Vicious Rumors Invite Us to the ‘Murderball’

Vicious Rumors may not be a household name, but since its inception in 1979 the veteran quintet has become one of the most influential bands in the power metal scene.

On April 5th, Vicious Rumors will release their tenth album, titled 'Razorback Killers.' New singer Brian Allen rises to the occasion by turning in a Rob Halford-worthy vocal performance, while Geoff Thorpe's guitar riffs recall the band's '80s prime. Noisecreep just got its dirty paws on 'Murderball,' the new album's opening cut featuring Testament guitarist Eric Peterson.

Listen to 'Murderball'

"['Murderball' was] the first song I wrote for the new album," Thorpe recently told Noisecreep. "The track features an incredible guest solo courtesy of Eric Peterson from Testament. I asked him if he wanted to play on the album months earlier, and when he heard the riff for 'Murderball,' he said that's the one he wanted to play on. The song is about a futuristic game with just one rule: at the end you live or die. The song is full of energy and has a really strong chorus, so we thought it was a great way to start 'Razorback Killers.'"

Lead by Thorpe, the San Francisco act has certainly been dealt its share of highs and lows over the years. Without question, the most tragic of them all was the death of original vocalist Carl Albert in a 1995 car crash. In the wake of the loss, the band decided to soldier on and has since released a fistful of great albums.

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