This week: North Carolina Metal maniacs Valient Thorr, whose Stranger is out September 14. Plus: they are offering an exclusive MP3 download of “Future Humans.” Check out the full interview here and get the download now!

AND, here’s that killer U.S. tour (+ 2 Canadian shows) we have been hinting at for the past month or so. Tickets for most shows go on sale this Saturday, July 3rd.

w/ Junius & HOWL
08-Sep – Raleigh, NC – King’s Barcade
09-Sep – Wilmington, NC – Soapbox
10-Sep – Charlotte, NC – Milestone
11-Sep – Atlanta, GA – 529 Club
12-Sep – Birmingham, AL – The Nick
13-Sep – Nashville, TN – Exit/In
14-Sep – St. Louis, MO – The Firebird
15-Sep – Newport, KY – Southgate House
16-Sep – Indianapolis, IN – Rock Lobster
17-Sep – Columbus, OH – The Summit
18-Sep – Erie, PA – The Crooked I
19-Sep – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
20-Sep – Pittsburgh, PA – Smiling Moose
21-Sep – Washington, DC – Black Cat Backstage
22-Sep – Philadelphia, PA – North Star Bar
24-Sep – Brooklyn, NY – Southpaw
25-Sep – Providence, RI – Club Hell
26-Sep – Boston, MA – Middle East (Upstairs)
27-Sep – Montreal, QC – Foufounes Electriques
28-Sep – Toronto, ON – Sneaky Dee’s
29-Sep – Detroit, MI – Smalls
30-Sep – Chicago, IL – Double Door
01-Oct – Madison, WI – The Frequency
02-Oct – Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock Social Club
03-Oct – Kansas, MO – Record Bar

w/ HOWL
04-Oct – Denver, CO – 3 Kings Tavern
05-Oct – Salt Lake City, UT – Burt’s Tiki Lounge
06-Oct – Boise, ID – Neurolux

w/ Red Fang
07-Oct – Seattle, WA – El Corazon
08-Oct – Portland, OR – Dante’s
09-Oct – Bend, OR – The Domino Room
10-Oct – Reno, NV – The Alley
11-Oct – San Francisco, CA – Bottom Of The Hill
13-Oct – Santa Barbara, CA – Velvet Jones
14-Oct – Costa Mesa, CA – Detroit Bar
15-Oct – Las Vegas, NV – Cheyenne Saloon
16-Oct – Los Angeles, CA – Spaceland
17-Oct – San Diego, CA – Casbah
18-Oct – Phoenix, AZ – Yucca Tap Room
19-Oct – Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad
22-Oct – Corpus Christi, TX – House Of Rock
23-Oct – Dallas, TX – Double Wide
24-Oct – Houston, TX – Rudyards

w/ Caltrop
25-Oct – New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jacks
27-Oct – Tallahassee, FL – Big Daddy’s
31-Oct – Greensboro, NC – Green Street

The Mastodon show had ended, and everyone was all smiles. A sea of black T-shirts made their way out through the front. Some went to the bar to drink and others racked the billiards table. I had other plans.

Around back, the roadies were loading up equipment. Considering I look the part (black jeans, black shirt), it comes with little surprise that I was able to pass security backstage by helping a few roadies move some gear. Afterwards, I leaned up against a bus and lit up a smoke. Valient Thorr guitarist Eidan Thorr approached me and asked for a spare cigarette — which I was happy to oblige.

While I missed Valient Thorr, I’m very aware of their music and consider myself a fan. I saw them a few years ago at House of Blues in Columbus, Ohio, opening for Gogol Bordello. In my opinion, they blew them off the stage.

“We’re going home to rest for a while before starting our European tour,” Eidan told me between drags. “Going home is such an amazing feeling after being on the road for six months or more. You forget how comforting your bed can be.”

Read the interview piece on Buzzgrinder.com