Absolva announce 34 tour dates including 7 with Michael Schenker

ABSOLVA ANNOUNCE 34 DATE EUROPEAN TOUR INCLUDING 7 SHOWS AS SPECIAL GUESTS WITH MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST


Absolva, the Manchester-based British metal band featuring current members of Iced Earth and the Blaze Bayley band, announce their 2018 tour schedule including 7 shows appearing as special guests with legendary Scorpions and UFO guitarist Michael Schenker.


The Absolva band members have a history of extensive touring since forming in 2012, and relish once again an extended trip around Europe. Being chosen as special guests on the Michael Schenker Fest also gives the band the opportunity to warm the crowd for renowned vocalists Graham Bonnet, Doogie White, Gary Barden and Robin McAuley.


The tour begins in Sweden with an Absolva headline show in Varberg on 4th October, whilst the sequence with Michael Schenker starts in Malaga (Spain) on 27th October. The tour finale is an Absolva headline show at hometown Manchester, Academy 3 on 22nd December.


Says singer/guitarist Chris Appleton “For me it's a real honour and a pleasure to be reunited with guitar legend Michael Schenker who has always been a massive influence on my guitar playing and my career. We toured with him on previous occasions both as Absolva and also previously as Fury UK, which was a great experience, and we are very happy and proud to have gained many loyal fans at those shows”


The line-up on the European tour will be Chris Appleton (lead vocals / lead guitar), Luke Appleton (rhythm guitar / backing vocals), Martin Mcnee (drums), Karl Schramm (bass / backing vocals). 


The full European tour schedule is as follows….

October

4th Sweden, Varberg, Backstage
5th Sweden, Trollhattan , Backstage Rockbar
6th Sweden, Sandviken Metal Club, Sandviken
11th Finland, Helsinki, On The Rocks
13th Finland, Mantyharju, Bar Krouvi
17th Poland, Lublin, Grafitti Klub
18th Poland, Tychy, Underground
19th Poland, Szczecin, Rocker Club
20th Germany, Berlin, Werk 9
21st Germany, Hamburg, Bambi Galore
27th Spain, Malaga, Paris 15 (special guests with Michael Schenker Fest)
28th Spain, Madrid, Sala Riveria (special guests with Michael Schenker Fest))
30th Italy, Milan, Live Club (special guests with Michael Schenker Fest))
31st Switzerland, Pratteln, Z7 (special guests with Michael Schenker Fest))
November
1st Germany, Oberhausen, Turbinenhalle (special guests with Michael Schenker Fest))
2nd Germany, Karlsruhe, Festhalle Durlach (special guests with Michael Schenker Fest))
3rd Netherlands, Melkweg, Amsterdam (special guests with Michael Schenker Fest))
7th Netherlands, Geleen, De Meister
8th Germany, Bochum, Rockpalast
9th Germany, Siegen, Vortex
10th Belgium, Hamme, Rockfest Hall
14th France, Orleans, Blue Devils
15th France, Lyon, Rock n Eat
16th Switzerland, St-Maurice, Manoir Pub
17th Germany, Balingen, Sonnenkeller
18th Germany, Konstanz, Rockbar
23rd Germany, Renchen, Come Inn
24th France, Nancy, Chez Paulette
25th Belgium, Deinze, Café Elpee
29th Germany, Krefeld, Kulturrampe
30th Netherlands, Leiden, Gebr De Nobel
December
1st UK, Reading, Facebarmageddon
2nd UK, Swindon, The Victoria
22nd UK, Manchester, Academy 3

More info at http://www.absolva.com

Chris Appleton – Restless (2015)

Genre - Acoustic Rock

Label - Rocksector Records

 

Track listing:

01. Seafarer
02. Crazyhead
03. No Tomorrow
04. How Will I Feel When You’re Gone
05. Restless
06. Only When It’s Over (Absolva cover)
07. I See Red (Fury UK cover)
08. Wonders Of The World
09. Mama I’m Comin’ Home (Ozzy Osbourne cover)

Chris Appleton, lead vocalist with UK metal bands Absolva, Fury UK, and the lead guitarist with former Wolfsbane/Iron Maiden front man Blaze Bayley’s touring band, releases his debut solo album in the form of Restless.
Chris has enlisted the help of his brother Luke (Fury UK / Iced Earth) and Belgian singer Wizz Wizzard for the album, with the later providing backing vocals on several tracks as well as sharing lead vocals on Restless. Both of whom will be helping to support Chris on a short tour to promote the album.
The album has a rather raw feel to it, partly due to the fact that it was recorded in analogue, almost giving it a feel of a good demo in places but that just adds to the appeal, as over producing an acoustic album is a sure fire way to kill any feel that's there within the songs. As can be seen from the track listing above, the album contains three covers, two tracks that Chris was heavily involved with in the first place being covers of his own songs, and a wondrous rendition of the Ozzy Osbourne classic, Mama I'm Comin' Home.
Album opener Seafarer has a rather epic feel to it, with Chis and Wizz trading vocal lines a great song that sets the general tone for what is to follow. Crazyhead could be worked up in to a great full blown Absolva track with its hammered on riff. God this song sounds awesome as an acoustic track, with a full blown electric set up behind it, well damn that's all that I can say!
No Tomorrow is simply a beautiful song.
How Will I Feel When You're Gone, is something special, the opening riff sounding really familiar for some reason, but it is a really great song.
Title track, Restless, an instrumental, and very much a guitarists track, allowing Chris to show case his technique and virtuoso ability. It would also be interesting to hear this track worked up into a full blown electric affair!
Its great to hear acoustic versions of Only When its Over and I See Red, adding another dimension to two great songs.
Wonders Of The World, with its piano intro is another fine example of Chris at his best, sensitive and touching with elements of power throughout.
Mama I'm Comin' Home is simply sublime.
A great album well worth checking out!

Rating - 9/10

Line-up:

Chris Appleton (Absolva / Blaze Bayley / Fury UK) – Guitar, Vocals

Guests:

Luke Appleton (Iced Earth) – Guitar

Wizz Wizzard – Vocals

Dave Evans (Ex AC/DC) - Nothing To Prove EP (2014)

Genre - Hard Rock / Classic Rock
Label - Rocksector Records

Track listing:

01 - Put Up or Shut Up
02 - I Believe
03 - Reach For The Sky
04 - Baby Please Don't Go

Original AC/DC vocalist (and co-founding band member), Dave Evans returns with a new Ep, Nothing To Prove which also marks the fortieth anniversary of the very first ACDC live shows!

Nothing To Prove features three brand new tracks all co-written with Chris Appleton (Fury UK / Absolva / Blaze Bayley) and a cover of the traditional blues classic, Baby Please Don't Go.

Opening with Put Up or Shut Up, Nothing To Prove gets off to a great start. Driven by a stomping riff that propels the song along and gives it a classic feel, reminding me in places of sadly missed NWoBHM legends Samson! Dave's vocals dripping attitude with every line.Yet that being said, the song still has a very contemporary feel, due in the main part to its top notch production! I imagine that this track will fast become a live favourite!
Next up we have I Believe, a slightly more melodic track, especially the chorus, which has a Kiss feel to it (in my opinion anyway!), with the verses following a riff very similar to the main riff of the previous track. Again Dave's vocals are spot on and the band are as tight as a ducks arse so to speak.
Reach For The Sky follows which has a slightly quicker tempo than its predecessors, yet for some reason its sound brings to mind a sort of cross between Samson (Don't Get Mad Get Even era) and Praying Mantis!
The Ep's closing track, is a great spirited cover of the classic blues track made famous by the likes of Big Joe Williams, Budgie and Aerosmith! A great performance of a stunning song.

Nothing To Prove really does show that Dave Evans really does have Nothing To Prove, and captures an artist who really does seem to be enjoying what they are doing, with as much hunger as when they first started (40 years ago!) but with the benefit of 40 years of experience!

Rating 9/10

Absolva - Flames Of Justice (2012)

Genre - Hard Rock / Classic Metal / Modern Metal
Label - Rocksector Records

Track listing:

01. Flames Of Justice
02. Hundred Years
03. Code Red
04. It Is What It Is
05. Breathe
06. State Of Grace
07. From Beyond The Light
08. Free
09. Love To Hate
10. Only When Its Over
11. Empires

Absolva are a Manchester based Classic Metal band born from the ashes (?) of the promising Fury Uk. As well as featuring Chris Appleton (Guitar and vocals) and Martin McNee (Drums) from Fury Uk, Absolva also features the talents of Tom Atkinson (Lead Guitars and backing vocals) of Vice fame and Dan Bate (Bass and backing vocals) of Point Black Fury fame. Theses guys are tight! Solid songs, with amazingly tight performances combined with an excellent production makes Flames Of Justice one of the best metal albums that I have heard in years, and I honestly mean that!

The twin guitar attack is reminiscent of the genre's legends such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, but Chris and Tom take their slant to an all new level, the riffs are brutal at times, heavy yet melodic, and every lick seems to be so perfectly placed, nothing ever sounds contrived, just a natural flowing sound that just develops and flows along with each song.

This album has everything that a great metal album should have, brutal grinding tracks suck as It IS What It Is, duelling guitar lead tracks suck as on Breathe, great rocking along up tempo tracks such as title track Flames Of Justice, short sweet acoustic segments like State Of Grace and epic songs like Free and Only When Its Over, stompers like Beyond The Light, as I said everything a great metal album should have!.

This album is proof positive that Absolva are a seriously talented band with all the potential of becoming the new kings of the metal scene. They could well be the rightful heirs to the crowns of legendary bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest! Yes they really are that god damn good!

Flames of Justice is released on 5th November through Rocksector Records and you guys really should check it out!

Rating - 10/10

Catch Absolva on tour on the following dates:

Oct 27th  - Machester (UK) Radcliffe Civic
Nov 2nd  - Newcastle (UK) Trillians
Nov 3rd  - Grimsby (UK) Yardbirds
Nov 4th   - Bristol (UK) The Croft
Nov 7th   - Sheffield (UK) Corporation
Nov 9th   - London (UK) Underworld
Nov 10th - Birmingham (UK) Asylum 2
Nov 11th - Southamptom (UK) Talking Heads
Nov 15th - Ipswich (UK) The Railway
Nov 16th - Herdorf (Germany) Rattenloch
Nov 17th -  TBC (Belguim)
Nov 18th - Roeselare (Belgium) De Verlichte Geest
Nov 30th - Belfast (N.Ireland) Voodoo
Dec 1st    - Strabane (N.Ireland) Diceys
Dec 2nd   - Dublin (Ireland) The Pint