KERRIGAN · Wayfarer | BLACK LP

Black vinyl, 180g, heavy cardboard cover, 4 page insert, download code. Limited to 500 copies.

Background information about 'Wayfarer'

Kerrigan are one of the most promising newcomers to emerge from the German traditional heavy metal scene, and with "Wayfarer" they deliver a follow-up that hits with the confidence of a band who know exactly what they're doing. Formed in Freiburg back in 2019, these guys cut their teeth on a demo tape before inking a deal with High Roller Records for their debut "Bloodmoon" in 2023. That record earned glowing reviews across the metal press, and now, three years on, the quartet of Jonas Weber, Bruno Schotten, Jakob Zeblin and Jonathan Döring return with an album that feels like a direct, natural evolution of everything that came before.

Guitarist and singer Jonas Weber calls the record "dreamy, melancholic and pretty versatile," and that's a fitting summary for a collection of songs that refuses to sit still. From the galloping opener "Torchbearer" through the icy menace of "The Ice Witch" to the outright uplifting surge of "Fighter," "Wayfarer" covers the full spectrum of what made eighties metal so irresistible. Schotten puts it best when he says these are songs that are accessible on first listen yet packed with enough detail to reward repeated spins. This is orthodox speed metal one minute, atmospheric and reflective the next, and never once does it feel like filler.

What makes "Wayfarer" so exciting is that it's built on genuine songcraft rather than mere nostalgia. The demo ideas for "Surrender" and "Wayfarer" actually developed in parallel with the first album, and you can hear that continuity in the way the band weaves hooks and harmonies together. Whether they've truly written a modern heavy metal classic remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure: Kerrigan have come closer than most, and "Wayfarer" is a statement that deserves to be cranked loud.

For fans of:
Wolf, Enforcer, Ambush, Air Raid, Stallion, Traveller

Other Versions

SLIPCASE CD · 14,99 € BLUE LP · 21,99 € BLUE GALAXY LP · 21,99 € CLEAR TAPE · 12,99 €

Track listing

A1. Torchbearer
A2. Asylum
A3. The Ice Witch
A4. Surrender
A5. Wayfarer
B1. Blood and Steel
B2. Dystopia
B3. Fighter
B4. Red Light Tower

Manufacturer: High Roller Records, Bertolt-Brecht-Str. 1a, 08412 Werdau, Germany, Contact: www.hrrecords.de