TheRighttoRock.com has issued their latest podcast interview (episode #45), featuring Burning Rain vocalist Keith St. John. Keith took time out of his busy schedule to discuss Burning Rain's latest release Face the Music, as well as their recent UK acoustic tour. Keith also talks about his time in Montrose as well as other projects that never saw the light of day. Interview lasts approx. 30 min.
The boys recently caught up with Burning Rain vocalist Keith St. John to discuss Burning Rain's latest release Face the Music. Keith gives us insight on his career as well as why it took 3 years for this new release. He also discusses upcoming tour plans, which might include a small U.S. trek. Tune in to get all of this and more.
And hey if you dig Burning Rain's music as much as we do, then show them some love by purchasing their music from your favorite online store won't you? HORNS UP!
BURNING RAIN, a hard rock band founded by guitarist extraordinaire Doug Aldrich (Revolution Saints, The Dead Daisies, ex-Whitesnake, Dio) and vocalist Keith St John (ex-Montrose, Kingdom Come), announce the release of their fourth studio album, "Face the Music" on March 22, 2019.
In conjunction with the album announcement, the band have shared the latest single, “Midnight Train,” along with an accompanying music video. When asked why the band chose to release “Midnight Train” as the first single, Aldrich explained, “when we were asked what song encompasses the sound of BURNING RAIN, ‘Midnight Train’ seemed like a good choice. It sounds fresh and heavy, but still sounds like us. Everyone will have different ideas about favorite songs and there are a number of tracks that could have been first, but we just went with ‘Midnight Train.”
“’Midnight Train's' message, albeit fully ensconced in carnality, is about wanting something so brutally bad when you can't have it,” added St. John. “The main character here is basically a deeply tortured soul during all the daytime hours. The phallic likening to the train and its track along with the blackness, the bed of nails, and the cravings of the night are meant to further fortify the extremity of sexual addiction. Doug had all the basic music together including bass, drums, and all when he first played me a demo of the riff. I loved it immediately. The first ex-perimental vocal track I scatted out had the basic framework for the chorus, which we both felt had good potential, but the original verse began with a higher, bluesier part that seemed to not quite fit. After I fashioned a new verse with a lower, more growly approach, we both felt it really complimented the chorus and we knew this track was in good standing!”
BURNING RAIN was established in 1998 by guitarist Doug Aldrich and vocalist Keith St. John. After meeting through mutual friends, Aldrich and St. John commenced work on what would eventually become their self-titled debut album. The 1999 record established BURNING RAIN as a hungry yet seasoned group of musicians. Although the album was limited in its release, it did receive rave reviews from fans and critics alike for their take on heavy, blues-y hard rock. The following year, BURNING RAIN released the follow up, “Pleasure To Burn” which showed a matured Aldrich-St John collaboration that gained even higher praise than the first album.
In 2001, Aldrich joined DIO and later departed in 2003 as he was approached by David Coverdale to join a newly reformed Whitesnake, while St. John joined forces with guitar legend Ronnie Montrose. While still in Whitesnake, Aldrich started working on new BURNING RAIN music, which saw the light of day in 2013 as the album “Epic Obsession”. Their third release was again met with enthu-siams from fans and critics alike. Aldrich would later leave Whitesnake and join The Dead Daisies and Revolution Saints, which left BURNING RAIN on an extended hiatus.
Now, finally a new album is ready for release! Face the Music is a blues driven hard rock record which is truly a tour-de-force. With a renewed lineup featuring the amazing Blas Elias (SLAUGHTER) on drums and bassist Brad Lang (Y&T), the album evokes the sound of the classic 70’s hard rock scene, but also stays true to the Burning Rain sound.
One thing is for certain, BURNING RAIN has made the wait for new music well worth it.
No formal press release yet, but simply put, GUNZO is a heavy rock band featuring Rudy Sarzo (bass; Quite Riot), Keith St John (vocals; Burning Rain), Shane Fitzgibbon (drums) and Tracii Guns (guitars; LA Guns).
Newcomer X-Drive is the brainchild of guitarist Jeremy Brunner who put this band together with star vocalist Keith St. John (Burning Rain, Montrose). Together the pair wrote all the album’s songs and Jeremy co-produced with the legendary producer Andy Johns, who sadly passed away not long after completing this album.
Mixed by Wyn Davis and joined by James Lomenzo on bass, there has been a lot of money, time and effort put into this and it shows.
Keith St. John sounds a million bucks on this album – I prefer his vocals here over Burning Rain and his solo work. He’s just completely in the groove and speaks to my tastes perfectly.
There’s nothing overly complicated in the music itself, we’ve heard this kind of record before, but it is classic American hard rock done very very well. With so much great music coming out of Scandinavia, the Americans have been a little left behind. So it’s great to get a well written, well produced album in this vein.
Brunner’s riffs drive the album, delivering two solid hard rockers with Love’s A Bitch and Get Your Rock On to kick off the album.
But it’s the groove infused Steppin On The Rock that really gets my attention. The moody ballad Baby Bye Bye continues to grow the stature of this record, with the catchy California driving it over the top.
Lay Me Down is a moody, darker rocker that fits in beautifully. A great vocal here from Keith.
Fly Beyond The Angels is a very nice sentimental ballad and the mid-tempo groove of Just Can’t Stay is also solid.
Love Breaks The Fool is a enjoyable mid-tempo melodic rocker to finish.
The only thing that I could suggest might have made this even better is a couple of more uptempo tunes. The guys already sound in the right groove, so it would have been cool to see them really let go. The majority of the album is best described as mid-tempo, but there’s still enough variety here to please most folks and as stated earlier, the production, the performances and the songs are all of high quality.
The new video is taken from the forthcoming debut album “Get Your Rock On” coming out on Frontiers Records on August 22nd in Europe and August 26th in North America. “California” is also available now – together with the title track “Get Your Rock On” - as instant gratification track for all those who preorder the album now via iTunes. The two songs can also be streamed via Spotify.
X-DRIVE is a new band centered around guitar player Jeremy Brunner, an Oregon transplant, who – on the heels of his songwriting skills managed to put together an impressive debut with an affinity for catchy riffs, insightful lyrics and huge choruses. Some of the best musicians in Los Angeles have joined the ranks of X-DRIVE, including bassist James Lomenzo (White Lion, Megadeth, Black Label Society), singer Keith St. John (Burning Rain, Lynch Mob, Montrose) and to round out the project hard-hitting drummer Fred Fischer from Midline. Then legendary producer Andy Johns, former Led Zeppelin engineer, was able to finish the X-DRIVE tracks just before his tragic death in 2013.
“Get Your Rock On” was mixed by Wyn Davis (Black Sabbath, Dio, Whitesnake, Dokken), and it took more than a year in the studio to make things just the way Brunner wanted, as the guitarist is a bit of a mastermind perfectionist. But it was definitely worth the wait! The X-DRIVE debut album positively rocks from beginning to end.
Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the release of X-DRIVE's debut album entitled “Get Your Rock On” on August 22nd in Europe and August 26th in North America.
X-DRIVE is a new band centered around guitar player Jeremy Brunner, an Oregon transplant, who – on the heels of his songwriting skills managed to put together an impressive debut with an affinity for catchy riffs, insightful lyrics and huge choruses.
Some of the best in Los Angeles have joined the ranks of X-DRIVE, including bassist James Lomenzo (White Lion, Megadeth, Black Label Society), singer Keith St. John (Burning Rain, Lynch Mob, Montrose) and to round out the project hard-hitting drummer Fred Fischer from Midline. Then legendary producer Andy Johns, the former Led Zeppelin engineer, was able to finish the X-DRIVE tracks just before his tragic death in 2013.
“It was such a pleasure to contribute to Jeremy's effort! He has written and crafted an incredible homage to the style of 80's rock, a style that I cut my teeth on back in the day,” Lomenzo said. “His love for the era and style really comes through in a surprisingly satisfying way.”
“Writing with Brunner was an absolute pleasure,” St. John said. “On the whole, the vehicle for his musical canvasses has been a breath of fresh air in directness and simplicity. I found myself patently inspired to fashion my parts for this collection of songs that was Jeremy’s own refreshing take on the ‘80s."
“Get Your Rock On” was mixed by Wyn Davis (Black Sabbath, Dio, Whitesnake, Dokken), and it took more than a year in the studio to make things just the way Brunner wanted, as the guitarist is a bit of a mastermind perfectionist. But it was definitely worth the wait! The X-DRIVE debut positively rocks from beginning to end.
“Get Your Rock On” will include the following tracklisting: Love’s A Bitch; Get Your Rock On; Steppin’ On The Rock; Baby Bye Bye; California; Lay Me Down; Turn The Noize Down; Beyond the Angels; Rattlesnake Eyes; Just Can’t Stay; Change of Heart; Love Breaks the Fool.
