DRAGONFORCE Pulls Out Of Australia's SOUNDWAVE FESTIVAL

British epic power metallers DRAGONFORCE have canceled their appearance at this year's Soundwave Festival in Australia due to the delay in completing their new album.

Commented DRAGONFORCE guitarist Sam Totman: "It's bitterly disappointing for us not to be able to play our debut Soundwave in 2012, because we were so looking forward to it and were going to kick off the world tour there. The problem is we've only just finished the actual recording of the new album and now have the mastering, videos and a ton of worldwide promo to do. The album recording was already running late when Marc [Hudson, new DRAGONFORCE singer] contracted laryngitis a couple of months back which meant he couldn't finish his vocals in the studio on time and pushed the album release date back even further.

"Australia has always been great to us and we can 100% assure our Aussie fans that we will be touring there at some point in 2012; we just have to move our touring plans around a little to accommodate the delay. The good news is the album is sounding awesome and we are all eager for our fans to hear it and we hope everyone has a great Soundwave!"

The new DRAGONFORCE album will be released in Australia through 3Wise Records in the spring.

DRAGONFORCE will be replaced by PARADISE LOST and SWITCHFOOT as the final two bands on the monstrous Soundwave Festival lineup.

DRAGONFORCE has announced its first U.K. headline concert with Hudson on February 16 at at the 100 Club on Oxford Street in London. The gig is timed to give DRAGONFORCE fans an opportunity to celebrate with the band the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dragon, and the fact that the group's new album is finally finished and due for release in the spring.

Commented guitarist Herman Li: "We are all glad to be finished in the studio, especially given that the new record is sounding fantastic! We're looking forward to letting off steam at the 100 Club and announcing that in the Year of the Dragon, DRAGONFORCE are well and truly back!"

After entries from thousands of hopefuls across the globe, DRAGONFORCE in March 2011 welcomed 23-year-old Marc Hudson to the band to fill the boots left by ZP Theart, who parted ways with the group in March 2010.

Born in Oxford England, Marc was picked from the thousands of applications via a number of impressive video auditions and live performances, which left the rest of the band in no doubt that they'd found their man. Since the age of 16, Marc has been building his vocal skills gigging with bands in the U.K. underground scene, developing a powerful style with influences which include Bruce Dickinson, Michael Kiske and Sebastian Bach.

The band has been working on a new album since early 2010, recording in various studios in California, London and the South of France. The follow-up to 2008's hugely successful "Ultra Beatdown" album will be highly anticipated, with top 10 and top 20 chart positions all over the world and a Grammy nomination in the United States setting the precedent. With Marc brought into the fold, the band is enjoying an injection of enthusiasm and hunger that sees DRAGONFORCE prepared to return more focused and determined than ever before.