Almost four years since their sophomore album, “Zone Of Alienation”, was released, Swedish metallers STEELWING are ready to return to the scene. Though still rooted in the traditional heavy metal their fans have come to expect, the new CD has more than a few surprises in store.
“With two well-received albums behind us we could have gone the easy way and kept doing the same thing,” says vocalist Riley. “However, after the hit-oriented ‘Zone Of Alienation’, we felt that we wanted to challenge ourselves to create something darker and much more ambitious. So instead we worked really hard for more than three years to redefine our sound and really perfect the new material. We have introduced a wide range of influences to the sound, anything from death metal and technical thrash to punk and hardcore, where previously we wouldn’t allow ourselves to stray too far from the classic heavy metal matrix.”
The new album, aptly titled “Reset, Reboot, Redeem”, is due for release on November 20. It was recorded, mixed and co-produced by Swedish death metal legend Fred Estby (NECRONAUT, THE DAGGER, ex-DISMEMBER) at Gutterview Recorders, with additional parts recorded by Nicko DiMarino in Deep Blue Studios where the band’s early sound was once formed.
“We envisioned a gritty attitude and more organic drum sound for these songs, so naturally we turned to Fred, who is known for delivering just that,” says Riley. “Since we have grown up listening to DISMEMBER, it was truly an honor to work with him. I knew the new material would be very demanding to sing, so we decided to record the vocals with Nicko, an old friend of the band who has been with us from day one. We know we can always trust his ears and skill when the going gets tough.”
Conceptually, STEELWING continue to develop on the post-apocalyptic themes of the previous two albums. Where “Lord Of The Wasteland” focused on “Mad Max”-esque highway marauders and “Zone Of Alienation” described mutant-infested havens in outer space, “Reset, Reboot, Redeem” take on a more serious misanthropic note: the current flawed state of mankind must be sacrificed to pave way for a trans-humanistic new breed — or all life on Earth will face extinction. One of many firsts for this album is a song in the band’s native tongue: “Och Världen Gav Vika” (translation: “And the World Collapsed”).
The first song from “Reset, Reboot, Redeem” released on YouTube is the title-track — an intense speed metal onslaught that will leave listeners gasping for air in its wake.
“This song sums up everything this album is about,” says Riley. “Our fans will recognize the trademark STEELWING speed and energy, but we’re also introducing the darker vibes, technical breaks and diverse influences — it’s an undeniable evolution from anything we’ve done in the past.”
Source: Blabbermouth
