TOOLING PAST 600k

Whatever the heck that means, and "tain't" no matter what it does, Tool's latest is set to bow at #1 next week and is headed north of 600k in first-week sales, based on release day reports from retailers around the country, who can barely keep the thing in stock.

The band's new Volcano album, and first studio effort since '96's "Aenima," is flying off shelves, but that's not the only record making cash registers sing like Big Pussy to the feds.

Tool leads a field of five new releases that should debut in next week's HITS Top 10.

Thanks to Urban and Crossover acceptance of the hit, "Get Ur Freak On," Missy Elliott's new Elektra album, "Miss E...So Addictive," represents a major comeback for the hip-hop diva, and is set to move 250k.

Weezer's third Geffen album has proven that cult bands don't get old, they just latch onto another generation, if they're lucky. Thanks to a pre-release, Yahoo-sponsored tour and a rabid Net fan base that spread the word, the band's new album is expected to close in on 250k, based on first-day sales.

Meanwhile, Reprise/WB PoMo entries Depeche Mode and R.E.M. are proving the '80s are alive and well with Gen X'ers experiencing their own nostalgia. Techno pioneers Depeche Mode's "Exciter" is exceeding pre-release expectations with numbers in the 120-130k range, while R.E.M's "Reveal" trails slightly with 120k.