Soto band don't feel like hired hands

Members of Jeff Scott Soto’s group reckon he’s created a real band atmosphere in the camp.

The former Journey frontman releases his album Inside The Vertigo on January 29 via earMusic, and while the group carries his name, it doesn’t feel like a solo record to the musicians who helped him record it.

Drummer Edu Cominato says: “To me it was a natural transition because we never felt like hired musicians. We’ve been touring with Jeff since 2009 and we always had this connection between us, we always had this unity. We are just confirming this with Soto.”

Guitarist-keyboardist BJ, bassist David Z and guitarist Jorge Salan make up the rest of the band, which Soto says is simply following in the footsteps of the likes of Van Halen and Winger by performing under his last name.

He adds: “Inside The Vertigo was supposed to be my next solo album and I decided it sounded too much like a band, more so than a solo effort. So we simplified it by taking my last name as has been done through history with Van Halen, with Daughtry, with Dio, Dokken, Winger – so many other bands that used one person’s name.”

Soto previously said the album was a release for years of built-up anger.

Inside The Vertigo tracklisting

Final Say 2. The Fall 3. Wrath 4. Break 5. Narcissistically Yours 6. End Of Days 7. Inside The Vertigo 8. When I’m Older 9. Trance 10. Jealousy 11. Karma’s Kiss 12. Fall To Pieces

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.