Today, GuitarWorld.com presents the exclusive premiere of Walter Trout's new album, Battle Scars.
You can stream the entire album—which will be released October 23 by Mascot Label Group’s Provogue Records—below.
The new disc chronicles Trout's recent struggle with liver failure and his subsequent recovery.
“I’m thrilled about this album, about my life and about my music,” said Trout, who returned to the stage in June at the Lead Belly Festival at London’s Royal Albert Hall. “I feel I’m reborn as a songwriter, a singer, a guitarist and a human being. I have a new chance at being the best musician and the best man that I can be. And I’m incredibly happy and grateful.”
Compare that to early 2014, when he was lying in a hospital bed without the strength to move or speak, unable to recognize his children as he watched his body waste away. On May 26, 2014, Trout underwent liver transplant surgery, and the healing process began. “At first I wasn’t strong enough to play a note on the guitar, but as I regained my strength, the music came back to me. Now when I pick up the guitar, it's liberating, joyful and limitless. I feel like I’m 17 again.”
You'll find the complete Battle Scars track list below, plus Trout's current tour dates.
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
