Shaft of Steel collaborate with Dennis Ward on debut record; Lyric video for ‘Drive’ released
Debut EP ‘Shaft of Steel’ OUT NOW.
British melodic metal / AOR group Shaft of Steel are gearing up to release their debut EP, which features vocal contributions from respected American producer and musician Dennis Ward.
Ward, famous for being the bass player in legendary German hard rockers Pink Cream 69 (and, more recently, melodic metal supergroup Unisonic), who also has a lengthy list of production credits under his belt, including Krokus, Sunstorm, Place Vendome, Eden’s Curse, House of Lords, Fergie Fredericksen, Bob Catley, Angra and Harry Hess’s First Signal, has performed backing vocals for all tracks on the debut CD from this new London, UK-based act.
Guitarist and founding member Alex Markham states, “It has been an absolute pleasure working with Dennis. I’m a huge fan of everything he’s done and it was like a dream come when I first heard the backing choirs he recorded for our songs. I’m so happy with how this EP has turned out.”
The eponymous debut EP has also been mastered by Ward and features cover art by Colombian graphic designer Felipe Machado Franco, who has previously designed artwork for Blind Guardian, Iced Earth, Rhapsody of Fire, Iron Savior and Jorn.
“We’ve worked really hard on finishing this EP over the last year and we feel we’ve really upped our game where the songwriting and production is concerned,” says Markham. “Getting Dennis Ward involved was obviously a key turning point for us, but we’ve also matured a lot as songwriters since we started out. We were more like a straight-ahead power metal band in the beginning, but now we’ve incorporated AOR, prog and other hard rock influences and we’ve taken these songs to a whole new level. I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved.”
A lyric video for ‘Drive’, the lead track from the EP, has been posted on YouTube and can also be viewed on the band’s official website – www.shaftofsteel.com. The EP will be released as a digital download through iTunes, Amazon and all other major digital music retailers. A CD can be ordered directly from the band’s website.
‘Shaft of Steel’ track listing:
01. Drive
02. Spinning Vortex of Love
03. Steel Avenger (Stand Your Ground)
04. Release the Lion Within
Credits:
Robert Fenning – Lead Vocals
Alex Markham – Guitar
Andy Cooper – Bass and Backing Vocals
Adam Carruthers – Guitar
Chris Smurthwaite – Keyboards
Garth Vickers – Drums
Additional backing vocals by Dennis Ward.
Produced and mixed by Alex Markham.
Mastered by Dennis Ward.
Artwork and sleeve design by Felipe Machado Franco.
About Shaft of Steel
Shaft of Steel are one of the brightest new hopes in melodic hard rock. With a refreshingly unique sound that combines power metal, progressive rock and both classic and contemporary AOR, this London, UK-based act have arrived with a bang.
The group’s sound is best described as a combination of melodic metal guitar riffs, 80s AOR keyboards, soaring, expressive power metal vocals and a thunderous prog rock rhythm section. Shaft of Steel cite their main influences as Iron Maiden, Dream Theater, 80s-era Rush, Queensrÿche, Edguy, Blind Guardian, Whitesnake, Gamma Ray, Def Leppard, Peter Gabriel, Vince DiCola and Toto.
More information on Shaft of Steel can be found at:
