It's been two years since Cleveland's Chimaira released The Impossibility of Reason, and according to frontman Mark Hunter, the band spent most of that time on the road and in the studio, working on its upcoming self-titled third disc, set to hit stores on August 9.

For Chimaira -- who are playing both this summer's Sounds of the Underground Tour ("It's been awesome; the first night, everyone was hanging out, barbecuing") and Trenton, New Jersey's Hellfest -- there was a decision to be made before they could embark on this latest brutal journey.

"We could make The Impossibility of Reason part two, which would have been absolutely no challenge whatsoever, or there was option two: totally reinvent ourselves," Hunter said. "That seemed more challenging, and at the same time, more fun. We didn't want to put out the same record over and over again, and I think this album is such a breath of fresh air -- especially considering what's going on with heavy music right now."

With none of the album's 10 tracks -- which include "Nothing Remains," "Inside the Horror," "Left for Dead" and "Bloodlust" -- clocking in at less than five minutes, Chimaira is an epic release. But the band didn't set out to record mammoth songs -- they just sort of happened.

"We didn't want to have any restraints or follow any specific guidelines," Hunter said. "We wanted the songs to play out for as long as they needed to, and have peaks and dynamics rather than doing the standard 'verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/end.' If a chorus was great, we wanted to make you wait for it."

The band's European fans will be able to score a limited-edition, double-CD rendition of the new disc when it hits stores in August; the special version will boast nine additional tracks, seven of them live, and covers of two songs from guitarist Matt DeVries' former band, Ascension: "Clayden" and "Malignant."

The rest of the week's metal news:

The generously sideburned, leather-lovin' Glenn Danzig has unveiled the lineup for his Blackest of the Black Tour, which is set to kick off in San Diego in late September and end on the West Coast on Halloween. Danzig has secured some support acts since Metal File first reported on his plans: Chimaira, Behemoth, Himsa, Mortiis and the Agony Scene. Danzig, who will cap off every show on the tour, will once again be bringing former Misfits guitarist Doyle Von Frankenstein on the road with him -- this time, for a special 30-minute set of Misfits classics. ... After not seeing or hearing from him for more than a few weeks, Morbid Angel's David Vincent has filed a missing-persons report with Florida authorities for Angel/ Monstrosity axeman Tony Norman. The band contacted Norman's friends and family before going to police; the guitarist's girlfriend is also missing. Vincent and the rest of the band are hoping that anyone who's seen Norman will come forward. Monstrosity have been working on the follow-up to Rise to Power, with an anticipated 2006 release. ...

Emotive Australian hardcore band I Killed the Prom Queen will be heading to Sweden, heavy metal's capital, in August and September to start work on their next record with At the Gates producer Fredrik Nordstrom. Look for a mid-winter release. ... Members of grindcore outfits Napalm Death and Nasum are assembling tracks for a live split CD that will be released next year. The songs were recorded in Japan during a 2004 tour and will likely be the last recordings Nasum will release. The band broke up in May after singer Mieszko Talarczyk, who was vacationing in Thailand, was killed by the tsunami that devastated the South Asian coastline. ... Thrash band Arch Enemy have posted the new song "Nemesis" on their Web site. A video for the track will be shot this week with director George Bravo, who also worked with the group on its video for "We Will Rise." Arch Enemy's new album, Doomsday Machine, will be released July 26. The disc was co-produced by the band and Rickard Bengtsson at Slaughterhouse Studio in Sweden. ...

Veteran progressive-metal group Kings X will release a three-disc box set on September 20. The package will include their albums Manic Moonlight, Please Come Home ... Mr. Bulbous and Tape Head, which were originally released between 1998 and 2001. ... California thrash metallers the Black Dahlia Murder recently shot a video with director Matt Bass (Skindred, Nonpoint) for the track "A Vulgar Picture." ... Australian hardcore bashers Day of Contempt will release their first North American offering, The Will To Live, on August 9. Josh Abraham produced the disc. ... Chris Broderick, guitarist for '80s power-metal band Jag Panzer, is giving guitar lessons over the Internet. The classically trained axeman currently has 11 students. Players wishing to join Broderick's school of hard rocks should check out the "lessons" page on his Web site, ChrisBroderick.com.