Twelve Foot Ninja Announce New Huge Fantasy Novel, ‘Start the Fire’ Song + ‘Vengeance’ Album + Comic

Australian alt-metal group Twelve Foot Ninja have not only announced their new Vengeance album alongside a music video for the new song “Start the Fire,” but they’re also pairing a high fantasy novel topping 1,000 pages — The Wyvern and the Wolf — and a comic (also named Vengeance) — with the upcoming record’s release.

“‘Start The Fire’ drew lyrical inspiration from Todd Phillips and Scott Silver’s portrayal of the Joker. When you start treating people according to broad prejudice, they’re left with little reason not to become what they’re supposedly guilty of already being. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy,” said guitarist Stevic Mackay.

Regarding the must-see music video (watch further down the page) for the prog-leaning new song, he added, “The video concept revolves around the threat of total annihilation. The strung-up band is being injected with a copper-based enzyme that, when mixed with human blood, can be extracted to power up current collector fuel cells (purposed for reanimating Primordian bio-technology). The band’s performance is a shared, mutual delusion. It’s all pretty straight-forward, really.”

We told you it’s a must-see.

As for that towering fantasy novel, a press release briefly summarizes, “Set in a grim and savage world, The Wyvern and The Wolf tells the tale of an orphaned samurai boy named Kiyoshi who is adopted by the ruthless leader of a clan of ninja.”

Written by Nicholas Snelling in partnership with the band and aims to serve as more than an origin story with its hard-hitting storyline and sense of world-building inspired by the original Twleve Foot Ninja concept conceived by Mackay and his partner Fiona Permezel.

The Wyvern and the Wolf Novel Cover

Mackay himself authored the Vengeance comic book, working with artist George Evangelista to bring to life the journey of the Twelve Foot Ninja who traverses alternate dimensions to take on an evil alien entity.

Twelve Foot Ninja, Vengeance Comic Book Cover

“This is an exorcism of content that’s spent a decade in gestation,” Mackay stated.

“‘Catharsis’ is close to what it feels like to finally share Kiyoshi’s story; and I guess respond to all questions pertaining to our name — all this time, so many have thought ‘Twelve Foot Ninja’ was tongue-in-cheek, when in actuality, the story’s genesis occurred a year before the formation of the band. I really hope our fans enjoy the vastness of what we’ve created, and we’re able to continue to surprise people with new methods of storytelling,” he further explained.

Vengeance, Twelve Foot Ninja’s follow-up to the 2016 album Outlier, and The Wyvern and the Wolf will both be released on Oct. 15. Pre-orders (placed here) will come with the first 12 chapters of the novel and bundle options are also available.

Meanwhile, the Vengeance comic is out now and can be purchased here.

Twelve Foot Ninja, “Start the Fire”

Twelve Foot Ninja, “Start the Fire” Lyrics

Start the fire!
Start the fire!

He thought he was a ghost
Undiagnosed
Caught inside the blur
Here but never home
He did everything to coexist
Limb by limb, bit by bit
He didn’t lose the plot
The plot lost him

Now he’s crossed the wire
Broken by design
Out of order
Out of order
Now he’s crossed the wire
Lights the fuse, to start the fire
Out of order
Out of order

Out of order!

Through the mirror of his eyes
He sees the world in black and white
He thinks it’s all so clear
But it’s a trick of the light
He’ll thrash against the tide
Obliged to disobey
Will no longer be denied
He’s a levy about to break

Now he’s crossed the wire
Broken by design
Out of order
Out of order
Now he’s crossed the wire
Lights the fuse, to start the fire
Out of order
Out of order

Lights are off and all the exits are closed
He’s become the thing he fears the most
And someone else is always there
To wear the blame…

Start the fire!
Start the fire!

Now he’s crossed the wire
Broken by design
Out of order
Out of order
Now he’s crossed the wire
Lights the fuse…

Start the fire!
Start the fire!

Twelve Foot Ninja, Vengeance Album Art + Track Listing

01. “Start the Fire”
02. “Long Way Home”
03. “Vengeance”
04. “IDK”
05. “Shock to the System”
06. “Gone”
07. “Culture War”
08. “Dead End”
09. “Over and Out”
10. “Tangled”