A brand-new NOCTURNAL RITES track, titled "Awakening", has been posted online in Real Media format at this location.

"Awakening" comes off NOCTURNAL RITES' sixth studio album, "New World Messiah", due on March 22 through Century Media Records.

The follow-up to 2002's "Shadowland" was recorded in the band's hometown of Umea, Sweden and was mixed and mastered at Finnvox Studio in Helsinki, Finland with T.T. Oksala (TIAMAT, APOCALYPTICA) and Minerva Pappi, who is said to be one of the finest female mastering engineers in the business.

"New World Messiah" features cover artwork from Russian fantasy artist Leo Hao, already renowned for his work with BLIND GUARDIAN ("The Bard's Song"), ICED EARTH ("The Glorious Burden", "The Reckoning") and PRIMAL FEAR ("Devil's Ground") as well as for the last NOCTURNAL RITES album, "Shadowland".

"New World Messiah" track listing:

01. New World Messiah
02. Against The World
03. Avalon
04. Awakening
05. Egyptica
06. Break Away
07. End Of Days
08. The Flame Will Never Die
09. One Nation
10. Nightmare

NOCTURNAL RITES will embark on a European tour with EDGUY and BRAINSTORM beginning in early April. TAD MOROSE will replace BRAINSTORM for the last five Scandinavian shows.

---