’90s rock warriors Bush will return with their first album in a decade, The Sea of Memories, on September 13th via their personal imprint Zuma Rock Records. On that same day, the Gavin Rossdale-led outfit will also launch an extensive North American tour. And making the trek all that more nostalgic, Chevelle and Filter have been tapped to open.

Check out all of the band’s confirmed tour dates below, along with a stream for their album’s lead single, “The Sound Of Winter”.

Bush – “The Sound Of Winter”

Bush 2011 Tour Dates:
08/17 – Austin, TX @ Stubbs
08/18 – Chicago, IL @ Congress Theatre
08/19 – Kansas City, KS @ KRBZ Radio Show
08/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Sunset Strip Music Festival
09/13 – Billings, MT @ Babcock Theatre
09/14 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
09/15 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune
09/16 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
09/18 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
09/20 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
09/27 – San Diego, CA @ 4th & B
09/28 – Anaheim, CA @ The Grove
09/29 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint
10/01 – Denver, CO @ First Bank Center
10/06 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
10/07 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavillion
10/08 – Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Ballroom
10/10 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
10/11 – Huntington, NY @ Paramount Theatre
10/13 – Montclair, NJ @ Wellmont Theatre
10/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
10/15 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
10/17 – Washington, DC @ The Fillmore
10/19 – Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
10/21 – Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete St.
10/23 – Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Theatre
10/25 – Pharr, TX @ Pharr Events Center
10/27 – Odessa, TX @ Dos Amingos
10/28 – San Antonio, TX @ Sunken Gardens
11/03 – Madrid, ES @ Heineken Experience
11/05 – Hamburg, DE @ Docks
11/07 – Berlin, DE @ Huxley’s
11/08 – Cologne, DE @ Live Music Hall
11/10 – Munich, DE @ Backstage Werk
11/11 – Vienna, AT @ Gasometer
11/13 – Zurich, CH @ Komplex
11/14 – Luxembourg @ Den Atelier
11/15 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
11/18 – Antwerp, BE @ Trix Hall
11/19 – Paris, FR @ Boule Noire
11/20 – London, UK @ Bush Hall
11/21 – London, UK @ 100 Club
11/22 – London, UK @ Cargo

Admittedly, The Trouble With Angels is not terrible, and there are plenty of good things to acknowledge: the urgency of  “Absentee Father” and “The Inevitable Relapse”,  the epic expanses of “Clouds” and “Re-Entry”, the pulse of “Drug Boy”. Unfortunately, the latter half of this daunting re-manufacturing of ’02 sound becomes so easily wrapped up in the previous 5 or so songs, Filter feels as if the focus was shifted from immediacy to modern rock on a rehabilitation fix.

For an example, “Catch A Falling Knife” is likely one of the better lyrical compositions on Angels, with a bold proclamation about how one would “catch a falling life that’s better off dead,” and a sound that recounts both Title Of Record, and Angels opener “The Inevitable Relapse”. Meanwhile, the ostensibly-labeled Amalgamut 2 could be chalked up as a lackluster sequel, a la Rob Zombie’s recent efforts. Foregoing previously mentioned good qualities that save this record from two stars, we delve into the limp and lifeless droning of “No Love”, and the soulless shell of rhetoric that is the titular song…

“The Trouble With Angels”? Many rock bands on the radio aim for a “cool song” that sounds both philosophically enlightening and catchy as fuck. I do not know if “The Trouble With Angels” is supposed to be a future single, but its lyrics lack so much conviction and poetic license, I am compelled to ask Patrick for a refund on a download. Its premise is straightforward: God is a lie, but drugs are bad, m’kay? Does it speak to addicts or openly mock them, I can’t even tell; the word choices are quasi-intelligence dressed up in industrial waste and pretension, similar to a mall goth trying to do Marilyn Manson karaoke and calling it a sermon for high minds

Our aforementioned sore thumb is the equivalent of a teenager reconstructing George Carlin’s “Invisible Man” skit for a senior thesis, while he sucks his thumb at the podium; Nine Inch Nails’ “Heresy” was more convincing, and it had much better musical accompaniment.

If Anthems Of The Damned was supposed to pay tribute to the military in a sort of “bring the boys back home” trumpeter fashion, then by all means I can at least respect that, as vague as it appeared. This album would be better suited had Patrick made a half-decent workload of his lyrical forefront, given the emphasis he props up. If The Trouble With Angels has compiled songs about facing or questioning faith, relapses, and other common sources of coping rock star inspiration, can you even attempt to sound sincere? Balls to the wall, or dissociative filler, you cannot hybridize and hope for the best, specifically on any of the above crucial topics.

The Trouble With Angels does its job for about 20 minutes, then somehow drops the ball at wince-inducing closers, but to be fair — Breaking Benjamin was much worse, and that act is essentially (in part) inspired by Patrick’s repertoire. Goes to show what Xerox copies can get away with, doesn’t it?

The 17-song tracklisting for Hear to Help is basically a who’s who in indie rock. The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas, Minus The Bear, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and The Breeders all contribute original material, while bands like Vampire Weekend, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and Surfer Blood get the remix treatment. Then, there’s an acoustic version of Beck’s” Volcano”, a Snow Patrol rendition of Bright Eyes’ “You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will”, and a Grizzly Bear cover of Hot Chip’s “Boy From School”.

The entire thing, which will cost you only $10, will be available starting February 24th via ae.com. It will receive a physical release on be available in all 938 American Eagle stores across the U.S. and Canada through March 19th. One hundred percent of the money raised will go directly to Oxfam America.

Hear to Help Tracklist:
01. Beck – “Volcano” (acoustic version)
02. Snow Patrol – “You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will.” (Bright Eyes cover)
03. Keane – “Black Burning Heart” (version français)
04. Air – “So Light Is Her Footfall” (Breakbot Remix)
05. Charlotte Gainsbourg – “Dandelion”
06. Julian Casablancas – “Long Island Blues”
07. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – “Am I Only” (ReMix)
08 . The Breeders – “We’re Gonna Rise”
09. Vampire Weekend – “Cousinz” (Toy Selectah Mex-More Remix)
10. Noah And The Whale- “Love of An Orchestra” (Chew Fu Fix)
11.  Camera Obscura – “The World is Full of Strangers”
12. Minus The Bear – “Broken China”
13. Of Montreal – “Take Me Out” (Live Cover Of Franz Ferdinand)
14. Busdriver – “Running Water”
15. Surfer Blood – “Take It Easy” (Drop the Lime Remix)
16. Grizzly Bear – “Boy From School”(Hot Chip cover)
17. AM – “Endings Are Beginnings” (Piano Mix)

It’s been six years since Filter’s last album The Amalgamut, as well as frontman Richard Patrick’s side project, Army Of Anyone with the DiLeo brothers from Stone Temple Pilots. During this time, the frontman expressed his life’s memories and thoughts going into this record ranging from his stint in rehab to the Iraq War that’s scarred the world for the past seven years. The opening song “Soldiers Of Misfortune” contains many classic Filter elements: swirling landscapes of guitars, thick drumming tempo and Patrick’s crisp, cutting vocals. Patrick’s delivery sounds as if he’s on top of the biggest mountain in the world and shouting his message as loud and melodic as possible to anyone that happens to hear him. Patrick doesn’t miss a beat, and his vocals are excellent. The send-up of the song, which alludes to a former Filter fan sent to Iraq to pay for college, only to die from a bombing a mere few days later, certainly twists itself in Patrick’s heart. The song certainly will please old fans from the band’s “Hey Man, Nice Shot” days as well as garner new ones in the process.

The next two cuts, “What’s Next” and “The Wake” continue in the sound shaping way. Distorted bass opens “What’s Next” and bring to mind memories of the late 90′s. What made Filter great back in those days was due to the fact that hard rock and good metal still thrived in the world amidst the wall of garbage that nu metal and pop music eventually became; a dandelion in the cement cracks. Thick crunchy guitars and a rapid-fire delivery by Patrick combined with epic choruses and dare I say it, My Bloody Valentine styled harmonies. Yes, Filter is back, and does what it knows best: kick ass rock music that’s approachable and honest.

“The Wake” sounds even crunchier and as mentioned before, harmony is the biggest focus throughout the album. Filter prove that what is old becomes new again and that if your heart is truly in what you believe, then anything goes. Following collaborations from session drummer Josh Freese, former Limp Bizkit and Black Light Burns guitarist Wes Borland and Marilyn Manson sideman John 5, Patrick certainly has outdone himself musically. “Hatred Is Contagious” brings back distant memories of early high school and the pressures of growing up a teenager in a complicated spotlight. What’s great about this song that I haven’t already mentioned is that fiery images come to mind, especially during the chorus, where Patrick’s harmonies weave intricate musical textures as well as letting the listener revel in their own imagination. It’s as if Patrick has a canvas of sound for all the music world to paint their images on; I truly believe that is the defining moment of a great rock band.

The last few numbers, “I Keep Flowers Around,” “In Dreams,” “Only You” and “Can Stop This” end a great album of musical playing fields and knives of vocal force. Patrick certainly has outdone himself and created a great album that’s worthy of replays. The production is top notch, not a single note miscued and lyrically his best since 1995′s Short Bus. Industrial rock just might be the most thriving genre of music left on the planet that hasn’t been plagued with the “sellout” tag (look at Trent Reznor’s benevolence as of recent!) but regardless, Filter’s fourth album hits a grand slam right out of the park.

Filter – “Soldiers Of Misfortune”