Megadeth to headline third edition of Gigantour

Megadeth has announced dates and a lineup for the third installment of Gigantour, which is set to hit nearly 60 cities in Europe and North America over the next few months.

Other acts announced for the trek--which kicks off its American leg April 12 in Denver--include Scandinavian death metal act In Flames, Finland's Children of Bodom, and a pair of US metal outfits: Job For a Cowboy and High on Fire. The tour will hit 29 cities in all through late March. Dates are included below.

The European portion of the run launches Feb. 4 in Helsinki, Finland. Overseas dates can be found at the official Gigantour website.

"I think that in a small way, we are cleaning up the environment of crappy bands," Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine said in a press statement for the tour, which he inaugurated in 2005 with a bill that included Anthrax, Fear Factory and Dillinger Escape Plan. "All of the people that really love this kind of music know that they can count on these bands to deliver the goods this year."

Singer/guitarist Mustaine is the sole remaining original member of Megadeth, which has gone through countless lineup changes over the band's history. In the group's most recent shuffle, guitarist Chris Broderick (formerly of Nevermore and Jag Panzer) will take over duties from Glen Drover, who is leaving the group to spend more time with his family, according to various reports.

"I've noticed [on the Internet] that people are pissed with me over the way things were handled with Glen quitting the group," Mustaine said, "but they're gonna be pissed even more when they hear how fierce we are with Chris! Megadeth is playing at a new level."