Fred Durst
Photo: Jeff Vespa/ WireImage

Fred Durst is a lot of things, but he's apparently not one to hold a grudge. The outspoken artist recently made peace with guitarist Wes Borland to re-form the classic Limp Bizkit lineup, and if he has anything to say about it, Britney Spears could be next.

The story begins in 2003 when Spears tapped Durst to pen songs for her next album. The collaboration then allegedly turned into a romantic fling, with Durst telling fans in a statement that Spears "happens to be a person that I [wouldn't] have thought could make me feel this way."

In the resulting paparazzi firestorm that followed, the exact details of the relationship became muddled. On "TRL," Spears declared not only were they not dating, but that she barely knew the Bizkit frontman. Durst then took to the airwaves, telling Howard Stern that it was "unbelievable about this crap she's saying," and swearing on his child's "blue eyes" that he was telling the truth.

Whatever transpired, life quickly moved on. Spears married her hometown sweetheart and divorced after 55 hours, before marrying Kevin Federline and divorcing him two years later. Durst, for his part, continued making music and pursuing a directing career (his latest film, "The Education of Charlie Banks," stars Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Ritter and opens March 27).

But the alleged Durst/Spears dalliance remains a curious sidenote in both artists' careers. So, six years later, what does Durst make of the situation?

"It just became a fiasco of madness," he told MTV News this week. "[But] I always stay true to my heart and true to everything I did and my intentions, and I am in no way a liar."

The confusion over the affair still remains with Durst, and the rocker points to the episode as one of the first in a long line of erratic episodes for Spears. "I look back on it as very interesting [in terms of] how things have been sort of unraveling for her since," he said. "[But] it is what it is. I can sleep at night knowing I made decisions that I wanted to make. [Still], I'm a supporter. I was then, I guess I am now.

"Her own decisions and different things in her life, people can judge her all they want, but she has an extreme presence and when she's giving it, it's really good," he continued. "I don't think you can really write her off and I just think it'd be silly for people to think that they could. Everything kind of works in cycles and I think she's an example of how those things work."

For Durst, summing up the incident may all boil down to one underlying theme. "I just guess at the time it was taboo for a guy like me to be associated with a gal like her," he laughed.

Check out our chat with Durst about his new film, "The Education of Charlie Banks."

• Britney Spears
• Limp Bizkit

Vision of Disorder
Photo: Koch Records

For metal, hardcore and hard-rock fans, the last two years have brought some long-awaited, never-thought-we'd-see-'em reunions. Bands such as Carcass, Snot, Overcast, Pestilence, Living Sacrifice, At the Gates, Possessed, Rage Against the Machine and Suffokate — among others — have all been resuscitated, as members have put aside their various differences, with some groups staging rather successful comeback tours. But the thing about reunions is that they don't always stick, lasting — in some cases — just two or three gigs.

Such has been the case for Long Island hardcore hellions Vision of Disorder, who've played just a handful of reunion shows since dissolving back in 2002. Frontman Tim Williams — who didn't languish in the wreckage left by V.O.D.'s demise, instead teaming up with guitarist Mike Kennedy to launch Bloodsimple — is looking forward to the band's upcoming reunion gig in New York on November 16 (the bill will also feature Overcast, Indecision and Nassau Chainsaw) but isn't so sure V.O.D.'s return will lead to anything more than feelings of nostalgia.

"Never say never, but reunions are short-lived; everyone knows that," Williams told Metal File this week. "Who knows what's going to happen, but for the time being, this will be it. We're going to do some shows, but V.O.D. will never come back the way it was. It'll never be like a full-time, full-on reunion, but there's definitely going to be some shows. Then again, if the right opportunities presented themselves to the band, and we all agree on it, I think we'll probably do some more shows, because we were pretty happy with the success and the turnout the last couple of shows have had. We're just very skeptical, and we want to be careful."

Williams and the rest of V.O.D. are playing November's show to celebrate the release of their first-ever DVD, "Dead in New York," which hits stores just five days before they'll be taking the Irving Plaza stage. The bandmembers started working on the effort two years ago, culling video footage they'd been shooting over the course of their entire career for what Williams said will be a must-have for any true V.O.D. fan. "Dead in New York" also features footage from the band's three most recent reunion gigs.

"It's just straight-up V.O.D.," he explained. "I've only seen it once, and I was drunk, but it's awesome. You're going to get a lot of behind-the-scenes V.O.D. stuff, a lot of stuff we'd taped throughout the years, and you're also going to be able to take home those three reunion shows, which were really powerful and amazing and in a small-club atmosphere, where V.O.D. has always been at its best. There's also some funny stuff in there and some stuff from when we were f---ing young as hell. That's always funny and interesting to see. In some of this footage, we were just children."

Williams said he hasn't completely ruled out recording new material with Vision of Disorder and said the band has yet to have a serious discussion about hitting the studio. But the more he talked about V.O.D.'s future, the more open he seemed about taking the reunion to the next level.

"If something comes along with V.O.D., which it might, we're going to be very careful," he insisted. "We're very wary of contracts, because we made some serious mistakes when we were younger, which we don't intend on repeating. I also feel V.O.D. is in a position to do one-off deals with labels within our realm, and that's where we'd feel safest. That said, I think there will be some other V.O.D. stuff in the future, but I don't want to say anything more about it."

But then, he did say more. "It feels like it might be the right time," he said. "I'm just sick and tired of being on everybody else's time. If V.O.D. will do anything, we're going to make the calls, and we'll do it when we feel the time is right. If we record, it will be on our terms — not on any timeline dictated by management or a label timeline. It's going to be on our terms, and we feel we've earned the right to pick and choose our battles."

Williams did say it's possible the band could release a live CD, given "Dead in New York" was initially conceived as a DVD/CD set; audio recordings of those reunions gigs exist, along with a bunch of other studio material that Williams doubts will ever see the light of day. So, again, Williams isn't sure what the future might hold, but it could very well include some sort of album release. For now, Williams is concentrating on his own solo projects.

"I've been working on some things," he explained. "I'm working on putting together a book and some acoustic material for a possible acoustic EP release in the not-so-distant future. We'll see — it's something I've always wanted to do, but it's got to be really good. I really feel that the work I did with Bloodsimple was really solid, vocally. I set a new bar for myself on that last Bloodsimple record, so I don't want to follow it up with something I don't feel is as good, if not better, than that. But I've been writing poetry for eons, and I've got a lot of journals, too, from throughout the V.O.D. and Bloodsimple years. I've been compiling some poems and some essays for it. In a perfect world, I would like to release a book with a four-song acoustic EP to go with it."

As for Bloodsimple, Williams said they haven't broken up, contradicting rumors to the contrary. They're on hiatus, he said, but he doesn't see it as an indefinite one.

"Bloodsimple is just taking a well-deserved break at the time," Williams said. "Some things came up in everybody's personal lives that needed some attention, but we're a tight-knit family, and we all realized it might be a good time to step away for a little while, because Bloodsimple was at it for six years straight. I feel Bloodsimple is some of the best music I have ever been a part of, so my eyes are still looking towards the future, and when the time presents itself, I think we'll get back together and do some more shows and probably do some recordings."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Don't believe those rumors that have been floating around the Net about Limp Bizkit. The band has not replaced guitarist Wes Borland with Evanescence's Terry Balsamo, although it certainly seemed that way earlier this week. In fact, a source close to Balsamo tells Metal File the guitarist has not left Evanescence but is instead working with Limp bassist Sam Rivers on an unnamed side project at Rivers' Born Recording Studio in Jacksonville, Florida. ...

Metal File recently caught up with Korn frontman Jonathan Davis and asked him about his forthcoming solo LP. He told us the band is taking a break for the time being, having spent the last 15 years on the road, "So we're definitely going to take a break, [and we're off] doing our own projects. I'm working on my solo record right now, and I'll hopefully have that done by the end of the year. I hope to have it out by the end of this year or early next, so I'm just really busy working on that." Davis said his solo material is a complete departure from Korn's sound. "[There's] a lot of electronic stuff in it. It's really vibe-y, a lot of world-music stuff going on. It's definitely different from Korn, but what's cool about this record I'm working on now, you can actually go on my Web site and you can watch me write it. I have a camera, and I don't care; I'm just doing it different this way, so all the fans can watch me while I'm working." He's still not sure who he'd like to produce the effort, saying, "I've just been writing right now, and when I figure out who I want to produce it, I'm going to do that." ...

The members of Bury Your Dead were involved in a serious van accident while on tour in eastern Canada this week. Most of the bandmembers escaped with minor injuries, but guitarist Brendan "Slim" MacDonald wasn't so lucky. He has undergone reconstructive surgery on one of his legs as a result. According to the band, the van flipped four times and slammed into a highway median. The vehicle was totaled. ThePRP posted two pictures (here and here) of the accident's aftermath. ...

According to Mastodon's Brann Dailor, Neurosis' Scott Kelly will once again appear on the band's forthcoming LP as a guest performer. He also contributed backing vocals on 2004's Leviathan and 2006's Blood Mountain. ... Ill Niño, Walls of Jericho and Otep will be teaming up next month for a quick tour, which starts October 27 in New Port Richey, Florida. Dates are scheduled through November 30 in Hollywood. ...

Behemoth's upcoming EP, Ezkaton, will hit stores November 11. The effort will feature seven new songs, as well as a new studio recording of "Chant for Ezkaton 2000" and a cover of the Ramones' "I'm Not Jesus." ... Arsis is down a bassist, following the departure of Noah Martin. In a statement, Martin said he'd like to return to college and can't do that and still tour with the band. He's going to play two last shows with Arsis: The first is set for tonight in Indianapolis, and the other is set for September 27 in Covington, Kentucky.

• Limp Bizkit

Kanye West and 50 Cent at the 2007 VMAs
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

Kanye West's Graduation is proving to be quite the bear. The album leads with 781,000 copies sold over the 603,000 moved by 50 Cent's Curtis according to projections, Billboard reports. "It's just a few days out," Fiddy told the news outlet, qualifying the numbers. He said the music industry "would consider me to be a hip-hop favorite because of my sales history, and people like to root for the underdog." He also took some time Thursday to sound off about Sunday's VMAs on New York's Hot 97, saying he was shorted compared to 'Ye — even though West has also been complaining he didn't get enough airtime during the show. Fif also managed to take a swipe at his record label, Interscope, during the VMA rant: "As far as the VMAs were concerned, Kanye received the upper hand. I ain't going to front. He had four looks — his song 'Stronger,' his new record 'Good Life,' he had a performance with Soulja Boy, 'Crank [That],' and then he came out with me. So I feel like Def Jam is doing a better job of promoting the CD than Interscope. Interscope is just relying on my base and the actual music. I was on the VMAs for one minute and 20 seconds. I should've just stayed home." ...

Last weekend, Britney Spears had the VMAs to worry about — this weekend, it's her kids. On Friday (September 14), a Los Angeles Superior Court judge postponed making a ruling on whether court documents relating to the singer's divorce and custody case with ex-husband Kevin Federline should be sealed or open to the public. "Access Hollywood" and People magazine were among the media outlets representing the public's interests. Outside the courtroom, Spears' divorce attorney Laura Wasser spoke to reporters, telling them this is a frustrating time for the singer. "I think she just wants to be a mom," Wasser told reporters, "and both of her kids' birthdays are this week, and I think she would've liked to celebrate with them without having to worry about the entire nation — the entire world — being concerned about what's going on with her personally and her custody battle with Mr. Federline." On Monday, the judge will hear Federline's order to show cause for primary physical custody of the couple's two children: Sean Preston, who turned 2 on Friday; and Jayden James, who turned 1 on Wednesday. ...

Earlier this week, the "American Idol" judges had at Britney Spears' VMA performance — now "Dancing With the Stars" judge Carrie Ann Inaba is following suit. "When I watched it, I think they gave her a great place to make a comeback," she told Newsweek. "It was more mature than we've seen in the past. The thing that was unfortunate is that the center of the performance was Britney, and she was only giving about 30 percent. That's why it fell short. The backup dancers focused all the energy right to Britney, and she was the weakest link. ... I think fear got the best of her." ... Jamie Foxx got a place on Hollywood's Walk of Fame on Friday, and when he chatted with reporters at the induction ceremony, he inevitably gave his two cents on Spears' performance. "I think Britney's gonna be fine," he said. "I think that she was courageous to get up there and do her thing. I wish her well for that." ...

Common and Q-Tip will co-headline this year's 2K Sports Bounce Tour, which will kick off September 22 in Milwaukee and conclude October 14 in Los Angeles, according to Filter magazine. Q-Tip is featured in "NBA 2K8" as a playable character and is on the video game's soundtrack as well. ... Mark Ronson — who manned the ones and twos inside the Palms' Pearl Theatre during last weekend's Vegas VMAs — has slapped two U.S. tour dates onto his itinerary: October 3 (Los Angeles) and October 5 (New York). ...

A fire broke out at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on Friday afternoon, injuring four people, according to Austin360.com. The flames erupted inside a trailer located behind the beverage-vendor tents between two of the festival stages, and Pete Yorn's set was stopped as the fire was extinguished. All four people were transported to Brackenridge Hospital, and two are in critical condition. ...

Madonna, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher attended a Kabbalah conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday to celebrate the Jewish New Year, according to The Associated Press. She reportedly didn't speak with the media, and the conference was closed to TV cameras. ... Master P visited Monroe Middle School in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Thursday and spoke to roughly 800 students about the importance of education, good financial management and a vision for success, AP reports. The rapper was approached by math teacher Bonnie Mwanda, who reportedly heard he would be in town and thought his success might be an inspiration for her students, many of whom come from similar backgrounds as the hip-hop mogul. "If the principal tells me y'all have a good year, I'm going to bring Romeo back to do a concert," he told the students, according to AP. ...

Fred Durst has been keeping a relatively low profile these days, but the Limp Bizkit frontman was given a 120-day suspended jail sentence after pleading no contest to seven misdemeanors way back on August 16, AP reports. He was also ordered to perform 20 hours of community service and fined $1,500 for assault, battery and reckless driving, for deliberately hitting two people with his car in Los Angeles in October 2006. Moreover, Durst was hit with a restraining order, is not allowed within 100 yards of the two victims — whose names have not been revealed — and cannot possess a firearm. ...

Elton John made a surprise appearance onstage during a Prince concert at London's O2 arena Thursday night. BBC News reports that John joined Prince for a cover of the Beatles' "The Long and Winding Road." After the two-hour-plus show, Prince ducked into the O2's smaller theater and played another two-hour gig, which included covers of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" and another Beatles song, "Come Together." ... Led Zeppelin fans are getting more time for a chance at tickets to see the band perform a one-off reunion gig November 26 at London's O2 arena. Organizers behind the concert — a tribute to late music icon Ahmet Ertegun — are extending the lottery-application process to Wednesday, Billboard reports. The Web site set up to handle registrations received 89.5 million attempts in a 12-hour period on Thursday, according to the news outlet. ...

Members of underground-rock heroes Shudder to Think will reconvene for a one-off gig at New York's Mercury Lounge on Monday, Pitchfork reports. Frontman Craig Wedren and guitarist Nathan Larson — whose conflicts were part of the reason the band broke up in the late '90s — will get together with drummer Kevin March for the gig, although bassist Stuart Hill will not be accompanying them. ... Glassjaw have booked three California dates for next month. The reunited band will play October 28 in Hollywood; October 29 in San Diego; and October 30 in Pomona, California. ... Iconic punk band Operation Ivy's 1991 self-titled compilation LP will be reissued on November 6 on Hellcat. The classic release has been remastered and will also be available for download for the first time. ... PJ Harvey's White Chalk album has shifted from a September 25 release date to October 2. ...

AT&T's Blue Room, the site where political comments made by Pearl Jam during Lollapalooza were censored a month ago, has announced a new policy to avoid repeating that controversial practice during its webcast of this weekend's Austin City Limits Music Festival. According to AT&T spokesperson Steven Schwadron, "AT&T has developed an AT&T Blue Room policy to maintain integrity of the live performances featured on the site. AT&T will not edit any audio during the live webcast, of performances. We may edit visual content — either through camera angle changes or video blackouts — if there is strong sexual content. Also, we are going to have a clear viewer-discretion messaging both before and during the webcasts. The terms and conditions of the site, which users accept when they choose to view the webcast, requires users to be at least 13 years of age." ...

It's been 42 years since Johnny Cash's arrest in Starkville, Mississippi, for picking flowers from a resident's garden. But a judge who is reviewing the matter could potentially pardon the late musician, according to BBC News, and the city plans to instead honor him with the Johnny Cash Pickin' Festival from November 2-4. Cash wrote the track "Starkville City Jail" — which he performed at his legendary live At San Quentin prison LP — after spending a night in the city's prison.

09.13.07

50 Cent, Common, Nicole Scherzinger and others have all had their say about Britney Spears' VMA performance — now the "American Idol" judges are having at her. "We've decided that we're all going to collectively manage Britney," Simon Cowell remarked at a press conference earlier this week, according to "Access Hollywood." "We're going to manage Britney, take her career over," Randy Jackson added. Cowell snickered that he would "keep her away from the stupid friends, buy her some underwear," while Paula Abdul — as always — tried to put a positive spin on her VMA performance: "I never count her out." Spears' fellow former teen icon Joey Fatone has also chimed in on the performance, telling "Extra," "I felt bad but didn't. It looked like she was really lost. A lot of people ... really want her to seek help ... there's something not right here, something needs to obviously be done before anything tragic happens. She's a great girl ... I've known her for many years." ...

In other Brit news, she attended an unscheduled meeting with Kevin Federline and his attorney on Wednesday — five days before they were due to meet before a family court judge. The meeting was reportedly held at the Century City, California, offices of Spears attorney Laura Wasser. Federline has been trying to seek full custody of the former spouses' two sons, Jayden James and Sean Preston. ...

Lil' Kim — who took a swipe at 50 Cent on her 2005 LP, The Naked Truth — is finding herself right alongside him in a new lawsuit filed by a record producer, The Associated Press reports. Carlos Evans claims in papers recently filed in a New York court that he was contracted to produce, engineer and mix Kim's "Magic Stick" (featuring 50 Cent), a song that sold 2 million copies, but that he wasn't paid the royalties he was promised. He adds that while he was paid the $7,500 advance he was guaranteed for the song, his requests for a royalties audit have been ignored. His suit seeks $1 million in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages. Theodore Sedlmayr, a lawyer for Rotten Apple Records — which is also named in the suit — told AP the late-royalty problems stem from the fact that Evans put a lengthy sample, which had to be licensed and paid for, in the song. "Atlantic is trying to get it straightened out. If after the accounting Mr. Evans is entitled to anything, he'll get it then," Sedlmayr told the news service. ....

Snoop Dogg, Talib Kweli, Mobb Deep, DMC and others will come together November 29 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York for the J.A.M. Awards, a Jam Master Jay- and Run-DMC-inspired event intended to reflect the positive aspects of rap. The event — being put on by Hot 97, the Jam Master Jay Foundation for Music and other organizations — will be co-hosted by DMC, who said in a statement that it "is not designed merely for music fans, but also for people who want to see hip-hop answer its critics with a resounding voice of hope and inspiration." Eminem has also donated money for the cause, and the shindig will also feature Raekwon, Papoose and other to-be-named artists. ...

Beyoncé, Gwen Stefani and Jennifer Lopez are this year's best-dressed women, according to People. Kirsten Dunst and Janet Jackson aren't so lucky, though — they're cited for wearing the worst red-carpet dresses of the year in the magazine's "Best & Worst Dressed" issue, out Friday. Angelina Jolie, Jessica Biel, Cameron Diaz, Avril Lavigne, Lily Allen and Reese Witherspoon are also noted in the issue, as are a handful of men: Terrence Howard, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and George Clooney among them. ... Shakira, teacher's pet? Perhaps: PeopleEnEspanol.com reports that the singer has been taking Western-civ classes at the University of California, Los Angeles, over the course of the summer. ...

The White Stripes, who announced earlier this week that their U.S. tour would be scrapped due to Meg White's acute anxiety, have tabled their U.K. tour as well, BBC News reports. The band's eight-date arena tour, which was slated for October 24-November 2, would have been its largest U.K. trek to date. ... Foo Fighters have drummed up four shows in addition to their scheduled Saturday performance at Southern California radio station KROQ's LA Invasion. The band — which drops its Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace on September 25 — will grace New York (September 20); New Orleans (October 2); Atlanta (October 4); and Atlantic City, New Jersey (October 6). The rock act will also tape a performance for the "Nissan Live Sets on Yahoo! Music" series on Tuesday and be the featured musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" on October 13. ...

Queens of the Stone Age — who performed with the Foos during the VMAs — apparently have an unlikely fan in "chef-at-large" Anthony Bourdain. They stopped by his "No Reservations" Travel Channel show last week to shoot an appearance for the program. In the episode, Bourdain is cooking a holiday meal in his Connecticut home while the band is performing in the basement. QOTSA emerge wearing cheesy Christmas sweaters, dine with Bourdain and perform the holiday jingle "Silver Bells," retitled "Turkey Bells." The ep also allegedly features karaoke, Christmas carols and a Japanese businessman, so stay tuned. ... System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian — who also performed with the Foos — has announced a bunch of tour dates in support of his solo debut, Elect the Dead, which hits stores October 23. His North American tour kicks off October 12 at the Vic Theatre in Chicago and will make stops in Toronto, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dallas, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, before concluding October 28 in San Francisco. ...

Led Zeppelin are getting a whole lotta love from fans after announcing a one-off reunion gig on Wednesday. More than 20 million fans have attempted to get tickets for the November 26 concert at the O2 arena in London in honor of late music icon Ahmet Ertegun, according to Agence France Presse. The venue can hold up to 20,000 people, and a lottery is being held in which tickets will be drawn at random. ...

Prince is planning to sue eBay, YouTube and other Web sites as part of an effort to "reclaim the Internet," according to the MediaGuardian.co.uk. Lawsuits pertaining to his material will be launched in the U.S. and U.K. through the anti-piracy firm Web Sheriff, which represents Prince. Over the course of the past two weeks, the artist's legal reps have asked for the removal of more than 2,000 videos that are alleged to have been uploaded illegally online. Web Sheriff Managing Director John Giacobbi said Prince "wants to create a template for other artists" but that he "doesn't really want to go around suing people — he'd much rather people just respected his rights. He will be victorious." ...

A security guard who worked a Guns N' Roses concert nearly 11 years ago is suing Axl Rose for battery and negligence, according to court documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in late August and obtained by TMZ.com. Gary Armijo claims that he was positioned at the front of the stage at the GN'R show in Universal City, California, on December 20, 1996, and that the singer came to the front of the stage and intentionally kicked the guard in the head, causing injuries. Armijo says he has experienced pain and suffering, sleeplessness, headaches and loss of earnings, and has incurred medical expenses as well. ...

The Cure have rescheduled for next year 18 of the 19 gigs they had intended to play in North America this year. The band's 4Tour North America run will now take them from May 9 in Washington, D.C., through June 20 in New York. In between will be an additional performance at the Sasquatch! Music Festival in George, Washington, on May 25 — the band has been promised a show-closing 150-minute slot for the fest. Those who want refunds on their 2007 tickets can do so at the original point of purchase until November 1. ... "Spawn" creator and toy magnate Todd McFarlane told Reuters he's spawning plans to direct a feature flick. He said he's eyeing low-budget concepts: "You're going to have some young kid do those anyway, so let me have a crack at it." McFarlane was at the annual GameStop convention, showcasing a new lineup of toys based on "Halo 3." ...

Bobby Byrd, James Brown's longtime sideman and co-singer, died of cancer on Wednesday, according to The Augusta Chronicle of Georgia. Byrd sung the classic "get on up" refrain in "Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine." He was also the co-founder of the Famous Flames, which became Brown's first backing band.

• Travis Barker, 50 Cent, Common On Britney's VMA Performance
• 2007 VMA: The Entire 2007 MTV Video Music Awards On-Demand
• Kanye Lectures On The Importance Of Graduation

• Shooting Stars: A Celeb's Eye View Of The VMAs
• 50 Cent's 5 Borough Tour Hits Manhattan
• Paris Hilton, Diddy, Timbaland, Janet Jackson, More Hit The Vegas Party Scene
• Britney's VMA Weekend: From Los Angeles To Las Vegas

• 50 Cent
• Kanye West
• Britney Spears
• Madonna
• Master P

Fred Durst
Photo: Scott Gries/ Getty Images

Fred Durst has always been a popular singer. Who knew the Limp Bizkit frontman could also direct?

Durst was among the big winners at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, where his flick "The Education of Charlie Banks" took home the Made in NY narrative prize, given to the best film either about or shot in New York state. "The Education of Charlie Banks" follows three New Yorkers, played by Chris Marquette, Jason Ritter and Jesse Eisenberg, who reunite at Vassar College after a turbulent youth (see "Fred Durst: The Next Martin Scorsese?").

(Watch Fred talk about making the transition from frontman to filmmaker.)

According to a festival spokesperson, Durst's flick beat out 14 other films for the prize and was chosen by a jury that included Oscar winner Mercedes Ruehl and actress Minnie Driver.

Director David Volach's "My Father My Lord" took home the award for Best Narrative Feature while Alex Gibey's "Taxi to the Darkside" won Best Documentary. "My Father My Lord" (titled "Hofshat Kaits" in Israel) follows a rabbi who challenges his faith, while "Taxi" centers on U.S. torture practices overseas, particularly how they affected an innocent taxi driver who was tortured and killed in Afghanistan in 2002.

Gibey won't be making many friends at the next Republican National Convention. He was previously best known for directing "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room."

"I fear that along the way that sense of purpose and hope for a better world was hijacked by some people who played on our fears and in a way took us on a journey to the dark side," the director said at the awards ceremony, according to Yahoo! Movies.

Other winners at the sixth annual festival included "Making Of," which won both Best Actor (Lofti Edbelli) and Best Screenplay (Nouri Bouzid); "Lady Chatterley," which won Best Actress (Marina Hands); and "The Killing of John Lennon," which won the Made in NY Special Jury Recognition Prize.

"The Last Dog in Rwanda" and "A Son's Sacrifice" were highlighted in the short-film competition. The flicks won for Best Narrative Short and Best Documentary Short, respectively.

Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal started the Tribeca Film Festival in 2002 as a way to revitalize lower Manhattan after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center crippled the area's economy.

• Flick'd: Fred Durst

• Eva Mendes, Rosario Dawson, Leonardo DiCaprio, More At The 2007 Tribeca Film Festival

• Limp Bizkit

Fred Durst
Photo: MTV News

A few years back, a video featuring a baseball-capless Fred Durst prancing around the bustling streets of Vancouver, British Columbia, made the rounds on video-sharing sites like YouTube, subjecting the Limp Bizkit frontman to oodles of online ridicule.

In the obnoxiously long clip, Durst disrupts pedestrian and vehicular traffic, pops out of a large recycling bin, clumsily rides a bicycle down the street and does his best impression of the Carlton dance from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" — all while lip-syncing British post-punk outfit Modern English's 1982 classic "I Melt With You."

The video was never intended for public consumption. Durst called it "a fun thing I did for a girl I was dating at the time," adding that the footage was among the spoils hacked from his personal computer. An explicit video, showing the singer doing it all for the nookie with an unidentified female, was also pilfered and eventually released online.

"I had a lot of fun, but I felt silly borrowing people's bikes and just setting up and dancing in the middle of Vancouver," Durst said of the Modern English homage. "I love that song. It was just something I did in my hotel room while she was working. I thought it was romantic — hey, I'm a romantic guy."

These days, Durst continues to make movies — the legitimate kind. His first stab at directing, "The Education of Charlie Banks," will debut this weekend in New York as part of Robert De Niro's Tribeca Film Festival (see "Fred Durst: The Next Martin Scorsese?"). And while Durst plans to dabble with film in the future, his first love is music in general and Limp Bizkit in particular.

Durst recently posted a blog on Limp's MySpace page expressing a strong desire to restore the band's original lineup and get back to the business of crafting nü-metal masterpieces. Trouble is, guitarist Wes Borland wants no part of it (see "Wes Borland Sees The Black Light, Says No More Bizkit For Him"), having formed his own rock outfit, Black Light Burns. The band's debut LP, Cruel Melody, is slated for June 5.

"There were feelings with Limp Bizkit that were so amazing, it's almost like if you could get close to feeling something like that again, with the same family you started it with — I mean, I love Limp Bizkit, and I would always want to have the family together," Durst said. "There were times we were all looking at each other like, 'Holy sh--, I can't believe this is happening.' But we're all individuals as well. People evolve and grow, and life is fascinating and fun and tragic. There are so many things in life, and I always look at Limp Bizkit as something I just love, because it's just that feeling, that thing."

Durst said he has seen loads of bands perform live, and he admits some do a fine job at it. But none is Limp Bizkit.

"I think Limp Bizkit f---ing rock hard," he said. "Limp Bizkit on the stage, together, just stepping back and looking at it — I just love it. I love the whole band."

Durst doesn't know what the future holds for the Bizkit ("I stopped predicting the future a long time ago," he said), but like a delusional boyfriend waiting for a girl to take him back, he doesn't think a reunion is out of the question, even with Borland doing his own thing.

"We're still a family, we're just farther apart," he explained. "But it's still there, and we all know it. We're going to do it when we want. We don't feel obligated. Our hearts are in it. If there's ever something Limp Bizkit does together, I'd say check it out, because it might be pretty powerful."

And yes, folks, there will be a follow-up to 2005's ill-received The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1). He said the Limp Bizkit project has been in the bag for awhile, but when will it surface?

"Timing's everything," Durst said. "I want it to be the right time. I think people should focus on Rage Against the Machine playing Coachella. People need to realize that [the Rage reunion] is going to rattle the world like an earthquake" (see "Rage Against The Machine To Reunite For Coachella Festival").

Durst has heard Black Light Burns' inaugural offering, and he admits that he digs it.

"Wes would always play stuff he was doing, solo-wise," Durst said. "He's one of the most creative guys you'll ever meet. Obsessive — just making great music in his studio all the time. He's a killer player, and he plays so many instruments and he's created this thing. I think [Black Light Burns] are cool. Everybody has their own little solo thing going on right now, and I think Black Light Burns are pretty damn good."

• Mr. Romantic: Fred Durst Melts With You

• Limp Bizkit

Black Light Burns
Photo: I Am Wolfpack

Fred Durst misses Limp Bizkit, and he misses Wes Borland — a lot.

A few weeks back, LB's red-baseball-cap-sporting frontman updated the band's MySpace blog with an honest and seemingly heartfelt plea to his nü metal brethren to revive the Bizkit and tour the world. "I would love to do a tour with the original [lineup]," he wrote. "The feeling we have on stage as Limp Bizkit is like no other feeling I have ever had, and no other feeling has been so rewarding."

But of course, there's been years of publicly spilled bad blood between Durst — who has been focusing on filmmaking in recent years (see "Fred Durst: The Next Martin Scorsese?") — and Borland (see "Durst Attacks Wes Borland In Song, Blogs Over Bizkit Talk"). The guitarist has since cut ties with Limp to go out on his own (see "Bye Bye Bizkit? Wes Borland Says Limp Are Pretty Much Done"). His band, Black Light Burns, will issue their debut LP, Cruel Melody, on June 5.

"Imagine that me and Wes could work things out together and be a band again," Durst wrote. "We had so many wonderful times ... [and] I am proud to say that I have learned so much from my mistakes and it has taken a long time to evolve to this place where I finally let myself be healed. Without Wes, I wouldn't know what it is like to work with the best."

Well, it looks like Durst is just going to have to settle for a different guitarist if he's truly interested in making a comeback with the Bizkit, because for Borland, there is only Black Light Burns.

"I am in this for the long haul," Borland said during a recent interview with MTV News. "The whole Limp thing is absolutely, offensively impossible. I've been through that several times now, and it's always the same thing. It's very predictable how that group of people, when they come together, what happens. Him calling me out and saying that he's different and wants the band back together ... I mean, I've seen it three times before. And what happens is, I go, 'OK, let's make it work,' and three months later, we completely hate each other. It's nothing against Fred — that's just how it works. I understand that the intentions are good, and that he means what he said, but I can't waste any of my time trying to make that happen, because it's a scenario that just doesn't work out."

While Borland's thankful for the times he did have with Limp — or at least the times he says it worked well — "I am just ready to do something I believe in more, and something that makes me happier," he said. "I'm too old to be farting around with stuff that isn't precisely what I want to do. This is my focus now, whether it blows up quick or it flunks. Either way, I don't really care. I just want to be back in the world, doing music and meeting people — doing my thing."

Borland said Black Light Burns plan to spend much of this year and next touring. He's compiled a touring band that features drummer Marshall Kilpatric, who some may remember from the Esoteric and Today Is the Day. His band will head out with Chevelle for a tour that kicks off in Chicago on April 30 and wraps May 23 in Clifton Park, New York. After that, Borland said they'll head out on their own headlining run, and at some point early next year, he said he plans to begin working on Cruel Melody's follow-up. He's been working with Kilpatric on several new tunes.

"I don't want to take as long to do the next record as this one took, because this one was sort of about finding my own way, and now I know how it works, so it'll be a lot easier," he said. (Borland spent more than three years working on Cruel Melody.) "The band's built, and now I just have to crank out a bunch of songs."

Borland said he plans to work on new material from his bus, over the course of the next few months of touring. And in just a few weeks, the first video from Black Light, for the track "Lie," will be making its TV debut. In the clip, Borland is killed off by the members of From First to Last — a band he did a brief stint with (see "From First To Last Are Done With Wes Borland, Target Rob Zombie") — who are all dressed in masks and robes. His body is dragged off to a party by a gaggle of go-go dancers, and Wes parties his undead ass off. During the video's shooting, Borland nearly lost a tooth.

"We were performing, and there was all this water on the floor," he explained. "I slipped a few times and busted my lip open. And I also chipped my tooth on my microphone."

Making Cruel Melody — which Borland recorded with ex-Nine Inch Nails multi-instrumentalist Danny Lohner, drumming hired gun Josh Freese, and Josh Eustis of Telefon Tel Aviv fame, and features guest spots by former From First to Last frontman Sonny Moore, Limp bassist Sam Rivers, British singer Carina Round and Concrete Blonde's Johnette Napolitano — was a liberating experience for Borland, as he's transitioned from musician to vocalist with ease. And really, he doesn't know what sort of reaction he'll get from fans.

"All I want is for it to grow, and I just hope that it continues to reach people and sustain us so that we can tour a lot," he explained. "I feel like people don't know what to expect, because it's, like, the dude with the black contacts that was, like, Fred's sidekick — that's probably what most people are thinking. And it's fine, because I don't expect anyone to welcome this with open arms, because it is different from other things I've done. But it's the most real I've ever been before — it's the most pure me. So if you don't like this, you don't like me as an artist."

• Wes Borland
• Black Light Burns
• Limp Bizkit

Elliott Yamin
Photo: Nick Spanos

A bit of "American Idol" trivia: Josh Abraham, a seasoned rock producer who has helmed albums for 30 Seconds to Mars, Staind and Velvet Revolver, is the cousin of season-five finalist Elliott Yamin.

And more than that, Abraham is one of several studio wizards lending their talents to Yamin's self-titled debut, due March 20. DJ Lethal of Limp Bizkit, Stargate (Beyoncé), Michael Mangini (Joss Stone) and Derek Bramble (David Bowie) are among the others.

"It's an eclectic mix of just different sounds for every listener out there — for the ['Idol'] viewers, for the young cats, for everyone in between," Yamin said. "We worked with so many different ideas and sounds ... and it's not your typical-sounding album."

Lethal helmed the first single, "Movin' On," which Yamin recorded before he hit the road on the American Idols Live Tour last summer (see "Taylor Dusts Off Harmonica, Kellie Puts Country Spin On 'Grease' For 'Idol' Tour"). And while the title may bring to mind similarly named post-"Idol" songs like Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway," he swears it's not about the show.

"You know, I never did actually think about that," he said. "I guess I am moving on, but none of this would be possible without that show. I'm forever in debt to that show."

Truthfully, the single is about "trying to get this girl's attention and she's not giving you any rhythm, so you're just ready to move on," Yamin said. "It's got an uptempo, dance vibe to it."

Other tracks on the album include second single "Wait for You," the bluesy ballad "Take My Breath Away" written by John Mayer guitarist David Ryan Harris, and the socially conscious "Find a Way."

Yamin also covers Leon Russell's "A Song for You," which Yamin's idol, Donny Hathaway, recorded in 1971 and which brought Paula Abdul to tears when Yamin sang it on "Idol."

"I have a throwback voice," Yamin said. "People listen to my voice and tell that I'm really influenced by that era, by that genre of music. We did a good job of modernizing that to a certain extent on some songs, but I'm always going to stay true to my style and choice of music. I don't think we compromise that at all."

With his album taking up the majority of his time, Yamin has not watched much of the latest "Idol" season, but he made sure to catch the premiere. "I just felt really proud, knowing what I went through and being on the other side again and knowing what everybody else is going through right now," he said. "You know, we're in a class of our own. It's a really cool feeling."

Yamin, who roomed with Taylor Hicks throughout the season, talks to the winner "all the time," as well as the rest of the top 10. "As cliché as it sounds, we are like a family — especially the guys," he said. "Us five guys on tour really bonded, and I miss them all."

As for his advice to this year's finalists: "I would just tell them to sing what you want to sing. Don't compromise your style or your taste," he said. "And become really thick-skinned, because it is a good crash course of how the business really is."

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

• Elliott Yamin
• DJ Lethal
• Limp Bizkit

Fred Durst
Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images

Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst is best known for his powerful musical arrangements and angry persona. But it seems he's taking a different approach to becoming a director.

According to Chris Marquette ("The Girl Next Door") — star of Durst's debut film, "The Education of Charlie Banks" — the controversial rocker was downright mellow behind the camera.

"He was really personable and insanely calm," the 22-year-old actor recalled. "We did all our prep work, and when we got to the set he just let it go. It was cool."

Marquette credits Durst's laid-back style with helping him develop as an actor. "The best advice he gave me was like this," Marquette said. "I was like [raising his voice and jumping up and down], 'OK, Fred, how was that?' [In a calm voice, mimicking Durst] 'Very good.' His confidence was incredible."

"The Education of Charlie Banks" follows three New Yorkers, played by Marquette, Jason Ritter and Jesse Eisenberg, who reunite at Vassar College after a turbulent youth.

"I play Danny, this street-talking wise guy who grew up below 14th Street in New York," Marquette said. "He grew up with the harder kids, but his parents were really rich, so he's trying to put on this whole facade. It's bullsh--, to be honest."

Durst's jump behind the camera for a theatrical release has long been rumored (see "Fred Durst: The Next Martin Scorsese?"). The director of many of his band's most famous videos, Durst has been attached to a number of movie projects. He was offered the chance to helm "Lords of Dogtown," for example — but turned it down.

The wait was worth it, argues Marquette, who says Durst's life experiences helped foster a rollicking work environment. "It was a ball, a madhouse. Really great music, great stories," Marquette said. "That guy's got more unbelievable stories than anyone I've ever met."

Just not stories the actor can share.

"He doesn't have any PG stories, not at all," Marquette laughed, adding, "It's Fred Durst!"

"The Education of Charlie Banks" does not yet have a release date.

Check out everything we've got on "The Education of Charlie Banks."

Visit Movies on MTV.com for more from Hollywood, including news, reviews, interviews and more.

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• Fred Durst
• Limp Bizkit

Axl Rose
Photo: Rob Loud/ Getty Images

Back in October, Guns N' Roses' management issued a press statement addressing the release of the band's oft-delayed, $15-million, dozen-years-in-the-making album, Chinese Democracy. It said: "The only comment at this time is that there are 13 Tuesdays left between now and the end of the year" — insinuating, it would seem, that the LP could finally see the light of day before the end of 2006.

"It will come out this year," GN'R ringmaster Axl Rose has steadfastly insisted in interviews, during press junkets and even while unwinding at parties. He said so on Eddie Trunk's radio show in May, and repeated it after his appearance at the VMAs on August 31.

Those claims are supported somewhat by the fact that the band has been gigging since the spring, both in the U.S. and abroad (see "Guns N' Roses Hint At Democracy's Arrival, Add Tour Dates"). Granted, GN'R also toured in 2002, the last time album-release speculation reached this height (see "It's Extra Official: Promoter Says GN'R Tour Totally Off"). Several tracks purported to be either from the album or demo versions of songs from it leaked in February (see "Are Guns N' Roses Finally Coming Back? The Signs Are There ..."), which may lend some credence to his statements.

Sources close to Rose have supported his assertion, and in February, even former GN'R guitarist Slash told a British radio interviewer that he thought the album would be out this year — although he said March. Online rumors speculated a November 21 release — erroneously.

With just four Tuesdays left to go — one of them being the day after Christmas — and the band's label maintaining that no release date is at hand, things are looking pretty glum for GN'R fans hoping to find Rose's magnum opus under the tree. (While Tuesday releases are the industry standard, other days are possible: In 2004, Interscope Records rush-released Eminem's Encore on a Friday in a leak-beating maneuver.)

It could still happen. But, to paraphrase one of Michael Corleone's henchmen in "Godfather II," it will be "difficult, but not impossible."

Unless an ultra-top-secret marketing plan is in the works, the album would have to be released without the major promotional push such a hot-ticket item would normally have — an approach that failed dismally with Limp Bizkit's stealthy 2005 release of The Unquestionable Truth, Pt. 1, which debuted with a thud at #24 on Billboard's album chart with just 37,000 copies sold.

None of the national retailers contacted by MTV News said they were aware of an official release date, and several major-label personnel declined even to speculate on the possibility of such a release happening before the end of this year.

One executive, Carl Severson, a former staffer at metal powerhouse Roadrunner Records who currently runs Ferret Records (and fronts metalcore act Nora), said he's reasonably confident that the album won't appear in '06. "First of all, all the print advertisements would have to be done and turned in already [as required by magazines' publication deadlines] — and someone would have leaked those," he explained. "Even if they were to do television spots, they'd have to be turning them in right now, just to get them to run the week before Christmas. If it is coming out this year, it's pathetic."

That hasn't stopped online gambling sites like Bodog.com from getting in on the guessing game. There, one can bet on whether Brad Pitt and Angeline Jolie will adopt again next year — and even what country the child will be from — and whether Chinese Democracy will hit stores "in its entirety" before the seal on 2007 is broken. As of Thursday (November 30), the odds were more or less equal.

"Basically, with wagers like this, you have to take into consideration as many sources as possible," said Bodog spokesperson Greg Godden when discussing the method by which his firm sets odds on various events. "Things like Rolling Stone, MTV News, the Billboard charts and that kind of stuff. We do offer a wager on it, with the 'Yes' option at minus-130 — which is basically the same thing as a 56-percent chance the album will be released this year."

The "No" option, he said, places minus-110 odds on the album's release, or a 52-percent chance the album will not surface. But most visitors to Bodog's site seem to "think it will come out some time this year," with most of the bets being placed favoring a 2006 release.

Others beg to differ.

"There's really no chance, bro," said José Mangin, format manager for Sirius Satellite Radio's Octane and Hard Attack channels. He considers the fact that he hasn't received an advance copy for on-air play a telling sign. "We're playing singles from albums that are coming out in February now — we were playing them in October. After all the millions of dollars the label has put into this project and this album, if it was coming out in December, I'd think they would at least want to give it proper promotion."

Of course, this is no normal album, and Axl has, in his own unique ways, been promoting the heck out of it for years, especially in the past few months. One could even argue that the album is more famous for its non-appearance than anything else.

"Everyone knows the name," said M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold, who toured Europe with GN'R this summer (and formed some five years after Rose began work on Chinese Democracy). "It's already more famous as a record that hasn't been released yet: Everyone knows of Chinese Democracy, but no one has heard it. That's kind of crazy."

Shadows said he thinks it's unlikely that Chinese Democracy will come out this year, but it may come soon. "When you've got as much money as Axl, and with as many records as he's sold, he's probably just sitting there going, 'I don't need to release this record.' It does seem closer, though. A couple years ago, when people were saying it was coming out, I knew it wasn't. But now that the demos have been leaked, and I heard [go-to mixer] Andy Wallace is mixing it — you know when you've got Andy Wallace mixing stuff, it means it's getting closer, at least."

"Will it come out? Hard to say," speculated Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello. "Axl is clearly talented ... and troubled: a combination often found among the best lead singers. If he can overcome his fears about the album's relevance or commercial prospects or whatever the underlying problem is, and just release it, then we would all be glad to hear it and can get on with our lives."

Indeed, while anticipation for the album remains remarkably high for a dozen-odd-years-in-gestation work, one wonders just how long Rose can tantalize his fans with false alarms before they stop caring.

"I'd like to say that I believe it will come out this year. But this has got to be, what, the fourth or fifth or maybe-even-more-than-that time that this has been announced as coming out," said Kelli Malella, Metal Blade Records' director of publicity and a longtime GN'R fan. "Part of me thinks, 'OK, they're touring so it's got to be coming out,' but they've done that a couple of times already. So if I put my money on it, I think it will be delayed again. I guess I've just lost hope."

Shawn Callahan, drummer for GN'R cover band Appetite for Destruction, is similarly pessimistic. "I mean, maybe there's a 50-50 chance it comes out before the end of the year, but I'm still skeptical," he sighed. "A lot of this might just be hype, but I think it remains to be seen if people will be buying this album."

And after all the buildup, how could the album not be disappointing? Mangin said the listener response to the leaked tracks (which Octane was playing before the label sent a cease-and-desist letter) was meek, at best. "It really didn't get a huge, like, 'Oh my God, this is awesome [reaction],' " he said. "No one was flooding the phone lines or the e-mails, saying they need it and they can't stop waiting for it."

"Do we really care at this point?," wondered Slipknot's Shawn "Clown" Crahan. "No disrespect, but I stopped looking at my calendar when the real [original] band was done. That was the real excitement. That was the real magic. That was the real truth. I'm kind of bored with it."

Severson agreed, adding that Axl may have tinkered the album to death.

"There's absolutely no way that it's going to be good enough to merit 10 years in the making," he said. "You know why [Axl has] changed producers [so many times]? Because the material's not good enough and he keeps trying someone who's going to fix it. He keeps trying to get the right record."

"I think after you take a certain amount of time, you might start feeling a little insecure about it," Shadows added. "You feel like it's never quite done. To me, it doesn't really matter at this point how good it is. A lot of people are going to say it wasn't worth the wait. I think it will be a great record, and I think for people to embrace it, they're just going to have to take it for what it is. It's just a rock record, and they need to listen to it like that. You can totally overthink sh--."

Of course, anything is possible with Axl Rose — including another dozen years of overthinking sh--. The album could appear tomorrow — or on Christmas Day or New Year's Eve or 2010, or never. It's hard not to think that the mystique surrounding Chinese Democracy — the thrill of anticipation, Axl's quixotic rebelliousness, the album's sheer elusiveness — is as much, if not more, of its appeal as the music.

"Axl is his own dude," Mangin said. "He's going to do what he wants. And I respect that."

• Guns N' Roses
• Limp Bizkit
• Avenged Sevenfold
• Audioslave
• Slipknot

Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst
Photo: Michael Buckner/ Getty Images

Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst has been spending a lot of time on MySpace lately.

He's been using the band's page to fire back at Limp guitarist Wes Borland, blasting him for comments he made last month regarding the rap-metal act's status — or, in Borland's mind, lack thereof. Durst has devoted sections of his MySpace blog to slamming Borland.

And now he's turned to the medium that made him famous to drive home his many points. A tame dis track called "Unacceptableinterlude" has popped up on Limp Bizkit's MySpace page. In the 57-second cut, Durst freestyle raps over a primitive drum loop and takes several shots at Black Light Burns, Borland's post-Bizkit band. He further attempts to assassinate the musician's character, chiding him for deceiving Limp fans the world over.

"Aw sh--, time to break out/ Seems like a black light's done burnt out/ Like, 'Wake me up before you go-go,' man/ It's that black light giving you that devilish tan, huh?" Durst spouts in his trademark whine. "I'm kind of glad you finally found a 'man'/ Stop making plans to manipulate fans and/ Finally stick to something you believe/ 'Cause you had us all fooled and, I'll admit, even me/ Manipulating like a crook who's arrestable/ It's unacceptable, f---ing unacceptable."

In an interview with MTV News last month, Borland said Limp Bizkit were over and that none of his future plans involved Durst, drummer John Otto, bassist Sam Rivers or turntable terrorist DJ Lethal (see "Bye Bye Bizkit? Wes Borland Says Limp Are Pretty Much Done").

"We're officially on hiatus, maybe even officially over," Borland said. He claimed he hadn't spoken to Durst in months and that he would be concentrating all his efforts on Black Light Burns, not the Bizkit. "It's kind of up in the air. No one said, 'We're done as a band.' Everyone's just doing their own thing, and [some members] don't have time for this band anymore. I haven't quit, but I've also decided to stop thinking about Limp. I'm not going to keep trying to breathe life into a dying animal. It just ground to a halt. We just basically stopped talking.

"I feel bad for the fans that [might] think something's actually going to happen with Limp [in the future]," he continued. "It's not happening. The Unquestionable Truth (Part 2)," the follow-up to 2005's ill-received The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1) EP, "is not coming out. If it does, I'd be super surprised. But you can never say never. Anything's possible. As of right now, none of my future plans include Limp Bizkit."

He has elaborated on the topic in blog musings posted to Black Light Burns' MySpace page since the interview. In one, he even said he felt 2005's Greatest Hitz collection was "a piece of crap and a waste of money."

But according to Durst, Limp Bizkit are alive and well, and it would seem at this point that Borland's no longer welcome at the "Nookie" party. "We cannot be labeled as 'a dying breed' when we are all very much alive," Durst wrote. "Do not let this nonsense go on any further. I am with you."

Calling the band his family, Durst characterized Borland as "the only person who turned his back on our family" and "left our family in a time of need" — a reference to Borland's departure in October 2001 (see "Wes Borland: Why He Left Limp Bizkit"). He returned to the fold in August 2004.

While Borland claimed he left the band for fear he was "selling out," he "was the only one pretending, the whole time supposedly, to be down with all of us and taking every single penny he could get his hands on and claims he only did it because 'it worked,' " Durst wrote.

Limp's leader said he was one of Borland's "biggest fans" but that the whole of Limp Bizkit were still grappling with the pain the guitarist's 2001 departure created for them. "We have been devastated ever since you left the first time," Durst wrote. "We gave you our hearts and our unconditional loyalty because we are all about family and will be until we are no longer living. This scar will always remind us of all of the great times we shared together with you and hopefully nothing else."

Durst added that the reason Borland may have believed Limp were in a state of permanent limbo is simple: "You don't know of any new music being made because we chose, long ago, that we would never be so naive [as] to trust you again. Everything happens for a reason, and this is no exception." The singer further revealed his plans to dedicate The Unquestionable Truth (Part 2) to Borland, "so please, find it in your heart to give it a listen — and even if you say you won't, we know you will."

But the MySpace bickering was far from over, as Borland issued his own response to Durst's denigrations. "Was I right to speak for everybody in Limp? Probably not," he admitted. "But I thought the fans deserved to know what was going on, at least from my perspective. It's hard to ever know what's really going on. I still stand behind everything I've said. [Limp] doing something is as much news to me as it is to everybody else. If Fred is making music, that's great — more power to him. But I wasn't aware."

Borland said there were a number of "unresolved issues" between himself and Durst, which "will probably never be resolved because we can't talk about them without getting angry at each other. It's really up to me to let that stuff go, to let the grudges I have towards you go, and not to constantly hold on to our past together. I want you to be happy and I want to be happy too."

Over the weekend, Durst's latest blog focused on the future of The Unquestionable Truth (Part 2), which the frontman said "will have songs that me and Ross Robinson produced with Wes on guitar as well as songs that do not have Wes on guitar."

"It will be a full-length album and not an EP," Durst said. "It will be on the more aggressive side of nature and appeal to those who feed off of the heavier side of Limp Bizkit. My vocals will resemble more of the older style of vocals on earlier albums and be much more of a 'Limp Bizkit approach' than an experimental approach, like The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1)."

Durst also said the band will be touring around the release of The Unquestionable Truth's second installment, but he provided no clues as to when the outing might surface. "I am directing my first motion picture called 'The Education of Charlie Banks' right now, and as soon as I finish that, we will hit the road," he wrote, alluding to one of multiple in-the-works film projects (see "Fred Durst: The Next Martin Scorsese?"). "In the meantime, we will release our new album, TUT2, for our family. We anticipate a warm reception once the music is exposed. I feel as if this is the one we've been waiting for."

For more on Limp Bizkit and the mixed reception to their last album, check out the feature "Limp Bizkit: What Happened?"

• Limp Bizkit

Dare to Wear

• Gwen Stefani
• Snoop Dogg
• Christina Aguilera
• Mudvayne
• Mary J. Blige

Britney And Kevin, Depp, Durst, More At "Charlie" Premiere

• Britney Spears
• Limp Bizkit

Making the Video: Limp Bizkit "Behind Blue Eyes"

• Limp Bizkit

16 Months With Limp Bizkit

• Limp Bizkit

Fred Durst And Halle Berry On The Set Of 'Behind Blue Eyes'

• Limp Bizkit

Limp Bizkit Photos

• Limp Bizkit

Metallica, Linkin Park, Limp, More Kick Off Summer Sanitarium Tour

• Metallica
• Linkin Park
• Limp Bizkit
• Deftones
• Mudvayne

Keanu Reeves, Lance Bass, Fred Durst, More On 'The Matrix Reloaded' Red Carpet

• Limp Bizkit
• Rob Zombie
• *NSYNC

• Metallica
• Avril Lavigne
• Sum 41
• Snoop Dogg
• Lisa Marie Presley

Fred Durst, John Mayer, Mary J., Jay-Z, More Honor Bono

• U2
• Limp Bizkit
• Mary J. Blige
• Jay-Z
• John Mayer