GOTTHARD To Release 'Heaven - Best Of Ballads Part 2'

Swiss hard rock icons GOTTHARD — whose vocalist, Steve Lee, was killed on October 5 in what has been described as a freak road accident in Nevada — will release a brand new collection, "Heaven - Best Of Ballads Part 2", on November 26 via Nuclear Blast Records.

"Nobody's really in the mood for a driving rock song at the moment," states bass player Marc Lynn. "This ballad compilation might also help our fans to cope with their sadness and grief."

"We lost not only one of the best rock voices of the world, we also lost a really exceptional person, friend, brother and musician," adds drummer Hena Habegger. "Despite his tremendous success, Steve Lee always had his feet on the ground and never lost his sensitivity for the environment."

The compilation will only be issued as a simple but very elegant all-black digibook and will include two previously unreleased acoustic versions of the songs "Have A Little Faith" and "Falling" as well as a brand new track called "What I Am".

"Heaven - Best Of Ballads Part 2" track listing:

01. Heaven
02. What Am I *
03. Where Is Love When It's Gone
04. Need To Believe
05. One Life One Soul
06. The Call
07. Don't Let Me Down
08. Nothing Left At All
09. Unconditional Faith
10. Have A Little Faith **
11. Tears To Cry
12. Everything I Want
13. I've Seen An Angel Cry
14. Tomorrow's Just Begun
15. Falling ***
16. And Then Goodbye
17. Merry Christmas

* previously unreleased
** special piano version / previously unreleased
*** special acoustic version / previously unreleased

Photos of Steve Lee's final resting place have posted at Blick.ch. The urn containing Lee's ashes was placed in a cemetery in his hometown of Porza, Ticino on October 21. The funeral was an intimate gathering, with only close friends and family in attendence, including Steve's parents (who flew in from Spain),his sister Karin Nicholls and family, Steve's girlfriend Brigitte Voss-Balzarini, the surviving members of GOTTHARD and a handful of friends and neighbors.

Steve, who had a British father and Swiss mother, was 47 years old.

Lee's tragic death has triggered a record demand for GOTTHARD albums in the band's native country of Switzerland. For the first time in the history of the Swiss chart, 13 albums from one artist — representing all the LPs that GOTTHARD has released so far in its career — simultaneously appeared in the Top 100. The Swiss single charts were also affected, with "Heaven" making it to the top of the chart and "One Life One Soul" at No. 4. In total, nine GOTTHARD singles can currently be found on the chart.

Formed in 1990, GOTTHARD's last 11 albums all charted at No. 1 in Switzerland. The band's latest CD, "Need To Believe", was certified platinum in the group's home country for sales in excess of 30,000 copies.

GOTTHARD was presented with the platinum-award plaques on January 9, 2010 at the "Swiss Awards 2009", which also included the TV premiere of the band's radio single, "Don't Let Me Down".

"Need To Believe" was released on September 4, 2009 via Nuclear Blast Records.