Zepter are a relatively new traditional heavy metal band from Linz, Austria. Formed in January 2024, they quickly released their EP Inferno. The project spawned from having known each other for years and having played together in other bands.

On their self-titled debut album, Zepter channel a strong NWOBHM vibe reminiscent of Trespass and Tygers of Pan Tang. The members openly admit that NWOBHM is their common ground, “but we also draw from blackened death, prog, post-punk, and film music. Bands that shaped us include early Maiden, Saxon, Witchfinder General, Raven, Saracen, Angel Witch, and Satan.”

From the opening track, the album delivers authentic old-school heavy metal, packed with catchy hooks and twin-guitar harmonies. Lukas narrows down their influences: “Think Thin Lizzy meets Schenker-era UFO, fused with early speed metal energy from bands like Acid and Slayer—as if they’d existed in 1978.”

Slasher on the Highway launches with Thin Lizzy–style twin-guitar harmonies, with a hint of Led Zeppelin’s Dazed and Confused emerging midway through. The relatively subdued vocal delivery belies the sinister lyrics: “you’re captured in blackness, no one’s coming today.” The entire short story unfolds in just three verses—a concise approach common to many of the album’s songs.

Everlasting moves forward on a grooving bassline, twin-lead guitars, and a galloping rhythm, capped by a shared solo that recalls Killers-era Iron Maiden. The tempo accelerates on The Slayer, featuring speedy guitar work and a brief breakdown punctuated by iconic bell chimes before the gallop resumes. Hit the Streets opens with an uplifting, catchy intro, marking the album’s halfway point—aptly acknowledged in the lyrics, “Let’s gain steam, we’ve only reached midway. Let’s heat it up, there’s a lot to unfold”. Indeed there is, as twin galloping guitars build to an overlapping crescendo, with some subtly overlaid vocals.

My favourite track, The Exterminator, follows. It is perhaps the most interesting one too. Its intro riff shares DNA with Thin Lizzy’s Killer on the Loose, or even Mötley Crüe’s Looks That Kill. Either way, it plays with real gusto, while the pounding bass adds plenty of weight. There’s also a clear nod to Michael Schenker’s non-flashy pedal-note riffing, as the song leans into early UFO/Schenker-era rhythm language, such as that found in Natural Thing.

Another highlight is Dark Angels, which feels like the flagship track on this album. There’s a powerful minor-key oriented pedal note riff intro, but this one travels a bit more. It moves from pedal-driven heaviness into melodic hard rock territory. Firmly within the territory of NWOBHM bands before speed took over. I love it!

Lonely Night is a cover of a song by Swedish metal band Screem, the 1986 original leaning more toward glam and hair metal. Zepter do it proud, faithfully capturing the back-to-back twin-lead solos.

The album draws to a close with The Lords. The shortest track, with just one verse, where the vocals seem to have a slightly punky feel.

Zepter’s debut album is a confident, passion-driven statement that proves their grasp of classic heavy metal runs deep without feeling nostalgic or forced. Rooted in NWOBHM but bursting with energy and craft, it marks the arrival of a band with both reverence for the past and momentum for the future. Zepter are scheduled to appear at several festivals celebrating traditional heavy metal, including Heavy Metal Thunder (CZ) and Defenders of Steel (AT), in early 2026. Grab the opportunity to see them!

LINE-UP:
Lukas Götzenberger – guitar, vocals & synths
Stefan Bolda – guitar
Tobias Hochwagen – bass
Alex Nemeth – drums & vocals (on “Lonely Night”)