“Final Offering” is the new album from American rock icons Axe and it was released by Escape Music on 20th September 2019. Coming almost twenty years after the release of their previous studio album, “Final Offering” is also destined to be the last album from the band. Founding member Bobby Barth was my guest on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 23rd August and we chatted about the album and the band in some detail – http://www.rockradioni.co.uk/interviews/3637-ni-rocks-interview-with-bobby-barth-from-axe.html . Several tracks from the album were included on that Show and “Money” was included on the Show on 20th September.
Axe formed in 1979, signed to MCA Records and released their debut self-titled album the same year. That was followed by “Living on the Edge” in 1980 and then, after moving to ATCO Records, “Offering” in 1982 and “Nemesis” in 1983. “Offering” would be seen as the band’s most successful album of this period, featuring the track “Rock n Roll Party in the Streets”. The band toured with artists such as Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne and Mötley Crüe. However, in 1984, guitarist Michael Osborne was killed in a car crash and the band split. At this point Barth joined Blackfoot and recorded a solo album. An attempt to reform Axe between1987-89 ultimately failed.
Axe finally reformed in 1996 with Barth relinquishing the lead vocal role to former Frank Zappa singer Bob Harris. The album “Five” was released in 1996, followed by “The Crown” in 2000. During this period the band also released a couple of compilation albums and a live recording from 1981. The band then performed fairly infrequently with Barth rejoining Blackfoot. In 2012 “Axeology” was released, followed by the “Axe Live 2012” DVD/CD. It was only when Escape Music approached Barth that the band decided to come back together for a final studio album.
“Final Offering” features Bobby Barth on guitar and keyboards, Bob Harris on lead vocals and keyboard, Gerald Berger (who first joined the band in 2006) on bass, Scott Misner (who first joined the band in 2007) on drums, Grad Banhagel (who first joined the band in 2004) on guitars and Craig Gysler on keyboards. Former Blackfoot member Greg T Walker is one of the guest backing vocalists.
The album is available in a limited edition blue vinyl from the Escape Music store – http://www.escape-music.com/
About “NI Rocks Recommends”
The simple idea behind “NI Rocks Recommends” is to acknowledge and promote some of the great music being submitted to Rock Radio NI. The albums that I’ll be recommending are those that you’ll hear me playing tracks from on my shows. I'll not be giving marks or ratings or analyzing the tracks in great detail; just telling you something about the artist and the album. It’s a personal recommendation to go check something out, not a traditional “review”!