Helsott: Returns to its musical roots.

Pagan metal pioneers Helsottt unveil music video Independence Night, featuring guest vocals by Tim Ripper Owens,

The song is a taster of what the new album Will And The Witch offers, and Helsott is  America’s leading pagan metal band. The group’s newest album was released by M-Theory Audio on Friday, May 20th.

Says Dow, «Independence Night is a dark and heavy song. We have Tim Ripper Owens doing guest vocals for us on this song and we couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. Besides the opening money shot ‘Ripper scream’ we think you will be pleasantly surprised with the vocal performance by Ripper. I have been a fan of his ever since I heard Bullet Train’from Judas Priest before the Gulator album was released. I know how hard it must have been to replace someone like Rob Halford and I felt like Ripper’killed it. It’s definitely surreal to be screaming alongside him in this awesome track. Enjoy!».

Says Owens of his guest appearance on the song, «C gotta say I had a blast doing this awesome tune with Helsott, anytime I can show off the wide range of my vocals, it’s a blast and doing the heavy-ass aggressive vocals are some of my favorite. I am ready for more».

Helsott has also announced a flurry of live performances along the West Coast coming up in June 2022, alongside Symphonic Black Metal mystics Malphas from Philadelphia.

Tim Ripper Owens is only one of the numerous guests on HELSOTT’s newest album, “Will and The Witch.” The band’s latest effort – mixed and mastered by J-F Dagenais (Kataklysm, Misery Index, Ex Deo) and featuring artwork by Felipe Machado Franco (Blind Guardian, Rhapsody, Gamma Ray) – is augmented by a who’s who of heavy hitters. In addition to Owens, HELSOTT is joined on “Will and The Witch” by percussionist Vladimir Reshetnikov (Arkona, Imperial Age), guitarist/bassist Freddie Vidales (Ashes of Ares, Iced Earth), violinist Lethien (Elvenking), guitarist Kevin Storm (Heidevolk, Autumn, Fleetburner), guitarist Bjorn Friedrichsen (Withered Moon, Sanguineus) and Whistlin’ Rick Storey.

Helsott’s new album, Will And The Witch, is a concept record that tells a fictional story about how Billy The Kid became the fastest gunfighter in the wild west.

The band returns to its musical roots on their latest record with heavier thrash overtones and less orchestral work than their prior record, while catching listeners off-guard with new influences befitting of the album’s theme. Thrash metal, power metal, and death metal all converge with acoustic campfire segments, Southern banjo and fiddle, and Native American-inspired hand drums and flutes. The end result is a record that is musically ambitious while remaining melodic, heavy, and true to the underlying sound of Helsott.

Since their formation, the California-based Helsott– whose name means fatal illness in Old Norse – has paid homage to pagan cultures, mythology, and history while keeping true to their American influences. The group’s unique mix of folk metal, death metal, symphonic metal, thrash, classical and rock was first unveiled to the world with the 2012 release of their debut EP Fólkvangr. The band soon caught the attention of audiences on a larger scale during the 2013 Paganfest North American tour, where they performed with Ensiferum, Tyr and Trollfest. That tour set the stage for the 2014 release of Woven, which was supported with tours alongside Arkona and Heidevolk.

In the years since the original release of Woven, Helsott signed with M-Theory Audio, released another EP (2017’s The Heale”) and a second full-length (2018’s Slaves And Gods) and logged many touring miles worldwide with artists including Korpiklaani, Arkona, I Am Morbid, Necrophagia, Tengger Cavalry, Ashes of Ares, Felix Martin, Skyforger and Finsterforst. In addition, the band performed at major European festivals such as Wacken Open Air and Cernunnos Pagan Fest. Woven was also remixed, remastered, and re-released by M-Theory Audio in November 2020 in celebration of the group’s 10th anniversary.

This year will not just see the release of Helsott`s new album, Will And The Witch, but will also see the band’s return to the live stage. American fans along the West Coast will get an opportunity in June 2022 to experience the band’s power live with performances alongside Philadelphia’s Malphas. Helsott have also been confirmed to play England’s HRH Vikings 2022, with more to come throughout 2022.

Line-up:

Eric Dow – vocals

Mark Dow – guitar

Peter Truax – guitar

Cooper Dustman – drums

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