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New Tracks: Kings Of Mercia, Louisiana Child, Trapeze, Envy Of None, Goddo, Storace….

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Well, another list of new (or fairly new) tracks from recent weeks. Some cool Canadian rock, newer and old bands with some great new releases coming out.

Check out the songs, as well as links in video descriptions . If there’s anything you’d recommend (not here), drop it in the comments!

TRAPEZE – Homeland

The 2nd single from TRAPEZE’ Lost Tapes vol. 2 . Classic tune featuring Mel Galley and Glenn Hughes. Not sure when this one is from, but sounds very fresh and lively.

GODDO – Pretty Bad Boy

originally a hit for Canadian band GODDO in 1981. The band (along with guitarist Sean Kelly) have recorded a new version of the song for their new 50th anniversary compilation album Decades: The Best Of GODDO. http://www.rockpapermerch.com

KINGS OF MERCIA – Battle Scars

The title from KOM’s 2nd album . “That’s about post-war distress syndrome. It’s about a guy who comes back from fighting and can’t really deal with real life. He realizes that he can never be what he was before he went away and did this. But he really, really wants to, but he’s trying to get that across to everybody that loves him. But the problem isn’t him–it’s what he’s been through. I came up with the title ‘Battle Scars,’ and I think that suggested the subject matter.” (Steve Overland)

LABYRINTH – ‘Welcome Twilight’ is the first single from this Italian metal band’s upcoming album – In The Vanishing Echoes Of Goodbye. Labyrinth features singer Roberto Tiranti of WONDERWORLD (and ex of Ken Hensley’s band Live Fire). Their new album is due out January 25, on Frontiers. Describing the single, the band declare:
“After the absurd circus brought on by COVID-19, not only have we not emerged better, but we now find ourselves in a truly complicated historical period. Now more than ever, si vis pacem, para bellum — if we want peace, we must prepare for war. Our freedom, entirely illusory, is subordinate to those who decide the balance of this weary planet.”


BURNING WITCHES – The Spell Of The Skull
Swiss female metal band BURNING WITCHES has a new 2 track single coming out (yes, on limited 12 inch vinyl, in red or gold colored, or CD), due out on December 10.

LOUISIANA CHILD – Cocaine Cowboys

Toronto’s LOUISIANA CHILD have just released their debut single. The band mixes up Southern rock, blues rock, country… Fairly Lynyrd Skynyrd influenced on this first track, Check it out.

STORACE – Screaming Demon

The first single from the upcoming album from STORACE (Marc STORACE of Krokus). A great heavy rocker, kinda like if Bon Scott era AC/ DC were a more metal sounding band.

ENVY OF NONE – Not Dead Yet

Brand new from ENVY OF NONE, the band featuring Alex Lifeson (RUSH) and Andy Curran (CONEY HATCH), plus singer Maiah Wynne. Very unlike what Lifeson or Curran have done in their known bands. Very cool, haunting track.

TEAZE – Reach Out (live)

Video from the TEAZE’s performance in Belgium. If you aren’t familiar with this Canadian band, you have missed out. Teaze has a brand-new live album – ‘Live In Liege‘ out now. This track, from that show was originally from the band’s 1979 album One Night Stands. Order Live In Liege at- http://www.rockpapermerch.com

SEVENTH CRYSTAL – Siren Song

Sweden’s SEVENTH CRYSTAL have released their 3rd album Entity. Full of heavy guitar driven rockers like “Siren Song” .

IMPELLITTERRI – Hell On Earth

The new single from IMPELLITTERRI’s new album War Machine, out now.

“I had this really fun addictive riff that just allowed everyone in the band to shine. It was amazing how powerful the song sounded when we first played it together…. The music really inspired an interesting lyric and amazing vocal performance from Rob Rock! – Chris Impellitterri.

GLORIA PERPETUA – Mothers Of Juruselem

This Brazilian band plays heavy power metal, influenced by the likes of Hellloween and Accept. A great single from off their new album The Darkside We Wanna Hide, which can be ordered at: https://shop.rockshots.eu/en/home/6898-gloria-perpetua-the-darkside-we-wanna-hide.html

WILDNESS – Crucified

New single from Swedish band’s upcoming album Avenger. Singer reminds me Jimi Jamison. Great 80s type hard-rocker.

KINGS OF MERCIA – Debut album, new video

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Kings of Mercia is a band, something of a ‘supergroup’, consisting of guitarist Jim Matheos (Fates Warning, OSI), singer Steve Overland (FM-UK, Lonerider), bassist Joey Vera (Armored Saint, Fates Warning), and legendary drummer Simon Phillips (Toto, Intelligent Music Project, MSG, and a thousand other credits!). So, began by Metheos, who soon got together with Overland and began putting songs together. I don’t know much of prog-metallers Fates Warning, and little more about AOR-rock act FM-UK, but I like Overland’s vocals guesting on the new White Spirit album, and sometimes not knowing too much is a nice start, without any expectations. So, this one I’ve had on a few times, and it has grown on me as a mighty fine listen, where every track is good (at least) and it all flows so well from song to song.

Steve Overland (who also has a new album out with Lonerider) has a very unmistakable voice, who would’ve been a fine fit to replace Paul Rodgers (hence Lonerider with Simon Kirke!). A solid set of heavy guitar melodic rock, with excellent vocals, harmonies, and arrangements. Love the guitar tone, and the production. It’s heavy overall – but not quite metal. Progg-ish, but not totally progressive or AOR, for that matter. So you get to the end of this album having thought ‘this is awesome’ – but it’s over! “Wrecking Ball”, “Humankind”, the powerful heavy “Set The World On Fire”, “Is It Right” — all great rockers. A couple of ballads here as well, notably “Everyday Angels”, this would make a fine single.

The band has also just released a new video for the track “Humankind” –

Links:

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KINGS OF MERCIA release new single from self-titled debut album

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Photo credit: Jeremy Saffer/Scott Towns

Kings of Mercia, the new group formed by acclaimed rock/metal guitarist Jim Matheos (Fates Warning, Arch/Matheos) and powerhouse rock vocalist Steve Overland (FM) have announced the release of their self-titled debut album on September 23rd, 2022 via Metal Blade Records. Accompanying the duo on the upcoming album are Matheos’ Fates Warning bandmate Joey Vera on bass, and legendary drummer Simon Philips. 

Kings of Mercia are now pleased to share the new single “Liberate Me”. 

Steve Overland says this about the track: “’Liberate me’ is another great example of what the Kings of Mercia album represents, a high energy, hard rock song about someone who has lived life selfishly and done many wrongs, but as the years take their toll, they begin to regret their past and want to make things right. Once again, it shows off the great individual talents in the band with great performances by all.”

TRACKLIST:
1.Wrecking Ball  3:54
2.Humankind  4:13
3.Sweet Revenge  4:38
4.Set the World on Fire  4:16
5.Too Far Gone   6:07
6.Liberate Me   4:18
7.Nowhere Man   4:20
8.Everyday Angels    3:59
9.Is It Right?   4:03
10.Your Life   6:07

Best known as the founding guitarist for Fates Warning, but with countless other projects under his belt – including Arch / Matheos and most recently Tuesday The Sky – Jim Matheos is incapable of stifling his creativity. In early 2021, he started working on the songs that would become Kings Of Mercia’s self-titled debut album, bringing his distinct style yet doing something a little different. “I started writing without any real idea of what direction I wanted to go in or what I was going to do with the material. The first few songs came together quickly and were a bit more straightforward than I’m used to, and I really liked that idea, kind of going back to my early heavy/hard rock roots.” Not having any pre-conceived ideas of what the record should or would end up sounding like, at least early on, certainly helped, “as did the fact that it’s our first record, so there was nothing to measure it against or expectations to live up to, even if only in my own head.”

Churning out songs, Matheos’ next concern was to find the musicians who would help him realize the material, and his first priority was a vocalist. It was his friend Jeff Wagner who suggested FM’s Steve Overland, and another friend, rock journalist Dave Ling, who put them in touch with each other. “Jim had asked Dave for my contact details, we talked about his idea for mixing the two styles, his heavier background, with my melodic/bluesier direction,” says Overland. “We decided to try a collaboration on one song and see how it worked, we came up with the track “Humankind”, and we both loved it.”. Having already settled on this hard rock direction, it was only once Matheos got the first couple of songs back from Overland that it became all the way clear of the shape the record would take, with the vocalist sending over his parts every few weeks, everything gradually coming together.

Behind the kit for the record is the legendary Simon Phillips (ex-Toto, Derek Sherinian), one of Matheos’ favorite drummers. “I decided to contact him on a whim, not really expecting that he’d be available or interested in this project. But, to my surprise, he liked the music and was able to fit some recording into his schedule. It’s an honor to share a credit with him and I couldn’t be happier with what he added to the record.” Rounding out the group is bassist Joey Vera – Matheos’ Fates Warning bandmate – who brings his trademark style and professionalism to the table. “My old friend and co-worker Joey Vera was a natural choice for bass. Not only did I know he would deliver performance-wise, but it was nice to have a familiar face among the new personalities.” With these players involved it was an easy, stress-free process throughout, making music for the love of it, and coming up with something that sounds familiar yet new, expanding the repertoire of all involved. This means songs like the half-acoustic ballad, half-swaggering “Too Far Gone” or the beautiful “Everyday Angels”, and the soaring “Wrecking Ball”, which opens the record on a high note, all brought to life in dynamic style.
Jim Matheos – Guitars
Steve Overland – Vocals
Joey Vera – Bass 
Simon Phillips – Drums

The album is available on CD, LP, and digital formats.
Pre-order here: https://www.metalblade.com/kingsofmercia/

Watch the video for the first single “Wrecking Ball” here:

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