SPV/Steamhammer have inked a deal with Swedish hard rock band BLACK TRIP to their family for Europe (excluding Scandinavia).

The idea for Black Trip goes all the way back to 2003. Black Trip has created a big media stir in their native Sweden, and this before their debut album was even released!

Peter Stjärnvind, a veteran of the Swedish metal scene, and a former drummer for (amongst others) Entombed, Nifelheim and Merciless was hanging out with his good mate and fellow drummer Daniel Bergqvist (ex Wolf) and the two decided to start a new band and named it Black Trip. They wanted this band to build on the musical heritage and sound of the bands they both grew up with. Stjärnvind traded in his drums for the guitar and set to writing and recording new tracks. Unfortunately the whole project then came to a halt and nothing became of their idea for Black Trip. Fast forward to 2011 and backstage at a festival in Germany, Stjärnvind got to talking with Joseph Tholl, guitarist for Enforcer and Corrupt. They got to discussing who was their favourite NWOBHM-singer of all time, and Tholl acknowledged that he’d long had ambitions to be the singer in a band. That was it! Black Trip was alive again and Tholl was the new singer.

The band recorded another demo and also released a 7” single. By this time the foundation for the Black Trip sound had matured; Peter Stjärnvind’s raw and unpolished riffs and Joseph Tholl’s amazing bluesy rock voice created the perfect canvas for Black Trip.

The band was completed by Sebastian Ramstedt (ex-Nifelheim) on guitar, Johan Bergebäck (ex-Nifelheim) on bass and finally Jonas Wikstrand on the drums.

The debut album Goin’ Under will be released by SPV/Steamhammer on July 4th in Germany and July 7th in Europe (excluding Scandinavia) as CD, LP and download. In the true spirit of NWOBHM there’s not one single filler on the album, each and every track is a killer song in its own right. All songs are written by Stjärnvind and Tholl, and the influences couldn’t be more clear; it’s classic NWOBHM bands like Iron Maiden and Saxon, whose heavy riffs have always been paired with an impeccable sense of melody, but there’s also a hint of the slightly bluesier sensibilities of Thin Lizzy and the dirty attitude of the '70’s era Scorpions. Black Trip pay both homage and respect to the classic metal sound, but they most certainly take it in their own direction and make this sound their own.