After five long years Australia’s rock-fusioneers Twelve Foot Ninja snuck back into the world's eyes and ears last month with the dropping their single Long Way Home. That single was released with a 2D platformer videogame and fans who collected all 12 brick phones in the game had the ability to unlock the music video.
Last Friday the band released Start The Fire, the second single from their upcoming album Vengeance, and today, they reveal its music video which you can check out below.
But in true 'Ninja style, the big announcement includes an immersive set of content they've been quietly working on for half a decade. In addition to announcing the pre-order of their hotly anticipated third album Vengeance, Twelve Foot Ninja also announce Project Vengeance.
True to form, Twelve Foot Ninja aim to pull off something that no other musical act in history ever has before. In addition to the album, the band is releasing a literary high fantasy novel called The Wyvern and The Wolf written by Nicholas Snelling – both novel and album are available for pre-order now and scheduled for release on October 15, with the first 12 chapters sent to you when you pre-order.
Set in a grim and savage world, The Wyvern and The Wolf tells the tale of an orphaned samurai boy called Kiyoshi who is adopted by the ruthless leader of a clan of ninja. Much more than a mere origin’s story, however, the novel is a tour de force in fantasy fiction and world-building, and represents a unique partnership with Snelling. Published by The Venn Gents, the novel can be pre-ordered now from twelvefootninja.com.
The original story of the Twelve Foot Ninja was conceived by the band’s guitarist/producer Stevic MacKay and his partner Fiona Permezel. It was that concept which first inspired The Wyvern and The Wolf.
Also available now from the band’s website is a graphic novel called Vengeance, written by Stevic Mackay with artwork by George Evangelista. The graphic novel sees the band’s namesake, the Twelve Foot Ninja, journey through alternate dimensions to take on an evil alien entity.
As ambitious and unlikely as this ‘world-first’ multimedia release might seem, the 'Ninja deem it a vital innovation. In the age of streaming, music has become increasingly under-valued and the plight of the professional musician has become less sustainable. And yet, at the very beginning of the band’s journey, the band planned to expand their offering with a suite of deeply immersive and premium content.
Mackay explains Project Vengeance : "This is an exorcism of content that’s spent a decade in gestation. ‘Catharsis’ is close to what it feels like to finally share Kiyoshi’s story; and I guess respond to all questions pertaining to our name; All this time, so many have thought ‘Twelve Foot Ninja’ was tongue-in-cheek, when in actuality, the story’s genesis occurred a year before the formation of the band. I really hope our fans enjoy the vastness of what we’ve created, and we’re able to continue to surprise people with new methods of storytelling."
Twelve Foot Ninja's third album Vengeance is scheduled for release on October 15, 2021, through Volkanik. All the information about PROJECT VENGEANCE can be found at twelvefootninja.com including how to pre-order the album and the novel The Wyvern and The Wolf.
Watch the new video for Start The Fire below.
Listen to more Twelve Foot Ninja now.
