"I am very pleased to announce that today the vocal recording for VALIDITY reached it's end. The only work left to do is to mix the album and package it. Battle Cry's fourth album, Validity, will be fully finished at the LATEST of July 2006. New songs should be popping up on myspace within a few weeks and probably will totally overtake the songs currently on here. ALL songs will be made downloadable and gradually the ENTIRE album will be released through myspace. This was the only means in which I could successfully "release" the album widespread, something that I've wanted to do for a very, very long time. The final songs are (in no particular order yet):

Sweet Jasmine - Every Morning - Blackened Eye - Lips Bleed Antidotes - Now Unseen - Breath Dance - Age Of Devestion - Locked Inside - Shadowman - The Suffering - Still Standing - Anything At Any Price - Black Celebration (depeche mode cover)

Thanks to all those who supported this album from the beginning. After almost 11 solid months of working, it is finished."

04-19-06

01-24-06Re-recording continues on the fourth BC album. Some info to be released in the following.

There has been one song added to the list, a piano instrumental entitled “A Moment Of Silence” recorded today. Recorded in the way the LA songs were recorded, in the moment.

The album, I’m officially (although subject to change) “VALIDITY” - I decided on the name due to my feelings as far as the future of BC. I don’t feel that it’s anywhere near its end and this album is by far the most well grounded that I’ve done. Songwriting is organized and precise. Album due out hopefully by Summer 2006.

Instrumentation used on the album:

So far, no guitar or bass has been used at all. I feel the last album, The Year After, really kinda broadcasted a rock format and I don’t want to back myself into a corner to the point of where it kills the name to back away from the guitars again. Some MIGHT be added, but I doubt it as the songs just couldn’t justify. The Casio keyboard (same keyboard used on the previous 3 albums) is making its final appearance on most of the songs. However, and I’ve been sitting on this news for some time now, I have been working on a Korg Triton LE synthesizer. The addition of the synthesizer directly forced the re-recording of some songs. Although, not all songs will feature the Korg.

I hope to have a song completed fully within the next few months to release ahead of the album, though I’m unsure of which song to pick yet, very good chance the song will be “Sweet Jasmine”.

12-06-05

Now in the estimated 4th month of recording the next Battle Cry album the near 20 songs are starting to give shape to what will become the album. I wrote song #18 tonight and went through fixing another song. Not much for news, but work continues. No completion date as of yet. I doubt it will be later than Summer of 2006 though.

PromoCD hopefully going out to college radio and others by the end of January 2006 which will feature selected tracks from previous releases. No new material will be featured

11-28-05

I have been having problems with Tripod lately and the new website for Battle Cry. This could either be a problem with my Tripod profile or my computer. Probably the latter. In either case, I hope to have it fixed within a reasonable amount of time.

DeccenaryRetrospective failed to make radio play to my knowledge. It’s okay though, I just thought I would give it a shot and it by no means ends any future plans for BC. DR actually has stood up as one of the most powerful BC releases to date other than The Year After. Copies have circulated nicely and I’m very happy with the feedback. Even had an elderly couple send out a compliment on the EP. So, things are definitely moving upstream.

As for the future of Battle Cry. . . . Here is the lowdown from the studio:

-As of 11-28-05 15.5 songs have been written. Half because I’m still working with one. The plan is to write about 30 songs and pick the best 10-12 tracks of them.

-Songs will be written musically first. Entirely. Vocals/Lyrics will be written last. Which is a very new way of writing for me and will hopefully open up new doors.

-I am taking this album VERY seriously. It may only get heard by 5 people but fuck it, I’m gonna make an album that I can sit back and be proud of.

-There is no tentative release date or title for the upcoming album

-No artist has been picked yet for cover work.

-Equipment wise, this will be the last BC album recorded with the Casio C200 (I think lol) Semi-synth. After 4 albums, I believe it’s time to say farewell. Vocally, there MIGHT be a bit of enhancing on my vocals - both naturally and processing.

A PromoCD for Battle Cry is due to be released late 2005/early 2006. This PromoCD will only be for college radio and potential acoustic venues. It will not contain any new material. No title has been given to the promo cd but the artist’s take on Battle Cry (which became the cover of the promo) can be seen here: http://www.deviantart.com/view/24145537/ . Artwork done by Diregram.

Other than that, I’m continuing to work my butt off trying to produce a really great album. Until then updates will continue. . . . . . . . Brian Wardwell

10-13-05

Battle Cry. The EP has gotten very little, yet very good feedback. I actually can go back and listen to it and not tear it apart. It's been introduced to MSUM college radio and I may continue to push the boundaries out slowly, which hasn't been done for many years.

Trista Whitman, former member of Battle Cry, recently contacted me by a strange coincidence. It ended a seven year long silence between us since we lost touch back in 1998. It greatly excited me and really brought back a lot of memories and kinda reformed me on why I do it in the first place. I do give special thanks to her for the respect she's given me, both in the old days and currently. I do also feel that such a small little, seemingly meaningless, experience will have a major impact of writing the fourth full length album.

There are many things that I hope to push with the new record. So far, the songs have a fair amount of classical foundation to them which is new to me. However, it's also going back to my roots from when I was in choir and singing Bach, Beethoven, etc. The way the songs have to be done is quite different and unlike any other album I've worked on. There are currently six songs so far. Some were birthed from vocals that I kindof improv'ed and others were written in the old way of starting with a keyboard track and building upon that. One thing to remember though is when ur not building from a strong percussive base, you have to really pay a lot more attention to the music itself. At least that's what I've felt so far.

I do know as the album will progress it will be take the most time in the area of composition. In an estimated four months of writing, I've only produced six songs with no lyrics or vocals attached. A good share of those may not even stick with the album. I just really want to accomplish something new. It maybe won't me something new in terms of history of music and it may not be calculated like a great musician could, but for me, it's already growing very differently.

Vocally, I can only take a stab in the dark and say pay some attention to the vocal style of "I'm Sorry" off Decennary Retrospective. I want to broaden the soul and give it a much fuller sound in terms of feeling. So, very wet and rich vocals is something I'm trying to keep in mind as the songs grow.

Lyrically, expect something different. I've gone through poetry books to kinda pinpoint actual poems or vibes of poems and cut out a lot that I felt are just negative. Topically, things will hopefully change. Instead of the usual songs of dispair, I may be taking a more ethical and political base to things left unsaid for many years.

The fourth album is in no means anywhere near completion. I can't even put an estimation at it's arrival other than saying late summer to late winter of 2006, maybe even later. I'm not pressuring myself on it and hoping it'll evolve just as I have. Naturally and unrefined. Something positive yet not peppy. Something that will leave a listener feeling a bit different. A person possibly feeling unnerved yet oddly comforted by it's depth. I'm also trying not to get overly influenced. This is not a Depeche Mode influenced record or anything like I've said in the past. It will hopefully be, quite simply, the best parts of me I have to express at this time, happy or insightful especially.

In closing, don't expect another album like "A Year After" as I highly doubt it will take that direction. I'm not even looking at adding in much guitar or anything on the album. Titles aren't forced for either the album or the songs. Quite simply, hope for something different.