There’s a new star in the hard rock galaxy! Ray Of Light is a fresh line-up that should make some long-standing heavy rockers and AOR fans prick up their ears, as the promising name includes members of a gang that has already released several official records under the Frontline banner – eight to be precise – and has been on the verge of an international breakthrough several times.
Today the time has come and Ray Of Light show the world what’s possible under the new name with their video single “City of Angels”! This genuine rock gourmet treat follows the straight stomper “Falling to Pieces” and the radio gem “Stand Up”, which were released earlier this year. At the same time, the band announced their debut album – in their new form – “Salute”, which is due to be released on February 14th, 2025.
Watch the brand new music video for “City of Angels” below.
All ten tracks on the album share one thing for sure: They radiate a refreshing positivity that breaks through in a drive as exuberant as it is powerful – “Salute” extends way past the friendly greeting that gives the album its name. It is a glimmer of hope, a soundtrack to a new beginning, which was fueled not least by the arrival of the incredibly talented British rock voice Gregg Cromack as lead singer.
And yet there is so much more to the creation of this piece: a new foundation full of verve on the one hand, but also a heavy blow of fate and loss for the band on the other, when co-founder, guitarist, songwriter and long-time friend Robby Boebel fell seriously ill in the middle of the album preparations in 2022 and died far too soon afterwards.
It would take until the fall of 2023 for Ray Of Light to begin working with exceptional guitarist and producer Jörg “Warthy” Wartmann and complete the work in memory of the late friend. The collaboration between drummer/founder Stephan Bayerlein, bassist Thomas Hutch, singer Gregg Cromack and the highly versatile guitarist proved to be so beneficial and at the same time so creatively fruitful that the newly added “Warthy” also took over the mixing of the album, joining the band right away as a permanent member.
The upcoming album Salute can be pre-ordered here.
Tracklist:
1. Falling to Pieces
2. Ray of Light
3. Alive
4. City of Angels
5. Stand Up
6. Best of Me
7. Fallin from Grace
8. Frontline
9. Last Day
10. How Long
Frontline and now also Ray Of Light founder Stephan Bayerlein looks back on the moving times the band has gone through since the end of the pandemic: “It’s been a rollercoaster! First, the start of a new musical adventure, the kick that Gregg gave us with the unrestrained energy of his 10,000-volt voice, then the heartbreaking, far too abrupt farewell to Robby and the question of what comes next. How do you carry on when you’ve lost someone who is simply irreplaceable? In the end, it was both the memory of Robby that gave us the strength to carry on, and the idea that these great songs would otherwise remain in the drawer forever. Robby is around us all the time actually, in so many thoughts and in the ever-recurring question: What would Robby do now?”…
A question that became Stephan Bayerlein’s leitmotif on his road to the perfect hard rock record, as he took on the role of producer during the creative phase with a growing amount of respect: “It was a heartfelt matter to me personally – but increasingly so for each individual in the band, too – to grow with the overwhelming task at hand and ensure that the songs on the album could shine in the perfect light”.
As such, “Salute” is both a salutation to a shared past and a welcome to a future with great new members in the band. A Ray of Light that invites you to linger and follow.
Line-up:
Gregg Cromack – Vocals
Stephan Bayerlein – Drums
Joerg Wartmann – Guitar
Thomas Bauer – Bass
