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 3, 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:
