Rather than look backwards and merely attempt to relive the multi-platinum hard rock entity’s storied origins, Jack Russell set his sights on the future.
In December 2011, Jack Russell’s Great White first bared its teeth. Since its inception, the frontman welcomed back longtime bassist and friend Tony Montana (this time as a guitar player and keyboardist), lead guitarist Robby Locher, and drummer Dicki Fliszar. Now, this group has a sharp, soaring, and slick new album on the horizon for 2014 boasting the bluesy hard rock stomp that made Russell and Montana icons in the first place.
The vision became clear for the singer once Montana returned to the fold. After experimenting with various configurations, he reconnected with his old bassist, but in a different role.
“It’s a powerful band,” Russell proclaims. “The music comes across very dynamically. It’s what I always wanted it to be. Tony was a catalyst for moving forward. I was never as close to him as I am now. We never had the opportunity to write music together before. I also never knew he played guitar. When I first heard him, I nearly fell of my chair. He’s my co-pilot. He’s one of my best friends. I wish we would’ve been this close back in the day.”
“It’s natural for all of us,” adds Montana. “There’s a solid chemistry, and we’re having a lot of fun.” Rounding out the line-up with Locher and Fliszar, these four musicians hit the studio in late 2013 to cut what would eventually become their official full-length debut. It taps into the bluesy bombast and heavy energy of Russell’s celebrated material, but it’s a distinctly modern metallic monster.
“We want the new material to blow people’s ears back,” Russell goes on. “It has the elements of the best Great White music ever written, but there’s an edge. Tony brings that validity, while Robby and Dicki add a new life. It’s going to surprise people.”
Montana agrees, “It’s got the classic sound. The first element is Jack’s voice. No other band sounds like this one ever did or does now. When I was 17 years old I remember walking around the UCLA campus listening to the band’s first EP. I was a fan before I ever joined the band. We’re going to maintain that same integrity going forward.”
That integrity became forged over nearly thirty years. In 1984, the band broke out of the Los Angeles scene with its self-titled debut followed by seismic platinum-selling outings such as 1987’s ‘Once Bitten…’ and 1989’s ‘…Twice Shy’. Moving over 8 million copies worldwide, they stood out as tried-and-true rock stalwarts into the 21st century until 2011, when Russell went on to form Jack Russell’s Great White.
Ultimately, the new music is for the millions of fans who stuck by Russell all these years. It’s everything they’ve been waiting for and more.
“The band was always a standout from the era it came from,” says Montana. “It was never a hair band. Listen to the music, and that’s evident. Everything was based in blues. We want to add to that legacy with new material preserving those timeless elements.”
Russell leaves off, “This is fun, first and foremost. I feel like I’m 27 again. I hope it sounds like Great White — but for 2014.”
additional source: sleazeroxx.com
11 Responses
No one’s ears will be blown back. They will more likely be covered up. He would be better off as simply Jack Russell. His fans know who he is. GREAT WHITE ironically has jumped the shark. Hey Tony Montana: THE WORLD IS YOURS AND EVERYTHNG IN IT, CHICO.
Ha. I love the jumped the shark reference!
Looking forward to hearing jack Russell. He was great white. Great white ELATION is horrible. It’s like van halen 3. They ruined the catalog. It’s too bad. Always liked the original lineup. I see a lot of jack Russell bashing on this site, great white sucks, blah blah blah. Poison sucks. Unskinny bop bop. That shit just blows me away.
Dude lets be clear. The 80’s version of Great White never sucked. Its what it is today that sucks / both versions. And BTW, Unskinny Bob did and always will suck.
Its been far too long since we’ve had a Jack Russell posting. Where’s Scott and his posting(s)? Is he going to call it ‘Jack Russell and his Band of Pirates’. They could call this album ‘ARRRRRRRGH’ with such tracks like ‘walk the plank’, ‘I love thee ye comely wench’, ‘We put the ARRRRRRRGH in Rock n Roll’, ‘this eye patch only has eyes for you’, ‘your so hot I nearly shat in my poopdeck’, and then do a cover of Gene Simmons’ ‘Living in Sin at the Holiday Inn’, cause that’s the salad bar he’s going to be playing at. Good to see Jack is BACK!
Hey. All I can say is I am glad Jack got the night off from Papa John’s to record this breakthrough cd. Bless his heart. Sorry it took so long…I am still laughing my ass off from the DR’s comments…….too funny. I nearly soiled myself.