Savage Lands release ‘Out of Breath’ featuring Lord Of The Lost and Chloe Trujillo

As SAVAGE LANDS prove on their breathtaking new single, metalheads aren’t ones to back down from a fight. After witnessing how land developers are tearing down Costa Rica’s rain forest, Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren and his old guitarist Sylvain Demercastel decided they weren’t going to sit around and rust in peace. In 2022, they started Savage Lands, the music industry’s first artist-run environmental non-profit.

Using the money that’s generated by their music, Savage Lands has preserved 100,000 square feet of Costa Rican rain forest. 100% of the royalties from the organization’s star-studded album, Army of the Trees, support their ongoing preservation projects in Costa Rica and other countries. But as they warn on their crushing new single with Lord Of The Lost and Chloe Trujillo, if we don’t act fast and protect our ecosystems, then pretty soon, we won’t just be out of time. We’ll be out of breath.

Watch the video for Out of Breath featuring Lord of the Lost and Chloe Trujillo: https://www.youtube.com/embed/uZRuzQI2TF8?si=xTSTNUGNfEfYZspE

Savage Lands‘ roots run deep. Dirk and Sylvain first met in France during the late ’90s, when they both played in the socially conscious thrash metal band Artsonic. Even when their respective careers diverged, the two remained bonded by their joint passion for savage heavy metal and wildlife preservation. Upon reuniting some 30 years later at LA’s Daufembach Studio, “Out of Breath” was one of the first songs that they wrote for Army of the Trees . The album’s second single is also one of the heaviest, but the knots along its branches help define their organization’s sonic footprint.

“By nature, Savage Lands isn’t limited to one genre”, Dirk says, “but ‘Out of Breath’ speaks to all our core elements”.

Just take one listen to the chest-pounding double bass kicks on “Out of Breath” and any supporter of heavy metal will know that’s Dirk behind the kit. His swiveling left foot keeps the song firmly in the pocket. But while Sylvaine‘s chiseled riffs cut straight to the point, it’s the layers of melodic dissonance that capture the lingering anxieties over the fate of our planet. “I love headbanging to heavy metal”, Sylvain says with a knowing smile, “but I’m also a very nostalgic person. There’s a melancholic atmosphere to this song that reflects how both the Earth and our relationships change as time passes”.

It’s true; not even the most immortal of metal legends could withstand the fall of father time. But through the spirit of collaboration, Savage Lands are helping preserve our future. On the ground, the organization partners with scientists, forest engineers, ecological parks, private businesses and non-profits like the Jane Goodall Institute. They’ve also banded together with movers and shakers from around the metal sphere. Shane Embury (Napalm Death), Billy Graziadei (Biohazard), Andreas Kisser (Sepultura) and many more familiar faces joined Savage Lands on the main stage at this year’s Hellfest. The world-renowned French festival will donate 1 million Euro to the organization over the next five years.

“Out of Breath” marks the first time that Lord Of The Lost and Savage Lands have appeared together on a record, but the Eurovision darlings are one of the organization’s earliest supporters. “When Sylvain Demercastel and Dirk Verbeuren introduced us to Savage Lands at Hellfest in 2023, we instantly saw the passion and necessity behind this endeavor and were absolutely thrilled by the opportunity”, says Chris Harms and Pi Stoffers from Lord Of The Lost. “Music can not only offer a refuge to every single person on this earth, but it can be used as a sanctuary for the existential nature around us”.

The video tones down the glam and glitter with its dystopian footage, but Harms screams with bloody conviction alongside the explosive wails of Black Bomb A and Savage Lands vocalist Poun. “We loved writing this song, as it was yet again another stylistic facet that we haven’t necessarily touched already”, Lord Of The Lost continues. The song’s bridge craters under the cavernous weight of Harms death growls. “We’re left for dead”.

But not all hope is lost. From the ashes of Stoffers‘ smoldering solo alights a familiar voice. “Look at the sky“, beckons Chloe Trujillo, who reprises her mystic role from earlier single “Black Rock Heart”. “A place to breath / People and trees“. It’s a chilling reminder of all we stand to lose.

“Our goals are attainable,” Sylvain and Dirk say. “By converting the land that we purchase into nature sanctuaries, Savage Lands will help set a precedent for environmental activism. But we must work together and quickly. Ecosystems are still under attack. If we don’t, then there won’t be any wildlife left to save”.

Raise your horns and join the Army of the Trees in support of the metal non-profit.

Just listening to “Out of Breath” helps support Savage Lands. 100% of the song’s royalties fund the musician-run non-profit’s preservation efforts.

The CD Digisleeve for Army of the Trees is made from eco paper, while the LP is pressed on BioVinyl.

Learn more about Savage Lands: https://savagelands.org/

Donate: https://savagelands.org/donation/

Core Lineup:
Poun – Vocals  
Sylvain Demercastel – guitars
Etienne Treton – Bass
Florian Pons – drums

Special Member:
Dirk Verbeuren (Drums on “Black Rock Heart”, “The Last Howl” and “Out of Breath)

Collaborators:
Stephane Buriez
Ardag Basmadjian
HK Nico + James at Vamacara

Guest Features:
Kai Uwe Faust – Vocals (Black Rock Heart)
Chloe Trujillo – Vocals (Black Rock Heart, Out of Breath)
Alissa White-Gluz – Vocals (Ruling Queen)
Kenneth Andrews – Guitar (Ruling Queen)
Andreas Kisser – Guitar (The Last Howl)
John Tardy – Vocals (The Last Howl)
Maria Franz – Vocals (No Remedy)
Lord Of The Lost – Vocals, Guitars (Out of Breath)

*Army of Trees features Steeven Corsini (Loco Muerte), Auré Jäger (Akiavel), David & Viber (Sidilarsen), Niko Jones (Tagada Jones), Julien Truchan (Benighted), Stéphane Buriez (Loudblast, Sinsaenum), Nils Courbaron (Bloodorn, Sirenia, DDC) and Aurelien Ouzoulias (The Beat Factory, Mörglbl).