RON KEEL Releases First New STEELER Song In Over 40 Years, 'Give Me Guitars (Or Give Me Death)'

The official music video for STEELER's new single, "Give Me Guitars (Or Give Me Death)", can be seen below.

1980: the dawn of the American heavy metal movement, and the birth of STEELER, one of the bands whose sound would define that cultural revolution. Shortly after the release of their iconic 1983 self-titled album, that supernova exploded into multiple bands and projects that would each carve their own places in that era's history, leaving an undeniable impact on a metal generation.

STEELER is notable for featuring then-emerging guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, who left the band shortly after the completion of STEELER's self-titled album to form ALCATRAZZ and launch a solo career.

This triumphant reunion puts a powerful exclamation point on that legacy with the band's first new song in over 40 years, and their first-ever official music video.

"Give Me Guitars (Or Give Me Death)" proves that four decades have done nothing to diminish the power and the passion upon which STEELER was built. "Give Me Guitars (Or Give Me Death)" celebrates the glory of an era that may be gone but certainly not forgotten, combining all the elements that made 1980s metal the soundtrack of so many lives: an anthemic chorus, screaming lyrics that pay tribute to songs and stars that paved the street of dreams, loud powerful music and incendiary guitar pyrotechnics.

That music is provided by men who lived it, then and now: vocalist/guitarist Ron Keel, lead guitarist Mitch Perry, drummer Mark Edwards, bassist Rik Fox and session drummer Dwain Miller. The song was written by Ron Keel specifically for STEELER and is featured on his new RFK Media album release "Keelworld".

The "Give Me Guitars (Or Give Me Death)" video was directed and produced by David Pear.

A documentary film is now in production by Pear which will tell the entire story behind the STEELER legacy. "American Metal - The Story Of Steeler" will be released in 2025.

In a 2017 interview with Sleaze Roxx, Keel explained how Malmsteen got involved with STEELER: "Mike [Varney] invited me over to his place and he was adamant that we needed to make a change at guitar [before we recorded the STEELER album]. We were at his apartment listening to a bunch of tapes… He had selected a few cassettes with players that he felt were appropriate for STEELER. There was one in particular that he felt was 'out of this world' and that was Yngwie Malmsteen. We must have listened to a thousands tapes that day. [Laughs]."

Ron continued: "When we put in Yngwie's tape, there was something different, something special, obviously. Yngwie has something that most guitarists can only dream about. He was special. It was right then and there that we began the process to get him to America to join STEELER. We just needed to wait until he was 'legal' to sign the recording contract. By that, I mean we were awaiting Yngwie to obtain his 'green card.'"

Asked in a 2020 interview with The Metal Voice if there was any chance of a STEELER reunion with Malmsteen, Ron said: "No. [Yngwie] wouldn't do that. I would do it in a heartbeat, but he wouldn't do that. I think it would be fantastic for us to come together and do a song for charity.

"I respect his contribution to music and how that STEELER record became one of the iconic foundations of metal and how the album got both our careers started," Keel added. "But we are different animals and we don't belong in the same zoo."

Photo courtesy of Best Bet Promo