Godsmack, Rob Zombie to haunt audiences

Question: What do you get when you combine a witch, a Zombie, two bassists, two drummers and two guitarists? Answer: A late-summer/early fall tour that teams Godsmack--featuring frontman and practicing Wiccan Sully Erna--with fellow metal master Rob Zombie.

The acts, both of which are backing new albums, will hit the road together in late August, and are currently scheduled to make stops at amphitheaters in about two-dozen cities by the beginning of October. Details are included below.

"Our fans should expect the biggest Godsmack spectacle yet," Erna said in a statement. "This tour will be a virtual visual and aural circus. Expect the unexpected when we hit your town."

Zombie and his band will open the show each night, "turning the house into a funhouse of mystery and madness as creatures walk the stage of pyrotechnics, smoke and mirrors," according to a press release.

In late April, Godsmack offered up "IV," its first full-length studio set since 2003's "Faceless." In the interim, the group issued its 2004 acoustic EP, "The Other Side."

"IV" debuted in the top slot on The Billboard 200 album chart after selling about 211,000 copies during its first week out. Fueling sales is the album's hit single, "Speak." The group has chosen "Shine Down" as the set's next single, and plans to perform the track during a Sept. 5 appearance on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."

Erna produced the new disc, and engineered the set with Andy Johns, whose credits include "Led Zeppelin IV," Van Halen's "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" and The Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main Street."

Fans will be able to catch Erna on upcoming episodes of magician Criss Angel's television series, "Mindfreak," which airs on the A&E cable channel. He, along with drummer Shannon Larkin, will also turn up in the forthcoming music video for the show's new theme song, "MF2," which Erna co-wrote and performed.

About a month before "IV" landed in stores, Zombie dropped "Educated Horses," his first new collection in almost five years. The disc features the cut "Foxy Foxy," which grabbed enough traction at rock radio to help usher the album to a No. 5 debut on The Billboard 200.

Backing Zombie on stage will be guitarist John 5, bassist Rob "Blasko" Nicholson and drummer Tommy Clufetos, a lineup Zombie assembled for last year's Ozzfest tour. He recruited the trio after work on "Educated Horses" was well underway.

In the five-or-so years that have passed since he released his previous studio set, "Sinister Urge," Zombie has spent a good deal of time cultivating a career as a horror-film writer and director. His debut flick, "House of 1,000 Corpses," hit screens in 2003, and he followed it up with last year's sequel, "The Devil's Rejects."

A few days ago, word surfaced that Zombie has cut a deal to revive the classic horror series "Halloween" and its centerpiece villain, Michael Myers.

"Call it what you will, a remake, an update or whatever, but one thing's for sure: it ain't a sequel," reads a message posted at Zombie's website.