German stalwarts return
A mere 18 months have passed since Mob Rules celebrated their 20th band anniversary with the elaborate best-of boxed set Timekeeper, which earned them unanimously positive reactions all over the world. Now the melodic metal act from Germany’s north are set to present their latest studio recording Tales From Beyond.
The album is as impressive as we’ve come to expect from this band, consisting of Mob Rules’s familiar deeply melodic mix of progressive and power metal, again in combination with a highly dynamic production. Tales From Beyond features eleven tracks, among them the title song which comprises three parts, the advance single release ´My Kingdom Come` and a new version of their classic ´Outer Space` as a bonus track. Tales From Beyond will be available from 18 March 2016 on Steamhammer/SPV as Digipak, double vinyl LP and digital download.
In addition, there will be an extra iTunes version including an additional exclusive bonus track called ´Ghost Town`, which has also been newly recorded. For ten months, Mob Rules ensconced themselves in their own Dwelling Mound studio in Nordenham, where they compiled ideas which on the one hand remain true to the tradition of their previous seven studio albums and on the other present a multitude of surprises and innovations.
The earthy and multi-faceted sound which the band introduced on their previous releaseCannibal Nation (2012) has evolved consistently, while the Celtic/British influences in their music which shine through repeatedly have been honed even more finely. The result is a multi-layered and diverse offering marked by a “new directness” which not only goes down well with Mob Rules’s own fans but will also win the group many a new metal fan. This applies all the more as Mob Rules entrusted the production of Tales From Beyond again to the tried and tested hands of sound engineer Markus Teske (Vanden Plas, Saga, among others), who took care of the album’s transparent and driving mix at his Bazement Studio. When it comes to their lyrics, the six-piece continue to go their own unmistakable path. Dragon and monster stories are not their thing, their approach tends to be influenced by historic events or to be inspired by literature – in the case of Tales From Beyond more than ever before. ´Dykemaster`s Tale` is based on ´The Rider on the White Horse` by German writer Theodor Storm, a novella set in northern Germany not far from the band’s base.
The song ´Somerled` is about a historic character from 1140, half Scotsman, half Viking, who was evicted from his home region of Argyll, went on to reconquer it and eventually made peace with the Vikings by marrying the King’s daughter and uniting after two victorious naval battles the occupied Scottish isles under the name of “Kingdom Of The Isles”. ´Dust Of Vengeance` sees Mob Rules apply themselves to another chapter of northern German history, this time the Oldenburg author Florian Gerlach’s ´Smogger Trilogy` about the sinister thoughts we all occasionally have but never act out. And last but not least: with the three-part title track ´A Tale From Beyond` inspired by Andy Weir’s bestseller ´The Martian`, which was made into a movie in 2015, Mob Rules present a rather free interpretation of the subject matter with lots of personal references.
As you may have already guessed, Mob Rules 2016 continue to be a band who don’t dwell on clichés and superficial platitudes but musically and lyrically persist in holding an exceptional position on the German metal scene. This also includes the outstanding reputation they enjoy abroad and which they continue to manifest through their commanding stage presence. Courtesy of their concerts in the US, most of Europe and all over Germany, Mob Rules have long established themselves as an international phenomenon.
Line-Up:
Klaus Dirks – vocals
Matthias Mineur – guitar
Sven Lüdke – guitar
Markus Brinkmann – bass
Nikolas Fritz – drums
Jan Christian Halfbrodt – keyboards
