Two of the most underrated - but widely respected - heavy metal releases of the late ‘80s were undoubtedly the first pair of albums by New Orleans-based hard rock outfit, Lillian Axe - 1988’s self-titled debut and 1989’s ‘Love + War.’ And on May 12th, both will be reissued as “special deluxe collector’s editions” via Rock Candy Records - complete with multi-page booklets, essays, and fully remastered audio, shaped from 24 BIT digital technology.
Both albums can be ordered via the following links:
The band - which been led since their inception by guitarist Steve Blaze - caught the attention of metalheads during an era when bands like Ratt ruled the MTV/radio airwaves. And it just so happened that Ratt’s manager at the time, Marshall Berle, crossed paths with the band, and helped broker a recording deal with MCA Records, and in turn, enlisted Ratt’s late guitarist, Robbin Crosby, to produce the group’s debut album - spawning such standout tracks as “Dream of a Lifetime,” “Vision in the Night, “and “The More That You Get.”
Lillian Axe came back even stronger with their sophomore set, ‘Love + War,’ with Tony Platt (who had previously worked with the likes of AC/DC, Def Leppard, and Krokus) serving as producer - which resulted in such rocking tunes as “The World Stopped Turning,” “Show a Little Love,” and “She Likes It on Top.”
Soon, rock fans will get the opportunity to rediscover both ‘Lillian Axe’ and ‘Love + War,’ thanks to the good folks at Rock Candy.
‘Lillian Axe’ Tracklisting:
1. Dream Of A Lifetime 5:18
2. Inside Out 3:57
3. Vision In The Night 3:20
4. Picture Perfect 4:00
5. The More That You Get 3:05
6. Misery Loves Company 3:27
7. Nobody Knows 4:19
8. Hard Luck 4:51
9. Waiting In The Dark 4:28
10. Laughing In Your Face 3:51
‘Love + War’ Tracklisting:
1. All's Fair in Love and War 5:58
2. She Likes it on Top 3:55
3. Diana 4:46
4. Down on You 4:24
5. The World Stopped Turning 5:00
6. Ghost of Winter 6:18
7. My Number 3:32
8. Show a Little Love 4:36
9. Fool's Paradise 4:41
10. Letters in the Rain 4:24
Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to present the debut single from Finnish AOR hopefuls THE NIGHTS entitled “Welcome to the Show.”
The song is lifted off the band’s Self Titled debut album which will see the light of day August 2.
THE NIGHTS is a new band formed in the summer of 2015 by Sami Hyde (vocals) and Ilkka Wirtanen (guitar). Both Sami and Ilkka have successful careers in music, in Finland and abroad. Sami has been a singer for many acts and projects, including the Tony Mills Band (SHY, TNT) in 2008 which also included Geoff Nichols (Black Sabbath) on keyboards and Neil Hibbs (SHY) on guitar. He has also written songs for many artists, including The Magnificent ("If It Takes All Night", "Lost", and "Drive"). Ilkka Wirtanen is best known for his work as a producer with international acts like glam metal band Reckless Love, for whom he has produced four albums and co-written many of their popular songs, including "Hot" and "Night On Fire". He has also produced several other rock bands (Baton Rogue Morgue, Hellcity Punks) and worked as a mixer for international acts (S.E.X. Department).
THE NIGHTS was formed because Sami and Ilkka felt a common need to write songs that “make you feel good and also give tribute to our everlasting heroes in music, for example TNT and Yngwie Malmsteen.” Frontiers interest was piqued by their songs featuring a superb mixture of classic pop melodies and modern melodic rock/metal production and the band was signed!
New CHEAP TRICK Album 'We're All Alright!' due June 16.
"Y'know, we always write, but it's more fun to write for a project and write for a reason," guitarist Rick Nielsen tells Billboard. "We have a company (Big Machine Records) that believes in us and they like the work and they're letting us make more records, which is cool. Making records is one of the ambitions we've always had. I don't think the desire has ever gone away."
Cheap Trick recorded We're All Alright! -- whose title, of course, references the 1978 hit "Surrender" and 1999's "That '70s Song" -- with Julian Raymond, who also helmed Bang, Zoom, Crazy...Hello. Its 10 tracks (13 on the deluxe edition) hail from the group's past and present, with older, previously unrecorded songs such as "Radio Lover," "Lolita" and "She's Alright" sitting alongside material written and recorded specifically for the album.
"Long Time Coming," a crunchy hard rocker driven by a Kinks-flavored riff, is a bit of a one-song tribute to Cheap Trick's influential forebears. "It's our interpretation of Slade and MC5 and AC/DC and Aerosmith -- a lot of riffs that are reminiscent of the Move, but they're not steals," Nielsen says. "It's just, like, all the bands we like." The song also features a synthesizer underbelly that was a signature in "Surrender," "Dream Police" and other Cheap Trick songs.
Nielsen, meanwhile, says another new album in 2018 is a distinct possibility. "Starting in May we're going back in the studio," he says. "There's stuff around and there's some ideas that never did get fleshed out, which we hope to. It's exciting."
We're All Alright! will be available for pre-order starting May 5, with "Long Time Coming" and "Lolita" as instant grat tracks. Both songs are available now for individual purchase, and the group will offer more early purchase perks via a PleadgeMusic campaign. Meanwhile, Cheap Trick will be promoting the album with a summer tour with Foreigner and John Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience; Foreigner and Cheap Trick will both be celebrating 40th anniversaries, Cheap Trick for the release of its first two albums in 1977.
The full track list for We're All Alright! features:
You Got It Going On
Long Time Coming
Nowhere
Radio Lover
Lolita
Brand New Name On An Old Tattoo
Floating Down
She's Alright
Listen To Me
The Rest Of My Life
Deluxe Tracks:
Blackberry Way (The Move cover)
Like A Fly
If You Still Want My Love
Gianluca Firmo (Room Experience) signs deal with Street Symphonies Records for debut solo release
Street Symphonies Records is very proud to announce the signing of Room Experience's mastermind Gianluca Firmo, for the release of his eponymous solo debut album.
Recordings are actually taking place at the Atomic Stuff Recording Studio (Isorella, Italy) under the technical supervision of Oscar Burato, with production duties handled by Gianluca himself.
Gianluca says: "Many of the songs I wrote (and I write) can't be included in Room Experience albums, because not all the shades of melodic rock fit that kind of record. Beside that, I love singing, but my voice is not made for very high notes. Considering all this, I thought to pick some of my songs from those I love the most, and try to make a straight and forward melodic rock record, but less oriented in style."
The tracks of the album will be all mixed by Oscar Burato, while mastering will be completed by renowned sound engineer Roberto Priori (Danger Zone, Wheels Of Fire, Raintimes). A release date announcement is expected in early 2018.
