Smith / Kotzen - Black Light / White Noise (2025)
Posted: 24 Feb 2025, 08:10
Smith / Kotzen - Black Light / White Noise (2025)
Year : 2025
Style : Hard Rock
Country : United States , United Kingdom
Audio : 320 kbps + front
Size : 113 mb
Bio:
Richard Dale "Richie" Kotzen, Jr. (born February 3, 1970 in Reading, Pennsylvania) is a guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer. Currently he is touring with The Winery Dogs with Mike Portnoy and Billy Sheehan,[1][2][3] supporting an album they recorded in Los Angeles in August 2012.Richie Kotzen began playing piano at the age of five. At the age of seven he was inspired by the band KISS to learn the electric guitar. He started his career in a band named Arthurs Museum. Kotzen was eventually discovered by Shrapnel Records' Mike Varney, and he recorded his first solo album by the age of 19. He created the video Rock Chops for REH video in 1989, highlighting many of his formative techniques, including using wide-intervals and fluid sweeping.In 1991, at age 21, Kotzen joined glam-metal band Poison, co-writing and performing on the album Native Tongue. This album produced two top twenty singles which Kotzen co-wrote, "Stand" and "Until You Suffer Some (Fire & Ice)".In 1999 Kotzen replaced Paul Gilbert as guitarist in the mainstream rock band Mr. Big, performing on their album Get Over It. He also contributed guitars to their subsequent release Actual Size. The record included the Kotzen song Shine, which debuted at number one on Japanese radio charts. After Mr. Big disbanded, Kotzen released the solo album Change, in 2003. The title track and the song Get a Life were featured in TV commercials throughout Japan.In 2002 Kotzen bought a commercial building in Los Angeles and established a recording studio and production company. He has since produced acclaimed solo albums and collaborated with various figures in rock (Gene Simmons), jazz and fusion, including jazz legend Stanley Clarke.In 2006 Kotzen was the opening act for The Rolling Stones in Japan on their Bigger Bang tour.In 2013 the rock supergroup, The Winery Dogs released their self-titled debut album on 15 May in Japan with a worldwide release following on 23 July of the same year.
Adrian Frederick "H" Smith (born 27 February 1957) is an English guitarist, best known as a member of British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, for whom he writes songs and performs live backing vocals on some tracks.Smith grew up in London and became interested in rock music at 15. He soon formed a friendship with future Iron Maiden guitarist Dave Murray, who inspired him to take up the guitar. After leaving school at 16, he formed a band called Urchin, which he led until their demise in 1980. He joined Iron Maiden in November 1980, replacing Dennis Stratton. Following a short-lived solo project called ASAP, he left Iron Maiden in 1990 and, after a year-long hiatus, formed the bands The Untouchables and, subsequently, Psycho Motel. In 1997, Psycho Motel was put on hold when Smith joined the band of former Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson. Smith and Dickinson would go on to return to Iron Maiden in 1999, after which the band gained new success. Smith had a side project called Primal Rock Rebellion, and has recorded a self-titled album with Richie Kotzen, under the group name Smith/Kotzen, due to be released in March 2021.
Album:
BMG will release the second album by IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith and THE WINERY DOGS frontman and acclaimed solo artist Richie Kotzen, "Black Light / White Noise", on April 4, 2025.Recorded at The House, Los Angeles, California, produced by Richie and Adrian and mixed by Jay Ruston, the ten-track album is a masterclass in modern rock, with Adrian and Richie's prodigious talents as songwriters, musicians and vocalists on full display.The official music video for the LP's second single, "Black Light", can be seen below. The dynamic, multi-layered clip, again produced and directed by Kevin and Richard Ragsdale a.k.a. The Ragsdale Brothers (DAUGHTRY, Dorothy feat. Slash, THEORY OF A DEADMAN),features the duo performing with bassist Julia Lage and drummer Bruno Valverde, alongside acclaimed Russian acrobat, contortionist and former Cirque Du Soleil performer Gyulnara Karaeva."Black Light" was a song that very nearly didn't make it on to the album until a late-night session saw them strike studio gold. And it's lucky they did as not only is it a song about deceit and deception, where the black light is a metaphor that reveals the truth about a person lurking under the surface, but it's become a true album highlight, even lending its name to the album title. With help from U.K. photographer John McMurtrie, it also inspired the album cover with his UV lights picking up special paint on the black/rosewood custom Fender and Charvel guitars."It was a fun video to make," confirms Richie, "as they have all been when we play together. Adding the UV performance section was fantastic and took us back to the album shoot that we did in London last year.""Our friend Gyula really added something to it," adds Adrian, "it helped the song's narrative of all is not what you see!"The track itself rides in on a thunderous drum beat and a seething riff before Adrian's raw bluesy vocal explodes from the speakers complemented by Richie's higher pitched rock tones. A dramatic bridge leads into a knockout chorus, demonstrating the quality and infectious hooks that are to be found throughout "Black Light / White Noise"."We had a lot of fun making this," says Adrian. "We'd be writing and I'd want something inspired by some of my old hard rock or blues go-to bands then it'd go into a more progressive feel — and then Richie has these strong soul influences so there's a lot to dig into there too. Influences are what makes the musical world go round — they go through you and come out slightly differently.""SMITH/KOTZEN is all about finding common ground," adds Richie. "Maybe Adrian will tend to go heavy, and then I'll lean more in the fusion or funk or soul side of things, but somewhere in the middle is our sound: that heavy blues rock vibe that we really connect on.""Black Light / White Noise" is a truly magnificent collection of songs that stands shoulder to shoulder with some of Smith and Kotzen's finest work to date. Atmospheric, ambitious, diverse and brilliant, the LP not only features stratospheric guitar solos and raw, bluesy vocals but soulful touches, intricate playing, beautiful songwriting and an assured poise and style that brings to mind a host of legendary musicians (THIN LIZZY, Jimi Hendrix, Prince, CREAM, FREE, DEEP PURPLE) but is undeniably the work of Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen in perfect harmony.Kotzen comments: "We're so proud of this new album. It follows on from our debut and the EPs by focusing on collaborating on riffs, lyrics, harmonies and vocals. There's a SMITH/KOTZEN DNA now and it's definitely something we need to get out on the road with. I was pleased to work with my friend Jay Ruston on the mixing of the album, let alone my wife Julia (Lage) — who actually plays on 'White Noise' as well as four other tracks.""We're like an extended family now," adds Smith. "We have a sound and a vibe and I don't think many artists are doing what we do — sharing the vocals and the guitars. It takes me back to those classic bands like HUMBLE PIE and CREAM — which is not a bad place to start!"
Line-Up:
Richie Kotzen - Guitar, Vocals - See also: Forty Deuce, The Winery Dogs
Adrian Smith - Guitar - See also: Iron Maiden
Tracklist:
01. Muddy Water
02. White Noise
03. Black Light
04. Darkside
05. Life Unchained
06. Blindsided
07. Wraith
08. Heavy Weather
09. Outlaw
10. Beyond The Pale
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
Year : 2025
Style : Hard Rock
Country : United States , United Kingdom
Audio : 320 kbps + front
Size : 113 mb
Bio:
Richard Dale "Richie" Kotzen, Jr. (born February 3, 1970 in Reading, Pennsylvania) is a guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer. Currently he is touring with The Winery Dogs with Mike Portnoy and Billy Sheehan,[1][2][3] supporting an album they recorded in Los Angeles in August 2012.Richie Kotzen began playing piano at the age of five. At the age of seven he was inspired by the band KISS to learn the electric guitar. He started his career in a band named Arthurs Museum. Kotzen was eventually discovered by Shrapnel Records' Mike Varney, and he recorded his first solo album by the age of 19. He created the video Rock Chops for REH video in 1989, highlighting many of his formative techniques, including using wide-intervals and fluid sweeping.In 1991, at age 21, Kotzen joined glam-metal band Poison, co-writing and performing on the album Native Tongue. This album produced two top twenty singles which Kotzen co-wrote, "Stand" and "Until You Suffer Some (Fire & Ice)".In 1999 Kotzen replaced Paul Gilbert as guitarist in the mainstream rock band Mr. Big, performing on their album Get Over It. He also contributed guitars to their subsequent release Actual Size. The record included the Kotzen song Shine, which debuted at number one on Japanese radio charts. After Mr. Big disbanded, Kotzen released the solo album Change, in 2003. The title track and the song Get a Life were featured in TV commercials throughout Japan.In 2002 Kotzen bought a commercial building in Los Angeles and established a recording studio and production company. He has since produced acclaimed solo albums and collaborated with various figures in rock (Gene Simmons), jazz and fusion, including jazz legend Stanley Clarke.In 2006 Kotzen was the opening act for The Rolling Stones in Japan on their Bigger Bang tour.In 2013 the rock supergroup, The Winery Dogs released their self-titled debut album on 15 May in Japan with a worldwide release following on 23 July of the same year.
Adrian Frederick "H" Smith (born 27 February 1957) is an English guitarist, best known as a member of British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, for whom he writes songs and performs live backing vocals on some tracks.Smith grew up in London and became interested in rock music at 15. He soon formed a friendship with future Iron Maiden guitarist Dave Murray, who inspired him to take up the guitar. After leaving school at 16, he formed a band called Urchin, which he led until their demise in 1980. He joined Iron Maiden in November 1980, replacing Dennis Stratton. Following a short-lived solo project called ASAP, he left Iron Maiden in 1990 and, after a year-long hiatus, formed the bands The Untouchables and, subsequently, Psycho Motel. In 1997, Psycho Motel was put on hold when Smith joined the band of former Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson. Smith and Dickinson would go on to return to Iron Maiden in 1999, after which the band gained new success. Smith had a side project called Primal Rock Rebellion, and has recorded a self-titled album with Richie Kotzen, under the group name Smith/Kotzen, due to be released in March 2021.
Album:
BMG will release the second album by IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith and THE WINERY DOGS frontman and acclaimed solo artist Richie Kotzen, "Black Light / White Noise", on April 4, 2025.Recorded at The House, Los Angeles, California, produced by Richie and Adrian and mixed by Jay Ruston, the ten-track album is a masterclass in modern rock, with Adrian and Richie's prodigious talents as songwriters, musicians and vocalists on full display.The official music video for the LP's second single, "Black Light", can be seen below. The dynamic, multi-layered clip, again produced and directed by Kevin and Richard Ragsdale a.k.a. The Ragsdale Brothers (DAUGHTRY, Dorothy feat. Slash, THEORY OF A DEADMAN),features the duo performing with bassist Julia Lage and drummer Bruno Valverde, alongside acclaimed Russian acrobat, contortionist and former Cirque Du Soleil performer Gyulnara Karaeva."Black Light" was a song that very nearly didn't make it on to the album until a late-night session saw them strike studio gold. And it's lucky they did as not only is it a song about deceit and deception, where the black light is a metaphor that reveals the truth about a person lurking under the surface, but it's become a true album highlight, even lending its name to the album title. With help from U.K. photographer John McMurtrie, it also inspired the album cover with his UV lights picking up special paint on the black/rosewood custom Fender and Charvel guitars."It was a fun video to make," confirms Richie, "as they have all been when we play together. Adding the UV performance section was fantastic and took us back to the album shoot that we did in London last year.""Our friend Gyula really added something to it," adds Adrian, "it helped the song's narrative of all is not what you see!"The track itself rides in on a thunderous drum beat and a seething riff before Adrian's raw bluesy vocal explodes from the speakers complemented by Richie's higher pitched rock tones. A dramatic bridge leads into a knockout chorus, demonstrating the quality and infectious hooks that are to be found throughout "Black Light / White Noise"."We had a lot of fun making this," says Adrian. "We'd be writing and I'd want something inspired by some of my old hard rock or blues go-to bands then it'd go into a more progressive feel — and then Richie has these strong soul influences so there's a lot to dig into there too. Influences are what makes the musical world go round — they go through you and come out slightly differently.""SMITH/KOTZEN is all about finding common ground," adds Richie. "Maybe Adrian will tend to go heavy, and then I'll lean more in the fusion or funk or soul side of things, but somewhere in the middle is our sound: that heavy blues rock vibe that we really connect on.""Black Light / White Noise" is a truly magnificent collection of songs that stands shoulder to shoulder with some of Smith and Kotzen's finest work to date. Atmospheric, ambitious, diverse and brilliant, the LP not only features stratospheric guitar solos and raw, bluesy vocals but soulful touches, intricate playing, beautiful songwriting and an assured poise and style that brings to mind a host of legendary musicians (THIN LIZZY, Jimi Hendrix, Prince, CREAM, FREE, DEEP PURPLE) but is undeniably the work of Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen in perfect harmony.Kotzen comments: "We're so proud of this new album. It follows on from our debut and the EPs by focusing on collaborating on riffs, lyrics, harmonies and vocals. There's a SMITH/KOTZEN DNA now and it's definitely something we need to get out on the road with. I was pleased to work with my friend Jay Ruston on the mixing of the album, let alone my wife Julia (Lage) — who actually plays on 'White Noise' as well as four other tracks.""We're like an extended family now," adds Smith. "We have a sound and a vibe and I don't think many artists are doing what we do — sharing the vocals and the guitars. It takes me back to those classic bands like HUMBLE PIE and CREAM — which is not a bad place to start!"
Line-Up:
Richie Kotzen - Guitar, Vocals - See also: Forty Deuce, The Winery Dogs
Adrian Smith - Guitar - See also: Iron Maiden
Tracklist:
01. Muddy Water
02. White Noise
03. Black Light
04. Darkside
05. Life Unchained
06. Blindsided
07. Wraith
08. Heavy Weather
09. Outlaw
10. Beyond The Pale
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/