Danny Worsnop – Vocals Ben Bruce – Lead Guitar Cameron Liddell – Rhythm Guitar Sam Bettley – Bass James Cassells – Drums   Rock is dead? That’s fake news. Asking Alexandria is all the evidence we need.   ASKING ALEXANDRIA, alive with vibrant potency and empowering authenticity, stand in joyous defiance of the tired cynicism that would declare the death of rock.   Asking Alexandria have earned a place among the most streamed, downloaded, watched, and altogether listened to bands in a generation, combining the innovation of modern active rock with the traditional attitude of the culture’s trailblazers.   No matter what the pundits proclaim, clearly the real fans are onto something else. The social media accounts representing Danny Worsnop (vocals), Ben Bruce (guitar), Cameron Liddell (guitar), Sam Bettley (bass), James Cassells (drums), and the band overall constitute a combined follower count well over 10 million strong.    They’ve shared the stage with Guns N’ Roses, Green Day, Alice In Chains, and Avenged Sevenfold; toured in support of Slipknot, Korn and Bullet For My Valentine; co-headlined with Black Veil Brides; joined Warped Tour and Rockstar Mayhem; played every major rock festival in the world; and headlined sold out theater tours.   Asking Anthems “The Final Episode” and “Not the American Average” were both certified gold by the RIAA for single sales in excess of 500,000 each. The music videos for those two singles alone amassed over 100 million views on YouTube. “The Death of Me,” “Moving On,” and “A Prophecy” together account for over 100 million more. The videos from The Black were viewed 70 million times.    The amount of ink spilled in cover stories splashed across Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Rock Sound, Alternative Press, Revolver; the massive plays on satellite and an increasing number of terrestrial radio stations; the number of Tumblr blogs, Reddit threads, and Snapchat stories revolving around the band’s antics; all of it tells a story about passion, dedication, and what’s possible when destiny beats back death.   Made with producer Matt Good, Asking Alexandria’s self-titled fifth album is an unbridled celebration of acceptance, of the strength of diversity and the freedom of “leaning into the crazy” (as Worsnop puts it), instead of struggling for conformity.   “I’ve been away a little while,” Worsnop sings in “Alone in a Room,” with the kind of urgency, reflection, self-confession, and authenticity the band’s fans have come to rely upon. Tracks like “Hopelessly Hopeful” and “Rise Up” follow suit, traveling through powerful extremes of big verses and bigger choruses, with confident force.   The hard rock, heavy metal, post-grunge, punk angst, and stadium worthy grandeur that has become Asking Alexandria’s signature sound remained in full effect on The Black, which featured a replacement vocalist yet maintained a connection to diverse rock audiences weaned on everything from Slipknot and Avenged Sevenfold to Van Halen and Guns N’ Roses, while giving Asking Alexandria another Top 10 US debut.   The five albums in the Asking Alexandria catalog are chapters in an ever-evolving tale of devastation, renewal, and survival. Scrappy upstarts surviving on Ramen noodles and booze in an RV parked outside a Walmart made the modern metalcore classic Stand Up and Scream (2009), surpassed in bravado and ambition by the melodic and chaotic fury of Reckless & Relentless (2011) and the career-redefining From Death to Destiny (2013), which shot to #1 on the Rock and Metal charts in the U.K. and cracked the Top 5 of the Billboard 200 in the United States upon its release.   The band’s fifth and most incendiary album marks the full-length return of the underground’s own Mick n’ Keith, Axl n’ Slash, Roth n’ Hagar; the long-awaited recorded reunion of this generation’s own toxic twins, Worsnop and Bruce. They’ve been mates since their teens. Every bit of history, swagger, and tumult is brilliantly mined to full throttle extent on the band’s most ambitious album yet. The record boils with the unique combustible chemistry all five of them share. By the same turn, it is tangibly shot through with newfound freedom, camaraderie, and revelry.   Asking Alexandria comes full circle with a new lease on life that’s respectful of their past while charging forward into the future, reverent of the prominence the band maintains in each of their lives while allowing breathing room for its members.   The endurance of the greatest British band to call the United States home is testament to the strength of timeless perseverance and stamina. These five young men are proud torchbearers, leading a worldwide audience whose devotion demonstrates a simple truth revered by generations of fans: nevermind the bollocks.   “Into the Fire” offers a beautifully combative, contradictory, and unrelentingly powerful message to the true believers who have stood by this band through thick and thin. “I wouldn’t take back a moment / Not one miserable moment / I’ll give it all ‘till there’s nothing left,” Worsnop sings. It’s most assuredly a genuine promise.