Swedish metallers SABATON have issued the following update in regards to their upcoming eighth album and follow-up to 2012's Carolus Rex, entitled Heroes:

"Many thanks for the huge response on our new album artwork, made by Sallai Péter. Just like Carolus Rex and Swedish Empire Live, our new album Heroes will have an alternate artwork for some editions."

The alternate artwork can be seen below:

Sabaton have been working on Heroes at HYPOCRISY/PAIN legend Peter Tägtgren's Abyss Studios. The new album will be released on May 16th via Nuclear Blast. The standard cover artwork for Heroes, created by Péter Sallai, can be seen below.

“We had the title in mind since before we even recorded Carolus Rex and we already had ideas for artwork years ago. We had a few different ones to choose from, but when we saw this one, we knew it was the right one for this album”, says bassist Pär Sundström.

Video of the drum recordings for Heroes can be seen below:

Sabaton are returning to the US and Canada in 2014 as direct support to American metallers ICED EARTH on their Worldwide Plagues North American tour. Opening each show of the six-week trek on their maiden North American tour will be Dutch heavy metallers REVAMP.

Tour dates:

April

4 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Intersection
5 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
6 - Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
7 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
9 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE
10 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
11 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Ballroom
12 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall
14 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre
15 - Quebec City, QC - Imperial Theater
16 - Montreal, QC - Corona Theatre
17 - Philadelphia, PA - The Trocadero
18 - New York, NY - Best Buy Theater
19 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
21 - West Springfield, VA - Empire
23 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
24 - Orlando, FL - House Of Blues Orlando
25 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Revolution
26 - Saint Petersburg, FL - State Theatre
28 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar
29 - Dallas, TX - Trees

May

1 - Tempe, AZ - Club Red
2 - West Hollywood, CA - House Of Blues Sunset
3 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
5 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory Concert House
6 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
7 - Vancouver, BC - The Venue
9 - Edmonton, AB - The Starlite Room
10 - Calgary, AB - Republik
11 - Regina, SK - Riddell Centre
12 - Winnipeg, MB - Park Theatre
14 - Denver, CO - The Summit Music Hall
15 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
16 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom