VON HERTZEN BROTHERS ANNOUNCE BRAND NEW STUDIO ALBUM, ‘NINE LIVES’, FOR MARCH 18TH RELEASE VIA SPINEFARM RECORDS + UK FESTIVAL & HEADLINE SHOWS…
FINLAND’s NUMBER ONE rock act, Von Hertzen Brothers, will release their fifth studio album, ‘Nine Lives’, on March 18th 2013 via Spinefarm Records.
Jari Salo aka James Spectrum (Pepe Deluxe) joined VHB in the studio to once again produce & mix ’Nine Lives’, following his work on their 2011 album, ‘Stars Aligned’ – the band’s third consecutive No 1 outing in Finland!
With ‘Nine Lives’, the initial idea was to give greater freedom to the more accessible side of the music, but it wasn’t long before deep-rooted instincts started to play a part…
“Suddenly, it all span out of control,” laughs vocalist/guitarist Mikko Von Hertzen, “and that progressive side of our nature once again took control. The KISS motto (Keep It Simple, Stupid) that I learnt back in school is still not fully at home in this world of ours, even though we do try our best…”
VHB credit artists such as Josh Homme, Boston & Black Sabbath as notable influences on this new nine-track offering, but at the end of the day, this is still very much a Von Hertzen release, full of typical variety & ambition…
”We follow the atmosphere of each song separately, so there’s quite a mixed buffét of styles,” continues Mikko. “For example, there’s an a cappella song dedicated to our late grandmother, which was sung in the monastery church of Valamo (Finland). We were constantly searching for vibes, which is why we’re so drawn to the work of German musician/composer Stephan Micus, he’s very inspirational. Sometimes you just have to take the long road to get to where you’re going…”
The first single/video from ‘Nine Lives’, ‘Flowers And Rust’, is scheduled for digital release through Spinefarm on February 4th 2013; says Mikko, “It’s a story about the breakdown of first love and the mark it can leave, and how that mark often stays with us throughout our lives…”
The artwork for ‘Nine Lives’ features a striking painting by Finnish artist Samuli Heimonen; Heimonen was voted Finland’s ‘Young Artist Of The Year’ in 2008.
ON THE live front, VHB return to the UK in April for an appearance at the inaugural Hard Rock Hell: Prog Fest in Rotherham; they have also confirmed two headline shows, including their first ever regional date, with at least one more likely to follow…
UK DATES 2013
April
05th Assembly Rooms, London
06th Bogiez, Cardiff
07th HRH Prog Fest, Rotherham
VHB have recently completed an extensive Scandinavian tour with Opeth.
