CONTENTS
04_Last in Line 05_Kane Roberts 07_Jetboy 08_Starbreaker 10_Find Me 12_Reviews 1 5 _ To r a To r a 17_Spirits of Fire 1 8 _ We s t B o u n d 2 2 _ To b y H i t c h c o c k 17_Inglorious
Melodic Rock Fanzine The official Frontiers Music s.r.l. magazine Year #15 - Nr. 1 / Issue #90
THE END Machine “S/T” (CD / LP / Dig.) - BURNING RAIN “Face the Music” (CD / LP / Dig.) - THE TREATMENT “Power Crazy” (CD / Dig.) - TNT “Encore Live in Milano” (CD+DVD / BR / Dig.) - HAREM SCAREM “The Ultimate Collection” (Boxset / LP / Dig.) - OUT ON MARCH 29: L.A. GUNS “The Devil You Know”(CD / LP / Dig.)
Editor-in-chief: Elio Bordi Concept, Graphics & Design: Elio Bordi Writers: Bruce E.J. Atkinson, Duncan Jamieson, Barry McMinn, Fabiana Spinelli. Headquarters and general contacts: Frontiers Records - Via Gonzaga 18 80125, Napoli - Italy
Tel: +39.081.2399340/7753 Fax: +39.081.2399794 E-mail: elio@frontiers.it Website: www.frontiers.it
Facebook: facebook.com/frontiersmusicsrl Twitter: twitter.com/FrontiersMusic1
Editor and publisher: Frontiers Records s.r.l. Copyright©2019 Frontiers Records s.r.l. - All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Printed in Italy.
ALAN PARSONS “The Secret” (CD, CD+DVD, Boxset, LP, Dig.) FORTUNE “II” (CD, Dig.) HARDLINE “Life” (CD, LP, Dig.) MICHAEL THOMPSON BAND “Love & Beyod” (CD, Dig.) JIM PETERIK WORLD STAGE “Winds of Change” (CD, Dig.) LEVERAGE “DeterminUs” (CD, Dig.) TEN “Opera Omnia”(Boxset, LP, Dig.)
Fabiana Spinelli: Hi Vivian, I’m so happy to talk with you about ‘II’. Can we start our chat talking about this new line-up with Phil, who seems perfectly fitting into Last In Line? Vivian Campbell: Phil has been a great addition to LIL. He has been a friend of ours, and was a friend of Jimmy, for many, many years. Phil is a great professional who is so much more than just a talented bass player. He's a very strong singer, an experienced, sucessful and skilled songwriter, and a comfortable performer. In addition to all of that, Phil has a great sense of humour, much like Jimmy had. This makes it easy for us all to exist together and enjoy each other's company. FS: There’s an explosive energy in ‘II’, how do you feel about writing music once again with your mate Vinny Appice? VC: Vinny and I have a tremendous chemistry together that is very rare and unique. I think that Ronnie was the first to notice this chemistry when the original Dio band first met and played together in late 1982 in London. Vinny's playing is alive and it's constantly moving and evolving. I believe that I play at my best when I play with Vinny because he always keeps pushing me and challenging me to be more and more adventurous in my playing. FS: Everybody’s finally seeing Andrew Freeman as the great singer he is, without all the comparisons with Ronnie James Dio that arrived after your first album. What do you think about that? VC: I'm very proud of everything that Andrew has achieved on the "II' album. He has proven to be both a world class singer and an exceptional songwriter in his own right. In the early days, it was always going to be difficult for Andrew to perform the early Dio band classics with us as he was always going to have the shadow of Ronnie over him when performing that music. Now, after hav-
4 | MRF
ing written so much original music with us, he can finally take the credit that he deserves. He is his own man, with his own voice, and that is what was always apparent to me when I first met Andrew and when I first heard him sing. He is not a clone, he has his own style, his own strength, and he has a great deal to say about the world. I believe that Andrew has really made his mark on the "II" record. FS: ‘II’ is a solid, hard and heavy album. Can you tell us why do you choose ‘Landslide’ as a single and what’s your favourite songs? VC: We chose "Landslide" as the first single as we think that it has an immediacy to it. The chorus is catchy and the style of the song is classic, but yet modern, and that embodies what Last In Line are as a band. I honestly do not have any favourite songs on the "II" album. I'm extremely pleased with every song that we wrote and every performance on the record. There's nothing on this album that I would want to re-do, and as an artist, I think that's a very strong statement. FS: Which are the most interesting lyrics of the new album according to you? I’m really impressed by ‘False Flag’, can you tell me something more about this song? VC: "False flag" is typical of many songs on the album in that it reflects the social issues of our time. There is much to cheer in 2019, but there is also much to be concerned about. Unlike Ronnie, Andrew is a topical writer, so his lyrics reflect the aspects of our social discourse that concern him. I think that most people can see the warning signs and the dark clouds that are gathering on the horizon. As artists, it's our job to amplify and reflect that. Song like "False Flag" and "Year Of the Gun" are prime examples of these reflections. FS: Andrew also collaborate with Stanis Decker for the artwork: I found the logo and the cover really elegant and modern,
do you want to step away from the ‘oldstyle’ label that maybe someone put on the band? VC: Yes, it's important that LIL step beyond the trappings of the origins of the band. When we started, we had no idea that LIL would become what it is today. We are striving to find the correct balance between recognising the legacy of the band as the original Dio band, and what it has now become, as an original creative unit in it's own right. FS: Would you like to share with us a little memory, an anecdote to remember Jimmy Bain together? VC: I have many great memories of my times with Jimmy. We shared several apartments together and I have many rock n' roll stories that involve Jimmy. But beyond all of that, I would just like to say that Jimmy was a wonderful and warm human being. He was generous with everything he had - in good times and in bad - and his friends were very important to him. I'm most honoured to have been among those friends. FS: Would you like to say something more about future plans of the band? A tour, a new album, anything you’d like to share with our readers! VC: Def Leppard has been my main focus for the past 27 years and as such LIL is a side project. However, it is as serious a side project as it is possible to imagine. When I'm not working with Def Leppard, I'm working with LIL. I completely believe in the talents and ability of this band and it brings me immense joy to play this music on stage with them. This is not a vanity project or a distraction for me. I believe in the music that we make together and I feel the impact it has every time I share the stage with Andrew, Vinny and Phil. This is the reason why I always wanted to play guitar. This is what makes me feel alive!
Duncan Jamieson: This album has been three years in the making. It’s obviously a record you’ve put a lot of work into. Kane Roberts: I DID walk into the studio with my co-producer Alex Track, armed with 10 songs ready to go and then within a week we had thrown the lot of them out. While living below the public radar for so long, I still was singing and playing guitar. I’d also wandered into the studio from time to time, so my vocal chops were still intact and as for my guitar playing, I felt had evolved into a better place than back in the day. But when I stepped up to the mic knowing wouId be doing it “for real” I had a sense of how high my standard had to be. I called musicians I knew, writers I did not know, music industry friends…you name it and started the collaborative process of making new music. The main message was it had to be real, it had to represent where I am now and the writing, singing, playing and production had to kick ass. So the run up to where I was confident I still had my vocal range and the music was sounding hot was about 6 months. The rest of the time was a perfect process of tearing into songs and then taking the time to make them mine! I will say, when it’s something you love doing… You never get tired of it. It did not feel like a lot of work. By the way, I thank the stars every day that I was with Frontiers during this recording process. Their pure commitment and unbridled passion for music is unmatched in all my years in and out of the industry. DJ: People who might know your music from the 80s and 90s might be surprised by the direction of this album. It’s contemporary metal but echoes of the past too. What encouraged you to move in this more modern direction? KR: Of course I can’t avoid accessing my past experiences and the music I grew up on, but there’s so much amazing new metal and hard
rock out there these days. Arch Enemy, Volbeat, Lacuna Coil, Doyle’s new band, Battle Beast and so many insanely talented musicians. At the outset we opted for a more cinematic approach. Truthfully a lot of the sounds we injected into the songs might also be appropriate for a movie score. The point was to generate the hardest hitting environment for the message our lyrics and melody are trying to convey. And as all the HEAVY ASS pieces started to fall into place I feel an honest blend of who I am now as a person and musician was in the digital files we’d created. As a rule, I believe if you work hard enough and stay honest as to what you’re trying to give to the listening audience, the world will ultimately greet you with open legs. DJ: You co-wrote some songs with Brent Smith of Shinedown and Lzzy Hale of Halestorm. What did you learn from them in terms of songwriting and what do you think they picked up from you? KR: I learned how high their standard is when creating. They probably learned how much I love their work. DJ: You have a whole host of modern female talent guesting. How did you hook with then and what was it like working with Nita Strauss, Alissa White-Gluz, Aoyama Hideki and Katt Franich? KR: Nita drives me crazy with the way she looks, her incredible guitar skills and her big heart. I love the way she stalks the stage… full metal jacket and tearing up the guitar the way she does! She’s truly an innovator on so many levels so why wouldn’t I want a piece of that to start my new CD (we trade solos on the opening track “King Of the World”). To me Nita and Alissa White-Gluz are “The New Normal”. Alissa is one of the most creative, bright, committed artists that can be imagined. I felt it was critical to have her on the song with me and Alice (Beginning of the End) because she tears
worlds apart and in the ruins, she leaves us with a new way of thinking and a richer sense of what is possible. I was nothing but Honored that Alissa White-Gluz and Alice Cooper are in my new video for Beginning of the End and I urge everyone to take a look at this rare event. Katt Franich is a new young artist who kills her part on “Who We Are”. After we wrote the song together I decided to have her deliver the female side of things instead of a guitar solo. Her voice is one to be reckoned with and I truly believe we will all be hearing from her in the near future. Aoyama Hideki is the engine behind Baby Metal and Im so juiced to have him adding the high octane drumming in “Beginning of the End” with Alice Cooper. DJ: You’ve reached out to your old partner in crime Alice Cooper to sing on ‘Beginning Of The End’. What are your fondest memories of working with Alice from back in the day? KR: Just the fact that we became best friends the first day we met. That friendship has lasted and that’s one of the reasons I asked him to sing and why he agreed. It’s a bonus that we both love the song and video and he loves Alissa as well! DJ: You also have your old band mate Kip Winger on a few tracks. Do you think you and he suffered credibility issues from some sectors of the press just because you were more photogenic than most? KR: Wait… ME!?!? too good looking? LOL In my case I would say that’s NOT the reason why everyone doesn’t love me ahah. I used to call KIP ”Face” on the Alice Cooper tour cause he’s so good looking. Who knew he was such an insanely prolific musician. I think once you decide to do something different there’s risks involved but we can only be the animals we were made to be… but me too good looking? Are you sure you’re interviewing the right guy HAHA!
MRF | 5
Bruce Atkinson: It seems that 2019 is looking up! I understand that ‘Born To Fly’ is actually your first collection of brand new material in a very long time! Would you say that we are witnessing a ‘re-start’ of the group? Billy Rowe: Yes, these are some very exciting times for Jetboy! Thanks to Frontiers Records for making all this possible. This is the band's first full length album in 29 years! Hard to believe this even happened. I would say with this new album coming to life really gave the band a ‘re-start’ in so many ways. And we are beyond happy about it! BA: Although I have only listened to a few tracks, this album just Rocks... plain and simple. Where did you end up recording the record, and how long did it take you? BR: Right on, thank you! Jetboy is a straight-forward rock 'n roll band, so we wrote and recorded what we do best. We recorded the basic tracks at Palomino Sound in Los Angeles and the overdubs we recorded at our producer's home studio in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles. The whole recording process took approximately 2 weeks. BA: The production is straight up, crisp and clear...is ‘Born To Fly’ self-produced or did you enlist outside production? BR: Our goal was to record a classic vintage style rock 'n roll album, so thank you again! We worked with producer and friend Luke Tierney
and mixed by Rick Parker. Fernie and myself helped produce the album as well. BA: Continuing... It seems that each and everyone just got so energized, almost like that these sessions were your first! BR: This is true. This album really brought the best out of all of us. The whole process from writing, to demoing to the final recording was nothing but fun and full of energy. BA: Did the reissue of “Feel the Shake” from Rock Candy in 2017 set the spark to re-ignite the group? BR: Hmm, not really. But it was very cool to be added to such an amazing re-issue label. Rock Candy Records is such a cool label! Their catalog is so good. BA: How did you become involved in Frontiers Music? BR: The U.S. rep for Frontiers met with our booking agent and asked if he thought Jetboy had another album in them to record? Our agent called and asked, and we all said hell yeah! This is the best thing that’s happened to the band since the early years. BA: Let us go back to the record...you have offered up a varied and exciting set of music. Every potential that was promised in the eighties is now full filled...is this because of the long absence? BR: I think Jetboy has always stayed true to
what the band is all about and that’s straight-forward, good time rock 'n roll. As a result, when it came time to write this album it all flowed naturally. Each of us has played music in some form with the years behind us, so we’ve become better writers and musicians. So the absence in a way did help the band. BA: The title track is certainly a ‘hello—we’re back!’ type of song...and it only gets better. Everything sounds so inspired, not just Mickey’s singing—every performance, from each member, so I imagine that the sessions themselves were just as exciting... BR: new album was so inspiring for the band in every way. To make ‘Born To Fly’ come to life was pure and positive! So yes, the sessions were amazing! We already look forward to doing another album. BA: Speaking of inspiration, could we talk about “The Way That You Move Me”—such a beautiful song... BR: Thank you. Musically we took this song in a very Stonsey/Faces, Rod Steward direction. Not intentionally, it just came out that way which I feel is so cool. Lyrically Mickey can get more detailed about this part. But I do know Mickey had his first child just a few years ago and recently his second. So lyrically this song is heavily influenced by becoming father, how awesome is that?!?
MRF | 7
Bruce Atkinson: ‘Dysphoria’ is the group’s third effort, and a bit of a long stretch between the second and this one. Was this due to your other activities? Magnus Karlsson: Yes it took us a while to finally get it done. We actually started a couple of years ago but then Tony joined Skid Row and after that he was back in TNT for a while so I almost forgot about it and was busy with Primal Fear and other projects. But all of a sudden Tony called me one night and said he wanted to finish the album. I still had the ideas from the first attempt and we wrote some new stuff too. So after that call it went pretty fast. BA: Being able to spend more time with the group, did you change anything in the way of song writing, or the recording process? MK: We don’t spend any time together at all actually but I have spent a lot of time listening to Tony sing and I also learned what stuff that works great and what musical direction Tony prefers. That makes it easier to create something good together. The first album was great but it was more like taking a chance with the song ideas. BA: With such complicated pieces, and song structures—did you and Tony have any reservations in regards to producing ‘Dysphoria’?
8 | MRF
MK: Both Tony and I like to be involved as producers. We are so close to our songs so it would feel strange to have someone else as producer. I guess it could work but it’s a risk to have someone that maybe have a different vision. BA: Jonni has been with you for a while…how about Anders Kollerfors, when did he join up? MK: Anders has a great studio close to where I live and he’s a fantastic drummer. So with him we got great drumming and a great sound. He play a lot of different styles and I like to work with people that can mix in other styles to make the songs more interesting. I met him when I recorded Kingdom of Rock and we talked about doing something in the future and when Starbreaker came up I thought of Anders. BA: Listening to some of the material contained within the new release…it seems that this line up of ‘Starbreaker’ are quite comfortable with each other… MK: Absolutely, even if we record in different parts of the world it sounds like we are jamming on some of the songs. As always I work a lot on the demos so the others knows what vibe we are looking for. And if the tracks sounds great from the beginning everyone is performing better during the process. BA: I also hear a confidence that is
stronger in each performance, what would you attribute this to? MK: We’re older, wiser and better! :) Personally Im a lot faster in knowing if something is a hit or shit. When I was younger I could worry if a solo or something was good enough..Now I trust my judgement and then I can put my time on great stuff instead. BA: You and the group have given us a varied collection of music. Again possibly showing us the growth within. Is this a correct feeling? MK: I would say this is the most varied Starbreaker album. That’s something I really like. But with the sound and everything the songs still fit great together. BA: So, with a great offering, you must be anticipating some live opportunities. Have you begun to plan for some live performances? And if so, where will you be heading in the rest of 2019? MK: Thats something we have discussed and we got some offers too. It would be cool but I don’t know if it will happen.. BA: In closing, please leave our readers with some parting thoughts…and all the best for you and ‘Starbreaker’! MK: Sorry for keeping you waiting so long for this album and I hope you think its was worth the wait!
Barry McMinn: After the critical success of the first two albums was there any pressure when it came to writing this the third Find Me album. Robbie LaBlanc: I don’t write any of the material. Once all of the songs are approved by Serafino Perugino, the Head of Frontiers Records, I receive all of the demo songs via an email/MP3 from Daniel Flores the producer of Find Me. We just wanted to top the other two if it were possible. BM: Obviously the two or you work well together was the chemistry there from the beginning... RL: All of the demos that Daniel sent were all in the correct keys for me, it was fantastic. Danny knows how to blend all of the instruments and vocals very nicely, I love our final product!! I really think he instinctively knows what will work for my vocal range and lack of range! BM: When it comes to the writing process is a duel process when it comes to the lyrics and the music... RL: Again, I don’t write the songs. I just interpret how they sound at the end. Sometimes it will take a week or two to get a vocal just right. For example, whether or not to sound “clean� or a little rougher. As I get older the rougher voice is taking over!! BM: Both of you are involves with other bands and projects how hard was it to set time aside to collaborate on the new album.
10 | MRF
RL: I’m a weekend warrior! The vocals usually go pretty quick, I either have it that day or I don’t. I know quickly if I will get a good take on any particular day. I really enjoy the Find Me records, they are fun to sing and challenging at the same time. BM: Where all the songs written specifically for this album or did you both have some older ideas that you thought would be great for Find Me RL: You’ll have to ask Danny đ&#x;˜Š I think they were written specifically for this record. BM: A lot has been said about Frontiers and there projects but I think like minded musician should come together to make great music what’s your thoughts on this RL: In our modern day recording environment, it is possible to make a great record across the pond. Danny gets the music and I get the vocals. All of the musicians in the band are phenomenal so I never have to worry about that. I just concentrate on my bit and hopefully it sounds great! I record all my vocals at home so there is no pressure regarding studio time. I have some great mics and Danny mixes awesomely! When you have the same vision on the final product you can make it happen somehow. BM: Again Swedish musicians seem to be keeping this genre of music going what is it about you crazy Swedes that sways you towards this music RL: Well being mostly Italian, I really can’t answer that! I love the Swedish guys, they are
all great people first and foremost and they are great players on top of that. It’s an honor to work with them. They take immense pride in their music. BM: Once again you are joined by SÜren Kronquist and Philip Lindstrand are these your go to guys for Find Me. RL: Those guys are the best, I love them like brothers. They are certainly the driving sound of Find Me in their writing and musicianship. Absolutely top notch. BM: The album is pure melodic joy to listen to but are there any songs you are particularly proud of and why. RL: I was scared when the CD came out and here’s why. I love every song on it and I thought well, If I love it , no-one else will! I am thrilled it’s getting great reviews, I had a ball singing it. The tracks were just great. I was hoping people would love it and I am grateful it looks like we made a good one. Waiting For A Lifetime, The Only One, Show Me What You’d Die For, and our cover of Desperate Dreams are my BIG favs. BM: What does the future hold for Find Me, are there any plans for live shows in the not to distant future. RL: If we get invited to play we will play! Just ask us! I hope we can make another CD (as I am making the sign of the cross). It’s a lot of fun and I am so grateful to the Fans, they are so amazing. Beautiful vibes all around, I’m lucky .
eviews
R
New releases available on www.frontiers.shop - The official Frontiers Music s.r.l. shop!
INGLORIOUS “Ride to Nowhere” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
TOBY HITCHCOCK “Reckoning” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
STARBREAKER “Dysphoria” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
An earthquake shake up the line-up of this band, leaving “the future of British rock” orphan of former bassist and guitarists. But the music it’s still here and what an amazing one! ‘Ride To Nowhere’, mixed by legendary Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith), is a little gem with a look into the Seventies but with their full focus into modernity. A mature, hot and plenty sound, with a solid hard rock d o n e w i t h g r a n i t i c r i ff s a n d c a t c h y melodies, but also bluesy overtones. But the biggest strength of the album is without any doubt the astonishing voice of Nathan James, a perfect frontman with unique vocals instantly recognisable, who incredibly grews up again with ‘Ride To Nowhere’. An album for those looking for a glimpse of the Golden Age of rock, but also for all those people looking for something really new, fresh and surprising: ‘Ride To Nowhere’ seems to be the best chapter of the brief career of the band and for sure, one of the best hard rock records in a long time. Fabiana Spinelli (100/100)
This is the second solo album from the Pride Of Lions singer. Where the first solo record found him rocking harder to great effect under the guidance of Eric Martensson, this record finds him pursuing a sound that has much more in common with POL. Daniel Flores is in the production chair so sonically it is similar to the recent Find Me and First Signal albums. The songs have been gifted to Hitchcock from an array of aor talent. Marcus Nygren of State Of Stalazar provides some of the best songs on the record with the infectious ‘No Surrender’ and ‘Queen Untouchable’ particular stand outs. Michael Palace plays guitar throughout and supplies two songs that could have easily fitted on his most recent album ‘Binary Music’. Steve Newman’s songs suit Hitchcock’s emotive delivery. The big ballad ‘Show Me How To Live’ builds to an epic chorus. Hitchcock sings the bejesus out of every line on the album. Some might argue that it’s all a little too close to POL, but if you want an album of songs from some of the most consistent writers on the scene at the moment and a vibrant vocal performance then this ticks those boxes.Duncan Jamieson (90/100)
The dynamic pair of Tony Harnell and Magnus Karlsson have harmonised their collective creativity once again, giving us an explosive musical sound Bassist Jonni Lightfoot returns on this release, and meshes perfectly with drummer Anders Kollerfors. Resulting in a powerful and driven engine that propels each track. Magnus performs with magic fingers, whether it is on guitar or keyboards!… And Tony’s vocals soar with emotion and clarity Together, these four perform amazingly. “Beautiful One” is such a fitting title for a song that is also performed as such. As mentioned this is an epic journey, of music and lyric. Each song measures up, each performance continually building, bringing us deeper and higher within the sounds we hear. “Dysphoria”, as a whole is rich, complex and an absolute pleasure to listen to. Although each song and performance stands out, “My Heart Belongs To You” and “How Many More Goodbyes” seem to have found a special place in my musical heart! A musical heart that is ever growing thanks to “Starbreaker”! “Dysphoria”, a shinning effort from “Starbreaker”. Bruce Atkinson (98/100)
WEST BOUND “Volume I” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
SPIRITS OF FIRE “Spirits of Fire” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
FIND ME “Angels in Blue” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
Exploding out of California, “West Bound” are a six piece hard rock group that is steeped in both classic rock and blues, with modern rock expressions. Making this debut an exciting one! “Volume I” opens with a rollicking blues flavored rocker, “Never Surrender”. Up next is “Dance Of Life” with its hardened blues twists that mesh with a driving bottom end. The six responsible for these rhythmic Hard Rock and Blues blankets of music are: Guitar-Roy Z, and Jimmy Burkard, Bass-Jason Cornwell, DrumsDave Moreno, and on Keyboards is Stephen Leblanc. The vocal duties are delivered in very fine fashion by Chas West. All six are seasoned musicians and very serious about the Rock they create! Having two guitar players and a keyboardist, “West Bound” possesses an expansive sound. A sound that allows each member to explore their musical expressions much more fully. These five constantly weave rich and full rivers of sound which are then crowned by the strong and emotive vocal delivery of Chas! “West Bound” are serious rockers for those of us that take our music strong and pure! Here’s “Volume I” for you! Bruce Atkinson (92/100)
This is a US supergroup project that reads like a dream team for heavy metal lovers. Take musicians who have been in Judas Priest, Savatage, Fates Warning and Testament, put them together and imagine what the results could be.Under the solid production of Roy Z, this is an old school metal delight. Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens vocally shreds his way though songs that will remind you of his Priest days but then the songs branch out into the more progressive direction that Savatage and Fate Warning fans will relish. It’s during some of these passages that the record really catches fire such as on ‘Light Speed Of Marching’, ‘It’s Everywhere’, the Dio-like ‘Never To Return’ and the title track. Chris Cafferty’s guitar playing is steller, offering up a real variety of attack across the tracks. The Mark Zonder and Steve DiGiorgio rhythm section is a thundering juggernaut with the power to shake your fillings loose. When they slow it down as on the metalized blues of ‘The Game’ and the closer ‘Alone In The Dark’ it’s less compelling and some choruses could benefit from bigger hooks but that aside this is a gargantuan slice of classic metal. Duncan Jamieson (90/100)
Two giants in the Swedish Rock world Daniel Flores and Robert La Blanc have come together, along with Sören Kronquist, Philip Lindstrand and Johnny Trobro, for this the third Find Me album, ‘Angels in Blue’. First of all let me say when this duo get together, the chemistry is just superb. Together they produce what can only be described as sheer Melodic Rock alchemy. If you loved the previous two albums ‘Wings of Love’ and the follow-up release ‘Dark Angel’, then you’re in for a treat. Once again they have put together a stellar album that will appeal to both the old school MR fans and those fledgling fans of the genre. Opening things up with ‘No Tears in Paradise’, you’re instantly transfixed with the pure melodic joy of what the album has to offer. This is continued with the heavier, but equally superb, ‘Chain of Love’ complete with keyboard flurries. For sheer ear-candy you can’t beat ‘Straight for Eternity’ and the ballad ‘One Last Kiss’. There aren’t many albums out today that totally blow me away, but ‘Angels in Blue’ is one of those rarities. Even though it’s only February, this one has to be in my top ten of 2019. Barry McMinn (95/100)
New releases available on www.frontiers.shop - The official Frontiers Music s.r.l. shop!
LAST IN LINE “II” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
To really understand this band, we must make an effort and change our point of view. If we want to see in Last In Line only the glimpse of Ronnie James Dio, we’re on the wrong road: this is a band with solid roots, they play their own music and they play it loud! All started from Vivian Campbell and Vinny Appice jamming together in Los Angeles, and then the magic starts again. Being Dio’s coconspirators and co-writers on the ‘Holy Diver’, Last in Line’ and ‘Secret Heart’ historical albums, they come back with a great old-style had&heavy album, under the direction of producer Jeff Pilson. With a new breath of fresh air arrived with ex-Ozzy bassist Phil Soussan and from the amazing voice of Andrew Freeman, they set up a well-tried lineup and this ‘II’ give us twelve songs balancing between hard rock and heavy metal, with the iconic style of Campbell guitars and Appice drumming. From the catchy single ‘Landslide’ to the magnificent ‘Gods And Tyrants’, here you can find mixedup a little bit of Eighties with a really modern sound, as you can hear in ‘False Flag’, an heavy, dark song filled with metal. An explosive energy, absolute great attitude, satisfactory melodies and arrangements: this is ‘II’ and it lives on its own. Fabiana Spinelli (90/100)
JETBOY “Born to Fly” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
It’s been a long time since we heard from these five fantastic lads! So long that I can’t really call them lads, how about rock hard veterans! “JetBoy’s brand new record ‘Born To Fly’ tells us exactly how much fuel the L.A. quintet still have, and it is lots! The first three cuts power through, not giving us a chance to breath! That is how exciting this record is! Mickey Finn’s vocals haven’t lost their edge; in fact they are sharper than ever. Guitarists Fernie Rod and Billy Rowe continue to swashbuckle back and forth, intertwining those searing rhythmic licks throughout! Al Serrato keeps building up each song’s foundation while Eric Stacy infuses the polish on the rhythm section that is oh! so grand! “JetBoy” offer up twelve very up tempo Rock tunes that just makes one want to get up and dance! Lyrically, the group excel in straight to the point verse. Adding just the proper emotional colouring and inflections, that sharp voice of Mr. Finn’s harmonises beautifully with both Fernie’s and Billy’s. We have everything on this record. Foot stompin’ hard hitting and solid music. Twelve scorching songs of True Rock! Served up piping hot, that is “JetBoy”, and their new album ‘Born To Fly’! Bruce Atkinson (88/100)
QUIET RIOT “One Nigt in Milan” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
Yes, we remember this night in Milan very well. We were at last Frontiers Rock Festival and after the Quiet Riot’ gig, everybody had a big smile on their faces and someone whispered “Oh man, they came here with heavy artillery”. And we can find that incendiary performance in this dvd and blue ray that recreates accurately all the power that came for us: an adrenalized show, full of energy and intensity. As you can see, the band is solid and united on stage, also if the line-up was fresh at that time with frontman James Durbin at his first tour with Quiet Riot. And he’s going to be a nice revenge for this young singer who just captured so many things about the spirit of the band, doing his best on old classic songs like ‘Slick Black Cadillac’ e ‘Love’s A Bitch’. Don’t miss the touching version of ‘Thunderbird’ with Alessandro Del Vecchio on keyboards and a moving speech by Frankie Banali, dedicated to missing friends. ‘One Night In Milan’ shows a band with much to tell, up with the times, ready to rock all the stages like they did in Milan, during the recording of this album! Fabiana Spinelli (97/100)
FM “The Italian Job” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
When it comes to iconic British AOR they don’t come bigger than FM. A band that have been waving the AOR flag for some 35 years and are still drawing in crowds wherever they are tour. On 29th April 2018 they rocked the Frontiers Rock Festival in Milan with 17 songs of pure melodic joy. Led as always by the vocal might that is Steve Overland, who hasn’t lost any of his vocal prowess over those 35 years. The 17 tracks take in the bands substantial back catalogue, from the band’s debut ‘Indiscreet’ to their latest studio album ‘Atomic Generation’ and all things in-between. When this genre has fallen out of popularity with the mainstream, the band has carried on regardless and are still one of the best British Melodic Rock bands around. Take for instances timeless tracks like ‘I Belong to The Night’, the crowd pleaser ‘Let Love Be The Leader’, and of course ‘Bad Luck’, all great songs that had the Milan crown jumping. There are few bands that have stood the test of time and who are still able to produce high quality albums, as well as still perform live while pulling a crowd, but FM are one such a band. This is one live album you should most definitely purchase. Barry McMinn (94/100)
KANE ROBERTS “The New Normal” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
This album has taken three years to make and you sense, listening to it, that Roberts is fully committed to the music he’s making here. If you’re looking for the Desmond Child assisted melodic rock of his classic ‘Saint And Sinners’ album then you’ll be sorely disappointed as Roberts isn’t looking to create past glories, he’s seeking out a new, modern sound. Opener ‘King Of The World’ sets the tone with Robert’s voice. His voice adopts a more angst ridden approach than before. It’s got a good hook, an interestingly produced arrangement and has a widdly solo from Nita Strauss (Alice Cooper’s band).The stripped backed acoustic ‘Who We Are’ works well and ‘Forever Out Of Place’ co-written with Brent Smith has the modern catchiness of his band Shinedown. Possibly a step too far is ‘The New Beginning’ which has his old sparing partner Cooper guesting plus Arch Enemy's Alissa White-Gluz and Baby Metal drummer Aoyama Hideki . White-Gluz’s death grunts are bound to split listeners’ opinions. Not all of it works but when it does, you hear a man following his own musical vision of what he wants to be and not what he has been. Respect to him for that. Duncan Jamieson (90/100)
TORA TORA “Bastards of Beale” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)
They came out of Memphis Tennessee on a wave of critical acclaim after their debut album ‘Surprise Attack’ (1989) and the follow up ‘Wild America’ (1992), but alas like many of the bands of there era, they seemed to fade into the distance. Fast forward a few years and in 2017 the band were approached by Frontiers Music s.r.l. to record a new studio album. ‘Bastards of Belle’ is the result. Anthony Corder still has powerful set of lungs on vocals and really brings this one life. It’s hard rocking all the way with the riff spewn ‘When Giants Call’ and the kick-ass rocker ‘Everbright’, before bringing out the big guns with ‘Silence the Sirens’ and blues stomper ‘Son of a Prodigal Sun’. A song so rich in Southern spirit, that you’ll just want to roll on down to the bayou and drink it all in. The ballad ‘Lights Up the River’ is a reflective piece that really hits you big time. Corder is just superb on this one. The harder rock comes back at you big time with ‘Let Us Be One’ and the good time rocker ‘All Good Things’, before one of my favourite tracks off the album, the riff laden ‘Rose of Jericho’. The album closes firstly with excellent midtempo rocker ‘Vertigo’, before rounding things off with the title track ‘Bastards of Beale’. The fans have been waiting for this album for so long and believe me, listening to this album feels like the band have never been away. Barry McMinn (89/100)
Barry McMinn: This is first new Tora Tora album for quite a while so what swayed to you join the Frontiers roster and put down some new tracks Anthony Corder: For us it was about timing. Frontiers approached us at the right time for us personally and professionally to focus on a TORA project. We had a great time writing and recording this project. We signed with Frontiers in November of 2017. We connected with our friend, Jeff Powell, to produce at Sam Phillips Recording in Memphis. Jeff has a long history with the band all the way back to our Ardent Studios days. He is a very close friend and he made the recording experience very easy. Bastards of Beale” was an actual article title about us many years ago and seemed to fit this snapshot of us for this project. This album is dedicated to our fans new and old! They are our family! It is about all of us coming together. The world is crazy these days and when we can share some time together and forget about the They have constantly inspired us!! BM: Since the bands reunion back in 2008 a lot has changed in the music industry since then and now what makes you carry on where some bands have fallen by the wayside. AC: We have all remained close like family. We love creating and performing music together. Our passion is still there. BM: Back to the album itself the last three Tora Tora albums were previously
unreleased so were all the songs on the new album written especially for the album or did have some ideas you revisited. AC: Yes all new ideas. We were so excited to see what this new project would feel like. We recorded basic tracks live. This was an intentional approach working with Jeff. It was a much quicker process than our early recording sessions where we would block out studio time for weeks at a time. We worked on pre-production rehearsals so we would be prepared to go in and knock these tunes out. We wanted to go in without burning through time and budget. It was great to all be in the room together again. The guys were in the together and they isolated me in booth…but we were all able to interact and feed off the take as a unit. BM: How does this album stand up to the band previous releases in your opinion. AC: In my opinion, it holds up and picks up right where we left off…it is raw and organic vibe, close to what you hear from us live. BM: With the new album did you want to revisit that classic bluesy rock sound or did things just turn out naturally like the band hadn’t been away. AC: We just wanted to let things happen naturally. We will always have the blues influence because of where we’re based out of geographically in Memphis. BM: During the bands hiatus did the band stay in touch or did you stray apart – and
what led to the reunion in 2008 AC: We always stayed in touch. We did some things creatively with each other and outside musicians, but we always remained close. We wanted to celebrate 20th Anniversary of first album and decided to continue to do more shows. We missed performing together. BM: When you first got together with the rest of the band for this album was the magic still there. AC: Absolutely when the four of us crank up, That is the TORA sound. I don’t think it can happen without us four original members. BM: Walking Shoes is such a great song from the classic Tora Tora era that should have put the band well and truly on the map but just never happened do you think the timing was just bad at the time. AC: We considered “Walkin’ Shoes” a great single, it was our most successful single to date. It afforded us the opportunity to tour and play in front of audiences all over the world. We had support from our record label a well with tour support. BM: One thing all the fans what to know will the band be taking to the road to promote the new album in the not too distant future. AC: Yes, we are taking offers as we speak. We’ll be at Rocklanta Mar 30, M3 May 4 and The Venue in Denver on May 18. We have Europe, Australia and Japan as bucket list dates…see you on the road.
MRF | 15
Duncan Jamieson: So how did this project come about? Chris Caffery: This project was an amazing idea created by Frontiers Records. So many exciting bands have been put together by them. They are not only a great record label they are huge fans of the music. Not just the bands they release but so many rock and metal bands. As fans of Priest and Savatage they came to us with the idea for this project. They formulated the band lineup and the idea to use the brilliant metal mind and talents of Roy Z as the producer. DJ: How well did you guys know each other before this album? CC: Really the only person I knew was Ripper. I’ve known him over 20 years. We are good friends I have toured with him when Savatage opened for Priest and as the guitarist in his solo band. We got to open for Heaven and Hell in Europe. I always wanted to do a full record with Ripper. I wrote a song and played on his first solo record. The other guys in the band I really didn’t know at all. Everyone has a bit of a different connection with the guys. But for me my only friendship before Spirits was Ripper. I am very excited now to have everyone as not only a friend but a partner with this exciting new band! DJ: Did you have a particular direction in mind for the album? CC: Actually Frontiers has the direction in mind when they put the lineup together. It really made sense. Just have the band feature the influence from the bands in our careers. Past and present. Kinda anchoring with Savatage and Judas Priest but using everyone’s bands
as inspiration. I just wanted to have a record that the fans of our bands would enjoy. That metal fans all over the world would enjoy. DJ: Tell me about the song writing on the record? CC: Well I had written about 16 songs. 8 of them were used for the record. Three of the songs musically were written by Roy. Half of the songs I wrote I had completed with the lyrics and melodies as well. Those are actually the first 4 songs on the record! Ripper was very busy when we were writing and asked me for a little help in that matter. I really enjoy writing vocal ideas so it was fun to write for him. The other songs Ripper finished the lyrics and melodies. The songs that Roy wrote the music for as well. DJ: Which songs do you think sum up Spirits Of Fire? CC: Good question. I kind of think they all do! We all have so many influences and the record has so much depth in the styles of metal music. It’s hard to pick just one! There is also a lot of music in these songs. I wrote a lot of fun musical parts to have them be not only exciting for hard rock and metal music fans, but for the musicians to have something to get them excited as well. DJ: Which songs do you think sum up Spirits Of Fire? CC: Good question. I kind of think they all do! We all have so many influences and the record has so much depth in the styles of metal music. It’s hard to pick just one! There is also a lot of music in these songs. I wrote a lot of fun musical parts to have them be not only exciting for hard rock and metal music fans,
but for the musicians to have something to get them excited as well. DJ: How was the album recorded? CC: Well I have nicknamed us Spirits of Files! We all worked in our own studios to send everything to Roy and he had the job of cleaning it all up, editing and mixing it! Roy recorded some guitars for his songs and had me play those songs as well. What was Roy Z like to work with? I was so excited to work with Roy. He has such a great metal mind! I loved all of his work but never got a chance to work with him. Not only is he super talented he’s also very entertaining and extremely funny! I loved his crazy sense of humor. Me and Roy worked very well together and I can’t wait to work with him again in the future! DJ: What did you learn working with the other guys in this band? CC: I learned a lot about the guys I never worked with. About their styles and just how great they were at what they do. Ripper I just learned what I already knew. He’s the best of the best and can sing anything. That made it fun to write. He has no limitations as a singer. Whatever style or key you have he will nail it! He’s such an amazing vocalist. Mark and Steve are such a great rhythm section. They really tied it all together. DJ: What’s the chance of you doing live shows as Spirits Of Fire? CC: Well I would love to. I think the songs will be so exciting live. It’s up to getting everyone’s schedules to match up. I know the fans want to see us so I’m hoping this comes together as soon as possible!
MRF | 17
Bruce Atkinson: If we can, let us begin with a little of your background..from your work with ‘Bonham’ forward. Chas West: Bonham—or The Jason Bonham Band—was my first big break. I beat out over 700 singers for that gig and I got to live a lot of my dreams and goals because of that. I will always be very grateful to Jason because he believed in me when I was a complete unknown. After that I got a call from George Lynch. I was referred through Jeff Pilson because we had done a little cover thing called The Hollywood All-Starz with Vinny Appice and Carlos Cavazo and he knew that George needed a vocalist. That was the first time I did a Lynch Mob tour. Shortly after that, the old manager from The Jason Bonham Band, Phil Carson, rang me and said that he was working with Mick Jones from Foreigner. Mick wanted to reform Foreigner with a new vocalist and was interested in me. That briefly happened. I always make a joke and say I was in the band for about “five minutes.” It was longer than that, but considering their 40+ year career my time was about equivalent to five minutes. ha ha. After that Three Legged Dogg came along—in fact it was right around the same time because I had been doing the Hollywood All-Starz with Vinny and Carlos and Jimmy Bain had entered the picture. We decided to get together and write and so that is how Three Legged Dogg and that record came about. Shortly after that, Z contacted me and I knew him from when we had toured together in South America when he was with Bruce Dickinson and I was with The Jason Bonham Band and said he had another record to do with Tribe of Gypsies with a tour of Japan afterwards. He said let’s get together and write as well as having me do the vocals on the record. He wanted to make it a little more universally sounding combining his Latin/Santana type influence with my Zeppelin influence as well as things we both liked (Guns ‘N Roses, U2, etc.). So we did that record and then we went and toured Japan.
18 | MRF
We did festivals, opening for KISS and Alice In Chains and Paul Rodgers. Then there was a bit of down time when I got a call, again, about doing Lynch Mob and I did that for a bit. Then I got a call to do some shows with The Sweet so I did some shows for them. After that—within about a year—I was contacted about doing Diamond Head. They had a tour that they needed a vocalist for and that ended up working out. Shortly after that it was Red Dragon Cartel featuring Jake E. Lee. I did about a month’s worth of shows there. Not too soon after that was the Resurrection Kings thing. I did that record and of course that is how West Bound came to be because of the Resurrection Kings record. So now here we are, up to date! BA: When did you meet up with Roy, and how did the idea of forming ‘West Bound’ come to be? CW: I originally met Roy Z when he was playing with Bruce Dickinson and I was with The Jason Bonham Band and we were on tour together in South America. After the big shows we would be doing at stadiums sometimes we would go to some local bar and there might be a local band playing and we would get up and jam with them so we got to know each other quite well. He was a fun guy and a great musician. We realized that we both lived in the LA area so we kept in touch and would run into each other here and there at different jams that were happening locally. Then we did the last Tribe of Gypsies record together, Dweller on the Threshold, and toured Japan. After I recorded the vocals for the Resurrection Kings record the offer came to me from Serafino, the President of Frontiers Music, about West Bound. He wanted to do something with me separately because he loved my voice and my ideas and he wanted me to have a producer/co-writer to work with. I immediately thought of Z and contacted him and asked him if he’d be into it. He was up for it and so here we are now. It’s a killer record if I do say so myself! We’ve got our debut show under our belt,
but the best is yet still to come! BA: So, being from the West Coast of America, did you find it a little more difficult to garner attention for the band? CW: I’m actually from the East Coast originally, but I came to Los Angeles to live my dreams and goals which is one of the reasons I thought the name “West Bound” was quite fitting. BA: I would imagine with your experience and that of the others, you knew what you guys could be up against in relation to the present state of the music business! Especially in North America... CW: Yeah, but there is still a market especially in Europe and Japan and other parts of the world. Even in North America though, I mean they might be a bit more limited but you’ve got festivals and fairs and cruises and casinos and nightclubs that still cater to this type of music. BA: Further from the previous question, the European music scene seems to be much healthier, and I would imagine that played a large role in ‘West Bound’ being noticed by Frontiers’ Music... CW: Well Frontiers IS a European label even though they do have an office in the US now. At the present time, I agree that the European music scene seems to be healthier for this genre of music. Serafino was very aware of who I was though so it didn’t really matter that I was here in California. BA: So, ‘West Bound’ being a hard driving rock band, with more than a tinge of blues, who has shaped your music? Who are your influences? CW: All the great classic hard rock blues bands from the ‘70s and ‘80s that blew me away as a kid. Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, The Who, Deep Purple, Rainbow, Whitesnake, Van Halen, Guns ‘N Roses, Foreigner, just to name a few.
WHITESNAKE “Flesh & Blood” Exclusive Red 2LP €22.99
SPIRITS OF FIRE “S/t” Exclusive Red 2LP €25.99
INGLORIOUS “RIde to Nowhere” Exclusive Crystal LP €22.99
ALAN PARSONS “The Secret” Exclusive Blu LP €22.99
URIAH HEEP “Living the Dream” Exclusive Christal LP €21.99
THE END Machine “S/T” Exclusive Silver 2LP €25.99
TEN “Illuminati” Exclusive Blu 2LP €25.99
L.A. GUNS “The Devil You Know” Exclusive Yellow LP €22.99
NAZARETH “Tattoed On My Brain” Exclusive Splatter 2LP €26.99
NEAL MORSE “Jesus Christ the Exorcist” Exclusive White 3LP €31.99
LAST IN LINE “II” Exclusive Gold 2LP €25.99
HARDLINE “Life” Exclusive Gold LP €22.99
INGLORIOUS “Ride to Nowhere” CD: €13.99 Boxset (CD+T-Shirt): €44,99 LP: €19.99 Exclusive Crystal LP: €22,99
STARBREAKER “Dysphoria” CD: €13.99
KANE ROBERTS “The New Normal” CD: €13.99
JETBOY “Born to Fly” CD: €13.99 Red LP: €19,99
LAST IN LINE “II” CD: €13.99 Boxset (CD+T-Shirt): €44,99 2LP: €22.99 Exclusive Gold 2LP: €25,99
SPIRITS OF FIRE “Spirtis of Fire” CD: €13.99 Boxset (CD+T-Shirt): €44,99 2LP: €22.99 Exclusive Red 2LP: €25,99
WEST BOUND “Volume I” CD: €13.99
FM “The Italian Job” CD+DVD: €14.99 Blu Ray: €17,99
TORA TORA “Bastards of Bale” CD: €13.99 LP: €19,99
Duncan Jamieson: On your first solo album you worked with Erik Martensson (Eclipse). That album was well received as it captured a rockier side to your singing than we’d heard before. Did you consider working with Martensson again? Toby Hitchcock: Martensson is amazing there’s no doubt. I would love to do another collab with him someday. But I do know he is busy! This was more of a Frontiers decision. I think a lot of it has to do with wanting to discover a different vibe. I would definitely work with Erik again. No question. DJ: For this album you have a number of great aor songwriters on board such as Michael Palace, Steve Newman, Marcus Nygren (State Of Stalazar), Alex Del Vecchio and Nigel Bailey. How was the song selection decided on the album? TH: Essentially, songs are submitted and then sent to me for review. There wasn’t much of a decision that had to be made, as we all felt that the songs were really a perfect fit for what we were wanting to accomplish with this album. DJ: You manage to sing every line like your life depends on it. Do you have a process for connecting with lyrics and singing in the studio? TH: Well, I do. I try and put myself in the shoes of the character in the story. I may not have lived those moments in my own life, but I try and buy in to the story of the song. Sometimes a song will really connect with me
22 | MRF
on an emotional level. That’s when I am at my best for sure. DJ: Tell me how you found working with Daniel Flores? TH: Working with Daniel was wonderful. He is an excellent producer. He really didn’t have too much to say regarding my interpretation of the songs. There were a few things he mentioned that he wanted me to revise, but for the most part he just let me do my thing. DJ: Why did you choose ‘Reckoning’ as the title? TH: Frontiers really liked that title. I went with it. Why not? They know way more than I do about the ROCK industry and how albums should be titled. IF you are looking for some hidden meaning behind it, I don’t really know if there is one. I know it may be strange, but it really wasn’t anything that was too deep. DJ: Where there any particular songs on the record that you got a real kick out of? Why? TH: Fighting for my life was probably my favorite tune on the record. It just really spoke to me. It took me back to a time in my life where I had some tough breakups in my younger years. Things are great now, but at that time, I truly felt like I was fighting to survive without what I thought was the only oerson for me. Now that I know that wasn’t true, life is much better for it. But I still remember feeling that way. DJ: How does working with Jim Peterik on the Pride Of Lions material differ from
making this solo album? TH: When working with JP on POL stuff, it’s more of a hands on experience. Jim is a great producer and really knows how to get my best performances out of me. That being said, I also love to record on my own. I feel I know what my voice is capable of…there is something about producing my own vocals that I really like. It’s just me and a microphone…I know how to push myself to get the result I’m looking for. DJ: Jim’s just releasing a new World Stage record at the moment. Are there any plans for a new Pride Of Lions album? TH: While there are no official plans, I have no doubt that POL will continue to create music together as long as we can. I always look forward to working with Jim. He really is an amazing friend. DJ: If you were to make a third solo album, do you have anyone you’d really like to work with? TH: Great question! I would definitely love to work with Erik again for sure. That being said, and some may think this is strange, but one of my great music friends is Christian Cullen. He’s absolutely a genius. Having him produce my next solo record would be incredible. He’s not on the “AOR PRODUCER” list, but I think it would deliver a new and unique sound that this genre is missing. If Frontiers would allow us to pitch a song or two, I think they would be really impressed with the result.
Fabiana Spinelli: If I can say so, ‘Ride To Nowhere’ is the best chapter of your discography, so intense and mature. Can you say something more about the creation of the album and the emotions exploded a second before the release? Nathan James: It was lyrically very tough for me to write as I had a tough year with the loss of my grandfather and one of my best friends, it was so tough and sad but I found great comfort in writing songs for them. I as always wrote about people in my life... whether I love or hate them they are always good topics lyrically. The album was tracked mostly live by the guys and was mixed by Kevin Shirley, who I love as a mixer. He gets my vocal just right. The artwork for this album is special too, I comissioned a friend, a tattooist, to draw a piece for each song and I gave him free reign of what he heard and imagined for each tune. It’s a much darker record in sound and lyrical content. I hope people enjoy it. FS: Inglorious fans are scary about the future of the band, can you please tell us something more about future plans? NJ: We will continue to tour, make music, rock and continue with the success we have had so far. The new line up is fantastic and the songs will be played true to the recordings. We have a new record coming out and a lot of touring in the diary. Lots of festivals this year and going to places we havent been before... Phil and myself are super excited about the future and also very very excited to be on stage with our good friend and once tech for Inglorious Danny Delacruz, at 19 years old he wipes the floor with most guitarists about
now! FS: Inglorious are inspired by iconic rock albums from the 1970s, but to you, what’s the main difference between been inspired by an idol and copy someone else? NJ: Being authentic to who you are and what you write. Usually it’s people that see and follow trends that copy... I don’t do that. Listen to your heroes... I ask what made mine good, what did they listen to, that way I can come up with my own influenced version of what they are also. We dont rip off one band. We dont dress like one band. I dont think of others when I write, I think about what we are and how the song can tell people we are real and different to the rest. It’s amazing when your heroes think you are great and are doing something right. Also I think the public know when its real or not and not being ashamed of your influences is cool. People try too hard to be too original and too cool. DJ: I’m really impressed by songs like ‘Queen’ and ‘Liar’, what has inspired two real rock anthems? NJ: ‘Queen’ is about my mother, who I have never written a song for before. I figured it was time to let people know I love my mum haha. ‘Liar’ is about an old friend who has been caught lying too many times and going through some trouble… but ultimately the joy of songwriting is that I can channel my feeling and experiences with these people into songs. ‘Never alone’ is about a friend who passed away this year from cancer. DJ: What do you think is the most original Inglorious trait?
NJ: The way we write and record. All in one room. It’s not original in the 70s, but it is now in 2018! I also think that skills is original, in an age where it’s easy to cheat we have never. We are not like that. This band will always be made up of great musicians that love to play and practice to be the best. Music first...party second! FS: Please, let me spend a minute for ‘Glory Days’, an amazing closing track. Is it a hope for the future? NJ: It was actually written about the breakdown of a relationship and I am so glad I was able to write this song and almost let go of the emotions I held with it. I cried whilst recording it. Whilst in the studio our a and r guy was there and we nearly stopped the take but I kept going and I think we kept most of that if you listen to the track at the end you may hear it. That period of my life was so wonderful but we move one and have to understand there is more to life and life is beautiful and too short to be unhappy. FS: We’re at the end of our talk, would you like to say something about your role of “The Voice Of Humanity” in “Jeff Wayne’s The War Of the Worlds”? NJ: I am so excited to sing the song ‘Thunderchild’ and to work with Jeff!!! He’s such a nice guy! I have played arenas in America with TSO but never here on home turf. So thats gonna be a lot of fun. I can’t believe I will be singing at the O2 arena... where I have seen U2, Metallica, Kiss, Bad Company, ELO, Queen etc... I will be backstage at that venue and I am so proud that my family will get to see me in that big stage! It’s gonna be a tour to remember for sure!
MRF | 23