Los Angeles–based heavy metal outfit Lightning Strikes return with their long-awaited new full-length album, The King Is Victorious, out today, February 18th.
The album features eight powerful new tracks and showcases a truly international lineup of elite musicians. The majority of The King Is Victorious was recorded by Lightning Strikes co-founder Maksudian, alongside Japanese guitar virtuoso Norifumi Shima (Concerto Moon), American bass legend Barry Sparks (Michael Schenker Group, Yngwie Malmsteen), and rising Argentinian vocalist Mariano Gardella. Rounding out the album is a special guest appearance by keyboard maestro Derek Sherinian (Black Country Communion, Sons Of Apollo), who also appeared on the band’s debut release.
Karpis Maksudian shares:
They said heavy metal was just noise.
They said the wait was too long.
They said the fire fades with time.
They were wrong.
This album isn’t just music — it’s years of pressure, pain, growth, and hunger forged into sound. Every riff hits harder. Every drum feels like thunder. Every scream carries everything I’ve been holding back.
This is the heavy metal you’ve been waiting for.
Superstar-level heaters. No fillers. No limits.
Just raw power.
I didn’t come back quietly.
I came back louder. Stronger. Hungrier.
When this drops, it’s not just an album release — it’s a takeover.
Turn your speakers up.
Tell the world heavy metal is alive.
And get ready… because once this is out, there’s no turning back.
And I also as a producer want to take this moment to speak from the heart.
From the bottom of my soul, thank you to every single person who was part of this powerful journey. This album was built on passion, fire, and brotherhood — and I’m beyond grateful to the warriors who stepped into the storm with me.
A special, thunderous thank you to the legends who played on the title track “The King Is Victorious” without hesitation, without conditions — just pure love for the music and the metal spirit:
Rowan Robertson, Mark Zavon, Craig Goldy, Norifumi Shima, Takehiko "Shake" Kogure, Dario Mollo, Mariano Gardella, Rob Math, Barry Sparks, Derek Sherinian, Michael T. Ross and the Moscow Symphony Orchestra.
Your talent, your energy, your riffs, your solos, your power — you helped turn this song into a battlefield anthem. This wasn’t just collaboration… this was unity. This was heavy metal brotherhood at its finest.
The King is Victorious because of all of you.
Let the world hear it.
Originally formed in 1984, Lightning Strikes made history as the first heavy metal band with an all Armenian-American lineup, predating the emergence of System Of A Down by more than a decade. After disbanding, Maksudian revived the Lightning Strikes name more than 25 years later, assembling a new lineup to record the band’s self-titled debut album in 2016.
That release featured Brazilian vocalist Nando Fernandes (Sinistra, Hangar), drummer Rob Math, Derek Sherinian, and legendary former Black Sabbath vocalist Tony Martin, who sang on and penned lyrics for standout tracks “Death Valley” and “301 AD (Sins Of Our Fathers).” Mixed by renowned producer Roy Z, the album was met with strong critical acclaim and peaked at #6 on Japan’s Burrn! Magazine import charts.
