News Collection Week Of 12-20

News 15 Dec 09 By

News Collection Week Of 12-20

News 15 Dec 09 By

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Killswitch Engage To Tour With The Devil Wears Prada
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, whose critically acclaimed, self-titled album Killswitch Engage debuted at #7 on the Billboard Top 200 chart earlier this summer, are headed out on the road once again.
Fresh off a summer trek as one of the main stage attractions of the second annual Rock Star Energy Mayhem Fest, KsE will take the show on the road for a headline trek across the US, which is their first for this album. The tour will begin on February 4 in their home state of Massachusetts and will cover significant ground across the country for seven weeks. To keep things interesting, KsE have elected to play smaller venues in a handful of cities in order to create a more intimate setting for their fans. Joining Killswitch as main support will be Dayton, OH’s The Devil Wears Prada, who released their latest album With Roots Above and Branches Below via Ferret Music back in May 2009 and immediately followed with a hugely successful stint on last summer’s Warped Tour, resulting in a fanbase that has since grown exponentially. Also joining Killswitch on this run will be highly influential metal act Dark Tranquility, who hail from Gothenburg, Sweden. Dark Tranquility are set to release their anticipated new album We Are the Void through Century Media in March 2010. In other KsE news, the song “The End of Heartache,” the title track from their 2004, Gold-certified release, will appear on Guitar Hero: Van Halen alongside tracks from acts like Foo Fighters, Weezer, Judas Priest and The Clash, among others. KsE guitarist Adam D. weighed in on the tour saying, “We are stoked to come back to the US and shred with The Devil Wears Prada and Dark Tranquility. It’s been a while since we’ve headlined the States and we’re excited to play some new tunes for y’all. This tour is going to be wicked sweet!” The tour will canvas the country beginning in early February and will run through the end of March. The dates are as follows, with additional dates being confirmed and announced shortly. Please check killswitchengage.com for information on pre-sale tickets that will be available for these dates.
Tour Dates:
2/4 – Boston, MA
2/5 – Atlantic City, NJ
2/6 – Norfolk, VA
2/8 – Lake Buena Vista, FL
2/10 – Atlanta, GA
2/11 – Charlotte, NC
2/12 – Baltimore, MD
2/13 – Cleveland, OH
2/15 – Chicago, IL
2/18 – Loop Station, MN
2/19 – Milwaukee, WI
2/20 – Royal Oak, MI
2/21 – Indianapolis, IN
2/23 – Tulsa, OK
2/24 – Austin, TX
2/25 – Houston, TX
2/26 – Dallas, TX
2/27 – Corpus Christi, TX
3/01 – Albuquerque, NM
3/03 – Las Vegas, NV
3/05 – Tempe, AZ
3/06 – Los Angeles, CA
3/07 – San Francisco, CA
3/09 – Portland, OR
3/10 – Seattle, WA
3/12 – Magna, UT
3/13 – Denver, CO
3/14 – Kansas City, MO
3/15 – St. Louis, MO
3/16 – Nashville, TN
3/18 – New York, NY
3/19 – New York, NY
3/21 – Wallingford, CT

Stryper Lights Up Christmas Tree In NYC
Platinum-selling rock band Stryper joined a cast of music superstars to perform during the 86th annual NYSE Euronext holiday tree lighting festivities on Thursday, December 10th, with the illumination of the 65 ft. tall and 34 ft. wide Norway Spruce taking place on Broad Street directly in front of the New York Stock Exchange. The 86th annual NYSE Euronext holiday tree lighting features Stryper along with Billy Ray Cyrus, The Manhattan Transfer, Twisted Sister with Constantine Maroulis and the Broadway cast of “Rock of Ages,” Collective Soul, Honor Society, David Nail, Joshua Bell, Kate Voegele, Tamela Mann and The Monsignor Donovan Choir, Valerie Smaldone, Dancing with the Stars‘ Kym Johnson, the New York Jets Flight Crew and a special appearance by Santa Claus. Stryper’s latest album, Murder by Pride, was released in September 2009. The band is currently on a 50-city 25th Anniversary Tour of North America, which will be followed in early 2010 with an international tour. In 1984, Stryper broke onto the scene with their debut EP Yellow and Black Attack, and have since gone on to sell 8 million albums and tour the world spreading an inspirational message through their branded sound of rock songs, heavy guitars, and pristine harmony vocals. The group’s unprecedented 1986 album To Hell with the Devil was the first Christian album to go platinum and was named one of the “100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music” by CCM Magazine. Stryper was also the first Christian band to get airplay on MTV, where they had several hit videos, including the #1 “Most Requested” videos “Free” and “Honestly.”
For more information on Stryper, visit:
stryper.com

Peter Furler: More Than Music
While many know Peter Furler as founder and lead singer of the multi-million selling band newsboys, few are privy to the more private side of Furler’s creative life. What most of us didn’t know, is that Peter has another artistic gift, that of oil painting. Currently, Furler’s paintings can be seen in record company offices, recording studios and management firms. Now, for the first time, he is placing six of his original paintings on eBay for collectors and fans. No doubt many investors and fans will be looking to own a piece of Furler’s legacy. The paintings, like his music, show another side of the imagination of one of CCM’S most successful singer/songwriters. “I love mixing paint colors, just like I love mixing guitar chords,” says Furler. ”Out of one comes something you’ve never seen before, out of the other, a song you’ve never heard.” One of the unique and creative aspects of Furler’s paintings is the form in which they appear. While some of his art is painted on regular canvas, Furler also has a series of paintings (Garden of Eden) that are painted on drum heads. Although Furler has been newsboys’ frontman for the past 12 years, he started with the band as its drummer and is pleased to see his art take full circle. You can view some of Peter’s paintings here.

Owl City’s “Ocean Eyes” Certified Gold
Owl City’s album Ocean Eyes has been certified gold as 2009 draws to a close, making this year a HUGE success for Minnesota’s Adam Young. What started as a project in the basement of his parent’s house has turned into an international phenomenon, sending Adam to the top of the charts and playing to energetic crowds in renowned venues across the US, China, and Japan! Not only has Ocean Eyes gone gold, but the album’s first single “Fireflies” reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 twice and it is still sitting in the Top 5! Owl City has graced the cover of HITS and Pollstar and has been featured in Rolling Stone, The New York Times, NME, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, Marie Claire, and Alternative Press among others! So what’s up for next year? Owl City will hit the road on a Winter headlining tour of the US that is already sold out! Then, the band will head overseas for a headlining tour of the UK and Europe and then over to Australia and New Zealand where they’ll be joining up with Cobra Starship. If 2009 is any indication of what’s to come, expect big things from Owl City in 2010 and stay tuned for all the exciting updates!

Saving Grace News
You can now pre-order the upcoming Saving Grace album Unbreakable. There are 4 options available and all pre-orders will be entered to win a one of a kind Saving Grace skateboard deck! This album comes out on January 5, but all pre-orders will ship by Dec. 15 for pre-Christmas delivery (international orders might arrive after Christmas).
For more information this pre-order, go here:
facedown.merchnow.com

The Devil Wears Prada Rocking Their Tour
Armed with the critically-acclaimed CD, With Roots Above and Branches Below which was released earlier this year, The Devil Wears Prada – vocalist Mike Hranica, guitarist/vocalist Jeremy DePoyster, guitarist Chris Rubey, bassist Andy Trick, keyboardist James Baney, and Daniel Williams on drums – kick off the 2009 edition of the Napalm & Noise Tour tonight in Rochester, New York at the Water Street Music Hall. The band, who Alternative Press called “One of American metal’s brightest lights,” will co-headline the month-long metal extravaganza with All That Remains. Story Of The Year and Haste The Day provide heavy-weight support, making this a “must see” tour for any and all metal fans. Napalm & Noise, sponsored by Revolver magazine, is the first tour TDWP has headlined since their 43-date, completely-sold-out jaunt last Spring, which coincided with the release of With Roots Above and Branches Below (Ferret Music), and its #11 debut on the Billboard Top 200 Albums charts. Since then, the band played the Vans Warped Tour Main Stage, and found itself on the cover of Outburn, Alternative Press, HM and AMP, to name just a few. Live, the six-piece The Devil Wears Prada presents a powerful intensity that many other metalcore bands never quite achieve, with savage riffs, bulldozing guitar, thunderous beats, manic synths, and an assault of abrasive vocals. On this tour, the band will perform songs from all three of their releases – 2006’s Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord, 2007’s Plagues, and the new With Roots Above and Branches Below, including the video track, “Danger: Wildman,” which can be viewed here.
Tour Dates:
12/16 – Corpus Christi, TX
12/18 – Nashville, TN
12/19 – Raleigh, NC
12/20 – Norfolk, VA
12/21 – Allentown, PA

Onward To Olympas Pre-Order
You can now pre-order the debut album from Facedown’s newest addition to the family: Onward To Olympas. This World Is Not My Home is 10 tracks of dynamic, creative and thunderously heavy music. OTO are receiving great press already from magazines like Outburn, Hails & Horns, HM and more. Check out some new songs on their myspace page and make sure you check out the pre-order options that include the CD and a shirt for only $12.99!

Molly Jenson Records Christmas Song
Bully! Pupit/Nettwerk recording artist Molly Jenson continues to get noticed in the music world, most recently for her duet with Sherwood lead singer Nathan Henry on the song “Worn,” which appeared on the band’s newest album “QU.” Singer/songwriter Molly Jenson’s vocals make an appearance on the track and pose a stark contrast to Henry’s vocals,” noted the music publication State Press. “The result is a dark acoustic tune and a muscle-flexing display of Sherwood’s versatility.” “It was such a pleasure working with Nathan and the whole band,” noted Jenson. “They are amazing musicians and great guys. Singing with them was a really wonderful experience.” Having just finished her recent tour opening for the band WPA, Jenson is continuing to perform solo acoustic shows across the country on her No Place Like Home tour including a recent stop at Wheaton College near Chicago and an October 22 date with the Pawn Shop Kings to raise relief funds for India in the wake of the lost lives and the destruction caused by this year’s monsoon season. All proceeds are to aid the Harvest India organization, which is committed to serving the underprivileged and needy in India. Jenson has also been spending time in the studio, recording her rendition of the popular Chipmunks song, “Christmas Don’t Be Late.” Check out Molly’s website for updates on when the song will be available. On a recent swing through Northern California, Jenson dropped by an Alice Cooper show to meet the legendary rock star and pose for pictures. Label head Mark Joseph had previously introduced Jenson to Cooper’s wife, Sheryl, and the two quickly became friends. “I know you!” Cooper said, when introduced to Jenson at the show. “Our music is very different, but our love for music and life is the same,” noted Jenson. “He is first and foremost a showman, and I learned a lot from watching him in action.”

Downhere Launches Bethlehem Skyline Tour
Multi-award winning group, Downhere, recently made a guest appearance on Nashville’s Fox affiliate show, Tennessee Mornings. They performed their mega-hit, “How Many Kings,” and then taped, “Good King Wenceslas,” that will air Christmas day on the program. Both songs are from Downhere’s first Christmas CD, How Many Kings: Songs For Christmas. The performance was in support of the first date of the Bethlehem Skyline tour that launched at Rolling Hills Church in Franklin, TN. This week, Bethlehem Skyline Tour headed into the Chicago area and Downhere appeared on WMBI/Moody’s program, This Is The Day!, with host, Nancy Turner. The group performed several songs from the new Christmas CD. How Many Kings: Songs For Christmas, which released in October, is generating strong reviews for the project. Tennessean-…and all throughout, the album shines with the thoughtful touches of a band that refused to make a sing-by-numbers holiday disc. About.com – Christmas classics you may have forgotten about over the years meet original tunes to create an album that touches your heart as well as your funny bone. JesusFreakHideout.com – this is still one of the more solid Christmas releases we’ve seen from a Christian artist. NewReleaseTuesday.com – Downhere’s first ever holiday collection which retains much of the bands classic elements, but also stretches to previously uncharted realms. Soul-Audio.com – In the end, there’s not a whole lot to dislike about this album. It easily ranks among great Christmas albums…”.
For information on the Bethlehem Skyline Tour, go here:
centricitymusic.com

Day Of Fire Heads Back
Hard music band Day Of Fire returns to the rock landscape with its first new studio project in three years, Razor & Tie Records release Losing All. In stores Jan. 26, 2010, the album will be backed by more than 50 tour dates the band has scheduled from early January through April. Produced by Rogers Mason and featuring guest writer Chris Daughtry of American Idol fame, Losing All is a powerful hard-rock record that explores the real meaning of rebirth. Comprising 13 ambitious, high-energy rock songs, the album showcases Day Of Fire’s growth both professionally and personally. Day Of Fire frontman Josh Brown explains, “Overall we have grown as a band in our songwriting, live performance, and our ability to record. Losing All was written over a 3 year period, so it didn’t feel rushed like previous albums. Because of the surrounding circumstances, at times the recording process was arduous, but I think it came out in the music in a good way. This album is without a doubt the best I have ever been a part of. I love this collection of songs because they are honest and creative.” Among the project’s stand-out tracks are super-charged slow roller “Airplane,” which describes Brown meeting his wife for the first time and “Cold Addiction,” examining the horrors of being trapped inside cocaine dependency. A churning swirl of riffy metal, the album’s debut single “Lately” is now available at all digital music outlets with iTunes offering an exclusive bundle buy that includes the album version of “Lately,” a live audio version, and a live video. The single has already climbed to No. 18 on the Radio & Records Christian Rock chart and debuted at No. 40 last week at Active Rock. In support of Losing All, Day Of Fire has 50+ dates planned thus far, including shows with Papercut Massacre beginning mid-January and COLD February through April. Additional dates are being added daily. Day Of Fire comprises vocalist Josh Brown, guitarist Joe Pangallo, his brother Chris Pangallo on bass, and drummer Zach Simms. The band was founded by Brown who was previously signed to Island/Def Jam Records, fronting the mainstream act Full Devil Jacket and touring with bands including Creed, Fuel and Nickelback. Brown quit FDJ after surviving a heroin overdose and committing his life to God while in rehabilitation. Day Of Fire signed with Provident Label Group imprint Essential Records in 2004, releasing its debut project, Day Of Fire, Oct. 26, 2004. The album produced the No. 1 Christian Rock hit “Cornerstone” while garnering a Dove Award for Rock Album of the Year. Day Of Fire’s sophomore release, Cut & Move, came out two years later, contributing to the band’s current career sales of more than 150,000 albums. The GRAMMY nominated band has performed for more than 750,000 devoted fans worldwide and toured with such high-profile acts as Third Day, Red, Decyfer Down, Saliva, Cold, Rev Theory, and Collective Soul. Most recently the band has been a regular on tour with friend and American Idol finalist Chris Daughtry.

Unhindered Promote “Beautiful” Song
Pat Barrett of Unhindered shares the inspiration behind “Beautiful” from the band’s Oct. 20, 2009 debut release, Be: “Anyone who has had an encounter with God has probably experienced moments where there was nothing you could say…nothing you could sing… where the most appropriate response was just to fall on your knees and ‘Be’ in His presence. This song is an expression of that reality where God reveals Himself to us, and we are brought to a place of complete abandonment. And who knows? Maybe one of the most treasured postures in the Kingdom is finding yourself on your knees…again and again.” –Pat Barrett
To listen to the song, visit:
myspace.com/unhinderedworship

Adie To Release New Album
Fans flocked to her angelic voice with her debut solo album, “Don’t Wait,” over three years ago on BEC Recordings. On March 9, 2010 fans will get another taste of Adie with her sophomore release, “Just You And Me,” which features a collection 10 worshipful songs, including some well knows tunes as well as a few new surprises. Adie describes the music as more “organic and raw” than her solo debut. “This year I’m truly learning what it is to seek the Lord with all my heart and sitting at His feet without things being a distraction to me, hence the title of the album ‘Just You And Me,” shares Adie. “I want to grow so much more and learn what it is to really worship Him in spirit and truth.” BEC Recordings just posted the album artwork for “Just You And Me” on Adie’s artist page. You can also hear a streaming version of the upcoming radio single “Where Could I Go” on the label page.

©2009 HM Magazine All Rights Reserved

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