Australian heavy metal band, METAL, will release their debut full-length album, Proving Our Mettle, on Friday, April 19 through iTunes and selected music stores. The album features 11 tracks, including the foot stomping anthem 'Heavy Metal', the crushing riff monster 'Fighting For Metal' and the rollicking, rum-soaked sea shanty, 'The Buccaneer’s Revenge'.

For the uninitiated, Metal is a band straight out of the old school of traditional balls to the wall heavy metal. Think back to those heady glory days of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motorhead and Manowar, “when men were men and songs were forged with blood, sweat and steel,” says bassist and lead singer, Rayzor Ray.

“Proving Our Mettle is a bare-chested scream of defiance, and a rallying call to the true,” continues Rayzor. “It is our banner planted firmly in the ground and from here we stand and fight. Fighting for Metal is not just a song: it’s a mission statement.”

And it’s a fight they’ve taken to the streets, with the lads having made a name for themselves on the local scene as an act with more hair, denim, guitar solos and high-pitched metallic screams than you can wield a flaming sword at.

“We’ve played at just about every premium venue in New South Wales, from the Sandringham Stadium to the Tempe Thunderdome,” says Rayzor.

The album, out in a matter of weeks, will be the band’s latest weapon and will be debuted live when Metal take the stage alongside Dutch band EPICA at Metro Theatre on April 19th.

Proving Our Mettle was recorded at the renowned Studios 301 in Sydney by Tim Carr and mixed at Adversary Studios, Sydney by Aaron Worboys. The cover art has been painstakingly created by All Things Rotten (1349, CHILDREN OF BODOM, HIRAX).

So prepare yourselves for the launch of the clarion call this April, as Metal begin their latest assault on the pretenders and the false (if you can’t name at least three Maiden albums, you could be in trouble). Brisbanites will be the first to be on their guard, when Metal play the Crowbar on April 6th. Following the launch, the lads will announce more tour dates including three shows in Japan in July... because, like all metal bands, they’re big in Japan.

Proving Our Mettle is available for download on iTunes and selected music stores from April 19th and pre-order at this location.

Metal lineup:

Razor 'Sting' Ray (BANE OF ISILDUR, MALICE, BURGHERS CALAIS) - bass/vocals

Danny 'Diamond' Crusher (BATTALION, BARATHEON) - guitar

Chinch 'The Boss' Chinchella (Battalion, RAMPAGE, Burghers Of Calais) - guitar

Aaron (Bane Of Isildur, Malice, SORATHIAN DAWN, ILL OMEN) - drums

More on Metal at this location.