LAST IN LINE will release its sophomore album, “II”, on February 22, 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl. As with 2016’s “Heavy Crown”, the new disc was produced by DOKKEN and FOREIGNER bassist Jeff Pilson.
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The official music video for the album first single, “Landslide”, can be seen below.
“‘Landslide’ was the first song we wrote for this record,” vocalist Andrew Freeman told Ultimate Classic Rock, which premiered the clip. “It was really easy to write as all of the parts fell into place quickly. The title ‘Landslide’ is a metaphor relating to the day-to-day struggles that we all go through as people. Trying to keep on course when dealing with adversity, manipulation through media and leadership. It’s meant to inspire strength and resolve.”
“II” track listing:
01. Intro
02. Black Out The Sun
03 Landslide
04. Gods And Tyrants
05. Year Of The Gun
06. Give Up The Ghost
07. The Unknown
08. Sword From The Stone
09. Electrified
10. Love And War
11. False Flag
12. The Light
Earlier this year, Freeman told the “Ouch You’re On My Hair” podcast that the band’s upcoming LP would be “a progression” from “Heavy Crown”. “Jimmy‘s [Bain, bass] not there now, which is a big change for us,” he said. “He was a big contributor. There was stuff that we wrote with him and stuff that we wrote without him; some of the song ideas were his. And we worked really well as a four-piece writing these songs together; it was really cohesive, so everything worked really well together. And now we have Phil [Soussan as Jimmy‘s replacement]. And Phil‘s been great too. Phil‘s a little more of a noodler than Jimmy was, where Jimmy was a little more of a just sit-in-the-pocket, solid bass player. But Phil is an accomplished audio engineer, which is really nice to have, because he’s really good with his tone. So it’s definitely an asset; it’s just a little different.”
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Bain, guitarist Vivian Campbell, and drummer Vinny Appice were part of the original DIOlineup which reunited in 2012 alongside Freeman to launch LAST IN LINE.
When LAST IN LINE formed, the intent was to celebrate Ronnie James Dio‘s early work by reuniting the members of the original DIO lineup. After playing shows that featured a setlist composed exclusively of material from the first three DIO albums, the band decided to move forward and create new music in a similar vein.
According to Freeman, some of the songs that will appear on LAST IN LINE‘s next album will be “a little more progressive” than those on the band’s first effort. “Some of ’em are right in the vein of the ‘Heavy Crown’ record, but it’s definitely evolving into our own thing, where it’s not really ‘what would Ronnie do?’ sort of thing. Honestly, I’m trying to step away from that a little bit. We have an audience that wants to hear the ‘Stand Up And Shout’s and the ‘Holy Diver’s and all that stuff. But I think it comes to a point where, is it imitation or is it really what you’re feeling? So some of the songs are… they’re barnburners and they’re really good, rocking songs, but there’s some stuff on there that’s a little more progressive.”
