Former Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe will release his new album, One Man Gang, on October 18th through Silver Lining Music.
Monroe innately knows exactly how to sing, swagger and walk the most glamorous and colorful of walks. One Man Gang is all about the fun of Friday nights, seven days a week, letting your hair down (or up!) for a dirty, dangerous, damn good time, and embracing a total escape into the rock n’ roll dream.
With stunning presence, Monroe’s vocals blaze their unique trail across catchy, low-slung guitars mixing with saxophones, harmonicas and trumpets, plus a smorgasbord of exciting hooks and melodies. One Man Gang, is old-skool strut with rudely fresh vigour.
The title track’s bombastic bar-room blitz (featuring a guest appearance by Captain Sensible of The Damned) is a valuable reminder that even if born in the gutter, you must always look to the stars.
“It sometimes seems like everybody’s pissing on their own parade,” says Monroe, “whether that’s voting stupid people into power and then complaining about them or whatever, but I’m all about living with a P.M.A. — positive mental attitude — and I’ll never allow myself to be forced away from that.”
Then there’s Last Train To Tokyo, with the sort of sticky-yet-crispy riff that was designed to take over radios from Japan to Jamaica.
“In the ’80s, Hanoi Rocks had a very special relationship with Japan,” explains Monroe, “and it will always be one of my favorite countries. Plus, they still live for rock n’ roll as it should be celebrated, they still have physical product, they still make it crazy, exhausting and really exciting every time you go there, which I am really grateful for.”
With the further electric likes of Junk Planet, Hollywood Paranoia and Wasted Yearson board, One Man Gang is going to smash down doors and give the rock n’ roll scene a swift, and necessary, kick up the ass.
Monroe will soon be striding back towards the arenas he was born to be in, and everything you see is everything you get.
“I do what I do and I’ll never change,” says Monroe, “I don’t dress any different on or off stage because this is who I am… this is the real me.”
One Man Gang track listing:
1. One Man Gang
2. Last Train To Tokyo
3. Junk Planet
4. Midsummer Nights
5. The Pitfalls Of Being An Outsider
6. Wasted Years
7. In The Tall Grass
8. Black Ties And Red Tape
9. Hollywood Paranoia
10. Heaven Is A Free State
11. Helsinki Shakedown
12. Low Life In High Places
Band lineup:
Michael Monroe – vocals, sax and harmonica
Rich Jones – guitar and vocals
Steve Conte – guitar and vocals
Sami Yaffa – bass
Karl Rockfist – drums
Guest appearances from Captain Sensible (lead guitar on One Man Gang), Nasty Suicide (lead guitar on Wasted Years), Eicca Toppinen (cello on Low Life In High Places) and Tero Saarti (trumpet on Heaven Is A Free State).
