Verve Pipe Frontman, Others In 'Metal God'

02/11/2000 7:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
Craig Rosen

(2/11/00, 7 a.m. ET) - Film director Stephen Herek, best-known for Mr. Holland's Opus, has lined up a bunch of real-life musicians, including The Verve Pipe frontman Brian Vander Ark, to be part of the cast of Metal God.

The movie is loosely based on the story of Ripper Owens, the one-time Judas Priest tribute-band singer who's now fronting the real thing. Former pop star Mark Wahlberg will play the main character, an office-supply salesman playing in a cover band, Blood Pollution, who gets an offer to join the heavy metal group Steel Dragon.

Blood Pollution will be composed of Slaughter drummer Blas Elias, Black Label Society guitarist Nick Catanese, and Verve Pipe's Vander Ark. Steel Dragon will feature Jason Bonham on drums, former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde , and Dokken / Dio bassist Jeff Pilson. Filming starts during mid-March in Los Angeles.

-- Gary Graff, Detroit

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