AOR Heaven are happy to announce two additions to their roster! After a successful performance at Sweden Rock Festival two weeks ago, 80’s UK Melodic Rock/ NWOBHM band LIONHEART will release their second album “Second Nature” in Europe via the German label on August 25th, 2017; Norwegian 80’s Melodic Rock legends DA VINCI will unleash their comeback release “Ambition Rocks” on the same day world-wide on AOR Heaven except for Norway & Japan.
The PR via Haulix for both releases will start on Tuesday next week. Please send us your requests!
Product: Da Vinci – Ambition Rocks
Release date: August 25th, 2017
Label: AOR Heaven
PR: world-wide (except JP, NO)
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With the release of “Ambition Rocks", their first album in 25 years, and with a new lineup, AOR & Classic Rock band Da Vinci returns with brand new songs.
The group was formed in Norway back in 1986, and after a short round with demos, the band got a record deal with Polygram Norway and released their debut album the following year.
Looking back on the Norwegian melodic rock of the 80’s, one of the bands to leave a major impression were undoubtedly Oslo’s Da Vinci. Enjoying as much radio play and charting nationally in the same league as Return, Stage Dolls and TNT, Da Vinci released two albums, ”Da Vinci” and ”Back in the Business” and a single in 91 “Ain't No Goodbyes/ Blame it on the radio”.
Their greatest hits were “Forever in My Heart” and “Tarquinia” from the first album; and “Call Me a Liar” and “9&10” from “Back in Business”. DaVinci was touring constantly from late 86 to 92 and did over 600 performances in Norway. They also played as support for Status Quo on their Christmas Remedy tour in 1989 in Great Britain together with Ole Evenrude. The last concerts were two gigs at Wembley Arena. They split up in 93, but Selboskar, Westlie and Aass continued to write songs together for a few years. Some of these demo songs were illegally released in Europe.
Jarle Måløy moved to the north of Norway. Bjørn Boge started Street Legal together with Bjørn Olav Lauvdal and Selboskar was in the band on keys several years. Gunnar Westlie formed his own band called Tjugods and Lars Aass started working as a songwriter at Waterfall Productions. In 2004 Selboskar and Westlie started to write AOR songs together again and formed Eidsivating with the drummer from Son of Angels, Geir Digernes, and after some years with a lot of songs and different members, this project ended up in today’s Da Vinci.
“Ambition Rocks” was produced by Sverre E Henriksen and DaVinci; drums recorded in Oslo at Klang Studios with Johnny Skalleberg. The album was mixed by Sverre E Henriksen in hangar 7 and mastered by Nick Terry. Artwork & videos by Dag Selboskar.
www.facebook.com/davincitheband
Band: Gunnar Westlie – guitar, Dag Selboskar – keys, Erling Ellingsen – vocal, Roy Funner – bass, Bjørn Olav Lauvdal - drums
Sound clips in advance:
DA VINCI - I've Come All This Way (Edit)
DA VINCI - Vicious Circle (Edit)
Product: Lionheart – Second Nature
Release date: August 25th, 2017
Label: AOR Heaven
PR: Europe
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LIONHEART was formed in late 1980 by Dennis Stratton (lead guitar/backing vocals, ex-Iron Maiden), Steve Mann (lead guitar/backing vocals, ex-Liar), Rocky Newton (bass guitar/backing vocals, ex-Wildfire), Jess Cox (lead vocals, ex-Tygers of Pan Tang), and Frank Noon (drums, ex-Def Leppard). The band began playing gigs including regular shows at London’s infamous Marquee Club but had problems maintaining a consistent line-up. The core personnel of Dennis, Steve and Rocky remained but it proved difficult to find the right singer. They eventually settled as a 4-piece with Dennis and Rocky sharing lead vocal duties. The drummer’s stool was variously occupied by Les Binks (ex-Judas Priest), Nicko McBrain (ex-Trust and subsequently Iron Maiden) and Clive Edwards (ex-Pat Travers, Uli Jon Roth & Wild Horses).
Between 1981 and 1984 LIONHEART played regular live shows including an appearance at The Reading Festival in 1981 and as support for Def Leppard, Whitesnake and Saxon. In between gigs they spent many hours writing and recording demos of new songs while searching for a record deal. It wasn’t until 1984 that CBS Records in the USA offered them a contract, by which time they had recruited Chad Brown on lead vocals. They flew over to Los Angeles in March 1984 to record their debut album Hot Tonight with Kevin Beamish in the production chair and session man Bob Jenkins, who had previously worked with Leo Sayer and Kiki Dee, on drums. The album was recorded at the legendary Sound City Studios in Van Nuys and mixed at Kendun Recorders.
Upon their return to England, LIONHEART recorded a high-budget video for the single Die For Love. The late comic genius Rik Mayall played the part of the mad professor and, in later years, the video achieved cult status on YouTube due in part, to the wonderfully wooden acting of the band! Unfortunately, planned UK tours as support to Kansas and Foreigner were cancelled at the last moment. Promotion of the album suffered and LIONHEART found themselves in limbo. The line-up expanded with Phil Lanzon (Uriah Heep) on keyboards before Chad Brown left the band in 1985 to be replaced by Keith Murrell (Airrace and Mama’s Boys). More demos were recorded with the new line-up but unfortunately the momentum had been lost and the band eventually broke up. Having sung backing vocals on Def Leppard’s Pyromania, Rocky went on to do more of the same on Hysteria before joining the The Michael Schenker Group. Steve set up his first commercial studio before hooking up with Rocky again in the McAuley Schenker Group, while Dennis began a 15 year stint with Praying Mantis. Meanwhile Clive went on to play with Bernie Marsden and UFO.
In 2016 Dave Herron of the Rockingham Festival in Nottingham asked LIONHEART to reunite for one performance. Original members, Dennis Stratton, Steve Mann, Rocky Newton and Clive Edwards jumped at the chance and brought in ex-Shy front man Lee Small on lead vocals. The reunion created quite a stir, not least within the band itself, and it was decided to carry on with the subsequent recording of a new album followed by an acclaimed appearance at the 2017 Sweden Rock Festival. In their set LIONHEART included the song Anytime written by Steve Mann and Robin McAuley which was a number 2 hit record for the McAuley Schenker Group in 1989. Click to watch. Click here to watch the video.
The new record, SECOND NATURE, was recorded between November 2016 and May 2017 and was produced, engineered and mastered by Steve Mann in his own studio Flying Vivaldi in Hannover. LIONHEART undertook a mini co-headline tour of Japan with Praying Mantis in June/July and UK shows are booked in November/December co-headlining with Airrace.
SECOND NATURE was released on King Records Japan on 21st June 2017 and a release throughout Europe is set for 25th August on AOR Heaven.
www.facebook.com/lionheartrock / www.lionheart-music.com
Web: www.facebook.com/lionheartrock / www.lionheart-music.com
Live with Praying Mantis:
30/06/2017 Umeda Club Quattro - Osaka - Japan
01/07/2017 Toyosu PIT - Tokyo - Japan
Live with Airrace:
30/11/2017 Fuel - Cardiff - Wales
01/12/2017 Slade Rooms - Wolverhampton - England
02/12/2017 The Underworld - London - England
03/12/2017 Hard Rock Hell - Sheffield - England
05/12/2017 The Cluny - Newcastle - England
06/12/2017 Bannermans - Edinburgh - Scotland
Soundclips:
LIONHEART - Angels With Dirty Faces (Edit)
LIONHEART - Give Me The Light (Edit)
Label: metalheaven.net
Hi-res PR material: metalheaven.net/press
