Rival Sons Release New Album 'Lightbringer'

2x GRAMMY-nominated band Rival Sons have unleashed their much-anticipated new album, LIGHTBRINGER via Low Country Sound / Atlantic Records.

Available today on all streaming platforms, LIGHTBRINGER notably marks the group's second full-length offering released in 2023, following June's critically acclaimed companion album DARKFIGHTER. Furthermore, LIGHTBRINGER is available in multiple physical formats including two vinyl variants - Lemonade & Black - as well as a CD version which are available in Rival Sons' webstore.

“Rival Sons prove there is always room for light to get in,” attested Classic Rock in a review of the new collection while MOJO raved “‘Mercy' takes them to a new level and ‘Mosaic' may yet become their career defining epic.” American Songwriter noted that the LP “offers an energizing escape from everyday worries,” and All About Rock avowed, “beyond accolades, it should see them inundated with a whole new generation of fans whose lives are suddenly soundtracked by Rival Sons.”

Rival Sons crafted LIGHTBRINGER and DARKFIGHTER during the same sessions over the course of 2021. Once again, they recorded with creative confidant and longtime producer Dave Cobb behind the board. The band initially dropped DARKFIGHTER to unanimous tastemaker praise earlier this summer.

Classic Rock attested, “DARKFIGHTER might just be Rival Sons' masterpiece,” and GLIDE Magazine enthused, “DARKFIGHTER is a lean hard rock album that condenses what Rival Sons does well into a brief attack.” At the same time, they have piled up millions of streams across the likes of “Nobody Wants To Die,” “Bird in the Hand,” “Rapture,” and more.

About LIGHTBRINGER, Scott said, “When you do two albums back-to-back like this, there are a lot of things to think about. The first record has to pack enough of a punch and tell enough of a story for the second half to have an even bigger impact. We balanced them out with energy and meaning, but the follow-up always needed to deliver a bigger blow. I think LIGHTBRINGER provides this.”

Jay added, “DARKFIGHTER is a new Rival Sons, and LIGHTBRINGER is the clear definition of what we are now. We broke ground on DARKFIGHTER, but LIGHTBRINGER is a step beyond the personal innovation and exploration. It goes a little further. We really took everything into our own hands and pushed to see how far we could go. It was a self-exploration to see who we were and who we'll be now. We had more friction and compromise than ever, because we isolated the bare essence of where we needed to go—and then we went there.”

Rival Sons recently concluded a U.S. tour with The Smashing Pumpkins and are currently selling out venues across Europe on a long-awaited return to their European fanbase. Known for their live performances Rival Sons have not skipped a beat delivering DARKFIGHTER and LIGHTBRINGER new tracks to UK audiences this week. 

RushonRock declared, “More than a decade down the line and the peerless frontman is in an ethereal league of his own — celebrating the Sons' ever-evolving catalogue with the confidence of an empowered artist at one with his work.” Metal Talk affirmed, “From start to finish, this was a show that will ring in the grateful ears of – I can only assume – everyone who bore witness to it. This really is the year of Rival Sons. And it ain't over yet.”

The tour continues tonight with a performance at Cambridge Corn Exchange in Cambridge, U.K. and runs through the end of November [tour itinerary below]. For tickets and more information on Rival Sons' upcoming tour dates, visit www.rivalsons.com/tour.

TOUR DATES

10/20   Cambridge, UK -       Cambridge Corn Exchange

10/21   Bristol, UK -              O2 Academy [SOLD OUT]

10/22   Southampton, UK -  O2 Guildhall

10/24   Nantes, France -       La Carrière [SOLD OUT]

10/25   Lyon, France -           Le Radiant

10/27   Paris, France -           L'Olympia [SOLD OUT]

10/28   Lausanne, Switzerland - Les Docks [SOLD OUT]

10/29   Milan, Italy -             Alcatraz

10/31   Vienna, Austria -      Gasometer

11/1     Zurich, Switzerland -  X-TRA

11/2     Munich, Germany - Theaterfabrik [SOLD OUT]

11/4     Prague, Czech Republic -  Lucerna Music Bar [SOLD OUT]

11/5     Warsaw, Poland -     Klub Stodola

11/6     Poznan, Poland -      Music Club B17

11/8     Berlin, Germany -     Huxleys

11/9     Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg Max [SOLD OUT]

11/10   Cologne, Germany -  Kantine [SOLD OUT]

11/12   Brussels, Belgium -  Ancienne Belgique [SOLD OUT]

11/13   Hamburg, Germany - Grosse Freiheit 36  [SOLD OUT]

11/14   Copenhagen, Denmark - The Grey Hall

11/16   Bergen, Norway -     Forum Scene [SOLD OUT]

11/17   Oslo, Norway -         Sentrum Scene [SOLD OUT]

11/18   Stockholm, Sweden - B-K

11/20   House of Culture -   Helsinki, Finland

11/21   Tampere, Finland -  Tampere Hall

10/20 - 11/21 – European Headline Tour

About Rival Sons:

Like a gang of tried-and-true mavericks, Rival Sons most definitely marched to the beat of their own drum. Right when you think you've got them figured out, the Los Angeles quartet—Jay Buchanan [vocals, acoustic guitar], Scott Holiday [lead guitar], Mike Miley [drums], and Dave Beste [bass]—will flip the script and surprise you once more. Their very emergence is inexplicable in the best way.

They never fit into any era or category, yet their uncompromising spirit might be more necessary today than ever. A sense of panache, a dash of mystery, and an unapologetic commitment to the craft of rock 'n' roll underscore their deep catalog highlighted by the likes of Pressure & Time [2011], Great Western Valkyrie [2014], and Feral Roots [ 2019], which garnered two GRAMMY Award nominations in the categories of “Best Rock Album” and “Best Rock Performance” for the single “Too Bad.”

Meanwhile, the Rock Radio #1 hit “Do Your Worst” has been replayed in 70 million streams and counting. At the same time, they've held their own on stage with Black Sabbath, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, and Lenny Kravitz in addition to blowing the roof off television staples such as The Late Late Show with James Corden, Jools Holland and Jimmy Kimmel . In 2023, they continue to subvert expectations with two full-length LPs— DARKFIGHTER and LIGHTBRINGER [Low Country Sound / Atlantic Records]—and more to come.

Photo Credit: Patrik Skoglöw

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