Just as the shrieks of preteen ecstasy began to die down last Friday, Hansonprolonged the frenzy for years to come with the announcement that they willrecord another album immediately following their current North American tour,which ends in Hershey, Pa., on August 15.

Surrounded by gratuitous Planet Hollywood signage and nearly 300 giddy fans,Zac, Isaac and Taylor told a flower-bearing, squealing Chicago crowd that theywill go to work on the follow-up to their last studio album, 1997's SnowedIn, early this fall. Sucking the celebrity well dry, the blonde brothers-- aged 12 to 17 -- also said they will keep pubescent interest piqued in themeantime with both a live video and a live album, which they recentlycompleted in Seattle.

Before taking the mic at Planet Hollywood, the multiplatinum trio had greetednearly a thousand fans outside the restaurant, some of whom camped out on thesidewalk overnight. Flashing hand-painted signs and Teen Beat centerfolds,girls who had been in line since dawn caught a thirty-second glimpse of theband before they disappeared inside. Despite the hysteria and shrieking,fifteen-year-old Taylor insisted the Hanson craze is no match for the Beatle-mania that swept America thirty-five years ago.

"We don't have girls chasing after us like [the Beatles movie A Hard Day'sNight]," he said, as hundreds of ponytailed fans simultaneously sighed. "Iguess we have good security."

Though Hanson has no immediate plans to go "Madonna" and launch a simultaneousacting career, big brother Isaac said, "If the right opportunity shows itself,we might try out acting."

Though the group has only begun sprouting ideas for their third studio release, guitarist Isaac delivered a description of the disc on Friday: "There will be differences in the record because there are different songs on it."Deep.

Anni Layne