Alcatrazz - "London 1666" (video)

Το 1983 ο (πρώην τραγουδιστής των Rainbow) Graham Bonnet σχημάτισε στο Los Angeles τους Alcatrazz. Την ίδια χρονιά κυκλοφόρησε το ντεμπούτο τους, "No Parole from Rock 'n' Roll", με τον Yngwie J. Malmsteen στις κιθάρες! Η μπάντα διαλύθηκε το 1987, επανήλθε το 2007 και έβαλε για δεύτερη φορά τίτλους τέλους προ τετραετίας.

Η νέα επιστροφή των Alcatrazz σηματοδοτήθηκε πέρυσι και θα "επικυρωθεί" φέτος με νέο δίσκο. Τιτλοφορείται "Born Innocent" και πρόκειται για τον πρώτο στουντιακό album της μπάντας του Graham Bonnet μετά το 1986 και τον δίσκο "Dangerous Games". Το "Born Innocent" αναμένεται στα τέλη Ιουλίου. Στην κιθάρα βρίσκουμε τον Joe Stump.

Δελτίο τύπου: «The hard-hitting, melodic heavy metal band Alcatrazz will once again throw down a studio gauntlet on July 31st with Born Innocent, their first studio venture since 1986’s Dangerous Games.

Alongside the unique vocal prowess and range of star frontman and founding member Graham Bonnet, Born Innocent also features fellow founding members Jimmy Waldo and Gary Shea. And from the classic album art, featuring the mighty rock itself, Born Innocent is a journey into the sort of heavy, melodic and supremely articulated hard rock that is a cornerstone of the likes of Rainbow and the Michael Schenker Group, territory Alcatrazz successfully strode in the ‘80s before going on hiatus.

Debuting on Born Innocent is the latest of the illustrious Alcatrazz guitarists to bring their extreme six-string talents to the band, with Boston-based Berklee College of Music Assistant Professor of Guitar, and one-man metal impresario Joe Stump perhaps proving the finest of a list which includes the likes of Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai.

“The name Alcatrazz is a brand name,” announces star frontman and founding member Graham Bonnet. “People know what Alcatrazz delivers, and on this album you have the original ideas of Alcatrazz but played in a modern way with new inspiration.”

Mixed and mastered by Andy Haller, Born Innocent also sees former stars from Bonnet's long career making guest appearances, from Chris Impellitteri, who wrote the music and played all guitars on the arpeggio-powered ‘Born Innocent’ with Bonnet’s vocals soaring to old-school heights, and Bob Kulick who wrote and laid down guitar for ‘I Am The King’.

Virtuoso Japanese guitar maestro Nozomu Wakai -a new invitee to the party- similarly wrote and played guitars on the double-kick steel-plated Irish warrior ode ‘Finn McCool’, while Steve Vai wrote ‘Dirty Like The City’.

Meanwhile, ‘Something That I Am Missing’ and ‘Warth Lane’ were written by -and feature the guitar work of- Italian six-string hero Dario Mollo, with Riot bassist Don Van Stavern playing bass on the title track, ‘Polar Bear’, ‘Finn McCool’, ‘London 1666’, ‘Dirty Like The City’ and ‘Paper Flags’.

Add D. Kendall Jones’ writing and guitar work on ‘We Still Remember’ and even a quick solo by another new invitee to the Alcatrazz mega-sound, Annihilator’s Jeff Waters on ‘Paper Flags’ (the second one to be precise), and it’s clear that studio Alcatrazz 2020 is one giant piece of rock for sure.»

Band: Alcatrazz
Country of origin: United States
Location: Los Angeles, California
Formed in: 1983
Genre: Heavy Metal/Shred
Lyrical themes: Life, Fantasy, Society, Politics
Years active: 1983-1987, 2007-2014, 2019-present
Video: Jimmy Waldo on "Born Innocent" featured guests

Video: "London 1666"
Album: "Born Innocent"
Type: Full length
Release date: July 31st, 2020
Label: Silver Lining Music
Format: CD, Digital

Track listing:
01. Born Innocent
02. Polar Bear
03. Finn McCool
04. We Still Remember
05. London 1666
06. Dirty Like the City
07. I Am the King
08. Something That I Am Missing
09. Paper Flags
10. The Wound Is Open
11. Body Beautiful
12. Warth Lane
13. For Tony

Band members:
Graham Bonnet - Vocals (1983-1987, 2007-2014, 2019-present)
Joe Stump - Guitars (2019-present)
Jimmy Waldo - Keyboards (1983-1987, 2019-present)
Gary Shea - Bass (1983-1987, 2020-present)
Mark Benquechea - Drums (2019-present)

Miscellaneous staff:
Jimmy Waldo - Producer
Giles Lavery - Producer
Andy Haller - Mixing, Mastering, Editing