MOB RULES - Stories From The Verdant Vale, LP

Limited to 400 transparent-blue "Stories Fron The Verdant Vale" LPs.

Northern German power metal band MOB RULES returned in 2025 with their tenth studio album, "Rise of the Ruler". The album received rave reviews in the press and immediately became a highlight in the band's career.

Particularly noteworthy was the strictly limited 2-CD earbook edition, which features five tracks composed exclusively for this release. "During the final stages of completing the album, we discussed possible bonus material for the earbook edition with the label. We were reluctant to use demo versions or similar material. This motivated us to write a few new songs. We were well aware of what we were getting ourselves into, but we also wanted to challenge ourselves a little", says singer Klaus Dirks. "The songs on "Stories from the Verdant Vale" are more direct and therefore have a slightly different character than the "Rise of the Ruler" material. They thus form an interesting contrast without being untypical for MOB RULES", Dirks continues.

In terms of quality, the fans of the North German band agreed that this material was also completely convincing and deserved to reach a wide audience - especially since it completely bypassed fans of the vinyl format.

This wish is now being fulfilled and "Stories from the Verdant Vale" is being released on vinyl. It will also be made available on digital platforms. "A lot of heart and soul went into this extra release", recalls Klaus Dirks. "Stan W-Decker created a fantastic and very unique cover artwork for it, and of course there was no question that Markus Teske would take care of the mix."

Keyboardist Jan Christian Halfbrodt provides insight into the lyrical concept he devised: "Basically "Stories from the Verdant Vale" can be understood as a kind of extension of the "Rise of the Ruler" concept. It looks at the story from a different angle. However, the songs can also stand well on their own."

Since "Stories from the Verdant Vale" is thematically linked to the band's two early works, "Savage Land" (1999) and "Temple of Two Suns" (2000), songs from this era adorn the B-side of the vinyl as bonus tracks. These are "Insurgeria" (2014 version, featuring Udo Dirkschneider), "End of All Days" (2014 version, featuring Amanda Somerville), "Coast to Coast" (2014 version, featuring Chity Somapala), "Celebration Day" (2014 version, featuring Bernhard Weiß), and "Broken", released in 2014, which has also not been released on vinyl until now.