TEMPEST SAINT Celebrate Debut Album "Hyperbolized": "Oh Shit, It's Real!"

"Right guys, one more serious one!" [photo: Tempest Saint]

It was a sound that defined an era. Pioneered by bands like Maiden and Priest, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal shoved metal into the faces of people like never before. And whilst it may have dwindled in the context of the modern metal world, there are still blands flying the flag for a new age. One such band is TEMPEST SAINT, an energetic new answer to the NWoBHM staples.

Blending classic sounds with a modern edge, the band have spent the last couple of years making a name for themselves. This culminated in a gig at the revered Cart and Horses in London - a festival slot that also acted as a release show for their debut album "Hyperbolized".

Following on from the gig, I had the chance to speak to vocalist Joe Curtis and bassist Luke Gould about the album and the band's journey to date.

R: First of all, big congratulations on the release of 'Hyperbolized'! How has the reaction been so far?

LG: The reaction/response for the album has been, for the most part, very positive, and a lot of people seem to like it.

What we found most surprising is that, within a day of release, people were scalping it (specifically, "full album" channels resharing it on YouTube). But at the same time as long as people listen to and enjoy it, we're not too fussed.

For some reason, the scalped versions have had a lot of comments from people in Germany, which has taken us by surprise, especially as it's an area we'd love to play.

"Hyperbolized" is out now [photo: Tempest Saint]

So obviously a few of the tracks were already released as singles. Was the plan to always turn it into a full album?

JC: We planned to do an album from the start. We had a lot of discussions between ourselves, about the material we had, and specifically, which songs we wanted to make it to the release. When it came to recording, we realised that producing the whole album would have been more effective than doing a slew of singles one after another.

"It's just that moment we're standing there like: Oh shit, its real!"

How did you approach the writing for the tracks?

LG: When it comes to writing, the approach varies slightly for each track. So, either [guitarist] James or I come to studio with riff ideas, to which we work them out in our practising time, jamming on them to build a structure. Usually, after this, James will glue it together in a DAW, the result of which is a demo of the guitar and bass part.

From there, [drummer] Matt will work out his [parts] at home, And then Joe will write the lyrics and vocal melody to them. Once we have our parts finalised, or semi finalised, to the demo, we will run them through at the studio, and practice until were happy.

One of the tracks, "Self Vilified" has a guest spot from KK Priest's Tim 'Ripper' Owens. How did that come about?

JC: The Ripper Owens track has been a much-appreciated boost, as so many people ask us about it.

Obviously as a small Trad-Metal band in the UK, we haven't got the budget to get Ripper to join us in the studio. It came about randomly, when I saw a Facebook post he put out asking to do some collaborations. I sent it to the chat, jokingly suggesting that we do it, to which James responded saying, "The worst he can say is no", and surprisingly he answered, with a yes.

From there, we decided to write a new song, specifically with two different voices in mind, Ripper's being darker and evil, mine being brighter and more heroic. All four members wrote their parts as usual, and then James and I recorded a demo, with me singing both parts, for Ripper to use to record his parts [remotely].

Lyric video for "Self Vilified" [cred. Tempest Saint]

We wished we could have done it together in person, but it was a great and smooth process, that came out very well, and honestly, Ripper was very nice to interact with, even adding a scream at the beginning of the song that wasn't written to the demo we sent him, in case we wanted it. Consummate professional.

And then going from that, what's been a standout moment from the album process?

LG:  I think the stand out moment is when we actually got the album in our hands. It's just that moment we're standing there like: "Oh shit, its real!"

"[The 'Ripper' Owens track] came about randomly, when I saw a Facebook post asking to do some collaborations"

You've just released the album, but are there any ideas floating around for a follow up?

JC: As it happens, we already have three songs written for the second album, which we've played live, to a positive response, with four or five more demos behind the scenes, on their way to being actual music.

We have a lot of dates coming up, in the South East, Midlands, and up North, which we're going to use to support "Hyperbolized"; we've also got some exciting shows booked already for 2026 that we're unfortunately not allowed to announce yet.

Sunglasses? Check. Leather jacket? Check. Definitely metal. [photo: Tempest Saint]

We plan to start recording album two as soon as we can, so it's a case of watch this space, really!

"Hyperbolized" is out NOW on streaming services, and is available on physical CD