LAST IN LINE Has Already Recorded Six Songs For Third Album

LAST IN LINE drummer Vinny Appice spoke to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation" about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's third album. The follow-up to last year's "II" is tentatively due next year via an as-yet-undetermined record label.

"We recorded six songs for the album, and we just need guitar solos and some final stuff on 'em, and then we're gonna shoot for a new deal, 'cause we left Frontiers [Music Srl]," Vinny said. "So we're gonna start finishing that up. And that's sounding really cool too.'

According to Appice, LAST IN LINE frontman Andrew Freeman is laying down the vocals for the new LP at his home studio in Las Vegas. "He did some of the vocals at home on the last record," Vinny explained. "And he does what he wants, and it's great — the stuff he does is fantastic. So we're almost there. That's half the album. So as soon as [the coronavirus crisis] lightens up a little bit, I think we'll probably get together in Vegas and write some more songs and then work on some of the stuff — riffs that we have — and build up another six songs, put together six songs, seven songs."

Due to the coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the globe, LAST IN LINE's touring plans have been put on hold. But, according to Vinny, a possible postponement of DEF LEPPARD's "The Stadium Tour" with MÖTLEY CRÜE and POISON will likely give LAST IN LINE an opportunity to work on new music and get ready for upcoming shows.

"If that tour gets postponed or canceled, Viv [DEF LEPPARD and LAST IN LINE guitarist Vivian Campbell] will probably have more time, and yes, we will, when we can, book some dates," Vinny said. "We're actually booked to play at the end of May and a couple of dates in June, I think, that have to be postponed again; they were postponed from earlier. So we'll just move them on… So depending on what happens, we might have a lot more time than we thought. We can start finishing the album and then doing some dates. That would be nice."

Some of the early recording sessions for LAST IN LINE's third album took place in January at Steakhouse studio in North Hollywood, California.

Formed in 2012 by Appice, Campbell and bassist Jimmy Bain — Ronnie James Dio's co-conspirators and co-writers on the "Holy Diver", "Last In Line" and "Sacred Heart" albums — LAST IN LINE's initial intent was to celebrate Ronnie James Dio's early work by reuniting the members of the original DIO lineup. After playing shows that featured a setlist composed exclusively of material from the first three DIO albums, the band decided to move forward and create new music in a similar vein.

LAST IN LINE's debut album, "Heavy Crown", was released in February 2016, landing at No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. Initially, the release had been preceded by tragedy when Bain unexpectedly passed away at the age of 68 on January 23, 2016. LAST IN LINE, honoring what they knew would be Bain's wish to keep the band moving, brought in Phil Soussan and committed to sustained touring in support of the album before beginning work on the follow-up release, the aforementioned "II".