Slaves To Gravity

Slaves To Gravity came to life in their native London in 2006 after frontman Tommy Gleeson and bassist Toshi Ogawa refused to let the break-up of their previous band halt their creativity. Ignoring trendy musical styles and conventions for something closer to their hearts, they joined forces with lead guitarist Mark Verney and set about paying homage to the music they loved – Nineties grunge and alt rock – with their own sense of style and outpouring of cathartic emotion.
The results were as quick to attract critical acclaim as they were a loyal, vocal fanbase. In 2007 their first two singles, Big Red and Meantime – tributes to a the best rock pub in London and intelligent post-hardcore bruisers Helmet's seminal 1992 album, respectively – both shot into the Top 5 UK Singles Rock Chart.
Debut album Scatter The Crow followed in 2008, earning rave reviews in the UK rock press and beyond. Recalling greats like Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots and Alice In Chains, with a modern, English twist, Classic Rock enthused that "Every one of the thirteen tracks could be a massive hit" while others lined up to praise its "Big brash rock riffs" (Rock Sound) and "Convincing swagger" (Metal Hammer).
It also bagged the band the prestigious Best British Newcomer prize at the 2008 Kerrang! Awards, with former K! editor Paul Brannigan proclaiming "This band will fly".
Not resting on their laurels, Slaves spent the following year building momentum by touring relentlessly, with an appearance at Download Festival followed by extensive treks the length and breadth of the UK and subsequently America In 2009 the band's Doll Size EP followed the success of third single Mr Regulator.
2010 saw the band recording their follow up 2nd album and touring with Lacuna Col and later in the year with Alter Bridge.
All of which has primed Slaves to Gravity for a hotly anticipated return in 2011, with their new album UNDERWATEROUTERSPACE. Scheduled for UK release on 18th April, new single 'Silence Now' is set to precede it on 11th April…with a new video
Tommy describes the new album as "A big step forward in every department." It's an album that's seen them grow as artists and as a band. "We pushed ourselves much harder as writers, performers and musicians," he adds. "We really wanted to raise our game and establish a sound we could call our own."
He's also keen to praise the impact of the album's heavyweight producer, Bob Marlette (Black Sabbath, Marilyn Manson, Airbourne). "He encouraged us to have the confidence to go out on a limb creatively," says Tommy. "Bob created an environment in the studio where everyone felt safe to explore their ideas without fear of looking stupid if they didn't come off. It forced us to be brave and it really strengthened the trust between us. The result is we've ended up sounding more like the gap in our record collections than the sum total of them."



Now, they're looking enthusiastically towards the future.



"Putting Scatter The Crow out through our own label (Gravitas) gave us a really good grounding and helped us build a good grassroots fanbase," says Tommy, "but for a band like us there's only so far you can take it without the machine of a larger label behind you," he continues, explaining the band's decision to sign a deal with SPV at the end of 2010



"What we'd really like to do with the new album is spread the word right around the world," he says, clarifying their mission statement. "We have a vision of where we believe the band deserves to be, and we have the dogged determination to see it get there."



With their rejuvenated line-up, tireless work ethic and unshakeable belief in their new material, you wouldn't bet against UNDERWATEROUTERSPACE doing just that.