Brian Tarquin & Heavy Friends “Tyranny of Tone”

 

featuring Joe Satriani, Steve Hackett, Bruce Kulick, Gus G,           Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Doug Rappoport, Gary Hoey, Carl Verheyen,    Hal Lindes, Stu Hamm, Joe Deninzon & Karen Briggs

“Tyranny of Tone” is the 2026 powerhouse release from Brian Tarquin & Heavy Friends, a guitar-driven instrumental album that unites Tarquin’s analog craftsmanship with an extraordinary roster of world-class players. Recorded at Tarquin’s Jungle Room Studios and mastered by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering, the album blends fusion, rock, cinematic textures, and deep musical camaraderie all in service of a cause that matters—California Fire Foundation—helping families of fallen firefighters
and communities recovering from catastrophic fires. Tarquin’s Heavy Friends projects have long centered on giving back, and “Tyranny of Tone” continues that legacy.

The album hits all streaming media on September 18. Fans can buy the album at guitartrax.bandcamp.com.

Tarquin’s compositions that are finding radio airplay include the explosive “Tyranny of Tone” with Joe Satriani, his sonic swagger “IG Nite” featuring Steve Hackett, the celestial funky “Intergalactic Burn” with guitar from Bruce Kulick, and the jazzy and soulful “Visions of the Eternal Flame” featuring Peter Gabriel’s violinist Karen Briggs.

In the album’s liner notes Larry Crane of Tape Op praises Tarquin as “a damn good musician, writer, producer, and engineer” calling “Tyranny of Tone” a warm, analog-rich record that feels like the classic
albums of the ’70s and ’80s. Tarquin records to 2-inch tape, mixes through a Trident console, and masters directly from tape — giving the album its focused tones, musical warmth, and timeless feel. Every note
on “Tyranny of Tone” reflects Tarquin’s commitment to tone, authenticity, and service. The album’s analog workflow gives it the warmth and musicality of classic rock and fusion records, while the collaborative
spirit honors the friendships and artistic bonds Tarquin has built over decades.

Brian Tarquin is a multi-Emmy Award–winning composer, guitarist, producer, and engineer whose career spans decades with Top 10 radio hits across several formats. His 2024 release “Beyond the Warrior’s Eyes” was the #1 fusion album in 2024 on Roots Music Reports.

Tarquin has also been heard by tens of millions on such popular television scores as CSI, Ellen, Extra, TMZ, 60 Minutes, Sex and the City to name few.
He has more than 50 million streams. Tarquin’s Jungle Room Studios have become a creative hub where he composes, tracks, and mixes his Heavy Friends projects — albums built around generosity, mentorship, and the joy of bringing elite musicians together.

1.    1,Tyranny of Tone — feat. Joe Satriani
Brian Tarquin rhythm guitar, bass, lead melodies and 1st & end solo
Joe Satriani intro & 2nd solo
Reggie Pryor Drums
2. IG NITE — feat. Steve Hackett
Brian Tarquin rhythm guitar, keyboards, guitar melody & 2nd solo
Steve Hackett 1st solo
Brandon Miller bass
Rion Smith drums
3. Out of the Ashes — feat. Gary Hoey, Joe Deninzon & Hal Lindes
Brian Tarquin rhythm Guitar, Bass, guitar melodies & 1st & 3rd solo
Gary Hoey 2nd solo
Joe Deninzon violin solo & Hal Lindes intro & outro solos
Tony Morra Drums
4. Dead Reckoning — feat. Gus G
Brian Tarquin Rhythm, Bass, guitar melodies, intro solo, 3rd solo, & end solo,
Gus G 2nd guitar solo
Tony Morra drums
5. Atom Smasher — feat. Bumblefoot & Stu Hamm
Brian Tarquin rhythm guitars, melodies & 2nd solo
Stu Hamm bass & bass solos, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal intro solo and end solo
Reggie Pryor Drums
6. Intergalactic Burn — feat. Bruce Kulick
Brian Tarquin Rhodes, clave, guitar melodies, talk box, 1st & 3rd solos
Bruce Kulick intro guitar & 2nd solo
Brandon Miller bass
Reggie Pryor Drums
7. Übermensch — feat. Doug Rappoport
Brian Tarquin rhythm guitars, guitar melodies, 1st & 2nd solos
Doug Rappoport middle solo
Brandon Miller bass
Reggie Pryor Drums
8. Visions of the Eternal Flame — feat. Karen Briggs
Brian Tarquin Rhodes, clave, guitar melodies & solo
Karen Briggs violin, melodies & solo
Brandon Miller bass
Reggie Pryor Drums
9. Phoenix Rising — feat. Carl Verheyen
Brian Tarquin piano, organ, slide guitar, guitar melodies & 2nd solo
Carl Verheyen middle solo
Brandon Miller bass
Reggie Pryor Drums

Produced, Recorded & Mixed by Brian Tarquin at Jungle Room Studios Mastered by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering All songs composed by Liam Tarquin (SESAC) Liam Tarquin Music Publishing (SESAC) BHP Music–Guitar Trax Records ©2026

Billy Sherwood’s album CITIZEN on Frontiers Music Srl

www.billysherwoodhq.com

Billy Sherwood’s new album, CITIZEN is out now.  Called “a landmark” album by the DAILY VAULT, this “imaginative concept album whose A-list guests deliver in spades, making this trip through time a memorable ride well worth taking.”

Players on the album include almost every keyboardist from Yes (Rick Wakeman, Patrick Moraz, Geoff Downes, and Tony Kaye), plus Dream Theater’s Jordan Rudess.  There is singing from Alan Parsons and XTC’s Colin Moulding, and Yes’ current frontman Jon Davison. CITIZEN features guitar playing from Deep Purple/Kansas/Dixie Dregs’ Steve Morse and Genesis’ Steve Hackett, plus violinist Jerry Goodman of the Flock, Dixie Dregs, and Mahavishnu Orchestra.  

Of special note is the appearance of Billy’s mentor, the late Chris Squire of Yes, who plays bass on the opening song, “The Citizen" for what would wind up being his last studio recording. 

Billy created this concept album based on a lost soul that is reincarnated into various periods of history. "I was inspired by the notion that General Patton believed he was reincarnated on various battlefields through time; I wanted to take that concept even further." As the songwriter/producer, Billy placed the citizen character into significant moments of history. 

A special songwriter’s edition of the album is available on Spotify, where listeners can hear commentaries from the artist, himself, explaining the inspiration and meaning behind each song between the songs.

Songs and historical figures on CITIZEN include:
* “No Man’s Land” about a runner in World War 1
* “Just Galileo & Me” about the famous scientist’s earth being flat or round debate,
* “A Theory of its Own” with Charles Darwin, 
* “Trail of Tears” on the Indian Removal Act of 1830,
* “Empire” about the Roman Empire’s final days,
* “Escape Velocity” about space exploration, 
* “Man and the Machine” about the industrial revolution,
* “Age of the Atom” on the Atomic Bomb,
* “The Great Depression” about the stock market crash,
* “Written in the Centuries” about Nostradamus,
and * “The Citizen.”
 

Fans can order the album on Amazon at radi.al/BillySherwoodAmazon radi.al/BillySherwoodAmazon
and on iTunes: radi.al/BillySherwoodiTunes  

Billy Sherwood was recently handpicked by Chris Squire to fill in for him on bass and vocals in Yes, before he left for cancer treatment and ultimately, his untimely death. Billy started his career in the band Lodgic and then as a member of World Trade, who have two critically-acclaimed albums. He has produced and engineered for many artists including John Wetton, Motorhead, Queensryche, Paul Rodgers, and Yes. He joined Yes first as touring member on the “Talk” tour in 1994, and was a full time member from 1997 to 1999. He recorded two albums with Chris Squire as the “Conspiracy” project and released six albums with Circa, the band he formed with Tony Kaye.  

CITIZEN is Billy’s eighth album of new material, though he sees this as a group effort, "While I've created a lot of this record myself I couldn't have done it without the amazing talents brought to bear by all the great artists who participated. So I feel it's much more of a collective effort than a solo album. It's my desire to take this production onto the stage and some of these amazing artists can help bring this concept to life.”

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Enjoy a CITIZEN EPK following this link: youtu.be/0t2xBIRHW7I

www.billysherwoodhq.com

www.facebook.com/BillySherwoodMusic

Amazon store: radi.al/BillySherwoodAmazon
iTunes store: radi.al/BillySherwoodiTunes