Opiate for the Masses
Photo: Century Media

If you listen very closely to Opiate for the Masses' latest LP, Manifesto, which dropped this week, you may hear some slight snoring.

That's because the album, which is the band's first in three years, was tracked in guitarist Jim Kaufman's home studio. Kaufman is a dog lover, and his two bulldogs were a constant presence in the studio during the recording sessions.

"You can probably hear them on several of the tracks on the record, because they sleep all the time and snore, and the microphones picked that up all the time," explained Opiate's newest member, Anna Kjellberg, who has played bass for Drain STH, Hanzel und Gretyl and, for one tour back in '06, Ministry frontman Al Jourgensen's Revolting Cocks. "They're a pretty big part of the album, actually."

But the canines would never have made the record if Kjellberg had not replaced Ryan Head last year. Opiate for the Masses — who are on the road with the reunited Filter through August 8, and will join Sevendust, Drowning Pool, and Nonpoint for the GrindCo Tour on August 10 — had actually been sitting on the effort for several months before it was decided they'd update the opus, with Kjellberg rerecording all the bass parts.

"It was kind of a weird procedure to get this album together," she said of the set, which features a cover of Portishead's "Wandering Star" ("We thought it was a really cool song," she said, "and I think we did make it our own, even though it's still true to the original in many ways"). "When I joined the band, they basically had a finished album, and they all, including me, felt that we needed to update it a bit and add some songs and take others away. We basically ripped up the mixes and started over with a second producer. So we wrote three songs together that we added onto the album, and I retracked the bass on all of the songs, so, really, there were two editions of the album.

"I think the record is more solid and more uniform than the previous album," the bassist continued. "It is a lot more straightforward and more cohesive. All of the songs fit together really well. The melodies are still there. Opiate always had very melodic songs. It's still heavy, and there's still lots of guitars, but you still have the choruses and all that."

Kjellberg said she's looking forward to working on the follow-up to Manifesto so she can be there from start to finish. "I am very much a songwriter, and I love to be involved in the whole songwriting process," she said. "I'm glad I got a chance to be as involved as I turned out [being] on this record, because I came into the band at such a late stage. We actually have a studio in the back lounge of our bus. We're not jumping on it yet, but when the time comes, and the inspiration comes, we can start tracking those ideas."

For Kjellberg, the Opiate experience has been drastically different from those she'd had with her previous bands, because this time around, she's playing side-by-side with her husband of five years, drummer Seven Antonopolous.

"When Opiate decided to change bass players, it was [frontman Ron Underwood] and [Kaufman] who suggested they should bring me in," she said. "Seven and I discussed it thoroughly: Was it a good idea or not, to be married and be in the same band and be on tour together? But it's actually working out really well. He's my best friend, and we're lucky to be able to do this together. It's easier than I think we both thought it would be. We talked so much about it, because we didn't want to risk our marriage, and we didn't want to be that annoying married couple in the band. It would be a nightmare for the other guys, to have a married couple bickering at each other all the time. But we don't. It works really well."

But the couple's wedding rings do little to dissuade third parties from making their moves. "We know where we are in this relationship, and we're both very aware, of course, that there will be guys hitting on me and there will be girls who will hit on Seven," she said. "That's part of the job. As long as we don't do anything, there's no reason to get jealous that other people find my husband attractive. I can't blame them."

While Kjellberg gets her fair share of male groupies, she said they're not nearly as upfront as their female counterparts. "These girls come to a show with a purpose," she said. "They know which bandmember they want, and they go for it. They dress not-so-much and go for it, and they get it. Girls come more prepared for that. Guys are much more polite. They'll bring you gifts, flowers ... it's a different approach. They don't come up and suggest that you go to the back lounge with them — girls will. Guys send love letters, and they're more creepy about it, actually. I think that's because, for a guy, it's more intimidating to approach a girl who can play an instrument, goes out on tour, and does the things they wish they could do."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Sad news to report this week, as Paul Stitt, the former lead singer for 1990s metallers Angellic Rage, was shot to death during a liquor-store holdup in Las Vegas on July 8. Stitt was working as a clerk in the store when two men, wearing baseball caps, entered the business, guns drawn. Police believe the gun may have fired accidentally, striking Stitt in the head. Police are now reviewing surveillance footage of the murder and hope the tape will help lead them to the two gunmen. ... Opeth will be touring this fall, with High on Fire, Baroness and Nachtmystium along for the ride. That tour is set to commence September 16 in Buffalo, New York, and runs through October 26 in Baltimore. ...

Calling all Maggots! On July 18, MTV will be filming a new episode of "FNMTV," during which Slipknot's video for "Psychosocial" will make its world premiere. Interested in being part of the taping? Well, if you live in or around the L.A. area, head on over to 1Iota.com and sign up for free tickets. Make sure to enter "Slipknot" in the comments box when making your ticket request. ...

Did Lemmy Kilmister break a German law by wearing a Nazi cap? Seems there's an investigation into a picture of the Motörhead frontman that appeared in a German newspaper before the band's July 5 performance at "Wacken Rocks Seaside." In Germany, "anti-constitutional propaganda" is illegal. ... A September 30 release date has been set for Trivium's forthcoming album, Shogun. Look for the effort to feature 11 tracks, including "Torn Between Scylla and Charybdis," "Into the Mouth of Hell We March" and "Like Callisto to a Star in Heaven." Whatever. ...

Clutch will be teaming up with the Sword for a spate of gigs this fall. The first has been booked for September 19 in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and the trek is expected to wrap October 9 in Sacramento, California.

• Opiate for the Masses
• Opeth
• Slipknot
• Portishead
• Filter

Amy Winehouse
Photo: Mark Douglas/WENN/Newscom

According to The Associated Press, police in London have questioned Amy Winehouse about a video that surfaced online two weeks ago that purportedly shows the Grammy-nominated singer smoking crack cocaine. No charges have been filed against the singer, but an investigation into the video is said to be ongoing. The video shows Winehouse inhaling fumes from a small pipe during a party at her home. Winehouse checked into a rehabilitation center in late January. ...

Avril Lavigne fans can expect to see outfit changes, backup dancers and the singer covering Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation" on her upcoming five-month world tour, which starts March 5 in British Columbia, RollingStone.com reports. She plans to hole up in L.A. with husband Deryck Whibley of Sum 41 and work on some new material when the tour comes to a close in June. "I want to do more acoustic stuff," she said. "It doesn't mean that's what my next record is going to be, but I'm doing it to get it out." The Canadian singer also chimed in on the presidential election, saying, "I wish I could vote" in the U.S. "I think Hillary might [win]. It'd be f---ing awesome if a chick won!" ...

It took Linkin Park four years to follow up 2003's Meteora with last summer's Minutes to Midnight, but Chester Bennington says fans won't have to wait around as long for LP's next, er, LP. "We sparked a new kind of life into what we do during the writing of ['Midnight']," the frontman told Billboard.com. "We want to keep that going. I think we're in the mode, and I have a good feeling we're going to put another record out really quickly." The four-year break "seemed like a really, really long time to our fans, and it seemed like a really, really long time to us. I don't see that happening again," he added. Bennington also revealed that the band will assemble another edition of its Projekt Revolution tour, which also featured My Chemical Romance and others last year. Bands and dates will be announced in the coming months. Linkin Park head out on a tour with Coheed and Cambria starting Tuesday in Omaha, Nebraska. ...

The latest album-sales figures are in, and Alicia Keys' As I Am will reclaim Billboard's #1 spot, after selling another 61,300 copies. The " Juno" soundtrack — last week's #1 — follows at #2, while the Mars Volta's The Bedlam in Goliath debuts at #3, having sold 54,000 copies in its first week. According to SoundScan, 18 new releases will enter next week's chart, including Bullet for My Valentine's Scream Aim Fire, which opens at #4 with 53,200 sold, and the 2008 Grammy Nominees compilation — which features Amy Winehouse, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake and the Foo Fighters, among others — debuting at #5 with 50,000 in sales. Hannah Montana 2: Non-Stop Dance Party bows at #7 with 40,000 scans, and Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut enters at #17 with 27,500 sold. Opening at #95 with 7,500 copies snatched up is Protest the Hero's latest, Fortress. ...

Eddie Vedder, Tom Morello, Serj Tankian and Bright Eyes have ponied up songs for "Body of War: Songs That Inspired an Iraq War Veteran," a two-CD collection due March 18 that is a companion piece to the documentary "Body of War." The first single is a version of Vedder's "No More" performed with Ben Harper at Pearl Jam's Lollapalooza set last year. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Iraq Veterans Against the War. ... Bright Eyes mainman Conor Oberst sure is getting his fill of politics. Beyond his appearance on the aforementioned comp, he'll also perform at a free rally for Senator Barack Obama on Thursday to help raise awareness about the Democratic presidential candidate. The event — which will also feature M. Ward, Sparta frontman Jim Ward and Secret Life of Sparrows — will go down at Omaha, Nebraska's Slowdown, a venue owned by Saddle Creek Records, Bright Eyes' label. Oberst played a gig in Iowa for the Illinois senator prior to his victory in that state's caucus in early January. ...

Jennifer Lopez is indeed expecting twins — news that was first reported back in October — her father recently confirmed during an appearance on a Spanish-language television show, according to People en Español. "Yes, twins," the actress/singer's father, David Lopez, said on Escándalo TV when asked about the rumor, according to the report. "The thing is, in my family, my sister also had twins, so it's a hereditary thing." He reportedly added that he was thrilled about the news, saying, "Jennifer has yearned to be a mother for many years." Lopez confirmed her pregnancy during a Miami concert in November. ... Striking members of the Writers Guild of America will meet with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers in Los Angeles and New York on Saturday in an effort to end the three-month strike. The WGA presidents said they wouldn't ink a contract with the movie and TV producers until they have met with WGA members and reviewed the terms. ...

Beastie Boys are planning to headline a Music Has Power concert to give a funding boost to New York's Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, which specializes in music-therapy treatments and research. Moby will host the March 4 event. ... R.E.M. premiered their new song "Supernatural Superserious" on New York radio station 101.9 RXP on Tuesday. The track is the first single from the veteran rockers' new album, Accelerate, which is due April 1. ... According to the Toronto Star, a Canadian radio host has filed a lawsuit against the White Stripes, seeking $70,000 for a sample the group used eight years ago. The sample appears on the track "Jumble, Jumble" from the Stripes' second album, 2000's De Stijl. Quebec radio host Dominique Payette claims the Stripes did not have permission to use the 10-second clip of her teen call-in show, in which she talks to an unidentified young girl, and the host believes her privacy has been violated. The suit seeks an injunction that could force the band and its label to remove copies of the album from stores. ... In more upbeat Stripes news, the group will release a Spanish-language version of its third Icky Thump single, "Conquest," on CD and 7-inch on February 19. "Conquista" — credited to "Las Rayas Blancas," amusingly enough — features the duo's first non-English vocal, sung by Jack White of course, and the single features an acoustic mariachi version of "Conquest" on the flipside. ...

American Hi-Fi are plugging away at their fourth studio album, which doesn't have a title or release date yet, in a Los Angeles studio. Singer Stacy Jones is taking on production duties for the effort, which will feature the rockers' reunited original lineup. If you're in Southern California, swing by West Hollywood's Troubadour on April 11, when the band performs at the venue, to get a taste of the new material. ... Swedish progressive-metallers Opeth have christened their next LP Watershed. The record has been slated for a June 3 release and will include the tracks "Heir Apparent," "The Lotus Eater" and "Porcelain Heart." ... Little Rock, Arkansas, Christian metal outfit Living Sacrifice have reunited. Singer Bruce Fitzhugh and drummer Lance Garvin have rejoined guitarist Rocky Gray and bassist Arthur Green and are currently writing material for a new album, due to land in stores later this year.

2.5.08

A few more performers and presenters have been added to Sunday's Grammy Awards, including a duet between Fergie and John Legend and a salute to the pioneers of rock and roll featuring Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and John Fogerty. Pop-classical heartthrob Josh Groban will team up with opera superstar Andrea Bocelli in their first-ever duet, and Grammy-nominated jazz legend Herbie Hancock will perform a special jazz/classical segment. Among the new list of presenters are Chris Brown, Miley Cyrus, Solange Knowles, George Lopez, Lyle Lovett and Ludacris. ...

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi — the Beatles guru who brought transcendental meditation to the Western world — has died, The Associated Press reports. His death was apparently due to "natural causes, his age," Transcendental Meditation movement spokesman Bob Roth reportedly said. Maharishi's age was thought to be 91. ...

Lindsay Lohan has spoken out publicly for the first time since leaving a recovery center six months ago. In a cover story for the U.K. edition of Glamour, the actress/singer said she's ready to work again and is getting rid of the bad influences in her life. "There are friends that have been hard to hang out with because they've gone done a different path," Lohan, 21, said. "But it's hard because I'm the kind of person who wants to trust everyone." According to an excerpt on People.com, Lohan, who expressed sympathy for fellow struggling young stars Britney Spears and Amy Winehouse, said she's learned how to be comfortable being alone if necessary. "I'm fine being alone during the day, but I hate being alone at night. I like having friends around me, but now I'd much rather be at home." With her career momentum slowed by her rehab stint, Lohan said she mostly fills her days writing in her journal and watching TV, but "that's not to say I'll never go to a club again ... because I'd be lying." Asked what the biggest misconception is about her, Lohan said, "That I don't have my head in the right place. That, and probably that I'm not a good person ... because actually I am." ...

After an astronomical $29 million on just 683 screens, the "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert" flick will remain in theaters "indefinitely," a Disney representative told MTV News. Originally slated to end its run Friday, the flick — which follows pop sensation Miley Cyrus on her sold-out trek — now has "no end date," according to the rep, and will stay in theaters contingent on audience demand. The flick set several box-office records over the weekend, including the largest-ever haul for a concert film and a 3-D movie. It also bested "Titanic" for the biggest gross over a Super Bowl weekend. ...

Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch has announced the launch of his own independent film-distribution company called Oscilloscope Pictures. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Yauch plans to buy narrative and documentary features from movie festivals and provide funds to complete and release unfinished films. The company will be run by former ThinkFilm VP David Fenkel, who worked with Yauch on the Beasties' concert doc "Awesome! I F---in' Shot That!" The company's first release will be announced within the next month and will hit theaters by summer, with current plans calling for two to 10 films released per year. ...

If you've ever seen the Deftones live, then you already know that frontman Chino Moreno's a big fan of "skater socks." Now the singer has formed his own clothing company called ChinoSox. "Every time I'm on tour, people come up to me and ask me about the socks I wear onstage. No one can ever seem to find dope-looking skater socks," he said. "So I thought it would be cool to make my own signature line of skate socks, so that fans could pick them up. They're pretty sick." You can pick up a pair online, exclusively through the ChinoSox Web site. ...

Remember the Darkness? Well, they've been quiet since the 2006 departure of frontman Justin Hawkins, but have returned with a new name. The band still includes former Darkness singer Richie Edwards, drummer Ed Graham and guitarist Dan Hawkins, but with henceforth be known as Stone Gods. The band will release an EP sometime this year.

• Amy Winehouse
• Avril Lavigne
• Linkin Park
• Alicia Keys
• Bright Eyes

Himsa
Photo: Century Media

There are three things Himsa frontman John Pettibone has always wanted to accomplish as a musician — he's been keeping a mental list ever since he started making music. So far he's checked off one of the goals, but he hopes Himsa's latest record, Summon in Thunder — which came out in mid-September — will help him with the other two.

"I always wanted to be on 'Headbangers Ball,' because I grew up watching Riki Rachtman," said Pettibone, who is also an avid fan of horror films and has been skateboarding the last 23 years. "We were on the show twice, so I was pretty excited about that. I would also love for Himsa to be on a horror-movie soundtrack. And I've always wanted to be in Thrasher magazine. So I've got one of the three done." For good measure, he added: "Oh, and if we ever toured or played a show with Slayer, I'd be set."

Those are modest goals for a band like Himsa, who have been around since 1998. But according to Pettibone, the Seattle-hailing metalcore madmen are prepared to take their career to the next level, as he says they did with their sound on Summon in Thunder.

"We've really progressed with this record, and we're all really proud of it," he said. "We've all been playing in bands for quite a lot longer than Himsa's been around, and it's one of those things where we're completely proud of what we've done, and we've gotten to a point where we have a definite sound. ... We've gone through all the struggles, and that's what keeps all of us sane. We've been on really bad tours, slept on floors for many years, and it's that drive and ethic that we've always kept in the band that makes it a little more special. We've seen the worst, and we've been through the worst, so any gain we're happy with."

For those of you who haven't heard the new album yet, Pettibone says the album is a perfect mixture between their 2003 album, Courting Tragedy and Disaster, and 2006's Hail Horror.

"I think the aggression of the record will surprise people," he said. "There is melody there, but not like before. ... We steered clear of the way the metal scene has been going, with thick breakdowns and clean vocals — we didn't want to do what's popular right now. We went for more of that thrash sound that we love. We grew up in the '80s on East Bay thrash, and we took those elements and went the opposite way the scene's going, and people are digging it. So I can't complain.

"It's a record that, even if I wasn't in the band, I'd be like, 'God, I love these guys,' " he continued. "It sounds like a band I would truly follow."

So what exactly is the new Himsa sound?

"Honestly, we didn't change anything besides working with a new producer," the singer said, adding that he partnered with Strapping Young Lad frontman/producer Devin Townsend (Lamb of God, Soilwork) to work on his vocals. "It was great. Our intention was to try and get him for the whole record, but because of his schedule, we had about a [weeklong] span where he could fit us in. His specialty is vocals anyways, but I was a little nervous to work with him, because I work at a local club in Seattle, and Strapping always played there, and I'd see how manic he'd get. I didn't know what it would be like to work with him. But the first minute I met him, we were instant friends."

The band also worked with Steve Carter (Cradle of Filth, Alien Crime Syndicate), who helmed Courting Tragedy and Disaster, and reunited with Tue Madsen (Aborted, Suicide Silence), who mixed and engineered Hail Horror.

"All of us combined got us to that next level," he said. "We also had some more time to work on this record than we'd had before. We used to do tours, then come home, write for a month, record for a month, and then go back on the road. This time, we had about a year off. We were home for a while, and the creative juices just started flowing. Seattle's a very gray, somber city — even the look of it — and we were surrounded by forest. That environment plays a big part in how we write, too."

Pettibone said he pulled 12-hour days for an entire week while working with Townsend at his studio in Vancouver, British Columbia. "I've never felt more comfortable in any project I've ever done," he explained. "I'd definitely love to work with him again. We're all big fans of Devin's work. ... We'd like to nail him down as [our next] album's producer, but we'll see if that happens.

"The thing about Devin is, he didn't push me," Pettibone continued. "We kept doing take after take, but he's so focused on pronunciation, and I'd never had a problem with that before — people told me they could understand what I was saying, not like a lot of other bands these days. But with Devin, he'd tell me to give him more 'R' in this word, or more 'P' in that one, and slowly, I understood what he was getting at, and by the end of the week, I knew what he wanted."

Fans who pick up Summon in Thunder will find inside the package a DVD featuring a three-part segment on the making of the album. One segment, Pettibone said, was shot during his week with Townsend, and as you might imagine, hijinx definitely ensued.

"It's pretty hilarious — just me and Devin, messing around in Vancouver, filming people on the streets," he said. "It's pretty damn funny."

More craziness will likely ensue later this month, when Himsa launch a U.S. with Amon Amarth, Sonic Syndicate and, at least tentatively, Decapitated. The trek kicks off November 19 in San Diego and wraps December 19 in Los Angeles. According to the band's publicist, it's still unknown whether Decapitated will make the tour, considering two of their members are still in the hospital after sustaining serious head injuries during a car accident in Russia. The band hasn't been officially removed from the bill as of yet.

Himsa also have a pair of music videos that are making the rounds online — one for "Unleash Carnage," which features a faux heated tennis match inspired by Wes Anderson's 2001 film, "The Royal Tenenbaums," and another for "Big Timber," which also has an interesting concept.

"We're all sasquatches, and we're playing these instruments in the forest," Pettibone explained. "A friend of ours made it using puppets. In the video, we have to cut down this tree to make the instruments, and the tree seeks revenge on us. It's kind of cool."

The rest of the week's metal news:

There's some sad news to report Friday (November 2), as Decapitated drummer Witold "Vitek" Kieltyka died in a Russian hospital from injuries he'd sustained in a recent road collision. He was 23 years old. According to reports, Vitek underwent trepanation, a form of surgery in which a hole is drilled or scraped into the skull, and was due to be transported to a hospital in Krakow, Poland, for further treatment. ...

Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt has revealed that the Swedish metallers have started recording their next studio album, the follow-up to 2005's Ghost Reveries. "The album is now written and the demos sound fantastic," he wrote in a statement. "I don't wanna say too much but ... gee, it is so f---ing good — if I may say so myself." Åkerfeldt said fans can expect the album in stores in the spring. ... While System of a Down singer Serj Tankian revels in the success of his debut solo album, Elect the Dead, drummer John Dolmayan and guitarist Daron Malakian are knee-deep in writing and recording the debut album from their new band, Scars on Broadway, which is tentatively scheduled for release in the summer. But Dolmayan's got a solo venture of his own — and it's got nothing to do with music. On Thursday, Dolmayan launched the Web site TorpedoComics.com, an Internet retail store that carries more than 15 million items, including comic books, toys, graphic novels, trade paperbacks, superhero action figures and other comic book-related memorabilia that range in price from 99 cents to over $100,000. ...

"Fight: War of Words - The Film" will debut in select movie theaters before its DVD release on November 20. The movie chronicles the history of the band frontman Rob Halford formed after initially leaving Judas Priest in 1991, and features professional footage shot in the studio and on the road. Along with the DVD, Halford will release Fight K5 - The War of Words Demos, which includes original album demos and five new Fight tracks. ... Talk about DIY: Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson will be the one flying the plane when the band flies from city to city on its upcoming tour. Dickinson, a licensed pilot, will fly the band from Tokyo to Los Angeles for its February 19 show at the Forum, after which he will take Maiden to their next gig, in Mexico. Similarly, Dickinson will shuttle the group from Puerto Rico the day before its March 14 show in New Jersey, and leave for Toronto the day after. Traveling will be conducted on a specially commissioned and customized Boeing 757, with eager groupies likely to be among the passengers. ...

New York doom-metal band Unearthly Trance have finished their fourth full-length album, Electrocution, which is scheduled for a spring release. The disc was recorded with producer Sanford Parker (Rwake, Minsk) at Chicago's Volume Studios. Tracks include "Diseased," "The Scum Is in Orbit" and "Burn You Insane." ... Dynamic Canadian outfit Protest the Hero have settled on a January 29 release date for their second disc, Fortress. The album — constructed over the summer with producer Julius "Juice" Butty (Alexisonfire) at Silo Studios in Hamilton, Ontario — was originally scheduled for release this month but was bumped for logistical reasons. "Bloodmeat," "Bone Marrow" and "Limb From Limb" are three of the 10 tracks on the disc, which will be the follow-up to the band's 2006 debut, Kezia. ... The debut album by pummeling Swedish thrash-groove band Scarpoint, The Silence We Deserve, will be released Tuesday. The disc was produced by Daniel Bergstrand (Meshuggah, In Flames) and includes "Imposture," "Behind the Shadows" and "Disorder." ...

Las Vegas melodic thrash band Hemlock are hard at work on their fourth, yet-untitled album, which will be released on their new label, Blind Prophecy Records, in 2008. The group has scheduled a batch of shows starting November 10 in El Paso, Texas, and running through December 1 in Gallup, New Mexico. Hemlock's last release was 2006's Pigeonholed. ... A set of vinyl picture discs by late Swedish black-metal forefathers Bathory will be released November 27. The box will feature all 12 of the band's studio albums, each encased in a hardcover Bathory logo sleeve. Pre-orders begin November 13. The collection will be the first release in a distribution deal between Black Mark Records and Relapse Records. "Black Mark is glad to announce that we have become a part of the Relapse family," Börje Forsberg, father of Bathory frontman Quorthon and co-owner of Black Mark, said in a statement. "There is no doubt that Relapse and Black Mark work well together: Metal for the World!" ... French death/black-metal band Belphegor will release the follow-up to 2006's Pestapokalypse VI on April 15. Frontman Helmuth started writing the album in May 2006, and on November 9, the band plans to begin recording the disc's nine songs with producer Andy Classen at Stage One Studios in Kassel, Germany. The yet-untitled disc will be tracked in three sessions before being mastered in mid-January. "I'm so motivated, and it feels extremely good to be creative again," Helmuth said in a statement. "This album is the next logical chapter for the band's development. I would go into the deepest fire and give my last drop of blood for this work. Lemme tell you, the nine sound collages sound huge. It's f---ing TNT."

• Himsa
• Opeth
• System of a Down
• Iron Maiden

Atreyu
Photo: Hollywood Records

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The rest of the week's metal news:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pelican
Photo: Hydrahead Records

Fans who have followed Chicago instrumental post-metal band Pelican through their curvy and meandering atmospheric explorations will probably be pretty surprised by the sound of their new album, City of Echoes, out June 5. And they're not alone.

"I had no idea where we were going with the music when we started doing these songs," guitarist Laurent Lebec said. "The changes were pretty subconscious at first, then looking back we realized what was happening and we just went with it."

That doesn't mean City of Echoes is so radically different that it sounds like Disturbed, but Pelican have definitely strayed from the droning, spacey jams of past and focused more intently on concrete — yet still mercurial — metal riffs.

"We definitely wanted to write shorter songs that got to the point a little quicker dynamically and pleased us as a live band as opposed to what we were before this record, which was a band that toured rarely and indulged itself in the studio," Lebec said. "When we were touring for our last album, The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw, even if we had a 75-minute-long set, we could only play five songs because they were all so long, and that can be tiring for an audience."

Some crowds have been more forgiving than others. While many open-minded metal fans have enjoyed Pelican's spacious netherworld of noise, the band has received some flack while opening for several more decidedly metallic bands. Surprisingly, one of the worst reactions Pelican have received came in San Francisco when they were performing with Opeth.

"We started playing, and right away some people started yelling, 'f--' at us," Lebec said. "Then someone else shouted, 'You guys look like Weezer.' I couldn't believe it. These guys were coming to see Opeth, this really progressive band, yet they were still locked in such rudimentary middle-school kind of nonsense attitudes."

Another reason for Pelican's metallic migration has to do with a desire to expand beyond the hazy parameters of the current ambient-metal scene. Over time, they've grown all too aware that the kind of music they used to play — which seemed innovative a couple years ago — has become a little stagnant as more and more post-rock and indie bands search for louder avenues of expression. Fortunately, Pelican have the chops to pull off the stylistic shift.

"We've all grown up in punk and death-metal scenes," Lebec said. "We've been in grind bands, thrash bands, you name it. And our drummer [Larry Herweg] plays in Lair of the Minotaur, which is a total Swedish metal band. So doing songs that were more to the point and maybe a little heavier didn't seem like that huge of a stretch."

Of course, that doesn't mean that Pelican will necessarily score more points with metal fans. Their music is still largely progressive and filmic and it lacks mosh parts and solos. At the same time, the band's evolution in a heavier direction could alienate alternative rockers attracted to Pelican's more diaphanous, melancholy passages. But such possibilities are beyond the band's control and, therefore, of little concern.

"We've clearly always made music without aspirations of maintaining some huge level of success," Lebec said. "I don't know that we could ever write this kind of music if we were doing it for anybody else but ourselves."

The rest of the week's metal news:

After spending 16 years in one of the best metal bands ever, guitarist Peter Lindgren has decided he's done with Opeth. Calling the decision one of the "toughest I've ever made," Lindgren said in a statement that he feels it's the right one for him at this stage in his life. "I feel that I simply have lost some of the enthusiasm and inspiration needed to participate in a band that has grown from a few guys playing the music we love to a worldwide industry," he explained. "The love of music has always been — and still is — our motive, but I personally have lost something along the way. The massive amount of touring has taken its toll. Opeth has worked extremely hard to get where we are right now and in order to persist and maintain the quality of the music, it is necessary that we continue to work hard and always stay focused. But in doing so, it means that we nowadays spend 18 or 19 months on the road and I don't feel the same enthusiasm for the upcoming world tour that I have felt earlier. I have come to a point where I realize I won't be able to give the band 100 percent, and from both sides, this will not be good enough for what Opeth stands for." The band has recruited former Arch Enemy guitarist Fredrik Åkesson as Lindgren's replacement. ...

Speaking of Arch Enemy, the Swedish melodic death-metal band has wrapped recording its much-anticipated follow-up to 2005's Doomsday Machine. Produced by Fredrik Nordström (Dimmu Borgir, In Flames), the album is untitled for now, and there's no official word yet on when it will see the light of day. Frontwoman Angela Gossow said in a statement that she "experimented quite a bit with doubling vocal lines on the last album, which I now feel kind of took personality and vocal attack away. So this time it's the classic, one-vocal-track, no-frills and no-effects approach." Look for the disc to include "Blood Is on Your Hands," "Vultures" and "In This Shallow Grave." ... Florida metallers Khann — who feature former Bodies in the Gears of the Apparatus frontman Josh Vitale — have inked a deal with Black Market Activities, founded by the Red Chord's Guy Kozowyk. Khann's debut, Tofutopia, will boast a healthy 23 tracks, including "Himalayan Green," "Black Water Permeates" and "The Lone Hum." ...

Unearth have parted ways with drummer Mike Justian, claiming there were "many reasons why we decided it was time to move on without him, but we are not in the business of airing dirty laundry. ... We will say that we grew apart as individuals and as musicians and the split will be best for both the band and Mike." The band will carry on with Strapping Young Lad drummer Gene Hoglan. ... As for SYL, don't expect to hear from them anytime soon — or the Devin Townsend Band, for that matter. Devin Townsend has announced he'll be taking a break from the business of recording to focus on producing. "I have to do it for the love," he said, "[and] when it becomes a burden, it's time to step away for a while," he said. "I'm sure at some point I'll get the itch to play, but in the meantime, please respect that I've burnt myself out and need to get away from it all. I'm no good to anyone as a tired shell going through the motions for money." ...

Nile's forthcoming album Ithyphallic will be in stores July 20 and feature 10 new cuts, including "As He Creates So He Destroys," "Papyrus Containing the Spell to Preserve Its Possessor ..." and "Even the Gods Must Die." Look for the band all summer on this year's Ozzfest. ... Former Soilwork guitarist Peter Wichers reports he has returned from Sweden, where he was mixing and mastering a project he's been working on for over a year. The album, which will reportedly be released under the moniker Nuclear Blast All-Stars, will feature 10 tracks written by Wichers. A host of guest singers — including In Flames' Anders Fridén, Hypocrisy's Peter Tägtgren, former Anthrax frontman John Bush and Mark Osegueda of Death Angel — will contribute to the effort, which should be in stores later this year. ...

Norwegian black-metal luminaries Mayhem have announced that they'll be touring the States this summer — the first time the band has done so in six years. Their Deconsecrate the States run will hit select cities nationwide with support acts Nachtmystium, Sigh, Today Is the Day, Intronaut, Withered, Amber Asylum, Ludicra, Crematorium, November's Doom, Mouth of the Architect and Dekapitator. Mayhem will be touring in support of their forthcoming LP Ordo Ad Chao, which features singer Attila Csihar. The tour is set to kick off July 16 in San Francisco and run through July 25 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. ... Former Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares' new project, Divine Heresy, have signed with Century Media. Cazares also handles bass duties for the band, which includes drummer Tim Yeung (Hate Eternal, Vital Remains) and frontman Tommy Vext. The band's debut offering, Bleed the Fifth, will drop in August. ...

Biohazard's Evan Seinfeld — that lucky bald dude who's married to porn thespian Tera Patrick — has a new band he'd like you to hear called the Spyderz. The group also features guitarists Dirrty and Charli D, drummer Lee Nelson and bassist John Monty. The Spyderz's debut is expected to hit stores early next year, and they recently made their live debut during a gig with Buckcherry in Long Island, New York. ... South Carolina's Through the Eyes of the Dead will issue their next one, Malice, August 21. The disc marks the debut of singer Nate Johnson — American audiences will see him for the first time in June, when the band hits the road with the Red Chord. ...

New Jersey's God Forbid are keeping busy with touring but have several releases in the works as well. The band will head out with Hatebreed, Evergreen Terrace, Terror, the Acacia Strain and After the Burial under the Monsters of Mayhem 2 banner beginning Friday night (May 18) in Rochester, New York, with dates booked through June 9 in Indianapolis. The band recently filmed its gig at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey, which will be released soon in DVD form and include a documentary. God Forbid are also writing material for their next album and, according to a statement, "we really won't be able to dive into writing for real until this Hatebreed tour is over. [We] can tell you this, though: We are going to take our time with this next record. Every time we make an album, we try to do something that will make a mark on the fabric of heavy-music history. Whether that has happened or not, who knows? This time around is no exception. There are big ambitions, and I certainly wouldn't be surprised to hear significant change from the band." ...

Cellador are hard at work on their next album, which could be out early next year. "The plan is to compose upwards of 20 songs and then pick out the best 10 [to] 12 for the next album," the band said in a statement. "We hope to enter the studio and begin recording [this] fall." ... Those Viking-loving lads in 3 Inches of Blood have revealed a gaggle of Ozzfest off-date gigs with Lamb of God, Hatebreed and Behemoth. The shows are booked from July 13 in Vancouver, British Columbia, through September 2 in Richmond, Virginia. The band's forthcoming CD, Fire Up the Blades, is due in stores June 26.

• Pelican
• Opeth
• Nile

Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson
Photo: Shore Fire Media

Ours is an age in which instant gratification is never more than a few mouse clicks away, and that doesn't sit well with Porcupine Tree mastermind Steven Wilson. He thinks all this technology business is going to end up biting society in its proverbial butt. And it's this fear that helped shape the concept of the forthcoming Fear of a Blank Planet, due in stores April 24.

"You can take the title quite literally," said Wilson, who has fronted the British prog-rockers for nearly 20 years. "My fear is that the current generation of kids who're being born into this information revolution, growing up with the Internet, cell phones, iPods, this download culture, 'American Idol,' reality TV, prescription drugs, PlayStations — all of these things kind of distract people from what's important about life, which is to develop a sense of curiosity about what's out there."

He said that when he was a youngster, his parents feared that television would distract him in the same way, but that parents these days need to be "concerned about the impact this massive explosion of information technology is going to have on their children."

While most would argue that having unlimited access to information at the touch of a button is a good thing, Wilson foresees a generalized complacency taking hold.

"I think it's one of the unfortunate things about human nature, that the easier things come to us, the less we tend to appreciate them," he said. "Right now, we have a situation where music is so easily available — and for free — that I don't think people really value it the way I valued music as a kid. If everything is so easily available, it almost becomes white noise, everything from music to movies to pornography, which is a great example. When I was 14, I didn't even know what a naked woman looked like. Now, a 5-year-old can go on the Internet and get access to pornography. It's almost like everything has become so easily accessible that none of it means anything anymore. These kids will grow up without any sense of curiosity or motivation, and they'll grow up without a soul, or a real sense of who they are."

Fear of a Blank Planet, the follow-up to 2005's Deadwing, is a 50-minute suite of six tracks that features guest spots from Rush's Alex Lifeson and King Crimson's Robert Fripp. Wilson said the LP is more potent than any of the Tree's previous offerings. "It's a very intense listen," he admitted. "There isn't really any what you would call 'light relief' on this record in terms of songs you could take out and kind of get played on the radio. It's very intense, it's very dark, and it's really taking the whole idea of album-oriented rock music to the next level.

"It was very much conceived in the way bands used to conceive of records in the '70s, where you've got two sides of vinyl, and you can lay down a piece of music which is around the 50-minute mark, which plays in a continuous way, and deals with the same subject matter, and tried to kind of immerse you in a world for that time. That's always been the Porcupine Tree way, but we've definitely taken it to the next level."

Of course, Porcupine Tree aren't Wilson's sole means for creative expression. The frontman is also a much sought-after producer who has worked with the likes of Swedish death-metallers (and former Tree tour partners) Opeth, and is currently involved in seven projects. Earlier this month, he released Blackfield II, the sophomore release from Blackfield, a pop-imbued collaboration between himself and Israeli rock superstar Aviv Geffen. The two met back in 2000, when the Tree were gigging in Israel.

"Aviv gave me, the first time I met him, a demo of an instrumental piece he'd written, and I took it home and loved it," Wilson said. "I wrote some vocal parts for it straight away, and the chemistry just kind of clicked, almost from that moment, and we kind of realized we had something special."

Wilson said he needs to be involved with numerous side projects, or else his creative juices would run dry.

"What I need is to be able to express all of the musical interests that I have, and that is a very wide-ranging set of influences," he said. "I listen to and enjoy so many different kinds of music that I think I would feel frustrated if I didn't have the outlet to express the different sides of my musical personality. In some respects, it's a very healthy thing. Blackfield, in a way, has liberated Porcupine Tree to be a little bit more complex and perhaps more pure in the way we approach music. If I tried to shoehorn everything I want to do into one project, I think it would be the most ridiculously, insanely eclectic band. No one would want to listen to it."

Perhaps one of the most-anticipated albums for fans of both the Tree and Opeth has to be Wilson's side-project with Opeth main man Mikael Åkerfeldt, which should surface sometime in 2008, he said.

"We've been talking about this literally since the day we met," Wilson explained. "The original idea was to collaborate together on something else, but since then both bands have been becoming more and more successful. We kind of got immersed in our own projects, and we've never really found the time to get together and follow through on what we'd discussed. In the meantime, the rumors have gotten around that we were planning to do something. Realistically, it is going to happen, but it won't happen until next year. We've written some songs, and that's about as far as we've got so far.

"I just hope it can live up to [people's] expectations," he continued. "I think there's always this sense that this whole idea of supergroups is sometimes one that can disappoint, because people always expect it's going to be Opeth plus Porcupine Tree, so it's going to be twice as good as either band on its own. I think it will be something a bit different, and I think it will be something good. I just hope the expectations aren't too enormous."

• Porcupine Tree
• Opeth

Lamb of God
Photo: Roadrunner Records

If the ancient Greek philosopher Plato were alive today, would he be a Mastodon fan? Would Sigmund Freud have been into the work of Danzig? Might Mozart have been down with Lamb of God?

Perhaps, according to the findings of a recent study.

The research — conducted by Stuart Cadwallader and Jim Campbell of the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth at the University of Warwick in Coventry, England — shows a disproportionate number of students enrolled there listed heavy metal as their favorite kind of music.

As part of their research, Cadwallader and Campbell surveyed more than 1,000 students between ages 11 and 18. The school's student body of 120,000 ranks among the brightest 5 percent of youngsters in all of Britain, suggesting that metalheads aren't necessarily boneheads.

"There is a perception of gifted and talented students as being into classical music and spending a lot of time reading," said Cadwallader, a psychologist who presented the findings to the British Psychological Society on Wednesday. "I think that is an inaccurate stereotype. We are looking at a group with lower-than-average self-esteem that does not feel quite as well-adjusted. They feel more stressed out and turn to heavy metal as a way of relieving that stress."

Cadwallader further suggests that those who listen to metal often appreciate the "complex and sometimes political themes" contained within the music. "It has a tendency to worry adults a bit, but I think it's just a cathartic thing," he said. "It does not indicate problems."

Students were asked to describe their families, attitudes toward education, hobbies and media preferences. They were then asked to rank their favorite genres of music, and the researchers discovered that rock was the most popular form of music, closely followed by pop. The study unearthed differences between the types of music young people like and their attitudes: Those who dug metal seemed to have lower self-esteem, as well as "difficulties with friendships and family relationships."

Some of the students, according to the study, claimed to utilize metal to cope with the pressures that come with their intelligence level; the punishing sounds of heavy metal can help these students deal with their frustrations and anger.

"Perhaps the pressures associated with being gifted and talented can be temporarily forgotten with the aid of music," offered Cadwallader. "As one student suggests, perhaps gifted people may experience more pressure than their peers and they use the music to purge this negativity."

Cadwallader acknowledged that the findings challenge prior research about the types of people who'd be into, say, Ozzy Osbourne or Iron Maiden.

"There is literature that links heavy metal to poor academic performance and delinquency, but we found a group that contradicts that," he explained.

Still, it's rather hard to imagine Albert Einstein or Stephen Hawking rockin' out to Opeth.

Recommended listening for some of history's greatest minds:

» Mathematician Sofia Kovalevskaya: the Red Chord, the Dillinger Escape Plan
» Social philosopher Confucius: DragonForce, Dir en Grey
» Novelist Leo Tolstoy: Cannibal Corpse, Judas Priest
» Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche: Necrophagist, Manowar
» Painter Leonardo da Vinci: Lacuna Coil, Ephel Duath
» Inventor and engineer Nikola Tesla: Strapping Young Lad, Killswitch Engage (the band Tesla is not metal!)
» Philosopher Immanuel Kant: Carcass, Gojira
» Astronomer Galileo Galilei: In Flames, Black Sabbath
» Physicist Marie Curie: Arch Enemy, Testament

For more heavy-metal goodness, check out the feature "The Greatest Metal Bands of All Time."

• Lamb of God
• Mastodon
• Danzig
• Opeth

The End
Photo: Colin Marks

Does Aaron Wolff have the write stuff? That's the question the frontman to Canadian post-grindcore band the End is about to be faced with after his group took a yearlong hiatus from performing and recording so he could spend all that time putting pen to paper. The result is Elementary, but Wolff readily admits he had a hard time writing the album.

"I just had all of these ideas stirring around in my head, and all I could think about was [wanting to play] rock and roll," Wolff explained. "We took an entire year off writing. That's a large gap of time for a band to just sit around and write.

"It's definitely a departure from our previous records," he continued about Elementary, which will follow 2004's Within Dividia and 2002's Transfer Trachea Reverberations From Point: False Omniscient. "But all the same elements are there — we've just taken those things into new directions and new avenues that we may not have touched on in the past, and I think it's going to be shocking to many people."

The ambitious Elementary will be in stores February 6 and feature 10 tracks, including "The Never Ever Aftermath," "Awake?" and "A Fell Wind." But unlike the band's previous avant-garde offerings, which were dense and manic, Wolff promises that this record will be more "melodic and formatted." "We tried new things with tones and different effects — even acoustic guitars," he said. "We tried to dive into new areas, and expand everything and embrace all the music we listen to.

"We realize that there is likely going to be some unhappy people, but that's the name of the game," he continued. "I don't think a band is always loved. Everyone gets hated on at some point. We're ready for whatever happens, but I am hoping people really dig it. It would have been easy to come out and write another tech-metal record. The brand is there. For us to expand as musicians and make things a little more interesting, we had to move into different areas. And it came naturally, I have to say."

Unlike Within Dividia, Elementary is no concept album — even though the LP layout will include specific images that corresponds to each song on the disc. "Every song has a clear idea to it, but to us, this one's about our lives, the music we write — it's a part of us, and it makes perfect sense," he said. "This one's a lot more personal to us ... and I tried to make things a bit more apparent in the lyrics. It deals with the struggles of everyday life — things that everybody goes through. But there's also a sexual aspect to the lyrical content. Many of the songs are soaked in sex."

On Tuesday, the End will launch a Canadian trek with the Cancer Bats that's set to commence in Hamilton, Ontario, and conclude January 27 in Toronto. Wolff said the End will tour the States in February but added that he couldn't reveal those plans just yet. They will also shoot a video for a to-be-determined Elementary track before the end of the month with pal Jeff Scheven, who directed TV on the Radio's "Province" clip and plays drums for Canadian indie outfit Controller.Controller.

During the Elementary recording sessions, the End reunited for two songs with former singer Tyler Semrick-Palmateer, who now fronts Mare. The tunes — acoustic renditions of "And Always ..." and "The Never Ever Aftermath" — will be released as bonus tracks on the Japanese version of the LP. Wolff said the End may post the cuts on their MySpace page to spare fans the added cost of buying the import.

"It's so wacky, what he did on those tracks," Wolff reflected. "It's some of the most insane vocal sh-- I have ever heard in my life. I can't believe a human being made these sounds."

The rest of the week's metal news:

There's good news for Opeth fans this week, as frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt revealed he has started crafting fresh material for the band's ninth LP and that it could be out before the arrival of 2008. Over at the Opeth Web site, Åkerfeldt added that he's also writing tracks for a side project he has yet to assign a moniker to. Opeth's last release, Ghost Reveries, was issued in 2005. ... Darkest Hour will head to Strapping Young Lad frontman Devin Townsend's compound in Vancouver, British Columbia, next month to begin the preproduction and recording of their next album. Townsend (Lamb of God, Soilwork) also produced the band's previous outing, 2005's Undoing Ruin. Look for the LP to drop in either June or July. ... Clutch will hit the road with the Bakerton Group for a spate of six East Coast gigs beginning January 15 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and wrapping January 20 in Philadelphia. Clutch will release the tentatively titled From Beale Street to Oblivion this spring. The band called once again on Nick Lakiotes, who conceived the layout and design for 2005's Robot Hive: Exodus, to handle the Beale Street cover art. ...

Sons of Azrael, a metal band hailing from the snowy tundra known as Buffalo, New York, have inked a deal with Ironclad Recordings. The act is due to hit the recording studio within days to start work on its yet-untitled full-length debut. Look for the disc to include "Trail of Flesh," "Sweet Blasphemy" and "Scent of a Dead Whore" when it lands in stores this summer. ... 3 Legged Dog, a group of aged vets that includes former members of Black Sabbath (drummer Vinny Appice), Dio (bassist Jimmy Bain), Quiet Riot (guitarist Carlos Cavazo), Bonham (singer Chas West) and David Lee Roth's band (guitarist Brian Young), will shoot a new video in February. The clip will be for a yet-unpicked track from their debut album, Frozen Summer, which came out on Halloween. The band hopes to tour in 2007, but current plans are on hold because of Appice's road commitments to Heaven and Hell, the new Sabbath-related band fronted by Ronnie James Dio. ...

Kylesa singer/bassist Corey Barhorst knocked out his front teeth in a bike accident on December 28. Barhorst was on his way to band practice when he flipped off his ride and landed face-first on the concrete. Barhorst required emergency surgery because nerves in his mouth were exposed in the fall, and he also suffered bruises and cuts on his face and hands, forcing the band to cancel all shows before January 20. "Corey needs a week or so to recover," wrote the band on its Web site. "We'll see you at the end of January, and Corey will have a new grill — hopefully made of silver or gold." ... Trippy progressive outfit Titan will release their second album, A Raining Sun of Light and Love for You & You & You, February 6. The disc, recorded by Steve Revitte (Liars, the Double), is the follow-up to the Brooklyn, New York, band's eponymous 2006 debut. Titan were formed in 2005 and feature ex-the Anasazi guitarist Josh Anzano. ... Zozobra, the new band featuring Cave In bassist Caleb Scofield, will open a batch of shows for Isis and Jesu. Zozobra's dates begin March 17 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and run through the tour's conclusion April 8 in Los Angeles. The proper Isis tour begins February 22 in San Diego. ...

Boston avant-metal band Kayo Dot will start recording their new album in late spring or early summer and hope to have it ready for release by early 2008. Frontman Toby Driver and violinist Mia Matsumiya have also formed the side project Tartar Lamb, which are on tour through January 19 in Brooklyn, New York. ... Canadian tech-metal blasters Beneath the Massacre will release their full-length debut, Mechanics of Dysfunction, February 20. The disc was produced by Yannick St-Amand (Despised Icon, Ion Dissonance) and mastered by Alan Douches (Shadows Fall, Unearth). The track "Mechanics of Dysfunction" can be streamed at MySpace.com/ProstheticRecords. Other songs include "The System's Failure," "Modern Age Slavery" and "Better Off Dead." ... Cannae drummer Colin Conway has left the band, prompting the remaining members to launch a search for his replacement. Interested applicants should e-mail setstatic@yahoo.com for more information. Players must be able to practice on weekends at least twice a month, be willing to relocate or make the drive to eastern Massachusetts, be able to play to a click and be "financially stable for months of touring and for band expenses." Cannae's most recent disc, Gold Becomes Sacrifice, came out in 2005.

• The End
• Opeth
• Titan
• Clutch

Megadeth's Dave Mustaine
Photo: Sanctuary

The Gigantour is back for more.

A second helping of Dave Mustaine-endorsed metal is ready to hit the road as the Megadeth frontman's answer to Ozzfest returns on September 7, seeking to replicate the success of last year's inaugural run. Gigantour is scheduled to shred across 25 cities, launching in San Diego and wrapping up October 8 in Sunrise, Florida.

As with last year's festival, 2006's Gigantour will be anchored by headliners Megadeth, who have an LP titled United Abominations in the bag and due this fall (see "Megadeth Heading Back To The Old School With United Abominations").

The festival's bill — handpicked by Mustaine — is rounded out by Virginia post-thrash five-piece Lamb of God, Swedish death metal act Opeth and their aggressive countrymen Arch Enemy, New York thrash quartet Overkill, Canadian death metallers Into Eternity, North Carolina thrashers Sanctity and New York post-hardcore outfit the Smashup. Additional second-stage artists will be announced in the coming weeks. The first Gigantour featured Dream Theater, Fear Factory, Anthrax, Nevermore, Life of Agony, Dillinger Escape Plan, Symphony X, Dry Kill Logic and Bobaflex.

"This is the concert that I, as a heavy metal music fan, would want to see," Mustaine said in a press release. "It is going to be something to look forward to each year, to see what kind of tremendous talent we can assemble for Gigantour festivals in the years to come."

Gigantour will be rolling through several major U.S. and Canadian cities, including Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, and Orlando. Details on at least five of the stops at have yet to be revealed.

Lamb of God — who are out on the road through July 26 with Slayer's Unholy Alliance tour, featuring Mastodon, Children of Bodom and Thine Eyes Bleed (see "Dates Unveiled For Slayer's Unholy Alliance With Mastodon, Lamb Of God") — will be using the Gigantour to promote their forthcoming album, Sacrament, due August 22 (see "Lamb Of God Ease Up On Bush But Get Deep Musically On Sacrament,").

Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton said he's looking forward to sharing the stage with Megadeth.

"Megadeth is one of the main reasons I started playing metal guitar in the first place," Morton said in a statement. "To finally tour with them is really exciting and it's a great way to start off our world tour supporting Sacrament. We've been dying to get the new material up and running on the live stage. We've worked so hard on the new record — it's really a great sense of accomplishment to see the new tunes come to life in a live setting. We're really looking forward to this one."

Gigantour tour dates, according to the festival's publicist:

• 9/7 - San Diego, CA @ TBA
• 9/8 - Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
• 9/9 - San Luis Obispo, CA @ Pozo Saloon
• 9/10 - Devore, CA @ Hyundai Pavilion of Glen Helen
• 9/12 - Las Vegas, NV @ TBA
• 9/13 - Phoenix, AZ @ Dodge Theater
• 9/15 - West Valley City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre
• 9/16 - Englewood, CO @ Coors Amphitheatre
• 9/17 - Albuquerque, NM @ Journal Pavilion
• 9/19 - TBD
• 9/21 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave/ Eagles Club
• 9/22 - Chicago, IL @ Congress Theater
• 9/23 - Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
• 9/24 - Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
• 9/25 - Toronto, ON @ Park Place
• 9/27 - Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
• 9/28 - Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
• 9/29 - TBD
• 9/30 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
• 10/1 - TBD
• 10/3 - TBD
• 10/5 - TBD
• 10/6 - Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum
• 10/7 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
• 10/8 - Sunrise, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center

• Megadeth
• Lamb of God
• Opeth
• Arch Enemy
• Overkill

Overcast
Photo: overcast.cc

Killswitch Engage bassist Mike D'Antonio remembers the exact moment when Overcast — his influential, erstwhile Massachusetts metal band that counted among its members Shadows Fall frontman Brian Fair — ended. It was a week or so after the band's first U.S. tour (with Disembodied and Shai Hulud) had concluded, and the guys in the band returned from a six-week road trip with about $500 to their names.

"We were all just kind of beaten to death," D'Antonio recalled. "We had worked so incredibly hard to get the band to where it was, with little or nothing to show for it besides just fans coming out and seeing us and being really into the band. We just needed to cut our losses and go home, and unfortunately, that was the way most of the people felt in the band. We had gotten done with a practice, and everyone told me how they were feeling. [That band] was my baby — something I cared about more than almost anything else in the world at that point. So when people were telling me they didn't want to do it, I didn't want to face reality. It really bothered me."

He said the bandmembers sold off the remaining Overcast merchandise, split the proceeds and that was that. D'Antonio, in time, assembled Killswitch, while Fair was asked to join Shadows Fall — two bands that've amassed more than 1 million in combined album sales in the U.S. alone. Years later, in 2003, both bands would hit the road together (along with Lamb of God) for the Headbangers Ball Tour.

"I started talking to John Dudeck," who released Overcast's LPs on his Edison Recordings label, "and we were talking about doing a box set," D'Antonio explained. "During that tour, it just seemed to make sense to put something out of Overcast, knowing that it would actually be a little bit more in the public eye."

Then last summer, when Killswitch and the Shad played the 10th installment of Sharon Osbourne's Ozzfest, D'Antonio and Fair discussed re-releasing Overcast's material. "We didn't really want those recordings re-released, though," he said. "They're not the greatest recordings in the world. They're not tight. They were done with no budget at all."

In fact, 1994's Expectational Dilution was recorded and mixed in just four days, and Fair had just three hours to nail all his vocals for the disc. "Needless to say, not the best we could have done," D'Antonio said. "So we thought it would be cool to get back into the studio and throw everything down again and get it right the right way, with no pressure. So we started calling around to all the other guys" — current Seemless guitarist Pete Cortese, guitarist Scott McCooe and drummer Jay "Hurricane Jake" Fitzgerald — "and they were really excited to do it."

Before year's end, D'Antonio said he hopes to release Reborn to Kill Again, an album featuring more than 10 classic, revisited Overcast tunes and two previously unreleased cuts the band wrote before disbanding but never recorded. Neither song has a title, D'Antonio said, and for one of them, Fair "actually took the lyrics and used them for a Shadows Fall song" called "Root Bound Apollo," from the 2000 album Of One Blood; Killswitch guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz (Unearth, Underoath) will helm the new Overcast project. The band's recorded all the drum tracks so far and will start working on the guitar parts next week. The plan's to finish the LP by the end of May. D'Antonio said several labels are vying for the disc, but not Killswitch's label, Roadrunner — they've passed on it.

"We're so stoked that Adam could do it because I hold that guy in high regard as far as being able to produce things and take turds and shine them up real nice and make diamonds out of them," D'Antonio said. "In his hands we can make this Overcast record something bigger and better. It's awesome to be able to mend the different things that happened throughout the years and have fun. We knew we could go into the studio and pull it off, and everyone's head is in the right spot. We're just having a blast."

Overcast will perform this weekend in Worcester, Massachusetts, during the New England Hardcore and Metal Festival. The band's also booked a gig at Club Hipnotic in New London, Connecticut, for June 3 and is in talks to take the stage inside New York's CBGB next month.

In addition, Killswitch Engage will begin writing fresh material in July for the follow-up to 2004's The End of Heartache — an album Roadrunner hopes to be able to release in November, D'Antonio said. He added that the band's also just recorded a cover of Dio's "Holy Diver" for a forthcoming Kerrang! magazine-commissioned compilation. That disc is going to feature some of today's heaviest metal acts tackling a number of genre classics.

"[Frontman] Howard [Jones] sang in falsetto," he said. "It came out super good. Everyone's really excited about it. The guitar riffs are definitely modified to sound way, way heavier."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Black Dahlia Murder have started practicing new material with their recently revamped lineup. The band's new bassist is Bart Williams, who worked with the band on its first album, 2003's Unhallowed. Williams replaces David Lock, who was fired in November because he "couldn't actually play our material," frontman Trevor Strnad said at the time. In addition, Canadian drummer Pierre Langlois has sorted out his immigration paperwork and is now a full-time member of the band. He replaces Zach Gibson, who was also let go in November because of "playing issues." "Pierre's unbelievable," Strnad said. "Zach was more into groove stuff, so we had chunkier guitar parts that would go along with that. Pierre's more about sheer speed, so we'll probably be doing stuff that's a little bit more black metal." The band is filming the creation of its next album and plans to use the footage on a behind-the-scenes DVD that will come out at the same time as the release. "It'll be mostly us hanging out rather than show footage," Strnad said. "There's a lot to this band that people don't really know that we'd like them to see. We're kind of like a brotherhood and we have a blast on the road." ... Nevermore bassist and founding member Jim Sheppard is taking a few weeks away from the band to undergo a medical procedure for Crohn's disease, which he has been battling for 15 years. Ex-Megadeth/ Iced Earth bassist James MacDonough will fill in for 10 shows, starting May 5 in Buffalo, New York, and running through May 18 in Spokane, Washington. Nevermore's tour with In Flames, Throwdown and Evergrey runs through May 28 in Tallahassee, Florida. ... Shatter Messiah, which features former Nevermore guitarist Curran Murphy and Annihilator drummer Robert Falzano, will issue their debut album, Never to Play the Servant, in late August. Look for the disc to include "Your God's Demise." ...

Going forward, Shai Hulud will be known as ... um, Shai Halud. The revived hardcore band had been toying with the idea of adopting the new moniker the Warmth of Red Blood, what with the departure of singer Geert Van der Velde a few years back. But they've abandoned the name and added new singer Eric Dellon, who's done time with both Zombie Apocalypse and Shallow Water Grave. Look for the band to hit the road next month with the Red Chord. ... Thrash legends D.R.I. have been forced to cancel their upcoming U.S. tour with Subzero, as guitarist Spike Cassidy's been diagnosed with colon cancer and was operated on three weeks ago, according to a statement from the band's manager. "Sadly, the concern is that [the cancer] spread and the medical treatment is [required immediately] and it prohibits any touring for the remainder of the year at least." The trek was expected to launch in Seattle May 22. ... The Esoteric are back in work mode. The innovative metallers have begun writing their next release, Subverter, and plan to hit Black Lodge Recording in Eudora, Kansas, on May 8 with producer and engineer Paul Malinowski (The Life and Times, Open Hand). The record's set for a tentative fall release and will include "Science Is Sexy," "Clone Culture and the Cut-Up Method" and "We Will Not Be Convinced That Now Is Not Our Time." ...

You smell that? It's some delicious metal beef — being served up by Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt. The singer has clarified statements he made during an interview with an Australian magazine — but hasn't gone out of his way to patch up the wounds. When asked about the current state of metal, he told the magazine that he didn't care for most of today's bands, and that "when I grew up it was like heresy to compare [labelmates] Killswitch Engage and whatever you got going with [Iron] Maiden and [Judas] Priest. The bands feel manufactured, almost like boy bands with guitars. I don't want my bands to be f---ing pretty." On Opeth's official forum, Åkerfeldt said the article was "a bit misleading," and that while he doesn't "particularly like Killswitch," he has nothing "against them really. All I was saying [is] that I don't see the same quality in them as I do in Priest or Maiden. [Killswitch] to me sounds like a rehashed version of what's been going on in Sweden for 16 years or more. The boy-band comment ... was not addressed to [Killswitch] but an observation of the overall 'nu' or whatever metalcore scene [there is] in the U.S. All of you gotta understand that out of the zillion interviews I do, some will take the so-called 'good stuff' and put it forward and make me seem like a pr---." ...

Springfield, Massachusetts, metalcore band Ligeia have shot a video for "Household Stereotypes" from their new album Your Ghost Is a Gift. The clip was helmed by "Law & Order" director Frank Nasso in New York. "We are playing in an empty apartment with light bulbs swinging all around us," the band said in a press statement. Ligeia will headline a North American tour with Flee the Scene, Across Five Aprils and A Perfect Kill starting May 9 in Miami and ending May 28 in Nashville. ... Hugh Mingay, the bassist for Norwegian black-metal band Arcturus, was in a motorcycle accident last week and damaged his vertebrae. He is expected to recover fully but will have to rest for three weeks before picking up his instrument again. ... Chicago power-metal band Twelfth Gate have announced Brent "Red" Erickson as their new singer. He replaces Scott Huffman, who quit the band due to musical differences and will continue with his new group, Mindwarp Chamber. ... Grindcore band Agathocles will release Mincer, their first CD in almost five years, May 2. The album was recorded at Soundshape Studios in Arendonk, Belgium, and includes "Yuppie Career Freak," "Diary of White Trash," "Carved Face Fashion" and "Forced to Masturbate." ... Terror and Death Before Dishonor will tour together in June. Just 11 dates have been firmed up so far, but more should be announced in the coming weeks. The run kicks off June 19 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and, at this point, runs through July 5 in Buffalo, New York. ... Swedish death-metal outfit Godhate have lost founding member and drummer Roger Sundquist. "Roger has left the band for good," reads the band's official statement on his departure. "It's not an easy thing to find a good drummer who can replace such a good musician as Roger. And as he was the one who formed the band, it's even harder to just say goodbye like that. He has meant a lot to the band and each member, even though we have had different opinions on how to run the band."

• Overcast
• The Black Dahlia Murder
• Nevermore
• D.R.I.
• Killswitch Engage