Today, Art of Anarchy release their latest album, The Madness.
AOA’s band members have collectively sold tens of millions of albums worldwide and have a rock pedigree on which most artists would be content to rest their laurels. But while the band possesses the star power of a rock “super group” in spades, their focus is squarely on songwriting and musical craft.
Lead guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal did time in Guns N’ Roses, while bassist John Moyer rose to fame as a member of Disturbed. Twin brothers Jon Votta (guitar) and Vince Votta (drums), meanwhile, first gained renown as fixtures on the New York music scene. The most recent addition to the group is Grammy winner Scott Stapp, the founder and lead singer of Creed. Stapp replaces the late Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots) as AOA’s lead singer.
AOA evolved organically out of an 18-year friendship between Bumblefoot and the Votta brothers. Jon Votta came to Bumblefoot with the idea of putting together a new band with a diverse group of talent and a uniquely melodic and aggressive sound.
The group released their self-titled debut album, Art of Anarchy, in June 2015, featuring the late Scott Weiland on vocals. The album showcased a gritty hard rock edge balanced by a powerful focus on innovative songwriting and skillful musicianship. Bumblefoot shines throughout the album not only as band’s co-guitarist but also as the producer and engineer on the album. Jon Votta shares lead responsibilities with Bumblefoot and co-wrote the album with Weiland. Vince Votta brings his powerful rock drumming sensibilities and showmanship, while Moyer brings a punchy bottom end that rounds out the sound of AOA.
The band’s next chapter begins now with the release of The Madness. The addition of Stapp and the electrifying new musical direction he brings ushers in a new era for the group. “I’m excited to be a part of Art of Anarchy,” said Stapp. “I appreciate collaborating with other talented artists and I can’t wait to share our new music with the fans very soon.”
"The other members of AOA and I are equally excited to have Stapp on board,” said manager John Gomez. “This is the first band Scott has fronted outside of Creed, and his heart's really in it. Scott’s vision, his gift for gut-wrenching storytelling, and his powerful vocals lend a bold new energy to the group."
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Bumblefoot adds, “Scott's style and the personal lyrics he's been writing are taking the sound in a new direction— one that brings out the best in all of us. It's a new chapter for us all, and I'm looking forward to sharing the new music with the fans and seeing what the future holds.”You can pick up The Madness via iTunes here.
Below, Bumblefoot demonstrates the clean guitar part in the verse of The Madness track "No Surrender.” Enjoy!
Watch the music video for the album’s title track below:
Below, check out the lyric video for the “No Surrender”:
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