BOOZE CONTROL To Release GATES OF HELL RECORDS Debut “Forgotten Lands” In February

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German metallers BOOZE CONTROL have set a February 22 release date for their fourth full-length album and first for Gates Of Hell Records, “Forgotten Lands”. The album was recorded in October 2017 at Overlodge Recording Studio in Harz Mountains, Germany, with Martin Schnella handling engineering duties.

“Forgotten Lands” is the embodiment of a band now in full songwriting stride. BOOZE CONTROL’s engaging blend of NWOBHM-inspired classic metal shines through on the album’s ten cuts. “The two previous albums really helped us find and define our style as a band,” says vocalist/guitarist David Kuri. “We feel that we got it now, so ‘Forgotten Lands’ is less of a search and more of an arrival. This doesn’t mean that it’s boring now — on the contrary, it allowed us to be more confident when deliberately diverging from that style, so there is quite some experimenting going on on top of the solid heavy metal foundation we defined for ourselves.”

Kuri says BOOZE CONTROL (who are rounded out by second guitarist Jendrik Seiler, bassist Steffen Kurth and drummer Lauritz “The Lord” Jilge) often come up with songs during rehearsal where they swap riffs and ideas. Some of the songs on “Forgotten Lands” stem back to the band’s 2013 “Heavy Metal” and 2016 “The Lizard Rider” albums, but always go through the same process with Kuri and fellow guitarist Jendrik Seiler adding finishing touches. One element on “Forgotten Lands” is sure to stand out: BOOZE CONTROL has adopted a much more serious lyrical tone than their previous efforts.

“‘Forgotten Lands’ mostly tells fictional stories inspired by books, movies, television, video games or scientific findings,” says Kuri. “The title song — a first for us — and ‘Slaying Mantis’ specifically give some context to the album artwork. ‘Playing With Fire’ is the only more ‘worldly’ song, in the sense that it is inspired by recent geopolitical events, though I wouldn’t call the song itself political and BOOZE CONTROL definitely isn’t. There are also a lot of small cross-references between the songs, some of which actually have a meaning while others just send you on a fun journey of interpreting the songs in a broader context.

“Thematically, we also work with the topics of discovery and arrival in the lyrics. The title song is about discovering the new, even after you have already made some headway. Songs like ‘Spellbound’ and ‘Slaying Mantis’ expand on that and hopefully convey that we are still trying to find new approaches to both music and life, while building on what we have already found.”

The “Forgotten Lands” cover art was created by Dimitar Nikolov (Keep It True, ROSS THE BOSS, STEELWING, SACRAL RAGE). Nikolov was asked to create the “Forgotten Lands” album cover due to the overwhelming response to the band’s previous two album covers, which he was also responsible for.

“Dimitar is a great help in shaping the current identity of the band,” says Kuri. “I think the idea of depicting the confrontation with the giant Praying Mantis was there first, and then quickly sparked the idea of the album title. The title track wasn’t planned, but just so happened, and turned out to be a great opener. The artwork shows the same fighting woman as the last two albums, with two novelties: First, she’s going in close this time, not relying on ranged combat. Second, you can see her face for the first time. Both of these facts are highly metaphorical for the way that BOOZE CONTROL has developed.”

Next year, BOOZE CONTROL will celebrate ten years a band. Remarkably, they’ve been able to keep the same lineup, all the while, building a steady following across mainland Europe. “Forgotten Lands” may represent a new conceptual frontier for the band, but the same unbending, memorable metal is still in place, a lot of which has been forged through hard work the last ten years.

“There is a ton of things we have learned along the way,” finishes Kuri. “I think the most important one for me would be to talk to people as much as you can: other bands, promoters, bookers, and of course, your fans. Sharing experience and stories is not only great fun, but the best chance to grow you can get.”

PULVER Readies First Full-Length ‘Kings Under The Sand’

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German classic metal hybrid PULVER has recently completed work on their first full-length album, “Kings Under The Sand”. Due in early 2019 via Gates Of Hell Records, the album was recorded at Berlin’s Big Snuff Studio with Richard Behrens serving as producer.

Guitarist Lukas Kunkel describes “Kings Under The Sand” as “more defined” than their debut self-titled 7-inch, which was released earlier this year. According to Kunkel, major influences come from traditional heavy metal, especially NWOBHM and hard rock. Under the direction of Behrens, “Kings Under The Sand” was recorded in analog, ensuring a crisp, classic metal sound. “The songwriting process was very similar to what it was like for the EP, but more targeted,” notes Kunkel. “Everybody was involved, throwing ideas around and working on the details until we were all happy with the songs. In doing so, we still always tried to keep an eye on the album in its entirety. Eventually, we fine-tuned a few things during the recording sessions at the studio.”

The album’s artwork is created by Max Löffler and will be a continuation of the “Phantom Hawk” creature that originally appeared on the band’s 7-inch. “The whole concept for the album revolves around the idea that ancient Egypt was enslaved by an alien warrior tribe known to man as the ‘Phantom Hawk,’” says vocalist David Fröhlich. “The creature on the cover of our 7-inch was a scout for an alien race, who came to earth to check if mankind would stand any chance to defend itself against the invasion. The scenes on the album cover will take place seven years later in an enslaved Egypt. While the aliens have invaded the planet, humans are preparing a counterstrike at their shelter underneath the sand. The songs on the album will tell the story around it while musically reflecting the particular theme.”

 

PULVER’s debut self-titled 7-inch was recorded by Heiner Kunkel at Dreiklang Audio in the band’s hometown of Aschaffenburg.

 

Related links:

Facebook.com/pulverheavymetal
Pulverheavymetal.bandcamp.com

CONVENT GUILT To Release ‘Diamond Cut Diamond’ In November

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“Diamond Cut Diamond”, the second full-length album from Australian true metal quartet CONVENT GUILT, is set for a November 9 release via Gates Of Hell Records.

The follow-up to 2014’s “Guns For Hire” was recorded at various locations around Sydney in the first half of 2018 by Lachie Vercoe, who was also responsible for the album’s mix. “Diamond Cut Diamond” was mastered by Patrick Engel at Temple Of Disharmony. The album’s striking cover art featuring a strong colonial Australian image was created by Lena Richter of Diamonds and Rust Tattoos.

Possessing the same classic metal swagger as found on “Guns For Hire”, “Diamond Cut Diamond” contains seven slabs of song-oriented metal, graced with well-placed tinges of melody and NWOBHM influences. CONVENT GUILT (who feature bassist/vocalist/primary songwriter Ian, the guitar tandem of Andrew and Dario, and drummer Brent) have once again placed focus on emotion and energy over soulless musical precision, resulting in a must-listen for fans of early IRON MAIDEN, SAXON and TRESPASS.

According to Ian, the songwriting process for “Diamond Cut Diamond” was an organic one, although the band was sure to take their time when writing their all-important sophomore album. “Songwriting happens when it wants to rather than when I sit down to focus on it,” he says. “The oldest tracks on ‘Diamond Cut Diamond’ were written before ‘Guns For Hire’ was released. Even the newest tracks have been around a while. We rehearsed the tracks quite a bit and recorded rough demos to fine-tune our approach. With a bit of luck, this has added extra layers to the songs without compromising the band’s raw energy.”

Employing lyrical themes that, according to Ian, touch upon Australia’s “rich and dusty history,” “Diamond Cut Diamond” proves to carry plenty of philosophical weight as well. “Some of our lyrics deal with conquerors and the subjugated, the inbuilt weakness of men, depression-era outlaws and the insanity of social media. It’s a mixed bag thematically, but as always, lyrics are a vital part of what this band is about.”

It’s been four years since the release of the last CONVENT GUILT LP, so, as you could imagine, the band is chomping at the bit to unleash the album upon the waiting ears of the metal scene. As “Diamond Cut Diamond” shows, the wait was well worth it. “I’m sure it’s the same for most bands, but getting an album out seems like such a massive weight off our shoulders – it’s a ‘release’ in more ways than one,” says Ian. “We won’t rest on our laurels, but we’ll enjoy the relief and achievement as well. A couple of us have other projects we’re working on, so we’re giving those a bit more attention. And we’re riding the usual waves of life to wherever it takes us.”

“Diamond Cut Diamond” track listing:

1. Howling Vengeance
2. Born To Trouble
3. Powder Dry
4. Scream Out Your Heart
5. Bonnie And Clyde
6. Thief In The Night
7. Foxes Run

VULTURES VENGEANCE: ‘Lyrids: Warning From The Reign Of The Untold” To Be Released September 14

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Italian epic metal band VULTURES VENGEANCE will release the two-song 7-inch “Lyrids: Warning From The Reign Of The Untold” on September 14 via Gates Of Hell Records.

PRE-ORDER: http://tinyurl.com/ybuff633

 The perfect setup for their first full-length album (due in 2019), “Lyrids” features a pair of leftover songs from the band’s 2016 “Where The Time Dwelt In” EP: “Empire Of The Crimson Fields” and “Iron Cave”. Both songs find VULTURES VENGEANCE (who feature guitarist/vocalist Tony T. Steele, new lead guitarist Tony L.A., bassist Matt Savage and drummer Kosathral Khel) digging deep into their NWOBHM roots as well as power metal and thrash, aided by a warm, but raw production job.

Inspired by the “cave myth” from the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, “Into The Cave” takes on fantasy-based heavy metal in the style of OMEN, STEEL ASSASSIN and LIEGE LORD. “Empire Of The Crimson Fields”, on the other hand, features a two-part narrative that tells the story of a noble family awaiting of the birth of the new king. The family eventually conquers an empire, but starts savaging the natives, which is where the story shifts to a commoner who has watched his son killed and his land destroyed. The pain and prayers from this man are eventually heard, placing a curse upon the kingdom. Their points of view converge at the song’s conclusion where both fall into the face of death, neither receiving clarity.

Since their 2015 formation, VULTURES VENGEANCE has become a favorite among European critics and fans, with influential German metal magazine Deaf Forever giving the band’s debut “Rising” demo a glowing review. From there, “Where The Time Dwelt In” only served to further their reputation as a new classic metal band to watch. It is with little doubt “Lyrids: Warning From The Reign Of The Untold” will hold the VULTURES VENGEANCE fanbase over until their first full LP finally arrives next year.

“Lyrids: Warning From The Reign Of The Untold” track listing:

  1. Empire Of Crimson Fields
  2. Into The Cave

VULTURES VENGEANCE announces Fall 2108 European shows!

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Having set the release-date of their new 7” “Lyrids: Warning From the Reing of the Untold” on September 14, VULTURES VENGEANCE will perform live in Germany, Sweden, Belgium and Romania in order to support the release.
Be there!

28/09 – DE,  Marburg,  Szenario
29/09 – BE, No Compromise Festival
30/09 – DE, Hamburg, Bambi Galore
01/10 – DE, Berlin, Zukunft Am Ostkreuz
02/10 – SE, Göteborg, The Abyss
03/10 – SE, Stockholm, Brother Tuck
05/10 – DE, Leipzig, Connewitz
13/10 – RO, Old Grave Fest

ROAD WARRIOR To Release ‘Power’ In October: ‘It is a Statement of our Intent’

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Australian true metal brigade ROAD WARRIOR will release their debut full-length album, “Power”, on October 12 via Gates Of Hell Records. Featuring eight tracks of “diverse, fist-clenching, manly and classic metal,” “Power” was recorded at Against The Grain Studios in Adelaide, South Australia with Andy Kite at the helm.

Comments bassist/vocalist Denimal Blake: “It is a statement of our intent: To inject ‘Power’ back into a heavy metal scene that has been somewhat bereft of it. Whether if it truly is an objective case or not, that is our summary and the crux of the band. When heavy metal first gained a foothold it was the personification of musical power, a very special time that is finally coming back to strength, regardless of trends, due to its dominance.”

ROAD WARRIOR (who are rounded out by guitarist Overdryve and drummer Villon) are said to have recorded “Power” with “gusto, the gnashing teeth and thrusting of loins,” meaning, the album’s cuts are leaning heavily on the band’s ’80s influences as well as the proto-metal scene from the latter part of the ’70s. Says Blake: “Our influences are in a blender this time, laced with the flavor of ROAD WARRIOR, METAL CHURCH, BLACKKOUT, early IRON MAIDEN, SAVATAGE, JUDAS PRIEST, LOUDNESS, RIOT, TWISTED SISTER and HEXX.”

Accordingly, Blake says the album’s lyrical themes are quite varied: “Sex, sex and more sex, along with a bit of historical conspiracy, power, pre-diluvial civilization and hotter sex.” Tongue-and-cheek aside, Blake and his ROAD WARRIOR bandmates remain steadfast in their conviction to true heavy metal.

“We have an acute awareness of the NWOTHM [NEW WAVE OF TRADITIONAL HEAVY METAL] and know that we stand out in many ways, whether it’s due to influence, locality or pedigree. Either way, I cannot speak for the ears of others, but we are supremely confident the album will live up to the album cover and title and help usher in a new age of classic rock and metal as the trends dissolve.”

“Power” track listing:

  1. Don’t Fight Fate
  2. On Iron Wing
  3. Devils In Waiting
  4. I Am The Hunger
  5. Tease n’ Torture
  6. Sweating Out The Poison
  7. Back Alley Tokyo Woman
  8. The Future Is Passed