The new SERIOUS BLACK video accompanies ‘Little Bird Fly,’ a piano-driven ballad written by founder and bassist Mario Lochert about love, disappointment and the hope that survives painful experiences. The single is available now on all digital streaming services and appears on the forthcoming studio album Keeper Of The Light, due January 29, 2027 via PERCEPTION, a division of Reigning Phoenix Music. Album pre-save and pre-order options are available.
Lochert places the song’s personal origins at the center of his statement: “‘Little Bird Fly’ was written out of love, produced and recorded with hope, passion, and a great deal of heart and soul. I have always believed in finding someone with whom you can grow old and build something meaningful together.”
He describes the song as a response to a fast-paced society marked by half-truths, deception, disappointment and declining loyalty. Its message encourages honesty, trust and humanity, alongside the willingness to acknowledge mistakes openly and learn from them.
“Authenticity begins where people are willing to accept their weaknesses and learn from them,” Lochert says. “That is why ‘Little Bird Fly’ is more than just a song. It is a message of hope, honesty, and the belief that genuine humanity will always have its place in this world. Personally, I have NEVER given up hope of finding true love.”
Keeper Of The Light contains eleven songs, with production by Mario Lochert and Bob Katsionis and artwork by Ingo Spörl. The announcement describes a return to the band’s classic power metal roots, built around guitar riffs, driving rhythms, melodies and Nikola Mijic’s vocals.
“The return to what once characterized us was already indicated on ‘Vengeance Is Mine’ and ‘Rise Of Akhenaton’,” Lochert explains, referring to the band’s earlier works. He also credits Mijic, who joined five years before the announcement, with helping shape the songs: “Because of his expressive voice and his intuitive feeling for great melodies, the songs have gained more clarity and a more direct presence.”
SERIOUS BLACK’s background includes multiple charting releases, more than 200 concerts worldwide, and festival appearances and tours across Europe, Asia and beyond. Their melodic and power metal approach combines guitars and anthemic choruses with emotionally focused melodies.
The current lineup comprises Nikola Mijic on vocals, Mario Lochert on bass, Dominik Sebastian on guitar, Maurus Mayer on guitar and keys, and Christian Widmann on drums.
- Last Man Standing
- Final Ride
- Guardian Of Eden
- Majestica
- Light Up the Sky
- Keeper Of The Light
- Party In The Sun
- Little Bird Fly
- Rise Of A Hero
- Bad Surprise
- Lords Of Metal
SERIOUS BLACK have also announced the following dates. The five starred February shows are headlining performances without Rhapsody of Fire.
- January 7 — Essen, DE — Turock
- January 8 — Tilburg, NL — O13
- January 9 — Siegburg, DE — Kubana
- January 11 — London, UK — Underworld
- January 12 — Manchester, UK — Rebellion
- January 13 — Wolverhampton, UK — KK’s Steel Mill
- January 14 — Lille, FR — The Black Lab
- January 15 — Vaureal, FR — Le Forum
- January 16 — Limoges, FR — CCM John Lennon
- January 17 — Bordeaux, FR — Rocher de Palmer
- January 19 — Madrid, ES — Revi Live
- January 20 — Barcelona, ES — Salamandra
- January 21 — Montpellier, FR — Victoire 2
- January 22 — Toulouse, FR — Metronum
- January 23 — Riom, FR — La Puce a L’Oreille
- January 24 — Colmar, FR — Le Grillen
- January 26 — Erlenbach, DE — Beavers
- January 27 — Pratteln, CH — Z7
- January 28 — Grenoble, FR — L’Ilyade
- January 29 — Milano, IT — Alcatraz
- January 30 — Lindau, DE — Vaudeville
- January 31 — Munich, DE — Backstage
- February 2 — Budapest, HU — Analog Music Club
- February 3 — Nitra, SK — JS Retro Bar
- February 4 — Praha, CZ — Futurum
- February 5 — Krakow, PL — Studio
- February 6 — Warsaw, PL — Stodola
- February 7 — Leipzig, DE — Hellraiser
- February 8 — Berlin, DE — Orwo Haus *
- February 9 — Hamburg, DE — Logo *
- February 10 — Kortrijk, BE — DVG Club *
- February 11 — Stuttgart, DE — Wizemann *
- February 12 — Selb, DE — Rockclub Nordbayern *
PERCEPTION is an imprint of Reigning Phoenix Music. Founded in 2023, the independently owned parent company was established through the vision of music industry professional Gerardo Martinez and avionics and technology entrepreneur Sven Bogner, with a focus on supporting heavy metal, extreme and hard music artists.
