Manntis (file)
Photo: Century Media

Although Manntis didn't end up the big winners at "Battle for Ozzfest," Sharon Osbourne's "American Idol" meets "Heavy Metal Parking Lot" reality-television experiment, Jake Sirokman says the crushing Southern California quintet's doing just fine. The singer says it seems as though Manntis have been on the road ever since taking home the third-place ribbon in "Battle"; at the moment, they're tagging along with Otep on that band's U.S. tour. Plus, the furious act's Cameron Webb (Motörhead, Social Distortion)-produced Century Media debut, Sleep in Your Grave, hits stores June 28.

"We're happy we didn't win," Sirokman said bluntly. "I mean, we were bummed at first. But hey, we're f---ing signed. We're stoked. We knew there was no way we were going to win. The other two bands were a little more radio-friendly. But we're stoked."

The band — Sirokman, bassist Clint Gregory, drummer Jimmie Sanders, and guitarists Jeremy Swanson and Adair Cobley — even has a video on the way, for the track "Axe of Redemption."

Shot at the Poodle Parlor in downtown Los Angeles in late May, the video will feature Manntis playing before a rabid crowd of mosh-frenzied fans. And then it really gets good, as the pit's invaded by 20 dodgy-looking, tattoo-heavy Suicide Girls. Sirokman said the sexy punk pin-up chicks proceed to dispense a severe pounding on the windmilling, lawnmower-starting dudes.

Alas, there was no time for love after the shoot, Dr. Jones: "We've all got girlfriends, man," Sirokman explained, with a slight hint of regret in his voice.

The rest of the week's metal news:

Iron Maiden will release a dubiously titled double-disc, The Essential Iron Maiden, on July 5. Tracks include "2 Minutes to Midnight," "Brave New World," "The Klansman," "Aces High" and "Wasted Years," none of which will be performed during the band's jaunt on this year's Ozzfest since Maiden's set will only feature songs from their first four albums. ... Industrial black metallers Dimmu Borgir will start writing songs for their next record in August or September, according to the band's Web site; look for a mid-2006 release for the as-yet-untitled offering. ... This summer, W.A.S.P. headline American Metal Blast 2005, which will also feature L.A. Guns and ex-Ratt singer Stephen Pearcy. Metal Church and Twisted Sister will be added on select dates. The tour begins June 28 in West Hollywood and runs through August 20 in Dallas. W.A.S.P.'s last album, The Neon God, Pt 2: The Demise, came out September 28. ...

New England metal stalwarts Shadows Fall will headline a number of Ozzfest off-dates with Arch Enemy, In Flames, the Haunted and Trivium, among others. ... This year's Hellfest is starting to take shape and might end up being one of the darkest to date. The annual event, set for August 19 through August 21 at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, New Jersey, will feature close to 200 bands, including Between the Buried and Me, Bold, Converge, Curl Up and Die, Dead to Fall, the Early November, Hatebreed, Madball, Nile, Pig Destroyer, the Red Chord, Sick of It All, Suffocation, the End and a reunited Youth Of Today. ...

Rob Zombie's longtime guitarist Riggs is on tour with his new band Scum of the Earth. They'll play Chicago on Friday night (June 17), and dates run through July 21 in Columbia Heights, Minnesota. Riggs described the show as a "full carnival of carnage" and added, "I figured out more spots in the show where I could douse people in blood and still play the songs." Bring a raincoat. ... Finnish rockers Amorphis have begun writing and rehearsing new material for the follow-up to 2004's Far From the Sun, which could see release before the end of the year. A statement from the band characterized the new songs as "heavier than ever" and said there'd be an "epic theme through the album." ...

In one fell swoop, Swedish melodic-metal band Cipher System have lost their singer, Daniel Scholdstrom, and bassist, Henric Carlsson. "Due to lack of inspiration and fire, our friends Henric and Daniel have decided to quit," the remaining bandmembers wrote in a statement. They're currently seeking replacements. ... Crematorium's all finished with their next opus, The Process of Endtime; look for the record to hit stores on July 19 through Prosthetic Records. ... Post-hardcore Texans the Jonbenet have signed a deal with Pluto, which will release a compilation of previously released material from the band called The Plot Thickens in July. Look for its full-length debut to drop later this year. ...

Belgian grindcore quintet Leng Tch'e will release their third album, The Process of Elimination, on June 28. For those keeping score, the band's name is Chinese for "death by a thousand cuts," referring to an ancient execution ritual in which a victim is severely drugged and slowly cut to pieces. ... Hardcore band Terror have reissued their first album, 2003's Lowest of the Low, with three extra studio tracks and a full 10-song set recorded in Tokyo. The band will appear on the Sounds of the Underground tour, which launches June 25 in Lowell, Massachusetts, and runs through July 31 in Denver. ...

French extreme-metal band Blut Aus Nord will release their previously unavailable back catalog in the U.S. on June 28. Both 1995 albums, Ultima Thulée and Memoria Vetustae, will be remastered. The group is currently working on songs for its next record, MoRT, which is scheduled for release in early 2006. ... Scars of Life will release their new album, What We Reflect, on August 9. The band's songs have previously been heard in numerous pay-per-view shows, commercials, video games and other "Ultimate Fighting Championship"-related media. New tracks include "Alone Inside," "Lost Years" and "Away From Me."

• Manntis
• Dimmu Borgir
• W.A.S.P.
• Terror
• Crematorium