If you haven’t heard the word by now, here it is! Girugamesh, Japan’s very own visual kei heavy rock band, is embarking on a world tour after their last visit back in 2009.

Here’s the official press release:

The hard hitting Japanese rock band Girugamesh is gearing up fir their first ever U.S. tour. With the help of Jhouse-Rock Ent. Girugamesh will include a multi-city stop in the U.S. as part of their on going world tour “Here we go!!” which begins this March in Europe. The U.S. leg of the tour beings in April with their appearance at Anime Boston. Below you will find a full list of their U.S. dates. Please visit their official site for information about the Europe and Japanese parts of the tour. Girugamesh is rock band to its core and the excitement they bring is something that must be experienced in person.

Girugamesh Bio: (2/2011)

girugamesh is a Japanese metal band. The group started when childhood friends ShuU (bass) and Nii (guitar) met up again after a number of years. Searching Chiba prefecture for band members in 2004, the two found skilled songwriter ?yo (drums) and Satoshi (vocals) to form the current group. On the live scene, girugamesh generated considerable buzz with their powerful live shows, adept musicality of a level uncommon in newly-formed bands, and their tremendous potential. The band delivered their debut album, “13′s reborn,” in September 2006. The group then released their second effort, “Girugamesh,” in December 2007.

The band’s unique and heavy sound has received a great deal of attention internationally. In fact, the group has had numerous offers to play in the United States and Europe. The group embarked on their first six-show tour of Europe in January 2008, demonstrating their ability to play in the world arena.

In 2008, the group also went on a 32-show “stupid tour ’08 in Japan,” which concluded with a sold-out show at Shibuya’s CLUB QUATTRO. In the summer, the group toured again, selling out the LIQUIDROOM. In November, the group announced their third album, entitled “MUSIC,” which incorporated synthesizers and digital beats to create a melodic and danceable sound. The group followed the release with tours on an even larger scale. From November 2008 to March 2009, the group swept through all 47 prefectures in Japan, which they finished with a sold-out show at Shibuya AX. The two-disc DVD “CRAZY CRAZY CRAZY” contains high-powered footage from these performances.

In April 2009, the group played in America. The following month, girugamesh returned to Europe, where they headlined ten shows in seven countries, playing before a total of 7,000 fans. In June, the band was invited to play a long-running rock festival in Sweden and Finland. Upon their return to Japan, the group went out on their “SUMMER EVOLUTION” two-day tour of Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. In August, playing for an audience of 20,000 at Makuhari Messe, girugamesh put together an amazing performance in the JACK IN THE BOX 2009 SUMMER show. Finally, in January 2010 they played at Shinkiba STUDIO COAST and filled the venue to over 2,000 people for the first time. They sold out most of their shows at live houses for the rest of their Japan tour.

In addition to their charged live performances, the group has continued to release new recordings. In 2009, in order to challenge themselves one song at a time, the group released a string of three singles. Their new ambitions were fully realized with their album “NOW,” which was released in December 2009. As the title suggests, the album is packed with the very latest from girugameshóa heavy-hitting rush of sound that leaves us begging for more. If ìNOWî gave us girugameshís present state of mind, their thoughts about the future were revealed by the single ìCOLOR,î released in July 2010. The vocals take center stage in “COLOR” and the single has an overall “summer” feel to it.

girugamesh then released “Inochi no ki” on October 6, which took one step forward in expanding their emotional palette. The melodies have a distinctly “autumn” feel to them, inducing you to move your body and your heart to the rhythms of the song. Listen to this track, and you are sure to feel very positive about the future! After completing their third tour of 2010, girugamesh released “GO” on January 26 — what might be called a “compilation” album. The album title “GO” aptly expresses how these songs literally spill over with energy and desire. Brisk rhythm, an exhilarating combination of instruments, and the band’s ever-improving technique all underscore a dynamic sound that back up the vocals. The songs on “GO” deliver a heart-warming world that you can instantly slip into. On February 5th, girugamesh will perform their first hall concert in their native Ichikawa (Chiba Prefecture), and then set off on a long European tour in March.

Links:

http://www.girugamesh.jp/english/
http://www.myspace.com/girugamesh
http://www.facebook.com/pages/girugamesh/121523861195422
http://www.youtube.com/user/DangerCrueRecords
http://www.jhouserock.com