Danish rock heavyweights Volbeat have announced their eighth studio album, Servant of the Mind. Ahead of the its December 3rd release, the band has unveiled a new single called “Shotgun Blues.”
The record offers 13 new songs, as well as four additional tracks that are part of deluxe packages, including a cover of Wolfbrigade’s “Return to None,” as well as the tune “Domino” (originally recorded by Roy Orbison and covered by The Cramps).
According to Volbeat frontman Michael Poulsen, Servant of the Mind came together fairly quickly.
“I wrote the whole album in three months,” Poulsen said in a statement. “I was in a good place and mood while at home, and had a captive audience of myself… There are a lot of Volbeat signatures in it. If you go back to the first record and compare it to where we are now, you can hear how the band has developed its style, while keeping the signature sound.”
Alongside the album announcement comes a new Volbeat single, “Shotgun Blues,” a metal anthem in which Poulsen delves into some haunting events he found himself in while moving into a new home.
“Every time you move into a house, you bring dead people with you,” he said. “Weird stuff happens when I move into a [new] house… it’s very otherworldly.”
Volbeat features Poulsen, drummer Jon Larsen, guitarist Rob Caggiano, and bass player Kaspar Boye Larsen. A press release from the band states the new record features Volbeat’s “signature heavy metal, psychobilly and punk ‘n’ roll sound up a notch while showcasing Poulsen’s keen ability for songwriting and storytelling.”
Servant of the Mind marks Volbeat’s follow-up to 2019’s Rewind, Replay, Rebound. Over the summer, the band released two new songs — “Wait a Minute My Girl” and “Dagen Før” — which both appear on the tracklist for the upcoming album.
Watch the lyric video for “Shotgun Blues” and check out the artwork and tracklist for Volbeat’s Servant of the Mind below. Pre-order the album via Amazon, or in various formats and packages from the band’s merch store.
Tonight (September 23rd), the band kicks off their “Wait A Minute… Let’s Tour” run at Atlanta’s The Tabernacle, marking their first US tour in two years. They also have an early 2022 co-headlining US tour lined up with Ghost. Pick up tickets to Volbeat’s upcoming shows via Ticketmaster.
Servant of the Mind Artwork:
Servant of the Mind Tracklist:
01. Temple of Ekur
02. Wait a Minute My Girl
03. The Sacred Stones
04. Shotgun Blues
05. The Devil Rages On
06. Say No More
07. Heaven’s Descent
08. Dagen Før (feat. Stine Bramsen)
09. The Passenger
10. Step Into Light
11. Becoming
12. Mindlock
13. Lasse’s Birgitta
Deluxe 2 CD/2 LP and Digital Deluxe Bonus Tracks:
14. Return to None (Wolfbrigade cover)
15. Domino (The Cramps/Roy Orbison cover)
16. Shotgun Blues (feat. Dave Matrise from Jungle Rot)
17. Dagen Før (Michael Vox Version)
Vinyl variants (North America)
Standard 180g black vinyl 2LP
Translucent Rust 2 LP – Volbeat.dk exclusive, limited to 550
Transparent Yellow 2 LP – Revolver Magazine exclusive, limited to 400
Mystery Color LP2 – indie retail exclusive, limited to 100
Vinyl variants (Europe)
Standard 180g black vinyl 2 LP
Crystal Clear 2 LP, volbeat.dk exclusive, limited to 2,000
Glow in the Dark 2 LP, EMP exclusive, limited to 2,000
Orange and Blue 2 LP, UMG exclusive, limited to 3,100
Danish Red and White 2 LP – only available in Denmark, limited to 2,000