Fast-rising fusion guitarist STEVE DADAIAN will release his upcoming new full-length concept album, Follow The Light, on February 1, 2019. Today, STEVE DADAIAN has revealed a brand new track from the album, entitled “Soul Connection“, featuring the powerful guest lead vocals of Soilwork frontman Björn Strid. Listen to the entire track and watch the stunning lyric video (created by Wayne Joyner) for “Soul Connection” here via Consequence of Sound’s Heavy Consequence.
“Soul Connection”, in its entirety, was originally written by Dadaian for a 2017 songwriting competition held by Serj Tankian of System of a Down – of which Dadaian was a finalist. For the competition, dubbed the 7 Notes Experiment, Tankian provided the first seven notes of a song and competitors were asked to write a full track from those notes. All proceeds from the sale of the track will go to the Creative Armenia Fund, an arts foundation created to discover, develop, produce and promote creative talent across the world.
STEVE DADAIAN says: “This song is the only track with vocals on the entire album, so I knew I had to do something special with it. I wanted to preserve the intensity of the preceding songs while offering something new with “Soul Connection”. Enter vocal master Björn Strid – his talents and contribution helped make this an epic, standout track.
“Soul Connection” was inspired by the haunting first seven notes of the song. Lyrically, the idea is that even when those we are close to pass on, an intangible part of them stays with us from generation to generation. This theme ties into the main conceptual storyline of my album as well.”
Björn Strid adds, “I think this collaboration really came out great. The topic is brilliant and is something I can definitely relate to.”
Featuring razor-sharp solos, theatrical, symphonic soundscapes and unforgettable melodies, STEVE DADAIAN’s new album, Follow The Light,starts strong with an ominous, movie-soundtrack-ready introduction preparing the listener for the album, aptly titled “The Journey Ahead”. The album wastes no time beginning its epic tale with the metal/jazz fusion track “Follow The Light”, and continues to flux amid orchestral-influenced pieces such as “Forest Requiem” and larger-than-life metal opuses like “Soul Connection”.
Follow The Light can be pre-ordered via Bandcamp, iTunes and Amazon now. The physical version of Follow The Light also includes a written component, allowing the listener to follow the album’s epic story both on paper and in auditory form.
New Jersey native STEVE DADAIAN discovered his love for the guitar at a young age. Even while studying at the prestigious Columbia University in the city of New York, Dadaian continued to hone his craft as an artist. The then 21-year-old classically-trained guitarist spent the little spare time he had reaching top spots at national guitar competitions hosted by Slash, John Petrucci (Dream Theater) and Jon Donais (Anthrax, Shadows Fall), performing at events with the likes of Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, and Nicko McBrain, and dazzling crowds at venues like the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
STEVE DADAIAN endorses DR strings, ESP Guitars, Synergy Amps, and Lunastone pedals.
STEVE DADAIAN will appear at the Winter NAMM Show 2019, where he will perform tracks from his new album at the DR Strings booth (4214 Hall D) on Friday, January 25 at 11:00 AM. During the performance, Dadaian will utilize a variety of the company’s product lines – such as Tite-fit and DDT (Drop Down Tuning) strings. Stay tuned for a special video showcasing DR Strings’ DDT line, featuring STEVE DADAIAN, set to launch via Sweetwater.com before NAMM.
