NEWS, 16th July 2010
> HAWKWIND ANNOUNCE DECEMBER UK TOUR
Legendary space rockers Hawkwind will embark on a major UK tour in December 2010 in support of their new studio album “Blood of the Earth”.
The nationwide tour consists of 13 dates. Tickets are priced at £20, are available from the National Credit Card Hotline 0871 2301101 or can be ordered from http://www.seetickets.com/. The tour kicks off at the Holmfirth Picturedome on Friday December 3rd. Support for all dates comes from UK rockers “The Jokers”.
In addition to the UK tour, Hawkwind will appear at “HAWKFEST 2010” next month, which returns to Afton Farm on the Isle Of White. Created by the members of Hawkwind, Hawkfest takes place between August 27th and 29th. Hawkfest originally came about after the breakdown of the free festival movement in the mid to late 1980's. The band felt that major festivals had lost what made them great. Gone was the intimate, carnival atmosphere and the colourful characters, only to be replaced with huge-scale commercialism.
Wanting to get back to the roots of what made festivals so enjoyable, Hawkwind constructed a family friendly event where children could play and explore, whilst parents watched great music, safe in the knowledge that the kids would be safe. Tickets are priced at £70, for further info visit http://www.hawkfest.com/.
> TWO FIRES BRING THE BURNING BRIGHT
Former THE STORM singer Kevin Chalfant returns at the helm of TWO FIRES with the band’s third studio album entitled “Burning Bright” to be released in Europe and Asia on Frontiers Records on September 24th.
TWO FIRES debut album in 2000 was hailed as one of the Melodic Rock highlights of that year, showcasing the return of 2 very well known faces in the Melodic Rock world: singer Kevin Chalfant and guitarist Josh Ramos, both from THE STORM, a band which also featured former Journey members Ross Valory, keyboardist Gregg Rolie and drummer Steve Smith. THE STORM are considered one of the best expressions of Melodic Rock in the 90’s, thanks to 2 outstanding releases, the Self-titled debut album (which sported the US Top 20 hit “I’ve Got a Lot to Learn About Love”) on Interscope and the follow-up “Eye of the Storm” on MFN.
The Two Fires concept came about when Frontiers Records President, Serafino Perugino asked Chalfant if he wanted to put up a new band which could fill the hole left in the fans' hearts by Steve Perry's demise from Journey, and he willingly accepted this new challenge in his career. That is why he teamed up with former bandmate in The Storm, Josh Ramos, on guitar and with the cooperation of worldwide known players such as Kenny Aronoff (Jon Bon Jovi, John Cougar) on drums, Willie Weeks on bass, Jim Peterik (Survivor, Pride of Lions) on keyboards created the Two Fires debut album. Produced by Kevin himself together with his old mate George Tutko (XYZ, Alias), “Two Fires” was pure, unadulterated, AOR bliss: a massive masterpiece that re-launched this musical style in the new millennium.
Two Fires also appeared on the cover of the ROCK IT Magazine in Germany and ROCK TIME in France, plus made two live appearances at THE GODS festival in 1999 and 2000, both written in stone as some of the most exciting moments in the history of the festival ever! Two Fires released later another album “Ignition”: another great example of pure melodic rock in the vein of Journey, Boston, Foreigner and classic Bryan Adams, before Ramos and Chalfant got busy pursuing other projects.
Still thanks to Perugino’s request to Kevin Chalfant, TWO FIRES are now back with a superb new release which is set to bring back the concept to the monster debut, with songs that are set to light the hearts and minds of Melodic Rock fans. “Burning Bright” sees a new set of musicians surrounding Chalfant. “I decided to use my live band as much as possible. But I did have several special guests, one being Rex Carroll of Whitecross a wonderful guitarist, another Denny Rockey, an independent Christian music artist” says the singer.
“I wrote more than 20 tracks for this album and I believe the result is a great collection of songs that fit together well” adds Kevin Chalfant. Included on the album is also the superb “Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid”, written by the singer together with Neal Schon (Journey) and Gregg Rolie (ex Journey, Santana and of course The Storm). “That’s a song I wrote with Neal and Gregg in 1993 after I performed live with Journey” tells Kevin “I believe the original design for this song was to be for Journey. I would have to say it is probably one of the stand outs on this cd. When I lived in Northern California then, it was easy to put writing sessions together at Gregg’s cabin. I still have a few more of them up my sleeve. I don't have "favorite" song to speak of. All of the new songs have moments and a special meaning to me. I really love "Answer To My Prayer", "Hold On To Your Dream" and "All For One"... I guess I love the whole album, really.”
A videoclip for “Is It Any Wonder” is in the works and will be previewed during August.
“Burning Bright” final tracklisting includes: Is It Any Wonder; Lost In The Song; Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid; Epic In The Night; Shattered Without You; Burning Bright; Hold On To Your Dream; Still In Love; Answer To My Prayer; Relentless; All For One
The songs “Is It Any Wonder” and “Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid” can exclusively be listened in full in streaming on the Frontiers Web radio. Tune in at: http://www.frontiers.it/webradio
http://www.myspace.com/kevinchalfant
> FIRST SIGNAL VIDEO
> NOW ON TAP: KING GIANT'S OMINOUS SOUTHERN GROOVE
Southern rock doomsters and bar-brawlers across the land, prepare to meet KING GIANT. This Northern Virginia/Washington DC-area quintet have been producing their infectious, soulful but nonetheless ultra-tough brew of gritty southern metal since 2006. After several years of honing their skills as a unit, the band have poured their blood and soul into their self-released debut full-length album Southern Darkness.
The professionally produced Southern Darkness is a burly, blues-driven collection of ten whiskey-soaked KING GIANT originals, as well as a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Needle And The Spoon"; the album rounding out at a thunderous, fully entertaining 55:55 ride any fan of Corrosion of Conformity, Kyuss, Clutch, Down and other quality, groove-heavy Southern rollers will immediately latch onto.
Grab a beer and go check out three tracks from Southern Darkness, "Solace," "Hollow" and "Shindig," now at the band's MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/kinggiant
Southern Darkness Track Listing: 01 Solace, 02 Burning Regrets, 03 13 To, 04 Potter's Field, 05 Mississippi River, 06 Lady Whiskey, 07 Machine Gun Mantra, 08 Hollow, 09 Shindig, 10 Desert Run, 11 Needle And The Spoon (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover)
KING GIANT have been playing shows in support of their Southern Darkness material -- as well as songs for an upcoming full-length they are currently constructing -- alongside Salome, The Wino Band, Earthride, The Bakerton Group, Wooly Mammoth and more in their native tri-state over recent months, and have several more booked through DC, Virginia and New Jersey this summer.
KING GIANT upcoming gigs:
7/17/2010 Red&Black - Washington, DC
7/31/2010 9:30 Club - Washington, DC
8/13/2010 Mackey's - Manassas, VA
8/23/2010 DC 9 - Washington, DC
8/26/2010 Maxwells - Hoboken, NJ
"...melodies and atmosphere inhabit that common ground among Alice In Chains, Eyehategod and Hank III. The album title is apt." - Decibel Magazine
"Listening to King Giant is an experience akin to walking in on a group of school children feasting on the innards of Eyehategod, their neat little uniforms smeared with brilliant smudges of red and their eyes alert with hunger. Unhealthy, doom-tinged southern filth." - Terrorizer Magazine
"If Johnny Cash rose from the grave and started a metal band this is what it might sound like. Folks, this is some serious shit." - HeavyPlanet.net
http://www.myspace.com/kinggiant
> AN OBSCURE SIGNAL ART
An Obscure Signal is gearing up for the release of their debut EP “Creations.” The album artwork was designed by Daniel Wagner of D-Dub Designs, who is also developing the bands Myspace page. The EP was recently mixed and mastered by Misha Mansoor who’s work can be seen on many records including Animals As Leaders, Born of Osiris (upcoming album), his personal band Periphery, and many more.
http://www.myspace.com/anobscuresignal
