There are plenty of reasons why Rock’n’ Rolf Kasparek is so happy with BLOOD ON BLOOD. Says Rolf: “We all know the difficulties the cultural sector was faced with during the lockdown. On the other hand, it also gave me and many other artists some extra time since most releases had to be postponed. I used that time to fine-tune every little detail of my new material. The result is an album that in my opinion is probably the best in Running Wild`s career to date. Every one of the ten songs sounds exactly as I had it in mind when I composed it. I’ve never been happier with a Running Wild record before.” So, with no further details available at this point, fans of the German metal legend can look forward to 29 October 2021, when BLOOD ON BLOOD will be out on Steamhammer/SPV. Those who can’t wait should mark 13 August in their diaries, when the lead single ‘Diamonds & Pearls’ will arrive at the digital stores, followed by the second single ‘The Shellback’ on 24 September 2021. Could there be any better news for Running Wild disciples?
Well, possibly the news below, which will also reveal some of the aforementioned details: Rolf justly describes BLOOD ON BLOOD as the most diverse offering he has released so far, not only in terms of the compositions but also as far as the production is concerned. “Every song has its own unmistakable sound,” explains the Running Wild captain. “Although I recorded the rhythm guitar parts with my 1976 Gibson Explorer as usual, the other parts were cut with a Gibson Flying V, a Fender Stratocaster and even – the undistorted parts – with a Fender American Standard Telecaster.” A prime example being ‘One Night, One Day’, which owes its great depth to its clean guitar performance. Rolf is referring to a song that is guaranteed to cause a stir with its anthemic direction and unusual arrangements: “For me, this track was a little experiment that I`ve never dared to try before, because ‘One Night, One Day’ doesn`t have the typical intro-verse-chorus structure, instead gradually building up throughout the song.”
The grooving ‘The Iron Times (1618 – 1648)’, a worthy album finale, is just as remarkable, with its eleven minutes of playing time the longest track on the disc, and thanks to its lyric about the Thirty Years’ War also one of the most ambitious numbers. Speaking of lyrics: ‘Wings Of Fire’ and ‘Say Your Prayers’ are about prophecies, albeit not – as on many other releases – the prophecies of Nostradamus, but – among others – the prophecies of John of Jerusalem, the French Knight Templar and co-founder of the Order of the Knights Templar, who predicted organ trafficking back in the Middle Ages. Historically no less interesting, ‘Crossing The Blades’ sees Running Wild broach the story of the three musketeers from the 17th century, their emblem having been recreated on the cover artwork, once again designed by Jens Reinhold (Virgin Steele, Freedom Call, among others). Rolf: “It`s a kind of hybrid between the cross of the musketeers and our mascot, Adrian.”
Despite these lyrical ambitions, BLOOD ON BLOOD also features two “party rock numbers”, as Rolf likes to refer to them: ‘Wild & Free’ and ‘Wild, Wild Nights’, which are meant to be pure fun, fulfilling their mission to a tee. And last but not least, there’s ‘The Shellback’, a track in typical Running Wild style that starts with a Celtic-inspired intro, Running Wild revisiting the atmospheric seafaring theme of their 1994 classic BLACK HAND IN, a prequel of that maritime story. Equally characteristic of the band, which, in addition to Rolf, guitarist Peter Jordan and bassist Ole Hempelmann, has since 2019 included drummer Michael Wolpers, who contributed all the drum parts on the new disc, are the lead single ‘Diamonds And Pearls’ (including lyric video) and the title track, incidentally the first number Rolf wrote for the new album.
Returning to the prophecy theme, you don’t have to be a prophet to be able to anticipate the gleam in the eyes of all Running Wild fans. There can be no doubt about it: BLOOD ON BLOOD presents Running Wild at their best!
