Late winter and spring seems to be the time that most bands decide to announce their recording of a new CD, and 2009 is no exception. Lou Gramm, the former vocalist of Foreigner who has been making a new career out of extensive solo touring, will release his brand new record on May 30. The album will be in a Christian Rock format, and according to Lou’s website, it is in the mastering stages and will see a release through Spectra Records. Gramm battled a benign tumor in the late 1990s, which affected his ability to sing. This eventually led to his departure from Foreigner, a band in which his remarkable and original vocal style played an intricate role alongside the guitar and songwriting talents of Mick Jones. I will post more details on Lou’s project as soon as they are available.
Survivor is a band that has seen many line-up changes, the most notable of which being the band’s lead vocalist. While the soaring vocals Dave Bickler and Jimi Jamison brought the band to fame, former MSG frontman Robin McAuley has carried the torch since Jamison’s departure in 2006. The band has performed approximately 50 shows with McAuley, and now a new album with this line-up is in the works. The rest of the band consists of Frankie Sullivan on guitar, Marc Droubay on drums, Michael Young on keyboards and guitars, and Billy Ozzello on bass. The bands forthcoming press release states that the band is “currently hard at work at studios in Chicago and Los Angeles on a new studio album which they hope to release by the end of the year.” The album would be the band’s first since 2006′s Reach, which was a mixed assortment of new songs and songs first written in the mid-1990s. While Reach was a commercial disappointment, with the right promotion and exposure, Survivor has the potential to make a splash with the new record.
In touring news, more information has arisen about the two 3-band tours which will likely be the year’s most prolific concert events from the classic era. The pairings taking shape are:
The only new information about these tours is that we are now aware of the likely opening acts, Cheap Trick and 38 Special respectively. Tour dates for these two should be released sometime in March.
