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

36 Crazyfists
Photo: Ferret Music

The one thing bands always tell you about life on the road is that it gets old fast. Getting through the first month is usually a breeze, but it doesn't take long for the luster to wear off. And when it comes to combating the inevitable boredom that comes with life on the road, the dudes in 36 Crazyfists have tried just about everything. After all, when the majority of your life has been spent in the frozen abyss that is Alaska, boredom tends to be a constant foe.

Of course, there's always drinking — with the rest of your band, the other acts on the bill — or hanging with groupies, who're more than willing to help kill the time. But a few years back, while on tour in Europe with Bullet for My Valentine, 36 Crazyfists were fresh out of ideas — so they drank. A lot. And the next morning, frontman Brock Lindow awoke with a killer hangover and a full beard.

"It was a hilarious tour, and we were partying our faces off every night," he recalled. "There was this one night where everybody was pretty drunk, and somehow, we ended up with a dozen topless dudes in the back lounge, and everyone started drawing beards on themselves with Sharpies. When we all woke up the next day, I had a full black beard drawn on my face. We all tried to take showers later on at the venue, and I couldn't get the marker off. I had this dirty-looking face for a full week, and it wasn't pretty."

Chances are 36CF won't be too, too bored in February, when they head out with DevilDriver, Napalm Death, Walls of Jericho and Invitro on the Bound by the Road tour, which begins February 27 in Modesto, California, and runs through April 18 in Tempe, Arizona.

"We're stoked," said Lindow, from a beach along Oregon's coastline, where the band was shooting press shots this week for its forthcoming Ferret Music debut, The Tide and Its Takers. "And we'll just keep on rolling from there — we're hoping to tour through much of the year. Hopefully, we'll be part of one of the summer festivals this summer."

Believe it or not, 36CF have never been approached for Ozzfest, nor have they ever landed a slot on the Sounds of the Underground trek. That could change this summer, considering Ferret is one of the sponsors behind Sounds.

"Every summer, we kind of cross our fingers, and it just kind of goes by — that's been our story for years, and we laugh about it every once in a while," the singer explained. "We do the festivals in Europe, and hopefully this year we'll have our fingers crossed again to get on a good American festival. If not, we'll keep on trucking along."

For now, the band is focused on finishing up The Tide, which is being recorded in Portland, Oregon, with the band's guitarist, Steve Holt, handling the production duties. Lindow began tracking his vocals this week, he told Metal File. So far, he said the album — 36CF's second LP since they were released from their Roadrunner Records contract — is shaping up to be the band's most punishing collection so far.

"We're reaching for the stars on this one," he explained. "Some of it is real heavy, and some of it is not so heavy. It's similar to what we've done in the past, but we stepped it up a notch in both of these areas. I am sure some people will be surprised by how heavy it is. I am just excited it's as heavy as it is. It does have the melodic side to it, too; I mean, we didn't want to take a right turn on anybody. And the lyrics deal with a lot of things — from the war overseas to global warming ... but not necessarily those topics in one song. I guess I was just trying to capture the mindset that everybody has these days, and I wanted to deal with those things that, on some level, we all deal with daily. I'm not trying to be Bob Dylan or anything, I just thought I'd touch upon things people go through in life."

But while the album is very much coming together, because of mixer Andy Sneap (Megadeth, Arch Enemy)'s busy schedule, The Tide won't be coming out as soon as originally planned — it's been pushed back to April 29. For the band, recording the album was a different kind of experience.

"I live in Alaska and the boys all live in Portland, so they would write their music, send it to me in an e-mail, and I would go to my buddy's studio to record vocals for the demos," Lindow said. "Then I'd send it back. It was actually so easy, but at first, we were worried about it, that it wouldn't go very smoothly. But this is the best music these guys have ever written, and it's exciting stuff. I'm glad we're at the stage we're at with this band."

Early next month, 36 Crazyfists will head back up to Alaska to shoot a video for the record's first single, although they've yet to determine which song that will be. Darren Doane (Every Time I Die, Deftones) has signed on to direct the clip, which Lindow said will involve many of the group's Alaskan friends. It will also feature "extreme-sports guys doing back-flips over bonfires" and a performance set at a party inside a comfy cabin.

The rest of the week's metal news:

Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor will provide guest vocals on Walls of Jericho's upcoming EP. Taylor produced the yet-untitled effort, which is expected to be packaged with a live DVD documenting the band's recent overseas tours. Look for it in stores in March. ... Former You Hear It First artists the Sword have chosen Gods of the Earth as the title for their forthcoming sophomore LP, which should land in stores in the spring. ... A benefit is being organized for Patrick Mason, the late bassist for California metallers Arsonists Get All the Girls. Mason died in late November at age 21 from unknown causes. The concert will take place December 28 at the 418 in Santa Cruz, California, and feature performances by the Arsonists, as well as Knights of the Abyss, Elysia and Animosity. ... Hair-metallers Twisted Sister are keeping the $25,000 deposit they were handed when they were booked to perform at a benefit concert for the U.S. troops in California, according to The Orange County Register. The band is demanding to be paid the rest of its agreed-upon fee of $50,000 for the gig, which was canceled due to lack of interest. ...

Anthrax have named Dan Nelson (ex-Devilsize) as their new singer following the band's inability to re-enlist two of their former belters, Joey Belladonna or John Bush. Nelson is currently working with the band on the follow-up to 2003's We've Come for You All. "There's no place else I'd rather be right now," Nelson said in a press release. "It's a great vibe. I feel great, and I'm ready to go. I'm getting to live the dream, and it feels amazing. I can't wait for all these people who think Anthrax is done to be proven wrong. The naysayers are gonna be shut down, and the true-blue fans are gonna be pleased." Guitarist Scott Ian shared Nelson's enthusiasm. "It feels great working with Dan," he said. "The first time we jammed, we ran through a bunch of old songs from the John Bush and Joey Belladonna eras. Right from the first second Dan started 'Room for One More' [from 1993's Sound of White Noise], we knew. We said, 'Now that we've got that, let's work his ass off.' " On Tuesday, Anthrax will reissue two Bush-fronted albums on iTunes — Sound of White Noise and 1995's Stomp 442. ... Thrash legends Testament have named their upcoming album The Formation of Damnation. The band is currently working on the disc at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California, with producer Andy Sneap. The album, tentatively due April 29, will be Testament's first record of new material since 1999's The Gathering and the first proper disc to feature lead guitarist Alex Skolnick since 1992's The Ritual. ...

Connecticut black-metal power trio Ipsissimus will hit the studio this weekend to begin tracking their Three Secrets of Fatima EP, which the band intends to self-release as a special limited-edition package. The band, which features ex-Capharnaum/Catalyst guitarist Ryan Adams, has lined up a February 6 gig with Rotting Christ, Immolation, Belphagor and Averse Sefira in Hartford, Connecticut. ... Floridian grindcore newbies Success Will Write Apocalypse Across the Sky — which features former members of Bodies in the Gears of the Apparatus, Dehumanize, Diabolic and Leprosy — have inked a deal with Nuclear Blast. The band will hit the studio in a couple of months, and its debut is expected to drop late next year. ... While he's got some downtime from his IFC talk show, Henry Rollins will embark on the second leg of his Provoked spoken-word tour. Dates are scheduled from February 19 in Birmingham, Alabama, until March 21 in Raleigh, North Carolina. ... Canadian technical death-metal band Cryptopsy are getting ready to enter the studio to record their sixth full-length album. The disc will feature new singer Matt McGachy (3 Mile Scream) and keyboardist Maggie Durand (Howling Syn). Cryptopsy's on-again, off-again frontman, Lord Worm, left the band in April. The group has never had a full-time keyboard player. ...

It may be the title of one of his songs, but Rob Zombie has nothing to do with the Scum of the Earth Tour. The jaunt will be headlined by Throwdown and will also feature Soilwork, Through the Eyes of the Dead and War of Ages. "We haven't headlined our own tour in a long time, which is exciting," Throwdown frontman Dave Peters said in a statement. "We're also very stoked to be touring with Soilwork, who are coming all the way over from Sweden. And with Through the Eyes of the Dead and War of Ages onboard, it's a very strong and diverse bill." Scum dates have been scheduled from March 3 in Dallas through March 29 in Portland, Oregon. ... Italian death-core band Stigma have finished recording their debut album, When Midnight Strikes!," which will come out in the spring. The disc was recorded with producer Ettore Rigotti (Disarmonia Mundi) at DB Studios in England. ... Funeral Pyre will debut songs from their upcoming, yet-untitled third album on a short tour with Book of Black Earth that launches January 11 in Seattle and runs through January 20 in Hollywood. "These songs will be different than [those on] The Nature of Betrayal, but yet the same," the Los Angeles band wrote on its Web site. "It's a big cycle we go through. You hear the same music, but it sounds different. How does that work? I'm not quite sure, but you will find out in 2008."

[This story was originally published at 8:00 am E.T. on 12.14.2007]

• 36 Crazyfists
• Anthrax
• Ipsissimus
• Throwdown
• Soilwork

Soilwork
Photo: Nuclear Blast Records

Back in 2002, Soilwork released the well-received Natural Born Chaos, a tight, ultra-intense LP that irrevocably altered the band's sound — and for the better. It's still regarded as a tremendous breakthrough for the Swedish melodic-death-metal merchants, thanks in large part to producer Devin Townsend's influence.

Unfortunately for Soilwork, the Strapping Young Lad frontman — who has also worked with the likes of Lamb of God and Gwar — was too busy with his own projects to assist the band on its subsequent releases (2003's Figure Number Five and 2005's Stabbing the Drama), much to Soilwork frontman Björn "Speed" Strid's chagrin.

"He's meant so much to Soilwork's music," the giant singer explained. "I don't think we'd sound the way we do without him. He's been such a huge inspiration through the years, and he creates music in such a unique way ... I could definitely see him doing the next record for us."

By "next record," Strid's referring to the one that will inevitably follow Sworn to a Great Divide, the band's latest studio outing, which hits stores October 23. While Townsend didn't produce Sworn in its entirety, he did free up some time to work with Strid on his vocals, which the producer was "really psyched to do," Strid explained.

Sworn was tracked in Soilwork's hometown of Helsingborg, at Not Quite Studios — which is owned by the band's friends in Darkane. The album, like Soilwork's other efforts, expands on the sound they've been developing since the release of 1998's Steelbath Suicide, and Strid believes it's the band's most diverse offering to date.

"We can't make the same album twice," he explained. "Our music, it comes out in a natural way. We want to top ourselves every time, and we learn from the previous recording and try to take it to the next level. I definitely think we have developed our own sound, which is kind of hard nowadays. We were one of the originators of this balance between melodies and intensity, and we've developed that through the years. In the beginning, it was mostly the guitars that took care of the melodies. Now, it's in a different shade — it's more like the vocals take care of some of that stuff."

Soilwork, who were one of the main attractions on Ozzfest's second stage back in 2005, plan to spend the next year or so on the road to promote Sworn, Strid said. They'll get started next month when they take part in one of the year's biggest metal tours: the Lamb of God/ Killswitch Engage co-headlining run, which is set to launch November 28 in Lowell, Massachusetts, and go through December 17 in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

It will be the band's first arena trek — a welcome change, Strid said, from Ozzfest's outdoor amphitheaters. After that tour wraps, Soilwork plan to return to Europe for some gigs and then head back to the States sometime in early 2008. Strid said there are no solidified plans yet for any '08 tours but confessed that several things are "in the works."

The band shot a video back in July for the album's lead single, "Exile," which Strid said has an unusual plotline.

"This director [Daniel Larsson] contacted us, and he had a tricky concept for the video," the singer explained. "His idea was that the whole band would be locked inside these speakers and amps, and this girl's walking her dog and she finds the speakers and amps in the bushes. She gets addicted to the music that comes out, and she wants to present it to the world — but we're working against her, tumbling around in the speakers. It's actually quite cool."

Soilwork's music will be featured in the upcoming video game "Overclocked," a thriller about an Army psychiatrist who's called to evaluate five young patients who've lost their memories. The band wrote an exclusive song, also called "Overclocked," for the game. Strid said they also hope to issue a DVD next year, as it will mark the 10th anniversary of Steelbath Suicide's release.

"It will be a live DVD," he said. "We wanted to do something special for our fans, and we've got lots of material already. We want to film some more shows soon — maybe even tape one show from each continent we hit on our tour."

Unfortunately, the yet-untitled disc will not feature footage from one of Strid's most memorable shows, which happened several years ago when the band was on tour with Brazilian death-metallers Krisiun.

"It was our first tour in Europe, and we were driving around in a house van that kept on breaking down," he explained. "We were playing in France at this restaurant, but the staff there thought they had booked a Brazilian samba band. You can image the looks on their faces when we all walked through the door. But actually, it was an unbelievable show. We still played, and the people there were really nice — they fed us and gave us red wine. It turned out pretty cool at the end."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Swedish band Sonic Syndicate will make their North American debut on an upcoming tour featuring Amon Amarth, Himsa and Decapitated. The tour launches November 19 in San Diego and runs through December 19 in Los Angeles. "We are excited and really looking forward to finally getting over there to see the American fans," guitarist Richard Sjunnesson said in a statement. "I have personally followed [Amon Amarth] since the early '90s, and touring with them makes me happier than words can express. It will of course also be an honor to share the stage with the brilliant metal acts Himsa and Decapitated. See you all soon!" ... West Virginia's Byzantine will drop their third album, Oblivion Beckons, at the end of January. The album was produced by Aaron Fisher and is the follow-up to 2005's ... And They Shall Take Up Serpents. "This is the first Byzantine album in which all four members have contributed songs," singer/ rhythm guitarist Chris "OJ" Ojeda said in a statement. "To my ears, it makes for a much more varied and interesting album from start to finish." Tracks include "Absolute Horizon," "Nadir" and "Expansion and Collapse." ...

Rammstein guitarist Richard Kruspe's side project, Emigrate, will bring their self-titled debut to the U.S. on January 28. The band's first single, "My World," was featured in the film "Resident Evil: Extinction." A video for the second single, "New York City," was recently shot in New York and can be seen on the Emigrate Web page. Emigrate — featuring Kruspe (vocals, guitar), Olsen Involtini (guitar), Arnaud Giroux (bass), Henka Johansson (drums) and Sascha Moser (programming) — recorded their album with longtime Rammstein cohorts Jacob Hellner and Stefan Glaumann. "At one point, I was asking myself, 'Does the world really need my record?' " Kruspe said in a statement. "[But I decided] I had to do it, simple as that." Kruspe is currently in Berlin with Rammstein recording the band's next album. ... Burnt by the Sun, From Autumn to Ashes and Schoolyard Heroes have been added to the lineup for this year's Saints and Sinners Festival, set for November 3 and November 4 in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Also slated to take the stage are Against Me!, Saves the Day, Horse the Band, the Number 12 Looks Like You, Glassjaw, Between the Buried and Me, From First to Last, Norma Jean and others. ...

Pig Destroyer frontman Blake Harrison and Misery Index bassist/singer Jason Netherton are now the hosts of a new two-hour show on XM Satellite Radio station Liquid Metal. Named "The Ultraviolence" after a 1987 Death Angel album, the program will debut Friday night (October 12) at 7 p.m. on Liquid Metal, XM channel 42. "We will play everything you may have missed, you have never heard of and/or you should know and [be] raising your illegitimate children to (preferably starting in the womb)," wrote Netherton in a release. "We will also be having guests and friends on regularly. The war starts now." ... Polish death-metal veterans Vader will release the live DVD "And Blood Was Shed in Warsaw" on November 20. The disc was shot at the Stodola Club in February on the last stop of the band's tour to promote its 2006 album, Impressions in Blood. The show features guest appearances by members of Behemoth and Vesania as well as the videos for "Helleluyah (God Is Dead)" and "Sword of the Witcher." ...

Tulsa, Oklahoma, metalcore band the Agony Scene will release their third album, Get Damned, October 23. The disc will be the band's first to feature drummer Ryan Folden, who replaced Brent Masters late last year. The band will launch a tour with A Life Once Lost, Suicide Silence and Walls of Jericho on October 30 in Rochester, New York. Dates run through November 14 in Lewisville, Texas. ... Psychedelic cult-metal band Bigelf will release their debut album, Hex, in North America on October 30. The disc was recorded in 2003 and released shortly after in Europe, but never came out Stateside. ... Long Island, New York, hardcore bludgeoners This Is Hell are in Full Force Studios with producer Joe Cincotta (Obituary, Suffocation) tracking the follow-up to their 2006 full-length debut, Sundowning. Drums for the yet-untitled new disc were recorded at Killingsworth Recording Company in Long Island with Tomas Costanza (Diffuser, Bedlight for Blue Eyes). The album is tentatively scheduled for release on February 19.

• Soilwork
• Lamb of God
• Killswitch Engage
• Sonic Syndicate
• Amon Amarth

Mary J. Blige
Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images

Word to Mike Seaver and Boner: Mary J. Blige has some Growing Pains of her own. The singer has settled on that as the title for her new album — and has bumped its release by a week, from November 20 to November 27. The first single is called "Just Fine" and will be released to radio on Thursday (September 27). The track was produced by Jazze Pha and Tricky Stewart (Britney Spears, Mya), and is an uptempo party record with a dance/disco sound. On the track, Mary expresses the joy of having high self-esteem. "No time for moping around/ Are you kidding?" she sings. "And no time for negative vibes, 'cause I'm winning ... Got my head on straight, got my vibe right, ain't gonna let you kill it/ See, I wouldn't change, my life's just fine." ...

Is Kanye West the next MLK, Gandhi or Jesus? His mother, Donda West, didn't shy away from such comparisons in a recent interview with the Baltimore Sun — she was in town to promote her recent book, "Raising Kanye." "Kanye keeps it real," she said. "He touches the people. You never know how words can save a person's life, physically or otherwise. People like Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi or, in my view, Barack Obama, or Jesus Christ — people whose job it is to tell the truth — I see that in Kanye. Now, people like you are gonna go, 'Oh, Kanye's mom said he's like Jesus!' but ... when you have a gift, you didn't get it by yourself. ... Your truth is your truth." ...

Amy Winehouse isn't one to hold back either — the troubled U.K. starlet has named her new DVD "I Told You I Was Trouble," according to Uncut magazine. Packed onto the disc is a documentary, a full concert she played in April at London's Shepherds Bush Empire, her "Rehab" performance from the Brit Awards, an early acoustic version of "There Is No Greater Love" and more. "I Told You I Was Trouble" will drop November 6, her publicist confirmed to MTV News. ...

Paul Wall's next album is going to have more of a rock edge, now that Travis Barker is producing it. "Paul usually stays around the same element," Barker told MTV News in Las Vegas while he was in town for the VMAs. "Most of the Houston stuff is slow and real feel-good. This has faster tempos. Still feel-good, but it'll be different for Paul." ... Before he took his wild imagination to the big screen with "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," French director Michel Gondry was best known for his frequent collaborations with Björk, perhaps most memorably on the video for her song "Human Behaviour." Now the two are at it again. Gondry revealed to MTV News that a month from now, he will be directing the music video for "Declare Independence," from the Icelandic singer's latest album, Volta. ... Dave Grohl is getting axed — Gibson Guitar has come up with a new specialized model, the DG-335, for the Foo Fighters frontman. The instrument — which has a rare Pelham blue finish and looks like Grohl's signature guitar — will be available October 4. The price tag for the blue model is $4,468, while the ebony version is a bit cheaper at $3,880. ...

Evan Rachel Wood apparently isn't too afraid of boyfriend Marilyn Manson's fans. "I do feel [some of] his fans like me," she told People for its new issue, which streets Friday. But the actress revealed that she was a little more nervous about Manson seeing her sing onscreen in the new flick "Across the Universe." "I was shy because I didn't want to scare him off," she said. "I'm a singer too! Listen to me! But he's been really supportive, it's great. He's encouraged me about my singing more than anybody." The shock-rocker wasn't the only one who inspired Wood to sing, however — she also name-dropped David Bowie and let it be known that she has a tattoo of his Aladdin Sane lightning bolt. She also has matching tattoos with Manson. "We both got black hearts," she said. "It represents mad love." ...

The Smashing Pumpkins have issued a statement regarding the death of a man at their concert in Vancouver, British Columbia, Monday night, in what police believe was a crowd-surfing accident. "The Smashing Pumpkins were deeply saddened to learn about the passing of a young man who attended their Vancouver show Monday night," read the statement, which was posted on their Web site. "As they and everyone else await news from the investigation into the nature of his passing, the band wants to express their sincerest condolences to his family and friends." ... Vivica A. Fox pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor counts of drunk driving on Thursday, The Associated Press reports. The actress, who was arrested after being caught speeding in March, could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted. ...

Paris in Rwanda: Hilton is making good on her promise to engage in philanthropic efforts by traveling to the impoverished African country, according to "Access Hollywood." The heiress will travel with a member of Playing for Good, a group that connects celebrities with charity organizations, and she is expected to make a financial contribution as well. According to TMZ.com, Hilton will go to Rwanda in November after she finishes filming her horror rock opera "Repo! The Genetic Opera." ... Will Ferrell's charity auction has been won by a Dallas man, and his 10-year-old son will get the chance to play an extra in Ferrell's upcoming "Step Brothers" flick, People reports. The man, who has chosen to remain anonymous, put in a winning bid of $47,000, which will go to the Cancer for College foundation run by Ferrell's friend Craig Pollard. ...

Looks like it's almost Tool time again: The indefatigable heavy-rock band is putting together yet another stretch of dates in support of 10,000 Days, which came out way back in May 2006. Dates have yet to be confirmed, but according to Tool's site, they're stirring up a stretch across the West Coast that will begin in mid-November and last until Christmas. ... Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell recently told MTV News' Tim Kash that he wants to see the fest travel across the world "before I die," but while those plans haven't come about yet, the dates are in place for next year's annual Chicago installment. Lolla will go down August 1-3, once again at Grant Park. ...

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Magic isn't happening until Tuesday, but they snuck out a vinyl version of the release on Wednesday that will allow it to be considered for the Grammys, according to the Los Angeles Times. ... The Wu-Tang Clan's Killah Priest has been added to several dates on Bury Your Dead's upcoming headlining run. Look for him to take the stage in Richmond, Virginia (October 17); Wilmington, North Carolina (October 18); Jacksonville, Florida (October 19); and Tampa, Florida (October 20). ... Bad news for fans of hardcore hip-hoppers Twiztid: The band's upcoming Toxic Terror Tour, featuring openers Mower, has been nixed following a recent car accident involving Twiztid's Monoxide. He suffered a torn ACL muscle in his knee, which will require he stays off it for the next month or so. ...

While System of a Down's members go off and do their own things — what with the band on hiatus — drummer John Dolmayan has firmed up plans for his new comic book site, TorpedoComics.com. The Internet retail shop goes live November 1 and will boast some 15 million items, including comics, toys, graphic novels, trade paperbacks, superhero action figures and other related memorabilia. Dolmayan has also teamed with guitarist Daron Malakian for a new project, Scars on Broadway. ... Former Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, former Anthrax frontman Joey Belladonna, ex-Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson and Sevendust singer Lajon Witherspoon are among the celebrities who'll appear at the Morgan Rose Celebrity Golf Classic, scheduled for November 15-16 at the Heritage Golf Club in Tucker, Georgia. Proceeds from the event will help support the Atlanta Children's Shelter. ...

Mudvayne will release their latest LP, By the People, for the People, on November 27. The disc will boast several live recordings, rarities, demos and two new studio tracks, "Dull Boy" and a cover of the Police's "King of Pain." The album will be entirely fan-generated; the band is asking its fans to participate in creating the album's contents. Fans can visit the band's Web site and MySpace pageMySpace page to help pick the track list, submit fan-generated album artwork and participate in creating the video for "Dull Boy," the first single. ...

Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," which has been shown in some college and high school classrooms, got blowback earlier this year when a Washington school put a moratorium on the global-warming movie. Now a British school governor is taking an even stronger measure by suing the British government for distributing the movie to more than 3,500 secondary schools, according to AP. Paul Downes, a lawyer for Stewart Dimmock, said, "Given the serious inaccuracies in the film and the misrepresentations it contains, the film is irredeemable." The lawyer added that even though the movie has already been shown to some students, the High Court could still rule that the government had acted unlawfully and cease distributing it. ...

There's no stopping the Martin Scorsese rock-doc train. The esteemed director, who has directed films about the Rolling Stones, the Band and Bob Dylan in the past, will focus his lens next on the life of George Harrison, according to Variety. Scorsese will produce the yet-untitled picture with Harrison's widow, Olivia, and the late guitarist's former Beatles bandmates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will also participate. The flick will revolve around Harrison's time in the Beatles and his later years, and also touch on his involvement with Eastern spirituality as well. In related news, McCartney and Starr are participating in Liverpool, England's European Capital of Culture celebration. Macca will perform at the Anfield soccer stadium on June 1. Starr will return to the city — where the Beatles hailed from — for a ceremony at St. George's Hall on January 11, and he will also appear at the Echo Arena on January 12.

09.26.07

Mariah Carey got a win in court last week when a federal judge decided that a copyright-infringement case against her had no merit. Singer Rachele Chafir had sued Carey in April 2006, claiming that Carey's hit "It's Like That" was copied from her song "Sexy" and lifted key pieces, including the music, for the chorus. Chafir, who copyrighted the song in 2004, claimed Carey had access to "Sexy" since it was available on a Web site, but U.S. District Court Judge Kimba Wood decided that wasn't proof Carey or her collaborators had gone to the Web site or lifted the material, which wasn't "strikingly similar" enough to be considered infringement. With "no genuine issues of material fact," Wood closed the case. "It was the right decision," Carey's lawyer Ilene Farkas told MTV News. "The record was clear in this case." Meanwhile, Carey is moving on with her yet-untitled follow-up to The Emancipation of Mimi, which her record label confirmed is now due December 4. ...

Going, going ... to Cooperstown. And with an asterisk on it. Baseball star Barry Bonds' record-breaking home-run ball, which was purchased two weeks ago in an online auction by hip-hop fashion mogul Marc Ecko, will be heading to the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum after all. Ecko bought the ball and launched a Web site giving fans the chance to vote on the ball's final destination: outer space or to Cooperstown, with or without an asterisk signifying Bonds' alleged steroid use in helping him become the all-time home-run king. The announcement was made Wednesday morning (September 26) on the "Today" show after a week of voting. According to Vote756.com, over 10 million votes were cast, of which 47 percent chose to send the tagged ball to the famed baseball museum. ...

The twisted saga of the investigation into the unsolved 1997 murder of the Notorious B.I.G. took another turn this week when Waymond Anderson, an inmate serving life for murder, recanted testimony in which he had implicated the Los Angeles Police Department in the rapper's murder. The Los Angeles Times reports that Anderson said in a recent deposition that he lied about LAPD involvement as part of a "scam" cooked up with two other convicts to get a big monetary settlement from the city of Los Angeles. Most shockingly, Anderson accused the rapper's family — which has filed a wrongful-death suit seeking damages from the city — and its lawyer of taking part in the scheme and offering to pay him a percentage of the settlement for false testimony against the LAPD. In the August 20 testimony, Anderson said he had never met the officers he implicated, despite earlier statements in which he described conversations with the two disgraced ex-LAPD cops. A lawyer for Biggie's family, Perry Sanders, called Anderson's allegations "100 percent, demonstrably false," adding yet another twist to the already-knotted-up story by saying that Anderson appeared to be changing his story at the behest of Chuck Philips, a Times reporter who has written extensively about the murder investigation and has questioned the theory of LAPD involvement. Phillips and the Times dismissed the allegations. ...

In other Biggie news, the recently released documentary "The Notorious B.I.G.: Bigger Than Life" follows the rapper's life from his early days to his death with interviews from many of the behind-the-scenes music-industry figures and friends who watched the rapper rise from a street-corner hustler to one of the biggest rap stars in the world. The film also features several minutes of previously unreleased footage shot by a bystander of the scene on the night Biggie was gunned down. The fan's video — which director Peter Spirer ("Beef," "Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel") said has been reviewed by authorities — doesn't capture the moment Biggie's car was shot at, but it does have audio of the shots and shaky footage of the chaotic aftermath. ...

Embattled football player Michael Vick is facing stricter release conditions after testing positive for marijuana earlier this month, The Associated Press reports. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson imposed the new conditions, which include restricting Vick to his home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. with electronic monitoring and making him submit to random drug tests. He was ordered to continue participating in substance-abuse and mental-health counseling. Vick was put under pretrial release supervision in July, and the restrictions included refraining from the use of narcotic drugs or other controlled substances. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback, who pleaded guilty in August to federal dogfighting charges, is awaiting sentencing December 10 — and Vick's violation of the conditions of his release could be taken into consideration by the judge. He faces up to five years in prison for the federal charges, and has been indicted on additional state charges in Virginia as well. ...

A second woman has filed a lawsuit against Lil Wayne over a melee that broke out during one of his shows at Morgan State University in Baltimore in October. According to an AP story, Carlisa Dixon said she was impaled on a metal pole after the crowd surged to snatch up money that was being tossed from the stage. Dixon is seeking $1 million from Wayne's record label and touring companies, and another $1 million from the university, claiming she underwent surgery for a puncture wound as a result of the crowd surge. A lawsuit was filed in August by another woman who claimed she was trampled in the same money-throwing incident. A spokesperson for Wayne could not be reached for comment at press time. ...

A man died at a Smashing Pumpkins concert in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Monday night in what police think may have been a crowd-surfing or moshing accident. The Canadian Press reports that Vancouver police say the man was unconscious when he was dragged out of the crowd at the Pacific National Exhibition Forum during the show and worked on by first-aid personnel on site before being transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police have ruled out foul play. ... The Voodoo Music Experience is shifting locations, but just slightly. The fest, to take place October 26-28, has a new site in New Orleans City Park to accommodate ongoing restoration and improvement of the park. The shift brings the fest closer to Tad Gormley Stadium, where Voodoo was first held in 1999. ...

Do you march to Nelly's beat? The rapper is cobbling together a marching band for his performance at the BET Hip-Hop Awards on October 13. Auditions will be held Sunday starting at 11 a.m. in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, New Orleans and St. Louis, and Nelly is looking for girls who can play drums, tri-toms, bass drum, tuba or trumpet. Prospective players need to know how to perform his song "Grillz" and move to the beat of the song while playing their instruments. Final auditions will be held October 8 in Atlanta, and those who can't make the auditions in person can post a one-minute video clip on Nelly's drum-line-audition site. ... If you've been doubting Swizz Beatz's fashion sense, think again — Gap has tapped the hugely popular producer for its spring ad campaign. ...

VH1 Rock Docs picked up its first Emmy win on Monday as "DMC: My Adoption Journey" earned the award for News & Documentary Emmy for Outstanding Arts & Culture Programming. The program, which revolves around the Run-DMC member's search for his birth mother, premiered in February 2006 and will re-air on VH1 on Saturday at 10 p.m. ... Have you already imported Babyface's Playlist into your own playlist? Then mark you calendar — the singer is putting together a tour in support of his recently released LP. Babyface will play a gig in the Philippines on October 13, followed by a stretch in Japan; after that he'll hit Oakland, California, on November 23, and Sparks, Nevada, the following day. ...

During a recent visit to "The Howard Stern Show," Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx spoke out about drummer Tommy Lee and his apparent departure from the band. He told Stern that Lee quit, and Sixx blamed the current legal problems the band is having with one of its former managers for the turmoil. Sixx said that, since Lee isn't the Crüe's frontman or chief songwriter, the band should be fine without him. He added that he harbors no ill will toward Lee. ... Snow Patrol keyboardist Tom Simpson was expected to appear in court in Glasgow, Scotland, on Tuesday to answer to drug-possession charges filed against him this summer. While the charges weren't dropped, the prosecution doesn't intend on taking "further action," meaning the charges will either have to be re-raised again or dropped altogether. ...

Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard's side project Brad are getting back together for a one-night-only show on October 17 at New York's Webster Hall. The benefit event will also feature Billy Bragg and be hosted by Tim Robbins. It is being held to support Woody and Marjorie Guthrie, and the 40th anniversary of the Huntington's Disease Society of America, which was founded by Marjorie. ... Puddle of Mudd aren't ones for Southern hospitality, apparently. Frontman Wesley Scantlin has been banned from Memphis' Graceland after hopping in the pool in Elvis Presley's mansion during a tour on Monday. ...

The Eagles will perform on an awards show for the first time when they take the stage at the Country Music Awards, which will air November 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Carrie Underwood is also slated to perform. ... The Rolling Stones' recent tour didn't just carry the band to the top of Forbes' list of biggest-earning music acts — it landed them in the Guinness World Records, according to Reuters. The classic-rockers' A Bigger Bang tour took $437 million dollars to give them a new record, for the world's most successful music tour. ...

Killswitch Engage and Lamb of God will be teaming up for a late-fall co-headlining tour, which is set to kick off November 28 in Lowell, Massachusetts, with dates booked through December 17 in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. DevilDriver and Soilwork will open on all dates. ... Chris Cornell has added another round of dates to his North American tour, which began in the spring. He has booked another 28 gigs, meaning the trek will continue through November 23, when he's expected to perform at the Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. ...

A photo from Elton John's collection has been pulled from a British gallery where it was to be displayed over concerns by police that it might be child pornography. The photo — which was taken by award-winning American photographer Nan Goldin — shows two young girls, one with her legs spread apart, and was to be displayed at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in northern England before it was seized by police, according to London's Times Online. John released a statement, explaining, "The photograph entitled 'Klara and Edda belly-dancing' (1998) is one of 149 images comprising the 'Thanksgiving' installation by renowned U.S. photographer Nan Goldin ... The photograph exists as part of the installation as a whole and has been widely published and exhibited throughout the world [and] has been offered for sale at Sotheby's New York in 2002 and 2004, and has previously been exhibited in Houston, London, Madrid [Spain], New York, Portugal, Warsaw [Poland] and Zürich [Switzerland] without any objections of which we are aware."

• Mary J. Blige
• Travis Barker
• Paul Wall
• Marilyn Manson
• The Smashing Pumpkins

Mariah Carey
Photo: Mariah Carey/Getty Images

Mariah Carey got a win in court last week when a federal judge decided that a copyright-infringement case against her had no merit. Singer Rachele Chafir had sued Carey in April 2006, claiming that Carey's hit "It's Like That" was copied from her song "Sexy" and lifted key pieces, including the music, for the chorus. Chafir, who copyrighted the song in 2004, claimed Carey had access to "Sexy" since it was available on a Web site, but U.S. District Court Judge Kimba Wood decided that wasn't proof Carey or her collaborators had gone to the Web site or lifted the material, which wasn't "strikingly similar" enough to be considered infringement. With "no genuine issues of material fact," Wood closed the case. "It was the right decision," Carey's lawyer Ilene Farkas told MTV News. "The record was clear in this case." Meanwhile, Carey is moving on with her yet-untitled follow-up to The Emancipation of Mimi, which her record label confirmed is now due December 4. ...

Going, going ... to Cooperstown. And with an asterisk on it. Baseball star Barry Bonds' record-breaking home-run ball, which was purchased two weeks ago in an online auction by hip-hop fashion mogul Marc Ecko, will be heading to the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum after all. Ecko bought the ball and launched a Web site giving fans the chance to vote on the ball's final destination: outer space or to Cooperstown, with or without an asterisk signifying Bonds' alleged steroid use in helping him become the all-time home-run king. The announcement was made Wednesday morning (September 26) on the "Today" show after a week of voting. According to Vote756.com, over 10 million votes were cast, of which 47 percent chose to send the tagged ball to the famed baseball museum. ...

The twisted saga of the investigation into the unsolved 1997 murder of the Notorious B.I.G. took another turn this week when Waymond Anderson, an inmate serving life for murder, recanted testimony in which he had implicated the Los Angeles Police Department in the rapper's murder. The Los Angeles Times reports that Anderson said in a recent deposition that he lied about LAPD involvement as part of a "scam" cooked up with two other convicts to get a big monetary settlement from the city of Los Angeles. Most shockingly, Anderson accused the rapper's family — which has filed a wrongful-death suit seeking damages from the city — and its lawyer of taking part in the scheme and offering to pay him a percentage of the settlement for false testimony against the LAPD. In the August 20 testimony, Anderson said he had never met the officers he implicated, despite earlier statements in which he described conversations with the two disgraced ex-LAPD cops. A lawyer for Biggie's family, Perry Sanders, called Anderson's allegations "100 percent, demonstrably false," adding yet another twist to the already-knotted-up story by saying that Anderson appeared to be changing his story at the behest of Chuck Philips, a Times reporter who has written extensively about the murder investigation and has questioned the theory of LAPD involvement. Phillips and the Times dismissed the allegations. ...

In other Biggie news, the recently released documentary "The Notorious B.I.G.: Bigger Than Life" follows the rapper's life from his early days to his death with interviews from many of the behind-the-scenes music-industry figures and friends who watched the rapper rise from a street-corner hustler to one of the biggest rap stars in the world. The film also features several minutes of previously unreleased footage shot by a bystander of the scene on the night Biggie was gunned down. The fan's video — which director Peter Spirer ("Beef," "Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel") said has been reviewed by authorities — doesn't capture the moment Biggie's car was shot at, but it does have audio of the shots and shaky footage of the chaotic aftermath. ...

Embattled football player Michael Vick is facing stricter release conditions after testing positive for marijuana earlier this month, The Associated Press reports. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson imposed the new conditions, which include restricting Vick to his home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. with electronic monitoring and making him submit to random drug tests. He was ordered to continue participating in substance-abuse and mental-health counseling. Vick was put under pretrial release supervision in July, and the restrictions included refraining from the use of narcotic drugs or other controlled substances. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback, who pleaded guilty in August to federal dogfighting charges, is awaiting sentencing December 10 — and Vick's violation of the conditions of his release could be taken into consideration by the judge. He faces up to five years in prison for the federal charges, and has been indicted on additional state charges in Virginia as well. ...

A second woman has filed a lawsuit against Lil Wayne over a melee that broke out during one of his shows at Morgan State University in Baltimore in October. According to an AP story, Carlisa Dixon said she was impaled on a metal pole after the crowd surged to snatch up money that was being tossed from the stage. Dixon is seeking $1 million from Wayne's record label and touring companies, and another $1 million from the university, claiming she underwent surgery for a puncture wound as a result of the crowd surge. A lawsuit was filed in August by another woman who claimed she was trampled in the same money-throwing incident. A spokesperson for Wayne could not be reached for comment at press time. ...

A man died at a Smashing Pumpkins concert in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Monday night in what police think may have been a crowd-surfing or moshing accident. The Canadian Press reports that Vancouver police say the man was unconscious when he was dragged out of the crowd at the Pacific National Exhibition Forum during the show and worked on by first-aid personnel on site before being transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police have ruled out foul play. ... The Voodoo Music Experience is shifting locations, but just slightly. The fest, to take place October 26-28, has a new site in New Orleans City Park to accommodate ongoing restoration and improvement of the park. The shift brings the fest closer to Tad Gormley Stadium, where Voodoo was first held in 1999. ...

Do you march to Nelly's beat? The rapper is cobbling together a marching band for his performance at the BET Hip-Hop Awards on October 13. Auditions will be held Sunday starting at 11 a.m. in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, New Orleans and St. Louis, and Nelly is looking for girls who can play drums, tri-toms, bass drum, tuba or trumpet. Prospective players need to know how to perform his song "Grillz" and move to the beat of the song while playing their instruments. Final auditions will be held October 8 in Atlanta, and those who can't make the auditions in person can post a one-minute video clip on Nelly's drum-line-audition site. ... If you've been doubting Swizz Beatz's fashion sense, think again — Gap has tapped the hugely popular producer for its spring ad campaign. ...

VH1 Rock Docs picked up its first Emmy win on Monday as "DMC: My Adoption Journey" earned the award for News & Documentary Emmy for Outstanding Arts & Culture Programming. The program, which revolves around the Run-DMC member's search for his birth mother, premiered in February 2006 and will re-air on VH1 on Saturday at 10 p.m. ... Have you already imported Babyface's Playlist into your own playlist? Then mark you calendar — the singer is putting together a tour in support of his recently released LP. Babyface will play a gig in the Philippines on October 13, followed by a stretch in Japan; after that he'll hit Oakland, California, on November 23, and Sparks, Nevada, the following day. ...

During a recent visit to "The Howard Stern Show," Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx spoke out about drummer Tommy Lee and his apparent departure from the band. He told Stern that Lee quit, and Sixx blamed the current legal problems the band is having with one of its former managers for the turmoil. Sixx said that, since Lee isn't the Crüe's frontman or chief songwriter, the band should be fine without him. He added that he harbors no ill will toward Lee. ... Snow Patrol keyboardist Tom Simpson was expected to appear in court in Glasgow, Scotland, on Tuesday to answer to drug-possession charges filed against him this summer. While the charges weren't dropped, the prosecution doesn't intend on taking "further action," meaning the charges will either have to be re-raised again or dropped altogether. ...

Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard's side project Brad are getting back together for a one-night-only show on October 17 at New York's Webster Hall. The benefit event will also feature Billy Bragg and be hosted by Tim Robbins. It is being held to support Woody and Marjorie Guthrie, and the 40th anniversary of the Huntington's Disease Society of America, which was founded by Marjorie. ... Puddle of Mudd aren't ones for Southern hospitality, apparently. Frontman Wesley Scantlin has been banned from Memphis' Graceland after hopping in the pool in Elvis Presley's mansion during a tour on Monday. ...

The Eagles will perform on an awards show for the first time when they take the stage at the Country Music Awards, which will air November 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Carrie Underwood is also slated to perform. ... The Rolling Stones' recent tour didn't just carry the band to the top of Forbes' list of biggest-earning music acts — it landed them in the Guinness World Records, according to Reuters. The classic-rockers' A Bigger Bang tour took $437 million dollars to give them a new record, for the world's most successful music tour. ...

Killswitch Engage and Lamb of God will be teaming up for a late-fall co-headlining tour, which is set to kick off November 28 in Lowell, Massachusetts, with dates booked through December 17 in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. DevilDriver and Soilwork will open on all dates. ... Chris Cornell has added another round of dates to his North American tour, which began in the spring. He has booked another 28 gigs, meaning the trek will continue through November 23, when he's expected to perform at the Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. ...

A photo from Elton John's collection has been pulled from a British gallery where it was to be displayed over concerns by police that it might be child pornography. The photo — which was taken by award-winning American photographer Nan Goldin — shows two young girls, one with her legs spread apart, and was to be displayed at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in northern England before it was seized by police, according to London's Times Online. John released a statement, explaining, "The photograph entitled 'Klara and Edda belly-dancing' (1998) is one of 149 images comprising the 'Thanksgiving' installation by renowned U.S. photographer Nan Goldin ... The photograph exists as part of the installation as a whole and has been widely published and exhibited throughout the world [and] has been offered for sale at Sotheby's New York in 2002 and 2004, and has previously been exhibited in Houston, London, Madrid [Spain], New York, Portugal, Warsaw [Poland] and Zürich [Switzerland] without any objections of which we are aware."

09.25.07

While her fellow Black Eyed Pea Will.I.Am is hyping his new project, Songs About Girls, Fergie isn't slowing down with her own solo affair, last year's The Dutchess. The singer just shot a clip for the song "Clumsy" with directors Marc Webb (Diddy, the Pussycat Dolls) and Rich Lee (Chamillionaire, Dashboard Confessional). The surreal, humorous clip features Fergie falling head over heels — get it? — for love in various scenarios. ...

A House panel cast a congressional light on hip-hop lyrics on Tuesday (September 25), with David Banner and Master P giving sharply different views. The Associated Press reports that the latter rapper (real name: Percy Miller) told the Energy and Commerce subcommittee that he is determined to create clean lyrics. "I want to apologize to all the women out there. I was honestly wrong," he said of his prior material. Banner (real name: Levell Crump), on the other hand, defended his profane lyrics, saying, "Change the situation in my neighborhood, and maybe I'll get better." But while P and Banner didn't see eye to eye in terms of who is responsible for derogatory language in hip-hop, they agreed that the government shouldn't censor lyrics. "If by some stroke of the pen hip-hop was silenced, the issues would still be present in our communities. Drugs, violence, sexism and the criminal element were around long before hip-hop existed," Banner said. According to AP, the hearing was similar to the 1985 event in which late rocker Frank Zappa made a feisty appearance also railing against censorship. ...

Like the sound of the "Rocawear Arena" instead of the "Continental Airlines Arena"? Yeah, so does Jay-Z. The ambitious hip-hop mogul is bidding for the arena's naming rights, according to New Jersey's Star-Ledger. Although he is the co-owner of the New Jersey Nets and his Rocawar is a sponsor of the NBA team — which currently plays at Continental — sportswear maker Southpole has made the highest bid so far, $2 million. But there's a catch: The reason the name is up for grabs is because Continental is backing out of its deal with the arena, and both the Nets and hockey team the New Jersey Devils are planning to move to other venues. ...

Life isn't getting any easier for Britney Spears. Kim Robard-Rifkin, the reported woman whose car the singer hit in August — for which she was charged with two misdemeanors on Friday — has spoken out to CelebTV.com. "I was not surprised with the criminal charges — this is what happens when somebody hits your car and runs — especially when it is all caught on video," she said in a statement. Spears' former bodyguard Tony Barretto also spoke out on Monday, telling "Today" show host Matt Lauer that he had witnessed her using drugs on two occasions. While Barretto did not specify which drugs he supposedly saw her taking, he said both incidents occurred at a nightclub in Los Angeles, one at the table she was sitting at and the other in a private restroom. When Lauer asked him about a third incident in which he alleges to have seen her strung out in a Los Angeles hotel room, Barretto replied, "I did." ...

Sarah Silverman was surprised by the reaction that met her controversial VMA monologue, in which she flung derogatory insults at Britney Spears, among others, she told Us Weekly. Regarding one of her saltiest remarks — that Spears' kids "are the most adorable mistakes you will ever see" — Silverman replied, "The joke that everyone was upset about ... was the most innocuous joke. It never occurred to me that [it] would be deemed hurtful or over the line." She also told the magazine for its new issue, which streets Friday, "I don't want to get into feuds with girls half my age. I'm in it to be funny and not for the drama. It's embarrassing." ...

Look, up in the sky, it's a new Gnarls Barkley album! And as Cee-Lo recently told MTV News of the follow-up to St. Elsewhere, "It sounds otherwordly. ... It sounds like an original, if I do say so myself. The theme is progression and how there's a first time for everything. You just have to go for it." Beyond that, though, Cee-Lo didn't want to give up too much. Asked about collaborators, he demurred: "Danger Mouse is my special guest. He's my counterpart in the enigma of Gnarls Barkley." No duh — we meant, anyone else? "Let me continue to surprise you," Cee-Lo smiled. For those who caught Cee-Lo's take on Prince's "Darling Nikki" with the Foo Fighters at the VMAs, he wants fans to know that his performance at the show was supposed to be a surprise appearance with Amy Winehouse, "believe it or not." But since she had to bail from the show, he's saving that collaboration for a future appearance. ...

The Sex Pistols — who just tacked two more gigs onto their upcoming November reunion in London, according to BBC News — have another trick up their collective sleeve: A newly recorded rendition of their punk staple, "Anarchy in the U.K." The band entered the studio for the first time in 30 years to record the track, which will surface on "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock." ... As I Lay Dying clearly have more than a few gasps left — the metal band edged out Switchfoot, Jason Mraz and others to win the San Diego Music Award for Artist of the Year. AILD nabbed the same honor in 2005. ... Canadian singer/songwriter Patrick Watson and his band have pulled off an arguably more impressive feat: The Montreal quartet have nudged by Arcade Fire and Feist to land the Polaris Music Prize for Best Album. ...

Despite the recent head injuries sustained by guitarist Brent Hinds, Mastodon have booked a gig, opening for the Queens of the Stone Age on October 29 in Los Angeles. The band is also scheduled to appear at the Vegoose festival on October 27 in Las Vegas, where Hinds was jumped following Mastodon's performance at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. Police claim Hinds was attacked outside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on September 10 during an encounter with System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian and his friend William Hudson. According to police, Hudson assaulted Hinds, and Odadjian witnessed the incident. ... While at the VMAs, Mastodon told MTV News that they wrote their best song ever — even though it's not quite finished yet — while on the way to the big show. "It's pretty much the best record we've yet to write," guitarist Bill Kelliher said before singing a couple of the riffs with Hinds. "That's how it goes — du-duh-du-duh na-nah-nah. We wrote it in the car on the way over here, at least the intro of it. Part one. We're at the really beginning stages. It's going to be awesome, though. Everything we do is amazing." ...

The Game entered his expected not-guilty plea on Tuesday to three felony counts stemming from a pickup basketball game in Los Angeles in February. The rapper (real name: Jayceon Taylor) is free on $50,000 bail and has a pretrial hearing set for October 30. ... Jack Bauer might not be such a hero after all: Kiefer Sutherland was arrested early Tuesday morning for drunken driving in Hollywood, Reuters reports. The actor was pulled over after making an illegal U-turn and blew more than the .08 legal limit upon taking a breathalyzer test. He posted $25,000 bail at a Hollywood police station and is due in court on October 16. ...

The Phil Spector murder trial is in the hands of the jury now, but that hasn't stopped more bizarre developments from emerging in the case. According to AP, over the weekend, a threatening post appeared on a MySpace page possibly belonging to the music producer's wife, Rachelle. "I love Phil Spector!!! The Evil Judge Should Die!!!! Xoxo Chelle," read the post, a police spokesperson told the news outlet. The page, which features an image of Rachelle wearing a "Team Spector" tee, was referred to a sheriff's department unit that investigates such threats. The post has since been removed. ...

Amazon's new digital-music store is up and running, with songs going for 89 to 99 cents and albums selling for around $6-$10. The songs, which don't have copyright protections, can be burned onto CDs and copied to multiple computers. Record-label giants Universal and EMI, in addition to a flood of indie labels, are selling their songs through the site. ... A former trustee in James Brown's estate might have misappropriated up to $7 million of the late music legend's money, special administrators told a South Carolina judge on Monday. State Circuit Judge Jack Early told David Cannon, the former co-executor of Brown's will, to pay $400,000 and produce additional documents. Early also said Brown's family could pursue the claims. ...

The Cult will headline the fall installment of the Jägermeister Music Tour, which is set to launch October 17 in Pala, California, and run through mid-December, with the full list of dates coming soon. Rounding out the bill will be Vietnam, the Cliks and Action Action. ... Former L7 leader Donita Sparks is going out on her own with her debut solo effort, Transmiticate, due January 22. The effort, which will feature her new backing band, the Stellar Moments, shifts away from the grunge and metal sounds that defined L7 and tinkers with more pop and dance elements. ...

Fans of Los Angeles ska act Hepcat are mourning the passing of bassist Dave Fuentes, 36. While details are scarce, the band did issue a statement, saying, "We are sad to announce that our brother, beloved bandmate and amazing friend, David Fuentes, is no longer with us. He will be missed by everyone but especially everyone in the Hepcat family." He leaves a wife, Yohanna, and two sons, Andrew, 7, and Darren, 3. A memorial fund has been established to help his family. ... A special-effects technician working on the set of the Batman sequel "The Dark Knight" was killed when a truck carrying a camera platform rammed into a tree on Monday in London, AP reports. Filming was not taking place at the time of the accident, which is under investigation.

• Mariah Carey
• Notorious B.I.G.
• Lil Wayne
• The Smashing Pumpkins
• Killswitch Engage

A Life Once Lost
Photo: Tim Harmon

During last summer's Ozzfest, a disturbing yet somewhat amusing tradition of sorts was birthed — one several second-stage acts ritualistically ended their days with.

After the shows, some bandmembers would plop themselves down in a long line of lawn chairs situated across the street from the parking lot of whatever venue they'd just collectively rattled. There, the musicians would sit and chug cans of lukewarm beer while brutally taunting the hundreds of kids — who'd just paid good money to roast the day away in the blistering sun and take in the metal — as they returned to their cars.

The bands dubbed it "Lurker's Row." Bob Meadows, frontman for Philadelphia metalcore extremists A Life Once Lost, witnessed these nightly roasts from time to time — but as a spectator, he said.

"It was kind of funny, but really, I was always like, 'Dang — I can't believe we're sitting here, just belittling all of these people who came out to a festival that we just played. This is how we're treating our friends and new guests — let's just torment them and make fun of them while they're leaving,' " he said. "Don't get me wrong — I will make fun of someone if I know them. But I think that kind of stuff is a little weird. I was made fun of in school a lot, so I try to stay away from making fun of people I don't know. I need positivity in my life."

"Lurker's Row" was just one of the ways the bands battled the boredom that comes with touring. Whether it returns in '07 remains to be seen; its revival rests solely with Hatebreed, the one act that'll be coming back for this summer's rendition.

While A Life Once Lost don't condone such tomfoolery, on their forthcoming LP — the head-crushing, incredibly abrasive, self-produced Iron Gag — Meadows does call out a few of the people who've pissed him off in recent years. But not by name, of course.

"There's just a lot of things I've wanted to say to a lot of people on this record," he explained. "Even within a song, there could be two or three people I'm talking about. It was just inspired by a lot of things I've wanted to say but haven't because I had to watch myself. There are so many ugly things going on in the music scene and life, and I was just like, 'F--- it, if I say something that's going to piss someone off, then it wasn't meant to be anyway. Let me just get this all off my chest.' So, this album's just really pissed, and it's just very vicious."

The songs on Iron Gag — like "Ill Will," "Firewater Joyride" and "Worship" — take jabs at womanizers, racists, addicts and those who Meadows believes aren't living up to their full potential. The singer said Iron Gag "sounds nothing like [2005's] Hunter," adding that, "the recording quality, to my ears, is just a million times better.

"The songs are just way more fierce," he continued. "There's just an element about it that Hunter didn't have, and I think maybe that was just us doing it ourselves. It was us learning from [Hunter producer and Anthrax guitarist] Rob Caggiano how to actually approach the songs and my working with [Lamb of God's] Randy Blythe on the vocal production, which taught me how to approach the songs well. And with all of that working together, we've definitely put out a record that's going to move a lot of heads — make people turn around and be like, 'Holy sh--.' It's a monster of a release."

The band spent four months — or more specifically, six hours a day, five days a week — working on Iron Gag, and Blythe's guidance helped Meadows turn in what he says is the best performance he was capable of.

"Randy came in, and I would say it was more like he helped me with certain accents on the words — certain ways of approaching my delivery," he said. "The lines and the phrasing, that was already done before we met up. To me, to come into the studio and to have him sitting in there and never hearing the songs before and being like, 'Dude, that's pretty sick. I never would have thought of that,' or, 'I like what you're doing there, but how about you bring that word up a little higher at the end, to give it that extra oomph.' "

The band also benefited from Blythe's past work with the producing likes of Machine and Devin Townsend. "You can just hear it coming out of him," Meadows said of the noticeable influence the producers have had on the Lamb of God frontman. "This guy's been wrapped up in it for years, and he really knows what he's talking about. I knew exactly how I wanted it to sound like, and how pissed I wanted it to be, but having someone like Randy come in only adds so much more intensity to it."

Look for Iron Gag to land in stores in August, Meadows said.

The rest of the week's metal news:

Necrophagist have a new drummer in Marco Minnemann. He replaces Hannes Grossmann, who left the band earlier this year. "The band is absolutely stoked to announce that Minnemann will be drumming on the new Necrophagist album, due in 2008," read a statement from the German technical death metallers. "We can't wait to work on arranging the new songs with such an incredibly talented, proficient and complete musician." ... Behemoth's forthcoming LP The Apostasy is in the bag. Recorded in the Polish band's hometown of Gdansk with frontman Nergal and longtime sound engineer Malta behind the boards, the disc is due in July. ... Swedish metal titans Soilwork continue to work on their next opus, which should surface later this year. Frontman Björn Strid is currently in Canada tracking vocals for the yet-untitled LP with producer Devin Townsend, who helmed 2002's Natural Born Chaos. The band does admit, though, that it's still got "a long way to go" before the album is completed. Look for the disc to include "Your Beloved Scapegoat," "Light Discovering Darkness" and "The Pittsburgh Syndrome." ...

Nile, who'll spend this summer playing Ozzfest's second stage, have entered the mixing phase for their forthcoming LP, Ithyphallic. "There are nine songs and one short acoustic piece," writes the band, "yet overall, a wide range of tempos, some doomy, exotic elements as well as some unbelievably fast and catchy metal." The record will boast "Language of the Shadows," "Even the Gods Must Die" and the brevity-challenged "Papyrii Containing the Spell to Preserve Its Possessor Against Attacks From He Who Is in the Water." ... If you're craving something more extreme and violent than Sounds of the Underground or Ozzfest, you might wanna check out the Summer Slaughter tour. The gore-drenched traveling fest features Necrophagist, Decapitated, Cephalic Carnage, Cattle Decapitation, Beneath the Massacre, the Faceless, As Blood Runs Black, Arsis and Ion Dissonance. Dates run from June 1 in Clifton Park, New York, through July 8 in New York. Careful in the mosh pit: Spilled blood is way slippery. ... Thine Eyes Bleed, the Canadian thrash band featuring bassist Johnny Araya (brother of Slayer frontman Tom), are hard at work on their second full-length album. The band tracked the disc at Beach Road Studios in Goderich, Ontario, with producer Siegfried Meier and are getting ready to mix. "Things couldn't have been better this time around," singer Justin Wolfe said. "We were able to listen and create without the pressures of budget and time and it's really going to show." The yet-untitled album is scheduled for release this summer. ...

Austin, Texas, black-metal band Averse Sefira will remain on tour with 1349 through Monday in Albuquerque, New Mexico, then they'll return home to continue working on their next album. While the release of the disc is still many months away, the band has already hired Jos. A. Smith — best known for painting the goat on Bathory's 1984 self-titled debut — to create the cover art. Earlier this month, Averse Sefira reissued their long-out-of-print debut album, Battle Clarion. ... Riverside, California, hardcore-metal band Suicide Silence have just finished recording their debut album, which was produced by John Travis (Static-X, Zebrahead) and mixed by Tue Madsen (Witchery, Kataklysm). The yet-untitled disc will be released this summer. "Working with John Travis was definitely an amazing experience," singer Mitch Lucker said. "He had us track everything live in order in order to capture the intensity we were aiming for." The disc will feature guest vocals by new Through the Eyes of the Dead singer Nate Johnson. Suicide Silence are on tour with Stick to Your Guns through Wednesday in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Two days later they'll launch a tour with Bury Your Dead in Rochester, New York, with dates running through June 3 in Chicopee, Massachusetts. ...

Terror have been added to the Monsters of Mayhem II tour, which also features Hatebreed, God Forbid, Evergreen Terrace and the Acacia Strain. "Overall, this tour has a great lineup," Terror frontman Scott Vogel said. "For starters, we are very excited to be going out with Hatebreed again. They are influential and inspirational, and there is no other band we would rather tour with. And God Forbid is a band we always thought we should tour with, so we are glad to finally be going out with them." The tour launches May 18 in Rochester, New York, and runs through June 7 in Omaha, Nebraska. ... Lacuna Coil have posted the new video for "Within Me" on their MySpace page. The clip was shot in February in Italy. The band will remain on the road with the Jägermeister Music Tour, which also features Stone Sour and Shadows Fall, through May 4 in Des Moines. On May 7, Lacuna Coil will launch a headline tour in Louisville, Kentucky, with Within Temptation, In This Moment and Stolen Babies. Stolen Babies will support LC throughout, while the other bands will only play select shows — as will the Gathering and Kylesa. For the tour, Lacuna Coil are inviting fans to choose the set list — right here. Voting ends April 20. ...

Industrial-metal band Hardwire: The Industrial Hardcore Tech will write a song for an upcoming horror film tentatively titled "The 3rd Night on Winter Drive." Guitarist/singer Mike Marsh is currently scoring the film, which he also co-produced, co-wrote and acted in with costar Patti Tindall ("Machined"). "The film centers on a paranormal investigator who is hired to investigate a house where an upstanding religious family lived and was murdered," Marsh said. "It's like a cross between 'The Amityville Horror' and the television show 'Ghost Hunters.' " Postproduction is expected to be completed in May in time to submit the movie to film festivals. ... Testament singer Chuck Billy, ex-Exodus singer Steve "Zetro" Souza and Laaz Rockit's Willy Lange have re-formed their '80s Dublin, California, outfit Dublin Death Patrol. Over the past six months, the guys have been rearranging and restructuring old songs and working on new material. An album recorded with Vinnie Wojno is forthcoming. "This is what we have to give to the metal world," Souza said, "a kick-ass, straight-up, aggressive and in your f---ing face album of music by guys just from Dublin, California."

• A Life Once Lost
• Lamb of God
• Behemoth
• Soilwork
• The Acacia Strain

From a Second Story Window
Photo: Jeremy Saffer

Ask Will Jackson and he'll tell you that the forthcoming sophomore LP by metal extremists From a Second Story Window isn't a concept album — it's more of a musical piece that a single word helped inspire.

That would be delenda, a Latin term that means "the promise to destroy everything," the frontman said. "The Greeks used the delenda campaign when they were destroying Carthage."

FASSW were so intrigued by the term that they're using it as the name of their new album.

"It's an inspiring word, because the promise to destroy everything means you understand there is an end to everything," he elaborated. "That's ultimately what this record is about: It's about the human understanding of an end and all the emotional stuff that goes along with that understanding. So each song is written from an emotional human standpoint, through some sort of scripted dialogue. This album delves into the idea that as humans we're all living everything day to day, but that we're all going to face a sudden end. A lot of people choose not to deal with that."

But not FASSW, who're on the road with Cattle Decapitation, Misery Index, Animosity and Job for a Cowboy through the end of next month. Delenda, the follow-up to 2004's Not One Word Has Been Omitted, lands in stores July 11.

"I would say it's the most accomplished thing we've put together," Jackson said. "It's leaps and bounds beyond the last record they'd done [Jackson joined the band in 2005 following the departure of Sean Vandegrift]. We put our minds together and we put everything we have into this record. We want to create music that will leave a lasting message and impact the music scene in general. The music that we've tackled on this new record is more approachable, more listenable than the last record, and we're trying to take this more extreme approach to music and apply it to the masses and make it to where everyone can get into it. The scene we're a part of has always been super-underground, and if we can do anything that's going to take it to more people ... that's what we're trying to do with this record."

But at the same time, Jackson said FASSW want to push the boundaries of musical experimentation and ingenuity because, "if you're not bringing something new to the table, you are just imitating or repeating," he said. "Taking ideas or being inspired by something is a lot different than regurgitating. Nowadays, it doesn't seem like a lot of people are thinking about the music they make, they just want to write songs with breakdowns, because kids are addicted to breakdowns. It's like we can't overcome that at all as a genre. Breakdowns are the new solo. But this record's one kids will have to read the lyrics to and sit down and listen to instead of just waiting for the breakdown."

In late August, FASSW will hit the road in Seattle with Darkest Hour, Misery Signals and Versus the Mirror for a string of dates that'll keep them busy through September 8 in Baltimore. Jackson said the band's got several irons in the proverbial fire for the fall but nothing's concrete yet. Within the next year, Jackson's hoping the band can elevate its profile enough to where it's fielding even bigger touring offers.

"We'd been approached for [this year's] Sounds of the Underground, but it was all booked up," Jackson said. "We've been very close to landing a lot of giant package tours, and I think that is definitely something that's going to happen for us more in the future."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Lacuna Coil have lined up seven off-date Ozzfest gigs just as "Enjoy the Silence," the second single from their latest offering, Karmacode, is set to impact commercial-rock radio. The Coil will perform with Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold and Atreyu in Englewood, Colorado (July 5); Rob Zombie and Anthrax in Oklahoma City (July 12); DragonForce and Between the Buried and Me in Minneapolis (July 14); Atreyu in Grand Rapids, Michigan, (July 20); Avenged and Bleeding Through in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, (August 8); Atreyu in Nashville (August 10); and DragonForce and Between the Buried and Me in Atlanta (August 11). ... In related news, Between the Buried and Me and DragonForce are teaming for more off-dates: June 30 (Eugene, Oregon); July 5 (Colorado Springs, Colorado); July 12 (Fort Worth, Texas); July 13 (Columbia, Missouri, with the Red Chord and A Life Once Lost); July 17 (Traverse City, Michigan); July 24 (Louisville, Kentucky, with Bleeding Through); July 31 (Poughkeepsie, New York); August 2 (Burlington, Vermont); August 12 (Tallahassee, Florida); August 14 (Lake Buena Vista, Florida); August 15 (St. Petersburg, Florida); August 17 (New Orleans); and August 18 (Houston). ...

Soilwork will hit the road this fall with Mnemic, Threat Signal and Darkest Hour for a North American run that kicks off October 5 in Springfield, Virginia. The bands will make stops in Cleveland, San Francisco, Atlanta, New York and Philadelphia before winding down November 11 in Detroit. ... Speaking of Threat Signal, the Ontario technical thrashers will release their debut, Under Reprisal, August 22. The disc was produced by Fear Factory bassist Christian Olde Wolbers and includes "Counterbalance," "One Last Breath" and "Rational Eyes." Dave Brodsky (Bury Your Dead, God Forbid) shot a video for the latter in late April. ... All Shall Perish shot a video last weekend in California with Richie Valdez (Ed Gein, the Red Chord) for "Eradication," the first single off the technical death-metallers' August 8 release, The Price of Existence. ... Fear Factory's upcoming Machines at War Tour, featuring Suffocation, Hypocrisy and Decapitated, will launch October 26 in San Francisco. Dates are booked through December 9 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. ... The track list for Unearth's next album, III: In the Eyes of Fire, has been finalized. The LP will boast 11 tracks, including "This Glorious Nightmare," "The Devil Has Risen" and "Big Bear and the Hour of Chaos." The set hits stores August 8, as does a limited-edition version that will include a DVD containing a making-of segment and four live videos. ...

Two new tracks from Ozzfest second-stagers Full Blown Chaos have surfaced on — where else? — their MySpace page. "Chopping Block" and "Solemn Praise" come from the Connecticut metallers' upcoming disc Within the Grasp of Titans, which will be in stores July 11. ... Springfield, Massachusetts, hardcore-metal band the Acacia Strain recently shot a video for "Angry Mob Justice" with Dave Brodsky. The band will tour North America later this summer before heading to Europe in the fall. Before that, though, the Acacia Strain — whose second album, The Dead Walk, came out last week — will continue touring with Soilent Green through July 9 in New York. ... Ion Dissonance singer Gabriel McCaughry has quit the band to focus on other ventures. "It's time for me to concentrate more on different styles of music, different artistic mediums and more on personal issues," he said in a statement. "There are so many things I wanna achieve in life that were impossible for me to undertake and still be committed to the band." McCaughry's last show with Ion Dissonance will be July 9 in Ontario and, from July 15 to July 24, Despised Icon singer Alexandre Erian will fill in. Singers interested in filling the spot permanently should e-mail iondissonance@hotmail.com. ...

Pennsylvania's Circle of Dead Children have parted ways with drummer Mike Bartek. In a vague and angry statement, the band said, "He crossed way over the line and defecated on any concepts of friendship and respect possible and stooped lower than we thought even he would ever go. ... Mike's departure will be a huge blessing in disguise." The band is on indefinite hiatus while it searches for a replacement. Drummers wishing to try out for the position should e-mail salo120@circleofdeadchildren.net. ... Through the Eyes of the Dead are about to release their Jonathan Covert (Nine Inch Nails, Mortiis)-directed video for "Two Inches From a Main Artery" from their 2005 album, Bloodlust. TTEOTD are currently on tour with Terror and Death Before Dishonor and are gearing up for Sounds of the Underground, which launches July 8 in Cleveland with As I Lay Dying, In Flames, Gwar and others. ... Double CD and DVD packages of last year's Gigantour will be released August 22 and September 5, respectively. Expect to see footage of Megadeth, Dream Theater, Fear Factory, Nevermore, Life of Agony, Symphony X, Dry Kill Logic and Bobaflex. Both packages will feature performances by each band and the CD also includes two songs by Anthrax's reunited late-'80s lineup. Dave Mustaine is currently assembling Gigantour 2006 and plans to announce the dates and lineup in the coming weeks. ...

Amon Amarth have decided to name their sixth album With Oden on Our Side. The disc, produced by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia) and tentatively scheduled for a fall release, will include "Gods of War Arise," "Prediction of Warfare" and "Hermod's Ride to Hell (Lokes Treachery Part 1)." ... Straight-edge metalcore band If Hope Dies need a new guitarist. Interested players must be willing to tour for seven to 10 months out of the year and preferably be straight edge. Applicants should download "Burned Out," "Anthem for the Employable" and "Death of a Salesman" on the band's MySpace page and learn the songs. For more information, e-mail band@ifhopedies.com. ... Daughters, the Number Twelve Looks Like You, Premonitons of War and See You Next Tuesday are among the more than 50 acts confirmed for Dirt Fest, set to take place August 19 in Birch Run, Michigan. ... Mikoto have replaced drummer Dan Tracy, who left the group in April, with Mike Trevino, formerly of Vela. ... Nevermore will tape their August 25 gig at Studio Seven in Seattle for a forthcoming live DVD, which should be in stores sometime next year. ...Walls of Jericho's next LP, With Devils Amongst Us All, has been scheduled for an August 22 release. ... Deicide, Jungle Rot, Hurtlocker and Desolation will tour the continent this fall starting September 20 in Huntington, West Virginia. Dates are scheduled thus far through September 31 in Cudahy, Wisconsin, with more to be announced shortly.

• From a Second Story Window
• Soilwork
• Daughters
• Circle Of Dead Children
• Lacuna Coil