BMG will release the second album by Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smithand The Winery Dogs frontman and acclaimed solo artist Richie Kotzen, Black Light/White Noise, on March 7th, 2025. The news comes alongside the release of the album’s first single, White Noise.
Recorded at The House, Los Angeles, California, produced by Richie and Adrian and mixed by Jay Ruston, the ten-track album is a masterclass in modern rock, with Adrian and Richie‘s prodigious talents as songwriters, musicians and vocalists on full display.
Lead single White Noise perfectly illustrates the quality and strength of the album, boasting a gloriously heavy riff, soaring vocals, driving rhythms and a hook-filled chorus.
Smith comments, “The song is about the rise of social media, how people get addicted to it, the power of it and how we get bombarded with it 24/7.”
“It was actually a riff Adrian brought in,” adds Kotzen. “I then immediately started improvising the melody and the lyric that became the chorus. It had another working title, completely different to what it ended up being and we kind of came up on the spot with that call and answer in the chorus that turned into White Noise.”
The accompanying video sees the two guitar heroes delivering a performance as cool as it is effortless and showcases the great partnership they have formed. And that partnership has flourished and grown beautifully since their debut self-titled album in March 2021. Released to widespread critical acclaim, it was a melting pot of hard rock and traditional R&B that was a powerful calling card for what these two icons can do. On its follow-up, Black Light / White Noise, the duo have risen to even greater heights, producing a truly magnificent collection of songs that stands shoulder to shoulder with the finest work either of them have ever produced.
From the opening heavy blast of Muddy Water through to the epic and stately closer Beyond The Pale, these ten songs illustrate the myriad talents at Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen‘s disposal and reveal that this is both an album and a partnership that will endure for years to come.
Atmospheric, ambitious, diverse and brilliant, Black Light / White Noise not only features stratospheric guitar solos and raw, bluesy vocals but soulful touches, intricate playing, beautiful songwriting and an assured poise and style that brings to mind a host of legendary musicians (Thin Lizzy, Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Cream, Free, Deep Purple) but is undeniably the work of Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen in perfect harmony.
Kotzen comments, “We’re so proud of this new album. It follows on from our debut and the EPs by focusing on collaborating on riffs, lyrics, harmonies and vocals. There’s a Smith/Kotzen DNA now and it’s definitely something we need to get out on the road with. I was pleased to work with my friend Jay Ruston on the mixing of the album, let alone my wife Julia (Lage) — who actually plays on White Noise as well as four other tracks.”
“We’re like an extended family now,” adds Smith. “We have a sound and a vibe and I don’t think many artists are doing what we do — sharing the vocals and the guitars. It takes me back to those classic bands like Humble Pie and Cream — which is not a bad place to start.”
The full track-listing of Black Light / White Noise is:
1. Muddy Water
2. White Noise
3. Black Light
4. Darkside
5. Life Unchained
6. Blindsided
7. Wraith
8. Heavy Weather
9. Outlaw
10. Beyond The Pale
Smith/Kotzen released the Better Days …And Nights EP in September 2022 through BMG. The effort comprised five previously unreleased live tracks, plus for the first time ever on CD, the four studio tracks featured on their sold-out, limited-edition 12-inch vinyl EP, Better Days, released in conjunction with Record Store Day in November 2021.
