A new Survivor album announced for 2006!
October 21, 2005
Frontiers Records welcomes legendary rock band SURVIVOR for the release of a brand new studio album in the spring of 2006 !
The story of SURVIVOR began in the cold winter of 1977 under the initiative of Frankie Sullivan and Jim Peterik, but only three albums and five years later this name became well-known all over the world, when the band composed “Eye of the Tiger” for the movie “Rocky III” with Sylvester Stallone, which went on to win the Grammy Award and to hit # 1 of the charts in many countries.
After the next album “Caught In The Game”, the former COBRA shouter Jimi Jamison was introduced to the fans, making his debut on the worldwide hit (soundtrack of “Rocky IV” and # 2 in the US charts) “Burning Heart”. The following album, in 1984, “Vital Signs” is still counted nowadays among the milestones of melodic rock, with tracks like “Can’t Hold Back” or “High On You”. “Can’t Hold Back” entered the Top Ten of the US charts and the second single release “The Search Is Over” reached Nr. 2 on the hot 100. The following album “When Seconds Count” kept the typical trademarks of the Survivor sound and reached the USA Top Ten again with the single “Is This Love”. “Too Hot To Sleep” was the title of the last Survivor record in 1988, which is still considered by many as their best record, containing the singles “Across The Miles” and “Didn’t Know It Was Love”.
This was the last sign of life from SURVIVOR up to now, besides two “Greatest Hits” compilations which were quite popular by the fans. Now, 17 years later and with a line-up featuring Frankie Sullivan along with long-time members Jimi Jamison and Marc Droubay, plus Chris Grove and the new face Barry Dunaway (DOKKEN; YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) on bass, SURVIVOR are back! “The present line-up, with the exception of our bass player, has been playing together since 1997” says Frankie Sullivan, “so really we’ve been together a long time and Barry Dunaway, our newest member solidified this line-up all the way”.
When asked as to “why now?”, Sullivan explains: “We have spent a lot of time in the studio working even though we have not released a record of all new SURVIVOR material in all these years. The “Greatest Hits” and “Essentials” on the band have been amazing in so far as the demand for us to continue to do them. We are glad that phase is now over and we set our sights on the new studio record. Most of all, we feel the fans deserve it more than anyone or anything. They have waited a long time and are overdue for new material. Having a CD of all new material to give them is first and foremost and what it is all about.
“The fans can expect us to stay true to who and what we are”, says Sullivan. “There is no plan to change the SURVIVOR sound. There is no what I call “target” writing or any attempt to make a 2005 “hip” version of SURVIVOR. I believe one must be true to themselves. Our fans can expect the SURVIVOR they have come to know and love during the years”.
The band is currently busy in the recording studio working hard on the new material. Some of the song titles set to make it to the album include: “Fire Makes Steel”, “One More Chance”, “Give Me The Word” and “Seconds Away”.
SURVIVOR are also planning some live appearances in Europe to coincide with the release of the record. “Nothing makes this band happier than to play live” explains Sullivan, who finally concludes “We thank all our fans, from the bottom of our hearts, for being there with us. Now, Are you Ready To ROCK...!?!?”.
Glad to see them back!! EMPIRES was a brilliant release as well. A lot of fans may not know there is an album's worth of songs (about 17 or 18 tunes) recorded between 1993-1997 titled "Fire Makes Steel" with Dave Bickler on vocals. This was never released officially, the songs are in demo form, but some of them sound pretty good. It's probably a collector's item. For diehards it's worth finding..good luck
Posted by: Roscoe P Coltrane | January 07, 2006 at 07:09 PM