Scenes from “Ruling Queen” were shot on location in the 100,000 square feet of high-risk Costa Rican rainforest that Savage Lands has preserved using royalties from their music. But while the video opens on a peaceful mountain vista, the rumble of drum fills from Loco Muerte’s Florian Pons warn that trouble is afoot. Before the guitars can even sink their teeth into the song’s biting riff, a band of armed soldiers come storming through the forest hellbent on turning a profit.

It’s a sight and sound that Savage Lands’ co-founders know all too well. “After hearing chainsaws tear through Costa Rica on a daily basis, we knew it was time to act, says Sylvain, “because the buzzing is only getting louder”.

Savage Lands is backed by environmental activists and angry metalheads alike. The world-famous Nordic collective Heilung donated $1 for every ticket sold during their most-recent U.S. tour to support their Season of Mist label mates. Hellfest followed by donating 1 million Euro to the organization over the next five years. During their performance on the main stage at last year’s festival, Sylvain and the core band were joined by members of Napalm Death, Biohazard, Body Count, Textures, The Gathering, Nasum and Cultura tres. They’re also partnering with the Jane Goodall Institute on biodiversity projects in France and Africa.

Now, with their new single, Savage Lands are adding the queen of the jungle to their ranks. As the softly swirling melody of “Ruling Queen” appears like a break in the clouds, who else should appear but the leading lady of the Swedish melodeath dynasty Arch Enemy. “Fall of the universe“, Alissa White-Gluz sings as she stalks the video’s unsuspecting invaders from the treetops. Even her soaring cleans are heavy with disdain for her soon-to-be prey. “We’re nothing special, we’re no heroes“.

Joining forces with Alissa came naturally to Savage Lands. While she and Dirk have crossed paths with their respective bands on the international touring circuit, they’re also both vegans and animal rights advocates. “That’s important to us”, Dirk says about the partnership behind “Ruling Queen”. “Obviously, it’s great when Savage Lands receives support from a huge star like Alissa, but that she also buys into the philosophy behind our organization makes it even better”.

Sharing similar beliefs about the environment led Savage Lands and the Arch Enemy fron twoman to develop an organic songwriting chemistry in no time. Though slotted toward the top of the album’s tracklist, “Ruling Queen” was one of the last songs that Sylvain and core vocalist Poun wrote for Army of the Trees. It came together quickly, too. Shredding leads, crashing cymbals and the booming bass of Poun’s Black Bomb A bandmate Etienne Treton surge together into a raging chorus that’s as powerful and free-flowing as a waterfall.

“The good songs tend to come together easily”, Sylvain says, though Savage Lands needed some guidance from the song’s namesake when carving out the verses. “Alissa is a true professional”, he continues, “She has a very analytical way of working but also understands the power of symbols”. She helped strike the right balance between Poun’s bat-like scream and her cavernous growl. “The whole world is sick with fear“, they shout in unison, a bone-crushing refrain that sticks in your head long after you’re finished headbanging.

“To walk among the flora and fauna of Costa Rica has been a long-held aspiration for me”, Alissa says. “To do so while creating music and championing their protection was not just a privilege but a reminder – true purpose lies in something greater than oneself”.

Making the video for “Ruling Queen” wasn’t always such a breeze. Gornoss directed Savage Lands and company on a 10-day trek through Costa Rica. Setting up inside the heart of the jungle did give them a bird’s-eye view of a hard-working colony of leafcutter ants, but filming at night besides a giant, roaring campfire tested everyone’s mettle. “It was so hot”, Sylvain remembers. “I couldn’t touch the side of my guitar”.

While certainly no stranger to the swamps, Obituary’s Kenneth Andrews had some mild reservations about joining the video team’s excursion. After hearing his bandmate John Tardy unleash his inner primate on Savage Land’s first-ever single, the seasoned vet was dying to flex his chops on “Ruling Queen”. “Once I got the call, everything came together naturally and very quickly”, Andrews says. “Before I knew it, I was flying to Costa Rica to shoot the video”. The extreme metal guitarist was sweating over filming amidst the beasts of the jungle but seeing the calming beauty of Costa Rica’s ecosystem up close and personal restored his timeless cool.

“The experience was very surreal”, Andrews continues. “I will never forget the hospitality and professionalism of the whole crew, not to mention being part of a very important movement that I honestly didn’t understand the cope of until meeting everyone involved. My eyes have been opened…wide!” Flanked by Alissa’s knockout belt, his courageous solo brings the video’s villains to their knees.

“That makes me really happy”, Sylvain says. “It shows that it’s possible to change the way people think about nature. Our goals are attainable. By converting the land that we purchase into nature sanctuaries, Savage Lands will help set a precedent for environmental activism. But we must work together and quickly. Ecosystems are still under attack. If we don’t, then there won’t be any wildlife left to save”.