New Jersey's own Zakk Wylde generally just doesn't give a damn about much. For example, beyond Killswitch Engage and As I Lay Dying, he doesn't know who's playing Ozzfest's second stage this year. But really, you can't exactly blame the dude. He usually doesn't get up until after noon, and even then, he's often nursing a hangover.

So when asked what he thinks of Wicked Wisdom, it's not too surprising when Wylde replies, "What's that?" After being told that it's the Jada Pinkett Smith-fronted group that takes the stage long before he rolls out of bed, he asks, "What does Jada Pinkett Smith do?" When he finds out she's the Hollywood actress married to Will Smith, who's also been attending all of the Ozzfest dates, he perks up. "F---ing Will Smith's been on the Ozzfest? What the hell? I need to get an autograph, dude. 'I loved you in "Ali," bro.' "

Wylde says he just doesn't care about "any of that [second stage] sh--. It cuts into time at the Irish tavern, you know what I mean, dude? Why? Is everyone pissing and moaning? What, because they're a new band? Dude, I don't get up that early. Have people been bottling them?"

Bottling?

"Heaving sh-- at them? Bottles? Dude, I remember when we did a show up in Toronto back in 2001, and ... it's too bad, because they were really nice dudes, too. But what were they? Crazytown? You know how you look at a light at night, and there's nothing but f---ing moths around it? Well, there's nothing but these f---ing bottles, these little Evian and Poland Spring bottles, and they're throwing them up there in f---ing droves. Poor bastards. But hey, it's a metal bill and you're doing hip-hop. Get this sh-- the f--- out of here."

For Wylde, who's been a part of Ozzfest for the last seven years, this summer's edition has been like all the rest. "Just a f---ing ass-kicking time, dude. It's like going to Great Adventure."

Once the tour's over, Wylde said he's got two projects in the works he needs to finish. The first is a DVD with live footage from several recent shows his Black Label Society played over in Paris and London; that, he said, could see release early next year. There's also a compilation CD that should be out around the same time, featuring all of the earliest BLS material as well as some bonus tracks, to be called Kings of Damnation.

The rest of the week's metal news:

Bränn Dailor, drummer for Atlanta grindcore masters Mastodon, told Metal File the band's been "collecting riffs and accepting ideas as they come" while on the road during this summer's Ozzfest. He said Mastodon plan to take a few weeks off this September before hitting the studio, where they'll "dump those ideas out and start putting it all together. We've got a lot of good ideas." Dailor said the band hopes to release its Warner Bros. debut next summer. ... Trivium will hit the road in November with Children of Bodom for a full U.S. tour; there are no definitive dates yet. ... Explosive D.C. grind act Pig Destroyer have lined up three West Coast dates with Uphill Battle, Phobia and Triac: August 5 at the Showcase Theater in Corona, California; August 6 at Los Angeles' Hanging Jury; and August 7 at the Voodoo House in Tijuana, Mexico. ... Roadrunner United-- The All-Star Sessions, a disc slapped together for the label's 25th anniversary, is set to hit stores on October 11. The album features collaborations involving past and current heavyweights from Roadrunner's roster, including Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt, Glassjaw's Daryl Palumbo, Slipknot's Jim Root, Max Cavalera, King Diamond, Type O Negative's Peter Steele, Vision of Disorder's Tim Williams and others. Tracks include "Roads," "Constitution Down," "Annihilation by the Hand of God" and "The Dawn of a Golden Age." ...

Killswitch Engage guitarist and funnyman Adam Dutkiewicz was asked recently whether he'd be interested in touring with new Roadrunner labelmates Opeth: "I would love to. We can discuss math problems and castles. It would be awesome. I think they'll be into it. They just seem like they'd be down with both of those things." ... Sacramento's With Passion have lost two and gained another. The band's original drummer, Jacob Peete, is back in the mix, while keyboardist Brandon Guadagnolo and guitarist Andy Burt have departed to pursue other musical interests, according to the band's Web site. ... New York extreme metallers Genghis Tron were almost killed by a bunny last week. The band was driving to a gig in New Mexico at 70 mph when it struck a jack rabbit and lost control of its van and trailer. The vehicle rolled off the highway and the trailer was thrown 30 feet into the desert, but no one was injured. The accident forced Genghis to cancel the rest of their U.S. tour, which they hopes to make up at the end of the year. ... Irreverent hard-rock band My Ruin will release their new studio album, The Brutal Language, September 27. The band added bassist Chris Lisee and drummer Jason Brunk to its lineup after completing the disc. ...

Los Angeles stoner-metal band Fireball Ministry will release their third album, Their Rock Is Not Our Rock, October 18. The disc was produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Velvet Revolver, Foo Fighters) and recorded at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 West and the late Elliott Smith's New Monkey Studios. The album will be the first to feature ex-Systematic bassist Johnny Chow, who replaced original bassist Janis Tanaka. Fireball Ministry will open for CKY from August 8 in San Diego through September 11 in Norfolk, Virginia. ... Doom/punk powerhouse Debris, Inc., which includes Trouble bassist Ron Holzner and Saint Vitus guitarist Dave Chandler, will play a string of East Coast dates to support their self-titled debut, which came out in April. The 10-date tour will launch August 4 in Chicago and end August 13 in Dayton, Ohio. ... Canadian experimental thrash-metal vets Voivod have signed a deal with the End Records and will enter the studio in the fall to record their 11th album, which is due in early 2006. The band's last, self-titled album, its first to feature ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted, came out in March 2003. ...

Thine Eyes Bleed have been added to this fall's International Extreme Music Festival, which also features God Dethroned, Byzantine, Nightrage, Hell Within, Epoch of Unlight and Lilitu. Thine Eyes Bleed's debut album, In the Wake of Separation, came out June 21. ... Sunset Strip rockers Beautiful Creatures will release their second album, on August 23. The disc will be the band's first since its 2001 self-titled debut. Beautiful Creatures are fronted by Bang Tango singer Joe Leste, previously played Ozzfest and opened up for Kiss before being dropped by Warner Bros. ... New York hardcore legends Madball will hit the road on September 7 in Revere, Massachusetts, for a 21-date U.S. headlining tour, with support acts Walls of Jericho, Misery Signals and Full Blown Chaos. ... God Forbid's IV: Constitution of Treason will be in stores on September 20 and features "The End of the World," "Crucify Your Beliefs" and "To the Fallen Hero." ... Guitarist Kevin Rampelberg has left the Red Chord; they are performing as a four-piece for the time being, as they search for a replacement. ... Converge have started working on the follow-up to 2004's You Fail Me. They'll preview some of their new material on an upcoming Canadian tour and at this year's Hellfest in late August.