Devin Townsend. Who? DEVIN TOWNSEND!

Devin Townsend is- put simply- a legend in metal.  From his work with legendary extreme metal act Strapping Young Lad, to his ambitious solo material, the man has put forth some of the most innovative and unique music I have ever heard. Being a personal musical hero of mine, I was lucky enough to speak with him a few minutes about his creative aspirations, his techniques, his hopes for the future, and cheeseburgers.

Conor: So, how have you been lately?

Devin: It’s been an interesting month because we’re trying to get ready for these four shows in London right, so it’s like we’ve been on tour without actually being on tour and now I’m back in Vancouver and it’s like being home without really being home.

Conor: Because you just got back here, and are heading straight back out again…

Devin: Yeah, then we’re gone.

Conor: So, has it been a good tour so far?

Devin: Yeah, yeah! I think so, yeah.

Conor: Have there been any highlight shows?

Devin: Well, hopefully tonight. It’s hard for me to pinpoint them, because- again- I’ve been so busy doing other things… LA was good, Denver was good… It’s a tour right, I’ve been doing it for twenty some odd years, so the moments that are good are good, the moments that are bad, are just work, you know.

Conor: For sure. So, tonight, you’ll be playing with The Ocean.

Devin: Yeah!

Conor: I saw them in April with Between The Buried In Me; they are fantastic live. How did you get hooked up with them?

Devin: Well, we were gonna go out with Protest The Hero, and they had bought tickets to come out from Switzerland, and they had to postpone their tour, but they already had tickets, so they were kinda shit outta luck. So, we needed an opening act and they were available and I really think they’re killer, so one thing led to another, so there it was.

Conor: Do you have any personal favourite songs or albums from them?

Devin: You know, I’ve toured with so many bands, and what happens alot of the time when you tour is that you recognize songs, but you don’t have any idea what the song name is. Songs 1, 3, 5, and 7 are killer, you know!

Conor: Yeah! So, this has been a big year for you; you just completed the second half of your Devin Townsend Project series. Do you have any preferences out of the four albums, and is there anything you would have done differently?

Devin: Uh, I think in terms of preferences, I think they’re all kinda cut from the same cloth, in terms of me liking them. In terms of what I would do differently, I think that if I had the time, I would have loved to have mixed Deconstruction, although I think the mix has turned out well. I think other than that man, it turned out exactly as I was hoping.

Conor: I was told by someone who went to you show in San Francisco about Ziltoid hand puppets that you’re selling at the shows. What inspired those?

Devin: Well, I’ve always liked the idea of the Ziltoid character being a mascot or whatever, there’s definitely an element of doing this over the years where I’m not as interested in myself being the focal point, as I once was, but unfortunately; “Devin Townsend” project, so what are you going to do, right. I think Ziltoid is something for people to focus in on, I think it’s kinda creatively interesting. It’s fun for people to engage in it, it’s a stupid alien thing right, and I think the catalyst for that was probably quitting smoking weed…

Conor: So, Ziltoid is the manifestation of that addiction?

Devin: I think so, yes. He’s almost like a projection of that side of things.

Conor: I’ve heard that ‘By Your Command’ and other songs from Ziltoid (The Omniscient)  are the highlight of the show.

Devin: Well, I hope we play them tonight then, if that’s the case!

Conor: Are you using the puppets live, or incorporating Ziltoid’s character into your live show?

Devin: Yeah, we got a screen that goes behind the screen there, so while we’re playing, he’ll just talk alot of shit. The whole intro is just ludicrous, so hopefully people will get the joke, rather than think it’s like, functionally retarded.

Conor: And there’s that Ziltoid comic book, and the upcoming sequel album, Z2…

Devin: Yeah, alot of it is merch-oriented, we have a new management company, and they’re looking for new merch ideas, and because Ziltoid’s kind of like comedic in the first place, there’s alot of options for it.

Conor: That’s why there was a Cars sequel!

Devin: Heh, yeah! But in terms of why it’s being done, it’s just fun, and hopefully people enjoy it.

Conor: And… ‘Epicloud’. A while back you posted something about new material.

Devin: Yeah, I wrote a mess of songs, but what always seems to happen with a record is that there always seems to be a song on a record that defines the theme of it. Like, when I was doing ‘Terria’, there was a song ‘Mountain’ and then I was like: “The album will go in this direction.” But, with the ‘Epicloud’ stuff, we haven’t yet found a song that’s like, the definition of it yet. So, I’m still writing alot of material, and it’s pretty melodic stuff and I think that if I was to record it now, it would be a little too commercial for my tastes, but I feel that the next bout of writing that I’m going to do is going to be a little more left of centre.

Conor: So, ‘Epicloud’ now is currently in the vein of something like ‘Addicted’?

Devin: It’s alot less heavy than ‘Addicted’. I put up a YouTube clip of it just the other day, but I mean, that’s just the current demo of it. What it’s going to evolve into, I don’t really know yet.

Conor: Of course. As for creative process… Over the past few years, the Devin Townsend Project has represented a new side of Devin Townsend in terms of songwriting. You no longer have the pink elephants to turn to for inspiration, now that you have abstained from all drugs. What’s your new procedure for writing material, how do you get new ideas now.

Devin: I think in the past, I used to play guitar alot more, in a way that didn’t involve just rehearsing. Songs would just sort of manifest themselves while I was doing this, that, or the other thing, and other months and months, it would just develop into something. And nowadays, it seems that my life is so active that when I start to have a moment to put my thoughts down onto paper, and the riffs and the series of notes have been ringing in my head, it just sort of happens now. I think it’s cool now, that sense of immediate creative output is very gratifying, because I find it alot easier for me now not to second guess it, and if it is good, then I will just go with it, instead of trying to argue with myself as to whether it’s worth pursuing. It’s now a matter of “that’s cool, let’s go with it”, or “that’s shit, let’s not go with it”.

Conor: Does that way of thinking reflect in your recording process as well?

Devin: I think so. I think recording’s maybe a little different because I have been recording for so long that my recording process is basically on autopilot, for the most part. So, when I have an idea, well I do this, and I do this, and I do this, I just keep sorta picking away at it until it’s right. It’s not like there’s a series of things that I do that’s the same every time, but there’s my techniques and my command over ProTools or whatever that’s at the point where I’m turning knobs and changing levels and eventually if the song’s any good, it starts to take shape. But it’s a slow process, I don’t understand how producers and engineers can throw up a record that sounds great in no time. For me, there’s so much trial and error involved.

Conor: Actually, one of the things that I first really liked about your music was the (Phil) Spector wall of sound technique you use. Can you say a few words about how you get these massive walls of sound in your recordings?

Devin: I think I try to separate frequencies, that’s probably the most important thing. Like, for example, for the guitars, if I want an echo-ey sound for a guitar, I won’t add an echo effect, I’ll just add another layer of guitars, so then if I want echo, I’ll bring that in, so that keeps the dry guitar solid, as opposed to adding stereo delay and letting the sound get mushy. And it’s the same thing with vocals, I tend to multitrack my vocals alot, and I tend to edit them so it sounds like one vocal, but pad them so it sounds like one really epic sounding vocal. Um, there is alot of smoke and mirrors with it involved, to be honest. But at the end of the day, what I do and how I do it is like, pretty much just something I’ve been evolving over the years, you know.

Conor: Out of personal curiosity, how many tracks are usually involved, say in ‘Terria’ for example?

Devin: I don’t really remember! I’d say, in certain parts- if you separate it all, drums, guitars, and all- you would probably have a few hundred, but I mean, for the majority of the record, I’d say maybe forty. But it all depends on what the music needs, right? If it needs layering, then I keep adding onto it until its the way I’m hearing it in my head.

Conor: For people like myself who are getting into making music themselves and want to get their material out there, what advice might you have to give, based on your own life experience?

Devin: I would think, you’ve got to be prepared to deal with yourself, I think that’s the biggest thing, because the more intense this gets, and the more tension that’s put on me, you’re confronted with alot own personal issues in ways that are unexpected, like, how you deal with boredom, how you deal with notoriety, how you deal with criticism, all of these things become more of a focus point in my career than any of the music. I mean, I love writing music, it’s awesome, but it’s only maybe five percent of my life, you know. The rest, there’s interviews, and there’s performances, and for example, take this show; it’s the last show in a tour, it’s a hometown show, and there’s alot of people, blah blah blah. But we’ve been singing non-stop, your throat’s taken a beating, we’re all tired, and there’s things behind the scenes that would be causing everybody stress, yet how do you manage yourself, so that you can get up there and not let that affect people’s perceptions about what you’re doing. I think that’s what separates the men from the boys, right. I mean, it’s easy to be a decent musician and play decent shows, but to cope with this bizarre lifestyle that has no set of rules can bring some people down…

Conor: Favourite brand of coffee?

Devin: Well, I mean, I go off and on with the coffee, right. I mean, I don’t really have a favourite brand, I think an Americano of some kind is good, but I don’t necessarily miss it if it’s not around. I like it when it’s there.

Conor: Well, I was also going to ask your favourite place to get a cheeseburger, but Paul (the tour manager) told me…

Devin: …that I’m a vegetarian!

Conor: So I guess cheeseburgers are a moot point now! How long ago did you make the change?

Devin: Twenty years ago, I guess? I mean, you know, there’s alot of vegetarians I know that are a pain in the cock, because there always just on some sort of high horse about it, right. For me, I don’t smoke weed, or drink or anything, but because I have a very addictive personality, not eating meat is a little discipline for me that can help me stay away from the things that are really going to fuck with me. You know, a little bit of discipline won’t hurt, and I don’t necessarily like the idea of eating animals, they’re cool creatures, however I think they’re delicious, so it’s a strange dichotomy.

Conor: So, I guess ‘Deconstruction’  (the concept album about cheeseburgers) is sort of autobiographical then?

Devin: Everything I do is autobiographical, man. Everything. So, alot of the time when people think I’m just writing about something crazy, it’s not crazy, it’s just a metaphor for something real that means something to me. It might strike other people as being sorta off-the-wall but, you know, I’m pretty sane.

Conor: Any artists or bands you’ve been listening to lately?

Devin: Uh, John Hopkins put out a record recently that I thought was really good. What else… A band called Stars Of The Lid I thought was kinda cool. Alison Krauss and Robert Plant put out a record that I thought was really good…

Conor: Raising Sand?

Devin: Yeah, I liked that alot. Deadmau5 has some cool stuff, I like Gojira, you know. It’s kinda like.. Mute Math has got a new record out that I thought was really cool. Alot of what I listen to has little to do with what I do.

Conor: What do you have in mind for the future, besides the two albums? (Z2 + Epicloud)

Devin: Well, I got the Ziltoid TV thing going that I’m working towards…

Conor: Oh?

Devin: It’s going to be an interview show where I interview bands, do videos and shit. It’s either going to be really cool, or really stupid. I’ve got a ton of work to do, in all honesty man, I’ve been working my balls off. If I had, like four or five days of doing fucking nothing, I would be really happy. But as far as I can tell, that’s not on the horizon! (Laughs)

Conor: Any final words or other things you want to say?

Devin: No, I think if you have something important that you want to say, and no one else thinks it’s important, or very few people think it’s important, I don’t think that makes it any less important. I think you should just keep doing it until people at least get the impression of what you were trying to say.

Conor: Cool! Well, thanks for taking the time to talk; you’ve been great to interview.

Devin: Thanks, it’s been a pleasure to meet you man.

Demonic Death Judge – The Descent

The album we’ve got here is one of the surprises of the year and is falling into the category “the best newcoming album”. After 2010’s EP called Kneel, which launched these Finns in the orbit, with The Descent they bring up something different than the others, what makes them being exceptional.

Having rooted their sound on a greasy riff a la Entombed/Dismember style with bunch of other influences ranging from post-rock, space rock, doom/sludge to a niche with progressive idications, Demonic Death Judge is a new name with pretensions to become an influential factor to the future generations of stoner rock bands.

Ron Jarzombek – instructional video

October 28, 2011 - BLOTTED SCIENCE guitarist/mastermind Ron Jarzombek (WATCHTOWER, TERRESTRIAL EXILED, SPASTIC INK) has released an instructional video for the song ‘Cretaceous Chasm’off the band’s “The Animation Of Entomology” EP (check below). In it, the guitarist explains the application of the twelve-tone system devised specifically for the writing process of the EP, which will be the subject of a forthcoming DVD, titled “Dissecting Bugs.”

States Jarzombek: “I’ve been mentioning this ’12-Tones In Fragmented Rows’ system in interviews and it seems that even non-musicians are interested in it, so I put together this video to give listeners some insight on how it all works.  I thought it would be best to break this all down into its most basic theoretical form, and play examples of its use. I chose to post the basic guitar tracks to “Cretaceous Chasm” because it is the simplest song on the EP and is the easiest to grasp theoretically. The song will also  appear first on my upcoming instructional DVD, “Dssecting Bugs”, where I will go in-depth with all of the 12-tone theory, and play all guitar parts on all songs from the EP. Things do get a bit complicated when melodies and solos are laid on top of the note groups,  but we’ll get to all of that good stuff on the DVD.” More information about the sample video, including the transcription/tabs, can be found at http://www.ronjarzombek.com/CretaceousChasmTab1.html

“The Animation Of Entomology”, which also features the talents of bassist Alex Webster (CANNIBAL CORPSE, HATE ETERNAL) and drummer Hannes Grossmann (OBSCURA, TERRESTRIAL EXILED), will get its European release via UK-based Basick Records today, November 28.  The folllow-up to the band’s highly acclaimed 2007 “The Machinations Of Dementia” full-length album was produced and mixed by Ron Jarzombek and recorded in San Antonio, Texas; Tampa, Florida; and V. Santura’s (OBSCURA, TRIPTYKON) Woodshed Studios in Landshut, Germany where the drums were cut. Mastering duties were once again handled by Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, DESTRUCTION) at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark.

X-Panda – Flight of Fancy

Every once in a while there appears an album which blows your mind away! Whether it’s a psychedelic record or stoner or doom or progressive, all you do is a hungrily devour whatever comes out of your music player. This time our aircraft lands in Estonia, the land of constant progress. Somewhere in the same direction we meet with a prog fusion band X-Panda, led by Kaarel Tamra, and their debut record named Flight of Fancy.

Actually, the way I introduced myself to this Estonian band is through the Prog Sphere Promotions wire, as PSP runs the promotional campaign for them. Saying that, you guess that we are really happy having this extraordinary band in our house.

When all cards seemed to be played, speaking of 2011, X-Panda’s Flight of Fancy comes (a bit late for me and Prog Sphere) as a seal to a finished letter, proving one more time that the year is a piece of grandiosity for all music gourmets.

But, enough with the superficial impressions, let’s get down to the album’s flow. Comprised of 11 tracks (one of them being the Intro), Flight of Fancy is a 70 minutes long journey through the landscapes of symphonic progressive metal with touches of fusion. Symphonic comes from the employment of the choir and grand deep orchestrations represented on every step.

Gathering all distinctive factors of the genre, Black is packed up with excellent craftsmanship of the band members, wrapping up the complex structures together with melodiousness. That is actually what the band does all the way through the album’s playtime. And all that goes very smooth and easy.

Prog metal riffage in Dickybirds crossed with fusionesque guitar and piano lines could be described as a hybrid of Beardfish’s rock, Dream Theater’s metal and Liquid Tension Experiment’s fusion. The title track is G3 goes prog together with Holdsworth, with an extensive guitar solo going straight from the beginning. An ode to melody, in short. Siren is for all progressive metal purists, it’s heavy and complex, with the very sensitive vocals of Tamar Nugis. Speaking of vocals, Nugis is not pushing himself into the high registers, but rather staying “calm” and low and that’s what delivers.

Journey of a Dream is the longest track off the album, and as you might guess, this one goes all over symphonic progressive metal parts, to mellow rock and the complexity of fusion. In comparison with the other epic, Black, this track is completely instrumental and leads into Keyboard Solo (which isn’t characteristic of studio albums) – a spacy and ambient interlude for the most part which breaks near the end, having the full band kicking in. Rhythm Department is a good showcase of rhythm changes and could be included as an exercise in a manual for practicing one’s technical skills.

Calm Waters is calm, pretty ambient piece, with basswork reminiscent of Jonas Reingold and very nice acoustic guitar solo accompanied by a jazzy piano section and excellent drumming. Crystal Gazing keeps on holding a piano at the beginning and is developing towards an already mentioned G3 style. The closing Revelation was chosen as a video off the album (see below) and presents in a good way what’s X-Panda all about.

Having released such a “strong” album, X-Panda could easily take a title “the saviors of the genre” in 2011 and Flight of Fancy deserves to be labeled among the best debuts of the year.

Tracklist:

Line-up:

* Kaarel Tamra – keyboards
* Risto Virkhausen – guitars
* Tamar Nugis – bass, vocals
* Karl-Juhan Laanesaar – drums

additional musicians:

* Teele Viira – backing vocals
* Toomas Vana – trombone (2,10)
* Kreete Perandi – french horn (2,10)
* Mihkel Kalip – trumpet (2,10)
* Kristi Timma – violin (11)
* Tartu Youth Choir (2,11)

Links:

www.x-panda.net

Knife – Knife

Grabbed from The Obelisk:

Whether it’s the start-stop semi-Southern chugga groove of “Outrider” (little Danzig in there) or the unbridled energy of “Lineage,” Knife make sure their foot is right at home in the ass of their listener, and though I don’t know what the deal is with them and a label, them and a full-length, them and touring, them and their lineup, etc., I just wanted to put these songs on here because I actually dig the music. Figure the rest will work itself out.

Seiswork’s remix of Radio for the Daydreamers’ Wasted Faces

The growing popularity of Pittsburgh’s experimental trio Radio for the Daydreamers brought them to the point when many independent artists are remixing their songs. The decision has been made to release a free sampler of all remixes at some point in future and as announcement we are posting the remix for Wasted Faces of one-man project from Belgium, Seiswork.

Radio for the Daydreamers – Wasted Faces (Seiswork remix) by Seiswork

BLOTTED SCIENCE – ‘Ingesting Blattaria’ video posted

November 23, 2011 – Acclaimed progressive extreme metal all-stars BLOTTED SCIENCE - featuring guitarist/mastermind Ron Jarzombek (WATCHTOWER, TERRESTRIAL EXILED, SPASTIC INK), bassist Alex Webster (CANNIBAL CORPSE, HATE ETERNAL), and drummer Hannes Grossmann (OBSCURA, TERRESTRIAL EXILED) – have posted the ‘Ingesting Blattaria’ visual companion piece (see below), the third in a series of four ’scored’ videos in conjuction with their newly released “The Animation Of Entomology” EP.

Confirmed bands for Roadburn 2012

Every year, people behind the Roadburn festival make this 5-day event (including Afterburner) being the festival of the festivals. No matter how 2011’s edition of the event rocked, judging by the line-up the next edition is going to screw up 2011 really bad!

Below is the list of all confirmed bands for Roadburn 2012.

Thursday, April 12th (Doors open: 14:30)
Agalloch
Ancient VVisdom
Ancestors
Christian Mistress
d.USK/diSEMBOWELMENT – (playing an exclusive set of diSEMBOWELMENT’s legendary funeral doom opus,Transcendence into the Peripheral)
Michael Gira – (acoustic solo performance)
Hammers of Misfortune
Horisont
Killing Joke
La Otracina
Lord Vicar
OM
Orchid
Priestess
Red Fang
Saturnalia Temple
Sigiriya
Spiders
Ulver
Virus
Voivod
White Static Demon vs JK Flesh – (Justin K Broadrick Residency)
Year of the Goat

Friday, April 13th – Voivod’s Au-delà du Réel at the 013 venue (Doors open: 14:30)
Anekdoten
Aun
Black Breath
Celeste
Conan
Danava
Doom
Dopethrone
End of Level Boss
Farflung
Nachtmystium (playing Instict: Decay in its entirety)
Valient Thorr
Voivod (playing Dimension Hatröss in its entirety for the first time ever)
Witch
Yob (playing The Unreal Never Lived in full)

Friday, April 13th – Roadburn Festival at the Midi Theatre (Doors open: 14:30)
Barn Owl
Final - (Justin K Broadrick Residency)
Gnod
Hexvessel
Sólstafir

Saturday, April 14th (Doors open: 14:30)
40 Watt Sun
Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell
Bongripper
Celestial Season (performing Solar Lovers in its entirety for the first time ever)
Church of Misery
Dark Buddha Rising
Devil
Heavy Jam (J Mascis, Mario Rubalcaba, Mike  Eginton, Graham Clise)
Jesu – (Justin K Broadrick Residency)
Jucifer
Leaf Hound – playing their seminal Growers of Mushroom LP in its entirety
Necro Deathmort
Necros Christos
The Obsessed
Pelican
Purson
Saviours
Sleep
Tombs
Bob Wayne and the Outlaw Carnies

Sunday, April 15th – The Afterburner (Doors open: 14:30)
Atlantis
Black Cobra
Bong
Bongripper – Satan Worshipping Doom: entire album performance
Dragged Into Sunlight
Coroner
Fleshpress
Internal Void
The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation
Urfaust
Yob (playing Catharsis in its entirety)

Nomads

It was not going to be a special night at The Generic in Dullville. On Tuesdays like these, only the most persistent patrons would drop by the local bar for their poison of choice. The wooden sign board, reading ‘Tonight: live bands’ in intelligible handwriting, persistently held its place on the sidewalk, for no one in particular. One of those nights, in short, when you suspect to be mostly playing for the bar personnel.

A few frequent flyers were muttering to each other at the bar while my band had just barged in through the back door. ‘Musicians are nomads’, someone had just said, cringing to pull a flight case through the narrow door. ‘You take a whole shitload of things with you, build it up in hours to play for 30 minutes, then break it all down to start over at another place the next evening.’

While our band of nomads is settling up on stage – the drumkit tuned, the cables taped to the floor to prevent crashing into said drumkit – the back door swings wide open, the entrance shot of a cheap western movie. Five perfectly styled young men come parading in. ‘Ah, one of these nights’, one of them boasts, and his peers laugh aloud.

As a nomad you meet many different people. Consequently, they start to look alike – or worse, they become a parody of themselves. I had seen these guys so often before. Beard style: nonchalant. Checkered blouses. Converse shoes. Tight jeans. Our band leaps off the stage for a handshake, which they accept – barely. In their eyes the look of professionalism, completely uncalled for.

The professionals walk to the stage, and start unpacking their matching guitar cabinets. One of them – I just realize he’s their sound man – drops his bag next to the mixing panel and starts fiddling with the knobs. At this point, a shadow comes leaping in from behind the bar: the local sound man. Beard style: unkempt. Shabby clothes. Hanging belly. But a nice guy. Had been doing this job for ages, as he practically lived next door. No, never had the intentions of making this his job: he worked at a local factory and had started doing this by accident. Besides, he got some free drinks out of it. A nice guy. Probably still lived with his mom.

‘Please, could you stop messing around with my settings?’, he asks, a shy look on his face. ‘I haven’t written them down yet.’ The sound hipster pauses, looks up, and sighs. ‘Can anyone tell this guy that we have been promised to do the sound ourselves? You’re in my way man.’ A heated argument follows; the sound man is getting red. Embarrassed, perhaps, of the situation. He, as the resident engineer, should be more preponderant.

The other guy raises his voice even more, and when it’s over, the sound man walks away. At the end of the evening, he could be seen sitting behind his beer. At the other end of the bar, the sound hipster is talking to a local girl. He’s elaborating on the support act they recently did, and the actually famous people they have met.

Around two they have packed their van. ‘Screw this place’, one of them yells while slamming the door and driving off toward the nearest highway ramp. Nomads, yes. Unthankful, pretentious nomads.

Sounds familiar? Got a similar story to share? Comment below!

*

Fourteen Twentysix is the cryptic alias of Holland’s atmospheric rock band that uses rain barrels for bass drums, embraces digital music distribution and reaches out to listeners worldwide through digital liveshows and living room concerts. Not afraid of change and experiment, the band shared the stage with both dark rockers Antimatter(UK) as well as folk legends Turin Brakes (UK).

OBSCURA: Debut Two Songs from ‘Illegimitation’ Demo Collection

German progressive metal titans OBSCURA have released two tracks from their upcoming demo collection,‘Illegimitation’ at this location. The collection, set to be released in March 2012, will include ten never-before-heard tracks, including the band’s earliest recordings from 2003, unreleased songs from the Cosmogenesis sessions of 2006, and brand new cover songs with the newest line-up from 2011.  The album’s tracklisting, cover art, and numerous, unique packages are available directly from the band now via Kickstarter at this location.

OBSCURA recently announced a four-week headlining European tour in the spring of 2012 in support of their latest album Omnivium..  Support on the tour will come from label-mates SPAWN OF POSSESSION, French tech-death maestros GOROD, and Dutch progressive metallers EXIVIOUS.  The tour will kick-off on March 9^th in Stuttgart, Germany then march through Scandinavia, Eastern and Southern Europe, and the UK before returning to Germany on April 7^th.  A complete listing of dates is listed below.

The bandare currently on the road as part of their first North American headline tour. The tour began on Nov. 4 in Wilmington, Delaware and runs through Dec. 7 with support from label-mates ABYSMAL DAWN, LAST CHANCE TO REASON (select dates) and ENFOLD DARKNESS (select dates).  A listing of tour dates is included below.

OBSCURA is available for interviews upon request.  To speak with the band, please contact the relevant publicity contact listed below.  Updated OBSCURA news / tour information will be made available at the Relapse Records website: RELAPSE.com, and the brand new officialOBSCURA website and Facebook page.

OBSCURA Tour Dates:

***North American tour with support from ABYSMAL DAWN, LAST CHANCE TO REASON (Nov. 7 -25), ENFOLD DARKNESS (Nov. 28 – Dec. 7)***

Nov. 22 Santa Ana, CA     The Constellation Room @ The Galaxy Theater  tickets
Nov. 23 Tempe, AZ         The Clubhouse  tickets
Nov. 25 Denver, CO        The Marquis Theater  tickets
Nov. 27 Tulsa, OK          The Marquee Theater  tickets
Nov. 28 Dallas, TX          The Rail Club  tickets
Nov. 29 San Antonio, TX White Rabbit  tickets
Nov. 30 Houston, TX       Warehouse Live  tickets
Dec. 2 Lake Worth, FL    Propaganda  tickets
Dec. 3 Tampa, FL          Brass Mug  tickets
Dec. 4 Orlando, FL         Firestone Live  tickets
Dec. 5 Atlanta, GA         Masquerade  tickets
Dec. 6 Richmond, VA     Kingdom  tickets
Dec. 7 Baltimore, MD     Sonar tickets

*****All 2012 dates from March 3rd thru April 7th w/ SPAWN OF POSSESSION, GOROD & EXIVIOUS***

March 9     Stuttgart, Germany     Universum
March 10    Oberhausen, Germany     Turbinenhalle Kraftwerk
March 11    Wiesbaden, Germany     Schlachthof
March 12     Berlin, Germany     Magnet
March 13    Stockholm, Sweden     Debaser Slussen
March 14     Oslo, Norway         Betong
March 15     Copenhagen, Denmark      The Rock
March 16     Jena, Germany         Rosenkeller
March 17     Poland             TBC
March 18     Prague, Czech Rep.     Black Pes
March 19     Bratislava, Slovakia     Randal
March 20     München, Germany     Feierwerk Hansa 39
March 21     Wien, Austria         Arena
March 22     Ljubljana, Slovenia     Gala Hala
March 23     Milano, Italy          Zoe Club
March 24     Rome, Italy           Traffic Club
March 25     Day Off vs. Switzerland     TBC
March 26     France             TBC
March 27     Toulouse, France      Aero
March 28    Nantes, France      Ferrailleur
March 29     Paris, France         Glazart
March 30     Dunkerque, France      4 Ecluses
March 31     Rouen, France          106
April 1        Manchester, UK      Moho Live
April 2         Dublin, Ireland         The Pint
April 3         Bristol, UK         The Croft
April 4         London, UK         Underworld
April 5        Vosselaar, Belgium     Biebob
April 6         Haarlem, Holland      Patronaat
April 7         Köln, Germany         Underground

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