Megadeth + Dream Theater Grammy Nominations

Roadrunner Records would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Megadeth and Dream Theater for their nominations in the newly combined "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" Grammy category for the 54^th Annual Grammy Awards.

Megadeth, led by singer/guitarist/metal legend Dave Mustaine, have received the 10th nomination of their storied career. The band's first nomination landed in 1990 and they're still garnering nods two decades later. That's a testament to the band’s continued and unassailable legacy, permanence and relevance! The band was nominated for "Public Enemy No. 1," from its latest Roadrunner album, Th1rt3en. True to its title, it is the 13^th album of the band's career. Megadeth, who have enjoyed five Platinum and multi-Platinum certifications, as well as seven Gold certifications, entered the hard rock and metal scene as standard setters and they've never veered from that path. This 10^th Grammy nomination is more proof of this fact. It's also worth noting the auspicious fact that this is Category #13.

Dream Theater have garnered their very first nomination for "On the Backs of Angels" from their latest Roadrunner release, A Dramatic Turn of Events. The band is universally recognized as a prog rock institution - they were voted as such by readers of Rolling Stone in an online poll that was conducted earlier this summer. Essentially, the band is globally revered by fans of forward-thinking hard rock. This nomination is well-deserved, as the band embarked on a new journey with a new drummer, emerging from the studio stronger than ever. The album debuted in the Top 10 of sales charts in 11 territories. Dream Theater have sold in excess of 10 million records and DVDs worldwide in their 26 year career.

Congratulations again to both Megadeth and Dream Theater.

Roadrunner Records, a Warner Music Group label, is extremely pleased to represent two out of the five nominees in this competitive category. The utter dominance in this category is further evidence of the fact that the label remains the most formidable force in the hard rock and metal genre, a claim it has staked for the past 31 years.

The 54^th annual Grammy Awards will take place in Los Angeles on Feb. 12, 2011. The event will broadcast on CBS.

IN FLAMES Confirmed for Wacken 2012

Things keep getting more exciting for IN FLAMES. The band's newest release Sounds Of A Playground Fading was just certified Gold in their native home of Sweden, the band is currently on a highly successful tour with Trivium, Ghost, Rise To Remain and Insense, and now IN FLAMES has been confirmed for Germany's prestigious Wacken Open Air 2012!

"We are happy to announce that we will headline the Friday night at Wacken 2012. It's gonna be great. Expect loads of pyros, loads of good music and five beer drinking heavy metal guys on stage."

See the band's Wacken profile here.

Before playing a massive show in Gothenburg's Scandinavium IN FLAMES invited Trivium's Matt Heafy for a dinner at 2112, the restaurant of bassist Peter Iwers and guitarist Björn Gelotte. Check out an entertaining clip here and see what Matt Heafy (vocals/guitar) from Trivium and Anders Fridén (vocals) from IN FLAMES thought about the food and drinks - apart from some other fun stories.

Next on their agenda will be the UK (with Trivium taking over headlining duties) on the Metal Hammer Defenders Of The Faith-tour.

After a short break around Christmas IN FLAMES will tour North America with Trivium, Veil Of Maya and Kyng in early 2012 before heading for Australia's prestigious Soundwave Festival tour. For April/May 2012 they have announced a very exclusive Scandinavian club tour as a special treat for their supportive Scandinavian fans.

A full list of tour dates can be seen here.

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY Announce One-Off Show This January

Following the previously announced run of shows with Clutch in late December, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY will be playing a one-off show at the Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina on January 22. The special performance will coincide with a screening of Slow Southern Steel, the long-anticipated southern metal documentary produced by Rwake vocalist, CT. Hail! Hornet will also appear on the bill.

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY Tour Dates12/27/2011 House of Blues - Boston, MA w/ Clutch
12/28/2011 State Theater - Portland, ME w/ Clutch
12/29/2011 Westcott Theater - Syracuse, NY w/ Clutch
12/30/2011 Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, NJ w/ Clutch
12/31/2011 Trocadero Theater - Philadelphia, PA w/ Clutch
1/22/2012 The Orange Peel - Ashevilla, NC w/ Hail!Hornet

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY -- featuring the esteemed Animosity line-up of vocalist/bassist Mike Dean, guitarist Woody Weatherman, and drummer/vocalist Reed Mullin -- have been working diligently with long-time producer John Custer and will unleash their eighth studio album via Candlelight Records on February 28, 2012. The record will be self-titled.

Formed in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1982, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY quickly transformed heavy music. Politically charged and socially aware, the band has influenced countless others and today remains humble about their accomplishments. With over 1.1 million albums sold in the United States alone, the new album will be their first since 2005’s In The Arms Of God. On release, Billboard Magazine called the album a “riff-fueled set that ranks with (the band’s) best work.”

SKELETONWITCH Announce Norwegian Dates

American metal juggernauts, SKELETONWITCH, whose new album, "Forever Abomination," debuted at #153 on the Billboard Top 200 and #3 on the magazine's Heatseekers Chart, last month, have announced they'll be taking part in the second Norwegian "Fire Walk With Me Tour," in February, alongside Aura Noir and Nekromantheon. The Ohio based road warriors are currently out on the Jagermeister Music Tour and spent the fall out with Arch Enemy and Devildriver, as well as headlining a run of dates along with Kvelertak. Before heading to Norway, SKELETONWITCH will do an extensive run of the UK and France with their old friends, The Black Dahlia Murder.  

SKELETONWITCH on tour:

11/29 Austin, TX - Emo's *
11/30 Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom *
12/01 Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater*
12/02 Grand Junction, CO - Mesa Theater & Club *
12/03 Colorado Springs, CO - The Black Sheep*
12/04 Farmington, NM - Top Deck *
12/05 Tempe, AZ - The Marquee Theatre*
12/06 San Diego, CA- The Ruby Room
12/07 Pomona, CA - Glass House*
12/08 Reno, NV - Knitting Factory *
12/09 Boise, ID - Knitting Factory *
12/10 Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory*
12/11 The Republik - Calgary, AB
12/12 Starlite - Edmonton, AB
12/14 Pyramid Cabaret - Winnipeg, MB
12/16 Iowa City, IA - Blue Moose Tap House
12/17 Madison, WI - The Barrymore Theater *
12/18 Grand Rapids, MI - The Intersection *
12/19 Chicago, IL- The Empty Bottle
12/30 Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
1/11 London, UK - Underworld &
1/12 London, UK - Underworld &
1/13 Colchester, UK - Arts Centre &
1/14 Norwich, UK - Waterfront &
1/15 Northampton, UK - Roadmender &
1/16 Birmingham, UK - Academy 2 &
1/17 Nottingham, UK - Rescue Rooms &
1/18 Manchester, UK - Moho Live &
1/19 Sheffield, UK - Corporation &
1/20 Newcastle, UK - Academy 2 &
1/21 Aberdeen, UK - Tunnels &
1/22 Glasgow, UK - Cathouse &
1/23 Dundee, UK - Beat Generator &
1/24 Leeds, UK - Cockpit &
1/25 Wrexham, UK - Central Station &
1/26 Stoke, UK - Sugarmill &
1/27 Plymouth, UK - White Rabbit &
1/28 Bristol, UK - Fleece &
1/29 Southampton, UK - Joiners &
1/30 Reading, UK - Sub 89 &
1/31 Margate, UK - West Coast Bar &
2/1 Lille, France - St. Sauveur &
2/2 Strasbourg, France - La Laiterie &
2/3 Lyon, France - Ninkasi Kao &
2/4 Nantes, France - Ferrailleur &
2/5 Paris, France - Nouveau Casino &
2/8 Oslo, Norway - Johne Dee #
2/9 Bergen, Norway- Hulen #
2/10 Sandes, Norway- Tribute #
2/11 Byscenen, Norway- Haugesund #
6/15-16 Copenhagen, Denmark- Copenhell Festival
6/29-7/1 Helsinki, Switzerland - Suvilahti/Tuska Open Air
* w/ Chimaira, Unearth, Molotov Solution
& w/ Black Dahlia Murder
# w/ Aura Noir and Nekromantheon

Forever Abomination was recorded in Los Angeles over the summer with producer Matt Hyde (Slayer, Hatebreed, Children of Bodom). The album features artwork by Andrei Bouzikov (Municipal Waste, Holy Grail, Cannabis Corpse), who also contributed the cover art for the band's 2009 release, Breathing The Fire. The track "Reduced to the Failure of Prayer" is now in rotation at Sirius/XM's Liquid Metal and can be requested at their Facebook page. The band was also recently featured on the cover of Decibel and took part in the magazines limited flexi-disc series.

Over the last four years, SKELETONWITCH has performed alongside a who's who of modern heavy metal, including Amon Amarth, Cannibal Corpse, The Black Dahlia Murder, Mastodon, High On Fire and many more, in addition to participating in high-profile festival tours (Ozzfest, Danzig's Blackest of the Black).

Primus Debuts Video for "Tragedy's a' Comin'"

ATO Records/Prawn Songs is excited to release Primus' video for "Tragedy's a' Comin'", the first clip off Green Naugahyde, out now. The video, which premiered in a three-part series on IFC.com (part 1, part 2, part 3), was directed by Mark Kohr, who helmed Primus' classic videos for "Tommy the Cat" and "Jerry Was A Race Car Driver".

The video focuses on a lobster's impending demise, soon to be boiled and fed to members of the upper crust, serving as a metaphor for global impending doom. The clip also features Les Claypool in a lobster suit, acting out the last moments of the crustacean on the beach. When discussing the making of the video with IFC, Claypool remarked "I spent so many years dodging goofball bullets from doing the 'Wynona's Big Brown Beaver' video that I don't resist it anymore. I got to put on a giant lobster suit, and that doesn't happen every day."

Green Naugahyde debuted at #15 on the Billboard Top 200, the highest chart placement for the band in 16 years. In support of the record, Primus recently wrapped up tour featuring two sets per evening, one of which being Green Naugahyde in its entirety. This past weekend, Primus was featured on NPR's Weekend Edition, praising Claypool as "equal parts odd and prolific."

Switchfoot Perform "Dark Horses" on The Tonight Show; Band and Living Social Present Dec 14 Event at Largo in Los Angeles

GRAMMY-winning rock band SWITCHFOOT will perform their new hit single, "Dark Horses," on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" tonight. The song, which is from the group's new album, Vice Verses (Atlantic Records), is currently No. 6 on the Modern Rock chart.

Fresh off a successful European run that included stops in the UK, Holland, Germany, Austria and Switzerland and sold-out shows in London, Birmingham, Amsterdam, and Mannheim, SWITCHFOOT will resume their North American tour this Wednesday, November 30. In addition to headline dates, the band will play numerous holiday radio shows in the next month, performing alongside such artists as Blink 182 and Social Distortion. (See below for itinerary.)

Living Social and SWITCHFOOT are teaming up to present two special shows at the intimate Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles on December 14. Each show will kick off with an hour-long Q&A with SWITCHFOOT, followed by an acoustic performance featuring songs from Vice Verses.Fans can choose from a 6:30 PM or 9:00 PM show. Tickets are available today and tomorrow exclusively through www.livingsocial.com. For further details, visit http://www.livingsocial.com/cities/4/deals/186614-one-general-admission-ticket-and-hour-long-q-a.

The following evening, December 15, vocalist/guitarist Jon Foreman will perform at the first of the two-night Invisible Children Holiday Benefit at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA. The first evening will be curated by Pete Wentz and Alternative Press and will also feature Matt Pryor (The Get Up Kids), Aaron Gillespie (The Almost), Aaron Weiss (mewithoutYou) and Ryan O'Neal (Sleeping At Last). Additional information about the benefit shows and Invisible Children, which is working to end the use of child soldiers in Joseph Kony's rebel war and restore LRA-affected communities in central Africa to peace and prosperity, is available at www.invisiblechildren.com/music.

SWITCHFOOT'S cross-country trek with Anberlin this past fall drew sold-out crowds and rave reviews in virtually every market.Local chapters of StandUp for Kids (www.standupforkids.org), a national nonprofit volunteer outreach organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives of at-risk, homeless and street kids, collected backpacksat the shows. The backpacks will be used to distribute food and essentials to kids served by the organization.

In celebration of their ongoing partnership with StandUp For Kids, SWITCHFOOT invites fans to submit their most creative hoodie designs - inspired by Vice Verses - for the chance to have it printed and distributed by Jedidiah Clothing, with proceeds benefiting StandUp For Kids. For further details, visit http://www.talenthouse.com/switchfoot-jedidiah-clothing-design-a-hoodie-inspired-by-vice-versus.

Each year the band hosts theSwitchfoot Bro-Am Presented By Hurley (http://www.switchfoot.com/c/bro-am), an annual concert/surf contest/silent auction. The event has raised more than $500,000 to date for San Diego-based children's charities, including StandUp for Kids.

A vinyl edition of Vice Verses - limited to 1,000 copies - is available now for pre-order at http://www.switchfoot.com. Billboard praised Vice Verses' "powerful, anthemic rockers" and Relevant Magazine called it SWITCHFOOT'S "most unique" album yet. "[The] gorgeous, swelling 'Restless' sounds plucked from U2's Achtung Baby," said Alternative Press. "But the real standout is 'Souvenirs,' a stunning ballad that, if there's any justice, will go down as one of the band's biggest hits to date."

SWITCHFOOT - comprising Jon Foreman (vocals/guitar), Tim Foreman (bass), Chad Butler (drums), Jerome Fontamillas (keys/guitar) and Drew Shirley (guitar) - recorded most of Vice Verses in the band's San Diego, CA home studio, working with producer Neal Avron (Sara Bareilles, Weezer). Mike Elizondo (Eminem, Dr. Dre, Pink) who produced 2009's Hello Hurricane, served as executive producer.

SWITCHFOOT - UPCOMING U.S. TOUR DATES

11/30Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE

12/1Richmond, VA @ The National

12/2Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater (SOLD OUT)

12/3Charleston, SC @ The Music Farm

12/4Jacksonville, FL @ Met Park

12/6St. Louis, MO@ The Pageant

12/7Nashville, TN@ Cannery Ballroom

12/11San Diego, CA @ Valley View Casino Center

12/16Pharr, TX @ Pharr Events Center

LAMB OF GOD ANNOUNCE SOUTH AMERICA AND MEXICO SHOWS

LAMB OF GOD continues the international part of their 2012/13 Resolution tour with seven South American shows and one show in Mexico. Support on all shows will be Hatebreed with Lacuna Coil added to the bill in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. Following are the dates:

Saturday, March 31^st- Sao Paulo, Brazil- Espaco Lux

Sunday, April 1^st- Curitiba, Brazil- Curitiba Master Hall

Monday, April 2^nd Buenos Aires, Argentina- Microestadio Malvinas Argentinas

Wednesday, April 4^th- Santiago, Chile- Teatro Caupolican

Friday, April 6^th- Quito, Ecuador- Teatro Bolivar

Saturday, April 7^th- Bogota, Colombia- Teatro Metropol

Sunday, April 8^th- Caracas, Venezuela- CIEC Caracas

Tuesday, April 10^th- Mexico City, Mexico- Jose Cuervo Salon