CHALLENGER (Heavy Metal – Slovenia 🇸🇮 ) – Set to release their album “Force of Nature” on October 25, 2024 via Dying Victims Productions #challenger #heavymetal
DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS is proud to present the highly anticipated debut album of Sloveniaās CHALLENGER,Ā Force of Nature, on CD and vinyl LP formats.
The idea for Sloveniaās CHALLENGER started in the summer of 2016, when Jakob Rejec (ex-VIGILANCE, Ambra) was challenged to play a foodball game with Urban Železnik (SkyEye), and if Urban won, they would form a band together. Unfortunately, they never played the game, but still decided to form a band.
For the first lineup, they invited Blaž TanÅ”ek (Mist, ex-Teleport) to play the bass guitar and Mihaela Žitko (Mist) to join on the drums. Through some jam sessions, the first riffs were made, and in November, the band had their first gig under the name Irƶn Breed, combining the surnames of Jakob and Urban, with Rejec meaning ābreederā and Železnik meaning āiron.ā Soon after, they changed their name to CHALLENGER, and Mihaela left her drum duties to Toni PleÅ”ko (ex-Teleport, Natt, Äornata). In 2019, they released their first EPĀ Turned to DustĀ to critical acclaim.
Corona times were not very fruitful for CHALLENGER, but in 2022, they came back with new blood on the bass guitar with Nika Krmelj (Eruption). With her, they finished their debut album and recorded a pre-production demo in the spring of 2023 but had to let her go soon after. The last lineup was formed with Samo Stopar picking up the bass guitar in the summer of 2023, with whom they finished recording their debut album in March 2024.
Now, at long last, that debut album is here:Ā Force of Nature. Aptly titled, CHALLENGERās first full-length draws from a deep well of heavy metal wisdom, and does so with gusto. Their stated influences include Saxon, Iron Maiden, Tank, Rainbow, Judas Priest, Venom, Mercyful Fate, Running Wild, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and the UKās Satan, and verily do CHALLENGER siphon off both the best and most idiosyncratic strains of those legendsā DNA and reconfigure them into a travelogue of pathos and bravado. The songwriting acrossĀ Force of NatureĀ suitably gallops with energy, but the band patiently allow each construct to unfold, retaining a sense of austere grace in the process. The leads are majestic and many; most impart a melancholy seemingly at odds with the jaunty tempos explored, but the sum effect becomes one of steely-eyed stateliness perfectly in line with the albumās wider ādoomed heroā drama. That CHALLENGER posses impeccable chops ā to the man, with actualĀ bass guitar prominent in the sound field ā only make these eight mini-epics gleam that much brighter.
CHALLENGER may unapologetically look the past, but their heavy metal heroism is trulyĀ timeless. Behold a trueĀ Force of Nature!
DVP 307 Challenger – Force of Nature LP/CD (2024)
Tracklist:
1. Imperial Madness
2. Under the Skin
3. Victims of War
4. Exhausted Earth
5. Recurrent Universe
6. Force of Nature
7. Sleepless
8. The Final Epoch
ā Regular edition on black vinyl, withinsert, poster, sticker, post card and download code.
ā Special edition onĀ redĀ vinyl, with insert, poster, sticker, post card, download code and patch.
āĀ CD edition with sticker and obi.
Line-up:
Jakob Rejec – vocals, rhythm guitar
Urban Železnik – lead guitar
Samo Stopar – bass guitar
Toni PleÅ”ko – drums
Band Links:
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