One of our favourite new bands at Metal Hammer, Robot Lords Of Tokyo are set to record with Rick Wartell, guitarist with legendary doom merchants

The Robot Lords of Tokyo have announced that Rick Wartell, who makes up one half of the legendary guitar duo in U.S. doom masters Trouble, will make a special guest appearance on their next album. The Robot Lords are a songwriting duo consisting of Rick Ritzler (drums/guitar) and Paul Jones (vocals/guitar), who utilize a “Probot-like” approach by utilizing a variety of special guest players. Their music has been described by critics as “classic southern-doom-groove metal topped by blistering solos.”

“I’ve made it a point in pretty much every interview I’ve done to be clear that Trouble is a massively important influence on me,” says Ritzler. “Rick Wartell and Bruce Franklin have the single most devastating live guitar tone I’ve ever heard, period. It’s beyond an honor to know we’ll be working with Rick.”

Robot Lords of Tokyo are currently promoting their second release, “Whiskey, Blood & Napalm”, released at the end of 2008. Guest six-stringers on the record include Steve Theado (American Dog), Steve Pollick (ex-Icarus Witch, Order of Nine), Rob Johnson (Magnitude 9) and instrumental shred great Neil Zaza. Find out more at www.myspace.com/robotlords. And stay tuned to MetalHammer.co.uk for future updates on album number three, tentatively planned for a late 2009/early 2010 release.