Gary Brandon is one of the original co-founders of pomp LA band White Sister. A front Man keyboardist songwriter in his own right. In 1985, believing that the group should be fronted by one singer, the record label took a decision behind the scenes that White Sister was no longer going to have alternative lead singers. In addition to this, and to make the situation worse, Gary’s role in the band was reduced to less lead vocals and a position of keyboard player.
In 1986, as Gary was extremely unhappy with this decision, he decided to quit the band during the early stages of what was going to be the second White Sister album “Fashion by Passion”. Working on various songs that also a big part of the bands legacy
In order to survive, Gary found working in the John Parr Live Touring Band. This lay down the foundations to what would be the formation of his next band – a band that would allow him to finally return to his originally intended path as front man, Radioux City.
In 1988, the first batch of demos were recorded. It was slow progress over the next three years creating the lineup of musicians and forming the structure of Radioux City.
The decline of all forms of rock music and the 90s music scene has been well documented over the years with a move towards grunge Seattle sound. Unfortunately, victims of this move were Radioux City.
However, a quarter of a decade later, and finally released from the vault is a highly anticipated and worthy CD release on ABR. Complete with new artwork and lyric booklet and remastered to capture the retro sound. In addition, there are three bonus tracks and a cover of Ted Nugent’s classic “Free For All ”.
LINE UP:
Gary Brandon - Lead vocals and synth
Sammy Brown - Rhythmn guitar
Pete Kneser - Drums
John Perez- Lead guitar
The Radioux City sound is hard rock with a swagger and a mixture of infectious grooves.
The sound has been described as a meeting of King of the Hill, It’s Alive and some Early Extreme.
British melodic hard rock band TEN has announced they will release their new album, "Gothica" on July 7.
The highly anticipated new album promises to be one of their strongest collection of songs to date. It is full of all the trademark textures and flavors we have come to expect from TEN, arguably one of the best and most consistent melodic hard rock bands in the genre. “Gothica” renews TEN’s longstanding association with the Frontiers label and proudly displays all the hallmarks of classic TEN albums and will surely continue to build upon the rich legacy that the great British rockers have forged over a career spanning 22 years and counting.
“Gothica” emerges as their darkest album to date. Embracing history, romance and erotic horror in equal measure as it does, the title proves to be a fitting name. As listeners, we are transported from the darker side of human nature to the nocturnal supernatural, a dramatic realm of nightmares and the forbidden. “Gothica” is cinematic in every sense of the word. A web of musically elaborate spells, evoking embers that spark the imagination courtesy of the classic song writing of vocalist Gary Hughes.
Of the album, Gary says, "I am extremely pleased with the collection of songs on "Gothica" as they feel like they belong together. The band are firing on all cylinders once again and it is a gift to the army of fans everywhere who have relentlessly supported us over the years. It is ironically fitting that our 13th studio album should be a little more sinister, at the same time retaining all the commercial traits usually associated with a Ten album."
Following their success on the recent albums “Albion” and “Isla De Muerta”, Hughes is joined once again by guitarists Dann Rosingana, Steve Grocott and John Halliwell along with bass player Steve McKenna, keyboard maestro Darrel Treece-Birch, and drummer Max Yates. On their third outing as a collective unit, the musicians in TEN have raised the bar even higher than they had previously. The album is full of stunning guitar work over a rich keyboard, bass, and drum tapestry with Hughes’ vocals once again bringing the nuances of the intricate lyrics to life.
“Gothica” was produced by Gary Hughes and mixed and mastered by Dennis Ward. TEN’s longstanding professional association with Dennis has been ongoing since he mixed their 2011 album, “Stormwarning”.
Additionally, the album features stunning original artwork by Stan W. Decker, depicting a beautiful enchantress reading incantations from a book whilst summoning shadowy characters from its pages. Stan has cleverly illustrated the piece in order to portray the characters emerging from the books pages as the actual characters from the songs on the album. The atmospheric sleeve photography is once again provided by the remarkably talented Adrian Ashworth.
Frontiers is proud to be working with the legendary TEN again and looks forward to sharing this stunning new album with the band's fans around the globe!
Tracklisting:
1. The Grail
2. Jekyll And Hyde
3. Travellers
4. Man For All Seasons
5. In My Dreams
6. The Wild King Of Winter
7. Paragon
8. Welcome To The Freak Show
9. La Luna Dra-cu-la
10. Into Darkness
TEN:
Gary Hughes - Vocals, Backing Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Programming
AOR HEAVEN is proud to announce the signing of THAT ROCK GUY and to announce the release date for the debut album “Nothin’ To Lose” which was set to June 30.
THAT ROCK GUY is arguably one of the hardest working artists in the world, performing over 1000+ live shows in the last three years alone. Performing energized melodic rock, the Australian singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer has released his debut album ‘Nothin’ To lose’ to the world, bringing his own brand of powerful no-frills melodic rock to the masses.
“He’s simply a brilliant performer, a guitar guru - the night he played ‘The Village’ was just incredible. I’ll never forget it” - Jon Proom, AusPro Radio, 2015.
Currently on the final leg of an unprecedented three-year worldwide tour, THAT ROCK GUY has previously toured with The Alan Barnes Band who notably opened for rock superstars Bon Jovi on their ‘Sleep When I’m Dead’ tour. After joining them on the Sydney leg of their concert tour and receiving a plethora of positive reviews, he was enlisted to performed the lead guitar duties on XL’s self-titled debut album, mixed and produced in Melbourne by gold record award winner Andy Shanahan from Australian AOR classic rockers ‘Roxus’. Around 2001, he based himself in Europe, setting up a studio in Germany before heading out as a hired gun guitarist with international touring band BTB and performing multiple tour contracts across Europe, Asia and the Middle East. As a prolific songwriter, there was an ever-growing demand from fans at the live concerts for THAT ROCK GUY to record an album to satisfy the yearnings of his loyal and growing fan base.
On the strength of the demo recording and music video of the fan favorite live song ‘Through The Night’, That Rock Guy was offered a record deal with AOR Heaven and began recording the debut album during a tour of the Middle East. A truly international affair, he returned to Starship Studios in Germany to continue tracking the album in between tours with some additional guitar work at Split Second Sound in Amsterdam, and the final tracks were recorded at Studio 1206 in Japan. With the album fully recorded, the songs headed back to the world renowned Wisseloord Studios in Europe to be mixed by famed Swedish engineer Erik Wiss of WMP. The final touches were completed when the album was mastered by multiple Grammy, gold and platinum award winning mixing and mastering engineer Thomas “Plec”Johansson at the Panic Room in Sweden.
‘One of the best submissions I’ve ever heard’ - Martin Goulding, 2016 (martingoulding.com)
As the final leg of the world tour rolls on, stay tuned for upcoming music video releases and the debut album from THAT ROCK GUY ‘Nothin’ To Lose’ is available on the AOR Heaven record label worldwide.
Escape Music will release the new TAZ TAYLOR BAND album Pressure & Time June 23.
Lineup:
Taz Taylor – All Guitars
Chandler Mogel – Lead and Backing Vocals (Outloud / Punky Meadows)
Barney Firks – Bass
Val Trainor - Drums
Tracks:
1- Something is ending 4:40
2- Whispers in the Night 3:25
3- Secrets you got over me 4:36
4- Kissed by Elvis 4:50
5- Pressure and Time 3:00
6- Highway Song 5:08
7- Red Line Angel 4:14
8- One thing 3:51
9- Ash and Bone 2:42
10- A moment of clarity 6:18
11- Purple Rain 5:34
12- Astral child 2:57
It has been a decade since Escape Music released the classic 'Welcome to America' album in 2006 (ESM137) by Taz Taylor and it is a really strong album with none other than Rainbow singer Graham Bonnet on lead vocals. Three years later and 'Straight Up' was released (ESM187) with Keith Slack (MSG) taking the mike stand. The album also featured Don Airey (Rainbow / Deep Purple) on keyboards.
After these two really strong releases the Taz Taylor band decided to go instrumental and tour dates ensued with the likes of Ace Frehley, L A Guns, Molly Hatchet, Dokken, Skid Row, MSG and Great White to name but a few.
Bringing us up to the present day it's time to return to a line-up that includes a vocalist and so Taz has used the incredible vocal talents of Chandler Mogel (Outloud / Punky Meadows). Chandler and Taz have always kept in touch and it seemed the right time to collaborate on an album… and here is 'Pressure and Time'. As Taz states ' ressure and Time' is how you create diamonds'
This new 2017 release is 12 tracks chock full of exciting ideas and quality musicianship, original members Val Trainor and Barney Firks lay down a great rhythm backbone for Taz to show off his guitar playing prowess.
"We have just finished the recording for our new album at the legendary Abbey Road Studios!
It turned out so much more exciting than we expected! The vibe in this studio is great! The staff and facilities are out of this world. Of course we couldn’t resist having some fun with vintage equipment and amazing recording techniques. Our producer Dave Cobb really made the songs fly, beautifully engineered by Eddie Spear.
The album is due out in October with one or two tracks coming your way ahead of release. Prior to the release we will also post clips/pics from the recording session here on our Facebook page.
Meanwhile we're getting ready to hit the road again for our "Electric Summer tour 2017".
Rolf Hartley, vocalist in 90s favourites BIG BAD WOLF is back with a new rock project - IDENTITY VOID.
Their new single is Heroes & Heroin". Here's the link to the website and single: www.identity-void.com
The group features Jim Reitzel: multi-instrumentalist, and acclaimed audio engineer with album credits including Santana, Jeff Beck, Stanley Jordan, Smokey Robinson, Randy Jackson, Stevie Wonder.
Rolf Hartley: singer, four-octave range, producer. Credits include Big Bad Wolf, Mark and Jeff's Jingle Co. (Marin County, CA), Abe's Audio Production (Tasmania), HoopLA Radio Ad & Jingle (New Orleans, LA), and Krash Creative (Raleigh, NC).
BREAKING NEWS: FRONTIERS MUSIC SRL PRESENTS ALL 41 DEBUT ALBUM "WORLD'S BEST HOPE" OUT JULY 7, 2017
FEATURING TERRY BROCK, ROBERT BERRY, GARY PIHL, MATT STARR
ALL 41 is not just another project born of Frontiers’ President Serafino Perugino’s imaginative A&R mind, but is a project very close to the hearts of each musician involved. With none other than the amazing Terry Brock on lead vocals (Giant, Strangeways), Robert Berry (Three, Alliance) on bass and lead vocals, Gary Pihl (Boston, Sammy Hagar, Alliance) on guitar, and Matt Starr (Ace Frehley, Mr Big) on drums, All 41 is a project born of passion and fire. Their debut album, "World's Best Hope" will be released July 7, 2017.
You can see a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the album:
Guitarist Gary Pihl says, "[i]t started with some great sounding songs in a rough “demo” form, but every time I got a new version with each musician’s real performance on it, I got stoked! We’re all bringing our “A Game” to the band. I can’t wait to do some gigs with these guys! Robert and I go way back, and Terry and Matt are like the best players ever!"
Bassist and co-vocalist Robert Berry adds: "So many times musicians get together and struggle to find common ground in style and substance. When Serafino, president of Frontiers, called me with the line up for All 41 I had no idea that he had put together perfectly matching musical pieces. From playing bass to Matt's solid drums, trading vocals with Terry's soaring voice, to the warmth and feel of Gary's own style of powerful, yet melodic guitar playing, this band came together like missing puzzle pieces. I can't wait to get it on to the concert stage."
"What a great bunch of musicians to work with and such talented, classy guys. I am proud to be associated with this project and i am so proud of my great friend and collaborator Alessandro Del Vecchio for his incredible work!!!! Thank you Serafino, Mario, and Frontiers for ANOTHER amazing opportunity....GRAZIE MILLE AMICI," says vocalist Terry Brock, with drummer Matt Starr adding, "I had a lot of fun making this record. There are some amazing songs and everybody really played great!"
Musically, these guys gel incredibly well and have come up with a superb debut album which mixes Mr Big’s most melodic moments together with the more keyboard-laden years of Van Halen along with obvious nods to Strangeways and Alliance. The duel lead vocals are an amazing plus for this absolutely beautiful record, not to mention the excellent production which highlights the unforgettable melodies. An AOR highlight of the year!
Tracklisting:
1. After The Rain
2. Cyanide
3. Down Life's Page
4. Mother Don't Cry
5. Show Me The Way
6. Walk Alone
7. Don't Surrender (To Love)
8. Hero In Your Life
9. Never Back Down Again
10. Who Knows
11. The World's Best Hope
Two of the most underrated - but widely respected - heavy metal releases of the late ‘80s were undoubtedly the first pair of albums by New Orleans-based hard rock outfit, Lillian Axe - 1988’s self-titled debut and 1989’s ‘Love + War.’ And on May 12th, both will be reissued as “special deluxe collector’s editions” via Rock Candy Records - complete with multi-page booklets, essays, and fully remastered audio, shaped from 24 BIT digital technology.
Both albums can be ordered via the following links:
The band - which been led since their inception by guitarist Steve Blaze - caught the attention of metalheads during an era when bands like Ratt ruled the MTV/radio airwaves. And it just so happened that Ratt’s manager at the time, Marshall Berle, crossed paths with the band, and helped broker a recording deal with MCA Records, and in turn, enlisted Ratt’s late guitarist, Robbin Crosby, to produce the group’s debut album - spawning such standout tracks as “Dream of a Lifetime,” “Vision in the Night, “and “The More That You Get.”
Lillian Axe came back even stronger with their sophomore set, ‘Love + War,’ with Tony Platt (who had previously worked with the likes of AC/DC, Def Leppard, and Krokus) serving as producer - which resulted in such rocking tunes as “The World Stopped Turning,” “Show a Little Love,” and “She Likes It on Top.”
Soon, rock fans will get the opportunity to rediscover both ‘Lillian Axe’ and ‘Love + War,’ thanks to the good folks at Rock Candy.
‘Lillian Axe’ Tracklisting:
1. Dream Of A Lifetime 5:18
2. Inside Out 3:57
3. Vision In The Night 3:20
4. Picture Perfect 4:00
5. The More That You Get 3:05
6. Misery Loves Company 3:27
7. Nobody Knows 4:19
8. Hard Luck 4:51
9. Waiting In The Dark 4:28
10. Laughing In Your Face 3:51
‘Love + War’ Tracklisting:
1. All's Fair in Love and War 5:58
2. She Likes it on Top 3:55
3. Diana 4:46
4. Down on You 4:24
5. The World Stopped Turning 5:00
6. Ghost of Winter 6:18
7. My Number 3:32
8. Show a Little Love 4:36
9. Fool's Paradise 4:41
10. Letters in the Rain 4:24
New CHEAP TRICK Album 'We're All Alright!' due June 16.
"Y'know, we always write, but it's more fun to write for a project and write for a reason," guitarist Rick Nielsen tells Billboard. "We have a company (Big Machine Records) that believes in us and they like the work and they're letting us make more records, which is cool. Making records is one of the ambitions we've always had. I don't think the desire has ever gone away."
Cheap Trick recorded We're All Alright! -- whose title, of course, references the 1978 hit "Surrender" and 1999's "That '70s Song" -- with Julian Raymond, who also helmed Bang, Zoom, Crazy...Hello. Its 10 tracks (13 on the deluxe edition) hail from the group's past and present, with older, previously unrecorded songs such as "Radio Lover," "Lolita" and "She's Alright" sitting alongside material written and recorded specifically for the album.
"Long Time Coming," a crunchy hard rocker driven by a Kinks-flavored riff, is a bit of a one-song tribute to Cheap Trick's influential forebears. "It's our interpretation of Slade and MC5 and AC/DC and Aerosmith -- a lot of riffs that are reminiscent of the Move, but they're not steals," Nielsen says. "It's just, like, all the bands we like." The song also features a synthesizer underbelly that was a signature in "Surrender," "Dream Police" and other Cheap Trick songs.
Nielsen, meanwhile, says another new album in 2018 is a distinct possibility. "Starting in May we're going back in the studio," he says. "There's stuff around and there's some ideas that never did get fleshed out, which we hope to. It's exciting."
We're All Alright! will be available for pre-order starting May 5, with "Long Time Coming" and "Lolita" as instant grat tracks. Both songs are available now for individual purchase, and the group will offer more early purchase perks via a PleadgeMusic campaign. Meanwhile, Cheap Trick will be promoting the album with a summer tour with Foreigner and John Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience; Foreigner and Cheap Trick will both be celebrating 40th anniversaries, Cheap Trick for the release of its first two albums in 1977.
The full track list for We're All Alright! features:
You Got It Going On
Long Time Coming
Nowhere
Radio Lover
Lolita
Brand New Name On An Old Tattoo
Floating Down
She's Alright
Listen To Me
The Rest Of My Life
Deluxe Tracks:
Blackberry Way (The Move cover)
Like A Fly
If You Still Want My Love
Gianluca Firmo (Room Experience) signs deal with Street Symphonies Records for debut solo release
Street Symphonies Records is very proud to announce the signing of Room Experience's mastermind Gianluca Firmo, for the release of his eponymous solo debut album.
Recordings are actually taking place at the Atomic Stuff Recording Studio (Isorella, Italy) under the technical supervision of Oscar Burato, with production duties handled by Gianluca himself.
Gianluca says: "Many of the songs I wrote (and I write) can't be included in Room Experience albums, because not all the shades of melodic rock fit that kind of record. Beside that, I love singing, but my voice is not made for very high notes. Considering all this, I thought to pick some of my songs from those I love the most, and try to make a straight and forward melodic rock record, but less oriented in style."
The tracks of the album will be all mixed by Oscar Burato, while mastering will be completed by renowned sound engineer Roberto Priori (Danger Zone, Wheels Of Fire, Raintimes). A release date announcement is expected in early 2018.
Legendary London trio ROCK GODDESS have released a music video for "It's more than Rock and Roll", the song is the title track of the forthcoming EP, which is set to be released on May 19th, 2017. Digital distribution via Cargo Records and physical EP CDs, with a 4 page booklet in a jewel case by ROCK GODDESS directly. The first 500 copies will be signed and numbered. The video can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/KbE4H8_vyuU
All songs by Jody Turner. Engineered and recorded by Santiago Morales at Alaska studios, London. Mixed by Wes Maebe at Sonic Cuisine. Mastered by Wes Maebe at Sound Discs. Produced by Jody Turner. Photograph by Tina Korhonen.
Well, it’s only taken them 30 years, but finally the original, classic ROCK GODDESS trio have released new product. Except that we should NOT see this three-track EP as a follow-up to the self-titled, debut album put out in 1983. Oh no, this is a complete affirmation that Jody Turner (guitar/vocals), Tracey Lamb (bass) and Julie Turner (drums) are fully relevant to the hard rock scene in 2017. So, if you are nestling down for a comfortable trip into the borough of Nostalgia, South London, then you had better be prepared to have this notion scrambled, and then served up with music that has a huge taste for contemporary aptitude and attitude.
In the early 1980s, ROCK GODDESS made a reputation for delivering songs with full frontal riffs, snapping rhythms and snappy melodies. That hasn’t altered. Since the three reunited in 2013, they’ve proven to be an energised, committed live band not reliant on past glories, but hell bent on the pursuit of an even more electrifying future.
Of course, in those formative years, the three went out to establish themselves by taking the best influences and twisting these to suit their talents. Now, though, they have a heritage to live up to. And do it with the confidence, craftsmanship and charisma of a band who know their considerable worth.
The EP is called ‘It’s More Than Rock And Roll‘, which is a statement of how committed the three are to their cause. Jody Turner wrote all the songs and also produced them, with Wes Maebe mixing and mastering the record. And the man has previously worked with a fine array of talents, including Roger Waters, Sir Tim Rice, The Buzzcocks and Beverley Knight. It’s obvious what ROCK GODDESS have done in the studio is take their sharply honed instincts, using these to let rip with a clear-sighted, rousing momentum. ‘It’s More Than Rock And Roll‘ itself is a mid-paced roaster that has genuine depth, yet a chant-a-long chorus to get everyone on their feet. The lyrics betray the Goddess‘ complete immersion in the passion of this genre.
‘Back Off‘ sees the band locked into an assaulting groove, one full of a spirit born from that essential, yet so often elusive balance between virtuosity and aggression.
‘We’re All Metal‘ not only namechecks iconic artists across metal and rock’s past and present, but is an anthem for all ages. From six to 96, it’ll get everyone pumping out the horn sign!
This is ROCK GODDESS 2017, still thankfully linked to the way they were in 1983, but taking it on to a fresh level.
“It’s been a long time coming, but we got there,” says Jody. “We are so proud of this, and of each other. We hope people enjoy it as much as we want them to.” Jody, Tracey, Julie � proud to be loud!
Keyboard Legend Don Airey Launches His Pre-Sale Campaign on PledgeMusic For 'K2 - Tales of Triumph And Tragedy' Limited Edition Box Set!
London - Deep Purple and rock keyboard legend Don Airey has launched a pre-sale campaign on PledgeMusic for a very special limited edition Deluxe Box Set of his solo album 'K2 - Tales of Triumph & Tragedy,' to be released on Gonzo Multimedia in June 2017!
'K2' was recorded in 1988 at Sarm East Studios, London, and originally released worldwide on MCA Records. An article written by mountaineer Jim Curran about his harrowing experiences on the 1986 expedition to K2 that claimed the life of 12 climbers inspired it. The music was completed after Don met Jim at his house in Sheffield where he talked of his friends Al Rouse and Julie Tullis, who both died in a blizzard at the summit having become the first UK climbers to conquer the peak.
The album also features guest appearances by Gary Moore, Cozy Powell, Colin Bluntstone, Chris Thompson and others!
There will only be 100 of this deluxe Box Set manufactured and each will contain a signed and numbered certificate. There will also be additional signed items and exclusive merchandise as part of this pre-order campaign.
'You are going to get something that will please everyone and hopefully you'll like the music too!' - Don Airey
Box Set Content
CD (includes 7 previously unreleased bonus tracks)
DVD
Signed and Numbered Certificate
Repro Press Pack
Repro Promo Photo
A4 Map of K2
For more information and to pre-order please visit this PledgeMusic link:
PledgeMusic is the leading global direct-to-fan platform dedicated to empowering artists, labels and brands to build communities, fund and pre-sell recordings, and provide unique experiences and exclusives throughout the entire music production and promotion lifecycle. PledgeMusic was named as one of The World€™s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies of 2015 in Music for 'Helping artists and fans get what they want'. €“ Fast Company
STYX IS READY FOR TAKEOFF WITH THEIR FIRST STUDIO ALBUM IN 14 YEARS, ‘THE MISSION,’ DUE OUT JUNE 16 ON ALPHA DOG 2T/UMe
Friday, April 21 -- Welcome one and all to THE MISSION, STYX’s sonically sweet 16th studio album and its most ambitious, most challenging, and most rewarding release to date. Please take note of the official stardate, as THE MISSION has duly been set for liftoff June 16 on the band’s label, Alpha Dog 2T/UMe. Fans can pre-order the album at any of these online retail outlets and Styxworld.com.
The first single, “Gone Gone Gone,” was released today at radio and online retail outlets. A video premiered on Billboard.com and can be seen here.
“The planets truly aligned for THE MISSION, and I couldn’t be prouder,” says vocalist/guitarist Tommy Shaw, who co-wrote the album’s storyline with longtime collaborator Will Evankovich (Shaw/Blades, The Guess Who). “It’s our boldest, most emblematic album since PIECES OF EIGHT.”
As founding guitarist James “JY” Young continues, “In the 40th anniversary year of our release of our biggest selling album of all time, GRAND ILLUSION, it just seemed truly appropriate to save our new studio album until this year. Needless to say, I’m very excited.”
“THE MISSION is a deep, conceptual, and cinematic epic that offers listeners a thrilling emotional journey — and all ‘cast’ with impassioned guitar parts and those textured, ‘chill-inducing’ Styx vocals. Guitarists Tommy Shaw and James Young sound like they’re energetic upstarts with something to prove, rather than members of a band with decades of history. This is a truly brilliant soundscape, as well as a tribute to the evocative power of the guitar.” — Michael Molenda, Editor-in-Chief, Guitar Player
“A throwback to the styles of classic Styx records like THE GRAND ILLUSIONand PIECES OF EIGHT, THE MISSION is a wonderful mix of knotty, '70s-era progressive rock madness alongside the melodic power pop the band does so well. Todd Sucherman might be the baby of the group, but he’s an old soul when it comes to finding the right flavor for the new material—and he’s not shy to provide a healthy slab of blazing hand technique, elevating parts to a whole other level of excitement.”
-- Ilya Stemkovsky, Modern Drummer
“Styx have really delivered a welcome addition to their catalog with the arrival of THE MISSION, which wraps in all of the important elements of their much loved classic sound, with a wealth of big hooks, anthemic choruses and most importantly, an album’s worth of really good Styx music.”
--Matt Wardlaw, UltimateClassicRock.com
Indeed, THE MISSION is an aurally adventurous 43-minute thrill ride that chronicles the trials, tribulations, and ultimate triumphs of the first manned mission to Mars in the year 2033. From the hopeful drive of “Gone Gone Gone” to the stargazing machinations of “Locomotive” to the rough-riding blaze of glory that permeates the hard-charging “Red Storm” to the elegiac optimism of the closing track “Mission to Mars,” the album succeeds in delivering the greater good from a band that continues to fire on all cylinders, 45 years after signing its first recording contract.
In fact, THE MISSION--which was recorded over a two-year period at Blackbird Studios, The Shop, and 6 Studio Amontillado in Nashville--displays the best aspects of the ongoing in-harmony musical intersection of the six-man STYX team: the aforementioned guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw, co-founding guitarist/vocalist James “JY” Young, keyboardist/vocalist Lawrence Gowan, original bassist Chuck Panozzo, drummer/percussionist Todd Sucherman, and bassist Ricky Phillips.
The new music was created to reflect the viewpoint of the six-person crew enlisted for the maiden voyage of Khedive, the first entry in a new fleet of nuclear-powered interplanetary spacecraft underwritten by the Global Space Exploration Program (or GSEP, for short). The Khedive team consists of The Pilot, a fully hands-on, seat-of-the-pants born leader; a First Officer who serves as the team’s big-brother figure; an Engineer who is skeptical of every phase of the mission but remains confident in his own abilities to make the best of any technical situation; and a Top-Shelf Trio of science, astrophysics, and survivalist experts.
“The album feels simultaneously comfortable and new,” observes Gowan. “It’s both entertaining and charming, and a natural progression of our sound.” Concludes Panozzo, “THE MISSION is a sincere and honest representation of how STYX built upon where we were in the 20th century in order to go somewhere new in the 21st century.” And that’s the gist of THE MISSION, STYX’s bold sonic voyage into an exciting new frontier with the goal of discovering how the universe’s mysteries unfold—and then creating the perfect soundtrack to accompany it.
STYX IS READY FOR TAKEOFF WITH THEIR FIRST STUDIO ALBUM IN 14 YEARS, ‘THE MISSION,’ DUE OUT JUNE 16 ON ALPHA DOG 2T/UMe
Friday, April 21 -- Welcome one and all to THE MISSION, STYX’s sonically sweet 16th studio album and its most ambitious, most challenging, and most rewarding release to date. Please take note of the official stardate, as THE MISSION has duly been set for liftoff June 16 on the band’s label, Alpha Dog 2T/UMe. Fans can pre-order the album at any of these online retail outlets and Styxworld.com.
The first single, “Gone Gone Gone,” was released today at radio and online retail outlets. A video premiered on Billboard.com and can be seen here.
“The planets truly aligned for THE MISSION, and I couldn’t be prouder,” says vocalist/guitarist Tommy Shaw, who co-wrote the album’s storyline with longtime collaborator Will Evankovich (Shaw/Blades, The Guess Who). “It’s our boldest, most emblematic album since PIECES OF EIGHT.”
As founding guitarist James “JY” Young continues, “In the 40th anniversary year of our release of our biggest selling album of all time, GRAND ILLUSION, it just seemed truly appropriate to save our new studio album until this year. Needless to say, I’m very excited.”
“THE MISSION is a deep, conceptual, and cinematic epic that offers listeners a thrilling emotional journey — and all ‘cast’ with impassioned guitar parts and those textured, ‘chill-inducing’ Styx vocals. Guitarists Tommy Shaw and James Young sound like they’re energetic upstarts with something to prove, rather than members of a band with decades of history. This is a truly brilliant soundscape, as well as a tribute to the evocative power of the guitar.” — Michael Molenda, Editor-in-Chief, Guitar Player
“A throwback to the styles of classic Styx records like THE GRAND ILLUSIONand PIECES OF EIGHT, THE MISSION is a wonderful mix of knotty, '70s-era progressive rock madness alongside the melodic power pop the band does so well. Todd Sucherman might be the baby of the group, but he’s an old soul when it comes to finding the right flavor for the new material—and he’s not shy to provide a healthy slab of blazing hand technique, elevating parts to a whole other level of excitement.”
-- Ilya Stemkovsky, Modern Drummer
“Styx have really delivered a welcome addition to their catalog with the arrival of THE MISSION, which wraps in all of the important elements of their much loved classic sound, with a wealth of big hooks, anthemic choruses and most importantly, an album’s worth of really good Styx music.”
--Matt Wardlaw, UltimateClassicRock.com
Indeed, THE MISSION is an aurally adventurous 43-minute thrill ride that chronicles the trials, tribulations, and ultimate triumphs of the first manned mission to Mars in the year 2033. From the hopeful drive of “Gone Gone Gone” to the stargazing machinations of “Locomotive” to the rough-riding blaze of glory that permeates the hard-charging “Red Storm” to the elegiac optimism of the closing track “Mission to Mars,” the album succeeds in delivering the greater good from a band that continues to fire on all cylinders, 45 years after signing its first recording contract.
In fact, THE MISSION--which was recorded over a two-year period at Blackbird Studios, The Shop, and 6 Studio Amontillado in Nashville--displays the best aspects of the ongoing in-harmony musical intersection of the six-man STYX team: the aforementioned guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw, co-founding guitarist/vocalist James “JY” Young, keyboardist/vocalist Lawrence Gowan, original bassist Chuck Panozzo, drummer/percussionist Todd Sucherman, and bassist Ricky Phillips.
The new music was created to reflect the viewpoint of the six-person crew enlisted for the maiden voyage of Khedive, the first entry in a new fleet of nuclear-powered interplanetary spacecraft underwritten by the Global Space Exploration Program (or GSEP, for short). The Khedive team consists of The Pilot, a fully hands-on, seat-of-the-pants born leader; a First Officer who serves as the team’s big-brother figure; an Engineer who is skeptical of every phase of the mission but remains confident in his own abilities to make the best of any technical situation; and a Top-Shelf Trio of science, astrophysics, and survivalist experts.
“The album feels simultaneously comfortable and new,” observes Gowan. “It’s both entertaining and charming, and a natural progression of our sound.” Concludes Panozzo, “THE MISSION is a sincere and honest representation of how STYX built upon where we were in the 20th century in order to go somewhere new in the 21st century.” And that’s the gist of THE MISSION, STYX’s bold sonic voyage into an exciting new frontier with the goal of discovering how the universe’s mysteries unfold—and then creating the perfect soundtrack to accompany it.
After a three-months rest, Cornerstone are back with their second single from the longplayer "Reflections": the song "Northern Light" was released on 03/31 and was mixed and mastered, like the whole album, by Harry Hess (SIMPLE PLAN, MUSE, BILLY TALENT) in Canada. The video for the song, which has been shooted the same time like the first single "Last Night", was produced by the well-proven filmteam THE COCKPIT and director Christian Enzmueller. "Northern Light" is already available as download on iTunes and in all other online-shops.
