Dir En Grey Touring U.S. With Apocalyptica

Japanese rockers Dir En Grey -- considered one of the biggest rock bands ever to emerge from their home country, and blessed with the uncanny knack of transcending the language barrier by speaking the universal language that is music -- will cross oceans and tour with prog symphony rockers Apocalyptica beginning Aug. 23 and running through Sept. 12. Tickets are on sale now, so get 'em while they are hot and before they are gone. It'll truly be an evening where metal nerds come out of their caves and enjoy unclassifiable and unconventional hard rock at the Dir En Grey tour dates.

Apocalyptica will release their new album, '7th Symphony' on Aug. 24. The album follows up the Finnish, cello-based outfit's 2007 album, 'Worlds Collide.'

'7th Symphony' has a guest list so metal that it craps iron ore. With the exception of the not-so-metal Gavin Rossdale of Bush, the album boasts appearances from an impressive array of guest vocalists, including Brent Smith of Shinedown, Lacey Mosley of Flyleaf, Joe Duplantier of Gojira and Dave Lombardo of Slayer. Horns up.