Ones to watch: Liberty Lies and Twisted Species

Hard rock band Liberty Lies are looking forward to an exciting year with plans for a single and album release.

The Black Country band spent a lot of 2012 touring Europe. Now in 2013 they are looking forward to the release of their new, debut album Reflections – which is planned to be out in April.

The five-piece group first began performing in 2008 and their first gig was in Stourbridge in that same year.

Now, coming up for five years later, the band consists of members 22-year-old Shaun Richards on vocals, 21-year-old guitarist Josh Pritchett, Adam Stevens, 22, on drums and vocals, 25-year-old guitarist and vocalist Matt Nickless and 20-year-old Adam Howell on bass.

Shaun said: "We are heavy without being metal, rock without being generic and modern without being cliché. Individually our influences are very different.

"Everyone brings something different to the table. Anything from Bruno Mars to Tool can be found on our iPods."

Over the years the group have enjoyed playing in many different venues both at home and abroad.

Shaun said: "Germany was a great place to play, especially Hamburg.

"The city has this unique vibe that is totally different to what is happening in the UK."

Top moments for the band include touring Europe, writing and recording their album and shooting the video for the first single off that album; Someone Else. So what plans do Liberty Lies have for 2013?

Shaun said: "Our first single Someone Else is out in February. We are also set for an album launch show before it is released. This will be held at the Slade Rooms in Wolverhampton on March 29.

"We will then spend the next year touring the album.

"We are also getting ready for the release of the album, called Reflections, which will be out on April 1."

He said the band also plan to take part in a number of shows with its friends Heaven's Basement and Twitrfest in Wakefield.

For more information about the band visit www.facebook.com/libertylies, www.libertylies.co.uk or www.myspace.com/libertylies. You can follow the group on Twitter @LibertyLies

Also looking forward to releasing a new album is Shropshire band Twisted Species.

The group from Market Drayton and Telford are ready to launch the album, called GENUS, on March 2. Twisted Species began in 2008 and is made up of vocalist and lead guitarist Dave Gandon, Ralph Corn on rhythm guitar, drummer Stu Reynolds and bass guitarist Luke Hudson.

The group has a number of influences and has been described as 'grunge tunes with metal grooves'. The band says comparisons have been drawn to anything between Black Stone Cherry and Pearl Jam.

Twisted Species like to listen to music by M.A.D.I.S.O.N, Martyr De Mona, Exoterik, Thorne, Dead Pleasures and Shotgun Boulevard. For information about the band visit www.twistedspecies.com.