Tag: saxon

HAMMER KING Releases Energetic ‘Locust Plague’ Video

Enrico

German traditional metal heroes HAMMER KING have issued the video for “Locust Plague”, which comes from their 2018 studio album, “Poseidon Will Carry Us Home”. The video — shot in the band’s natural live element in front of their loyal, headbanging fans — was edited by Christian Palm.

The decisioning behind the “Locust Plague” video was simple for HAMMER KING. In an album filled with triumphant, sterling anthems, “Locust Plague”, in its barn-burning glory, has become an instant live favourite.

“We just recently moved the song up to third in the setlist,” says guitarist/vocalist Titan Fox. “We also love the song because it captures the weekend we spent in Rome playing Cruz Del Sur Music’s ‘Burn This Town’ festival with ROSAE CRUCIS and SACRED STEEL — it’s all there in the lyrics. I’ve always liked songs that told a true story, sort of like SAXON’s ‘And The Bands Played On’. Gladly, the King gave us a song to remember the festival forever.”

“The Poseidon Will Carry Us Home” album cycle has surpassed expectations for HAMMER KING. In addition to critical and journalistic acclaim, the band has expanded its reach in the continental metal scene, something the King is very pleased about, according to Fox. The immediate future will find HAMMER KING playing a handful of important live dates, with other more “pleasurable” happenings taking place as well.

“HAMMER KING will certainly spend some days refuelling at the nudist beach of Saint Tropez Kingdom,” says Fox. “You know, beautiful naked women to our left, beautiful naked women to our right. But we will keep playing shows as well. A benefit festival with TANKARD is next, we will play a very small metal cruise on a river in the French-German borderland, then there is a festival with GRAVE DIGGER and GIRLSCHOOL.

“At the same time, we are already working on songs for our fourth album. Around 20 ideas are floating, but not all will be on the album. We have started early this time, so there is plenty of time to pick only the best of the best of the King‘s songs for the next album.”

 

PHARAOH: ‘After The Fire’ Debut To Receive Vinyl Release

Enrico

Ground-zero, catalog number “Cruz01” and the album that started it all for Cruz Del Sur Music, PHARAOH’s 2003 “After The Fire” debut provided an early glimpse of the label’s unflinching commitment to releasing high-quality, true heavy metal. The album also positioned PHARAOH as one of the most promising and classy melodic metal bands in recent memory, earning the band much-deserved praise both on domestic and international shores.

Now, 15 years after the fact, Cruz Del Sur is releasing “After The Fire” on vinyl on Aug 31, with a different, alternative mixing, new mastering, and fresh, updated liner notes by Matt Johnsen!

CLICK TO PRE-ORDER!

“PHARAOH and Cruz Del Sur are still doing what we do, in our stubborn ways!” says drummer Chris Black. “How little has changed in this regard. I guess our producer/engineer Matt Crooks wasn’t yet on board, but otherwise with ‘After the Fire’, we have already included all of the same people and roles as we do today. I’m talking about the musicians/songwriters but also Enrico Leccese of Cruz Del Sur and JP Fournier, who has painted all of our album covers.”

PHARAOH, rounded out by vocalist Tim Aymar, guitarist Matt Johnsen and bassist Chris Kerns, was originally formed to play, according to Johnsen, “the kind of melodic heavy metal that was highly unfashionable when we first met.”

“Chris had SAXON and IRON MAIDEN in mind, while I was thinking about RAGE and ANGRA,” he says. “And although none of us have the same tastes, exactly, I guess they’re close enough where it counts! “Since ‘After the Fire’, we’ve all grown immensely as players and writers, but the basic templates we established for ourselves on that record have held up surprisingly well.  Our newer songs are much harder to play, but they’re clearly cut from the same cloth as the ones on our debut.”

PHARAOH has released three studio albums since “After The Fire” and are hard at work at their next full-length, tentatively titled “The Powers That Be”. But, the memories associated with “After The Fire” hold lasting impact, making the vinyl release all the more important.

“Finally having ‘After The Fire’ on vinyl will be great for our fans who cherish this format,” says Black. “It’s understandable that it didn’t happen in 2003, but as the years have passed and all of the other albums have been pressed on vinyl, it has become way overdue. But as it happens now, it’s a great way to say happy 15th birthday to the album and to Cruz Del Sur as well. A just reward for our continuity!”

Full MAUSOLEUM GATE’s album stream!

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Full MAUSOLEUM GATE‘s album stream on Bandcamp.com  on  the official European release date.

“Epic, Majestic and Bizarre… One of the best newcomers in years” (Deaf Forever-DE) 
“Mausoleum Gate are destined to be the next hot ticket item when it comes to vintage-sounding heavy metal”  (Heavy Metal Time Machine)
“If you’re looking for something truly different that will have you hooked on the first spin, Mausoleum Gate is a must hear”  9/10 (Apoch’s Metal Review) 
“Full of that classic late 70’s/early 80’s heavy metal sound with doom tendencies and soaring vocals. They’re going to be huge if they can keep this up”  (The Blog of Doom)