BREAK FREE REVOLVES AROUND THE DRAMATIC VOCALS OF PHYLLIS RUTTER AND CHRIS BICKLEY’S POWERFULLY MELODIC COMPOSITIONS AND WILD GUITAR SHREDDING. GROUND-SHAKING BLASTS OF BASS AND DRUMS MAKE IT METAL, BUT INTRICATE KEYBOARD PARTS PARTAKE OF THE SOPHISTICATION OF PROGRESSIVE ROCK. THE OVERALL SOUND EVOKES SYMPHONIC PROG METAL BANDS LIKE NIGHT WISH AND WITHIN TEMPTATION BUT WITH AN AIRY, EXPANSIVE STRUCTURE THAT ALLOWS THE SONGS—AND THEIR LISTENERS—TO BREATHE.  

THE ALBUM MADE JOHN KINDRED OF HARD ROCK HAVEN’S TOP 10 FOR 2018; HE ENTHUSED: “CONSTRUCTED LAVISHLY WITH LAYERS OF DYNAMIC INSTRUMENTATION THE MUSIC ON BREAK FREE PROVIDES RUTTER THE PERFECT BACKDROP FOR HER VOCAL MELODIES…A PHENOMENAL DEBUT RELEASE.”  

BREAK FREE WAS THE FIRST RECORDING FOR A RELATIVELY NEW UNIT, WHO BEGAN IN LATE 2015 WHEN RUTTER AND BICKLEY MET ON FACEBOOK AND BEGAN TRADING MUSICAL IDEAS. RUTTER LIVED IN MINNEAPOLIS, WHERE HER MANY ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENTS AND LONG-TIME SUPPORT OF THE REGIONAL MUSIC SCENE WON HER SEVERAL MINNESOTA MUSIC AWARDS AND INDUCTION INTO THE MID-AMERICA HALL OF FAME. BICKLEY WAS A VETERAN OF THUNDERHEAD, A NEW ORLEANS PROG ROCK BAND BELOVED OF JOHNNY WINTER, AND THE TOURING GUITARIST FOR REBEL MONTEZ AND SNL SINGER CHRISTINE OHLMAN.