AS well as sharing a passion for creating heavy-hitting, socially- conscious rock, Shihad and Cog have another thing in common.
The two bands will take part in the upcoming Homeland Security Tour 2005 in August and September, playing Newcastle Panthers on Friday, August 26.
Inspiration for the tour's title was taken from the name of the American organisation Homeland Security, the job of which is which to keep the US secure from terrorist attacks.
It is a topic both acts feel very strongly about.
``The current global political climate seems to be dividing people along ideological and religious lines, separating each other at a time in history when we have a greater capacity for learning and understanding than ever before yet are fast becoming a fractured planet,'' Shihad's Tom Larkin said.
``This tour is not only about music but about highlighting those issues as well.'' Shihad is hitting the road on the back of its new album Love Is The New Hate. Support for the album has been strong from both fans and their peers.
Dave Grohl, who was recently in the country with his band Foo Fighters, went on air in New Zealand proclaiming Shihad's new record as their best work.
Fans have lapped it up, too, with the album already achieving platinum sales in New Zealand and debuting in Australia at number 11 on the ARIA chart.
Larkin said he and the rest of the members of Shihad were excited to be sharing the bill with Cog.
``Cog is a band that we have a huge amount of respect for and that respect has only increased on the basis of their phenomenal new album,'' Larkin said.
``It's one of the rock albums of the year in my book. The New Normal shows the depth of the band and a willingness to do things differently.
``We find them inspiring, they're great musicians, and ideologically they come from the same space that we do but they say it in a different way.
``I'm excited about being able to be watch them every night.'' Cog released its debut album in March and it has received strong airplay with the song My Enemy .
Before the Australian tour, they are also hitching a ride with Shihad to play their first shows in New Zealand.
``Shihad have been a band we have always looked up to and this double bill of Australian and New Zealand bands teaming up is like the rock'n'roll ANZACs joining forces,'' Cog frontman Flynn Gower said.
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