German Melodic Rock label AOR HEAVEN will continue to release fine Melodic Rock sounds from Sweden on January 29th, 2016 in the form of the new albums by GRAND SLAM and WIGELIUS.
To watch some videos in advance, click here:
Product: Wigelius - Tabula Rasa
Release date: 29.01.2016
Label: AOR Heaven
Wigelius was formed in late 2011 by Anders Wigelius, after doing a Swedish tv show that gained him a record deal with Frontiers Records. The idea at the time was to deliver 80's rock with a modern twist. What it became was a heartfelt brotherhood of people that really love good music. It was all about the love for the music and having fun.
When Reinventions was released in 2012, it got immediate attention from the AOR-scene and the expectations on the sophomore release have been very high. To really get the right sound this time around, the band decided to trust the production in the talented hands of their own Erik Wigelius. This also made the process of making the album very creative, with everybody working together on the songs in the studio. Letting all voices be heard, maximizing the potential in each song.
Erik and his brother Anders are also responsible for the production of Care of Night's debut album Connected and has produced many artists and bands all over the world.
Tabula Rasa is latin for "Blank slate" and as a title for this album it couldn't be more fitting. The idea is to show the world how Wigelius really sound, by keeping everything that was great about the first album, and the genre, but taking it one step further.
With Patrik joining, it gave an extra shot in the arm for the band, and finally it feels like all the pieces are together. It's a very diverse album, ranging between influences collected over many years. There are a lot of flavours to be heard in the songs, making the album hard to place in a single genre.
Wigelius is the love child of it's members, and they promise a great future with more releases in the years to come.
Soundfiles in advance:
Product: Grand Slam - A New Dawn
Release date: 29.01.2016
Label: AOR Heaven
Grand Slam was founded in 2007 in Malmö, Sweden, by drummer Andy Swaniz (ex-Quadruple), with the aim to appeal to a wide audience with their melodic rock style.
Bassist Henrik Hansson (ex-Hollywood) got on board the same year and songwriter Peter Alpenborg was brought in to get the ball rolling. There have been several lineup changes over the years, as well as a number of musicians hired only for specific recordings or gigs.
Up until spring of 2010, the focus had been exclusively on studio recordings, but now it was time for the band to do a stage debut. The debut was made in "Grand"-style, with an appearance in the TV-show "Talang", Sweden's equivalent of "Britain's Got Talent", with over one million viewers.
Later that year, the band was joined by keyboardist Daniel Grönberg Svensson who also started contributing to the songwriting, and guitarist Thomas Klintberg.
In the summer of 2012, Grand Slam found the perfect lead singer and frontman for the band, Andy Sinner (ex-Trash Queen). With the addition of two female backing singers, Ivana Papak and Lina Vernblom, Grand Slam was now ready to go out and perform for a live audience.
They entered the worldwide contest Emergenza and made it to the regional finals.
The band continued to play live during the summer and autumn of 2013, gathering a strong fan-following.
There was still something missing, and the void was filled by the addition of another guitarist, Andreas Gullstrand. The backup vocalists, Ivana Papak and Lina Vernblom, decided to leave the band that same year.
In 2014, Grand Slam went into the studio to record a three-song EP, "Waiting For Tomorrow", which received considerable attention worldwide. The EP was recorded and produced by Erik Wiss in Peekroom Studios.
Guitarist Thomas Klintberg left the band shortly thereafter, and the remaining band members signed a contract with AOR Heaven to release Grand Slam's debut album, "A New Dawn".
Erik Wiss was once again brought in to record the album, which is best described as a well-balanced mix of the original and new Grand Slam sound.
Soundfiles in advance:
