After a quick mini-tour back in May, Richard Patrick and company is criss-crossing the Midwest on some upcoming dates behind the release of their new album, Anthems For the Damned. The album keeps things modern enough, but keeps Patrick’s vocals in the forefront and the signature Filter sound. First single “Soldiers Of Misfortune” is obviously a dig at the current war, but sympathizes with the soliders on their plight overseas. The single did well on rock radio, but there are plenty of other songs worth talking about: Tracks like “What’s Next” and “The Take” sound damn good live, as evident with their early songs on tour and harkens Patrick’s first band he played in... something called Nine Inch Nails (Heard of it? Yeah, thought so).

Songs like “Cold” and “Kill The Day” give listeners a taste of the softer side of the band, and recalls one of the band’s biggest songs, “Take a Picture.” After not releasing an album since 2002, Patrick was done with his record contract and decided to release “Anthems” on his own, on Pulse Records, a label he created. The band is zeroing back in on the Midwest in the next couple of weeks, with a show on June 30^th at Gatorz in Toledo and the Machine Shop in Flint on July 3^rd. Filter plans on being on the road throughout most of the year, as the band gets in full swing with a re-energizing album and a tour that’s just as good. Make sure you celebrate the 4^th of July week with Filter in between the fireworks.

Filter has two shows in the area coming up; June 30^th at Gatorz in Toledo (near University of Toledo), tickets are $20 and are available through www.ticketmaster.com. The July 3^rd show at the Machine Shop in Flint are $15 and are available through www.etix.com. Additional dates can be found at www.official-filter.com