The Screaming Souls are ready to rock the Hall of FameDate: 12/15/2008 By Courtney Llewellyn
Reminder Assistant Editor
SPRINGFIELD All are invited to attend the CD release party and concert for Barry Kingston and the Screaming Souls latest effort, "Screaming Souls IV."
The party will be taking place Dec. 20 inside the Basketball Hall of Fame's theater, starting at 7 p.m.
"I promise we will rock your faces off," Barry Kingston joked.
Kingston has been the frontman of the Screaming Souls since founding the band in the late 1990s. This album will be the fourth he has released. It was recorded at Spirit House Studios in Northampton.
The current lineup includes Barry Kingston on vocals and guitar; Chris Kingston on guitar; John O'Boyle on bass; Joe Boyle on guitar; Tommy Diehl on drums; and Paul McNamara on keyboard.
"Screaming Souls IV" contains 10 tracks that vary from songs as sweet as lullabies to rocking anthems that require you to turn the volume up to 11. "For me, all the best records had variety," Kingston said. "Look at the Beatles, at Led Zeppelin, at the [Rolling] Stones."
Classic rock definitely influenced the sound that the Screaming Souls produce. The first songs that Kingston ever played on guitar were tunes from the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith.
"The rock part was natural," Kingston said. "The spiritual part took a bit longer."
The Screaming Souls play what could be classified as Christian rock, but it has none of the overtly religious tones that other acts in the genre do.
"God just got my attention in a personal and powerful way," Kingston explained. "The lyrics come out in a spiritual way."
In addition to the band, Kingston also runs New Spirit Inc., a non-profit youth ministry organization based in Springfield. He said it's not hard to balance his work between the organization and the band. He's had offers for the band to tour, and he said they would love to do it if the timing was right.
Kingston himself has played everywhere from Los Angeles to the Holy Land. He performed songs in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. "That was unforgettable, unbelievable," he said.
Unparalleled experiences helped drive the creation of the group's latest album. "Ultraviolet Girl," the second track, is an ode to his daughter and opens with the sound of her heartbeat while she was still in his wife's womb. He described hearing that sound as both beautiful and amazing.
This was also the first time he's collaborated with his brother, Chris, on an album.
"Interesting musical fact about record most of the basic tracks were cut without any of members knowing the songs very well," Chris said. "We went in very under-rehearsed to get very live and energetic takes. We were even rearranging some songs minutes before recording them. In one case "Can't Break Free" the song was almost entirely rewritten over the course of about two hours in the studio."
The Screaming Souls will be playing all 10 tracks from their newest album plus some older songs at their concert. Tickets to the show are $15 each and are available at the door.
"Screaming Souls IV" will be available for purchase at the show for $15 each, and the album is also available through www.screamingsoulsnow.com, www.barrykingston.com and www.cdbaby.com.
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