“He seeks distance to change his perspective
In freedom and seclusion he arranges his thoughts
Strength and power he regains in nature’s shielding bosom
In vivid silence and familiar remoteness he can listen to his heart
Yet he experienced that from no wayfare you return the same
He knows that nothing will change until you change yourself
And therefore every revolutionary is a wanderer.”

HEAVEN SHALL BURN open the visually stunning booklet for their eighth studio album, “Wanderer”, with a quote which sums up the overall idea of the album: during confusing and troubled times you occasionally need to retreat from all the madness that surrounds you. This allows you to gain new perspective, energy and focus, so that you can attack those changes with a refreshed and strengthened mindset. Modern life has become so complex that sometimes choosing simplicity and solitude can give you the strength to conquer the chaos around and within you. “Wanderer” isn’t merely offering interesting historical and political stories, but also serves as a travelogue of a journey into one’s inner self. It is the search for a safe haven for our daily stress as well as an outlet for negative feelings and aggression.

For the breathtaking artwork of “Wanderer”, HEAVEN SHALL BURN sent their friend and photographer Christian Thiele on a quest and asked him to capture the beauty of mountains, plains and shorelines. Once again the album was produced by guitarist Alexander Dietz and co-produced by guitarist Maik Weichert. While the drums were tracked by Eike Freese at Chameleon Studios in Hamburg, the rest of the album was recorded at Dietz’s own Chemical Burn Studios in Bad Kösen. Tue Madsen mixed and mastered “Wanderer” at Chemical Burn Studios as well as at his Antfarm Studios in Aarhus, Denmark. “Wanderer” is the first album to feature Christian Bass on drums.

This Deluxe Edition includes “Too Good To Steal From” (tracks #14-26) which compiles all 13 cover versions they had ever recorded since signing with Century Media Records in 2003. After its release on HEAVEN SHALL BURN’s breakthrough album “Iconoclast”, the band’s cover of the Edge Of Sanity classic “Black Tears” quickly became a crowd favorite. Popularity has never been the driving force for their choice of covers, but rather paying tribute to some of their favorite artists and songs – no matter if they were coming from the realms of metal, alternative, punk or hardcore. HEAVEN SHALL BURN invited Frank Blackfire for a guest solo on their blistering cover of Sodom’s “Agent Orange”, which is available on all formats except the standard jewel-case and standard digital album. For their version of My Dying Bride’s atmospheric “The Cry Of Mankind”, they got support from Sólstafir vocalist Aðalbjörn Tryggvason, who added his hauntingly beautiful melodic vocals to the final track on the album. George “Corpsegrinder“ Fisher co-handles the vocals on “Prey To God” with Marcus Bischoff, while their friend Nick Hipa recorded some extra shredding for “Save Me”.