Heads up for all those of you in the TURISAS army in the North America – our first tour on the ‘Stand Up And Fight’ campaign will be in the US and Canada. Supporting Cradle of Filth & Nachtmystium, the tour also features fellow Finns, Daniel Lioneye.

There are some added and changed dates + some venue changes in our tour schedule. Please see the updated schedule here. (Some changes also on the European leg of the tour!)

Also, at all shows there will be EXCLUSIVE download cards for sale – a perfect opportunity to not only pre-order the new album, but also get a FREE immediate single to download! The cards feature album artwork, and the album downloads will be available on release day. Support the band and get an instant access to the album on the date it’s out!

P.S. As the Finnish fans might have noticed, we have a fresh face onstage: due to family reasons, Hanu will stay at home repairing his longboat for this tour. His stand-in is called Jaakko Kunnas – make him feel welcome, aight?

A new gig has been added in Columbus, OH on 22 February and there’s a venue change in Toronto. Please see below:

22 Feb – Newport Music Hall in Columbus, OH (NEW DATE)
26 Feb (Toronto show) Venue has changed to: The Phoenix Concert Theater

We are pleased to announce that we will be playing the prestigious HammerFest (UK) this year! A co-production between Metal Hammer (UK) and Hard Rock Hell, 2011 sees the third year of this festival which is fast becoming a UK institution. Held once again in Prestatyn, North Wales, TURISAS will appear on Friday 18th March.

We’re very happy to get the chance to get Hammered and include this show in the first leg of the Stand Up And Fight tour 2011! We’ve heard it’ll be a pretty crazy weekend – see you down the front!

And an apology to our fans in the Norwich area – PLEASE NOTE, in order to make way for this show, we have had to postpone the advertised headline show at Norwich Waterfront. It is NOT cancelled, and it will definitely take place in the autumn – watch this space for more details. If you already have a ticket for this show, hold on to it! It will remain valid for the rescheduled show.

(The London and Nottingham headline shows in March are not affected).

www.hammerfest.co.uk

As 2011 dawns, the time has come to plot a new course and to unleash a new album. Now it is time to “Stand Up And Fight” the track-listing of which reads as follows:

TURISAS “Stand Up And Fight” track listing:

1. The March Of The Varangian Guard
2. Take The Day!
3. Hunting Pirates
4. βένετοι! – πράσινοι!
5. Stand Up And Fight
6. The Great Escape
7. Fear The Fear
8. End Of An Empire
9. The Bosphorus Freezes Over

“’Stand Up And Fight’ is a loose continuation of the story from ‘The Varangian Way’, and picks up where the previous one left us, in Constantinople,” explains mainman Mathias Nygård. “However, it is not a sequel as such. In general, the songs are much more universal and deal with topics that can be placed just as tightly into the modern world as in the 11th century Byzantine Empire. ‘Stand Up And Fight’ has much more to offer the contemporary listener.”

Their more contemporary and universal approach is also reflected by a revamped look: “TURISAS has always been about progression and evolution, and now with a new album we’re not here to repeat ourselves but to have something new to come with – also visually. Our look has developed through the years, and it’s never been something we created once to be static forever. Innovation is reinventing yourself regularly. We toured ‘The Varangian Way’ for three and a half years with a look that was tied to the album. With a new release, it was time for a makeover. The visual side has always played a very strong role in Turisas, and fear not – that’s not going to change. Stronger than ever, TURISAS has returned!”

The biggest, boldest and most gloriously extravagant album of the band’s career, “Stand Up And Fight” erupts like the ultimate heavy metal musical, with many layers of orchestration and choral harmonies adding to these songs’ intense sense of drama and mischief. Although remaining true to the spirit of past TURISAS records, the new album, which was mixed by Jens Bogren (Opeth/Katatonia) at Fascination Street in Sweden, takes the Finns to a whole new level of depth and bravado, as their unmistakable sound expands before our very ears, consistently conjuring up vivid images of the Vikings’ ongoing adventures.

“On ‘Stand Up And Fight’ the storytelling and flavour of musical drama is more strongly present than ever,” agrees Nygård. “The album also introduces some new flavours like ‘80s stadium rock. For the first time, ‘Stand Up And Fight’ features real string and horn sections played by some of the best Finnish classical musicians, hand-picked from leading symphony orchestras at home and abroad. I’m sure TURISAS fans will be surprised, but in a positive way!”

The title track is available as free download, just vist: http://www.turisas.com and spread the word about “Stand Up And Fight”.

“Stand Up And Fight” will be available on the following dates:

Finland/Japan: February 23rd, 2011
Germany/Austria/Switzerland: February 25th, 2011
Europe/UK: February 28th, 2011
Australia/NZ: March 4th, 2011
North America: March 8th, 2011

Another step on the mighty Finns march towards world domination will be their upcoming North American tour with Cradle Of Filth and Nachtmystium as well as touring (mainly) Germany, Austria, Switzerland with Die Apokalyptischen Reiter. Keep your eyes peeled for more dates!

With TURISAS’ new album ‘Stand Up And Fight’ in the pipeline for release, they are soon taking to the road! Full-length tours with Cradle of Filth (USA / Can) and Die Apokalyptischen Reiter (Europe) have already been announced, and now TURISAS are very excited to announce a handful of very select headline shows in the UK, France, Belgium and The Netherlands.

Olli Vänskä comments: “It’s been a while since we’ve played anywhere in the UK or Continental Europe…. Time to fix that! I’m especially happy about doing the British club shows – it feels like so long since we’ve toured there (not counting the odd festival appearance). UK crowds are wild and they’ve always made us feel welcome over there. Thinking back, some of our best ever shows have been in the UK and Continental Europe, and we have no doubt that these shows will be something very special as well. We can’t wait to show off the new look and play some mean new tunes! And as for all you maniacs in Paris, Amsterdam and Vosselaar; by the time these shows come around it will have been nearly two years since we’ve seen you – but believe me, it WILL be worth the wait! We have something particularly savage in mind for you guys!”

Stand Up And Fight Tour 2011 (…to be continued…..)

17 March – London, UK – O2 Academy Islington
18 March – Norwich, UK – Waterfront
19 March – Nottingham, UK – Rock City

21 March – Paris, FR – Le Nouveau Casino
22 March – Amsterdam, NL – Melkweg
23 March – Vosselaar, BE – Biebob