Kerrigan are one of the most promising newcomers from Germany playing traditional heavy metal. The band was formed in Freiburg in 2019 by Bruno Schotten (guitars, bass) and Jonas Weber (vocals, guitars). The duo recorded a demo tape consisting of original compositions “Intruders”, “Force And Will” and “Heavy Metal 2020” plus a cover version of “Rest In Peace” by Wolf (UK). »Heavy Metal 2020« was later released by Fucking Kill Records on tape and vinyl (and later re-issued by High Roller Records).
For their first full-length album »Bloodmoon«, Kerrigan inked a deal with High Roller Records. »Bloodmoon« was recorded with the help of session drummer Jonathan Döring, an old friend of the band, and received very favorable reviews in the metal press when it was released back in 2023. Together with Jakob on bass, Jonathan now is a regular member of Kerrigan.
Three years after »Bloodmoon«, it’s time for the follow-up album by the name of »Wayfarer«.
As a little taster for the album, the band has decided to issue a limited edition 7” single. The A-side “The Ice Witch” is one of the catchiest and most striking numbers off »Wayfarer«, whereas the exclusive flipside “You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet Baby”, a breathtaking cover version of a song by The Smiths, marries dark post-punk with melodic heavy metal.
Guitarist Bruno Schotten explains: “Jonas and I have a similar taste when it comes to music of the eighties. A lot of our inspiration does not directly come from metal but from other (guitar-driven) music from the same period. Whereas last time around we covered a true NWOBHM classic – ‘Rest In Peace’ by Wolf – we now wanted to re-visit a band we both adore for their songwriting: namely The Smiths. Our interpretation of ‘You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet Baby’ will only be available as the B-Side of the ‘The Ice Witch’ single. We just wanted to do something special. The Smiths themselves also covered a lot of really obscure stuff on their singles. In the end, they had released so many cover tunes that today there are several compilations of rare B-Side material by The Smiths.”
1. The Ice Witch
2. You just haven't earned it yet, Baby (The Smiths Cover)