Woe Of Tyrants spent the entirety of 2009 criss-crossing the US on a multitude of tours. After the grueling schedule came to a close, did they head home to rest and take some time off? NOPE! They dove right into songwriting for the follow up to their sophomore album and Metal Blade debut, Kingdom Of Might. This time around, the guys have seriously turned up the shred-knob and churned out some of the most exciting songs we’ve heard swirling around the Metal Blade offices in quite some time. On this record, you’ll find equal parts speed, groove and over the top guitar soloing. Headbanging will be mandatory.

The new album, Threnody, will be released worldwide on April 13th while the band will be on the road with Overkill and Vader. The artwork and first track will be up on the band’s myspace, myspace.com/wot, in the coming weeks. Before then, SiriusXM Liquid Metal listeners will be treated to an exclusive premiere of the first single, Creatures Of The Mire on Friday, February 12th.

Vocalist Chris Catanzaro discusses the themes of Threnody:

Well 2009 proved to be a monstrous one for Woe of Tyrants. It was a year of accomplishing goals such as releasing our debut Metal Blade album, touring with bands we’ve grown up listening to, and meeting thousands of awesome people all over the country. As we embark into 2010, our goals have shifted up a few gears. We have a brand baby spankin’ new record that we finished recording at the end of 2009 with Jamie King producing, and to embrace the cliché “this is the most epic brutal stuff we’ve ever done and we’re stoked on it!” The album is entitled Threnody. Now for those of us who do not know what that word means right off hand (I had to look it up as I was reading a passage from Ralph Waldo Emerson long ago), a threnody is a song or hymn inspired by the grief of losing someone you love. The album tells a story of a non-specific individual traveling between planets searching for answers, while paralleling Satan’s fall from grace to damnation at the same time. We all experience a change at some point as we travel through life, albeit not of the same magnitude as Lucifer, that will render us either content, or disgusted. When disgust is the feeling, then we begin to miss our former self as if they were an entirely different person. I’d like to be clear that I’m not referring specifically to Christians, or Muslims, or Amish or whatever else the kids are doing these days. Threnody, as we are using it, is a story of grief over losing oneself. This album will surprise those familiar with our band, and hopefully surpass any preconceived notions of those who are listening to us for the first time. If you have expectations for this record to sound like our last two albums, it doesn’t. Well, a little like the others, as we still prefer playing leads over doing breakdowns, and we still wish we were Wintersun or Decapitated. But for the most part, this record is new territory for us and we are excited to unleash it.

We have a huge touring schedule kicking off in the spring, preceded by some regional shows in February as a part of the “Metal as Art” tour with Hypno5e, Starring Janet Leigh and Fallen Martyr. At the end of March, we leave on the KILLFEST tour which features Overkill, Vader, God Dethroned, Warbringer and Evile. We couldn’t be happier about being involved with such an epic tour, and to join Overkill on their 25th anniversary tour is truly an honor. Much love!”

Threnody track listing:

1. Tetelestai

2. Creatures Of The Mire

3. Venom Eye

4. Tempting The Wretch

5. Threnody

6. Bloodsmear

7. The Venus Orbit

8. Lightning Over Atlantis

9. Singing The Surrender

10. Descendit Ad Inferos (The Harrowing Of Hell)

WOE OF TYRANTS

Metal As Art Tour w/Hypno5e, Starring Janet Leigh, Fallen Martyr

02/18 Indianapolis, IN Melody Inn

02/19 E Lansing, MI TBA

02/20 Grand Rapids, MI The Break Room

02/23 Marion, OH Liqr Bar

End Tour

02/27 Chillicothe, OH The Swanky Goat w/ Karen Page, Amarna Reign, Shall Be The Conqueror, Surviving Midnight

02/28 Covington, KY Mad Hatter

OVERKILL’S KILLFEST 2010 25th Anniversary

Tour w/ Overkill, Vader, God Dethroned, Warbringer, Evile

04/01 Philadelphia, PA The Trocadero

04/02 Worcester, MA The Palladium

04/03 Hartford, CT Webster Hall

04/07 Cincinnati, OH Bogarts

04/08 Detroit, MI Blondies

04/09 Chicago, IL The Metro

04/10 Milwaukee, WI The Rave

04/11 Minneapolis, MN Station 4

04/13 Denver, CO Gothic Theatre

04/16 Seattle, WA El Corazon

04/17 Portland, OR Roseland Theater

04/18 San Francisco, CA The Grand Ballroom

04/19 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues

04/20 Los Angeles, CA House of Blues

04/21 San Diego, CA House of Blues

04/22 Phoenix, AZ O.K.s

04/23 Tucson, AZ The Rock

04/24 Farmington, NM Gators

04/25 Tulsa, OK Marquee

04/26 Austin, TX Emus 04/27 Houston, TX Scout Bar

04/28 Dallas, TX Trees

04/29 Louisville, KY Headliners Music Hall

04/30 Springfield, VA Jaxx

05/01 New York City, NY Nokia Theater Times Square