The time has come to wield your sword and charge back to the battlefield! Following their last studio album, “Doombound” (2011), and extensive touring, Finnish heavy metal force Battlelore took a creative break. On June 3rd, 2022, the long, lingering 10-year sleep of the collective will finally end with the release of their much awaited, seventh record, entitled “The Return of the Shadow”, via Napalm Records!
“It wasn’t intentional, time just passed, and we didn’t want to push things to happen, because we knew that the new album would come when the stars are aligned and the time is right”, vocalist Tomi Mykkänen reveals. “This is our ‘comeback’ album and we are ready to be back”!
The album title perfectly represents their sensational comeback. Named after Tolkien’s original, shelved title for his legendary epic fantasy novel Fellowship of the Ring, Battlelore’s brand new album features nine Middle-earth themed songs, shining with the blistering aura the band has become known and loved for.
Today, they have finally shared a first track taken from “The Return of the Shadow”! On “Firekeeper”, the Lappeenranta-based fantasy metal warriors showcase their exceptional songwriting skills, diving deep into dark facets of symphonic yet heavy metal realms. The vocal duets of Tomi Mykkänen’s power and the fairylike voice of Kaisa Jouhki merge with otherworldly guitars on this epic metal hymn!
Guitarist Jyri Vahvanen says about the track: “In the beginning there was nothing but silence. Then came the Creator called Ilúvatar and began a song which gave a birth to a world called Arda, and in the heart of it he set a flame, The Secret Fire. The One, All Father, Firekeeper of the World”!
Watch the new Battlelore lyric video for “Firekeeper” below.
“The Return of the Shadow” was recorded by Janne Saksa at the Sound Supreme Studios, Finland, and was mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound Studios. As a special gift to fans, the album will also include a bonus EP, entitled “Lost Lands”, that features three songs written around the beginning of the band’s hiatus that, soundwise, are different from the tracks on the main album.
“This bonus EP is something we wanted to record and release alongside the actual album, to clear the table and continue our musical career without any unpublished material haunting us from the past”, Tomi explains. “The songs of the EP are from the beginning of our 10-year hiatus, so the compositions and the overall atmosphere differ from ‘The Return of the Shadow’. Therefore, we felt that these hymns from the old days deserved their own release”.
As the first single proves, the energy Battlelore showcases on “The Return of the Shadow” – their first full-length album in more than 10 years – is immediately evident, making this record one of their strongest, heaviest and best works to date. Thankfully it’s not just their shadows, but the return of one of the most thrilling acts in heavy fantasy metal – welcome back, Battlelore!
“The Return of the Shadow” will be out on June 3rd, 2022, through Napalm Records, the pre-sale has just started here.
Tracklist:
1. Minas Morgul
2. Chambers of Fire
3. Orcrist
4. Homecoming
5. Elvenking
6. Firekeeper
7. Mirrormere
8. True Dragons
9. Shadow of the East
“Lost Lands” Bonus EP track listing:
1. Avathar
2. Caves of the Forgotten
3. Isenmouthe
Line-up:
Tomi Mykkänen – Vocals
Kaisa Jouhki – Vocals
Maria Honkanen – Synths
Jyri Vahvanen – Guitars
Jussi Rautio – Guitars
Timo Honkanen – Bass
Henri Vahvanen – Drums
Weblinks:
www.battlelore.net
www.facebook.com/BattleloreOfficial
