DIR EN GREY, who recently landed at the top of Billboard's Heatseekers chart, have planted their roots firmly in every region they have traversed, reaching out of Japan to the rest of the world and participating in world class festivals like Rock am Ring, Rock im Park, Wacken Open Air, Family Values and more. They have had the honor of sharing stages with globally renowned bands such as Nine Inch Nails, Tool, Deftones, Korn, and Linkin Park. Now, fans in North America can get a glimpse behind the scenes with 'A KNOT OF', DIR EN GREY's first North American DVD release. The DVD follows the band through three long mettle-testing years on the road, giving fans a window into DIR EN GREY’s unique world.

TUB RING, who just finished a string of dates with Creature Feature and The Birthday Massacre, are heading to Portland, Maine for dates with MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE with a surprise guest in tow. The band comments, after the jump.

We are thrilled to announce that DIR EN GREY has just been confirmed to appear as direct support for MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE on Kerrang! magazine's 2009 Relentless Energy Drink Tour. They will be joining MSI on every date from January 13th in Belfast through January 30th in London (all dates below). DIR EN GREY are direct support for most, but not all, of the shows, so be sure to get there early!

In addition to our friends in MSI, DIR EN GREY will be playing alongside Bring Me The Horizon, Black Tide, and In Case Of Fire! All dates can be found after the jump.

A message from MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE:

As some of you may have heard, we are thrilled to announce TWO new additions to the Mindless Self Indulgence family. In addition to MSI's bassist LynZ and her husband Gerard, MSI's guitarist Steve and his partner Lucinda have announced that they are each expecting babies late in the spring of 2009. This will be the first child for both Steve and Lucinda, as well as LynZ and Gerard.

It is very important that you hear this from us first and believe nothing to the contrary: While we will ask some of our friends to fill in for LynZ - and at a later date, Steve - so that they can be with their new families, neither member is leaving Mindless Self Indulgence permanently.

No shows will be canceled -- in fact, we will be adding more throughout North America and beyond in the coming weeks. Please stay tuned for more news and information HERE, and check out the shows HERE as tickets are going fast for those shows which've been announced already.

'Till then, if you wish to leave Steve and LynZ's families congratulatory messages, do so HERE. 

Click 'read more' to watch Vlaze.com's four-part interview with Finnish monster rockers LORDI.

Avant-garde rock quintet TUB RING is heading out today for an 18-date US tour, including a few shows with labelmates MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE, as well as The Birthday Massacre and Creature Feature. Click 'read more' for the dates.

Released last Tuesday, November 11th, DIR EN GREY's seventh studio album, UROBOROS, debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart, selling more than 6,000 units in the first week.

"[Uroboros features] muscular funk licks, soaring power-ballad melodies, and creepy atmospherics; moments that have the slow intensity of a dirge, and others that rush with the hell-bent-for-leather abandon of classic metal," said REVOLVER's JD Considine in a four-star review of the album. "Most amazing of all, [Dir en grey] manages to do all this while maintaining such a strong sense of structure that the album almost feels like one continuous song."

Blackwolf, a 4,000 year old wizard and LORDI's number one fan, had the opportunity of a lifetime recently when Triumph the Insult Comic Dog introduced him to the Finnish Monstericans at NBC Studios. Not surprisingly, hilarity ensued. Click 'read more' to check it out!

Click 'read more' to watch THE ANSWER's performance on last Friday's episode of The Late Show with David Letterman!

Mr. Lordi will be a guest on CHAOS with Full Metal Jackie this Sunday night, 11/16! The show can be heard from 10pm-Midnight PST on Indie 103.1 FM Los Angeles/Orange County and also streams online at www.indie1031.com. Listen in to hear new music from LORDI and chances to win autographed copies of the band's brand new album, Deadache!