GAITHERSBURG, Md. - Marylandian -- Metal band Black Halo has released a third single from their forthcoming debut record, Utopia, with famed stickman Dirk Verbeuren on drums. It's the sort of metal romp we'd expect from such a powerhouse drummer, but the song was actually written when guitarist Randy Ellefson was jamming with his then ten-year-old son behind the kit.

"He usually started a beat, and I just played along," says Ellefson of his son, "but he couldn't think of anything one time. So I improvised the opening rhythm, he came in, and I ended up writing the whole song in one sitting."

The album has been held up a whopping 15 years, during which the original drummer had departed. And with a few songs like this one added or removed in the years since, Ellefson needed another drummer. That's when he learned Verbeuren was available for studio work and hired him on the spot.

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"Dirk was on a break between tour legs and got this and another song done just two weeks after I approached him," says Ellefson. "He's setup to do this and is a total pro. The result is awesome."

Listeners can hear for themselves on November 13, when "Two Lights Beckon," which is about an out-of-body experience, is streaming on all platforms worldwide and YouTube. Visit https://linktr.ee/blackhalometal for access to these and Black Halo's social media, merch, and website hub