Arch Enemy's Alissa White-Gluz Joins Savage Lands on New Single “Ruling Queen”; VIDEO

I knew a guy once—swore on his mother’s grave that trees could scream. Not metaphorically, not some poetic nonsense about deforestation being a “cry for help.” No, he meant it literally, said he heard it with his own ears—a deep, resonant moan every time an axe struck bark. He got laughed out of the room, of course, but I always wondered if maybe he was right, if maybe those old gods of the jungle had voices we just weren’t smart enough—or sober enough—to hear.

But if trees do have voices, Savage Lands is out there trying to be their megaphone—howling at the sky with guitars and blast beats, rattling the foundations of the corporate meat-grinder that chews up the planet for profit. Dirk Verbeuren, drummer of Megadeth and apparent eco-warrior, has decided that the only logical next step in extreme music is to fund extreme conservation efforts. It’s a strange world, my friend, when the people in corpse paint and bullet belts are doing more for the rainforest than the suits in Washington. But here we are.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF INSANITY

Savage Lands, for those of you just tuning in, is both a band and a non-profit, because clearly one wasn’t enough for Verbeuren. Started in 2022, the organization has already managed to buy up chunks of Costa Rican rainforest using money raised from metal royalties. Picture that—music literally stopping bulldozers. This is some real rock n’ roll Robin Hood shit, except instead of robbing the rich, they’re just throwing wads of Hellfest cash at environmentalists.

Last year, Hellfest gave them €1,000,000 for their efforts. Let me repeat that: one. million. euros. That’s not beer money, that’s cartel money. That’s the kind of money that makes governments nervous, because if a bunch of sweaty headbangers can fund reforestation better than elected officials, what does that say about the system? (Spoiler: Nothing good.) Meanwhile, Heilung threw in $1 per ticket from their U.S. tour, because apparently Viking chants and environmental responsibility go hand in hand.

ENTER THE “RULING QUEEN”

So now, after spending years literally saving the jungle, Savage Lands has decided to release their first full-length album, Army of the Trees. (A bit on the nose, but we’ll allow it.) The latest and final single before the album drops is called “Ruling Queen”, featuring Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy) and Kenneth Andrews (Obituary), which makes sense—who better to scream about the impending collapse of nature than two people who sound like they gargle whiskey and barbed wire before breakfast?

White-Gluz, for her part, is fully invested:

“Art and activism converge in a space of meaning, and that is where I choose to stand. Metalheads have always been powerful and passionate people in my eyes. I hold deep gratitude for Savage Lands and their relentless work in safeguarding the fragile beauty of Costa Rica’s ecosystem.”

Poetic, sure, but also a little terrifying. If metalheads are the last line of defense between civilization and total environmental collapse, we are, as a species, completely fucked. Not that I’m complaining—it’s just, when the government, billionaires, and entire environmental organizations aren’t pulling their weight, but a dude from Megadeth and a handful of screaming maniacs are, you have to step back and wonder if maybe we are, in fact, living in a simulation.

THE BAND THAT BUYS LAND

The album isn’t just a one-man show. Oh no, they’ve assembled a warband for this crusade. The lineup looks like a festival lineup for people who own at least one pet snake:

• Kai Uwe Faust (Heilung) – vocals (probably summoning spirits, who knows)
• Chloe Trujillo – vocals
• Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy) – vocals, growls, righteous fury
• Kenneth Andrews (Obituary) – guitars, probably tuned so low the earth vibrates
• Andreas Kisser (Sepultura) – guitars, because of course Sepultura’s involved
• John Tardy (Obituary) – vocals, death metal croaks and groans
• Maria Franz (Heilung) – vocals, likely conjuring an eldritch god
• Lord of the Lost – vocals, guitars, unholy rituals

It’s a who’s who of metal’s most environmentally woke, a coalition of shrieking, growling, pagan-worshipping misfits whose collective royalties are being plowed directly into conservation efforts. Every penny from this album goes toward buying more land, protecting more trees, and making sure the corporations of the world don’t turn all of Costa Rica into a goddamn parking lot.

And for the vinyl collectors out there—don’t worry, they didn’t forget about you. The physical copies are on BioVinyl (fancy non-fossil record material, supposedly better for the environment). The Season of Mist site promises that 100% of royalties for the album go to support reforestation, so you can feel marginally less guilty about hoarding more records.

THOUGHTS FROM THE EDGE

metal has always been about fighting back against the machine. Whether it’s authority, war, religion, or—apparently—deforestation, this music thrives on defiance. But it’s rare to see a band actually put its money where its mouth is and do something tangible with that energy. Army of the Trees is a battle cry—not just in sound, but in action.

Whether or not this kind of effort can actually stop the juggernaut of environmental destruction remains to be seen. Maybe it’s too late. Maybe the planet is already circling the drain, and all we’re doing is screaming into the void. Or maybe, just maybe, the void is finally screaming back.

And it sounds like a goddamn blast beat.

Got a tip for us? Email: [email protected]