4 minute read
Joe Lynn Turner
Rock legend Joe Lynn Turner returned this year with a new album, a new sound, and a new look to boot.
The former Rainbow frontman’s latest offering is titled Belly of the Beast. “It’s an old phrase,” he said. “Certainly, I didn’t invent it. There have been movies called Belly of the Beast.” Even thrash metal outfit Anthrax had a song with the same title, so in that respect, this is by no means new terminology.
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However, what was it about the title that resonated with Turner? “I had to call it this because the reality that we’re in right now, or the matrix in a way if you go that far, that we’re in right now is descriptive of the belly of the beast,” said JLT. “It’s a geopolitical system. A financial system that we live in. Right now, I think the whole world is being threatened by their freedoms, their rights, their very existence really. Food shortages, energy shortages, and economically. So we are sincerely in the belly, we’re not on the surface, we’re being eaten alive.”
The album, in this respect, is somewhat of a battle cry. “This was a very important message for me to get out and to shake people up,” said Joe. “Art should be a reflection of society, and the society that we are living in right now is exactly in that position. We are in trouble. If we don’t wake up and start to take action on this, it’s going to be too late.” From a musical point of view, perhaps Belly of the Beast is a little heavier than one might expect from Joe Lynn Turner. “The vision was to keep it sort of modern melodic metal. It’s not death metal, it’s not thrash metal, and it’s certainly not AOR. There are elements of course, as you can sing melodies you’ll remember. So, we wanted to keep that in a narrow space where it’s a vision of that, but I think it has its own sound really.” Of course, that’s not to say there isn’t something for the old-school fans. “There are some classic JLT moments like Dark Night of the Soul ballads, but they’re done with a bedrock of modern-sounding metal music, and then I would adapt my voice to that medium.”
The album also marks a new chapter for JLT. Having been diagnosed with alopecia at the age of three, the artist began to wear a wig at 14 years old. At this point in his career, the singer has finally decided to go without. “I feel completely refreshed, reborn, re-enlightened. I think the time off gave me time to reflect on a lot of things,” he said. “I think I feel fresh again. I have a new look, a new sound, and a new identity in a way. After all, music is entertainment. So, I am entertaining, but at the same time, I’m trying to put out a message. So, I want you to have a good time with it. But I want you to listen in. Take it to heart and be serious about what I’m trying to say.” The artist’s new look has given him a new sense of freedom. “I think the word is liberation,” he said. “It was an open secret. It wasn’t trying to be hidden. It was just a preference because, in the day, you needed to have a uniform. You needed to have the long hair, and you needed to have the tight jeans. And you needed to have the chains and all of this. There is still the uniform out there. Every band in a matter of fact, comes out like a cookie-cutter band, trying to imitate the genres, whatever genre you might be in. That was definitive for that era. Now, this has become fashionable.”
With JLT’s openness about his condition, he wanted to help others who may also need help coming to terms with their ailments. “I wanted to help inspire and motivate people, no matter what their challenges are. No matter what their adversity in life is,” explains Turner.
Joe Lynn Turner will be performing at HRH Road Trip in Ibiza in 2023. “I have been looking forward to that,” he confirms. “I’m a beach kid from way back from the Jersey Shore. So, I’m into the sea and the beach and the water and the boats and everything else.” He concludes: “Not only am I looking forward to the event, but I also think it’s a hell of a cool place.”
Belly of the Beast by Joe Lynn Turner is out now via Music Theories Recordings. You can also see the artist perform at HRH Road Trip in Ibiza between 2nd-10th May 2023. For booking details and further information, please visit https://hrhroadtrip.com/.
