Hard rock band, A-Z, recently announced their return and sophomore album, A2Z², out on June 6 via Metal Blade Records.
The Metal Voice recently spoke with drummer Mark Zonder (Fates Warning, Warlord), who talked about the new A-Z album. To commemorate the 15 year passing of Ronnie James Dio, Zonder also told the story of how Warlord tried to get Ronnie to sing for the band.
Says Zonder, “Warlord was always looking for a singer and you know that we lived in the same town (as Ronnie James Dio) and we had a friend of ours, who was a road guy who lived at Warlord Manor with us who worked for David Lee Roth but in Van Halen and or Dio. We figured out where he (Ronnie James Dio) lived and we showed up at the door. Ronnie was very nice and we left him a tape (of Warlord) and that was that. We apologized profusely (to Ronnie) he wasn’t expecting (us to be at his door) and his reaction was basically one of those things like, ‘Oh god someone else at my door.’ You know one of those kind. He wasn’t rude, he wasn’t nasty, he wasn’t mean, he didn’t say ‘Come on in dude let’s have a beer.’ We just tried to do as much as we could do and it’s like, ‘Hey why not, the worst that can happen is what happened.'”
Following the release of the first single, “Nothing Is Over”, A-Z issued the second reveal, “I Am Numb”, along with a video. The band then shared a drum playthrough video for “I Am Numb”. Watch Mark Zonder perform the new track below:
“I Am Numb” is an aggressive, in-your-face exploration of the emotional detachment most humans experience in life. The somber moniker is highlighted with an undeniable chorus hook and is balanced with hope and the promise tomorrow holds. Sonically, the track features energy like Rainbow’s “Kill the King” with full-throttle riffs and post-rock effected long notes, which allow the drums to be exceptionally creative. The counter rhythms bring the listener on a whirlwind journey.
Watch the video below:
Spearheaded by Mark Zonder, and along with former Fates Warning bandmate Ray Alder on vocals, A2Z² builds on the groundwork laid on the acclaimed 2022 self-titled debut album. The writing for the album began when Zonder and guitarist Nick Van Dyk (Redemption) started working with vocalist Alder on the album’s first single and de facto statement “Nothing Is Over,” showcasing the band’s commitment to making heavy music that’s sophisticated but hooky and accessible. Helping achieve those aural goals are bassist Philip Bynoe (Steve Vai/Ring of Fire/Warlord), Italian guitarist Simone Mularoni (A2Z² mixing/mastering, DGM) and keyboard player Jimmy Waldo (Alcatrazz/New England).
The band known as A-Z began when Zonder started working on material in early 2020 with a clear vision for the band he wanted to put together: “I was thinking beer commercials, car commercials and Cobra Kai. I wanted a very accessible band that would appeal to the masses,” he says. The band’s name – standing for Alder thru Zonder – was an easy choice that would never pigeonhole the lineup’s sound. “What I liked is that it did not limit what someone would think of the band,” says Zonder. “If we named the band Scary Serpent it would give a certain direction and didn’t want people to prejudge us.”
The band members are legendarily prolific, which allows for an amazing dynamic where, as Zonder explains, “when you find the right guys, you just let them do whatever they want. Everybody’s a seasoned pro and all the different ingredients come together, make it what it is. That live and recording experience allows A-Z to instinctively know how not to step on each other musically.”
“We’re all about the songs, the band, not what each of us does in it. It’s simple,” they all agree. “It’s about the music as a whole,” says Zonder, “I guarantee you everybody’s into something completely different musically, and that’s where the magic to me comes from, taking different influences and everybody doing what they do to create A-Z. We’re not 20-year-old kids. We’re at the point where if you’re gonna go, just go big. And that’s what we’ve done on A2Z².”
Pre-order A2Z² here.
A2Z² tracklisting:
“Fire Away”
“Running In Place”
“Nothing Is Over”
“A Wordless Prison”
“Reaching Out”
“The Remedy”
“I Am Numb”
“This Chaotic Symphony”
“Learning To Fly”
“Now I Walk Away”
“Nothing Is Over” video:
A-Z lineup:
Ray Alder – Lead and Backing Vocals
Philip Bynoe – Bass Guitar
Nick Van Dyk – Guitars
Simone Mularoni – Lead Guitars
Jimmy Waldo – Keyboards
Mark Zonder – Drums
(Photo – Stephanie Cabral)
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Submit your info: https://forms.gle/j8wygtJjnv429GzJ6
The post MARK ZONDER Recalls Attempt To Recruit RONNIE JAMES DIO For WARLORD – “We Figured Out Where He Lived And Showed Up At The Door”; Video appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
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The Metal Voice recently spoke with drummer Mark Zonder (Fates Warning, Warlord), who talked about the new A-Z album. To commemorate the 15 year passing of Ronnie James Dio, Zonder also told the story of how Warlord tried to get Ronnie to sing for the band.
Says Zonder, “Warlord was always looking for a singer and you know that we lived in the same town (as Ronnie James Dio) and we had a friend of ours, who was a road guy who lived at Warlord Manor with us who worked for David Lee Roth but in Van Halen and or Dio. We figured out where he (Ronnie James Dio) lived and we showed up at the door. Ronnie was very nice and we left him a tape (of Warlord) and that was that. We apologized profusely (to Ronnie) he wasn’t expecting (us to be at his door) and his reaction was basically one of those things like, ‘Oh god someone else at my door.’ You know one of those kind. He wasn’t rude, he wasn’t nasty, he wasn’t mean, he didn’t say ‘Come on in dude let’s have a beer.’ We just tried to do as much as we could do and it’s like, ‘Hey why not, the worst that can happen is what happened.'”
Following the release of the first single, “Nothing Is Over”, A-Z issued the second reveal, “I Am Numb”, along with a video. The band then shared a drum playthrough video for “I Am Numb”. Watch Mark Zonder perform the new track below:
“I Am Numb” is an aggressive, in-your-face exploration of the emotional detachment most humans experience in life. The somber moniker is highlighted with an undeniable chorus hook and is balanced with hope and the promise tomorrow holds. Sonically, the track features energy like Rainbow’s “Kill the King” with full-throttle riffs and post-rock effected long notes, which allow the drums to be exceptionally creative. The counter rhythms bring the listener on a whirlwind journey.
Watch the video below:
Spearheaded by Mark Zonder, and along with former Fates Warning bandmate Ray Alder on vocals, A2Z² builds on the groundwork laid on the acclaimed 2022 self-titled debut album. The writing for the album began when Zonder and guitarist Nick Van Dyk (Redemption) started working with vocalist Alder on the album’s first single and de facto statement “Nothing Is Over,” showcasing the band’s commitment to making heavy music that’s sophisticated but hooky and accessible. Helping achieve those aural goals are bassist Philip Bynoe (Steve Vai/Ring of Fire/Warlord), Italian guitarist Simone Mularoni (A2Z² mixing/mastering, DGM) and keyboard player Jimmy Waldo (Alcatrazz/New England).
The band known as A-Z began when Zonder started working on material in early 2020 with a clear vision for the band he wanted to put together: “I was thinking beer commercials, car commercials and Cobra Kai. I wanted a very accessible band that would appeal to the masses,” he says. The band’s name – standing for Alder thru Zonder – was an easy choice that would never pigeonhole the lineup’s sound. “What I liked is that it did not limit what someone would think of the band,” says Zonder. “If we named the band Scary Serpent it would give a certain direction and didn’t want people to prejudge us.”
The band members are legendarily prolific, which allows for an amazing dynamic where, as Zonder explains, “when you find the right guys, you just let them do whatever they want. Everybody’s a seasoned pro and all the different ingredients come together, make it what it is. That live and recording experience allows A-Z to instinctively know how not to step on each other musically.”
“We’re all about the songs, the band, not what each of us does in it. It’s simple,” they all agree. “It’s about the music as a whole,” says Zonder, “I guarantee you everybody’s into something completely different musically, and that’s where the magic to me comes from, taking different influences and everybody doing what they do to create A-Z. We’re not 20-year-old kids. We’re at the point where if you’re gonna go, just go big. And that’s what we’ve done on A2Z².”
Pre-order A2Z² here.
A2Z² tracklisting:
“Fire Away”
“Running In Place”
“Nothing Is Over”
“A Wordless Prison”
“Reaching Out”
“The Remedy”
“I Am Numb”
“This Chaotic Symphony”
“Learning To Fly”
“Now I Walk Away”
“Nothing Is Over” video:
A-Z lineup:
Ray Alder – Lead and Backing Vocals
Philip Bynoe – Bass Guitar
Nick Van Dyk – Guitars
Simone Mularoni – Lead Guitars
Jimmy Waldo – Keyboards
Mark Zonder – Drums
(Photo – Stephanie Cabral)
Do you have a rock, hard rock, heavy metal website, blog, podcast, radio show, YouTube channel, Spotify playlist? BraveWords Records wants to send you music!
Submit your info: https://forms.gle/j8wygtJjnv429GzJ6
The post MARK ZONDER Recalls Attempt To Recruit RONNIE JAMES DIO For WARLORD – “We Figured Out Where He Lived And Showed Up At The Door”; Video appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
Continue reading...