Cradle of Filth
Photo: Roadrunner Records

More than a decade ago, while researching the life of Hungarian blood countess Elizabeth Báthory for his black-metal band's 1998 concept LP Cruelty and the Beast, Cradle of Filth frontman Dani Filth happened to come across some literature about Gilles de Rais. He took a wealth of notes on the 15th-century French serial killer, sexual deviant and Satanist and, at the time, thought de Rais' life would make the perfect subject for his band's next concept release.

Years and years elapsed, and Filth eventually forgot all about his idea to put de Rais' days and nights to brooding, sonically brutal metal — well, at least until just recently, when Cradle of Filth began recording material for their eighth studio LP, Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder, which lands in stores October 28.

"When we came off of the Viva la Bands Tour last year, we were kind of fired up and went straight back into writing," Filth explained. "We tried to get as much writing done before we all went our separate ways for Christmas — bearing in mind that we all live all over the place now. And we came up with this material rather quickly. I suddenly sort of went, 'Oh sh--!' We'd written the skeletons of five or six tracks, but I was a bit stuck as to the direction I want the lyrics to go. I hadn't even given it any thought."

But the feel of the material reminded Filth of Cruelty and the Beast, which inspired him to refer to the copious notes he'd taken 10 years earlier.

"While I was skipping through loads of old books I keep with notes and stuff, I happened upon loads of notes about Gilles de Rais, because when you do a load of research like that, his name cropped up along the way as well," Filth explained. "I remember thinking at the time that this would be a great thing to undertake, but obviously 10 years ago, and right next to the Cruelty album, it would have been too similar a concept, really."

Filth began doing more research on de Rais and, in time, found out he was a much better subject for the concept-album treatment.

"I started investigating [him] more, and the more I read about it, the more I thought, 'Wow, this is even more perfect than the Báthory story, because there's trial documentation,' " Filth recalled of the man who was a onetime brother-in-arms of Joan of Arc. "After her death, everything took a slide for the worse, and in my opinion, it seemed that [de Rais] thought he got as close as he could get to God, bearing in mind that Joan of Arc was perceived to be a messenger for God, and he just went completely in the opposite direction, like a man of many extremes."

Filth was fascinated by de Rais' quick conversion to the dark side and how he'd squandered his vast fortune and later employed alchemists to locate the philosopher's stone so he could turn base metal into gold and replenish his fortunes. "It all just sort of went out of control," Filth said. "So the album tells his story, from his being a very pious man to mixing it up with the devil and, in the end, seeking clemency for his crimes from the Church, because at one point, he'd been excommunicated, which meant, in that day and age, you couldn't actually get into the kingdom of heaven, which would have been a bit of a worry back then. You couldn't really dream something up as severe as his tale."

Cradle of Filth, who will tour the States early next year with Septicflesh and Satyricon, embraced Filth's concept but wanted the effort to be cohesive and coherent. So the band enlisted American actor Tony Todd, who is perhaps best known for his title role in the 1992 thrasher flick "Candyman." Filth wanted Todd to come into their studio to narrate de Rais' story, using actual court transcripts he'd found through his intensive research.

"The narration of de Rais comes from the original transcripts, as he'd voiced it in court before his judges and peers, and it's interspersed throughout the record to give it a moving narrative," Filth said. But, a few lines in to reading de Rais' words, Todd bailed on the project, forcing the band to call on an old friend to fill in: Douglas Bradley.

Bradley, who will always be known to horror fans as Cenobite Pinhead, had worked with COF before, providing narration on three of the band's previous efforts: 2000's Midian, 2004's Nymphetamine and 2006's Thornography. Looking back, Filth said he wished he had some time to explain to Todd just what he'd gotten himself into — problem was, dude just took off and never turned back.

"There was an issue with him in the fact that, when he came into the studio, he just read a bit of what de Rais had said and suddenly walked out," Filth explained. "The thing was, he wasn't actually filled in on what it was all about. He'd obviously heard the band's name and knew that we were a black-metal band and all the horror stories that sort of surround that thing. But when he read some of Gilles' words, he probably thought, 'Oh my God — what is this band advocating?' He wasn't told that this is an in-depth, well-researched record and that we're not glorifying anything. It's just a dark fairy tale. He started reading stuff about beheading children and probably thought that we were advocating that."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Swedish metallers Soilwork have tapped Darkane, Warbringer and Swallow the Sun as support acts on their upcoming North American tour, which kicks off January 30 in Rochester, New York. Dates for that trek are booked through March 22 in Baltimore. ...

It appears those rumors about From a Second Story Window's demise are actually true. The band, which formed in 2002, said in a statement, "With this changing musical market and its inhabitants, it is simply our time to step aside and let the flow continue on without us. It is time for us to venture down new avenues of creativity and to find new things to enrich our lives fully. From a Second Story Window was something that gave us all hope and pride in our small part of the musical world, but with economical woes pulling us down, and changes in attitude towards the entire movement of 'heavy' music, it just seems right to call it quits and move on in our own ways." ...

Bury Your Dead have officially parted ways with guitarist Eric Ellis, claiming in a press release that his departure was due to "medical reasons and personality differences." The band went on to explain that "when a person's attitude and lifestyle change for the worse, there comes a time to let go and move on. A team is only as strong as its weakest link." ... Don't believe the hype. Dillinger Escape Plan apparently aren't looking for a new drummer. Guitarist Ben Weinman has, in his own way, denied recent rumors that kitman Gil Sharone had left the band to return to his former band, Stolen Babies. Weinman told Kerrang! that Sharone "didn't leave and we didn't kick him out. He will be busy, though, working with his other band a lot over the next year, so I am talking to other dudes, both for Dillinger possibilities and just for me to play with, on other creative projects. We still may be touring and writing with Gil, though. Kinda in the air. No big drama though or anything." Now we're even more confused. ...

It looks as though the Red Chord have dismissed guitarist Mike Keller. While the move hasn't been confirmed by the band, Keller, in a statement to Lambgoat said he received a phone call a few days ago "informing me [the band] made a mutual decision to become a four-piece. They offered little in ways of explanation, but I can admit that in the past few tours, I had grown apart from the rest of the band, both personally and musically." While "things ended abruptly, unexpectedly and weirdly," Keller said he's cool with going out on his own. He said he plans to release a solo project called Meek Is Murder in the not-so-distant future. ...

A tentative October 14 release date has been set for Dimmu Borgir's forthcoming live effort, The Invaluable Darkness. The set features two DVDs and one live CD. ... Long-dormant, highly influential hardcore outfit Far are planning two reunion shows — both on the West Coast. They'll be playing under the moniker Hot Little Pony on October 15 in Pomona, California, and October 16 in Los Angeles. It's shows like this that make me wish I lived in California. ... Young Widows will be playing a slew of gigs next month — the first on October 14 in Detroit. They have gigs booked through November 16 in Indianapolis. The band's new LP, Old Wounds, hits stores next week.

• Cradle of Filth
• The Red Chord
• Soilwork

King Diamond
Photo: Metal Blade Records

In King Diamond's 1986 single, "Halloween," the Danish-metal prince shrieked about ancient rituals, torture and all things demonic: "Like in horror dreams, I want/ I command you to scream." A full 22 years later, Diamond — who released his latest album, Give Me Your Soul ... Please, in late June — is still doing plenty of screaming. Only lately, they've been screams of pain. And this Halloween he won't be stealing any souls — or even trick-or-treat candy. He'll be bedridden with a herniated disc.

"I can't sit down, even on my couch, for more than a few minutes," he said from his Texas home. "About a month ago I tried, and after 15 minutes, it started feeling like my left leg was getting set on fire."

Just six weeks ago, Diamond had to stand on one leg to brush his teeth and was unable to bend over enough to spit toothpaste into the sink. Now, as long as he eats standing up and walks for 90 minutes between four-hour intervals in bed, he can get through the day without any major attacks of pain.

Of course, that makes touring impossible, and in late June, Diamond postponed his entire European trek. While he hopes to heal in time for the U.S. tour, which is scheduled to launch March 23 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, and run through May 8 in Houston, he's not entirely sure he'll be able to play those shows either.

"It can take up to a year and a half for a severe herniated disc to heal properly, but it varies from person to person," he said. "So, we are crossing our fingers and praying that we won't have to cancel the U.S shows. Right now there's not much more we can do."

Diamond got a taste of what might happen if he hits the road too soon in September when director Bill Schacht from video company Aestheticom — which has also worked with Amon Amarth — shot a video for "Give Me Your Soul," the first King Diamond clip in 17 years. "They limited what I had to do, of course, so I only did one day of shooting for 90 minutes, but just standing there moving a little bit in the full outfit was very difficult," he said. "And afterwards, I got one of those sharp attacks of pain that I hadn't had in a month and a half. The only thing I can compare it to is a really super-bad toothache or earache. And afterwards, I was like, 'OK, I'm not ready [to tour] yet.' "

So, how did the pioneer of demonic metal injure his back, anyway — painting pentagrams in blood around the altar, strapping virgins into the torture rack in his basement? Nope, the 51-year-old rocker hurt himself working in his home studio on Give Me Your Soul ... Please.

"I think the real damage happened mixing the record, because I did that three weeks straight for a minimum of 12 hours a day," he said. "One of the last nights, when I was going to bed, I felt these pains in the sciatic nerves on each side, and I thought, 'Oh what is this?' The next morning I woke up and I couldn't walk or stand. It was like being paralyzed. I can't begin to say how painful it was. They say that's the worst pain you can experience as a human being. Had I not lived on the ground floor in a house, I would have jumped out the window."

If, as his detractors claim, Diamond is damned to spend an eternity in hell, at least he'll have an idea of what it might be like. "In the beginning, these attacks were 15 minutes at a time, of unbearable pain. The first month after I had the accident, my left leg looked like I got out of a concentration camp. It was all thin and I lost all the muscle tone because I couldn't put any weight on it."

After undergoing an MRI, doctors determined that Diamond's herniated disc wouldn't require an operation but that he would have to undergo intensive physical therapy and plenty of rest if he was to properly heal. "Doing the exercises, at first, I would try to wiggle my left leg back and forth a little, but there was so much pain it was absolutely impossible. But gradually, I got to the point where I could move the leg pretty well and now I'm walking around and both legs are the same size again."

In addition to religiously following doctors' order, Diamond is now eating healthy and avoiding all medication — even Tylenol. "I take no painkillers whatsoever," he said. "That's the best way to heal fast, I think, because if my spine is in a slightly wrong position lying down, I feel the pain and I readjust the position of how I'm lying and then it slowly dies away. That way I know I'm not lying in a wrong position. If I feel the pain it's a signal that, 'Hey, you're doing something wrong.' "

But while he's being a good patient and focusing on his recovery, Diamond is itching to be able to get back onstage and perform songs from his new album, which he considers his greatest accomplishment yet as a solo artist.

"It's very frustrating to be stuck here and not be able to do what I do best," he explained. "I'd rather get shot in the leg because then I know I'd heal in a couple months and I'd be ready. I would love nothing more than to be able to play the U.S. shows, but of course, it's much better to postpone the tour and heal properly than to go out and play some stupid hero with your own health and then find out it didn't work. You got one week into the tour, and now you sit in a wheelchair and [your] career's over. So, this is the only way to do it. And afterwards we have many, many more good years ahead of us. I just have to get better first."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Norwegian black-metallers Zyklon are going on hiatus. According to guitarist Tomas "Samoth" Thormodsæter Haugen, the band's future plans are "up in the air at the moment," as all of its members live in different cities. "We're not always an easy band to manage," he said in a statement. "[We all] have multiple commitments on different fronts, thus it's often hard for all the [logistical] and practical things to work. This situation has especially come more into focus in the last year or so, where it has become harder and harder to get the band together when needed, with the spirit and excitement that one expects from a band like this. Basically, I don't feel that we as a band have the fire needed to start working on a new album right now. Therefore Zyklon are taking a break." Samoth, who is also known for his work with Emperor, also revealed that there are plans for an Emperor DVD with "a lot of cool material to be reviewed, mixed and edited." No word yet on when the effort will hit stores. ...

Turbonegro are down a member after the departure of rhythm guitarist Rune Rebellion, according to reports. But Rune isn't leaving the Turbonegro family — he'll continue running the band's label, Scandinavian Leather Recordings, and plans to manage the band's tour business. ... All That Remains, Shadows Fall and Killswitch Engage are among the artists who have been nominated in the Outstanding Metal/Hardcore Band of the Year category at this year's Boston Music Awards. We'll find out who takes the honor home on December 1, when the awards invade the city's Orpheum Theatre. The Red Chord, Unearth, Isis and Converge are also in the running for the award. Meanwhile, the Shad and Killswitch have also been nominated in the Album of the Year (Major) and Act of the Year categories. ...

Things are not well in the land of Gorgoroth. Gaahl, frontman for the black-metal masters, and guitarist Infernus recently had an undisclosed argument over the band's future and, via MySpace, had announced their dissolution. But on Monday, the band's Web site insisted Infernus left the fold, leaving Gaahl and bassist King ov Hell to continue on as Gorgoroth. Not so fast — Infernus, a founding member of the band, plans to file suit against his former bandmates, for use of the Gorgoroth name. Gaahl issued a statement explaining the mess. "It's the disrespect he has shown our working partners — record labels, session musicians, promoters (by sending unserious demands in riders, etc.) and producers we have worked with over the years — which has lead to this decision," he wrote. "In addition, he has not been a creative force for the last eight years. He has shown no interest in the art defining Gorgoroth during that same period of time. He has not shown up for rehearsals and has broken agreements on several occasions. It's gotten to a point were King and I can't create a fire as long as someone is there pouring water over it." He said he intends to continue crafting sinister metal, with or without the Gorgoroth name. According to Infernus, he's been meeting with his legal team and said "there is now Gorgoroth, and another fraction with a Gorgoroth name on it." ...

Soon, we'll have another Arsis album to feast on. The band recently completed work on the effort, titled We Are the Nightmare, under the guidance of producer Zeuss (Agnostic Front, Hatebreed). The LP is slated for release early next year and boasts 10 tracks, including "Shattering the Spell," "Failing Winds of Hopeless Greed" and "A Feast for the Liar's Tongue." ... Filipino-American thrash-metallers Death Angel have titled their forthcoming LP Killing Season. The record is slated for release early next year and is being recorded at a Los Angeles studio with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Shadows Fall, Velvet Revolver). ... Belgium grindcore specialists Leng Tch'e are in search of a new bassist, with usual player Nicolas Malfeyt having shifted to second guitar. The band had been looking for a second guitarist. Those interested in auditioning should contact the band via its MySpace page. ... Ever wanted to name a band? Well, here's your chance. Fear Factory guitarist Christian Olde Wolbers and drummer Raymond Herrera have teamed up with Threat Signal frontman Jon Howard to start a new project, but they haven't been able to come up with a name for it. Ideas can be submitted to Wolbers via his MySpace page. ...

Drummer Jeramie Kling has left Floridian metallers the Absence after five years with the band. According to a statement from the group, Kling said he felt he had "experienced 'repetitive, blatant dishonesty' from bandmembers that 'ultimately was taking away from the band's success and priorities.' At this point, Jeramie no longer wishes to be associated with the Absence due to their 'pretentiousness and disregard' on a personal level and to the fans who put them where they are." The band will honor all of its prior touring commitments, as soon as it tracks down a fill-in. ... Obituary and Merauder will join forces for a handful of gigs in December. Look for the bands to roll through Clifton Park, New York (December 7); Brooklyn, New York (December 8); and Sayreville, New Jersey (December 9). ... Experimental hardcore outfit Some Girls have thrown in the towel. There's no word yet on why the band split up. ... Remember Dub War, those Brits who forged reggae with metal and somehow pulled it off? Well, while the band has been inactive since 1999, two Dub War releases will be coupled together and reissued as an exclusive double-CD pack on Tuesday. The set will include 1995's Pain and 1996's Wrong Side of Beautiful.

• King Diamond
• Zyklon
• Turbonegro
• All That Remains
• Shadows Fall

Ministry's Al Jourgensen
Photo: Steffab Chirazi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The rest of the week's metal news:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3 Inches of Blood
Photo: Roadrunner Records

With swords held high and shields in position, 3 Inches of Blood have been waging a valiant battle against — well, anyone who doesn't have a soft spot for mythical beasts and medieval warfare. And, for the most part, their holy war has been a great success.

The Vancouver, British Columbia, power/classic-metallers' 2002 debut, Battlecry Under a Winter Sun, earned them a deal with Roadrunner, through which they issued their second disc, 2004's well-received Advance and Vanquish. And the band has wowed crowds on tour slots opening for Iron Maiden, Cradle of Filth and others. This summer, 3 Inches of Blood will play Ozzfest's second stage around the time they release their third disc, Fire Up the Blades, June 26.

Of course, there have been casualties along the way. Original drummer Geoff Trawick and his brother, bassist Rick, left the band in 2004, leaving 3 Inches scrambling to find last-minute replacements before recording Advance and Vanquish. Then, shortly after releasing the LP, guitarists Sunny Dhak and Bobby Froese quit the band and were replaced by Justin Hagberg and Shane Clark. After that, drummer Matt Wood quit in July 2005 because of personal and professional differences.

"War is never easy, but sometimes reinforcements are a necessity to make you stronger," singer Jamie Hooper shrugged. "I'm sure those guys think they're better off where they are, but we're definitely in a better place now, too. The new guys are more into what we're doing and they're better players, so there are skills there that weren't before. And with [newcomer] Alexei [Rodriguez] on the drums, we're able to play faster than ever."

The improvements are evident on Fire Up the Blades. Like its predecessor, the album is rooted in charging rhythms; thick, crunchy riffs that sound like a cross between Hammerfall and Judas Priest; and the shrill-yowl-meets-guttural-growl of dueling singers Hooper and Cam Pipes. But this time, the playing is sharper, the arrangements more multifaceted and the hooks more deeply embedded.

3 Inches of Blood started writing songs for the new album last fall at a house they rented in Tacoma, Washington. "We wanted to get away from Vancouver so we wouldn't be distracted by our drunken friends," Hooper said. "So we spent a few months there jamming eight hours a day and drinking even more than we would have back home."

The band entered Vancouver's the Armory and Mushroom Studios in October and spent two months tracking with producer and Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison. The oft-masked barbarian took a few turns at the drum kit and even recorded a few background chants.

"We were so stoked to find out he was a fan of our band," Hooper said. "We met him when we were on tour with Satyricon and he was playing drums with them. And that's where we really got to know him. He's an amazing producer and an even better beer drinker."

Amazingly, the partying didn't impair the band's timing or ability to groove. And, while 3 Inches of Blood have been known to argue with past members on previous occasions, this time they got along in the studio like frat brothers at a strip club. "The songs were so exciting and fun to record," Hooper said. "Nothing had to be forced and everything came out so easily."

As much fun as 3 Inches of Blood have when they're recording, they're pretty serious about the final musical results and redo anything they're the least bit unsatisfied with. The same can't be said for their lyrics, which are goofy as hell and inspired mostly by fantasy, horror and science fiction.

"We try to keep reality out of the lyrics as much as possible," Hooper said. "I like the idea of music being escapist fiction. I hate writing songs about how sh---y your day was or how sh---y the world is. Yeah, let's all get bummed out and cry. F--- that. I'd rather go off into a dream world. And, yes, we do play Dungeons & Dragons, and we're not ashamed to admit it."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Former Coal Chamber axeman Miguel "Meegs" Rascon has surfaced in a new project called Glass Pinata. The band has spent the last year recording tracks for its debut LP and plans to make its live debut April 19 at West Hollywood, California's Whisky a Go Go. Ozzfest 2007 metallers Ankla will also perform at the gig. ... The Red Chord are all set to headline a June tour with support acts Through the Eyes of the Dead, Despised Icon and All Shall Perish in tow. The trek kicks off June 1 in Philadelphia and runs through June 28 in Montreal. ... Hate Eternal have parted ways with bassist Randy Piro, frontman Erik Rutan confirms. "Randy and I both thought this was the right life change for him and I support everything he wants to do for his future," Rutan said in a statement. "Randy always gave 100 percent while in the band and I appreciate all he has done for me and Hate Eternal. I wish him nothing but the best." Piro, meanwhile, commented that his "reason for leaving Hate Eternal [was] to direct my focus and energy to" his new project, Gigan. ...

Pig Destroyer have put the finishing touches on their forthcoming LP, Phantom Limb. The follow-up to 2004's Terrifyer is set to drop June 12 and will feature "Deathtripper," "Heathen Temple" and "Girl in the Slayer Jacket." ... Light This City are in need of a new guitarist following the recent departure of Steve Hoffman. "It has come to a point where [Hoffman] feels he needs to personally and musically move in another direction," the band said in a statement. "We respect his wishes completely and thank him wholeheartedly for his time in Light This City." If you think you're up to the challenge, the band said all auditioning candidates should be between ages 18 and 25, have some touring experience under their belt, possess their own equipment, and must "be extremely comfortable playing thrash" and "melodic death metal." Check out the band's MySpace page for further details. ...

New Jersey's the Number Twelve Looks Like You have completed work on their highly anticipated new album, Mongrel, which is set to drop June 19. Look for the set to feature 10 tracks, including "El Piñata de la Muerte," "Alright, I Admit It ... It Was a Whore House" and "Sleeping With the Fishes, See?" ... Rhode Island chaos kings Daughters have booked a slate of gigs to follow their current road trip with Cattle Decapitation and the Locust. The band will play April 30 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and tour through May 6 in Hudson, New York. ... The Chariot, Misery Signals, the Human Abstract and I Hate Sally will be spending a large chunk of May together. The bands will head out on an eight-gig tour starting May 17 in Oklahoma City, and so far, dates are booked through May 26 in Anaheim, California. Additional shows will be announced in the coming weeks. ... Bloodjinn, Vanna, Twelve Gauge Valentine and the Silent Escape will team up for a run of May shows starting in Baltimore on May 9. The brief tour is expected to wind down May 29 in El Paso, Texas. ...

Swedish death-metal act Insision's forthcoming opus Ikon will not be in stores in April as originally planned. No definitive release date has been confirmed yet, as the band's label, Dental Records, is dealing with distribution dilemmas. When the album is released, expect it to feature nine tracks, including "A Ravenous Discharge," "Depleting the Non-Being" and "Breathing the Black Dust." ... Speaking of Swedes, black-metal heavyweights Dark Funeral are planning to make a return to North America this fall, following a successful run of the continent earlier this year. The band has lined up Naglfar and Daath as support acts for the tour, which kicks off October 11 in West Springfield, Virginia, and runs through November 2 in Detroit. ... Yet another Swedish band, Disfear, will begin recording their next LP this summer with Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou at his studios in Salem, Massachusetts. Look for the yet-untitled effort to include "In Exodus," "The Cage" and "Testament."

• 3 Inches Of Blood
• Slipknot
• Coal Chamber
• The Red Chord
• Through the Eyes of the Dead

Otep
Photo: Capitol Records

Otep's forthcoming third full-length album, The Ascension, was written long before the Los Angeles metallers boarded a plane bound for New Orleans — where they'd track the effort with Grammy-winning producer Dave Fortman (Evanescence, Mudvayne) over the course of several months.

During the band's stay, though, frontwoman Otep Shamaya said she couldn't help but get caught up in the emotion of living and working in this forgotten, battered metropolis, left devastated in the wake of 2005's Hurricane Katrina. Shamaya said the cheerless vibe that permeated this once grand city, and the hopeful spirit of the resilient survivors who continue to rebuild their lives down there, bled into Otep's new material.

"We went there for a couple of reasons: Dave was there, and we wanted to get out of L.A.," she explained. "It's very easy for bands to make records where they live, but when you go home every night, it becomes more of a job. You can't live the album all day, every day. In New Orleans, we could never escape that energy. We also really wanted to try to bring something to the economy of that area, but we didn't realize how bad it was. Nothing's happening there."

When Otep arrived, Fortman drove the band through the city's Ninth Ward, "and it was shocking. Absolutely shocking. There are entire neighborhoods that are just gone — pulverized. Boats pinned beneath houses. So that kind of seeped into the songs a bit. A part of that energy — part of the people who asked us when they saw us not to forget about them — that did seep into what we were doing. It had to. It was very important for us to include that energy in our music and remember how important art is and what it can do."

Working with Fortman on The Ascension, which hits stores March 20 and features a cover of Nirvana's "Breed," was important for the bandmembers, Shamaya said, because they are huge fans of his previous collaborations.

"We liked the sound of his albums, the tonality of them," she said. "For the type of band that I think we are, where every instrument counts, I wanted every instrument to have its own voice and tell its own story. With Dave, when you listen to the records he's made, every instrument has a clear, signature sound. That was really important for us for this album; that's what we wanted to happen."

Otep — made up of Shamaya, guitarist Karma Cheema, bassist "Evil" J. McGuire and drummer Brian Wolff — had to refocus their attention for this effort, the singer said, and forget about anything they'd done in the past.

"From my perspective, knowing a lot of bands and listening to a lot of bands, the first record — even if it isn't their best record — has this energy about it, this risk," Shamaya said. "It seems that there's this sophomore curse for most bands, but they still seem to become confident in the idea that they can write the music. But there's something missing sometimes. I wanted to refocus our attention and pretend this was our first record and really try and not look at what we know, what's worked and get mixed up in that whole corporate mentality. I wanted to fall back on our instincts and write songs that are important to us."

On her end, Shamaya feels she's grown as a growler and that, through her lyrics, she's become a better storyteller. "I just wanted to be better at what I do. I think our strength lies in our ability to be a fusion band. Every player has their own influences and own styles, and that helps us create something different and new each time."

But longtime fans shouldn't expect a complete shift in Otep's sound. Shamaya said this third set contains the same elements found on the band's previous LPs, along with several fresh sonic elements. Lyrically, the singer said she derived inspiration from her own observations on society. The track "Invisible," for instance, is a commentary on conformity, while "Perfectly Flawed" is a song that celebrates "uniqueness, and how we don't all have to look like supermodels." "Noose and Nail" is an attack "on the pharmaceutical culture in this country," while "Home Grown" addresses the issues of domestic violence. "Eat the Children" was inspired by "those mothers who've been murdering their children, sometimes in the name of God," she said.

"Sometimes," she added, "I wish I could just sit back and write a song about a sunny day or a car passing, but that's just not the way my instincts work at this point."

The rest of the week's metal news:

How's this for a killer metal package? Dimmu Borgir, Unearth, Devildriver and Kataklysm have announced that they'll tour the U.S. this spring, hitting more than 25 cities, including New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Seattle and Los Angeles. The trek kicks off April 20 in Cleveland, with dates booked through May 29 in Atlanta. Dimmu's forthcoming album, In Sorte Diaboli, has been set for an April 24 release. ... The Red Chord are in need of a new guitarist, given Jonny Fay's departure this week. Fay said he wants to devote more time to running his New Hampshire recording studio, hence, the Chord will hold auditions in March. Those interested should make a video or audio recording of themselves playing "Black Santa," from the band's 2005 LP Clients. Touring experience is a must, and candidates should be willing to give up eight to 10 months of the year to the road. Interested? Contact the band through its MySpace page for more details. Fay, who will still contribute to the Red Chord's forthcoming album, said the decision "was not an easy [one] to make. I have loved every second of my time in this band, and I will miss it dearly. However, as long as I have been involved in music, my true passion has been recording, and I feel that the time has come for me to give it my undivided attention." ...

Mastodon's recent stroll across the Grammy Awards' red carpet caught the attention of E!'s "Fashion Police." The boys were slammed for their "greasy hair" and offending "rat tails." Not that the 'Don's about to take fashion advice from anyone, but you can watch them get raked over the proverbial coals in an arresting clip on YouTube. ... Comeback Kid, It Dies Today, This Is Hell and Endwell will be hitting the road together next month for a series of 25 gigs. The tour will get under way March 21 in Philadelphia and run through April 17 in Seattle. Parkway Drive will also be on the trek between April 5 in Metairie, Louisiana, through the Seattle date. ... Century Media's inaugural "Metal For The Masses" tour, which will be co-headlined by the Haunted and Dark Tranquillity, with Into Eternity and Scar Symmetry providing support, will launch March 19 in Orlando, Florida. The trek will make 22 stops, including Atlanta, New York, Detroit, Chicago and Seattle, before wrapping up in Hollywood on April 14. ...

Lacuna Coil and Shadows Fall will play a number of off-dates during the upcoming Jägermeister Music Tour, which also features Stone Sour. The bands will be rattling the floorboards of Piere's in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on March 29; Northern Lights in Clifton Park, New York, on April 2; the Lincoln Theater in Raleigh, North Carolina, on April 11; the Rialto Theater in Tucson, Arizona, April 26; and on April 27, the Sunshine Theater in Albuquerque, New Mexico. ... Massachusetts metallers — and Ozzfest 2006 vets — All That Remains, who are on their first North American headlining jaunt, will film their February 25 gig in Philadelphia. The footage will be featured on the band's forthcoming, yet-untitled DVD, which should hit stores before year's end. The band has been compiling footage for the effort for more than two years. ... Italian black metallers Graveworm have put the finishing touches on their sixth, yet-untitled LP with producer Andy Classen (Krisiun, Belphegor) at the helm. The album will feature 10 fresh cuts, with guest appearances by Kataklysm's Maurizio Iacono and the Sorrow's Matze. Look for the disc in stores May 11. ...

Victory Records has signed South Dakota's Nodes of Ranvier. According to frontman Jon Parker, the band "could not be any more excited about the opportunity to continue to do what we love with a label that understands what it means to have humble beginnings and achieve big dreams." The band plans to hit the studio later this month to start working on its Victory Records debut, which should surface in July. ... Will Haven's reunion LP, Hierophant, has been set for a June release through Bieler Bros. In other album-release news, Porcupine Tree's Fear of a Blank Planet has now been slated for an April 24 release. ... Canadian power trio Rush will release their new album, Snakes & Arrows, on May 1. The first single, "Far Cry," will hit radio in March, and a full North American tour is being scheduled for this summer. The album was recorded in fall 2006 and was co-produced by the band with Grammy-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver). ...

Prog-rock maestros Dream Theater have signed with Roadrunner Records for their next album, Systematic Chaos, which is scheduled for release in June. "This album's got all of the elements we've become known for," drummer Mike Portnoy said in a statement. "The focus on musicianship, the skull-crushing riffs, the big progressive epics and the heart-wrenching melodies are all there." A world tour will follow the album's release. ... Slipknot guitarist Jim Root and axe maestro Joe Satriani will guest on the new solo album by Rob Zombie guitarist John5 (ex-Marilyn Manson). The disc, The Devil Knows My Name, comes out April 3, and the songs are all about serial killers. "I wanted a different tone to the instrumental with twisted imagery of sounds," John5 said. "Utilizing serial killers came to light for this project while looking at their crimes and how distorted their minds work." If that's not scary enough, the disc will include a cover of Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle." Backing John5 on the album is Zombie drummer Tommy Clufetos and bassist Piggy D. ...

Demiricous will enter the studio on February 15 to start recording the follow-up to their self-titled 2005 debut. The disc will be the band's first to feature new drummer Justin Boltjes (ex-The Dream is Dead). ... Canadian misanthropes Unexpect have hired a new violinist named Blaise. "His talent will undoubtedly contribute to the developing mutation of our music," the band said in a statement. Unexpect's debut, In a Flesh Aquarium, came out in 2006.

• Otep
• Dimmu Borgir
• Unearth
• DevilDriver
• The Red Chord

Chimaira
Photo: Roadrunner Records

What many consider to be one of the best metal albums of 2005, Chimaira's self-titled third offering sounded fist-tight, innovative and hungry.

Made after the 2004 departure of drummer Andols Herrick, who had grown tired of touring and wanted to return to school, the album was recorded in an atmosphere of discord, animosity and depression. And while Herrick's replacement, ex-Dying Fetus member Kevin Talley, was musically proficient, he and frontman Mark Hunter didn't get along on tour.

"Something didn't feel right, and we always wished Andols never left," explained Hunter. "It was like having a girlfriend leave you. There were a couple guys, including myself, who wanted to leave the band because we felt like we were out there killing ourselves for nothing, and it didn't look like anything was going to change."

Then came the Roadrunner United concert in New York at the end of 2005, an event that not only brought together past and present artists from Roadrunner Records, but also reunited Chimaira with Herrick. The drummer took the stage for two songs, and by the end of the night any thoughts of ditching the band for his degree had vanished in the din. "When he was up there, his face lit up like a kid at a birthday party," Hunter said. "Right after that, he said to me, 'This is what I need to be doing in my life.' He rejoined the band soon after."

With Herrick back in the fold, Chimaira negotiated their way off Roadrunner, because they weren't seeing eye-to-eye with the label. Then the musicians sat down for a heart-to-heart to air their grievances and hatch a plan for the future. Realizing they all still shared the same vision and goals, Chimaira returned with renewed enthusiasm and a new level of determination, and started writing their fourth album Resurrection, which comes out March 6 on their new label, Ferret Music.

"We named the album Resurrection because that's exactly what it was," Hunter said. "When we talked, we got everything off our chests and out of our systems, and now we're friends again. And we're writing and playing better than ever."

While Chimaira was mostly written by guitarist Rob Arnold, this time Hunter and guitarist Matt DeVries shared the songwriting duties, resulting in a far more eclectic album that ranges from simple and driving to complex and meandering. "It's a bit all over the place in a good way," Hunter said. "I think it's a good combination of [2003's] The Impossibility of Reason and the self-titled record. But I think that there's so much more energy behind it because everyone was so excited to be back together."

In addition to being more diverse, many of the songs are also longer. Hunter said the average track length is six minutes, and one number clocks in at 10 minutes. At the same time, he insisted that the progressive arrangements don't detract from the hookiness of the album.

"It's super-catchy without being Fall Out Boy or something," Hunter said. "There are really fantastic hooks that people are gonna latch onto right away as opposed to the last album where it might take you a few listens to get what we were doing. And it's not one of those records where you get it right away, and then three days later you're done with it. This is something you're gonna want to listen to over and over again. I say that because I don't listen to our records, but this record is still in my CD player."

Chimaira recorded Resurrection in October and November with producer Jason Suecof (Trivium, God Forbid) and Andy Sneap (Machine Head, Arch Enemy). Even though they didn't have a record contact when they started, for the first time ever they felt no pressure.

"It seemed like these songs took minutes to write," Hunter said. "We'd come in with a riff and the song would be done that day. We weren't over-analytical about anything. We just went for it and it was lots of fun. Me and Andols were making jokes because we were really into lifting weights, so, if a riff wasn't heavy enough, we would start pretending we were doing yoga. And once the riff got heavy, we would start doing some skull-crushers. We just had to get rid of what we called the estrogen riffs, and keep the stuff that really wrecked."

The band's jocularity continued outside of the studio. At one point, Hunter even pushed the wheelchair-bound Suecof into a swimming pool — not that he didn't ask for it.

"He's so talented and he has a great ear and a gift for getting sh-- out of you that you didn't know you had, but he has really bad ADD," Hunter explained. "The dude would say, 'OK, we're gonna start at 1,' then he'd roll in at 4 o'clock and go, 'Oh, I didn't even know we were recording today. OK, we'll I'm just gonna go make some food, smoke a cigarette and sit on MySpace for a while.' And we'd be like, 'Are you f---ing kidding me? Get to work, a--hole.' So, we had to wheel him into the studio more than we'd wanted to, but it was all worth it for what he brought out of us."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Arch Enemy have begun writing material for the follow-up to 2005's Doomsday Machine. At this stage, the band has written about eight tracks, and guitarist Michael Amott claims the songs are "life-changing and ridiculously huge metal hymns. This is all my own not-so-humble opinion, of course. You'll see." The group will start tracking the LP in March, and the album could be out this coming summer. ...Animosity have entered writing mode and titled their forthcoming album Animal. The band will begin recording the effort in April; its last album, Empires, was released in 2005. ...Next month, New York hardcore legends Madball will begin drafting material for their next full-length. "We've already got some basic ideas down, and this promises to be our hardest record to date," claimed the band in a statement. The outing is expected to hit stores this spring through Ferret Music. ...

The Acacia Strain are one member shy following the recent departure of guitarist Daniel Daponde. The split was described as amicable, and due to unspecified "health problems." The band has yet to launch a search for Daponde's replacement. According to a statement issued by frontman Vincent Bennett, "We miss [Daponde] a whole bunch, and we are sure you all do as well. Wish him luck in his future endeavors." ...Machine Head's forthcoming album, The Blackening, has been given a tentative release date of March 27. Look for the disc to feature the tracks "Halo," "Aesthetics of Hate," "The Beautiful Mourning" and "Now I Lay Thee Down." ...Sludge-metal specialists Neurosis began tracking their next album on Wednesday with Steve Albini (Nirvana, Zao). ...

Post-hardcore outfit Silent Drive have been writing songs for what will be their next album, and plan to enter the studio this spring to put them down on tape. In the meantime, you can catch them next month with FC Five and Crime in Stereo from Tuesday in Albany, New York, through January 7 in Pittsburgh. ...Threshold have wrapped the recording of Dead Reckoning, which is slated for a March 23 release. The album will boast nine tracks, including "This Is Your Life," "Pilot in the Sky of Dreams" and "Fighting for Breath." ...Project 86 have recruited Ulrich Wild (Deftones, Taproot) to produce the band's forthcoming LP, which it will begin tracking in Los Angeles next week. Expect the yet-untitled set to drop in late spring. Frontman Andrew Schwab said, "We want people to feel a little unsettled when they put on this record. This album will both fulfill and destroy previous expectations. We want to balance our staple sound, memorable songwriting and patented energy with a lot of experimentation. I think old fans will still have enough to grab a hold of, but those who think they know what a Project 86 record is supposed to sound like will be surprised." ...

The Red Chord plan to spend the next four months hammering away on the follow-up to 2005's Clients, which will be produced by Zeuss (Shadows Fall, Hatebreed) and will be titled Birdbath. ...

Danish thrash titans Hatesphere will hit the studio next week to start recording the still-untitled follow-up to 2005's The Sickness Within. An April 30 release has been set for the band's forthcoming opus. ...Caught in a Trap have settled on Rats Get Fat as the title of their forthcoming debut full-length, which is expected to surface in April. The disc was produced by Don Fury (Quicksand, Gorilla Biscuits), and features 14 cuts, including "Nothing's Free," "Summer's Eve" and "All Out of Tomorrows." The band plans to launch a full U.S. trek within the next few months. ...Floridian death-metal masterminds Monstrosity have set Spiritual Apocalypse as the title of their next album, which should be out early next year and feature 10 to 11 tracks.

• Chimaira
• Arch Enemy
• Madball
• Project 86
• The Red Chord

Red Chord's Guy Kozowyk
Photo: MTV News

AUBURN, Washington — While most young metal acts would maim — maybe even kill — for a chance to spend their summer traveling the U.S. as part of Ozzfest, the Red Chord's Guy Kozowyk's sort of blithe about the whole situation.

Sure, he's excited about being on this summer's Ozzfest and appreciates his band being invited. But to him, it's no big deal — he's not nervous, like some of the other bands on the tour because, the way he sees it, Ozzfest is just another gig.

"Whatever," he said, when asked what was going through his head the morning before Ozzfest kicked off here. "Honestly, for us, it's just like another day at the office. It's definitely exciting. If you'd asked me a year ago if my band would ever be on Ozzfest, it's like, 'We're a death-metal/grindcore/whatever band — Ozzfest is never going to go for that.' And so it's definitely unexpected and definitely crazy, but at the same time, we've played over 800 shows. We've played backyards, we've played basements and we've played the Sounds of the Underground in front of thousands of people. We're ready for anything. As excited as we are, we're just going to go do what we always do."

Kozowyk, who runs his own label, Black Market Activities, knows that Ozzfest is perhaps the biggest tour his band will ever be on and has heard people talking about how beneficial a slot on the fest can be for a band like the Red Chord. But he's not letting it go to his head.

"People say Ozzfest can make or break a band, but for us, we're ready to get bigger and we're ready to go back if it comes down to it," he said. "We've played so many small shows, and we're so comfortable in the small environment, that if Ozzfest doesn't break us into the mainstream, we're ready to go back to playing VFWs and basements. We've had such a good time that it doesn't matter what happens on Ozzfest for us. We're going to just roll with it. If it comes down to us being the big Ozzfest success, that's great. We'll sell a bunch of records. But as soon as the metal/hardcore/extreme-music thing drops off, and it isn't making the Billboard charts anymore, we really don't care — whatever. We'll be happy selling 20,000 records and playing to a couple hundred kids a night. It doesn't matter to us.

"Our attitude has always been the Red Chord are normal people playing to normal people out in the crowd. We're not better or bigger than anyone," he continued. "It's intriguing to think that we can come out of this tour and be the biggest death-metal band to date, because I don't know that there's any real brutal death-metal bands that have done this in the past. I think if [death metal's] ever going to get big, this might be our only shot. If it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be. We could care less."

The Red Chord's 2005 LP, Clients, was reissued last month with demo and live tracks, and Kozowyk said the band will settle into the writing process for its next album following Ozzfest and some more U.S. touring. He hopes to start recording the Chord's third disc, which they've already named Birdbath, early next year.

"We started naming songs but we haven't really written any songs yet," he explained. "We have a bunch of song titles ['I Am Not a Lawnmower,' 'The Robot From the Future,' 'Skin Beef' and 'The Brian Slagel Song,' to name a few], ideas and a bunch of parts, but we just don't have the actual songs done yet. We want to have a new record ready for next summer."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Want to hear Slayer's forthcoming album Christ Illusion before it lands in stores August 8? Well, if you live in or around Brooklyn, New York, you'll get a chance this weekend. Duff's Brooklyn, a bar in Williamsburg, will host a listening bash for the disc Saturday night. Look for the band to perform on "The Henry Rollins Show" on the Independent Film Channel July 29. ... Soulfly will tour this fall with Full Blown Chaos, Wicked Wisdom and Incite along for the ride. After an appearance August 17 in Tempe, Arizona, the band plans to return to the road on September 18 in San Diego. So far just seven dates have been announced, running through October 2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. More gigs will be revealed in the coming weeks. ...Virginia extremists Arsis will hook up with Becoming the Archetype next month for a run of shows that'll keep them on the road through early September. Demiricous will open the first two gigs (August 18 in Madison, Wisconsin, and the following day in Indianapolis) and Ed Gein will lead things off on the remainder of the trek. Dates are scheduled through September 2 in Hinesville, Georgia. ...

Long Island, New York, hardcore outfit This Is Hell have parted ways with guitarist Joe Osolin. The band has not offered an explanation for his departure, stating only, "We wish him luck in the future." This Is Hell plan to carry on as a foursome for the remainder of their current tour with I Am the Avalanche and the Blackout Pact, and plan to enlist a replacement axeman in time for their August gigs, for which they'll be opening for the reunited Gorilla Biscuits. ... The Relapse Records-sponsored Contamination Tour, which this year boasts Unearthly Trance, Facedowninsh--, F--- the Facts, Jucifer, Buried Inside, Minsk and others, will launch September 2 in Philadelphia, with dates scheduled through October 1 in Middletown, Connecticut. ... Animosity's Evan Brewer and Look What I Did's Barry Donegan have teamed up for what they're describing as a "genre-bending" new side project. The guys have started working on material and hope to have an album's worth of songs ready to go by the middle of next year. The project will boast a number of surprise collaborators, but there's no word yet on what they'll be calling the project or what label will be releasing it. ...

Montreal stoner-rock enthusiasts Priestess will join Gwar and Suicide City next month for a week of shows, according to the band's Web site. The first stop's set for August 15 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with dates running through August 21 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The band also revealed that it will be busy this fall "on a sweet package bill that [we] can't just yet divulge, but it's really sick." ... The Melvins have set A Senile Animal as the title of their forthcoming LP, which will be in stores October 10. Frontman Buzz Osborne said that he's "very pleased with the results" and "can't wait to play this stuff live." ... Isis will issue their first DVD, "Clearing the Eye," September 26. The release features live footage captured at New York's CBGB and West Hollywood's Troubadour, as well as a music video for "In Fiction," interactive photo galleries, a discography and a 20-page booklet. Isis, who will release their yet-untitled CD on Halloween, will tour this fall as the opening act on Tool's North American trek. ...

Some of the biggest names in modern and experimental metal drumming have contributed audio and video tracks to Drum Nation Volume 3, which comes out August 15. The CD and DVD package will include cuts by Lamb of God's Chris Adler, Shadows Fall's Jason Bittner, Killswitch Engage's Justin Foley, Dillinger Escape Plan's Chris Pennie, Unearth's Michael Justian and others. Musical styles range from ethereal soundscapes to blast-beat metal. The DVD also features additional footage shot in unusual settings: Bittner is interviewed while getting a tattoo; Soulfly's Joe Nunez answers questions from the dentist's chair; Candiria's Kenneth Schalk talks from a golf course and more. ... Massachusetts '80s thrash band Meliah Rage will release The Deep and Dreamless Sleep September 12. The disc will be the follow-up to their 2004 album, Barely Human, which marked their return following an eight-year recording hiatus. The new record was recorded at Danger Multitrack Studios in Providence, Rhode Island, and Sherwood Forest Recording Studios in Bedford, Massachusetts. Tracks include "Permanently Damaged," "Twisted Wreck," "Last of the Wanted" and "Undefeated." A video for the latter can be seen on the band's Web site. ...

Metalcore purists Caliban will launch a North American tour with the Acacia Strain September 8 in Asbury Park, New Jersey. The Burning Season and Across Five Aprils will open until September 14 in Indianapolis, when Bloodlined Calligraphy and Too Pure to Die will start warming the crowd for the two main acts. Light This City and Stick to Your Guns will take over the early slots starting September 27 in Fresno, California, and will remain onboard until the final date: October 1 in West Hollywood, California. ... Gritty Syracuse, New York, quintet Brand New Sin will release their third album, Tequila, on October 3. The disc was recorded last fall at Method of Groove Studio in Brooklyn with producer Joey Z (Life of Agony, Stereomud). Type O Negative frontman Pete Steele appears on one track, "Reaper Man." Frontman Joe Altier said fans can expect a tougher, more immediate-sounding record than 2005's Recipe for Disaster, "We recorded this album live as a band, and we think it perfectly captures our raw energy," he said. "We feel that a lot of bands nowadays make things sound too polished, and we have been told for years that our albums are good but our live shows are much better, so that's what we went for." ...

Contemporary hardcore-metal savages Terror will release their third disc, Always the Hard Way, Tuesday. Zuess (Hatebreed , All That Remains) produced the disc. "The album turned out exactly how we wanted in terms of songwriting, recording, layout and lyrics," singer Scott Vogel said. "The final product is the most aggressive, fastest, hardest, heaviest thing we have ever done." ... Psychedelic sci-fi metal band Danava will release their self-titled debut on Halloween. The effect-laden disc was recorded and produced by Johnny Jewel and is reminiscent of early Monster Magnet crossed with Cream. Tracks include "Long Dance," "By the Mark," "Maudie Shook" and "Quiet Babies Astray in a Manger." ... Multicultural death-metal band Echoes of Eternity are in the studio working on their debut album with Los Angeles engineer Eric Ryan. Female singer Francine Boucher, who may be the hottest vixen in extreme metal since Arch Enemy's Angela Gossow, fronts the band. The band's album, due in 2007, will likely include "Gardens of the Gods," "Circles in Stone," "The Sacred Feminine" and "Expressions of Flesh." ... Defunct punk-metal pioneers Botch will release four new discs in the next year. The first, which comes out September 26, is a reissue of out-of-print 7-inch material, compilation cuts and other rarities called Unifying Themes Redux. The disc was originally released on Excursion Records in 2002, the year the band broke up. The 16 songs on the album include "God Vs. Science," "Contraction," "Leavers Take on Genesis" and "Liquored Up and Laid."

• The Red Chord
• Slayer
• Botch
• Terror

Avenged Sevenfold's M. Shadows (file)
Photo: Giuseppe Cacace/ Getty Images

AUBURN, Washington — Some of the sun-crisped metalheads packed into the White River Amphitheatre for the first stop on this year's 11th annual Ozzfest were skeptical of "TRL" favorites Avenged Sevenfold being on the festival's main stage. But there they were on Thursday, and the naysayers weren't about to distract the band from the mission at hand: Trying to win the crowd over.

So, Avenged, led by the diamond-grilled, Axl-Rose-imitating M. Shadows, pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the hat by covering — and handily at that — a tried-and-true metal classic: Pantera's "Walk." Shadows dedicated the tune to the memory of slain Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott (see " Dimebag Darrell, Four Others Killed In Ohio Concert Shooting"), and about three riffs in, the audience — even the cynics — were sold, pumping their fists and barking the song's stilted refrain: "Re! Spect! Walk!" And for the rest of the band's set, which ended with "Bat Country," Avenged owned them all.

In short, when in doubt at Ozzfest, cover Pantera. Following the group's debut as part of the festival, Shadows — covered in sweat and chugging bottled water — seemed relieved. How would Avenged celebrate this triumph? A few hours later, they boarded their tour bus and headed for Oregon, where they'd spend Friday (June 30) fishing at a lakeside cabin.

On Thursday, with the majestic, snowcapped Mount Rainier as its backdrop, Sharon Osbourne's traveling circus of heavy metal and hard rock, bad tattoos and worse habits, launched in Auburn. The small town is about 50 minutes from Seattle and its main road is lined with smoke shops, casinos and dilapidated shacks that double as residences and pyrotechnics shops.

Fans started lining up outside the venue at around 5:30 a.m, some coming from as far as Texas for an afternoon and evening filled with debauchery and ear-splitting metal. While Avenged's set was one of the day's many highlights, the majority of the 15,000 fans were there for the same reason: Ozzy Osbourne, the festival's unstoppable namesake.

Ozzy, who closed out the kickoff's main stage but will be playing only half this year's Ozzfest dates (see "Ozzy Playing Ozzfest's Second Stage For The First Time"), whipped the audience into a jubilant frenzy Thursday night. Focusing on his post-Black Sabbath career, Ozzy pleased the crowd with "I Don't Know," "Goodbye to Romance," "Suicide Solution" and "Mama, I'm Coming Home."

Of course, it wouldn't have been an Ozzy show without songs like "Crazy Train" and the set's closer, "Paranoid." But in the end, fans were pleased that the singer not only showed — with guitarist Zakk Wylde shredding away — but finished what he started. When Ozzfest rolled through town last year, he stormed off the stage when his voice went out, abandoning his Black Sabbath bandmates (see "Ozzy Retires As Ozzfest Headliner: 'It's Time For Me To Move On' "). Ozzy was in fine form Thursday, though. He delivered an energetic performance and his voice sounded stronger than it has in years.

Of course, Ozzy wasn't the main stage's sole attraction. Following Avenged, Disturbed mounted the stage for what ended up being one of the night's more commanding sets.

Frontman David Draiman, with his crisp, potent voice, directed fans to thrust their fists above their heads, in effect re-creating the cover of the band's latest LP, Ten Thousand Fists (see "Disturbed Pummel Billboard Competition With #1 Fists"). At one point during Disturbed's performance — which was highlighted by "Liberate," "Stricken" and the closer, "Sickness" — the audience hoisted a fan strapped to a wheelchair high above their heads for a brief crowd-surf. Draiman told his stagehands to bring the fan onstage, shook his hand and wheeled him near the drum kit, where he watched, wide-eyed, as Disturbed continued to instigate the more-than-willing circle-pit moshers who raged in the arena's general-admission area.

Ozzfest vets System of a Down, who'll be going on an indefinite hiatus following Ozzfest (see "System Of A Down Aren't Breaking Up — They're Going On Hiatus"), arrived Wednesday on separate buses. They were the show's most distracting performers — or maybe the most distracted.

At first, through the opening "Soldier's Song" and the next four that followed, guitarist Daron Malakian seemed to be struggling to keep up with the rest of the band, improvising lyrics when it was his turn to bark into the microphone (although during "B.Y.O.B.," he rethought the lyric, "We don't live in a fascist nation," by quickly muttering, "Yes, we do").

Frustration manifested itself on "Lonely Day," when he improvised, "Such a lonely day, hanging out with the band/ This mother----er I can't stand." The band later told us Malakian's impromptu lyric referred to the day (as it does on the album version of the song) and not to any tension between band members, as we had originally surmised: "The only thing that makes a lonely day livable on tour is each other's company," Tankian and Malakian wrote in an e-mail. [The lyric was] referring to the day ... Not each other." None of that seemed to matter to the rabid crowd, though, which leaped, bounced and clawed its way through the pit.

System appeared bored at the beginning of the set, but by the end, they worked the crowd into an abusive mob of fist-pumping fanatics with "Sugar" and other songs. Tankian danced around goofily with his eyes closed through "Hypnotize" while Malakian mounted his guitar.

Long before Avenged even left their dressing rooms, Italian metallers Lacuna Coil led the Ozzfest faithful through a 30-minute set, which included a cover of Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence" and ended with "Our Truth." England's DragonForce, Ozzfest first-timers, played a frantic, high-energy set that ended with "Through the Fire and Flames" and was followed by dozens of kids sprinting for the merch stands to buy the band's shirts.

Hatebreed, making their mainstage debut following a stint two years ago on the second stage (see "Slayer, Hatebreed Doing Double Duty On This Year's Ozzfest"), did what they always do: inspire utter mayhem. Singer Jamey Jasta growled at the audience through "Tear It Down" and then calmly asked fans to take a few steps back during "To the Threshold," as several people had become pinned against the metal barricade separating the pit from the stage. By the finale, "I Will Be Heard," the barricade had buckled, eating into Avenged's time as security crews worked to amend the situation.

As usual, this year's Ozzfest began at the ungodly hour of 9 a.m., with the always-spastic Bad Acid Trip kicking off the dingy second stage. Following A Life Once Lost's crippling cache of metal mischief, it was All That Remains' turn to pound the audience into submission. Led by frontman Phil Labonte, who ran from one side of the stage to the other, the Massachusetts metallers ripped through tracks including "Tattered on My Sleeve." After demanding the audience mosh, pogo or just wake up, during the finale, Labonte jumped into the crowd — a violation of the Ozzfest mandate — and fed the microphone to adoring fans who belched out the lyrics.

"Are you ready for some fast, brutal sh--?," asked the Red Chord's Guy Kozowyk, who, despite suffering from a nasty case of bronchitis he's failed to kick after 10 days of antibiotics, delivered one of the day's most severe and intense sets. He stared maniacally at the audience as it tore itself apart during "Love on the Concrete" and smiled at the pit, from which sneakers flew one after the next. Kozowyk screamed his lungs out — and eventually his breakfast too, as he rushed off the stage following the set and threw up near his band's bus.

Strapping Young Lad rolled out "You Suck," the first single from the technical Canadian group's forthcoming album, The New Black. Strapping abused their instruments for five songs before eventually ending with "Detox," after which frontman Devin Townsend instructed the audience to "Go right to the merch stand and buy all our sh--." He does, after all, have a baby on the way.

Later on, following a performance by Walls of Jericho, Full Blown Chaos' Ray Mazzola fought back tears as he purged the lyrics to "Solemn Promise." He told the audience he'd written the song for his mother, who has been battling cancer for more than a decade. Mazzola regained his composure and resumed barking like a pit bull into the mic.

The stage looked as though a bomb had hit it when Norma Jean dove into "Shotgun Messiah," with their amps strewn, scraped up, torched and melted in various spots. The bandmembers donned torn shirts and jeans and their faces were smeared with dirt, as if they'd just climbed out of a coal mine, as they raced through their guitar-flailing set.

Following Bleeding Through's bone-snapping performance, the crowd — slurping Sno-Cones and sporting body paint on their topless, out-of-shape frames — was wall-to-wall by the time Unearth made their way onstage. The stage undulated as the band delivered a crushing set, highlighted by the punishing "Black Hearts Now Reign."

Atreyu played next, and after they vacated the stage, it was time for Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society, a band that has become as emblematic of the fest as Ozzy himself. Wylde's leather-clad outfit unleashed a sludgy, whiskey-fueled onslaught of razor-sharp guitars, caustic drum work and blasting bass that lived up to the band's reputation of rockin' hard with no-holds-barred.

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

• Avenged Sevenfold
• System of a Down
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Disturbed
• Hatebreed

Cannibal Corpse
Photo: Alex Solca

When ultra-violent death-metallers Cannibal Corpse take the stage, it's almost always to close out a gig. Bassist Alex Webster said the band is and always has been a headlining outfit.

So this summer should be interesting, considering the Corpse aren't topping the bill for the second annual Sounds of the Underground Tour — As I Lay Dying are instead.

"It's the first time we've ever been able to do a festival tour in the United States, and we've had very few opportunities to do tours where we weren't the headliner," Webster explained. "I don't know if a lot of bigger bands didn't want to take a band like us on the road with them or what, but ... this is the first time in 10 years we're doing something with bands that are more popular than us."

He said the Brooklyn, New York, band's thrilled to be part of Sounds, because he feels the gig's going to expose Cannibal Corpse to thousands of metal fans who've been too timid to check them out.

"We really feel like we haven't ever had the chance to play to an audience that is not mostly our own," he said. "We've done lots and lots of headlining tours, but very few opening tours, and never an opening tour of this size. We're in the middle of this package, and so, if an average Cannibal Corpse headlining show's in the hundreds of people and the average Sounds show's going to be in the thousands of people, we're obviously meeting a lot more people each night than we would on our own headlining run.

"I can't wait to see what people think," he continued. "If there's certain people who don't like what we do, and they're forced to watch us anyway, that's always kind of entertaining too. When we toured with the Misfits and Anthrax, there was always a handful of people out there going, 'What the f--- is this sh--?' We're very confident and proud of what we do, so we don't care if some people react negatively to it. If anything it makes us laugh. Some of these fans could be interested in us, if they have a chance to see us and get to know what we're like live."

In late March, Cannibal Corpse released Kill, their 10th studio LP. The album debuted at #170 on the Billboard albums chart, selling more than 6,000 copies in its first week. It was the second time in the band's career that one of its albums breached the mostly pop-friendly list; in 1996, Vile opened at #151, with more than 6,100 copies sold. And it's all due to the fans, Webster said.

"We don't have a huge following, but we have a strong following of dedicated fans," he said. "That's the difference between us and a lot of bands that kind of come and go. We have a dedicated fanbase that has been with us for a long, long time. Whereas I think a lot of bands that are more popular than us [are] kind of fleeting. They're popular for a couple of years, and [their] fans ... move on to the next big thing. We've had a slow and steady career."

After SOTU, Cannibal Corpse plan to launch a U.S. headlining run — the kickoff will most likely take place in early November. Webster said next month the band will film a clip for "Death Walking Terror." Well, probably. When you're in Cannibal Corpse, selecting the right song can be tricky.

"Every one of our songs has some kind of violent or dark imagery in it, but we have to look for songs that are a little less graphic," he said. "We only have a couple of songs on each record where the lyrics aren't more or less R-rated for violence. We have to carefully choose what songs we do videos for, because otherwise it won't make it passed the censors. The song 'Murder Worship,' I think all of us would have liked to have done a video for that. But there's no way, with the decapitated heads and all."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Converge have been tapped for eight Sounds of the Underground dates. The band will join the tour July 9 in Tinley Park, Illinois, and be on the bill through July 17 in Columbia, Maryland. ... The launch of Slayer's Unholy Alliance Tour — featuring Mastodon, Lamb of God, Thine Eyes Bleed and Children of Bodom — has been delayed once again. The trek will kick off June 15 in Camden, New Jersey, instead of June 10 in Peoria, Illinois. The rescheduling's due to Slayer bassist Tom Araya's minor gall-bladder surgery, which successfully took place earlier this month. "We wanted to give Tom an extra few days to make sure that he's at 100 percent before he puts one foot on the road," Slayer's manager Rick Sales said in a statement on the postponement. "We apologize for any confusion that this has caused, but Tom and the band want the fans to get the best Slayer shows possible." The tour's set to run through July 26 in Denver. ... Voivod's new record, Katorz, doesn't come out until July 25, but they're already making preliminary plans for its follow-up. The disc will be the last to feature the band's late guitarist, Denis "Piggy" D'Amour, and will contain the final 13 songs he recorded guitar parts for before dying of colon cancer in August. Singer Denis Belanger, drummer Michel Langevin and bassist Jason Newsted will likely rent a studio when Newsted is done with the next season of the reality show "Rock Star." "It'll happen in the next year when I have time to get away from it where we can really set it up real nice," Newsted said. "We'll put some money up for a studio and go in and make it rock." ... Diecast will begin recording tracks for their forthcoming album, Internal Revolution, next week with producer Zeuss (Hatebreed, Shadows Fall). The disc's slated for release September 19. ...

Opeth have officially parted ways with drummer Martin Lopez and replaced him with Martin "Axe" Axenrot. In a statement, frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt said: "However sad I and the rest of the band feel in light of Lopez's departure, I want to thank him for his incredible work with Opeth and immense dedication to the band. We recorded some classic stuff together and he obviously had an enormous impact on our sound. I now feel very excited to hear the material of his own band. In the meantime, Opeth fans can rest assured that we'll continue jamming it out with Axe and we all have high expectations about our coming musical ventures." Opeth's 2005 album, Ghost Reveries, will be reissued as a special edition deluxe version through Roadrunner on July 25. ... British black-metallers Venom will hit the road with DevilDriver on August 13 for their 7 Days of Hell tour across North American. Dates run through August 28, although cities and venues haven't been announced yet. ... At All Cost have also parted ways with their drummer, Grant Anderson. "We love Grant and wish him the very best in all of his future endeavors," the band wrote in a statement about the amicable split. "He is a true friend and a brother to each of us." The band will be auditioning potential replacements, and interested parties should swing by the metallers' MySpace page for additional details. ...

The Red Chord shot a video for "Black Santa" in New York on Thursday, with Dave Brodsky (God Forbid, All That Remains). Brodsky wouldn't describe the video in detail but hinted that the clip will feature Claymation, "someone yo-yoing, sentinel blasts and battle scenes with retarded mutant monsters." Frontman Guy Kozowyk said the band has started writing material for its next LP, Birdbath, but have no immediate plans to begin recording yet. Kozowyk said Birdbath will include "I Am Not a Lawnmower," "The Robot From the Future," "Skin Beef" and "The Brian Slagel Song," a devotion to the founder of Metal Blade Records. ... In addition to touring this summer with AFI, the Dillinger Escape Plan have booked a bunch of headlining gigs for which Dysrhythmia will open. The chaotic metalheads will play in Tucson, Arizona (July 14); Albuquerque, New Mexico (July 15); Houston (July 18); Dallas (July 19); Austin, Texas (July 20); Fayetteville, Arkansas (July 21); Des Moines, Iowa (July 22); Madison, Wisconsin (July 23); Papillion, Nebraska (July 28); and Wichita, Kansas (July 29). ... Daughters' forthcoming album, Hell Songs, will be in stores August 8. The LP, the band's first in more than four years, was recorded in March and April and will feature 10 new cuts, including "Daughters Spelled Wrong," "Feisty Snake-Woman," "Crotch Buffet" and "The F--- Whisperer." ...

Atheist founding guitarist Rand Burkey has had to pull out of the band's upcoming European reunion concerts because of "legal troubles," according to a statement. Chris Baker of Gnostic will replace Burkey for the festival gigs, which run from July 14 in Derbyshire, England, through August 28 in Athens, Greece. "Not having Rand be able to take part is a disappointment to us, but we have always honored our band commitments, even in the face of unbelievable odds," said the band. "This will be no exception." ... Chrome Division, a new band featuring Dimmu Borgir singer Stian Thoresen (a.k.a. Shagrath) on guitar, will release their debut album, Doomsday Rock 'N Roll, August 8. The disc was recorded in Oslo, Norway, last winter and will include "Serial Killer," "Breath Easy" and "The Angel Falls." Chrome Division plan to shoot two videos for the record with Patric Ullaeus (In Flames, Lacuna Coil) in the coming weeks. ... Ex-Carcass guitarist Bill Steer has finished working on Hot Wings, the fourth album with his stoner-rock band Firebird. The disc is tentatively scheduled for release in early July and will mark the return of Spiritual Beggars drummer Ludwig Witt, who played on the band's first two discs.

• Cannibal Corpse
• Slayer
• Voivod
• The Red Chord

Ozzy Osbourne
Photo: Dave Hogan/Getty Images

Heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne's namesake festival's still seven weeks away from its June 29 launch in Auburn, Washington, but the 11th installment of the often-imitated mammoth known as the Ozzfest is already shaping up to be one highlighted by several firsts — most of which involve the Ozzman himself.

For instance, this summer's tour will be the first in the festival's history that Ozzy doesn't plan on closing out each night; he's committed to headlining just 10 of the tour's 24 stops, leaving System of a Down and Disturbed to handle the rest of the trek's dates (see "System Of A Down, Disturbed To Headline Ozzfest"). What's more, Osbourne revealed late Thursday night that, for the first time since Ozzfest launched in 1996, he'd be closing out not the fest's main stage, but it's much smaller — and generally much dingier — second stage.

Osbourne plans to headline the second stage during the festival's July 8 stop at San Bernardino, California's Hyundai Pavilion of Glen Helen. For each of the last ten years, Ozzy has headlined the main stage either as a solo artist or with Black Sabbath.

Over the course of the last decade, several lesser-known and up-and-coming metal acts have graced Ozzfest's second stage, which is often erected in a dusty field or parking lot adjacent to the amphitheater housing the main stage. It's become a much-coveted gig for the members of metal's newest class, and has helped catapult a handful of bands into the mainstream's consciousness — including System of a Down and Incubus (who graced the second stage in 1998), Disturbed (2000), Mudvayne (2001) and Chevelle (2002).

Ozzy announced late last summer, toward the end of Ozzfest 2005, that he wouldn't be returning for the 2006 installment (see "Ozzy Retires As Ozzfest Headliner: 'It's Time For Me To Move On' "). But between then and this March, Osbourne had a change of heart, revealing that he'd be popping up on 10 dates this year: the June 29 kickoff, July 1 (San Francisco), July 16 (Chicago), July 22 (East Troy, Wisconsin), July 29 (New York), August 1 (Boston), August 4 (Camden, New Jersey), August 6 (Bristow, Virginia) and the tour's August 13 finale in West Palm Beach, Florida, as well as July 8's second stage appearance.

Ozzy is scheduled to headline the main stage at his other nine Ozzfest performances. During each of Ozzy's solo sets, he will be accompanied by longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde, marking the duo's 20th anniversary together. Wylde's band, Black Label Society, is the second stage's proper headliner, along with Atreyu, Unearth, Norma Jean, and Bleeding Through.

Strapping Young Lad, A Life Once Lost, Full Blown Chaos, the Red Chord, and All That Remains are among the other acts booked for this season's second stage. Lacuna Coil and Hatebreed will be joining Disturbed and System on the main stage; later this month, Ozzfest's organizers are expected to announce a "major" mainstage act's addition to the bill.

"After 10 years of headlining Ozzfest's main stage, I think it's time for a change," Osbourne said, in a written statement. "I haven't had a chance to play this close to an audience in years, and I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it."

• Ozzfest: A Look Back

• Ozzy Osbourne
• Strapping Young Lad
• A Life Once Lost
• Full Blown Chaos
• The Red Chord