Germany’s truest of the true, Cruel Force, have unveiled the second video from their forthcoming fourth full-length, Haneda. The new clip, “Savage Gods”, offers another glimpse into the band’s latest chapter, with the album set for international release on March 27th via Shadow Kingdom Records.
Since coming onto the underground in 2008 with their Into the Crypts… demo, Cruel Force have stood apart from the countless imitators of the ancient German (black)thrash sound. Their 2010 debut The Rise of Satanic Might and 2011’s Under the Sign of the Moon cemented their reputation as a cult force in the global metal underground, channeling the spirit of early Teutonic extremity with authenticity rather than nostalgia. After a period of hiatus, the band returned with 2022’s Across the Styx EP and 2023’s full-length Dawn of the Axe, marking the beginning of what can only be described as their Second Era.
With Haneda, Cruel Force continue to build upon that revitalized momentum.
Haneda is highly conceptual in atmosphere. From ancient temples to desert plains, dense jungles to towering mountain peaks, the record unfolds like a pilgrimage through mythical realms. The production mirrors that vision: big, natural-toned, and unapologetically ‘80s in spirit.
The band themselves describe their sound as imagining what Rainbow or Dio might have created had they embraced speed metal, a fitting comparison given the album’s neoclassical flourishes and its fusion of thrashing aggression with grand, almost regal heavy metal sensibilities. Echoes of classic Kreator and Deathrow collide with the epic grandeur of traditional heavy metal, yet the result remains unmistakably Cruel Force: authentic, unfiltered, and defiantly old-school.
Preorders for Haneda are now available ahead of its March 27th release.
Haneda Tracklisting:
- The Cross
- Whips-A-Swinging
- Savage Gods
- Sword Of Iron
- Crystal Skull
- Warlords
- Black Talon
- Titan’s Awakening
- Haneda