,000 copies during its first week in stores. Koast II Koast, the latest from the Kottonmouth Kings, follows at #39 with 21,000 scans, while Head Automatica's sophomore outing, Popaganda, debuts at #69 with close to 15,000 week-one sales. Zero 7's Garden lays claim to the #94 position after generating sales of around 11,000, while Cheap Trick's Rockford takes the #101 spot with close to 11,000 scans.

Elvis Costello is back in action with River in Reverse, which sits at #103 after more than 10,000 copies were snatched up during the album's first week in stores. Donavon Frankenreiter's Move by Yourself follows at #105 with 10,000 scans, just in front of Katie Melua's Piece By Piece, in at #108 with sales nearing 10,000.

SMACK: Streets Music Arts Culture & Knowledge — The Album, Volume 1, the first official release in the popular street DVD series, comes in at #120 with 8,000 units sold. The CD/DVD set boasts contributions from DMX, B.G., PNC and Juvenile, Redman, Eric Sermon and Keith Murray. The Bouncing Souls' The Gold Record opens at #141 with nearly 7,000 in sales. Paul Oakenfold's A Lively Mind ends the week with 6,000 scans, for a #145 debut, while (hed) pe's Back 2 Base claims the #154 slot with 6,000 sales.

Unsound, a compilation featuring From First to Last, Matchbook Romance, Converge and Bad Religion, takes the #172 spot with more than 5,000 scans, outselling Hopelessly Devoted to You, Vol. 6, a collection featuring tracks by Thrice and Avenged Sevenfold, by 23 copies (the latter finishes at #173). It's Alive, the latest from the Todd Rundgren-fronted New Cars, debuts at #193 with 5,000 copies sold.

Appearing on the "American Idol" finale two weeks ago really paid off for Live, whose latest album, Songs From Black Mountain, finally makes the chart five weeks after its initial release. With sales of 18,000 (a 570 percent increase), Live's album occupies the #52 spot.

• AFI
• Ice Cube
• Yung Joc
• DJ Khaled
• Dixie Chicks

Gavin Rossdale (file)
Photo: Getty Images/Frazer Harrison

Gavin Rossdale's been out of the rock-and-roll game going on four years now. The former frontman for British post-Nirvana modern-rockers Bush said his band's been in something of a holding pattern since guitarist Nigel Pulsford's revelation — not long after the release of 2001's Golden State — that his passport had been stamped for the last time, and he'd be touring no more.

So Rossdale decided that if he were to return to rock's front lines, he'd have to do so in drastic style. Forget about going the tender route of the softhearted solo troubadour — in the words of brusque celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, it was time to turn it up a notch.

"I didn't want to do a softer record than Bush, because I thought that would be maybe more expected," Rossdale said. "I thought what would be cooler would be to do something a little bit heavier, a little stronger. I wanted to make a more forceful record."

To that end, Rossdale recruited Helmet mastermind Page Hamilton to produce his first post-Bush project, and assembled a band called Institute, made up of a veritable who's who of hardcore: former Helmet/ Orange 9mm guitarist Chris Traynor; bassist Cache "Utah Slim" Tolman, formerly of Civ, Rival Schools and exploratory jazz metalloids Iceburn; and drummer Charlie Walker (Chamberlain, Split Lip).

"What I wanted to do with this record was make it very spacious and very muscular," Rossdale said. "Sometimes there's as much music in the space as there is in the sound. So a stripped-down kind of record was the intention. With Page producing it, I couldn't help but have that aesthetic being in my head — of that kind of hardcore genre, of the Helmet thing. It was right in there. This, for me, is such a natural process, creating these large rocks songs. It's kind of second nature."

Institute's tentatively self-titled album — slated for an early fall release with the first single, "Bulletproof Skin," expected at radio later this summer — is a departure from Rossdale's work with Bush. Producer Daniel Lanois even sings with Rossdale on several of the tracks.

Rossdale said the band will soon shoot a video with "XXX" director Rob Cohen, whom he met when he contributed a solo track, "Adrenaline," to that film's soundtrack a few years back. Also, "Bulletproof Skin" appears on the soundtrack to Cohen's forthcoming Jessica Biel flick, "Stealth," about a fighter jet piloted by a computer that develops a mind of its own, threatening all of human existence.

For Rossdale, much of the material on Institute's debut — songs like "Boombox," "Animals Attack" and perhaps even more specifically, "Ambulances" — revolves around the theme of self-preservation.

"This idea that people ... you're always trying to find hope, improvement, salvation of some kind. It's a large idea of how to survive. It's a common feeling of sometimes you can be low, and you find your way through with the power of going right into that, headfirst into those feelings, and then you come out. ... I never want to make depressing music, morose music. I like it to be hopeful and uplifting. But you can't do that the whole way. There has to be some sort of a ramp-up to that."

More than anything, Rossdale said, he's anxious to be back on the road again — something he's missed these last few years, which saw him dabbling in acting, appearing in "Constantine" and the forthcoming "The Game of Their Lives." "It's a real bad cliché, but I feel best when I'm onstage," he said.

Still, he can't help but worry about how the new band will be received.

"I'm really excited, but I'm a little bit nervous," he said. "I think those nerves come no matter what, because you're kind of putting your head right out the window for people to either throw eggs at or wave at and say nice things. So you don't really know how it's going to go. But that's another affirmation of being alive and doing something ... I had fun working on those films, but music is my love. So to get back to that, to get back on tour, it's really exciting for me."

• Gavin Rossdale
• Gwen Stefani
• Helmet
• Bush

Good Charlotte (file)
Photo: Jason Campbell

Good Charlotte fans, whether you're an optimist or a pessimist, they've got an album just for you. The band's new The Chronicles of Life and Death is available in two versions — "Life" and "Death." Both feature the same 10 songs, but each carries a different bonus track, so fans who want the best of both worlds will have to shell out the cash for two separate discs.

R.E.M. are releasing two versions of their 13th studio album, Around the Sun — a regular version and a special edition packaged in a box with a variety of posters. "Leaving New York" is the album's first single.

Fatboy Slim gets back in the game this week with Palookaville, his first studio album since 2000's Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars; the Barenaked Ladies get Barenaked for the Holidays, offering covers of holiday classics and an original composition, "Elf's Lament"; R&B crooner Raphael Saadiq drops Ray Ray on his own label, Pookie Entertainment; Cake release the Pressure Chief; De La Soul set The Grind Date; and hard rockers Helmet return from a seven-year absence with Size Matters.

Also out this week are albums by actors Minnie Driver (Everything I've Got in My Pocket) and William Shatner, who bravely titled his album Has Been. Musicians releasing albums include the Moldy Peaches' Kimya Dawson (Hidden Vagenda), the Explosion (Black Tape), Tom Waits (Real Gone), Everclear (Best of Everclear), Korn (Greatest Hits Vol. 1), Gene Simmons (Speaking in Tongues) and Blues Explosion (Damage).

Out Tuesday, October 5:

• C.C. Adcock - Lafayette Marquis (Yep Rock)
• Gabriela Anders - Last Tango in Rio (Narada)
• Anúana - Christmas Songs (Koch)
• DJ Baby Anne - Mixtress (Zone/System Recordings)
• Barenaked Ladies - Barenaked for the Holidays (Desperation/Warner Bros.)
• John Barrowman - Swings Cole Porter (First Night/Red Ink)
• John Bayless - Christmas Rhapsody (Koch)
• Jay Bennett - The Beloved Enemy (Undertow)
• Blues Explosion - Damage (Sanctuary)
• Bonk - Western Soul (Racing Junior)
• Cake - Pressure Chief (Columbia)
• Cantinero - Championship Boxing (Artemis)
• Cast Iron Filter - Falls of Rough (Wicked)
• Amy Correia - Lakeville (Nettwerk)
• Sean Costello - Sean Costello (Artemis)
• Kimya Dawson - Hidden Vagenda (K Records)
• Dennis DeYoung - The Music of Styx - Live With Symphony Orchestra (Rounder)
• DeVotchKa - How It Ends (Cicero)
• DJ Irene - Rockstar (Moist)
• De La Soul - The Grind Date (Sanctuary Urban)
• Deryl Dodd - Stronger Proof (DualTone)
• Dolorean - Violence in the Snowy Fields (Yep Roc)
• Dream Theater - Live at Budokan (Rhino)
• Minnie Driver - Everything I've Got in My Pocket (Rounder)
• Dry Kill Logic - The Dead and Dreaming (Psychodrama/Repossession)
• Katrina Elam - Katrina Elam (Universal South)
• Scotty Emerick - The Coast Is Clear (DreamWorks Nashville)
• Val Emmich - Slow Down Kid (Epic)
• Everclear - Best of Everclear (Capitol)
• The Explosion - Black Tape (Virgin)
• Fatboy Slim - Palookaville (Astralwerks)
  Read: "Infidelity, Smashed Face Force Fatboy Slim To Get Serious"
  Buy Now: Palookaville (Astralwerks)
• Fates Warning - FWX (Metal Blade)
• The Federation - The Federation (Virgin)
• Future Leaders of the World - LVL IV (Epic)
• Good Charlotte - The Chronicles of Life and Death (Epic)
  Read: "Good Charlotte Get Serious With The Chronicles Of Life And Death"
  Buy Now: The Chronicles of Life & Death (Epic)
• Helmet - Size Matters (Interscope)
• Hem - Eveningland (Rounder)
• Andrew Hill - Dance With Death (Blue Note)
• Robyn Hitchcock - Spooked (Yep Rock)
• Hope of the States - The Lost Riots (Epic)
• Hot Snakes - Audit in Progress (Swami)
• Impossebulls - Slave Education (Music Video Distributors)
• Liz Janes - Poison and Snakes (Asthmatic Kitty)
• Kaki King - Legs to Make Us Longer (Epic)
• Korn - Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (Sony)
  Read: "Korn Borrow Other People's Hits For Their Greatest-Hits LP"
  Buy Now: Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 (Sony)
• The Late B.P. Helium - Amok (Orange Twin)
• Julie Lee - Stillhouse Road (Compadre)
• Th' Legendary Shack Shakers - Believe (Yep Roc)
• Lil' Tweety - All Eyes on Me (Thump)
• Samara Lubelski - The Fleeting Skies (The Social Registry)
• mewithoutYou - Catch for Us the Foxes (Tooth & Nail)
• Mono - Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined (Temporary Residence)
• David Morales - 2 Worlds Collide (Definity)
• Mosquitos - Sunshine Barato (Bar/None)
• Vincent & Mr. Green - Vincent & Mr. Green (Ipecac)
• Nightwish - Once (Roadrunner)
• Joe Poovey - The Late Great Me (Koch)
• Michel Portal and Richard Galliano - Concerts (Dreyfus)
• Q and Not U - Power (Dischord)
• R.E.M. - Around the Sun (Warner Bros.)
  Buy Now: Around the Sun (Warner Bros.)
• Nelson Rangell - All I Hope for Christmas (Koch)
• Paul Reddick - Villanelle (NorthernBlues)
• Suzzy and Maggie Roche - Why the Long Face? (Red House)
• Brenda Russell - Between the Sun and the Moon (Narada)
• Raphael Saadiq - Ray Ray (Pookie)
• William Shatner - Has Been (Shout! Factory)
• Kenny Wayne Shepherd - The Place You're In (Reprise)
• Judi Silvano - Let Yourself Go (Zoho)
• Gene Simmons - Speaking in Tongues (Simmons/Sanctuary)
• Nikki Sudden - Treasure Island (Secretly Canadian)
• Supersuckers - Live at the Magic Bag (MidFi Field)
• Tobymac - Welcome to Diverse City (ForeFront)
• Dan Treanor and Frankie Lee - African Wind (NorthernBlues)
• Tweenies - The Christmas Album (Koch)
• Uncut - Those Who Were Hung Hang Here (Paper Bag)
• Utada - Exodus (Island)
• Tom Waits - Real Gone (Anti/Epitaph)
• Way Out West - Don't Look Now (Distinctive)
• Matt Wertz - Twenty Three Places (Windmill)
• Wiggles - Rockin' Santa (Koch)
• Holly Williams - The Ones We Never Knew (Universal South)
• Various artists - "Around the Bend" soundtrack (Rhino)
• Various artists - Blues Lounge (Putumayo)
• Various artists - Brown Eyed Handsome Man: Saint Louis Salutes the Father of Rock & Roll (Undertow)
• Various artists - Christmas Grass Too (Koch)
• Various artists - Japan for Sale, Vol. 4 (Tofu)
• Various artists - Mary Had a Little Amp: Music's Biggest Stars, Childhood's Greatest Songs (Epic)
• Various artists - Maybe This Christmas Tree (Nettwerk)
• Various artists - "Saw" soundtrack (Koch)
• Various artists - A Songwriter's Tribute to George Strait (Compadre)
• Various artists - Take Action! Volume 04 (Hopeless)
• Various artists - Under the Influence: A Jam Band Tribute to Lynryd Skynyrd (Sanctuary)
• DVD: Alice Donut - "London, There's a Curious Lump in My Sack" (Music Video Distributors)
• DVD: The Exploited - "Beat 'Em All" (Music Video Distributors)
• DVD: Samantha Fox - "All Around the World" (Music Video Distributors)
• DVD: Master P - "Decisions" (Koch Vision)
• DVD: Meat Loaf - "Live With the Melbourne Symphony" (Sanctuary)

October 12:

• Camper Van Beethoven - New Roman Times (Vanguard)
• Celine Dion - Miracle (Sony)
• Duran Duran - Astronaut (Sony)
• Chris Isaak - Chris Isaak Xmas (Warner Bros.)

October 19:

• Michael Jackson - The Ultimate Collection (Sony)
  Read: "Michael Jackson's Ultimate Box Set Has Demos, Hits, Live DVD"
• Jimmy Eat World - Futures (Interscope)
  Read: "Jimmy Eat World Say If You Don't Like Futures Right Away, Don't Bother"
• Le Tigre - This Island (Universal)
• Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill (Anti)
  Read: "Elliott Smith's Final Album Due In October"

October 26:

• Nick Cave - Abattoir Blues/ Lyre of Orpheus (Anti)
• Leonard Cohen - Dear Heather (Sony)
• Donnas - Gold Medal (Atlantic)
  Read: "The Donnas Take Charge With Gold Medal"
• Simple Plan - Still Not Getting Any (Lava)
  Read: "Simple Plan Less Simple On Second Album"

November 2:

• AFI - AFI (Nitro)
• A Perfect Circle - Emotive (Virgin)
• Duran Duran - The Singles 1986-1995 (Capitol)
• Various Artists - Now That's What I Call Music! 17 (Capitol)

• Good Charlotte
• R.E.M.
• Fatboy Slim
• De La Soul
• Helmet

Fantasia got a warm welcome when the American Idols Live Tour rolled into her home state of North Carolina on Saturday. Governor Mike Easley declared it Fantasia Barrino Day, saying the singer "has shown through her amazing talent and larger-than-life personality that goodness does really grow right here in North Carolina." ...

Maroon 5, Moby and the Dixie Chicks are among the acts donating children's songs to Mary Had a Little Amp, due October 5. Madonna, Jack Johnson, R.E.M., Dave Matthews and Lou Reed have also contributed to the compilation, which will benefit Project Kid Smart and Start Smart America. ... Helmet's Page Hamilton suffered a broken collarbone while mountain biking, forcing the band to revise its tour schedule. Helmet will now launch their first tour in seven years in early October. The release date of their album Size Matters has also been affected, moving from its original September 14 release date to October 5. ...

"Madden NFL 2005" is not only bigger and better than last year's edition of the football video game, it's more popular. The game moved more than 1.35 million copies in its first week, the biggest opening week in the game's 15-year history. ... John Lennon will be the focus of a new line of Nike shoes after his widow, Yoko Ono, gave the company her blessing. As part of the ad campaign for the new shoes, Nike is re-creating the cover of the Beatles's 1969 album, Abbey Road, on which Lennon wore white shoes. His signature will be featured on the heel of the sneakers, and lyrics from his song "Imagine" will be written on the toes. All profits from the line will be donated to charity. ...

The judge in Michael Jackson's child-molestation case decided Monday to allow more than three dozen items of evidence seized during searches at a private investigator's office and at Neverland to be admitted at trial. Judge Rodney Melville deferred a final decision whether to suppress other items until a September hearing. Melville also ruled that prosecutor Tom Sneddon did not violate a gag order when he spoke at a district attorneys conference. ...

Aretha Franklin, who has performances scheduled in Los Angeles and Las Vegas next month, has studio time booked with Mariah Carey and Gloria Estefan for her upcoming duets album. Clive Davis, who oversaw Santana's star-studded Supernatural, is producing. ... Mariah Carey's fashion and accessories line, "Automatic Princess" — which includes key chains, necklaces, rings, tiaras, and, of course, charm bracelets — was to launch in October, but is now available at select Claire's stores nationwide. The singer is planning a children's book series of the same name. ...

Viewers tuning in to A&E's new reality show "Dog the Bounty Hunter," premiering August 31, might hear a familiar voice performing the theme song. Ozzy Osbourne somehow found time between Ozzfest and his own TV series to pen the opening theme to the show about a real-life bounty hunter and his family. ... It's last call for Los Angeles hip-hop trio Tha Alkaholiks. The group announced that its next album, Firewater, will be its final effort together. The LP, the group's fifth, is scheduled to be released in early 2005. ...

Ex-Creed member and current Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti showed his sweet side when he donated $1,000 worth of rare guitar equipment to Eight Days Gone guitarist Steve Miceli. The Eight Days member, whose band will be opening for artists including Puddle of Mudd and Trapt on an upcoming national tour, was searching to no avail for rare guitar amplifier tubes which Tremonti happens to use, so Tremonti sent some over, no questions asked. ... Felix Da Housecat, who produced and co-wrote half of P. Diddy's upcoming dance album, recently mixed a compilation that will serve as the soundtrack to the video game "Playboy: The Mansion," due in November. Felix has also been busy remixing Marilyn Manson's "Personal Jesus" cover and Nikka Costa's new single, "I Don't Think We've Met" featuring Prince, as well as producing the new girl group Neon Fever. ...

The Deftones have announced a batch of tour dates for their upcoming U.S. trek. More shows will be announced soon, but according to their Web site, the tour is expected to run for five weeks, beginning on September 28 in Los Angeles. ... The Von Bondies and Auf Der Maur are teaming for a co-headlining tour across the Midwest and East Coast from September 17 through October 1. In November, the Von Bondies will return to the road with the Donnas. ...

The Legacy Edition of the Clash's London Calling, due September 21, will feature five never-before-heard songs among the 21 rehearsal sessions included on the second disc. The re-release of the seminal album also includes a remastered version of the 1979 release and a DVD called "The Last Testament - The Making of London Calling." ... It's not enough that Pete Doherty has been on a self-destructive path these last few months, now complete strangers are taking shots at him, too. The Libertines singer/guitarist claimed on his Web site that he was attacked in London while his band was touring the U.S. without him. According to his post, a guy with an Irish accent called him a "crackhead" and attacked him. When Doherty ran for it, he was hit by a car, giving his attacker another opportunity to pummel him. ...

8.20.2004

Hip-hop producer Just Blaze will serve as a special guest DJ for the Saturday stop of Usher's Truth Tour at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. He will spin before the show and after opening act Kanye West's set. Just Blaze has also served as Jay-Z's touring DJ. ...

As a preliminary hearing for the Michael Jackson case took center stage in Santa Maria, California, the pop star seemed to be more concerned about his representation not in court, but in VH1's movie "Man in the Mirror." Jackson released a statement Thursday saying that he was tired of being "vilified" and "humiliated" by the "many hurtful lies and references to me as 'Wacko Jacko' as well as the latest untruth about me fathering quadruplets." He asked for the "same kindness and respect" that he had shown others to be shown to him. In court, meanwhile, the stepfather of the singer's accuser testified that Jackson's associates had offered the family a house and college funds to make a videotape that would portray the singer in a more positive light. He testified that he asked for more than was offered. On Thursday, defense attorneys also played for the court a videotape of the Neverland raid, to demonstrate their claim that the search went outside the scope of the warrant. On Friday, the Neverland property manager testified that some areas searched were not specified in the warrant, but that he had initially cooperated when authorities said they were only searching areas to establish that the locations were secure and that no one was there. He said that he later objected, and was told the search warrant would be amended. ...

The release date for Chingy's Powerballin' has been pushed back from October to November 16. The first single, "Balla Baby," is due on the airwaves in early September, and the St. Louis rapper is shooting the video in Los Angeles next week with Jeremy Rall, the director behind Ludacris' "Roll Out." ... Rodney King told the show "Celebrity Justice" that he's got a hip-hop CD in the works, and hopes to collaborate with such stars as Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige. King — who became famous when his beating at the hands of the LAPD was caught on videotape, an act that led to the 1992 L.A. riots — now says his court-ordered drug-rehab counselor convinced him to pursue rap, and said that he has nothing but support from the police now. "I had one cop tell me, 'Hey, man, don't worry 'bout nothin'. I got your back, Rod, I got your back. No matter what,' " King said. ...

Former Queens of the Stone Age bassist Nick Oliveri seems to be fully recovered after having surgery to repair a hernia. After being released from a hospital on August 13, Oliveri wasn't laid up for long, resuming a European tour with his band Mondo Generator on Monday. ... Not one to wallow in disappointment in the wake of Lollapalooza's cancellation (which he was scheduled to headline), Morrissey has announced a solo North American tour. The trek begins September 29 in Washington, D.C.; dates have been announced through November 1 in El Paso, Texas. ...

Mudvayne have finished their new album, which took them seven months to write. The band's third studio album, which is still untitled and has no release date yet, was produced by Dave Fortman (Evanescence, Superjoint Ritual). "We've been extremely fortunate to work with some amazing producers," lead singer Chad Gray said in a statement. "Garth Richardson captured the band's raw energy on the first record, and David Bottrill gave our music a three-dimensional quality on the second record. For this record, we asked Dave Fortman to produce because we wanted someone who can bring both of these elements together into a sound that's brutal and beautiful." ...

To prove that 100 Million Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong, the boys from Jersey are releasing a five-disc box set called exactly that on November 16. Few details have been released, but fans can start getting psyched about three discs of previously unreleased songs, one disc of rarities and a DVD with behind-the-scenes footage. Fans can make their mark on this retrospective by e-mailing tellus@bonjovi.com with anecdotes and personal essays for a chance to have their words included in the set's booklet. ... The Grateful Dead are putting out a box set, featuring music spanning from 1973 to 1989. The 12-disc set, Beyond Description, will feature remastered and repackaged studio albums for Grateful Dead Records and Arista, dozens of previously unreleased outtakes, live tracks and alternate versions, giving fans a total of 15 hours of music and 161 songs. The set is due in stores October 26. ...

Canadian rock icons the Tragically Hip are making their way down from the Great White North to grace the stage at a venue near you. The band has announced 23 tour dates in support of its most recent release, In Between Evolution, beginning September 18 in Detroit and ending October 19 in Rochester, New York. ... Stingy fans of gravelly voiced singer Macy Gray who have held off purchasing her major-label releases can now rejoice. Three albums' worth of Gray's hits are compiled on The Very Best of Macy Gray, due September 7. Along with familiar favorites like her 1999 breakthrough single, "I Try," and her collaboration with Erykah Badu, "Sweet Baby," the LP features the new single "Love Is Gonna Get Ya" and several remixes. Gray returns to the U.S. tour circuit September 2 in San Diego. ...

• Fantasia
• Maroon 5
• Helmet
• Mariah Carey
• Tha Alkaholiks

Helmet circa 1998 (file)
Photo: Jay Blakesberg

For most of the last six years, Page Hamilton, the frontman of angular '90s alt-metal band Helmet, has watched from the sidelines while groups like Korn and Chevelle became nü-metal MVPs with plays largely borrowed from Helmet.

That in itself didn't upset Hamilton, who was busy touring with David Bowie behind his Hours album and playing as a session musician for film scores, including "S.W.A.T.," "The Good Thief," "In Dreams" and "Titus." In addition, Hamilton worked with ex-Nine Inch Nails drummer Charlie Clouser and produced songs for ex-Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale. But when he turned on the radio, from time to time Hamilton did learn something from the new metal breed: No matter how much hip-hop and pop continue to dominate the charts, there will always be a place for gut-busting rock.

In 2002, the Helmet manufacturer decided it was time once again to destroy, so he formed the electronic-embellished hard rockers Gandhi, but it soon became apparent that the group was a mere shadow of what Hamilton really wanted to do. So he called two former Helmet bandmates, but neither was interested. Bassist Henry Bogdan now lives in Hawaii and no longer likes it loud, and drummer John Stanier is busy in Tomahawk and Battles.

Determined not to give up, Hamilton recruited Chris Traynor (who played guitar on the last Helmet tour) to play bass, and started setting the stage for Helmet's long-awaited reanimation. Shortly after Christmas 2002, he met ex-White Zombie drummer John Tempesta, whose solid, steady groove melds well with Hamilton's churning, repetitive rhythms, and the trio began writing Size Matters. Traynor will switch to guitar, and Frank Bello (ex-Anthrax) will play bass on the band's upcoming tour.

In many ways, the new album continues the band's vital, visceral legacy. The songs are filled with jagged, down-tuned riffing, syncopated drumming and acerbic lyrics about people that piss Hamilton off and women that have done him wrong. However, instead of pummeling from start to finish, the tracks are balanced by previously unexplored vocal and cinematic textures he probably learned while working on movie scores.

Many of the songs feature layers of disparate, textured guitar passages that clash almost as often as they complement each other. Combined with Hamilton's new emphasis on vocal melody, Size Matters is the most musically developed Hemet record for sure, but it sometimes sacrifices primal power in the quest for sonic growth. The results occasionally sound similar to some of the groups Helmet once influenced. The pre-chorus on "Smart" could be A Perfect Circle, and the claustrophobic rhythm on "Drug Lord" is reminiscent of Chevelle.

Fortunately, these low points are balanced by teeth-gritting creativity. "Everybody Loves You" combines a granite-solid riff with melting, wobbling guitars redolent of My Bloody Valentine and features a break suffused with clanking percussion, throbbing bass and a feedback-laced solo. And "See You Dead" starts with a mesmerizing one-chord rhythm, then busts into a hook-filled chorus and some of Hamilton's most unsettling lyrics: "I could miss you more right now, or I could slit your throat/ Sometimes I get so down you're not around, I'd rather see you dead."

Instead of just resurrecting Helmet, Hamilton has taught the beast some new tricks that invigorate its music. Old-school fans might be bummed by the band's more tuneful direction, but there's still plenty of crash, crunch and wallop to keep open-minded listeners banging away.

• Helmet

Helmet's Page Hamilton
Photo: MTV News

Since his '90s heyday as an alt-rock icon, Page Hamilton has cruised with a variety of artists, including Limp Bizkit, trumpeter Ben Neill and electro-popper Laptop. But wherever he went, he never forgot his Helmet.

Now, more than four years after he pulled the plug on Helmet, Hamilton has plans to resurrect the band, though no one from the original lineup will be along for the ride. Joining Hamilton this time are ex-Orange 9mm guitarist Chris Traynor, who toured with Helmet in 1998, as well as bassist Blasko and drummer John Tempesta, both veterans of Rob Zombie's band.

Former Nine Inch Nails keyboardist Charlie Clouser will produce the group's record, and a tour is being planned. In the meantime, the retrospective Helmet Unsung: The Very Best of Helmet (1991-1997) is due September 23.

Hamilton and company are frequently credited as an influence on the jagged riffing and stop-start rhythms of nü-metal. Limp Bizkit, Disturbed and Chevelle are among the many bands who've acknowledged a debt to Helmet.

The hit "Unsung" helped make 1992's Meantime Helmet's best-selling album. It was followed up by 1994's Betty and 1997's Aftertaste.

• Page Hamilton
• Helmet
• Orange 9MM
• Rob Zombie

What up, fellow metallions? Iann Robinson here. Well, there's a lot going on in the metal world right now, including the announcement that a new Motörhead box set, called Stone Deaf Forever, is on the way. This thing is gonna be a killer, with classic stuff, rarities and 19 unreleased Motörhead songs, plus all the extra crap you get with a box set: booklet, poster, button and on and on. If you worship Motörhead, as I do, prepare for it on October 7.

Well, enjoy Metal File this week and I'll be back next week with some cool stuff on Drowning Pool.

Eternal Aussie rock horses AC/DC have started writing songs for their 14th record in England. The band plans to enter the studio sometime next year. The album will be their last for current label Elektra. Much of their back catalog was recently reissued by Epic, which will handle the band's next two studio albums once the Elektra deal expires. ...

System of a Down's Daron Malakian has signed Norwegian black metal trio Satyricon to his EatUrMusic imprint and has a finished album he hopes to release later this year. "They're one of the bands in the scene who are keeping the torch lit, and I respect what they do," Malakian said recently. "And the album I'm going to put out is really powerful. It's more accessible than the last Satyricon stuff. It's got a lot of just regular, traditional metal-type things going on." ...

Hatebreed, the band fronted by the new host of "Headbangers Ball," Jamey Jasta, will launch the Rise of Brutality 2 Tour with Cephalic Carnage, Madball and Terror on September 10 in State College, Pennsylvania. Shows run through October 6 in Springfield, Missouri. ... Fireball Ministry's new album, The Second Great Awakening, will hit stores on October 7 on Nuclear Blast Records. The band recently shot a video for the album's first single, "Flatline," in Los Angeles with director Dylan Carter. ...

Clutch will be forced to use a replacement guitarist for their upcoming U.S. tour because Tim Sult has injured his wrist. ... Helmet's Helmet Unsung: The Very Best of Helmet (1991-1997) is expected late next month from Interscope. ... New York hardcore veterans Subzero are back with a new album, Necropolis: City of the Damned, the follow-up to 1997's Happiness Without Peace. ...

Former Judas Priest frontman Tim "Ripper" Owens has officially joined Iced Earth as the band's new lead singer. ... Fantômas (featuring Mike Patton and Dave Lombardo) will release their new album, Delirium Cordia, on October 13. ...

San Francisco Bay Area noise metallists Neurosis and ethereal ex-Swans singer/keyboardist Jarboe will release the experimetal bone-rattler Neurosis & Jarboe on October 21. Tracks include "Within," "His Last Words," "Taker," "Receive" and "Erase." Neurosis also plan to hit the studio next month with producer Steve Albini to begin work on their next album. ... Killing Joke have returned to stores with a new self-titled album. The collection features Dave Grohl on drums. ...

Female-fronted Swedish death metal band Arch Enemy will tour North America with Hate Eternal, Evergrey and the Black Dahlia Murder starting August 25 in West Springfield, Virginia. Dates run through September 9. Meanwhile, the Black Dahlia Murder have released a statement calling rumors of their split "definitely not true," explaining: "Some changes are just being made." One change is the addition of Set Ablaze bassist Joe Boccuto. ...

King Diamond will kick off a tour on October 18 in Los Angeles to support the new album The Puppetmaster. ... Endorsers of evil Morbid Angel will release their eighth album, Heretic, on September 23. The disc, composed by guitarist Trey Azagthoth, features such tracks as "Cleansed in Pestilence (Blade of Elohim)," "Place of Many Deaths," "Curse the Flesh" and "Victorious March of Reign the Conqueror." ...

Triumph — not the Insult Comic Dog, the Canadian power trio — will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Us Festival with a CD and DVD called, surprisingly enough, "Live at the Us Festival," on September 23. Tracks include "Allied Forces," "A World of Fantasy," "Fight the Good Fight," "Lay It on the Line" and "Never Surrender." ... Viking-obsessed Norwegian metal band Einherjer will unleash Blot on September 15. The album was mixed by Børge Finstad (Mayhem, Borknagar). ...

Former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler and some of his '80s metal cronies have been playing the Los Angeles circuit with his new band, Adler's Appetite. The group, fronted by ex-Love/Hate singer Jizzy Pearl, performs songs from the Guns album Appetite for Destruction and the Lies EP. Also playing with Adler are ex-Ratt bassist Robbie Crane, ex-L.A. Guns and Slash's Snakepit guitarist Kerri Kelli, and ex-Faster Pussycat axeman Brent Muscat. ...

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

• AC/DC
• Motörhead
• Helmet
• System of a Down
• Fireball Ministry

Having just weathered a six-week long hockey ring tour with David Bowie, Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails decided to kick back a bit with a nice quiet club tour, with Helmet on board to add to the mellow vibe.

"It's way more fun to play clubs than it is to play big hockey arenas, which we've been doing," Reznor said. "By the end of the [last] tour we ended up being this big bloated arena band and it just wasn't that much fun."

While NIN were happy about the club tour, openers Helmet seemed a little crabbed out by the whole thing.

"We've been out for so f---ing long and we played like, two shows," Helmet's Page Hamilton groused. "We sat in Pensacola, Florida, for five days. Trent blew his voice out in New Orleans. We weren't informed 'til the next day when we were sitting in Pensacola."

"We forgot to call them until it was too late," Reznor said.

There was also the issue of the stage set-up ...

"You can't see anything onstage anyway because [NIN] have so much smoke," Hamilton said. "You don't know what's going on onstage. Every once in a while a light comes on and you see a guy running across in like, buttless chaps."

Whitney Houston was getting the word out about her upcoming flick "Waiting to Exhale."

"I had decided actually that I wasn't gonna do any music at all for this," Houston explained. "I didn't wanna do any music because I just wanted to do the acting."

Imagine the dismay of the film's director, Forest Whitaker, upon finding out Whitney Houston would not be singing on the "Waiting to Exhale" soundtrack. The last time Houston sang on a soundtrack album — "The Bodyguard" — it sold 32 million copies worldwide.

"Of course Forest goes, 'I just don't understand, Whitney, I just don't,' " Houston said. "So I said, 'Alright, maybe just one [song],' and then it became three."

While longtime Whitney collaborator Babyface wrote and produced the bulk of the album, for a brief moment Houston feared he had lost his juice.

"He's got these 'shoop, shoops'! I'm going, 'He's run out, the man has ran out of songs. Oh my god.' Then I heard the lyric, 'Everyone falls in love sometimes/ Sometimes it's wrong, sometimes it's right/ For every win, somebody must fail/ But there comes a point where you exhale.' That's poetry. We all wanna exhale sometimes."

Snoop Dogg, a man who liked to inhale, saw his protégés the Dogg Pound hit #1 on the Billboard albums chart this week in 1995 with their debut album, Dogg Food. They were helped in this feat, no doubt, by the pronouncement by anti-rap crusader C. Delores Tucker — before she ever heard the record — that Dogg Food was the dirtiest gangsta rap album yet. According to the Poundsters themselves and their label chief, Suge Knight, however, these guys weren't just cashing in on the waning gangsta phenomenon — they were simply coming into their own.

"I got a lot of respect for the Dogg Pound," Knight said, "because Kurupt and Daz said, 'Look, we know we could come in with y'all and get our stuff done, but we wanna show you we're not just here taking free money. We wanna work. So we want to produce it. We wanna write our own stuff. We wanna rap our own stuff.' They did just that."

"It ain't nothing like having your own hit album out," Kurupt said. " 'Cause me and Daz, we've been a part of everybody else's situation, everybody else's musical project, and now it's our turn."

For more "This Week In ...", check out the This Week In Archive.

• Nine Inch Nails
• Helmet
• Whitney Houston
• Snoop Dogg

Helmet live on the Snocore Tour in St. Louis, MO 02.14.2005

• Helmet