NEWS
We've also updated the site with a new biography, a new discography (with info on the new disc), a soundclip from "The Shadow Cabinet" as well as a new bandpicture in the line-up section.
And now for some really cool news: the next album, "The Shadow Cabinet", will be recorded over the next few months. All songs have been written and prerecorded by Erik, and starting early March the rest of the band will make their input on the album.
Well, in all honesty, things have been quite quiet on the "official" WH front. Erik's been extremely busy demo'ing the new album, which is coming along nicely, and it seems like the line-up is finally stable now. It's going to be the same guys as played last years ProgPower USA Festival (Erik, Nils Patrik, Morten, Martin, Teddy and Andreas), who'll be doing the new album. However, we would like to thank Toke Skjønnemand from "Pyramaze" for filling in for Martin at the Park Rock Festival gig which the band did in the summer. Unfortunately Martin was sick for a couple of months time, so Toke jumped right in and did a really great job. It was also a great chance for the rest of the guys to hook up again and enjoy some quality time together and drink some booze :-)
Now, as you most likely have heard through various media sources, Nils Patrik has joined Lions Share - just to avoid confusion, here's a little personal statement from the vocal-god :-):
"Perhaps some of you read the statement on BLABBERMOUTH that I'm now officially the singer of Lion's Share. I'm thrilled about it since I love to write vocal-melodies and lyrics, and will be deeply involved in the songwriting-process in LS.
My participation in Lion's Share will not interfere with my "hometown-band" Astral Doors whatso-ever. I'll never let them crazy bastards down, and our new album is in progress.
As you probably know, I'm also the singer of Erik Ravns baby Wuthering Heights, and if Erik wants me to sing on the next album; I will sure as Hell do it! You won't get rid of me!
Finally: I've had many offers from various bands over the last 2-3 years, some of them very good. I've said "no thanks" to everyone, just because I don't wanna end up as some over-exposed session-singer.
I'm pleased with my current situation and I hope you'll continue checking out my work!
Love you guys!
/Patrik Johansson"
Oh, and finally - the DVD that we promised would be released in September ... oupsss ... yeah well, we're right now looking at a January or February release. Things apparently takes it's time in this business :-)
It's been waaaaaaaaaaay too long since we updated this page, huh? Well, to start off, the band is working harder than ever before. Erik is busy writing new songs, and the new lineup did prove themselves to great extent at the awesome gig in USA in August. A new album is in the works, but we haven't scheduled time for release or anything yet. With a bit of luck we're talking of very early 2006 as release date. However, in the meantime you'll be able to purchase the LIVE DVD (yes, that's correct!!!) from the ProgPower USA show 2004, which will be released in September.
WUTHERING HEIGHTS will be performing for their first time in Europe in the last 5 years at the PARK ROCK FESTIVAL in Sandviken, Sweden on June 04. We hope to see a lot of headbangers up there :-) Check out the concert section for link to the festival-site etc.
http://www.nocturnalhorde.com/context/interview/juni04/wh.htm
http://www.idioglossia.de/interviews/wuthering-heights-2004/wuthering-heights-interview-2004.htm
http://www.metalexpress.no/showinterview.asp?id=283
http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showinterview.php?id=451&lang=en
http://www.peitersen.com/articles/wutheringheights.html
http://www.tartareandesire.com/interviews/wutheringheights.html
http://www.metal1.info/interviews/interview.php?interview_id=47
http://www.heavymetal.dk/interviews_view.php?id=54;parentnavlink=interviews_intro.php
And as of today we can also confirm that we've secured a licensing deal for South America with the Brazilian company Hellion Records.
First of all, the bass player originally supposed to play on the new album, Erik Grandin, unfortunately had to back out only a few weeks before the band was set to enter the studio. Erik has other personal obligations and will not be in the future line-up of the band. We wish Erik all the best of luck.
We are currently looking for a new bass player to join the band full time, as we are hoping to do a lot of touring after the new disc is released. Interested parties should contact us at wuthering@intromental.com !
The new album, which will have the title "Far From The Madding Crowd", has been recorded and mixed now, and will be sent into mastering over the next couple of days.
Once again Erik Ravn and the band went to Jailhouse Studios in Horsens, Denmark to record with Tommy Hansen, and everything went extremely well. The album is the last part of the "wanderer-trilogy" that Erik started with "Within" and continued on "To Travel For Evermore".
It's a fantastic album, which definitely will please all fans of Wuthering Heights earlier works, and should hopefully bring a lot of new fans to the band.
As usual Rune Brink did the keyboards, Morten Sørensen did the drums, Henrik Flyman did guitars and Erik Ravn did guitars, bass and some keyboard parts. New man in the band, Swedish vocalist Nils Patrik Johansson did an incredible job. He is definitely a talent of immense proportions. Wait till you hear his vocal performance on "Far From The Madding Crowd".
The album consists of 11 songs, plus 2 additional songs were recorded for bonus tracks to the various territories. One of the 11 songs set to appear on the disc is a cover tune of Danish folk band The McGalster Clan, and it fits perfectly to the concept and to the music of Wuthering Heights. The rest of the songs are as splendid as all previous Erik Ravn compositions, and might even include some of his best work till date.
We're hoping for a release date in Japan in October/November 2003, and the rest of the world should follow shortly afterwards.
… The road goes ever on …
Although it was great having Time Machine bassist Lorenzo Dehó lend us his services for the last Wuthering Heights album "To Travel For Evermore", it was clear that we needed to look elsewhere if we wanted a permanent solution. For the bass player position we've teamed up with Swedish bassist extra-ordinaire, Erik Grandin. Erik played with the progressive metal band Mayadome for many years, and can be found on both their albums, "Paranormal Activity" (1996 - Shrapnel Records) and "Near Life Experience" (1999 - Siegen Records). We have known Erik for years and he was the logical choice for the new line-up.
Sadly due to personal issues we have decided to part ways with vocalist Kristian Andrén, who was an important part of Wuthering Height's past. Once again we've turned our heads (and ears) to Sweden and found an incredible new talent - Nils Patrik Johansson. Coming from a 70's hard rock background, Nils Patrik has so far only been in local bands and never been involved in a professional unit until now. We first heard him through a demo submitted to Wuthering Heights' management by his former band Lunatic Parade. It was immediately clear that his unique voice (somewhere between Ronnie James Dio, Jorn Lande and Russell Allen) would fit the sound of Wuthering Heights like hand in a glove. Wuthering Heights and Nils Patrik jammed through a weekend-long recording session and the outcome was fantastic, causing enthusiastic responses from our record label associates.
On a humorous note we can reveal that Wuthering Heights guitarist Henrik Flyman played the new demo for his longtime friend Rickard Andersson (of Majestic and Time Requiem), who was so impressed by Nils Patrik, that he immediately asked him to join his solo project, Space Odyssey, which will be released sometime in 2003 and also features ex-Malmsteen/Talisman bassist Marcel Jacobs.
With Erik and Nils Patrik joining Wuthering Heights, the future looks very bright, and we've already booked studio time with producer Tommy Hansen (a.o. Helloween, Pretty Maids, Beyond Twilight) for recording the third full-length album in May 2003.