"Death Magnetic," Metallica: On Sept. 12, Metallica will drop their much-awaited, Rick Rubin-produced new album. Their ninth studio disc — and first in five years — is said to return the band to their speed metal roots. The band has been shy about playing the new tunes in concert, but expectations are high thanks to Rubin's involvement. Even with all their black clothes, Metallica's fans remain an extremely hopeful bunch.

"Paper Trail," T.I.: The Atlanta-based rapper returns with his sixth album, which already boasts a hot single: "Whatever You Like." Due out Sept. 30, "Paper Trail" is all but assured of keeping T.I.'s streak of No. 1 albums intact. But the rapper (real name: Clifford Harris) will also have a balancing act in promoting it. While he continues to rap about violence, he's also speaking against it as part of a punishment handed out in March after pleading guilty to federal weapons charges. Besides at least 1,000 hours of community service, he faces almost a year in jail.

"Black Ice," AC/DC: It's been eight years since AC/DC made a studio album, and a lot has changed since then. For starters, just look at how the seminal Australian hard rock band is releasing their new album on Oct. 20: only through Wal-Mart, Sam's Club stores and ACDC.com. Stoking excitement have been reports that suggest "Black Ice" bears similarities to AC/DC's classic 1980 disc "Back in Black," one of the best-selling albums of all time.

"Dear Science," TV on the Radio: Not all the hotly anticipated albums are surefire chart-toppers. Music fans are also eager for new material from Lucinda Williams, Jenny Lewis, Kings of Leon and this ambitious Brooklyn band. TV on the Radio's last album, the absurdly named "Return to Cookie Mountain," topped many critics' best-of lists for 2006 (including this writer's). With each subsequent disc, TV on the Radio has seemed to mature — a trajectory that suggests very good things for "Dear Science" (out Sept. 23).

"High School Musical 3: Senior Year": Don't even try to fight it. The latest big-screen installment — and the accompanying soundtrack out Oct. 21 — of this Disney Channel phenomenon will be received with teenybopper hysteria in late October. If you must, begin constructing your bomb shelter now. But don't stop, even for a second, to gaze into Zac Efron's eyes. They ... will ... draw ... you ... in.

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“It was a wake-up call for me,” says John about the album, his second solo effort and first since 2002’s Phunk Shui. “After 30-plus years devoting myself to my art and craft, I needed to make a musical statement that someday I could look back on and realize, at that moment of time, I did exactly what I wanted to do. I’ve never written songs like this. I was on this inspirational roll. There was an urgency to it. I realized that I had no more time in my life for rehearsals… and I took that energy into the studio.”

John dedicates the album to three inspired individuals who had recently passed away, but were major influences in his career—producer Arif Mardin (who produced Hall & Oates’ first two albums on Atlantic Records), Jerry Lynn Williams (a writer who contributed songs to Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt and B.B. King, among others) and his original guitar mentor Jerry Ricks, who introduced him to the roots blues/folk scene in Philadelphia in the late 60s.

To prepare for the album, Oates traveled to Nashville and hooked up with veteran engineer Bil VornDick (“The guy had the keys to every studio in town,” marvels John).  It was Bil’s recording technique for acoustic instruments that gives the record the airy quality reminiscent of classic albums from the past.  The next step was to bring in the crème de la crème of the city’s session players, including bluegrass legends Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas and Sam Bush,  “I wanted players who knew how to frame a song,” says John, “Who knew how to take a lyric and enhance it.”

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T.I. has made history with his new single, “Whatever You Like.”  The record-setting track has rocketed into the #1 spot on this week’s Billboard “Hot 100,” marking the biggest-ever one-week leap to the top of the chart.  Now in its third week on the chart, the single has ascended into the pole position from last week’s ranking at #71.  “Whatever You Like” is the first single from the Grammy Award-winning rapper’s much-anticipated new album, “PAPER TRAIL,” due in stores and at all online retailers on September 30th.

The single’s #1 success represents the first solo chart-topper of T.I.’s remarkable career, and second overall following “My Love,” his Grammy-winning collaboration with Justin Timberlake. “Whatever You Like” – produced by Jim Jonsin, whose many credits include Lil Wayne’s #1 smash, “Lollipop” – is also #1 on the week’s “Hot Digital Songs” chart, with stunning first-week sales exceeding 205,000 downloads. 

“Whatever You Like” is currently exploding at radio, scoring the week’s “Most Increased Plays” at both Rhythmic and Urban outlets outlets nationwide.  The track is already a bulleted top 10 smash at Urban and is climbing the top 25 at Rhythmic.  In addition, the “Whatever You Like” companion video – directed by Dave Meyers (Missy Elliot, Kid Rock) – is in large rotation on BET and Rap City and maximum rotation of all MTV channels.

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NHL 2K9 offers brand-new gameplay features including user-friendly controls, expanded superstar moves, friendly Zamboni® competitions, a revamped fighting engine, custom Stanley Cup™ celebrations, and six-on-six online capability.  As the first and only officially licensed NHL and NHLPA video game for Wii, NHL 2K9 will also provide fans with a chance to play like the pros using the Wii Remote™ as a hockey stick, a wholly unique and entertaining experience.

A free demo is now available for download through Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION®Network. Fans will have an early opportunity to experience the new simplified controls and relive the excitement of this past season’s thrilling Stanley Cup Final in a brief three minute period as either the Pittsburgh Penguins or Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit .

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