MAXIMO Park fans will be beside themselves with excitement this morning.

The Newcastle band release their much-anticipated third album, Quicken the Heart today [mon] and have decided to mark the occasion by embarking on a packed-to-the- rafters schedule of activity in their home town.

The record is already being hailed as their most accomplished, most fully-realised work to date and Maximo Park are justifiably proud.

Fresh from a performance at Radio One’s Big Weekend in Swindon at the weekend, album promotion proceedings will get started with a Q&A and album-signing session at HMV Newcastle at 6pm.

If you haven’t submitted your question already, all you have to do is visit the band’s official website at www.maximopark.com, and pose your wondering. (Free wristbands will be available from the HMV store from 8.30am today and issued on a first come, first served basis)

Next on their itinerary is an album launch party at the Star and Shadow Cinema, where the band’s 68-minute film Monument, shot at last year’s sold-out gig at the Metro Radio Arena, will be given one of its only public screenings (the film will be available to buy though as part of the Quicken the Heart special CD/ DVD edition).

Rounding off the evening will be an intimate live performance at RPM on High Bridge. Only 120 fans (who will have bought a wristband from the record shop for £3 on Saturday).