Killswitch Engage + Anthrax = Killthrax Spring Tour

LOS ANGELES, CA - (Wednesday, December 14, 2016) – Metalcore forefathers Killswitch Engage and thrash legends Anthrax announce today that they will hit the road this Spring to co-headline a 27-date North American tour, presented by SiriusXM. The bands’ itinerary will also include an April 15 appearance at the Texas Independence Festival in Austin as well as each band headlining two solo shows separate from the double bill. With Anthrax and KsE rotating the closing slot over the course of the dates, the tour will hit the ground on March 29 in Montclair, NJ and then criss-cross the continent, wrapping up in Boston on May 7. The intense and dynamic The Devil Wears Prada will provide direct support on all dates. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, 12/16 at 10AM local time. Log on to www.killswitch Engage or www.anthrax.com or www.tdwpband.com for all details regarding ticket purchasing and pre-sales.

For Anthrax, these dates are in support of the band’s critically-celebrated 11th album, For All Kings (Megaforce), released last February. Celebrating its 35th anniversary, 2016 has been action-packed for Anthrax. For All Kings debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Hard Rock Albums chart and #9 on the Billboard 200, the band’s second Top 10 chart entry. Two striking music videos made with director Jack Bennett, one over-the-top grizzly, the other an innovative stop-motion piece, an appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” that paired the band with the iconic Robert De Niro, and sharing stages with bands like Iron Maiden, Lamb of God, Avenged Sevenfold, and fellow Big Four members Slayer, were just a few of the highlights.

“Anthrax and Killswitch will be a really good blend for fans,” said Anthrax’s Charlie Benante. "We both play metal, but we play two different forms of the genre. I think fans of both bands are in for a ‘Total Explosion of the Senses.’” Added the band's Frank Bello, “This Anthrax/KsE tour is a powerful ball of energy ready to unleash the metal in the U.S.” “Anthrax and Killswitch - KillThrax! Holy crap!,” said Scott Ian. "I am so excited about these upcoming shows with our old friends Killswitch Engage. Get out your pit pants and start stretching now for all the glorious action and fun!”

Killswitch Engage released the universally regarded Incarnate (Roadrunner) this past March, which debuted #6 on the Billboard 200, and #1 on Billboard’s Hard Rock Album chart. 2016 also saw KsE appearing on a Stars Wars-themed Revolver cover, staging an unforgettable and intimate, five-club NYC takeover for album release week, and embarking on an impressive Incarnate World Tour. On November 25, the band released Beyond the Flames: Home Video Vol. II on Blu-ray, a treasure trove of gripping content, containing over 3.5 hours of footage. At the heart of this release is a 75-minute documentary that chronicles the return of original vocalist Jesse Leach, after nearly a decade away, to the band he helped form back in 1999. It picks up right where their 2005 {Set This} World Ablaze release left off, revealing the rest of the untold KsE story.
KsE singer Jesse Leach echoed Anthrax's enthusiasm about the upcoming trek, saying. "We are so stoked to tour with thrash legends Anthrax! We are sure this will bring a powerhouse of a live show with the combination of both bands. This is, hands down, the most excited we've been to tour alongside a band in a long while. This will be one you won't want to miss. KillThrax is coming for you!!!!"

Confirmed dates for the Killswitch Engage/Anthrax Tour are as follows:

MARCH
29 The Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ *
30 Express Live, Columbus, OH **
31 Arcada Thtr, St. Charles, IL (Anthrax only)
31 The International, Knoxville, TN (KsE only)

APRIL
1 Little River Cas. Manistee, MI(Anthrax only)
1 Norva, Norfolk, VA (KsE only)
3 The Fillmore, Silver Springs, MD *
4 The Dome at Oakdale, Wallingford, CT *
5 Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA **
7 20 Monroe Live, Grand Rapids, MI *
8 The Fillmore, Detroit, MI **
9 Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA *
11 The Ritz, Raleigh, NC **
12 Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA **
13 House of Blues, Orlando, FL *
15 Texas Independence Festival @ Grizzly Hall, Austin, TX **
16 Boggus Ford Events Center, Pharr, TX **
17 House of Blues, Houston, TX *
18 House of Blues, Dallas, TX **
20 The Marquee, Phoenix, AZ *
22 The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA **
23 The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA **
25 Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WA *
26 Roseland Theatre, Portland, OR **
28 The Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, CO *
29 Sokol Auditorium, Omaha, NE **
30 Midland Theatre, Kansas City, MO *

MAY
1 The Pageant, St. Louis, MO **
3 Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON CANADA **
5 Paramount Theatre, Huntington, NY **
6 Upstate Concert Hall, Clifton Park, NY *
7 House of Blues, Boston, MA *


* KsE closes
** Anthrax closes

*****

ABOUT ANTHRAX:
As part of the band’s 35th anniversary year, Anthrax released one of 2016’s most-anticipated metal/thrash albums, For All Kings (February 26/Megaforce in North America/Nuclear Blast internationally), that debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Hard Rock Chart, and #9 on the Top 200, becoming Anthrax's highest-charting album in more than two decades. Written by drummer Charlie Benante, bassist Frank Bello and guitarist Scott Ian, the dynamic triumvirate whose unique composition chemistry is, in part, what sets Anthrax's music apart from other bands' in the same genre, combined with Joey Belladonna's breathtaking vocals and the searing guitar leads by newest member Jonathan Donais, it's no wonder the album and the band’s live shows have consistently received tremendous reviews.

Over its 35-year career, Anthrax has been a pioneering band with its unique style, sound and heavy brand of thrash metal, and, as Metallica's Kirk Hammett put it, "one can hear their influence on any number of up and coming bands.” Anthrax has sold in excess of 10-million units, received multiple Gold and Platinum certifications, six Grammy nominations and a host of other accolades from the media, industry and fans. From the race and genre barriers Anthrax helped break down in 1988 when they collaborated with Public Enemy on "Bring The Noise," to becoming a card-carrying member of The Big Four - with Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth - as one of the four bands that defined the speed/thrash metal genre, to being the first metal band to have its music heard on Mars when NASA played "Got The Time" to wake up the Mars Rover, Anthrax continues to break ground and innovate.


ABOUT KILLSWITCH ENGAGE:
Formed in 1999 out of western Massachusetts, Killswitch Engage is often credited as one of the most influential metal acts in the last 20 years. Twice Grammy nominated, they've sold over three million records worldwide, with The End of Heartache and As Daylight Dies both certified Gold in the U.S. The band has enjoyed multiple Top 10-charting albums, with 2016's Incarnate (March 11/Roadrunner) landing at #6 on the Billboard Top 200, #1 on the Current Rock Albums chart, and debuting at #1 overall in Canada, #5 in Australia, and #10 in both the UK and Germany, a testament to the band's international reach.

As cofounders of Killswitch Engage, guitarist/backing vocalist Adam Dutkiewicz, guitarist Joel Stroetzel, bassist Mike D’Antonio, and lead vocalist Jesse Leach (who returned four years ago after a decade-long absence) together with longtime drummer Justin Foley continue to make trend-resistant, timeless heavy music that feeds the soul, touches the heart, and strengthens the mind.

Spending much of their career on the road, Killswitch Engage have enjoyed premium slots on major U.S. tours, including OzzFest, Warped Tour, Taste of Chaos, Rockstar Energy Mayhem Fest, Music As a Weapon, and Trespass America, as well as countless international festivals around the globe. Having shared the stage with acts ranging from Rise Against to Slayer, the diversity and versatility of their touring is unparalleled. Their songs have been featured on "Guitar Hero III," "Rock Band," "John Madden," the Resident Evil III soundtrack, and as entrance music for WWE wrestling champ CM Punk.

ABOUT THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA:

The Devil Wears Prada is the musical embodiment of a generational shift. Built on a diverse array of heavy, dark, melodic and genre-defying music, hardened and sharpened by putting in road work together since the days when they had to skip class to tour, The Devil Wears Prada has long been at the forefront of a movement that bridges the gap between Rockstar Mayhem and the Vans Warped Tour.

In many ways, the band — Mike Hranica (vocals), Jeremy DePoyster (rhythm guitar, clean vocals), Andy Trick (bass), and the recent addition of Kyle Sipress (guitar) — has embraced transition and change since their 2005 formation. After the pivotal breakout With Roots Above and Branches Below in 2009, the boys challenged the status quo and notched widespread critical acclaim, landing two consecutive Top 10 debuts on the Billboard Top 200 for the conceptual Zombie EP [2010] and Dead Throne [2011]. Two thousand thirteen's 8:18 continued to expand their imprint on heavy music, while the intergalactic concept epic Space EP (2015) blasted off to a #18 debut and praise from Alternative Press, Loudwire, and more. With influences from novels like “The Mandarins” by Simone de Beauvoir, William Faulkner’s “The Sound and The Fury,” and Russian literature by Nabokov, Chekhov, and Dostoevsky, Prada gets very personal on their new album, Transit Blues (10-7-16), tackling topics like gun control, anxiety and the toll that touring takes. All Music called it “as blistering and visceral as anything they’ve ever done.”

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Tags:  Anthrax, Killswitch Engage, Killthrax, The Devil Wears Prada 

Kenny Larson    December 19, 2016