THEM – New Studio Album RETURN TO HEMMERSMOOR Released Oct. 30th

Technically excellent, hard driving German / American Theatrical Power / Thrash Metal ensemble THEM have lined up the release of their immaculate third album, ‘Return To Hemmersmoor’, on Steamhammer / SPV on October 30^th as a Digipak CD, double gatefold blue-with-black-swirls vinyl LP (with printed inner sleeves), download and stream.
‘Battle Blood’, taken from the album, has just been released as a single; the video can be viewed at:- 

‘Return To Hemmersmoor’ is the gripping final part of THEM’s supernaturally inclined horror/fantasy trilogy, which was launched back in 2016 on ‘Sweet Hollow’ and continued in ‘Manor Of The Se7en Gables, released to much acclaim on Steamhammer / SPV in 2018.

Comparing the three albums, main songwriter, German guitarist Markus Ullrich comments that “Possibly the new material is a little tougher and more uncompromising. Being directly involved, we’re too close to really be able to judge. Fact is: the album definitely sounds more mature, which certainly has to do with the songwriting as well as with our general approach. From the start, THEM have worked in a very focused manner according to a definite plan. For that kind of targeted strategy you really need the right line-up consisting of accomplished musicians that are one hundred per cent behind the concept. THEM totally fulfils all those conditions.”

The THEM line-up is completed by US vocalist KK Fossor, US guitarist Markus Johansson (Sylencer, 4ARM) US drummer Angel Cotte (Demolition Hammer), German bassist Alexander Palma and German keyboardist Richie Seibel (Lanfear, Ivanhoe). Despite living on totally separate continents, THEM play and work together as an extremely tight unit. When guitarists Ullrich and Johannson collaborate on compositions, frontman Fossor translates their inspirations into skilfully worded melodies and lyrics, while the rhythm section puts the pedal to the metal and expansive keyboard sounds lend the songs their very special atmosphere.

‘Return To Hemmersmoor’, which was once again mixed by Dave Otero at the Flatline Audio studio in Denver, includes hard-as-nails thrash metal songs such as ‘Age Of Ascension’, ‘Hellhounds: The Harbingers Of Death’ and ‘Battle Blood’, (with its references to the best of Bay Area traditions). Stand-out THEM classics such as ‘Free’ and ‘Field Of Immortality’ soar alongside the anthemnic ‘Waken’ or the epic finale ‘Maestro’s Last Stand’, which brings the trilogy full circle with its intelligent ‘Sweet Hollow’ references.

Reflecting on the concept behind the trilogy, Ullrich states that “Horror stories don’t need a happy ending, no specific ethics, no moralising undertone. At the end of ‘Return To Hemmersmoor’, you don’t see good automatically win over evil, quite the opposite: our fictitious protagonist started out in Germany on ‘Sweet Hollow’, went to America on ‘Manor Of The Se7en Gables’ and is now returning to his roots to embark on a merciless revenge campaign in the Hemmersmoor mire. The story is a kind of parable about the fact that good can easily mutate into evil if it’s not recognized.”