STARKILL Announces More North American Tour Dates

In addition to touring with HYPOCRISY, KRISIUN, ABORTED, and ARSIS this May, Chicagoland-based STARKILL will also be playing a few headlining and supporting shows after their stint on the trek. See below for all upcoming tour dates:

STARKILL tour dates

5/01 -- Gramercy - New York, NY*

5/02 -- Palace - Stafford, CT*

5/03 -- Foufounes Electriques - Montreal, QC*

5/04 -- WreckRoom - Toronto, ON*

5/06 -- Reggie's - Chicago, IL*

5/07 -- Station 4 - St. Paul, MN*

5/08 -- The Zoo - Winnipeg, MB*

5/09 -- The Exchange - Regina, SK*

5/10 -- Pawn Shop - Edmonton, AB*

5/11 -- Republik - Calgary, AB*

5/12 -- Branding Iron Pub - Armstrong, BC **

5/13 -- Rickshaw Theater - Vancouver, BC*

5/14 -- The Hop - Spokane, WA

5/15 -- The Red Room - Boise, ID

5/19 -- The Riot Room - Kansas City, MO***

5/20 -- The Vaudeville Mews - Des Moines, IA

* = with HYPOCRISY, KRISIUN, ABORTED, ARSIS

** = with ARSIS

*** = with 3 INCHES OF BLOOD

STARKILL will be touring in support of their new album, Fires of Life. Due out April 29th in Europe and April 30th in North America via Century Media Records, Fires of Life features a unique blend of symphonic black metal, power metal, and melodic death metal. For a preview of the album, fans can listen to the track "Sword, Spear, Blood, Fire" or watch the video for "Fires of Life".

 

Fires of Life track-listing

1. Whispers of Heresy

2. Fires of Life

3. Sword, Spear, Blood, Fire

4. Below the Darkest Depths

5. Immortal Hunt

6. New Infernal Rebirth

7. Strength in the Shadow

8. This is Our Battle; This is Our Day

9. Withdrawn From All Humanity

10. Wash Away the Blood With Rain

Formed in 2008 by Parker Jameson, Spencer Weidner and Charlie Federici, the band self-released an EP in 2010 under the moniker MASSAKREN and played numerous shows across the US. A buzz about the band soon developed in the metal underground, and in tandem with signing to global powerhouse Century Media Records, they decided to change their name to STARKILL to mark the next chapter in their musical career.

While most of their peers were listening to and playing to the "core" US-based bands, the members of STARKILL spent their days cutting their chops to European metal-- and the band makes no qualms about wearing their influences on their sleeves. Inspired by the likes of early CHILDREN OF BODOM à la the now classic Hatebreeder and Follow the Reaper, in addition to NIGHTWISH, AMON AMARTH and DRAGONFORCE, STARKILL aims to pay homage to these acts, while also putting their own spin on Euro-metal-- and their new album, Fires of Life, does just that.

Produced by the band's own Jameson and mastered by death metal legend, James Murphy (DEATH, TESTAMENT, OBITUARY), the album's concept, both lyrically and musically, is overlain in medieval fantasy-themed battles, mythology, and destruction. Fires of Life's artwork, created by renowned metal artist, Joshua Belanger, captures this perfectly.

Stay tuned for more news about STARKILL and Fires of Life coming soon!

DragonForce Announce Tour

European power metal dynamos DragonForce have announced plans to return to North America for a spring tour. This outing marks the band's first full trek with brand new singer Marc Hudson, who also makes his recorded debut on The Power Within. The album lands at retail on April 17.

Hudson premiered his voice at a series of intimate North American gigs last fall. The performances were met with much praise and approval from the band's diehard fanbase. Now the vocalist will be able to showcase his pipes to other parts of the country and beyond, where a similar reaction is expected for this talented up 'n comer with undeniable chops.

The tour kicks off April 21 at the annual New England Metal and Hardcore Fest in Worcester, Massachusetts and makes several stops on the East Coast before winding through Canada and into the Midwest before wrapping out west on May 11 in Anaheim, California. L.A.-based metal warriors Holy Grail, and Huntress, a five-piece metal band lead by vocalist Jill Janus, who delivers an unparalleled four-octave range thanks to her opera background, will provide support on this run.

Pre-orders for The Power Within are available as of today. You can pre-order The Power Within bundle and receive an exclusive autographed poster and a download of the album the day before it’s available in stores. You can also download the brand new track “Fallen World” immediately and for free. Go here to check out the pre-order and the download.

Tour Dates:

April 21 Worcester, MA The Palladium

April 22 New York, NY Gramercy Theatre

April 23 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of the Living Arts

April 25 Montreal, QC Le National

April 26 London, ON London Music Hall

April 27 Milwaukee, WI The Rave

April 28 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue

April 29 Winnipeg, MB West End Cultural Centre

May 1 Edmonton, AB The Starlite Room

May 2 Calgary, AB Republik

May 4 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom

May 5 Seattle, WA El Corazon

May 6 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theater

May 8 San Francisco, CA Slim's

May 10 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour

May 11 Anaheim, CA House of Blues

For tickets, go here.

DRAGONFORCE TO KICK OFF NORTH AMERICAN TOUR AT 14TH ANNUAL NEW ENGLAND METAL AND HARDCORE FESTIVAL

Metal phenoms DragonForce will kick off their North American tour at the 14th Annual New England Metal and Hardcore Festival on Saturday, April 21.

The London-based group will release their fifth studio album "The Power Within" - band's first release with new singer Marc Hudson - on April 17, just days before the show.

"We are really excited to be playing the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival again, especially as it's the North American launch show for the new album," said guitarist Sam Totman. "Anyone who hasn't had a chance to see new singer Marc Hudson in action will witness what a great singer he is! It's been a long time since we last played the festival and are looking forward to seeing old friends again and giving everyone a great show."

DragonForce has gained a cult-like status in the metal community, growing from relative unknowns in the United States to an impossible-to-ignore.

The 14th Annual New England Metal and Hardcore Festival will take place Friday, April 20 through Sunday, April 22 at the Palladium in Worcester, Mass.

The complete lineup for Friday includes The Black Dahlia Murder, The Acacia Strain, Oceano (final show), All Shall Perish, Nile, Skeletonwitch, Carnifex, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Molotov Solution, The Contortionist, Conducting From The Grave, Fit For An Autopsy, Hour of Penance, Legion, Lionheart, First Blood, Gaza, Reign Supreme, Incendiary, Palehorse, Longshot, Rude Awakening, XFocus MindsX, and CDC.

Saturday's lineup is All That Remains, DragonForce, Overkill, Iwrestledabearonce, Protest the Hero, Periphery, Structures, Elitist, Suidakra, Hung, Diamond Plate, Trumpet The Harlot, Bane, Shipwreck, Cruel Hand, The Mongoloids, God Forbid, Naysayer, Rotting Out, Cockpunch, The Greenery, Expire, Wrong Answer, Revenge, and Manners.

Sunday will close out the weekend with Killswitch Engage, Every Time I Die, Vanna, For Today, Chelsea Grin, Attila, MyChildren MyBride, Texas In July, Volumes, Like Moths To Flames, The Air I Breathe, Glass Cloud, Sleeping Giant, Stick To Your Guns, On Broken Wings, For The Fallen Dreams, In The Midst Of Lions, Hundredth, No Bragging Rights, Counterparts, Gideon, Fire In The Skies, Recon, and To Speak Of Wolves.

The 14th Annual New England Metal and Hardcore Festival will take place at the Palladium in Worcester, Mass.

Tickets are on sale now. Ticket prices are: $40 (Friday), $45 (Saturday), and $40 (Sunday) or $115 (three-day pass). Two special VIP fan packages are also being offered through Sound Rink (www.soundrink.com).

Sponsors this year include All In Merch, Monster, Tama, Ibanez, Zildjian, Metal Blade Records, Break Thru Music, Shook Clothing, Planet Wave, d'addario, Pro Mark, Evans., In Tune guitar picks, R&D Express, SSV Silver Surfer Vaporizers, and Hails & Horns.

Performers are subject to change.

DragonForce Announce 'The Power Within'

London-based metal superstars DragonForce have revealed details of their forthcoming new album. Entitled The Power Within, this 10-track monster marks the band's fifth studio album and its first with new singer Marc Hudson behind the microphone. It will be released April 17 by Roadrunner Records in the U.S.

DragonForce guitarist Herman Li said, "The last two years have been the most fun we ever had making an album. Through writing, jamming and touring together, we have built this incredible energy and it has been fully captured on the new album."

Li also claims the album boasts the fastest song the band has ever recorded. He continued, "This time around we’ve really brought our metal side to the surface and made some of the best music of our career. From the fastest song we’ve ever recorded to the slower songs, and some things you would never expect from us, this is by far the most diverse DragonForce album yet."

The full track listing for The Power Within is as follows:

1. Holding On

2. Fallen World

3. Cry Thunder

4. Give Me the Night

5. Wings of Liberty

6. Seasons

7. Heart of the Storm

8. Die By the Sword

9. Last Man Stands

10. Seasons (Acoustic Version)

There will also be a digital special edition featuring the bonus tracks "Cry Thunder (Live Rehearsal)," "Heart of the Storm (Alternative Chorus Version)" and "Avant La Tempête (Instrumental)."

Look for exciting US tour announcements coming soon.

DragonForce Reveal New Singer

UK based metal heroes DRAGONFORCE have announced that their long search for a new vocalist is finally over. After entries from thousands of hopefuls across the globe, the shredmasters supreme welcome 23-year-old Marc Hudson to the band to fill the boots left by ZP Theart, who parted ways with the band in March of last year.

“I'm really excited about being a part of the DragonForce family,” said Hudson. “It's always been my dream to dedicate my life to making music. I'm going to bring all the power and emotion I can to the songs, and help make the killer new record the fans have been waiting for!”

Born in Oxford England, Hudson was picked from the thousands of applications via a number of impressive video auditions and live performances, which left the rest of the band in no doubt that they’d found their man. Since the age of 16, Hudson has been building his vocal skills, gigging with bands in the UK underground scene, developing a powerful style with influences which include Bruce Dickinson, Michael Kiske and Sebastian Bach.

Said founding member and guitarist Herman Li: “After almost a year of searching around the globe, it's great to be able to finally tell our fans the good news. Marc's expressive and melodic vocals are sounding phenomenal on the new songs, adding another dimension to the DragonForce sound that I am sure all the fans will love.”

The band has been working on a new album since early 2010, recording in various studios in California, London and the South of France. The follow up to 2008’s hugely successful Ultra Beatdown album will be highly anticipated, with top 10 and top 20 chart positions all over the world and a Grammy Nomination in the United States setting the precedent. With Hudson brought into the fold, the band is enjoying an injection of enthusiasm and hunger that sees DRAGONFORCE prepared to return more focused and determined than ever before.

“Everyone in the band is extremely excited about how the new material is shaping up.” Continued Li. “We haven't felt this kind of energy in the band for a long time. We can't wait to unleash the next DragonForce album later this year.”

 The new album is expected to hit the shelves in September, with a full world tour to follow.

http://www.dragonforce.com/

CYNTHESIS Album Details And Cover Art Unveiled

DeEvolution, the anticipated debut full-length from CYNTHESIS, is set for worldwide release via Sensory Records on April 19th, 2011.

 

A label priority for Sensory this year, the magnificent DeEvolution tells the story of an elite group of leaders from a heavily industrialized city who find, brainwash and then exploit an indigenous tribes' shaman, believing he would be the perfect supreme leader. By propping him up as possessing all the answers to society's ills, the elites use him in order to gain and keep more control over the masses in order to influence the masses via religion, media, consumerism and government.

 

Check out the brilliant cover artwork for DeEvolution created by Dennis "Damn Engine" Sibeijn (Exodus, Dragonforce, Lamb of God, Him) at this location.

 

DeEvolution Track Listing:

1. The Man Without Skin
2. Incision
3. Divided Day
4. Shallow World
5. Profits Of Disaster

6. The Edifice Grin

7. Twilight
8. A Song Of Unrest

 

CYNTHESIS reunites three original members of progressive metal heroes Zero Hour -- founding twin brothers Jasun and Troy Tipton and original vocalist Erik Rosvold -- for the first time on a recording since their heralded albums The Towers of Avarice [2001] and Metamorphosis [2003], both considered landmark releases in the progressive metal community. DeEvolution was recorded and produced in 2010 by Dino Alden (Marty Friedman, Tony MacAlpine, Vinnie Moore, Zero Hour), and while trademark styles of both the Tipton Brothers and Rosvold shine heavily throughout the release, over the course of eight epic anthems, it is very clear by more relaxed pace and epic story of DeEvolution that this is NOT a new Zero Hour album.