Placebo Battle For The Sun

British rock band Placebo will release their new studio album, Battle For The Sun, in the U.K. on June 8.

The album was recorded in Toronto with producer and three-time Grammy Award winner David Bottrill (Tool, Moneen). It's Placebo's first disc with drummer Steve Forrest after Steve Hewitt left the band in October 2007. The title track will air on Zane Lowe’s BBC Radio 1 show around 7 p.m. (British time) on Tuesday.

"We've made a record about choosing life, about choosing to live, about stepping out of the darkness and into the light," says frontman Brian Molko. "Not necessarily turning your back on the darkness because it's there, it's essential; it's a part of who you are, but more about the choice of standing in the sunlight instead."

Battle For The Sun will be released as a download, CD, limited-edition CD/DVD, LP and a limited special edition two-CD/two-DVD/LP "Deluxe Box Set" divided into two "books." The special limited edition will feature the album along with two exclusive bonus tracks on one disc, while the second CD will be a blank that can be used by fans to take live tracks posted online from the band's upcoming world tour and burn them onto the disc.

The Live At Angkor Wat DVD contains the full concert Placebo performed in Cambodia last December as well as behind-the-scenes footage and band interviews. The second DVD includes studio footage and interviews on the making of Battle For The Sun. A 36-page booklet will also be included.

If that wasn't enough, the box set comes with a "Heavy Vinyl LP" with 16 pages of handwritten lyrics, studio photos and an "exclusive film poster insert."

The first 500 orders will be autographed by the band. Five "Golden Laminate" passes will be randomly placed inside — one for each continent the band will visit on the upcoming tour. The laminates give you two nights of hotel accommodations and get you into the band's soundcheck, dinner with the group and the chance to watch their performance from side stage.

Here are Placebo's confirmed dates:

May 29 Hassleholm, Sweden @ Siesta! Festival
May 31 Landgraaf, Netherlands @ Pinkpop Festival
June 5 Nurburgring, Germany @ Rock Am Ring
June 12 Seinajoki, Finland @ Provinssirock
June 14 Dores, Scotland @ RockNess Festival
June 20 Nickelsdorf, Austria @ Nova Rock Festival
June 21 Bucharest, Romania @ Romexpo
June 27 Athens, Greece @ Rockwave Festival
July 1 Kristiansand, Norway @ Quart Festival
July 2 Werchter, Belgium @ Rock Werchter
July 3 Arras, France @ Arras Festival
July 5 Gdynia, Poland @ Babie Doly Airfield (Heineken Open'er Festival)
July 6 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic @ Rock For People
July 10 Oeiras, Portugal @ Passeio Maritimo De Alges (Optimus Alive! 09)
July 11 Bilbao, Spain @ Bilbao Live Festival
July 18 Villafranca Di Verona, Italy @ Villafranca Castle
July 19 Locarno, Switzerland @ Moon And Stars Festival
Aug. 7 Tokyo, Japan @ Chiba Marine Stadium (Summer Sonic Festival)