Capital Theatre - A Hero's Journey LP. (Ltd Blue vinyl)

One of the most exhilarating new forces on the global rock scene, Capital Theatre create the rare kind of rock music that triggers both raw catharsis and intense reflection.

In the making of their debut album A Hero’s Journey, the New Zealand-based trio mined inspiration from Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces, using that seminal study of the archetypal hero as a lens for exploring the human condition in chaotic times. Made with legendary producer Mike Clink (Guns N’ Roses, Megadeth, Steve Vai), the result is a truly singular body of work, powerfully illuminating yet viscerally thrilling. “The hero’s journey is the blueprint for so many great stories of our time, and so we decided to map out the album based on that framework,” says Capital Theatre frontman Adam Stevenson. “It begins at the status quo, then moves through coming-of-age and the call to adventure, the trials and tribulations and then finally the moment of triumph over adversity. It was such rich territory to write against, and ended up giving us this amazing template for examining the human experience.”

All throughout A Hero’s Journey, Capital Theatre set that examination to a supremely hardhitting sound. Mainly recorded at the famed NRG Recording Studios in Los Angeles, the album draws much of its gritty vitality from guitarist Roy Oliver’s electrifying solos and sequences, including a number of guitar parts recorded at Slash’s own Snakepit Studio. From song to song, the band reveals the undeniable chemistry they honed through years of playing local pubs back home in Auckland, with A-list guest musicians like Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney, Bon Jovi lead guitarist Phil X, and Spinal Tap keyboardist C.J. Vanston endlessly intensifying the album’s frenetic power. But while each track embodies an unbridled energy, Capital Theatre also embedded A Hero’s Journey with plenty of unexpected and immaculately crafted details: Stevenson’s graceful and soul-stirring piano work, the cinematic string arrangements of David Campbell (a composer who’s worked with the likes of The Rolling Stones, U2, and Beck). “We really took our time creating a whole world around every song, and made sure the music had a very epic feel to it,” says Stevenson. “We wanted the listener to feel like they’re going on a bit of a quest as well.”