DUKES OF THE ORIENT Release Self-Titled Debut Studio Album
February 23rd, 2018
 John Payne and Erik Norlander |
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Progressive rock duo Dukes Of The Orient issued their self-titled debut full-length studio album on February 23rd, 2018 through Frontiers Music Srl.
Dukes Of The Orient has its origins in 2007 as Asia Featuring John Payne, a band which continued on after Asia keyboardist Geoff Downes left to reform the original 1982 line-up. Payne recruited Norlander to join Guthrie Govan and Jay Schellen for tour dates in the US and initial recordings, some of which endured to appear on Dukes Of The Orient’s self-titled affair.
Govan left the band to form The Aristocrats and was replaced by guitarist Bruce Bouillet followed by Jeff Kollman and Moni Scaria. The final line-up resulted in the track ‘Seasons Will Change’, released as a video in 2013 and which appears on the Dukes Of The Orient album. Following the death of original Asia vocalist John Wetton in early 2017, Payne and Norlander decided that these recordings should give birth to a new band, both out of respect for Wetton and for clarity with the Downes-led Asia.
Frontman John Payne commented: “With Dukes Of The Orient, we have dug deep with analogue soundscapes, superlative musicians and song-driven epics. Add to this the masterful artwork of Rodney Matthews and a journey that started with the supergroup Asia, we give you the next chapter, one we are extremely proud of.”
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The track listing is as follows:
01. ‘Brother In Arms’
02. ‘Strange Days’
03. ‘Amor Vincit Omnia’
04. ‘Time Waits For No One’
05. ‘A Sorrow’s Crown’
06. ‘Fourth Of July’
07. ‘Seasons Will Change’
08. ‘Give Another Reason’
Dukes Of The Orient’s line-up is as follows:
John Payne (vocals, bass, and guitars)
Erik Norlander (keyboards)
Dukes Of The Orient’s recording line-up includes the following:
Jeff Kollman (guitars)
Guthrie Govan (guitars)
Moni Scaria (guitars)
Bruce Bouillet (guitars)
Jay Schellen (drums)
Music videos were filmed for the tracks ‘Strange Days’ and ‘Seasons Will Change’. Both clips can be viewed below.
Promotional photograph by Alyssa Nance.
