Pioneering electro-industrial act Skinny Puppy will return to the road in North America late this fall, this week announcing “The Alliance of Sound,” a 17-date tour that finds the group joined by dark-electronic compatriots VNV Nation and Haujobb for the nearly month-long run.

Skinny Puppy will embark on a 29-date North American tour early next year dubbed “Shapes for Arms” in support of the band’s current album Weapon, a concept record described as commentary on “the concurrent glorification of the gun culture and simultaneous horror at the devastation guns can cause.”

Electro-industrial cousins Skinny Puppy and Front Line Assembly both released brand-new studio albums this year, and Bill Leeb — who launched FLA after leaving Skinny Puppy in 1985 — has a pretty great idea: a North American “Monsters of Industrial” tour featuring both acts.

This week’s new releases include a brand-new live album from New Order, recorded last year at the UK’s Bestival, a new studio album from Front Line Assembly (‘Echogenetic’), plus a rarities collection from Devo (‘Hardcore’) and vinyl reissues from Nirvana and The Beat.

Front Line Assembly returns next month with a brand new album titled Echogenetic, and label Metropolis Records this week debuted the set’s first single, “Killing Grounds” — which you can stream below. The album, due out July 9, is billed as showing off a “new facet” of FLA, and is completely guitar-free.

Long-running electronic outfit Delerium — led by former Front Line Assembly member and Skinny Puppy collaborator Bill Leeb — this fall will release the 15-track ‘Music Box Opera,’ the group’s first new studio album in six years, which is preceded by the debut today of music video for lead-off single “Monarch.”

This week’s new releases include brand-new studio albums from Laurie Anderson (‘Homeland’) and Front Line Assembly (‘Improvised Electronic Device’), plus expanded reissues from Spandau Ballet (‘True,’ ‘Parade’) and A Flock of Seagulls (‘Listen’).

Round-up of headlines from last week while we were on vacation, including news about Paul Westerberg, Echo & The Bunnymen, Depeche Mode, Front Line Assembly, Nine Inch Nails, Talking Heads’ Christ Frantz, Duran Duran and more.