There are plenty of reasons why Rock’n’ Rolf Kasparek is so happy with 'BLOOD ON BLOOD'.
Says Rolf: “We all know the difficulties the cultural sector was faced with during the lockdown. On the other hand, it also gave me and many other artists some extra time since most releases had to be postponed. I used that time to fine-tune every little detail of my new material. The result is an album that in my opinion is probably the best in Running Wilds career to date. Every one of the ten songs sounds exactly as I had it in mind when I composed it. I’ve never been happier with a Running Wild record before.”
So, with no further details available at this point, fans of the German metal legend can look forward to 29 October 2021, when 'BLOOD ON BLOOD' will be out on Steamhammer/SPV.
Those who can’t wait should mark 13 August in their diaries, when the lead single ‘Diamonds And Pearls’ will arrive at the physical and digital stores, followed by the second single ‘The Shellback’ on 24 September 2021.
Could there be any better news for Running Wild disciples?
Well, possibly the news below, which will also reveal some of the aforementioned details:
Rolf justly describes BLOOD ON BLOOD as the most diverse offering he has released so far, not only in terms of the compositions but also as far as the production is concerned.
“Every song has its own unmistakable sound,” explains the Running Wild captain. “Although I recorded the rhythm guitar parts with my 1976 Gibson Explorer as usual, the other parts were cut with a Gibson Flying V, a Fender Stratocaster and even – the undistorted parts – with a Fender American Standard Telecaster.”
A prime example being ‘One Night, One Day’, which owes its great depth to its clean guitar performance. Rolf is referring to a song that is guaranteed to cause a stir with its anthemic direction and unusual arrangements:
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new album ‘Blood on Blood’
out on the 29th of October
Tracklisting:
01 Blood On Blood 4:07
02 Wings Of Fire 3:57
03 Say Your Prayers 5:14
04 Diamonds & Pearls 4:44
05 Wild & Free 5:28
06 Crossing The Blades 6:00
07 One Night, One Day 4:59
08 The Shellback 6:11
09 Wild, Wild Nights 4:30
10 The Iron Times (1618 – 1648) 10:29
Line-Up:
Rock N’ Rolf – vocals, guitars
Peter Jordan – guitars
Ole Hempelmann – bass
Michael Wolpers – drums
“For me, this track was a little experiment that Ive never dared to try before, because
‘One Night, One Day’ doesnt have the typical intro-verse-chorus structure, instead gradually building up throughout the song.”
The grooving ‘The Iron Times (1618 - 1648)’, a worthy album finale, is just as remarkable, with its eleven minutes of playing time the longest track on the disc, and thanks to its lyric about the Thirty Years’ War also one of the most ambitioned numbers.
Speaking of lyrics:
‘Wings Of Fire’ and ‘Say Your Prayers’ are about prophecies, albeit not – as on many other releases – the prophecies of Nostradamus, but – among others – the prophecies of John of Jerusalem, the French Knight Templar and co-founder of the Order of the Knights Templar, who predicted organ trafficking back in the Middle Ages.
Historically no less interesting, ‘Crossing The Blades’ sees Running Wild broach the story of the three musketeers from the 17th century, their emblem having been recreated on the cover artwork, once again designed by Jens Reinhold (Virgin Steele, Freedom Call, among others).
Rolf: “Its a kind of hybrid between the cross of the musketeers and our mascot, Adrian.”
Despite these lyrical ambitions, BLOOD ON BLOOD also features two “party rock numbers”,
as Rolf likes to refer to them:
‘Wild & Free’ and ‘Wild, Wild Nights’, which are meant to be pure fun, fulfil their mission to a tee.
And last but not least, there’s ‘The Shellback’, a track in typical Running Wild style that starts with a Celtic-inspired intro, Running Wild revisiting the atmospheric seafaring theme of their 1994 classic BLACK HAND IN, a prequel of that maritime story.
Equally characteristic of the band, which, in addition to Rolf, guitarist Peter Jordan and bassist Ole Hempelmann, has since 2019 included drummer Michael Wolpers, who contributed all the drum parts on the new disc, are the lead single ‘Diamonds And Pearls’ (including lyric video) and the title track, incidentally the first number Rolf wrote for the new album.
Returning to the prophecy theme, you don`t have to be a prophet to be able to anticipate the gleam in the eyes of all Running Wild fans.
There can be no doubt about it:
BLOOD ON BLOOD
presents Running Wild at their best!
new album ‘Blood on Blood’
out on the 29th of October
Matthias Engst (ENGST) reveals himself here as a co-songwriter and a video producer of his new favorite project.
The name Herbst is part of the agenda because the sound of the four musicians from Berlin is hard, rough, and gloomy. Herbst makes a clear statement with their second single “Dieses Haus” and emphasizes that we are never alone.
Every situation in life requires a pillar of support that reaches out to us and gives us strength.
Their lyrics tell unadorned stories from the musicians’ everyday lives and feel so authentic that you can find yourself in them.
The band Herbst comments on “Dieses Haus” (This House):
“The song is about an oppressive and bone-chilling experience of a childhood of a long-time friend. In that respect, this song had been waiting to be revealed for a long time.”
“These emotionally incisive episodes are transported by the once young lad who dramatically experienced ignorance, strictness and cruelty, violence, and merely unilateral love in his parental home, subsequently transporting these patterns of behavior exemplified to him into his own family life. In the end, and with the realization of being no better than his “role models,” he dies in mental and physical loneliness.”
The gripping music video, produced by Matthias Engst (ENGST), captures these embodied experiences in a stirring way,
“which is why it touched us so powerfully during the making of the video. We hope that it creates much more awareness that difficult family relationships, domestic and psychological violence, are unfortunately not always just an exception,”
Herbst takes a strong voice here on this topic, which is sadly more relevant than often known.
Domestic violence comes in many forms, like everything else, and begins insidiously.
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releazed on 1st of October
their new single/video ‘Dieses Haus’
Herbst is:
Olli Weckert – vocals
Mark Rötz – bass & vocals
Rilo Messer – guitar
Steffen Böhm – drums
In most cases, those affected only talk to people they trust in their social environment, and it is crucial that the environment supports and reacts.
Recognizing early signs and warning signals is perhaps even more important now than ever before.
Especially at a time when couples, families, and children are isolated at home and stress, and aggression accumulates – because one-third of such freak-outs end deadly.
Helpline-networks support affected people and their environment, help to take the perpetrators or perpetratresses in the responsibility, protect the victims, and support the perspective on a life without violence.
releazed on 1st of October
their new single/video ‘Dieses Haus’
The Joke Jay finally releases the official single “Awake” accompanied by a music video from the upcoming debut double-album “Awaken” which fans have been impatiently waiting for.
The album “Awaken”
will be officially released worldwide on the 29th of October 2021
via all trusted dealers.
The Joke Jay, the new band around namesake Joke Jay (And One), producer and synth-pop mastermind Olaf Wollschläger (Vorsprung durch Technik), and allrounder Hilton Theissen (Zoodrake, Akanoid, Dark Millennium) presents themselves with their debut double album “Awaken” in the timeless and individual appearance of a classic rock/pop band with various influences from alternative rock to
electro styles of the 70s to 90s, and an approach of uncompromising, musical debauchery.
have released their
single/video 'Awake'
In 2012, Greg Wenk started looking for members and decided on Veritas, which means truth.
After some changes the current line-up are:
Denny Anthony-vocals,
Greg Wenk-guitar,
Geno Alberico-bass,
Mark Zonder-drums
In March of 2020, Veritas signed a deal with Amplified for worldwide distribution of their first full length cd in physical and digital formats.
The cd has 14 tracks and was mixed by Daryl Bolicek at Wild Horse Recording in Minnesota and mastered by Thomas Juth at Svenska Grammofon studion in Sweden.
The cd released on August 28th, 2020 worldwide and has already received great reviews from Germany, Sweden, USA, Poland.
have released their
album ‘Threads Of Fatality’
a few months before my official -in the papers- adulthood, a very good friend of mine, with whom we are from the same village in the country side of greece (together we have spent some 10 years of our childhood years at exotic Karpenisi) decides to come to my parents house in athens for givingme my namesday gift.
It is an album. ‘Perfect Man’ of Rage.
A band until these days totaly unknown to me.
After we melted the vynil by playing it for hours on the record player my love for this band began.
Love at first sight!
I don’t know, how it happened, maybe the country they are from, maybe that hell of a drummer Christos Efthymiadis from Kozani (at those days there were no Greek musicians in international bands), maybe that fucking leather cape peavy was wearing…
So, during my visit at my friend’s house (where the melting of his vinyls and cassettes for copying began), I was very happy to discover the next release of the band ‘Secrets in a Weird World’.
Apparently i totaly lost control, when I heard that album.
but i really went nuts, when I held in my hands that magic piece of paper for the entrance to paradise there at Marni street
…where the’Hammersmith’ of Athens used to be…
Sunday 18.02.1990 was the magic day.
i still served in the greek army and after a voluntary stay of 7 days of service in the camp, just get that weekend clearance paper for that day.
I went down the Alexandras avenue alone, because i didn’t have in those days so many metalheads friends
(yes, we were still walking in those days)…
i still was a ‘good-looking and decent young man’ not like these healthy people, lol…
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by john 510s
peavy and fok ‘bs’ 18.2.1990 rodon club backstage
shaved head in the spirit of the dogma either long hair or non at all, tight jeans melted in the buttocks from the cements of gate 13 of the stadium of panathinaikos and ripped at the knees for the spirit of revolution, with hand-painted pattern guns n roses logo on the thighs, old greek army boots, black ‘flying’ with badges, borrowed and never returned by a classmate (I still have it), a bag cap, so that the bald head does not freaze, motorhead t-shirt (what else) and the necessary accessory rings-earrings-bracelets-belts, with a beer per hand and the ticket in the pocket.
My joy was huge, cause even as a metal audience in greece we were for centuries behind other countries in live concerts …
I imagined a lot before the live …
But what I did not expect was the performance of rage, the participation of the audience in a relatively new band that is essentially recommended to the audience and the emotion-surprise-joy of all of us from the Greek flag that was spread in the drumkit of Christos who with his broken Greek made the necessary recommendations under our cheers and the applause of Peavy and the short-tempered Manni
… Not to mention
… few knew them, many learned them at that night…
it was totaly insane.
an incredible performance in an approximately 40 minute set-hurricane, which ended with my favorite
(all of us) ‘Don’t Fear The Winter’.
Their first song ever that I heard from the album that my friend gave me …
My opinion? The band of the evening.
Not that Running Wild did not play well …
they kicked asses.
But i saw them again last year there, in a live where the performance of Conquistadores made the walls shake…
maybe it was my curiosity for Rage and that incredible moment to see the band i just discovered and i was excited of, maybe it was that 4-0 loose, that the local arch enemy in football received in Xanthi earlier in the afternoon, everything helped me to experience a musical metallic dream in…
After all, so many years have passed and the memory is weakening …
The only sure thing is that what increased from those first releases, that I heard, but also from the later ones, is undoubtedly my love for them and my weight
… Not only mine but also Peavy’s…:-)
ps: their last album ‘Resurrection Day’ is awesome…
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by john 510s
SETLIST 18.2.1990 rodon club athens, greece
01 Time Waits for No One
02 Animal Instinct
03 Invisible Horizons
04 Light Into the Darkness
05 A Pilgrim’s Path
06 Without a Trace
07 Guitar Solo
08 Death in the Afternoon
09 Down by Law
10 Drum Solo
11 Talk to Grandpa
12 Don’t Fear the Winter
by john 510s
Sometimes the seemingly most surprising idea can also be the most obvious: German-Italian melodic metal act The Unity, consisting of Gamma Ray members Henjo Richter (guitar), Michael Ehré (drums) and bandmates Gianbattista Manenti (vocals), Stef (guitar), Jogi Sweers (bass) and Sascha Onnen (keyboards) are set to release their first live album ‘The Devil You Know – The Unity Live’ on Steamhammer/SPV on 12 November 2021, their very own reaction to the lockdown, which has still not been fully lifted.
“For months, music fans were denied the most important thing in their lives: live concerts! That’s why we decided to give our fans exactly that, The Unity live,” explains Michael Ehré, adding: “Some may feel that it’s a little early to bring out this kind of recording after only three studio releases. But for us, this is both a salute to our fans and a consolation to make up for the many shows that didn’t happen.”
‘The Devil You Know – The Unity Live’ was recorded between 2017 and 2020 during tours through Germany and a number of other European countries, at shows in small, overheated clubs with sweat dripping from the walls, but also at big festivals such as the Masters Of Rock in the Czech Republic and in Germany at the Karlsruhe Knockout Festival and the
Bang Your Head in Balingen.
The track listing focuses on material from their albums ‘The Unity’ (2017) and ‘Rise’ (2018), but in ‘We Don’t Need Them Here’ also includes the single release from their third album ‘Pride’ (2020), a song which was discussed controversially at the time of its release and was one of the highlights of their tour with Rhapsody Of Fire.
Talking of which: The Italian band was only one of several renowned groups with whom The Unity have toured extensively.
Just as unforgettable were their concert tours alongside Sinner, Edguy and Axel Rudi Pell, where The Unity presented their outstanding skills every night, advertising their subsequent equally acclaimed headlining tours.
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Tracklisting:
Revenge 1:21
Last Betrayal 4:22
No Hero 6:00
No More Lies 5:11
Welcome Home 4:41
Firesign 5:47
The Storm 5:54
We Don´t Need Them Here 3:58
The Willow Tree 5:09
You Got Me Wrong 5:09
Close To Crazy 3:54
Never Forget 8:32
Line-Up:
Gianbattista Manenti (vocals)
Michael Ehre (drums)
Henjo Richter (guitars)
Stef E (guitar)
Jogi Sweers (bass)
Sascha Onnen (keyboards)
Due to its numerous concerts, it comes as no surprise to experts how rapidly the group has developed during the first four years of its existence.
‘The Devil You Know – The Unity Live’ shows excellently rehearsed musicians, bursting with enthusiasm and proving their impressive live presence not only with their greatest hits ‘No More Lies’, ‘The Storm’, ‘Never Forget’ and ‘The Willow Tree’, but also in direct contact with the audience, thanks in particular to frontman Gianbattista Manenti, who has evolved into a world-class vocalist, forming a tight unit with his technically accomplished band colleagues.
The first single release from ‘The Devil You Know – The Unity Live’ will be a live clip featuring
‘Close To Crazy’, with excerpts from The Unity’s performance at the Masters Of Rock in Vizovice,
Czech Republic, in front of an audience of 22,000 and with comedy star Sascha Grammel and his famous puppet, the “eagle pheasant” Frederic Freiherr von Furchensumpf, putting in a guest appearance.
The latter has been a self-confessed The Unity fan for years and frequently comes to the band’s shows.
The album was mixed and mastered by Achim Köhler, and the front cover courtesy of Felipe Machado
(Gamma Ray, Blind Guardian, Iron Savior) introduces The Unity’s new mascot Dave, who is honoured by the album title.
Manenti says: “There is an English saying: ‘Better the devil you know than the devil you dont’. We think this motto perfectly describes the situation the world currently finds itself in.”
Last but not least: The booklet, designed by Alexander Mertsch (Deep Purple, Saga etc.), presents an extensive photo collection with lots of live pictures and a number snapshots of fans, who will definitely like to remember the bands great shows.
Looking at it this way, for both band and fans alike, this live album is much more than simply a consolation prize!
VARDIS were forged out of Glam, Punk, Heavy Metal, Blues and Rock´nRoll in the crucible of 1970s northern England.
They are a product of Rock music across three generations:
inspired by the great Rock´n Rollers and electric bluesmen of the 50s and 60s, learning their craft on the Hard Rock and Punk circuits in the 70s, before signing with Logo/RCA in 1979 and achieving prominence in the 80s as part of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal.
Their ferocious musical attack directly influenced the development of thrash and speed metal across North America and Europe, cited by metal giants such as Metallica and Megadeth.
Never losing sight of the melodic sensibilities of their earliest influences, Vardis’ unique heavy groove has endured as truly original.
In 1980 they released the entirely live, classic debut album ‚100 M.P.H.’ that famously ”GUARANTEED NO OVERDUBS”, before hitting the road in a brutal touring schedule.
Kicking off with the infamous Heavy Metal Barn Dance alongside Motörhead and Saxon at Stafford’s Bingley Hall in July, Vardis then joined Hawkwind on the 33 date Levitation Tour before embarking on their own 100 M.P.H. tour.
1981 saw no let up, with Vardis recording a BBC Session for Tommy Vance and releasing their first studio album, ‚The World’s Insane‘, accompanied by a tour culminating with the legendary Heavy Metal Holocaust in Port Vale,
alongside Ozzy Osbourne and Motörhead.
Ignoring label pressure to be “more like Van Halen”, 1982 saw Zodiac placed in the world’s top 15 guitarists by Sounds Magazine, as Vardis embarked on a UK Tour with Slade and a headline European Tour supporting third album ‚Quo Vardis‘.
‚Quo Vardis’ pushed the boundaries of heavy music, with saxophone, bagpipes and mandolins alongside collaborations with Squeeze pianist Jools Holland and Status Quo’s Andy Brown.
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Track listing:
CD1
Out Of The Way 3:10
Steaming Along 3:21
Paranoia Strikes 2:10
Situation Negative (Boogie Blitz) 5:37
Red Eye 3:41
Dirty Money 3:06
Mods & Rockers 5:25
Don’t Mess 2:55
Shoot Straight 4:22
Move Along 5:35
CD2
Destiny 3:05
The Lion’s Share 3:04
Radio Rockers 3:38
The Loser 5:47
Head Of The Nail 3:45
Jolly Roger 4:33
Let’s Go Again 3:21
100mph (I won’t Go To Hell) 9:15
If I Were King 5:20
Living Out Of Touch (encore) 3:17
Vinyl bonus track:
100 Soundcheck 2:58 (bonus track)
‚Quo Vardis’ pushed the boundaries of heavy music, with saxophone, bagpipes and mandolins alongside collaborations with Squeeze pianist Jools Holland and Status Quo’s Andy Brown.
This led to mixed reviews from the conservative Metal press, while open minded journalists and DJs led by John Peel on BBC Radio 1 championed the band’s sense of fun and experimentation.
1983 – 1985 was an enforced hiatus for Vardis, as a two year legal battle with management precipitated lineup changes and missed opportunities. Emerging from court victorious but disillusioned, Vardis released the stripped down album ‚Vigilante‘ in 1986 on indie label Raw Power, an indictment of industry use and abuse, before Steve Zodiac walked out on the
music business for good.
Nothing was heard from the band for nearly three decades, despite the release of two compilation albums: ‚The Best Of Vardis’ (1997) and the double CD ‚The World`s Gone Mad: The Best Of Vardis’ (2002).
In 2014, Zodiac was coaxed out of retirement on social media by the old hardcore and new fans who’d discovered the Vardis legacy.
Vardis toured Europe and released fifth album ‚Red Eye‘ in 2016 through SPV/Steamhammer, cementing one of rock’s most unlikely comebacks.
Vardis have lost none of their unpredictable edge, and 2019 witnessed a triumphant appearance at Leicester´s ‚O2 Academy’ alongside English grindcore legends Napalm Death that surprised many, proving yet again that their special brand of Rock’n’Roll transcends both genre and time.
Friday 13th March 2020: the true enormity of Covid19 was not apparent, but an uncanny atmosphere was palpable everywhere.
With live venues still open in England, and rockers from all over Europe assembled on Oxford Street London, Vardis would play.
For two hours, ‚100 Club’ escaped a troubled World, and the energy forged that night by Steve Zodiac (Guitar) Joe Clancy (Drums) and Roly Bailey (Bass) with a brilliant crowd was captured for a 2021 double live album release on SPV/Steamhammer.
We present to you the Vardis live experience on record for the first time since 1980: ‚100 M.P.H.@100 Club’, “GUARANTEED NO OVERDUBS”!
Line-Up:
Steve Zodiac (Guitar/Voice)
Joe Clancy (Drums)
Roly Bailey (Bass)
