For more than 20 years, vocalist/guitarist Michael Poulsen has been spearheading Danish rock and roll machine Volbeat, releasing eight full-lengths, selling millions of albums, and filling stadiums worldwide. Before fronting Volbeat, however, Poulsen formed death metal band Dominus, which recorded four fast, brutal albums in the mid '90s.
When Poulsen was putting together songs for Volbeat's 2021 album, Servant Of The Mind, he wrote a bunch of death metal riffs and saved them on his phone. Then, when he was done with the Volbeat record, he reopened the rusty gates to Armageddon and started putting together songs for his new death metal band Asinhell, whose debut album Impii Hora (Latin for Ungodly Hour), is a tribute to Poulsen's favourite old-school groups.
Impii Hora is out today via Metal Blade. In celebration, the band has shared the "Wolfpack Laws" video. Watch below.
Marc's great friend Dr. Frank Albers used his vast psychological genius to help come up with the brutal lyrics to the latest single, "Wolfpack Laws". Here's what Frank had to say about the track: "It is a song about wolves taking over a land / the world and bring mankind down. They overrun the country and kill all men. The wolf pack rules with its own law, which is in essence the survival of the fittest. This song can be seen as a dark metaphor on things happening in the real world. However, it can also be plainly enjoyed as a gruesome story."
Poulsen has rekindled the death metal fire that fueled his first band Dominus. He began jamming on riffs with longtime friend and neighbor, drummer Morten Toft Hansen (Raunchy). The two started playing in Morten's tiny garage: no mics, no P.A. - just a drum kit and a combo amp turned all the way up like they used when they were teenagers. Soon, the pair were completing a new song every time they got together. When it came time to add vocals, Poulsen turned to his good friend, who also happened to be one of his all-time favorite death metal growlers: Marc Grewe (Insidious Disease, ex-Morgoth).
"I had known Michael quite a long time and he always mentioned that we should do a death metal project one day, but I never took him too seriously because he was so busy with Volbeat," Grewe says. "Then he called for real and said, 'Yeah, I want to do it now. Are you up for it?' Immediately, I was like, 'Yes, of course!'"
With Asinhell fully formed, the three convened with Volbeat producer Jacob Hansen to produce, mix, and play bass on their debut album. When it was time to add lead guitar to the album, Michael looked no further than friend and The Arcane Order axeman Flemming C. Lund.
The album is available in the following formats:
• Jewel case CD
• 180g Black Vinyl (Europe excl.)
• Crimson Red Marbled Vinyl (Europe excl.)
• White Vinyl (Europe excl., ltd. 1000)
• Gold/Black Dust (EMP excl., ltd.300)
• Clear w/ Red/White Splatter Vinyl (Europe Band store excl., ltd. 500)
• Silver Vinyl (US excl.)
• Silver w/ Red Splatter Vinyl (US. excl.)
• Black & White Melt Vinyl (US excl.)
• Red/Black Splatter Vinyl (US Band store excl., ltd. 500)
Order here.
Tracklisting:
"Fall Of The Loyal Warrior"
"Inner Sancticide"
"Island Of Dead Men"
"Trophies"
"The Ultimate Sin"
"Wolfpack Laws"
"Desert Of Doom"
"Pyromantic Scryer"
"Impii Hora"
"Føj For Helvede"
"Desert Of Doom" lyric video:
"Island Of Dead Men" lyric video:
"Fall Of The Loyal Warrior" video:
"Fall Of The Loyal Warrior" lyric video:
Asinhell are:
Michael Poulsen: Guitar
Marc Grewe: Vocals
Morten Toft Hansen: Drums
(Photo - Brittany Bowman)
