Dillinger Escape Plan's Ben Wienman, Greg Puciato and Liam Wilson
Photo: Relapse Records

Last month, when the Dillinger Escape Plan revealed that founding drummer Chris Pennie had left the highly technical mathcore outfit to join progressive rockers Coheed and Cambria, no one wanted to believe it. The surprise move baffled the band's allegiant fans almost as much as it confused the Dillinger dudes, who started to wonder if Pennie had been fostering some strange, secret obsession with unicorns and minotaurs.

"We found out about him playing with Coheed on the Internet," explained guitarist Ben Weinman. "[Frontman] Greg [Puciato] forwarded me a link to an announcement, and I'm like, 'What?!?' At that point, though, he was just going to record with them — it wasn't like he wasn't going to play with us, but we were questioning keeping him in the band every day because it was embarrassing. But obviously, we felt that his talent was so needed for the band that we tried to make it work, and we let him go through this little midlife crisis or whatever it was, because we never thought he'd join that band over this band. It doesn't make sense. They're not Linkin Park. If you're going to sell out, sell out, you know?

"It's unbelievable, and the funny thing is, before all of this started going down, he used to make fun of that band, left and right," Weinman continued. "He'd imitate [Coheed frontman Claudio Sanchez's] voice and would say, 'They f---ing suck' and all this sh--. It's funny, because everybody just looks at us like, 'Huh?' And we had the same reaction. The other day, we were hanging out with [(+44) kitman] Travis Barker, [and] the guy we have playing drums with us now [Stolen Babies' Gil Sharone] is good friends with him, and he's a big Dillinger fan, and he's like, 'What happened to your drummer?' We told him, 'He quit and joined Coheed,' and he just looked so confused."

But Weinman said there wasn't one specific reason behind Pennie's departure. It had nothing to do with internal strife or a difference of opinion within the band. It wasn't a matter of not liking the direction Dillinger's new material was going in. It just was.

According to Weinman, Pennie also came under fire from the band's label, Relapse Records, for working with other bands on their records without first clearing it with them — for instance, Pennie lent his talents to the forthcoming Idiot Pilot LP Wolves.

"We're contractually obligated to a record label, and when you are in a contract you can't just go playing with other bands without getting permission," he explained. "That's just how it is. You can't just go playing on people's records and not deal with the business side of it. Chris would do that all the time and didn't want to deal with the legal side of it and didn't understand why he had to. We were breaching our contract because of it. Really, at the end of the day, he ended up doing a session gig with Claudio for something he was working on for a soundtrack, and I guess [Coheed] were looking for a new drummer and they asked him to play. I guess they offered him a bunch of money."

Ultimately, though, Pennie didn't record a single note for Coheed's upcoming album, No World for Tomorrow. Instead, the band recruited Foo Fighter Taylor Hawkins for the task, leaving Pennie "a fill-in drummer for Taylor Hawkins. He's basically the f---ing live player for that dude."

Now that Dillinger have found a replacement for Pennie in Sharone, Weinman said the band can once again focus on finishing Ire Works, the much-anticipated follow-up to 2004's Miss Machine, which is being produced out in California by Steve Evetts (Sepultura, He Is Legend) and is being earmarked for an October release.

"When Chris hears our record, he's going to feel like a real a--hole," Weinman said, with confidence. "He blew it. This guy Gil we have playing on this, his drumming is unbelievable on this record. Some of the best drumming we've ever had on any of our records. And now, Gil is going to be known as the guy for this kind of thing. This would have been the record that set Chris up as a drumming dude — as a session guy, a clinic guy — and now, Gil's already got all these companies doing ads based on him playing on this record."

Dillinger Escape Plan will tour in support of Ire Works this fall. First, they'll head over to Europe for a run of gigs with Meshuggah, and the guitarist said the plan, for now, is to bring the same package over to the States this winter. As for how the record sounds? Weinman said fans can expect it to be "just as diverse as" Miss Machine.

"On this record, it's just sort of like a combination of almost everything we've done in the past, but on overdrive," he said of the album, which will include the tracks "Black Bubblegum," "Death's Head Moth" and "Saigon Whore." "Everything is just right. We figured it out. And everything is pretty emotional, too. Everything's really super angry, even when the music isn't all that aggressive. With these songs it's like, 'Oh, you're about to get complacent with where you're at with this song,' and then, all of a sudden, it hits you in the ass again and jerks you around. It's like being on a f---ed-up roller coaster."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Belgian grindcore quintet Leng Tch'e have hired drummer Tony Van den Eynde to replace founding member Sven de Caluwé, who quit in June because he was no longer enjoying the gig. "Many people heeded the call when the word was out that we needed a new skinsman and it was a tough decision to make in the end," the band said in a statement. "But we believe Tony has all the skills to take us to the next level. His power and technique will baffle you all." The new Leng Tch'e lineup will debut later this month with two performances in Holland. ... Cleveland thrash band Skeletonwitch have finished recording their debut album, Beyond the Permafrost, which is scheduled for release September 18. The disc was recorded in June with producer Corey Smoot (GWAR, Municipal Waste). Skeletonwitch will tour with Withered from July 13 in Nashville through July 28 in Savannah, Georgia. This fall, the band will hit the West Coast with Nachtmystium. ...

Hardcore metal musclemen Throwdown have posted two new songs, "Holy Roller" and "S.C.U.M.," on their MySpace page. Both tracks come from the band's upcoming album Venom & Tears, which is scheduled for release August 7. "We kinda went back to our roots as far as what got us into playing music, rather than sticking to what got us into hardcore," said vocalist Dave Peters in a statement. Throwdown are currently headlining the Ernie Ball Stage on the Warped Tour, and will remain there until the tour ends August 25 in Los Angeles. ...

New York metalcore bruisers It Dies Today will begin selling raffle tickets today to help fight leukemia. The tickets can be purchased at the band's merch table on the Warped Tour. Prizes include Fernandez guitars, Burton snowboarding gear, It Dies Today limited edition T-shirts and other merch. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and a specific child in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who is battling the disease. Frontman Jason Wood is from Grand Rapids and chose the charities because of a recent experience with the disease. "My best friend, Chad Harjar, passed away from leukemia last year, and it really affected me because of how close we were and how similar our life aspirations were. We were in bands together and we were really ready to go some place. I joined It Dies Today a few months after his death, and he was the person who I wanted to share the experience with the most." The It Dies Today raffle will continue through August 10 in Buffalo, New York. ...

Alter Bridge, the band featuring three former members of Creed, have signed to Universal Republic Records and will release their new album in the fall. And, they swear, it won't sound anything like their former band. "The material we've been working on is really aggressive and I think it's the best work we've ever done," said guitarist Mark Tremonti in a statement. "We're very excited about beginning this chapter in our lives and career." Alter Bridge's debut One Day Remains came out in 2004. ... Heaven and Hell have added several shows to their fall tour, which they claim will be their last dates together before the members part ways. The fall tour launches September 5 in Binghamton, New York, and runs through October 6 in Irvine, California. As previously mentioned, Queensrÿche and Alice Cooper will open. After the tour, singer Ronnie James Dio is expected to work on a new album with his band Dio, and guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler are expected to begin work with Ozzy Osbourne on a new Black Sabbath record. ...

To coincide with the Heaven and Hell Tour, on August 28 Queensrÿche will release Sign of the Times: The Best of Queensrÿche. The package will be available in single and double disc sets. Both feature 17 career-spanning tracks and the 2-CD set features 15 rare and previously unreleased recordings including the newly written "Justified," recorded with original guitarist Chris DeGarmo, who left the band in 1997. ... 36 Crazyfists have signed with Ferret Music and plan to release a new album in 2008. ... Montalvo, California's The F---ing Wrath have completed their debut album, Season of Evil, which is scheduled for release in August. An extensive tour will follow. ...

Members of Exodus, Death Angel and Forbidden are planning to attend the July 14 premiere of the film "Get Thrashed: The Story of Thrash Metal" in San Francisco. "I am totally stoked," said Exodus guitarist Gary Holt. "After all, San Francisco was the birthplace of this monster called thrash metal, and it is only fitting that it receives a proper showing right where it all started. After seeing the movie, all I could say was it's about time; and it couldn't have been done any better." ... Slipknot guitarist Mick Thompson plays a guest solo on the tenth album by Malevolent Creation, Doomsday X, which comes out July 17. A video of the studio recording sessions can be seen at SlickDrummer.com, where the new record can be streamed in its entirety.

• Dillinger Escape Plan
• Throwdown
• It Dies Today
• Coheed and Cambria
• Alter Bridge

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Song Title of the Week:

"Gutrot Hogfrenzy" from Regurgitate's Sickening Bliss

Other Notables:

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

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

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

New Releases:

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

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

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

Music DVDs:

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

Coming Attractions:

October 24:

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

October 31:

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

November 7:

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

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

It Dies Today
Photo: Jeremy Saffer

It Dies Today frontman Nick Brooks didn't mean to write a concept album — but his band's forthcoming album, Sirens, ended up being just that. The LP's title, he said, was inspired by the trio of Greek mythological creatures that were often portrayed as having the heads of women and the bodies of birds.

"The Sirens would call mariners to their death by singing songs," Brooks explained. "[The record is] all about temptation and how it affected everybody in our lives — between substance abuse, infidelity and stuff like that. And that's pretty much what every song on the record is about."

Some of the material, Brooks said, was inspired by his own struggles.

"My drinking was a problem," he said. "At one point, I lost my voice really bad because of it. I basically f---ed over my band because of all the crap I was into. I had just started drinking [at age 22] and it became quite a problem."

Brooks, who had been straightedge for the majority of his adult life, began drinking during 2005's Ozzfest. "I was drinking big time, because it's like, what am I supposed to do for 12 hours a day? After we play, I'm gonna get drunk and go watch [Iron] Maiden." At one point, during the recording of Sirens (due Tuesday), Brooks said he made "a huge ass" of himself during a party at producer GGGarth's house.

"There were all these actors there and the founder of [a large movie studio] there, and I got drunk, and I said a lot of very offensive things to certain people — a certain actor, the [studio boss] — and tried to fight his assistant," the singer said. But "it was a good night," he joked.

While Brooks says he's gotten his drinking under control, he did booze it up during the filming of the video for the first single from Sirens, "Sacred Heart [Sacre Coeur]." The clip was helmed by director Christoffer Salzgeber (Mudvayne, Soulfly) in downtown Los Angeles in the Poodle Parlor, a vintage warehouse that's served as the backdrop for several recent metal videos. The video, inspired by true events, involved loads of "hot girls," Brooks said. Oh, and alcohol.

"It's a very interesting video," he said. "[It's] a celebration of getting over a sh--ty relationship by parting with a bunch of hot girls. And we all went out and partied afterwards."

The Buffalo, New York, band began working on Sirens in December and wrote material for the effort over the course of six months. The album was originally intended for release last month, but the band's label, Trustkill, bumped it to next week so it could beef up promotion. And now "we're just honestly really excited to get it out because we're really stoked on it and couldn't be happier with what we've done.

"We wanted to write thrashier songs because there are only so many breakdowns you can just put in a song that don't need to be there," Brooks continued. "I think it's getting kind of redundant. As far as the more metal songs on the record go, we wanted to make them a lot thrashier and use a lot of melody too. There's something for everybody on this record. There are solos, thrash parts — I'm really happy with the way it came out. I think it's a different kind of heavy than our last record. I do think it's our smartest record and, with the amount of time and effort we put into it, if you aren't getting better with every record, you probably shouldn't be in a band."

Brooks said he's thrilled to be releasing an album like Sirens during what he feels is an "exciting time for metal."

"I am excited to be in a metal band now because, you look at Lamb of God and Avenged Sevenfold, and I mean, [Avenged are] on 'TRL' shredding solos," he said. "We kind of just do our own thing and hope for the best. We don't have any unrealistic goals of selling millions of records. It's just like, we love what we're doing, and if kids like what we're doing, that's fine."

It Dies Today will be on the road with Silverstein, Aiden, He Is Legend and Prom Queen through November 25 in Albany, New York. The tour rolls through Milwaukee Friday night (October 13).

The rest of the week's metal news:

While there's been no official confirmation from the band, erstwhile hardcore legends Earth Crisis have reunited — at least for one gig. The straightedge act has been added to the bill for the second annual Maryland Metal and Hardcore Festival in Baltimore on January 27. The event will also feature Sworn Enemy, Full Blown Chaos and Subzero, among others. Earth Crisis got back together in 2001 for Hellfest. ... It seems as though Life of Agony's hiatus is nearing its end. The band has booked three live gigs — LOA's first of 2006. On November 24, they'll play the Chance in Poughkeepsie, New York, and two days later, will take the stage inside the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey. The band will also play December 3 at the Crocodile Rock Cafe in Allentown, Pennsylvania. ... Cradle of Filth will launch a two-month U.S. tour in January to support their new album Thornography, which drops Tuesday. Exact dates will be announced soon. Finnish goth-metal band the 69 Eyes, who recently released the best-of collection Framed in Blood: The Very Blessed of the 69 Eyes, will open all shows. ... Cattle Decapitation have enlisted ex-Dying Fetus drummer Kevin Talley to pound the kit during the band's upcoming North American trek. Talley will be quite busy on the tour, pulling double duty with Cattle and openers Daath. Lair of the Minotaur and Goatwhore are also on the bill. The tour kicks off November 16 in El Paso, Texas, with dates booked through December 10 in Ogden City, Utah. ...

Austin, Texas, metallers At All Cost have made it through the writing phase for their forthcoming studio offering, which is slated for release in 2007. No additional information on the LP has been revealed, but in the meantime, fans can catch the Cost in its home state on October 14 (Houston), October 20 (Austin), October 21 and 22 (San Angelo) and October 23 (Corpus Christi). ... Seemless will replace Soil on In Flames' upcoming North American jaunt, also with Lacuna Coil, starting December 5 in Norfolk, Virginia. The run ends December 19 in Kansas City, Missouri. ... Diecast will hit the road with Sepultura, Sworn Enemy and Suicide Silence starting November 16 in Phoenix. Dates run through December 22 in Pomona, California. ... Swedish death-metal act Impious are nearly finished recording their forthcoming album, Holy Murder Masquerade. The effort will include "The Confession," "Bound to Bleed (For a Sacred Need)," "Death on Floor 44" and "Three of One." No release date has been set yet for the disc. ... Stoner metallers Fu Manchu will release Hung Out to Dry, a four-song EP, November 28. The effort will boast two tracks from the band's forthcoming 10th LP, as well as a cover of Van Halen's "D.O.A." Only 3,000 copies of the EP will be pressed. The band will take the stage for the first time in 10 months on November 16 in Costa Mesa, California, and plan to debut several fresh tunes during the gig. ...

And now for some news that begs the question "What the hell took so long?" Metalheads will soon get the chance to enhance their cellular phones with Manowar ringtones. The band is asking fans to submit a list of their 10 favorite Manowar tracks to frontrow@manowar.com, and the results will determine which ringtones will be offered, although there's no word yet on when they will be available for download. Manowar's new EP, The Sons of Odin, will be released October 24. The disc will feature the title track from the band's upcoming full-length, Gods of War, "The Sons of Odin," an orchestral version of the new song "Odin" and live performances of "The Ascension" and "King of Kings," recorded at Earthshaker Fest 2005. A bonus DVD will include 5.1 mixes of the songs plus a 30-minute Manowar fan-convention documentary and rehearsal footage. ... Ex-Snot and Soulfly guitarist Mikey Doling has founded GridIron Records, a new label with former Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Kyle Turley. "[Once] I was in New Orleans on the bus drinking beers and Kyle comes on the bus and says, 'Who's the guy from Snot?' " Doling said. "I raised my hand like a schoolboy, thinking he was gonna kick my ass for something, but he freaked because he was a huge Snot fan. From there on we've been really good friends." Also partnering in the label are former Snot manager Nic Adler and Max Harris. The first two offerings from the label will be the debut by Doling's new band Invitro and an album by psychedelic-rock group the Hairbrain Scheme. Both discs will come out in early 2007 and can be previewed at MySpace.com/GridIronRecords. The label is also in negotiations with Asesino, ex-Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares' new band, and Los Angeles thrash band Instinct of Aggression. ...

The Showdown, who will release Temptation Come My Way on February 20, have welcomed drummer A.J. Barrette into the fold. The death-metal squad will hit the road later this month with Pillar and Day of Fire. The trek kicks off October 26 in Minneapolis, with dates booked through December 17 in Wichita, Kansas. ... Swedish doom-rockers Witchcraft — not to be mistaken with Swedish thrash band Witchery — will support psychedelic-metal band Danava starting October 23 in Seattle. Dates run through November 16. Witchcraft's most recent album Firewood came out last year. This fall the band will re-release its 2004 self-titled offering. ... Australian band I Killed the Prom Queen's debut, Music for the Recently Deceased, will come out in North America on November 14, and U.S. audiences can see them open for It Dies Today, Aiden and Silverstein starting November 17 in Norfolk, Virginia. Dates run through November 25 in Albany, New York. The band may not have used a bullet for their valentine, but its style of melodic metalcore should strike a chord with anyone who considers Atreyu saviors of teen angst. ... Eighties metalheads and S&M aficionados might remember Bitch, the Betsy Bitch-fronted Los Angeles band that performed gritty songs like "Be My Slave," "Live for the Whip" and "Leatherbound" before fading into obscurity. Well, following a lengthy hiatus, Betsy returned Thursday with a whip-smarting set at the Roxy in West Hollywood, California. MTV News hasn't heard anything about a new album, but reissues can't be far off.

• It Dies Today
• Earth Crisis
• Cradle of Filth
• The 69 Eyes
• At All Cost

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