https://metalonmetalrecords.com

NEW ALBUM:

"HELLRIDER"

Do you like bands which try to reinvent the wheel? If so, you can quit reading now. METAL LAW don't reinvent the wheel, they're just satisfied to run you over with the wheel that's already there. If you want something unique or innovative, you've come to the wrong place. It is not, but who ever said that music needs to be original to sound good and be downright enjoyable? It took 8 long years for the German defenders of steel to come back with a new full-length, the 3rd one in their discography. But good things come to those who wait, and the 10 new songs (plus a re-recording of a tune from their previous album) are traditional heavy metal anthems with solid riffs, sing-along choruses and somewhat gruff vocals reminiscent of Eric Adams, rounded up by production which is a vast improvement over their last effort. Warning: if true metal runs through your veins and you can never get enough of IRON MAIDEN, MANOWAR, JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT or old RUNNING WILD, listening to this album is guaranteed to make your head bang, your fists raise up high in the air and is likely to make you wanna party and scream "METALLL!" on the streets in the middle of the night!

RELEASE DATE:
November 2016

The beginnings of Berlin's heavy metal outfit METAL LAW date back to 1997, when Karsten Degling (vocals, guitar) started the band under the name REUDIG, which later evolved into RAPID FIRE before settling with the current moniker that reflects the band's music best. Musical influence was drawn mostly from classic German metal bands such as ACCEPT and RUNNING WILD, but also from MANOWAR and British metal heroes IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST.

In its infancy, the group's lineup changed several times before Michael Dobbertin (bass) joined the band in late 2002, fully supporting Karsten's musical vision. Still by the name REUDIG, the band recorded and released their first effort "Hunter & Prey" in 2004.

One year later, Ingo Creß (drums) and Thomas "Tommy" Parchem (guitar) were added, completing the lineup that would remain for the first two albums.

After competing in the W:O:A Metal Battle 2006 (under the name RAPID FIRE) and capturing the heart of the audience, the band changed their name to METAL LAW and established a reputation in the German metal underground, playing shows at the two festivals Protzen Open Air and Headbangers Open Air, sharing the stage with bands such as BLITZKRIEG, METAL CHURCH, ULYSSES SIREN, METAL INQUISITOR, VIRON, POWERVICE, KORPIKLAANI and many more.

January 2007 saw the release of METAL LAW's debut album "Night of the Wolf" on Battle Cry Records. With memorable songs, inspired soloing, dual leads and charismatic, slightly gruff vocals, the album set the mark for the band's "metal roots" style. The record release show was sold out and more concerts followed in 2007; METAL LAW opened for SABATON and THUNDERBOLT.

In 2007, the contact with artist Jowita Kaminska, who designed the band's logo and painted the debut album's cover, as well as photographed the band on- and off-stage, led to the band signing a contract with the record label that Jowita and her husband Simone were just starting. METAL LAW was the first band signed to Metal on Metal Records.

The sophomore album, entitled "Lawbreaker", was released on November 15th 2008. "Lawbreaker" has a straighter and more bare-bones tone, following the first album on a strong note with more energetic songs, powerful anthems with epic, fist-raising choruses, fluid melodies, solid riffing and virtuously performed solos.

On the success of "Lawbreaker", confirmed by lots of positive reviews in the web and printed press, METAL LAW continued to prove their point with powerful live shows. The band's performance is always tight and focused, yet confident and relaxed, drawing the audience in and thrilling every metalhead's eyes and ears.

2010 was a year of change as one by one, every member left the band and Karsten ended up holding it together while looking for replacements. In 2011, he found Christoph Kleinwächter to take the place of Michael on bass and the duo auditioned with a few drummers in search of the perfect fit. Once again no musical compromises were made when in 2012 they found Maximilian Schulz as METAL LAW's new rhythm engine. The search for a second guitar player proved challenging but ended when Nicolas Rotter was brought in to support Karsten's guitar work, bringing back the duality that the band’s music cannot function without.

In 2012, METAL LAW finally returned to the stage, continuing where they left off with fresh blood to carry the legacy of past years. The first 5 gigs the band played in this lineup were in their hometown Berlin, most notably supporting the US metal veterans HALLOWEEN. The first 2013 show was also the band's first concert abroad: they played at the Very 'Eavy festival in Holland, on March 30th, alongside WARRANT, TORCH, PRETTY MAIDS, MARTYR and the first IRON MAIDEN guitarist, Dennis Stratton, among others.

In the meantime, the band was busy writing new songs. 4 of them were recorded in the winter of 2012/2013. One of the songs, entitled "In Metal We Trust", was chosen for the "Compendium of Metal" compilation CD that Metal on Metal Records releases every April, while the remaining three constituted "Lord of Evil" EP which the band made available for streaming and downloading directly from their website at the end of March.

In 2013, due to continuous demand, Metal on Metal decided to re-release the sold-out "Lawbreaker" CD, now entitled "Lawbreaker" Second Edition, with slightly altered cover design. The new edition, apart from remastered sound, offers three bonus tracks dug up from the band's vaults - demo songs recorded still under the name REUDIG - a real treat for the die-hard fans. When you give METAL LAW's second full-length effort "Lawbreaker" a spin, it won't take long until you realize what this band is about. As evidenced by the group's name, heavy metal is the law when you listen to their songs - there is no compromise, no "in-between" attempts to blend in with the modern metal music that has changed so much from its origins. It's these origins that METAL LAW focus on, bringing back traditional heavy metal as it was meant to be and presenting it in a focused live show with chains and leather, lots of soloing, melodic leads and quick, rolling rhythms.

In the spring of 2013, soon after the release of the "Lord of Evil" EP, Nico left and once again the band was on the lookout for a new guitarist. They rehearsed with several candidates until they found Mario Bergfelder of REBEL ROOTS, who jumped straight into guitar duties with ambition. The band played a handful of small gigs still with Christoph on bass, but it became clear that a replacement had to be found for several reasons. Max asked his former SZANATERRIA band colleague Gino Cutolo if he was interested in filling the spot, and Gino agreed to play bass in a temporary position until a new permanent bassist could be found.

All told, Gino stayed with METAL LAW for over a year and became an integral part of the writing process of their long-awaited third album, "Hellrider". The bulk of 2014 and 2015 was spent not on stage, but in the band's own rehearsal space turned studio, fleshing out sketches of songs that had been written throughout the band's career and bringing Karsten's new ideas into life. The whole band participated in coloring the new material and making a point of keeping up the drive of the classic "Lawbreaker" album while also adding new details to demonstrate a new level of musical competence.

While the album recordings were in full swing, METAL LAW got back on stage and showed they were still alive and kicking. On April 11th 2015 they played at the annual Taunus Metal festival, which was the band's second appearance there. While the crowd was small and the playtime limited to only a few songs, not only did METAL LAW win the hearts of the audience but they were even granted an encore so they could fulfill the metalheads' thirst for more. However, it had been a long time since Gino had joined, and he was ready to move on with his own musical endeavors, so he told the band he would be leaving soon.

After performing with BATTLE BEAST in Berlin in May 2015, Gino left the group. As guitar recordings moved forward in the studio, former TANGENT PLANE bassist Bodo Hildebrand, who had seen the band perform live before, got in talks with Karsten and finally joined the band to play a few remaining concerts in 2015, starting with a support gig for British NWOBHM legends RAVEN in Berlin in September. Bodo brought his solid bass-playing skills to the stage but stayed away from the album recording process by his own choice.

As the year turned, METAL LAW were wrapping up the recordings when Bodo decided to leave the band. Since it happened so suddenly, Gino was brought back in because he had previously agreed to be on call whenever the band needed a stand-in bass player. While only a few concerts were played in 2016 with him, the band could now focus on finishing the mixing and preparation of the album's release. Originally slated to come out in the summer, the album's final release date was set for November 18th 2016 and a proper concert to commemorate this milestone is now being planned.

With "Hellrider" finally seeing the light of day, METAL LAW will be back at full throttle in 2017.