BRAINSTORM, Southern Germany’s well-established metal powerhouse, will not only kick-off a European run with their label mates ARION in less than two weeks, but also unleash their long-awaited new album Plague Of Rats on February 28, 2025 via RPM. Like first single “Garuda (Eater Of Snakes),” their new track “The Shepherd Girl (Gitagovinda)” takes listeners back to ancient India and mythology, a major topic of the upcoming record.
Telling a story about a supernatural yet passionate relationship between Krisha, who’s mostly known as the god of love and joy but also as patron of shepherds, his wife as well as their playmates, the gopis aka The Shepherd Girls, the single delivers uplifting traditional tunes which lead into a simply powerful, stomping track. Instrumentally it bethinks of the original heavy metal way with stripped-down orchestrations compared to previous single “Beyond Enemy Lines.” “The Shepherd Girl (Gitagovinda)” is nothing but a must for BRAINSTORM’s next live sets based on its anthemic chorus alone! Its music video, once again directed by Mirko Witzki at Witzki Visions, complements the message of the song perfectly by delivering sceneries of shiny temples and other Indus culture elements.
Frontman Andy B Franck states: “‘Gitagovinda,’ our third single, is a Sanskrit poem written in the royal court of Bengal in the 12th century. It describes the love relationship between the Hindu god Krishna, his consort Radha and the gopis, the shepherd girls. Yes, I really like this mythology. That’s perhaps one of the cultures in the history of the world that deserves a little more attention. The original work combines influences from religious mysticism with eroticism. Seduction, love adventures and the devoted worship of the god are given great importance. A text full of deep melancholy and despair, but also a mirror of a soul with an insight into the deepest hopes and longings. It’s maybe a little unusual for us, but definitely worth reading.”
Watch the music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8xPEZPrXHg
Listen to “The Shepherd Girl (Gitagovinda)”: https://brainstorm.rpm.link/shepherdgirlPR
Artwork: Gyula Havanczák
Pre-order Plague Of Rats in your preferred format [t-shirt+CD/vinyl bundle, CD+DVD earbook, CD+DVD digipak, coloured vinyl, digital] or pre-save the album on your favourite digital streaming provider (DSP): https://brainstorm.rpm.link/plagueofratsPR
BRAINSTORM remains a vital force in the metal scene, seamlessly blending traditional elements with modern influences in their latest work, Plague Of Rats. Drawing inspiration from the rich and mystical narratives of ancient Indian civilization, this album delivers an energetic line-up of tracks devoid of slow songs or ballads, fully embodying the band’s dynamic and robust metal style. Expertly crafted with the collaboration of Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann (ORDEN OGAN, ANGUS McSIX) for mixing and mastering at Greenman Studios, and featuring striking artwork by Gyula Havancsák (DESTRUCTION, KREATOR, GRAVE DIGGER etc.) and photography by Alex Kühr, Plague Of Rats offers ten compelling new tracks that transport listeners to the captivating worlds of India and beyond.
Plague Of Rats – Track Listing:
01. Beyond Enemy Lines
02. Garuda (Eater Of Snakes)
03. False Memories
04. The Shepherd Girl (Gitavoginda)
05. Your Soul That Lingers In Me [feat. Elina Siirala]
06. Masquerade Conspiracy
07. From Hell [feat. Alex Krull]
08. The Dark Of Night
09. Crawling
10. Celebrate Youth [RICK SPRINGFIELD Cover; excl. digipak/earbook bonus track]
11. Curtains Fall
More from Plague Of Rats:
‘Garuda (Eater Of Snakes)’ OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giLwrNqQpTQ
‘Beyond Enemy Lines’ OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuSBlOfFDPQ
BRAINSTORM live:
“The Plague That Burns The Sky”
BRAINSTORM + ARION
Co-Headline Tour 2025
w/ STRANGER VISION
Presented by Rock Hard, musix, metal.de, powermetal.de, Decibel-Touring & RPM
27.02.2025 DE Aschaffenburg – Colos-Saal
28.02.2025 CH Solothurn – Kulturfabrik Kofmehl
01.03.2025 DE Essen – Turock
02.03.2025 DE Mannheim – 7er Club
03.03.2025 DE Munich – Backstage (Halle)
04.03.2025 DE Hamburg – Bahnhof Pauli
05.03.2025 DE Hanover – MusikZentrum
06.03.2025 DE Stuttgart – Im Wizemann
Tickets:https://linktr.ee/brainstormarion
w/ SIGNUM REGIS
08.03.2025 NL Harderwijk – Estrado
09.03.2025 NL Gouda – StudioGonz
05. – 08.06.2025 DE Oettingen i. Bay. – Camping Battleground Festival
11.07.2025 BG Chirpan – Midalidare Rock In the Wine Valley
24.08.2025 PT Pindelo dos Milagres – Milagre Metaleiro Open Air
L-R:
Milan Loncaric (guitars), Torsten “Todde” Ihlenfeld (guitars), Andy B Franck (vocals),
Dieter Bernert (drums), Jim Ramses (bass)
Photo credit: Alex Kühr
About BRAINSTORM
BRAINSTORM look back on an unparalleled career: since their 1997 debut Hungry, the band have continued to develop and to consolidate their position in the international metal scene with albums like Metus Mortis [2001], Soul Temptation [2003], Liquid Monster [2005], and most recently Midnight Ghost [2018] and Wall Of Skulls [2021]. They have toured worldwide and achieved impressive chart positions in recent years, but instead of resting on their laurels, they are more determined than ever to set new milestones.
BRAINSTORM are:
Andy B. Franck | vocals
Torsten Ihlenfeld | guitars
Milan Loncaric | guitars
Jim Ramses | bass
Dieter Bernert | drums
More on BRAINSTORM:
brainstorm-web.net | Facebook | Instagram | X | TikTok | RPM
About Reigning Phoenix Music
Founded in 2023, Reigning Phoenix Music is truly the 100% independently owned vision of music industry professional Gerardo Martinez and avionics and tech entrepreneur, Sven Bogner. The blueprint is to continue to help heavy metal, extreme, hard, and heavy music thrive by partnering with an array of well-established acts, new talent, and iconic artists, by offering best services and practices in the industry. But most important is to help the artists amplify their art and talent to a winning formula for success. The label recently opened a new office in London, UK.
Don’t forget to subscribe to Reigning Phoenix Music on YouTube to stay updated and listen to “The Shepherd Girl (Gitagovinda)” along with other new tracks in the RPM New Releases playlist on Spotify. Subscribe here: https://rpm.link/spotifynewreleasesPR.
More on RPM:
reigningphoenixmusic.com | Facebook | Instagram | X | TikTok | YouTube