Growing up in Jersey, music was always part of Anthony Lee Erik’s life. There was a song for every mood, event, every heartbreak, and every good time. As time went on, Anthony began playing background guitar to some of his favorite tracks. He further established his craft and can now play anything from jazz to heavy metal. No matter the genre, Anthony can figure out a way to play it, arrange it, and record it. Since he was writing the music, lyrics and arrangements , Anthony decided to build his own studio and venture out on his own. Using the music he loved or whatever he was in the mood to write at any given time, Anthony Lee Erik creates relatable tracks for listeners from all walks of life. Stay tuned for a continued stream of incredible music from this up and coming artist!
“Enjoy the journey music takes us on throughout our lives, it holds the secret to a beautiful life...you just have to listen.”
- Anthony Lee Erik
Out now, Anthony Lee Erik’s new album “Claim The Crown” begins with “Evil Twin”. Hard-hitting guitar riffs and thunderous drum lines start the track off to an incredible launch. The contagious melody blends perfectly with the trailing sound arrangements. Elements of hard contemporary rock blend with elements of classic rock in a brilliant musical chaos. “Evil Twin” moves into a pummeling guitar solo to melt your face off. We love what we’re hearing so far and so do Anthony Lee Erik’s listeners.
As the album “Claim The Crown” transitions into the next track, “Light Speed” we get a taste of groovy transitions and soundscape. The song explodes into classic rock vibes as the explosive delivery will give you chills. High energy all the way through, Anthony showcases his undeniable skill-set. Next on the album is “Devil’s Medicine”, another hard rock track that bounces through infectious melodies and intricate riffs. With more of a storytelling element, Anthony Lee Erik delivers powerful and quirky rhythms. He lays down some tight grooves to move into “Amore Della Mia Vita”, an acoustically pleasing song. Meaning “Love Of My Life”, the light-hearted song tells a story of love and happiness, without any vocals. Fresh and ground-breaking sounds in “Fearless Soul” have me blown away. The talented guitarist has inspiring and special ideas when it comes to creating music. The song explodes into Anthony’s well known hard rock sound. Anthony’s chemistry with music is evident through the speakers. The next track “Cemented” features perfect timing and tempo, everything is flawless and finely-calibrated while the sultry change in tone is a refreshing new twist to an impressive album. Next up is “Need For Speed”, the alluring riffs at the beginning of the track are the perfect intro to a hard hitting rock hit. Dedication to craft in the detail is admirable while the infectious and vivid music fused together is awakening. “Black Plastic Soul” brings us a spectacular groovy intro and moves into Anthony’s authentic flare. ”Time Machine” is a melancholic and alluring track made to lure you in and then blow your mind with the soundscapes and rhythmic textures. Layered guitars, ground breaking solos and emotive, soulful energy brings the listener back to the heavier side of things and hones in on Anthony’s more metal rock stylings. “Dirty Laundry” is laced heavily with soulful blues and jazz undertones. This sultry track conclude this incredible album “Claim The Crown”.
I highly recommend you give “Claim The Crown” a listen for yourself to fully experience every genre-bending layer. Anthony Lee Erik brings raw energy and an indefinitely loud testimony to the magic of the underground scene and we can’t wait to see what he delivers next.
Listen to “Claim The Crown” here and read more below in our exclusive interview!
Welcome back Anthony! Congrats on the release of “Claim The Crown”! Tell us about some of the challenges you faced when creating this album. How long has it been in the works?
Thank you, that means a lot and I hope everyone enjoys it!!! Most of the challenges that I faced were the ones I gave myself to try to come up with something special out of the gate while showing some dexterity and not just rehash some old and tired material, I mean obviously it fits in a certain genre but I wanted to add my twist to it and at the same time not make it sound too perfect with the technology we have at our disposal today - - - because then it comes off sounding too mechanical and loses that "human" element so you will hear mistakes and everything in there. This has been in the works for quite a while, a few years actually for all the stars to align and have it see the light of day in the way that I wanted it to be presented to the world. I hope everyone enjoys listening to it as much as I had creating it...
How do you feed your passion for making music everyday?
You do what you love and feed your passion by immersing yourself in what makes you happy (as long as it's not destructive). Since I was about 4 or 5 years old I have immersed and surrounded myself with music for as many hours out of 24 that I can...lol, I'll go to sleep listening to it, at the gym, in the car, in the house, by the pool, all have quality sound systems - - - I actually determine the purchase of any car I buy on what type of sound system it has - - - no sub in the trunk, forget it I'll pass...lol...it has to be loud enough to annoy people and make my heart beat outside of my chest!!!
What’s the overall theme of your album “Claim The Crown”?
Hmmm, well in the beginning it had a general theme of just making your head explode, then let you catch your breath just a little and then continue the decibel assault for a while and then bring you back gently and safely to the ground. Then as we started to work with the song order and it became something else, songs were completely, revamped and remixed to what it finally became and the theme changed to a more of a "if you're going to do something, give it your all or don't do it". Which pretty much breaks down to giving it everything you've got, no second best no matter the cost you GO FOR IT!!! Sink or swim but don't you dare half-ass it...
What’s the meaning behind your track “Dirty Laundry”? How do you want the listener to feel when they hear it?
Probably other than just some "dirty" blues, to just get in there and get yourself "dirty" doing something you love and even if it don't come out the way you wanted it to, you own it and call it yours. I always want the listener to feel what THEY want to feel when they hear the song, what the song means to them and trust me it's different for everyone. You might have groups of people that are like minded but I don't want them to feel something based off my opinion of what the song should be about, that's not what music is suppose to be. Not for me anyway...
What’s your creation process like?
Usually it's, 1.) Riff 2.) Drums 3.) Bass 4.) Lyrics 5.) Vocals 6.) Everything Else 7.) Mix 8.) Mix Again 9.) Argue about Mix 10.) Mix Again - - - hahahahaha. Honestly, I was told when I was a young pup writing songs by someone fairly well known in the music business "You don't complete a song, you abandon it" - - - 100% truth because you could honestly tweak FOREVER...
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