King Diamond
Photo: Metal Blade Records

In King Diamond's 1986 single, "Halloween," the Danish-metal prince shrieked about ancient rituals, torture and all things demonic: "Like in horror dreams, I want/ I command you to scream." A full 22 years later, Diamond — who released his latest album, Give Me Your Soul ... Please, in late June — is still doing plenty of screaming. Only lately, they've been screams of pain. And this Halloween he won't be stealing any souls — or even trick-or-treat candy. He'll be bedridden with a herniated disc.

"I can't sit down, even on my couch, for more than a few minutes," he said from his Texas home. "About a month ago I tried, and after 15 minutes, it started feeling like my left leg was getting set on fire."

Just six weeks ago, Diamond had to stand on one leg to brush his teeth and was unable to bend over enough to spit toothpaste into the sink. Now, as long as he eats standing up and walks for 90 minutes between four-hour intervals in bed, he can get through the day without any major attacks of pain.

Of course, that makes touring impossible, and in late June, Diamond postponed his entire European trek. While he hopes to heal in time for the U.S. tour, which is scheduled to launch March 23 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, and run through May 8 in Houston, he's not entirely sure he'll be able to play those shows either.

"It can take up to a year and a half for a severe herniated disc to heal properly, but it varies from person to person," he said. "So, we are crossing our fingers and praying that we won't have to cancel the U.S shows. Right now there's not much more we can do."

Diamond got a taste of what might happen if he hits the road too soon in September when director Bill Schacht from video company Aestheticom — which has also worked with Amon Amarth — shot a video for "Give Me Your Soul," the first King Diamond clip in 17 years. "They limited what I had to do, of course, so I only did one day of shooting for 90 minutes, but just standing there moving a little bit in the full outfit was very difficult," he said. "And afterwards, I got one of those sharp attacks of pain that I hadn't had in a month and a half. The only thing I can compare it to is a really super-bad toothache or earache. And afterwards, I was like, 'OK, I'm not ready [to tour] yet.' "

So, how did the pioneer of demonic metal injure his back, anyway — painting pentagrams in blood around the altar, strapping virgins into the torture rack in his basement? Nope, the 51-year-old rocker hurt himself working in his home studio on Give Me Your Soul ... Please.

"I think the real damage happened mixing the record, because I did that three weeks straight for a minimum of 12 hours a day," he said. "One of the last nights, when I was going to bed, I felt these pains in the sciatic nerves on each side, and I thought, 'Oh what is this?' The next morning I woke up and I couldn't walk or stand. It was like being paralyzed. I can't begin to say how painful it was. They say that's the worst pain you can experience as a human being. Had I not lived on the ground floor in a house, I would have jumped out the window."

If, as his detractors claim, Diamond is damned to spend an eternity in hell, at least he'll have an idea of what it might be like. "In the beginning, these attacks were 15 minutes at a time, of unbearable pain. The first month after I had the accident, my left leg looked like I got out of a concentration camp. It was all thin and I lost all the muscle tone because I couldn't put any weight on it."

After undergoing an MRI, doctors determined that Diamond's herniated disc wouldn't require an operation but that he would have to undergo intensive physical therapy and plenty of rest if he was to properly heal. "Doing the exercises, at first, I would try to wiggle my left leg back and forth a little, but there was so much pain it was absolutely impossible. But gradually, I got to the point where I could move the leg pretty well and now I'm walking around and both legs are the same size again."

In addition to religiously following doctors' order, Diamond is now eating healthy and avoiding all medication — even Tylenol. "I take no painkillers whatsoever," he said. "That's the best way to heal fast, I think, because if my spine is in a slightly wrong position lying down, I feel the pain and I readjust the position of how I'm lying and then it slowly dies away. That way I know I'm not lying in a wrong position. If I feel the pain it's a signal that, 'Hey, you're doing something wrong.' "

But while he's being a good patient and focusing on his recovery, Diamond is itching to be able to get back onstage and perform songs from his new album, which he considers his greatest accomplishment yet as a solo artist.

"It's very frustrating to be stuck here and not be able to do what I do best," he explained. "I'd rather get shot in the leg because then I know I'd heal in a couple months and I'd be ready. I would love nothing more than to be able to play the U.S. shows, but of course, it's much better to postpone the tour and heal properly than to go out and play some stupid hero with your own health and then find out it didn't work. You got one week into the tour, and now you sit in a wheelchair and [your] career's over. So, this is the only way to do it. And afterwards we have many, many more good years ahead of us. I just have to get better first."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Norwegian black-metallers Zyklon are going on hiatus. According to guitarist Tomas "Samoth" Thormodsæter Haugen, the band's future plans are "up in the air at the moment," as all of its members live in different cities. "We're not always an easy band to manage," he said in a statement. "[We all] have multiple commitments on different fronts, thus it's often hard for all the [logistical] and practical things to work. This situation has especially come more into focus in the last year or so, where it has become harder and harder to get the band together when needed, with the spirit and excitement that one expects from a band like this. Basically, I don't feel that we as a band have the fire needed to start working on a new album right now. Therefore Zyklon are taking a break." Samoth, who is also known for his work with Emperor, also revealed that there are plans for an Emperor DVD with "a lot of cool material to be reviewed, mixed and edited." No word yet on when the effort will hit stores. ...

Turbonegro are down a member after the departure of rhythm guitarist Rune Rebellion, according to reports. But Rune isn't leaving the Turbonegro family — he'll continue running the band's label, Scandinavian Leather Recordings, and plans to manage the band's tour business. ... All That Remains, Shadows Fall and Killswitch Engage are among the artists who have been nominated in the Outstanding Metal/Hardcore Band of the Year category at this year's Boston Music Awards. We'll find out who takes the honor home on December 1, when the awards invade the city's Orpheum Theatre. The Red Chord, Unearth, Isis and Converge are also in the running for the award. Meanwhile, the Shad and Killswitch have also been nominated in the Album of the Year (Major) and Act of the Year categories. ...

Things are not well in the land of Gorgoroth. Gaahl, frontman for the black-metal masters, and guitarist Infernus recently had an undisclosed argument over the band's future and, via MySpace, had announced their dissolution. But on Monday, the band's Web site insisted Infernus left the fold, leaving Gaahl and bassist King ov Hell to continue on as Gorgoroth. Not so fast — Infernus, a founding member of the band, plans to file suit against his former bandmates, for use of the Gorgoroth name. Gaahl issued a statement explaining the mess. "It's the disrespect he has shown our working partners — record labels, session musicians, promoters (by sending unserious demands in riders, etc.) and producers we have worked with over the years — which has lead to this decision," he wrote. "In addition, he has not been a creative force for the last eight years. He has shown no interest in the art defining Gorgoroth during that same period of time. He has not shown up for rehearsals and has broken agreements on several occasions. It's gotten to a point were King and I can't create a fire as long as someone is there pouring water over it." He said he intends to continue crafting sinister metal, with or without the Gorgoroth name. According to Infernus, he's been meeting with his legal team and said "there is now Gorgoroth, and another fraction with a Gorgoroth name on it." ...

Soon, we'll have another Arsis album to feast on. The band recently completed work on the effort, titled We Are the Nightmare, under the guidance of producer Zeuss (Agnostic Front, Hatebreed). The LP is slated for release early next year and boasts 10 tracks, including "Shattering the Spell," "Failing Winds of Hopeless Greed" and "A Feast for the Liar's Tongue." ... Filipino-American thrash-metallers Death Angel have titled their forthcoming LP Killing Season. The record is slated for release early next year and is being recorded at a Los Angeles studio with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Shadows Fall, Velvet Revolver). ... Belgium grindcore specialists Leng Tch'e are in search of a new bassist, with usual player Nicolas Malfeyt having shifted to second guitar. The band had been looking for a second guitarist. Those interested in auditioning should contact the band via its MySpace page. ... Ever wanted to name a band? Well, here's your chance. Fear Factory guitarist Christian Olde Wolbers and drummer Raymond Herrera have teamed up with Threat Signal frontman Jon Howard to start a new project, but they haven't been able to come up with a name for it. Ideas can be submitted to Wolbers via his MySpace page. ...

Drummer Jeramie Kling has left Floridian metallers the Absence after five years with the band. According to a statement from the group, Kling said he felt he had "experienced 'repetitive, blatant dishonesty' from bandmembers that 'ultimately was taking away from the band's success and priorities.' At this point, Jeramie no longer wishes to be associated with the Absence due to their 'pretentiousness and disregard' on a personal level and to the fans who put them where they are." The band will honor all of its prior touring commitments, as soon as it tracks down a fill-in. ... Obituary and Merauder will join forces for a handful of gigs in December. Look for the bands to roll through Clifton Park, New York (December 7); Brooklyn, New York (December 8); and Sayreville, New Jersey (December 9). ... Experimental hardcore outfit Some Girls have thrown in the towel. There's no word yet on why the band split up. ... Remember Dub War, those Brits who forged reggae with metal and somehow pulled it off? Well, while the band has been inactive since 1999, two Dub War releases will be coupled together and reissued as an exclusive double-CD pack on Tuesday. The set will include 1995's Pain and 1996's Wrong Side of Beautiful.

• King Diamond
• Zyklon
• Turbonegro
• All That Remains
• Shadows Fall

Diecast
Photo: Century Media

When a woman rips a guy's heart out of his chest, tosses it into a blender and presses "frappe," he either falls in love with his depression or does something practical with the pain — just ask any emo fan. So when Diecast singer Paul Stoddard sat back and witnessed the recent collapse of his own relationship, one that had lasted more than four years, he took his pain and channeled it into his lyrics. The result, he said, is the Boston metalcore band's fourth LP, Internal Revolution, which is set to drop Tuesday.

"Any time you can take any emotion — whether it's anger, sadness, even happiness — if you can take that emotion and squeeze it for all its lifeblood, you're going to get amazing songs," Stoddard explained. "Initially I was toying with the idea of maybe doing a theme record this time around. But when it came time to start writing these songs, I had so much stuff inside that I wanted to get out and write about, I just said, 'Forget it — I'm going with this.' "

Not that the inspiration behind his words will be blatantly obvious to the casual listener. But while Diecast's frontman uses some symbolism on the record, he didn't exploit it to make his point.

"I try not to hide things too much," he explained. "I think people can pretty much get the point of where I'm going with a lot of the songs. I don't want it to be too clear and come off cheesy: 'I loved her. She's gone. Boohoo.' I think you have to have some fun with it and be artistic with [music]. People will always identify with it in their own way."

Heartbreak aside, the road to Internal Revolution was riddled with numerous obstacles, Stoddard said. Within the last year, Diecast have lost — and replaced — two of their members, sidelining them for a spell from touring and recording the follow-up to 2004's Tearing Down Your Blue Skies. Drummer Jason Costa left in November, following a heated argument concerning Brendan Fraser's acting prowess, and in May, the band announced that bassist Jeremy Wooden, the band's only remaining original member, had split. Dennis Pavia and Brad Horion were later named as their respective replacements.

A scheduling conflict delayed the effort even further. The band had recruited producer Zeuss (Shadows Fall, Hatebreed) to helm Internal, but he had to pull out at the last minute. Instead, Diecast turned to Tearing Down's producer, Paul Trust.

"Jason was an absolutely incredible drummer," Stoddard said. "He was something Diecast had become known for, and so you tended to write songs that really showcased his abilities. And then you'd write good songs around that. But this time around, we started without a drummer, and we just wanted to write the best songs possible. We tried to eliminate all of the walls. We just wanted to make the best record we could, and get the best songs possible. We didn't want to set any boundaries, which is what the scene tends to do. If it makes sense, it will be there. If it doesn't make sense, we're going to replace it with something that does.

"I feel like my vocals have come a long way too," he continued. "We went the extra mile on this record, and I'm so excited about it. I'm ready to start writing and recording the next one, because we're in such a good zone and we're just connecting so well that I don't want to stop."

The album's theme comes through in several of Internal Revolution's tracks, but none more so than the first single, "Fade Away." Diecast recently shot a video for the tune in a vacant building in Brooklyn, New York, with director David Brodsky (God Forbid, the Red Chord).

"It has to deal with breakups, and everybody in the band was involved in different relationship scenarios," Stoddard explained. "I got to smash some windows and break through a wall like the Kool-Aid man. For my part, there's this woman on the other side of the glass, and I break through it to get to her. It's symbolic."

Diecast will spend much of next year on the road but have no concrete touring plans just yet. The band will play a semi-acoustic record-release gig at Newbury Comics in Nashua, New Hampshire, on Tuesday, and a headlining show in Bedford, New Hampshire, the following evening.

Really, what Stoddard wants is what most metal and hardcore bands want: an Ozzfest slot.

"I've been to every single Ozzfest, except for 2005's," he said. "For the last 10 years, I would go to that festival, and my dream has been to make it onto one of those stages. I'll feel like I've made it if that happens. We were up for it last year, but it didn't work out. But it would be great to do Ozzfest. That would be a dream come true, and we hope the stars align, and this time, it will be our turn."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Despite reports that they'd be touring this fall as one of the support acts on Avenged Sevenfold's upcoming North American tour, set to kick off in November, Killswitch Engage will not be on the bill. ... Technical death-metal stalwarts Suffocation shot a performance video last weekend for "Abomination Reborn," from their self-titled album, dropping Tuesday. The video was filmed in Brooklyn with director Frankie Nasso (Mudvayne, Hatebreed) and producers Dale Resteghini and Melissa Manousos of Raging Nations Films and will be sent to video outlets at the end of the month. ... An October 24 release date has been set for the soundtrack to the forthcoming film "Saw III." The disc will include tracks from several heavy hitters, including Slayer, Mastodon, Lamb of God, All That Remains, DragonForce, As I Lay Dying, Every Time I Die and more. ... Cartoonish metal legend King Diamond will play a role in an upcoming episode of Cartoon Network's "Deathklok Metalocalypse." Diamond recorded his part for the program on August 21, joining a short legacy that includes Metallica guitarists James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett, Arch Enemy guitarist Michael Amott and three members of Nevermore. ...

Several major metal bands have been nominated for this year's San Diego Music Awards, the winners of which will be announced September 18. As I Lay Dying are vying for the top award, Artist of the Year, and are up against Jason Mraz, Louis XIV, Pinback, Slightly Stoopid and Switchfoot. "I love awards like this because they're not political, and it's about the fans being there for us," As I Lay Dying singer Tim Lambesis said in a statement. In other categories, Cattle Decapitation, Divided by Zero, Mower, Underminded and Media Lab are up for Best Hard Rock, and ex-P.O.D. guitarist Marcos Curiel's new band the Accident Experiment are nominated for Best Hard Rock Album along with Goblin Co--, Divided by Zero, Mower, Earthless and Nihilist. ... Melodic death-metal band If Hope Dies have officially hired guitarist Naren Ananda, who started working with the band after the departure of Thad Jackson this spring. "We're all really excited to have him with us and are looking forward to getting back on the road very soon," the band said in a statement. The band will hit the road in October as part of the Radiotakeover Tour, which starts October 7 in Albany, New York. Dates are currently scheduled through November 11 in Akron, Ohio, with additional shows to be announced soon. ...

Full Blown Chaos, Remembering Never and War of Ages will head out together in late October for a U.S. run that'll conclude on November 7 in Oklahoma City. The trek launches October 20 in Cleveland. ... Bleed the Sky is down a guitarist. Kyle Moorman left the Orange County, California, metallers to "pursue other elements of the music business," according to frontman Noah Robinson. "He has plans to be involved in studio production and engineering and we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors. We are in the midst of looking for a new lead guitarist and are accepting open submissions." Those interested in trying out should e-mail the band at bleedtheskytryouts@yahoo.com. ... More dates have been added to the upcoming Gwar tour, which will include dates with the Red Chord and Municipal Waste. The tour now launches October 13 in Philadelphia, and dates are scheduled through December 1 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Gwar's latest album, the Devin Townsend-produced Beyond Hell, came out August 29. ... The first SoCal Deathfest has been set for October 14 in Riverside, California. Look for the bill to boast Cattle Decapitation, Condemend, Cryptic Gallbladder Splatter, Horseman of the Apocalypse and Super.Ninja.Robot.Fighter. ...

Want to ring in '07 with Clutch? You can on December 31 (duh!) at Rams Head Live in Baltimore; the Sword and William Elliott Whitmore are also on the bill. Clutch will begin recording the follow-up to 2005's Robot Hive/Exodus next month, with a tentative spring release in the works. ... Entombed, Dismember, Grave and the Absence will hit the road together for a U.S. run that kicks off in Hollywood on December 1. Gigs are booked through December 16 in San Marcos, California, with more to be announced in the coming weeks. ... Generations will be spanned when Facedownins--- release their cover of Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode," which they recorded with drummer Don Bolles, a member of the legendary '80s L.A. punk band the Germs. Facedowninsh-- tracked the tune on Wednesday in Los Angeles and have been playing it live on the Relapse Records Contamination Tour, which runs through September 28 in Baltimore and also features Unearthly Trance, Jucifer, F--- the Facts and Hex Machine. ... Looking for something sicker and heavier than black and death metal? Check out Skullflower, whose latest album, Tribulation, has just been released on Crucial Blast. The band's sonic architect, Matthew Bower, has been crushing skulls since 1992 with deafening washes of feedback, grinding sound effects, crashing percussion and harrowing howls. Test your mettle — if you dare.

• Diecast
• Killswitch Engage
• King Diamond
• GWAR
• Avenged Sevenfold

Dillinger Escape Plan
Photo: J Hubbard

New Jersey-bred maniacal metallers the Dillinger Escape Plan spent the end of last summer as part of Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine's inaugural Gigantour, sharing the bill with established, long-running bands that all sound, well, not as frenzied: Fear Factory, Nevermore, Life of Agony and Dream Theater, among others. While it was an experience the band's not so sure it would repeat, bassist Liam Wilson isn't harboring any regrets about the move.

"Our initial reaction [to the Gigantour invite] was, 'Well, that'd be a hoot — let's f---ing do it,' " he explained. "We're always looking for ironic ways to do what we do, and we knew that all the people on that tour and all the people watching that tour had never seen anything like what we bring to the table. We figured it could be awesome, and if not, we'll learn something and get our name out there in a weird way. It was a halfway decent way to spend the summer."

Really, hopping on the Gigantour train was sort of a last resort for the Dillinger dudes. "When we started planning our summer, somebody contacted us [and said], 'Do you guys wanna play with Lamb of God this summer?,' " Wilson recalled. "We were like, 'Not really.' A month and a half later, we realized that call was the Sounds of the Underground call, but it wasn't explicit. We had no idea it was going to be what it was."

Wilson's not sure what his band will be doing this summer. At the moment, he and the rest of the Escape Plan are writing material for the group's fourth studio LP, the follow-up to 2004's Miss Machine. The writing process has been stymied, as guitarist Ben Weinman's been sidelined for close to two months.

"He just had rotator cuff surgery, so he's just starting to be able to pick up his guitar and play it aggressively," Wilson said. Weinman has been enduring brutal physical rehabilitation and is constrained to a constant passive motion machine six hours a day. "He should have had [the operation] six months ago. It was an injury he sustained in a car accident. We're sort of the Dillinger Insurance Plan for the moment."

Wilson says the band could be back in tour mode by April, but there are no definite plans yet. For the time being, he says Dillinger will continue crafting fresh tracks for the forthcoming disc, which they hope to have out by the fall.

"I'd say there are three songs finished," he said. "It's kind of an intense writing process, and the stuff we have so far is pretty detailed. We're spending a lot more time on the individual parts, and it's building slowly. But once you've got the ball rolling, it takes off."

Wilson added that he hasn't heard about Dillinger being on this summer's Ozzfest, beyond some of the speculation that's been surfacing online in recent weeks.

"Would we do it? Maybe, but if we have to pay to be on it, chances are we won't," he said. "If we did do it, like anything else, it would be on our terms."

Two Dillinger DVDs are in the works: one featuring pre-Miss Machine material and videos and another filled with footage captured during the making and touring in support of Machine. He doesn't know when those two projects will materialize.

The rest of the week's metal news:

Sources close to the band have confirmed that Unearth will be rotating co-headliners on the second stage at this year's Ozzfest. ... New Jersey's E-Town Concrete are throwing in the towel after 11 years in the hardcore business. The band's final live gig is set for May 20 at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey. In a posting to the band's message board, frontman Anthony Martini wrote that the band "would rather go out with dignity than to quietly become irrelevant. Although this is difficult for all of us, sometimes the most admirable thing is knowing when to let go." ... King Diamond will start recording their next release in Dallas next month before heading to Gothenburg, Sweden, where they'll put the finishing touches on the effort. According to the band's Web site, the album could be finished this fall. No official release date has been unveiled. ... Deicide's forthcoming album, The Stench of Redemption, has been scheduled for a June 6 release. ... Demon Hunter, Zao, August Burns Red and Becoming the Archetype will hit the road together starting June 13 for a four-week jaunt that will make stops at the Cornerstone Fest in Bushnell, Illinois (set for July 5 through July 8), and at Michigan's Lifefest. ... Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider will undergo throat surgery on March 1, forcing the band to nix its previously scheduled appearance at this year's Atarfe Vega Rock Festival in Spain, set for March 10 and 11. Snider wrote in a band statement, "I have been told by my doctors that the recovery period will be about eight weeks." There's no word on what condition the operation will be correcting. ...

In Flames will be the in-studio guests on this weekend's "Headbangers Ball." ... Cretin's forthcoming debut LP, Freakery, will land in stores April 18 and feature 16 cuts, including "Daddy's Little Girl," "Cook the Cupcake" and "Making Roadkill." Repulsion guitarist Matt Olivo makes a guest appearance on the latter track. ... A Life Once Lost have announced that they'll be the headliners for an East Coast and Midwest trek launching sometime in April. Cephalic Carnage, Through the Eyes of the Dead and Scarlet will serve as the tour's support acts. ... Buffalo, New York's Herod will issue Rich Man's War, Poor Man's Fight March 7. It will include "Assimilation," "All Night" and "Lies and Betrayal." ... On April 4, death-metal legends Venom's latest, Metal Black, will hit record stores. The LP features 14 tracks, including "Burn in Hell," "A Good Day to Die" and "Lucifer Rising." ... Dragonforce have a new bassist to replace Adrian Lambert, who left the band last year to spend more time with his kith. The band's current touring bass-pounder Frederic Leclercq has been elevated to full-time member status. There's still no word on when the band's latest offering, Inhuman Rampage, will surface in the U.S., although the disc should see release before the summer. ...Thine Eyes Bleed are in the studio working on the follow-up to their debut, In the Wake of Separation. The band will start a tour with Darkness Rites in Oshawa, Ontario, March 13. Dates run through March 20 in Toronto, after which Thine Eyes Bleed will join Six Feet Under, Sworn Enemy and Animosity on the Crossroads to Armageddon Tour. Dates are scheduled from March 28 in Portland, Oregon, through April 9 in Wilmington, North Carolina. ...

Philadelphia instrumental prog-metal jazz freaks Dysrhythmia have finished working on their third album, Barriers and Passages, which is scheduled for release May 2. The trio recorded the disc at B.C. Studio in Brooklyn, New York, with engineer Martin Bisi. The album track "Appeared at First" is available at the band's Myspace page, MySpace.com/DysrhythmiaBand . ... Oakland, California NWOBHM-embracers Saviours will release their debut album Crucifire on May 16. The track "Invaders" will also appear on an upcoming metal compilation of the same name. Saviours features members of Santa Cruz emo band Yaphet Kotto and Oakland stoner group Drunk Horse. Saviours will tour the U.S. in March with Kalas. ... Boston dirge-rockers Defcon 4 will release their debut, File Under F---, this spring. The album was recorded by Today Is the Day frontman Steve Austin. Defcon 4 will tour the U.S. this spring. ... Three-quarters of the late Washington, D.C., band Carrion have resurfaced in the Wayward. The band, which plays a bizarre hybrid of Amphetamine Reptile-style noise, Dischord post-punk and epic prog rock, will release its self-titled debut this spring. The disc was recorded by ex-Anodyne frontman Mike Hill. ... Ex-Emperor bassist and ambient keyboard goblin Mortiis spent Valentine's Day remastering three of his early solo albums at Rubber Biscuit Studios in Nottingham, England. Fodt Til a Herske, Crypt of the Wizard and The Stargate will be released in April. In addition, the cryptic keyboardist will release his first DVD, "Soul in a Hole," which includes a full live set shot during his seven-week European tour to support The Grudge.

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• Dillinger Escape Plan
• Unearth
• King Diamond
• Life of Agony
• In Flames

What's up, metallers? How's everything going? Iann Robinson here. It's been awhile since I wrote — thanks to the VMAs — but I'm back, and all is well. The biggest story right now is the crap that went down with Darkest Hour while they were out on tour. Apparently the band was in Toronto playing a gig at Club Rockit when its van was broken into. Thieves got away with $12,000 in cash (the band hadn't had a chance to deposit while on the road) as well as CD players, their tour manager's prescription drugs and other personal items. The band has set up a donation jar at shows and may also do a benefit show to recoup the money, most of which was owed to their merch guys, soundman and other folks who work for them. For more on how you can help, check out their Web site. Well, that's it for me. Have a good week, and I'll see you at the shows.

A long-delayed Quiet Riot DVD titled "Quiet Riot Live in the 21st Century — 20 Years of Metal Health" is now scheduled for release October 7. ... The new King Diamond CD, The Puppet Master, will hit stores on October 28. The CD will contain a bonus disc of King Diamond telling the story of the Puppet Master in full makeup. ... Disfear, the new offering from At the Gates/ the Crown frontman Tomas Lindberg, have released their debut album, Misanthropic Generation, on Relapse Records. ...

Hammerfall guitarist Oscar Dronjak is still recovering from a broken arm caused by a motorcycle accident that already forced the Swedish power metal band to cancel a U.K. festival appearance. Doctors have told him it will take at least another six weeks for to recover, according to a post on the band's Web site. ... Like Darkest Hour, Hopesfall were also recently victimized by thieves. The band's practice space was broken into, according to their record label, and someone made off with a custom drum kit, guitar cabinets, amplifiers and more. ...

Madball have signed to Thorp Records for a four-song EP due in January. The EP boasts three new songs as well as "Pride" re-recorded in Spanish. It will also have enhanced footage with interviews. ... Veteran death metal pioneers Cannibal Corpse will commemorate their 15th anniversary as a band with 15-Year Killing Spree, a box set consisting of two greatest-hits discs, a disc of rare material (including their demo and the unreleased Created to Kill album) and a live DVD that will include, among other performances, Cannibal's first gig back in 1989. The set is due November 4. ...

Despite previously announcing plans to take a hiatus from the road, Skinlab have accepted an invitation to join Slayer, Hatebreed and Arch Enemy for a handful of November dates on the upcoming Jägermeister Tour. "It's a childhood dream come true," frontman Steev Esquivel wrote on the band's Web site. "We were just saying to ourselves the other day ... 'If we could only go on tour with Slayer!' Then bam, the phone rings." ... Kingdom Come entered the studio on August 28 to begin recording a new album. ...

Morbid Angel have shot a video for "Enshrined by Grace" with U.K. director Peter Bridgewater. The group — whose new record, Heretic, hits September 23 — has been added to this fall's Blackest of the Black Tour, with Danzig, Superjoint Ritual, DevilDriver and Behemoth. ... Walls of Jericho are busy recording All Hail the Dead, the reformed Michigan band's first album since 2000's The Bound Feed the Gagged. ...

Following an appearance at the recent Las Vegas Metalfest, reformed death metal legends Suffocation will spend a large chunk of the fall preparing a new album for Relapse Records, the label that issued the group's debut back in 1991. ... Soilent Green have returned from an East Coast tour with Lickgoldensky and have resumed writing material for their next album, the follow-up to 2001's A Deleted Symphony for the Beaten Down, which is expected to surface next year. Meanwhile, the band's friends and fellow Louisiana natives Skinkrawl have launched a new Web site, skinkrawl.com, and will launch a 17-day East Coast tour next month. ...

Dutch label Hammerheart, home to bands like Dismember, Monstrosity, Skyfire and Severe Torture, is changing its name to Karmegeddon Records. ... On the heels of their most recent split late last year and two "reunion" appearances at festivals, Zao have officially reformed and are working on new material while negotiating with a new label. The current lineup includes drummer Jesse Smith, guitarists Russ Cogdell and Scott Mellinger, bassist Rob Horner, and singer Dan Weyandt. ...

Metalcore band the Promise, which includes ex-members of Another Victim and Santa Sangre, lost personal belongings and all of their equipment when their van was suddenly engulfed in 25-foot flames near the Arizona/California border. No one was hurt, and the band's road mates in Bane and other friends have pitched in to help them continue their tour. ... English black metal band Akercocke have hired renowned U.K. rock photographer Fin Costello to shoot the cover of their new album, Choronzon, due November 4. Costello has previously shot cover art for Ozzy Osbourne's Bark at the Moon and Rush's Permanent Waves. ...

Polish acrobatic death metal band Decapitated have finished recording a new album tentatively titled The Negation. Due in February, it was recorded at Hertz Studio in Poland. Tracks include "The Negation," "Three-Dimensional Defect," "The Fury" and "Sensual Sickness." ... Children of Bodom's fourth album, the nine-track Hate Crew Deathroll, will be released September 23. In November the Finnish group will tour North America with Dimmu Borgir, Nevermore and Hypocrisy. ...

Texas band Pissing Razors will release their fifth record, Evolution, on September 23. The disc will be their first with new vocalist Andre Acosta. Before hitting the road with Pissing Razors, guitarist Matt Difabio will tour with side project Single Bullet Theory in support of their new disc, 666. ... Danish power metal band Mnemic will release their debut, Mechanical Spin Phenomena, on September 23. The disc was recorded in March at AntFarm Studios in Denmark and produced by Tue Madsen (Haunted, Grope). ...

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

• Cannibal Corpse
• Quiet Riot
• Kreator
• Skinlab
• King Diamond

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

The grease-painted shrieking metal mainstay King Diamond is hitting the road next week for his first tour in two years in support of his new album.

The Mercyful Fate frontman gone solo kicks off the run on July 20 in Los Angeles, and then goes on to play another month-plus of dates, including a headlining stint at this year's Milwaukee Metalfest July 28. King and gang will also swing by Cleveland, Ohio's World Series of Metal on August 5.

Shadows Fall will step into the opening slot for the tour.

All the roadwork is in support of King's "House Of God," which hits stores on June 20. King will pump the release even more with a stop at Ventura, California's Ventura Theater on July 17 that will see him press the flesh with fans and give out autographed merchandise.

If you want to catch King, here's where to look:

• 7/20 - West Hollywood, CA @ Key Club
• 7/21 - Ventura, CA @ Ventura Theater
• 7/22 - San Francisco, CA @ Maritime Hall
• 7/24 - Seattle, WA @ Cat Walk
• 7/26 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird
• 7/28 - Milwaukee, WI @ Milwaukee Metalfest
• 7/29 - Cincinnati, OH @ Annie's
• 8/4 - Salisbury, MA @ The Pavilion
• 8/5 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora
• 8/6 - Clifton Park, NY @ Northern Lights
• 8/9 - Centeridge, NY @ Tokoyo Joes
• 8/10 - Waterbury, CT @ City Limits
• 8/12 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero
• 8/13 - Old Bridge, NJ @ Birch Hill
• 8/16 - Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
• 8/17 - Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero
• 8/18 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
• 8/19 - St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Landing
• 8/20 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room
• 8/27 - Dallas, TX @ Canyon Club

• King Diamond