Horse the Band
Photo: Koch Records

As far as heavy music is concerned, there are several active bands — like, say, Trivium — that take themselves way too seriously. Other bands just aren't serious enough. And then there's experimental-metalcore outfit Horse the Band.

Last month, in a press release regarding the June 26 release of their forthcoming album A Natural Death, the members of Horse the Band described the LP as an examination of "the futility and arrogance of creation and destruction, the overwhelming scale of space and time, and the brutal majesty of nature, the horror of birth and the beauty of death." The band hopes the set might serve as "a warning to the human race, to stop taking itself so seriously, as we have seen the dire consequences of its actions in the future."

Supposedly, Horse the Band "consists of five demigods, running from a haunted past they can't possibly remember." Of course, this is just shtick. After all, these are the same guys that, while tracking A Natural Death, launched a YouTube channel through which they intended to post a series of in-the-studio videos, updating fans on the recording process. But in no time, the channel was transformed into a forum for the band to post episodes of its own drama, "Lawrence and Friends" — the show revolves around a love triangle involving a sugar cube, a suicidal pencil and, inexplicably, singer/songwriter Carla Hassett.

This is a band led by a man named Nathan Winneke — who, as it just so happens, has a destructive alter ego named General Beam.

"He's like Jim Beam in my clothing, essentially," the singer said. "I flipped out for the first half of our tour with Heavy Heavy Low Low [back in March], and I destroyed their trailer, which is sad, because I really like those guys. But I lost a little control, and I caved in their entire roof while telling everybody it was science, and then I took a fish-scaling knife and cut a triangle in my arm. I was just being a total idiot, but when the General comes, I have no explanations."

Horse the Band, who've made a name for themselves touring with like-minded metallers the Dillinger Escape Plan and Hella, are heavy metal's version of "Airplane." The band's sound is a spastic, brutal mix of metal, fused with synth-produced blips and bleeps, and inspired by the video games of the 1980s and early '90s. The band's music is crafted to not only scramble your brains but tickle your funny bone.

For example, there's a track on A Natural Death called "Murder" that Horse the Band added to their set while on a recent headlining run with the Number Twelve Looks Like You and Light This City.

"The kids have been loving it," Winneke enthused. "I tell them it's a song about killing white people, and they go crazy." The lyrics were written from the perspective of an American Indian in 1847, "So it's OK."

Horse the Band began writing for A Natural Death — which also includes "His Purple Majesty," "Sex Raptor" and "I Think We Are Both Suffering From the Same Crushing Metaphysical Crisis" — back in the fall and finished recording it in February. The band took its time with the follow-up to 2005's The Mechanical Hand and the 2006 EP Pizza — which, yes, was a concept piece all about pizza.

"With Mechanical Hand, Koch [the band's label] was relaunching [the now-defunct] Combat Records, and we did it as fast as we possibly could, because they wanted to have an album to put out on Combat at the time of the relaunch," Winneke said. Combat folded again, and Horse the Band have since been absorbed by Koch.

"We're the heaviest band on the roster," Winneke said. "They did the soundtrack to the Barbie movies, and I loved those. They have a wide array of stuff, and we're the heaviest band I know of."

On A Natural Death, fans can expect more layers of sound, the frontman said. The band has incorporated more synth elements into its sound, and keyboardist Erik Engstrom found "this programming game ... where you can write tracks on the Game Boy, using sounds from the Game Boy, so this record has an extra, extra retro-awesomeness to it." Winneke added that, "If you thought we were chaotic before, we're, like, probably doubly chaotic now — in stranger and more unique ways, hopefully."

So, what does Winneke think of his own band? "We're very reckless and immature and have no idea what we're doing, and we should probably break up as a band, because all we're going to end up doing is killing ourselves," he said. "But hopefully, it will be funny."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Pyromaniacs and German-language students take note: Rammstein will unleash three different versions of their DVD and CD package "Völkerball" on July 17. All versions will feature a full 2005 concert recorded in Nimes, France, plus select footage from shows in London, Tokyo and Moscow. The standard two-disc set features a 140-minute DVD and a 75-minute CD of the concert. The special edition also features a second DVD with 90 minutes of content, including the documentary films "Reise, Reise: The Making of the Album" and "Anakonda Im Netz" (Anaconda in the Net). Finally, the limited edition includes a 190-page tour photo book, which contains everything in the three-disc set plus an additional CD capturing the remainder of the 140-minute France show. ... Dutch pagan black-metal band Grimm will release their new album, Heksenkringen, Tuesday. Tracks include "Witte Ruiter," "Als Wederganger Dwalend" and "Van Drakenbloed Fel." ...

Three songs from Paradise Lost's upcoming album In Requiem — "Never For the Damned," "Ash & Debris" and "The Enemy" — are available on an e-card that can be found right here. The e-card also features the video for "The Enemy," which was shot by Ukrainian director Edward 209 in March on the Crimean peninsula in Yalta. In Requiem is scheduled for release June 5. ... Messy Peruvian black-metal band Goat Semen will release the live album En Vivo en Lima Hell May 8. The disc includes "Sodom Graves," "Madre Muerte," "Rotten Messiah" and "At Luzbel's Behest," as well as bonus rehearsal material. ...

For the first time in years, there's a reason to look forward to September 11. On that date, death-metal veterans Obituary will release their yet-untitled new album. The follow-up to 2005's Frozen in Time will also be the band's first for Candlelight Records. Obituary are currently hard at work on the disc and scheduled to complete tracking by June 1. "We are really looking forward to having a record company that wants to work with us," singer John Tardy said in a statement. "We feel rejuvenated, and this new album is gonna be sick." "This will mark a new chapter in death-metal history," bassist Frank Watkins added. Obituary will launch a U.S. headline tour the week the album is released. ... Voivod have finished the video for "Polaroids." The clip was created with Banger Productions and Ottoblix and includes some of drummer Michel "Away" Langevin's artwork. The same team is also working on a video for "The X-Stream." According to a recent update by Langevin, the band will start recording the follow-up to 2006's Katorz in the fall. ...

Technical Florida death-metal band Atheist, which reunited last year for a batch of reunion shows, are calling it quits for good. On Friday (April 27) and Saturday, the band will play two dates in its home state. The coup de grace will come at an unscheduled final show in New York. "It's very hard to just walk away from this music that is having its day in the sun," guitarist/singer Kelly Shaefer said in a statement. "The shows keep getting better. But the best and most important thing to us has been the outpouring of brand new people who have embraced our music. We will wrap this all up with one final show in New York that will be filmed for a DVD." ... Seattle noisemongers Himsa have entered the studio to start recording their fourth album. The band will track the drums, bass and guitars with Steve Carter. Strapping Young Lad's Devin Townsend will track vocals and Tue Madsen will handle mixing duties. The disc is tentatively scheduled for a late August release. ... Three noteworthy underground-metal albums are coming on Candlelight on May 22: New York metal vets Pro-Pain will release Age of Tyranny - The Tenth Crusade, Octavia Sperati will unleash Grace Submerged, and Carnal Forge will test their fans' mettle with Testify for My Victims.

• Horse The Band
• Rammstein
• Obituary
• Voivod
• Himsa

Daath
Photo: Roadrunner Records

Daath guitarist Eyal Levi is issuing a stern warning to those planning to attend this year's free Ozzfest, which his six-piece death-metal outfit will be playing with the likes of Ozzy, Hatebreed, Lordi and Lamb of God: "No one better f--- with us."

You see, Levi supports the old maxim that the best defense is a strong offense, and after the kind of tour the band shared this winter with Goatwhore, the Acacia Strain and Job for a Cowboy — the theme of which, he said, was "staying alive" — Daath are in dire need of a strong offense. Not that they're proponents of rampant acts of violence — it's more about protection, Levi explained.

"I don't like getting into fights — it's not what I'm into," he said. "But that last tour was so crazy, as far as violence goes, I just figure we've got to be ready. ... After this last tour ... I mean, there were fights every single night. One night, there were nine fights — nine f---ing bloody fights."

During one gig, Levi said, an audience member tried to attack frontman Sean Farber after he drenched the crowd with water.

"I guess some dude didn't like it, and he told us to stop — in the middle of a song, mind you," the guitarist recalled. "First of all, we're not going to stop. Secondly, how do you expect a band to hear that? So he charged the stage and spit in Sean's face. Sean saw him rushing towards the stage and hit him in the face with his microphone. After the show, the dude jumped our merch guy because he thought it was Sean. So let's just say I'm going to be ready next time."

Daath — which translates to "knowledge" in Hebrew — released their Roadrunner Records debut, The Hinderers, March 20. The Atlanta act's material is heavily influenced by Da'at and Kabbalah, although the band does not identify a direct religious affiliation in its music. Daath explore esoteric themes associated with the Qabalistic Tree of Life and Death — a mystical-belief system that describes imbalances in areas of the brain — and use it as a framework for psychological exploration, Levi said.

"We've been into this kind of stuff as long as we've been working together, which is since I was 12 years old," he explained. "We always kind of had a fascination with the occult, and when we were putting this project together, we were researching names and themes and one that really stuck out to us was the Tree of Life and Death life concept. We feel it maps out the human mind very precisely, and we use it as a roadmap to explore the negative sides of the human mind."

The Hinderers was produced by Daath along with Testament guitarist James Murphy, who also makes a guest appearance on the LP. The album marks the first time most metalheads will have heard them, which doesn't worry Levi.

"I'm not losing sleep over it," he said. "I lost enough sleep while we were making it. It is a bit of a departure for Roadrunner these days, and I know that we have a slightly different sound, so I'm just curious to see what happens. I am ready for whatever. We always envision the worst-case scenario, as well as the best-case scenario, so we're ready for anything. I think we have some pretty catchy music, and I think that people will dig it. We're a grower kind of band — people will need to listen to us 50 times before they get what's going on, since there are so many layers to our music."

But Levi also says the time couldn't be better for an album like The Hinderers to hit the metal scene. "I think we're the first really extreme band to be on [Roadrunner's] U.S. roster in 10 years — with the exception of two bands that were already established: Cradle of Filth and Opeth," he said. "A band like us, a startup band, it's a new thing for the label. Maybe it's an experiment. Maybe they want to see if this style of music can do what it did in the early '90s. It kind of already is, when you see bands like Lamb of God on ['Late Night With Conan O'Brien'], and Slayer's out there winning a Grammy. The time for this style of music has come back around. We're just going to have to wait and see what happens."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Behemoth have been added to the bill for this summer's Ozzfest, which will also feature Nile, In This Moment, the Showdown and others. Ozzfest kicks off July 12 in Seattle, with dates scheduled through August 30 in West Palm Beach, Florida. ... Bury Your Dead have enlisted former I Killed the Prom Queen frontman Michael Crafter as their new singer; Crafter replaces Mat Bruso, who left the band late last year. He'll be making his live debut with the band on the upcoming Don't Call It a Comeback Tour — with support acts Suicide Silence, Stick to Your Guns and Since the Flood — which launches April 20 in Rochester, New York. ... Through the Eyes of the Dead have recruited singer Nate Johnson to replace former frontman Anthony Gunnels. Johnson will soon enter Mana Recording Studio in St. Petersburg, Florida, with producer Erik Rutan to track vocals for the band's forthcoming LP, Malice, which should be in stores late this summer. ...

A May 22 release date has been set for Strapping Young Lad frontman Devin Townsend's latest solo effort, Ziltoid the Omniscient. The album, recorded entirely by Townsend, follows the story of Ziltoid, a four-dimensional, coffee-loving alien who comes to Earth to prove he's the universe's finest guitar player — which he hopes will land him lots of honeys. ... Hell Within will release their second album, Shadows of Vanity, May 15. The Massachusetts band recorded with producer John Ellis (Godsmack, American Hi-Fi) and mixed with Mark Lewis of Audio Hammer Studios. The disc will mark the debut for new drummer Derek Jay, who replaced Brian "Bubba" Joyce late last year. Hell Within were formerly called Twytch and released an EP and album under that name before switching their moniker in time for 2005's Asylum of the Human Predator. ...

Lots of things delay black-metal albums from getting in the hands of fans. Sometimes it's too much partying, other times it's federal shipping laws. But once in a while, product just gets lost in the mail. That's what happened to Full Moon Productions band Velvet Cacoon, whose double-CD Dextronaut was misplaced by the U.S. Postal Service. The label sent out 200 copies of the record, which disappeared for over a month before someone in Alabama contacted the company after purchasing all of the discs in a USPS lost-goods auction. "We were able to recover them after a lot of stress and bitterness," said a statement from Full Moon. ...

West Virginia modern-thrash band Byzantine are in the studio working on their third album, Oblivion Beckons, which is tentatively scheduled for release late this summer. The disc will be mixed by Drew Mazurek at High View Studios and mastered by Alan Douches at West Side Music. "The record is coming along really well," bassist Skip Cromer said in a statement. "The sound is really good. We tried some redneck experiments to get some slamming tones and they ended up working. The majority of the songs definitely fall into the thrash vein of things." Byzantine will release their "Salvation" DVD on April 17. The disc, which is nearly four hours long, features a six-song live set, including the otherwise-unavailable "Cradle Song," as well as behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, the video for "Jeremiad," tutorials and bootleg concert footage. ...

Los Angeles extreme-metal band Abysmal Dawn have officially hired new bassist Mike Cosio (ex-Excretion, Grave Desecration) following a monthlong trial period and are now hard at work on their next album. "Our only scheduled performance at the moment is the recently added Emperor reunion show on June 3 at the Key Club in [West] Hollywood [California]," the band wrote on its Web site. "We feel very privileged to be supporting such a legendary entity and hope you will come out and show your support for some black/death-metal art." Abysmal Dawn's debut, From Ashes, came out in 2006. ... All That Remains. are shuffling through footage for their first DVD, which should be out later this year. "It looks amazing. I can't wait until we get this thing together for you guys," singer Phil Labonte said in a post on the band's Web site. "I think we'll see some more stuff once we get back from Europe, so I'll give you another update then." All That Remains return to the U.S. May 2 for six dates with Bullet for My Valentine. ...

Bay Area thrash band Dekapitator have signed to Relapse and are currently working on their second full-length, The Storm Before the Calm, which is due this summer. Tracks include "Earthscorcher," "Screams From the Holocaust," "Toxic Sanctuary" and "Run With the Pack"; the latter two can be previewed at MySpace.com/Dekapitator. "We're highly psyched about unleashing The Storm Before the Calm through Relapse," singer/guitarist Matt Hellfiend said in a statement. "We're looking forward to thrashing as much as we can this year, so bring your denim and your beer and let's f---in' rage." Dekapitator's debut, We Will Destroy ... You Will Obey, came out in 1999 and was produced by ex-Death and Obituary guitarist James Murphy. ...

Chicago hardcore-metal band Yakuza have entered the studio to record their third album, Transmutations, which is tentatively scheduled for release this fall. "We had jazz percussionists Michael Zerang and Hamid Drake come in for a few songs," frontman Bruce Lamont said. "It was a serious honor. I can't even tell you how happy we are with the results." The album is being produced by Sanford Parker, who has worked with Pelican, Minsk and Rwake. "He brought the sonic continuity we have been striving for since day one," Lamont said. ... In May, God Forbid will take part in the Monsters of Mayhem 2 tour along with Hatebreed, Evergreen Terrace, the Acacia Strain and After the Burial. The tour will be God Forbid's last to support their latest album, IV: Constitution of Treason. Dates run from May 18 in Rochester, New York, through May 26 in Orlando, Florida.

• Daath
• Behemoth
• Yakuza
• Bury Your Dead
• Strapping Young Lad

Into Eternity
Photo: Century Media

One recent morning while on Gigantour 2006, Stu Block realized he's got it pretty good. The frontman's band, Canadian melodic death-metallers Into Eternity, were on the road with the second annual installment of Dave Mustaine's traveling circus of brutality, which also features Megadeth, Opeth, Lamb of God and Arch Enemy. Every night, Block went to sleep on his band's tour bus with a stomach full of catered gourmet cuisine.

"It was like, 'Man, it can only go downhill from here,' " Block joked. "The Nevermore guys," who were on the first Gigantour in 2005, "told us it was an amazing experience, especially the catering. And it was amazing. How can you complain about going out with Megadeth and all these other awesome bands, doing arenas with catering? It was a super wicked experience on all levels."

Gigantour, which wrapped October 8 in Orlando, Florida, also helped Into Eternity get the word out about The Scattering of Ashes, their fourth, recently released LP. While Into Eternity have no additional touring plans at the moment, Block said it's possible they'll hit the road with Nevermore and Scar Symmetry in early 2007. Either way, next year will bring nonstop touring for the guys — or at least they hope.

"We'd love to be on Ozzfest, but we haven't taken steps towards getting on it yet," he said. "It would be a great opportunity for us, and it was so cool seeing [fellow Canucks] Strapping Young Lad on it last year. I was so stoked, because I have known those guys since day one, and it was a great thing for them. At this point, it's just a pipe dream [for us]. But who knows? These things sometimes come true. All I will say is ... we'd be more than happy to do it, for sure."

With Scattering — the first album to feature Block on vocals — in stores, and Into Eternity fresh from Gigantour, Ozzfest might be a perfect fit for them. And the album is a punishing triumph, considering the rapid-fire pace under which it was recorded.

"We did have a time restriction, so for a couple of songs, I'd go into the studio and I'd never even heard these tracks before, but I had to lay vocals over it," Block recalled. "It almost seemed more natural, and it was really good because I could do things on the fly and it was working, and we could get really creative with it. The main goal for us was to put together a record ... that could be reproduced live. Some of the older material is so complex, the material would sound just less full. On this record, we wanted to go more aggressive and stick to two-part vocal harmonies on the choruses and some of the verses in a couple of the songs that [guitarist] Tim [Roth] and I do. We just went into it with a real open mind."

While on the Gigantour, Block and the rest of Into Eternity forged close bonds with most of the bands on the bill — but walked away from the trek with a genuine friend in Lamb of God guitarist Will Adler. "At one point, while we were in the Midwest, he dressed up like Dave Mustaine and was walking around backstage with a red wig on, a house coat and a glass of wine," he said. "He was just acting like Dave and meeting people as Dave. It was hilarious. But then it would dawn on these people that he wasn't Dave, and they'd be like, 'Who the hell are you?' Will's just a funny guy. He has a tattoo on his stomach of a plate of chicken, grits and cornbread in gravy, so that whenever he's in a foreign country, he just has to point to his stomach when he wants to order food."

Next month, Into Eternity's video for "Severe Emotional Distress" will make its debut on MTV2's "Headbangers Ball." Directed by Kevin Wildt (Napalm Death, the Warriors), the clip features a gorgeous woman amid a complex and disturbing story line. While half the clip is just the band rockin' out in a bedroom, the rest of it focuses on "this girl and her mother, and they're going through lots of problems, and she has scars on her arms from cutting herself," Block explained. "The premise is self-mutilation as a means to relieve pain from their lives, and it's a very powerful song and an even more powerful video."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Machine Head frontman Robert Flynn spoke out recently about his band's forthcoming LP, The Blackening, which is being eyed for a spring release. "This is the most ambitious thing we have ever attempted," he said. "We all challenged ourselves and each other to write a record that pushed the boundaries of complexity and technical structure. The nature of what is happening in the world led to a darker, bleaker album in every sense." Look for the effort to feature "Clenching the Fists of Dissent," "Now I Lay Thee Down" and "Slanderous." The disc will also boast a tune called "Aesthetics of Hate," which attacks the author of an article about slain Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott's murder in which he bashed the metal community. ... According to Strapping Young Lad drummer Gene Hoglan, the band is "on this extended hiatus, and by 'extended' I mean we'll get back together if the time is right. It could be a few months or a year, or it could be never. I sure as f--- don't know. It ain't up to me. So don't ask." Hoglan also revealed that frontman Devin Townsend and his wife, Tracy, welcomed their first child recently. "He's an adorable-lookin' little boy. ... Dev is looking at his son like he's a bomb. The look on Dev's face! Man, oh man." ...

Chicago band Novembers Doom will issue The Novella Reservoir February 20. The follow-up to 2005's The Pale Haunt Departure will feature eight tracks, including "Drown the Inland Mere," "Twilight Innocence" and "Dominate the Human Strain." Frontman Paul Kuhr said the album's a "natural progression" for Novembers Doom. "This time we took a step forward in speed and aggression, while maintaining the same sound we've had over all six CDs." ... God Forbid, Goatwhore, Mnemic, Scar Symmetry and the Human Abstract will hit the road together for a North American trek that starts January 6 in Bedford, New Hampshire. As of right now, the tour runs through February 11 in Springfield, Virginia, but more dates will be announced as they're confirmed. ... Light This City, Through the Eyes of the Dead, the Acacia Strain and From a Second Story Window will launch a U.S. run starting November 16 in Richmond, Virginia. Dates are booked through December 17 in Wilmington, North Carolina. ...

If Hope Dies have decided to go on hiatus upon the advent of 2007. A statement released by the band claims "we are going on an indefinite hiatus after December. Some of our hearts just haven't been into this lately, and why keep touring if we're not going to give it our all every night? We have already talked about the future and recording another album, which we all agreed we want to do eventually." Several of the bandmembers have been working together on a "rock" project that should start touring in the coming months. They're also in need of a singer, so stop by If Hope Dies' MySpace page to learn more about auditioning for the new project. ... Norwegian symphonic black-metallers Dimmu Borgir have begun working with producer Fredrik Nordström (At the Gates, Soilwork) on their forthcoming LP, which will hit stores early next year. "We expect it to sound nothing less than grandiose once this beast is finished," guitarist Silenoz said in a statement. While the band has settled on a title for the effort, "we're not gonna announce it until the time is right." ... Montreal's Neuraxis have added guitarist Will Seghers to the fold. Seghers had just been the band's live guitarist, but "he is a very good guitar player" and "personally, we get along well and he's easy to work with," read a statement from the band. Neuraxis hope to begin working on new material with their newest member soon. ... The Nightmare Before Christmas fest will take place December 17 at Club Sonar in Baltimore. So far the festival's organizers have lined up Napalm Death, Skinless, Arsis, Dead to Fall, Animosity, Ion Dissonance, the Faceless and A Life Once Lost for the bill. ...

Municipal Waste, Destruction and Sadus will hit the road together in January. The trek launches in Seattle on January 20, and dates have been booked through February 17 in Hollywood. ... Vital Remains have once again recruited Deicide singer Glen Benton to sing on their upcoming album. The band is currently finishing writing songs and plans to enter the Mana Recording Studios with producer Erik Rutan (Cannibal Corpse, Goatwhore) in early 2007. "The place is so nice, and the gear they have is awesome," guitarist Tony Lazaro said. "There's not enough holy water to wash away the mess we are going to make." Benton worked with Vital Remains on 2003's Dechristianize after the departure of short-term singer Thorn. ... Following eight years in the trenches, Baltimore metalcore band Swarm of the Lotus have called it a day. "After [a long] struggle to even exist, I have come to the realization that it has always been somewhat of a broken project trying desperately to push forward," frontman Pete Maturi said on the band's Web site. "To try and maintain constant motivation and confidence that in the end everything will work out just fine can be taxing and finally started to affect me." The band's final performance was Wednesday in its hometown. Swarm of the Lotus' last album was 2005's The Silence of Sirens. ...

Prosthetic Records recently made ringtones available for some of its biggest artists. Fans can log on here and purchase songs by the Acacia Strain, Burn in Silence, Cannae, Light This City, Through the Eyes of the Dead and others for $1.99 per tone. ... Society One frontman and established pornographer Matt Zane recently directed the video for Abysmal Dawn's "Crown Desire." The clip features Lizzy Borden (a.k.a Janet Romano), who is the co-owner of the adult-film company Extreme Associates. The video can be viewed here, and you don't even have to be 18 to see it. ... Bilingual Latino metal six-piece Ill Niño will release The Under Cover Sessions EP on Tuesday. The disc, which is limited to 20,000 copies, will include covers of Peter Gabriel's "Red Rain," Nirvana's "Territorial Pissings," Faith No More's "Zombie Eaters" and the new original "Arrastra." "We wanted to bring an awareness of the importance of these artists to today's generation," Chavarri said. "We feel we've captured the artistry and originality of these songs by adding the Ill Niño Latin flavor." ... Crowbar will release the DVD "Live: With Full Force" on January 23. The video was shot at the Full Force Festival in Germany. Tracks include "Self-Inflicted," "I Am Forever," "The Lasting Dose" and "Burn Your World."

• The Great Metal Debate

• Into Eternity
• God Forbid
• Strapping Young Lad

Thom Yorke's <I>The Eraser</I>
Photo: Xl Recordings

Call It What You Will: The debate rages on regarding Thom Yorke's The Eraser. Solo album? Not-so-solo album? When it comes to Radiohead, haven't people learned better than to bother with labels? After all, they dipped into The Eraser throughout their recent North American tour, introducing those tracks seamlessly with new ones of their own. For this week, just let the music do the talking. The Nigel Godrich-produced record includes "Analyse," "Atoms for Peace" and "Harrowdown Hill."

Light the Muse: The U.K. assault continues with Muse's Black Holes & Revelations and its equally grandiose-sounding "Starlight," "Invincible" and "Supermassive Black Hole." While Muse are still fresh in the States, they've been puttering around England for nearly 10 years now — which explains why you'll see them headlining the Glastonbury Festival on the bonus DVD. That extra disc comes with the first pressing only, although both editions were designed by Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd collaborator Storm Thorgerson.

Suffer Me Sufjan: If Sufjan Stevens keeps at the rate he's going, he'll have finished making an album for each state sometime in the early 22nd century. And it's not helping his cause that he's stopping to cobble together leftovers along the way: In addition to Illinois, the seemingly exhaustive 22-track disc he put out last year, now he's piling on 21 additional tracks from the sessions, including the typically long-winded "The Vivian Girls Are Visited in the Night by Saint Dararius and His Squadron of Benevolent Butterflies." Catch your breath and enjoy.

Seething in Concert: Keeping it much more simple are Seether, who strip down "Diseased," "Truth," "Broken" and "Remedy" for the acoustic-concert set One Cold Night. The CD has two versions of "The Gift," including an alternate mix, while the DVD compiles the February concert in Philadelphia with still images, an interview, the video for "The Gift" and behind-the-scenes clips.

Random Sightings (Emphasis on "Random"): Paul Wall, Ice-T and E-40 crop up in the same place this week, making guest appearances on the new ... Jamie Kennedy CD? Yup, you read it right — Kennedy's Blowin' Up with collaborator Stu Stone, which also has drop-ins by other, uh, big-name hip-hop talent like Kardinal Offishall, Gill T. Pleasure and Iceberg.

And yes, that's Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme and hard-rock vet Joan Jett clashing alongside the quieter-than-thou Feist on Peaches' new record, which she endowed with the all-too-dead-on title Impeach My Bush. Don't forget to "Stick It to the Pimp" and "Rock the Shocker."

Also going from loud to soft is Greg Graffin, the Bad Religion frontman who goes the way of Neil Young and the Band on his solo album Cold as the Clay. He welcomes singer/songwriter Jolie Holland — another Anti artist — on two tracks and touches on some traditional fare like "Omie Wise" and "Talk About Suffering."

On the same token, Jimmy Tamborello stepped away from the Postal Service to craft Mistake Mistake Mistake Mistake, which he's releasing under the moniker James Figurine. Tamborello recorded the techno-pop tracks in Germany but got some additional help from Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis and members of Kings of Convenience, Whispertown 2000 and other lesser-knowns.

And members of a litany of groups — Broken Social Scene, Sadies, Weakerthans and more — come together to form Hylozoists, a Toronto collective who say their debut is an "ideal accompaniment for a macabre carnival carousel." The instrumental La Fin du Monde includes "Warning Against Judging a Christian Brother," "If Only Your Heart Was a Major Sixth" and "Hearts and Harps."

Maximum Psych: Bands might not be name-dropping the Jesus and Mary Chain quite yet — seems like it's all the Cure and Joy Division these days — but with their early records in your collection, you'll be one step ahead of the retro hipsters. These remastered versions of the band's first five studio albums — Automatic, Darklands, Honey's Dead, Psychocandy and Stoned & Dethroned — have three videos apiece on the video flipside.

One band that had no trouble finding an audience for psychedelia were Phish, whose 2004 shindig at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, is immortalized in both three-CD and two-DVD form as Live in Brooklyn. The concert was simultaneously broadcast to movie theaters while it was performed and was the first the band played after announcing its impending breakup. Shine on, you crazy diamonds.

Speaking of which, fans have been waiting for nearly an eternity for the "Pulse" double-disc by Phish's progenitors, Pink Floyd, to drop from the sky, and lo and behold, here 'tis. The footage was captured during the band's Division Bell tour in 1994 and was filmed at London's Earls Court during the band's 14-night residency there (try that one, Radiohead). The second disc features the band performing The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety, and was designed by the aforementioned Storm Thorgerson.

Song Title of the Week:

"Motor Driven Puppy Stabbers" from Indorphine's Glowsticks for Clubbing Baby Seals

Other Notables:

Cut Chemist's The Audience's Listening: With just two weeks to go before Jurassic 5 deliver their first studio album in almost four years, their former turntable master has just enough time to steal the spotlight with The Audience's Listening, his solo debut. The DJ hit the studio, cobbled together old samples and fused them with Brazilian and old-school beats for his new disc, which boasts "(My 1st) Big Break," "2266 Cambridge" and "Spat."

Kaada's Music for Moviebikers: Yet another record to be filed in the "Soundtracks to Films That Haven't Been Made Yet" category, the Norwegian experimentalist kept it fresh by hiring random folk musicians throughout Europe and recording the bulk of his record live instead of through programming. That resulted in more than 22 musicians participating on his instrumental disc, which includes "Julia Pastrana," "Mainstreaming" and "Retirement Community."

Various artists' Graciously: Label comps often slip through the cracks, but Wavelab Studio and Funzalo Records' new collection deserves some extra lovin'. All 12 songs — by Calexico, Robyn Hitchcock and Scout Niblett — are new and unreleased, and one-third of proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity's Musician's Village project in New Orleans.

New Releases:

• The Adored - A New Language (V2)
• Alcian Blue - Alcian Blue (Elephant Stone)
• All That Remains - The Fall of Ideals (Razor & Tie)
  Buy Now: The Fall of Ideals (Razor & Tie)
  
• Jessica Bailiff - Feels Like Home (Kranky)
• Betrayed - Substance (Equal Vision)
• Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys - Turntable Matinee (Yep Roc)
• Boy Hits Car - The Passage (Rock Ridge)
  Buy Now: The Passage (Rock Ridge)
  
• Bury Your Dead - Beauty and the Breakdown (Victory)
  Buy Now: Beauty and the Breakdown (Victory)
  
• Cairo Gang - Cairo Gang (Narnack)
• Cattle Decapitation - Karma Bloody Karma (Metal Blade)
• Jen Chapin - Ready (Hybrid)
• CSS - Cansei de Ser Sexy (Sub Pop)
• Cult of Luna - Somewhere Along the Highway (Earache)
• Cut Chemist - The Audience's Listening (Warner Bros.)
• D Block - The CD/ DVD Mixtape (Koch)
• Dead to Me - Cuban Ballerina (Fat Wreck Chords)
• Disaster Strikes - Liberty Toast (Alternative Tentacles)
• Johnny Dowd - Cruel World (Bongo Beat)
• Steve Earle - Live at Montreux 2005 (Eagle)
• The Early November - The Mother, the Mechanic and the Path (three-CD box set; Drive-Thru)
  Buy Now: The Mother, the Mechanic and the Path (Drive-Thru)
  
• Ramblin' Jack Elliott - I Stand Alone (Anti)
• William Lee Ellis - God's Tattoos (Yellow Dog)
• Evaline - Postpartum Modesty. A Portrait of Skin (EP; Maverick)
• Every Move a Picture - Heart = Weapon (V2)
• James Figurine - Mistake Mistake Mistake Mistake (Plug Research)
  Buy Now: Mistake Mistake Mistake Mistake (Plug Research)
  
• Fish Karma - The Theory of Intelligent Design (Alternative Tentacles)
• The Format - Dog Problems (Nettwerk)
  Buy Now: Dog Problems (Nettwerk)
  
• From a Second Story Window - Delenda (Metal Blade)
• Full Blown Chaos - Within the Grasp of Titans (Stillborn)
  Buy Now: Within the Grasp of Titans (Stillborn)
  
• The Gentlemen Homicide - Understanding the Words We Speak (Blood & Ink)
• John Gorka - Writing in the Margins (Red House)
• Greg Graffin - Cold as the Clay (Anti)
• The Hylozoists - La Fin du Monde (Boompa)
• Jihad Jerry & the Evildoers - Mine Is Not a Holy War (Cordless)
• Indorphine - Glowsticks for Clubbing Baby Seals (Rock Ridge)
• Kaada - Music for Moviebikers (Ipecac)
• Matt Keating - Summer Tonight (Kealon)
• Robert Earl Keen - Live at the Ryman: The Greatest Show Ever Been Gave (Koch)
• Jamie Kennedy and Stu Stone - Blowin' Up (JKss)
  Buy Now: Blowin' Up (JKss)
  
• Khia - Gangstress (TME/ Phase One Communications)
  Buy Now: Gangstress (TME/ Phase One Communications)
  
• The Kilborn Alley Blues Band - Put It in the Alley (Blue Bella)
• Cheyenne Kimball - The Day Has Come (Epic/ Daylight)
  Buy Now: The Day Has Come (Epic/ Daylight)
  
• Chris Knight - Enough Rope (Emergent)
• Greg Laswell - Through Toledo (Vanguard)
• The Living End - State of Emergency (Adeline)
  Buy Now: State of Emergency (Adeline)
  
• The Lordz - The Brooklyn Way (Perfect Game)
• Bill Lupkin & Friends - Where I Come From (Blue Bella)
• Miranda Sound - Western Reserve (Sunken Treasure)
• Nick Moss and the Flip Tops - Live at Chan's (Blue Bella)
• Muse - Black Holes & Revelations (limited edition with DVD due same day; Warner Bros.)
  Read: "Muse Hope Fans Aren't Too Shocked By 'Genre-Morphing' New LP"
  Buy Now: Black Holes & Revelations (Warner Bros.)
  
• Anna Nalick - Wreck of the Day (Columbia)
• The North Atlantic - Wires in the Walls (We Put Out)
• Oneida - Happy New Year (Jagjaguwar)
• The Outline - You Smash It We'll Build Around It (Fearless)
• Peaches - Impeach My Bush (Kitty-Yo/ XL Recordings/ Beggars Group)
• Phish -- Live in Brooklyn (three CDs; Rhino)
  Buy Now: Live in Brooklyn (Rhino)
  
• Plaid - Greedy Baby (with DVD; Warp)
• Redding - Redding (Rock Ridge)
• The Remote - Too Low to Miss (Global Underground)
• Rhymefest - Blue Collar (J)
  Buy Now: Blue Collar (J)
  
• Seether - One Cold Night (with bonus DVD; Wind-Up)
  Read: "Seether Lose Guitarist; Frontman Credits Stomach With Acoustic Night"
  Buy Now: One Cold Night (Wind-Up)
  
• Shapes and Sizes - Shapes and Sizes (Asthmatic Kitty)
• Some Girls - Crushing Love (with DVD; Koch)
• Soul Asylum - The Silver Lining (Legacy)
  Buy Now: The Silver Lining (Legacy)
  
• Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras From the Illinois Album! (Asthmatic Kitty)
• Strapping Young Lad - The New Black (enhanced; Century Media)
  Buy Now: The New Black (Century Media)
  
• Striborg - Embittered Darkness/ Isles de Morts (Southern Lord)
• Tenebre - Heart's Blood (Candlelight)
• Torchebearer - Warnaments (Candlelight)
• Trendkill - No Longer Buried (Candlelight)
• Village of Dead Roads - Dwelling in Doubt (Meteor City)
• John Waite - Downtown Journey of a Heart (Frontiers)
• Butch Walker and the Let's Go Out Tonites - The Rise and Fall of Butch Walker and the Let's Go Out Tonites (Red Ink)
  Read: "Butch Walker Works With Avril, Hot Hot Heat, Says Solo LP Won't Be 'Emo-Tastic' "
  Buy Now: The Rise and Fall of Butch Walker and the Let's Go Out Tonites (Red Ink)
  
• Thom Yorke - The Eraser (XL)
  Read: "Thom Yorke Records Album Without Radiohead, Rejects 'Solo' Label"
• Various artists - The Backyardigans Groove to the Music (Nick)
• Various artists - Graciously (Wavelab/ Funzalo)
• Various artists - Hello Radio: The Songs of They Might Be Giants (Bar/ None)
• Various artists - I'm So Indicted (Capitol Steps)
• Various artists - Now That's What I Call Music! 22 (Sony)
• Various artists - The Pilgrim: A Celebration of Kris Kristofferson (Emergent)
• Various artists - Worship Jamz 2 (Razor & Tie)
• Various artists - "The Devil Wears Prada" soundtrack (Warner Bros.)
• Various artists - "The Groomsmen" soundtrack (Rykodisc)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• Marc Anthony - Grandes Éxitos: Sigo Siendo Yo (Sony International)
  Buy Now: Grandes Éxitos: Sigo Siendo Yo (Sony International)
  
• Booker T. & the MG's -- The Definitive Soul Collection (two CDs; Rhino)
• Solomon Burke - The Definition of Soul (two CDs; Rhino)
• Robert Callender - Musee de l'Impressionisme (Fallout)
• Canned Heat - Canned, Labeled and Shelved (two CDs; Music Avenue)
• Ray Charles -- The Definitive Soul Collection (two CDs; Rhino)
• Common People - Of the People/ By the People/ For the People From the Common People (Fallout)
• The Drifters -- The Definitive Soul Collection (two CDs; Rhino)
• Aretha Franklin - Live at Fillmore West (two CDs; Rhino)
• The Free Spirits - Out of Sight and Sound (Sunbeam)
• The Jesus and Mary Chain - Automatic, Darklands, Honey's Dead, Psychocandy and Stoned & Dethroned (DualDiscs; Rhino)
• Freedy Johnston - Live at McCabe's Guitar Shop - April 25th, 1998 (Shout! Factory)
• King Curtis - Live at Fillmore West (Rhino)
• Curtis Mayfield - The Definitive Collection (two CDs; Rhino)
• Michele - Saturn Rings (Fallout)
• The Open Mind - The Open Mind (Sunbeam)
• Otis Redding - The Definitive Collection (two CDs; Rhino)
• Tom Paxton - Live at McCabe's Guitar Shop - February 23rd, 1991 (Shout! Factory)
• Wilson Pickett - The Definitive Collection (two CDs; Rhino)
• Tim Rice & Friends - That's My Story (Sunbeam)
• Sam & Dave - The Definitive Collection (two CDs; Rhino)
• Snoop Doggy Dogg - The Doggfather (enhanced; with bonus DVD; Death Row)
  Buy Now: The Doggfather (Death Row)
  
• Spinners -- The Definitive Soul Collection (two CDs; Rhino)
• Stevie Ray Vaughan - Live in Tokyo (Masterplan)
• The Who - Live From Toronto (two CDs; Immortal)
• Various artists - Brunswick Top 40 R&B Singles 1966-1975 (Brunswick)
• Various artists - Club Hits: The Platinum Collection (SPG)
• Various artists - Comic Strip Heroes: Music From Gotham City and Beyond (Silva)
• Various artists - Disco Fever: Turn the Beat Around (Time Life)
• Various artists - Irie Reggae: Best of Chill (Time Life)
• Various artists - Jamaica to Toronto: Soul Funk & Reggae 1967-74 (Light in the Attic)

Music DVDs:

• Johnny Cash - "The Man in Black: Live in Denmark 1971" (Columbia/ Legacy)
• Confessor - "Live in Norway" (Season Mist)
• The Derek Trucks Band - "Songlines Live!" (Columbia)
• Tommy Emmanuel - "Live at Her Majesty's Theatre - Ballarat, Australia" (Favored Nations)
• Israel & New Breed - "Alive in South Africa (Integrity/ Columbia)
• Led Zeppelin - "On the Rock Trail" (Delta)
• Ozzy Osbourne & Black Sabbath - "On the Rock Trail" (Delta)
• Phish - "Live in Brooklyn" (two DVDs; Rhino)
• Pink Floyd - "Pulse" (two DVDs; Columbia) and "On the Rock Trail" (Delta)
• Various artists - "Afro-Punk" (Image Entertainment)
• Various artists - "Doo Wop: Vocal Group Greats Live" (Shout! Factory)

Coming Attractions: July 18:

• Alien Ant Farm - Up in the Attic (New Door)
  Preorder: Up in the Attic (New Door)
  
• The Bronx - The Bronx (digipak; Island)
• The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Don't You Fake It (Virgin)
  Read: "The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus: You Can Call Them Sellouts"
  Preorder: Don't You Fake It (Virgin)

July 25:

• Flogging Molly - Whiskey on a Sunday (DualDisc; Side One Dummy)
• Jurassic 5 - Feedback (Interscope)
• Pharrell Williams - In My Mind (Star Trak/ Interscope)
  Read: "Pharrell Williams: Fired Up"
  Preorder: In My Mind (Star Trak/ Interscope)

August 1:

• DMX - Year of the Dog, Again
  Read: "DMX Signs With Columbia, Will Release Long-Delayed LP This Spring"
  Preorder: Year of the Dog, Again (Columbia)
  
• Stone Sour - Come What(ever) May (Roadrunner)
  Read: "Slipknot's Taylor Gearing Up For Stone Sour LP — And Tenacious D Tribute"
• Various artists - Kidz Bop 10 (Razor & Tie)

• Thom Yorke
• Muse
• Sufjan Stevens
• Seether
• Peaches

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Strapping Young Lad
Photo: Century Media

Devin Townsend's tired.

It's a recent Thursday afternoon, and he's just about to start mixing the forthcoming LP from shock-rock outfit Gwar. He produced the album, tentatively titled Go to Hell!, and he's talking, in between yawns, about Gwar's frontman, Dave Brockie — better known as Oderus Urungus.

"He's got one of the best voices I've ever worked with," said Townsend, the eccentric frontman for Strapping Young Lad, who'll spend the summer playing Ozzfest. "I hope that they're satisfied enough that it's true to their catalog, because it's definitely different for them. The music is pretty over the top, in a lot of ways. It's been an interesting experience trying to put it all together."

But again, Devin's drained — and the timing couldn't be worse. His band's forthcoming album, The New Black, comes out July 11, and he's got Ozzfest ahead of him. But he's hoping to take some time off this fall to recover from the last decade and to be a dad. Devin's wife and manager, Tracy, is pregnant; she's due to deliver the couple's first child in October.

"I'm going to take a hiatus from making records for a while," Townsend said. "In the past 10 years, I've put out 20 records." That includes Strapping, the Devin Townsend Band and his own solo projects, like 2001's Terria. "[It's been] bang-bang-bang-bang. As soon as I finish one, I'm writing another, and when that one's done, I'm writing another. I just don't want to write records right now.

"The records I make, I'm there from the writing of the first note through the click tracks to the miking of the drums to the editing of everything to the production to the vocals to the artwork," he continued. "And it's been so many years of doing it. I won't ever stop doing what I do, I just need a break so I can go sit on a beach somewhere and drink Corona after Corona and stumble back to a hotel."

Leave it to Devin to go out on a high note: The New Black, which features 13 cuts, is devastatingly brutal.

"With this record, we just set out to make a really good-sounding, riotous record to listen to, and we achieved that," Townsend said. "It's what it needed to be. Fans will like it. I mean, considering the amount of time we had to do it, I think we did a really good job."

The band will shoot a video for the first track, "Wrong Side," Sunday in Jersey City, New Jersey, with director David Brodsky (Diecast, God Forbid). The video's concept is hard to describe — just know that it involves three Devins ("Dreaming Devin," "Devil Devin" and "Angel Devin") who work against each other with ungodly results.

As for Ozzfest, Devin's too exhausted to be excited.

"I don't even know what the Ozzfest is all about. Everybody seems to be making a real big deal about it, and for me, it's just the next gig we're doing," he said. "People talk about the Ozzfest and what it can do for your career, and I guess I'm just oblivious to it. ... I'm in a weird position, because there's all this rock and roll stuff [that goes on backstage at Ozzfest], and everyone's really into putting their party pants on and getting liquored up and high. I just don't fit in as well as a lot of people."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Motörhead have set Kiss of Death as the title of their forthcoming record, which is being eyed for an August 29 release. The album was produced by Cameron Webb (Manntis, Your Enemies Friends) and will feature "Kingdom of the Worm." ... British extreme-metallists Napalm Death have begun work on the follow-up to last year's The Code Is Red ... Long Live the Code. "This thing is already sounding totally immense," frontman Barney Greenway said of the new LP, which should be in stores before the end of the year. "It's fast and furious, as you'd expect, but we're also throwing a few curveballs in." The disc, tentatively titled Smear Campaign, will feature the title track, "Persona Nongrata" and "Call That an Option?" ... Some members of Norwegian black-metal incorrigibles Gorgoroth may have spent much of the past year in court or behind bars, but that didn't stop the infernal band from recording a new album. Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam was documented at Lydriket and Earshot Studios in Bergen, Norway, and is scheduled for release July 25. "Wound Open" is available for streaming at Candlelight Records' MySpace page. Gorgoroth's last album, Twilight of the Idols (In Conspiracy With Satan), came out in 2003. ... Bay Area thrashers Light This City, featuring the comely Laura Nichol, will tour this summer with Suicide Silence, All Shall Perish and others starting July 14. The band's finished recording the follow-up to 2005's Remains of the Gods and plan to have it ready for a September 12 street date. The disc will feature a guest vocal appearance by Black Dahlia Murder's Trevor Strnad. ...

After serving an eight-year murder sentence in Sweden, Dissection frontman Jon Nödtveidt re-formed the influential band and, last week, released their first studio album in 11 years, Reinkaos. But now Nödtveidt has announced that he's leaving the music industry for good. "I have reached the limitations of music as a tool for expressing what I want to express," he said in a statement. "With Reinkaos finally released, I realize that there is nothing left for me to do with Dissection. We have succeeded with our task to manifest, in essence, a truly satanic record blessed by the dark gods. ... It wouldn't even be desirable for me to follow it up since everything that I ever wanted to express is in there." Dissection's final show will be in Stockholm on June 24, and according to the band's Web site, the concert will be recorded and shot for future DVD and CD release. ... Dillinger Escape Plan, Necrophagist, Cattle Decapitation and the Number Twelve Looks Like You are among the bands that have been confirmed for Show of the Summer, which will take place June 10 in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and June 11 in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Haste the Day, Chiodos, Sworn Enemy, From a Second Story Window, Full Blown Chaos, Misery Index, Animosity and Arsis are also on the bill for the weekend festival. ...

Technical death-metal act Dying Fetus have found themselves a new drummer in Duane Timlin. The news comes after an exhaustive yearlong search for a replacement for Erik Sayenga, who quit the band last May "due to circumstances beyond his control." "We wanted to move forward in the certainty of having the right person for the group," the band said in a statement. "[He] has demonstrated to us that he has the skills and dedication we were looking for." The band has been writing material for its forthcoming, yet-untitled LP, which should surface later this year. Look for the disc to feature "Parasites of Catastrophe," "Unadulterated Hatred" and "Raping the System." ... German prog/power-metal virtuosos Blind Guardian have confirmed that they will tour North America in November and December to support their September release, A Twist in the Myth. "I think we have widened the range of the Blind Guardian universe more than we have ever done before," frontman Hansi Kürsch said. "We can't wait to hear and see your reaction." Tracks include "This Will Never End," "Otherland" and "Carry the Blessed Home." Blind Guardian will shoot a video for "Another Stranger Me" before the tour begins. ...

Former Mr. Universe Thor will release his next muscular slab of metal, Devastation of Musculation, July 25. The disc was co-produced by Thor and Mike Kischnick and recorded in British Columbia. The album title comes from a program Thor saw about a bodybuilder whose career came to a painful and premature end. "[He] wanted to have the biggest biceps in the world," Thor said in a press release. "He pumped himself up with so many steroids and oil injections that his arms reached 50 inches and actually exploded." Tracks include "Lords of Steel," "Lies of Eternity" and "Cold White Ghost." ... Veteran Swedish death-metal band Dismember will be on their first North American tour in more than five years from September 30 in Bedford, New Hampshire, through October in Montreal. Vital Remains, Grave, Demiricous and Withered will also perform. Dismember's seventh full-length studio album, The God That Never Was, came out earlier this year. ... Sahg, a new stoner/doom band in the tradition of Kyuss and Electric Wizard, will release their debut album, Sahg 1, July 25. The band's "Boundless Demise" can be heard on Candlelight Records' MySpace page.

• Strapping Young Lad
• Gorgoroth
• Napalm Death

Ozzy Osbourne
Photo: Dave Hogan/Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Ozzfest: A Look Back

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

If Hope Dies
Photo: Metal Blade Records

Auburn, New York's known for two things: It's the birthplace of sound-equipped film and home to leather-chaps-lovin' primal metal sensations Manowar.

Gary Mann's hoping his band If Hopes Dies will become the next biggest thing to emerge from Auburn. But no, folks — he's not at all ashamed of his hometown heroes. Not one bit.

"Dude we all have Manowar tattoos," said the bassist, who signs autographs "Gary Manowar." "I have one tattoo on my body and it's Manowar. It says 'Brothers in Metal' on it and it's got an axe and a torch on it. Both of our guitar players got lessons from their guitar player [Karl Logan]. I personally love that band. And I get to see [Manowar bassist] Joey DeMaio at Wal-Mart all the time."

If Hopes Dies' Life in Ruin will hit stores March 7 and feature 11 tracks, including "Fear Will Keep Them in Line," "Water Into Wine Cooler" and the first single, "Anthem for the Unemployable." Mann said the band worked with producer Jason Suecof (Trivium, God Forbid) on the effort, and while there's loads of aggression on the disc, If Hope Dies took a different approach with their "Anthem."

"This album is the first time we sat down and said, 'Hey, let's write songs this time,' " Mann said. "The chorus [to 'Anthem'] is very Shadows-Fall-like ... I mean, you can understand what we're saying, I guess. This is the first time we've had a taste of something marketable."

If Hope Dies will soon shoot a clip for the track with directors Frankie Nasso (Mudvayne, Sworn Enemy) and Dale Resteghini (Shadows Fall, Candiria). Because "Anthem" is an anti-work song, Mann said the band had originally planned on producing a video spoofing "Office Space."

"So we're thinking about having us sitting in this office building in button-up shirts and ties, and we're sitting there and during our lunch break, we go down into the boiler room and all our instruments are down there," he explained. "So we start playing, and we're just rocking out and going crazy, and upstairs, at the same time, without us knowing, people hear the song, and they go from, 'Hey, what's that noise?' to 'Yeah, this rules.' And everyone upstairs starts moshing and going crazy and breaking all this stuff. We don't even know about it, but when our lunch break's up, we go back upstairs and return to work, and the whole place is in shambles."

On March 20, a few weeks after Life in Ruin's release, the band will hit the road with Still Remains, Nodes of Ranvier and Demiricous. Dates run through May 7.

The rest of the week's metal news:

The Dillinger Escape Plan have begun writing songs for the follow-up to 2004's Miss Machine, but there's no word yet on when the as-yet-untitled album might surface. A posting on the band's Web site says the new stuff's "going to completely shatter any expectations or preconceptions of what you think it will be. We don't know how long this is going to take, but we do know that we are committed to pushing this thing we call the Dillinger Escape Plan to levels and extremities never before seen (or heard). We are still going to be standing while originality and authenticity burn down around us." ... Strapping Young Lad are four tracks into the writing process for their next album, which, according to a drummer Gene Hoglan, should surface in July. "I'm really psyched with the new stuff — hell, we all are," he wrote on the group's site. ... Asesino — the grinding death-metal band featuring former Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares, Andreas Kisser of Sepultura and Static-X bassist Tony Campos — headed into Los Angeles' Undercity Studios this week to start recording Solo Putos Muertos, the forthcoming album and follow-up to 2002's Corridos De Muerte. A summer release is being eyed for the release. ... More dates have been announced for Opeth's upcoming North American tour, featuring Dark Tranquillity, the Devin Townsend Band and DevilDriver opening on various dates. The band has booked gigs in Louisville, Kentucky; New York; Hartford (with Catalyst); Chicago; Milwaukee; and Eugene, Oregon, between February 20 and March 11. ... Chimaira have lined up six shows for March with Children of Bodom and Bullet for My Valentine. The gigs commence March 18 in New Haven, Connecticut, and run through March 24 in Toronto. ... Yakuza's new album Samsara will drop March 21 and feature 10 tracks, including "Monkeytail," "Transmission Ends ... Signal Lost," "Just Say Know" and "Back to the Mountain." ...

Manchester, England, metallers Beecher have thrown in the towel after five years as a group. Why? Well, a statement from the band explains that, "it seems ... right now, you either need to look stupid or sound sh-- (or more often than not, a combination of the two) to get anywhere in this 'scene,' two things that have never applied to Beecher. The reason for our breakup is a combination of personal reasons that no one outside of our band needs to know. But rest assured, now is the time — the time for us all to get our lives back." ... Darren Doane will direct As I Lay Dying's video for "The Darkest Nights." On Doane's MySpace page, he wrote that the clip will be a "really big project — sort of 'Lord of the Rings,' but darker. Horse chases through forests, battle scenes and burning cities. This is probably the biggest video I have ever done." ... Kreator, Napalm Death and A Perfect Murder will launch the Enemy of God II Tour February 21 in Rouen-Noranda, Québec. Dates run through March 25 in Springfield, Virginia. Napalm Death started working on material for their 12th album last month. ... Zakk Wylde and Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci will guest on a new album by former Dream Theater keyboardist Derek Sherinian. The disc, tentatively scheduled for release in June, will also feature Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, ex-Blue Murder bassist Tony Franklin and respected studio drummers Simon Phillips and Brian Tichy. Sherinian is working on the follow-up to his 2004 Mythology at his Beachwood Manor Studios in Burbank, California. ... New York grindcore outfit Skinless have started recording the follow-up to their 2003 disc From Sacrifice to Survival. Tentatively due in the spring, Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead will be the band's first effort featuring singer Jason Keyser, who replaced Sherwood Webber in winter 2004. Skinless are working with engineer Brett Portzer in Albany, New York's Max Trax Studios. ...

Darkest Hour are about to enter the studio with engineer Brian McTernan to remix and remaster their second album, So Sedated, So Secure, which was originally released in 2001. The reissue will include covers of Pentagram's "Be Forewarned" and Battery's "Go Back to the Gym" and is scheduled to hit stores in March. Darkest Hour will launch a tour with Himsa, A Life Once Lost, the Acacia Strain and Dead to Fall February 17 in Cohoes, New York, with dates running through April 1 in Washington, D.C. ... Fort Lauderdale, Florida's Remembering Never will release their third album, God Save Us, February 6. The disc was produced by Zeuss and includes "Con Artist," "Pocket Full of Dirt" and "Slaughterhouse Blues." Remembering Never's last album, Women and Children Die First, came out in early 2004. ... Traditional heavy-metal band Seven Witches will release Amped January 24. The disc was recorded at Mix-O-Lydian Studios in Lafayette, New Jersey, and features "West Nile," "Dishonor Killings" and "Fame Gets You Off." The album will be the first to feature two new members, singer Alan Tecchio and bassist Kevin Bolembach, both of whom were previously in Non-Fiction. ... Swiss melodic-metal band Shakra will release their first album in the States, Fall, January 24. The group's fifth album includes "Take Me Now," "All or Nothing" and "She's My Ecstasy." It will be the band's first offering to feature new singer Mark Fox. ... Italian extreme-metal band Aborym will release their fourth album, Generator, March 21. Tracks include "Armageddon," "A Dog-Eat-Dog World" and "Suffer Catalyst." The band's lineup has changed considerably since the release of 2003's With No Human Intervention. Ex-Mysticum singer Prime Evil has taken Attila Csihar's former spot and ex-Emperor drummer Barg G. Eithun (a.k.a. Faust) has replaced the group's longtime drum machine. ...

Eagle Rock Entertainment will release the DVD "Deep Purple: Live in California 74" January 24. The show was recorded on the band's tour for Burn at the Ontario Speedway in front of 200,000 people. The lineup for the show featured Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), David Coverdale (vocals), Glenn Hughes (bass), Jon Lord (keyboards) and Ian Paice (drums). ... Cerberus will soon enter the studio to record What Have We Become, a six-song EP that should hit stores in July. ... Vader, Kataklysm, Nuclear Assault, Speed Kill Hate, Graveworm and the Absencse will launch a North American tour in May. Dates confirmed thus far for the Metal Crusaders Tour run from May 26 in Montreal to June 29 in Seattle. ... Nebula's forthcoming disc Apollo, produced by Daniel Rey (Ramones, the Misfits), will land in stores February 21. ... Enslaved's new album, Ruun, will be released May 8 and, according to guitarist and composer Ivar Bjørnson, feature songs that "are stronger than ever. We've found the ultimate studios and the guys in the band are in very high spirits. Now it's just a matter of working as hard as body and mind permits." ... Reunited New Jersey metal act Attacker's forthcoming album The Unknown will be available April 11. ... Former Godbelow and Brand New Sin drummer Mike Rafferty has been named Demiricous' touring drummer. He'll be working with the band on a trial basis before being made a permanent member of the fold. ... Beyond the Embrace and Green Carnation will hit the road together starting February 24 in Buffalo, New York. Dates run through April 1 in Toronto.

• If Hope Dies
• Beecher
• Zakk Wylde
• Dillinger Escape Plan
• Darkest Hour

Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson (file)
Photo: Getty Images/Jo Hale

Devin Townsend's not crazy. It's not that he's defensive about it ("I'd like to say I'm fine," he said, "but then I listen to some of the music and I'm like, 'No, you're not' "), but the truth is he's not crazy in the purest sense of the word. However, the exalted, follicle-challenged Canadian guitarist behind Strapping Young Lad (as well as a host of epic-sized progressive solo projects he's released through his Hevy Devy label) is an insane musical genius — in much the same vein as Mozart.

Seriously.

Take his approach to writing lyrics. While there's no underlying theme to Strapping Young Lad's latest, Alien, a record that took a year to write and record, "if there is a message at all, it's I don't know what's going on," he said.

"With Alien, it was just random firings of information. I'm in the dubious position, as a singer, of having to write lyrics. So what am I interested in? Screaming, random thoughts, and I really like chaos. As opposed to having any theme, it's everything in the kitchen sink, and then put echo on it, and then put an explosion on that."

SYL's been around awhile, and for those in the metal know, they're almost a closely guarded secret. But this summer they'll get the kind of exposure only a festival tour can bring, thanks to the Sounds of the Underground. Townsend's excited about hitting the road: "I've got a new amp and a bunch of new guitars, so I look forward to getting out there and shaking my head and going 'RAAH' a lot."

Strapping recently shot a video for the track "Love?," and Alien hits stores Tuesday.

The rest of the week's metal news:

Roadrunner Records will mark its 25th anniversary with the tentatively titled Roadrunner All-Stars album, due this fall. To be produced by Slipknot's Joey Jordison, Fear Factory's Dino Cazares, Machine Head's Robert Flynn and one other yet-to-be-named Roadrunner alum, the disc will include original tracks written and performed by current and former members of Coal Chamber, Soulfly, Chimaira, Spineshank and Obituary. Each song will feature a different vocalist. ... According to Iron Maiden's Web site, the band will not be performing on the final seven dates of this year's "Longhairs Across America" tour — also known as Ozzfest 2005 — disappointing fans in New Mexico, Texas, North Carolina and Florida. Why? Previous touring commitments overseas conflict with the dates, according to informed sources. It's believed — but far from confirmed — that Ozzfest will soon add another high-profile band to this year's main-stage lineup. ...

Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler will issue Ohmwork, the second album by his solo band, GZR, on May 10. The release will be Butler's first solo album in eight years and will include the single "I Believe." Any touring in support of the release will have to happen after the completion of Ozzfest, which is once again being headlined by Sabbath. ... Ozzfest 2005 prog-metallers Mastodon recently shot a video with director Jonathan Rej for the track "Blood and Thunder" from the sludge purveyors' Leviathan. The band will kick off its U.S. headlining tour Wednesday at New Orleans' House of Blues. ... Anomalies, the next album from self-described "Rocky Mountain hydro-grind" specialists Cephalic Carnage, will drop March 21. ... Mathcore's finest, the Red Chord, will release Clients on May 17. They'll also shoot a video for the track "Lay the Tarp" just before hitting the road with Bury Your Dead, A Life Once Lost and If Hope Dies on March 27. ...

Catch 33, the latest from experimental Swedish metallers Meshuggah, will see the light of day May 31, according to the band's American label, Nuclear Blast. The album's going to feature one uninterrupted track that clocks in at 47 minutes but is broken into 13 distinct parts. ... Guitarist Rob Barrett will once again be teaming up with Cannibal Corpse next month for the death metal collective's headlining gig at the Northwest Death Fest in Seattle, according to a posting on the band's Web site. It is unclear whether Barrett, who was with the band from 1993 to 1997, will continue on with the Corpse after this one show. Metal File will keep you posted. ... Following numerous show cancellations and the departure of their two guitarists, Eric and Brian Hoffman, Deicide will return to the road May 26 in Ottawa, Ontario. Frontman Glen Benton and drummer Steve Asheim will be joined by touring guitarists Jack Owen (ex-Cannibal Corpse) and Dave Suzuki (Vital Remains). Dates run through June 22 in San Antonio, Texas, with Skinless, Misery Index and With Passion opening all shows. ...

Six Feet Under, the death metal band fronted by ex-Cannibal Corpse singer Chris Barnes, will release their new album, 13, on Tuesday. The disc follows up 2003's Bringer of Blood and will include the tracks "Decomposition of the Human Race," "Somewhere in the Darkness" and "Shadow of the Reaper." The band recently shot a video for the latter with director Gary Smithson. In addition, Six Feet Under filmed their March 16 concert in Berlin for possible inclusion on their box set, due later this year. ... Throwdown have finished recording "Vendetta," the follow-up to 2003's Haymaker, with producer Zeuss (Hatebreed, Shadows Fall) at his Planet Z Studios. The album is due in July and will include a guest appearance from Killswitch Engage vocalist Howard Jones, who joined the band onstage at a couple of Ozzfest stops last year. ... Evanescence drummer Rocky Gray, better known in metal circles as guitarist for the defunct Christian bands Living Sacrifice and Soul Embraced, has formed a side project called the Burning, who are busy demoing material. In related news, Solid State Records will release the Living Sacrifice best-of collection In Memoriam, which includes a handful of newly recorded songs, on March 29. ...

As I Lay Dying singer Tim Lambesis has formed an imprint through Pluto Records called Clockwork Recordings, which will release the debut album from Arizona's Life in Pictures on April 19. ... Terror will head out on a U.S. tour with Remembering Never and the Acacia Strain in April. ... D.C. thrashers Darkest Hour have been hard at work in the studio in recent weeks with producer Devin Townsend (Lamb of God, Soilwork), recording the follow-up to 2003's Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation. So far, the band's written 10 songs. Darkest Hour's new DVD, "Party Scars and Prison Bars - A Thrashography," is now available and features live footage, music videos and behind-the-scenes hilarity. Yes, hilarity. ... Canadian deathcore six-piece Despised Icon will embark on a massive Canadian tour alongside Ion Dissonance and Premonitions of War later this month. In addition, the band will be making its first U.S. appearance during the Maryland Deathfest, which will rattle Baltimore's House of Rock May 28 and 29; the group's latest, The Healing Process, will be in stores April 5. ...

Everyone's favorite Norwegians Turbonegro will release their latest gem, Party Animals, on May 9. Alas, American fans of punk metal's answer to the Village People will be sad to learn the album, featuring tracks titled "Wasted Again" and "Blow Me (Like the Wind)," will only be available in Europe — initially, anyway. ... Sludgy doom merchants Eyehategod's tour will kick off May 15 in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and wrap up June 18 in Kings Fort, Tennessee, at the Tennessee Metal and Hardcore Fest. Grindcore pioneers Napalm Death are getting ready to return with their first studio album in nearly three years. The Code Is Red ... Long Live the Code, due April 19, features their fastest and most political songs since 1992's Utopia Banished. "The title is a play on the phrase 'The king is dead, long live the king,' " explains guitarist Mitch Harris. "It's about the color code system that went along with the terrorist activity in the U.S., and the viciousness of the record is really a reflection of the political climate." ...

Canadian death metal band Cryptopsy won't release their next album until the end of the year, but they're offering fans a teaser now. The group has posted a pre-production version of "Carrionshine" on its Web site, cryptopsy.net. The track features the return of original vocalist Lord Worm, who quit after 1995's None So Vile. Cryptopsy will tour with Cattle Decapitation, Devilinside and the Autumn Offering thru April 22. ... Energetic Canadian riff-rockers Danko Jones will release their third album, We Sweat Blood, on April 19. Six days later, the group will launch a North American tour in New York that will circle the country before returning to wrap up in Brooklyn on May 24. ...

• Iron Maiden
• Mastodon
• Cannibal Corpse
• Turbonegro
• Strapping Young Lad