“Violent Horror Stories” was released on Friday the 13th of February. Was that a calculated strike to align with the horror theme, or did the heavy metal gods just smile upon your release schedule?
A release date for an album with that title couldn’t be nothing more than fate itself. But sometimes you need to pull some strings in order to make things happen the way you want them to be.
Your debut in 2024 set a high bar, but this new record is described as “darker and more aggressive” As a band, what was the internal catalyst for this shift into a more “hostile” sound compared to the first album?
Our taste for thrash metal cannot be hidden, such as our love for ‘80s horror movies. The nostalgic factor remained, enriched with more elements of horror, in order to fit with the title and to create a statement of its own.
The track”V.H.S” opens the album with a massive nod to retro horror. In an age of 4K streaming and instant digital gratification, what is it about the grainy, “imperfect” aesthetic of the VHS era that fits the Leatherhead sound so perfectly?
I would say the fact that the whole concept of the band could be an ‘80s horror movie itself. Apart from the musical era that we draw inspiration of course.
You worked with George Kougioumtzoglou on production and the legendary Arthur Rizk for mastering. How did their combined expertise help you capture that specific “early Overkill meets Agent Steel” energy while keeping the production feeling fresh for 2026?
For us it’s a matter of knowhow, since we are really into that sound, and so is George, who made a great work in the studio. Arthur Rizk is a well-known beast of the art of mastering, so thing turned out as they had to very easily.
"The soul of our music lives in the fans, so it depends entirely from their dedication."
Speaking of “Children Of The Beast” it’s a seven-minute epic that some have called a “metal anthem”. Could you walk us through the songwriting process for that track? How do you balance those melodic, haunting passages with the high-speed intensity you’re known for?
That specific piece was almost ready before our first album was released and almost got its place on our debut. The composition started back in 2021, before the band even existed. With some extra arrangements before the studio, it became the piece that is today. The fact is that Leatherhead were and will always be a band of many different faces concerning the music and that’s exactly what “Children…” is there to make clear.
Tracks like “Summoning The Dead” and “Something Evil (This Way Comes)” sound like classic horror homage. What kind of influences, films, books, urban legends, fed into the writing?
In “Summoning The Dead” the theme is drawn by a number of horror books and movies, while “Something Evil…” is more of a journey inside the world of our own personal demons.
The horror theme often reflects real-world fears in disguise. Do any of the “violent horror stories” on this album mirror modern anxieties, or are you aiming purely for escapism?
Fear is something very specific for every person, feeding from their very inner being, their experiences and childhood. In “Violent...” we present some of these inner thoughts, but allegorically almost every time.
You’ve shared the stage with legends like Michael Schenker and Savatage. What is themost valuable lesson you’ve learned from those veterans that you applied to the “establishment” of your sound on this sophomore record?
Keep your feet on the ground and work harder than you did the last time.
The internet today is often a “horror story” of its own, from AI-generated music to the “dead internet theory”. As a band that prides itself on true heavy metal, what is your stance on the digital evolution of the industry? Does it help a speed metal band from Greece reach the world, or does it dilute the soul of the genre?
For sure internet does help a band from a small city of Greece to grow and reach almost every corner of the world. The soul of our music lives in the fans, so it depends entirely from their dedication. Since you are dedicated to a specific music genre, you are able to understand the meaning of the access given by today’s technology.
Speed metal has been making a serious comeback worldwide in the last few years. Do you feel part of a new wave, or do you see yourselves more as carrying the torch of the old guard?
Hmmm, in a way, yes, however we don’t see ourselves as just a speed metal band, other than a heavy metal band, in the way the term is used nowadays. Our goal is to step out of the borders of a specific heavy metal subgenre and create our own thing.
With everything going on globally, economic pressure, constant digital noise, shorter attention spans, do you think albums like yours still get the full attention they deserve, or is the format under threat?
In the last decade there’s been a revival of CDs and LPs, something very pleasant for a band like us. The recognition is something that will come by time, if it is deserved.
Looking ahead, what does success look like for Leatherhead after this release, bigger tours, festivals, pushing outside Europe, or just surviving the chaos of the modern music industry?
Keeping our strong bonds intact and creating high quality music, while balancing our personal lives.
Finally, looking at the tracklist from “V.H.S” to “Dreamcatcher”, if this album were a cult horror film from 1985, what would the tagline on the back of the box say?
Sweet dreams…denied!
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