Rockshots Records is proud to announce the release of Highway Queen’s new EP, “Extendead Play”, a fresh chapter in the Finnish rockers’ journey through melodic hard rock and metal-infused soundscapes. The EP will be available on all major platforms as of January 17th, 2025.

“Extendead Play” continues to showcase Highway Queen’s signature style, blending 80s-inspired hard rock with modern melodic elements, powerful riffs, and dynamic rhythms. This new collection of songs dives deeper into the band’s ability to tell stories through music, with lyrics that explore themes of anger, lust, bitterness, and longing. The EP captures the brutality of life, both good and bad. An official music video for the track “Lies” is out today adding a visual dimension to the band’s compelling storytelling.

Since their formation in late 2019, Highway Queen has been a rising force in the melodic hard rock scene. After the successful release of their debut album, “Bitter Soul” in 2022, the band has continued to evolve and refine their sound. The songs on “Extendead Play” like those on “Bitter Soul” were recorded and produced by Aleksanteri Kuosa, who has also worked with bands such as Waltari and Before The Dawn. Their music is recommended for fans of melodic hard rock, heavy rock, and the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal (NWOTHM).

With “Extendead Play” Highway Queen reaffirms their position as torchbearers of melodic rock with a modern edge, delivering music that resonates with the heart and soul. Prepare to turn up the volume and join the ride as Highway Queen takes you on another electrifying musical journey.

LISTEN to the EP at https://lnk.to/dPX0pF

Track Listing:​​
1. Lies
2. I Will Take You To Hell
3. Come To Me
4. I’m Calling You

Album Credits:​​
All songs written by
– Virpi Kääriäinen: lyrics
– Teemu Kääriäinen, Virpi Kääriäinen: music
– Arrangements: Teemu Kääriäinen, Virpi Kääriäinen, Aleksanteri Kuosa, Juha Skog & Henri Backman
– Produced, engineered & mixed by Aleksanteri Kuosa
– Mastering: Svante Forsbäck

Highway Queen are:
​
Virpi Kääriäinen: vocals
Teemu Kääriäinen: guitars
Juha Skog: bass & backing vocals
Henri Backman: drums

For more info:​
​www.rockshots.eu​
​www.highwayqueenband.com​
​www facebook.com/highwayqueenband​
​www.instagram.com/highwayqueenband

Cover and photo by Henri Backman

Rockshots Records is proud to announce their signing of Finnish rockers HIGHWAY QUEEN for their debut full-length “Bitter Soul”, a collection of rock and metal songs with beautiful melodies, strong riffs with heavy drums and bass. Each song shows the listener the stylistic versatility of the band.

The album is due out on December 16th and follows their 2021 singles “Walls Are Burned”, “You Better Run” and “Hellfire” released via Inverse Records.

Songs on “Bitter Soul” are all about scenarios in one’s life.
The lyrics tell stories about the gnawing burden of shame, anger, and bitterness. They also talk about the burden that carries through generations. They are about people’s weaknesses too. The stories are also about overcoming these challenges.

“From our first self-releases and singles with Inverse Records to this album, our sound is definitely going from a lighter to heavier direction. Every song has its own mood so feeling vary throughout the album. There are parts in the album with bluesy vibes to parts that have strong doom or even thrash vibes. It all blends together with a touch of 80’s style. Every song on the record has its own mood.” adds the band.

Today, the band presents their first single and album title track with a music video, which can be viewed at:

SPOTIFY – https://bfan.link/bitter-soul-1

The band explains the song in further detail:

“We wanted to compose a very simple and blues-like song. We tossed around ideas and played and played until we got verse and chorus ready. Still, we weren’t pleased with the chorus. We had a session with the producer and we introduced the song to him. He also thought that it wasn’t ready yet. So we played the song and tried to think out of the box and the chorus came out. The guitar has a gloomy riff to give the song a darker shade. The bass came out to be strong together with simple and tight drums still giving some spice on its own. Bitter Soul tells about a woman who has lost her loved ones. Her soul has died. She regrets and mourns but she doesn’t know how she can change the things she has done.”

Highway Queen is a band that plays melodic hard rock with some metal influences. The band was founded at the end of 2019 by vocalist Virpi Kääriäinen, guitarist Teemu, Kääriäinen and drummer Henri Backman. All members have played in cover band projects in the past and decided it was time to start making their own creations.

In 2020, the band self-released four singles on digital platforms. Also in 2020, the band acquired bassist Petri Orava and they recorded more songs to be released. In 2021, the band signed with Finnish record label Inverse Records for releasing three singles and a music video. The songs had a great reception, and the band continued moving forward to start working on their first album. All Highway Queen songs are recorded with Aleksanteri Kuosa, so he was a natural choice to be the producer for the full-length. He has also worked with bands like Waltari and Before The Dawn.

Album pre-order: https://bit.ly/BitterSoulCD

Track Listing:​​

1. Hey!
2. Get On Your Knees
3. I Lean On You
4. Here I Am
5. I Dim The Lights
6. Bitter Soul
7. In Vain
8. Own Will

Album Credits:​
All songs written by
– Virpi Kääriänen, Teemu Kääriäinen & Henri Backman
– Vocals: Virpi Kääriäinen
– Guitars: Teemu Kääriäinen
– Drums: Henri Backman
– Bass tracks played for the album by Jykke Tikka
– Produced, engineered & mixed by Aleksanteri Kuosa
– Cover and photos: Henri Backman
– Mastered by Jukka Yliaho/Masterlab
– Recorded at Inka Studio