Music Notes:Metallica Back in Studio

April 25 -- Who says you need a bass player to make a kickin' rock album?

Metallica decided three's all the company they need. They're back in the studio as a trio, with no bassist. They've been without a bassist since January, when Jason Newstead departed.

According to their Web site, the remaining rockers set up in a Bay Area recording studio Monday with their longtime producer Bob Brock to work on their eighth studio album.

STP Head to Shangri-La

Stone Temple Pilots are testing out some Latin flavors on their upcoming album Shangri-La Dee Da.

The album is due out on June 26, with what they describe as "an equal balance of hard rockers, mid-tempo pop songs and ballads, a few of which have Latin influences," according to a posting on their Web site.

The band had initially hoped to put out a double album, but are now opting for a single disc.

Papa Collins

Age isn't slowing Phil Collins down. He's a dad again at age 50.

His wife Orianne gave birth to their new son, Nicholas Grev Austin in Geneva, Switzerland, this past weekend.

Collins is overjoyed, saying it's "difficult to express" how happy he is with his new baby. "He's got a huge voice and a strong temperament," Collins says. "He's wonderful."

Moreover

Aersosmith fans can get a jump on tickets for the band's summer tour. The band is offering half the tickets in a pre-sale to those who register for the deal on Ticketmaster.com. … Dave Navarro will release his debut solo album on June 19 for Capitol Records, the same day his Jane's Addiction bandmate Perry Farrell releases his first solo recording … And Britney Spears' new book, A Mother's Gift, will debut in sixth place on the New York Times best-seller list for children's fiction.  

ABCNEWS Radio and ABCNEWS.com's Buck Wolf and Nancy Chandross contributed to this report.