Candlelight Records today 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 Marcos, California and wrapping up in Dallas, Texas on June 29. Tickets for all shows go on sale exclusively at Enterthevault.com today. 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 MetalKult 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 debut, De Oppresso Liber, on September 2. Mixed by Andy LaRocque (King Diamond), 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:
6/06/2009 Jumping Turtle – San Marcos, CA
6/07/2009 House of Blues – W. Hollywood, CA
6/08/2009 Thee Parkside – San Francisco, CA
6/09/2009 Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR
6/10/2009 El Corazon – Seattle, WA
6/12/2009 The Underground – Calgary, AB
6/13/2009 The Exchange – Regina SK
6/14/2009 Royal Albert Arms – Winnipeg, MT
6/15/2009 Station 4 – St. Paul, MN
6/16/2009 The Pearl Room – Mokena, IL
6/17/2009 Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH
6/18/2009 Wreck Room – Toronto, ON
6/19/2009 Petit Campus – Montreal, QC
6/20/2009 Penny Arcade – Rochester, NY
6/21/2009 BB Kings Blues Club – New York, NY
6/22/2009 Jaxx – W. Springfield, VA
6/23/2009 Volume 11 – Raleigh, NC
6/24/2009 The Muse – Nashville, TN
6/25/2009 The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
6/26/2009 The Garage – St. Petersburg, FL
6/27/2009 Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
6/29/2009 Firewater – Dallas, TX