Successor to ‘Hic Sunt Leones’ out in December via Rockshot Records imprint
By Luiz Athayde
Italian band Highlord has released the lyric video for the single “Eyes Wide Open”, the first single from their upcoming album Freakin’ Out of Hell, scheduled to be released on December 9 by Rockshots Records.
Excellence in blending power, progressive metal, and symphonic nuances – like the names that the country exported during the classic era of the genre – since 1997, the Turin’s brigade is getting ready to release the newest record in six years. And with the lineup stabilized: Andrea Marchisio (vocals), Marco Malacarne (guitar), Massimiliano Flak (bass), Davide Cristofoli (keyboard), and Luca ‘T-1000’ Pellegrino (drums).
The band explains the track: “Starting with a state-of-the-art heavy riff and guitar solo, it slows down with clean guitars for the vocal parts, quickly regaining territory on the fast and heavy side, culminating with the chorus. The following section is quite progressive-fashioned, followed by back-and-forth guitar and keyboard solos. The final chorus concludes the song.”
As for the lyrics, they reveal that it is “basically the same as Off the Beaten Path, we must keep our eyes well open to detect a long list of deceits.”
On the flip side, it’s the ears that need to be open. The business card of the next full album features a range of nuances from virtuosic to very melodic moments – and all with an extreme dynamism.
But this is only part of album number 9 of the discography that began in the 1999 with Heir of Power. For this one, the band promises 11 songs in perfect Highlord style, but with a much more aggressive sound and a touch of prog-metal.
Like the previous record, this album was recorded, mixed, mastered and produced by bassist Massimiliano Flak at Evolution Recording Studio (Italy). The cover was designed by Harley Velasquez.
The band adds about the album:
“Freakin’ out of Hell is a solid work from every point of view. Not only the songs are all potential singles, but they have more or less the same average length of 4/5 minutes; we avoided recording the classic long suite just as much as the hit-and-run happier song because in this album we have found the perfect balance between all the elements of our sound. We have also set the average level of heaviness and aggression a bit higher; this is not a happy metal record, it’s a heavy metal piece that fully deserves this definition.”
Check out the lyric video for “Eyes Wide Open” below:
The pre-order for Freakin’ Out of Hell is already available in CD here. More details including cover art and full song list are below.
01. Prelude To Hell – 1:20
02. Soul Sucker – 5:16
03. Freakin’ Out Of Hell – 5:19
04. Sweet Unknown – 5:15
05. Off The Beaten Path – 4:18
06. Hollow Space – 5:12
07. If You Say Yes – 5:27
08. Eyes Open Wide – 5:36
09. The Devil’s Doorbell – 4:15
10. Fallen From Grace – 4:44
11. One Eyed Jack – 4:18
Album Length: 51:05