The Swiss mountains are usually filled with the sounds of cowbells, the peaceful twittering of birds, and the distant rustling of the valleys, but now, a new and unmistakable sound is rising, driven by electrifying Hard Rock riffs, anthemic melodies, and a headbanging beat-setting cow in full rocker gear. Where alpine romance meets heavy riffs, POWERHILL are not far away. With their album “Generation X”, to be released on 06/27/2025 via Dr. Music Records, POWERHILL are bringing a breath of fresh air to the Rock and Metal scene, carving out their very own tongue-in-cheek genre with their ‘Farm Metal’ that is now stirring up the rural idyll. Led by vocalist Veronica Torre and accompanied by thunderous riffs and high-energy drumming from their iconic mascot, Clotilde, the musicians blend powerful melodies with a hefty dose of humor. With their debut album, the band around guitarist, mastermind, and producer Alberto ‘Cep’ Ceppi proves that Metal and farmyard charm can be a surprisingly explosive mixture. Driven by Luca ‘Chewbe’ Gentile’s grooving basslines and featuring drum legend Jörg Michael (i.a. Stratovarius, Running Wild, Axel Rudi Pell) behind the kit, the album’s ten diverse songs inspire with catchy anthems and humorous accents. Recorded and mixed at Stairway Studio under the supervision of Stefano Scenini, “Generation X” was mastered by George Nerantzis (i.a. Gus G., Pain Of Salvation, Nightrage). Thanks to graphic designer Thomas Ewerhard (i.a. Avantasia, Gotthard, Jon Oliva’s Pain), the most iconic cow in Hard Rock has now received the perfect visual branding. Clotilde proudly takes center stage on the album cover with her stunning presence, posing in a glowing ’80s-inspired cityscape with neon nostalgia, ready to rock the next club.

POWERHILL’s inspiration came from an unlikely place, a barn in Cep’s hometown of Taverne, which doubled as a rehearsal space. This is where the Swiss band’s journey began, leading to its first success in 2006 with their debut single “New Dimension”. After a hiatus, Cep revived POWERHILL in 2018, releasing tracks like “Mad Cow City” and the EP “Bunnies And Eggs” independently. Over time, the unmistakable mascot, Clotilde, became an integral part of the band. The songs on the new album “Generation X” show POWERHILL at the peak of their creative powers. They are kicking off by introducing their three striking singles with stunning artworks and creative videos, perfectly bringing the band’s ‘Farm Metal’ spirit to life. The band anthem “Powerhill” was staged by videographer Andy Pilkington (i.a. Motörhead, Judas Priest, Saxon) in an epic and wildly entertaining lyric video, putting Clotilde and her animal band impressively in the spotlight. Here, the musicians go full throttle, delivering a track bursting with energy. The music video for the title track “Generation X”, produced by Leonardo Tranchino, sees Clotilde stomping her hooves powerfully to the beat, twirling drumsticks, and shaking up the barn alongside the band. With this, POWERHILL deliver a powerful glimpse into their high-octane live atmosphere, spiced with a pinch of country air and bringing the spirit of the golden ’80s roaring back to life in a rocking, fiery nostalgia spectacle. The soulful power ballad “My Mood” shows a softer but no less striking facet of POWERHILL’s creative range and is accompanied by another humor-filled lyric video. Overflowing with love and sincerity, the song embraces the beauty of a simple life, conveying genuine emotion honestly and directly. The song “Bonfire” takes POWERHILL into a scene of sunset, campfire, and carefree vibes, providing the perfect inspiration for the next camping trip. “Mad Cow City” takes listeners on a wild ride through a fictitious Las Vegas, a sinful metropolis exclusively for cattle. Whether it’s a sci-fi fantasy or pure irony is left to the audience’s imagination.

Check out the Interview with PowerHill Below.

Greetings from Metalheads Forever Magazine. It is a great pleasure to have you guys on the interview. How are you doing today?

Greetings to you, too. It’s a great pleasure for us as well. Here, we’re in the midst of the promotional campaign, and the stress exceeds any level imaginable and humanly endurable, but we’re comforted by life, though hectic, on the farm.

Your debut full-length album “Generation X”, is to be released on June 27 through Dr. Music Records. Can you tell me about the songwriting and production behind the album?

It was a complicated birth. Some songs are already dated for us, but with time left in mothballs, they got a revival and new life. While others were arranged at the last minute, perhaps due to the finish line or the lack of some elements, this rush has fostered new ideas and given a different imprint. Since I was the producer, the entire recording phase lasted a full seven months. I didn’t use innovative techniques in particular, but I researched some specific sounds and took care of the effects, especially the ambient ones. Simply put, I improved on the sound of the past, avoiding the mistakes made and obviously creating others as they should be.

Does “Generation X” has a story, a concept, or a theme that the album was focused on?

Basically, no. It tends to be the case that the album, being ‘Farm Metal’, deals with ironic themes related to farm life but without a widespread thread. As the title track “Generation X” well reminds us, we also aim to take listeners back to the glorious and nostalgic 1980s. Some songs also explore topics with multiple meanings and various possibilities for interpretation. But we guarantee, all in POWERHILL style, all to be discovered.

A cool cover artwork that goes for the album. Can you tell me about the story and the making of the cover artwork?

I immediately envisioned the album cover depicting a futuristic or similar setting but with well-accented references to the glorious musical era, thus Generation X, to which the album is dedicated. It honors all who were fortunate enough to experience and grow up during the unique, irreplaceable, and remarkable music era of the 80s and 90s. If you look closely, you can discern many details of the era, all peppered with our beloved Clotilde in the foreground. Please note that she borrowed the tractor without my permission. For the making of it, the arduous task was assigned to Thomas Ewerhard (i.a. Avantasia, Gotthard, Jon Oliva’s Pain), also recommended to us by our record label, who certainly needs no introduction. He, too, seeing my comic-style drafts, was skeptical, but after discussing them and finding an excellent point of understanding, the result that came out was simply fantastic. And then, he, too, was able to add ‘Farm Metal’ to his portfolio. (Smiles)

Ten mind-blowing Hard Rock and Heavy Metal songs, great songwriting, killer riffs and great melodies, and amazing high-blazing vocals make this an epic album; how, as a band, do you feel about the outcome?

I am incredibly proud of what was delivered in the first act. As a producer, I still have a long way to go, but I feel that I have already done a very good job. Thank you for the compliments. Being an album with many different tracks, keeping the listener’s attention constant isn’t so obvious, but we’re really excited about the result. The beauty of this album is that it can definitely appeal to a broad audience and is not aimed at just one niche.

You released the lyric video to the single “Powerhill” a few weeks back. Can you tell me about the making of the visualizer and the song?

The song conveys the fundamental concept of how we wish to approach the audience while also, in context, tongue-in-cheek, explaining who we are and what we do – a kind of mini and ironic description. From the band named the classic ‘Piece of Resistance’, this song expresses the humorous side. It captures the whole appeal of the traditional POWERHILL sound, an extract of explosiveness and emotion. Let yourself be carried away by this verve. For the realization of the lyric video, we relied on Andy Pilkington of Very Metal Art (i.a. Motörhead, Judas Priest, Saxon), delegating to him the arduous task of creating a vision of the POWERHILL concept. Of course, with him, the excellent result was a given before we even started. He immediately empathized with the ‘Farm Metal’ concept, a fantastic result.

Are you planning to release an official music video and additional singles before the album is released?

Yes, certainly. Following the release of the first and eponymous single, “Powerhill”, accompanied by a magnificent lyric video, the title track, “Generation X”, was chosen as the second single, accompanied by a truly hilarious and fantastic music video. In the same vein, as an extra, there’s also our beloved mascot, Clotilde, animated for the occasion, who tries her hand at the drums. While the third single, “My Mood”, the album’s power ballad, will be accompanied by another lyric video, all to be discovered.

Do you have some huge release day plans for “Generation X”?

We had been planning this for some time, but then, for various reasons and circumstances, we abandoned the idea. Instead, we will integrate the staggered release by celebrating in conjunction, including a live event, our 25th anniversary, which, to be precise, will be held on June 1, 2025.

Are you planning for some touring in 2025?

Unfortunately, not yet. This is primarily due to logistical challenges and, in these difficult times, exorbitant costs. However, I’m not giving up, and I don’t rule out any surprises. We definitely want to perform as many live concerts as possible, especially in the summer of 2026. In the meantime, we are also working on new material.

Life on the farm has its challenges, and it can be pretty stressful. The harvest is approaching soon, but we’re doing our best to juggle both.

POWERHILL’s history dates back 25 years, starting with a demo tape and singles. The band went on hiatus until 2007, when it returned to the scene with a few singles and an EP. In 2025, you released a full-length album. How has the road been for you guys so far?

Road? Calvary, you mean. (Lol) The road has always been uphill, and a pretty steep one at that. It has taken me so long to release an album mainly because, from our latitudes, finding good, serious, and willing musicians is a virtually impossible mission. Even musical culture or interest here is almost nonexistent. So, with ‘Guinness World Record’ patience, I slowly did practically everything myself. Between milking, harvesting, and spreading manure, I kept working on new songs and collecting material. Where necessary, I got support from musicians, but on the whole, I’ve made my way here on my own.

Would you like to talk about POWERHILL and how it all started for people who are new to the band?

The project came about by combining my two great passions, heavy metal and cows. Two entirely different things, but I managed to unify them precisely by creating ‘Farm Metal’. Did someone say a farmer can’t play metal? No, I don’t think so, so here we are. The entire thing is laced with a great deal of irony. I like to joke around a lot, and so even many of the lyrics or themes that are perhaps bizarre come out naturally to me.

What have been some of the most memorable moments of your career?

I could mention the satisfaction of releasing our first single or even the positive reviews and compliments we received after the EP’s release; for me, it was an immense sense of satisfaction. Among the memorable events was our debut concert, held on April 14, 2006, which featured support from incredible bands such as Demon, Seven Witches, and Iron Fire. There, I experienced a magical feeling.

How do you feel about signing with Dr. Music Records? Do you have a few words for the recording label?

We are genuinely proud to collaborate with them. I can simply express all my sincerest thanks for this opportunity they have given us. However, they still have to get used to us; we are real dinosaurs, so they have to arm themselves with enormous patience. (Smiles)

What would be the big dream for you as a band?

Dreaming is permissible: an all-new and modern stall, not dilapidated like the current one, with fresh pastures for our animals and a mega-galactic stage where we can host bands from all parts of the world. Ah, I forgot – maybe also being able to rejuvenate so that we can all enjoy this. (Lol)

Finally, do you have any message for the fans and the metal community around the globe?

Now that you have discovered ‘Farm Metal’, your lives will be turned upside down, but don’t worry, it isn’t permanent damage. A huge thank you in advance to all you metalheads for your support and dedication.

Tracklist “Generation X”:

1. Generation X
2. Bonfire
3. Fat Side
4. That’s Fine
5. The One I Wanna Be
6. Mad Cow City
7. My Mood
8. Better Safe Than Sorry
9. Powerhill
10. Rehearsal Barn