Over eight years since their debut album, Give in to Temptation, hard grunge rockers Stone Angels announce their highly anticipated and sought after new album Up in Smoke on CD and bundle only and available to pre-order direct from the band for the 22nd March 22 release. Armed to the teeth with a flurry of sledgehammer riffs, colossal choruses and unabashed wailing solos, and in departure from the norm, the collection of nine hard-hitting foot stomping songs will be released digitally track-by-track throughout 2024, meaning buying the CD is the way to hear the album first in its entirety as intended.
Setting the scene behind the album title, lead guitarist James Innes tells the tale:
On 7th November 2019 at approximately midday, a fire broke out in my house while I was inside. The trauma of watching my home, my safe space be destroyed by the blaze sent me into a depressive spiral, especially as the pandemic quickly followed. It’s the closest that I have ever been to becoming an alcoholic as at times it felt like the only release I had. Taking an adverse and crushing situation to rise up, I took inspiration to write about the ordeal rather than bottle it up. Up In Smoke was the most challenging song that I have written, but with the of my wife, bandmates, family and friends I was able to heal. It was my way of making a silver lining to that smoke cloud.
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Featuring previous slamming singles “Where The Crows Fly” and “Hold On”, which both rapidly racked up streaming and YouTube views, other reasons to play it loud include a take on drummer Loz’s high-stakes day job profession in “Gambler” and the full-throttle pedal-to-the metal “Supercharged” that would be the ideal opener to any rockers night out. There’s a contrast in the southern epic “Halfway To Nowhere” evoking imagery of cutting off what has come before, seeking adventure and the death of a relationship that continues to haunt set to an iconic skyline in “Ghost of New York”. On the album closer “Western Dream” the band pose the politically charged question: “Are places like America and the UK still desirable places to live? With the rise in the cost of living, the aftermath of Brexit and lack of gun control, is the West still as desirable as it once was to others?”
Accompanying their second album announcement is the new single and video “Over The Edge” which showcases the kinetic live performance the band possess having previously shared stages with Hot Milk, InMe, Skindred and wowed at the inaugural Pride Rock Festival. Pulling inspiration from the classic LA rock, Seattle’s iconic grunge and legendary UK rock, they present a very fresh take on the classic rock/grunge genre, creating their own cocktail of adrenaline-fuelled rock having been likened to Queens of The Stone Age and Soundgarden.
Flying at you from the vibrant cornucopia of the ever-expanding music scene in Brighton UK, the soaring 4 piece of Niall Kersey (vocals), James (guitar), Sam Sayers (bass) and Loz Ford (drums). The band comment:
We actually began recording demos in the summer of 2019 and started shaping and bringing to life our songs, then the pandemic struck. Initially, like everyone else, we were frustrated about having to put our lives on hold, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise to have more time to make the best album we possibly can.
This turn of events led to working with multi-platinum award-winning producer Mike Krom (Steven Tyler, Everybody Loves An Outlaw, Smash Mouth), recording at his state-of-the-art studio Base Culture UK.
With this exciting release which bears plenty to please all rock fans which will leave the listener clamouring for more and live shows and festivals to be announced, a flightful future is upon Stone Angels.
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Header image by Luke Bateman
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