Chris Bay is the vocalist for German power metal band Freedom Call and on 23rd February he released his first solo album called “Chasing The Sun”, through Steamhammer/SPV. At first listen I wasn’t too sure about many of the songs on the album as they seemed a little “pop” influenced. However, there were also some that I liked instantly, such as “Bad Boyz”, which was included on the NI Rocks A-Z Show on 20th February. The more I listened to the album, the more that it grew on me and whilst there are still a few tracks that don’t tick my boxes, they may well do so for other listeners.


 

Bay founded Freedom Call in 1998 and since then the band has released 9 studio albums, 2 live albums and a greatest hits. In 2015 they also re-released their third album “Eternity” with bonus material and entitled it “666 Weeks Beyond Eternity”. (Link) Over the years Bay had written many tracks that didn’t fit the Freedom Call sound and the release of his first solo album has provided the opportunity to share these. The 11 tracks on the album were recorded and produced in his own studio during spring 2017. Chris Bay plays all of the instruments on the album, with the exception of the drums; where he enlisted Freedom Call drummer Ramy Ali.

 

From the press release - In his lyrics, Bay has poured his soul into his writing, dealing with subjects which have always been close to his heart. He says: “It’s about love and experiences which give hope and can perhaps even help to solve the odd problem. After all, life consists not only of sunny but also of cloudy days.” Mind you, his optimistic nature always shines through, and sometimes even Bay’s sense of humour and his ironic take on certain illusions. “It’s a tongue-in-cheek lyric,” he explains the content of ´Hollywood Dancer`, which examines the downside of success in a not altogether serious way. “The public eye is always directed at a star, so basically that person can’t really move freely at all. Naturally people envy stars their success, but at the same time for these – as I call them – extreme celebrities, popularity often goes hand in hand with great loneliness.”

Chris hopes to be able to tour with the solo album as well as continuing to tour with Freedom Call. Check out his Facebook page for more info - https://www.facebook.com/ChrisBayOfficial/

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. 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”!

My musical tastes cover most things rock; from the not too melodic to the not too heavy. The albums that I’ll be recommending are those that you’ll hear me playing tracks from on my shows on Rock Radio NI.

 

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