Dimitris Kontogeorgakos of the Chicago-based webzine Metal Kaoz recently conducted an interview with legendary rock singer / songwriter Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, MSG, Rainbow) and talked about the creation of Alcatrazz's most recent record, Born Innocent.

Bonnet was asked if he reached out to Yngwie Malmsteen to contribute to Born Innocent: "No, (laughs) and that’s because I know him. I know he’s very, very busy and he wouldn’t want to. I remember him saying, 'I don’t want to go back, always go forward'. And that’s OK with me. Maybe one day he might play in this band or with my band or some other band, I don’t know. Right now, he’s doing things completely on his own. So, good luck to him. He’s still a great player and a great musician."

Asked if he thinks that reactivating Alcatrazz is “going back”, Bonnet replies: "Sort of, yeah because it is like going back to relive what we had in the first place. Because I think now by doing this album and what this album sounds like, is very much like we did on our very first album. It has that same feel but with a modern production, I think. And to go back to your question I will say that I’ve never left really. I’ve always been there because I’m still writing the same kind of songs and people who are in the band now know how I write songs and I know how they write, so it’s not really going back; it’s going forward but at the same time using elements of the past."

Read the full interview at Metal Kaoz.

Alcatrazz have released their brand new full-length, Born Innocent, via Silver Lining Music. Order here.

Born Innocent is their first studio venture since 1986’s Dangerous Games. Alongside the unique vocal prowess and range of star frontman and founding member Graham Bonnet, Born Innocent also features fellow founding members Jimmy Waldo and Gary Shea. Debuting on Born Innocent is the latest of the illustrious Alcatrazz guitarists to bring their extreme six-string talents to the band, with Boston-based Berklee College of Music Assistant Professor of Guitar, and one-man metal impresario Joe Stump.

Mixed and mastered by Andy Haller, Born Innocent also sees former stars from Bonnet's long career making guest appearances, from Chris Impellitteri, who wrote the music and played all guitars on the arpeggio-powered "Born Innocent" with Bonnet's vocals soaring to old-school heights, and Bob Kulick who wrote and laid down guitar for "I Am The King". Virtuoso Japanese guitar maestro Nozomu Wakai - a new invitee to the party- similarly wrote and played guitars on the double-kick steel-plated Irish warrior ode "Finn McCool", while Steve Vai wrote "Dirty Like The City". Meanwhile, "Something That I Am Missing" and "Warth Lane" were written by - and feature the guitar work of- Italian six-string hero Dario Mollo, with Riot bassist Don Van Stavern playing bass on the title track, "Polar Bear", "Finn McCool", "London 1666", "Dirty Like The City" and "Paper Flags". Add D. Kendall Jones’ writing and guitar work on "We Still Remember" and even a quick solo by another new invitee to the Alcatrazz mega-sound, Annihilator's Jeff Waters on "Paper Flags" (the second one to be precise), and it’s clear that studio Alcatrazz 2020 is one giant piece of rock for sure.

Tracklisting:

"Born Innocent"
"Polar Bear"
"Finn McCool"
"We Still Remember"
"London 1666"
"Dirty Like The City"
"I Am The King"
"Something That I Am Missing"
"Paper Flags"
"The Wound Is Open"
"Body Beautiful"
"Warth Lane"
"For Tony"

"Born Innocent" video:

"Dirty Like The City" video:

"London 1666" video:

"Polar Bear" lyric video:

- Produced by Giles Lavery and Jimmy Waldo
- Mixed, mastered and edited by Andy Haller

Alcatrazz is:

Graham Bonnet - Vocals
Joe Stump - Guitars
Jimmy Waldo - Keyboards
Gary Shea - Bass
Mark Benquechea - Drums