Pagan Metal Pioneers HELSOTT To Support ARKONA On Upcoming Shows
HELSOTT – American pagan metal band – announce their support slot to Russia’s ARKONA for a string of US shows in February on their North America Paganist Tour.
“We are excited to announce a return to the road with our friends Arkona as part of their Paganist USA conquest, says singer Eric Dow. “We are really looking forward to delivering our brand of Pagan Metal to some cities that we haven’t played since Covid put the breaks on our U.S. touring momentum. Get ready for a mix of old songs and some recent bangers from our latest release, ‘Will and the Witch’. Come out and party with us!”
While HELSOTT have made a few trips to Europe and Mexico playing festivals and cruises overseas, it’s been some time since HELSOTT played the states and the band is proud to introduce their new line-up to American audiences. Joining the core of singer Eric Dow and guitarist Peter Truax, HELSOTT is now joined by guitarist Zachary Simsay (Mythraeum, Fadrait), bassist Alonzo Larios (Mythraeum), and drummer Alex Simsay (Fadrait).
HELSOTT’s latest, 2022’s ‘Will and the Witch,’ is a concept album exploring a fictional story about how Billy The Kid became the fastest gunfighter in the wild west. The group released a few emphasis tracks and videos from the album including “I’ll Make Ya Famous”, “Independence Night,” featuring guest vocals from Tim “Ripper” Owens (formerly of Judas Priest, Iced Earth and Yngwie Malmsteen), “Babylon: Scarlett’s Saloon”and the title track, “Will and the Witch”.
HELSOTT returned to their musical roots on “Will and The Witch” with heavier thrash overtones and less orchestral work than their prior record, while catching listeners off-guard with new influences befitting of the album’s theme. Thrash metal, power metal, and death metal converged with acoustic campfire segments, Southern banjo and fiddle, and Native American-inspired hand drums and flutes. The end result was a record that is musically ambitious while remaining melodic, heavy, and true to the band’s underlying sound.
Mixed and mastered by J-F Dagenais (Kataklysm, Misery Index, Ex Deo) and featuring artwork by Felipe Machado Franco (Blind Guardian, Rhapsody, Gamma Ray), along with additional guests including wood wind player Vladimir Reshetnikov (Arkona, Imperial Age), guitarist/bassist Freddie Vidales (Ashes of Ares, Iced Earth), violinist Lethien (Elvenking), guitarist Kevin Storm (Heidevolk, Autumn, Fleetburner), bassist Bjorn Friedrichsen (Withered Moon, Sanguineus) and Whistlin’ Rick Storey.
Available on CD, a limited-edition gold double vinyl, and digital editions.
Order it or the band’s catalog now on: M-Theory Audio webstore or Bandcamp
Upcoming HELSOTT Live Performances:
2/4 Come and Take It Live – Austin, TX
2/6 Last Exit Live – Phoenix, AZ
2/7 Constellation Room – Santa Ana, CA
2/8 Whisky – W. Hollywood, CA
2/9 DNA Lounge – San Francisco, CA
2/11 Metro Music Hall – Salt Lake City, UT
2/12 The Federal – Denver, CO
2/15 – Reggie’s – Chicago w/ Ad Infinitum and Seven Spires
For more information:
Metal Odyssey > Heavy Metal Music Blog 
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