In Flames
Photo: Patric Ullaeus

It wasn't playing in broad daylight that bothered In Flames frontman Anders Fridén during his band's stint on this summer's Ozzfest, where the Swedish metallers served as the mainstage openers. It wasn't even the fact that In Flames were restricted to 20-minute sets, or that those sets were performed in arenas teeming with metalheads sitting in plastic seats and downing hot dogs and jumbo pretzels.

That Fridén could deal with. But knowing In Flames had an entire album in the hopper, waiting to be unleashed upon the world, but no label deal that would get it out there on store shelves? That bothered him.

"It's been frustrating waiting this long to get an album out," he said of the band's eighth studio LP, Come Clarity, the cover art for which has already been illustrated by renowned metal and hardcore artiste Derek Hess. "It was finished in April [of 2005]. We wrote it at the end of 2004. And now it's going to be released on February 7. The songs still feel fresh to us and to our fans — no matter when it was recorded, it's a new album to them. I think it still represents In Flames and where we are. But it was hard."

Before signing with New Jersey's Ferret Music, In Flames spent the summer wondering just what would become of Come Clarity. Now that everything's in order and the brutal Swedes have a full U.S. tour planned with Trivium, DevilDriver and Zao (set to kick off in January), Fridén's trying to relax a bit. That, too, will be hard. In Flames need to devote loads of time to pre-tour rehearsals, as they'll be introducing a number of cuts they've never performed live — including material from 1994's Lunar Strain — into their set list.

On the topic of touring, was the Ozzfest gamble worth it for In Flames? The singer's not sure. "We saw it as a big promotional machine, and we got a chance to play in front of a huge crowd that doesn't normally listen to In Flames," he admitted. "But we won't know for sure until the album is out. I mean, looking back, I'd rather have been on the second stage."

Fridén considers Come Clarity "a bit more aggressive, and a bit more uptempo," but said it still possesses all the "elements of In Flames. It's always been about this balance between aggression and melody. It's just another step in our evolution. I don't know where we're going exactly. But I know where we've come from. We just try to top ourselves each time and be happy with the result. That's all we can do. Now it's up to the public to judge us."

He said the clip for the album's first single, "Take This Life," has been shot. It'll feature performance footage of the band superimposed across billboards in Times Square, interspersed with scenes from the video's mysterious story line. Fridén wouldn't discuss the details, as director Patric Ullaeus (Lacuna Coil, Dimmu Borgir) was still working on the video's overall concept at the time of the interview.

As if In Flames isn't keeping him busy enough, Fridén's also working on the second album from his side project Passenger.

"It's in the works, but I don't have time," he said. "I would like to release [a Passenger LP] sometime [in 2006], because we've recorded 10 of the album's 12 songs already. It's been a very slow process." Fridén once again worked with guitarist Niklas Engelin, bassist Hakan Skoger, drummer Patrik Sten and keyboardist Pierre Sten on the outing, which has no definitive release date yet.

The rest of the week's metal news:

Florida death-metal demons Deicide will release the DVD "When London Burns" on March 7. The disc captures a 2004 show recorded at the club Mean Fiddler and includes "Dead by Dawn," "Lunatic of God's Creation" and "Scars of the Crucifix." The DVD also includes a 30-minute documentary called "Behind the Scars," which was filmed in 2003 during the making of the band's last disc, Scars of the Crucifix. ... Death-metal veterans Morbid Angel will launch a tour April 2 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Dates are scheduled through May 1 in Houston. Behemoth, Krisiun and Despised Icon will support. ... New York electro-metal outfit Genghis Tron will enter the studio in January to begin recording the follow-up to their Cloak of Love EP. The band will tour with Child Abuse starting January 2 in Atlanta and ending January 8 in Philadelphia. Genghis Tron will return to the road in March with Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower and Akimbo. ... Drummer Dom Lizzio, who left Bodies in the Gears of the Apparatus two months ago, has thought twice about the move and returned to the band. "We're a f---ing family," a statement from the group read. "We've had a tight lineup with no problems for a good while now, and Dom loves this music as much as we do, so f--- it." BITGOTA's first full-length album's scheduled for an April release. ...

Buffalo, New York's Herod will release their new album Rich Man's War, Poor Man's Fight March 7. The disc is the follow-up to 2004's For Whom the Gods Would Destroy and is the first to feature singer Jason Russo, who replaced Judah Nero last year. Rich Man's War, Poor Man's Fight was recorded at Watchmen Recording Studios with producer Doug White and includes "Assimilation," "Lies and Betrayal" and "The Fire." ... The Black Dahlia Murder recently shot a video for the title track of their new album Miasma with director Joe Lynch. The group is still searching for a drummer to replace Zach Gibson, who was booted in November because he was unable to play the band's material, according to a post on the group's official Web site. The Black Dahlia Murder are scheduled to launch a European tour January 20 in Essen, Germany. ... Influential Pittsburgh math-noise band Don Caballero are working on their first album in five years for Relapse. The disc is being produced by Al Sutton at Rustbelt Studios in Detroit and will include "World Class Listening Problem," "And And And" and "He Lowered the Twin Down." No release date has been announced. ... Misery Index will issue a split 7-inch with Japan's Bathtub Sh--ter. The disc will hit stores early next year and include Misery Index's song "Conquistadores." Meanwhile the band will start working on its forthcoming second album in the middle of next month. ...

Soilwork guitarist Peter Wichers has left the band. In a statement he called it "one of [the] hardest decisions to make" and said he was "just worn out from all the touring and, I have reached a point in my life where touring is just not possible for me anymore. I need a break from the touring so that I can actually begin to build a more solid ground to stand on for the future." Soilwork responded by making session drummer Dirk Verbeuren a full-time member of the band. ... Providence, Rhode Island, mathcore band Daughters are writing and recording their upcoming album — their first for Hydra Head Records. The disc will be the band's first since the frenzied Canada Songs, which dropped in 2003. The band was formed in 2001 out of the ashes of As the Sun Sets. ... Georgia experimental band Kylesa are working on the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2005 disc, To Walk a Middle Course. The band is also still looking for a drummer to replace Brandon Baltzley, who left in June. Auditions will be held through the end of January, and those interested in giving it the old metal try should check out the band's Web site, kylesa.com, for details. ... Witchery, the Swedish thrash/death group that features the Haunted guitarist Patrik Jensen and Arch Enemy bassist Sharlee D'Angelo, has signed a new deal with Century Media. "[We] are really glad that we will be handled by the same team that has done such a great job for our other bands," said the group on its Web site. The band's fifth album, Don't Fear the Reaper, was recorded at Berno Studios in fall 2004 and is scheduled for release in March.

• In Flames
• Morbid Angel
• Witchery
• Trivium
• DevilDriver

Chimaira (file)
Photo: Roadrunner Records

It's been two years since Cleveland's Chimaira released The Impossibility of Reason, and according to frontman Mark Hunter, the band spent most of that time on the road and in the studio, working on its upcoming self-titled third disc, set to hit stores on August 9.

For Chimaira — who are playing both this summer's Sounds of the Underground Tour ("It's been awesome; the first night, everyone was hanging out, barbecuing") and Trenton, New Jersey's Hellfest — there was a decision to be made before they could embark on this latest brutal journey.

"We could make The Impossibility of Reason part two, which would have been absolutely no challenge whatsoever, or there was option two: totally reinvent ourselves," Hunter said. "That seemed more challenging, and at the same time, more fun. We didn't want to put out the same record over and over again, and I think this album is such a breath of fresh air — especially considering what's going on with heavy music right now."

With none of the album's 10 tracks — which include "Nothing Remains," "Inside the Horror," "Left for Dead" and "Bloodlust" — clocking in at less than five minutes, Chimaira is an epic release. But the band didn't set out to record mammoth songs — they just sort of happened.

"We didn't want to have any restraints or follow any specific guidelines," Hunter said. "We wanted the songs to play out for as long as they needed to, and have peaks and dynamics rather than doing the standard 'verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/end.' If a chorus was great, we wanted to make you wait for it."

The band's European fans will be able to score a limited-edition, double-CD rendition of the new disc when it hits stores in August; the special version will boast nine additional tracks, seven of them live, and covers of two songs from guitarist Matt DeVries' former band, Ascension: "Clayden" and "Malignant."

The rest of the week's metal news:

The generously sideburned, leather-lovin' Glenn Danzig has unveiled the lineup for his Blackest of the Black Tour, which is set to kick off in San Diego in late September and end on the West Coast on Halloween. Danzig has secured some support acts since Metal File first reported on his plans: Chimaira, Behemoth, Himsa, Mortiis and the Agony Scene. Danzig, who will cap off every show on the tour, will once again be bringing former Misfits guitarist Doyle Von Frankenstein on the road with him — this time, for a special 30-minute set of Misfits classics. ... After not seeing or hearing from him for more than a few weeks, Morbid Angel's David Vincent has filed a missing-persons report with Florida authorities for Angel/ Monstrosity axeman Tony Norman. The band contacted Norman's friends and family before going to police; the guitarist's girlfriend is also missing. Vincent and the rest of the band are hoping that anyone who's seen Norman will come forward. Monstrosity have been working on the follow-up to Rise to Power, with an anticipated 2006 release. ...

Emotive Australian hardcore band I Killed the Prom Queen will be heading to Sweden, heavy metal's capital, in August and September to start work on their next record with At the Gates producer Fredrik Nordstrom. Look for a mid-winter release. ... Members of grindcore outfits Napalm Death and Nasum are assembling tracks for a live split CD that will be released next year. The songs were recorded in Japan during a 2004 tour and will likely be the last recordings Nasum will release. The band broke up in May after singer Mieszko Talarczyk, who was vacationing in Thailand, was killed by the tsunami that devastated the South Asian coastline. ... Thrash band Arch Enemy have posted the new song "Nemesis" on their Web site. A video for the track will be shot this week with director George Bravo, who also worked with the group on its video for "We Will Rise." Arch Enemy's new album, Doomsday Machine, will be released July 26. The disc was co-produced by the band and Rickard Bengtsson at Slaughterhouse Studio in Sweden. ...

Veteran progressive-metal group Kings X will release a three-disc box set on September 20. The package will include their albums Manic Moonlight, Please Come Home ... Mr. Bulbous and Tape Head, which were originally released between 1998 and 2001. ... California thrash metallers the Black Dahlia Murder recently shot a video with director Matt Bass (Skindred, Nonpoint) for the track "A Vulgar Picture." ... Australian hardcore bashers Day of Contempt will release their first North American offering, The Will To Live, on August 9. Josh Abraham produced the disc. ... Chris Broderick, guitarist for '80s power-metal band Jag Panzer, is giving guitar lessons over the Internet. The classically trained axeman currently has 11 students. Players wishing to join Broderick's school of hard rocks should check out the "lessons" page on his Web site, ChrisBroderick.com.

• Chimaira
• Danzig
• Monstrosity
• Morbid Angel

Hey, what's up, metallions? How's everything been with you? Iann Robinson once again. Some pretty cool things are happening this week. First off is the Headbangers Ball Tour, featuring Lamb of God, Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage, Unearth and God Forbid — that's an amazing lineup. Anybody who's seen any of those bands live knows that one-on-one they kill, so all together, man, it's gonna be nuts. I've also been getting into these two new albums I got, one is the Darkness record Permission to Land, and the other is Danko Jones' new one, We Sweat Blood. I know, I know, it's not 100 percent metal, but they are heavy-ass rock that totally kill. The Darkness sound like AC/DC smashing into Urge Overkill on the Cult freeway —good stuff. Danko is straight-up rock, like what would happen if James Brown started a band with AC/DC. Metalhead or not, I suggest checking them out. Well, that's it for this week. Enjoy Metal File, and I will see you at the shows.

Legendary New York art-rockers Unsane will release Lambhouse on October 21. The album is a greatest-hits collection that includes a bonus DVD of all their music videos. ... Six Feet Under are steering away from blood-slicked paths a little and singing about social issues on their new album, Bringer of Blood, due September 23. The disc features songs like "Amerika the Brutal," "My Hatred" and "Sick in the Head," which lambastes the Bush administration and the nation's policies concerning free expression. ...

Skinlab have signed on for part of the Jägermeister Tour, which features Slayer, Hatebreed and Arch Enemy. Dates kick off October 8 in St. Paul, Minnesota, with Skinlab joining on November 11. The band will be playing with guitarist Scott Sergeant, who played with the band on 1999's Disembody: The New Flesh. The band's B-sides album, The Nerve Damage Sessions, is due early next year and will include two new studio tracks, an acoustic version of "Purify" and previously unreleased songs. ...

Ex-Coal Chamber frontman Dez Fafara has commented on Sevendust drummer Morgan Rose's recent revelation that Sevendust's new single, "Enemy," is a scathing rant about Fafara. "I would like to say I am glad that I did not inspire a love song for their lite-rock ballad single, and for Morgan Rose to please grow up." In response, Rose quickly retorted, "If Dez Fafara thinks my comments were out of line and childish, it's interesting that he's calling up my wife crying for forgiveness while still talking sh-- on the Internet. The reason Coal Chamber isn't together anymore is because his bandmates hated him. And I think most people in my shoes would have taken harsher actions if their wife was treated the way Dez treated [my wife] Rayna [Foss-Rose] when she was in Coal Chamber." ...

Suffocation have signed a deal with Relapse Records and should have an album out by early next year. It will be their first full-length since 1995's Pierced From Within. ... New Jersey's God Forbid have finished recording their third full-length, Gone Forever. The record is also due in 2004. ... Napalm Death have pushed back the projected release date of the covers collection Leaders Not Followers 2 to early next year. Due on the band's own Feto label, it'll include 18 covers of bands including Die Kreuzen, Hellhammer, Cryptic Slaughter and Sepultura. ...

Morbid Angel will be releasing their new album, Heretic, in five different versions. One is a box set featuring the new album plus the 18-track CD Bonus Levels and a Heretic sticker; the second is a double-disc slipcase of both CDs; the third option features both discs in a double-CD jewel case; the fourth is a 12-inch picture disc with no bonus CD; and of course one version simply contains Heretic in a CD case. ... Burnt by the Sun's new The Perfect Is the Enemy of Good will hit stores on September 23. ...Mastodon will re-release their masterpiece Remission on October 21 with a bonus DVD. ...

—compiled by Iann Robinson, Robert Mancini and Jon Wiederhorn

• Morbid Angel
• Napalm Death
• Sevendust
• Six Feet Under
• Skinlab

Eminem is giving us one more reason to buy the "8 Mile" soundtrack. The LP, due out October 29, will include a limited-edition sampler that will feature an unreleased track from Eminem along with material from Obie Trice and 50 Cent. …

It's not exactly a battle of the divas, but British rockers Muse have threatened Canadian warbler Celine Dion with a lawsuit if the singer continues to refer to her upcoming three-year string of Vegas dates at Caesar's Palace as "Celine Dion Muse," according to Muse's official Web site. The band claims to own the music-related worldwide use of the phrase "muse" and said they rejected an offer of $50,000 from Dion's management to buy the rights with the following statement: "NO, absolutely not as we don't want to appear to be Celine Dion's support act!" ...

Aimee Mann will visit the hottest stop on the fall concert circuit, the Bronze, in beautiful Sunnydale, California, as the latest artist set to appear on UPN's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," following Blink-182, Cibo Matto and most recently, the Breeders. Mann performs "Pavlov's Bells" in her episode, entitled "Sleeper," which was filmed Monday and will air November 19. ... Almost a decade after they rocked the Peach Pit After Dark on an episode of "Beverly Hills 90210," the Flaming Lips will make their triumphant return to a teen-targeted TV series when they appear on the WB's "Charmed." The band will perform its current single, "Do You Realize?" from their latest album, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, in the episode, which is being filmed Wednesday and is set for broadcast November 17. ...

Courtney Love is currently mixing solo material at a Hollywood studio with producer Jim Barber. ... Orange County, California, rap-metal outfit Hed (Planet Earth) are working on material for a forthcoming Jive Records release. Machine (Pitchshifter, Vision of Disorder), who produced the band's 2000 sophomore album, Broke, is back at the controls. ... AFI are still hard at work on their major-label debut in a Los Angeles studio with producers Jerry Finn (Green Day, Blink-182) and Garbage-man Butch Vig (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins). The band has laid down most of the instrumental tracks for the still as-yet-untitled set, and singer Davey Havok is currently recording vocals. ...

Morbid Angel will have their first two albums reissued by Earache on November 11. Both Altars of Madness and Blessed Are the Sick will come with a bonus CD-ROM, plus sleeve notes from the band's Trey Azagthoth. ... Sepultura will release an EP called Revolusongs through SPV next month. The band has just finished recording the EP with producer Steve Evetts, and it includes covers of tracks by U2, Jane's Addiction, Massive Attack, Hellhammer and Exodus. ... Black metal veterans Marduk have set World Funeral as the title of their forthcoming studio album, which is tentatively due to surface in mid-February. ... New York hardcore heavyweights Madball have reunited and will perform their first comeback show at Krome in South Amboy, New Jersey, on December 6. Also appearing on the bill will be Most Precious Blood, Death Threat and No Warning. ...

It's all new with Sean Paul. He just signed a record deal with Atlantic Records and has a new release date of November 12 for his Dutty Rock LP. "Like Glue," his new single and follow-up to his monster hit "Gimme the Light," drops in the next few weeks. ...

The Wallflowers will come out of their shells for a 14-date North American tour a few weeks after the release of their upcoming fourth album, Red Letter Days (November 5). The outing kicks off on November 20 at the Gothic Theatre in Denver, meanders across the Midwest and concludes with dates in Boston, Connecticut, New York, Philadelphia, and, on December 7, the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. ...

Need new wheels? Belle & Sebastian singer Stuart Murdoch is offering on eBay his classic Ford Granada that was featured on the artwork for the band's single "I'm Waking Up to Us." In addition to providing a new set of tires and insurance for one year, Murdoch is sweetening the deal by promising that the buyer will be able to gain free entry into the band's shows for the next five years. ...

Jets to Brazil have cancelled their current 33-date tour due to an unexplained "sudden illness," according to the group's spokesperson. The outing was due to begin Monday (October 14) in Brooklyn, New York; rescheduled dates remain to be announced. Jets' latest album, Perfecting Loneliness, is out Tuesday. ... Portishead singer Beth Gibbons will release her self-titled solo debut in the U.K. on October 28. The mostly acoustic 10-track album of ambient, jazzy compositions and fragile folk songs was recorded with former Talk Talk bassist Paul Webb and features the tracks "Mysteries," "Tom the Model," "Show," "Sand River" and "Spider Monkey"; no U.S. release date has been announced yet. ... John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting and Melissa Etheridge will perform at the Lili Claire Foundation's fifth annual benefit "Helping Kids Fly Higher" on Saturday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. The proceeds from the event, which will be hosted by "Friends" star Matthew Perry, will benefit children living with neurogenetic birth defects. ...

10.14.02

Usher might want to brush up on his etiquette and refresh his memory on "How to Serve Humans" when he makes an appearance on UPN's "The Twilight Zone." Filmed last week and scheduled to air November 6, the episode finds the R&B hottie as a cop intent on protecting a young prostitute from murder. ... N.E.R.D., Cee-Lo and DJ Shadow will perform at the second annual Shortlist Concert and Award Ceremony October 29 at the recently restored Henry Fonda Theatre in Hollywood. The three performing acts, along with Aphex Twin, the Avalanches, Björk, the Doves, the Flaming Lips, the Hives and Zero 7, are vying for the Shortlist Prize for Artistic Achievement in Music. ...

Stone Sour drummer Joel Ekman fractured his wrist in a fall last week during a show in Toledo, Ohio. The sticksmith with be replaced by ex-Megadeth member Jimmy DeGrasso for shows over the next two or three weeks. ... Reel Big Fish escaped a burning tour bus unharmed on Saturday morning thanks to their driver, who alerted the sleeping group and crew members that the bus was on fire while they were parked at a truck stop in Missouri. The cause of the fire remains unknown, and the band will continue the tour to promote their album, Cheer Up. ...

The release date for Rob Zombie's long-delayed feature film debut, "House of 1,000 Corpses," has been pushed back yet again. The low-budget horror flick is now scheduled for a March release. ... Meanwhile, the persistent pushing-back of Zombie's We're a Happy Family can't be making too many Ramones fans cheery. The tribute album, with contributions from Eddie Vedder, Rancid and Metallica, is now also expected to drop in March, following previously scheduled release dates in December, November, and August. ...

Toad the Wet Sprocket will fire up their engines again on December 10 when the beloved Santa Barbara, California, band opens a show for the Counting Crows at the Universal Amphitheatre in Universal City, California. The group, which broke up in 1998, has also signed up for a five-show opening stint at the Warfield in San Francisco (December 16, 17, 20, 21 and 22) and, according to their manager, a 20-city headlining reunion tour is in the works for February. ... NBA star Walt Williams will release his first album, The Insight of a Wizzard, Tuesday on his new label, Big Wad Entertainment. The record will feature Big Wad's roster of producers and rappers, including J Stretch, Beware and Hydro Hassan. ...

Korn's show earlier this year at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom, which was broadcast live in theaters across the country, is now coming to the small screen on DVD. "Korn Live," due November 19, will feature all 16 tracks performed at the show, including "Got the Life" and "Here to Stay." ... Also due on November 19 is "The Best of Bowie DVD," a two-disc collection with more than 45 videos from pioneering rocker David Bowie. Along with such classic clips as "Space Oddity," "Let's Dance," "China Girl," "Modern Love," "Blue Jean" and "Ziggy Stardust" are rare live and television performances of "Queen Bitch," "Five Years," "Starman," "Rebel Rebel" and "Young Americans." ...

Grammy Award-winning composer, arranger and bandleader Ray Conniff, 85, died Saturday at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, California, after falling and hitting his head, according to the Associated Press. Conniff, who created easy-listening classics such as "Somewhere My Love," is survived by his wife and daughter. ... Radio legend Horace Logan, 86, died Sunday of complications from pancreatitis and acute respiratory distress syndrome, his wife told the Associated Press. Logan coined the catchphrase "Elvis has left the building" and started the country music program "Louisiana Hayride'' at KWKH-AM in Shreveport, Louisiana, when he was 16. ...

• Eminem
• 50 Cent
• Courtney Love
• Morbid Angel
• Celine Dion

Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott
Photo: Robert Mancini

While rolling their tanks across the United States on their current headlining tour, the metal purists of Pantera have managed to nail down plans for a summer trek that kicks off June 20 in New Haven, Connecticut.

Slayer, Static-X, Skrape and Morbid Angel will join the Texas headbangers for the Extreme Steel Tour, which is slated to hit arenas through late July.

"Air-conditioned comfort at a high-decibel level will be the theme of Extreme Steel," Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul said in a statement announcing the tour. "We wanted to kick off the summer with a little metal madness of our own. Being Texas boys, we know how brutal the outdoors can be once June rolls around. We figured our fans are ready for a little evening excitement without any humidity other than the heat they'll generate all on their own." The air-conditioned comfort should provide a stark contrast to the band's sun-baked stint on Ozzfest last summer. Pantera have been working on bringing together their Extreme Steel bill for months, and recently confirmed the involvement of Slayer and Static-X (see "Pantera Headlining Summer Tour With Slayer, Static-X").

Before diving into their Extreme Steel trek, Pantera will hit Alaska, Korea, Australia and New Zealand in May on what the group calls the "up north, over the Pacific and back home again" leg of its world tour.

Extreme Steel Tour dates, according to a Pantera spokesperson:

• 6/20 - New Haven, CT @ New Haven Coliseum
• 6/21 - Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
• 6/22 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Union Center
• 6/23 - Worcester, MA @ Centrum
• 6/25 - Hamilton, ON @ Copps Coliseum
• 6/27 - Huntington, WV @ Civic Arena
• 6/29 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
• 6/30 - Detroit, MI @ TBA
• 7/1 - Cleveland, OH @ CSU Center
• 7/3 - Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena
• 7/5 - Minneapolis, MN @ Excel Energy Center
• 7/6 - Fargo, ND @ FargoDome
• 7/8 - Cedar Rapids, IA @ US Cellular Center
• 7/9 - Kansas City, MO @ Municipal Auditorium
• 7/11 - Denver, CO @ Denver Coliseum
• 7/14 - Dallas, TX @ Smirnoff Music Center
• 7/17 - Phoenix, AZ @ America West Arena
• 7/18 - Las Vegas, NV @ Thomas & Mack Center
• 7/19 - Long Beach, CA @ Long Beach Arena
• 7/21 - San Diego, CA @ Cox Arena
• 7/22 - Bakersfield, CA @ Centennial Gardens
• 7/23 - San Jose, CA @ San Jose Arena
• 7/25 - Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
• 7/26 - Vancouver, BC @ Pacific Coliseum

• Pantera
• Static-X
• Skrape
• Morbid Angel

After the unbridled enthusiasm of their opening acts put rumors of the tour on the lips of fans online, the self-proclaimed modern metal kings of Pantera have officially announced the details of their tour with Kittie and Morbid Angel.

Having spent the summer on Ozzfest 2000, Pantera will embark on its first bit of headlining dates in support of "Reinventing The Steel," which hit stores back in March. The trek kicks off on November 7 in Biloxi, Mississippi, and so far has dates lined up through early December.

In addition to prepping for the tour, Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo will also spend much his time in coming weeks working with House Of Shock, the annual house of horrors he stages for charity outside of New Orleans. This year marks the eighth for Anselmo's House Of Shock (www.houseofshock.com), which opens its doors on October 6.

After that, though, it will be all about rock as the band's "Real Steel" tour is slated to kick off one week after Halloween. "Our fans know that there's nothing like a f***ing full-on Pantera show," Anselmo said in a release announcing the tour. "Pantera are primed to pulverize your senses with abrasive, loud, excessive pure heavy f***ing metal."

If you're up for having your senses pulverized, here's where to catch Pantera, Kittie, and Morbid Angel on the "Real Steel" tour:

• 11/7 - Biloxi, MS @ Mississippi Coast Coliseum
• 11/8 - Birmingham, AL @ Boutwell Auditorium
• 11/10 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock
• 11/11 - Tampa, FL @ Sun Dome
• 11/13 - Hampton, VA @ Hampton Coliseum
• 11/14 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mellon Arena
• 11/16 - Lowell, MA @ Tsongas Arena
• 11/17 - New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
• 11/18 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Union Spectrum
• 11/20 - Dayton, OH @ Hara Arena
• 11/21 - Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena
• 11/22 - Milwaukee, WI @ Wisconsin Center
• 11/24 - Indianapolis, IN @ Pepsi Coliseum
• 11/25 - Detroit, MI @ TBA
• 11/27 - Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
• 11/28 - Omaha, NE @ Civic Auditorium
• 11/30 - Ft. Wayne, IN @ Memorial Coliseum
• 12/1 - Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
• 12/2 - Akron, OH @ Rhodes Arena
• 12/3 - Louisville, KY @ Louisville Gardens
• 12/5 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Myriad Center
• 12/6 - San Antonio, TX @ Freeman Coliseum
• 12/8 - Houston, TX @ Astro Arena

• Morbid Angel
• Pantera

People of San Antonio... seek shelter immediately. Danzig, S.O.D., and Morbid Angel have signed on for an event billed as November to Dismember that will engulf that Texas town on November 5 and 6.

-- Robert Mancini

• Danzig
• Morbid Angel
• Stormtroopers of Death (S.O.D.)

Gwar, Meshuggah, Earth Crisis, Testament, Morbid Angel, Candiria, The Misfits, Napalm Death and thousands of metal fans will descend on Worcester, Massachusetts in late April for the start of a three-day festival of metal and hardcore.

The first annual New England Metal and Hardcore Festival kicks off on April 30 and runs though May 2 at Worcester's Palladium and boasts a bill that also includes Cryptopsy, Deicide, Living Sacrifice, Shadows Fall, Crisis, Cave-In, Tree, Isis, Sam Black Church, Skinlab, Honkeyball, Today is the Day, Hatebreed, Dillinger Escape Plan, Drowning Man, Diecast, Non Compos Mentis, Scissorfight, Dying Fetus, Piecemeal, Reveille, Shut Down, Shed, Puya, Immolation, Buried Alive and others. The weekend concert will also feature record label showcases sponsored by Relapse, Hydrahead, Equal Vision, and Wonderdrug. Tickets for all three days of the shindig are going for $55, while tickets for individual days are $22 and are available by calling ProTix at (800) 477-6849.

Fans can get more information by calling the MassConcerts hotline at (617) 499-9797 (this is not a toll-free call).

• GWAR
• The Misfits
• Morbid Angel