A Rising Force is an all-original Minnesota rock act that signed their initial record deal with the HighVolMusic Label in December of 2020 in the middle of the covid pandemic. Their debut CD ‘Undertow’ was originally released in May of 2021, and spawned 3 singles including ‘Love and War’, “Crushed” and “Yesterdaze Hell”.
Both “Crushed” and “Yesterdaze Hell” charted in rock radio at #2 and #5 for the entire month of August on internet radio 97 Underground. Unfortunately, the untimely death of their Record Company President and Vice President Bill and Lori Chavis to Covid 19 put the release of their next single and video for the title track “Undertow” on hold, forcing the band to navigate through the legal challenges of retaining full ownership of their assets and rights to their music back.
The band then signed a new 2 Plus album deal with Dark Star Records/SONY/Universal and re-released the first Album, “Undertow” after the first of the year along with the video that has a memorial to their late record company President and friend Bill Chavis. In May 2022, the band released their follow up Album, “Eclipse” and toured briefly in support of Warrant, Kix, Tesla & Firehouse. The song “Believe” spent 8 weeks on the Billboard rock charts.
After a successful run in 2022, the band was thrown a curve ball by their singer, & parted ways with David Reed Watson over “musical differences and direction”. Original bass player Brian Lorenson retired from performing live, and guitarist Billy Schlump joined forces with Legacy of the Loud. Their 2nd drummer Petar Pouki returned to his Led Zeppelin tribute band.
After a few months off, Leni DiMancari Was approached by his good friend Steve Philbrook from Platinum Overdose, to start writing and recording a new album together, with Matt Jacobs on Bass and Michael Scott on drums. On the advice of the label, the band exercised their option album, and decided to call it “A Rising Force” instead of doing it as a solo effort between DiMancari & Philbrook.
The music on this album is incredibly well written and a hard driving effort, that has a very positive message to it. Stand out tracks include the first single, “Thrill of a Lifetime,” as well as “Come Alive,” and “Winters Calling.”
Over the last 4 years, the band has performed for thousands of fans, capacity crowds and they sold out of the first pressings of the album Undertow and Eclipse, to become one of Darkstar Records best-selling artists. Guitarist Leni DiMancari is part of the ESP artist roster.
The music is guitar-driven commercial hard rock combined with 4-part harmonies, and all fronted by an arena rock lead vocalist.