Vocalist JEFF SCOTT SOTO is featured in a new interview with Norway's Metal Express Radio discussing his new album, Damage Control. An excerpt is available below:

MER: Over the years you've covered a lot of ground musically from the heavier stuff with YNGWIE MALMSTEEN to the soulful style of some of your solo material. The fans of the melodic rock end of your repertoire will be very happy with what they hear. Did you set out with the intention of doing a classic style melodic rock album?

JSS: "You know, at some point I do have to listen to what my audience likes. I'm not really the eccentric 'Oh, I'm going to do this because I want to do it' kind of artist. You do have to occasionally do that to get it out of your system and my last album, Beautiful Mess, was one of those. I was really excited to do an album like that and it served all of its purposes by going out and finding another audience that might not have known anything about my past. With my new record, I went back to the basics as I felt like I wanted to rock again and get some of the heavier stuff back into the mix of things ... especially in my live show."

MER: Does it keep it interesting for you and the fans by varying your style from album to album?

JSS: "I have to distinguish my solo work from everything else I've done in my career. My solo career is more of an open canvas and gives me a chance to express what I want to do, and I think it does keep people on their toes guessing what I'm going to do next. I don't want to be tied to one style ... I want an open ended vision and to be able to do it when I want to do it."

Click here for the complete interview.

Frontiers Records will release Damage Control on March 23rd in Europe and March 27th in North America. Soto's new video, for the album track 'Look Inside Your Heart', can be seen below:

Extraordinary performer and amazing vocalist throughout, Jeff Scott Soto blasts through these hard rocking tracks with energy and masters the transition smoothly from heavy rock to a delicate ballad. For his new album, Damage Control, Jeff has turned to many of his past influences and most requested aspects of his career by blending the art of melodic rock with hard rock throughout.

“I feel Damage Control is more of a return to what my fans would expect to hear from me. It’s a perfect blend of my first two solo albums with Frontiers Records; Prism and Lost In The Translation, but also mixes in some of my favorite moments of my past bands such as TALISMAN and SOUL SIRKUS” tells Jeff. “It is heavy, AOR, hard rock with loads of great riffs and melodies.”

Damage Control was recorded in the fall of 2011 and is completed with appearances and co-writing along with his former and current band mates together with many guests including Jamie Borger and Nalley Påhlsson (TREAT), Casey Grillo (KAMELOT), Joel Hoekstra (NIGHT RANGER) and legendary Y&T; founding member Dave Meniketti.

Jeff recalls: “Y&T; drummer Mike Vanderhule played drums on a track and suggested I bring Dave on but, as he is a long time friend and one on the ‘wish list’ of people I would have loved to have, I didn’t want to get an excuse that he was too busy or not interested, to my surprise I got neither... he was willing to do it and I was not only grateful but beyond pleased to work with another musical hero!”

The album will be released in two exclusive configurations; the basic version in CD jewel box will include 11 songs, while the deluxe edition in digipak format has an additional three bonus tracks and a DVD.

Full tracklisting:

CD:

'Give A Little More'

'Damage Control'

'Look Inside Your Heart'

'Look Inside Your Heart'

'Die A Little'

Take U Down'*

'If I Never Let Her Go'

'Tears That I Cry'

'BonaFide'

'Elena'*

'Krazy World'

'How To Love Again'

'AfterWorld'

'NeverEnding War'

'Afraid To Die'*

* Bonus tracks only available on the Deluxe Edition.

DVD:

'Look Inside Your Heart' (video clip)

'NeverEnding War' (video clip)

'Damage Control' (video clip)

EPK interview

Jeff Scott Soto is currently planning tour dates that will support the release of the new record: “The plan is to do as much touring as possible wherever the World will have me. I plan to promote this album with a proper touring regiment!” concludes Jeff.

The first single, 'Look Inside Your Heart', can be streamed in full at this location

The official trailer can be seen below: