Steve Hackett launches video for ‘Natalia’

Wil Wander | August 28, 2021 | Release | No Comments

Legendary guitarist Steve Hackett, releases his new studio rock album “Surrender of Silence” on 10th September 2021, via Inside Out Music. The album features 11 new songs as Steve has been working hard through Lockdown and, for the first time, has completed two studio albums for release within the same year!

Today sees the release of the third single taken from the album, “Natalia”. Steve comments: ‘The weight of the Russian nation – my music at its most Slavic, inspired by all those stunning Russian classical composers and telling the story of that emergent nation with its struggles for power. “Natalia” is a Russian Everywoman, constantly thwarted by a series of oppressive regimes.’

Steve Hackett joined Genesis at the beginning of 1971 and gained an international reputation as the guitarist in the band’s classic line-up alongside Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins. Hackett’s intricate guitar work was a key element of Genesis’ albums from “Nursery Cryme” (1971) to “Wind And Wuthering” (1977) including the classic “Selling England By The Pound”.

After leaving Genesis at the end of 1977, Hackett’s solo career, which now spans more than 30 albums, has demonstrated his extraordinary versatility with both electric and acoustic guitar. Hackett is renowned as both an immensely talented and innovative rock musician and a virtuoso classical guitarist and composer and this was recognised in 2010 when he was inducted into the Rock Hall Of Fame. He has also worked alongside Steve Howe of YES in the supergroup GTR.

“Surrender of Silence” is released on 10th September 2021 as a Limited Edition CD+Blu-ray Mediabook in hardcover slipcase, Standard CD Jewel case, Gatefold 2LP+CD & LP-Booklet and Digital Album via Inside Out Music.

Hot on the heels of his classical-acoustic travelogue “Under A Mediterranean Sky”, which was released in January and hit Number 2 in the UK Classical Album Chart, “Surrender of Silence” is a further exploration of Hackett’s love of world music, discovering different sounds, moods and textures to deliver a rock album of extraordinary variety, power and beauty.

As with “Under A Mediterranean Sky”, “Surrender of Silence” was also recorded during Lockdown and, again, Hackett has called upon some of his musical friends from across the world to contribute. Hackett’s regular touring band of Roger King (keyboards, programming and orchestral arrangements), Rob Townsend (sax, clarinet), Jonas Reingold (bass), Nad Sylvan (vocals) and Craig Blundell (drums) are supplemented by Phil Ehart and Nick D’Virgilio (drums), the vocal talents of Amanda Lehmann, Durga and Lorelei McBroom, Christine Townsend (violin, viola), Malik Mansurov (tar) and Sodirkhon Ubaidulloev (dutar).

This new album is full-on electric…

‘Lockdown cobwebs are blown away in one fell-swoop here!,’ says Steve Hackett. ‘With the monster rhythm section of Jonas, Craig, Nick and Phil along with Rob’s soaring sax and bass clarinet, Nad, Amanda and myself on vocals, Roger’s darkly powerful organ and my guitar, we plunge full-pelt into that wild release of energy.’

Our journey takes us from the classical orchestrations of Russia (“Natalia”) to the plains of Africa (“Wingbeats”) to mysterious Eastern shores (“Shanghai To Samarkand”), all via the ocean’s depths (“Relaxation Music for Sharks” (featuring feeding frenzy)). “The Devil’s Cathedral” pools the talents of Hackett’s entire touring band and features King’s atmospheric Gothic organ and a powerhouse rhythm display from Blundell and Reingold.

Hackett’s vocals have never been bettered and his duet with Amanda Lehmann adds emotion to “Scorched Earth” a lament for the environmental horrors facing our planet. Throughout Hackett’s guitars add a rich tapestry of colour with soaring solos and intricate weaving melodies.

‘It’s a ‘no holds barred’ album,’ adds Hackett, ‘riding that wave, unleashing those demons, dreams and nightmares, all crashing together over the shore. I enjoyed the power of this album allowing my guitar to scream in joy and rage… and once again flying across those oceans to distant lands. It’s terrific to connect creatively with musicians from far-flung places, particularly when we’ve all been unable to meet. We all have a voice in our cacophony of sound and we cry out together in the Surrender of Silence!’