VEGA: ‘Anarchy And Unity’ – magnificent seventh album by UK rockers

VEGA: ‘Anarchy And Unity’ – magnificent seventh album by UK rockers out 17th September

UK rockers VEGA are back with ‘Anarchy and Unity’, their magnificent seventh studio album. It will be released on 17th September 17, with an autumn tour to promote it already announced (see link below). A first single from the record entitled ‘Sooner Or Later’ is available now. With singer Nick Workman describing it as “a three minute slap in the face. We wanted to write a song that was pretty much flat out from start to finish. It’s a fun take on fake people who live their life in smoke and mirrors, but also about the fact that at some point in life we all have to go through some sort of bad shit to get to the good stuff.”

‘Anarchy And Unity’ sees two new faces in the VEGA ranks, with Billy Taylor (ex-Inglorious) on guitars and Pete Newdeck (Nitrate, Midnite City) on drums. They join Workman, guitarist Marcus Thurston and brothers James Martin (keyboards) and Tom Martin (bass). Immaculately performed, it shows off a determined and mature unit ready to take the next step, with a muscular sound, that is nevertheless full to the brim with melodies that will grab listeners from the very first note.

“As usual, the songs began with myself, Tom, and James writing and recording,” Workman continues. “Then Billy and Pete came along and for the first time, we had everyone in the band getting involved in the songwriting. The songs we had initially written were still there, but now with a steroid injection and production touches that just took them to new levels. Everyone had such a vital part to play on this album, which is why the songs are all credited as written, performed and produced by the six of us. As always, we had no agenda when writing and just wrote as and when the moment took us. However, we wanted the album to have a really solid, in your face sound that you can feel pumping in your chest.”

The members of VEGA have a rich history, but it was their meeting of minds back in 2009 that would a year later lead to their debut album, ‘Kiss Of Life’. Their eclectic, off-kilter brand of melodic rock immediately made them stand out from the crowd, while they have always been seen as far more than ‘just another AOR act’.

Following 2013’s warmly received ‘What The Hell’, the group recorded the third album ‘Stereo Messiah’ at the home studio of It Bites frontman John Mitchell. With his all-time favourite record being Def Leppard’s ‘Hysteria’, a production that Mutt Lange would be proud of was pursued. Coincidentally, ‘Stereo Messiah’ was also graced by the vocal presence of Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, who also gave the band a song for the album.

Produced and mixed by Harry Hess (Harem Scarem), their next album, ‘Who We Are’, was their best to date. It traversed rock genres with ease and contained sublime, outstanding songs such as ‘Saving Grace’, ‘White Flag’ and ‘Every Little Monster’. A subsequent tour with Dan Reed Network was one of 2016’s finest pairings, while their status was cemented further with a memorable set at the Hard Rock Hell festival.

2017 saw the release of ‘Only Human’, a collection of songs that focused on the core strengths of VEGA: strong harmonies, big choruses and compelling lyrical content. Debuting in the Top 3 of the UK National Rock Chart between fellow heavy hitters Shinedown and Black Stone Cherry, they subsequently toured with The Quireboys and Skid Row, while festival slots included a set at Download alongside their heroes Def Leppard and Whitesnake.

Then came 2020 and the sixth album ‘Grit Your Teeth’. Energised and thrilled at the prospect of performing its contents in a live setting, the world instead wound up in the throes of a worldwide pandemic. Unable to tour, the group instead set about channelling their energy into the writing and recording of ‘Anarchy And Unity’. Now, with a rejuvenated lineup and a superb new album, VEGA is firing on all cylinders.

VEGA
ANARCHY AND UNITY

new album
out 17.09.21
(Frontiers)

pre-order link
orcd.co/vega

includes the single
SOONER OR LATER

ANARCHY AND UNITY
TRACKLISTING
1 Beautiful Lie
2 Sooner Or Later
3 End Of The Fade
4 Ain’t Who I Am
5 Welcome To Wherever
6 Bring The Riot
7 Live For Me
8 Kneel To You
9 Glow
10 C’mon
11 Had Enough
12 2Die4