Listen to the new album over here on spotify!

After 5 studio albums we felt it was time to release a live album. First press is limited to 200 copies on magenta transparant (side A/B) and red wine transparant (side C/D) colored vinyl. Classy, right? We recorded the album on 29th and 30th December 2023 at Merleyn, Nijmegen, and we released it 29th December 2024 at a sold out Doornroosje, Nijmegen. Streaming release on 1st January 2025. For distribution, we chose a few vinyl stores that will sell this album, but we will sell most albums at shows and in our webshop.

Place your order over here in the webshop!

Want to know more about this album? OK. Scroll down.


The night of the release wasn’t just a show. The atmosphere was electric, the crowd was unstoppable, and the vibes hit harder than a canon. After overcoming the chaos of a bankrupt pressing plant (Deep Grooves, Leeuwarden) and a string of delays that nearly derailed it all, this night felt even sweeter. BVPP (Belgian Vinyl Pressing Plant, Lokeren) worked their asses off to make sure the vinyl was there on time. We called the album ‘Deliverance’ because it’s about breaking free, pushing through, and finding light on the other side – and that’s exactly what this night was.

So… you are here and you are still reading. You’re a good one and we knew it. We’d like to share some inside info about this album and make it an interesting and joyful read as well. Let’s continue.

Black Bottle Riot is first and foremost a band that enjoys playing live, connecting with our fans and focusing on the night that we’re all together. Being on the road is great. Recording on the road is not easy, but it is something really special. The most important instrument on the live album wasn’t onstage – it was you. Every cheer shook the walls, every clap hit harder than a drum, and every stomp could have powered the amps. You didn’t just watch – you took over, turning the night into something legends are made of. The band played loud, but you played louder. “Yeah, you. You’re part of this too.” It’s not just a show; it’s a moment, and if you listen carefully, you might just hear yourself cheering on the live album. Welcome to the party – you’re a part of this band too.

Also we liked the idea of picking songs from all 5 albums and approach our live album as a ‘Best Of’ album. We like to make a setlist that tells a story and it’s great to do so with a repertoire of more than 50 originals to pick from. Spanning our entire career, the album’s four sides feature 14 classic Black Bottle Riot tracks. Side A kicks things off with Bright Light City (our very first song), High Water, That’s Where I Stand and Long Road Down. On side B of disc one you can hear 4 songs. Two from Fire and two from That’s Amore. These songs are the soulful song Fire, the endless road soundtrack Lost In Time, barnburner Stepping Through The Rain (study the lyrics and you’ll see we practice what we preach) and the blues harp driven Hard Bargain. Side C delivers a powerhouse lineup with an epic version of One With The Dust, the crowd-favorite Soul In Exile, and the electrifying Midnight Walkers. Side D brings the night to a thrilling close with the powerful In The Balance, the hard-hitting boogie Exit Spoiler, and the fiery anthem Stay Hungry.

It’s interesting to see how songs evolve by going on the road and performing, growing together as a band and playing the songs on all kinds of stages. For this live album we thought the most fitting stage would be a relatively small and sweaty venue that oozes R’N’R. The venue Merleyn in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, came up early when we thought of making all this happen. We always felt the sound and feel of the room is great at Merleyn. So we miced up the place and the stage plus we hung some mics from the ceiling for that certain je ne sais quoi, tu comprends? When we started out Merleyn was one of the first stages that welcomed us many times and this album is a salute to the days of making our first steps outside the rehearsal room – with honourable mentions for NDRGRND and Paraplufabriek, where we always felt very welcome as well.

All in all, Deliverance is an album that shows the world where we are at this moment, it is a way of saying ‘thank you’ to our loyal fans and we are very proud & thankful to be able to share the ride with you.

And now some words on the brothers that deliver you Deliverance:

 

Mark Weerts doesn’t just soundcheck drums – he declares war on silence. A great live album starts with an amazing drumsound. It is like the heartbeat of music: clear, punchy, and alive. It’s the satisfying snap of a perfectly tuned snare, the deep thud of the kick, and the warm, melodic tones of the toms that seem to sing in harmony. Great cymbals shimmering or crashing. It should cut through a wall of guitars yet still feel dynamic and full of life.

Soundcheck for Mike Sedee is about as fast as his riffs. Also known as The Sultan of Sustain, The Marshall of Marshalls, The Duke of Drive and the Commander of Crunch, he dials it in within seconds. Killer guitar sound locked down for your pleasure, and ours.

When Simon Snel picks up his Telecaster, it’s not just a guitar – it’s a weapon of twang destruction. The Master of The Telecaster doesn’t need fancy gadgets or endless tweaking. One strum, and that Telecaster rings out like it’s telling you The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But The Truth. Simon doesn’t chase tone – he bends it to his will.

When Simon Snel soundchecks his blues harp, it’s not just a warm up – it’s a full-blown conversation with the universe. It’s like he’s talking to God on a tiny telephone. When this motherfucker gets going on the Mississippi saxophone, it’s like the devil himself called out the song – feet start stomping, hips start shaking, and before you know it, the whole place is dancing like they’ve made a deal at the crossroads. Like with all organs you put in your mouth, the secret’s in the technique – you’ve got to know when to blow, when to draw, and how to hit all the right notes. By the time Simon’s done, his harp isn’t just in tune – it’s begging for more and wondering when the real show starts.

When Jaap van den Berg soundchecks his bass, the earth doesn’t just shake—it politely asks for permission to keep spinning. His tone is so deep, blue whales tune in just to take notes. Jaap doesn’t need a tuner; the bass knows better than to be out of pitch. And when he hits a low E on that 60 year old Fender, it’s not a note—it’s a seismic event. Other bassists check their sound; Jaap lets the universe calibrate itself to him.

Deliverance was captured live by two great FOH mixers: David Stevens and Rutger Drenth. David has been our live FOH mixer for about 10 years and we grew stronger, learned so much and had some crazy times. Nowadays David’s made a career change and we wish him all the best. Don’t be a stranger when we’re in your area, Moffel!

After the live recordings were done, we turned over the master tapes to our buddy Sven Lens, the master producer. You might recognize Sven as recording producer of our 2nd album, Soul In Exile. Over the years we always stayed in touch with Sven and we share some kind of twisted humour, so it’s always great to catch up. Maybe also make a boat trip while we’re at it. Sven set out to keep these recordings fresh, clear, energetic, punchy, lively and honest. This is something we always strive for but did not always succeed in. This time, we did it. Sven did it.

Oh wow, and then there is the package in which the music is brought to you. Yes people, we always care a lot about the artwork. And why not? We’re in this to bring you something we truly stand for. We always work with great designers (Wytse Sterk, Yorick de Vries), outstanding photographers (Mike Nicolaassen, Joris van den Berg, Koen Rutten, Maaike Ronhaar, Simon van Leijen, Marscha van Druten) and let’s mention the tall standing force of nature and cool visual artist Bas Meeuws while we’re at it. And some other great people: Michael Jessurun for the cool videos, Bas Boerman for all the help with this fancy website and Alex McCullough at True East Mastering in Nashville for the great mastering of our latest albums. This one included. Alex has a great ear for making a good record sound even better.

OK. Back to Deliverance. This live album needed artwork that’s personal, intimate and energetic. Yorick took a deep dive while he listened to the master tapes and via highways and byways he came up with a unique lettering for the front and back, originally carved out of cardboard. These characteristic letters get your attention because of the huge size, but because they are placed in 90 degrees you also have the mental space to look beyond the lettering. And that’s where you see that essential ingredient for this album: YOU, the audience. Perfectly captured by Mike Nicolaassen, as he has been doing for us since we started this rowdy band back in 2007. Thank you, guys!

Well now, let’s wrap it up. You are a warrior for reading all this. And you got to know Deliverance and us a bit better. Come and say HEY BUDDY, WHAT’S UP at a show. Drink a beer with us. Have a good time, enjoy the ride. See you out there.

Love – Simon, Mark, Jaap & Mike

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