DARKEST HOUR, the Washington D.C. powerhouse metal quintet, will proudly release their fifth full-length record, The Eternal Return, June 23, 2009 on Victory Records. The band tapped producer Brian McTernan (Senses Fail, Thrice, From Autumn to Ashes) and recorded at his Baltimore, MD-based Salad Days Studio. Guitarist Mike Schleibaum comments, “To put it simply, this is a metal record made by dudes who have dedicated half of our lives to aggressive, unrelenting music.”

“It;s been a long road, but we have finally completed work on our new record, The Eternal Return,” added Schleibaum. “I am very proud of the hard work and passion that both the band and producer Brian McTernan poured into this. After 14 years, we’ve decided there’s no reason to put out DARKEST HOUR records other then for ourselves and for the people that love this band. This record has no hidden agenda, no pop hit, or stylistic departure to broaden the fan base. Rather, it is a sick thrash, speed, melodic, metal record! It feels like it has all the aggression and speed of our Hidden Hands… record, the melody and songwriting of Undoing Ruin, and the technicality and musicianship of Deliver Us. We encourage anyone who has loved our records in the past or present to check it out. And if you’ve never found something that’s connected with you in a DARKEST HOUR record before, then take some time to listen to this one, because this is a defining DARKEST HOUR record… We look forward to playing new songs on our upcoming European tour with Bleeding Through and on this year’s Summer Slaughter Tour! See ya in the pit!” 

Fans will surely not be let down by this upcoming album, and prior to its release in the states, DARKEST HOUR will head over to Europe on the Thrash and Burn Tour (presented by Metal Hammer, Myspace, Metal.de, Fuze and Peta) on a co-headlining stint with Bleeding Through, with support from Beneath the Massacre, Carnifex and more. 

The touring machine does not stop there… 

Once the band returns to the US, they will head out in support of Necrophagist and Suffocation on the Summer Slaughter 2009 tour (presented by Affliction and Decibel Magazine). Dates for Summer Slaughter run from early June to early July, and a full list of upcoming DARKEST HOUR dates can be viewed below. Check out http://www.Fangoria.com to win tickets for the Summer Slaughter 2009 Tour. 

The Thrash and Burn Tour w/ co-headliners, Bleeding Through, and Beneath the Massacre, Carnifex and more:

4/19 – Wiesbaden, GERMANY – Schlachthof
4/20 – Stuttgart, GERMANY – LKA
4/21 – Hamburg, GERMANY – Markthalle
4/22 – Berlin, GERMANY – Postbahnhof
4/23 – Amsterdam, HOLLAND – Melkweg
4/24 – Münster, GERMANY – Sputnikhalle
4/25 – Leipzig, GERMANY – Conne Island
4/26 – Katowice, POLAND – Mega Club
4/27 – Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC – Abaton
4/28 – Budapest, HUNGARY – Durer Kert
4/29 – Wien, AUSTRIA – Arena
4/30 – Salzburg, AUSTRIA – Rockhouse
5/1 – Milan, ITALY – Musicdrome
5/2 – Pinarella, ITALY – Rock Planet
5/3 – München, GERMANY – Backstage Werk
5/4 – Aarau, SWITZERLAND – Kiff
5/6 – Barcelona, SPAIN – Sala Razzmatazz
5/7 – Madrid, SPAIN – Sala Caracol
5/8 – Durango, SPAIN – Kafe Antzoky
5/9 – Paris, FRANCE – Trabendo
5/10 – Norwich, UK – Waterfront
5/11 – London, UK – The Electric Ballroom

5/12 – Sheffield, UK – Corporation
5/13 – Yeovil, UK – Westland
5/14 – Leeds, UK – Rios
5/15 – Birmingham, UK – Academy
5/16 – Köln, GERMANY – Essigfabrik
5/18 – Helsinki, FINLAND – Club Nosturi

5/19 – St Petersburg, RUSSIA – Orlandina

5/21 – Moscow, RUSSIA – XO Club

5/22 – Athens, GREECE – An Club

Summer Slaughter 2009 Tour – with Darkest Hour, Necrophagist, Suffocation and many more 

6/5 Baltimore, MD – Sonar
6/6 Richmond, VA – The National
6/7 Philadelphia, PA – TLA
6/8 Hartford, CT – Webster Theater
6/10 Charlotte, NC – Amos Southend
6/12 Louisville, KY – Headliners
6/13 Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
6/14 St. Petersburg (Tampa), FL – Jannus Landing
6/15 Jacksonville, FL – Plush
6/16 Orlando, FL – Club Firestone
6/18 San Antonio, TX – White Rabbit (Night One)
6/19 Houston, TX – Java Jazz Outdoors
6/20 San Antonio, TX – White Rabbit (Night Two)
6/21 Dallas, TX – House of Blues
6/23 Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre
6/24 Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theatre
6/26 Phoenix, AZ – The Marquee Theatre
6/27 San Diego, CA – Soma
6/28 Anaheim, CA – The Grove
6/29 Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues
6/30 Los Angeles, CA – House of Blues
7/1 San Francisco, CA – The Grand Ballroom
7/2 Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
7/3 Seattle, WA – King Cat Theater