GRAHAM BONNET BAND – Escape From Alcatrazz [Alive In Japan] (2016)

During its recent and highly successful Japan tour this past Summer, GRAHAM BONNET BAND recorded some of the performances there. Initially the band fronted by the ex Rainbow & Alcatrazz distributed this digital EP for free to its Facebook friends as a special treat, but now has been put on sale under the title “Escape From Alcatrazz [Alive In Japan]“.

Graham Bonnet has one of the best voices in rock. He has raw talent and in his new band it finally gets used and framed in the right way. With his current line-up – Conrado Pesinato, Beth-Ami Heavenstone and Chase Manhattan – he has a terrific bunch of talented musicians.
This group doesn’t overshadow Bonnet as some of his earlier collaborators have done when the focus was too much on guitar solos and less on Bonnet’s voice.
Here we have a band built around Bonnet and it works a treat. Conrado is a great multi-instrumentalist, Beth-Ami is a groovy bassist and Chase is a bloody hard-hitting drummer. Apart from being great musicians, their background vocals contributions add a nice touch to some of the old classics on this live EP.

The EP kicks off with an energetic version of the Rainbow classic “All Night Long” where the whole band gets to shine. On the EP’s perhaps best track, Alcatrazz song “Suffer Me”, it gets real and very emotional with Bonnet singing about his mother and Conrado doing some of his finest guitar work.
Another favorite of mine is a great, groovy version of Rainbow classic “Love’s No Friend”.

This live EP is a great treat for the fans, well recorded, no overdubs, coming out pretty raw but ‘clean’, as the band’s sound onstage seems to be really polished, and with Bonnet feeling comfortable and tuned.
This “Escape From Alcatrazz [Alive In Japan]”, the two-track studio digital EP ‘My Kingdom Come’ from June (presented here on the blog) and the recent Japan tour are all adding to the now very high expectations on the forthcoming Graham Bonnet Band full-length studio album.
Very Recommended

1. All Night Long
2. Love’s No Friend
3. Since You’ve Been Gone
4. Suffer Me
5. Night Games
6. Lost In Hollywood

Graham Bonnet – Vocals
Derek Sherinian (ex-Dream Theater, Alice Cooper) – Keyboards
Chase Manhattan (Behold! The Monolith) – Drums
Conrado Pesinato (ex-P.U.S., Stardust Reverie) – Guitars
Beth-Ami Heavenstone – Bass

BUY IT !
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01BN1MRRS
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