Blood Command reveal new vocalist, release new single “A Villain’s Monologue”
In 2020, Norwegian arena punks Blood Command announced that vocalist Karina Ljone would be stepping away from the band due to pregnancy, and now they’ve revealed their new singer, and released their first song with her, ex-Pagan vocalist Nikki Brumen. The song, "A Villain’s Monologue," doesn’t stray too far from the band’s usual stadium-sized dance-punk-pop-metal sound, but Nikki brings her own vibe to the table, with shouted verses and clean-sung choruses that feel as massive as Blood Command’s instrumentals.
Band co-founder Yngve Andersen said:
I remember the first time someone showed me Nikki’s old band Pagan and all I was thinking about was why isn't this girl fronting Blood Command? It was a match made in heaven. That she is in the band now is almost unreal to me. It's a dream come true.
The new era of Blood Command is tougher, tighter and more melodic than ever before. This is also a great introduction for Pagan fans who may not have heard of Blood Command, as "A Villain's Monologue" really showcases the ferocity of Nikki's vocals but also combines the deathpop sound that Blood Command is known for. This song is a taste of what's to come...
"A Villain's Monologue" was written in response to someone projecting their insecurities onto me. At the time of writing this track, I was invested in supporting someone close to me - I could see they were chasing their dreams and I wanted the best for them. Over time, however, I came to the sad realisation that the support was not reciprocated. This person who I thought I could trust was not showing me the same support that I had shown them, and as a result, were projecting. When I showed Nikki the song, she had been through an incredibly similar situation so we both knew this was the perfect introduction to the rebirth of Blood Command.
And Nikki adds:
A decade ago, I travelled from my home country of Australia to Norway. I chose to fly all the way to the other side of the world because of my obsession at the time with the Norwegian Black Metal scene. I left, however, with a new obsession - Bergen. The moment I arrived in this city, I knew there was something special about it. To this day, it is my favourite place I have been.
I used this trip and the Norwegian Black Metal scene as creative inspiration for my band Pagan, who played our last show in February 2020. Not long after we had split up, I got the offer to join Blood Command. I had actually been introduced to Blood Command’s Cult Drugs a couple of years earlier and fell in love with them instantly. In a weird way, they reminded me of a more pop version on Pagan. The strangest thing about this situation though was that I was being asked to join a band from Bergen. The stars had aligned.
I feel so privileged to have been given the opportunity to front a band that I love and that I feel such connection with. I will sing every note from my heart, I will scream every word from my gut, I will write every lyric from my soul together with the band and I will never let you down. We are all in this together now.
The band are also gearing up to tour with another Norwegian rock band who recently got a new singer, Kvelertak. All dates are listed, along with the video for the new song, below.
Kvelertak & Blood Command: 2022 Tour
Jan 13 Energimølla Kongsberg, Norway
Jan 14 Union Scene Drammen, Norway
Jan 15 Verket Scene Moss, Norway
Jan 20 Parkbiografen Skien, Norway
Jan 21 Artilleriverkstedet Horten, Norway
Jan 22 KICK Scene Kristiansand, Norway
Jan 27 Sentrum Scene Oslo, Norway
Feb 02 Røkeriet, USF Verftet Bergen, Norway
Feb 03 Terminalen Ålesund, Norway
Feb 04 Samfundet Trondheim, Norway
Feb 05 Samfundet Trondheim, Norway
Feb 08 MeetFactory Prague, Czech Republic
Feb 10 Szene Wien Vienna, Austria
Feb 11 Z7 Konzertfabrik Pratteln, Switzerland
Feb 12 Werk, Backstage Munich, Germany
Feb 13 Kulturzentrum Schlachthof Wiesbaden, Germany
Feb 14 Patronaat Haarlem, Netherlands
Feb 16 TRIX Borgerhout, Belgium
Feb 18 Islington Assembly Hall London, UK
Feb 19 Manchester Academy 2 Manchester, UK
Feb 22 FVTVR Paris, France
Feb 23 LE METRONUM Toulouse, France
Feb 25 Mon Madrid Madrid, Spain
Feb 26 Razzmatazz 2 Barcelona, Spain
Feb 27 Kafe Antzokia Bilbao, Spain
Mar 01 Ninkasi Gerland KAO Lyon, France
Mar 02 Club Vaudeville Lindau, Germany
Mar 03 Matrix Bochum, Germany
Mar 05 VoxHall Aarhus, Denmark
Mar 07 Pustervik Gothenburg, Sweden
Mar 08 Kulturbolaget Malmö, Sweden
Mar 09 Debaser Strand Stockholm, Sweden
Mar 11 Tavastia Klubi Helsinki, Finland
Mar 12 Klubi Tampere, Finland
Mar 13 Lutakko Jyväskylä, Finland