ASINHELL, the new death metal venture led by VOLBEAT’s frontman Michael Poulsen, has unveiled the official music video for their song “Fall Of The Loyal Warrior”
This track is a preview of what’s to come on ASINHELL‘s debut album, “Impii Hora,” (Latin for “Ungodly Hour”) set to be unleashed on September 29 via Metal Blade.
Michael Poulsen, known for spearheading the Danish rock and roll powerhouse VOLBEAT for over two decades, previously founded the death metal band DOMINUS, which delivered four blistering albums in the mid-’90s. While working on VOLBEAT‘s 2021 album, “Servant Of The Mind,” Poulsen found himself crafting numerous death metal riffs.
With these ideas saved on his phone, he decided to open the gates to a new musical project and began assembling songs for “Impii Hora” as a tribute to his favorite old-school groups. Expect crushing riffs, compelling guitar hooks, and infectious shout-along refrains to dominate the album’s sound.
Although Poulsen takes on the role of vocalist in VOLBEAT and previously in DOMINUS, he felt that fronting ASINHELL wasn’t the right fit. Instead, he reached out to his longtime friend and ex-MORGOTH singer, Marc Grewe (also of INSIDIOUS DISEASE), inviting him to join the band.
Grewe shares, “I had known Michael quite a long time and he always mentioned that we should do a death metal project one day, but I never took him too seriously because he was so busy with VOLBEAT. Then he called for real and said, ‘Yeah, I want to do it now. Are you up for it?’ Immediately, I was ‘Yes, of course!'”
To complete the lineup, Poulsen enlisted the talented drummer Morten Toft Hansen from the Danish group RAUNCHY. Apart from being a formidable musician, Morten‘s close friendship with Poulsen and the convenient proximity of their homes made him an ideal choice.
The seasoned musicians commenced practicing together and found that almost every session led to a fully-formed song. As Grewe was tied up in Germany, Poulsen sent him phone recordings of their rehearsals to kickstart the vocal writing process. The combination of Poulsen and Toft Hansen‘s experience, combined with a renewed passion to create, resulted in a firestorm of music.
Poulsen shared his excitement about “Fall Of The Loyal Warrior,” stating, “The song is kind of a tribute to bands I love, like BOLT THROWER, ENTOMBED, AUTOPSY, GRAVE, and DARKTHRONE. They’re the reason why we can do this in the first place, and we’re proud to wear our influences on our sleeve.
“The album was inspired by late ’80s and early ’90s old school death metal, and one of our brightest points of inspiration was the mighty DEATH, fronted by the legendary Chuck Schuldiner. There’s a lot of DEATH in there. Schuldiner is one of my favorite death metal vocalists, the other being our vocalist Marc [Grewe]. So to me, this song is the combination of two of my favorites. ‘Let the metal flow,’ as Chuck would have said!”
From a mere idea to the recording of the hard-hitting full-length album “Impii Hora,” ASINHELL‘s journey only took about a year. Poulsen sought VOLBEAT‘s management’s help in finding a suitable label for the new band, and they suggested Metal Blade founder Brian Slagel, who instantly showed great enthusiasm for ASINHELL‘s music upon hearing “Impii Hora.”
With the release of “Impii Hora” on the horizon, ASINHELL is set to conquer new territories and establish itself as a powerful force within the death metal realm. The passion and dedication from these talented musicians promise to deliver a thrilling and unforgettable experience for fans of the genre and beyond.
“It’s such a dream come true for me to get to be on fucking Metal Blade Records,” Poulsen exclaims. “When they said they wanted to put out the album, I felt like I was 17 years old again. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m making a deal with Metal Blade! How cool is that?’ It was like I was finally getting the record deal I dreamed of when I was a teenager.”
“Impii Hora” track listing:
01. Fall Of The Loyal Warrior
02. Inner Sancticide
03. Island Of Dead Men
04. Trophies
05. The Ultimate Sin
06. Wolfpack Laws
07. Desert Of Doom
08. Pyromantic Scryer
09. Impii Hora
10. Foj For Helvede