Axe Dragger (with members of Fu Manchu, Dark Funeral, ex-Pantera and Pentagram) sign to Ripple Music for debut album release in 2026!
Ripple Music is happy to welcome American heavy metal supergroup Axe Dragger (with members of Fu Manchu, Dark Funeral and former members of Pantera, Pentagram) to their roster for the release of their self-titled debut album in the spring of 2026.
Axe Dragger began as a long-distance collaboration between guitarist Bob Balch (Fu Manchu, Slower) and drummer Pete Campbell (ex-Pentagram). Bob would send over riffs, Pete would lay down drums, and before long, things started to take shape.
The project leveled up when legendary vocalist Terry Glaze (ex-Pantera) and bassist Fredrik Isaksson (Dark Funeral) joined the fold. Over the course of a year, songs slowly but relentlessly came together – built riff by riff, crash by crash – until it became clear they had a full-blown band on their hands. The result is a debut album soaked in the spirit of early ’80s heavy metal – think Riot, Savatage, Judas Priest, Dio, Iron Maiden, and Armored Saint – with modern weight and grit in the vein of Soundgarden, Mastodon and The Obsessed.
About the genesis of the band, guitarist Bob Balch says: “I’d been in touch with drummer Pete Campbell for a while about trading riffs, drum beats, and ideas. I’ve also been teaching a student over FaceTime for a couple of years who wants to learn old Riot, Judas Priest, and DIO – and that really lit a fire under me to start writing an old-school heavy metal project. So Pete and I started sending riffs and beats back and forth, and once we had a few solid tunes, we brought in vocalist Terry Glaze and bassist Fredrik Isaksson. The first song Terry sent back was »Axe Dragger« and Pete and I completely lost our minds. From there, we were all fired up, and over the course of a year, we put together this record. It’s a pure reflection of early ’80s heavy metal – and I hope you dig it. For the guitar geeks out there, this record is loaded with harmonic minor modes à la »Powerslave«-era Iron Maiden!”
Their debut album »Axe Dragger« will be released in the spring of 2026 through Ripple Music. It was mixed by Brian Scheuble (Mötley Crüe, Whitesnake, Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails) and mastered by Dave Collins (Metallica, Soundgarden), with vinyl and CD mastering by Carl Saff, album artwork by Seldon Hunt and press photo by John McGill.
Axe Dragger is:
Bob Balch (Fu Manchu, Slower) – Guitar
Pete Campbell (ex-Pentagram) – Drums
Fredrik Isaksson (Dark Funeral) – Bass
Terry Glaze (ex-Pantera) – Vocals
Courtesy of Purple Sage PR
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well