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PRPis a prog rock project of the Finnish prog/art rock collectiveGrus Paridae’sPetteri KurkiandRami Turtiainen.
PRP saw the daylight when Rami and Petteri had couple of songs in their hands which were originally written to Grus Paridae but turned out to be more rock than the musical line GP was heading with it’s more classical influences.
Guys anyway decided to release the songs as a double-single without much thinking whether the project will continue or not.
With GP Rami and Petteri being very lucky and being able to have their music air-played on almost 150 radio shows in 25 countries around the globe and due to good network also PRP’s double-single got radio time well and also the reviews were good.
The biggest surprise still was when Rubber Hands was selected to be the 3rd best single of the year 2018 over the hundreds of other releases by the dj’s of the British Wigwam Online Radio's yearly awards poll.
This good feedback led Petteri and Rami to pick up couple of older songs to be finalized as well as to make totally new music for PRP. It also turned out that some kind of loose concept album was on it’s way to be released.
No Rubbery Pristine Perception album was finally ready in the beginning of fall 2021 and will officially be released in 12th of November as CD and to all major streaming services and digital shops. The CD can be bought f.ex. from https://www.recordshopx.com/
PRP was very lucky to be able to co-operate with three talented creative persons during the process and would like to thank photographer Mikko Huotari, graphic designer and illustrator Johanna Luoma-Tuominen and the Finnish National Theatre and it’s producer Jukka Vuokko.
01. Rubber Hands, Pt. 0 – Prelude of the.. (FI3FC2139801) 02. Rubber Hands (FI3FC2139802) 03. No (FI3FC2139803) 04. Rubber Hands, Pt. II – Days (FI3FC2139804) 05. Exp (FI3FC2139805) 06. It's Never Always (FI3FC2139806) 07. Rubber Hands, Pt. III – The Sea of Streets (FI3FC2139807) 08. Bonus Track – SunSon (FI3FC2139808)
Lineup All vocals: Rami Turtiainen, Petteri Kurki Guitars: Petteri Kurki, Rami Turtiainen Synths: Rami Turtiainen, Petteri Kurki Basses: Petteri Kurki Drum and percussive composing and programming: Petteri Kurki, Rami Turtiainen
You can reach PRP from email: prp_prog[at]outlook.com Sending us a DM on Facebook
SWEDISH
ROCKERS THE SONIC OVERLORDS UNVEIL VIDEO FOR 'ETERNAL HEROES'
Pre-order
for debut album 'Last Days of Babylon' now live; Release date set for
Oct.
22nd
THE
SONIC OVERLORDS have unleashed the music video for their new single,
“Eternal Heroes.” The track is another taste of the melodic rock
majesty and thunderous doom to come later this year - while also
showing off the band's more progressive-metal influences - with the
release of the Swedish quartet's debut album, “Last Days of
Babylon,” now set for release on October 22nd
from M-Theory Audio. In the meantime, pre-orders for CD and digital
editions are now live at http://smarturl.com/thesonicoverlords,
while the music video for “Eternal Heroes” can be viewed at
https://youtu.be/upPbkn95pbw.
Says
guitarist Morgan
Zocek, “This
is a rather special song for us as it is written together with Apollo
Papathanasio (who is responsible for most of the lyrics and the song
melodies) whom most people know as the singer of SPIRITUAL BEGGARS,
one of my absolute favorite bands! The
song also stands out a bit, with its clear neo-classical influences,
inspired by early Yngwie Malmsteen and Symphony X. We're REALLY proud
of this one!”
THE
SONIC OVERLORDS are also set to unleash their power on the live
stage, performing as part of Viking Line's Rock at Sea Hårdrock
cruise on November 19th,
traveling from Stockholm, Sweden to Mariehamn in the Åland Islands,
alongside fellow Swedish rockers such as Mustasch, Thundermother, and
more. More information on the Rock at Sea Hårdrock
cruise can be found at https://www.vikingline.se.
The
first single from THE SONIC OVERLORDS, “In My Darkest Room”, was
released in October 2020. That song gained rock radio airplay
throughout
Scandinavia and spread through mainland Europe, the US and Australia
as DJs and programmers were drawn to the group's combination of
powerful doom riffs and the epic and melodic majesty of 'late
'70s/early '80s heavy rock with influences from the likes of
Dio/Martin-era Black Sabbath, Rainbow, early Candlemass, Yngwie J.
Malmsteen/Rising Force, Scorpions and MSG. The band's blend of power,
darkness, and musicality was recognized by former Sabbath vocalist
Tony Martin via a shout-out to “In My Darkest Room” on his social
media channels.
The music video for “In My Darkest Room” - also directed by Per
Andersson – can be viewed at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOk9v2ZwCUA.
THE
SONIC OVERLORDS followed up the release of that single by signing
with M-Theory Audio at the beginning of 2021, and began putting the
finishing touches on their debut album, “Last Days of Babylon.”
The album features nine tracks powered by the group's sonically
wicked brew, including “In My Darkest Room” and “Utopia,” the
band's second single which was released in May 2021, backed by a
music video directed once again by Andersson that can be viewed at
https://youtu.be/75MzM8dGHA8.
The
CD version of “Last Days of Babylon” also features a guest
appearance by Tony Martin, who provides vocals for “Past the End of
Time,” a re-imagining of “Sands of Time,” an original song by
the band that is featured on the main record.
THE
SONIC OVERLORDS were founded in 2017 by Swedish rock guitarist Morgan
Zocek. He began jamming with various musicians and writing songs
inspired by classic hard rock of the late 1970s and early 1980s, but
with a more modern approach to the production and sonics. The full
sound of THE SONIC OVERLORDS began to solidify with the addition of
Per Soläng on drums in 2018. This was followed by the addition in
2020 of vocalist Marcus Zachrisson Rubin, who had been playing with
Zocek in an Ozzy Osbourne cover band for many years, and the rumbles
of new bassist Daniel Ramírez.
More
news on THE SONIC OVERLORDS and their debut album, “Last Days of
Babylon,” will be unveiled in the weeks ahead at
www.facebook.com/Thesonicoverlords
and by M-Theory Audio.
THE SONIC OVERLORDS are: Marcus
Zachrisson Rubin - Lead Vocals Morgan Zocek – Guitars/Backing
Vocals Per Soläng – Drums Daniel Ramírez – Bass/Backing
Vocals
The box set highlights the band's global domination and documents the glory days of the hard rock scene.
The SKID ROW The Atlantic Years 1989-1996 LP and CD Box Set arrives on December 3, 2021. Pre-order any of the multiple formats here.
Skid Row were one of the most successful acts ofSlave to Grind, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. It went on to achieve a double platinum certification in the U.S. and went platinum in Canada, while rising to gold status in Australia. Over time, the band enjoyed a string of Top 10 singles, including the power ballads "18 & Life" and "I Remember You" from the self-titled release, while "Monkey Business," and "Wasted Time" from Slave to the Grind also achieved radio success.
This box set marks the first time that all of these important and definitive releases will be available in one limited edition collection.
The collection includes 180-Gram Audiophile B-Side Ourselves EP and thelive EP, Subhuman Beings on Tour!!, which previously only available on CD in Japan. It is now being made available globally and on vinyl for the first time ever.
All five albums are also newly remastered.
The five-album, 7LP side-loading box set includes:
Skid Row
Slave to the Grind (2xLP)
B-Side Ourselves
Subhuman Race (2xLP)
Subhuman Beings On Tour!!
This five album, 5CD side loading box set includes:
Skid Row
Slave to the Grind
B-Side Ourselves
Subhuman Race
Subhuman Beings on Tour!!
ABOUT SKID ROW:
Skid Row formed in1986 in Toms River, New Jersey by bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo. The group achieved incredible commercial success in the late 1980s a Skid Row (1989) and Slave to the Grind (1991) — have been certified multi-platinum, with the latter landing at No. 1 on the Billboard chart. These two albums produced the band's most popular and most enduring hits, including the poignant power ballad "18 and Life" and the tugs-at-the-heart strings "I Remember You," which peaked in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. The rowdy and raucous anthem "Youth Gone Wild" was also one of Skid Row's signature smashes, thanks to the combination of rowdy riffs, memorable melodies and vocals. Slave to The Grind produced singles such as "Monkey Business"," the title track, "Wasted Time," and "In a Darkened Room". The band's third album Subhuman Race arrived in 1995 and was also critically acclaimed. By the end of 1996, the band had sold a total of 20 million albums worldwide, cementing their legacy as one of the most successful and important bands of their era. During this period, Skid Row were comprised of the aforementioned Bolan, Sabo, and Bach, as well as guitarist Scotti Hill and drummer Rob Affuso. Although the lineup has shifted over time, Skid Row remain active touring the world and are currently in the studio recording a new full-length record to be released in 2022.
Rockshots Records - Out Now! Heavy Metal Opera Signum Draconis "The Divine Comedy: Inferno"
New Lyric Video "Firestorm"
Out now via Rockshots Records, Signum Draconis' unleashed the heavy metal opera of Inferno, from The Divine Comedy written by Dante Alighieri.
Featuring 17 songs by the band all sung in English, the double CD album is the first in a triptych of the complete work of Dante's magnum opus with Purgatory and Paradise to follow, and also feature duets with selected special guest vocalists, narrations of selected chants, and an orchestral accompaniment by the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra and Choir.
For the full-length's third single and first CD's closing track "Firestorm", Signum Draconis is sharing their new lyric video and explain the song in further detail:
"It is the theme that closes the first cd and includes three chants of the Inferno (XIV - XV - XVI), it is also the last theme with the guitar in the tuning of Eb and one of my favorites of the entire album since its composition was fast, funny and direct, practically every part of the song seemed to be running in the composition works as by inertia.
It’s a song with a very classic Power Metal style and sound, where another of our guest stars Mr. Andrea Ranfa appears playing the role of ‘Brunetto Latini’."
Signum Draconis takes their name from the medieval knights' Order of the Dragon, and has opted for a classic 80s-influenced metal sound in homage to the rock and metal icons that inspired them to be musicians, and aim to produce a truly musical, timeless and epic recording that will absorb and reward from repeated and dedicated listening.
Guitarist and composer Oscar Grace reflects on the history of the project: "The story of Signum Draconis can be said to begin in 2010, after two years crossing what felt like a personal hell, I was sitting in my car gazing at the sky when a message came to me as it were, a vision clear as day: ‘Put The Divine Comedy to music!’ At that moment Signum Draconis was born. I returned home immediately and hunted out an old copy of Dante’s masterpiece I had owned for years and began furiously reading. Two full years of study and research followed, reading and re-reading all three books many times and even traveling to Florence to visit the 13th Century poet’s own house, trying to envisage what it would have been like to be him and the world in which he lived his story."
It took two years to extract the parts that would form the material for the songs, and a further year working with my good friend Frederick Pollock to compose the lyrics, bringing to each song its own meaning whilst maintaining the thread that binds all the songs together, at all times remaining faithful to the source and paying the utmost respect to the poet Dante with regards to the correct register with perfect meter and rhyme in English.
I believe Dante’s Inferno perfectly suits the musical style of Heavy Metal, but given the epic scale and cultural importance of Dante’s books, I wanted to bring something else to the music, something that lent grandeur and elegance, and to that end, I began to write parts for a symphony orchestra, in an old-fashioned way, with a fountain pen and sheet music and no new technology to guide my hand."
Overall, this project took four years to compose the music for the band as well as the orchestra and along the way Oscar Grace searched for the companions who would join him on this voyage of grand musical ambitions. The first was Francesco Micieli, the drummer with whom he had already worked on other projects, then Max Morelli to be the voice of the band, and later on, after an arduous search, Oscar Grace found Filippo Martignano for keyboards and Stefano Antonelli on bass.
Once all the compositions were finished the band set about recording in the Domination Studio of San Marino, taking advantage of the experience and professionalism of Simone Mularoni as a sound technician. For the recording of the orchestral parts, Signum Draconis chose to work with the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra, having spoken with the director, David Hernando Rico, who helped them enormously and who showed such enthusiasm for the music and the project overall.
Track Listing: CD 1: 1. In the Midway of Life’s Journey (5:14) 2. The Mission of Virgil (3:44) 3. Gate of Hell (Arrival of Charon) (5:58) 4. The Borderland (4:48) 5. Whirlwind of Lovers (5:11) 6. Under Eternal Rain (4:50) 7. To the Edge of Stygian Lagoon (4:45) 8. Regnum Dite (2:36) 9. Burning Graves (5:50) 10. Phlegethon (The Bloody River) (6:00) 11. Forest of Suicides (5:48) 12. Firestorm (6:11)
CD 2: 13. On Geryon’s Back (1:10) 14. Ten Moats of Damnation (Interlude: The Ulysses' Chant) (11:31) 15. In Hands of Titans (5:28) 16. Cocytus (The Ice Terror) (8:28) 17. Lucifer (7:46)
Special guests include: RENATO CARROZZO as Storyteller CHIARA MANESE as Beatrice MARK BOALS as Virgil BEN JACKSON as Charon KSENIA GLONTY as Francesca LUCA PAOLINI as Pluto ANDREA RANFA as Brunetto Latini FREDERICK POLLOCK as Ulysses SIMONE MULARONI as Nimrod 'The Titan' OLEG SMIRNOFF as Count Ugolino
Band line up: Max Morelli (Vocals) Oscar Grace (Guitars) Filippo Martignano (Keyboards) Stefano Antonelli (Bass) Francesco Micieli (Drums)
One of the most important, if not crucial (ed.) of Alice Cooper albums; "Killer" was released fifty years ago this month.
ROX Network celebrates the classic album with an in-depth look at the album, the band that recorded it and a review of a brand new version of the album covered by some of the hottest new independent rock bands around.
Firstly, lets take a time machine back to November 1971....
Rock is riding high in the world and is constantly evolving in a multitude of directions from pro-punk to progressive rock.
Glam rock was on Top of The Pops as fans adored the likes of Marc Bolan and David Bowie. This, safe (er well apart from Gary Glitter! ed.) poppy rock was great but for a band like Alice Cooper this was all too safe; too nice and not at all what they wanted to play.
Already a band with a reputation for extremes and off the wall musical excursions and stage shows, Alice Cooper were forming during the early 70's into a band with incredible potential and a edgy sound that people were finding both shocking AND cool! On their early days, the band couldn't
make any real head way in the music world. Their shows and early music was just too left-field, dark and aggressive for an America still recovering from the 60s' drug haze. By 1970, however, Alice Cooper's brand of "shock rock" was getting lots of favourable attention from fans and the music
press. With the success of the 1970 album "Easy Action" the band were keen to forge ahead and their record label Warner were more than happy to give them the creative freedom they needed to create "Love it to Death", released in March of 1971. The single from the album "I'm Eighteen" skyrocketed
the charts, reaching number 21 in the US. Their music was evolving and becoming better constructed and recorded. This was matched by stunning live shows.
Flushed with the success of "Love it to Death"; the band rushed back into the studio to put out another album that same year. "Killer" would be released
only eight months after its predecessor.
Alice Cooper band:
Alice Cooper – vocals, harmonica
Glen Buxton – lead guitar
Michael Bruce – rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
Dennis Dunaway – bass guitar, backing vocals
Neal Smith – drums, backing vocals
With elements taken from "Love it to Death" and a raft of new musician and lyrical ideas, "Killer" would become a new milestone for Alice Cooper. Reaching number 21 in the Billboard album charts and spawning two hit singles "Under My Wheels" (reached 59 in US) and "Be My Lover" (reached 49) which though not as higher reaching as "I'm Eighteen" proved to be very popular amongst fans and were getting airplay despite their rather suspect lyrical content. As was the norm back then due to the limitations of vinyl, the album was short at only 37.08 minutes long and with only eight songs on offer, each one had to count. No fillers here! The band were a tight group of musicians who shared a common vision and a sense of great musicality. Nothing they did or released was by accident. Everything was managed to create am image of a dark, dangerous band. "Killer" took this to new heights with songs like "Halo of Flies" and
"Dead Babies". The album was so heavy for its time. So heavy and raw in fact that John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten of The Sex Pistols) once called the album the greatest punk album of all time!
Bob Ezrin's production was spot on. Dark, raw and yet at times loose and emotive. The album was recorded at RCA Studios in Chicago and was released on vinyl LP and 8-track.
The octopus from the title refers to the drummer. Neall Smith (interviewed as part of this feature!) who's mesmerizing drumming powers the album forming an outstandingly tight rhythm section with Dennis Dunnaway. Seeing him live was a treat for the ears and eyes! Two guitarists were unusual back then to and the band were blessed with two greats - Glen Buxton (who died in 1997) and Michael Bruce. Of course the man at the front and main lyricist Alice Cooper (aka Vincent Furnier) is amazing on "Killer". Only he could pull of such songs with an edgy realism and snarl. "Killer" is also distinct in that every song from the album has been
performed live at least once. And the snake? The one on the sleeve! This was Neil's pet snake!
The album has been re-released several times of course on CD and cassette. The CD's compression and sterile nature does, however, slightly lesson the raw aggression and power of the original vinyl release. The stereo sound field is also less noticeable as the vinyl changes from wide and loose to at times claustrophobic and intense. If you can, hear this album on vinyl with headphones!
The five piece were now stars. The album gave them even more freedom to go on to release albums like "School's Out" (a much maligned album by some), the awesome "Billion Dollar Babies" and "Muscle of Love" which would, sadly be the last album by The Alice Cooper Band. Alice Cooper, the solo artist would then take his own musical journey as a solo artist. His bandmates went to other things too with great success including "Battleaxe" by Billion Dollar Babies and many other projects. That is, perhaps, something for another story....
Jump to 2021 and "Killer" is 50 years old! Having been around for so many years it has remained a firm favourite amongst rock fans. The music has inspired many bands to create their own music and Alice Cooper still plunders the album for songs to play live to this day. To celebrate the album and its influence on rock bands today a new covers album has been recorded.
UK Independent record label Pale Wizard Records have released "Killer 50 Years Later" on CD (with bonus tracks) and digital and vinyl. Funded initially as a Kickstarter, the album is a celebration; an homage; to the classic album.
All of the original eight songs are performed by eight different bands:
1.
Green Lung - Under My Wheels
2.
The Grand Mal - Be My Lover
3.
Sergeant Thunderhoof - Halo of Flies
4.
Ritual King - Desperado
5.
1968 - You Drive Me Nervous
6.
Trippy Wicked & the Cosmic Children of the Knight - Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
7.
Mos Generator - Dead Babies
8.
Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell - Killer
CD bonus tracks:
9.
Alunah - I'm Eighteen - Bonus Track 03:15
10.
Suns of Thunder - Billion Dollar Babies - Bonus Track
11.
Possessor - Muscle of Love - Bonus Track
12.
Sound of Origin - Sick Things - Bonus Track
With a wide range of talent on offer, each with their own take on the songs; the album is fascinating and a good tribute to the original. The songs aren't butchered but treated with respect which is great. The bands have added their own sound and "feel" to the songs but not messed around with the original song too much. This could so easily have been a disaster. Happy to say, however, that it isn't. Each song is well done with only Ritual Kings' version of "Desperado" letting things down. It loses the feel and emotion of the original sadly. We're not keen on Alunah's cover of "I'm Eighteen" but its only a bonus track so this is forgiven. The album is well presented to in a gatefold cardboard sleeve with a nice booklet. The vinyl version is also available in neon pink (limited run). The printed CD and vinyl looking like the original Warner one is a nice touch too.
A good, varied and fitting tribute to "Killer". Well done Pale Wizard!
ROX TV Full Length Documentary now on YouTube! Also available as a Director's Cut DVD from ROX Network!
An integral part of the
early-'80s thrash metal movement that spawned acts like Metallica and
Anthrax, New Jersey's Overkill garnered a reputation for brutal,
pounding speed and technique. Taking their moniker from the 1979
Motörhead album of the same name, an early demo; Power in Black,
made waves in the underground tape-trading circuit and caught the
attention of Megaforce Records, which issued the band's full-length
studio debut, Feel the Fire, in 1985. High-profile shows alongside
luminaries like Slayer and Anthrax followed, and with the American
thrash scene in full tilt, Overkill inked a major-label deal with
Atlantic, which put out their sophomore effort, 1987's uncompromising
Taking Over. This was followed quickly in 1988 by the equally
uncompromising, Under The Influence which spawned the MTV hit, ‘Hello
From The Gutter’. Continuing their breakneck pace, the band issued
the Terry Date -produced Years of Decay the following year in 1989,
which saw them pushing their sound in a more epic direction, while
maintaining the neck-snapping attack of their debut. Expanding their
lineup to a five piece in 1990 they released the brooding and
relentlessly heavy Horrorscope, which introduced elements of doom
into the mix and would go on to become a defining release and fan
favourite. Overkill continued to move toward a more epic Sabbath style
on 1993's I Hear Black but switched up again on 1994's W.F.O. which
marked a return to the whiplash-inducing thrash of the past.
Overkill are held in
high regard as one of the true greats of the global metal scene, one
they dominate to this day. These six albums cemented Overkill in the
thrash hall of fame, while contributing to their 16 million record
sales, notched up over the last 40 years and are all considered stone
cold classics.
All six of these albums
are back on vinyl for the first time in over a decade. Half speed
mastered for dynamic range and pressed on 180g vinyl. Also available
as a CD collectors box.
"Wille and the Bandits are a blues rock powerhouse.."
- Guitarist Magazine
"Their thoughtful ambition, allied to hard-touring independence, remains refreshing."
- Classic Rock Magazine
Cornwall-based roots rock band Wille & The Bandits release their fifth studio album When The World Stood Still on January 28, 2022, on their independent label, Fat Toad Records. The album is now available to pre-order from www.willeandthebandits.com/shop.
The first single Will We Ever is released Friday November 5 and can be streamed from https://ingroov.es/will-we-ever-hk9-a. The official music video for Will We Ever can be viewed HERE.
This is about an album that documents a time when the world stood still, recorded in a place only accessible on the high tide, on the banks of the river Fowey; one of Britain's most iconic recording studios that is coming to the end of an influential life. This could be the last album recorded at Sawmills, funded by the fans of a band considered one of the most exciting and successful independent acts in Europe,
It is no exaggeration to state that Sawmills Studio, with the artistry of John Cornfield, has produced some of the most ground-breaking albums of the last 30 years; Stone Roses' FoolsGold, Oasis’ Definitely Maybe, Supergrass’ In It For The Money, Robert Plant’s The Fate ofNations, Muse’s Showbiz, and now Wille & The Bandits’ When the World Stood Stillstands alongside as one of equal mastery.
Wille & The Bandits are a band who do not stop pushing boundaries. They were in the process of carving out a reputation as one of the UKs most original acts when the impacts of the pandemic led to a cease of touring. Wille and the Band got stuck into song-writing and an album was written; A group of powerful anthemic songs, who's melodies and lyrics resonate with the emotions of a time that none of us expected.
“It had always been a dream for me to record at Sawmills,” says Wille Edwards, the band’s lead singer, guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist. “I was devastated at the thought that another piece of music history was being repurposed away from a place of inspiration for the arts.”
“However,” continues Wille, “there was a suggestion of fate when a friend took me night fishing at a secret spot, that just happened to be in the Foy River, looking across to this wonderfully situated building; one that we all know, even if we don’t realise it, from a childhood of reading Wind in the Willows. This set me on a hunt to find out if there was still a chance to record one last album at Sawmills with the man behind all the iconic albums recorded there - Mr John Cornfield. To fund this enterprise, we turned to our unbelievable fans who made the dream happen, and who we are eternally grateful, too”
Wille & The Bandits have so far recorded five studio albums to critical acclaim and are credited with pushing the boundaries of roots rock into a new era of music lovers. They were listed in the top ten must see bands at Glastonbury Festival by BBC Radio One and were personally invited to perform on the German TV show Rockpalast - a musical institution of global import.
They have played festivals across the world, from Broadway to the West End, and Belgrade to Sydney. They were picked to perform at the London Olympics after being voted one of UK’s best live acts.
The first single from the album, Will We Ever, features Wille’s signature slide guitar playing and powerful vocals. It mourns the loss of performing as a band, and asks the question; will the world ever be the same?
The combination of one of the country's best live bands, best producer and iconic recording studios has produced something very special with the forthcoming release of When The World Stood Still.
LINE-UP
Wille Edwards– Lead vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, dobro, electric lap steel Harry Mackaill – Backing vocals, bass guitar, synthesizer Matthew Gallagher– Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes, piano, Mellotron, guitar, backing vocals Tom Gilkes– Drums and percussion
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Recorded at Sawmills Studio Engineered and Mixed by John Cornfield Produced by Wille & The Bandits and John Cornfield All songs written by Edwards, Mackaill, Gallagher, Gilkes Mastered by Lewis Hopkin at Star Delta Mastering
ALBUM TRACK BY TRACK
Caught In The Middle This track moves through three distinct genres, mixing hip-hop, folk and rock. Lyrically, it addresses the political turmoil and lack of identity the UK faces as it tries to re-establish itself as a global player. It features an almost Rage Against the Machine guitar riff, washed out with fuzz and octave dirt, mixed with harmonic slide lines which mimic analogue hip hop synth parts. If one song gets close to capturing the band's genre-straddling sound, this is the one.
I'm Alive The song is from the perspective of someone struggling with depression, who experiences a moment of epiphany which breaks the cycle of depression and who learns what it means to be alive. The song features a huge instrumental section, hinting at more eastern influences, with the use of percussion and exotic scales. The band shows what fantastic singers they all are with a three-way vocal harmony section in the chorus, reminiscent of The Eagles and a more southern rock approach.
Without You Without You is a dark epic ballad which swirls from Stairway to Heaven to Pink Floyd in its musical approach, with a soundscape that wouldn’t be lost on a Tom Waits or Nick Cave record. The lyrics are very much inspired by the loss of a loved one, experienced by too many in this pandemic. Wille's guitar solo features his signature slide sound soaring like David Gilmore's, while the band transports the listener into another world. The vocal was done in one take, straight the way through. You can hear the pain and suffering in Wille’s delivery as he screams himself almost hoarse at the end.
Good Stuff A feel-good song with a hypnotic groove and anthemic sing along chorus. The song features Wille on bottleneck slide and grooves almost like an ACDC track with a huge chorus that will get all the WATB fans singing back on the album's tour. The song asks "What makes you happy? What's your good stuff?"
In This Together One of the most used phrases of the pandemic; We're in this together. This track explores how divisive politics and social media fuel a culture of conflict and blame. The song is an up-tempo track which has shades of Tom Petty and a slight tilt towards 90’s Brit Pop.
Will We Ever The band lament over whether they will ever sing on a stage again or return to normal pre-covid time of musical performance. The track almost has a southern rock edge with Wille playing dobro and lap steel as the main guitar, followed by a three-way harmony vocal chorus which has shades of The Allman Brothers.
When The World Stood Still The title track of the album shows s gentler side of the band with Tom on brushes and percussion, Harry on double bass, Matt on Piano and Wille weaving in and out with his beautiful dobro playing. The song showcases Wille’s vocals at the forefront of the song which stands out as one of his best vocal performances to date. Lyrically, the song talks about the beauty experienced by some, of those first few weeks of the lockdown when nature almost took the world back and the common noises of the hustle and bustle lifted to create a stillness and tranquillity.
Move Too Fast Move Too Fast really showcases the musicianship in the band with an almost New York funk-soul vibe running through the song with shades of Little Feat. The guitar solo is clearly inspired by Derek Trucks with the guitar imitating a human voice and the vocals using hip-hop phrasing to create a feel-good atmosphere. The song is about how people need to slow down and reflect on what is important in life and listen to their inner soul rather than external influences.
Broken Words The stuttering chorus imitates the ineloquent and unclear statements released from the podium by our Prime Minister throughout the pandemic. The song has an almost funk edge to it, featuring a percussion break out from Tom Gilkes which uses any kitchen utensils and random objects (such as a bird house), that were at his disposal at the time of recording.
Daylight Daylight is a song about Wille’s second daughter, who's forceful nature and delightful exuberance bring him such joy (His first daughter had a song on the previous album written about her, so this isn't favouritism). Don't expect a soppy track because this one features a huge riff which breaks down into an almost Led Zeppelin type middle eight with thunderous Bonham drums and screaming vocals.
Refuge A refuge is what music is to many people; a life raft which keeps us safe. The song talks about how musicians have been disrespected and disregarded during in the pandemic. At no point has there been consideration that art is a valuable commodity in society. This frustration has been translated into an ethereal, driving melody that shows the influence of Bruce Springsteen and War on Drugs.
Solid Ground A beautiful song which has shades of John Martyn about it. The song focuses on the problems that our children will have with the “code red” warnings for humanity. It is a plea for our children to be able to walk on solid ground. Its features a guitar solo which weeps and howls as if Peter Green has been transported back to planet earth.
"WHEN THE WORLD STOOD STILL" UK TOUR MARCH/APRIL 2022
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