What the hell kind of title is ‘Red Carpet Massacre’?

Billboard magazine is reporting an Oct. 30 release date for Duran Duran’s next studio album, Red Carpet Massacre. It’s the first album since Andy Taylor’s departure the second time around. Or the second such album to follow an Andy Taylor departure. Given this group’s tenacity, I bet there’s going to be a third time in around 2028.

God, I hope they break up by then.

I tease my fellow Duranie friend, Dreama, about my desire to witness the dissolution of what is arguably my favorite group — yes, even more than Number Girl, but only by that much. I would like to miss Duran Duran, to feel wistful about Medazzaland and nostalgic about The Wedding Album, but that can’t happen if they’re still recording albums.

I mean, goddamn — Pop Trash. What a prophetic title. As Red Carpet Massacre must be.

Timbaland and Justin Timberlake make appearances on Red Carpet Massacre. If Utada Hikaru’s Exodus showed us anything, having Timbaland behind the console is no guarantee for a homerun. If they’re really that desperate to look relevant, they should have gotten — I don’t know — Sufjan Stevens or the Shins to work with them. Hell, the Postal Service sound more Duran Duran than Duran Duran.

Oh, don’t take my hate too seriously. I know on Oct. 30, I’ll be in line at the music store with CD in hand, dutifully putting my hard-earned cash into the coffers of Le Bon-Rhodes-Taylor-Taylor~~-Taylor~~. To paraphrase Ennis Del Mar, I wish I knew how to quit them.

I should double check to see if Oct. 30 means 2007 or 2008. Duran Duran doesn’t have a good track record of keeping by the release dates they announce. Back in November 2006, Nick Rhodes said this album would be out by May 2007.

[UPDATE, Aug. 31, 2007]: The official site lists Nov. 13, 2007 as the new US release date, Nov. 12, 2007 in the UK. Isn’t that nice?