Ripple Music has introduced the signing of American heavy steel supergroup Axe Dragger that includes unique Pantera vocalist Terry Glaze, guitarist Bob Balch (Fu Manchu, Slower, and so on.), Dark Funeral bassist Fredrik Isaksson, and former Pentagram drummer Pete Campbell. The band will launch their self-titled debut album in spring 2026, and I’m completely thrilled to premiere the first-ever Axe Dragger tune under. It guidelines and man, Glaze can belt it out.
Axe Dragger started as a long-distance collaboration between Balch and drummer Campbell. The 2 began buying and selling riffs and drum concepts remotely, progressively constructing a basis that rapidly advanced into one thing greater. The venture took a significant leap ahead when Glaze and Isaksson joined the lineup; after which over the course of a 12 months, the quartet refined their sound tune by tune.
Balch defined how the venture took form: “I would been in contact with drummer Pete Campbell for some time about buying and selling riffs, drum beats, and concepts. I’ve additionally been educating a pupil over FaceTime for a few years who desires to be taught outdated Riot, Judas Priest, and Dio—and that basically lit a hearth below me to begin writing an old-school heavy steel venture.
“So Pete and I began sending riffs and beats backwards and forwards, and as soon as we had just a few stable tunes, we introduced in vocalist Terry Glaze and bassist Fredrik Isaksson. The primary tune Terry despatched again was ‘Axe Dragger,’ and Pete and I fully misplaced our minds. From there, we had been all fired up, and over the course of a 12 months, we put collectively this document. It is a pure reflection of early ’80s heavy steel—and I hope you dig it. For the guitar geeks on the market, this document is loaded with harmonic minor modes à la Powerslave-era Iron Maiden!”
Axe Dragger (the album) was combined by Brian Scheuble (Mötley Crüe, Whitesnake, Stone Temple Pilots, 9 Inch Nails) and mastered by Dave Collins (Metallica, Soundgarden), with vinyl and CD mastering by Carl Saff, album paintings by Seldon Hunt and press picture by John McGill. Pre-orders are available here (and here in Europe, and here on Bandcamp).
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