Black Page Turns have few rules but one of them is to write, play and enjoy killer tunes with the right rock groove and catchy chorus. They didn’t manage to do 2 UK tours, 2 festivals, launch 3 CDs, 2 videos and a host of cracking live shows in 2010 by being slack.

With two iconic videos made from their UK tour footage and with a sense of not over-analysing in the studio the band have taken their new record back to three-and-half-minute basics.

Black Page Turns are now back with a blistering and meaty EP, their 6th since forming in 2009 through their own UNOB (United Non-affiliated Organisation of Bands) record label.

First off, when lead singer songwriter Mike A is writing songs, “if you get the melody and heavy guitar riffs just right then you’re off on a winning formula...”. With members moving to and from Leicester, London and Europe it has proved a hugely arduous and mentally challenging undertaking as the EP came together at various points over winter as the band flew in for recording time at Deadline Studios in the Midlands.

Holed up in the dismal UK weather made the boys focus on the arrangements and showcase a new side of the band’s sound with electric guitar and voice trading licks.

Beyond that, this first taster of the new line-up includes Jay Swan from Leicester hardcore outfit Without Fire on all “Meltdown” guitars playing a riff whose genesis dates back a few years. It is, Mike says “an advisory tale - be careful right now because it could all soon come crashing down and is equally applicable to anyone’s personal life in these tough times”.

There’s more frankness in “Dead to the World”. “It’s sort of based on someone I know, but it’s been covered up a bit. But yeah, if you are a girl with long blonde hair and have a lot of hangers-on, it’s possibly about you”. Mike says it contains some elements of “bitterness about the fact she couldn’t see the situation herself”.

In addition, with their brand-new record, Black Page Turns are all about keeping it straight and to the point. Or, as Mike puts it bluntly, “with so much depression in the air at the moment, the band are producing lyrics reflecting on what’s around combined with bringing in the right stories to deliver the message”.

Black Page Turns began as an online-only music project and has returned to its roots at the start of 2011 with Mike assured it is better now to let the music do the talking and to spend time making sure the collaborations with multiple members is spot-on.

One thing that hasn’t changed over the years is the no-holds-barred live sound the band wanted to capture and with a bouncing enthusiasm the band entered the studio to encapsulate the vibe of their summer shows at Glastonbudget 2010 and the Love and Peace Festival in Leicester.

The band were on fire in 2010 with a live bootlegged session at BASE in Stourbridge, a radio session for Exposure Live and getting playlisted at Radio Caroline (the original boat that rocked), XPR Radio, CPulse and Basement Sound amongst others.

The band helped launch the new Soundhouse venue in their hometown of Leicester which bolstered the city’s rock credentials whilst more intimate acoustic shows allowed fans to experience the band stripped down from their usual heavier tours.

Now everything has clicked with reinvigorated creative partnerships with new musicians and producers and a passion buzzing with ideas, eager to get out on tour and take the new songs to the public again. In the game, and on top of it. Black Page Turns are back.

"Both tracks are fast paced monsters which will drag you along with them. 5/5 hearts ♥♥♥♥♥"

Black Velvet Zine Review Issue 66

“Lightning Strike possesses two qualities that many an up-and-coming band would kill for; an infectious piece of guitar work and a memorable hook”.

Uber Rock, Jan 2011

“I’d add the likes of Iron Maiden, Tribe, Toxic Federation in there too as the band’s sound is not too dissimilar. I look forward to hearing great things from this band!

Glitzine, Jan 2011