CLAWFINGER Releases New Single 'Ball & Chain' From Upcoming 'Before We All Die' Album
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Long-running Swedish-Norwegian rap-metal combo CLAWFINGER will release "Before We All Die", its first studio album in 18 years, on February 20, 2026 via the Perception label, a division of Reigning Phoenix Music. The official music video for the LP's second single, "Ball & Chain", can be seen here.
With "Ball & Chain", CLAWFINGER unleashes a track that fuses relentless riffs and raw energy with frontman Zak Tell's unflinching honesty. The single, captured in a fiery live video from this summer's festival stages, reflects on identity, change, and the struggle to find meaning in a chaotic world — all with the band's trademark mix of power, grit, and tongue-in-cheek self-awareness. It's CLAWFINGER at their most direct and human: heavy, urgent and impossible to ignore.
"This is me trying to be deep, my emotional reflections and my personal struggle, the search for some kind of meaning, the ongoing identity battle and existential doubt," Tell reveals about the new single. "It's about trying to make sense of the world and my place in it. It's about going through changes, looking at yourself and trying to figure out what the point of everything is.
"We all go through good and bad experiences and they shape us and help us move on. Life in general is a stupid fucking game, so it's interesting how much time we waste worrying about what other people think and about things we can't change regardless. There is no such thing as making everyone happy, so focus on trying to make yourself happy and the rest will come to you."
From environmental collapse to political hypocrisy, personal disillusionment to collective denial, this is CLAWFINGER at full volume — still pissed off, still sharp as ever, and still refusing to shut up while the world pretends it's all fine.
"This isn't about finding peace," Tell says. "It's about telling the truth — even when it's ugly. Especially then."
Released in July, the single "Scum" sets the tone: zero tolerance for corrupt leadership, fake morality, or the rising tide of right-wing garbage. It's not a love song — unless you really love rage and distortion.
"This album is part protest, part therapy, and part middle finger," the band adds. "We're not offering solutions. We're screaming because silence is surrender."
CLAWFINGER are considered pioneers of European rap-metal. Formed in Stockholm in the early 1990s, the Swedish-Norwegian band made an explosive debut with "Deaf Dumb Blind" (1993),blending aggressive guitar riffs with politically charged lyrics and rap vocals. The album sold over 600,000 copies worldwide — more than 250,000 in Germany alone — and won a Swedish Grammis award in the hardrock/metal category.
CLAWFINGER's follow-up, "Use Your Brain" (1995) continued their success with chart placements across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Sweden. Over the years, they released seven studio albums, including "A Whole Lot Of Nothing", "Zeros & Heroes", "Hate Yourself With Style" and "Life Will Kill You", selling over 1.5 million records worldwide.
Known for their direct, riff-driven sound and strong political stance, CLAWFINGER address topics such as racism, political delusion, drug policy, environmental destruction, and social inequality. In the 1990s, they toured intensively with acts like ALICE IN CHAINS, MEGADETH and FAITH NO MORE and appeared at major festivals including Rock Am Ring, Roskilde and Monsters Of Rock in South America.
After a brief hiatus, the band returned in 2014 and has since released new singles like "Save Our Souls" (2017) and "Environmental Patients" (2022]) In 2025, CLAWFINGER signed a new label deal with Perception, with more music on the way — still as loud, sharp, and uncompromising as ever.
(Source: www.blabbermouth.net)
