OBITUARY, BROKEN HOPE: 'Carnival Of Death' Tour Dates Announced

After 12 years, a sleeping death-metal monster praised by the likes of SLIPKNOT, DEVILDRIVER, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, DYING FETUS, JOB FOR A COWBOY and more, has awoken from the bowels of Chicago. BROKEN HOPE has announced not only its highly-anticipated comeback, but also its direct-support position on the upcoming Carnival Of Death tour, brought to you by Rock The Nation and sponsored by Fender. The new tour features headliners OBITUARY, as well as additional support from DECREPIT BIRTH, JUNGLE ROT and ENCRUST.

The Carnival Of Death tour marks OBITUARY's first full U.S./Canadian tour run as a four-piece with legendary death metal alumnus Terry Butler (DEATH, SIX FEET UNDER, MASSACRE, DENIAL FIEND) on bass. For this special journey, the band — vocalist John Tardy, drummer Donald Tardy, guitarist Trevor Peres and Butler — are working on compiling a special fan-generated set-list that will delve deep into their back catalog to include tunes predominantly off their renowned first three full-lengths: "Slowly We Rot", "Cause Of Death" and "The End Complete". To help the band map out their setlist, fans have been asked to drop by their official Facebook and Twitter pages with their song picks.

Notes drummer Donald Tardy: "I'm looking forward to giving North American fans an opportunity to see OBITUARY live again. It has been way too long. With the addition of our brother Terry Butler, this now four-piece band is solid as a rock, tighter than ever and ready to throw down! I hope everyone comes out to see the Florida boys onstage. It’s sure to be a good time."

Adds Butler: "This is my first full length tour of North America with OBITUARY and I'm extremely excited, to say the least! Being part of OBITUARY and this tour is a great honor for me. Plus the special setlist will certainly crush!"

The dates are as follows:

Sep. 08 - Haven Lounge - Orlando, FL
Sep. 10 - Empire - Springfield, VA
Sep. 11 - Gramercy Theatre - New York, NY
Sep. 12 - Bogie's - Albany, NY
Sep. 13 - Imperial - Quebec City, QC
Sep. 14 - Foufounes Electriques - Montreal, QC
Sep. 15 - The Opera House - Toronto, ON
Sep. 16 - Peabody's - Cleveland, OH
Sep. 17 - Reggie's Rock Club - Chicago, IL
Sep. 19 - Osborne Village Inn - Winnipeg, MB
Sep. 20 - The Exchange - Regina, SK
Sep. 21 - Pawn Shop - Edmonton, AB
Sep. 22 - The Level Nightclub - Kelowna, BC
Sep. 23 - Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
Sep. 25 - The Alley - Reno, NV
Sep. 26 - DNA Lounge - San Francisco, CA
Sep. 27 - Key Club - West Hollywood, CA
Sep. 28 - El Rey Theatre - Albuquerque, NM
Sep. 29 - Trees - Dallas, TX

In a recent statement, BROKEN HOPE guitarists Jeremy Wagner and Shaun Glass said, "For over a decade, we've listened to fans worldwide who've asked us to return. We've listened to our peers in bands who seen us at shows and said, 'When is BROKEN HOPE coming back?' Well, you have finally been heard, and frankly, we just miss it too goddamn much — the clubs, the metal, but especially you: the diehards, the most.

"We decided as a first step to return back to the place that always felt like home: the road! So we are proud to announce that this fall, BROKEN HOPE will join forces with OBITUARY and join the Carnival Of Death tour! This tour will solidify that extreme music is still alive and well, we are ready, focused, and hungry to show you what we have in stored for you all! Moreover, we cherish and promote the legacy of our fallen brother, vocalist Joe Ptacek, as we travel from show to show and honor him, he will not be forgotten. With this being said, we would like to introduce Damian Leski of GORGASM on vocal duties, who will handle the tough task for the upcoming tours. Be ready to be 'Swamped in Gore'!!!!"

BROKEN HOPE was formed in 1988 by guitarist/chief-lyricist Jeremy Wagner while he was in high school. In 1991, after releasing two demo tapes, BROKEN HOPE secured a recording contract with an independent record label which released "Swamped In Gore" worldwide. "Swamped In Gore" was the first death-metal album to ever be recorded digitally. By 1993, BROKEN HOPE quickly signed to Metal Blade Records and released four albums: "The Bowels of Repugnance", "Repulsive Conception", "Loathing", and the Metal Blade re-release of "Swamped In Gore". The band's third album, 1995's "Repulsive Conception", reached CMJ New Music Monthly's Metal Top 25 chart, as did the follow-up, 1997's "Loathing".

The first four albums during the Metal Blade years are great examples of BROKEN HOPE's original fury and they are the albums that etched BROKEN HOPE's place in death-metal history. The first ten years of BROKEN HOPE's existence were filled with non-stop writing, touring, and constant visibility with these albums. By the end of the '90s, BROKEN HOPE parted ways with Metal Blade and went through lineup changes. The band produced one last album before the decade closed, the 1999 release, "Grotesque Blessings". After North American and European tours for the album and a few unsatisfactory lineup changes, the band went on hiatus in 2000.

On January 20, 2010, original BROKEN HOPE vocalist Joe Ptacek committed suicide. Before his death, Ptacek met with Jeremy Wagner and Shaun Glass to discuss the resurrection of BROKEN HOPE. A plan was in motion with these three members to make the band a functioning reality. After taking some time off after Ptacek's death to reconsider their next moves, BROKEN HOPE signed with Hard Impact Management And Booking with the intention to make the band a full-time monster again. Now, BROKEN HOPE continues onward with main songwriters Jeremy Wagner and Shaun Glass keeping the beast alive… brutal as ever… and with live tour dates worldwide.