War Babies are finally releasing a second album (ft. Jeff Ament) after all these years. Slated for a July, 2024 drop date by Washington label NW Metalworx Music.
Formed in Seattle in late 1988 by core members Tom McMullin and Guy Lacey on guitars, and Richard Stuverud on drums, with frontman Brad Sinsel added the following year. The band quickly built a buzz locally and garnered label interest and by 1990 were signed to Columbia Records with a big record deal. They were managed by Kelly Curtis (Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam) initially, and then Warren Entner (Angel, Faith No More, Quiet Riot, etc.), and their A & R rep was Nick Terzo (Alice In Chains).
They recorded at the famous A & M Studios in Los Angeles and their debut album hit the racks in early 1992. War Babies toured the US and Canada throughout that year with the likes of Ugly Kid Joe, The Four Horsemen, The Scream, etc. and played a huge benefit, Rock the Environment, with Heart, Queensryche, Metal Church and others for 20,000 people. Due to the changing music scene at the time, and some key personal departing, War Babies and Columbia/Sony parted ways before they could complete a second album and they split up in early 1993.
The members of War Babies all went on to other great bands and projects as the years went on, but fans of the group continued to appreciate their lone album and longed for more music from the Seattle rockers. A mix of `70s bands such as: Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, KISS, etc. with a dash of punk, and a bit of so-called Grunge (something the War Babies guys all had a hand in helping invent in the late `70s and early `80s), War Babies music still holds up very well as no-bullshit, ballsy hard rock. And now after all this time, there is more to be heard!
Comprised of recordings from a London Bridge session in May of 1990 (featuring Pearl Jam/Mother Love Bone/Green River bassist Jeff Ament), A & M Studios in 1991, and a couple of live recordings from 1992, these killer lost recordings are amazing! No filler here.
Watch Me Bleed kicks off the album strongly, and Man With A Golden Arm is a haunting tribute to the late Andrew Wood (Mother Love Bone). She Wants More is an anthem you’ll want to sing along to, and Walls will rock you up against one. The rest of the songs all crank and are filled with memorable hooks, solos, and the distinctive and powerful vocals of Sinsel. And the stripped down unplugged live radio recordings are the cherry on top. Don’t miss out on opening up this Vault of great music.
WAR BABIES Vault tracklist:
Watch Me Bleed (ft. Jeff Ament)
American Dream
Man With A Golden Arm
When The Well Runs Dry
She Wants More
Blue Tomorrow (Live)
Walls
Strange Love
The Girl I Use To Know
Wish Upon A Star
Sky Is The Limit (Live) (CD Bonus Track only)
Wasted Love (CD Bonus Track only)
Cop To The Loss (CD Bonus Track only)
Twist The Knife (CD Bonus Track only)
Limited Edition LP availble of Gold vinyl (only 200 copies to be produced), Black vinyl (only 300 copies to be produced) and CD (only 300 copies to be produced). Pre-order now at: nwmetalworxmusic.com
Below you can watch Watch Me Bleed, recorded early April ’90 at London Bridge Studios in Seattle by War Babies with Jeff Ament on bass.
It’s not all. According to Skin Yard Facebook page, progress is being made on the upcoming limited edition 7” Skin Yard Select Box Set. It will be limited in an edition of 1000. It will include seven individual 45s inside of a hard slipcase. All vinyl will be colored. All four Skin Yard drummers will be included.
There will be alternate mixes, and at least one song (with Matt Cameron on drums) that nobody has ever heard before. Art will be from the fantastic Mike Egan who will be doing a custom piece for the slipcover. Here’s the first peek at one of the single covers.
Born in Reggio Emilia in 1980. He created pearljamonline.it in 2001 and wrote the first edition of “Pearl Jam Evolution” in 2009 along with his wife Daria. Since 2022, he is behind 2 podcasts: “Pearl Jam dalla A alla Z” and “Fuori Orario Not Another Podcast”. He has collaborated with Barracuda Style, HvsR, Rolling Stone, Rockol and Il Fatto Quotidiano. He continues relentlessly to try to find “beautiful melodies that say terrible things”.
Favorite song: Present Tense
Favorite album: No Code
Favorite bands/artists other than PJ: Tom Waits, Soundgarden, Ramones, Bruce Springsteen, IDLES, Fontaines D.C., The Murder Capital, Dead Kennedys, Mark Lanegan, Cat Power, R.E.M.