Alex Williams has announced his third studio album Space Brain, due out July 18 via Lightning Rod Records. Inspired by his longtime love for ’80s metal, the new album finds Williams reinterpreting hits from Guns N’ Roses, Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, Cinderella, Motörhead and more as a collection of backwoods ballads, campfire sing-alongs and roadhouse roots-rockers. Along with the announcement, Williams shares his rendition of Ratt’s “Round and Round”, a smoky, Southern rock revamp that maintains the late-night indulgence of the original.
“‘Round And Round’ is one of my favorite songs of all time and has been since the first time I heard it,” says Williams. “I have to say as far as this one goes, I had worked up an alternate version of it first, prior to making the decision to do a full album of covers. As a result, it felt more natural to lay the song down when it came time to record.”
Stream “Round And Round” by Alex Williams at this location.
Produced by Grammy-winning producer and longtime collaborator Ben Fowler (Lynyrd Skynyrd) in Nashville, TN, Space Brain doesn’t push Williams away from his country pedigree but instead expands his interpretation of that sound altogether. Working with modern-day guitar heroes like Rob McNelley (Bob Seger, Wynonna Judd), Dan Dugmore (Linda Ronstadt, ZZ Top) and Mike Payne (Luke Bryan), Williams masterfully reconstructed each song, aiming to emphasize storytelling over sheer sonic power. Heavy metal and country music may seem like strange bedfellows, but there’s a real reverence for the material here, with Williams breathing new life with his signature husky voice.
The end result is a record that positions Williams not only as a vocalist with arena-sized swagger, but as a formidable interpreter, too. While country music has a long history of honoring its pioneers through countless artists within the genre, Space Brain is something different: a country and roots-influenced album that nods to a different genre altogether. Few artists would venture this far outside the realm of American roots music, but Williams has never minded taking an unconventional path.
“I didn’t record these songs to make a statement, or to tell people I’m different,” he says. “This album is just an extension of my story. I grew up on ’80s hair metal, and that music is still in my DNA. I’m always trying to make albums that represent where I’m at and what I’m feeling, but I’ve never had any sort of game plan. I didn’t set out to become an outlaw country artist. I’m just doing whatever feels right in the current moment… and right now, this ’80s metal album just feels right.”
Space Brain artwork and tracklisting:
Nobody’s Fool (feat. Tom Keifer) [Cinderella]
Ace Of Spades [Motörhead]
Flying High Again (feat. Cody Jinks) [Ozzy Osbourne]
Gettin’ Better [Tesla]
Look What The Cat Dragged In [Poison]
Youth Gone Wild [Skid Row]
You’ve Got Another Thing Coming [Judas Priest]
Wild Side [Mötley Crüe]
Round And Round [Ratt]
Nightrain [Guns N’ Roses]
This spring, Williams is hitting the road for a run of shows including stops in Upstate New York, Chicago, Nashville and more starting on May 24 – see below for a full list of dates.
May
24 – Alden, NY – The American Legion Post
25 – New Tripoli, PA – Backyard Country Gigging
June
14 – Des Moines, IA – Free Range Music & BBQ Festival
21 – Cadillac, MI – Coyote Crossing Resort
27 – Newport, KY – The Southgate House Revival
28 – Chicago, IL – Joe’s Bar on Weed St.
July
18 – Indianapolis, IN – Turntable
26 – Mount Horeb, WI – Mount Horeb Country Music Faire
August
1 – Nashville, TN – Chief’s On Broadway
22 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern
23 – Columbus, OH – Woodlands Tavern
29 – Waterloo, NE – Buck’s Bar And Grill
September
5 – Urbana, IL – The Canopy Club
6 – Brooklyn, WI – Main Street Music
20 – Dunn, NC – Bird’s Nest Listening Room
October
9 – Whitleyville, TN – North Springs Music Festival
(Photo Credit: Brandon Wood)
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“‘Round And Round’ is one of my favorite songs of all time and has been since the first time I heard it,” says Williams. “I have to say as far as this one goes, I had worked up an alternate version of it first, prior to making the decision to do a full album of covers. As a result, it felt more natural to lay the song down when it came time to record.”
Stream “Round And Round” by Alex Williams at this location.
Produced by Grammy-winning producer and longtime collaborator Ben Fowler (Lynyrd Skynyrd) in Nashville, TN, Space Brain doesn’t push Williams away from his country pedigree but instead expands his interpretation of that sound altogether. Working with modern-day guitar heroes like Rob McNelley (Bob Seger, Wynonna Judd), Dan Dugmore (Linda Ronstadt, ZZ Top) and Mike Payne (Luke Bryan), Williams masterfully reconstructed each song, aiming to emphasize storytelling over sheer sonic power. Heavy metal and country music may seem like strange bedfellows, but there’s a real reverence for the material here, with Williams breathing new life with his signature husky voice.
The end result is a record that positions Williams not only as a vocalist with arena-sized swagger, but as a formidable interpreter, too. While country music has a long history of honoring its pioneers through countless artists within the genre, Space Brain is something different: a country and roots-influenced album that nods to a different genre altogether. Few artists would venture this far outside the realm of American roots music, but Williams has never minded taking an unconventional path.
“I didn’t record these songs to make a statement, or to tell people I’m different,” he says. “This album is just an extension of my story. I grew up on ’80s hair metal, and that music is still in my DNA. I’m always trying to make albums that represent where I’m at and what I’m feeling, but I’ve never had any sort of game plan. I didn’t set out to become an outlaw country artist. I’m just doing whatever feels right in the current moment… and right now, this ’80s metal album just feels right.”
Space Brain artwork and tracklisting:
Nobody’s Fool (feat. Tom Keifer) [Cinderella]
Ace Of Spades [Motörhead]
Flying High Again (feat. Cody Jinks) [Ozzy Osbourne]
Gettin’ Better [Tesla]
Look What The Cat Dragged In [Poison]
Youth Gone Wild [Skid Row]
You’ve Got Another Thing Coming [Judas Priest]
Wild Side [Mötley Crüe]
Round And Round [Ratt]
Nightrain [Guns N’ Roses]
This spring, Williams is hitting the road for a run of shows including stops in Upstate New York, Chicago, Nashville and more starting on May 24 – see below for a full list of dates.
May
24 – Alden, NY – The American Legion Post
25 – New Tripoli, PA – Backyard Country Gigging
June
14 – Des Moines, IA – Free Range Music & BBQ Festival
21 – Cadillac, MI – Coyote Crossing Resort
27 – Newport, KY – The Southgate House Revival
28 – Chicago, IL – Joe’s Bar on Weed St.
July
18 – Indianapolis, IN – Turntable
26 – Mount Horeb, WI – Mount Horeb Country Music Faire
August
1 – Nashville, TN – Chief’s On Broadway
22 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern
23 – Columbus, OH – Woodlands Tavern
29 – Waterloo, NE – Buck’s Bar And Grill
September
5 – Urbana, IL – The Canopy Club
6 – Brooklyn, WI – Main Street Music
20 – Dunn, NC – Bird’s Nest Listening Room
October
9 – Whitleyville, TN – North Springs Music Festival
(Photo Credit: Brandon Wood)
Make sure you are following BraveWords Records on YouTube so you don’t miss any future videos by Paul Di’Anno’s Warhorse, The Chris Slade Timeline, Jack Starr, Prophets of Addiction, ASKA, Crimson Glory, Lillian Axe and more!
Subscribe https://youtube.com/@BravewordsRecords?sub_confirmation=1
The post ALEX WILLIAMS Puts Southern Rock Spin On RATT’s “Round And Round”; Announces ’80s Metal-Inspired LP Space Brain appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
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