Frontiers Music Srl is excited to announce the release of the sophomore album from FIRST SIGNAL, “One Step Over the Line“ on June 3rd.
In 2010, a marriage made in Melodic Rock heaven between Canadian singer Harry Hess and producer Dennis Ward launched the First Signal project. The concept developed when Frontiers' President Serafino Perugino presented Hess some Melodic Rock songs that harkened back to the magic of the early Harem Scarem sound, who at the time were on an artistic hiatus. The project was met with excellent reviews and interest from the Melodic Rock crowd and even when Harem Scarem re-launched with their album “Thirteen” (one of their strongest to date), Harry was still wanting to go back and sing some excellent Melodic Rock songs that he had from various songwriters under a different moniker.
So, the idea of another First Signal album started to float around and with the help of Swedish producer Daniel Flores (FIND ME, The Murder of My Sweet, etc.), the new record started to take shape. Once again, the inspiration behind the songs are the first two Harem Scarem albums, two absolute classic Melodic Rock releases. But once again, we have some new twists and interpretations, with songs covering everything from AOR to Arena Hard Rock.
Harry says, “I am very excited to be a part of the new First Signal release. I was pleasantly surprised with the positive reaction surrounding the first CD, so it was an easy decision to be a part of the new recording. Between Serafino, Daniel and myself we gathered some great songs that I'm sure the AOR fans will love. Daniel Flores did a fabulous job and put in a ton of effort to make this happen. We met many years ago on a writing trip to Sweden where I immediately noticed his work ethic and dedication to making music. I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's reaction to the new album on June 3rd!”
Musicians on the album include the outstanding new talent Michael Palace on guitars and bass, Daniel Flores on drums and keyboards, and background vocals from Hess' Harem Scarem bandmate (and Red Dragon Cartel singer) Darren Smith, Alessandro Del Vecchio, Nigel Bailey, Daniel Flores, Rolf Pilotti and Angelica Rylin.
Another Melodic Rock gem and an absolute contender for the AOR album of the year!
Tracklisting of “One Step Over the Line” includes:
1. Love Run Free
2. Love Gets Through
3. Still Pretending
4. Broken
5. Kharma
6. Minute Of Your Time
7. She Is Getting Away
8. December Rain
9. Weigh Me In
10. Pedestal
11. One Step Over The Line
FIRST SIGNAL:
Harry Hess - Lead and backing vocals
Michael Palace - Acoustic, electric guitar and bass
Daniel Flores - Keyboards and Drums
Additional musicians:
Francesco Marras (solo on She is Getting Away and Love Gets Through)
Backing vocals: Darren James Smith, Harry Hess, Alessandro Del Vecchio, Nigel Bailey, Daniel Flores, Rolf Pilotti and Angelica Rylin
Robbie LaBlanc just has one of those voices. He would have been a star had he been part of the era of 80s vocal royalty such as Mike Reno, Lou Gramm, Eric Martin and James Christian.
Robbie has a really likeable voice that hovers between Glass Tiger’s Alan Frew and Mike Reno.
Thankfully we get him all to ourselves now though. With 2 great Blanc Faces albums and now a second Find Me release – the project arranged, mixed, mastered and recorded by the band’s drummer/keyboardist Daniel Flores.
Philip Lindstrand provides some world class guitar parts and Soren Kronqvist provides more keyboards.
And yes, there’s keyboards everywhere on this album, but at the same time, it’s a pretty tough batch of AOR tunes thanks to the guitar’s equally important role.
And Flores’ production gives the whole package a really thumping sound.
Songs come courtesy of Alessandro Del Vecchio (of course!), Niclas Olsson (of Alyson Avenue fame), plus Tom & James Martin.
The intro leaves no doubt that keyboards will play a prominent role on the album. The punch that follows says guitars won’t be left behind!
Nowhere To Hide is an uptempo melodic rocker that has the required urgency that an opener requires and a purposeful chorus that mixed guitars and keyboards perfectly.
Let Love Rule is even better. It’s a beautifully sung AOR anthem with a sentimental twist. Moving fast with a thumping beat and strong guitars, but also layered in keyboards, the chorus is particularly catchy.
Forever is a big piano ballad with a soulful vocal. A big 80s ballad that Loverboy or Glass Tiger could have easily released in their prime and scored a hit from it.
Another Day gets the tempo back to rollicking and turns the keyboards up to 11. I love the verse – the melody is pure ear candy. The chorus of course is just as good.
Dark Angel might sound moody, but it’s anything but. It’s one of the album most upbeat and pompous tracks – a glorious slice of classic AOR with big keyboards and a monster chorus.
Bleed In The Rain is 80s keyboard and guitar heaven without sounding dated thanks to Daniel’s excellent production and mix. A nice moody mid-tempo track with a great chorus.
Face To Face follows suit. More 80s FM radio friendly melodic rock with Robbie’s brilliant vocals and an easy going chorus.
Where Do I Go is the kind of moody track I love. It builds from a slow start to a big 80s chorus. Definitely some more Glass Tiger comparisons here.
Midnight Memories is a relatively restrained track until the chorus comes and Robbie goes into full power and blows up the speakers.
Don't Slip Away From Me could have been straight off the debut Glass Tiger album, both in sound and commercial appeal. The catchy chorus is pure Euro-AOR.
Did You Feel Any Love is another 80s gem – something like Signal could have included on their debut album. It’s a cool free flowing, fast moving AOR anthem with keyboards everywhere.
I'm Free is a terrific faithful rendition of the Kenny Loggins soundtrack classic. Robbie sounds fabulous and the fact this sits very comfortably amongst the rest of the material should give fans an indication of the style used throughout.
It’s gold for AOR/melodic rock fans. Well produced, solid choice of songs that sounds very consistent despite the different writers and brilliant, brilliant vocals from Robbie LaBlanc.
Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to announce the release of FIND ME's new album, entitled “Dark Angel”, on December 4th in Europe and North America.
FIND ME is a collaboration between Swedish musician, songwriter and producer Daniel Flores (Issa, The Murder of My Sweet, Seventh Wonder) and singer Robbie LaBlanc from Blanc Faces. The partnership was put together by Frontiers President, Serafino Perugino with a vision to unleash another AOR behemoth. FIND ME’s debut album, “Wings of Love” received excellent reviews and left fans begging for more music from the duo! No demands could have been easier to fulfill as the two guys just love working together and finding the right songs for the group from contributors the likes of Alessandro Del Vecchio, Mark Mangold, brothers Tom and James Martin (Vega, Issa), Soren Kronqvist (Sunstorm), Niclas Olsson (Alyson Avenue) or Philip Lindstrand (Strong) is never a problem.
The second FIND ME album will be released December 5 via Frontiers. The much anticipated paring of Daniel Flores with vocalist Robbie LaBlanc.
They’ve hit another home run here folks. Perfect 80s meets today production and a tasty mix of guitars and keyboards to accompany that voice!
Full review to follow – but for now here is an exclusive track by track commentary to preview the album with.
The intro leaves no doubt that keyboards will play a prominent role on the album. The punch that follows says guitars won’t be left behind!
Nowhere To Hide is an uptempo melodic rocker that has the required urgency that an opener requires and a purposeful chorus that mixed guitars and keyboards perfectly.
Let Love Rule is even better. It’s a beautifully sung AOR anthem with a sentimental twist. Moving fast with a thumping beat and strong guitars, but also layered in keyboards, the chorus is particularly catchy.
Forever is a big piano ballad with a soulful vocal. A big 80s ballad that Loverboy or Glass Tiger could have easily released in their prime and scored a hit from it.
Another Day gets the tempo back to rollicking and turns the keyboards up to 11. I love the verse – the melody is pure ear candy. The chorus of course is just as good.
Dark Angel might sound moody, but it’s anything but. It’s one of the album most upbeat and pompous tracks – a glorious slice of classic AOR with big keyboards and a monster chorus.
Bleed In The Rain is 80s keyboard and guitar heaven without sounding dated thanks to Daniel’s excellent production and mix. A nice moody mid-tempo track with a great chorus.
Face To Face follows suit. More 80s FM radio friendly melodic rock with Robbie’s brilliant vocals and an easy going chorus.
Where Do I Go is the kind of moody track I love. It builds from a slow start to a big 80s chorus. Definitely some more Glass Tiger comparisons here.
Midnight Memories is a relatively restrained track until the chorus comes and Robbie goes into full power and blows up the speakers.
Don't Slip Away From Me could have been straight off the debut Glass Tiger album, both in sound and commercial appeal. The catchy chorus is pure Euro-AOR.
Did You Feel Any Love is another 80s gem – something like Signal could have included on their debut album. It’s a cool free flowing, fast moving AOR anthem with keyboards everywhere.
I'm Free is a terrific faithful rendition of the Kenny Loggins soundtrack classic. Robbie sounds fabulous and the fact this sits very comfortably amongst the rest of the material should give fans an indication of the style used throughout.
FIND ME 'Dark Angel' - the sophomore album from the Trans-Atlantic duo featuring Robbie LaBlanc and Daniel Flores
Out in December on Frontiers
Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to announce the release of FIND ME's new album, entitled “Dark Angel”, on December 4th in Europe and North America.
FIND ME is a collaboration between Swedish musician, songwriter and producer Daniel Flores (Issa, The Murder of My Sweet, Seventh Wonder) and singer Robbie LaBlanc from Blanc Faces. The partnership was put together by Frontiers President, Serafino Perugino with a vision to unleash another AOR behemoth. FIND ME’s debut album, “Wings of Love” received excellent reviews and left fans begging for more music from the duo! No demands could have been easier to fulfill as the two guys just love working together and finding the right songs for the group from contributors the likes of Alessandro Del Vecchio, Mark Mangold, brothers Tom and James Martin (Vega, Issa), Soren Kronqvist (Sunstorm), Niclas Olsson (Alyson Avenue) or Philip Lindstrand (Strong) is never a problem.
“Serafino of Frontiers and I searched for new songs and fresh ideas from writers from all over the world” tells drummer and producer Daniel Flores. “I personally was searching for a musical challenge and Serafino with his golden ears is always looking for the next big song. It’s the combination of the two mentalities, with Robbie’s ability to sing and work on melodies that made this album what it is.” According to Robbie LaBlanc: “Daniel really understands how to create an awesome AOR record. He allows me some flexibility in the melodies and is a pleasure to work with and a true pro.”
The result is once again a delightful and massive melodic rock record, chock full of mighty anthemic AOR songs with Robbie’s soaring lead vocals and amazing performances from Daniel Flores and guitarist Philip Lindstrand! Sonically, this powerhouse album sits in between the classic sound of Journey and Giant and newcomers like W.E.T and Eclipse. “To be honest, in the first album, all involved tried to find the right combination of all the elements we love in AOR music” adds Daniel. “Now we feel more confident on what people will like. Productionwise everything just came naturally in place in this recording. Also Robbie sings even better than on last record and that's no small accomplishment really.”
“I feel I connected with these songs really nicely” adds Robbie. “It's funny of all the demos I received from Daniel I think we only changed one key. It's like they were written right for me!”
“I hope we get to give the AOR fans the same feelings they got when they discovered this music for the first time,” concludes Daniel, “We try to remind people of how the old records where done in this style, with the same mentality and complete devotion but with the cutting edge sound and quality engineering that technology has brought to date. Also, we hope to have chances to play for the fans live next year.”
“Dark Angel” is just another unmissable album for the AOR crowd from Frontiers. Enjoy the album trailer here:
“Dark Angel” tracklisting includes: Nowhere To Hide; Let Love Rule; Forever; Another Day; Dark Angel; Bleed In The Rain; Face To Face; Where Do I Go; Midnight Memories; Don't Slip Away From Me; Did You Feel Any Love; I'm Free.
FIND ME is:
Robbie Lablanc - Lead and background vocals
Philip Lindstrand - Rhythm and lead Guitars, Bass
Sören Kronqvist - Keyboards
Daniel Flores - Drums and Keyboards
Additional musicians:
Angelica Rylin - Vocals on "Another day"
Christopher Vetter - Lead guitars and Clean Guitars
Backing vocals: Robert Lablanc, Philip Lidstrand, Thomas Vikström, Angelica Rylin, Redas Jefisovas and Daniel Flores
It’s been 3 years since The Murder Of My Sweet’s second album and eight since their debut introduced us to a unique brand of modern/gothic/symphonic Scandi hard rock, from the mind of producer/drummer Daniel Flores and fronted by vocalist Angelica Rylin. Daniel and Angelica wrote this epic album together and Daniel produced, recorded, mixed and mastered this ambitious slice of music.
Heavier, darker, more symphonic and certainly more dramatic, Beth Out Of Hell is a 70 minute concept piece that travels the spectrum of emotions from anger, to love, passion and angst.
This isn’t an easy album to absorb. It takes time and concentration to unravel all of the music within. The album is almost a rock opera, with passages of music crossing into other songs and some lengthy tunes really going over the top. The two longest (Requiem For A Ghost 9.28 and Means To An End 11.04) are mini operas within themselves.
Highlights include the aforementioned epics, along with the dramatic and moody World In Ashes; the symphonic keyboard laden Always The Fugitive; the more commercial melodic rockers Still and The Humble Servant; plus the anthemic roller coaster that is Euthanasia.
The orchestration and attention to detail throughout is a credit to Flores.
More progressive and orchestral than the first two records, Beth Out Of Hell is a real work of art – but it will have to suit the mood and tastes of those looking to purchase.
Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to welcome back to the label Swedish Symphonic Metal band, THE MURDER OF MY SWEET with the hotly anticipated worldwide release of a fascinating new concept album entitled "Beth Out of Hell" on August 21.
“Beth Out of Hell” is an apocalyptic love story where Lucifer’s Daughter falls in love with the Archangel Michael”, says charming singer Angelica Rylin. “The story in the new album basically takes off right where we left you with the last three songs of “Bye Bye Lullabye”.
“It took us three years to record this album and the reason for that is that we wanted to give the fans an album they truly deserve,” continues drummer and producer Daniel Flores. “We made a conscious effort to keep all the songs very interesting and diverse, much like in a film or a musical”.
The Murder of My Sweet released their debut album, “Divanity” in 2009 with Italian label Frontiers Music Srl and received swift, genuine praise from media around the world. Much of the praise was directed at the heavy orchestrations and Angelica Rylin’s strong, soaring vocals. Their first single, “Bleed me Dry”, reached a peak position of #14 on the Swedish international singles chart. In the summer of both 2010 and 2011, the band toured in Sweden, France and Germany and played at festivals like Sweden Rock, Rock Weekend, Baltic Festival, Raismes Fest and Wacken Open Air. The darker Nordic months were spent in the studio where Flores and Rylin worked on the follow up album “Bye, Bye Lullaby” which was released in 2012.
Now The Murder of My Sweet are back with their most ambitious and exciting album and will leave a definite mark in the current Symphonic Metal scene, with their unique and multi layered sound. The new album is definitely darker and heavier compared to their previous two records, but still features the trademark over-the-top symphonic arrangements, cinematic elements and riffs the band is known for. This release also marks the debut of the band’s new bass player, Patrik Janson (Platitude).
Enjoy the album EPK here:
“Beth Out of Hell” tracklisting: Hell On Earth; The Awakening; World In Ashes; Always The Fugitive; Bitter Love; Still; Humble Servant; Requiem For A Ghost; Euthanasia; Tide After Tide; Poets By Default; Heaven Succumb; Means To An End.
Frontiers Records are pleased to announce: "The Murder of My Sweet has signed with Frontiers for the release of their third studio album! "We are super happy to be on board with Frontiers again," says vocalist Angelica Rylin and we couldn't agree more with her sentiment!
