Marco Luponero & The Loud Ones - Life & Death (2022) Hi-Res

The former founder and frontman of Finnish speed metal trio Terrorwheel, who also did a run as the vocalist/bass player in melodic metal band Altaria, has been busy during the last couple of years, writing material for his new hard rock/punk project Marco Luponero & The Loud Ones.

The debut album, which will be released in its entirety in March 2022, has been co-produced and recorded by Owe Inborr at Wolfthrone Studios. ”I worked with Owe a couple of years ago when we did an EP”, says Marco. ”He gets what I’m after and the chemistry is great, so there was no question about what studio I’d be using this time.”

The lead vocals, rhythm guitars and bass on the album are all played by Marco. Simon Grundvall, who’s played with Luponero quite a lot in the past, handles the drums. The album also features several guest performers, among them Jacob Björnfot of Kvaen, who recorded the guitar solo for ”Hook”. ”Jakob is an extremely talented guitarist. I’m very happy to have him playing on the song. The solo turned out absolutely majestic.”

Even though ”Hook” tells the story of a zombie pirate on a slashing spree, the song was actually inspired by something very serious: ”A while ago, I got blood clots in my lungs. It was a scary event that fortunately ended well. But the pain was excruciating. It felt as if my lungs were ripped apart by a sharp object, like a hook or something. I knew I had to write about it.”

Inspired by classic horror movies, the video was produced and directed by Marco himself. ”I’m a director as well, so it felt natural to take that job on myself. I also had a lot of help from good friends and actors. Big thanks to all of them all for their contribution.”