VICIOUS RUMORS: New Album Details Revealed

It's Geoff Thorpe's story of power and pain. The quest to change peoples lives with the power of metal music and the fascination of his band in 2011. The guitarist and main songwriter of American power metal act VICIOUS RUMORS says: "The older we get, the more wicked VICIOUS RUMORS sound. We've definitely not slowed down — quite the opposite — we have even more drive. Our fans won't see a single VICIOUS RUMORS show where we don't go to our limits and beyond." Anybody who has been to one of the group's gigs during the past two years knows just what he means. Thorpe's comment not only describes his band's concerts, but also without reservation VICIOUS RUMOURS' latest album, "Razorback Killers" (due out via SPV/Steamhammer in Europe on March 28, 2011 — except in Germany, where it will arrive three days earlier — and in the U.S. on April 5, 2011) and featuring ten breathtaking new songs which transport the traditional VICIOUS RUMORS sound perfectly into the present. To cut a long story short: this band has never sounded more dynamic than on "Razorback Killers".

The reasons for VICIOUS RUMORS' high-powered performance? Thorpe has a plausible explanation: "The metal is in our blood!!!! Plus we always have an awesome line-up. Larry Howe on drums and vocals, our bassist Stephen Goodwin and guitarist Kiyoshi Morgan, and in Brian Allen we've found the best vocalist you could possibly get for these kind of songs." Brian Allen joined the VICIOUS RUMORS fold one and a half years ago at the recommendation of Matt McCourt (WILD DOGS),a longtime friend whom Thorpe met up with at the Headbangers Open Air. "Matt had praised Brian, and I thought that he'd be perfect for VICIOUS RUMORS," Thorpe said. His assessment soon proved true: from the beginning, Allen showed his great potential during intense rehearsals. "We immediately noticed this raw, pure quality in him," Thorpe said. "Like a snowball, something very big developed very quickly out of small beginnings. During our five-week European tour, Brian got nothing but positive reactions from our fans."

So Brian Allen and Kiyoshi Morgan are — along with Thorpe, bassist Stephen Goodwin and drummer Larry Howe, of course — two of the elemental parameters which make "Razorback Killers" such a dynamic powerhouse of an album. Three other musicians deserve to be mentioned: the guest guitarists Mark McGee, Eric Peterson and Brad Gillis. "Isn't it fantastic that Mark returned and contributed those amazing solos on two songs?" Thorpe asked. McGee was a band member between 1986 and 1995 and has launched veritable guitar solos on "Blood Stained Sunday" and "Pearl Of Wisdom". "Mark and I trading solos just like the old days," enthused Thorpe, who also can't hold back his delight at Eric Peterson's impassioned solo passages on "Murderball". "Eric has been a friend for many years and is the driving force in TESTAMENT," Thorpe said. "His solo in 'Murderball' is a perfect combination of the whole energy of VICIOUS RUMORS and TESTAMENT, merged into one song." And last but not least: Brad Gillis, who otherwise makes his living as one of the band leaders in NIGHT RANGER, is one of Geoff Thorpe's close friends and already delivered a number of great solos on VICIOUS RUMORS previous album, "Warball". This time around, Gillis contributed a matchless — as Thorpe calls it — "classic tremolo guitar solo" in "Deal With The Devil". "I remember well when he replaced the late Randy Rhoads in Ozzy Osbourne's band. Brad has my utmost respect as a friend and colleague," Thorpe said.

So the furious "Razorback Killers" marks the next chapter in the career of VICIOUS RUMORS, whose history is paved with countless highlights: the band took the legendary Dynamo Festival in Eindhoven, Netherlands, by storm with their amazing shows in the summers of 1990 and 1994, floored the 2002 Wacken Open Air, rocked the metal fans at the 2007 Bang Your Head!!! festival and are celebrated frenetically all over the world for their passionate live performances. VICIOUS RUMORS have released ten excellent power metal albums to date, travelled the world over a dozen times — with METALLICA, MÖTLEY CRÜE, JUDAS PRIEST, AEROSMITH and many others — and are now ready to present their latest recording to their fans. "We'll be co- headlining the Keep It True festival in April 2011, one month after the album is released," Thorpe promised. "We'll be touring for the rest of the year in the USA, Europe and Japan, hopefully also visiting countries such as South America or Australia, where we've never been before."

"Razorback Killers" was recorded at Trident Studios in Pacheco, California with producers Juan Urteaga and Geoff Thorpe.

The track listing is as follows:

01. Murderball
02. Black
03. Razorback Blade
04. Blood Stained Sunday
05. Pearl Of Wisdom
06. All I Want Is You
07. Axe To Grind
08. Let The Garden Burn
09. Rite Of Devastation
10. Deal With The Devil

VICIOUS RUMORS 2010 is:

Larry Howe - Drums
Brian Allen (LAST EMPIRE, MALICE, WILD DOGS) - Vocals
Kiyoshi Morgan - Guitar
Stephen Goodwin - Bass
Geoff Thorpe - Guitar

Fan-filmed video footage of VICIOUS RUMORS's October 16, 2010 concert at The Rock Temple in Kerkrade, The Netherlands can be viewed below.

"Razorback Blade" (new song):