Tag: London LeGrand
1 Vie’s Verses – London LeGrand Deserves Another Shot
Over the Thanksgiving break, I was re-organizing my CD collection, dusting off some old gems, and cataloging some new acquisitions. As I often do when browsing my collection, I pulled out some albums that I hadn’t listened to in a while and gave them a spin. Two of the discs I played featured London LeGrand on vocals, (Brides of Destruction’s debut and Souls Of We) and that found me pondering whatever happened to this guy?
When Brides Of Destruction released their debut album, Here Come The Brides, I was excited because it featured Nikki Sixx and Traci Guns. That was an interesting combination and I wanted to hear the album for those two alone. What blew me away on first listen were the vocals. A raspy, deep, rocking voice was singing and screaming some exceptional music and it made me an immediate fan. I wore that Brides CD out and I was happy to give it another listen (or six) just last week.
After a stellar debut, Nikki Sixx left the Brides and returned to Motley Crue full time. The Brides released a second CD, which was not even as close to awesome as their debut, but there were still a few gems, mostly due to London’s vocal prowess. After their second disc, the Brides split up and LeGrand went on to work with George Lynch for Souls Of We.
Once again it was the excitement of hearing an established musician (George Lynch) that attracted me to the album, but it was the vocals of London LeGrand that hooked me on the album. With superb songs like “Skeleton Key” and “Let The Truth Be Known,” Souls Of We put out a fantastic record with a strong vocalist that I could listen to again and again.
Souls Of We was reputed to be working on their follow up album in 2010, but everything has been quiet since that announcement. Lynch went on tour with Oni Logan and Lynch Mob and then released a solo album. He followed that up by forming Tooth And Nail with his former Dokken band mates (minus Don Dokken). LeGrand has been quiet since 2009, with the exception of a few guest appearances both live and on studio albums. Whether he’s waiting for Lynch to finish the new Souls of We, going back to being a hairstylist, or if he has other plans, is still unclear at this time.
What is clear is that London LeGrand should definitely be making more music. His voice is magnificent and perfect for glam/hard rock bands all over. There are several bands out there in need of a lead singer in which LeGrand would be a perfect fit (Britny Fox comes to mind immediately). He would also be a fantastic fit for Velvet Revolver should they ever want to get back together. Perhaps he could reach out to some contacts and form a super group all on his own. Think London LeGrand, CC Deville, Billy Childs, and Bobby Rock.
Whatever the decision, I just think it is a complete waste of talent that London LeGrand isn’t singing, performing, and otherwise making music. He is an exceptional talent that needs to be revived and back into the public eye. What about you? Love London? Hate him? Not sure who he is? Drop a line and let us know what your thoughts are.
3 George Lynch – Kill All Control (2011)
When I first heard that George Lynch’s new CD, Kill All Control was supposed to be the sophomore effort from Souls of We, I was somewhat curious about this disc. I am one of the few that liked the Souls of We CD. I thought there was some pretty good songs there.
When I heard George had the guest vocalists Marc Torien and Keith St. John on a few tracks, I did something I rarely do. I pre-ordered the CD.
I can happily say I made the right choice, as Kill All Control is every bit as good as I expected it to be.
To me, the tracks with Marc Torien alone are well worth the price of admission. I never would have guessed that Marc Torien and George Lynch would have sounded so good together. This is a collaboration that I would like to see happen again. London LeGrand, Will Martin, and Keith St. John all turn in solid vocal performances.
The first four songs on this CD, “Kill All Control”, “Done”, “Fly on the Wall”, and “Brand New Day” all have that classic George Lynch sound. George absolutely brings it on these songs, and many others. The modern sounds of the first Souls of We album are still present on some tunes, but Lynch’s guitar work is the shining star on most tracks.
The CD slows down for the song “Wicked Witch”, which to me sounds like a left over Alice in Chains song, albeit a very good one. (You can listen to “Wicked Witch” at this link.)
“Son of Scary” is a derivative of the 1987 classic instrumental “Mr. Scary” from the Dokken album, Back for the Attack. This song features Fred Coury from Cinderella on drums. If you liked “Mr. Scary” you will probably like “Son of Scary” too. While this version doesn’t quite have the teeth of the original, it is a fun listen, and worth checking out.
Some other good tunes worth checking out are “Resurrect Your Soul”, the cheesy, but fun “Rattlesnake”, “Man on Fire” and the upbeat rocker “Go It Alone”.
Overall, Kill All Control is a good CD, and one of the better solo efforts from George Lynch. Every time I listen to this CD, I like it a little more. If you are a George Lynch fan, you need to pick this up now! I Recommend it!!
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Kill All Control
2. Done
3. Fly on the Wall
4. Brand New Day
5. Wicked Witch
6. Voices in My Head
7. Resurrect Your Soul
8. Rattlesnake
9. Sun
10. Man on Fire
11. My Own Enemy
12. Son of Scary
13. Go It Alone
George Lynch Band is:
George Lynch – Guitars
Adrian Ost – Drums
Nick Speck – Bass
London LeGrand (Souls of We)– Vocals (Track 5, 11, 13)
Marc Torien (Bullet Boys) – Vocals (Tracks 1, 3, 9)
Will Martin (Earshot)– Vocals (Tracks 1-4, 6, 9)
Keith St. John (Montrose) – Vocals (Tracks 7, 8, 10)
Fred Coury – Drums (Track 12)
0 New Video – Souls of We – Skeleton Key
Souls of We has released a new version of their video, “Skeleton Key”. Check it out below!
2 George Lynch’s Souls of We – Let The Truth Be Known (Release Year – 2008)
George Lynch is back with a hot new CD, and an updated sound. For his new project, Souls of We, he has enlisted the help of former Brides of Destruction front man, London LeGrand. I kind of liked the Brides of Destruction CD’s so I was curious to see how LeGrand would fair with Lynch. Much to my surprise, this is easily the best music ever released with London on vocals.
First and foremost, I had no expectations going into this disc. I didn’t expect the music on this CD to sound like Dokken, or Lynch Mob. I knew George Lynch was tired of playing the same old riffs over and over again, so I expected something different from Souls of We. Different it is, but in a good way.
The bass guitar on this CD is deep and heavy. At times it seems as if Lynch has tuned his guitar down a key to better blend with the bass. The ripping solos that Lynch is famous is for is there, but they don’t stand out as much as his previous works. London LeGrand shows more range with his voice than ever before.
Lynch may be known best as a hair metal guitarist, but with Souls of We he has managed to put together a very modern sounding recording. It so modern sounding in fact that some of these songs ought to be played on rock radio. There are a couple of songs on “Let The Truth Be Known” that remind me a lot of Alice in Chains, and one or two that could easily fall into the System of Down territory.
The first time I played this record I thought to myself, “Wow, I need to listen to this again.” There are some pretty cool if not amazing songs on “Let The Truth Be Known”. I applaud Lynch for trying something different. Not every song on this disc works, but there are quite a few good ones to check out.
If you listen to one song on this disc, check out “January” or “Skeleton Key”. These are some of the stand out tracks.
If you are a fan of modern hard rock fan, you ought to pick this up. Lynch fans probably already own this.
You can preview some of the songs on “Let The Truth Be Known” at the Souls of We myspace page or website. You can purchase the CD at this link.
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Let The Truth Be Known
2. January
3. Skeleton Key
4. Everything I Want
5. Key Of Noise
6. Sorry To Say
7. Crawling
8. St. Jude
9. Ghandi’s Got A Gun
10. Push It
11. Psycho Circus
12. Nork 13
13. Adeline
14. Under The Dead Tree
Souls of We are:
George Lynch – Guitars
London LeGrand – Vocals
Johny Chow – Bass
Yael – Drums
Additional Musicians:
Andrew Freeman – Bass
Frederic Leclercq – Bass
Jeff Pilson – Bass
Mike Hanson – Drums
Bobby Jarzombek – Drums
Mike Wengren – Drums
Patrick Johansson – Drums
0 Souls of We – “Let the Truth Be Known” Hits Radio
The collective foursome known as SOULS OF WE marks a new beginning for legendary guitarist George Lynch ( DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB ) and charismatic front man London Legrand ( BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION ).
Lynch and Legrand came together by a chance meeting on Melrose in Hollywood. “Back when George was putting together LYNCH MOB, I read in a magazine that he was looking for a singer,” explains Legrand. “I made a homemade audition tape on my jam box and sent it to his manager, but I never got a call back. Anyway, years later I’m standing on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood and I see George. I decided I didn’t have anything to lose, so I walked up to him and said, ‘How come you never got back to me on that tape?’ He looked confused at first and then started laughing. We hit it off immediately and he invited me to come check out a new batch of songs he was working on. He gave me a tape of music, and that night I went home and finished three songs.”
The chemistry between Lynch and Legrand was instant and undeniable. “London is a unique visionary and poet,” states Lynch. “His words are powerful and descriptive. I feel like I have finally found my musical soul mate.”
Rounding out the lineup is powerhouse drummer Yael ( TOM MORELLO, ALEX SKOLNICK ) and bassist Johny Chow ( SYSTEMATIC, FIREBALL MINISTRY ).
“SOULS OF WE is a dream band where I got to pick and chose players not because one is more famous than the other, but because I really respect and want to play with these people,” states Lynch. “We auditioned many technically great drummers, but something was missing,” says Lynch. “When Yael walked in, she brought the swagger and sleaze we were looking for as well as technical ability.”
Having played all styles of music, from performing with full orchestras to playing with rock bands, Yael is well versed in music and her musical depth is unmatched in the drumming world.
Chow and Lynch were introduced by a mutual friend. “A friend of mine kept telling me that George and I would hit it off and that I would be perfect for his new project,” says Johny. “Yael was already in the picture, and I had already played in three other bands with her, so I knew the chemistry was there. After hearing the music, I knew this could be something great.”
With all of the elements of danger, lust, life, rebellion and love, SOULS OF WE have crafted one of the most honest and brilliant albums of the decade. Their explosive debut effort, “Let The Truth Be Known”, is a modern rock album that can’t be pigeonholed to any time or genre. From sex-fueled rockers ( “Push It”, “Come and Go” ) to songs about inner demons and personal struggles ( “January” ), this band of rock ‘n’ roll saviors is making music that’s both honest and innovative.
Lynch and Legrand originally started crafting the songs that would ultimately make up “Let The Truth Be Known” four years ago. However, the project was temporarily put on hold for a couple of years while Lynch worked on various projects and Legrand joined BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION, the band featuring Nikki Sixx of MÖTLEY CRÜE and Tracii Guns from L.A. GUNS. After the BRIDES split, Legrand and Lynch rekindled their partnership and finished work on their most ambitious project yet.
“Let The Truth Be Known” was self-produced in various studios around Los Angeles and mixed by Mudrock ( AVENGED SEVENFOLD, GODSMACK ). The record features several guest musicians including, drummer Morgan Rose ( SEVENDUST ) and bassist Fred Leclercq ( DRAGONFORCE ). “We went in to this project with no funding, no label, no producer and no band,” explains Lynch. “We were just doing demos and making the music that we wanted to make. There was no one looking over our shoulders and no deadlines.”
When asked about the music, Legrand offers his insight on a couple of the songs. “‘Let The Truth Be Known’ is a song that shouldn’t piss off anybody that’s not guilty of the words I’m saying. It’s a fuck you to those who fucked me. ‘January’ is a true story of deception fueled by drug addiction. I wrote this song about the final days of BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION.”
“The music is dangerous and beautiful at the same time, but it definitely has a fuck you element to it,” states Legrand. “The songs are very personal to me. Growing up, I was really quiet and shy and writing was my way of being heard. There are a lot of kids out there that think they’re in this world alone. I want to let them know they’re not alone. We are all the souls of we.”
Check out audio samples at http://www.myspace.com/soulsofwe
Source: i-newswire.com
11 New George Lynch Band – Souls of We
Ex-DOKKEN guitarist George Lynch has issued the following update:
“Just wanted to let everyone know that London and my new band SOULS OF WE – five years, anticipated, long awaited, soul crushing, and everything in between project – now has a MySpace page.
The record will be available for pre-sale today (Monday, May 12th) and will be released May 27th, 2008. Go have a listen, the clips will be running in rotation over the next couple weeks just to keep you frothing at the mouth!
Go check it out.”
-G-shot
The Souls Of We debut, Let The Truth be Known, featured ex-BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION vocalist London LeGrand.
