Already one of the most lauded and influential guitarists of his generation, Jeff Loomis will forever leave his mark on the face of metal – AGAIN – with the release of Plains of Oblivion in April 2012.

Produced and mixed by Aaron Smith (7 Horns 7 Eyes) and mastered by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Amon Amarth), the ten-track Plains of Oblivion is a wholly diverse work that finds Loomis pushing his abilities to new heights that even his most ardent admirers could never have predicted. From the unrelenting, pulsating aural skydive that is “Mercurial,” to the soaring, anthemic arena rock of “Chosen Time;” from the groovy, dreamy “Continuum Drift,” to the predatory, raw “Surrender;” from the melancholic, aching, acoustic “Rapture,” to the chunky, heavy-as-bricks “Sibylline Origin” – no two tracks are alike on Plains of Oblivion, and Loomis never settles for the same old same old.

Ever-aware that to be the best you have to work with the best, Loomis has enlisted a truly staggering list of guest musicians to help him with his latest creative endeavor, including vocalists Ihsahn (Emperor) and Christine Rhoades, guitarists Marty Friedman (Megadeth, Cacophony), Tony MacAlpine (Steve Vai, Planet X), and Attila Vörös (Nevermore), and drummer Dirk Verbeuren (Soilwork, Scarve). Plains of Oblivion also features bass by Shane Lentz, an impressive new talent that Loomis discovered via a series of videos Lentz had uploaded to YouTube.

Loomis will support Plains of Oblivion by touring with two exciting young metal who have both professed him to be one of their greatest influences: Periphery and Protest the Hero. Loomis contributed guest guitars to the track “Racecar” on Periphery’s self-titled 2010 debut.

Jeff Loomis made his first impact upon the metal world when, at the ripe old age of sixteen, he auditioned to be the new lead guitar player for the legendary Megadeth. Although Dave Mustaine ultimately decided that Loomis was too young to join the band, he was so impressed with Loomis’ abilities that he brought the guitarist to the attention of Sanctuary, who were themselves looking for a new six stringer. When Sanctuary disbanded two years later, Loomis teamed up his bandmates Warrel Dane and Jim Shepard to form Nevermore. He went on to write and record seven studio albums with that band, creating some of the most memorable riffs of the late twentieth and early twenty-first century.

In 2011, Loomis’ playing is as innovative and vital as ever, and Plains of Oblivion is his most personal expression of his creative vision yet. The metal world will never be the same.

This limited version contains the two bonus tracks only found on the limited European Digipak version.