Description

Black vinyl with insert

Not only did the multi-talented multi-instrumentalist Chris The Professor Black release three solo albums he also managed to record High Spirits fifth studio album Hard To Stop. The title could very well refer to Chris Black himself as he seems unstoppable. Actually, I did slow down for a bit, laughs Chris Black. The Professor Black albums and recent Aktor album Placebo were recorded mostly in 2017 and early 2018. Then in 2019 I was recording with Pharaoh and Mike Bushur’s new project Forbidden Cross. It felt like a quiet year. Aktor and Pharaoh are active bands, but only in the studio. High Spirits and my solo act Professor Black are also performing live. Dawnbringer and Superchrist are stone dead forever. And Forbidden Cross is up to Mike, I just play the drums. One thing which always strikes me personally when I listen to High Spirits is the fact that the band’s music is so uplifting: not happy, not cheesy, just uplifting. That is an forgotten art in heavy metal, isn’t it? Chris smiles: That is, I think, precisely what brings us together, what connects us with our fans, and we take it very seriously. I think the record has a lot of variety, and it’s best to listen to the whole thing. Of course each listener will have her or his own favorites. Right now my favorite is All Night Long. Hearts Will Burn is probably the closest High Spirits will ever get to classic Euro Metal Helloween-style, right? Hmm… Not the opening track, Since You’ve Been Gone?, asks The Professor. But you’re right, German power metal is a big influence on High Spirits, just not always so easy to notice. Hearts Will Burn reminds me more of a certain American band, or maybe a Swedish one, but that’s cool. Voice In The Wind, on the other hand, is quite unusual for High Spirits, almost like pop punk meeting Crusader period Saxon. The album also includes a re-working of Midnight Sun, why did the band decide to re-record this number? We came to find in the past couple of years that Midnight Sun is quite a popular song, Chris answers, and meanwhile the only recording available was the demo version from 2013. That’s quite okay, but I think we should have a more professional version as well, maybe now the song will really blast into the top tier along with Another Night In The City and High Spirits etc.

Track list:
1. Since You’ve Been Gone
2. Restless
3. Face To Face
4. Hearts Will Burn
5. Voice In The Wind
6. All Night Long
7. Midnight Sun
8. Now I Know
9. We Are Everywhere