The band’s new album ‘Servant of the Mind’ drops next month
Multi-platinum Danish rockers Volbeat release the official music video for “Shotgun Blues” off their forthcoming eighth studio album, Servant Of The Mind (Republic Records, December 3). Stream the clip, directed by Adam Rothlein and produced by by Ghost Atomic Picture, below.
The band recently also shared “Becoming,” the fourth song to be released from Servant Of The Mind. The song was preceeded by “Shotgun Blues” and the “double barrel” of Summer songs released this past June: “Wait A Minute My Girl” and “Dagen Før (feat. Stine Bramsen),” the former of which became the band’s ninth number one single on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
For Servant of the Mind, the band, which consists of Michael Poulsen (guitars/vocals), Jon Larsen (drums), Rob Caggiano (guitars) and Kaspar Boye Larsen (bass) took their signature heavy metal, psychobilly and punk ‘n’ roll sound up a notch while showcasing Poulsen’s keen ability for songwriting and storytelling. The new album will be available in standard CD, deluxe 2LP vinyl (in various limited-edition variants, full info below) and a deluxe digital edition. Pre-order the album here.
“I wrote the whole album in three months,” recalls Poulsen, “I was in a good place and mood while at home, and had a captive audience of myself… There are a lot of Volbeat signatures in it. If you go back to the first record and compare it to where we are now, you can hear how the band has developed its style, while keeping the signature sound.”
Other songs on the album weave intricate and fascinating tales. “The Sacred Stones” tells the story of “an earthly being who has committed himself to the dark side. He is on a mission, speaking to darker forces and fallen angels.” Meanwhile, “The Devil Rages On” looks at the idea of the devil taking human form. Album opener “Temple of Ekur” returns to the ancient themes explored in past songs such as “The Gates of Babylon,” while the epic album closer “Lasse’s Birgita” explores the story of the first witch burnings to occur in Sweden in 1471.
Volbeat are two decades deep into a career that has found them sharing stages with genre legends like Black Sabbath, Metallica, Motorhead, Slipknot, Megadeth, Anthrax and more. They have racked up nearly three billion cumulative streams over the course of their career, notched a Best Metal Performance Grammy nomination for “Room 24 (feat. King Diamond)” from 2014’s acclaimed (and gold-selling) Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies, and have grabbed multiple Danish Music Awards. Not ones to rest on their laurels, their forthcoming album Servant of the Mind, which was written and recorded during the shutdown and quarantine necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, is introspective but pulls no punches and is no less raucous or driving than their previous efforts.
Volbeat have also announced their 2022 co-headlining arena tour with Ghost and special guests Twin Temple, coming to cities including Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Houston, and Phoenix (full dates below). Tickets for the tour, co-Produced by Live Nation and Frank Productions, are available here. Limited VIP packages are also available at volbeat.dk.
Since forming in 2001, Volbeat has gone from the clubs of Copenhagen to headlining stages around the world, including the famed Telia Parken stadium in Denmark (becoming the only domestic artist to ever sell out the venue). Over the course of seven record-breaking albums the band has picked up number one songs (including nine #1s on the US Mainstream Rock chart and counting, the most of any band based outside of North America), multi-platinum certifications, awards and accolades all over the planet.
Their latest album, Rewind, Replay, Rebound, was released on August 2, 2019 and has spawned the hit singles “Last Day Under The Sun,” “Die To Live (feat. Neil Fallon)” and “Leviathan.” A live album featuring songs recorded during the subsequent world tour, Rewind, Replay, Rebound: Live in Deutschland, was released digitally on November 27, 2020. They recently contributed a cover of “Don’t Tread on Me” to The Metallica Blacklist, with all proceeds from the track benefiting the All Within My Hands Foundation and the Børne Cancer Fonden of Denmark.