London, Ontario, Canada (Top40 Charts/ Abandoned Souls official website) Abandoned Souls have a lot on their plate these days and they like it that way. This hungry four-piece hard rock band is chomping at the bit to promote their music—even the stuff that hasn't been recorded yet. They plan to start recording the follow-up to their 2012 LP, "Damned If You Don't." in June, while playing a few select shows to keep themselves in the eyes and ears of the public. One more video for the current album is also now in pre-production and scheduled to be released this summer.
Abandoned Souls really got going in early 2012 when the current line-up came together. Featuring members of past Canadian recording artists, Gypsy Rose, Blue Bones and Aces Wild, the new group emerged with a tight, hard rock sound that's been compared to heavy hitters like Three Days
Grace and Godsmack. The band now is
James Todd handling lead vocals and bass, Derek De Kort on lead guitar, Tim Thompson on guitar and vocals and Steve
Thomas on drums and vocals.
The band is influenced by metal giants (Sabbath, Ozzy, Zeppelin, Metallica, to name a few) and while they can certainly thank their heroes for their heavy tones, the band is also influenced by their own lives.
Music for them is a way to turn emotions into creative energy. As
James Todd says, "Music is about empowering yourself and an outlet for getting rid of negative energy that is around you." That's a win- win situation for artists and audiences alike.
The biggest accomplishment in the life of the band so far, has been the release of their most recent album. Short of manufacturing the physical copies of "Damned If You Don't" themselves, the band was responsible for every other step along the way, from recording and producing to mixing and designing the packaging. Being that involved is bound to give you a sense of pride, especially when the end result is such a solid, heavy album. Another source of pride is
James Todd's assuming the double duty of lead vocals while still helping to anchor down the low end on bass. This marks a new era for the band, who now have a reenergized attitude towards what comes next.
The band's first album, "Circle of Shadows," was released in 2006. It was mixed by Jay Ruston who also had a hand in mixing music for some very big names in metal, including Stone Sour, Killswitch Engage, Kill Devil Hill,
Steel Panther and thrash kings, Anthrax. In 2006, Abandoned Souls provided the sole opening support for King's X in their hometown of London, Ontario. That year the band also played the "Thirsty Souls Festival" in London Ontario with
Default and
Thornley and in 2009, they shared the stage with
My Darkest Days in Whitby, Ontario.
Even though the band will be heading back into the studio, fans can still follow their activities. They'll be hosting a video blog on their youtube channel to document behind-the-scenes action as they get down to the serious business of recording an album that will feature their best material to date. The band also has a show scheduled for Friday, June 21, at Norma Jean's in London, Ontario.
Head over to MTV.com and check out the band's official Artist Profile page and look for them to be featured on a compilation this summer from WiFi PR. Download cards will be distributed at Lollapalooza in Chicago.
Abandoned Souls music is currently available through CDBaby, iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Simfy, Google Music, Rdio, Medianet, LastFM, GreatIndieMusic and BandCamp.
Check out the band's video for the single, "Pointing Fingers" on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sMbxLEFTlEI
You can also watch a video for an earlier version of the song "Stop Me Now" featuring footage from a live gig and the party to and from the venue in Toronto, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5zqDSYoED4
Abandoned Souls has recently signed with (Wifi PR Group) as a client. Company Info: WiFi PR Group, Los Angeles, CA. https://www.wifiprgroup.com
About Abandoned Souls Music:
Circle of Shadows, Released: 2006 (Fiend Records)
Some Never Will, Released 2008 (Fiend Records)
Damned If You Don't, Released: June 2012 (Fiend Records)
"Stop Me Now" single, Released: 2012 (Fiend Records)
"Pointing Fingers" single, Released: 2012 (Fiend Records)
Official MTV Artist Profile: www.mtv.com/artsits/abandoned-souls
Official Website: www.abandonedsouls.com
Official YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/abandonedsouls
Official Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/abandonedsouls1
Official Twitter Page: www.twitter.com/AbandonedSouls