News: The return of GIANT

Frontiers Records announces the return of GIANT for the release of a brand new album in early 2010.

After recording two albums with christian rockers Whiteheart in the early 80's and having made a name as session players in the Pop and Rock scene, guitarist / vocalist Dann Huff and his drummer brother David hooked up with Alan Pasqua, an experienced keyboards player which lent his talents to loads of Jazz and Rock artists and Nashville session bass player Mike Brignardello to form Giant.

They eventually signed with A&M Records and released 1989's “Last of the Runaways”, featuring a classic, melodic hard rock sound, which yielded a top-twenty hit with "I'll See You in My Dreams". Giant’s debut album is still regarded nowadays as one of the highest points in melodic hard rock of the end of the eighties melting diverse influences such as Van Halen, Journey and U2 to create an instantly recognizable sound. After countless tours and live performances in the US and Europe, the band recorded the follow up album "Time to Burn" in 1991. Slightly more aggressive than it's predecessor, but still magnificent in the production and songwriting departments. this album is also regarded as a main source of influence for many melodic and hard rock bands nowadays.

Soon after the release of “Time To Burn”, Alan Pasqua decided to quit the band and went back to session work. The band toured once again Europe and US without him, but soon after disbanded. Dann Huff then became one of the most respected producers of our era, working in the Rock, Pop and Country Music with countless artists including Shania Twain, Megadeth, Faith Hill and several others. His brother David also started to become more and more involved in the production business and thanks to a mutual friend he was introduced in 1999 to Frontiers Records managers Serafino Perugino and Mario de Riso. This eventually brought to a meeting in Chicago were the label proposed David to bring back the name and the music of such a great band. The “III” album was released in 2001 with major acclaim in the Classic and Melodic Hard Rock community.

However Dann’s busy schedule along with the other members’ commitments, made the reunion impossible to carry on. However the vision of bringing back Giant as a living band unit with a recording and touring line-up and with of course the possibility to carry on the enormous legacy of the music produced so far with the same quality was raised a few times in conversations between David Huff and Frontiers. As time went by it became apparent that Dann Huff could not be a full part of this concept, even though he loved everything that Giant was. Thus original members, drummer David Huff and bassist Mike Brignardello, who wanted to go back to Rock, started an endless research for the right musicians that could be part of a renewed Giant line-up. And in the end the choice fell on singer extraordinaire Terry Brock (Strangeways, Seventh Key) and on John Roth (Winger) on guitars. David Huff comments: “Yes, we have decided to move forward. But we’re not trying to replace Dann, because that could never be done. We have picked up where we left off and have added a great new flavor. We will always stay close to the original core of what Giant was: a melodic arena rock band based around guitar riffs. We will stay with the same principle of vocals too--great harmonies and melodies. Terry's vocal style is very complimentary to Giant’s core sound--he has tremendous feel (soul) and range along with power. John's guitar playing is very powerful too”.

The band has completed the songwriting and according to David: “It feels good to be working on Giant again! In early April we had an incredible week with the new Giant line-up, we have some great new songs and we are working also on some ideas that have been taking dust on the shelf for years. Dann was part of our meeting and has co-written several songs which no doubt have his guitar flavors all over them. He was also very excited and he has agreed to appear in the album playing guitar on two songs”.