German speed metallers Cruel Force have unleashed the first sample of their highly anticipated fourth full-length album with the release of a new video for “Whips-A-Swinging”. The track appears on Haneda, set for international release on March 27 via Shadow Kingdom Records.
Watch “Whips-A-Swinging” here:
True to form, “Whips-A-Swinging” charges forward with raw speed metal ferocity, channeling the untamed spirit of heavy metal’s earliest days. Since first emerging in 2008 with the Into the Crypts… demo, Cruel Force have stood apart for their authenticity—never mimicking the ancient German black/thrash sound, but expanding it with sharp songwriting and conviction. Their early albums, The Rise of Satanic Might (2010) and Under the Sign of the Moon (2011), cemented their cult status before the band entered a lengthy hiatus.
That silence was broken with 2022’s Across the Styx EP and the triumphant 2023 comeback album Dawn of the Axe, marking the start of what the band consider their “Second Era”. Haneda continues that trajectory, leaning even further into classic speed metal while dialing back the blackened edge of their early years. The result is a more epic, mystical sound, raw, powerful, and unapologetically ‘80s in both spirit and production.
Described by the band as what “Rainbow / Dio might have sounded like if they played speed metal”, Haneda blends the thrashing intensity of Kreator, Razor, and Deathrow with the grandeur of Iron Maiden, Virgin Steele, and Rainbow. Though not a strict concept album, its atmosphere feels like a journey through ancient temples, jungles, deserts, and forgotten realms, driven by massive, natural-toned production and towering riffs.
With Haneda, Cruel Force sharpen their blade and raise the Sword of Iron once more. Preorder details are expected to follow soon.
Tracklisting – Haneda
- The Cross
- Whips-A-Swinging
- Savage Gods
- Sword of Iron
- Crystal Skull
- Warlords
- Black Talon
- Titan’s Awakening
- Haneda