MSO has issued the following press release:

The third installment of Gigantour - the acclaimed traveling heavy music festival launched in 2005 by MEGADETH frontman Dave Mustaine - will kick off April 12th in Denver, CO with headliner Megadeth, Scandinavian death metal band IN FLAMES, Finland’s CHILDREN OF BODOM, Arizona’s modern extreme JOB FOR A COWBOY and Oakland, CA heavy power trio HIGH ON FIRE all confirmed.

The 29-date trek will criss-cross North America before wrapping May 22nd in Phoenix, AZ.

As Gigantour 2008 - with bands handpicked by Mustaine based on their ability to shred guitars and incite fans - draws closer, the groups are getting set to deliver some of their highest-profile US shows to date.

In Flames bassist Peter Iwers says, “This is totally ‘the spirit of rock and roll’ and to be invited to be a part of this tour by no other than Dave Mustaine is quite an honor.”

Children Of Bodom’s bassist Henkka Seppala agrees: “We have all grown up with Megadeth, so it’s an honor to be on the same bill. We will definitely do our thing each and every night and enjoy the tour.”

And Job For A Cowboy’s guitarist Ravi Bhadiraju says they’re excited to be on what Revolver called “the mother of all shred-fests”: “Gigantour offers bands to the public that share a common hunger—musicianship. All of the bands that have previously been a part of, and that are on the 2008 Gigantour, are all bands that strive to create good music, which is why metal fans are going to come out. Honestly, if you like metal’s finest, Gigantour 2008 is THE concert to see.”

Gigantour was launched in 2005 by Mustaine, who personally picks the bands for the tour, with a focus on musicianship, particularly guitar playing.

“I put together a festival that consisted of positive bands that play heavy music in a high energy environment,” he said at the time.

Gigantour 2005 included Megadeth, DREAM THEATER, FEAR FACTORY, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, NEVERMORE and ANTHRAX, with second stage acts LIFE OF AGONY, SYMPHONY X, DRY KILL LOGIC and BOBAFLEX, and was documented in the 2006 release of double CD and DVD sets from Image Entertainment.

Gigantour continued in 2006 with Megadeth, LAMB OF GOD, OPETH, ARCH ENEMY, OVERKILL, INTO ETERNITY, SACTITY and THE SMASHUP. The 2006 tour was captured in the Gigantour 2 CD and DVD (out April 22nd, 2008) and features over an hour of blistering performances by Megadeth - who have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide in a career spanning 25 years - along with Lamb Of God, Opeth, Arch Enemy, Overkill, The Smashup and Into Eternity.

In 2007, Mustaine took Megadeth and Gigantour to Australia with STATIC X, DEVILDRIVER, LACUNA COIL and BRING ME THE HORIZON.

For this year’s festival, Megadeth (singer/guitarist Mustaine, bassist James Lomenzo, drummer Shawn Drover and new guitarist Chris Broderick, Job For A Cowboy and EVILE did a week’s worth of dates in the UK to get warmed up for the North American shows.

Gigantour 2008 dates:

April

12 - Denver, CO - The Fillmore
13 - Albuquerque, NM - Journal Pavilion
15 - Dallas, TX - Nokia Theatre
16 - Corpus Christi, TX - Concrete Street Pavilion
17 - Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Theatre
19 - Louisville, KY - Louisville Gardens
20 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade Music Park
22 - New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom
24 - Worcester, MA - Palladium
26 - Baltimore, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion
28 - Quebec City, QC - Pavilion De La Jeunesse
29 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
30 - Toronto, ON - Arrow Hall

May

1 - London, ON - John Labatt Centre
3 - Detroit, MI - DTE Music Center
4 - Cleveland, OH - Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
6 - Chicago, IL - Aragon
7 - Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Ballroom
9 - Minneapolis, MN - Myth
10 - Winnipeg, MB - Convention Center
11 - Saskatoon, SK - Prairieland Exhibition Hall
12 - Edmonton, AB - Shaw Conference Center
14 - Calgary, AB - The Corral
16 - Vancouver, BC - Pacific Coliseum
17 - Salem, OR - Salem Armory
19 - San Jose, CA - Event Center @ San Jose State
20 - San Diego, CA - Cox Arena
21 - Los Angeles, CA - Long Beach Arena
22 - Phoenix, AZ - Mesa Amphitheatre