Smith/Kotzen, the acclaimed pairing of guitar icons Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen, have released an expanded deluxe digital version of their second album Black Light / White Noise, adding two tracks that were previously exclusive to the Japanese CD edition.
Out now worldwide, the expanded edition features the newly added songs All The Way Down and The Grind. The release follows the duo’s recent single Blindsided and continues the momentum behind an album that earned rave reviews on its original release last year, including a UK No. 1 spot on the Official Rock & Metal Chart. For more details, visit smith-kotzen.lnk.to/blacklightPR.
Smith/Kotzen are heading back out on the road for a UK and Europe headline run, kicking off in Madrid on Tuesday 3 February. The tour also takes in a full UK stretch before continuing across mainland Europe, with South American dates scheduled for April.
“I think people will enjoy this show,” Adrian Smith told MetalTalk in an earlier interview, “because we’ve got a fantastic band. We’ve got Julia Lage, an incredible bass player. Bruno Valverde is one of the best drummers in the world. We’ve got all these new songs that we’re just dying to play. I think they’re gonna translate really well to the stage, so I think it’s gonna be a lot of fun.
“We don’t go overboard on production. There are not that many overdubs. It’s kind of a pretty raw, so it’s not like you’re trying to recreate this opera when you go on stage.
“It’s pretty basic, and, as I say, I think those songs will translate very well to the stage. Blindsided and White Noise, I think, they’re gonna sound like really, really, really heavy.”
Black Light / White Noise is a fantastic album, and both were pleased with the fans’ reception. “It was very, very positively received,” Adrian Smith says. “I think it’s a progression from the last album. It’s a little bit more cohesive, it’s a bit more focused, it’s a bit more uptempo, a bit heavier. Although I loved the first album, this was up a couple of levels as well.”
Richie Kotzen added, “From the moment we finished the record, we knew we had something special on our hands. It’s been a joy for us both to play together in the studio and on stage, and to write some of the most exciting music we’ve ever done. Bringing it to bigger stages and even more people in the UK, Europe and South America is going to be great. We’ll see you all down the front.”
