In 2020, guitar-shredding virtuoso George Lynch reteamed with former DOKKEN bandmate Jeff Pilson for a set of new studio recordings that turned pop music classics into powerful metal anthems. Dubbed “Heavy Hitters”, the album was well-received by rock and metal devotees across the board. Now, this dynamic duo have once again converged for the highly anticipated follow-up album, “Heavy Hitters II”, which brings forth a fresh new set of reimagined cover versions representing classics of soul, modern alt-rock, new wave, blues and more!
Ever wondered what Pilson, one of the most widely respected bass players in all of hard rock and metal, could do with SLY & THE FAMILY STONE‘s ultra-funky bass line in “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”? Or questioned whether Mr. Scary could transform Howlin’ Wolf‘s oft-covered “Smokestack Lightning” into a smokin’ hot, floor-stompin’ slab of bluesy rock (with a special guest vocal by the great Corey Glover of LIVING COLOUR)? Well, “Heavy Hitters II” has your answers. Those delights and a whole lot more wait in store — just check out the album’s brand new single, a completely revamped version of IMAGINE DRAGONS‘ “Radioactive”. In the hands of Lynch and Pilson, this tune gets a thorough re-working with a supercharged galloping rhythmic guitar riff you’ll have to hear to believe.
Whereas the previous volume of “Heavy Hitters” featured a mix of various guest vocalists, this time around Lynch and Pilson brought in one of the most diverse and powerful vocalists in the business, longtime THE ROLLING STONES backing vocalist Bernard Fowler. Fowler, along with acclaimed drummer Brian Tichy, fill out each of the album’s tracks with their masterful performances.
Reflecting on the project, Lynch declares: “Jeff and I have always cherished any opportunities to work together over the 40 something years we’ve been playing together. Writing original records, (in DOKKEN, LP, T&N, THE END MACHINE, etc.) is wonderful but doing an album of covers is a different and refreshing experience for us. I’d say it’s a little less ‘grindy’ work and a lot more fun because we’re interpreting previously written songs rather than building compositions from the ground up. It’s very liberating and affords more time to experiment and have fun with tracks. Plus getting to do a record with Bernard who is a legend was very motivating! It’s almost like we’re a few degrees removed from being in THE ROLLING STONES!”
Pilson likewise enthuses: “George and I have so much fun with these ‘Heavy Hitters’ records. Reinterpreting classic pop songs as rock anthems is an amazingly fun challenge. And with Bernard and Brian we have a band that I’d put up against anyone out there! Plus as writers George and I love studying what makes these songs such classics and we take that into our own writing to constantly improve. And we’ve always wanted to write and record a Christmas song — which we did with ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’. So Merry Christmas from ‘Heavy Hitters’ — and have a great summer!”
“Heavy Hitters II” will arrive on CD, vinyl and digital on August 11.
Track listing:
01. Sledgehammer
02. Carry On
03. The Stroke
04. Radioactive
05. Smokestack Lightning
06. Hold On (I’m Coming)
07. Stay With Me
08. Shout
09. New Sensation
10. Jumpin’ Jack Flash
11. Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)
12. It’s A Wonderful Life
