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On April 10, The End Records will reissue four iconic titles from Swedish metal band OPETH as part of the label's acquisition of rights to the Music For Nations catalog. Having collectively shifted more 300,000 copies, these three
albums plus one live DVD/CD recording present the very best of OPETH from their black metal era to their progressive rock transformation. The albums, produced by Steven Wilson of PORCUPINE TREE, along with the magnificent live DVD and documentary "Lamentations", are necessary reissues for any OPETH enthusiast.
"Lamentations" Special Edition:
* Live DVD and 2-disc CD live recording (first time ever that the audio and video components will be in one package)
* Includes documentary on the making of sister albums "Deliverance" and "Damnation"
"Blackwater Park" Casebound Legacy Edition:
* "Blackwater Park" package includes bonus DVD, and 28-page full-color casebound booklet / digipak
* The band's first collaboration with PORCUPINE TREE frontman Steven Wilson
* First OPETH album ever released in North America
"Damnation" Reissue:
* Departure from the band's death metal sound and entrance into progressive rock genre
"Deliverance" Reissue:
* Album won Swedish Grammis award for "Best Hard Rock" performance
* Appeared in the Top 20 on Billboard's Heatseekers and Top Independent Albums charts
* Considered one of the band's heaviest albums
Progressive instrumental pioneers ANIMALS AS LEADERS return to
the road next weekend, when they will kick off their first European
headlining tour in Tilburg, Holland on April 1. Their headlining dates
will surround a week's worth of U.K. shows alongside MESHUGGAH, a band ANIMALS AS LEADERS mastermind Tosin Abasi cites as a major influence. Immediately after returning from Europe, ANIMALS AS LEADERS will embark on its first North American tour of the year as they support THRICE on that group's farewell tour.
These upcoming ANIMALS AS LEADERS shows will not include drummer Navene Koperweis, who has decided to leave the group. Koperweis says, "Tosin and Javier (Reyes, guitar) are the two most generous, caring and understanding individuals I've ever met and I look forward to a lifetime of friendship with the
both of them. Over the past decade I have done nothing but music.
Recording, writing, playing, practicing, touring and producing. It's
taken me beyond what I could have dreamt of as a kid when I started. My
new goals extend beyond the drum kit and I'm the type of person who will constantly chase new dreams. You'll be seeing a lot more of me soon."
Adds Abasi, "I've shared some of my most memorable musical experiences to date with Navene and truly consider him a brother. I commend him for following
his own path in life, even if that means i'll no longer be sharing the
stage with him. I feel blessed to have had the pleasure of working
together and creating a lifelong friendship."
Filling in for Koperweis on ANIMALS AS LEADERS' European and North American tours will be the Boston-based Matt Garstka, a Berklee alumnus who has previously played with the groups GOKH BI SYSTEM, TWO MAN TRIO and VERSE THE FIRE.
"We see nothing but great potential with Matt, and look forward to performing with him on the upcoming tours," Abasi says. "We feel very excited for the future of ANIMALS AS LEADERS, which is brighter than ever. I'm beyond excited for our fans to hear
some of the new music we already have brewing for the future!"
ANIMALS AS LEADERS' second full-length album, "Weightless", sold 6,100 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 92 on The Billboard 200 chart.
Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON will take part in an in-store signing on Saturday, April 14 at 1:00 p.m. at Green Light Music in Kalamazoo, Michigan. MASTODON will play the Intersection, in Grand Rapids, Michigan later that night with OPETH and GHOST.
For more information, go to this location.
Professionally filmed video footage of MASTODON performing the song "Dry Bone Valley" on February 11 at the O2 Academy in Brixton, England (suburban London) can be seen below.
MASTODON will hit the road for a spring North American tour in support of their current album "The Hunter", which was released by Reprise Records in September. The tour kicks off on April 4 in Portland, Maine, and
visits more than 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada before wrapping up
with a hometown show at Atlanta's Masquerade Music Park on May 12. These shows will feature an amazing night of powerful music featuring a dream bill with Swedish metal band OPETH as co-headliners, with special guest GHOST providing support on all dates. Collectively MASTODON has stated: "We're excited to co-headline this tour with OPETH for whom we have great respect and admiration. Having GHOST along as well will make this tour a special event."
MASTODON was among the nominees for the 54th annual Grammy Awards, which was held on February 12 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The band's Grammy nomination was for "Curl Of The Burl", the first single from MASTODON's new album, "The Hunter".
MASTODON received its first Grammy nomination in 2006 for the single "Colony Of Birchmen", from the band's Reprise Records debut album, "Blood Mountain".
Gavin Harrison will be playing on all tracks of the new album Chalk Lines by Lo-Fi Resistance. Colin Edwin will be joining him for some of the tracks. A teaser of Chalk Lines (single version) can be found on: http://lofiresistance.bandcamp.com/track only had Gavin playing. A video teaser can be found on http://www.lofiresistance.com/ From the site: Currently in production, the album will see Randy McStine expanding the Lo-Fi Resistance sonic palette into exciting new territories. Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree) will be on the drum throne for the entire album, along with contributions from bassists John Giblin (Kate Bush, Brand X) and Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree, Ex-Wise Heads). Dave Kerzner (Kevin Gilbert) will be contributing additional keyboards, along with co-producing and co-writing credits on the album. Chalk Lines will be released in the Fall of 2012. A single edit of the album's title track will be available for download on May 1st.
Raleigh, North Carolina-based progressive rock/cutting-edge metal band BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME will tour Europe in October in support of its new album, the details of which are forthcoming. Support on the trek will come from PERIPHERY and THE SAFETY FIRE. Comments BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME bassist Dan Briggs: "I'm excited Europe wants to have us again! On this tour we'll celebrate the release of our new album, so you'll be some of the first to hear new songs… if we can actually play them by then!" The dates are as follows: Oct. 10 - Antwerp, Belgium – Trix * Oct. 11 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg Oct. 12 - Köln, Germany - Luxor Oct. 13 - Münster, Germany - Sputnikhalle Oct. 14 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega Oct. 16 - Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Slussen Oct. 17 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Sticky Fingers Oct. 18 - Hamburg, Germany - Logo Oct. 19 - Berlin, Germany - Lido Oct. 20 - Prague, Czech Republic - Rock Café Oct. 22 - Bratislava, Slovakia - Randall Club Oct. 23 - Budapest, Hungary - Dürer Kert Oct. 24 - Wien, Austria - Szene Oct. 25 - München, Germany - Backstage Oct. 27 - Novara, Italy - Rock´n´Roll Arena Oct. 28 - Zürich, Switzerland - Dynamo Oct. 29 - Stuttgart, Germany - Universum Oct. 30 - Frankfurt, Germany - Batschkapp Oct. 31 - Paris, France - La Maroquinerie * No PERIPHERY BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME's latest album, "The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues", was released on April 12, 2011 via Metal Blade Records. The three-song, 30-minute tour de force was recorded at Canada's Metalworks Studios and Rattlebox Studios and helmed by the Grammy award–winning producer David Bottrill (TOOL, MUSE, KING CRIMSON, DREAM THEATER). "The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues" represents BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME's musical and conceptual masterwork; the record showcases both the quintet's vivid execution and ambitious vision. The otherworldly conceptual thread linking each of the songs is mobilized around two human characters that live in different planes of existence and are separated by millions of light years, each confronted with similar personal issues. Subsequently, both characters make decisions that will change their lives, and perhaps the course of the universe, forever. Musically, the release presents aura-rich atmospheres rife with roaring volumes, corrugated rhythms and trance-inducing intricacies. Cerebral and visceral, soft and heavy, melodic and abrasive, tender and brutal, familiar and strange and taut yet sprawling and epic, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME has crafted a sound that is musically sophisticated yet primal and a disc where every new passage leads to the culmination of an epic adventure.
SHADOW SOCIETY has parted ways with bassist Brian Werner. Commented the band in a statement, "Brian is busy with his touring job working for DYING FETUS, and has also taken on another project after that tour ends. We are in the last bit of pre-production for our debut release, and drums are already being tracked. Due to these circumstances, the band decided to move forward without him. We wish him well in all his endeavors. That being said, SHADOW SOCIETY is privileged to announce that filling the void for recording duties on bass will be a special guest; none other than the mighty Sean Tibbetts (KAMELOT). Sean is a world-class player whose sound, style, and passion are a perfect musical fit for our eclectic collective. We've all known and worked with Sean in various capacities for years, and we're humbled and honored by his contribution to our craft." SHADOW SOCIETY is currently recording its debut album for a late 2012 release. Minnesota-based drummer Adam Sagan is entrenched in 14:59 Studios in Minneapolis, Minnesota with engineer Will Maravelas (WE ARE LEGION), while the Florida-based members of the band are set to enter Sound Source Recordings with Kelly Nunn (MAYLENE & THE SONS OF DISASTER) at the helm. Mixing and mastering will be handled at the Audio Refinery under the watchful eye and ear of Eric Koondel (CYNIC, SOILWORK, MALEVOLENT CREATION). SHADOW SOCIETY is: * Rob Thoth (CHRONZON, IMMANIFEST) - Lead Vocals * Kevin Quirion (DEICIDE, ORDER OF ENNEAD, COUNCIL OF THE FALLEN) - Guitar/Vocals * Asgrim (YETI, IMMANIFEST) - Guitar/Clean Vocals * Adam Sagan (FINAL DARKNESS, INTO ETERNITY, INFERNAEON, ECHOTERRA) - Drums/Clean Vocals * Roberto "Kadath" Celentano (YETI) - Keyboards * Sean Tibbits (KAMELOT) (Special Guest) - Bass
