Frontiers Music Srl has announced the signing of Memphis’s Tora Tora. The band will commence recording a new studio album in 2018 for a tentative release in early 2019.
Tora Tora’s mixture of hard rock with its hometown’s legendary blues style put the group in a class of its own and the label was thrilled to find the band was open to creating new music.
Says vocalist Anthony Corder, “Tora Tora is proud to announce we have signed with Frontiers. With a rich musical heritage and focus on quality content, we feel their company culture is the perfect fit for our project. We are excited to join some of our favorite artists and friends on their international roster. Thank you to Serafino Perugino, Mario De Riso and Nick Tieder and our entire Frontiers family for this opportunity. We are looking forward to creating some great music and many good memories with all of you!”
Comments guitarist Keith Douglas, “When we first started talking about a new Tora Tora project, the biggest question for us was what it would sound like after so much time had passed since we’d written together. After just one day of collaborating, it was clear we were going to pick up right where we left off so many years ago. We have some really good songs already written as well as a ton of other cool ideas to get sorted out. Having creative freedom is a huge bonus for us. As far as the direction, it’s just going to be whatever comes out. But I can tell you what has come out so far rocks as hard as anything we’ve ever done and lets our Memphis roots shine through. We are very excited to be working on what we feel like is going to be a very special record and just as excited to be working with Frontiers Records. Stay tuned!”
Tora Tora started in 1985 in the garage of then high school students Antony Corder, Keith Douglas, John Patterson and Patrick Francis. They beat out sixty other groups in a local Battle Of The Bands contest and received some free studio time at Ardent Studios. They cut one track before using the prize money they had won to record an entire independent EP called To Rock To Roll. Ardent was so impressed with the recordings that they offered to help shop the demo and gave them even more free recording time. Tora Tora eventually singed with A&M. That debut album made the Billboard Top 100 and hovered on the brink of breaking wide open as songs such as Walking Shoes, Riverside Drive and Phantom Rider became local anthems. They followed up with Wild America, which produced two more singles. A third album, Revolution Day, was recorded but never released due to label restructuring. Due to the onset of the grunge era, Tora Tora, much like many other bands of their genre, called it quits in 1994.
Tora Tora reunited in August 2016 for a benefit concert in Memphis to help bassist Patrick Francis, who was diagnosed with cancer. Footage of the show has since been released on Blu-ray.
[Dana’s note: I am a HUGE fan of this band, and still listen to their albums today. I have included a few videos below for your enjoyment.]
From the album, Surprise Attack:
Walkin’ Shoes:
Guilty:
From the album, Wild America:
Amnesia:
Dirty Secrets:
23 Responses
I have always liked Tora Tora! I have their debut album (SURPRISE ATTACK), their second album (WILD AMERICA), and I just picked up a third album called BOMBS AWAY that came out in 2009. I think BOMBS AWAY is an album of tunes that were left off of the debut album, but I’m not sure on that. I agree with Dana that their music is a really groovy, blues-based sound. They definitely should have been a bigger success than they were, back in the day. Songs like “Phantom Rider”, “Loves a Bitch”, “Dead Mans’ Hand”, and “City of Kings” are WAY better some of the stuff bands like Ratt, Slaughter, and Warrant had big hits with back in the day. I will definitely be picking up the new record when it gets released. Looking forward to this one!
Thank you, Keith,
I think the fact that I am still listening to those albums in 2018 is testament to the band, and the material.
I have never been a fan of ballads, but, Nowhere To Go But Down, is one, that I really appreciate.
D 🙂
Totally agree, Dana. Both SURPRISE ATTACK and WILD AMERICA are albums that I still listen to. WILD AMERICA is kind of hard to find, not sure why. It isn’t available on ITunes or Spotify, anyway. If you can get your hands on it, it totally rocks! I just got BOMBS AWAY off of ITunes, and it is also very good. Appreciate everything you do!
Keith,
I have both Surprise Attack and Wild America, love them both. I will have to look into Bombs Away, however, I cannot say enough good things about those two Tora Tora releases, great records.
D
Couldn’t disagree more! WAY better than Ratt and Warrant? Seriously? Now, Slaughter? Eh, not a fan of Mark’s voice either, but their first album was pretty good. But comparing Tora Tora to Ratt and Warrant? Come on!
To each their own, Doug. I’ve always been drawn more to the blues-based rock bands. Bands like Tesla, Great White, Badlands, and Tora Tora were always favorites of mine. I’m not knocking bands like Ratt, Warrant, or Slaughter. I’ve supported them by buying their albums and seeing them in concert. But I stick by my assertion that Tora Tora were every bit as talented as those guys, and deserved more success than they got. Unfortunately, they hit the market at the wrong time.
Keith,
I agree with your statement. They are just as good, as any of those bands.
The only place Ratt may have an “edge” is in the guitar department. While Keith Douglas is a very good guitar player, and I love his catchy bluesy riffs, Warren DiMartini, is also a great guitarist.
D 🙂
Well, once again I disagree. But, absolutely, to each their own. Different strokes for different folks. When I think of bluesy rock, the first band (obviously) that comes to mind are the Kings of blues-based rock, AC/DC! Anyway, have a great weekend, everyone, cheers!
Tora Tora (a band so great, you had to name ’em twice) is more comparable to Guns ‘n’ Roses rather than Ratt, or Warrant. More edgy; they would’ve given Guns a run for their money if they’d had decent label support. The bridge between glam and doom grunge metal in the late 80s as the sun set on the happy days of glam.
I find your observations so interesting and sophisticated. I must have very rudimentary audio perception, all I hear is great rock band with catchy and bluesy grooves-LOL!
But, I am glad you have a turned a corner on them. Maybe you will considering purchasing their releases?
D 🙂
I bowled a 206 last night, Tora! Tora! 😉
99 bottles of beer on the wall… Cheers!
Absolutely. I like Revolution Day too, where they sound more like the Black Crowes. I didn’t hear a single on that one, but a cover song (ala Crowes) would’ve worked great. Or, they could’ve just gone back and attempted to write one. Instead, their label just shelved it. It looks like this had something to do with Polygram’s acquisition of the label..? Just bad timing for a band perfect for the times. Thanks Dana, you are very astute yourself you know. 🙂
Thank you, appreciate it.