Metallica's James Hetfield
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

It has been four years since Metallica last toured North America, but in that time, the band has rocked millions of fans overseas, spending three of the last four summers playing the European festival circuit. It's not that Metallica has been snubbing its U.S. and Canadian fans — the boys just didn't have an album to promote. But now they do: Death Magnetic hits stores September 12, which means the band will be hitting the road again — this time, taking the Sword, Lamb of God, Down and Machine Head along for a 32-date tour that kicks off in late October.

"It's our first full indoor tour in America," guitarist Kirk Hammett told MTV News during a recent interview. "For the last three or four summers, we've been going over to Europe and doing all the festivals, and it looks like we just totally ignored our fans in America, but that's not the case. As a consequence, the American fans miss us, and they want their Metallica, so this will be a good homecoming for them and us."

Good things will come to those who've waited on October 21 in Glendale, Arizona, where the first leg of the trek begins. While the Sword have been tapped for the duration of the entire tour, Down — featuring former Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo — will be on the tour only through the November 23 gig in New Orleans, their hometown.

The Sword have fans in Metallica — drummer Lars Ulrich digs them. Two years ago, during a chance meeting, Ulrich told the band he'd like to have them open for Metallica. "[We were talking to Lars, and he goes], 'We're going to take you guys on tour.' And I'm just like, 'Sure. This is one hell of an ego inflator, but I'll believe it when I'm on it,' " recalled bassist Bryan Richie.

Despite earlier reports that Lamb of God had turned down an offer to open in order to focus on the recording of their next LP, the band will get in on the madness after all, starting December 1 in Seattle, when the tour's second leg kicks off. They'll be on the tour through December 20 in Oakland, California. Three weeks later, when the trek's third and final leg gets under way in Milwaukee, Machine Head will join the bill and continue on through the tour's finale, which is set for January 31 in Newark, New Jersey.

Metallica tour dates, according to their Web site:

» 10/21 - Glendale, AZ @ Jobing Arena
» 10/23 - Albquerque, NM @ Tingley Coliseum
» 10/25 - Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
» 10/26 - Des Moines, IA @ Wells Fargo Arena
» 11/1 - Portland, OR @ Rose Quarter
» 11/3 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Energy Solutions Arena
» 11/4 - Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
» 11/6 - Omaha, NE @ Qwest Center
» 11/8 - Moline, IL @ iWireless Center
» 11/9 - Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
» 11/17 - St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center
» 11/18 - Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
» 11/20 - Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
» 11/22 - Little Rock, AR @ Alltel Arena
» 11/23 - New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Arena
» 12/1 - Seattle, WA @ Key Arena
» 12/2 - Vancouver, BC @ GM Place
» 12/4 - Calgary, AB @ Pengrowth Saddledome
» 12/7 - Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
» 12/12 - Ontario, CA @ Citizens Bank Arena
» 12/13 - Fresno, CA @ Save Mart Center
» 12/15 - San Diego, CA @ Cox Arena
» 12/17 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
» 12/20 - Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
» 1/12 - Milwaukee, WI @ Bradley Center
» 1/13 - Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena
» 1/15 - Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
» 1/17 - Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
» 1/18 - Boston, MA @ TD Banknorth Center
» 1/26 - Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena
» 1/29 - Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
» 1/31 - Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center

• Metallica Find Harmony, But Aren't Stumping For Peace

• Raconteurs, Metallica More Are On Fire At The 2008 KROQ Weenie Roast In L.A.

• Metallica
• Machine Head
• Down
• Lamb of God

Britney Spears
Photo: Alexander Tamargo/ Getty Images

Britney Spears suffered a setback in her child-custody dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline during a hearing on Monday (September 17). An anticipated "secret witness" — who turned out to be one of the singer's ex-bodyguards — came forward to file a declaration to the court and make himself available to testify on "issues of nudity by Ms. Spears, drug use and safety issues involving the children post-rehab," according to his attorney Gloria Allred. Spears' attorney chose not to cross-examine Tony Barretto, so the ex-bodyguard did not take the stand, which "shocked" Allred, she said. "Since neither the court nor Ms. Spears' attorney chose to examine our client from the witness stand regarding the particulars of his highly explosive and relevant declaration, it stands unrefuted and unchallenged," Allred told reporters outside the courthouse. However, contents of that declaration were not made public Monday, nor were the court's minutes from the closed hearing, so there's no word on how the declaration was received. Federline's attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan told reporters he didn't see a quick end to the custody dispute, since the next hearing isn't set until November 26, with another court date to follow in December. "I don't see it being resolved before that time," he said. To make matters worse for Spears, she lost two members of her team on Monday. Attorney Laura Wasser is no longer providing her with legal representation in the custody battle, Wasser confirmed to MTV News — the singer has new representation in Marci Levine, according to Levine's office. Shortly after Wasser threw in the towel, Spears' management company, the Firm, quit as well, according to People. "It saddens us to confirm media reports that we have terminated our professional relationship with Britney Spears," read the statement. "We believe Britney is enormously talented and has made a terrific record, but current circumstances have prevented us from properly doing our job. We wish Britney the best." ...

Meanwhile, the level of absurdity surrounding the Spears/Federline saga has reached a new height. As the former spouses' custody battle continued in Los Angeles Superior Court, another story started to unravel outside the courthouse: that of an alleged contract hit on Federline's life. According to the FBI's Los Angeles office, a "non-specific," "low-credibility" and "uncorroborated" threat on Federline's life was received. "Since there was no federal jurisdiction, we shared the information with the local authorities," FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller told MTV News. "We take every threat seriously. But there was no specificity, no corroboration, and it could not be substantiated." The LAPD, who seemed to take the threat a little less seriously, laughed when asked about it, telling MTV News, "We do not have a current investigation." Federline's rep had no official comment, but his lawyer told reporters outside the courthouse on Monday, "Until I see what the alleged threat was, I can't speak to that." ...

Dave Grohl has opened up to U.K. newspaper The Guardian about the death of his former Nirvana bandmate Kurt Cobain. "Kurt dying shocked me into running away from music for a while," he divulged. "I started Foo Fighters because I didn't want to retreat. I couldn't imagine joining another band and sitting behind the drum set, because I would always think about Krist [Novoselic] and Kurt." Grohl also revealed that while one of the Foos' earliest songs, "I'll Stick Around," was not directed at Cobain's ex-wife, Courtney Love, he wouldn't be surprised if similar comparisons are made over "Let It Die." The song, featured on the Foos' new album, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, features the lyric "A simple man and his blushing bride/ Intravenous, intertwined." The tune was "written about feeling helpless to someone else's demise," Grohl said. "I've seen people lose it all to drugs and heartbreak and death. It's happened more than once in my life, but the one that's most noted is Kurt. And there are a lot of people that I've been angry with in my life, but the one that's most noted is Courtney. So it's pretty obvious to me that those correlations are gonna pop up every now and again. I still remain a little secretive about it all." ...

Even at Sunday night's Emmys, where he wasn't nominated for anything, Kanye West couldn't win. The rapper notorious for loudly expressing his award-show-freeze-out frustrations playfully lampooned his sore-loser reputation during a skit in which actor Rainn Wilson ("The Office") beat Kanye at a game of "Don't Forget the Lyrics" based on 'Ye's song "Stronger," with the loser doomed to retiring from show business. After West slipped up and sang "that's how long I've been on you," comedian Wayne Brady joked that Mr. West picked "the wrong time to speak properly," pointing out that the lyric ends with the words "on ya." A smiling West exclaimed, "I never win!" The consolation? West had a front-row seat for the Los Angeles ceremony, right next to multiple winner Tony Bennett. Later on in the evening, he popped over to Justin Timberlake's concert at the Staples Center for a rendition of West's "Stronger," according to TMZ.com. ...

The stars of "High School Musical" are still in negotiations for a third flick, Corbin Bleu told People magazine. "Truthfully as long as it's a good script and as long as everybody is being paid fairly, I would be more than happy to go and have one last hurrah," he said. The 18-year-old actor also revealed that he's never actually been to an "HSM" premiere due to various scheduling conflicts. ... Comic book fan Ghostface Killah is partnering with Adult Swim for a free tour set to hit college campuses next month. The trek, which will feature Witchdoctor as the opening act, will begin October 1 at the State University of New York in Albany and run through an October 19 gig at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Indie-rockers ... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead and Dethlok — the once-fictional animated band featured on the Adult Swim program "Metalocalypse" — are joining forces for a separate free trek, but shows have not been announced beyond the October 29 start date. ...

Will Ferrell isn't your typical actor, so it makes sense he wouldn't be your typical charity donor either — he's raising money for a friend's cancer foundation by auctioning a cameo spot in his new flick, The Associated Press reports. Online bidding for an appearance in "Step Brothers" began Monday and ends September 26, and the opening bid was $5,000. The winner will be announced September 27; get to meet with Ferrell at the Cancer for College golf tournament dinner at Temecula Creek Inn in Temecula, California; and shoot a scene with the actor in October. The proceeds will go to Craig Pollard's Cancer for College foundation — Pollard and Ferrell were fraternity brothers at the University of Southern California. ...

Apparently Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor plans to disband the group's current lineup following the final gig on its current tour, which is set for Tuesday in Honolulu. Reznor told Honolulu's Star-Bulletin that he wants "to switch things around a bit." Nine Inch Nails, he said, "as a rock band configuration [has] done it and we've done it again. I see other ways I can present the material in concert, more challenging, something new. I don't want it to go stale." The band has been touring together for more than two years and currently includes drummer Josh Freese, guitarist Aaron North, bassist Jeordie White and keyboardist Alessandro Cortini. ... Marilyn Manson is teaming up with a French family-run distillery, Matter-Luginbuehl, to produce thousands of bottles of his own brand of absinthe, called "Mansinthe." Production on the line started last month, and so far, 6,000 bottles have been made. No word on when "Mansinthe" will be commercially available, or for that matter, where. ... Former Evanescence members Ben Moody and David Hodges have collaborated with Celine Dion for a track slated to appear on the singer's forthcoming Taking Chances LP, due November 13. The duo wrote and produced one track for Dion, called "This Time." ...

Live Nation, which runs the House of Blues chain, has either canceled or moved to alternate venues five heavy-metal concerts previously scheduled at House of Blues clubs located on Walt Disney Co. property in Anaheim, California, and Orlando, Florida, according to the Los Angeles Times. In Anaheim, a gig that had been booked two months earlier and was set to feature Machine Head, Arch Enemy, Throwdown and Sanctity on September 7 was moved to a different venue; a show that was supposed to feature Cannibal Corpse, the Black Dahlia Murder, the Red Chord and the Absence on September 13 was also shifted to a different club; and Obituary's planned September 26 concert has been canceled. Two other shows, scheduled for the House of Blues in Orlando, have been moved as well. John Vlautin, vice president of communications for Live Nation, said in a statement that "House of Blues offers a range of entertainment to match the audience at our venues. It was determined that the mix of entertainment at our two Disney locations should be different from our other venues." ...

After months of delays, the free-download site SpiralFrog finally launched on Monday, offering users the chance to choose from more than 700,000 songs and 3,500 videos from a number of independent labels and Universal Music Group acts like Amy Winehouse, Timbaland, Rihanna and Fall Out Boy. The ad-supported site requires users to wait 90 seconds while downloading tracks and sign in every month to answer some questions about their buying habits. Unfortunately for iPod users, the site doesn't work with the biggest-selling MP3 player, and users can't burn the songs onto CDs.

09.14.07

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.

• Kanye Lectures On The Importance Of Graduation

• Kanye West
• Justin Timberlake
• Nine Inch Nails
• Celine Dion
• Machine Head

Atreyu
Photo: Hollywood Records

Atreyu singer Alex Varkatzas used to deal with severe anxiety by taking antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication including Lexapro and Klonopin, which helped him work and tour without suffering from panic attacks. However, for the writing and recording of Atreyu's new album Lead Sails Paper Anchor, Varkatzas went cold turkey and let his emotional upheaval inform the band's songs even more directly. Of course, as any psychiatric worker will tell you, being off your meds can have its drawbacks as well.

"I lose my mind a couple times a day now," Varkatzas admitted. "But I try to deal with my emotions instead of hiding behind them, and that's something that's new for me. In the past, I always used to drink or take a pill. Now I'm learning to cope with reality."

One of Varkatzas' main coping methods these days is writing lyrics, which is partially why new tracks like "Honor," "Can't Happen Here" and first single "Becoming the Bull" are so fraught with tension and aggression. But while Varkatzas is raging as hard as ever, he's no longer ranting about getting dumped or betrayed. Instead, he's addressing larger issues such as war, self-empowerment and the importance of family.

"I'm dealing with grown-up stuff now lyrically because that's what's going on in my life," he said. "I'm 25 now. I bought a condo, so I'm dealing with the responsibilities of being a homeowner. I just had my grandpa pass away when I was on tour, and it was horrible that he was dying and I couldn't go home. There was nothing I could do about it, and I had to learn to accept that."

In addition to maturing as a lyricist, Varkatzas has branched out as a singer. With the help of vocal coach Ron Anderson and an awful lot of persistence, Varkatzas is no longer leaving all the melodic parts up to drummer Brandon Saller. Sure, Saller's honey-sweet voice washes through many of the choruses, but Varkatzas has learned to carry a tune as well, and now offers a variety of voices including a more powerful roar ("Can't Happen Here"), pained croon ("Lead Sails [And a Paper Anchor]") and Vince Neil-style yowl ("Blow").

"This is the most nervous I think I've ever been for a record," Varkatzas admitted. "I wanted to do something different and to live up to my potential, so I worked really hard to be able to handle the singing parts. I'm still not a natural singer, but when I set my mind to something, I refuse to take no for an answer."

Various stylistic nuances also contribute to the album's fresh feel. "Falling Down" is a shuffling romp that sounds like a metallic Green Day with horns; "Becoming the Bull" is embellished with industrial effects; and "Slow Burn" features pedal-steel guitar.

"This album isn't just about guitars, bass, drums and vocals," Saller said. "There are strings, opera vocals, hand claps, mandolins, Turkish saz — anything we could think of that seemed cool at the time."

Contributing to the diversity of the album was producer John Feldmann (Goldfinger, the Used), who encouraged Atreyu to push their boundaries and take chances. "He really helped us with our structuring, and figuring out what works and what didn't, and bringing a different set of ideas to our band than we would normally have," Varkatzas said. "But we put in a lot of really long and hard days. He'd make me come up with lyrics on the spot and push me so hard. I would work my ass off and try as hard as I could, and then John would go, 'You know, that's good, but you can do better.' But that pushing helped us all get to new levels on this record."

In the end, Atreyu created their most diverse and ambitious album — a disc that should shatter the metalcore box they've been forced into and help earn them a new following that appreciates good, challenging music. At the same time, many of the elements on Lead Sails Paper Anchor are poppier than past excursions — occasionally bordering on Linkin Park territory.

"This is definitely a metal record, but there's more to it as well," Saller said. "There are rock and roll, punk and even almost dance aspects. But in essence, it's a true Atreyu record. This is where we come from. This is what we are."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Machine Head's upcoming U.S. tour will be light one member. Bassist Adam Duce will miss the fall run after breaking his leg while dirt-bike riding in Redding, California. At first, doctors thought Duce had merely sprained the limb, but X-rays later confirmed the break. The injury required surgery that involved attaching a steel plate and two screws to the broken bone. Machine Head — who are in the final stages of selecting Duce's temporary replacement — will kick off their tour September 7 in Anaheim, California, and bring it to a close October 12 in Hollywood. ... Lamb of God throat specialist Randy Blythe makes a guest appearance on Overkill's next one, Immortalis, which is slated for an October 9 release. According to a statement from the band, Blythe "stepped in to give the track 'Skull and Bones' the ultimate hellish vocal-duet vibe." ... Exodus will release The Atrocity Exhibition ... Exhibit A in late October. The disc boasts nine cuts, including "Riot Act," "Children of a Worthless God" and "The Garden of Bleeding." ...

First they were calling themselves Inflikted. But now the new band — featuring Sepultura founders Max and Igor Cavalera, along with Gojira frontman Joe Duplantier on bass and Soulfly's Marc Rizzo on guitar — will go by the moniker the Cavalera Conspiracy. The band is in the process of tracking its debut LP in Los Angeles and hopes to have it ready in time for an early 2008 release through Roadrunner. ... Nebula, Les Breastfeeders and Bonk will team up for a North American tour set to kick off September 28 in Whistler, British Columbia. The trek, called "Rock de National," runs through November 10 in Los Angeles. ... On October 22, Swedish-metal minstrels Opeth will release The Roundhouse Tapes, a two-disc live set captured during the band's November 9 performance at the Roundhouse in Camden, London. The collection will include live versions of Opeth classics like "Under the Weeping Moon," "Bleak" and "Demon of the Fall." ...

Droid are no longer opening the main stage on the Family Values Tour — they're now closing the fest's second stage. ... Colorado's Planes Mistaken for Stars are throwing in the proverbial towel but plan on going out in style with a spate of to-be-announced farewell shows. In a statement, the band blamed the split on "financial strain" and "family obligations," before adding that "we just felt it was time. Our love for each other and our music has not diminished. It will always be there." ... Fear Before the March of Flames will hit the road this fall with Circa Survive and Ours for a series of 34 live gigs. The first is scheduled for October 10 in Worcester, Massachusetts, and the last for November 25 in Cleveland. ...

Dutch death-metal act Prostitute Disfigurement have finished work on their next studio outing, the aptly titled Descendants of Depravity. The set will feature nine fresh songs, including "The Sadist King and the Generalissimo of Pain," "Killing for Company" and "Fatal Fornication." ... German black-metallers Dark Fortress have found themselves a new frontman in Morean, best known for his work with Noneuclid. "Our decision is based on his immense musical and vocal abilities ... and dedication to extreme and dark music," the band said in a statement. "He will be responsible for the lyrical concept of the forthcoming album, which will be completely finished by the end of October. Expect a worldwide release via Century Media Records in early 2008, followed by increased live activities." The band's previous singer, Azathoth, left back in May, citing personal reasons. ... Norwegian death-metal outfit Chain Collector — which features Carpathian Forest guitarist Gøran Boman — will release their sophomore LP, Unrestrained, on October 22 in Europe. There's no word yet on when — or if — the disc will see an American release yet, but expect it to feature "Your Halo of Thorns," "Bringer of Sins" and "As the Play Unfolds." ...

Sometimes band breakups can be confusing or overly dramatic. In the case of Austrian extremists Pungent Stench, it's both. According to drummer Alex Wank, the band's split was "very sudden and sad," and he blames the internal strife on singer Martin Schirenc. Wank claimed in a statement that Schirenc is "jealous about my work for the Stench." Tension between the two now puts the future of the Stench's upcoming LP in doubt, as Schirenc has vowed to stop playing live gigs and working on the record. "I think the band has come to an end and there won't be any future live activities, which is sad," the drummer said. "This was always the most important thing with Pungent Stench, at least for me, and I think our supporters honored that in coming to our shows and let us feel good. I am very sorry that this unique project has come to an end." ... French black-metal act Blut Aus Nord have posted a new track, "The Sounds of the Universe," on their MySpace page. The cut is from the group's Odinist, which hits stores October 22. ... Rwake and Total F---ing Destruction will head out in October for a brief 10-date run of shows. The first takes place in Atlanta on October 5 and the last date is scheduled for October 14 in Chicago. ...

Reunited grindcore trailblazers Brutal Truth have started writing material for their forthcoming LP, which will be released through Relapse. So far, the boys have finished six new songs, which bassist Danny Lilker said in a statement "are shaping up to be some of the most intense sh-- we've ever written. After eight years, it feels damn good to write some really psychotic grind, and we've jumped right into the deep end of the pool." ... Bury Your Dead have lined up a headlining fall tour with support acts Bring Me the Horizon, Ion Dissonance and Nights Like These. The trek launches September 21 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and runs through October 20 in Tampa, Florida. ... Dates are still being confirmed for a fall tour that will see Jesu and Torche teaming up. Things will get started in Washington, D.C., on October 18, and so far, gigs are booked through October 30 in Lawrence, Kansas. More dates will be announced in the coming weeks. ... As Cities Burn have been tapped as the support act for Dredg's upcoming tour, which begins September 20 in Reno, Nevada, and runs through October 7 in Los Angeles.

• Atreyu
• Dark Fortress
• Brutal Truth
• Machine Head
• Lamb of God

Machine Head
Photo: Roadrunner Records

When Machine Head needed some extra throats to help supply backup vocals for the track "Clenching the Fists of Dissent," instead of calling up some of his heavy-metal comrades, frontman Robert Flynn bought some booze instead.

"We had a bunch of our fans come down a few weeks ago, and we just had a big party and invited them down to the studio to sing on the record," he explained of the track, which will appear on the band's forthcoming "unconventional" album The Blackening. "It was a really cool night. We just busted out a ton of vodka and a ton of beer and got everybody all hammered. The fans are the reason we're still here. They went out there and made a huge statement when our last record [2003's Through the Ashes of Empires] came out, and proved to the world that we're here for good."

And because Flynn appreciates his disciples' support so much, he sticks up for them when they're attacked. Take the tune "Aesthetics of Hate," inspired by an article called "Aesthetics of Hate: R.I.P. Dimebag Abbott, & Good Riddance," for instance. The article, written by William Grim for the conservative Web site the Iconoclast, basically kicked fans of the slain Pantera guitarist while they were down, just days after he was killed onstage. The song is a "f--- you" to Grim, from Flynn.

"It basically said that Dime was untalented and that he reaped what he sowed," the singer said about the article. (Grim called Abbott "an ignorant, barbaric, untalented possessor of a guitar" who looks "more simian than human" and "part of a generation that has confused sputum with art and involuntary reflex actions with emotion"). "It's one thing to have an opinion about an artist, but the thing that was the most offensive to me was how it then went on to cast this huge generalization over the metal community, calling us pathetic for mourning his death. He called us all ugly and fat. I wanted to punch the f---ing computer screen when I read that article."

Machine Head have spent the last month in the studio tracking The Blackening, which Flynn said should be out in late March. He called the album, which the band began writing material for more than a year ago, its "most ambitious" one to date.

"We really didn't want to play it safe on this record," he explained. "We kind of came back from the dead with Through the Ashes, and the safest thing we could've done would've been to just stay in [that] vein and try to keep that formula because it worked last time. Not that there was a formula really. We just started writing and the music that we were writing just started going in this far more complex, intricate and layered direction. It's not like we sat there and intentionally did it. It just kind of [happened]. Pretty soon we ended up having 10-minute-long songs. But the thing that's really cool about it is, we're not just jamming on three riffs for 10 minutes. This is molten riffage — just 20, 30 crushing riffs per song."

Flynn said Machine Head were on a Rush kick (particularly 1977's A Farewell to Kings) during the writing of The Blackening, and even took a few cues from the Canadian prog-rock icons.

"The one thing that they did is that they'd have these long songs that constantly had a continuing theme throughout them," he said. "The songs always reverted back to this one melody or this one hook — and that kept it in the context of a song so that ultimately, it wasn't just riff soup for 10 minutes. It kind of had some things that took you on a journey and then brought you back to something familiar. And that's something that we really started to try and bring into the mix. We'd have these long songs, but then we'd go back to these choruses or these hooks, but in a different context. The more we did it, the more we got excited about it. For whatever reason, it's worked."

Machine Head plan to begin mixing the album next week with Colin Richardson (Fear Factory, Sepultura) and will shoot a video for the album's first single next month. As for touring, Flynn said there's a big announcement on the way. He claims they'll be touring from February through April "on a huge tour we're super-excited about." Flynn said Machine Head will spend most of 2007 on the road.

The rest of the week's metal news:

Massachusetts metalheads Shadows Fall have chosen Threads of Life as the title for their forthcoming major-label debut, which should be out in March. The band has been working on the follow-up to 2006's Fallout From the War for more than a month now with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Stone Sour) at Foo Fighter Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Northridge, California. ... Type O Negative's forthcoming album, also expected to drop early next year, now has a title as well: Dead Again. The band has no extensive tour plans yet to support the album but will perform January 21 at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California. ... Laethora — a Swedish death/grind group featuring Dark Tranquillity guitarist Niklas Sundin and Provenance guitarist Joakim Rosen, bassist Jonnie Tall and drummer Joel Lindell — will release their album March of the Parasite February 20. Described by Sundin as "extreme and in-your-face, but organic rather than clinical-sounding," the disc features 10 tracks, including "Clothing for the Dead," "Parasite" and "Warbitrary." Songs for the disc were written over the past five years, and the bulk of the album was recorded at Gesperrt Studios in Gothenburg and produced by Rosen during spring and summer 2005. Although Sundin worked on the Laethora disc at the same time Dark Tranquillity were working on their upcoming LP, he says there were no scheduling problems. "There's no pressure or any urgent deadlines with Laethora, so we simply work whenever there is time available. If a song takes one or three months to complete, it isn't really such a big concern." ...

Ex-Faith No More guitarist Trey Spruance has created the soundtrack for "The Anna Cabrini Chronicles," a partially animated, bleak, surreal film about the motivations behind three suicides. The movie was written, directed, animated and edited by newcomer Tawd B. Dorenfeld, and Spruance worked on the chaotic soundtrack for the past two years. Instead of submitting the movie to this year's film festivals, Dorenfeld scheduled a screening tour in cities that Truance played with his band Secret Chiefs 3. Dorenfeld is currently seeking distribution for the movie, which is also available for purchase via annacabrini@polymorphproductions.com. ... Drummer Shannon Lucas has decided to leave All That Remains, although no official explanation for his departure has been offered. In his place, the band has temporarily recruited Tim Yeung (Hate Eternal), who will man the kit for ATR's current tour. Interested in becoming the band's full-time replacement? Reach out to ATR via their MySpace page. ...

Losing one member's tough enough — but when you lose four, that's just insane. But that's exactly what happened to Kayo Dot this week, leaving the experimental band with just three members strong. No additional information on the shakeup has been released yet. ... In Flames have enlisted former touring guitarist Niklas Engelin to temporarily take over for Jesper Strömblad, who had to return home to Sweden recently to settle some personal matters. ... Black-metal warriors Watain have signed to Season of Mist, and the label will release the band's forthcoming third LP in Europe in March. According to a press release, "those who experienced Watain onstage can witness a blood-soaked, rusty metallic machinery embodying every aspect of the traditional satanic black-metal cult, reliving and taking further the sinister legacy of Venom, Hellhammer and Mayhem. But believe us when we say, 'You have seen nothing yet!' " We're not sure we know what that means, but Watain still rule. ... Starkweather's 1994 album, Crossbearer, and 1997's Into the Wire will be reissued January 23 as a double disc. Both albums feature bonus material, like rare singles, compilation tracks, outtakes and unreleased demos. ...

Note to Fear Before the March of Flames bassist Mike Madruga: Watch where you swing that thing. Frontman David Marion was clocked in the face with the bass' tuning pegs during the band's San Diego stop last week on the Radio Rebellion Tour. Marion was knocked unconscious and awoke a little while later, discovering that he had sustained a large hole in one of his cheeks. The band finished its set and Marion was transported by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment. ... Proving a kick-ass name isn't enough to hold a band together, the Abominable Iron Sloth announced this week that they've decided to split up. The band featured ex-members of Will Haven and Oddman, and its mastermind, Justin Godfrey, explained in a press release that, "I've had enough. I've been doing this for three years now and I'm tired of trying to beg people to tour Europe with me, so I'm going to focus on my other forms of art that don't require commitment from other human beings." ... Technical death deliverers Odious Mortem have inked a deal with Willowtip Records and will begin work on their forthcoming album, Cryptic Implosion, this month. The disc is slated for an early 2007 release and will feature 11 tracks, including "The Endless Regression of Mind," "Gestation of Worms" and "Collapse of Recreation." ...

The Seattle Metal Fest makes its triumphant return this year after a three-year break. Scheduled for January 20, the bill will boast Overkill, God Forbid, Destruction, Into Eternity, Goatwhore, the Human Abstract, Mnemic and Arsis. ... Israeli-born black-metal band Melechesh will release their third album, Emissaries, January 23. Tracks include "Rebirth of the Nemesis (Enuma Elish Rewritten)," "Ladders to Sumeria" and "Touching the Spheres of Sephiroth." Described by the band as a "collection of Sumerian spells, Mesopotamian mysticism and its cosmic connection," the album marks the recording debut for drummer Xul. Emissaries is the follow-up to Sphynx, which came out in 2004. ... Atlanta death-metal band Daath will release their debut album, The Hinderers, January 30. The disc was produced by ex-Death and Testament guitarist James Murphy and mixed by Colin Richardson. Tracks include "Ovum," "Under a Somber Sign" and "Above Lucium." Daath will tour with Cattle Decapitation and Goatwhore from November 17 in Austin, Texas, through December 10 in Ogden, Utah. ...

Colombian death-metal band Goretrade will release their second offering, Perception of Hate, November 28. "Impregnate With Deceit," "Righteous Retribution" and "Ritual of Flesh" are among the nine blood-drenched cuts. For trivia buffs, Ritual of Flesh was the title of the band's 2003 ultra low-fi debut. ... Boston post-hardcore quintet Vanna are in Seattle's Robert Lange Studios working on their debut album with producer Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Norma Jean). The band will record through the end of November and mix in December. Vanna hope to release the album, the follow-up to this year's The Search Party Never Came EP, in April. ... Brighton, Massachusetts, melodic thrash band Burn in Silence have released the video for "Lines From an Epitaph," from their current album Angel Maker. The clip was inspired by various horror movies and can be viewed here. Burn in Silence will launch a tour with Misery Index, Yakuza and Intronaut on November 22 in Akron, Ohio. The trek runs through December 2 in Kingston, Rhode Island.

• Machine Head
• Shadows Fall

Converge
Photo: J. Bennett/ Epitaph Records

Converge don't ascribe to the old punk axiom "kill your idols" — they just think you should maim them a bit. The Boston band's upcoming album No Heroes is a harsh declaration of individuality that stems in part from being called pioneers of a wave of post-hardcore and metalcore outfits.

"Any time we see our name associated with a band as a selling point, we bum out," singer Jacob Bannon said, shortly after Converge finished touring as part of this year's Sounds of the Underground tour. "You should make your own way. Do something interesting. Have your actual art speak for itself."

Converge's music doesn't just speak for itself — it roars like a 6 a.m. wakeup call from a jackhammer. Other bands may be as loud or discordant, but few are as gloriously unhinged. The group's No Heroes, which comes out October 24, is more straightforward than 2004's You Fail Me, but it's also heavier. Whether trading off between lumbering riffs and punishing blast beats ("Heartache"), combining tumbling rhythms with Fugazi-style screams ("Trophy Scars") or dragging melancholy textures and melodic vocals through a scalding sea of tar ("Grim Heart/ Black Rose"), Converge are consistently more innovative and unsettling than most of their contemporaries.

"There are so many bands that are so loud but say absolutely nothing," Bannon said. "When I was a kid and I skated every day, when you saw someone like that, you called them a poser. They walk the walk but don't talk to talk, and I see so much of that in today's music scene. It's really discouraging because I'm a music lover and a listener."

One reason No Heroes is so crushing and urgent, Bannon says, is because the band didn't over-think things in the studio. Sure, over the past year, the band was meticulous about writing the new songs, but when it was time to record, many of the tunes were tracked in their entirety in just one or two takes.

"We really don't like putting too many things together on a computer or a tape machine if we don't have to," Bannon said. "We're all about the live, organic feel and there's an amazing energy that comes forth when you record like that."

Another way Converge kept No Heroes undiluted was by keeping everything in the family. Instead of hiring a producer, they put their faith in guitarist Kurt Ballou, who works as a professional producer and engineer when he's not with Converge.

"We've always practiced in his studio, but now we recorded there as well," Bannon said. "We just figured if lots of other bands can come to him for guidance, then we should trust him as well. And it worked out great. There was no pressure and no deadlines. We just did it all ourselves."

Despite their challenging sound, Converge — who always seem to be on the road — have cultivated a loyal following over the years. And while their music probably won't bring them the kind of success enjoyed by the dozens of bands they've inspired, Bannon says that, as long as they can keep their audiences happy, that's perfectly fine with them.

"We know we're not easy to digest," Bannon said. "We're a band that you need to spend time with to really understand what we are. Without that, we're a big barrage of noise. And as long as some people know there's a little bit more to us than that, we'll keep doing what we're doing."

Converge will be on tour with Mastodon and the Bronx this fall, starting September 6 in Baltimore, with dates scheduled through September 30 in San Diego.

The rest of the week's metal news:

Unearth, Bleeding Through, Terror and Through the Eyes of the Dead will hit the road together in September for the Sanctity of Brothers tour. The trek will kick off in Cleveland on September 7, with dates scheduled through September 30 in Worcester, Massachusetts. ... Long-running metallers Machine Head will head into Oakland, California's Sharkbite Studios on Monday to begin recording their sixth studio LP, The Blackening. The album is being primed for an early 2007 release. Frontman and guitarist Robert Flynn will produce the effort, which will feature "Clenching the Fists of Dissent," "Aesthetics of Hate," "Halo," "The Beautiful Mourning," "Now I Lay Thee Down," "Slanderous Love" and "A Farewell to Arms." "Words can't really describe how excited we are to get into the studio and record this record," drummer Dave McClain said in a statement issue by the band's label, Roadrunner Records. "The shows that we just played on the Sounds of the Underground tour were as amazing as we'd hoped they'd be, [and] the raw energy and excitement level of our fans right now is just incredible. We're fired up." ... Shadows Fall will commence pre-production for their yet-untitled major-label debut next week, with plans to begin recording the CD in Los Angeles next month, according to an online update from drummer Jason Bittner. "That means the new record will definitely make it on the shelves by early 2007," he wrote on the band's site. ...

Ex-Vision of Disorder and current Bloodsimple frontman Tim Williams has also posted an update on his band. "We've been hitting the studio daily," he wrote. "Last week was actually really productive. We cranked out three more songs and that brings the total to 14 new songs. Tales of heartache, pain and loss — some good old-fashioned hatecore to the extreme. We are gonna have you spitting out your own teeth in no time." The band is once again working with producer Machine (Bloodsimple's Cruel World, Lamb of God) on the disc. Look for the album early next year. ... Defunct melodic-death-metal pioneers At the Gates' 1995 LP Slaughter of the Soul will be reissued September 19 as a DualDisc CD/DVD. Look for it to include a making-of documentary along with a video for the track "Blinded by Fear." ... Cradle of Filth are planning to hit the road in the new year in support of their upcoming album Thornography, which is due in stores October 17. Official tour dates and information regarding the trek's opening acts will be revealed in the next few months, according to a spokesperson for the band. ... Dark Tranquility are in the throes of writing new material for the next LP and have demoed between 10 and 11 tracks thus far. The effort will be produced by Tue Madsen (Panzerchrist, Mnemic) and will feature "Blind at Heart," "The Lesser Faith" and "Insignificu--." ...

On Tuesday, Celtic Frost wrapped shooting on the video for "A Dying God Coming Into Human Flesh," which should be set for air next month. ... With DevilDriver unable to make Venom's rescheduled tour dates, New Orleans black-metallers Goatwhore have stepped up to take their place. Dates are scheduled from Thursday in Tempe, Arizona, through September 8 in Philadelphia. In related news, Goatwhore shot a video in New York earlier this month for the track "Alchemy" with director David Brodsky (Strapping Young Lad, the Red Chord); the song appears on the band's forthcoming disc, A Haunting Curse, which hits stores September 5. The album will feature a dozen tracks, including "Bloodletting Upon the Cloven Hoof," "My Eyes Are the Spears of Chaos" and "Silenced Marked by the Breaking of Bone." The 'Whore will tour with Celtic Frost this fall, starting in San Francisco on October 3. ... German power-metal titans Grave Digger have begun work on their next album, Liberty or Death. The album's set for a January 12 release. ...

Canadian post-grindcore extremists the End are also in the studio, beginning work on their next full-length. Says frontman Aaron Wolff: "There was a very conscious effort to create the album that people won't be able to predict and won't get tired of. We truly feel that there is something in this record for anyone, as long as they are willing to let themselves forget about everything around them and focus on where the sound takes them. We are extremely happy with the progress we have made thus far." Look for the yet-untitled outing early next year. ... Austrian extreme-death band Belphegor have lost drummer Nefastus, although he'll be featured on the band's upcoming album Pestapokalypse VI, set to hit stores October 31. With Nefastus gone, the rest of the band's in need of a replacement. Interested? Visit the group's Web site, Belphegor.at, for all the pertinent details. ... The lineup for next spring's Maryland Deathfest V is starting to take shape. The annual metal convention, set for May 26 and 27 in Baltimore, will feature Brutal Truth, Cripple Bastards, Origin, Nunwhore Commando 666, Exhale and Putrescence.

• Converge
• Machine Head
• At The Gates
• Unearth

Machine Head
Photo: Roadrunner Records

For Machine Head frontman Robert Flynn, the idea of releasing a DVD — as the band did just a couple of months back in the form of "Elegies" — was something the group had long resisted.

"We just never felt like, with the budgets we were being given, that we could do something that would do what we wanted to do," said Flynn, fresh from last week's Roadrunner United concert. "We wanted to have something we felt represented the band, that captured the band the right way. If we do something, it has to be done right. We want to be able to stand behind the things we put out. If we can't, we just don't put it out."

"Elegies" is something Machine Head are proud of — Flynn said it's already become Roadrunner's bestselling DVD after Slipknot's 2002 release "Disasterpieces." The DVD features tons of live footage captured at London's Brixton Academy a little more than a year ago, as well as "life-on-the-road bits and segments with us being just the stupidest people you've seen in your life, drunk out of our minds." But what Flynn's perhaps most satisfied with is the DVD's documentary, "The Making of Through the Ashes of Empires," which focuses on the band's 2003 album. The segment chronicles one of the toughest times in Machine Head's history, he said — and the response from fans has been overwhelming.

"After our fourth album, [2001's] Supercharger, we negotiated off of Roadrunner, and were unsigned for two years," he explained. "We were basically rejected by every label in the business. Thirty here in the States rejected us. For a while there, it looked like we would never be a band again. But we worked out a deal [with Roadrunner International] and [the album] ended up coming out in Europe and it exploded. Four months later, a lot of the labels that passed on us were like, 'Hey. What's going on? That record is so good.' And I'm like, 'The one we sent you four months ago? Yeah, it is.' "

In time Machine Head would re-sign with Roadrunner, ending years of uncertainty, but the film on "Elegies" documents the band's struggles in finding a label home and the internal strife that unfolded within the group during that period.

"For the four of us, it's a tough section to watch," Flynn admitted. "It's brutally honest with moments that I watch and I just cringe. It's tough for me to watch, but we've always maintained an extra honest relationship with our fans."

The rest of the week's metal news:

New York hardcore legends Shelter have inked a deal with Good Life Recordings to release the tentatively titled Eternal next year — the band's first album since 2001's The Purpose, the Passion. According to Good Life's Web site, the disc will feature 11 tracks, including a reworking of "In Defense of Reality," which first appeared on 1995's Quest for Certainty. ... The Esoteric recently shot their forthcoming "Your New Burden" video in Palm Springs, California, with director Matt Bass (Black Dahlia Murder, Nonpoint) behind the lens. The band's about to hit the road with Scarlet, Calico System and Fight Paris for a 43-date tour that kicks off January 13 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Dates run through February 25 in Washington, Illinois. ... On March 14, Type O Negative will issue "Symphony for the Devil (The World of Type O Negative)," a DVD featuring live footage shot back in 1999 at Germany's Bizarre Festival, as well as behind-the-scenes material and other goodies. The DVD will also boast a CD single featuring a six-minute medley of the Santana songs "Evil Ways," "Oye Como Va" and "Black Magic Woman." ... Indianapolis thrash band Demiricious will release their debut album, One, January 24. The disc was produced by Zeuss and includes "Repentagram," "Perfection and the Infection" and "To Serve Is to Destroy." On December 17 the band shot a video for "Vagrant Idol" with producer Dale Resteghini in Queens, New York — it takes a stab at corporate corruption and features disgruntled workers destroying a luxury car. ... Left Hand Pathology, the full-length debut by Swedish grindcore kings General Surgery, will drop sometime this spring. Look for the album to feature "Fulguration," "Necrodecontamination" and "Convivial Corpse Disposal Methodology." ...

Ibex, which features members of Yakuza and erstwhile metallers Corpse Vomit, have posted three demo on MySpace: "Lessons in Deception," "Fall of the Savior" and "Stillborn Amputee." The band's expected to hit the studio soon to record with producer Neil Kernon (Nevermore, Deicide). ... Ex-Amen bassist John "Tumor" Fahnestock and former Gwar merch salesman/ singer Crazy White Sean are gearing up for the release of the debut album by their new band KCUF, which should be out early next year. Modern Primitive features guest appearances by System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian, Slipknot DJ Sid Wilson and Korn guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer, who also produced two tracks. ... Dutch death-metallers Pyaemia have parted ways. The band, in a statement, said drummer Robbert Vrijenhoek has been unable to recover from a wrist injury he suffered some time ago. "Some of you may have guessed we are not willing to work with anybody else but Robbert and thus have no way to go on for the moment and most likely for quite some time to come," the statement read. "We have decided to pull the plug." ... Canadian power-rockers Danko Jones will release their new album Sleep Is the Enemy in May. The first single will be "First Date," for which the band will shoot a video in February. Danko Jones are supporting Nickelback on a Canadian tour that starts January 17 in Prince George, British Columbia, and runs through February 18 in Ottawa. ... Tad Morose is down a frontman following the departure of singer Urban Breed. In a statement, Breed blamed the exit on "personal differences" and said, "had I not made this decision, someone else would've made it for me eventually. We just didn't share the same vision." Nosferatu, the debut disc from Breed's new band, Bloodbound, will be released in Europe February 24. ... Look for AssassiNation, the new album from Brazilian death-metal band Krisiun, to hit stores February 21. ...

While there's still no definitive U.S. release date for Machinemade God's forthcoming album The Infinity Complex, the disc — produced by Hatesphere frontman Jacob Bredahl — will feature 13 cuts, including "Friendster Is Sooo 2 Months Ago," "Butterfly Coma" and "Angel Wings." ... Boston's Burn in Silence hit the recording studio earlier this week with Unearth's Ken Susi, who will be producing the band's Angel Maker. The effort is slated for an April release. ... Massachusetts melodic death-metal band Beyond the Embrace have hired ex-Kage drummer Steve Bolognese to replace Kevin Camille, who left after Beyond's 2004 album Insect Song. Bolognese's first show with Beyond will be December 23 in New Bedford, and they'll return to the road for a full tour in February. Early next year the band will also begin writing material for its third album, tentatively scheduled for release next summer. ... Multinational melodic metal band Head Control System will release their debut album Murder Nature April 4. The band features Ulver singer Kristoffer Garm Rygg (Borknagar, Arcturus) and former Sirius and Re:aktor guitarist Daniel Cordoso. Tracks include "Skin Flick" and "Rapid Eye Movement," which are both available for previewing on MySpace.com/spiralsektor. ... Legendary Norwegian black-metal band Darkthrone will issue The Cult Is Alive February 27. The disc will include "Atomic Coming," a tribute to late Voivod guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour, who died of colon cancer in August. Voivod are currently assembling a new album with producer Glen Robinson using guitar parts D'Amour recorded on his laptop with ProTools before his death. ... Portland, Oregon, hardcore-metal outfit Facedowninsh-- will release their new record NPON in April. The disc, an acronym for "Nothing Positive, Only Negative," was recorded at Pontchartrain Studios in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with engineer Jay Murphy. Tracks include "Plasma Center Blues," "Ten Strip" and "Rough Sleep." Facedowninsh-- will tour with Deadbird starting March 13 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with dates running through March 31 in Richmond, Virginia.

• Machine Head
• Shelter
• Darkthrone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Metal File's Iann Robinson is out this week — on tour with his band, Puny Human — but the rock never sleeps, so on with the show:

Fans who preferred the Haunted's debut album over its two follow-ups have reason to rejoice, as the Swedish headbangers have announced that original singer Peter Dolving has rejoined the fold. Marco Aro split amicably from the band before Dolving was asked to return. Aro sang on this year's One Kill Wonder as well as 2000's The Haunted Made Me Do It. ... Next month Iron Maiden's pugilistic drummer, Michael "Nicko" McBrain, will appear in Hempstead District Court in New York to face third-degree assault charges. On Tuesday, a judge set a November 7 date for the case, which involves McBrain intentionally running his car into a parking-lot attendant before an Iron Maiden show in July. ...

Mudvayne are getting ready to release a live CD through their Web site. The disc was recorded during the Summer Sanitarium Tour, and a limited number will be autographed. The group, which is also finalizing plans for a commercial DVD release, will launch a tour October 10 in Hartford, Connecticut. Dates run through October 30. ... British doom-metal merchants My Dying Bride have pushed back the release date of their new album, the follow-up to 2001's The Dreadful Hours, to the beginning of next year. The record is going by the working title of The Thirteenth Hour. ... Machine Head recently shot a video for "Imperium," the first single from the Bay Area, California, band's forthcoming Through the Ashes of Empires. ...

Industrial-metal pioneers Ministry will enter the studio to record a follow-up to last year's punishing Animositisomina on November 1. The disc is due next summer. The bandmembers have also discussed recording a new album by their side project Revolting Cocks, whose last release, Linger Ficken' Good ..., came out in 1993. ... Michigan's reunited Walls of Jericho have completed work on All Hail the Dead, their first album since 2000's The Bound Feed the Gagged. The album includes a guest appearance from Give Up the Ghost frontman Wes Eisold. ... Massachusetts experimental metal group All That Remains are half done recording their next disc, This Darkened Heart, due in March. ...

Chimaira and Soilwork will be supported by Bleeding Through and As I Lay Dying throughout most of a U.S. tour that is expected to begin in late November and wrap up shortly before Christmas. Cannae will open the first handful of dates. ... New York's transplanted Bostonians in Anodyne are playing in Philadelphia October 14, kicking off a U.S. tour that'll wind down about a month later in Baltimore. ... Eighties hard rockers Ratt will kick off a 44-date tour on October 23 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Shows are scheduled through December 15 in Tucson, Arizona. ... Living Colour, who on Tuesday released their first album in a decade, Collideoscope, will kick off a tour October 14 in New York. Fourteen dates have been scheduled through November 28. ...

Toledo, Ohio, metalcore band Premonitions of War will begin recording their third album, Left in Kowloon, on Sunday in Tampa, Florida. The disc, due January 13, is named after a chaotic historical society that once thrived in the center of Hong Kong. ... Reunited San Francisco thrash titans Death Angel will enter the studio in early 2004 to start working on their fourth disc, the first in almost 14 years. The band got back together after playing a 2001 benefit show for Testament singer Chuck Billy, who has cancer. Death Angel will play shows in Concord and Santa Rosa, California, on October 24 and 25. ... Vomitory will head into a studio in Örebro, Sweden, in December to record their fifth album. Henrik Larsson will produce the disc, which is due in March. The band's progress was delayed because singer/bassist Erik Rundqvist had decided not to sing on the disc. Vomitory are seeking a replacement. Interested hurlers should contact band@vomitory.net. ...

Female Canadian metal band Kittie will debut new material on the upcoming Kiss of Infamy Tour, which also features Motograter and 40 Below Summer. The tour launches October 18 in Detroit and runs through December 1, but shows are only scheduled through October 31 in Chicago. ... Punk band Madcap have written 19 songs for their third album, Under Suspicion, and will enter the studio later this month. The disc, produced by Tedd Hutt, is due February 10. ... J.D. Kimball, the original singer for the '80s power-metal band Omen, died October 3 after a three-year fight with cancer. Kimball appeared on four of the band's releases: Battle Cry, Warning of Danger, Nightmares and The Curse. He left the band in 1987. ...

—compiled by Ryan J. Downey and Jon Wiederhorn

• Iron Maiden
• The Haunted (80's)
• Mudvayne
• Death Angel
• Machine Head

Cypress Hill's DJ Muggs
Photo: Columbia

Cypress Hill's plans to take their Smoke Out festival beyond their southern California home base have all but fallen apart, as the tour had to cancel an October date because of a baseball game.

Since the Oakland A's have clinched the American League's wild card race, the planned October 13 show at Network Associates Coliseum would conflict with a playoff game, so the date's been scrapped, according to the tour's publicist. Instead, the Smoke Out festival in Devore, California, on October 6 plans to feature an extended lineup, with bands from the Roadrunner Road Rage Tour — Machine Head, Fear Factory, Chimaira and Ill Niño — joining together with Cypress Hill, Deftones, Method Man, Afroman and others on the Smoke Out bill.

The festival had already rescheduled a Honolulu date from October 14 to October 21, and postponed indefinitely a September 29 date in Holmdel, New Jersey. Organizers said officials at Holmdel's PNC Bank Arts Center balked at the festival, citing security concerns (see "Two Of Cypress Hill's Smoke Out Dates Postponed"). That date has not been rescheduled, though organizers hope to hit the New York area next spring or summer, according to the publicist.

Other artists set to play the Los Angeles date at the Glen Helen Blockbuster Pavilion include Redman, Suicidal Tendencies, the Long Beach Dub Allstars and NOFX.

• Cypress Hill
• Deftones
• Afroman
• Machine Head
• Method Man

Fear Factory's Burton Bell
Photo: Roadrunner Records

Metal bands Fear Factory and Machine Head will co-headline the Roadrunner Road Rage Tour, which kicks off Wednesday in Fargo, North Dakota.

The lineup of Roadrunner Records artists will drive through the Midwest and California before cutting through Texas to wind down in Atlanta on October 23, according to a label publicist. Fear Factory will temporarily depart company from their Roadrunner brethren for two shows in October to perform on the Smoke Out tour with Cypress Hill, Deftones, Busta Rhymes and Method Man, among others.

Fear Factory are touring in support of their fourth album, Digimortal, released in April. Machine Head's LP number four, Supercharger, drops October 2 and features the single "Crashing Around You."

Labelmates Ill Niño and Chimaira will serve as tour openers, flaunting new albums Revolution Revolución, which hit the streets Tuesday (September 18), and Pass Out of Existence, due October 2, respectively.

Roadrunner Road Rage tour dates, according to a label publicist:

• 9/19 - Fargo, ND @ Playmaker's Pavilion
• 9/22 - Combined Locks, WI @ Ryan's Ballroom
• 9/23 - Duluth, MN @ NorShor Theatre
• 9/24 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
• 9/25 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's
• 9/27 - Rockford, IL @ Times Theater
• 9/28 - Toledo, OH @ Hard Hat Cafe
• 9/30 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
• 10/2 - Detroit, MI @ Harpo's
• 10/3 - Kansas City, KS @ The Beaumont
• 10/4 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theater
• 10/6 - San Bernardino, CA @ Glen Helen Pavilion (Smoke Out date; Fear Factory only)
• 10/7 - Phoenix, AZ @ Boston's
• 10/9 - Santa Ana, CA @ Galaxy Theater
• 10/10 - Tucson, AZ @ The Rialto
• 10/12 - Ventura, CA @ Ventura Theatre
• 10/13 - Oakland, CA @ Network Associates Coliseum (Smoke Out date; Fear Factory only)
• 10/14 - Fresno, CA @ Woodward Park
• 10/19 - McAllen, TX @ Villa Real
• 10/20 - Dallas, TX @ Canyon Club
• 10/21 - San Antonio, TX @ Sunset Station
• 10/23 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade

• Fear Factory
• Machine Head

Roadrunner United 12.15.2005

• Slipknot
• Stone Sour
• Hatebreed
• Murderdolls
• Deicide