GONE SAVAGE – Life In Black & White (2023) HQ *Exclusive*

GONE SAVAGE are a melodic hard rock band out of Manchester UK, formed in 1990 by bassist Ian Salpekar (formerly of SWEET SIN), guitarist Andy J (formerly of SWEET SIN), vocalist Will Glover (formerly of SAM THUNDER) and drummer James Ross (formerly of Darren Wharton’s DARE). As the band evolved they would go on to have a long history with several other contributors, including DARE’s Vinny Burns.
GONE SAVAGE recorded several songs in the early Nineties, but while all members remained friends, the group disbanded.
GONE SAVAGE went on a hiatus until 2013 when all original members tried to pick-up the pieces, however Salpekar and singer Glover are the only still in the band, and signed by Heaven and Hell Records they releasing the album “Life In Black & White”.
With songs, riffs, melodies and choruses firmly inspired by the ’80s / early ’90s classic hard rock style but with a refreshingly melodic modern feel, “Life In Black & White” showcases a group of musicians not ‘recreating a a sound’ – that sound is into their DNA, they lived the Eighties.

GONE SAVAGE released many demos in the early years which were only ever sold at gigs, or via their fan club. They recorded four demos over two sessions with including the AOR classic ‘Love Caught me Out’.
These sessions were recorded at the famous Strawberry Studios in Stockport, England, home to many 70s and 80s renowned artists. The recordings would be engineered by famed producer Martin Abbott, who was responsible for producing most of Lisa Stansfield’s early work. Both demos were also used as self-promotion with the main UK radio stations of the time, which included two sessions with the legendary UK radio broadcaster Tommy Vance on his “Friday Night Rock Show”, the number one show in the UK at the time.

As the demos were selling out at live gigs and more radio stations began picking up on the band, there was a demand for more music. After Andy J left the band in 1991 GONE SAVAGE went back to record more demos with Vinny Burns (DARE / TEN / ASIA).
Vinny played lead and rhythm guitars on a 3-track demo recorded at another stalwart of UK recording studios – The Engine Room Studio in Bradford, England.

GONE SAVAGE continued to write songs and returned to The Engine Room in ‘92 to record 2 songs with Grant Mallison on guitar duties to much aplomb resulting in an interview with the renowned Games Workshop in ‘93, producers of the Warhammer table-top game, who wanted to branch out to include a rock/heavy metal record label division.
The company showed interest in signing GONE SAVAGE as its first outing. Things didn’t go as planned as a disgruntled ex-manager of the band created mayhem with the company leading to Games Workshop walking away from any further negotiations. The band would fold later that year.

GONE SAVAGE went on a hiatus until 2013 when all original members spoke about a return. This included Andy J and then again with Grant Mallison, but alas the candle did not burn and both Will, Grant and Andy stepped aside.
In 2015, GONE SAVAGE, still eager to create more music, brought in a fledgling young gun by the name of James Marsh who took on both lead / rhythm guitar duties and lead vocals. A new 4-song EP was recorded and self-produced by the band titled ‘Resurrection’. A self-funded CD would be released on their own 3@47inc Records in January of 2016.

The EP would be very well received by the media and radio stations alike, which resulted in a gig at the prestigious Hard Rock Hell franchise alongside the likes of SKID ROW, NIGHT RANGER and Joe Lynn Turner to name but a few.

In 2019, Salpekar started writing again with Glover for a new album. Out of over 30 songs, the cut came down to 11. Mallison returned as a guest and played guitar on five of the tracks on the new album together with another rising star Sam Millar (BIGFOOT, Solo) who also played on five tracks.
James Marsh guested on the re-recorded version of “Love Caught Me Out” playing guitars and singing backing vocals.

Mixing of the stems was carried out by a young emerging producer named David Radahd-Jones at his Red City Recordings studio in Manchester. Mastering was carried out by legendary mastering man Pete Maher, responsible for mastering THE ROLLING STONES, THE KILLERS and U2 amongst many others.

Opener ‘Icon of Today’ a song that has a little Dokken meets 1987 Queensryche vibe going on. ‘Irresistible’ adds a bit more bite but still rides those smooth melodic waters. There’s certainly a progressive element here, and one that eschews the huge chorus for the path less travelled, and whilst the solos are intact there’s a cool almost NWOBHM grit to many.
Title track ‘Life in Black and White’ is a pure melodic hard rocker driven by a big riff, a great song and one that does have that extra kick. ‘Permanent State of Change’ mixes things up a bit with a harder riff rocker that has bits of everyone from Def Leppard to Dokken in there.
‘Bulletproof’ gets things harder right to the point, and is the most metallic offering here and rather fine it is too!

‘Life Incendiary’ builds slowly and has a wonderful languid opening, it’s a song with plenty of space and atmosphere (and again the Dokken comparisons come). As is the mid-tempo groove of ‘Louder Than the Sun’ which really hits the spot again before the catchy ‘Love Caught Me Out’ ups the pace and adds possibly the strongest refrain and solo to boot.
‘Redemption Song’ is moodier and another number with a little more space to breath and it again works rather well; ‘Power=less’ comes as another nice change of pace and sounds like a sure-fire crowd pleaser.
Closer ‘Touch Your God’ is another track that is more expansive, with extra arrangements, and like ‘Redemption Song’ and ‘Life in Black and White’ makes a nice trio of such songs that push the boundaries a little more.

While overall more elaborated than your typical melodic hard rock and wrapped by modern production standards, GONE SAVAGE’s “Life In Black & White” takes you back to your teens when bands like Dokken, Ratt, Queensryche ruled the World, adding to their music as well a more contemporary style such as AdrianGale, Bombay Black, etc.
Highly Recommended

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01 – Icon of Today
02 – Permanent State of Change
03 – Life Incendiary
04 – Irresistible
05 – Louder Than the Sun
06 – Love Caught Me Out
07 – Bulletproof
08 – Redemption Song
09 – Power=Less
10 – Life in Black and White
11 – Touch Your God

Will Glover – Lead and Backing Vocals
Ian Salpekar – Bass, Keys, Programming, Backing Vocals
Sam Millar (BigFoot) – Rhythm guitars and solos on tracks 2, 3, 8, 10 and 11
Grant Mallison – Rhythm guitars and solos on tracks 1, 4, 5, 7, 9
James Marsh – Rhythm guitars and solo on track 6
James Ross – Drums
Don Genovese – Backing Vocals

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