Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen have been hard at work and will release their second album, Black Light / White Noise, on 7 March 2025 via BMG. The new album is sure to be another masterclass in modern rock as the pair have already shown that they have a glaringly infectious chemistry over the last three years.
White Noise is the new album’s lead single, and this is a track that perfectly illustrates the quality and strength of the album. There is that gloriously heavy riff, soaring vocals, driving rhythms and a wonderful hook-filled chorus.
“It was actually a riff Adrian brought in,” Richie Kotzen told us. “I then immediately started improvising the melody and the lyric that became the chorus. It had another working title, completely different to what it ended up being and we kind of came up on the spot with that call and answer in the chorus that turned into White Noise.”
Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen – Black Light / White Noise..”We have a sound and a vibe,” Adrian Smith told us, “and I don’t think many artists are doing what we do.”
There is a cool video which sees the band looking great with atmospheric screens behind them, providing tantalising visuals. “The song is about the rise of social media,” Adrian Smith said, “and how people get addicted to it, the power of it and how we get bombarded with it 24/7.”
You can prove Adrian right by sharing on social media via the button below as you watch their super call-and-answer solos in the middle section of White Noise.
As for the album, Richie says that the boys are so proud of it. “It follows on from our debut and the EPs by focusing on collaborating on riffs, lyrics, harmonies and vocals,” he says. “There’s a Smith/Kotzen DNA now, and it’s definitely something we need to get out on the road with. I was pleased to work with my friend Jay Ruston on the mixing of the album, let alone my wife Julia [Lage] – who actually plays on White Noise as well as four other tracks.”
Adrian describes them as an extended family now. “We have a sound and a vibe,” he says, “and I don’t think many artists are doing what we do, sharing the vocals and the guitars. It takes me back to those classic bands like Humble Pie and Cream, which is not a bad place to start.”
Black Light / White Noise is out on 7 March 2025 and can pre-ordered from here.
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Adrian Smith & Richie Kotzen Reveal Second Album: Black Light / White Noise first appeared on
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