THUNDER – Dopamine (2022) HQ
British hard rock icons THUNDER will release a new album, “Dopamine“, on April 29. “Dopamine” is THUNDER’s first ever double-album, and consists of 16 tracks — something that is resonant with the album’s themes.
Guitarist, songwriter and THUNDER co-founder Luke Morley says: “‘We didn’t set out to make a double album but as the writing and recording process went on, we wandered into some interesting areas and then it became a case of ‘can we afford to leave any of this off?’ In the end, we did reduce it from 20 tunes to 16, but it wasn’t an easy choice.”
Satirical and urgent but never downcast, “Dopamine” was inspired by the world’s mass retreat to social media during the pandemic lockdowns, endlessly hunting for the next hit of happy hormones.
The new album comes at the perfect time for THUNDER, whose lineup for the last quarter-century and more has been Luke and Danny Bowes (vocals), plus Ben Matthews (guitar and keyboards), Chris Childs (bass) and Harry James (drums).
They’ve been riding a wave of success since their 2015 comeback album “Wonder Days”, releasing the acclaimed “All The Right Noises” last year, with many critics and fans speculating that it could be the band’s best album yet. The record went Top 3 in the U.K. albums chart, a quite incredible feat for a British hard rock band into its fourth decade.
And make no mistake — the last 30 years have been a rollercoaster ride. THUNDER had a start in life like few other bands, delivering a killer debut LP with 1990’s “Backstreet Symphony” and scoring a U.S. record deal with the help of a keen fan, Axl Rose of GUNS N’ ROSES. Songs like “Dirty Love” and “Low Life In High Places” — according to the late radio legend Tommy Vance, “the greatest ever single released by a rock band” — have gone on to enter the British rock canon.
Despite these early triumphs, rewarded with gold awards and one of the most enduring fanbases on the planet, changes in musical fashions and two breakups made THUNDER’s progress a rocky road indeed. All that changed with the current sequence of albums that kicked off seven years ago with “Wonder Days”.
THUNDER will embark on a U.K. arena tour in May 2022, including a date at London’s OVO Arena Wembley.
CD1 / LP1
01. The Western Sky
02. One Day We’ll Be Free Again
03. Even If It Takes A Lifetime
04. Black
05. Unraveling
06. The Dead City
07. Last Orders
08. All The Way
CD2 / LP2
01. Dancing In The Sunshine
02. Big Pink Supermoon
03. Across The Nation
04. Just A Grifter
05. I Don’t Believe The World
06. Disconnected
07. Is Anybody Out There?
08. No Smoke Without Fire
Danny Bowes (vocals, guitar)
Luke Bowes (guitar, vocals)
Ben Matthews (guitar, keyboards)
Chris Childs (bass)
Harry James (drums)
Pre Order:
www.amazon.com/Dopamine-Thunder/dp/B09RY4S997
