Holy Moses

Holy Moses no longer have anything to prove to the international metal scene. Their multi- faceted thrash metal, front woman Sabina Classen's charismatic voice and their unique mix of traditional attitude and experimental evolvement have been instrumental in establishing the band as a known quantity since the beginning of their career in the early 1980s.

Their current album release Redefined Mayhem is a prime example of an album which expertly blends past and present. "Holy Moses have never released standard thrash songs, and we never will," Sabina Classen explains with some pride. "We write songs which we like ourselves and don't compromise in terms of trends and concessions to wrong expectations. We don't have to please everybody, we're our own brand, we have our own sound, which includes the occasional odd beat, technically demanding passages and unusual chord structures as well as interesting lyrics which deal with the dark side of people and their minds." That Holy Moses mark 2014 don't show any symptoms of fatigue is mainly due to their perfect balance consisting of founder members and musicians who have played in other groups: vocalist Sabina Classen has been the voice and face of Holy Moses since 1981, bassist Thomas Neitsch has been in the band for six years, drummer Gerd Lücking joined the fold three years ago, and guitarist Peter Geltat was enlisted in 2012, supporting his colleagues immediately in a number of successful shows such as the Barge To Hell Cruise 2012. The current line-up is ready to face new challenges in a permanently evolving metal genre.

"This is Holy Moses mark 2014, and Redefined Mayhem defines a new chapter of our band history," explains Sabina Classen, adding: "We had to redefine ourselves as a band and gel as a team. There were people who voiced their doubts that it would work. But the new songs prove beyond all doubt that Holy Moses continue to be a force to be reckoned with." Last autumn, Holy Moses recorded a total of 13 new tracks at Sabina Classen and Thomas Neitsch's own studio (Neitsch also producing the album); Redefined Mayhem was mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen (The Haunted, Dark Tranquility, Extol) in Denmark. Classen: "From the beginning, Tue really wanted to work with Holy Moses, he told us that our songs had provided the musical accompaniment to his adolescence and that he'd be proud to mix our new record." Which is not surprising: a handful of haunting tracks are sure to delight all thrash metal fans.

The band took up where their 1989 release The New Machine Of Lichtenstein left off, developing its basic message further. Songs such as 'Undead Dogs', 'Hellhound' and 'Delusion' reflect a wide range, from deep death metal shouts to witch-like scrams, paired with a contemporary, melodic and structurally clear approach and amazing guitar solos. 'Triggered' proves impressively how expertly Holy Moses combine speed and technique, blending more than ever before death and black metal elements into their arrangements. 'Process Of Projection' sees guitarist Peter Geltat experiment with jazzy harmonies, while at the same time getting straight to the (metal) point on his seven-string guitar. 'Into The Dark' is a perfect mix of Holy Moses old and new with a reference to the unforgotten 'Lost In The Mace' off The New Machine Of Liechtenstein. Redefined Mayhem is rounded off by the bonus/hidden track 'This Dirt', a slightly tongue-in-cheek track with a serious background and unmistakable 'fuck you' attitude." There can be no doubt: Redefined Mayhem sees Holy Moses 2014 reach a new pinnacle of their creative work. Their fans can look forward to a contemporary thrash metal oeuvre which reflects the new, young band members' influence while skilfully forging an arch to the group's successful past with classics such as Finished With The Dogs (1987) and The New Machine Of Liechtenstein (1989).

It's still first-rate thrash metal, fast- paced and powerful, chaotic at times but with a modern touch and amazingly multi-faceted guitars and drums!