By
Larry Petro,
News Monkey
Tuesday, December 5, 2023 @ 7:29 AM
Feat. Tony Dolan & Snowy Shaw
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Following the release of their latest, eleventh studio album, Reader Of The Runes - Rapture (released in April 2023 on AFM Records), heavy metal, pagan, folk and melodic death metal fusionists ELVENKING have suprised fans with a stunning cover version of VENOM's "Prime Evil"! But, this isn't just another cover, the ELVENKING version also features guest appearances of former VENOM singer and bassist Tony Dolan, and Snowy Shaw (ex-Mercyful Fate, ex-King Diamond)!
As ELVENKING revealed, "it is a special song in many ways, starting from the fact that it is a love letter to a band and to a specific moment in time when metal was in fact imprinting our lives indefinitely. The second special aspect of this recording is the lineup. It is a surprise and a metal-dream come true for us since it sees Tony Dolan "Demolition Man" on vocals + bass (he was the original singer and bass player of VENOM in the era in which this album was released and now he is still kicking with VENOM INC.), Snowy Shaw (ex-Mercyful Fate, ex-King Diamond, ex-Memento Mori, etc.) on drums, Damna on vocals + rhythm guitars, Aydan on solo guitar + keyobards and Lethien on the violin."
The cover of "Prime Evil" is streaming BELOW
Ever since their inception in 1997, ELVENKING mastered their way to their own identity with courage and bravado, leaving behind the shackles of genres step by step before they truly broke out with their 2014 monument The Pagan Manifesto. ELVENKING have been defying all genres, now feeling quite at home in their very own enchanted realm. With Rapture, the Italian collective has unleashed part two of their monumental Reader Of The Runes trilogy, and an epic metal quest of woe and despair, wrought with mysterious figures, dark magic and an altogether mesmerizing autumnal flair reminiscent of a forest glade during an Indian Summer. It's more than just a metal album. It's a moving story set to fabulous songs, bridging the gap between fantasy and reality. Many times before, ELVENKING have weaved powerful magic into the world. This time, they truly came into their own, wresting their best effort yet from a global pandemic.
The band is currently in the studio, working on a new album to be released in the hopefully not so distant future. Furthermore, ELVENKING just recently announced an extensive US and Canadian tour as special guests of ALESTORM. Find all upcoming live dates listed below!
