SACRED OATH Announces European Release Date For New Studio Album

Connecticut old-school metallers SACRED OATH — Rob Thorne (vocals, guitar),Bill Smith (Guitar),Scott Waite (bass),and Kenny Evans (drums) — have just signed an exclusive European distribution/publishing deal with CMM Marketing in Hannover Germany for their new studio album, "Sacred Oath". The CD will be released on May 22 via H'Art Musik/SAOL. Both the standard AND the deluxe editions of the album will be marketed throughout Europe by CMM, a company best known for their work with IRON MAIDEN, HALFORD, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, OVERKILL, METAL CHURCH, the Wacken Open Air festival, and more.

"Germany has long been at the center of the European metal scene," says Rob Thorne. "To form a partnership with a company like CMM is a great step forward in making our music more available over there. Until now, most of our fans have had to hunt our discs down through mail order services and import companies. It's amazing how long we survived underground."

SACRED OATH first traveled to Germany in 2007 during the European leg of their World IndiVisible Tour, where they co-headlined the Keep It True festival in Dittigheim with LEATHERWOLF and HIRAX. That performance was immortalized in the critically acclaimed "Till Death Do Us Part" — a live CD released in 2008 and recognized by iTunes as one of 8 top live metal albums alongside catalog discs from BLACK SABBATH, JUDAS PRIEST, and IRON MAIDEN. Exclusive distribution of that live album is also a part of the agreement with CMM.

Plans are underway for the band to appear in Europe again in 2009. "We love the fans over there," says Thorne. "They hung in there for a long time waiting to see us. Many of them brought original pressings of our debut on vinyl that they had been holding for twenty years, waiting for us to sign them. It was an honor. I hope we'll be back at some of the clubs we played last time — Negasonic in Belgium, Rock City in Switzerland — great little clubs!"

Angel Thorne Music will remain the parent label for the band, organizing and managing all distribution and licensing agreements. According to Rob, "I've been doing it this way since 2001. It's been a hard climb, and we're just beginning to see the light of day, but I wouldn't have it any other way. We're very much the business model of today's music industry. Sure, we take a lot of risk, but we're not whoring ourselves out anymore like in the beginning with Mercenary Records. THAT was a nightmare, and it crippled the band for years."

SACRED OATH will release its self-titled album in the U.S. on May 12. The standard version contains 10 songs in a jewel case. The deluxe edition has 14 songs and is packaged in an elaborate digipack with a 16-page lyric and photo booklet. All four bonus tracks in the deluxe package are additional brand new songs. Why two editions? "Pricing, really," says Rob Thorne. "Old-school Oathbangers won't have any qualms paying $14 for the deluxe, but newcomers to the band might, and we're working on an exclusive with iTunes to feature the album at a discounted price. You just can't do that with 14 songs."

The group recently filmed the first video off "Sacred Oath", for the track "Counting Zeros".

"Sacred Oath" standard version (jewel case):

01. Paradise Lost
02. Blood Storm
03. Voodoo Dolls
04. Counting Zeros
05. High and Mighty
06. Sacred Oath
07. Caught In The Arc
08. Buried Alive
09. What The Dark Will Undo
10. Hunt For The Fallen Angel

"Sacred Oath" deluxe edition (digipack):

01. Paradise Lost
02. Blood Storm
03. Buried Alive
04. Voodoo Dolls
05. Counting Zeros
06. Caught In The Arc
07. Mistress Of The Setting Sun
08. High and Mighty
09. Wings Of Salvation
10. Order Of The System Lords
11. Sacred Oath
12. What The Dark Will Undo
13. Scourge Of Sin
14. Hunt For The Fallen Angel