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Three years following the release of their critically lauded album “Warlords”, New Zealand death thrashers Bulletbelt are set to return with their fifth studio album in their 14-year career.
Titled “Burn It Up”, the album was recorded in April 2022 at the Massey Studio in Wellington by the group’s founding member and drummer Steve Francis, long-time bassist Tim Mekalick, guitarist Josh O’Brien and the new vocalist Diego Attinger and is scheduled to be released on September 22 via Impaler Records.
The eight songs — all live instruments, no triggers, patches or simulations — were co-produced by James Goldsmith (Beastwars, Mermaidens, etc) and the album’s killer artwork was illustrated by Christchurch artist Jake Clark a.k.a. Mr Wolf, accompanied by design and layout by Japanese designer Seiya Ogino of Ogino Design (MONO, Dark Funeral, Vomitory, Naglfar, etc). Pre-orders are now available at this location.
A music video for leading single “Arminius” is now playing at Decibel Magazine, who commented “This one is sword and sorcery all the way, and it kinda works with the band’s clever mixture of death growled verses and anthemic, clean power metal choruses.”
Watch “Arminius” music video here.
Founder and drummer Steve Francis says the following about the video: “’Arminius’ was the perfect choice of first single release for our new album Burn It Up. It encompasses everything good about our new direction, with driving verses and a very catchy power/classic metal-feeling chorus. The track also showcases the talents of our new vocalist Diego Attinger, whose addition to the band has given us the ‘weapons at our disposal’ to take the band in an exciting new direction, encompassing much more melody and flavors than before.”
Meanwhile, in October the band will embark on their first European Tour supporting Brazil’s Semblant, check out the full dates below:
Bulletbelt European Tour 2023 (supporting Semblant):
Oct 5 / DE Düsseldorf / Pitcher
Oct 6 / DE Weinheim / Café Central
Oct 7 / BE Bree / Ragnarok
Oct 8 / NL Den Haag / Musicon
Oct 10 / UK Manchester / Rebellion
Oct 11 / UK London / Underworld
Oct 12 / FR Paris / Petit Bain
Oct 14 / FR Toulouse / Connexion Live
Oct 15 / FR Montpellier / Secret Place
Oct 16 / FR Lyon / Rock and Eat
Oct 18 / FR Pratteln / Suisse Z7
Oct 20 / HU Budapest / Analog Music Hall
Tickets: www.bulletbelt-official.com/tour
Bulletbelt has toured Australia, Japan and New Zealand and played numerous support slots with visiting international acts including Sepultura, Carcass, Napalm Death, Midnight, Psycroptic, The Black Dahlia Murder, Impiety, Bölzer, Tragedy, Rotten Sound, Midnight, Municipal Waste, Ringworm, Paul Dianno, Arch Enemy, DragonForce, Sacred Riech and Vio-Lence.
The band first announced themselves to New Zealand’s metal-loving audiences in 2009. With music featuring on the soundtrack to the cult-classic movie, “Deathgasm”, international touring and three previous records of brutal, beautiful sonic assault, it’s a solid foundation that “Warlords” sits atop. After a decade of brand-building, blood, sweat and… beers… tears and forever true and strong of heart, the sound of mind and body and committed to the riff, the chorus, the way of the anthem, Bulletbelt’s head is held high, their flag is in the sand.
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