I get the idea…in itself it’s not a bad proposition – three of the scene’s leading male vocalists all appearing intertwined through a dozen new melodic rock tunes. But there are issues from the outset here. Bland songs, sterile production, no real plan to work their voices together and an unfortunate lack of emotional urgency that music of this style should carry.
Fronting up for this latest Frontiers ‘project’ is Kent Hilli – one of the most melodic and popular vocalists around right now, who is in real danger of spreading himself way too thin (Perfect Plan, Giant, Solo Album and TBA fourth project pending); Robbie LaBlanc – the powerhouse singer left powerless with a bland mix of songs; and Toby Hitchcock, the star of Pride Of Lions, who is yet to find consistency outside of that vehicle.
The concept has worked brilliantly when a two pronged approach is used such as with Russell Allen and Jorn Lande, but those albums had the bonus of Magnus Karlsson at the helm, providing some killer songs and intuitive mixing of the vocalists.
With Tenors, it is Alessandro Del Vecchio, the Frontiers songwriter/producer/mixer/multi-instrument playing machine, responsible here for writing, production, mixing, mastering, bass, additional keyboards, guitars, and backing vocals.
On top of some completely twee lyrics, none of the voices are given any room to breathe. There’s no comradery or sense of a unified mission between the singers. There’s no natural chemistry – just three voices recorded in different studios, singing songs they didn’t write, mixed together at ADV central.
The mid-album Silent Cries is the only song that stands out as anywhere near memorable.
The idea of three singing together as “tenors” should be to create a wall of vocals, rich harmonies, not just three guys singing one line each at a time. It’s way too disjointed. And to be frank, its just plain dull. Lifeless and repetitive and all too familiar to those following along with the endless Frontiers projects.
Toby Hitchcock is one of the voices of the last decade or so. Since his Pride Of Lions debut, his powerful tenor has been front and centre for some of the genre’s best anthems and most epic ballads. Any Toby Hitchcock is good Toby Hitchcock.
And for the most part, this album is no different. Songs are delivered by the who’s who of the AOR scene, with at least another 4-5 classic songs here – Queen Untouchable, Promise Me, No Surrender and This Is Our World. Man, the guy can sing.
I like that a lot of the album is uptempo and flows at a pretty hectic pace. I don’t think this is as strong as Toby’s Erik Martensson helmed debut. Even though this album is also a Swedish production, the differences are quite stark. Reckoning sounds firmly planted in the 80s, with the keyboards and production style a more distinct European in flavour.
The songs are enjoyable but not to the same level as the debut or Pride Of Lions.
There is one issue that desperately needs to be addressed. The keyboards. We need to talk about the keyboards.
As has been the case with all Daniel Flores productions, the keyboards dominate. They are the highest element in the mix, aside from vocals and there are just way too many layers of them. There is no letup in the sonic bombardment. There needs to be more space for the rest of the instrumentation to breathe. Even during guitar solos the keyboards still dominate.
I like Daniel a lot – very talented and sweet guy – but there must be an intervention. The keyboards are simply overbearing, and the production style is becoming very repetitive. Find Me (all 3), the second First Signal album, the Palace debut, Cry Of Dawn and now Toby Hitchcock – largely all sound the same. So moving forward I hope some individual personality can be infused into these projects. And that's the main essence of what's missing here - its own personality.
That said, there’s still plenty to enjoy and Toby’s vocals are powerful, emotional and totally immersive. Fans of Find Me, Daniel’s other AOR work and 80s keyboard melodic rock will enjoy.
Frontiers Music Srl announces the release of TOBY HITCHCOCK's second solo album, “Reckoning” on January 25, 2019.
First single and music video, "Promise Me" out now!
Powerhouse American vocalist Toby Hitchcock is back with a brand new solo album, “Reckoning”. The album was written and produced in collaboration with Swedish producer Daniel Flores (Find Me, The Murder of My Sweet). Toby first came to the attention of melodic rock fans when former Survivor founding member Jim Peterik hand-picked him to be the lead singer for Pride Of Lions, the band that would mark Jim's return to the rock scene.
With Pride of Lions, Toby has sung on five studio albums which are considered true classics among the melodic rock/AOR faithful. Often compared to Bobby Kimball (Toto), Jimi Jamison (Survivor), and Lou Gramm (Foreigner), Hitchcock’s voice has the depth, feeling and the feel of each of them, while still keeping his own identity and trademark.
When Pride of Lions took a small hiatus in 2011, Toby took the opportunity to hook up with Swedish songwriter/producer Erik Martensson (Eclipse, W.E.T., Ammunition) for his first solo album, “Mercury’s Down.” The album was a display of the talent of the two young guns, with Toby showing an unbelievable set of pipes on some heavier material, specially penned for him by Martensson.
In 2017, work on a new solo album started with Toby once again looking to Sweden for another exciting collaboration. Swedish producer Daniel Flores (Find Me, The Murder Of My Sweet) crafted a superb set of songs that are an absolute AOR gem of an album.
Toby Hitchcock says: “Being able to record my second solo album was a big step for me. I didn’t want to be a “one hit wonder” type of artist. So I’m very thankful for the opportunity to record a sophomore album. Working on my own solo record is really a great way for me to be creative on my own, so it’s very satisfying, and I love the feeling. Both of my solo projects were produced by different artists. So they feel completely different. This is a great thing for music lovers, as it brings a different vibe. This allows me to really explore my vocals and just have a great time doing it. Both albums have been amazing to work on and I couldn’t be happier."
“Reckoning” is a must hear release for all melodic rock/AOR fans out there. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!
Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to announce the release of the highly anticipated new studio album from PRIDE OF LIONS, 'Fearless' on January 27, 2017.
When Frontiers released Pride Of Lions' groundbreaking first album in 2003, many people asked, 'Is this one of those project bands that do one or two albums and then disappear - or a real band with staying power?'
Now, in the year 2017 the answer to that question will be very clear as the band release their FIFTH studio album, Fearless! Additionally, their best selling 'Live In Belgium' album and video proves to the world that Jim Peterik and Toby Hitchcock and the powerful Pride Of Lions band is not just a studio concoction, but a live force to be reckoned with, headlining shows in America and Europe.
'We are always trying to top ourselves,' states singer/ songwriter/ guitarist Jim Peterik. 'This time I went back and listened closely to all the previous albums to hear the strongest assets of each record: what was working and what could be improved. I went into writing the Fearless material keeping that in mind. I feel it sticks closer to the template we set with our first release, yet goes to new places musically as well like using a Kansas- style fiddle- played by Andrew Ohlrich- on the video/single 'All I See is You'."
The songs and performances on Fearless are...well... truly fearless. The title track blazes from the speakers gaining steam with every chorus. 'Take the highest ground- stand and fight- you gotta be harder- you gotta be tougher- you gotta be- fearless!' This could be the new battle cry for Rocky Balboa or any common man needing to make a difference in the world.
'When I got together with Jim in Chicago to record, things just caught fire,' enthuses Toby. 'I sang 12 vocals in two days! That's how inspired I was with the new material.'
'Toby hit new heights on this one,' raves Jim. 'I was sitting behind the recording console with Larry Millas just one big goose bump as Toby glided from hard rockers like 'Rising Up', classic melodic rock like 'All I See Is You' to a heartfelt ode to timeless love- 'Everlasting Love.'
Future classics include 'The Tell', where the main character is giving off signals she may not even realize to the mesmerizing magic of 'Silent Music' ('I can't help it if I talk funny- I can't express the way I feel in spoken words- hold on') to the mysterious 'Freedom of the Night'. That last one was written with former Jimi Jamison keyboardist Hal Butler and the lyric, chord changes and melody seem to channel what Jimi might now be singing if his life had not been tragically cut short.
'The last track is one of my faves,' states Toby Hitchcock. 'I think we all can relate to the often painful process of figuring out just who we are and how we fit on this planet. 'Unmasking the Mystery' is not something that happens all at once- it happens over time and on our last day we still won't have all the answers.'
The album will be supported by live dates- in the States and abroad with the first show on January 28th as a part of Jim Peterik's World Stage at Wentz Hall in Naperville, Illinois.
In early 2017, expect the premiere of the music video for 'All I See Is You' directed by Greg Bizzarro. Greg has directed every POL video thus far, as well as the popular 'Cold Blooded' video by Peterik / Scherer which starred Leann Marie of 'I Can't Hold Back' video fame.
So crank it up! The louder the better, after all 'You gotta be fearless!!!'
'Fearless' tracklisting:
1. All I See Is You!
2. The Tell
3. In Caricature
4. Silent Music
5. Fearless
6. Everlasting Love
7. Freedom Of The Night
8. The Light In Your Eyes
9. Rising Up
10. The Silence Says It All
11. Faster Than A Prayer
12. Unmasking The Mystery
PRIDE OF LIONS
Jim Peterik: Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
Toby Hitchcock: Vocals
Ed Breckenfeld - drums
Klem Hayes - bass
Mike Aquino - guitar
Christian Cullen - keyboards
Frontiers Music Srl is very pleased to announce the now usual special Festival CD!
At the forthcoming Frontiers Rock Festival, we will release a strictly limited edition (500 copies) of Alessandro Del Vecchio & Friends with Toby Hitchcock 'Live at Frontiers XX Anniversary'.
Recorded last February 27th in Napoli, Italy at the party organized to celebrate the XXth Anniversary of Frontiers Records, the label wanted to make things really special. So Frontiers President, Serafino Perugino, asked Alessandro if he wanted to be part of the celebrations and if he wanted to perform a few songs live ' as an unforgettable moment for all business partners, friends and journalists attending the event. Further discussions brought Pride of Lions singer Toby Hitchcock into the picture. He agreed to come over from Indiana and have a stab at some true AOR and Melodic Rock classics 'in his own way'.
So the set includes a few tracks which showcase some tunes originally written by Alessandro and then performed by other artists, while the bulk of the show sees Toby Hitchcock taking care of lead vocals on classic Perugino's very own favourite songs, originally recorded by Surivor, Journey, Bad English, Foreigner and of course Pride of Lions too.
Alessandro Del Vecchio says: "When Serafino asked me to perform at the XX Anniversary party, I just couldn't say no. Frontiers to me is not just a label I work with. I'm proud to be part of the working team behind these great albums. I called in some of my best buddies in music and after a rehearsal with Toby, we flew down to Napoli, hoping we could burn the house down. Well, we did and with a lot of fun too! Serafino asked us to perform his "dream setlist", as we called it, and we took the challenge to go out and play those songs with barely 2 hours of getting together, to give it a flavour of a jam among friends more than a regular gig. The atmosphere was awesome and the smiles on people's faces were just worth the challenge! To me the most magical moment has been singing the song I wrote for Serafino's dad - "In The Name Of The Father (Fernando's Song)" - in front of his whole family. I almost cried when I opened my eyes at the end of my last note. That's what music is about and I hope you can enjoy these few songs and get the magic we experienced and lived that night. Long live Frontiers!"
Toby Hitchcock adds 'What an incredible honor to be a part of this celebration! When Serafino asked if I could come to Italy to sing for this event, I didn't hesitate one minute! It was an amazing experience for me to play for the Frontiers crew, but also share the stage with Alessandro and the guys. What an incredible group of musicians! I hope to rock the stage with them again someday! Thanks for having me Frontiers! Here's to 20 more years!!"'
The performing band was rounded up by experienced musicians such as Nik Mazzucconi (Edge of Forever) on bass, Marco Di Salvia on drums and Francesco Marras on guitars. It was truly an unforgettable and unique night ' enjoy and celebrate with us!
Tracklisting of 'Live at Frontiers XX Anniversary' includes:
The Road To Nowhere*
Here Forever*
In The Name Of The Father (Fernando's Song)*
It's Criminal
Straight To Your Heart
Faithfully
Sound Of Home*
Mother, Father
I Can't Hold Back
Man Against The World
That Was Yesterday
The Courage To Love Somebody
Don't Stop Believin'
*Lead or co-lead vocals - Alessandro Del Vecchio
All copies unsold after the Festival will be exclusively sold on the Frontiers website. No preorders will be taken.
Frontiers Rock Festival will be held at the Live Club in Trezzo Sull Adda (Milan) on April 23 and 24, 2016. VIP Tickets (only a handful left) will also have a special access to an acoustic show / kick off party with Kip Winger, Phantom 5, Terry Brock, Drive,She Said, Paul Laine and Robbie LaBlanc featured.
Bands performing at the Frontiers Rock Festival will be on Day 1: No Hot Ashes, Shiraz Lane, Find Me, The Treatment, Drive, She Said, Treat, Last In Line // Day 2: Blood Red Saints, Inglorious, Terry Brock, The Defiants, Graham Bonnet Band, Trixter, Talisman.
RISK EVERYTHING – to be released on Frontiers in April
Frontiers Music SRL presents an album from legendary Grammy Award-winner and founding member of Survivor, Jim Peterik, created around the 5-octave instrument that is Marc Scherer's voice. The resulting CD, Risk Everything, is slated to drop on April 17thin Europe and April 21st in North America.
Jim discovered Scherer's talent while Marc was recording vocals for his band at Jim Peterik's World Stage International studios in Burr Ridge, outside Chicago. Impressed with what he heard, Peterik chose Marc to demo the tunes he wrote for the Pride of Lions album, Immortal. Scherer's back-up singing blended so seamlessly with frontman Toby Hitchcock's voice that Peterik was then inspired to write songs specifically for it.
'When I first heard Marc's amazing voice pouring through my studio door, I could not believe my ears', says Jim. 'Truly, one of the best voices I've heard – and I've worked with the best!'
One of the songs originally intended for Immortal -Change Everything - became Marc's debut single on a compilation of melodic rock artists titled MRCD - 15 Years Later, which is available from www.melodicrock.com.
Risk Everything, co-written by both artists and produced by Peterik, provides the perfect frame for Scherer's gift – a voice of such astonishing clarity and glass-shattering power that it is hard to believe he isn't already a major star.
An integral part of Peterik's genius is his ability to tap into and perfectly utilize the talent that surrounds him. For this project, he called on Pride of Lions drummer Ed Breckenfeld and Buddy Rich's grandson, Nick Rich, for percussion. Then, he got bassists like Klem Hayes (also from Pride of Lions), Survivor's Bill Syniar and noted studio musician Bob Lizik to contribute. POL's Mike Aquino was smoking hot on guitar, along with Jim, who doubled on keys. Guest vocalists Toby Hitchcock, Santana'sAlex Ligertwood and Broadway star of Wicked,Shoshana Bean, rounded out the creative brain trust.
As Scherer says, 'Jim and I have had a few near-miss opportunities to work together, but the stars didn't align until this project. I am utterly in awe of the man's songwriting, producing and musical talent. He takes guitar playing to another level. His work on Cold Blooded is so nuanced and expressive, it's like another voice singing along with me.'
One listen to that Survivor-inspired track or the Styx-influenced TheeCrescendo proves that Risk Everything has brought out some of the finest songwriting of Jim Peterik's phenomenal career, enhanced by Scherer's powerful, off-the-chain, melodic rock tenor.
Scherer will appear as a special guest of Pride of Lions when they headline at Frontiers Rock Festival II on April 12th in Trezzo Sull'Adda (Milano), Italy. There will also be a special surprise Festival only release from Jim Peterik (featuring Marc Scherer and more legendary artists) to be announced shortly. For details, visit www.frontiersrockfestival.com
Enjoy an EPK trailer of the album:
The Risk Everything track list includes: Risk Everything; Chance of a Lifetime; Cold Blooded; Desperate in Love; Thee Crescendo; The Dying of the Light; How Long is a Moment; Brand New Heart; Broken Home; Milestones and Independence Day.
Lead Vocals: Marc Scherer
Guitar: Mike Aquino, Jim Peterik
Keyboards: Jim Peterik
Drums: Ed Breckenfeld, Nick Rich
Bass: Klem Hayes, Bob Lizik, Bill Syniar
Guest and Backing Vocals: Toby Hitchcock, Alex Ligertwood, Shoshana Bean
