A NORTH-EAST rock band is about to release their first album after winning The Northern Echo's music competition.

Stone Coda, from Darlington, will release their CD next month after spending months working on the project at Sanity Multimedia Studios, in Stockton.

The band won the 2003 Big Chance competition, which gave them a prize of time in the studio and 100 CDs.

Sanity staff were so impressed with Stone Coda that they signed them to their new label, Sanity Records.

The 12-track CD will be called Standing Vertical.

Stone Coda's manager, Harry Miall, said: "The Big Chance has given us a superb opportunity and it has generated a lot of interest."

Band frontman Leroy Buckly said: "The competition was at the forefront of our deal with Sanity. It clarified in their mind that they wanted to sign us. It really brought us to their attention."

The album will be reviewed soon on The Northern Echo's website Revolution.

Stone Coda are encouraging bands and solo artists to enter original material for The Big Chance 2004, which is open to the region's musicians and offers a prize of 100 CDs, CD artwork, and funds towards artwork printing. The deadline is August 6.

The competition is sponsored by Music Zone, Fourth Chamber, Blackett, Hart and Pratt, and Air Clothing.

For details, log on to www.thisisrevolution.co.uk