EXCLUSIVE: Legendary Van Halen bassist/vocalist Michael Anthony and Cheap Trick singer Robin Zander have contributed their iconic voices to a brand new track by gothic rock super group Beauty in Chaos.
The track “Drifting Away” appears on ‘Finding Beauty in Chaos’, the debut album from Beauty in Chaos released on September 28th. Beauty in Chaos is a project curated by LA-based guitarist Michael Ciravalo.
Beauty in Chaos drummer, Dirk Doucette, reached out to VHND: “I have some exciting news related to Van Halen. I’m a longtime huge Van Halen fan (saw them in 1981 on the Fair Warning tour) and that’s why I’m honored and excited to announce that I recently drummed on a song with Michael Anthony and Robin Zander. ANTHONY AND ZANDER on the same song!! CRAZY right?”
Below, listen to the complete track “Drifting Away” featuring Zander and Anthony:
On Beauty in Chaos’s official website Ciravalo gave fans the backstory on how Zander and Anthony came to be part of the project:
I sent the “Drifting” demo to Robin Zander and he liked it and agreed to be part of Beauty In Chaos. He started writing some new lyrics and making a very cool arrangement change.. really claiming the song as his own sound with his artistic talent.
He was in town a few weeks later as CHEAP TRICK was performing at the Hollywood Bowl. He came to our SAINTinLA studio the day after the show and in ONLY 3 takes, nailed it. “In Color”, “Heaven Tonight” and “Live at Budokan” where massive records I loved during my late teens and to have Robin Zander sitting on the couch next to me in the control room asking me ‘what do you think?’ Well, it is certainly mind-blowing.
In the final hour, I was blessed to have Michael Anthony to drop in and add his trademark Van Halenesq harmonies to this track. Though sharing a stage countless times, this is the first time these two rock icons have been performing on a song together. Truly, Beauty in Chaos is a blessing.
The Van Halen News Desk reached out to Michael Anthony for a quick comment on the song. Anthony was out working on his boat but was able to send us this quick response:
“This is from an album that Michael Ciravolo from Schecter Guitars was putting together using different singers on the tracks. They asked me if I’d like to come up with the background vocal part for the song with Robin.”
Ciravolo is the president of Schecter Guitar Research and the designer behind the company’s Diamond Series guitars. Read more about Schecter Guitars at schecterguitars.com.
Along with Zander and Anthony, Ciravalo enlisted some other big-name artists to contribute to the ‘Finding Beauty in Chaos’ album including Wayne Hussey (The Mission), Simon Gallup (The Cure), Al Jourgensen (Ministry), Pete Parada (The Offspring), Doug “dUg” Pinnick (Kings X), ICE-T (Body Count), Michael Aston (Gene Loves Jezebel – Michael Aston) and more.
To find out more about Beauty In Chaos and to purchase their new album “Finding Beauty In Chaos” you can visit their website, beautyinchaosmusic.com.
What’s next for Michael Anthony? He tells VHND, “Taking off in the morning to go up north and rehearse with the new album with Hagar, come down here for the Huntington Beach outdoor show on the sixth, and then going off to Cabo!” Of course he’s talking about The Circle’s upcoming album, Space Between,” which Sammy Hagar calls his “Last album”, due early 2019. The Huntington Beach show on Oct 6th is the Sammy Hagar’s High Tide Beach Party & Car Show, with The Circle. After that it’s Sammy’s annual Birthday Bash, for three shows at the Cabo Wabo Cantina!