Global Music has announced the release of Flying In The Face Of Logic, the first solo album from singer/songwriter KEVIN RIDLEY; producer/vocalist with folk-metal pioneers SKYCLAD.

The album contains 14 original tracks, mainly inspired by the singer’s native Northeast (England) so fittingly, it features several northern session players – notably Northumbrian pipes player Andy May, Folkworks fiddle player, Sophy Ball, and Blitzkrieg’s Dave Anderson on bass – as well as contributions from the current members of Skyclad.

Ridley describes the record as a form of continuation from Skyclad’s Semblance Of Normality: “Semblance… was the first album where all the band members involved had roots in Northern England and references were buried within the songs. It was something I wanted to explore, so Flying In The Face Of Logic became autobiographical and based upon my personal stories of life, love and growing up in the North-East of England.”

After spending 35 years in the music industry, engineering and producing for thrash-metalers VENOM, FORGODSAKE, ANATHEMA, PARIAH and Skyclad, Kevin Ridley took the opportunity to emerge from behind the mixing desk and experience the role of a player, rather than Producer.

Five years in the making, Ridley described the journey of writing the album as a challenge of learning “how to fly and make my own rules”.

Flying In The Face Of Logic was produced by Kevin Ridley; recorded at Newcastle’s Blast Studio, and mixed by Dario Mollo (GLENN HUGHES, TONY MARTIN, LACUNA COIL). Available on July 4th.