The SLAYER-headlined "Unholy Alliance Tour: Preaching to the Perverted", featuring LAMB OF GOD, CHILDREN OF BODOM, MASTODON, and THINE EYES BLEED, and originally slated to launch on June 6 (06/06/06) in San Diego, CA will now kick off on June 10 at the East Peoria Convention Center in Peoria, IL.

Postponed and rescheduled shows are:

** San Diego, CA: originally June 6 at the Sports Arena, now rescheduled for July 20 at the Sports Arena

** Las Vegas, NV: originally June 7 at The Orleans, now rescheduled for July 24 at The Orleans

** Denver, CO: originally June 9 at the Fillmore Auditorium, now rescheduled for July 26 at the Fillmore Auditorium

In addition, two sold-out "warm-up" dates — June 2 at New Oasis in Reno, NV, and June 3 at Senator Theatre in Chico, CA — will be rescheduled to take place following the Denver date at the end of July.

Tickets purchased for all postponed dates will be honored at the rescheduled concerts.

The postponement of the tour's start date is due to SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya's minor gallbladder surgery which successfully took place late last week. Araya is doing fine, recuperating at home.

With the tour's kick off now June 10, Six-Six-O-Six will still be a special day for SLAYER fans. On that day, SLAYER will release "Eternal Pyre", a limited-edition EP that will preview "Cult", a brand-new song from the band's as-yet-untitled new album (due out July 25), a live version of "Dead Skin Mask", recorded at last year's With Full Force Festival, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the making of the new album, and, originally available only on 1995's now out-of-print "Live Intrusion" video, a five-minute clip of the SLAYER fan who carved the band's name into his forearm.

"Eternal Pyre" will be available exclusively at all Hot Topic stores.

The members of SLAYER — Araya, Kerry King/guitars, Jeff Hanneman/guitars, and drummer Dave Lombardo — are in the final stages of completing their new album, SLAYER's first new studio album since Lombardo rejoined the band in 2001. The new album is being produced by Josh Abraham and executive produced by Rick Rubin and will be released on SLAYER's longtime label, Rubin's American Recordings. Titles for some of the album's new songs include "Cult", "Consfearcy", "Eyes of the Insane", and "Jihad". In a recent interview with MTV, Araya said about the new album, "It's fast — maybe faster than anything we've done before. No one's going to be disappointed. It's going to be brutal."

Confirmed dates for the "Unholy Alliance Tour: Preaching to the Perverted":

Jun. 10 - East Peoria Convention Center - E. Peoria, IL
Jun. 12 - Pop's Outside - St. Louis, MO
Jun. 13 - Aragon Ballroom - Chicago, IL
Jun. 15 - Tweeter Center - Camden, NJ
Jun. 16 - Continental Airlines Arena - E. Rutherford, NJ
Jun. 17 - Tsongas Arena - Lowell, MA
Jun. 19 - US Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH
Jun. 22 - American Bank Center - Corpus Christi, TX
Jun. 23 - Freeman Coliseum - San Antonio, TX
Jun. 24 - Nokia Live - Dallas, TX
Jun. 25 - Reliant Arena - Houston, TX
Jun. 27 - HiFi Buys Amphitheatre - Atlanta, GA
Jun. 29 - Washington Avenue Armory - Albany, NY
Jun. 30 - Tower City Amphitheatre - Cleveland, OH
Jul. 02 - Centre de Foire - Quebec City, Que. Canada
Jul. 03 - The Bell Center - Montreal, Que., Canada
Jul. 04 - Molson Amphitheatre - Toronto, Ont., Canada
Jul. 06 - Cobo Arena - Detroit, MI
Jul. 07 - Eagles Auditorium - Milwaukee, WI
Jul. 08 - Roy Wilkins Auditorium - St. Paul, Minnesota
Jul. 09 - MTS Center - Winnipeg, Man. CANADA
Jul. 11 - Shaw Conf. Center - Edmonton, Alb., Canada
Jul. 13 - GM Place - Vancouver, BC, Canada
Jul. 14 - Qwest Field Event Center - Seattle, WA
Jul. 15 - Salem Armory - Salem, OR
Jul. 16 - Star Theatre - Spokane, WA
Jul. 19 - HP Pavilion - San Jose, CA
Jul. 20 - Sports Arena - San Diego, CA
Jul. 21 - Mesa Amphitheatre - Mesa, AZ
Jul. 22 - Long Beach Arena - Long Beach, CA
Jul. 24 - The Orleans - Las Vegas, NV
Jul. 26 - Fillmore Auditorium - Denver, CO