Fresh off celebrating their 40th anniversary, rock legends
WHITESNAKE return with their latest studio album,
"Flesh & Blood". This album follows the 2011 critically acclaimed studio album
"Forevermore" and 2015's
"The Purple Album", a reimagining of
DEEP PURPLE classics from
WHITESNAKE mastermind's
David Coverdale's time in that band. The 13 original, visceral tracks on
"Flesh & Blood", the band's 13th studio album, are, luckily for you dear reader, "all killer, no filler", as the saying goes.
But would you expect anything less from the 'Snakes?
Coverdale, the mastermind behind
WHITESNAKE and co-composer of
"Shut Up & Kiss Me" with guitarist
Reb Beach, said "that after the intense darkness of our last video,
'Burn', if anything, it's 'light' snake, you know? We've got some really dark energy going on in the world right now, so we're gonna write and record a fun knees-up song about falling in love with a fabulous babe. You're over-talking, over-compensating and she just looks at you, takes the reins and says 'shut up and kiss me!' and that's it!! My video director and creative partner
Tyler Bourns and I discussed a great storyline for the video, which involves a surprise guest: my fabulous old white Jaguar. We ended up cleaning and detailing it, as it has been in storage since I moved to Lake Tahoe, then we dusted off my old turquoise silk jacket from the original
'Here I Go Again' video and I was thinking, 'Man, this is going to be fun!' It's a respectful acknowledgment and positive nod to the past, just fun stuff."
Joining
Coverdale on
"Flesh & Blood" is the powerhouse band comprised of
Reb Beach and
Joel Hoekstra on guitar,
Michael Devin on bass,
Tommy Aldridge on drums, and
Michele Luppi on keyboards.
Since joining the band four years ago, and just in time for 2015's
"The Purple Album", Chicago native
Joel Hoekstra has really come into his own, not only as a highly impressive axe-slinger, but also as a very accomplished songwriter too, co-writing six of the songs for
"Flesh & Blood" with singer
David Coverdale. Of course,
Joel's talents are hardly surprising, considering he's the son of two classical musicians.
Guitarist
Reb Beach, who originally joined
WHITESNAKE in 2002, has stepped up to become the group's bandleader and guides the band to implement
Coverdale's musical vision. As well as bringing his impressive musical chops to the band,
Reb has co-written five songs on the new album, the fourth studio album he has appeared on, commencing with 2008's highly acclaimed
"Good To Be Bad".
It was the
"Good To Be Bad" follow-up,
"Forevermore" (2011), that saw the debut of bassist
Michael Devin. The New Englander's four-string-depth-charge-bass-bombs definitively underpin and drive the sound of
WHITESNAKE in the 21st century.
Rounding out the rhythm section is
David's longest serving 'Snake, the renowned drummer and unstoppable percussionist
Tommy Aldridge, who has been with
WHITESNAKE in some capacity for 30 years.
Tommy made his debut with
WHITESNAKE way back in 1987 in the
"Still Of The Night" video, becoming a mainstay behind the kit for successive albums and tours.
Last, but certainly not least, the band is completed by the inventive keyboards and vocals of Italian maestro
Michele Luppi, who made his live debut in 2015, as documented on
"The Purple Tour" live CD/DVD (2018).
The current incarnation of the band carries on the long and unwavering tradition of mainman
David Coverdale being surrounded by cream of the crop players who go all in to bring fans the best hard rock humanly possible.
"Flesh & Blood" will be released May 10, 2019 via
Frontiers Music Srl in multiple formats.
Track listing:
01.
Good To See You Again
02.
Gonna Be Alright
03.
Shut Up & Kiss Me
04.
Hey You (You Make Me Rock)
05.
Always & Forever
06.
When I Think Of You (Color Me Blue)
07.
Trouble Is Your Middle Name
08.
Flesh & Blood
09.
Well I Never
10.
Heart Of Stone
11.
Get Up
12.
After All
13.
Sands Of Time
Bonus Tracks Appearing on CD+DVD Deluxe Edition and Digital Version:
14.
Can't Do Right For Doing Wrong (bonus track - new studio song)
15.
If I Can't Have You (bonus track - new studio song)
16.
Gonna Be Alright (X-Tendo Mix) (DVD audio track)
17.
Sands Of Time (Radio Mix) (DVD audio track)
18.
Shut Up And Kiss Me (Video Mix) (DVD audio track)
WHITESNAKE has already announced its first shows of the 2019
"Flesh & Blood" world tour, which will feature songs from the new studio record alongside its biggest hits and songs from one of the greatest back catalogues in rock 'n' roll history, spanning over 40 years.