release date: 30.11.2012

product: Wheels Of Fire - Up For Anything

label: Avenue Of Allies

format: CD

promo link (covers, bio): link

Two and a half years after their debut album “Hollywood Rocks” (Avenue 1007 0015) WHEELS OF FIRE return with their second record “Up For Anything”. Following the first  release of the band, which reached the #42 position on the charts of the Japanese Burrn! magazine, WHEELS OF FIRE have established themselves in the club circuit in North Italy as an entertaining live act with a stable line-up, that also recorded the songs for their sophomore release.

Front man Davide “Dave Rox” Barbieri and guitar player Stefano Zeni were already the core of the recording line-up of “Hollywood Rocks”, since then the duo was joined by Marcello Suzzani on bass, Andrea Vergori on keyboards & piano and Fabrizio Uccellini on drums.

Dave and Stefano are also the song writers for all tracks of the album, on some songs Alessandro Del Vecchio (Lionville, Edge Of Forever, Hardline) and Pierpaolo “Zorro 11” Monti (Shining Line, Charming Grace, Lionville) lend a helping hand in the writing process.

The compositions of Dave and Stefano impressively show the progression of the band into a contemporary Rock act incorporating modern elements into their sound while staying true to their musical roots of the Melodic Rock sound of the 80s. WHEELS OF FIRE stand for instantly memorable vocal lines and choruses with carefully arranged harmonies, hook laden powerful guitar riffs and solos combined with well balanced keyboards and piano entries, big sounding drums and solid bass tracks.

Dave delivers a highly professional production job on “Up For Anything” and for the album mix and the mastering Roberto Priori (Danger Zone) was behind the studio desk.

On the list of international guests are James Christian (House of Lords) who performs a vocal duet with Dave on the midtempo rocker “Don’t Walk Away” and is his wife Robin Beck, joining him on backing vocals.

And Swedish guitar player Rob Marcello (Danger Danger, Marcello-Vestry) laid down the solo for “No Mercy”. Contributions from local Italian musicians come from Michele Luppi (Secret Sphere, Los Angeles, ex-Vision Divine), Roberto Zari and Andrea “Mitzi” Dal Santo on backing vocals throughout the album and a full horn section on “Yesterday’s Gone”.

Following the release of the album the band will hit the road again in 2013 to present their new songs.

WHEELS OF FIRE are in full gear and “Up For Anything”.