Fans of melodic, progressive hard rock have been waiting a long time for this: I Will Survive, the new album by SEVENTH KEY, and the first new CD of studio recordings since 2004's The Raging Fire. Spearheaded by long time KANSAS bassist/vocalist Billy Greer and guitarist/keyboardist Mike Slamer (ex-CITY BOY, STREETS, STEELHOUSE LANDE), they are joined by drummer Chet Wynd and a slew of special guests.

Greer is featured in a new interview with Jeb Wright at Classic Rock Revisited. An excerpt is available below:

Jeb: There is a very strong Kansas influence on this one. 'I Will Survive' would be very welcome on a new Kansas record.

Billy: "I have heard that a lot (laughs). I have been with the band for 29 years almost, so I am bound to have been inspired at some point. I have worked in the studio with Kerry and Steve and I know how much they concentrate on the musical parts, the melody and having the right lyrics. Mike and I rewrote every song on I Will Survive a couple of times. I was done with the album two or three years ago, but Mike kept working on it. He would send me tracks and tell me where he changed a note here or there and he would tell me that I needed to add a new vocal here or there. I had to go out and get the same microphone configuration that we were using in Los Angeles so that I could make the changes when he would change a chord. He would tell me, 'I changed this chord and now you need to sing these notes over for the vocal line.' I would then make the changes."

Jeb: When you heard the finished record how did you react?

Billy: "I was proud of it but I was proud of it a year and a half ago. I was like, 'Come on Mike, just let it go and let’s release it.' He would not let it out of the studio until it was as it ended up. Mike is one of the nicest, kindest guys you would ever meet. He is English. He is very unassuming and he is so talented… he just takes his time and he takes forever, but he does it right."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Check out the first video for 'I Will Survive' below:

"I think the new CD is maybe a little bit more hard-edged and a little more progressive," says Greer, who remains an active member of Kansas. " I was also able to enlist my Kansas bandmate and friend, David Ragsdale, to play on four tracks. That, in itself, added a whole new element to the album."

I Will Survive is scheduled for release on Frontiers Records on November 1st in Europe and November 5th in North America and will include the following songs:

'I Will Survive'

'Lay In On The Line'

'I See You There'

'It’s Just A State Of Mind'

'Sea Of Dreams'

'Time And Time Again'

'When Love Sets You Free'

'Down'

'The Only One'

'What Love’s Supposed To Be'

'I Want It All'

I Will Survive EPK: