Heavy Load - 'Heathens From The North' (lyric video)

They came from far beyond
Across the sea of evil
From a land so strange
Defying the powers of the dark sea

Heathens from the north
Coming to take it all

Burning up your godforsken church
Raving the country coast to coast
Raping all your daughters
Torturing your sons for the pleasure

Heathens from the north
Coming to take it all

When everything is done
No treasures left behind
They'll leave an exhausted land
Sweeping away in their ships of dragon

Heathens from the north
Coming to take it all

Το (πέντε τραγουδιών) ep των "Metal Conquest" πρωτοκυκλοφόρησε το φθινόπωρο του 1981 και αποτέλεσε το δεύτερο δισκογραφικό βήμα των Σουηδών metallers μετά το ντεμπούτο τους ("Full Speed at High Level" 1978). Προ ημερών (5 Απριλίου 2024) η δισκογραφική εταιρεία No Remorse Records το επανακυκλοφόρησε (σε cd και σε βινύλιο) με τέσσερα επιπλέον τραγούδια. Το δελτίο τύπου μας δίνει τις λεπτομέρειες:

«Finally, the classic five song album "Metal Conquest" from 1981 is released in the form originally planned. At last, the sixth song is on the re-release. In addition, three bonus tracks are included on the accompanying CD.

EXTENSIVE BOOKLET AND GATEFOLD COVER

The re-release of "Metal Conquest" follows the tradition of the preceding re-releases of the Heavy Load catalogue. The booklet comes with the lyrics, a large number of authentic photos and the band members’ own words about each track. Moreover, the brothers reveal what is the origin of their songs’ and lyrics’ influence from the mythic Viking World.

FOR THE WELFARE OF MEN

The song "For the Welfare of Man" was originally planned to be the sixth track on "Metal Conquest". Due to the band’s very limited studio time, and the brother’s dire finances back in the day, the sixth song ended up not being recorded.

However, while listening to some demo tapes, damaged in the great flood of the brother’s own studio in January 2001, the brothers was very surprised to hear a demo version of the song made by them in the mid-eighties.

After time-consuming restoration and mixing in the brothers’ new studio, the song has now taken its place on the vinyl - more than forty years later. Now the album is a six-shooter as originally planned.

Tracks: 1. You’ve Got The Power, 2. Dark Nights, 3. Heavy Metal Heaven, 4. Hey, 5. Heathens From The North, 6. For The Welfare Of Man.* Bonus tracks: 7. Joe Stiletto*, 8. Give It Time*, 9. Hedningar Från Norr* (*previously unreleased).

Available formats:
- LP 180gr red in gatefold sleeve with 8p booklet and bonus CD, limited 200.

- LP 180gr black in gatefold sleeve with 8p booklet and bonus CD.

- Deluxe digipak CD including 24p booklet and bonus tracks.

- Jewel case CD including 24p booklet and bonus tracks.

- Box set limited to 200 hand-numbered copies including: LP 180gr blue in gatefold sleeve with 8p booklet and bonus CD, deluxe digipak CD, t-shirt, patch, book (Wahlgaard Saga II, a novel by Ragne Wahlquist of Heavy Load. The second part of a series of novels).»

Για το ποιον των Heavy Load δεν νομίζω ότι χρειάζεται να αναφέρουμε πολλά, τουλάχιστον στους συνειδητοποιημένους αναγνώστες της ιστοσελίδας μας. Πρόκειται για ένα από τα πλέον θρυλικά συγκροτήματα της underground 80s heavy metal σκηνής.

Δημιουργήθηκαν στα μέσα των 70s (1976) και κυκλοφόρησαν (μέχρι το 1987) τρεις "ολοκληρωμένους" δίσκους (συν ένα ep, τρία singles, ένα demo και μία βιντεοκασέτα). Η επιστροφή τους (το 2017) στα μουσικά δρώμενα "σφραγίσθηκε" με τον περσινό τους δίσκο "Riders of the Ancient Storm"...