Source: Blabbermouth.net

British extreme metal pioneers BOLT THROWER have continued their “quality-not-quantity” approach to performing live and that has definitely paid off. In 2010, they played a number of shows and festivals across Europe, and from doing more intimate underground shows (in keeping with their roots), they can also pull off performing to a festival crowd of 30,000 people. That’s why, as they reached and moved beyond their 25th anniversary, BOLT THROWER are still at the top of their game.

Finally, after only a handful of North American dates in the past few years, limited to Maryland Deathfest, BOLT THROWER has announced the “Return To Chaos” tour! The band will perform seven shows across the U.S. in May. The confirmed dates are listed below, and include Maryland Deathfest, Chaos In Tejas, as well as club shows in Pomona, California; Seattle, Washington; Chicago, Illinois and more.

Commented BOLT THROWER: “It’s our pleasure to announce that for all the club shows we’ll be sharing the stage with our fellow compatriots BENEDICTION; and for the Pomona and Oakland shows we’ll also be joined by the mighty AUTOPSY!”

BOLT THROWER U.S. tour dates:

May 23 – Baltimore, MD @ Maryland Deathfest
May 25 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
May 26 – Oakland, CA @ Metro Operahouse
May 28 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater
May 29 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
May 31 – Austin, TX @ Chaos In Tejas
Jun. 01 – Chicago, IL @ Reggies

The last three albums from BOLT THROWER — “Mercenary” (1998), “Honour Valour Pride” (2001) and “Those Once Loyal” (2005) — were reissued on vinyl on October 24, 2011 via Metal Blade Records. All three albums were released as gatefold LPs in colored vinyl, limited to 1,000 units each.

BOLT THROWER indefinitely postponed plans to record a new studio album after the band realized that the new stuff it had written “just doesn’t match up” to the group’s last CD, “Those Once Loyal”. “We have a lot of pride in our back catalogue, and we refuse to turn into one of the many bands (like the ones we grew up listening to) who end up releasing crap, and we’re also not prepared to compromise by instead releasing an album of cover versions or a ‘best-of’ album,” BOLT THROWER explained in a statement.

“Those Once Loyal” entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 76 — the group’s highest-charting release in Germany so far. The follow-up to 2001’s “Honour, Valour, Pride” was recorded at Andy Faulkner‘s Sable Rose studios and was the band’s first album since the return of original vocalist Karl Willetts as a full-time member.