Candlelight Records announces its third label packaged tour for North America. Set to kick off on June 6, CIII will feature the talents of US black metal legends Absu, with support coming from France's Glorior Belli, Austin-based Averse Sefira and Los Angeles-based Sothis. The tour will visit 22 cities throughout the US and Canada beginning in San Marco, California and wrapping up in Dallas, Texas on June 29. Tickets for all shows go on sale exclusively at Enterthevault.com for now. Tickets will go on sale through all local and online ticket agencies starting March 5.

Absu's self-titled new album hits stores nationwide February 24. Currently featured on the cover of Metal Maniacs the album is the first to offer new material from the highly regarded metal band in nearly eight years. The Texas-based band, self-described as "mythological occult metal," are a fan favorite the world over. Terrorizer Magazine calls the new album "a sound incarnate of a band making the underground amazing again - an undeniable masterpiece." This will be the band's first large-scale tour since their tour alongside Enslaved in 1997.

France's Glorior Belli make their first trip to North America as they participate on CIII. Their sophomore record, "Manifesting The Raging Beast", was released in 2007 via Southern Lord Records. The band now, signed to Candlelight, will begin recording of their label debut, titled "Meet Us At The Southern Sign", this month with hopes to see it released during the tour. Popular site Metal Kult said in review, "Manifesting is as darkly beautiful as it is gloom inducing."

Averse Sefira join CIII continuing to support their latest album, "Advent Parallax". Time Out New York notes, "black-metal lifers Averse Sefira have become a road-hardened unit, and it shows in the blistering grooves of "Advent Parallax". The fourth album of the band's 12-year career has no gothic frills or weedy "kvlt" production, just eight battle-ready blasts jammed with parched-throat howls, scything guitar riffs, blistering drums and hooks that stick." Their participation on the tour is their third national tour in two years having previously toured with labelmates 1349 in 2007 and with friends Immolation in early 2008.

Sothis released their Andy LaRocque (King Diamond) debut, "De Oppresso Liber", on September 2. The record has enjoyed growing and consistent sales since release. This will be the band's first national tour. Canada's popular Brave Words Bloody Knuckles magazine says, "behold the next big black metal band." The band is currently completing work on their first video from "De Oppresso Liber" for the album's title track.

CIII follows the success of Candlelight's previous label tours - the first in 2005 featuring Entombed, Crowbar, Pro-Pain & The Mighty Nimbus, and second in 2007 featuring Enslaved, Dark Funeral and then newcomers Abigail Williams. The label, maintaining offices in Philadelphia and London, continues to grow since launching American operations in 2001. Candlelight is distributed throughout the US exclusively via Caroline Distribution, EMI Music for Canada and Plastichead Music for the rest of the world.


Confirmed dates for CIII are:

June 06 - Jumping Turtle, San Marcos CA
June 07 - House of Blues, W. Hollywood CA
June 08 - Thee Parkside, San Francisco CA
June 09 - Hawthorne Theatre, Portland OR
June 10 - El Corazon, Seattle WA
June 12 - The Underground, Calgary AB
June 13 - The Exchange, Regina SK
June 14 - Royal Albert Arms, Winnipeg MT
June 15 - Station 4, St. Paul MN
June 16 - The Pearl Room, Mokena IL
June 17 - Peabody's, Cleveland OH
June 18 - Wreck Room, Toronto ON
June 19 - Petit Campus, Montreal QC
June 20 - Penny Arcade, Rochester NY
June 21 - BB Kings Blues Club, New York NY
June 22 - Jaxx, W. Springfield VA
June 23 - Volume 11, Raleigh NC
June 24 - The Muse, Nashville TN
June 25 - The Masquerade, Atlanta GA
June 26 - The Garage, St. Petersburg FL
June 27 - Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale FL
June 29 - Firewater, Dallas TX

Source:	gloriorbelli.luxferous.com
Band profile:	Absu
Event:	CIII Tour