Die Bay-Area-Thrash-Titanen MACHINE HEAD haben weitere Shows ihrer Europa-Headliner-Tournee im November/Dezember 2014 bekanntgegeben. Zudem hat man auch die Support-Bands, die die Tour begleiten werden, enthüllt: Für Robb Flynn & Co. werden die Labelkollegen DEVIL YOU KNOW (Howard Jones (ex-KILLSWITCH ENGAGE), Francesco Artusato (ALL SHALL PERISH), John Sankey (DEVOLVE, ex-FEAR FACTORY), Ryan Wombacher (ex-BLEEDING THROUGH) und Roy Lev-Ari) sowie die US Melodic Death/Metalcore-Truppe DARKEST HOUR eröffnen! KILLERS & KINGS EUROPEAN TOUR 19.08. DK Aarhus - Train 21.08. NO Stavanger - Folken 22.08. SE Gothenburg - Tradgarn BLOODSTONE & DIAMONDS Tour 2014 + DEVIL YOU KNOW + DARKEST HOUR 07.11. F Strasbourg - Laiterie 10.11. F Paris - Batacla 12.11. F Toulouse - Bikini 14.11. ES Barcelona - Razzmatazz 1 15.11. ES Madrid - Riviera 16.11. ES Pamplona - Zentral 17.11. F Marseille - Espace Julien 19.11. I Milan - Alcatraz 20.11. CH Lausanne - Les Docks 21.11. CH Zurich - Komplex 22.11. D Munich - Kesselhaus 23.11. AT Vienna - Gasometer 25.11. D Cologne - Palladium 26.11. D Oberhausen - Turbinenhalle 27.11. D Wiesbaden - Schlachthof 29.11. DK Copenhagen - Vega 30.11. NO Oslo - Sentrum Scene 01.12. SWE Stockholm - Arenan 03.12. D Hamburg - Grosse Freiheit 04.12. NL Utrecht - Vredeburg 06.12. UK London - Roundhouse 07.12. UK London - Roundhouse 09.12. UK Portsmouth - Guildhall 10.12. UK Bristol - Academy 11.12. UK Plymouth - Pavillions 13.12. UK Glasgow - Academy 2 14.12. UK Leeds - Academy 16.12. UK Manchester - Apollo 17.12. UK Nottingham - Rock City 18.12. UK Birmingham - Academy 19.12. UK Dublin - Academy MACHINE HEAD werden ihr achtes Album, »Bloodstone & Diamonds«, in diesem Herbst über Nuclear Blast Entertainment veröffentlichen. Die Scheibe wurde erneut von Robb Flynn selbst sowie Juan Urteaga (TESTAMENT, VILE) produziert. Wie bei sieben von den insgesamt acht Alben, kümmerte sich auch dieses Mal Colin Richardson (CARCASS, FEAR FACTORY, SLIPKNOT, BEHEMOTH, DEVILDRIVER) um den meisterhaften Mix. Weitere Aufnahmen, Edits und Mixes wurden mit Heavy-Metal-Legende Andy Sneap (EXODUS,TESTAMENT, ARCH ENEMY, ACCEPT, MEGADETH) und Steve Lagudi vorgenommen. “I cannot even begin to tell you how proud we are of this album”, kommentiert Frontman Robb Flynn. “It's been a heck of a ride. It looked like it might not ever happen again at one point, but man, this album is a milestone for us. You're going to love it, Head Cases.” “Without getting too philosophical on ya, bloodstone and diamonds represent two of the hardest materials on earth, it is also a lyric from the opening track of the album ‘Now We Die’. In many cultures the bloodstone has been used as an amulet to protect against evil, and is the symbol of justice. Diamonds and are hardest natural material on earth (which is how we feel about our music), and it also represents the diamond logo I drew 22 years ago (in my wife's apartment on Dover St. in Oakland) that has become the symbol for the band.” »Bloodstone & Diamonds« Trackliste: 1. Now We Die 2. Killers & Kings 3. Ghosts Will Haunt My Bones 4. Night Of Long Knives 5. Sail Into The Black 6. Eyes Of The Dead 7. Beneath The Silt 8. In Comes The Flood 9. Damage Inside 10. Game Over 11. Imaginal Cells (instrumental) 12. Take Me Through The Fire Flynn weiter: “10 songs, an interlude, and an instrumental with an audio collage of spoken word snippets (think ‘Real Eyes, Realize, Real Lies’) by Dr. Bruce Lipton and Steve Bhaerman, taken from their (incredibly inspiring) audiobook Spontaneous Evolution.” “Guest musicians include 2 different string quartets featuring the original Quartet Rouge that appeared on our last album »Unto The Locust«. And a new all-male quartet which we featured on the song ‘In Comes The Flood’.”