Hate Eternal
Photo: Metal Blade

Two days before Florida death-metal band Hate Eternal were scheduled to embark on the 2006 Jägermeister tour with Chimaira, Arch Enemy, Nevermore and God Forbid, drummer Derek Roddy quit to join Today Is the Day, forcing frontman Erik Rutan (ex-Morbid Angel) to scramble for a way to salvage the situation.

Not only was Rutan determined not to disappoint Jägermeister, Hate Eternal also had a live DVD shoot that had been planned for ages scheduled in London following the tour.

So Rutan picked up the phone and called Kevin Talley (ex-Chimaira), who had just finished filling in on a Black Dahlia Murder tour, and asked him if he was interested in playing with Hate Eternal. "It was a shot in the dark," Rutan said. "I just said, 'Hey man, we're leaving in two days. Can you learn six songs fast?' And he said, 'Sure.' He's an incredible drummer, so it worked out great."

For the DVD shoot, Rutan recruited Reno Kiilerich (ex-Dimmu Borgir), who had to learn 14 songs while Hate Eternal were touring the U.S. with Talley. Then the band flew to Holland, practiced for two days and shot the London show without a hiccup.

For Rutan, overcoming such obstacles is commonplace. But the stressful incidents left their marks. And there would be more to come. Not long after returning home, bassist Randy Piro Jr. left the band as well. Now Rutan had two slots to fill before he was able to focus on the follow-up to Hate Eternal's 2005 album, I, Monarch. The yet-untitled LP is scheduled for release in February.

The drummer situation resolved itself first. When word got out that Roddy was no longer with the band, hundreds of players contacted Rutan, including Montreal native Jade Simonetto (ex-Camilla Rhodes).

"He sent me a video of him playing some of the songs, and he did everything perfectly," Rutan said. "He totally made himself available whenever we needed him — which was a week here and a week there, since I was producing albums by other bands [including Six Feet Under, Vital Remains and Demiricous] at the same time. Then, when I could focus on Hate Eternal full-time again, he came down, and we finished everything up. He's a great player, and he's really dedicated and wants to work for the future."

Finding a bassist proved more complicated. Rutan originally planned to work with Jared Anderson, who had played with Rutan in Morbid Angel and on the first two Hate Eternal records. But on October 14, Anderson died in his sleep of undetermined causes. Unable to find a suitable replacement, longtime friend and Cannibal Corpse bassist Alex Webster stepped in to record.

The numerous hardships Rutan has experienced will be reflected on the new Hate Eternal record, which will be more diverse and emotionally expressive than the band's other two discs. "Jared was one of my best friends, and his passing away really affected me and influenced this record a lot," Rutan said. "It's a very dark and heavy record — not just heavy as in 'heavy metal,' but heavy-hearted as well."

Partially in reaction to the chaos and seeming randomness of events in his life, Rutan decided to throw caution to the wind and write in an almost stream-of-consciousness style, without concern for rules or traditions. "I just did whatever I wanted and didn't pay attention to whether one riff is faster than another or whether one section is better than the next," Rutan said. "It's the first album [on which] I wasn't concerned about outside influences or sources. It was more just coming from the soul and it created a lot of diversity in terms of dynamics."

But while certain elements of songs like "Hell and Venom" and "Parabellum" will explore new sonic themes, the trademark anger and intensity will be as present as ever. "Hate Eternal has always been based around rage and fury," he said. "For me, this band is all about expressing negative emotions and turning them into something positive. That will never change."

The rest of the week's metal news:

The new video from Shadows Fall, for their track "Another Hero Lost," is set to make its debut on "Headbangers Ball" this weekend, and for frontman Brian Fair, the clip is particularly special. The video is an extremely personal commentary on the toll of the Iraq war: One of Fair's cousins, a U.S. soldier, was killed last year while on duty there, and a brother of his is still fighting over there as well. The video is a tribute to the nation's fallen soldiers, according to the band. In a recent issue of Revolver, Fair explained that "the thought that [his cousin] was never [going to come] back — knowing that he probably knew before he passed away that he'd never see his 2-year-old son ever again — was so mind-blowing. I went to the cemetery with my grandmother, and standing in front of that stone had such a huge effect on me that I got home that night and the lyrics [for the song] just all came out." ... According to Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt, the band has finished recording the drum tracks for its forthcoming, yet-untitled new album. "We're recording a total of 11 songs — three of them are covers that we're doing, since we had some extra time, [and] the rest are originals out of which I think we'll leave one off the album," he said in a statement. We'll keep you updated as more information is revealed. ...

Ministry, Meshuggah, Hemlock, Ensiferum, Turisas, TYR and Eluveitie are the first bands to be named to the lineup for 2008's 10th annual New England Metal & Hardcore Festival, which is set to take place April 25-27 at the Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts. More bands will be announced in the coming months. ... J2, a new project featuring enigmatic performer Jarboe (ex-Swans) and Justin Broadrick (Jesu, ex-Godflesh), have signed a label deal with the End Records. The act's debut should surface this spring. ... Nebraska singer Criss Cain is in the process of forming what he hopes will be the ultimate Ozzy Osbourne cover band. Prince of Darkness will feature members of different groups on Metal Blade Records, and we'll bring you more information about the group as it comes to light. ...

Boston experimental-metallers Kayo Dot have wrapped the recording of their forthcoming LP, Blue Lambency Downward. The set will feature seven tracks, including "Right Hand Is the One I Want," "The Awkward Windwheel" and "Symmetrical Arizona." Produced by Randall Dunn (Boris, Sunno)))), the record includes guest spots by Behold ... the Arctopus' Charlie Zeleny. Look for it to drop in March. ... Bullet for My Valentine have set a January 29 release date for Scream Aim Fire, the forthcoming follow-up to 2006's The Poison. The band enlisted producer Colin Richardson (Machine Head, Funeral for a Friend) to helm the LP, which was recorded at Sonic Ranch near El Paso, Texas, earlier this year. It boasts 11 cuts, including "Hearts Burst Into Fire," "Deliver Us From Evil" and "Say Goodbye." ... Danish melodic death/thrash-metallers Hatesphere have added singer Jonathan Albrechtsen to their lineup. He replaces Jacob Bredahl, who left the group over the summer. ... Hellyeah will shoot a video for their track "Thank You" at the Palladium Ballroom in Dallas on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the band's drummer, Vinnie Paul Abbott, says he's working hard on "Dimevision, Vol. 2," the second DVD tribute to his fallen brother, late Pantera/Damageplan guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. A Dimebag photo book is also said to be in the works, and both that and the DVD will be in stores sometime next year. In related news, Dime is on the ballot for Guitar World's annual Readers Poll Awards, as a nominee for the mag's Hall of Fame award. Head on over to the magazine's Web site, where you can vote on all the nominees. ...

All Parallels have an EP called Solitude on the way. The five-song effort should hit stores soon and will include "See You in Hell," "Funeral Pyre Eyes" and "Newark International." They'll be promoting the outing with a series of live gigs, the first of which is set for Saturday in Long Branch, New Jersey. The band will also play New York (November 23); Allston, Massachusetts (November 30); Bennington, Vermont (December 1) and Danbury, Connecticut (December 15). ... Less than two weeks after the death of drummer Witold Kieltyka comes news that Polish death-metallers Decapitated have signed with Nuclear Blast Records. "We're looking forward to the upcoming mix of technical superiority, brutal riffs and blast-beats on album number five," the label said in a statement. "The joy over this awesome news is of course overshadowed by the tragic death of [Kieltyka]." The drummer died of severe head trauma following an accident in Russia that also involved frontman Adrian Kowanek, who was injured in the crash as well. Kowanek is currently at a hospital in Kraków, Poland, where doctors have listed him in stable condition. He's said to be showing signs of improvement every day. ... A slew of bands have DVD projects in the works. The Number Twelve Looks Like You will film their December 15 gig at the School of Rock in South Hackensack, New Jersey, for an upcoming DVD/EP release, due out in the spring. Meanwhile, H.I.M. filmed their Wednesday and Thursday shows at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles for an upcoming live DVD release, and Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta will film the upcoming Stillborn Fest shows — they begin December 20 in Springfield, Virginia, and end December 30 — for a future DVD release as well. ...

Children of Bodom's next opus has been named, and they're calling it Blooddrunk. Look for it to drop April 7 and include nine new songs along with four covers. ... Arson Anthem, the group featuring Down frontman Phil Anselmo on drums as well as guitarist Hank Williams III, bassist Colin Yeo and Eyehategod's Mike Williams on vocals, have lined up three gigs with Rigor Mortis. The band has been writing material on and off for the last few years, and according to reports, the band's debut could be in stores in February, although no official announcement has been made yet. Catch the Anthem December 13 in Nashville; December 14 in Little Rock, Arkansas; and December 15 in New Orleans. ... Swedish death-metallers Dismember are planning to release their self-titled new album in March. The LP features 11 tracks, including "Death Conquers All," "The Hills Have Eyes" and "No Honor in Death." ... After dumping their management firm, thrash titans Demiricous have been forced to drop off their tour with Dying Fetus and Skeletonwitch. In a statement, the band said it's "not happy to leave this tour, but [we] have to clean house and get our career and finances back under our control." ...

Long-dormant Brooklyn, New York, experimental metallers Candiria will soon release two new collections of material. The first will be a compilation of never-before-heard material, rare tracks and B-sides written and recorded during various recording sessions prior to 2001. There will also be a remix disc of material from the band's first three releases. No official release dates have been set in stone, but we'll keep you posted. ... French black-metallers Blut Aus Nord have hit the studio to record the companion to 2005's Thematic Emanations of Archetypal Multiplicity, EP. There's no word on when the new set, which has been titled Lighteater, will be available. Once those sessions wrap, the band will begin working on the second part of 1996's Memoria Vetusta I -- Fathers of the Icy Age, which will be titled Dialogue With the Stars. ... Hydra Head Records is close to reissuing material from the Huguenots, the Massachusetts band that was active during the 1990s and featured Converge's Kurt Ballou, Piebald's Aaron Stuart and the Explosion's Dan Colby. Look for it to hit stores this winter. ... Swedish black-metallers Mörker will release their second full-length album, Höstmakter, early next year. In the meantime, you can check out some of the new material over at the band's MySpace page.

• Hate Eternal
• Shadows Fall
• Ministry

Lindsay Lohan
Photo: Marsaili McGrath/Getty Images

Lindsay Lohan began her community service at an American Red Cross blood-services facility in a Los Angeles suburb on Monday, People reports. She reportedly arrived at noon, was greeted in the parking lot by members of staff and left at 7 p.m. Lohan must serve 10 days of community service as part of a plea deal she struck in August for her two DUI convictions. ...

Pete Wentz hosted a karaoke contest called "Viva La Karaoke" at his bar Angels & Kings on New York's Lower East Side on Monday night. Karaoke fanatics — including two MTV News producers — tried to impress the judging panel, which consisted of Wentz, designer Tommy Hilfiger and MTV News' Kim Stolz. The hodgepodge crowd included Ashlee Simpson, who was at her beau's side all night; Aussie rockers Jet; Travis McCoy from Gym Class Heroes; and Wentz's Fall Out Boy bandmate Patrick Stump, who serenaded the crowd with R. Kelly's "Space Jam" joint, "I Believe I Can Fly." When asked why he opted for the Kelly song, Stump spilled to MTV News: "That was the only one I knew we had in the karaoke machine." "He did a good job, it was pretty good," Simpson added. "It was funny to watch." ...

Surprise — Radiohead's break with EMI might not have been a clean one. According to the U.K.'s Guardian, the band's former label had been promoting Radiohead's back catalog through a misleading online ad that the label subsequently yanked. The paper reports that people Googling the band's name would encounter an ad reading "Radiohead - New Album 'Rainbow' now available as boxset," referring to the band's recent In Rainbows release, at the top of the search page. But the ad actually directed to the box set of the band's back catalog that is being issued by EMI subsidiary Parlaphone — not the In Rainbows box set the band is putting out. Both box sets are dropping in December at the same price, which led fans to question EMI's motives. "Parlophone were aware of the data source glitch and removed the link immediately," EMI publicist Chris Latham told the Guardian, to which Radiohead's spokesperson — who went unnamed — reportedly replied, "We accept that it was a genuine error and that it has been rectified." Radiohead announced Monday that In Rainbows will arrive in North America in physical form on January 1 via their own TBD Records, which is teaming with ATO Records Group for the release. ...

Beyoncé's planned show in Malaysia was canceled in September after Muslim groups protested her refusal to obey the country's strict dress code for performers. But could the singer also be too controversial for ... the U.S.? According to The Associated Press, some Las Vegas residents are fuming over a billboard of a bikini-clad Beyoncé, claiming the advertisement is too obscene. The ad is for local radio station KWNZ, and some are petitioning to have it taken down. "It's obscene," Pamela Keeney, one of the citizens who take offense to the ad, reportedly said. "I have my two little grandkids coming over here, and they don't need to be seeing that. You can change the channel on the TV, but you can't change that." KWNZ is standing by the billboard and has reportedly received the backing of city spokesman Chris Good. At this point, there are no plans to take down the billboard. ...

Hopefully Foxy Brown fans didn't get too excited when her upcoming album, Brooklyn's Don Diva, bumped up from its originally scheduled December 4 release date to November 20 a couple of months ago — the LP has now been shelved until next year. The jailed rapper's fourth effort is now due February 5. ... Maroon 5 have friends — and they've got photos to prove it. The band performed at the Palms Casino Resort over the weekend, drawing the likes of Avril Lavigne, Deryk Whibley, "Saturday Night Live" star Seth Meyers and more. Maroon 5 posted their personal snaps online. ...

Are you getting into the holiday spirit? So is John Mayer, apparently. The guitarist, whose Mayercraft Carrier Cruise Ship sets sail from Miami early next year, is putting together a December 8 concert that will feature three separate sets: an acoustic performance; songs by his John Mayer Trio; and a final segment that will revolve around Mayer's Continuum album and feature his entire band. Those planning to attend the show, which is benefiting multiple charities, are being asked to bring an unwrapped toy worth $10 or more to benefit Toys for Tots. ...

Beastie Boys, the Roots and R.E.M. are among the fleet of artists who will be docking at the Big Cypress Indian Reservation in the South Florida Everglades for the sixth annual Langerado Music Festival, set to happen March 6-9. Matisyahu, 311, Of Montreal, the National, Shout Out Louds, the Walkmen and others will also play at the throwdown, which will feature 80 acts on five stages. ... Common is hopping aboard the endorsement train — the Chicago MC has allied himself with Lincoln to help market the car company's 2008 Navigator and other brand initiatives. He will appear in TV, radio and print ads for the vehicle, with the first, simply dubbed "Common," debuting nationwide November 25 during NFL Sunday Night Football on NBC. Expect to see more tie-ins between Lincoln and Common's various projects — his concerts, hat lines, books, etc. He will also be appearing on behalf of the company at auto shows and dealer events. But rest assured, Common fans, he's taking on a good cause too: He will get together with fellow Chicago artists Office for a benefit concert to be held January 12 at the Windy City's House of Blues. The event, called the "Chicago Youth Owning Their Future Benefit Concert and Silent Auction," will raise money and awareness for the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship. Office are also slated to perform on Chicago Public Radio on January 9 as part of a new series that will spotlight local talent and be hosted by music critics Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot. ...

In between aimless drives around Los Angeles and trips to court for child-custody hearings, Britney Spears has found time to partner with the photo agency X17 to raise money for UNICEF by auctioning a signed copy of her new album, Blackout, on eBay. In a press release from the agency, Spears said, "I think it's important to give back, and with the release of Blackout, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to give the fans a chance to bid on something to help children everywhere." In other Brit news, Billy Ray Cyrus is the latest celeb to reach out to the troubled singer, according to In Touch. "Honey, you are welcome to a Nashville Thanksgiving at our house," he told the magazine. "We would love to be there for you and we care about you. ... Miley is a big fan and she wants to reach out too. We want her to know that's it's never too late to make things right." And in yet another Britney development, the album artwork for her recently released album, Blackout, might be even more controversial than was originally thought. According to TMZ, the hunky priest in whose lap Spears sits is an "International Male" model. The Catholic League had slammed Spears for the imagery late last month. ... Robin Thicke has canceled all the dates on an upcoming U.S. tour on doctor's orders. According to a note posted on the soul singer's Web site over the weekend, Thicke will have to reschedule the dates "due to doctor-ordered vocal rest until the end of the year." He had been scheduled to start the 14-date tour Sunday in Englewood, Colorado, and play clubs and theaters through a December 13 date in Long Beach, California. ...

A crowd of 1,000 Haitians carried Wyclef Jean on their shoulders through the streets of a slum and to a small-business project he helped establish on Monday, as the former Fugee visited the country for the first time since President Rene Preval named him a roving ambassador in January, AP reports. Jean met with legislators, went with model Petra Nemcova to a school and then spoke with businessmen and foreign ambassadors to plea for aid for the country. "We need all your money, we need all y'all's support, but let's put it to programs ... that teach kids how to move the country forward," he reportedly told the crowd. ... Is Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke too good for Paul McCartney? The former Beatle told the U.K.'s Channel 4 that Yorke denied his request to record a duet. "I asked Thom to do a duet, but he said he couldn't because he only felt happy working on his own and Radiohead's material," McCartney reportedly said. ...

Linkin Park, Angels & Airwaves, Avenged Sevenfold and Bad Religion are among the acts that will take the stage for the first night of Los Angeles rock radio station KROQ's annual Almost Acoustic Christmas shows at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California. Paramore, Rise Against and Serj Tankian will also perform at the concerts, which are scheduled for December 8-9. ... Maroon 5 and Santana have joined the Dave Matthews Band, O.A.R. and other acts to help nonpartisan organization HeadCount try to meet its new goal of registering up to 200,000 new voters for next year's elections. Check out the list of all the artists supporting HeadCount and sign up to volunteer at the group's Web site, HeadCount.org. ... Would you like Shins with that? Wendy's will soon start bundling free downloads from Rhapsody with burger orders. The fast-food chain plans to give away more than 100 million downloads to people who buy medium and large combo meals, with the songs redeemable at Wendys.com. (Rhapsody is a joint venture with MTV Networks). ...

Metric have slapped together their first-ever DVD, "Live at Metropolis," and plan to roll it out February 12. The disc will showcase the Canadian indie-rockers' performance at Montreal's Metropolis concert hall during their tour in support of last year's Live It Out, and it will also include videos for the album's three singles: "Monster Hospital," "Poster of a Girl" and "Empty." iTunes will have an exclusive preview of the DVD starting in December — for 99 cents, fans will be able to get their hands on three audio tracks from the show, as well as the DVD trailer. ... And if you're a Metric fan in the New York area, you'll likely want to hit up Broken Social Scene's gig at Webster Hall on Wednesday. Metric's Emily Haines will join the band onstage — along with Dinosaur Jr.'s J. Mascis, Scott Kannberg (Pavement), Andrew Kenny (American Analog Set) and others — as it performs BSS songs and selections from core member Kevin Drew's recent Spirit If ... release. ...

Plain White T's plan to keep the momentum going with an upcoming U.K. run and a new album, Billboard reports. After Tom Higgenson and the gang play a series of headlining gigs overseas in January, they'll delve into their next effort, for which they have "about 17 ideas — eight or nine of them are pretty much full songs so far," he told the magazine. "As soon as we get a few days off I'll try to finish the rest of them." ... You're probably already acquainted with James Blunt — after all, he previously participated in VH1's "You Oughta Know" series — but just in case, he's signed up for the tour again. The upcoming "You Oughta Know" stretch will also feature Sara Bareilles, a 27-year-old singer/songwriter who scored big on iTunes with her debut, Little Voice, over the summer. The trek launches February 4 in Seattle and winds down March 4 in Atlanta. ...

Did he really want to hurt him? Troubled ex-Culture Club singer Boy George was charged with false imprisonment on Tuesday (November 13) after police said he allegedly chained a man to a wall in his London home. According to the Daily Telegraph, 28-year-old Norwegian escort Auden Carlsen claims that in April, George (born George O'Dowd), 47, invited him to pose for photographs in his apartment, where George grabbed and chained him. George was released on bail and is scheduled to return to court November 22. ... First Celine Dion teamed with former members of Evanescence for help writing her recently released new album, Taking Chances — and now comes news that the "Power of Love" singer has a secret affinity for ... AC/DC? "I've been a big fan of AC/DC for about 15 years or 20 years — the sound guys introduced me to [their music]," she told the U.K.'s The Daily Telegraph. "I like hard rock and, if I'm doing stadiums, I want the engineers to crank the sound system up high with rock and roll, heavy-metal music — it helps me to get the adrenalin rushing." ...

The stockholders of satellite radio XM voted on Tuesday to approve a merger with competing Sirius Satellite Radio with a preliminary account indicating that 99.8 percent of shareholders gave the marriage a thumbs up, according to a statement issued by XM. The U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission still has to approve the merger, which XM is confident will happen before the end of the year. ... MusicWorld, Canada's only remaining music chain, is closing its stores, according to CanWest News Service. The chain, which has been in bankruptcy, is liquidating its 72 stores, and has also announced a change in direction that will involve a stronger online presence and expansion into areas that don't involve music. The Canadian branch of U.K. company HMV is considering purchasing some of the stores, according to CanWest. Sales of CDs, music DVDs and other music items have reportedly dropped 20 percent since last year in the country. ...

Ministry have tapped Meshuggah as the main support act for their goodbye tour, which they're calling the "C U LaTouR." Hemlock are also on the bill for the trek, which kicks off March 28 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and wraps May 8 in Chicago. On a related note, Meshuggah have named their next record, which should be in stores early next year, obZen. ... Hard-rockers Taproot have finished recording their forthcoming LP, Our Long Road Home. "The title is a unique and expressive tribute to our newly found collective freedom of creativity as a band, with no strings attached," the band said in a statement. "It's a tribute to the casual and comfortable settings of being at home with friends and family — a place we love to be." ... Ozzfest 2007 veterans 3 Inches of Blood have booted drummer Alexei Rodriguez after he was allegedly involved in a physical altercation with Saxon drummer Nigel Glockler at the U.K.'s Hard Rock Hell festival over the weekend. The band apologized for Rodriguez's actions in a statement, adding that his actions are in no way "a reflection of our band. Alexei's behavior was appalling and completely unacceptable, and it is our decision to immediately remove him from the band." ...

Uncle Kracker is standing by his claim that he didn't sexually assault a woman in North Carolina, The Detroit News reports. The singer (real name: Matthew Shafer), who made the same assertion after being arrested on the second-degree forcible-sex-offense charge in August, also now says he regrets pleading guilty in September to a lesser charge of misdemeanor assault so he could avoid a trial. He told the News that the 26-year-old woman who was involved in the incident hit him first, and that the incident started when he bumped into her at a club after a concert. Authorities have maintained that Shafer put his hand up her skirt. "There was no sexual anything involved," Shafer told the News. "Assault is a far cry from sexual battery. You can either wait a year, spend 150 grand, go to trial, make more of a debacle out of it, or you can get it over with." In September, he was sentenced to 12 months of probation, ordered to undergo an alcohol assessment and was fined $1,500.

11.12.07

The trial involving Amy Winehouse's husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, has been delayed in light of allegations that he "perverted the court of justice," or the U.S. equivalent of obstruction of justice. He was back in court on Monday (November 12) for a brief hearing, and according to Agence France-Presse, he smiled throughout the session. The trial, previously slated to start Monday, has been adjourned until November 23, and Fielder-Civil — who was arrested last week following a raid on his and Winehouse's London home — is to remain in custody until then. Michael Brown, a 39-year-old who is supposed to stand trial with his friend Fielder-Civil, was not in court on Monday, and a judge issued a warrant for his arrest. BBC News also reports that James King, who was allegedly beaten by Fielder-Civil and Brown in June, was one of the men arrested last week, and that he has also been charged with the aforementioned crime. Fielder-Civil was remanded on technical bail. ...

Teeing with JT: Justin Timberlake has inked a five-year deal with the PGA Tour that will find him hosting a tournament in Las Vegas next year. "Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open," which will be played October 13-19, will help raise funds for the Shriners group, which provides medical care at no charge to children under 18 years old. The singer will play in a celebrity-golf game that week as well. "Raising money to better children's lives while playing golf? I can't think of a better way to pass the time," he said in a statement. ... Timberlake's visibility has also landed him on Barbara Walters' "10 Most Fascinating People of 2007" list, and they'll be seen chatting on an hourlong ABC special set to air December 6 at 10 p.m. ET. Former President Bill Clinton, Jennifer Hudson, Posh Spice and two surprise guests will also appear on the show. ... Could J.K. Rowling top Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore on a competing list, Time's Person of the Year? That's how the voting is shaping up on the Time Web site, although, as it indicates, the editors reserve the right to give the honor to the person of their choosing. Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are also in the running, and the December issue will be on sale December 21. ...

Radiohead have set the North American release date for In Rainbows. The album will hit stores January 1 through the band's own TBD Records (which, as expected, is teaming with ATO Records Group for the release), with "Bodysnatchers" and "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" as the first two singles. According to a press release, more information on the album and the band's tour plans will be announced soon. ... In case teens need an extra incentive to rack up credit-card debt, branded cards featuring Hilary Duff and Usher are on the way, according to Brandweek. Duff is getting a prepaid Visa gift card "aimed to show the young ones how to manage their pocket change (and learn about service fees)," according to the branding-news magazine, while Usher has a Debit MasterCard that features an empowerment message. The Platinum Plus Visa card devoted to Elvis Presley actually has a charitable aspect, as money from it goes to a foundation that helps homeless families. A Kiss credit card is available too. ...

Tom Morello, guitarist for reunited rockers Rage Against the Machine, serenaded some 3,000 people involved in the Hollywood writers' strike outside 20th Century Fox Studios in Century City, California, last week, the Los Angeles Times reports. ... Chiodos, Mindless Self Indulgence and Finch are among the first confirmed bands for next year's Bamboozle Festival, which is scheduled for May 3-4 at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Jack's Mannequin, Less Than Jake, Forever the Sickest Kids, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, I Am the Avalanche and the Starting Line have also been booked for the bill. ... Xzibit has signed on for a tour of duty in Oliver Stone's upcoming Vietnam movie, "Pinkville." The film revolves around the 1968 My Lai Massacre, during which 500 people — mostly women, children and the elderly — were killed by U.S soldiers. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the "Pimp My Ride" host will play a soldier who is convinced he acted ethically when he carried out his orders. ...

My Chemical Romance's Bob Bryar has issued a statement concerning the band's cancellation of a recent gig at the University of Maine, which had prompted school officials to consider legal action against the band. Late last week, the college's newspaper, The Maine Campus, announced that MCR would be paying the student government $20,500 in restitution fees for scrapping the October 27 show. The student government had previously said it would pursue legal action against the band unless it paid all expenses incurred by Monday, arguing that if it did not recoup the money, it would cost more than $2 from each student's activity fee. "We are very sorry about canceling our recent show in Maine. I have been having many problems with my wrists over the past few years," Bryar wrote in his statement. "They have been getting worse but I kept playing. I have seen many doctors to get some relief so I wouldn't have to stop playing. I guess I pushed it too hard this time. During our [recent] show at Maxwell's [in Hoboken, New Jersey], I got a golf ball-sized lump in my wrist, I started to not only have pain, but lose control and feeling in my fingers. I went through a process to control the swelling and attempted to play the show [opening for] Bon Jovi the next day. The Bon Jovi show was really bad for me — I was dropping sticks and could barely hit my drums. After that show, we decided I had to go get immediate treatment. I had to leave the tour. Being the stubborn person I am, I made a last-minute decision to give it another shot on the second Bon Jovi show. It didn't work, [and] we had to cut the set in half. We have a fill-in now as I am getting treatment. He learned the songs in one day." At press time, the identity of Bryar's fill-in was unconfirmed. ...

In a note posted on his Web site late last week, Kid Rock gave props to the head of his security team, Little Bear, for "finding a hidden camera in the dressing room at the show at the Myth Nightclub" in Minneapolis on Thursday night. "Little Bear, who runs SpyOps.net, discovered the device before the show and alerted the authorities, who are now investigating," Rock wrote. TMZ obtained photos of the alleged spycam from Little Bear that appears to indicate it was set up to broadcast on the Internet, but in a statement from the club released to the Star Tribune, the management explained, "The green-room camera in question is part of the venue's security aspect, available for viewing by head of security only ... Rock's allegation that there was some kind of Internet broadcast in progress is simply not true and without foundation." ...

The Broadway stagehands' strike isn't just affecting theatrical productions — Duran Duran's 10-night residence at New York's Ethel Barrymore Theatre has also been stymied by the protest. The band canceled its Saturday night show and moved its Monday and Tuesday gigs to the Roseland Ballroom. "We are really disappointed that we weren't able to finish up the run on Broadway, which has been in the planning for months," singer Simon LeBon said, according to BBC News. "However, we are relieved that there was somewhere else available to us so that we don't have to disappoint our fans by not playing." ... With Army of Anyone's future in doubt — the band, featuring former Filter frontman Richard Patrick and two former members of Stone Temple Pilots, is said to be on "hiatus" — drummer Ray Luzier has opted to handle drum duties during Korn's upcoming European tour, set to begin in early 2008. Luzier replaces Slipknot's Joey Jordison, who in turn replaced Terry Bozzio earlier this year, as the band's touring drummer.

• Pete Wentz's Bar Draws Jay-Z, Ashlee

• Lindsay Lohan
• Fall Out Boy
• Ashlee Simpson
• Beyoncé
• Britney Spears

Paul Raven
Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

The body of Paul Raven — who played bass for seminal post-punk/ industrial outfit Killing Joke before later working with Ministry, Prong and Godflesh — was discovered Saturday in a home in Geneva, Switzerland, according to Ministry's publicist. Early indications are that Raven, 46, died of a heart attack.

Raven was in Geneva working with French industrial band Treponem Pal, who are reuniting for a new album with singer Marco Neves, Prong/Jesu drummer Ted Parsons and members of the Young Gods.

Raven's body was apparently discovered by Parsons, according to a post on the drummer's MySpace page. He said he went out drinking with Raven and the rest of the collaborators the night before Raven's body was found.

"I found Raven asleep in a chair the next morning in [a] living room," he explained. "I thought nothing of it, as Raven would sleep like this on the tour bus in the front lounge all the time. Then I looked closer at him, and he looked very gray. I checked his pulse and there was none. I yelled for the other guys in the band. We immediately did some CPR and called for an ambulance. Medics arrived quickly, but after an hour of trying to get his heartbeat back, they could not save him. They said he died in his sleep, probably around 6 a.m. It was then 9:30 a.m. Words can't describe how I feel right now. I'm devastated. He will be missed by many."

Parsons added the news of Raven's death "deeply saddens" him and that they were to be in Geneva for a week working on the Treponem Pal record.

Ministry's Al Jourgensen expressed shock at Raven's passing. "The world of music is a sadder, emptier place," he wrote in a statement. "Not only was Raven an extraordinary talent, but one of my closest, dearest friends. Our condolences and prayers go to his immediate family. He will be truly missed by artists, musicians and his fans the world over."

Raven made a name for himself with his work with Killing Joke, which he joined in 1982, replacing original bassist Youth. He recorded and toured with the band as it achieved some commercial success, lending his talents to 1983's Fire Dances, 1985's Night Time and 1986's Brighter Than a Thousand Suns. He left the band during the recording of 1988's Outside the Gate but later rejoined the fold for 1990's Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions.

When Killing Joke called it quits in 1991, Raven and his bandmates — save frontman Jaz Coleman — went on to form Murder, Inc., adding singer Chris Connelly to the mix. Raven also participated in Pigface, a project conceived by Murder Inc./ Killing Joke/ Public Image Ltd. drummer Martin Atkins, and later joined Prong for 1994's Cleansing and 1996's Rude Awakening.

He then rejoined Killing Joke for the band's 2003 eponymous effort and its 2006 follow-up, Hosannas From the Basements of Hell. Raven began working with Jourgensen and Ministry in 2005, eventually appearing on 2006's Rio Grande Blood and this year's The Last Sucker. Raven's most recent work was with Mob Research, a band featuring members of Warrior Soul and the Mission UK. Its debut LP is expected to hit stores next year.

• Ministry
• Killing Joke

Ministry
Photo: Steffan Chirazi

While some of us don't even know what we'll be doing next week, Al Jourgensen has the next two years of his life all mapped out.

Last week, Ministry's final studio opus, The Last Sucker, the scathing third installment in Jourgensen's trilogy of LPs attacking President Bush's administration, landed in record stores. In March, he'll hit the road for the last time with Ministry, the band he's fronted since he formed it in 1981, for a tour that will last five months. But before that, he has to hit the studio and record Got Co--?, the studio-album swan song from his side project the Revolting Co--s. In October, the Co--s will head out on what will be their goodbye tour, with openers Prong and Mob Research, the latest signing to Jourgensen's label, 13th Planet Records.

"I am systematically going through and putting all of my side projects to bed over the next couple of years, and then, I'll strictly concentrate on production, running the label and doing soundtracks and a lot of other weird stuff," Jourgensen said, adding that there will be future, all-culminating collections from Lard and Pailhead too. "Then I'll do Buck Satan & the 666 Shooters, a country record I've been talking about for 20 years — once you see the Buck Satan album come out, then you know I'm completely done recording."

After that, Jourgensen said he'll finally get a chance to relax.

"I'm an all-or-nothing guy," he explained. "When I'm working, I work, work, work, work, work, and when I'm not, I'm the laziest sloth this planet has ever provided us. In about two or three years, I'll go full guns, but then I'll sit on my porch with a shotgun and my hound dog and chase kids off my lawn. I'll just sit back, in my 'Sopranos' bathrobe and slippers, going out to the mailbox, picking up checks and kicking back."

But why put Ministry on the slab after all these years? Well, Jourgensen doesn't think the Republicans stand a chance in the upcoming elections, and when there's a Democrat in power, "I think we suck," he admitted. But much more than that, he wanted out before he was dragged out.

"I hate bands that hang around like 10 years too long — they're like the drunk at a party you can't get rid of," he said. "I think we're on top of our game, and old George W.'s leaving office, so I just figured it was the perfect time for us to do that. I've got a million projects going on right now, and Ministry takes up a year and a half of your time whenever we release something. Within that time, I can probably do 10 different projects. We're going out with dignity, going out with class. Even if another Republican comes back, that's the whole point of having the label — we have other voices. I'm not going to be tempted if we get some other fascist in office."

But Ministry's true finale will come in April with the release of Cover Up, a covers album. Jourgensen is releasing the set under a different moniker: Ministry and the Co-Conspirators. The disc will include guest appearances by Static-X's Wayne Static (on a rendition of the Beatles' "I Want You [She's So Heavy]"); Cheap Trick's Robin Zander (singing Golden Earring's "Radar Love"); Fear Factory's Burton Bell (on the Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb"); and Victor and Mountain guitarist Leslie West (on Mountain's "Mississippi Queen").

Still, that might not be the last album we see from Ministry.

"I'm sure there will be Ministry albums coming out over the next 20 years — you can't stop my old catalog from being repackaged and re-put-out. [Warner Bros. Records] own[s] it, so I'm sure they'll find some outtakes. If I die in a plane crash, then all hell breaks loose, and they'll have 15 albums come out in one year — rare stuff, bootlegs."

Jourgensen is also working on a soundtrack for the forthcoming horror flick "Wicked Lake." The movie is being directed by Zach Passero, who helmed the music videos for Ministry's "Lies Lies Lies" and the Revolting Co--s' "Fire Engine."

Politically speaking, Jourgensen, who claims the FBI has an active profile on him, doesn't plan on silencing himself anytime soon — and won't discuss who he will support in the next presidential election.

"I'm not done criticizing this administration — I won't stop until I actually see them all in jail, where they belong," he said. "And I won't even comment on [the current crop of presidential hopefuls]. I think a two-party system — which in essence is a one-party system with two names — really sucks, and I don't think it's a wasted vote to vote your conscience, or to vote independent or for a Green [Party] candidate, because it's the only way we're going to get an alternative to this mess we have that we call this 'democratic system.' That's how I will approach it. I'm not going to [think], 'Oh well, it's the lesser of two evils.' I think we've gotten so accustomed to doing that, so you should just vote your conscience. The whole system's broken. All these candidates are bought by specific agendas. They are all already bought. They're running on a platform of who has more money to do negative campaign ads as opposed to running on a platform of ideas."

• Ministry
• Lard

Ministry's Al Jourgensen
Photo: Steffab Chirazi

"Obviously, my muse for the past six years has been George W.," Ministry frontman Al Jourgensen admitted recently, "and he's going to be riding off into the sunset soon, so I figured I'd just go out with him."

That's right — Ministry's September 18 disc, The Last Sucker, will indeed be their studio-album swan song.

"Everyone seems to think I make sh--ty records when there are Democrats in office," he laughed. "Since I'm really on the top of my game right now, it would be nice to end on a high note instead of keep releasing sh--ty albums well into my 60s," he added.

Of course, Jourgensen isn't about to fade away without blasting a final cache of industrial-metal ammunition at the White House. The Last Sucker is venomous and brutal, filled with caustic riffs, political sound bites and ranting, distorted vocals. The new LP incorporates elements of Ministry's finest albums, including the mechanized precision of 1988's The Land of Rape and Honey; the blowtorch fury of 1992's Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed & the Way to Suck Eggs; the hazy, lumbering fear and rage of 1996's Filth Pig; and the shovel-to-the-skull thrash and anti-Bush bile presented on 2004's Houses of the Molé and 2006's Rio Grande Blood. However, while Jourgensen admits The Last Sucker provides a comprehensive closing chapter to the story of the band he formed in Chicago in 1981, he insists he wasn't making a conscious effort to write the equivalent of an on-the-deathbed flashback.

"Me, [Prong guitarist] Tommy Victor and [Prong/ Killing Joke bassist Paul] Raven just went in and jammed, and the only idea that we had going in was that we didn't have any ideas," Jourgensen said. "This is definitely a fitting end to it all, but that's just the way it came out. There's a couple songs left on a shelf somewhere in case I die in a plane crash and they want to release outtakes, but for the most part, we picked out the ones that made the record flow in a way that, as it turned out, encapsulated the Ministry sound."

Jourgensen and his cohorts started writing The Last Sucker in February and finished tracking the album in June. In part, the rapid pace of production was necessary for Jourgensen to adhere to his tight schedule. As soon as he finished the album, he started putting songs together for an upcoming disc of Ministry covers — some new, some old — called Cover Up. The disc will feature numerous guests, including Static-X's Wayne Static (singing "I Want You [She's So Heavy]" by the Beatles); Cheap Trick's Robin Zander (singing Golden Earring's "Radar Love"); Fear Factory's Burton Bell (Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb"); and Victor and Mountain guitarist Leslie West (Mountain's "Mississippi Queen"). Cover Up will also include previously released covers of Black Sabbath's "Supernaut," Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay," the Doors' "Roadhouse Blues" (which is on The Last Sucker) and Magazine's "The Light That Pours Out of Me."

As if that's not enough, Jourgensen is currently producing and playing on the debut album by Ascension of the Watchers, Bell and Fear Factory keyboardist John Bechdel's new band. And Al is also getting ready to start working on the final Revolting Cocks record, which is due next year.

"In the '90s, I was releasing a new record every three years," Jourgensen said. "Now we do records in three to six months at most and just work our asses off. The old Ministry records took a long time partially because of drug-induced lethargy, but also because I was still learning my craft and experimenting with a lot of things. A lot of it wouldn't work and I'd scrap it and end up wasting, like, three weeks of time on a single thing. But now we're a bunch of old grumps and we know what we want, we know what we sound like, and we're pretty comfortable in our skins. So we can have a good time and still knock out a record really quickly that everyone's 100 percent happy with."

Ministry will support The Last Sucker with one final worldwide tour with a lineup including Jourgensen, Raven, Victor, guitarist Sin Quirin (Revolting Cocks), drummer Jimmy DeGrasso (ex-Megadeth) and keyboardist Bechdel. But while Jourgensen is looking forward to the tour, he also looks forward to putting the lid on the Ministry coffin.

"Man, I'm so looking forward to not being the front guy on a brand name," he said. "When I was growing up, I loved Led Zeppelin, and I always wanted to be Jimmy Page. But I ended up being Robert Plant by default. I was the singer and the frontman when I always wanted to be — like in 'Wizard of Oz,' the guy behind the curtain. I get so much more done when I'm on the sidelines, and it's more suited to my personality. I'm a studio rat. I always will be. And now I'll be able to do, like, six projects a year, so it's actually much better. You'll actually get more sick of Al Jourgensen faster than if I was to keep doing Ministry. So I view this as my second career, not a retirement."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Looks like Static-X will be touring the U.S. this fall with Shadows Fall, 3 Inches of Blood and Divine Heresy in tow. While confirmed, just one date has been announced for the trek: October 30 in Hollywood. More dates will be revealed in the coming weeks. ... They've been talking about it for months, and now, at long last, there's finally an official release date for the next Dillinger Escape Plan LP, Ire Works. Alas, we're all going to have to wait a little longer than originally expected: The record will hit stores November 13. ...

New Orleans sludge-metallers Eyehategod have lined up a handful of live dates, but if you want to catch them, you'll need to head South. The band plays September 14 in Metairie, Louisiana; September 27 in Lafayette, Louisiana; September 28 in Austin, Texas; September 29 in Fort Worth, Texas; and September 30 in Monroe, Louisiana. ... Cattle Decapitation will head out in October with Arsonists Get All the Girls, the Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza and Veil of Maya for a brief U.S. run that will start October 13 in West Hollywood, California, and run through October 29 in Tucson, Arizona. A mere nine dates have been scheduled so far, but more will be announced as they're confirmed. In related news, an unmastered version of the Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza's newest track, "I Am the Ocean," has been posted on the band's MySpace page. It's from the group's upcoming album, Danza II: The Electric Boogaloo, which will be in stores October 16. ...

Between the Buried and Me will tour this fall in support of their forthcoming album Colors, which is slated for release September 18. The trek, which kicks off September 26 in Greensboro, North Carolina, will also feature Horse the Band, Animosity and the End. Dates are scheduled through November 2 in Worcester, Massachusetts. ... The American Black Lung and I Am the Ocean kick off their Your Vultures Need Swallowing Tour on Friday night (August 17) in Salt Lake City. The tour runs through September 15 in Tucson, Arizona. ... Animosity's upcoming Animals LP will be chock-full of awesome guest spots. The record, out October 2, will feature singing by Cattle Decapitation's Travis Ryan, the Red Chord's Guy Kozowyk and A Life Once Lost frontman Bob Meadows. ...

In October, All Out War will begin recording an EP set for release through Innerstrength Records sometime later this year. Purity Through Annihilation will include five new songs, along with two covers and several demos dating back more than 15 years. ... Exodus, Arsis, Goatwhore and Warbringer will join forces this winter for a U.S. tour that is expected to kick off in West Hollywood, California, January 21. The tour is due to wrap in San Francisco on February 24. ... A brown recluse spider sunk its fangs into the Acacia Strain's Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz, forcing the metalcore act to cancel several shows — including the final date on this summer's Sounds of the Underground Tour. The band's future tour plans are up in the air as the guitarist undergoes treatment for the bite. ...

Speaking of bites, another one bites the dust, as they say: Sacramento, California's With Passion have called it a day — but they intend to take the stage one last time, on September 22 in Roseville, California. "We have been struggling to keep afloat in the business side of music for at least two years now," the band said in a statement. "We had high hopes that our new album would pull us out of that struggle, but instead, our album was released with less-than-expected promotion and distribution, and we ended up unable to even get on the road to support it. It simply seems ridiculous for us to continue on under this name since, as many of you have noticed, the last original member, [bassist] Mike Nordeen, departed the lineup about three months ago to go on to bigger and better things in the Human Abstract." Rising from the ashes, however, are Conducting From the Grave, the former band featuring several With Passion members. The group has been revived and plans to record soon. ...

The date has been set for Pennsylvania's Metalfest II: September 9. Here's how the lineup is shaping up: Full Blown Chaos, A Well Thought Tragedy, At the Throne of Judgment, Dim the Lights, Upon a Shallow Grave, Regain the Heart Condemned and Seas of David, plus several others. The shindig will start at 1 p.m. inside the Masonic Temple in Milton, and admission will set you back $15. ... Saosin will headline a U.S. fall tour, with Norma Jean and Alexisonfire opening. The trek launches October 1 in Fresno, California, and, 17 gigs later, wraps October 21 in Atlanta. ... Maryland Deathfest VI has been set for May 23-May 25 in Baltimore and will feature the likes of Monstrosity, Impaled, Sublime Cadaveric Decomposition, Hellnation, Martyr, the Day Everything Became Nothing, Engorged, Behold ... the Arctopus and others.

• Ministry
• Static-X
• Shadows Fall
• Dillinger Escape Plan
• The Red Chord

Kosmos
Photo: The End Records

Fans of Canadian experimental-metal band Voivod are known for their open-mindedness, so drummer Michel "Away" Langevin is hoping they'll embrace his new band Kosmos — even though the group's music is more meta than metal.

Inspired by '70s Krautrock bands like Neu!, Faust and Can, and more obscure bands including Birth Control and Omega, Kosmos combine the majesty and complexity of heavy prog rock with the effect-laden otherworldliness of space/psych rock.

"With a name like Kosmos, I hope people are expecting something pretty experimental," Langevin said. "[Late Voivod guitarist Denis] 'Piggy' [D'Amour] and I had been listening to this kind of music since the mid-'70s. I've always enjoyed these bands that create strange progressive music mixed with avant-garde stuff, so I figured, 'Well, why not put together a band like that?' "

Langevin formed Kosmos in early 2006 with Paradise guitarist Jetphil, Groovy Aardvark and Grim Skunk bassist Vincent Peake and keyboardist/programmer Alex Crow. The band also recruited admired underground Montreal musicians to guest on its self-titled debut: Xavier Caféïne, the singer for punk band Caféïne, provided vocals to a cover of Gong's "Much Too Old"; and Lucien Francoeur of the '70s experimental band Aut'Chose did spoken word on "Amerique Innavouable."

"Piggy and I actually helped re-form Aut'Chose with the original guitar player and singer for a one-show, one-album kind of thing," Langevin said. "And we played a few shows with them in 2005. It was actually the last show Piggy played before he took ill."

Kosmos, which comes out September 4, is a mostly instrumental collection of songs that sound like a bizarre hybrid of Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Amon Düül and horror-film-soundtrack band Goblin. But while songs like "Krautrock," "Psycho" and "Grand Grizou" are filled with expansive jams, mind-bending rhythms, clattering electronics and dueling guitar and keyboard solos, they're structured with both entrancing groove and compelling diversity.

"We worked hard on it, but it was fun," Langevin said. "We did it bit by bit over a period of nine months. After it was finished, we sent it to the End Records, [which signed Voivod,] but it's so experimental, we didn't think anyone would be interested. And then they got back to us and ended up singing us for three albums. So now we are writing new material. It's specifically a very fun project that turned more serious than we expected."

After the album is out, Kosmos may do some touring, but as for Lanvegin, he's focused once again on Voivod. He recently finished remastering the band's 1986 album, Rrröööaaarrr!, and editing a bonus DVD that will accompany the re-release of the LP in the fall. The package will be filled with live and demo recordings that were sold in the '80s via the band's Iron Gang fan club; fan-recorded footage, including the group's first U.S. show, an opening gig for Venom; rare archival photos; and cassette recordings dating back to 1980. "I found an early tape of Piggy doing an avant-garde collage of sounds that's very good, so that will be a bonus on Rrröööaaarrr! as well."

The Rrröööaaarrr! reissue will be followed early next year by reissues of 1987's Killing Technology and 1988's Dimension Hatröss, which will be similarly equipped with bonus DVDs. After the first batch of reissues come out, Langevin plans to work on reissues of 1991's Angel Rat and 1993's The Outer Limits. He's negotiating to put out 1989's Nothingface as well but is running into some red tape.

"We had a deal back then where it was distributed by MCA in America and Noise in Europe," Langevin said. "And right now that's causing some logistical issues that we need to settle before I can start thinking about that."

Langevin also plans to begin work on a box set of Voivod's '90s catalog, much of which featured Eric Forrest on vocals. As if that's not enough Voivod to shake a psychedelic stick at, next year Langevin will assemble two proper Voivod DVDs, "D-V-O-D-2" and "D-V-O-D-3," to follow up 2005's "D-V-O-D-1." These discs will feature the professionally filmed material lacking from the album-reissue bonus DVDs.

"There's a lot of good material that I'm putting together," Langevin said. " 'D-V-O-D-1' took me a while to do because I had to track down all the footage, which was shot on videotape in the '80s. But 'D-V-O-D-2' will feature stuff from the '90s, and that's in a very good format, and 'D-V-O-D-3' will feature the lineup with [bassist] Jason [Newsted], and all that footage is on digital, so those should be much easier to do."

And lest anyone forget, Voivod still have an album of new material to record, using the last batch of recordings Piggy made before he died. Originally, Voivod planned to track the 13-song swan song this summer, but Newsted's shoulder injury — which he sustained in October 2006 trying to catch a falling bass amplifier head — is delaying it until around September.

"We have to wait until Jason is healed 100 percent from the surgery he had on his shoulder," Langevin said. "I know that he's jamming right now, but he can't really play professionally until it's all healed. But when he's better, we want to get together in one studio — instead of three different studios in three different periods of time, like we did for [2006's] Katorz. Last time everything happened in difficult conditions. This time we want to make things easier for ourselves and take more time to make a really special record."

The rest of the week's metal news:

With President Bush's term winding up, it would seem Ministry's Al Jourgensen would either have to find someone else to pick on or cash in his chips and call 'er a day. Well, Al's chosen the latter — he'll issue Ministry's "last-ever" LP, The Last Sucker, September 18. "I [kind of] like the synchronicity of Dubya and Ministry riding off into the sunset hand in hand," Jourgensen joked in a press release. Look for the effort to feature 11 tracks, including "The Di-- Song," "No Glory" and "Die in a Crash." ... Job for a Cowboy, Despised Icon, A Life Once Lost and the Faceless will hit the road together in August for a string of U.S. dates. So far, the bands have booked a total of 10 gigs. Dates are scheduled from August 13 in Troy, New York, through August 28 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with more gigs to be announced in the coming weeks. ... In related news, A Life Once Lost have completed work on their next LP, Iron Gag. The disc lands in stores September 1, and will include "Firewater Joyride," "All Teeth" and "Others Die." The ALOL recently shot a clip for "Firewater Joyride," and they've posted several snaps from the shoot on their Web site. ...

Coalesce's 1999 effort There Is Nothing New Under the Sun, will be reissued August 7 with eight additional tracks. The original LP included seven songs — all of them Led Zeppelin covers. The version that hits stores next month will also include two new original songs, along with renditions of Black Sabbath's "Supernaut," Boy Sets Fire's "Vehicle" and Get Up Kids' "I'm Giving Up on This One." ... On Tuesday, Legacy of the Catacombs, a CD/DVD collection chronicling Nile's career, will land in stores. The set features a dozen tracks from the Ozzfest 2007 act, and the DVD features tons of studio footage, along with all the band's various videos. This offering comes in addition to Nile's new studio album, Ithyphallic, which is set for a July 20 release. ...

Arsis has been forced to drop off the Summer Slaughter Tour, which runs through Sunday in New York. According to a statement from the band, which had been touring in support of its latest release, United in Regret, "Everything was going great for us until we reached Sacramento, California. After that show, our van began to give us trouble — which surprised us, since the van had just been in for repairs twice before the tour even started and we were sure the problem had been fixed." In short, Arsis' van has been inoperable for two weeks, and they've gone broke paying for repairs and hotel stays. Hence, they'll be unable to rejoin the tour, which stops in Worcester, Massachusetts, Friday night (July 6). ... Pelican and Clouds will team up later this month for a run of shows that'll cut through the Midwest and up the West Coast. The first show is set for July 31 in Atlanta, and dates are scheduled through August 22 in Iowa City, Iowa. ...

Australian Christian death-metallers Mortification have postponed the U.S. leg of their forthcoming tour due to "time restraints in securing performance visas," the band explained on its Web site. "We hope to be back in the U.S. as soon as it becomes feasible," Mortification wrote. "All good things come to those that wait." The group will soon issue a concert set, Live Humanitarian, which will contain 16 songs and a DVD of goodies. ... Hardcore legends Christ on Parade are reuniting for a series of shows, beginning with a pair in Berkeley, California, July 27-28. The guys are also set to play San Francisco (August 2 and 18); Portland, Oregon (August 3); Tacoma, Washington (August 4); and Seattle (August 5). ... Floridian black-metal force Kult Ov Azazel have begun writing material for their next album, which has been titled Destroying the Sacred. Look for the LP to feature 10 tracks, including "Prelude to Holocaust," "Slaughter the Prophet" and "The Lucifer Principal."

• Voivod
• A Life Once Lost
• Ministry
• Nile

Pearl Jam's <i>Pearl Jam</i>
Photo: J-Records

Jamming the Airwaves: Pearl Jam's "World Wide Suicide" has been holding strong at modern-rock radio, and with J Records ruler Clive Davis backing the band, expect big things from the group's first studio disc in four years. The once-enigmatic Eddie Vedder tears into President Bush on the new single with the lyrics "A handsome face that the president took for granted/ Writing checks that others pay," but he doesn't stop there, chewing out the administration on "Army Reserve," "Unemployable" and "Inside Job." The band's nurtured a political bent over the years, but this time people will probably be listening.

Married to the Mobb: While Pearl Jam are hoping for a rebirth after aligning themselves with a new music mogul, so are Mobb Deep with 50 Cent. In a week bristling with major rock releases, Mobb are carving out some space for beats with Blood Money, their first release for 50's G-Unit Records. Prodigy told MTV he had to shave some blasphemous lyrics off "Pearly Gates" at the label's request, but the duo did sneak a couple of unlisted tracks onto the disc: "Have a Party," featuring 50 Cent and Nate Dogg, and a remix of 50's "Outta Control" featuring Mobb Deep. In fact, the record may as well be listed as a joint release between Mobb and G-Unit, what with Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks and Young Buck all making featured appearances. And toward the end of the record — which Havoc partially devotes to his fallen brother, Todd "T.J." Muchita — they hook up with Mary J. Blige for "It's Alright."

Tool Time: Never ones to miss the opportunity for biting sarcasm, Tool may have titled their first album in almost five years 10,000 Days because of how long it's taken to crank out the thing — but, if we're splitting hairs here, it's only been a mere 1,448. While rock competitors Pearl Jam are caught up in the so-called "post-9/11 world," Tool don't seem to be, even if this is their first release since the monumental event — in classic Tool style, the record presses the compact disc up against its 80-minute mark and features darkly mystical tracks like "Jambi," "Lipan Conjuring" and "Rosetta Stoned."

Spare a Dime: Fans still mourning "Dimebag" Darrell may find some healing with the release of a CD and DVD featuring the departed Pantera guitarist, which are being released on brother/ Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul's own Big Vin Records a few weeks later than first anticipated. The title of Pantera's 1990 album, Cowboys From Hell, finds new meaning with the project Rebel Meets Rebel, which partnered reuniting Darrell, Paul and Pantera bassist Rex Brown with Willie Nelson/ George Jones songwriter David Allan Coe. It's a record, as Paul says in a press release, that Darrell once joked he hoped to put out "before the old man [Coe] kicks the bucket." The DVD "DimeVision, Vol. 1: That's the Fun I Have" is more straight-up Darrell, a visual tribute that cobbles together unseen archival concert footage with "Jackass"-style home-video antics and more.

Thursday Comes Two Days Early: Sure there are some big releases dropping this week, but what about all that scrumptious enhanced content? Well, look no further than Thursday's A City by the Light Divided, which finds the band drifting away from that emo thang and, with the addition of a permanent keyboard player, moving into broader territory. The limited-edition digipak will have some video goodies, while those who downloaded the record on iTunes got a bonus track, and the ones who shelled out for it at Tower Records were gifted with a free 7-inch.

Jewel of the Pile: Like a diamond in the rough, Jewel's sixth record, Goodbye Alice in Wonderland, may very well be drowned out by this week's louder releases. But give her some rock credit where it's due: She did re-record the LP with Green Day producer Rob Cavallo after she wasn't happy with the first go-round, even if, on "Satellite," she says rock and roll can't mend her broken heart.

Aussies Vs. Brits: This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Statute of Westminster, a measure that officially cut off most of the constitutional connections between Australia and the United Kingdom (technically it wasn't adopted until 1942). But that doesn't mean there can't be some good-natured rivalry between the commonwealth and its mother country.

And while we're on the subject of mothers, Wolfmother and their self-titled debut lead this week's pack — hardee har har — of Aussie releases. Fresh off a Coachella performance that got them some front-page notice in Sunday's edition of The Los Angeles Times, the power trio keep it feral on tracks like "Where Eagles Have Been" and "White Unicorn." Also busting out from the Land Down Under are Lostep, a Melbourne two-piece who have been enmeshed in the Global Underground DJ community but are finally stepping out with their debut, Because We Can. Decoder Ring — six musicians and a live projectionist who makes live montages with three concurrent projectors — provide the soundtrack for "Somersault," a coming-of-age movie set in New South Wales, as their first U.S. release. And singer/songwriter Audrey Auld Mezera is chiming in with In the House, a two-disc live set she recorded in Sebastopol, California, late last year with Nina Gerber.

On the other side of the world, Gomez chalk up How to Operate, their first studio effort for Dave Matthews' ATO Records, which they crafted with producer Gil Norton (Foo Fighters, Pixies). Charlatans UK head out with the reggae-heavy Simpatico, their first U.S. release in five years. The band has said the disc was heavily influenced by Joe Strummer and Gram Parsons, and it's already cracked the charts in their homeland. Lewes singer/songwriter David Ford's I Sincerely Apologize for All the Trouble I've Caused was also released first overseas, but it's getting a major-label push in the U.S., even though Ford recorded the whole thing on his G4. English duo the Boy Least Likely To, who have been getting heavy play on Los Angeles tastemaking radio station KCRW-FM, are taking the humble route by releasing their word-of-mouth The Best Party Ever at a low price in Coalition of Independent Music Stores. It comes with a bonus disc containing two extra tunes, "Rock Upon a Porch With You" and "Grubby Little Memory." And World Party's Dumbing Up is also notable: Frontman Karl Wallinger opted to issue the LP on Seaview Records after breaking his previous label contract when he discovered the label, his former band and U.K. megastar Robbie Williams created an alternate version of his song "She's the One," which subsequently won Single of the Year at the Brit Awards.

Song Title of the Week:

"You Suck! But Your Peanut Butter Is OK" from None More Black's This Is Satire

Other Notables:

Ministry's Rio Grande Blood: Al Jourgensen's calling the latest blast from his band "an all-out aural assault against the occupying forces of demagoguery and complacency." He dishes the anti-GW dirt on "The Great Satan," "Fear (Is Big Business)" and "Lieslieslies," enlisting comrade Jello Biafra for "Ass Clown" and, more surprisingly, a retired drill sergeant named Sergeant Major for Jourgensen's salute to soldiers, "Gangreen."

Brian Littrell's Welcome Home: The Backstreet Boy's new label isn't making many overt references to his affiliation with the boy band, instead focusing on his rebirth as a Christian artist. In a recent press release, the CEO of Provident Music Group said: "Brian [is] a forthright, sincere person of God. This is what Brian was built to do." Like-minded songs include "Grace of My Life," "Angels and Heroes" and "Jesus Loves You."

The Black Keys' Chulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough: Akron, Ohio's only pair of white guys playing swamp blues resurface with a six-song set devoted to their muse, the late Mississippi blues great Junior Kimbrough. Guitar/singer Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney rework their 'brough's "Work Me," "Have Mercy on Me" and "Meet Me in the City."

Roy Hargrove's Nothing Serious and the RH Factor's Distractions: Hargrove's double-dipping this week. Nothing Serious is the hard-bopper's first acoustic-jazz set in six years, and he works with a backup quintet on songs like "A Day in Vienna" and "Devil Eyes"; the RH Factor is his neo-soul group, and they run through four chapters of "Distractions," plus "Kansas City Funk" and "Bullsh--."

New Releases:

• Merrie Amsterburg - Clementine & Other Stories (Q Division)
• Apiary - Lost in Focus (Metal Blade)
• Andrey Dergatchev - "The Return" soundtrack (ECM)
• Jon Auer - Songs From the Year of Our Demise (Pattern 25)
• Baby Dayliner - Critics Pass Away (Brassland)
• Nik Bärtsch's Ronin - Stoa (ECM)
• Beethoven's Wig 3 - Many More Sing-Along Symphonies (Rounder)
• The Black Keys - Chulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough (digipak EP; Fat Possum)
  Buy Now: Chulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough (Fat Possum)
• Blue Dogs - Live at Workplay (Black River)
• The Boy Least Likely To - The Best Party Ever (Too Young to Die; with bonus disc; available only at Coalition of Independent Music Stores)
• Brandtson - Hello Control (digipak; The Militia Group)
• The Charlatans UK - Simpatico (Sanctuary)
  Buy Now: Simpatico (Sanctuary)
• Clear Static - Clear Static (Maverick)
• Court & Spark - Hearts (Absolutely Kosher)
• Billy Cox & Buddy Miles - The Band of Gypsys Return (Image Entertainment)
• D-Block - Mix Tape (with DVD; Koch)
• Decoder Ring - "Somersault" soundtrack (Bella Union)
• Devotchka - Curse Your Little Heart (EP; Ace Fu)
• Phil Driscoll - Drops of Praise (Koch)
• Dysrhythmia - Barriers & Passages (Relapse)
• The Elms - The Chess Hotel (Universal South)
• Enslaved - Run (Candlelight)
• Alejandro Escovedo - The Boxing Mirror (Back Porch)
• First Blood - Killafornia (enhanced; Trustkill)
• David Ford - I Sincerely Apologise for All the Trouble I've Caused (Red Ink)
• Gadget - Funeral March (Relapse)
• Gomez - How We Operate (ATO)
  Buy Now: How We Operate (ATO)
• Roy Hargrove - Nothing Serious (Verve)
• Homeless J. - Three Seconds to Gaze (Selectric)
• Izzy - In Awe of You (Koch)
• Jewel - Goodbye Alice in Wonderland (Atlantic)
• Greg Joseph - American Diary (digipak; High Wire)
• Brian Littrell - Welcome Home (Reunion)
• Lostep - Because We Can (Global Underground)
• Rockie Lynne - Rockie Lynne (Universal South)
• Robin McKelle - Introducing Robin McKelle (Cheap Lullaby)
• Audrey Auld Mezera & Nina Gerber - In the House (two CDs; Reckless)
• Ministry - Rio Grande Blood (digipak; 13th Planet/ Megaforce)
  Buy Now: Rio Grande Blood (digipak; 13th Planet/ Megaforce)
• Mobb Deep - Blood Money (Interscope/ G-Unit)
  Read: "Throwback: Mobb Deep"
  Buy Now: Blood Money (Interscope/ G-Unit)
• Mon Frere - Blood Sweat & Swords (Cake)
• Gary Moore - Old New Ballads Blues (Eagle)
• Greg Murray - Tymes Ten (Bus Stop)
• Marykate O'Neil - 1-800-Bankrupt (digipak; Nettwerk/ 71 Recordings)
• None More Black - This Is Satire (Fat Wreck Chords)
• Gregory Page - Love Made Me Drunk (digipak; Seedling)
• Glen Phillips - Welcome Home (digipak; High Wire)
• Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam (J)
  Read: "Pearl Jam, Post-'Therapy': 'The Sex Is Better Than Ever!' "
  Buy Now: Pearl Jam (J)
• Glen Phillips - Mr Lemons (digipak; High Wire)
• Rebel Meets Rebel - Rebel Meets Rebel (Big Vin)
  Read: "Vinnie Paul Ready To Release Dimebag's Rebel Music "
• The RH Factor - Distractions (Verve)
• Sadus - Out for Blood (Mascot)
• Scar Symmetry - Pitch Black Progress (Nuclear Blast America)
• Soil - True Self (DRT)
• Starkweather - Croatoan (Candlelight)
• Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming (digipak; Absolutely Kosher)
• Thursday - A City by the Light Divided (digipak due same day; Island)
  Read: "Thursday Frontman Says He Doesn't Want To Exploit My Chemical Romance, But ..."
  Buy Now: A City by the Light Divided (Island)
• Andy Timmons Band - Resolution (Favored Nations)
• Tool - 10,000 Days (Volcano)
  Buy Now: 10,000 Days (Volcano)
• Ralph Towner - Time Line (ECM)
• Up Bustle & Out - City Breakers: 18 Frames Per Second (Collision Cause Chap)
• The Warning - All Systems Dead (Punk Core)
• Carnie Wilson - A Mother's Gift: Lullabies From the Heart (Big 3)
• Wolfmother - Wolfmother (Interscope)
  Read: "Wild Afros, Raging Riffs, Trippy Lyrics: Wolfmother Live Up To Their Name"
  Buy Now: Wolfmother (Interscope)
• World Party - Dumbing Up (with DVD: Seaview)
• Yyrkoon - Unhealthy Opera (Osmose)
• Zombi - Surface to Air (Relapse)
• Various artists - Before the Rise (three CDs; BCD)
• Various artists - The Royal Dan: A Tribute (Tone Center)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

McHouston Baker - Mississippi Delta Dues (Fontana)
• Chi-Lites - The Ultimate Chi-Lites (Brunswick)
• Eric Clapton - Guitar Legend: The Very Best of the Early Years With the Yardbirds/ The Immediate All Stars/ John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (Metro)
• Nat King Cole - The Very Best of Nat King Cole (Capitol)
• Deep Purple - Live at Montreux 1996 (Eagle)
• Manu DiBango - The Very Best of Manu DiBango: African Soul (Fontana)
• Eleven Hundred Springs - Bandwagon (Palo Duro)
• Al Green - The Belle Album: Expanded Edition (Capitol)
• Albert Hammond - Albert Hammond/ 99 Miles From L.A. (BGO)
• Hirax - Not Dead Yet (Black Devil)
• Humble Pie - The Best of the Immediate Years (Metro)
• Furry Lewis - Fourth and Beale (Fontana)
• Wes McDonald - Guest (Skybucket)
• Molly Hatchet - The Deed Is Done (Gott Discs)
• Morrison-Williams - Morrison-Williams (Palo Duro)
• Helen Reddy - The Woman I Am: The Definitive Collection (Capitol)
• Django Reinhardt - Memorial (two CDs; Empire Musicwerks)
• Roswell Rudd/ Toumani Diabate - Malicool (Fontana)
• Darryl Lee Rush - Llano Ave. (Palo Duro)
• John Stewart - An Introduction to John Stewart (Fuel)
• Taste - Taste (Fontana)
• Phil Vassar - Greatest Hits (Arista)
• Jackie Wilson - The Ultimate Jackie Wilson (Brunswick)

Music DVDs:

• Deep Purple - "Live at Montreux" (Eagle Vision)
• Dimebag Darrell - "DimeVision, Vol. 1: That's the Fun I Have" (Big Vin)
• Emerson, Lake & Palmer - "The Birth of a Band - Isle of Wight Festival, Saturday, August 29 1970" (Eagle Vision)
• The Four Tops - "From the Heart - 50th Anniversary Celebration" (Image Entertainment)
• Howard Jones - "20th Anniversary Greatest Hits" (Koch)
• Transatlantic - "Building the Bridge/ Live in America" (Metal Blade)
• Willowz - "See In Squares" (Sympathy for the Record Industry)

Coming Attractions:

May 9:

• Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere (Downtown)
• The Isley Brothers - Baby Makin' Music (Island)
• Korn - Live & Rare (Epic)
• Nick Lachey - What's Left of Me (Jive)
  Buy Now: What's Left of Me (Jive)
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium (two CDs; limited edition with DVD also available; Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Chili Peppers Stoked About New Album, Possible Kanye Tour"
  Buy Now: Stadium Arcadium (Warner Bros.)
• Snow Patrol - Eyes Open (A&M)
  Read: "Snow Patrol Turn 'Candy-Assed' Music Into Beastly Arena Rock"
  Buy Now: Eyes Open (A&M)

May 16:

• Ashley Parker Angel - Soundtrack to Your Life (Universal)
  Buy Now: Soundtrack to Your Life (Universal)
• Cam'ron - Killa Season (limited-edition version with DVD and two bonus tracks also available; Rap-a-Lot)
  Read: "Mixtape Monday: LL Cool J Stays Hungry, Cam'ron Delivers A Preview"
  Buy Now: Killa Season (Rap-a-Lot)
• Hoobastank - Every Man for Himself (Island)
  Read: "Hoobastank Find Inspiration For New LP In Scott Weiland's Cold Shoulder"
  Buy Now: Every Man for Himself (Island)
• Christina Milian - So Amazin' (enhanced; Def Jam)
  Buy Now: So Amazin' (Def Jam)
• The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers (V2/ Third Man)
  Read: "Jack White: Don't Call The Raconteurs A Side Project"
• Rock Kills Kid - Are You Nervous? (Reprise)
  Read: "Rock Kills Kid Bring Music From Windowless Room To Radio"

May 23:

• Angels & Airwaves - We Don't Need to Whisper (Geffen)
  Read: "Tom DeLonge Spills More About Angels & Airwaves' Plans For World Domination "
• The Dixie Chicks - Taking the Long Way (Columbia)
• Pink - "Live in Europe" (La Face)
• The Walkmen - Hundred Miles Off (Record Collection)

• Pearl Jam
• Mobb Deep
• Tool
• Dimebag Darrell
• Thursday

Al Jourgensen
Photo: Getty Images/Amanda Edwards

Last fall, Ministry's Al Jourgensen vowed to pack up his things and move to the great white north, should the nation re-elect President George W. Bush.

In an interview with the Duluth News-Tribune, the nihilistic pope of industrial metal said Ministry would "buy some parkas and be a Canadian band," in the event of a John Kerry shellacking. He'd released the band's Houses of the Molé about five months prior to making that promise — a furious and relentless onslaught of guitars and drums inspired by listening to more than 100 hours of Bush's speeches (see "In President Bush, Ministry Find Both A Monster And A Muse").

Jourgensen still lives in El Paso, Texas — but don't you dare call Al a welsh.

"We tried to move, man," he said, with a defensive tone in his gruff voice. "But Canada's the 51st state — you can't get away from the idiot. He's everywhere. So we figured we might as well come back to Texas, sleep behind enemy lines and do subversive sh-- there, as opposed to running up to Canada like the rest of the hippies did in Vietnam. We're going to stay in Texas and fight him head-to-head."

Al's planning to continue with his ongoing crusade against the Bush kith, which dates back to 1992's Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed & the Way to Suck Eggs and the track "N.W.O." Jourgensen said he'll finish working on the material for Ministry's forthcoming LP, Rio Grande Blood, before Christmas, and it's slotted for an April release. He has three tracks in the bag at this point: two as-yet-untitled cuts and "The Great Satan," which appears on the just-released Rantology, a collection of well-known Ministry tracks ("Stigmata," "Jesus Built My Hotrod") Jourgensen revisited and remixed to commemorate the band's 25th year in the biz.

"I was inspired at gunpoint to do [Rantology]," Al confessed. "The label was like, 'Oh my God — you've been around for 25 years. We've got to do a collection. It's been 25 years,' and I'm like, 'Shut up. I'm feeling old. Don't even tell people about that, man.' "

But Sanctuary, he said, was insistent on releasing something — anything. "They're like, 'We'll release these hits,' and I'm like, 'Look — we just had a greatest hits like four years ago. I'm not doing it again. F--- you.' I wanted to at least make it something special for the kids and not just a 'Let's re-release everything' disc. So I wanted to put a little work into it. I wouldn't have stopped to remix these things, because I feel like my best songs have yet to be written — so why waste time on old sh--?"

He said he plans on recording about eight more tracks for the disc, and that his muse has been providing him with endless inspiration for the new material. "I'm really pissed — so pissed," Jourgensen said. "But the more [Bush] makes himself sound like an idiot, the less I have to do."

Jourgensen's also planning on releasing an album in February from his 19-year-old side project, Revolting Cocks, called Cocked and Loaded. The disc will feature the talents of Jello Biafra, ex-Butthole Surfers frontman Gibby Haynes, ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons and Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielson.

"This is a party record, dude. It's not rap, but it would remind you of the first couple of Beastie Boys albums," he explained. "It's a bunch of middle-aged men trying to be juvenile delinquents again. It rules." The disc will boast 11 tracks, including "Purple Head," "Prunetang," "Pole Grinder," "Dead End Streets" and "Jack in the Crack."

Both the Ministry and Revolting records, which will be released through Al's 13th Planet label, will precede Jourgensen's 54-date MasterBaTour, which, although far in the future, is slotted to kick off on May 5 in Houston and run through July 14 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Ministry, the Revolting Cocks and Detroit-based Goth-rock act Spyder Baby are on the bill. He said he's also planning on re-releasing the entire Ministry catalogue through 13th Planet.

If it seems like Jourgensen's working overtime, he is. But really, when you've put your drug-addled past behind you, it's a lot easier to be productive, he said.

"The worst is living on 'Dealer Standard Time' — like, you can't do anything until the dealer gets there or, 'I can't write until I'm high, dude,' " Al, who's been clean for more than three years, said. "Now it's like, 'I have this idea. Let's go do it' — and bam! It's done."

Not that drugs ever helped him to be productive. "You know," he recalled, "there was this one time when we decided we needed backup gospel vocals for 'Destruction,' " from 1988's The Land of Rape and Honey. "So we got this Baptist choir [to come] in from the south side of Chicago — 60 people strong. We decided to dose all of them with acid while they were there. So we had 60 crazy Baptists tripping on a Sunday morning. But they got too high to sing, which we weren't anticipating. We figured everyone had the same tolerance for acid that we did at the time. So we weren't sure why all these people were acting so weird. We put it in their coffee that morning. We didn't get much done — a lot of them left, but some of them started praying real hard."

• Ministry

Powerman 5000 (file)
Photo: Dreamworks

While not having a record deal would bother most musicians to their core, Powerman 5000's Spider isn't the least bit worried or distracted. Actually, the frontman says the freedom of having zero label ties gives him carte blanche to do what he wants.

And Spider — Rob Zombie's brother, don't you know — says it's been rather refreshing, from a creative standpoint, to work this way. He thinks that, to fans of the Boston band, it'll be obvious once they've had a chance to hear PM5K's as-yet-untitled fifth album, which they're hoping to release in early 2006.

Spider said the LP, which the band is self-producing, will have an "under-produced," stripped-down sound. "We're leaving in the mistakes," he said. "Kids aren't hearing those kinds of records any more — like the Sex Pistols — where things are out of tune, there are mistakes. Nowadays, everything's lined up to a grid on Pro Tools, and everyone's vocal is tuned to the perfect pitch. That's not what rock music should be."

Rather than focus on going more heavy or finding a label to release the album, PM5K's concentrating on the music: "Every rock band comes out and makes that statement, you know, that this is going to be our heaviest album ever. I hate that. For me, I want to make the best record we can make — whether it's heavier or not, doesn't matter. Some of it will be supper-aggressive, some of it won't be."

The album, which is about halfway done and will be the band's first since 2003's Transform, will include "Heroes and Villains," "The Last Night on Earth" and "Treat Me Like a Stranger." Spider hopes PM5K can make a statement with the album and distance themselves from some long-term associations that he feels have hurt them.

"We came out during the nü-metal explosion, and now, people talk about us in the same sentence as Limp Bizkit and sh--," he said. "We sort of got trapped in a world that we didn't belong in. We were put in a category with bands that I never really felt comfortable being compared to. But sometimes you find you get on this path and it takes you somewhere you didn't necessarily ever expect to be. So for me, this new record is going to be a statement. It's probably the record I should have made 10 years ago, the one that says, 'This is who I am, musically, and this is where my head is at.' "

Powerman 5000 have spent much of their summer on the road, but have only 11 more dates remaining on their current U.S. tour, set to wrap up August 23 in Beaumont, Texas. Then it's back to the studio to finish the record, head back out in October — and find a label to distribute the disc. "There's already been some interest," he said. "For right now, we need to be the band that we are, and the rest will fall into place."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Glenn Danzig's Blackest of the Black Tour, featuring Chimaira, Behemoth, Himsa, Mortiis and the Agony Scene, will kick off September 30 in San Diego, with dates running through October 29 in Los Angeles. ... The second leg of Judas Priest's U.S. tour launches September 24 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania. Eighteen gigs later, Rob Halford and his mates will wrap things up in Tucson, Arizona, on November 1. ... Killswitch Engage will take a break from Ozzfest on July 25 for a gig at the Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts, which will be filmed for inclusion on the band's forthcoming DVD. Tickets will be $5; As I Lay Dying and Once Beloved will open. ... Actor Michael Madsen — he of "Reservoir Dogs," "Sin City" and "Kill Bill" — has been tapped to star in Every Time I Die's video for "Kill the Music," the first single off of their forthcoming Gutter Phenomenon. The record's scheduled for an August 23 release through Ferret. ...

Norma Jean will shoot a video for "Absentimental" in the coming weeks. The track comes from the band's O God, the Aftermath album. ... The Black Dahlia Murder, Between the Buried and Me, Cephalic Carnage and Into the Moat will hit the road together this fall, starting in Buffalo, New York, on September 23. So far, 13 gigs have been scheduled, running through October 26 in Indianapolis; a full list is expected next week. ... Dallas' own A Dozen Furies, the winners of MTV's "Battle for Ozzfest," will release their Sanctuary Records debut, A Concept From Fire, on September 13. The offering will boast a dozen tracks, including "The Everlasting Grudge," "Idea and Some Rope" and "Nightmare of a Martyr." ... Ministry and their alter-ego, Revolting Cocks, will launch the MasterBaTour 2006 in May, with dates running through July. The May 28 show in Seattle went on sale July 20. Spyder Baby will open. ...

Oakland power thrashers Watch Them Die will release their second album, Bastard Son, on September 6. The follow-up to their eponymous 2003 debut will include "On Slaught," "Throne of Lies," "Belials Path" and "Early Mourning." Watch Them Die are on tour through September 17 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. ... The second album from Brides of Destruction, Runaway Brides, will hit stores September 27. Since the departure last year of bassist Nikki Sixx, the band has hired ex-Amen member Scott Sorry. The Brides entered the recording studio early this year with producer Andy Johns, who has previously worked with Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones. New tracks include "White Trash," "Criminal" and "Lords of the Mind." ... Richmond, Virginia, crossover hardcore band Municipal Waste will release their second full-length album, Hazardous Mutation, on September 20. The group is reminiscent of DRI, Crumbsuckers and early Corrosion of Conformity, and features ex-Discordance Axis/ Burnt by the Sun drummer Dave Witte.

• Powerman 5000
• Brides Of Destruction
• Ministry
• Every Time I Die

Jadakiss (file)
Photo: Appio

In this week's batch of new releases, an experimental rock group gives birth to a ghost, a rapper plants a deadly smooch on the shelves of record stores, and a couple of hard rock groups hurl the metal at their fans with full force.

Given all the excitement and anticipation surrounding the release of Wilco's new album, it's hard to believe that the band was dropped by its label in 2001 after handing in what would become 2002's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Wilco's newest effort, A Ghost Is Born, hits stores Tuesday (June 22).

Rapper Jadakiss really wants to make sure you remember his name when you pick up one of his albums. In 2001, he released Kiss Tha Game Goodbye, and on Tuesday he puts out Kiss of Death. Moving from rap to R&B, newcomer JoJo releases her self-titled debut this week, fueled by the single "Leave [Get Out]."

On the harder side of things, Ministry, Motörhead and the Scorpions all have albums hitting stores this week. After having allowed a few years to pass between past records, Ministry accelerate the process with Houses of the Molé, the follow-up to 2003's Animositisomina. Motörhead heat it up with Inferno, while the Scorpions put out Unbreakable, the band's first studio release in four years.

File under fusion: Los Angeles' Ozomatli combine salsa, hip-hop, rock, jazz and funk on Street Signs, while Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante releases his fifth solo album (and second this year), The Will to Death.

Beach Boys member Brian Wilson releases his solo effort Gettin' in Over My Head, and Morris Day, a founding member of Prince's band the Time, drops his first solo album since 1992, appropriately titled It's About Time.

Out Tuesday, June 22:

• Age of Ruin - Tides of Tragedy (Eulogy)
• The Album Leaf - In a Safe Place (Sub Pop)
• Bobby Bare Jr.'s Young Criminals' Starvation League - From the End of Your Leash (Bloodshot)
• Belles - Idle Acres (Second Nature)
• David Benoit and Russ Freeman - Benoit/Freeman Project 2 (Peak)
• BoDeans - Resolution (Zoë/Rounder)
• Trina Broussard - Same Girl (Motown)
• Chronic Future - Lines in My Face (Interscope)
• Consequence - Take Em to the Cleaners (Sure Shot)
• Morris Day - It's About Time (Hollywood)
  Buy Now: It's About Time (Hollywood)
  
• Despistado - The Emergency Response (EP, Jade Tree)
• DJ Spooky - Celestial Mechanix: The Blue Series MasterMix (Thirsty Ear)
• Nick Drake - Made to Love Magic (Island)
• Fourplay - Journey (Bluebird)
• John Frusciante - The Will to Death (Record Collection)
• Benny Golson - Terminal 1 (Concord Jazz)
• Rachel Goswell - Waves Are Universal (4AD)
• Benny Green and Russell Malone - Bluebird (Telarc Jazz)
• Mark Holland - For Such a Time as This (Cedar n Sage)
• Jadakiss - Kiss of Death (Interscope/A&M)
  Read: "Nate Dogg, Neptunes, Kanye West On New Jadakiss LP"
• Jahsir - Stress Free (X-Ray)
• JoJo - JoJo (Blackground)
• Keoki - The Great Soundclash Swindle (Hypnotic)
• Lit - Lit (DRT/Nitrus/Dirty Martini)
  Buy Now: Lit (DRT/Nitrus/Dirty Martini)
  
• Lynyrd Skynyrd - Lyve (Sanctuary)
• Miriam Makeba - Reflections (Heads Up)
• Maroon 5 - 1.22.03 Acoustic (RCA)
  Read: "Maroon 5 Plan To Keep It Hot And Steamy In Next Video"
• Edwin McCain - Scream & Whisper (DRT)
• Ministry - Houses of the Molé (Sanctuary)
  Read: "Ministry Visited By Aliens While Making Killer Mole"
  Buy Now: Houses of the Molé (Sanctuary)
  
• Motörhead - Inferno (Sanctuary/Metal-Is)
  Buy Now: Inferno (Metal-Is)
  
• Mystic Chords of Memory - Mystic Chords of Memory (Sanctuary/Rough Trade)
• Ozomatli - Street Signs (Concord)
• Paulson - Variations (Initial)
• Elvis Presley - Elvis at Sun (BMG Heritage)
• Pretty Boy Floyd - Size Really Does Matter (Deadline)
• Qntal - Qntal III (Noir)
• The Race - If You Can (Flameshovel)
• Jonathan Richman - Not So Much to Be Loved as to Love (Sanctuary/Vapor)
• Robots in Disguise - Robots in Disguise (Recall)
• Salvatore - Tempo (Racing Junior)
• Scorpions - Unbreakable (Sanctuary)
• Erick Sermon - Chilltown New York (Universal)
• Ravi Shankar & Gingger - Celestial Body (Ark 21)
• Sonia Dada - Test Pattern (Calliope/Razor & Tie)
• Sweetback - Stage 2 (Epic)
• Tilly and the Wall - Wild Like Children (Team Love/Saddle Creek)
• Toy Crayzy - She So Crayzy (X-Ray)
• McCoy Tyner - Illuminations (Telarc Jazz)
• Bebo Valdes and Diego Cigala - Lagrimas Negras (Bluebird)
• Wilco - A Ghost Is Born (Nonesuch)
  Read: "Wilco: Ghost Stories"
  
  
• Brian Wilson - Gettin' in Over My Head (Rhino)
• Various artists - America Will Always Stand (Time-Life Music)
• Various artists - Bombay Beats (Varese Sarabande)
• Various artists - Electro Cured: An Electro Tribute to the Cure (Cleopatra)
• Various artists - Mento Madness (V2)
• Various artists - "Queer as Folk - 4th Season" soundtrack (Tommy Boy)
• Various artists - "Spider-Man 2" soundtrack (Columbia)
  Read: "Hoobastank, Jet, Yellowcard Spin Songs For 'Spider-Man 2' Soundtrack"
• Various artists - "Two Brothers" soundtrack (Decca/Universal Classics)
• DVD: Flotsam & Jetsam - Live in Phoenix (Deadline)
• DVD: KMFDM - WWWIII Tour 2003 (Sanctuary)
• DVD: Bernie Williams - The Journey Within (GRP/Verve)
• DVD: Various artists - Toronto Rocks (Rhino)
• DVD: Various artists - Vans Warped Tour '03 (Kung Fu/Image Entertainment)

June 29:

• Lloyd Banks - Hunger for More (Interscope)
  Read: "G-Unit's Lloyd Banks, Young Buck Recording Solo Albums"
• Brandy - Afrodisiac (Atlantic)
  Read: "Brandy On Growing Up: A Candid Chat"
• The Cure - The Cure
  Buy Now: The Cure (Geffen)
  (Geffen)
• Dave Matthews Band - Live at the Gorge (RCA)
• Lil Wayne - Tha Carter (Cash Money)
• The Tragically Hip - In Between Evolution (Zoe)
• Uncle Kracker - 72 & Sunny (Lava)

July 6:

• Ray Manzarek - Golden Scarab (Lemon Records)
• Poco - Indian Summer (Lemon Records)
• Angie Stone - Stone Love (J Records)

July 13:

• Jimmy Buffet - License to Chill (RLG)
• Roots - Tipping Point (Geffen)
• They Might Be Giants - Spine (Zoë)

• Jadakiss
• Wilco
• Ministry
• Motörhead
• Ozomatli

Warning: These Album Covers May Contain Explicit Content

• The Beatles
• The Mamas & The Papas
• Moby Grape
• Jimi Hendrix
• John Lennon

Red Carpet Spectacular: Photos From The 2007 Grammy Awards

• Pussycat Dolls
• Wolfmother
• Ministry
• Jamie Foxx
• Rihanna