Long-running heavy metal titans, Satan, have released their new full-length, Songs In Crimson, via Metal Blade Records. Listen to "Era (The Day Will Come)" from the release, below:
Satan’s history is storied, their albums and incendiary live shows, iconic. The Newcastle, England-bred lineup may quip that their career has been "forty-four years of prolonged mayhem with a twenty-year lunch break" - forming in 1980, eventually pausing before reuniting in 2011 - but circa 2024 finds the band thriving, writing, recording, and touring at the top of their game.
Proof positive is their seventh studio album, and third for Metal Blade, Songs In Crimson. If 2022’s Earth Infernal album was brutal, up-tempo and with loud guitars, guitarist Russ Tippins calls Songs In Crimson "concise. It’s more to-the-point and gets there quicker. One of the reasons behind the album title is that this record is very ‘song’ focused. There’s more punch this time around. Each chorus speaks for itself."
With influences from King Crimson to Mercyful Fate, Satan's own stylings remain unique, the band’s NWOBHM origins a springboard for musical and lyrical creativity, commentary, and nonconformity.
While Songs In Crimson features lyrics including "a once-great nation is going down" and "this is the end of an era," Satan offers no quick fix. "There is always hope; solutions are not for us musicians to proclaim," Tippins believes. "Each song has its own different theme. While there is no title track as such, the song ‘Deadly Crimson,’ which is an anti-capitalism narrative, is as close as it gets to that. As a concept, making money from money is fatally flawed in that it depends on constant growth," Tippins says. "But constant growth is obviously impossible; a conveyor belt of sacrificial lambs."
Tippins continues, "‘Turn The Tide’ is the classic ‘King Canute’ scenario - the deluded head of state who believes himself to be divine and sets out to prove it by standing in front of the sea and ordering the waves to retreat. They don’t of course. We are kind of using that as an allegory to illustrate the ridiculous standpoint of certain Jingoistic Brits who believe that foreigners have no place in our country. It’s the shortest song on the album. And also the fastest!"
Songs In Crimson was produced by the band and Dave Curle of First Avenue Studios who also engineered, mixed, and mastered the record.
Songs In Crimson is available on jewelcase CD (USA), digipak CD (EU) and digital formats as well as spined sleeve vinyl with insert, poster, and download card in the following color variants:
Transparent Pigeon Blue Marbled (US)
180g Black (EU)
Dark Crimson Red Marbled (EU)
Steel Grey Marbled (EU - Ltd. 500)
Pale Yellow Marbled (EU - Ltd. 300)
Clear w/ Red & White Splatter (EU - Ltd. 300)
Clear w/ Black, Red & Gold Splatter (Ltd. 200 – Excl. Band Edition)
Order at metalblade.com/satan. Artwork by Eliran Kantor.
Tracklisting:
"Frantic Zero"
"Era (The Day Will Come)"
"Whore Of Babylon"
"Sacramental Rites"
"Martyrdom"
"Turn The Tide"
"Captives"
"Curse In Disguise"
"Truth Bullet"
"Deadly Crimson"
"Turn The Tide" video:
Satan are spending September roadbound on a month-long European tour. Tickets are on sale now. Dates below.
Dates:
September
14 - Torreilles, France - Pyrenean Warriors Open Air
September (with Haunt and Hell Fire)
15 - Milan, Italy - Metalitalia Festival
16 - Munchen, Germany - Backstage
17 - Zagreb, Croatia - Klub Mocvara
18 - Wien, Austria - Escape
19 - Linz, Austria - Steel City Sorcery
20 - Selb, Germany - Rockclub Nordbayern
21 - Warsaw, Poland - Odessa
22 - Ostrava, Czech Republic - Barrak
23 - Nurnberg, Germany - Der Hirsch
24 - Bochum, Germany - Trompete
25 - Oldenburg, Germany - MTS
26 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Beta
27 - Hamburg, Germany - Bambi Galore
28 - Bielefeld, Germany - JZ Stricker
29 - Gent, Belgium - Asgaard
30 - Tilburg, Netherlands - Little Devil
Satan are:
Brian Ross - vocals
Russ Tippins - guitars
Steve Ramsey - guitars
Graeme English - bass
Sean Taylor - drums
(Photo - Stefan Rosic)
