This second release from Austrian band ZEPTER is a great surprise that kicks ass from the start. (OK, so the first release was an extremely limited EP cassette). Influenced by the like of Thin Lizzy, early Iron Maiden, and New Wave Of British Heavy Metal bands like Saxon and Angel Witch. This has a definite old-school vibe, with heavy twin guitar blends. A good listen beginning to end. Check out the first video for “Slasher On The Highway”, which is a good indication of this album. Other favorites include “Hit The Streets”, “Everlasting”, and a cover of “Lonely Night”, originally by a short-lived Swedish metal band from the 80s! These guys remind of Swedish band Black Trip, who put out a pair of great albums a decade ago, then changed their name and disappeared! *To be released February 20 on various formats (including vinyl!). Killer artwork. Order Link: https://www.hrrecords.de/ZEPTER
Zepter are a new traditional heavy metal band from Austria. The project started in January 2024. A few months later, an EP called »Inferno« was issued on cassette in a limited edition of 100 copies through Ironbound (a vinyl version on Fucking Kill Records and a CD edition via Witches Brew followed shortly after).
“We have been knowing each other for years and have played together in other bands,” explains guitarist/vocalist Lukas about the formation of Zepter. “One day, the idea to form a traditional heavy metal band came up. And this is exactly what we did. We had our first rehearsal in January 2024 and the EP was published in April the same year. Everything happened really quick.”
High Roller Records will release Zepter’s self-titled debut album, which Lukas describes as “authentic heavy metal of the old school, with lots of catchy hooks and tasty twin-guitar harmony parts”. According to him, “it should come across like a mixture of Thin Lizzy and UFO of the Schenker era, combined with elements of early speed metal by the likes of Acid and Slayer, as if they had been already around in 1978.”
All tracks on the album are new, apart from the cover version of a song called “Lonely Night” by the band Screem.
With songs like “Exterminator”, Zepter’s music transports quite a strong NWOBHM vibe, with hints of Trespass and Tygers Of Pan Tang, first and foremost. “That’s true,” says the band’s guitarist and vocalist, “for this project the NWOBHM is a big inspiration. But it’s not the only one. We are all listening to different stuff, from blackended death metal to prog, post-punk and film music. Our smallest common nominator is the NWOBHM though. And that’s where Zepter comes in. Some specific NWOBHM bands which have inspired us are early Maiden (everything from »The Soundhouse Tapes« up until »Killers«), Saxon, Witchfinder General, Dark Star, Raven, Saracen, Angel Witch and Satan.” MATTHIAS MADER
TRACKLISTING:
01 Slasher on the Highway
02 Everlasting
03 The Slayer
04 Hit the Streets
05 The Exterminator
06 Dark Angels
07 Lonely Night (Screem Cover)
08 The Lords
LINE-UP:
Lukas Götzenberger – guitar, vocals & synths
Stefan Bolda – guitar
Tobias Hochwagen – bass
Alex Nemeth – drums & vocals (on “Lonely Night”)
LINKS:
Outsider Rock 