Credit: Tammy Vega

Credit: Tammy VegaFormer Cinderella frontman Tom Keifer recently released his second solo album, Rise, an eclectic collection of songs that finds the singer exploring hard-rock, roots-rock, gospel, blues and modern-rock sounds while musing on some of the challenges he’s faced in recent years.

A noticeable aspect of Rise is that, after years of dealing with serious vocal issues, Keifer is singing with power and grit, while reaching notes reminiscent of Cinderella’s heyday.

“I’ve had tons of vocal struggles, with paralysis and multiple surgeries and more hemorrhages than I can even count,” he tells ABC Audio. “But…I’ve been very fortunate with touring with this band where it’s been fairly healthy, and I’ve gotten stronger and stronger and stronger. So, some of that power is back now.”

Keifer also notes that, like his first solo effort, 2013’s The Way Life Goes, Rise offers a lot of sonic diversity.

“[E]very record I’ve been involved with has a journey in terms of dynamics, where there’s ballads and there’s heavy songs and there’s things in between,” he maintains. “This record certainly has all of that.”

Keifer says he feels the main difference between Rise and The Way Life Goes is that the new album was recorded with his longtime backing group, whereas he used session musicians for the previous project.

“[W]e’re a real band with a really great chemistry that’s been on the road now for six years,” Tom explains. “So everyone in the band really contributed.”

You can get a taste of Rise by checking out four Keifer videos that have been posted on Cleopatra Records’ YouTube channel: “The Death of Me,” “Touching the Divine,” the title track and “Waiting on the Demons.”

Meanwhile, Keifer started lining up 2020 tour dates in support of Rise. Here they are:

2/18 — Cincinnati, OH, Bogart’s
2/19 — Louisville, KY, Mercury Ballroom
2/21 — Flint, MI, The Machine Shop
2/22 — Sault Ste. Marie, MI, Kewadin Casinos

Copyright © 2019, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.