Volbeat

Servant of the Mind, Volbeat’s eighth album, takes the signature heavy metal, psychobilly, punk ‘n’ roll sound on which they have built their reputation up a notch while showcasing front man Michael Poulsen’s keen ability for songwriting and storytelling. Lead single "Wait A Minute My Girl" drafted as a love song to his fiancé, became the band's ninth No. 1 on the Billboard Rock Airplay chart. The rest of the songs on the album weave intricate and fascinating tales. "The Sacred Stones" tells the story of “an earthly being who has committed himself to the dark side.” "Shotgun Blues" explores the ghostly paranormal events he had recently experienced upon moving into a new home. "The Devil Rages On" looks at the idea of the devil taking human form, while “Temple of Ekur” returns to the ancient themes explored in past songs, and epic album closer “Lasse’s Birgita” explores the story of the first witch burnings to occur in Sweden. "Dagen Før" offers a brief respite from the ‘thunder and lightning’ and features guest vocals from Stine Bramsen. “I wrote the whole album in three months," recalls Poulsen, noting that the process of drafting a Volbeat album is normally two years in length. "I was in a good place and mood while at home [during the pandemic] and had a captive audience of myself.” He found himself inspired and as a result, the music and lyrics just flowed out of him, resulting in the thunderous Servant of the Mind.