Eureka (Silver)

Four decades down the line, the history of early-’80s rock is cast in stone. Of course there's TOTO, Journey, Foreigner, Boston and Survivor. But what if there was a missing chapter? A great lost band to rank alongside any of that era’s giants? An all-time-classic album that was only heard by the men, amongst them the West Coast’s best session musicians and Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy, who recorded it?

In a fair world, The Western Front’s debut would have arrived in the mid-’80s, right after Atlantic Records promised a major-label deal—only to have label upheaval sweep Eureka off the schedule. “It was disheartening,” reflects guitarist/producer Marty Walsh. “I felt so bad that we just couldn't get it. Scott went back to England and started 21 Guns. The whole Western Front thing was over. That was the last shot.”

Fast-forward to 2023, when a Stockholm record man heard a couple of Western Front tracks online and reached out to ask why their near-mythical debut never saw the light of day. The renewed interest drew the attention of other record labels. At the recommendation of friend and Toto guitar legend Steve Lukather, Walsh was able to strike a deal with the Mascot Label Group.

Released 40-plus years after it was caught in the bottle, The Western Front’s Eureka is a moment of long-overdue triumph, introducing a 'new' band to the world, alongside twelve songs that still crackle with electricity. "Eureka was a labour of love," admits Walsh. "But everybody is just beside themselves that this record is coming out."