Longtime TESLA guitarist Dave Rude will release his full-length solo album, “Through The Fire”, on November 17 via Rat Pak Records. The LP features 11 new studio tracks and was mixed by TESLA bandmate Brian Wheat at his studio J-Street Records in Sacramento, California.
The official Brandon Gullion-directed music video for the album’s first single, “Hell And Back”, can be seen below.
Regarding the writing and recording process, Dave states, “‘Through The Fire’ was written all over the world — in dressing rooms, hotels and at soundchecks.
“When I tour with TESLA, I usually have a mobile Pro Tools recording rig with me so I can put down ideas during our downtime. Writing and recording in so many different places over a long stretch of time gave the songs a lot of variety and dynamics. I’m very happy with how it turned out and I’m excited to get this music out there.”
From the driving intro of album opener “Hell And Back” to the melodic acoustic outro track “Ship Came In”, Rude shines with his signature brand of rock and roll. Tracks like “Drink With The Devil”, “By The Blade”, “Eye For An Eye” and “Ain’t My Time” are chock full of memorable hooks and melodies, while songs like “Bron-Yr-Rude” and “Gotta Pay” showcase his diverse and unique songwriting abilities. “Through The Fire” delivers all the power and punch that one would expect from this high-level guitarist.
“Through The Fire” track listing
01. Hell And Back
02. Gotta Pay
03. Drink With The Devil
04. Ain’t My Time
05. Bron-Yr-Rude
06. Through The Fire
07. By The Blade
08. Dying Breed
09. Starlight
10. Eye For An Eye
11. Ship Came In
Rude joined TESLA in 2006, just in time to appear on the band’s “Real To Reel” (2007) and “Forever More” (2008) albums.
“I grew up listening to TESLA,” Rude told WTOP earlier this year. “I got the ‘Five Man Acoustical Jam’ record when I was in seventh grade and I had it on a cassette, I had no CD player yet, and I literally wore it out to where the writing was gone and it was like a blank piece of plastic with music inside and followed the band ever since … that was my gateway drug to TESLA … It all just happened really randomly when Frank Hannon found me on MySpace in 2006.”
Two years ago, Wheat told “The SDR Show” about how Rude landed the TESLA gig: “Frank Hannon, he does a lot of social media. He found Dave Rude on MySpace. He said, ‘I saw this guy. His picture looks really cool. So then I checked him out, and he’s got some cool songs.’ And I said, ‘Well, cool. Get together with him, play and let’s see what happens.’ And then Dave came to my studio. Frank was there. And him and Frank were out there playing. And I walked in there and listened to Dave playing and I looked at Frank and went [shakes his head up and down]. And then we put Dave in with the band. He did one rehearsal, and we all went [shakes his head up and down].
“Look, Dave Rude I cannot say enough great things about,” Brian added. “He saved that band. ‘Cause when he came in, we were at a point where the whole thing could have ended again. And he came in and gave us a shot in the arm. I love that kid. He’s great.”
In a 2007 interview with Classic Rock Revisited, Rude said that it was “really easy” for him to fit in with the rest of TESLA musically. “I am younger but we have the same background,” he said. “I was always the odd one out in my generation because I didn’t like the new stuff. I listen to the classic radio station all the time. I had been a TESLA fan since I was a little kid so I knew their music. In the FRANK HANNON BAND, we played a lot of TESLA songs and we practiced on the bus a lot to get me ready.”
Asked if he was nervous about replacing original member Tommy Skeoch in TESLA, Rude said: “Tommy was a big part of the band and I was a huge Tommy fan and I still am. I was not that nervous, because I felt so at home. I was a little worried that the fans would not take it well because he was such a big figure in the band, but they have been great. The Frank Hannon tour helped, because I met a lot of the fans at the shows. They were in small clubs and we would hang out. Everyone embraced me really well, and when it transferred into TESLA, then everyone already knew me. I was expecting ‘Where’s Tommy?’ signs, but everyone was really cool. TESLA fans love their guys and they love the music. I think they are happy that the band is still going.”