POWERWOLF has shared the official music video for the third single, “We Don’t Wanna Be No Saints”, from its new studio album, “Wake Up The Wicked”, which is being released today (Friday, July 26) via Napalm Records.
POWERWOLF‘s cinematic new video showcases their iconic style, combining striking church visuals with sinful, sacral atmosphere, shot in the same monastery, where classic movie “The Name Of The Rose” was filmed. This high-quality production captivates the senses, perfectly complementing the release of “Wake Up The Wicked” and indulging in a taste for sin.
POWERWOLF guitarist Matthew Greywolf comments: “‘Wake Up The Wicked’ is not only the next POWERWOLF album, but also a chapter of the band where we focus even more on perfecting our trademarks, especially within the individual songs. The orchestral side of us is still omnipresent, but this time the heaviness of the album is given even more space. We’ve also tried out completely new elements, such as in ‘We Don’t Wanna Be No Saints’, which features a children’s choir for the first time and underlines the theme and atmosphere of the song in a completely new way. In general, there’s a hell of a lot to discover on ‘Wake Up The Wicked’, so get ready for a wild listening experience!”
“Wake Up The Wicked” — the highly anticipated follow-up to the extremely successful “Call Of The Wild” (2021) — comes a little over a month before the launch of the award-winning band’s first-ever full North American tour, starting in August 2024, followed by their biggest European headline tour to date, the “Wolfsnächte 2024”.
“Wake Up The Wicked” was once again produced by Joost Van Den Broek at Sandlane Recording Facilities and marks a new benchmark and undisputed career highlight for the band. The new album is hard, surprising and full of variety. While staying true to their established, loved sound, POWERWOLF go one step further and showcase a different facet of their deft musical and technical skills. This is evident, for example, on the outstanding single “1589”, which is based on a true story from the 16th century.
20 years after their formation in 2004, POWERWOLF are expanding their repertoire with the highest quality and adding many future live hits to their extraordinary discography. “Wake Up The Wicked” is yet another statement cementing the status of the band as a leading force in the world of heavy metal.
The first single from “Wake Up The Wicked”, “1589” tells the story of Peter Stump, who lived near Cologne, Germany in the 16th century and is known today as the Werewolf Of Bedburg. After being defamed as a werewolf, the farmer confessed to several murders under torture and was cruelly executed on October 31, 1589. This morbid story has fascinated people all over the world ever since and has been picked up by National Geographic, among others.
For the video for “1589”, POWERWOLF traveled to England to stage Stump‘s fate in the dark woods in a cinematic way. With carefully selected locations, countless actors and crew members, and impressive special effects, it marks the most elaborate music video production in the band’s history to date.
“Wake Up The Wicked” track listing:
01. Bless ‘Em With The Blade
02. Sinners Of The Seven Seas
03. Kyrie Klitorem
04. Heretic Hunters
05. 1589
06. Viva Vulgata
07. Wake Up The Wicked
08. Joan Of Arc
09. Thunderpriest
10. We Don’t Wanna Be No Saints
11. Vargamor
POWERWOLF are undoubtedly one of the most celebrated and successful heavy metal bands of the last decade. Multiple No. 1 album chart entries, gold and platinum records, huge sold-out arena shows, as well as headline slots at the biggest festivals have paved their way. In less than 20 years of band history, POWERWOLF has made it to the very highest league of heavy metal.
POWERWOLF has conquered countless stages at the world’s biggest summer festivals, and their last “Wolfsnächte” headline tours (2019, 2022),as well as their aforementioned North American debut in early 2023, were almost completely sold out — resulting in a massive triumph. They have performed headlining sets at Wacken Open Air and Summer Breeze, as well as held premium slots at genre festival giants such as Hellfest, Graspop Metal Meeting, Masters Of Rock and many more, captivating enormous audiences. No other German metal band has been able to write a success story even remotely comparable in recent years.
Following their onslaught of North America, POWERWOLF will embark on their most impressive European tour yet in celebration of their highly anticipated 2024 studio album. Amid 16 shows in total, the tour will visit colossal venues in Munich, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Hamburg and Antwerp. POWERWOLF will be accompanied by Swedish heavy metal legends HAMMERFALL as special guests, with support from viral rising stars, dwarven metallers WIND ROSE.
The story of the frontrunners of today’s German metal scene, POWERWOLF, began in 2004 and only knows one direction: ever upwards. Their trajectory may seem like something out of a fairytale, but it is the result of the band embodying the highest quality of heavy metal in the universe. Outstanding album production, bombastic live shows and a tireless drive for perfection on and behind the stage are what this exceptional band is known for around the world.
Over the course of their career, the band has not only fascinated metal fans, but has also won over international press and critics. Countless cover stories in the most important magazines, critics’ awards such as the Metal Hammer Award, and effusive album and concert reviews underpin POWERWOLF‘s outstanding international status.
POWERWOLF is:
Attila Dorn – vocals
Falk Maria Schlegel – organ
Charles Greywolf – guitar
Matthew Greywolf – guitar
Roel van Helden – drums
Photo credit: VDPictures