Godzilla with a grin... What a year - and then another one! Things have been moving fast and furiously for The New Black since 2009, with critical praise for their debut album, appearances at every major festival and incredible gigs everywhere. The German quintet opened up for the mighty AC/DC in front of 65,000 rabid fans, supported Alter Bridge on a sold-out German tour, played alongside Volbeat and Black Label Society and dominated at Wacken and at Rock Am Ring... A pretty eye-opening story, considering that the band was basically formed by coincidence (and heavy drinking), solely forthe love of rock, huge riffs and the power of a great song. The New Black's tale proves once again that authentic music goes a long way - with real musicians, real songwriting and real sweat. There's no juvenile fist-clenching going on here - it's more like a knockout punch. This uncompromising ethic anchors the band's second release, II: BETTER IN BLACK. While their debut album was an enthusiastic exploration of new territory, these days the bands are fully in tune with themselves after laying the crucial groundwork. Apart from the musical abilities needed to do the job, it's the unmeasurable vibes within the band that really make them what they are - their groove, their sound, their vibe and (again) their songs. Once again, Fludid's voice is The New Black's secret weapon: he easily holds his own against any international rock vocalist. In fact, Kerrang! remarked "You might expect this honest-to-God rock machine to hail from Texas rather than Germany", before labelling the debut album "muscular". Other publications chimed in with "clever" (Metal Hammer), "superior" (Visions) and "big boys playing rock'n'roll with a taste of whiskey" (Rock Hard). Out of the blue, the record hit Number 2 in Metal Hammer's monthly Soundcheck, while the readers of Rock Hard voted The New Black one of the Top 10 newcomers of 2009. With II: BETTER IN BLACK, The New Black continue their spectacular story, with a professional work ethic and a firm focus on the important elements - the music and the joy of playing it. And, of course, with a huge riff up their sleeves. Big boys just