Tag Archives: Hard rock

THE END MACHINE – new singer, new album ‘The Quantum Phase’

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2024 launches with a bang thanks to the announcement of ‘The Quantum Phase‘, the highly anticipated new record from supergroup THE END MACHINE. The announcement signals a notable change in personnel as well. Singer Robert Mason has officially parted ways with the group, paving the way for Girish Pradhan, the rising superstar vocalist known for his work under the moniker Girish And The Chronicles and, more recently, with Joel Hoekstra’s 13. The addition of Girish Pradhan to the band is a testament to the keen discernment of Serafino Perugino, president, and founder of Frontiers Records. Perugino, who serves as the executive producer for THE END MACHINE, recognized the incredible talent and potential in Pradhan and brought him to the attention of the band.

To herald this fantastic change and new album, THE END MACHINE shares their first single off of ‘The Quantum Phase,’ entitled “Silent Winter.” The track is accompanied by a new music video.

Jeff Pilson comments on the new track:

“‘Silent Winter’ is a song about the bleak prospects for humanity if we keep on our current trajectory. ‘Quantum Phase’ – the album – deals with what we must do to change course.”

Established in 2018, THE END MACHINE released their eponymous debut album, ‘The End Machine,’ in 2019 bringing early acclaim for not only contemporary production and a modern attitude, but also their perfectly crafted songs, paying homage to their roots and the music that they love. This attitude and talent was equally on display with their 2021 sophomore album, ‘Phase 2‘. 

In delivering 2024’s ‘The Quantum Phase,’ THE END MACHINE has not only surpassed expectations but has penned the record of their lives! With each note and lyric, they have exceeded their own artistic aspirations, collectively crafting the album they always wished they had written. This monumental work stands as a testament to THE END MACHINE’s evolution, showcasing not only their musical prowess but also their unwavering dedication to pushing the boundaries of their creative expression.

To Be Released on March 8th – Pre-Order HERE

Tracklisting:
1) Black Hole Extinction
2) Silent Winter
3) Killer of the Night
4) Hell or High Water
5) Stand Up
6) Burning Man
7) Shattered Glass Heart
8) Time
9) Hunted
10) Stranger in the Mirror
11) Into the Blazing Sun

Produced By: Jeff Pilson for Pilsound Music Inc
Studio: Pilsound Studios, Santa Clarita CA
Recorded By: Jeff Pilson and Girish Pradhan, additional engineering: Olivia Pilson
Mixed By: Alessandro Del Vecchio
Mastered By: Alessandro Del Vecchio
 
Band Members:
George Lynch 
Girish Pradhan
Steve Brown
Jeff Pilson
 
THE END MACHINE Links:
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LOVERBOY to release 1982 live show on CD & DVD

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Loverboy to launch previously unreleased live show in fully restored and remixed sound & vision through earMUSIC.

The story of Loverboy is akin to a Hollywood movie. Overcoming rejection to eventually become one of Canada’s most successful rock bands of all time and selling millions of albums in the process, is a feel-good story for the ages.

“Live In ‘82” has been lovingly restored by Paul Dean from his personal archive of 16mm film, the joyous energy of a band who helped define the golden era of 80’s music captured like lightning in a bottle. With their great music, colorful clothing, outrageous hairstyles (and headbands!), and terrific soundtracks for movies like ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’, and ‘Top Gun’, Loverboy has stood the test of time.

“Live In ‘82” will become available on limited CD+Blu-ray, limited LP+DVD and digital streaming and download on June 7th. Today’s announcement coincides with the launch of the first live track: ‘Turn Me Loose’ is available as digital single and live video.

Listen to the single HERE

For more than 40 years, Loverboy has been “Working For The Weekend” (and on the weekend), delighting audiences around the world since forming in 1979, when vocalist Mike Reno was introduced to guitar hot shot Paul Dean – both veterans of several bands on the Canadian scene – at Calgary’s Refinery Night Club. Along with Reno and Dean, Loverboy still includes original members Doug Johnson on keyboards and Matt Frenette on drums, with Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve replacing the late Scott Smith on bass.

With their trademark red leather pants, bandannas, big rock sound and high-energy live shows, the band has sold more than 10 million albums, earning several multi-platinum awards. Their string of hits includes, in addition to the anthem ‘Working For The Weekend’, such arena rock staples as ‘The Kid Is Hot Tonight’, ‘Take Me To The Top’, ‘Turn Me Loose’, ‘Jump’ and many more. Loverboy are not only masters of their craft as songwriters, but also renowned for being a formidable touring act, spending years on the road sharing stages with everyone from Def Leppard to Journey.

In 2009, the group was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, and more recently the Canadian Walk of Fame, in the fall of 2023.

And there is no stopping the band this year, as they embark on a Live Nation promoted North American tour supporting Sammy Hagar, starting in July.

Pre-order the live album HERE

https://www.loverboyband.com

EXIT EDEN release new album featuring covers of Alice Cooper, Journey, and Marillion

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Symphonic rock trio EXIT EDEN have a new album out Femmes Fatales, featuring 6 covers. The covers are unique and interesting choices, and served up very different to the originals – Pet Shop Boys (It’s A Sin), Alice Cooper (Poison), Heart (Alone), Marillion (Kayleigh), Journey (Separate Ways), Mylène Farmer (Desanchantée). Billed as ‘the Queens of symphonic metal’, Femmes Fatales is their 2nd album, also featuring 6 of their own songs. Check out the clips & links below.

EXIT EDEN are:
Clémentine Delauney
Anna Brunner
Marina La Torraca

EXIT EDEN :
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Napalm Records

Canadian band STRIKER release 7th album ‘Ultrapower’

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Canada’s own STRIKER has a new album out this week, titled ‘Ultrapower‘, the Edmonton band’s 7th record. First off, love this cover-art by Al Perez/Ramone Sketch, awesome retro 80s drawing of machine/robot and cool colorful lettering drawn in. These guys are really more fast paced hard-rock /metal, but throw in elements of AOR/pop, prog-metal, and party type rock & anthems. The band’s latest single “Give It All” even features keys and saxophone, and those big ’80s backing vocals, making this one sound like it could be out of some lost ’80s action hero movie! For the most part this is really good, with standouts “Circle Of Evil” (the previous single, a Malmsteen inspired metal cut about secret societies, etc..), as well as ’80s styled arena rockers “Turn The Lights Out” , “City Calling” (influenced by 80s AOR & pop like Kenny Loggins and Toto) , and “Ready For Anything”. Most interesting track is the sorta progressive “Blood Magic”, with a few twists and changes, big guitar solos, with the band citing King Diamond as an influence here. Musically these guys pick up lots from ’80s bands like Dokken, Queensryche, Anthrax, as well as Judas Priest (the ’80s stuff)… Well worth checking out. A fun rocking album! *Check out the band bio below, as well as the 3 videos from Ultrapower, and links!

STRIKER:

Dan Cleary – Vocals
Tim Brown – Guitar
John Simon Fallon – Guitar
Pete Klassen – Bass
Jono Webster – Drums (album only)

Blending classic heavy metal, hard rock, and 80’s hair metal, Striker has been making shredtacular anthems since 2007. The band has toured multiple times across Europe and North America, chosen to open for Metallica in their hometown of Edmonton, AB, Canada along with many festival appearances that include 70,000 Tons of Metal, Wacken Open Air (Germany), Bang Your Head Festival (Germany), and more to add to the almost 1000 shows performed in their decade-plus career. The band has been honoured with multiple Best Album awards in their home country of Canada from the JUNO Awards(The Canadian equivalent to the American Grammy), Western Canadian Music Awards, and the Edmonton Music Awards. 

Striker is kicking off 2024 with their seventh studio album “ULTRAPOWER”, which follows their Juno Award-winning self-released full-length “Play to Win” (2018) released on their label Record Breaking Records. The new album also features the band’s latest lineup addition of long-time friend and guitarist John Simon Fallon (The Order of Chaos). For the band’s seventh full-length, they teamed up with producer Josh Schroeder (Lorna Shore, Tallah, King 810), entering the studio in March 2023. With the band writing material since 2018, “ULTRAPOWER” is a collection of five years of Striker tinkering and exploring new avenues.

“ULTRAPOWER is the amalgamation of 5 years of writing and exploring music. With influences from AOR to Speed Metal, Hardcore to Hair Metal, Steely Dan to Deathcore, you name it, it made its way into the album. In the end with the help of Josh Schroeder’s guiding hand, we melted it all together to present something uniquely Striker. Lyrically we’ve stuck to the Striker tradition of writing montage songs for movies that don’t exist, songs about our spiraling serfdom, and lyrics about the evils that lurk in the shadows.” adds the band.

 “ULTRAPOWER” follows Striker’s six studio albums Eyes in the Night (2010, Iron Kodex), Armed to The Teeth (2012, Napalm), City of Gold (2014, Napalm), Stand in the Fire (2016, Record Breaking), Striker (2017, Record Breaking), and Play to Win (2018, Record Breaking). 

*CDs and digital downloads are available on Striker-Metal.com, iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and CD Baby.

LINKS:

Striker-Metal.com | Facebook | Twitter | Youtube | Instagram | Soundcloud

Bandcamp | Spotify | iTunes | Big Cartel | CD Baby

RUSSELL-GUNS release debut album ‘Medusa’

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Jack Russell & Tracii Guns have a new album out now titled Medusa, and it rocks! Russell was the voice of GREAT WHITE, one of my favorite bands to come out of that LA hard rock ’80s scene, and Tracii Guns is from the legendary LA GUNS. Jack Russell released an album in 2017 titled He Saw It Comin’ (as Jack Russell’s Great White), and Guns (who is always busy) released an excellent collaboration with Michael Sweet (STRYPER) in 2021 Evil And Devine (as SUNBOMB). Both albums are highly recommended, with He Saw It Comin’ sounding more like classic 80s GREAT WHITE than anything the band had done in years (particularly without him). So it is no wonder that album is another solid set, heavy, melodic, with Jack Russell still sounding as great as he did 35+ years ago, and Tracii Guns being one of those amazing players that suits anything. Lots of great heavy riffs here on rockers like “In And Out Of Love” (the Hammond organ is a nice touch), “Give Me The Night”, “Coming Down”, and the single “Tell Me Why”. There’s also a good ballad in “Living A Lie”. Further cool heavy rock in the album’s title track and “Where I Belong”. Every song here is at least good (OK, I’m not crazy about the lead off single “Next In Line”, but…), enough changes to keep it all interesting, along with added piano and organ throughout this record (courtesy of Alessandro Del Vecchio. Awesome collaboration.

Order – https://orcd.co/russellguns

RUSSELL – GUNS marks the beginning of a fresh artistic partnership between two legendary figures of Los Angeles hard rock: Jack Russell and Tracii Guns, accompanied by Johnny Martin, Shane Fitzgibbon and Alessandro Del Vecchio.

The pair released their new studio album, ‘Medusa,’ on January 12th, 2024 via Frontiers Music Srl. 

Commenting on the partnership, Tracii Guns said, “Jack is one of the greatest rock voices of our generation. It’s a total honor to play guitar on this record.”

For Jack Russell, this project represents a long-awaited return to recording and new music, coming seven years after the release of ‘He Saw It Comin” with Jack Russell’s Great White. Instead of dwelling on the past and attempting to recreate the storied origins of the multi-platinum hard rock entity, Jack is excited to be moving forward and collaborating with none other than Tracii Guns, an artist experiencing a creative resurgence of his own.

On ‘Medusa,’ Jack and Tracii have discovered a common thread in a collection of songs that draw from the bluesy power and heavy energy of their most celebrated material and roots, yet infused with a fresh, energetic drive and modern metallic production.

About the album, Jack had this to say, “It was so great making a record with Tracii! Initially, I had my reservations about making this record, but in the end it kicks ass. I’ll play with Tracii anytime!”

‘Medusa’ is an album that showcases inspired artistic integrity and commitment to rock’n’roll from two extraordinary rock stars of the 80s and 90s.

Track List:
1) Next In Line
2) Tell Me Why
3) Coming Down
4) Where I Belong
5) For You
6) Give Me the Night
7) Living A Lie
8) In And Out of Love
9) Medusa
10) Back Into Your Arms again
11) I Want You

Line Up:

Jack Russell – vocals
Tracii Guns – guitars
Johnny Martin – Bass
Shane Fitzgibbon – drums
Alessandro Del Vecchio – keyboards, backing vocals

In 1984, Jack Russell burst onto the scene as the frontman for Great White, a prominent presence in the Los Angeles music scene. The band’s self-titled debut, along with platinum-selling albums like 1987’s ‘Once Bitten…’ and 1989’s ‘…Twice Shy,” sold over 8 million copies worldwide. Their rock legacy continued into the 21st century, and in 2011, Russell went on to form Jack Russell’s Great White.

Tracii Guns is a legend in his own right. He founded LA Guns in 1983, which later merged with another group called Hollywood Rose, laying the foundation for one of the true giants of rock: Guns N’ Roses. After departing the band and reuniting with former Girl lead vocalist Phil Lewis to reform LA Guns, he signed with Vertigo Records and released 14 studio albums with the band. He also ventured into various side projects, including Contraband (with Michael Schenker and others), Sunbomb (with Michael Sweet of Stryper), and more recently, Blackbird Angels with Todd Kerns (of Slash & The Conspirators).

Ultimately, this new music from RUSSELL – GUNS is a gift to the millions of fans who have steadfastly supported both Tracii Guns and Jack Russell throughout the years. It’s everything they’ve been waiting for and more.

LINKS:

www.JackRussellsGreatWhite.com

https://tracii.me/

https://www.facebook.com/JackRussellsGreatWhite

https://www.facebook.com/traciiguns

https://www.instagram.com/russellgunsofficial/?hl=en

Maria Hänninen & Tony ‘TT’ Helander release “Cowbell King” (a tribute to MOUNTAIN’S Corky Laing

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Emsalö Music’s (Finnish record company) Topi Salmi release the song “Cowbell King” as a digital single (mastered) on legendary Canadian drummer Corky Laing’s 76th birthday. Digital streaming links are out today – Spotify, YouTube, Apple etc..

Maria Hänninen, a singing multi-instrumentalist/songwriter, has admired the band Mountain @mountain2178 since she was young. Dreams came true when she and Mountain drummer Corky Laing got on stage in 2019 to perform a couple of Mountain’s hits live. Since then they have been doing collaborations, Maria also appears on Corky Laing’s latest solo album Finnish Sessions (2022) and she was also a soloist/guitarist/violinist on the Scandinavian tour in the spring of 2023 in the Corky Laing& The Bobos line-up. Maria’s hard rock band Mount Mary recently released their second album Diamonds Of A Fool, and it was a great honor to have Corky Laing guesting on percussions for a few songs. Corky himself is working on his new material for his next solo album as well.

“Cowbell King (Tribute to Corky Laing)” composition, arrangement: Maria Hänninen & Tony “TT” Helander words: Maria Hänninen -Vocals, guitars, bass, recording, mixing: Maria Hänninen -Drums, percussion : Tony “TT” Helander -Mastering: Petri Majuri

LINKS:

https://linktr.ee/mountmary?fbclid=IwAR28kArCazK5LARDkbvUbq4JqpC5dIO3j1Nk7IH6Lz2U_Xt-9vZlO3aW4Sg

https://www.facebook.com/mountmaryband

https://www.facebook.com/corkylaing

http://www.corkylaingworks.com

HONEYMOON SUITE release single from upcoming album

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 Canadian melodic rock band HONEYMOON SUITE have a new single from their upcoming studio album ‘Alive’ out February 12, 2024, internationally distributed by Frontiers Music Srl. The track is titled “Find What You’re Looking For” and is accompanied by a new music video. (see below)

‘Alive‘ features core band members, including Johnnie Dee (Lead Vocals), Derry Grehan (Guitars/Keyboards/Background Vocals), Dave Betts (Drums), Gary Lalonde (Bass), and Peter Nunn (Keyboards). The album is produced by notable Canadian producer Mike Krompass, whose songwriting and production credits include artists like Meghan Trainor, Steven Tyler, Theory of a Dead Man and Smash Mouth. His expertise combined with the bands celebrated melodic rock, powerful vocals and memorable guitar riffs, is sure to make this a timeless record of unforgettable rock anthems.

Pre-order Alive HERE.

HONEYMOON SUITE was originally formed in 1981 by lead vocalist and guitarist Johnnie Dee from Niagara Falls, Ontario. Following the departure of the original lead guitarist, Derry Grehan, also from the Niagara Falls area, joined the band. Johnnie and Derry decided to re-build the band at that point and recruited Dave Betts on drums, Ray Coburn on keys, and Gary Lalonde on bass. They hit the road hard playing 6 six nights a week and writing songs with the hope of scoring a record deal.

In 1983, the band entered a demo of “New Girl Now” to a homegrown contest put on by Toronto rock station Q107. They won that year and this led to a multi album deal with WEA Canada after being signed by Bob Roper.

The band recorded their debut self titled album which was released in July, 1984. The album was an instant success, and with the help of massive airplay, several videos on MTV and MuchMusic, it went on to sell over 300,000 units in Canada alone.

Since their debut release, HONEYMOON SUITE has released a total of seven studio albums with over 1 million units sold worldwide driven by the success of a string of hit singles such as “New Girl Now”, “Burning In Love”, “Wave Babies”, “Stay In the Light”, “Feel It Again” and “What Does It Take”, to name a few.

The band has won numerous awards including a Canadian Juno for group of year in 1986, triple platinum sales in Canada with the first 3 albums, and platinum sales for the greatest hits cd ‘The Singles’, released in 1989. They also received an award in June, 2015 for 100,000 + performances on Canadian radio for “Burning In Love”, “New Girl Now”, “Wave Babies” and “What Does It Take”

HONEYMOON SUITE has also enjoyed many of their songs being placed in film and TV shows such as Miami Vice and Bones, and movie’s such as Lethal Weapon and One Crazy Summer.

During the 1990’s, the band went through several lineup changes, but in the early 2000’s, the original lineup of Johnnie, Derry, Gary and Dave was re-formed, along with the addition of keyboard player Peter Nunn, and is still intact to this day.

Fast forward to 2020. Derry & Johnnie, armed with a surplus of new original songs, reached out to fellow Canadian producer/songwriter MIke Krompass based in Nashville, TN. Mike, a long-time fan, was all in to co-write and produce a new HONEYMOON SUITE album for his new record label. They got to work and before long, they were joined by Dave, Gary and Peter cutting bed tracks for studio album number eight.

The first single, “Tell Me What You Want” was released in October of 2019 along with a groundbreaking new video and response was immediate from fans and radio alike.

A second single called “Find What You’re Looking For” was released in June, 2020.

The song was an immediate hit on AOR Rock Radio in Canada, charting in the Billboard Top 30, the first time in 19 years for HONEYMOON SUITE!

The band are excited for their upcoming February release and with no sign of slowing down, HONEYMOON SUITE plan to continue to create new music and tour year round thanks to a legion of loyal fans.

‘Alive‘ Track List:

1. Alive

2. Find What You’re Looking For

3. Done Doin’ Me

4. Not Afraid To Fall

5. Tell Me What You Want

6. Give It All

7. Love Comes

8. Broken

9. Livin’ Out Loud

10. Doesn’t Feel That Way

HONEYMOON SUITE:

Johnnie Dee – lead vocals

Derry Grehan – guitars / keyboards / backing vocals

Dave Betts – drums

Gary Lalonde – bass

Peter Nunn – keyboards

LINKS:

https://honeymoonsuiteband.com/

https://www.facebook.com/HMSLive

http://www.frontiers.it

MAGNUM release new single from ‘Here Comes The Rain’

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British rock icons MAGNUM share “The Seventh Darkness”, a new digital single from their upcoming studio album, ‘Here Comes the Rain’, out January 12th, 2024 via Steamhammer / SPV. The track is accompanied by a new lyric video.

“The Seventh Darkness” includes an amazing brass sections courtesy of guest musicians Chris ‘BeeBe’ Aldridge (saxophone) and Nick Dewhurst (trumpet), which lend the song brilliance and shape. 

Guitarist/songwriter Tony Clarkin: “The recordings were great fun, especially the moment when Chris’s sax took the lead and my guitar responded. A real highlight on this album!”

https://orcd.co/magnum_theseventhdarkness

‘Here Comes The Rain’ will be released via CD + DVD, double vinyl LP, as a box set and for digital download, proving once again that classic rock music could hardly sound more atmospheric.

The album’s highly inspired artwork is once more designed by the great Rodney Matthews, who has already created a number of MAGNUM sleeves to support the band’s atmospherically dense music. Says Tony Clarkin: “The back cover features a kind of avian battalion in attack mode, which I think is a great allegory!”

LINKS:

http://www.magnumonline.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/magnumbandpage

https://www.facebook.com/groups/MagnumOfficial

HEART LINE release 5-track ep of ’80s covers

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HEART LINE is an ’80s influenced hard rock/aor band, featuring guitarist/producer Yvan Guillevic. The band’s latest release is a 5 song ep of 80s covers, all done well, all interesting choices. Love the Stan W. Decker artwork too! *For more info check out the press info and links below…

Oh, the glorious 80’s…! Those were the years of innovations and great hopes and for music lovers, an endless wave of Rock, Hard-Rock, Heavy Metal, Hair Metal and AOR fabulous bands who could capture audiences instantly with powerful emotions. In essence, it was the reign of flashiness, big choruses, effervescent guitar solos and above all the decade for melody.
It is no secret that Yvan Guillevic the founder of Heart Line grew up nurtured by these fascinating music influences. They made him the outstanding musician we know who now rocks his own guitar on the AOR wave. If you ask him, he will tell you they are actually his DNA, the raison d’être of Heart Line! With 2 album releases in the verve of melodic rock “Back in the Game” & “Rock ‘N’ Roll Queen’ that were both acclaimed by the Int’l press, the band thought it was fair to pay a sincere tribute to the great bands of this fabulous era.
The 5 titles of this EP are a fine selection of some of the most outstanding music AOR material of the 80’s from various countries, UK, Sweden and the US. Forget about mainstream hits! Through their immense qualities, these 5 tracks prove enough how breathtaking the music level was in the 80’s and how much the bands deserved recognition. Who knows? May be some of you will discover band names that had slipped under your radar and yet deserved!?

Tracklisting: 1. Falling (TOBRUK cover), 2. Runaway (DAKOTA cover), 3. Front Line (AVIATOR cover), 4. Living On A Knife Edge (VIRGINIA WOLF cover), 5. Go Easy (ALIEN cover)

Band: Emmanuel Creis (vocals), Yvan Guillevic (guitars), Jorris Guilbaud (keyboards), Dominique Braud (bass), Walter Français (drums)

LINKS:

https://www.facebook.com/Heartlinebandofficial

https://linktr.ee/heartline_official

https://www.prideandjoy.de/

https://www.discogs.com/artist/10299064-Heart-Line

PRISONER featuring Tommy Denander, albums reissued together

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Swedish band PRISONER released 2 excellent hard-rock/aor albums in the early 2000s, which have recently been re-issued together as One + Two, in a limited 2CD run. This is well worth hearing, finely written, performed, and produced. Lots of good varying songs, vocals, and heavy guitar, along with melody, harmonies. One is the heavier (and best IMO) of the 2 albums, with fave cuts being “Stop Playing Games”, “Starry Eyes”, and “Where Is The Fire”. Two is a bit lighter, with a few ballads mixed in, but still good, with cuts like “Jasmine”, “Prisoners”, and “Return My Heart”. Well worth checking out! More info below (from press), and links.

The double album “One + Two” of the Swedish melodic rock band PRISONER contains the total of two albums of the band: “Blind” (2000) and “II” (2001) and is released in a limited edition of 500 copies. 
The band consisted of musicians, song writers and producers Tommy Denander and Ricky Delin together with great singers Geir Rönning and Pierre Wensberg. 
Tommy Denander remastered both works and created the new artwork. As part of the Pride & Joy Music Classixx series, the double CD is released as Vol.4

LINKS: 

https://www.shop.prideandjoy.de/en/

https://www.discogs.com/artist/3502050-Prisoner-10

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm8rS_vxhGPkhJn6qJqEPnA

https://www.facebook.com/tommydenanderofficial