The world's biggest rock stars, Fozzy, are about to descend from the skies once again to enthrall the masses and incinerate the skeptics.

The band's Happenstance, due July 30, combines five brand new skull-shattering rockers with classic tracks that were pilfered from Fozzy over 20 years ago, then made famous by groups including Judas Priest ("Freewheel Burning"), Black Sabbath ("The Mob Rules") and W.A.S.P. ("Love Machine").

"You know what W.A.S.P. stands for? It stands for 'We Are Stupid People because we stole Fozzy's song and now we got busted and now we're embarrassed,' " snarled vocalist Moongoose McQueen after swinging by to promote his new record, which he said pre-sold 10 million copies. "Now that we're back, we're tracking down these charlatans and pulling down the curtain to reveal the shriveled-up old men shivering and shaking and saying, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry.' All the pirates who have stolen our stuff are now bowing down and scared to death that Fozzy has returned to the United States. I want signed, written apologies from all of them. And I'm gonna get 'em, too."

McQueen's arrogance and hostility are warranted. Fozzy virtually invented heavy metal. They were the first band to wear leather, grope groupies and conceive moshing. Artists who have unsuccessfully auditioned for the band include Paul McCartney, Ozzy axeman Zakk Wylde, Iron Maiden's Adrian Smith and Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles, who, Moongoose revealed, took up bass just to audition for Fozzy. Heck, they even invented nü metal.

"That was ours, but we spelled it k-n-e-w, because we knew we were better than everybody else," McQueen boasted. "As far as Korn Bizkit goes and all those other guys, it's fine that they're playing their little new-age metal, but nobody can compare to the true metal glory of Fozzy."

If all this sounds bogus, that's because Fozzy really aren't all they claim to be. Most of their accomplishments exist only in the mind of WWE wrestler Chris Jericho, who created the band's mythos. Jericho, who had played in various metal groups in his youth, formed Fozzy three years ago with Stuck Mojo guitarist Rich Ward while he was recovering from an ankle injury. During his many years in professional wrestling, Jericho learned the value of a good storyline as well as how to work a crowd, and he applied both to his new group.

"My character of Chris Jericho is not my real-life persona, that's my character," said the wrestler, whose real name is Chris Irvine. "People don't pay money to see me, they pay to see my character. It's the same thing with rock and roll. People don't pay to see David Lee Roth. They pay to see Diamond Dave. They pay to see Paul Stanley as the Star Child. And that's what it is with Fozzy. Moongoose McQueen is the most pompous, arrogant lead singer of all time, but also flamboyant, very charismatic, and one of the greatest live performers of all time in his own head."

After Fozzy's self-titled debut came out, Jericho planned to tour as much as possible and enjoy a few laughs. When audiences responded well to the album and live performances, Fozzy decided to continue the legacy. Only with Happenstance, Jericho decided not to play the spoof angle quite as hard. While the first album featured eight classic metal covers and two originals, the new disc is made up of five originals and six covers. And Jericho said the band's next album will probably have even fewer covers.

"It's fun playing the other guys' songs, but playing our songs is the ultimate rock and roll moment," Jericho said. "We're evolving and getting tighter and stronger, so it's a natural evolution to play our own material. It's a different thing, because it's your own picture that you're painting, not someone else's picture that you're copying. But that's what music's all about."

Now that Fozzy is becoming more of a serious band, Jericho is dropping his guard and letting fans in on the joke. He's not eliminating the Moongoose shtick, but he's drawing clear distinctions between his personae.

"We're kind of like the Blues Brothers now, which is better than a Tony Clifton/ Andy Kaufman type scenario [in which Kaufman wouldn't admit to fans that he played both characters]. Doing it that way in the past confused people, and as a result it became difficult to hang onto the storyline completely. I realized if we opened the door a bit and let people into the joke it's much more accessible and more understandable, which is going to create more opportunities for Fozzy."

Jericho said the WWE plans to promote the band at various house shows and wrestling broadcasts, which should help spread the legend of Fozzy far across the land. As for the nonbelievers ...

"Who doesn't believe in Fozzy?" Jericho sneered, returning to the character of McQueen. "Give me the name and telephone number of every person who doesn't believe in Fozzy and they'll pay the price. My bodyguards Moishi and Tico, we'll send them door to door. We have the money to do that. I'll send them to Sidney Bernstein in Peoria, Illinois, and Clarence Johnson in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. We'll have a little talk with them and we'll straighten them out. They'll become true believers very quickly."

The rock god threw back his head, brushed a hand through his long hair and took a moment to compose himself. "The people that don't believe in Fozzy are complete and utter nerds," he concluded. "They're the people that sit at school when everyone is outside smoking cigarettes and groping each other and failing their classes. I bet you they're the ones that are studying their books and being A-plus students and going on to lucrative lives and great careers. Who needs that? If you're listening to Fozzy, it doesn't matter if you're a derelict."

For a look back at Fozzy, check out the feature interview "Fozzy: Putting Metal First!"