Metal Anarchy

Absolute Power, the project featuring Shane Embury (Napalm Death) and Simon Efemey, have recruited Tim “Ripper” Owens (ex-Judas Priest, etc.) for a new single titled “Needs Must When The Devil Drives.” That song serves as the title track of the band’s new album, which will be released on November 6.

Embury said the following about the single:

“This song, whilst being title track of our new record, also talks about how both Simon and I grew up in the West Midlands listening to heavy metal of 1980s — all the classics as you would expect,” Shane explains. “The areas where we both came from were very much industrial areas. Working-class families and for us, as teenagers, heavy metal was our escape from the everyday realities of our areas — you did what you had to just to get by. Needs must when the devil drives!”

Efemey also commented on the album:

“I want people to have a good time in the old school way. I want them to forget the mundane, boring or horrible parts of their jobs. I want them to forget themselves for a couple of hours. That’s what good music should allow us all to do.

When we did the first album, we wanted to make songs like our heroes — Judas Priest, Saxon, the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal — everything we liked as kids. When we were on tour buses, we’d have a few drinks and start blasting old-school heavy metal like Black Sabbath or Dio. One day we said we should write our own tunes like that.”

He went on to reveal that Mark Gemini Thwaite (ex-The Mission) contributed to the record:

“I’ve known him for years. I recorded a demo for his old band years ago. I sent him some tracks and he put some magic on them. He added a little goth flavour to some of those tracks. It took it further than the first album, which was just straight-down-the-line traditional metal.”

He also added:

“Over the years [me and Embury’s] paths crossed, and we realized we had a similar love for music and a similar sense of humor — ‘Monty Python’, ‘The Young Ones’, really dark humor.

You hear the stories from back in the day about these legendary bands and the mad stuff they’d get up to. For me, that’s part of rock ‘n’ roll. I never wanted to just be the guy sitting there in the studio nodding along with what bands say. It was more about entertaining people and entertaining ourselves.

We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we’re serious about the music. We reject ideas that aren’t good enough. Every song needs a good riff and a catchy melody. I wouldn’t let anything go out that was just fodder. That approach has always been prevalent in my work.

I can’t think of many new British bands doing what we do. I think people like our stuff because it’s old-school with melodies you can sing along to. We use the formula from the 70s and 80s because we know it works. We make this kind of music because we love it and we want people to sing along with us.”

“Needs Must When The Devil Drives” Track Listing:

01. “Needs Must When The Devil Drives” (feat. Tim “Ripper” Owens)
02. “Saviour”
03. “Kernscmelze”
04. “Stand Up And Be Counted”
05. “Within”
06. “Mountain Of Hope”
07. “Insanity”
08. “Hammer Of Justice”
09. “Praise The Fire”
10. “Sheer Heart Attack”
11. “Orphans Of The Storm”