STEEL PANTHER vocalist Michael Starr has confirmed the glam metal comedians are actively working on their seventh studio album, speaking at the recent NAMM convention in Anaheim, California on January 24. In an interview with Reality Check TV conducted on the convention floor, Starr offered an update that will please fans eager for new material from one of metal's most entertainingly outrageous acts.
"We're working on a new record right now. It should be out sometime next year," Starr told the interviewer, quickly adding a caveat that reflects the band's refusal to sacrifice quality for speed: "You can't really put a timeline on creativity, and if you do, it sounds like it." The sentiment echoes comments from drummer Stix Zadinia, who confirmed the album's development in a separate interview with the "Iron City Rocks" podcast.
No release date, album title, or producer has been officially announced, though the band's track record suggests they will likely continue their partnership with Jay Ruston, who has produced their last several records. What is known is that the new album will be the first to feature the band's current lineup following some personnel changes, potentially bringing fresh creative energy to the STEEL PANTHER formula.
STEEL PANTHER have carved out a unique niche in the metal world as both a legitimate musical force and a comedy act, with their over-the-top glam metal celebrating and satirizing the excess of 1980s Sunset Strip culture in equal measure. Their live shows are legendary for their audience interaction, innuendo-laden banter, and surprisingly tight musicianship that belies the comedic presentation.
The band continues their busy touring schedule with the "Twenty Twenty Sex" tour, which has been drawing strong crowds across North America. A "Feel The Steel" 15th anniversary tour is also confirmed, launching June 18 in Dublin and running through July 6 in Germany, celebrating the debut album that first brought STEEL PANTHER to mainstream metal attention.
With six studio albums to their name — from 2009's "Feel the Steel" through 2023's "On the Prowl" — STEEL PANTHER have proven that comedy and credible heavy metal are not mutually exclusive.