NEW YORK (MTV press release) - Following the overwhelming fan response for first two sold-out Headbangers Ball Tours, MTV2 is proud to announce the lineup of the third HEADBANGERS BALL tour. CRADLE OF FILTH will headline the run, with ARCH ENEMY and BLEEDING THROUGH as special guests, and HIMSA kicking off the evening. The tour kicks off on 11/4 in Sayreville, NJ and follows the 9/28 release of the ultimate 2-CD metal compilation HEADBANGERS BALL VOL. 2 on Roadrunner Records.
Hosted by Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed, MTV2's HEADBANGERS BALL can be seen every Saturday night at 10pm ET/ 7pm PT. On Saturday, November 6th, MTV2 will air a special tour edition of Headbangers Ball featuring appearances by all the bands on this fall's trek.
Smarter, more ambitious and more fiendishly creative than any of their Norse contemporaries, tour headliners CRADLE OF FILTH emerged in 1991 from the shadows with a fully-formed and multi-faceted sound a cunning amalgam of venomous black metal, high gothic drama and pure British steel. The subsequent decade brought untold success and a further consolidation of the band's inestimable sonic prowess. CRADLE OF FILTH have recently delivered the album of their career - NYMPHETAMINE (due out 9/28). Dubbed by British press as the greatest Black Metal band ever and Britain's greatest overall Metal export since Iron Maiden and embraced stateside with a slew of upcoming magazine features and covers that will run throughout the next few months, the shadow that Dani Filth & Co. cast over the landscape of all things heavy will only grow longer and darker.
Swedish extreme metal titans and tour special guests, ARCH ENEMY, have been called "One of the top 25 most important bands in metal," by Alternative Press and "Sweden's death metal messiahs," by Guitar World. The group's critically acclaimed album, Anthems of Rebellion, was hailed as a melodic death metal masterpiece and helped them land high profile U.S. tours with the legendary Iron Maiden and Slayer. ARCH ENEMY just shot a new video for the track "Dead Eyes See No Future" and are more than ready to make their triumphant return to the U.S. this fall.
Incorporating Euro style metallic riffage, speedy hardcore foundations, ethereal keyboards and throat-ripping to melodic vocals, special guests BLEEDING THROUGH have drawn fans across the musical spectrum. The group was named as one of eight bands ushering in the "Future of Metal" by Revolver Magazine, the "Next Big Thing" by Spin Magazine (Feb) and "Band You Need To Know" Alternative Press (Jan). This U.S. tour will be the latest sweep in a non-stop year of playing, including Ozzfest, since the release of their acclaimed album "This Is Love.This Is Murderous" for Trustkill Records.
Assembling the finer qualities of bands like Slayer, Iron Maiden, and In Flames, while adding a shot of hardcore undertones, punk rock culture and gothic rock aesthetics, HIMSA's music is as violent and dark as their name suggests. The complexity and aggression of their latest offering, Courting Tragedy And Disaster, could not be more perfectly suited for today's rock world - a sentiment echoed by Metal Hammer and Revolver placing the band on both their "Bands To Watch" lists.
Previous installments of MTV2's Headbangers Ball Tour have been a huge success among metal fans, with sold out dates around the country. Bands that have participated in tour include HATEBREED, DAMAGEPLAN, DROWNING POOL, UNEARTH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, LAMB OF GOD, SHADOWS FALL and GOD FORBID.
The MTV2 Headbangers Ball Volume 2 album will feature 40 tracks on 2 CDs, all for the cost of just one. The first disc will feature established acts, while the second will feature up-and-coming, promising bands. Intent on presenting the width and breadth of the burgeoning metal and hardcore scene, Roadrunner and MTV2 compiled a track listing that serves as the ultimate document of hard rock circa 2004, showcasing credible, respected acts like Slipknot, HIM, Killswitch Engage, Lamb of God, Atreyu and Unearth among others. Also included are unreleased tracks from Probot, Trivium and Lamb of God, while Megadeth, Shadows Fall, Kittie, Dillinger Escape Plan, Cradle of Filth and 3 Inches Of Blood contribute tracks from their upcoming albums.
For a limited time, the CD will feature 3D cover art and a link to exclusive Bloodrayne 2 video game content. This follows the successful release of "MTV2 Headbangers Ball" (Volume 1) in 2003.
