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 Withdrawn From All Humanity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!

Nightwish to Release 'Imaginaerum' in January

Fans of dramatic, symphonic, Euro metal have something to look forward to when the cold, dark, dreary winter sets in. Finnish superstars Nightwish will release their new album Imaginaerum on January 10, 2012 via Roadrunner Records and it will serve as a welcome beckon of warmth and light in an otherwise dark season! The album is the band's first since 2007's Dark Passion Play, which was then- new singer Anette Olzon's debut.

The band examined its catalog when sitting down to write what would become Imaginaerum. The songs for the album were written between 2008 and 2010, after the Dark Passion Play tour cycle ended.

At that point, Nightwish knew they wanted to do something different, new and unique, which is exceptional for a band whose career has been defined by words like different, new and unique!

The band consciously wanted to do something so big, crossover, detailed, innovative and, well, "nuts," that it would leave the band, and hopefully the people experiencing it, completely awestruck. It would be a situation where fans and/or critics would either love it or hate it, but they'd be left awestruck nonetheless. That's when the band realized another dimension, namely video, was necessary for the project.

Instead of a concept album, the band set the album to a film.

"The original idea I had was to film 13 short stories related to the songs with a connected storyline, shot by Stobe Harju," keyboardist/songwriter Tuomas Holopainen said. It was Harju's idea to turn the 13 stories and visions into more of a connected cinematic piece –essentially, a film. It would have a clear plot, script, dialogue and real actors in an ambitious effort to create something wholly unique.The film was shot in September of this year.

The movie is based on the album and its 13 tracks, honoring the original ideas, but having evolved radically from the initial plan. Holopainen said," Still, it was important from the very beginning that the album would work as its own individual piece of art, as well. It is a thematic album about life itself, about imagination, love, goodness and beauty, with a touch of darkness and melancholy, which are strongly included in all of those things mentioned." As if we could expect anything less from Nightwish!

The band will have but a small part in the film. A 2012 premiere date is being eyed.

Imaginaerum: an audiovisual testament of what Nightwish have always been about.

The track listing for Imaginaerum is as follows; note that track 12 is broken down into four parts.

01. Taikatalvi

02. Storytime

03. Ghost River

04. Slow, Love, Slow

05. I Want My Tears Back

06. Scaretale

07. Arabesque

08. Turn Loose the Mermaids

09. Rest Calm

10. The Crow, the Owl and the Dove

11. Last Ride of the Day

12. Song Of Myself

Song 1: From A Dusty Bookshelf

Song 2: All That Great Heart Lying Still

Song 3: Piano Black

Song 4: Love

13. Imaginaerum

In other Nightwish news, the band will play a one-off show at the Gibson Amphitheater in Los Angeles on Jan. 21 and the band will then set sail on the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise, which heads for the high seas on Jan. 23 in Miami, Fla.

Nightwish to play only US show since 2009 in Los Angeles

Nightwish is coming to the United States for the first time since 2009, and they have chosen to play for their fans in Los Angeles!

The January 21^st date at The Gibson Theatre is kicking off the Imaginarium World Tour.  This will be the biggest and baddest Nightwish show you’ve ever seen, as the band is bringing the full European production setup to the US for the first and only time.  The tour will promote the upcoming album of the same name. 

Tickets are on sale NOW:

For VIP GA Pit tickets, please click here

For regular reserved seating, please click here