Swedish rock duo Johnossi is gearing up for their first US release since their self-titled debut came out here in 2007. Transitions is the band's fourth full-length studio album and was recorded in the fall of 2012 at ABBA-Benny Anderssons studio Rixmixningsverket in Stockholm with producer and mixer Lasse Mårtén, who also produced the band's previous album Mavericks. For the latest album, Johnossi added some strings and invited The Soundtrack of Our Lives founding member and kebyboardist Martin Hederos to join them in the studio. In addition, they enlisted the help of Peter Bjorn and John's Bjorn Yttling (Lykke Li, Franz Ferdinand, Shout Out Louds) and Miike Snow's Pontus Winnberg to act as executive producers.
John Engelbert (vocals, guitar) and Oskar "Ossi" Bonde (drums) aka Johnossi assembled this illustrious team to help them expand their sound. They not only wanted to grow sonically, but they wanted to bring trusted and experienced musicians and producers into the fold in order to give them a fresh perspective. While not a complete departure from their earlier releases, Transitions reflects the band's evolution since forming more than eight years ago and while they could not have made this album back then, it still is very signature Johnossi.
Johnossi's first two albums - their self-titled debut and 2008's All They Ever Wanted - gave the duo a solid start. They amassed a devoted following and they earned critical acclaim. The third album, 2010's
Mavericks was certified gold, earned Johnossi a Swedish Grammy Award for "Best Group" and included the platinum selling hit single "What's The Point" - giving the band their first real commercial breakthrough. The tours that followed these releases include a US tour in 2007 with the Shout Out Louds, a 2009 tour of Japan with
The Hives and extensive touring in Sweden and Western Europe both as a headliner and supporting other Swedish acts such as The Soundtrack of Our Lives and Mando Diao. Furthermore, Johnossi's sound both recorded and live belies their two-piece set-up and over the years they've cemented their reputation as one of the best and most explosive live bands around.
Their new album, Transitions, is really a continuation of the Johnossi story and both John and Ossi see it as a natural progression. "Transitions is, as we see it, about us as a band," explains Ossi who goes on to say, "it tells about the journey we made since we started as young guys in our 20's." "Gone Forever" is the first single from Transitions and it's already been certified gold in Sweden. For the US release of Transitions, the label expanded the track listing with a few additional songs that have never been released before in the US including the band's biggest hit to date "What's The Point." Full tracklisting for Transitions below and look for the album on April 29th in the US.
Johnossi - Transitions (International Release)
Into The Wild
Dead End
Gone Forever
E.M.
Roscoe
Everywhere
For A Little While
What's The Point
Alone Now
Seventeen
Bull / Bear
Great Escape
Watch 'Gone Forever' below:
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