As Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Anniston prepare to start work on "Metal God," the film project loosely based on the true story of Tim "Ripper" Owens and Judas Priest, the movie's producers have tapped several real-life musicians to round out the cast.

• Dokken
• Slaughter

Having regrouped after the death of guitarist Tim Kelly, Slaughter is back with a new album and a fresh string of tour dates that will see the band share the stage with Ted Nugent, Night Ranger and Quiet Riot.

Next week, the band will deliver "Back To Reality" to record stores, an album that marks the recording debut of new guitarist Jeff Blando. The guitarist began touring with the band after Kelly died in a car accident in February of last year. Blando now joins frontman Mark Slaughter, bassist Dana Strum, and drummer Blas Elias, who are currently enjoying their tenth year together.

The band has already hit the road in support of the album, and will play a string of headlining dates through the weekend. Next Wednesday, the band will team up with Nugent, Night Ranger, and Quiet Riot for this year's edition of the Rock Never Stops tour. Last year's version of the tour featured Slaughter and Quiet Riot as well as fellow 80s headbangers Warrant. Here's where this year's edition will stop:

• 6/30 - Albany, NY @ Pepsi Arena
• 7/1 - State College, PA @ Tussey Mountain Amphitheater
• 7/2 - Indianapolis, IN @ Deer Creek
• 7/3 - Cleveland, OH @ Nautica Stage
• 7/4 - Columbus, OH @ Metrostage Amphitheater
• 7/5 - Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob
• 7/8 - Des Moines, IA @ The Main Event
• 7/9 - E. Troy, WI @ Alpine Valley
• 7/10 - Tinley Park, IL @ World Theater
• 7/11 - Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
• 7/12 - La Crosse, WI @ La Crosse Center
• 7/16 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Franklin Covey Field
• 7/17 - Denver, CO @ Adams County Fairgrounds
• 7/18 - Lewiston, MT @ Spring Creek Amphitheater
• 7/22 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Zoo Amphitheater
• 7/23 - Bonner Springs, MO @ Sandstone Amphitheater
• 7/24 - Tyler, TX @ Oil Palace
• 7/25 - Lampe, MO @ Black Oak Mountain
• 7/28 - Binghampton, NY @ Broom County Arena
• 7/30 - Myrtle Beach, SC @ Coastal Federal Field
• 7/31 - Prosperity, WV @ Prosperity Speedway
• 8/1 - Jacksonville, FL @ Camp Le Jeune
• 8/4 - Richmond, VA @ Razzles
• 8/6 - Tampa, FL @ Ice Palace
• 8/7 - Sunrise, FL @ Sunrise Theater
• 8/8 - Fort Meyers, FL @ Lee County Sports Complex
• 8/11 - Bristow, VA @ Nissan Pavilion
• 8/12 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Three Rivers Stadium Gate A
• 8/13 - Charlotte, NC @ Blockbuster
• 8/14 - Raleigh, NC @ Walnut Creek
• 8/15 - Norfolk, VA @ GTE Amphitheater
• 8/17 - Antioch, TN @ First American Music Center
• 8/18 - Savannah, GA @ Civic Center
• 8/20 - Knoxville, TN @ World's Fair Park
• 8/21 - Little Rock, AR @ Riverfest Amphitheater
• 8/22 - St. Louis, MO @ Riverport Amphitheater
• 8/25 - San Antonio, TX @ Sunkin Gardens
• 8/27 - Pueblo, CO @ Coors Pavillion
• 8/28 - Albuquerque, NM @ Hollywood Casino
• 9/2 - Adalanto, CA @ Maverick Stadium
• 9/3 - Kelseyville, CA @ Konocti Amphitheater
• 9/4 - Visallia, CA @ Visallia Convention Center
• 9/5 - Las Vegas, NV @ Texas Station

• Night Ranger
• Ted Nugent
• Slaughter

The triple bill of Slaughter, Warrant, and Quiet Riot, who made the rounds this summer under the banner Rock Never Stops, will resume their trek this week with another leg of the tour. The three glam metal holdouts will kick off the run on Friday in Salt Lake City, and will gradually roll east through mid-November.

• 10/23 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Wasatch Event Center
• 10/24 - Denver, CO @ Grizzly Rose
• 10/28 - Indianapolis, IN @ World Mardi Gras
• 10/29 - Evansville, IN @ Veterans Memorial Coliseum
• 10/30 - Sedalia, MO @ Missouri State Fairgrounds
• 10/31 - Kansas City, MO @ To Be Announced
• 11/1 - Sauget, IL @ Pop's Annex
• 11/6 - Toledo, OH @ Citi Lounge/Theatre
• 11/7 - Detroit, MI @ Harpo's

• L.A. Guns
• Quiet Riot
• Slaughter
• Warrant

The Rock Never Stops tour featuring Slaughter, Warrant, Quiet Riot, L.A. Guns and Firehouse is set to kick off May 10 at the Wings Stadium in Fresno, California.

The package will also be featured June 28 as part of the giant three day Rock the Hills festival at Lake Metigoshe near Bottineau, North Dakota. (see "Classic Rock Fest Planned For North Dakota").

The tour's agent, Mark Hyman from Ashley Talent International, tells MTV News his company has had offers on the Rock Never Stops package stretching right though to October, but the current schedule calls for the North American road trip to wrap up on the east coast in mid-September. Hyman says that the tour may extend overseas-his company has received offers from Europe and Japan.

Hyman declined to comment on a replacement for the late Tim Kelly of Slaughter other than to say the band will be pressing on. Kelly was killed earlier this month when a semi-trailer crossed the center line and stuck his car.

• Quiet Riot
• Slaughter

Slaughter guitarist Tim Kelly has been killed in car crash in Arizona according to official band sources. Kelly, 35, died from injuries after his car collided with a tractor-trailer which had jackknifed on an Arizona highway Thursday evening.

Details are still sketchy, but the Arizona Highway Patrol told the sources that Kelly was not killed instantly. The musician was taken by ambulance to the Baghdad, Arizona Health Clinic, in order to be stabilized and airlifted to a trauma center, but he succumbed to massive head injuries while still at the clinic.

Kelly was apparently travelling alone at the time, but a second car carrying five people was also struck by the 18-wheeler. All five were successfully transported to the trauma center for treatment.

The accident happened at around 6:30 PM local time as Kelly was travelling from Kingman, Arizona to Baghdad, Arizona on State Route 96. The purpose of his trip is not clear. Kelly, an east coast native, lived in Henderson, Nevada, a suburb of Las Vegas.

The band has recorded five albums since 1990 and has had the same line-up since its inception: Kelly, Mark Slaughter (vocals, guitar, piano), Dana Strum (bass), and drummer Blas Elias.

Slaughter toured with Alice Cooper last summer and headlined their own tour of clubs and theaters last fall. Their last appearance with Kelly was a live show at Harpo's in Detroit, Michigan on Nov. 15, 1997, which had been preceded by a radio performance on Mancow's morning radio show in Chicago the day before.

The band is currently slated to take part in the Rock Never Stops tour with Warrant, Quiet Riot, Firehouse, and L.A. Guns, scheduled to run from mid-May through the summer.

While a final decision has yet to be made, the band they will most likely continue on without Kelly.

"He was an incredible trooper and made it through the highest of the highs and lowest of the lows in his life and career," Dana Strum said in a statement. "While we're obviously in shock, at first thought none of us believe he would want anything but to have us keep the upbeat and positive message of Slaughter's music out there in the world."

Slaughter were formed by Mark Slaughter and Strum after the pair left Vinnie Vincent's band and recruited friends Kelly and Elias. They scored an immediate hit with their first album "Stick It To Ya" on Chrysalis in 1990. The album, helped by massive touring including an extensive stint opening for Kiss, went gold within two months of its release and spawned two hit singles, "Up All Night" and "Fly To The Angels." Three months later, spurred on by the success of the videos for those songs, the album was certified platinum. Later that year the band won an American Music Award for Best New Heavy Metal Band.

Slaughter, now signed to the CMC label, was working on a live album at the time of Kelly's death. Kelly had just completed a minor repair on the track, "Rock the World." The sources report that the as yet untitled record will contain an enhanced-CD program and will now serve as an audio and visual tribute to Kelly's memory.

• Slaughter