Five eager Australians are growing impatient: Where is the Rock? - Dead City Ruins send a “Shockwave“ our way

Dead City Ruins are staying hungry. In 2015, the Australians sold their belongings and

went all-in when it comes to Rock ’n’ Roll. Tirelessly touring the planet, the fivesome has

managed to capture the hearts of its audience gig by gig – much like Rival Sons, Monster

Truck, and similar trailblazers of their generation have. They also share a list of influences

with these acts, namely Deep Purple, Guns N’ Roses, Zeppelin. Their goal: bring Rock ’n ’

Roll back to the people. What these guys make on the road, they re-invest into their

rough living conditions as well as their upcoming album. Now, “Shockwave“ is finally

ready and marks the band’s fourth record. For that to happen, everything had to change!

There’s Steve Welsh, for example, as the newly appointed microphone man. „Steve is out

there giving our typical sound a fresh new edge, which is pretty exciting“, guitarist Sean

Blanchard muses. Welsh himself elaborates: „These guys have given me the warmest

welcome; I couldn’t have wished for better bandmates. They took me in and let me be

part of something they had been building for such a long time, all the while giving me

everything I need.“

New lead singer, new producer

Before that, Welsh was mostly active on YouTube, where he dedicated himself to

imitating a plethora of singers. There’s one clip of him singing the twelve songs from Alice

In Chains’ “Dirt“ in twelve different styles; ranging from James Hetfield (Metallica) to

Ronnie James Dio. „I started doing these because I was just as interested in the music as

I was in creating videos. On YouTube, I was able to realize my ideas while gaining

notoriety.“

But there’s more revolution to this album: “Shockwave“ saw US-producer Gene Freeman

aka Machine take over the mixing desk after having worked with the likes of Lamb Of

God, Clutch, and Crobot. „That was a lot of fun,“ guitarist Blanchard reminisces. „We

spent a full week doing pre-production. Once we had the demos down and knew where

we wanted it to go, Machine picked everything apart and put it back together while

keeping our ideas intact. There were a few intense moments, but when it comes to

pushing the band and turning the songs into the best versions of themselves, no one

does a better job.“ And it shows.

Rabid for Rock ’n’ roll

Whether it’s a rhythmic monster like “Preacher“, a straight-up Rock-fest like “Speed

Machine“, a potential festival-anthem like “Dog on a Leash“, or heavier stuff like “Vision“:

“Shockwave“ proves that Dead City Ruins don’t just have a penchant for songwriting, but

also arrangements and the right energy. There’s no doubt that these Australians

absolutely LIVE Rock ’n’ Roll and that “Shockwave“ will open plenty of doors. At least

that’s what Tommy Cain sees in the band’s future after the pandemic: „We want to tour

as soon as we possibly can. When the world re-opens, we will be there to give the best

Rock ’n ’Roll show that Europe has seen since the lockdown and you better believe it!

The determination we have for our fans and music has never been so bold. The situation

might have live music by the throat, but we will overcome it and live as we once rocked!”

“Shockwave“ is out MONTH September 2023 via AFM Records.

Lineup:

Steve Welsh - vocals

Tommy Cain - guitar

Sean Blanchard - guitar

Nick Trajanovski - drums

Thomas Murphy - bass

Discography:

Midnight Killer - 2011

Dead City Ruins - 2013

Never Say Die - 2018