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Friday, December 21, 2007
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A MERRY AND MELODIC CHRISTMAS TO ALL: Wow, I can't believe we are here. December 21. My son's 2nd Birthday tomorrow and Christmas just days away. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank each and every reader of this site for the continued support, friendship and positive feedback over the last 12 months (and indeed, the last 10+ years!). May everyone have a safe, warm, enjoyable, relaxing and peaceful Christmas and holiday break. May Santa bring you melodic-friendly gifts and for those North of the equator, stay warm. This is the last news update for 2007 (unless someone does something really stupid...in that case I'll be right back). I need a break big time, but I'll be back, recharged and ready for 2008 on Monday January 7. There's a bunch more to talk about...see below. Just wanted to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all right off the top. MRCD1 - DIGITAL DOWNLOAD AVAILABLE NOW: I am very pleased to announce the availability once again, of the very first MelodicRock compilation - MRCD1 Revealed & Revisited. Originally released in 2003 and long out of print and sold out, the CD is now available via my own little MelodicRock Digital Download Store. Now, the term "store" is a little generous as there is only 1 item for sale! But MRCD1 is packed with 17 tracks and some killer unreleased material, including knockout exclusive tracks from Talisman, Adriangale, Mike Tramp, Jim Peterik, Jesse Harms, Mecca and more. The tracks are not available individually - the songs were donated for a compilation and I'm respecting the original intent of that - so MRCD1 is available as the complete package, at the new low price of US$9.99. A few notes about the Digital Release: The Digital Download process is handled by the store, and the payment is via Paypal. You do not have to register to purchase, just add the item to your cart and check out. An e-mail will be generated once Paypal has processed the payment and that e-mail will include customized links to each track and another link to the Artwork. The files are encoded at 320kbps. The Artwork is in fact, full high-res scans of the front and back cover and the entire original CD booklet. The files are all included in one ZIP file, but as the Store program only recognizes .jpg files are the artwork, you will be prompted to download a file called MRCD.jpg. Once the download of that is complete, rename it MRCD.zip and it will then act as a regular Zip file. Original CD Details: www.melodicrock.com/cd/mrcd1.html Online MP3 Digital Store: mp3.melodicrock.com. Enjoy and thanks for supporting the site and the involved artists. As usual, MRCD2, MRCD3 and the new MRCD4 can all still be purchased via the CD page. While I will not be updating the site as such, I will still be checking e-mail and all orders placed over the holidays will be shipped out on time. WRAPPING THINGS UP FOR 2007: T-Shirts! Where are our T-Shirts!!! Well...good news...sort of...they are on their way! The silly season did delay the process a little and they have not arrived here in time to be shipped out. But I can confirm the manufacturer in the USA completed the order and shipped the box this week, so they should arrive during the holiday break and as soon as they do - all those orders will be processed and shipped ASAP. Thanks for your patience in this regard. So, this has been an amazing year - one that has presented more challenges than ever, but one that also delivered the best experience I have ever had while running this site - that being MelodicRockFest. I'll talk in full detail about that and everything else in the MelRock Awards. Thank you to all the sponsors that stood up to be a part of that show and to everyone that came along on the day to help create a magic event. What a time it was! I'm looking forward to 2008 being a relatively normal year (as normal as this business gets), but thinking ahead, shall we contemplate doing another MelodicRockFest in 2009??? Several things would have to fall into place for that to happen, but I'd love to see it happen. In keeping with the MelodicRockFest subject matter - as we al know, Harem Scarem didn't make the trip, but as a way of making up, the guys promised to record some exclusive acoustic tracks and I am pleased to say that those acoustic tracks have arrived. For curious Harem Scarem fans, the following tracks have been delivered fresh from the studio - 1. Human Nature, 2. If There Was A Time, 3. Caught Up In Your World, 4. Honestly, 5. Coming Down. The 5 tracks sound killer and will all definitely be a part of MRCD5, plans for which continue to develop in my mind. I'll be back with an update on that sometime in January. No end of year update would be complete without mentioning a couple of releases I am excited about. Beyond that has already been mentioned at least. I want to especially plug the upcoming Places Of Power release which sees Philip Bardowell and Bruce Turgen joined together. Shadow King fans - hold on to you hats! A sequel to that very underrated release is coming your way, with Mr. Bardowell doing his very best Lou Gramm. I have also heard 3 rough mixes of the new White Lion release. Debate the line-up if you will, but Mike Tramp has (from what I have heard) written and recorded a set of songs very true to the White Lion name and I think this new album could be the natural successor to the Main Attraction album, with an updated feel, but classic big White Lion melodies. I have also had a sneak peak at a new From The Inside (featuring Danny Vaughn) and have no doubt that will be another winner too. I'll go into more detail the 2007 MelRock Awards and cover all the other upcoming releases too. MR-X UPDATED: One last 2007 update to MR-X has been completed. A couple of special things online today. The best being a special 5 minute clip pro-shot behind the scenes at MelodicRockFest in October. This 5 minute clip features Scrap Metal warming up in their dressing room before the show. The clip was part of some backstage footage shot on the day and perhaps you'll see some more in 2008! Also online is a special Feature DVD - a 15 track compilation of my favourite melodic rock/AOR video clips from the past, including tracks from Giant, Stan Bush, Van Stephenson, Dare, Tyketto and more. And finally, a new compilation - Soundtrack Classics Volume 4 and 2 unplugged Dokken Videos - Dream Warriors and Slipped Away. MR-X Membership Details. LEVERAGE BLIND FIRE TRACK BY TRACK: The new Leverage album is due January 25 and will no doubt get the melodic metal year off to a flying start. Here's the album track by track from guitarist/main composer Tuomas Heikkinen. "The new album is titled Blind Fire. Our drummer, Valtteri, came up with that. He's an artist in many ways, he designs our artwork, he has designed our logo and so forth. The title has many meanings, it kind of describes where we stand as a band now, we're firing out as hard as we can, but we can't tell who we're gonna hit, when it's going to happen, and how they'll take it. We're still very much a newcomer as a band. The title also has a lot to do with the lyrics on the album, those who've listened to 'Tides' know that our stuff is not about knights, dragons or such, no offense to any band, it's more about human feelings often dressed into little stories that hopefully some people can relate to." "The album opens with Shadow In The Rain, it is a pretty heavy and massive uptempo thing with some rhythm hooks and plenty of guitar to it. Next up is King Of The Night that is a midtempo, fairly straightforward song with a nice chorus. Then it's Stormchild, an upper midtempo heavy rocker with some pounding riffs. Number four is our first single, Sentenced, that has slow tempo heavy riffing, nice melodic vocals and a very-easy-to-remember chorus all along with a lengthy guitar solo in the latter half. The fifth song is the heaviest stuff we've recorded so far, it's called Hellhorn, it opens with a mean horn-like sound and turns into a real heavy ride yet with a nice chorus. Pekka pushes his lungs out on this one. The midsection has some pretty damn heavy stuff to it and the ending is almost over the top. Track six is called Mister Universe, to me this is the song that is exactly what Leverage is now; a pounding main riff, easy ride verses leading to a huge chorus, Torsti flares away on his guitar on a separate part in the middle before I bring it back with mine, Valtteri goes crazy towards the end, good stuff. Then it's to the first ballad on the album, Don't Touch The Sun, some moody clean guitar at the beginning growing to the theme, verses and eventually to heavy chorus, this one is meant to grow until the very last strike and Pekka sure makes it happen. Track eight is called Run Down The Hill, the fastest song on the album with a rollercoaster feel to it, Torsti and Marko go pretty wild during their solo interchange. Song #9 is called Heart of Darkness, this is written by Torsti, a classic rocker with easy verses and a catchy chorus. The album ends with a beautiful song also by Torsti, Learn to Live starts with acoustic guitars, strings and Pekka singing beautifully and grows into a huge ballad, love it." ![]() BILL LEVERTY SAYS HI AND FIREHOUSE TO JOIN NIGHT RANGER IN JAPAN: A note from guitarist Bill Leverty (FireHouse): "I just want to thank everyone who ordered my new CD, Southern Exposure. If you haven't gotten your copy yet, you can get one from my website: www.leverty.com. I'll be happy to sign it for you if you add a "note to seller" when you check out with Paypal. If you order by mail, just put a note in the envelope telling me that you want it signed. Another new addition to my MySpace page is your ability to download any of the songs for 89 cents each, or the entire album for only $7.99. You can hear samples of the songs here too: www.myspace.com/billleverty. As for tour dates, the big gig to attend is this New Year's Eve at Myth in Maplewood (Minneapolis), MN. We're playing with Brett Michaels on his Rock Of Love Tour. There's a cover charge that includes all of your drinks. By the way, there's a hotel literally in the same parking lot, just call Myth and ask them for info." Myth: 3090 Southlawn Drive / tel: 651.779.6984 / www.mythlive.com Night Ranger and FireHouse will rock Japan together in April! The dates are: 04/19/2008 Tokyo, Japan Akasaka Blitz 04/20/2008 Tokyo, Japan Akasaka Blitz 04/23/2008 Nagoya, Japan Aichi Kinro Kaikan 04/24/2008 Osaka, Japan IMP Hall RAINBOW RISING IN DEVON IN JANUARY: Rainbow Rising at The Wharf in Tavistock, Devon UK, Saturday 19tJanuary 2008. Tickets £10 in advance, £12 on the night. Contact venue for details. Rainbow Rising was formed in 1996. The aim was to recreate the unique Rainbow sound and also capture the visual spectacle that was Rainbow live on stage. The band is made-up of a group of musicians who possess not only immense musical talent, but also an almost fanatical interest in the phenomenon that was Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. The band perform live all the classic Rainbow tracks and more besides, drawing from the entire Rainbow back catalogue and featuring the material produced by every legendary line-up of the band from Ronnie James Dio, Graham Bonnet to Joe Lyn Turner. The sheer attention to detail given to the act of recreating the live Rainbow experience is evident in every aspect of the band's performances. From guitar smashing, to stunning vocals, thunderous percussion and bass to dazzling keyboards and of course unmistakable Blackmore guitar work. Hear the legendary tracks that include All Night Long, Since You Been Gone, Man of the Silver Mountain, Catch the Rainbow, Temple of The King, Long Live Rock & Roll, Tarot Woman, Stargazer, I Surrender, Gates of Babylon, Can't Let You Go...and songs that will have you reminiscing for the days when rock bands truly were awesome. This is a tribute band for rock purists who take their rock seriously... Band website – www.rainbowrising.net / Venue website - www.tavistockwharf.com / Venue Box Office - 01822 611166. CD SHOWCASE UPDATED: VindictiV CD Showcase is online now. The self titled album is due out January 21 from Escape Music. |
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Thursday, December 20, 2007
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THE RETURN OF THE PRIDE: Frontiers Records is excited to announce the signing of White Lion for their first studio album in 16 years entitled Return of The Pride. White Lion left its mark in the late 80's with a series of hit singles and videos that defined the MTV generation, thanks to the likes of "Wait", "When The Children Cry", "Tell Me", "Broken Heart" and "Little Fighter". But equally so, the band was also recognized for its signature album tracks that transcended socio-political themes such as "Lady Of The Valley", "Cry For Freedom", "Lights N Thunder" and "Warsong". White Lion disbanded in 1991 and their members moved on to their own paths. In 2003 singer Mike Tramp built again the band around the talents of Jamie Law on guitar, Claus Langeskov on bass, Henning Wanner on keyboards and Troy Patrick Farrell on drums. This line-up appeared with much acclaim in such Festivals as Bang Your Head, Gods Of Metal, Sweden Rock and Rocklahoma. And if these stand out live performances aren't testimony enough, then the new album will surely once again assert White Lion as a legitimate musical force. The first White Lion studio record in over 16 years was recorded during 2007 in both Australia and Copenhagen and is entitled Return of the Pride. According to singer Mike Tramp this title could be interpreted in two ways "In a musical sense we have taken a step back in time, rather than a step forward in time. Over the course of this album lyrically and musically many concepts and themes have been explored, maybe "Return Of The Pride" means something entirely different". Produced by Mike Tramp and Claus Langeskov, White Lion features now a truly international line-up of musicians handpicked by Mike himself, the band will hit the road again in the summer of 2008. "We are not interested in fixing what isn't broke. Our mission is simple, to bring the classic sound of White Lion to the people across the world that still live for that music" says Tramp stating that the band's new album will be "classic rock in its truest form and a representation of the musical influences that have attached themselves over time". Return of The Pride will be released in Europe on Frontiers Records on March 14, 2008 with release in Japan to happen on King Records. More details about the album will be released at a later stage. ![]() LAST AUTUMNS DREAM'S HUNTING SHADOWS DUE FEBRUARY: Escape Music will release the new Last Autumn's Dream studio album Hunting Shadows on February 22 across Europe. Swedish/German Melodic Rock band Last Autumn's Dream have done it again and recorded another top class album that outshines all they have done previously. This is their fifth studio album and they can certainly prove they have what it takes to become top of the melodic rock genre. The talented four-piece consisting of singer Mikael Erlandsson, axeman Andy Maleck and Talisman's rhythm section, Marcel Jacob and Jamie Borger have showed us they can write very good songs which are well structured and have huge potential. Mikael Erlandsson is one of the best singer/songwriters in Sweden today with a successful career as a solo artist, especially in Europe and Japan. Andy Maleck, from the successful German Hard Rock band Fair Warning is a very talented guitarist, has a brilliant tone and a flair for putting guitar harmonies together. Marcel Jacob and Jamie Borger are something of the best bass/drums units you can find around. The opening blast of "Strange Operation" is enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand to attention. This song has a powerful guitar chord backed with a punchy bass line before it breaks into great harmonies and a magical guitar solo from Andy. "My Alibi" is a pleasant tune which just runs effortlessly with its sing-along-chorus and powerful riffs. The ballad "I'm not supposed to love you anymore" is as good as it can possibility get, and has a "Journey" feel to it. The song "Lost in Moscow" could almost be something from a huge film soundtrack as it sounds that classy, it has all the elements to be the theme running through an action film. In fact there is not a weak song on the whole album. This is such a strong release, and songs like "War of the Worlds" and "Rainbow Sky" just take one listen before you are under the spell of Last Autumn's Dream. As previously mentioned this is the band's fifth studio release and it is a tremendously talented piece of work from four guys that know how to write excellent songs. This should put them at the top of their field; it is such a great album. Last Autumn's Dream are ready to dominate the melodic rock market once again with this fantastic introduction to 2008. Track List: Strange Operation / My Alibi / Overnight Sensation / I'm Not Supposed To Love You Anymore / War Of The Worlds / Rainbow Sky / R U Ready To Rock N' Roll / Every Beat Of My Heart / Serenity / Lost In Moscow / Save Our Love. Line-Up: Mikael Erlandsson (Lead Vocals, keyboards), Andy Maleck (ex-Fair Warning; guitars), Marcel Jacob (Talisman; bass), Jamie Borger (Talisman; drums). WebLink: www.Escape-Music.com. ![]() SWEDISH PROGRESSIVE METALLERS CLOUDSCAPE UPDATE: The forthcoming third Cloudscape album will be entitled Global Drama. 12 songs were recorded for 'Global Drama' and it will, according to Cloudscape's management, be the most varied and interesting album by Cloudscape so far. It contains a few really hard and raw melodic metal songs and there will also be a few atmospheric and dynamic songs progressively spiced. More details such as release dates and further information will be announced very soon. The artwork for Cloudscape's third album will once again be handled by Mattias Norén (www.progart.com). Global Drama was produced by Pontus Lindmark and recorded at RoastingHouse Studios in Malmö, Sweden. Z ROCK ANNOUNCE NEW VENUE: Z Rock 08 will be held at the all new venue "The Asylum" in Hampton Street, Hockley, Birmingham and will open its doors during late March 08. Acts already confirmed for Z Rock 08 include Bonfire, Britny Fox, Von Groove, Shy, Stormzone and Redline with at least 3 more to be announced during early January for the two day event on May 16/17 2008. Tickets are on sale now at www.zrecords.net or www.myspace.com/zrockfest. MICHAEL SCHENKER UPDATED TOUR DATES: Updated tour dates for Michael Schenker & Friends are below. In addition, Michael Schenker can be heard live on Total Rock Radio this Sunday between 5.00pm and 7.00pm on the Chris Glancy show - www.totalrock.com. Dates confirmed so far: 10th Jan. 2008 12bar Swindon 11th Jan. Limelight Crew 12th Jan. Riffs Blackpool 16th Jan. Riga Southend 17th Jan. Boom Boom Club, Sutton 19th Jan. The Palace Tamworth 24th Jan. Princess Pavilion Falmouth 26th Jan. Twist Colchester 5th Feb. Concorde 2 Brighton 9th Feb. Academy 3 Manchester 10th Feb. Boardwalk Sheffield 16th Feb. The Flowerpot Derby 17th Feb. Thekla Bristol 18th Feb. Waterfront, Norwich 22. Feb. Cathouse, Glasgow STONELAKE DEBUT UPDATED WEBSITE: StoneLake present new webpage made by Carl André Beckston, take a look at www.stonelake.se Now up and running! StoneLake would like to thank all their fans worldwide for great support and for a wonderful 2007. Don't forget to register and join the official StoneLake webpage at: www.stonelake.se. LAST REVIEW UPDATE FOR 2007: The last Reviews update for 2007 has been uploaded for your enjoyment. Check out new Reviews for: The Poodles, Sebastian Bach, Northern Kings, Steve Grimmett and Lynn Allen...plus In Brief Reviews for Sircle Of Silence, Minds Eye, Stereo Fallout, Ken Hensley, Rick Springfield (3 Reviews), StoneLake, Cinder Road, Night Ranger, Endeverafter, Crazy Lixx, The Click Five, Yellowcard, Ann Wilson and Ted Nugent. Check the reviews out. In regard to moving forward from this point and the upcoming 2007 MelRock Awards - there are still several titles in need of reviewing and I do hope to get to those, but at some point one has to move on and admit not everything can be covered in the time permitted. The holiday break and start of a new year is that point for me and there will only be a few more 200 titles reviewed early next year, then it will be a fresh start for 2008 and hopefully the best review coverage yet. Due to other commitments, I didn't review as many titles as I'd like to have this year, so look for that to be corrected in 2008. A final note - all titles mentioned, featured in any way and released in 2007 will be included in the 2007 MelRock Awards (due online at the end of January), including several titles not yet reviewed here, but very worthy of being mentioned among the best of the year that is drawing to a close. |
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Wednesday, December 19, 2007
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A NEW DIGITAL STORE DEDICATED TO MELODIC RELEASES: As the world slowly turns digital, I get a lot of e-mails looking for a place to purchase digital downloads of Melodic releases featured here. Frontiers Records, Metal Heaven and some other companies have representation in iTunes and elsewhere, but many don't and not all titles are available. I have some good news for those looking for a one-stop place for melodic downloads and that is - MelodicDownloads.com. This is not something of my doing, I simply do not have the time to even think about this at this time, but Hans who has run AOR Dream Zones for a number of years has branched out with this new service. Frontiers, Z Records and now Escape Music have joined MelodicDownloads to offer their releases, as well as a number of independent artists. Click on the logo below or the banner ad above at any time to sample what the store has to offer and I will continue to update readers as to any new developments with this great service. CRAZY LIXX SUPPORTS HARDCORE SUPERSTAR IN UK: Crazy Lixx has been invited as special guests to support Hardcore Superstar in UK. Crazy Lixx are very happy about this, their second UK-tour. See them here: 2008-01-17 Aberdeen Barfly, Aberdeen, Scotland 2008-01-18 Glasgow Barfly, Glasgow, Scotland 2008-01-19 Mansfield Intake Club, Mansfield 2008-01-20 Birmingham Barfly, Birmingham 2008-01-21 Liverpool Barfly, Liverpool 2008-01-22 Brighton Barfly, Brighton 2008-01-23 London ULU, London LAUNCHING THE 1ST OFFICIAL DESMOND CHILD FAN CLUB'S MYSPACE PAGE: Press Release / "Desmond Child and the Greek official Desmond Child fan club proudly present the launching of fan club's official MySpace page. A few months ago we had the honor to meet the one and only Desmond Child and decided to form the 1st official Desmond Child fan club. Just the mention of some of the songs that he has written is sufficient enough in order to understand Desmond Child's brilliance: "Livin' On A Prayer", "You Give Love A Bad Name", "I Was Made For Loving You", "Poison", "Dude (Looks Like A Lady) etc. Within December, the fan club's official web site (www.desmondchild.gr) will be online but you can find already more news and updates on Desmond to the official fan club's myspace page at www.myspace.com/desmondchildgr. We're looking forward to receiving your messsages and your thoughts about it and we'll be more than happy if you join us!" The Desmondchild.gr Team. ROBERT PLANT: LED ZEPPELIN, JIMMY PAGE & THE SOLO YEARS BOOK: Press Release / Robert Plant is a genuine rock legend. He is the archetypal Rock God. Amazingly, thirty years on, his star continues to shine and his ambitions and convictions grow stronger. The tumultuous but endlessly fascinating tale of Led Zeppelin is central to his life, but that twelve-year period ended with the sad and premature death of drummer John 'Bonzo' Bonham in 1980. And Plant has been recording new music almost constantly in the twenty-five years since. For the first time, his solo years – famously working with his former Led Zep cohort Jimmy Page, numerous guest appearances and on his own material – are covered in depth in a complete rock biography. With Led Zeppelin he conquered the world and with a close and continuing partnership with Zeppelin six-stringer Jimmy Page he straddled the boundaries of rock, blues and heavy metal. He teamed up with Jimmy Page in 1994 but their two-album partnership came to an abrupt and controversial end in 1998. The likes of his revered solo album Dreamland, which consists of a relatively obscure batch of cover songs, pays homage to Plant's earliest and ongoing influences and passions such as Southern American blues and classic fifties R&B; the book also places Plant's later work in the wider context of both Led Zep's own legacy and the broader history of modern music. The book will make a wonderful companion piece to Plant's 2-disc compilation Sixty Six To Timbuktu which includes pre and post Led Zeppelin material. In an interview with Spin magazines Chuck Klosterman, surprisingly, Plant said that he'd never read the famed Hammer Of The Gods bio but "the only thing I read was the 'After Zeppelin' part, because I was so eager to get on with music and stop living in a dream state." Evidently, Plant himself wants the world to understand and appreciate his solo music and what better way than in a book? This is the very first book to tell the complete story of an enthusiastic young kid from the West Midlands who belied his humble blues roots and defied his stern parents by becoming one of the world's most recognisable and iconic rock superstars. This biography brings his career slap-bang up-to-date covering his latest album Raising Sand with the revered bluegrass singer Alison Krauss and the highly-publicised Led Zeppelin reunion in December, 2007. This book tells you how he got there and remains so today. The Author: Neil Daniels is the author of The Story Of Judas Priest: Defenders Of The Faith (Omnibus Press.) He has written extensively about classic rock and heavy metal for a wide range of webzines and fanzines. He currently contributes to Record Collector, Rock Sound, Powerplay and Fireworks. This is his second book. More information is obtainable from www.neildaniels.com. R.I.P. DAN FOGELBERG: Obviously this happened a few days ago, so excuse the delay in mentioning Dan Fogelberg's passing here. Dan's official site has posted the sad news and a nice news article can be read here: www.dallasnews.com. RELEASE DATES UPDATED: Release Dates have been updated, adding some new titles and a stack of other expected releases for 2008. Check out the update. |
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Tuesday, December 18, 2007
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SOUL DOCTOR TOURING ITALY IN JANUARY: SOUL DOCTOR will promote their new album Blood Runs Cold (out now on Metal Heaven) live in Italy in January 2008. The dates: 17.01.2008 (I) Milano, Legend 54 18.01.2008 (I) Verona, Lucille 19.01.2008 (I) Prato, Siddharta 20.01.2008 (I) Bologna, Sottotetto WebLinks: www.souldoctorrocks.com. REDRUM CD APPEARS FINALLY, BUT WITHOUT ANY PROMOTION: Redrum is a melodic Hard Rock Band based in Thessaloniki (Greece). Athan 'Lyssa' Kazakis and Panos Baxevanis started the project in September 2003 and a year later they recorded 12 songs in a local studio. After getting in touch with the well known German Vocalist Michael Bormann, they'd sent the material to Duisburg, where Michael recorded all the vocal parts and co-write a couple of the songs. Unfortunately because of some line-up changes they had to re-record all the drums and bass parts. The mix then took place in Michael's "RMB – studios", where Panos, Athan and Michael finally completed No Turning Back. No Turning Back, the band's debut album, is out now - listen to some sound samples on: www.myspace.com/redrumgr. MUSICBUYMAIL IS CELEBRATING HIS 5TH ANNIVERSARY!: Press Release / We are very happy to be celebrating our still small anniversary but we are even more proud to do so! 5 years back we have started with a handful of CD's for sale. Nowadays we can offer quite a big catalogue. We had to handle a heavy workload the past years and we have always enjoyed to present good rock music to you!! We want to use this opportunity to thank you very much because without you we couldn't go any further…for the next days we can offer you a 10% discount on all CD's and DVD's. Furthermore you can get additional savings in our "specials" section and each package includes a free surprise CD! We'll do a lottery drawing from all your mails concerning congrats, critics and suggestions and the winner will get a KISS - "Kissology 3" Box! Thanks a lot for the past 5 years and we are looking forward to the next 5! Your Music Buy Mail team! WebLink: www.musicbuymail.eu. TAKARA BACK IN 2008 WITH NEW ALBUM: Takara has begun work on it latest album. The band are said to be very excited. Guitarist Neal Grusky tells me that pre-production has been proceeding very well and he is pleased to confirm the lineup for this forthcoming Takara album: Neal Grusky - Guitar (Takara); Bjorn Englen - Bass (Takara, Soul Sign, Bleed); Patrick Johansson - Drums (Yngwie Malmsteen); Derek Sherinian - Keyboards (Yngwie Malmsteen, Billy Idol). Takara will be announcing the new singer in the next few weeks. Neal says: "All we can say now is, that this will be quite a great Takara album. For all of you that enjoyed any of our previous album's, you will be very pleased with this one as well." WebLinks: www.takararocks.com / www.myspace.com/takararocks. MELODIC BRIEFS: From the desk of Rob Halford: "As a thank you to all our existing customers and as a welcome to our new customers, download Fight's Christmas Ride MP3 for FREE. www.HalfordMusic.com. Mind Key are immensely proud to announce the final, extraordinary guest contribution on their new album - Reb Beach, guitar Hero of legendary hard Rock/class Metal Bands like Winger & Whitesnake. The band says: "We are all Whitesnake and Winger's fans, and we'd like to thank Reb to gift us his class on our song called Now Until Forever." Mind Key are going to start the mixing and mastering sessions for the next album next week. CD SHOWCASES UPDATED: 4 new CD Showcases online today - all due for release January 25 via Frontiers Records - Leverage (new album and re-issue of debut album); Bassinvaders and Saint Deamon. Check them out. |
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Monday, December 17, 2007
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JIMI JAMISON/DANTEFOX UK TOUR MAY 2008: Ex-Survivor vocalist Jimi Jamison will embark on his First ever UK tour in May 2008. UK Female fronted rockers Dante Fox (featuring vocalist Sue Willetts) have been choosen by Jimi Jamison to not only support but also to perform as his band on all Nine dates. Dante Fox will be promoting their latest album Under The Seven Skies which has received great reactions from both press and fans.The album was released on Frontiers Records earlier in the year. Tickets are now on sale from the tour promoters website: www.factory5events.co.uk. Dates are: Thursday 8th May, The Robin Hood 2 Bilston, Tickets 17.50 Friday 9th May, Manchester Academy, Tickets 17.50 Saturday 10th May, The Boardwalk Sheffield, Tickets 17.50 Sunday 11th May, Rock City Nottingham, Tickets 17.50 Tuesday 13th May, The Point Cardiff, Tickets 17.50 Thursday 15th May, Waterfront Norwich, Tickets 17.50 Friday 16th May, B.I.C Pavilion Bournemouth, Tickets 17.50 Saturday 17th May, Shepherds Bush London, Tickets 20.00 Sunday 18th May, The Bierkeller Bristol, Tickets 17.50 For more details check out: www.jimijamison.com / www.dantefox.com / www.myspace.com/jimijamison / www.myspace.com/dantefox. PAGAN'S MIND ONE OF PROGPOWER EUROPE'S HEADLINERS: Norwegian progmetal masters Pagan's Mind will be one of the 3 headliners of ProgPower Europe 2008. Because we celebrate our 10th anniversary next year the festival will be a full 3-day event with 3 bands on Friday and 6 on Saturday and Sunday. Pagan's Mind will return to ProgPower Europe after their excellent performances back in 2003 and 2005, but this time they will offer you a full show of almost 2 hours. Tickets will go on sale on January 2, but check out www.progpower.eu for all the details. NEW ZEALAND THIS EASTER IS THE ONLY PLACE TO ROCK: Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Lordi and now Whitesnake have been tapped to take part in a massive rock festival in New Zealand in 2008. The details are: ROCK2WGTN Rocktacular - Easter 2008 Latest - Legendary Rock Icon, David Coverdale, the former lead singer with Deep Purple is bringing his band Whitesnake to New Zealand for the very first time. Whitesnake joins heavy metal star Alice Cooper and fellow rockers Ozzy Osbourne and Kiss for the biggest rock concert event weekend ever to hit New Zealand. Wellington is set for a rock and roll Easter with the two-day 'Rocktacular' concert in the capital. Wellington's Oscar-winning Weta Workshop has been drafted in to create special effects for the giant rock festival to be held on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 March next year. Tickets to Rock2Wgtn go on sale from Ticketek on 20 December with the Visa Pre-sale starting on 17 December. Concert promoter Phil Sprey said the concert was attracting attention from around the world. "Hotels are seeing bookings rolling in from as far away as Scandinavia, Canada and Argentina," he said. Whitesnake joins Alice Cooper, Lordi, Ozzy Osbourne, Kiss, The Valves, Sonic Altar and Weta Workshop at the event in Wellington over Easter for the ROCK2WGTN Rocktacular concert. Expect Easter 2008 to see Wellington explode with some of the greatest legendary bands on the planet in the two-day double concert programme at the Westpac Stadium. Rumour has it that the final international act will be along the likes of Aerosmith or Def Leppard, so watch this space for the next announcement coming soon... Concert Lineup: Confirmed Acts to date Saturday 22 March Music starts at 6:30pm: Special NZ Act / Lordi plays 1 hour / Alice Cooper plays 1 hour / Kiss plays 1 ½ hours NZ bands in between: Sonic Altar + TBA / Total 5 hours Sunday 23 March Music starts at 6:30pm: The Valves /International act to be announced / Whitesnake plays 1 hour / Ozzy Osbourne NZ bands in between: Sonic Altar + TBA / Total 5 hours Full details and more artist information at: www.wotzon.com/eventlisting.html?event_id=5016389. CHRIS CATENA IS BORN AGAIN: Italian rocker Chris Catena has a brand new EP ready to roll. Born Again is out now and available via Digital Distribution only. The EP is mixed by Michael Gapys and produced by Chris Catena for "Glitter And Gold" productions and includes the single Born Again (it will not be included in the forthcoming album) in two versions plus an acoustic version of the cover Just The Beginning by the Swedish band Europe, featuring the great guitar player Kee Marcello, among the others. Tracklist: 1 - Born Again - Radio Edit, 2 - Born Again - Alternative Version, 3 - Just The Beginning (Featuring Kee Marcello), 4 - Baby Baby, 5 - L. Starlight 08. The digital EP will be released by various digital distributors such as CDBaby.com, iTunes and many many others. Chris adds: "...wishing you a merry Christmas and a happy new year...I hope you will rock with my new release waiting for the album The Discovery...which will be released in 2008..." ![]() GRAND ENTERTAINMENT NEWS: Press Release / We would like to take this time to say we were sorry to hear the news of legendary bluesman Ike Turner's passing! We worked with Ike for over a year on his comeback shows and we were his road manager for some big Blues Festivals! Also check the photo below with our sold out show with The Dirty Knobs with Mike Campbell (Tom Petty and the Rock and Roll hall of fame) and Slash (Guns and Roses) at Cozy's jamming on the classic Hendrix tune "Hey Joe" The place went crazy! Marco Mendoza will play his solo rock project's first shows at Lavelee Jazz Club a Namm event on January 14 and 15 with Kenny Aronoff on drums (John Mellencamp and John Fogerty) and special surprise guests www.laveleejazzclub.com. Tickets on sale at www.marcomendoza.com. Pick up some music today from Steve Ferrone (Tom Petty), Taylor Mills (Brian Wilson), Neal Schon (Soul SirkUS), Steve Fister (Lita Ford), and Jeff Young (Steely Dan), The DVD of Heaven and Hell with Dio today. We also want to remind the fans the Zeppelin compilation by Frankie Banali and Friends including members of, Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Guns and Roses, Quiet Riot, Toto and Kiss are on sale today! Check the sound bites on our website the CD is fantastic. Look for new releases and some exciting shows and new artists in 2008. Happy New Year! The Best Players On The Planet! Buy music or get tickets to all our shows on www.grandentertainment.info. ![]() MELODIC BRIEFS: Candlebox is currently in an LA studio writing songs to their highly anticipated album of new material that is due in late Spring. The band plans to start touring in late Spring as well and has initial plans to play a series of Florida radio shows. Check out new Candlebox music at: www.myspace.com/candlebox. A few seasonal mixes (Merry Axemas & Jingle Hell) courtesy of modern rockers Kill Whitney Dead are online at: www.myspace.com/killwhitneydead. Chris Nelson will be talking to Jeff Scott Soto and Steve Grimmett on this weeks edition of the Hair Metal Haven, Saturday 22nd December 17.00-19.00GMT/18.00-20.00 CET.Only on www.rock247online.co.uk. Y&T VOCALIST/GUITARIST DAVE MENIKETTI FEATURED IN NEW THE RIGHT TO ROCK PODCAST: TheRighttoRock.com has has issued their latest podcast (episode #39), featuring Vocalist/Guitarist Dave Meniketti from Y&T. Dave took time out of his busy schedule to discuss his latest release Y&T Live - One Hot Night as well as his band's current tour. Dave gives you the skinny on all that is Y&T and much more. Interview last approx. 45 min. Can an album come out better the second time around? Tune in and find out while Genghis and Ragman discuss some current Re-do's. The boys discuss whether or not an older album has the capability of coming out better than the original, if it is remastered or re-recorded. Next lock in for a killer interview with vocalist/lead guitarist Dave Meniketti from Y&T. Dave takes you into the world of Y&T and gives you the lowdown on what the band is currently up to. Get your splashgaurd ready, because this episode is full of piss and vinegar... |
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Friday, December 14, 2007
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LAST AUTUMN'S DREAM – BEST OF LAST AUTUMN'S DREAM AND LIVE IN GERMANY: Limited Editions with First Pressing only!! Swedish/German Melodic Rock band Last Autumn's Dream are ready to rock you with this exciting double album, the first of which is a recording live from the "United Forces of Rock" festival at Rockfabrik, Ludwigsburg. After four high class albums, the band knows how to make it up there to the top bands of the genre. The talented four-piece consisting of singer Mikael Erlandsson, axeman Andy Maleck and Talisman's rhythm section, Marcel Jacob and Jamie Borger entertained a very enthusiastic audience with eight perfectly executed songs. The first three songs are straight from the latest studio album "Saturn Skyline" and it just shows how the band has matured since the first album. The audience are involved from the start backing up the impact these four guys make when they are on stage together. A really tight performance is the order of the day. Mikael Erlandsson is one of the best singer/songwriters in Sweden today with a successful career as a solo artist, especially in Europe and Japan. Andy Maleck, from the successful German Hard Rock band Fair Warning is a very talented guitarist, has a brilliant tone and a flair for putting guitar harmonies together. Marcel Jacob and Jamie Borger are something of the best bass/drums units you can find around. This live performance reflects that bond as they turn out great melodic rock tunes one after the other, with plenty of help from the audience!! Just to make this disc special we have two studio recorded bonus songs "When You Love Someone" and "You Won't See Me Cry", these are both excellent tunes. The second disc is a "best of" and there are plenty of great tunes to choose from here. Even with just four studio albums under their belt, Last Autumns' Dream have a list of tunes that everyone would want to hear again and again. This double CD package is a dream come true for Last Autumn's Dream fans and shows them in good light for their forthcoming fifth studio album, details to be announced soon!! The new Last Autumn's Dream title Hunting Shadows will be release on the 22nd February 2008 more update shortly. Best Of Last Autumn's Dream And Live In Germany released January 21. Disc One: Recorded Live on 30th September 2007 at Rock Fabrik, in Ludwigsburg, Germany - For The Young And The Wild / After Tomorrows Gone / Pages / Heat Of Emotion / Love To Go / It's Alright / Rock'n Roll is Saving My Soul / Again And Again. Plus 2 bonus studio tracks newly recorded: When You Love Someone / You Won't See Me Cry. Disc Two: Best of Last Autumn's Dream - Again And Again / Break The Chains (Of Destiny) / Pages / Up In Paradise / Love To Go / Going Home / Winter In Paradise / Brand New Life / After Tomorrows Gone / Don't Let Our Love Go Down / Rocket Of Love / American Girl / Domino / Running / Doin´ Time / Skyscraper. LAD is: Mikael Erlandsson (Lead Vocals), Andy Maleck (ex-Fair Warning; guitars), Marcel Jacob (Talisman; bass), Jamie Borger (Talisman; drums) WebLink: www.Escape-Music.com. xx![]() ROYAL HUNT COLLISION COURSE…PARADOX II: After 8 studio albums, 3 live albums/DVD´s and a few special releases (EP´s, compilations etc.) – combined sales over 1,5 million copies – Royal Hunt decided to produce a sequel to their critically acclaimed release from 1997 Paradox (an album, which in a majority of respected publications like: Metal Hammer, Burrn, Break Out, Classic Rock, Metal Edge etc., was honourably mentioned as one of the most essential albums of the 90´s). The sequel (Collision Course… Paradox II) takes off from the idea and atmosphere of its predecessor but – without a doubt – sounds charged to go for 2007. No ammunition's being saved for this one – 6 months of recordings in NorthPoint Studio, mix at EMI Studios, best musicianship possible (the band was there to define the term neo-prog with their first release back in 1991) and even a bunch of good friends as participants: Doogie White (Rainbow, Y. Malmsteen), Ian Parry (Elegy, Consortium Project), Kenny Lubcke (Jokers Wild, Narita), Henrik Brockmann (ex-Royal Hunt, Evil Masquerade) among others. And yes, there are female voices, real violins, cellos and woodwinds thrown in for good measure. With this album ROYAL HUNT is introducing their new lead singer Mark Boals (ex-Y. Malmsteen, Ring Of Fire). His great voice and talent, plus many years of experience are perfect fit for the band. Andre Andersen comments on the band's website: "Album is done. It's such a great feeling to finally be able to hold your new "baby" in your hands (weird at the same time… looking at this tiny CD, knowing how much time and money went into its creation). And a bit sad at the same time – we had such a blast making it, there's been tons and tons of great moments in the process: countless barbeques and other assorted "nights out", a bunch of dear friends/guests who joined us along the way and even the fact that all of us – for almost 6 months period – had this album as a cornerstone of our lives, the goal which we were working so hard to achieve – as a unit. I know, I know it sounds sentimental but there's always that bittersweet feeling than the job is done and you're looking back at the process…But now it's all history – for us, at least. For you there's another album to discover and – hopefully – to enjoy, and we all wish you the latter… in spades". The lyrical concept is as controversial as the original Paradox – this time concentrating on a "collision course" of modern Western world and "a new breed", grown on Eastern religious movements. Musically you'll have it all – album runs in a "non stop" fashion (all songs are chained together): there are huge epics, intricate progressive arrangements and all good things metal with killer melodies… and there will be videos… and a concert tour. Combine all this with an astonishing line-up and a grand scale production, and you've got a winner: ROYAL HUNT is about to reinvent this style of music – don't miss it. Frontiers Records will release in Europe Collision Course…. Paradox II on March 14, with more details to be announced at a later stage. Soundclips: www.royalhunt.com and click media. ![]() MAGNUM NEW DOUBLE LIVE CD: "WINGS OF HEAVEN LIVE": It has been almost 20 years since the British melodic rock act Magnum brought out one of the best and most successful recordings of their career: Wings Of Heaven entered the British charts at no.2 and included three successful single releases. A milestone in the history of a band who decided to perform and re-record the full album as part of their tour of Britain in autumn 2007. The result is called Wings Of Heaven Live and will be released on double CD by SPV on 25 February 2008 (Germany: 22 February 2008, US: 8 April 2008). CD 1 consists of a cross-section of the band's career, featuring classics such as How Far Jerusalem, Vigilante, Kingdom Of Madness and All England's Eyes, plus tracks from their current studio release, Princess Alice & The Broken Arrow, such as When We Were Younger, Dragons Are Real, Out Of The Shadows and Like Brothers We Stand. CD 2 includes haunting live versions of the full Wings Of Heaven opus, starting with the opener, Days Of No Trust and closing with the furioso finale, Don't Wake The Lion. The show's final number was Magnum's legendary Sacred Hour from their 1982 classic, Chase The Dragon. Wings Of Heaven Live was recorded between 10 and 18 November 2007 in Glasgow, Cambridge, Birmingham and London, among other cities. The album was produced by guitarist Tony Clarkin. The line-up, the same as featured on Princess Alice & The Broken Arrow, was one of the strongest in Magnum's history, consisting of Clarkin and his experienced colleagues, Bob Catley (vocals), Mark Stanway (keyboards) and Al Barrow (bass), plus new addition Jimmy Copley (drums). Founded in the mid-Seventies, Magnum brought out their debut, Kingdom of Madness, featuring diverse prog-rock of the melodic variety, in 1978. Magnum II, out one year later, sounded even more symphonic, and their first live album, Marauder, arrived at the stores twelve months later. Chase The Dragon (1982) and The Eleventh Hour (1983) documented the musicians' unmistakable development, but the big breakthrough took a long time in coming. It arrived, deservedly, in 1985 with On A Storyteller's Night, Vigilante (1986) (produced by Queen drummer Roger Taylor) and Wings Of Heaven, which made no. 2 of the British album charts and spawned three top 30 single hits. Celebrated tours and invitations to most important open-air festivals of the Eighties followed, the Reading Festival, the Monsters Of Rock in Castle Donington among them, as well as several shows at the Wembley Arena and annual appearances at the legendary Hammersmith Odeon. In the early Nineties, the musicians flew to Los Angeles, where they recorded their Goodnight L.A. album, composer Clarkin being supported by Russ Ballard and Jim Vallance. The band's record company released The Spirit, featuring rare or previously unreleased tracks from another studio session, towards the end of their mutual contract, followed by Sleepwalking, another new, regular studio album soon afterwards. The first chapter of Magnum's success story ended in 1994 with Rock Art and a major farewell tour, during which the final live album The Last Dance (out in May 1996) was recorded. Clarkin went on to work as a producer and songwriter for other artists, released two albums with Bob Catley, recorded by their intermezzo project Hard Rain in 1997 and 1999 (Hard Rain & When The Good Times Come), and generally recharged his musical batteries. Then, almost precisely eight years after Rock Art, glorious times returned for Magnum. Their 2001 album Breath Of Life oozed present and past all at once and was followed by a number of celebrated shows. "It was very inspiring for me to write and produce material for Magnum again," Clarkin explains. "Compared to the Hard Rain tracks, Magnum compositions are more powerful, deeper and more passionate." With their 2004 album, Brand New Morning, and a major European tour in late summer of that year, Magnum went even further at an ambitioned artistic level, documenting that this band, like a good wine, gets better with every year. Looking at it this way, Princess Alice & The Broken Arrow came as no surprise but was the logical result of a mature and well thought-through creational process. WebLinks: www.magnumonline.co.uk / www.spv.de / www.spvusa.com. ![]() HELLOWEEN: 'HELLISH ROCK' AUSTRALIAN TOUR FEBRUARY '08: The Keepers of the 7 Keys are finally on their way to Australia! Press Release / The Legendary German Metal band Helloween came together in the early 80's and went on to be one of the most influential Metal bands of all time! Their debut album, 'Walls Of Jericho,' and particularly the two subsequent offerings, 'Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part I and Part II,' which each sold over 250,000 copies in Germany alone, catapulted them to the major leagues and had them rubbing shoulders amongst the most elite of worlds biggest hard rock acts. Helloween were a major success, not only in Germany, but also in Japan and the US. Their first live recording, 'Live In The U.K.,' conclusively proved the high musical standard that the band stood for in those days. Following the release of their 'Pink Bubbles Go Ape' (1991) and 'Chameleon' (1993) albums and another personnel change (in vocalist Andi Deris), the band went on to celebrate their triumphant return to the top of the scene with their seventh album, 'Master Of The Rings.' Their subsequent release 'The Time Of The Oath,' revived Helloween mania in Japan and South America even more. The ensuing world tour and 'High Live,' album (their second live release), crowned an era that had earned the musicians worldwide success. In 1998, their eighth studio album, 'Better Than Raw,' picked up seamlessly where the triumphal march of the previous years had left off, presenting at once the group's stylistic development and the justified confidence of the band members who had tried out and courageously realised experimental song structures. Their 2000 album, 'Metal Jukebox,' showed the five musicians coming from an unusual but by no means less fascinating side, featuring Helloween's interpretations of memorable rock and pop songs from over thirty years of music history. 'The Dark Ride,' a modern and impressive metal statement of an advanced international standard, came one year later. 'Rabbit Don't Come Easy' saw the band embark on a more melodic direction again, before going on to continue the tradition of their greatest classic on 'Keeper Of The Seven Keys III – The Legacy.' Their live recordings, 'Live On 3 Continents' (double DVD) and 'Live In Sao Paulo' (double CD) were cut during the subsequent world tour, which resembled a triumphal march. The momentum of this world tour also prevails on the new Helloween recording, Gambling With The Devil! which is probably Helloween's most ambitious and strongest album yet and it is filled with haunting melodies, driving rhythms, virtuoso guitar solos and other typical Helloween trademarks. Now for the first time ever Helloween set foot on Australian soil and they are bringing their highly acclaimed 'Hellish Rock Tour' with them and the legacy and the legend that is Helloween will undoubtedly leave their mark on all of us! Helloween 'Hellish Rock' Australian Tour 2008 Dates: Tickets on sale from December 21 Tuesday 26TH February Brisbane The Arena Oztix | 1300 762 545 www.ticketek.com.au Thursday 28TH February Sydney The Metro Theatre Ticketek | 132 849 www.ticketek.com.au Friday 29TH February Melbourne The Forum Ticketek | 132 849 www.ticketek.com.au WebLinks: www.alliancetouring.com.au (coming soon) / www.myspace.com/alliancetouring / www.helloween.org / www.riotact.com.au. BLACK MAJESTY TO SUPPORT HELLOWEEN IN SYDNEY & MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: Australian melodic power metal band Black Majesty have been announced as a support act for the upcoming Helloween Australian tour in Sydney and Melbourne. Black Majesty will support Helloween on Thursday 28th of February 2008 at The Metro in Sydney with Pain Division and on Friday 29th of February 2008 at The Forum in Melbourne with Vanishing Point. Black Majesty have recently returned from their European tour where they launched their new album Tomorrowland at major Heavy Metal festivals including Wacken Open Air Germany, Masters of Rock Czech Republic and Metal Universe Slovakia. Checkout www.blackmajesty.com for further information. A HEART FULL OF BROTHER FIRETRIBE IN 2008: Brother Firetribe storm back with a brand new studio album, following their acclaimed debut, early in 2008. Following the brilliant False Metal, the new album Heart Full Of Fire will be released through Spinefarm Records in late February or more likely March. The band are still mixing, so no track details are available as of yet. xx![]() HONEYMOON SUITE TALK NEW STUDIO ALBUM FOR 2008: Honeymoon Suite suite guitarist Derry checks in with a note: "Hey Everybody, It's Derry logging in. It's been a while since I've talked to you all, and I must apologize as we have been busier than usual for this time of year. Lots of great stuff going on though. As you know, we are back with the original lineup and going strong. The summer tour was awesome and many extra dates were added, taking us into the fall. We are having a lot of fun on stage and I think it shows. We saw a lot of old friends again out at the shows, plus a lot of new fans. I want to thank everybody who came out to the shows...we can't do it without you! The other big news is a new HMS studio album in the works. That sounds funny" album"...do they even call it that anymore? Or should I say "disc"? But then, they probably won't be around much longer either. The whole business is changing so much, but we will move with it. Sorry, got sidetracked there...where was I?? Oh yeah, the new CD! Yes, we start recording next week. It's going to be all new original songs and the original band will be playing on the record, as well as some special guests. It's being produced by Tom Treumuth, who also produced our very first record, so it's kind of cool how all the pieces are falling into place. The songs are mostly all rockers and are in the vein of the classic HMS sound. We are all excited to get started. The CD will be released hopefully early in 2008 in Europe on Frontiers Records, and also in North America on a label yet to be determined. Anyways, got to go. Heading over to Johnnie's house to do some writing today, but we'll see you all again on New Years Eve, live from Niagara Falls, Ont. We'll rocking in 2008 with our old friends Loverboy and Denis DeYoung, it's gonna be a blast!" ROCK IN THE NEW YEAR WITH FOREIGNER: Press Release / Philadelphia, Pa / Boston, MA (Nov. 28, 2007) – Let CN8, The Comcast Network transform you from "Cold as Ice" to "Hot Blooded" as it heats up the airwaves with "Celebrate '08," an exclusive television event airing live from Universal Orlandoâ Resort on Monday, December 31 at 9:00 p.m. The special broadcast features performances by headliner and multi-platinum artist Foreigner as well as nationally renowned comedians Lynne Koplitz and Keith Robinson. Veteran television personality and longtime E! Entertainment host Todd Newton will emcee "Celebrate '08" with CN8 "Backstage" entertainment reporter Bessie Tsionis co-hosting. "Our New Year's Eve broadcast has become a can't-miss tradition," said Jon Gorchow, vice president and general manager, CN8. "We're excited to welcome in 2008 while celebrating all of CN8's successes from the past year including our new Washington, D.C. studio and continued network expansion." The three and a half hour entertainment event will feature many of Foreigner's classic hits including "I Want to Know What Love Is," "Waiting for a Girl Like You," "Double Vision," "Urgent," "Feels Like The First Time," "Jukebox Hero" and more. From live music to lots of laughter, comedians Lynne Koplitz and Keith Robinson will add laughs with stand-up routines. Koplitz's television appearances include a Comedy Central special, a co-starring role on "Life and Style" and as a co-host on the Food Network's "How to Boil Water." A Philadelphia native, Robinson was a regular guest on "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn," and has been featured in a Comedy Central special. Having hosted E! Entertainment's "Coming Attractions," "Talk Soup", "E! News Live," as well as countless red carpet events, Todd Newton will entertain audiences with his quick wit and charm between performances. Also on hand will be CN8's entertainment reporters Bessie Tsionis and Tim Estiloz along with special correspondents Naamu Delaney and Mary Lou Palumbo to provide firsthand accounts of all the New Year's Eve festivities. Throughout the night, "Celebrate '08" reports live on other New Year's Eve events in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. A team of CN8 reporters including John Carchedi from Boston and Robert Traynham from Washington, D.C. will be checking-in regularly from these locations. "Celebrate '08" can be viewed three ways – on air, online or On Demand. The special will air live on CN8 and stream simultaneously online at www.CN8.tv. Following the broadcast, "Celebrate '08" will be available on Comcast Digital Cable's On Demand service for at least one week following the live broadcast. On January 20, an exclusive behind-the-scenes special, "A View from the Truck" will be made available On Demand for two weeks. The 60-minute show will feature interviews with the performers, hosts and crew, offering an in-depth look at the trials and tribulations of producing a live New Year's Eve television special. ![]() RUSH TO TOUR INTO 2008: From the Rush Newsletter: "Following the very well-received Snakes and Arrows tour, we are pleased to announce that Rush will go on tour again in 2008! For more details, please visit the news section on www.rush.com to read the press release. RUSH has been nominated for a 2008 Grammy in the Best Rock Instrumental Performance category for "Malignant Narcissism." Congrats to the boys! SALUTING PRODUCER EDDIE KRAMER: Did you know that there was one guy behind the sound of most of the classic rock records that came out of modern rock's first Golden Age (1967-1972)? His name was Eddie Kramer and we can in a large part, thank him for the sound of Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Santana, Kiss and dozens of others including The Beatles. Eddie was the producer/engineer of so many classic rock records and recordings it's hard to imagine he accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. But the greatness of Kramer doesn't stop at the music- Eddie photographed the moments in-between recording when the artists were listening back to their tracks for the first time. What exists in the Kramer Archives today are incredibly intimate shots of these legends hearing their songs for the first time and reacting to them in the moment- golden moments of creative inspiration. This Friday, December 14th, 2007, join us in celebrating Eddie's contribution to music and pop culture at the Eddie Kramer Retrospect at Von Dutch LA (819 N La Brea, between Melrose and Santa Monica Blvd in Hollywood). Kramer himself will be there to sign prints and share stories. Don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity for true classic rock fans and candid photography fans. There will also be a very special surprise musical guest. Eddie Kramer Retrospective - Von Dutch Los Angeles, 819 N La Brea, Los Angeles CA 90038 / Preview begins at 5:00 pm Event is from 7:00pm - 10:00 pm. For a complete history on Eddie Kramer, check out visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Kramer. ALEX VAN HALEN TALKS TO MODERN DRUMMER: Press Release / (Los Angeles, CA) December 13, 2007 - Van Halen's explosive drummer Alex Van Halen talks in an exclusive interview with Modern Drummer magazine about helming the heavy artillery in the iconic band. The extensive 21-page story hits newsstands on February 5. "As the pounding, aggressive heartbeat of one of the greatest bands in rock history, Alex Van Halen has inspired drummers the world over with his unique sound and style," says Modern Drummer magazine's Editor In Chief Bill Miller. The article not only features Alex Van Halen chatting with Modern Drummer about the band, the new tour and his equipment, but several exclusive shots of Alex attacking his drum kit. In the meantime, additional Van Halen shows have been announced. Keep visiting www.van-halen.com for up-to-the-minute ticket and tour information. often. SPIDERS & SNAKES MAKING NEW MOVES AS 2007 COMES TO A CLOSE: Press Release / (Los Angeles, CA - Dec. 12, 2007) - Los Angeles glitter and glam rock heroes Spiders & Snakes are celebrating the release of their new 'Melodrama', album on Corporate Punishment Records (distributed by Koch Entertainment) by making a few waves to close out 2007 and kick the new year off in grand style! The band has three songs, "Friends Like You", "Shoot Me Down" and a cover of the Bay City Rollers' classic "Yesterday's Hero" featured on Cleopatra Records' Digital-Only release, "Metal School 101', which currently a top seller on iTunes. They are set to perform at the annual Cleopatra Records Christmas Party held on December 19, 2007 at The Viper Room on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, CA alongside such artists as Jetboy, Blackboard Jungle, Peppermint Creeps, Dr. Know and more! This will be the band's last performance of the year. Spiders & Snakes' Lizzie Grey and Timothy Jay were recently featured in the Chrome Dreams DVD release, "Duns N' Roses: 2 Classic Albums Under Review: Use Your Illusion I and II". The duo were interviewed about the impact that Guns N' Roses had on the Hollywood, California music scene and also Lizzie Grey's personal involvement with the various GNR band members. Drummer, Jay, gives his take as well on the Guns N' Roses phenomena - having been part of the infamous band London with Spiders & Snakes co - founder Lizzie Grey (London at one time or another featured Izzy Stradlin, Steven Adler and Slash), Tim also worked during the day at both Capitol-EMI and Metal Blade Records in the GNR era, ironically having previously interfaced professionally with Lonn Friend and Malcolm Dome whom are also featured in this documentary film. Snippets of the new Spiders & Snakes song "Shoot Me Down" (from the brand new album 'Melodrama') were used by the producers of the film as background music in this unauthorized documentary film. Lastly, Spiders & Snakes will be a part of the special 'Hollywood Rocks' triple vinyl album released in early 2008 through Cleopatra Records. The release will be a limited run of only 500 hand-numbered and coloured copies designed in a custom, hand-packaged boxset. The label hand-picked the rare Spiders & Snakes track "The End of Marylou" (from their 1991 debut EP 'Arachnomania') for this set. What's next for Spiders & Snakes? First a music video is in the works with famed director/producer David Sterling from the Sterling Film Factory(Gothic Vampires from Hell, The Curse of Lizzy Borden) on a track to be named later. In January 2008 the band will be signing autographs at the NAMM show in Anaheim, California at the Cleopatra Records booth and will be performing as part of a live concert series at a venue TBA as part of the NAMM Concert Events.. The band has also scheduled a last minute performance for this Saturday, Dec. 15th at Club Vodka / The Knitting Factory in Hollywood, CA. The band's set time will be at 7:00pm sharp. For more information, please visit www.spidersandsnakes.com and www.myspace.com/spidersandsnakes. HALL OF FAME 08 ANNOUNCED: Madonna, John Mellencamp, Leonard Cohen, the Ventures and the Dave Clark Five will be enshrined next year in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, organizers announced today (Dec. 13). The 2008 induction will be held March 10 at New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel. WebLink: www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003685088. MR-X UPDATED: MR-X has been updated. Online today is a very cool and very rare classic Night Ranger performance! In support of their debut album Dawn Patrol, the band played 9 of the album's 10 tracks Live On Air @ 5th Floor Studios WEBN in 1982. Also online is some stuff to celebrate the current Van Halen reunion - 10 original classic demos from the 70s and the band Live Cox Arena, San Diego, 2007. The new Feature Album is some sleaze rock from Asphalt Ballet. And the following new Video Clips are also online: Damn Yankees - High Enough, Autograph - Turn Up The Radio, Quiet Riot - Cum On Feel The Noise & Metal Health, Night Ranger - Don't Tell Me You Love Me and Vixen - Edge Of A Broken Heart. MR-X Membership Details. MRCD1 COMING BACK VIA DIGITAL DOWNLOAD: I am very pleased to announce that the original MelodicRock.com CD Compilation MRCD1 - Revealed & Revisited - will be available online right here as a Digital Download from next week. The CD has been long out of print after the 1000 units pressed, sold out a few years back. Stay tuned for more details... |
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Thursday, December 13, 2007
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KHYMERA'S GREATEST WONDER: Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the release of Khymera's third album The Greatest Wonder on February 22! Born as studio project featuring Kansas' Steve Walsh and Italian multi-instrumentist Daniele Liverani (Genius), Khymera reaches now the third chapter with its ultimate evolution in a stable band's lineup and musical concept. With British twin brothers Tom & James Martin (House Of Lords, Ted Poley) working on the complete songwriting and a line-up that – following the amazing responses gathered by the second album A New Promise – features again Liverani's keyboards prowess, Dennis Ward (Pink Cream 69) on bass and vocals, Tommy Ermolli on guitars and Dario Ciccioni (Hartmann) on drums, Khymera offers one of the most shining examples of what European Melodic Rock is all about: crystal clear production, soaring vocals, killer musicianship and a songwriting that reminds the heydays of the genre when bands like Giuffria, Icon, FM and Signal ruled the airwaves! Ivory-tinkler Daniele Liverani says: "It was a great journey to produce and arrange these songs provided by the Martin brothers. I tried to give the songs the full and warm sound of the '80s with my keyboard work, but with a touch of modern style. Both Dario on drums and Tommy on guitars did a great job and of course Dennis delivered some incredible vocals and bass too. I truly think this new album is a step ahead for us as a band. With every album we gel better and better together. I can't wait to start working on the next chapter and hopefully to perform some shows during the new year!" Just like the previous record A New Promise delivered a killer melodic rock selection, the new one adds a richer and more mature songwriting along, with truly outstanding musicianship and huge production. xx xx xx![]() Dario Ciccioni – Tommy Ermolli – Dennis Ward – Daniele Liverani The Greatest Wonder final tracklisting includes: Ablaze (intro); Beautiful Life; Borderline; Burn Out; Since You Went Away; Love Has Been And Gone; No Sacrifice; The Greatest Wonder; Fight For Yesterday; If I Can't Be; Love Will Find You; Stay Forever; The Other Side. The next step for Khymera will be the debut as live unit on stage and plans are already underway for a live debut in the European melodic festivals of 2008. The Greatest Wonder will be released in Japan on King Records and in the USA on Eagle Rock Records. WebLinks: www.myspace.com/khymeraband / www.frontiers.it / www.myspace.com/frontiersrecords. ![]() Great White announce the European tour in support to the release of their album Back To The Rhythm. January 25, 2008 Copenhagen, DENMARK The Rock January 26, 2008 Helmond, HOLLAND Club Plato January 28, 2008 Newcastle, UK Carling Academy January 30, 2008 Glasgow, UK The Cat House January 31, 2008 Wolverhampton, UK Robin 2 February 1, 2008 Southampton, UK The Brook February 2, 2008 London, UK Sheperds Bush Empire February 6, 2008 Madrid, SPAIN Heineken February 7, 2008 Barcelona, SPAIN The Apollo February 9, 2008 Pratteln, SWITZERLAND Z-7 February 10, 2008 Piacenza, ITALY TBA February 11, 2008 Treviso, ITALY TBA February 13, 2008 Stockholm, SWEDEN Debaser February 14, 2008 Malmö, SWEDEN KB Dokken posted a rough mix of the song Oasis taken from the up and coming album Lightning Strikes Again due out on Frontiers Records in the Spring 2008 on the band's myspace site: www.myspace.com/dokken1. The new track showcases a straight return to the classic sound that brought the best success for the band. Stay tuned for more outstanding tracks from this highly anticipated release. W.A.S.P - THE CRIMSON IDOL TOUR IN AUSTRALIA - APRIL 2008: For the first time ever, Blackie Lawless will be bringing his legendary band W.A.S.P to Australia. The Crimson Idol World Tour celebrates the 15th Anniversary since the release of the landmark 'The Crimson Idol' album (1992). W.A.S.P will be performing 2 gigantic sets - SET 1: The Crimson Idol album in its entirety; SET 2: A mix of old classics and new material including tracks from the latest album 'Dominator' released in April 2007. Joining W.A.S.P as very Special Guests will be Australian hard rock legends, THE POOR, who will be hitting the road for the first time in 10 years! The Poor back in your face and asking for More Wine Waiter Please! This tour promises to be a romping, stomping, foot thumping, head banging good time. Expect nothing less! 4 SHOWS ONLY Tues, April 08 Sydney Metro Theatre Thurs, April 10 Brisbane The Tivoli Sun, April 13 Adelaide The Barton Theatre Tues, April 15 Melbourne Forum Theatre Tickets on sale Monday January 14th 2008 - www.ticketek.com.au / www.venuetix.com.au. MELODIC BRIEFS: ARfm have upgraded their online stream to a new, higher capacity, server. The new stream can be found here: hive.rockandrollhosting.com:9038. A couple of new interviews are online now at Rock Of Life - Candice Night: www.rock-is-life.com/2007interviews/candicenight.htm and Bumblefoot: www.rock-is-life.com/2007interviews/bumblefoot.htm. Comcast, a national cable carrier in the USA, ran a commercial last night advertising a free Foreigner concert as their New Year's Eve celebration programming. I am not yet sure if that will be a new concert or a broadcast of the band's recent live DVD. Whitesnake have updated their website with the news of 2 Festival shows - Sweden Rock Festival and Sauna Open Air metal festival. The band's new studio album is due early next year. www.whitesnake.com The new Firefest MySpace page is online at: www.myspace.com/firefest5. Toto's Falling In Between Live 2CD set will get a US release February 5 with the DVD to be released March 18 - both through Locomotive Records. RYAN ROXIE POPS A HAPPY PILL: This little post comes from former Alice Cooper guitaist Ryan Roxie: "Hello there Ladies & Gentleman...Hello there Ladies Gents... Your humble host Ryan Roxie here... I wish I could start EVERY letter I wrote out with a Cheap Trick quote! But alas, we are not here to discuss the legendary status of "Trick", but to kick start the debut release single of the band I have been working on for the greater part of 2007 and heading into 2008, Happypill. I'm very proud of the music and the sound that we have been able to put together as a band, and I'm very excited for you to listen to it... so much in fact, that I'm giving it to you. I have come up with some unconventional means of promoting the music with the concepts of the Conscience Free Download (C.F.D.) and Splitting The Profits (S.T.P.). But with a little help from my friends (this being you) and a bit of good ol' fashioned luck, I'm hoping that the Happypill debut single "This Year" will reach each and every ipod, cell phone, and boom box within the continental universe in the coming year.....aim high, right!?! Sooooo....if you haven't been by the Happypill myspace site lately www.myspace.com/happypill07, please drop on by so you can see and hear what I'm talking about. My "official" launch date is set for December 17, 2007 (you know me and the "77" by now, don't cha!)....but your involvement can start any day you would like to. Just shoot me an email at roxie@roxie77.com and tell me you are ready to help start working "on the pill" and I'll send ya some info on ways that would really help us out. Simple stuff really, but just things like featuring our song "This Year" as your site's theme song and making "Happypill" your "top friends" on sites like myspace and facebook...... plus, stopping people randomly in the street and scream "Happypill" repeatedly in their face until you drop from exhaustion....see, simple stuff! I just wanted to sincerely thank you beforehand, because I truly appreciate everything that you have done for me in the past, which has helped me create what is now in the present, and now gives me great hope of what we will be able to accomplish in the future.... Remember....if YOU believe in UNICORNS....UNICORNS will believe in YOU.....wait, that wasn't what I wanted to say....that sounds crazy, no?...........or is it? Peace, Love, and Happypill." |
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Wednesday, December 12, 2007
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SHADOWMAN HIT THE STUDIO: Escape Music pleased to announce start of the productions for the new Shadowman album (their third) at Parr Street, Liverpool, UK., and will be mixed by Tommy Hansen at Jail House Studio in Norway. The album will be released in the Spring of 2008. Shadowman is - Steve Overland: Lead Vocals (FM), Steve Morris: All Guitars / Keyboards (Heartland / Ian Gillan), Chris Child: Bass (Thunder), Harry James: Drums (Thunder). WebLink: www.Escape-Music.com. ![]() MICHAEL SCHENKER & FRIENDS - DATES ANNOUNCED: Initial dates for the Michael Schenker & Friends UK tour have been announced, but his agent sent me a little extra info - "At each show Michael will be signing fan's stuff at the merchandise stand, and will draw out a ticket number from the show which will then be put into a prize draw at the end of the tour with a chance to win the guitar Michael used to record his new MSG album, In The Midst of Beauty." I responded with a question about Michael's health, to which I got the following reply: "Michael is doing very well, he is fit, healthy and raring to go with loads of exciting new plans for a World Tour." So, with that said and one - the dates so far are: 10th Jan. 2008 12bar Swindon 11th. Jan Limelight Crew 12th. Jan Riffs Blackpool 16th. Jan Riga Southend 17th Jan Boom Boom Club, Sutton 24th. Jan Princess Pavilion Falmouth 26th Jan. Twist Colchester 9th Feb Academy 3 Manchester 10th Feb.Boardwalk Sheffield 17th Feb. Thekla Bristol 18th Feb. Waterfront, Norwich 22nd Feb Cathouse, Glasgow JOURNEY LINE UP THIRD SOUTH AMERICAN DATE: A third show has been added to Journey's upcoming visit to South America. The latest date is February 24 at Grand Hotel and Casino of Viña del Mar. I asked Cristián, who has been updating me on these dates and writes for www.rockaxis.com, what the people of his part of the world think of the news Journey is coming and what he thinks the general impression of the new line-up will be. He responds: "Many fans of around countries like Argentina, Peru, Uruguay and Brazil come to Chile to see the only 3 shows that the band play in South America for the first time in 30 years! Here the fans really love the "Frontiers" era line-up, with Schon, Valory, Smith, Cain and of course, Steve Perry. But then with Steve Augeri and Deen Castronovo in the band the attention of the people continue. About Arnel Pineda, I hear and read only positive things here in Chile. The people go to YouTube, see the videos of Arnel and say that him have a perfect voice to the band. Definitively, Chile receive Journey with "open arms"!" ANDRE MATOS SOLO DEBUT TIME TO BE FREE OUT ON FEBRUARY 25: The Brazilian Andre Matos is doubtlessly among the most charismatic and versatile vocalists on the international rock/metal scene. His voice is unmistakable, his compositional talent beyond all doubt. In the late Eighties, Matos formed the band Viper, practically a predecessor of his top-selling act Angra, which he launched in 1991. Three internationally successful albums, plus four EPs and sensational tours around the globe marked the Angra years from 1992 to 1999 with Matos as their frontman. Following his departure, he formed Shaman, simultaneously proving himself to be a multi-faceted musician, who also cuts a fine figure away from heavy metal, alongside guitarist/producer Sascha Paeth in their Virgo project. Now his solo debut, Time To Be Free, is due to be released, featuring eleven brand-new songs which confirm his unusual vocal range and underline that Matos has matured in every respect. The album is scheduled for release on 25 February 2008 in Europe (Germany 22 February 2008) on SPV/Steamhammer. Matos was supported by truly excellent musicians: His solo band includes the renowned trio consisting of Luis Mariutti (bass), Hugo Mariutti (guitar) and Fabio Ribeiro (keyboards) – all of them former members of Angra and Shaman – plus guitarist Zaaza Hernandes, with whom Matos worked in the early Nineties and who is considered one of Brazil's best guitarists, as well as Eloy Casagrande, a 16-year-old drum talent who came first at the Modern Drummer drum competition in the US. The album was produced by Roy Z (Judas Priest, Bruce Dickinson, Helloween, among others) and Sascha Paeth (Edguy, Kamelot, Rhapsody) in Brazil, Germany and the US. Directly after its release in Japan, the album stayed at no. 2 of the Japanese sales charts for a full month, ahead of big names, such as Metallica and Heaven & Hell. Tracks: Menuett * Letting Go * Rio * Remember Why * How Long (Unleashed Away) * Looking Back * Face The End * Time To Be Free * Reason * A New Moonlight * Endeavour. WebLinks: www.andrematos.net / www.spv.de. ![]() ENDERERAFTER MAKING WAVES: Press Release / EndeverafteR's debut album Kiss or Kill is in stores and they've been touring non stop to support it. Although at the very beginning of their career, EndeverafteR's live shows are so impressive that they have won them opening slots for rock legends such as Kiss, Poison and Cinderella. The band will hit the road as support for the Fuel/Trapt co-headlining tour in mid-October (see below for tour dates). EndeverafteR's debut album Kiss Or Kill was released October 30, with first single "I Wanna Be Your Man" shipping to rock radio earlier in the month. Hailing from Sacramento, CA, the young quartet is already creating a buzz well before the release of their debut album Kiss or Kill. A sexy, behind-the-scenes look at their triple X-rated video shoot for "Baby, Baby, Baby" by NGTV (No Good TV), was the #1 Most Viewed video on YouTube with nearly 500,000 views in one day alone (link below). To watch the video in question: mfile.akamai.com/2851/wmv/razntie.download.akamai.com/2851/endeverafter/baby3x_dirty.asx. YouTube link to video of I Wanna Be Your Man: www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-M3mekFwGg. EndeverafteR is giving away a brand new Washburn Guitar! www.endeverafter.com/contest EndeverafteR on tour: Dec 10 2007 8:00P Dream Catcher Showroom - Alpine, California Dec 11 2007 6:30P The Grove Of Anaheim - Anaheim, California Dec 12 2007 5:00P House of Blues - Las Vegas, Nevada Dec 13 2007 5:00P Last Day Saloon - Santa Rosa, California MORE SPECIAL GUESTS ADDED TO 'SCRAP METAL' WILDHORSE CONCERT EVENT: It seems the MelodicRockFest show in October made a lasting impression with the Scrap Metal guys as they continue to team up with Jimi Jamison and now Joe Lynn Turner again! A one-off show has spawned something special it seems... Press Release / Celebrity Rock Super Group Scrap Metal announced more special guest stars to perform during their upcoming 'Metal Christmas' holiday concert event at the Wildhorse Nashville December 15, 2007. Special guest star Joe Lynn Turner former lead singer for legendary rock groups Deep Purple; Rainbow; and Fandango will perform with Scrap Metal at The Scrap Metal Jingle Bell Rock Party. "We have a lot of surprises planned for the Jingle Bell Rock Party," raves Scrap Metal co-founder Gunnar Nelson, "The Wildhorse is a legendary place, and Joe Lynn Turner is a legendary performer. We're excited to have him as our special guest in Nashville." Other special guest stars announced for the event include Jimi Jamison former lead singer of Survivor. 'Party Like a Rock Star' at The Scrap Metal Jingle Bell Rock Party, live concert featuring Scrap Metal on Saturday, December 15, 2007 at 10:00 pm at The Wildhorse Saloon 120 Second Avenue in Nashville, Tennessee 37201. Doors open at 9pm. Tickets are still available at Ticketmaster locations or Ticketmaster.com or WildhorseSaloon.com or by phone (615) 902-8211. Visit the Scrap Metal official website at www.myspace.com/ScrapMetalBand. 2ND NIGHT FOR Z ROCK 08 AND MORE: Press Release / It has been decided that we will push the boat out for next years ZRock 08 show and go for a 2 day event, the dates will be May 16 and 17. We have already had the verbal ok for a major act to headline on May 16 and hope to have info for you ASAP re-who it is and ticket details. We cannot stress how important advance ticket sales are, and we appeal to to everyone to make the effort to purchase their tickets well ahead of the show. If this show fails to break even it will be the last ever Z Rock, sorry but these are the facts. We hope we can count on your support. Confirmed line up so far: Bonfire, Britny Fox, Von Groove, Shy, Stormzone with more to follow. For further details visit: www.myspace.com/zrockfest. RICKY PHILLIPS TALKS LED ZEPPELIN: Styx bassist Ricky Phillips writes from London, fresh from witnessing the Led Zeppelin gig: "I'm In London and still buzzing from the Zep show last night. Robert paced himself well and sang the set as if he was a much younger man. He still had bullets in the chamber at the end of the night and hit every note in Kashmir which was the last song before the encores. But, little Jason Bonham stole the night. He played like it was the last time he'd ever play the drums and with a reserve that made the pockets huge and the groove factor was spectacular. Jimmy was a bit less flamboyant but very in charge of the many parts he had assembled in the original recordings and gave you the root, then a harmony, then an incidental part you'd forgotten about and pretty much with ease throughout the night. John Paul Jones continued as if their last show was the night before with a quiet presence visually but audibly he added to the thunder and was again the glue to everyone else in the band. His keyboard work was excellent and Kashmir in particular was better than the recording...on everyone's part." And following the show, Robert Plant has admitted there is a desire among fans for a tour and while it may not be a full scale world tour, more dates are possible. Of course they are! More on the show at Billboard.com: www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003683185 WIN A DAY WITH BUCKCHERRY: December 10, 2007 – Los Angeles, CA - The T. J. Martell Foundation in conjunction with 10th Street Entertainment, is proud to announce it will auction off a Day in the Studio Experience with Eleven Seven Music / Atlantic Records Recording artists Buckcherry, with proceeds going to Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS Research. In an eBay auction, which will begin on Sunday, December 16, 2007, at 12:00 p.m. PST/ 3:00 p.m. EST, and running for one week only, Buckcherry fans can bid on a once-in-a-lifetime chance to spend a day in a Los Angeles, California recording studio with the band while they record tracks for their fourth full-length CD release. The winning bidder and a guest will receive round-trip coach airfare courtesy of Continental Airlines from any major U.S. city, two nights accommodations from a leading Four Star Hollywood or Beverly Hills hotel, and two days use of a Mercedes Benz C300 courtesy of Midway Car Rental. As a memento to remember this experience, the band will also present the winning bidder with a brand-new autographed Schecter guitar. Buckcherry, with their hit singles, the Grammy nominated 'Crazy B*tch,' as well as 'Broken Glass,' 'Everything,' and 'Sorry,' from their 2006 release "15", which has remained on the Billboard 200 for a remarkable 85 weeks, has reached Platinum RIAA sales status. Arguably the most popular multi-format hit-makers in America, reaching the upper echelons of the Rock, Alternative and now the Hot/AC and Pop charts, Buckcherry also has the third most popular MySpace page, with almost 12 million views and 340,000 friends. The band will also be celebrating their 300th live show at Las Vegas' House of Blues on December 15th in support of their triumphant current release. All proceeds from the Day in the Studio with Buckcherry Experience Auction will benefit the life-saving research conducted at eight leading research facilities, including Children's Hospital L.A., The Mayo Clinic, Vanderbilt-Ingram, Columbia Presbyterian Cancer Center, and others. The T. J. Martell Foundation has auctioned off many celebrity experiences for charity on eBay such as a Day In The Studio with Metallica, front row Bon Jovi concert tickets, tickets and stage access for the 2004 through 2007 Vans Warped Tour, autographed instruments, as well as other experiences with top bands and recording artists. Columbia/Sony music industry executive Tony Martell, who was instrumental in the signing of Ozzy Osbourne and Stevie Ray Vaughn, among others, founded The T. J. Martell Foundation in 1975 in memory of his son, T.J., a victim of Leukemia. The T. J. Martell Foundation, which has raised more than $230 million over 32 years, remains dedicated to raising money for the innovative initial and ongoing research of the treatments and cures of the world's three most deadliest diseases: Leukemia, Cancer, and AIDS. In 2001, T.J. Martell Foundation funds contributed to the discovery of Gleevec, the breakthrough drug that has a profound effect on a rare strain of Leukemia. Bidders can access this Buckcherry auction by clicking on the "T.J. Martell Auctions on eBay" link found at www.tjmartellfoundation.org, as well as at www.buckcherry.com |
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Tuesday, December 11, 2007
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QUIET RIOT SINGER DIED OF OVERDOSE: Press Article / The death last month of Kevin DuBrow, lead singer for the 1980s heavy metal band Quiet Riot, has been ruled an accidental cocaine overdose. Clark County coroner spokeswoman Samantha Charles confirmed the cause Monday after toxicology results were received Monday. DuBrow was found dead Nov. 25 at his Las Vegas home. He was 52. Quiet Riot was perhaps best known for its 1983 cover of "Cum on Feel the Noize." The song, featuring DuBrow's powerful, gravelly voice, appeared on the band's album "Metal Health" — which was the first by a metal band to reach No. 1 on the Billboard chart. DuBrow recorded a solo album in 2004, "In for the Kill," and the band's last studio CD, "Rehab," came out in October 2006. LED ZEPPELIN REUNION MATCHES EXPECTATIONS: Led Zeppelin appear to have met crowd expectations with a rousing set in London. If you haven't seen the set list, it was - Good Times, Bad Times, Ramble On, Black Dog, In My Time Of Dying, For Your Life, Trampled Under Foot, Nobody's Fault But Mine, No Quarter, Since I've Been Loving You, Dazed and Confused, Stairway To Heaven, The Song Remains the Same, Misty Mountain Hop, Kashmir, Encore: Whole Lotta Love, Rock and Roll. Pictures, reviews and comments all in one place at: www.nme.com/news/led-zeppelin/33075. EDDIE AVOIDS THE FLOOD: Another news item from the wires that you may have already seen: "Rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen's Hollywood Hills home narrowly escaped serious damage on Monday, after a broken water main sent mud and debris gushing across his yard, the Los Angeles Times reported on its Web site. Van Halen's swimming pool disappeared under the deluge, and potted plants and trees were also demolished, his girlfriend Janie Liszewski told the paper. But the house was saved after firefighters fortified it with sandbags, she said. The couple were not at home when the destruction started shortly after midnight on Monday. They were in the Canadian city of Edmonton for a reunion concert the night before by Van Halen's eponymous band. They returned on Monday to survey the damage, which was caused by a broken air valve on a water main, the paper said. It sent torrents of water through the streets of the bucolic Coldwater Canyon neighborhood, but Van Halen's property was the only one affected by the flood." ERIC RAGNO INTERVIEWED: Eric Ragno -- keyboardist on new albums you may have heard by Ted Poley, David Readman, Steve Grimmett, American Angel, etc. -- checked in with Hardrock Haven to talk about the upcoming CD release of his band Vox Tempus on Angelmilk Records; what it was like playing at the recent Melodic Rock Anniversary Show and Firefest IV in the U.K.; his new project called China Blue with Tony Mills on lead vocals; and what it's like being sponsored by a keytar company. To listen to the interview in its entirety, go here: www.hardrockhaven.net/interviews2007/eragno07.php. JOSEPH WILLIAMS DELIVERS BALLADS DOUBLE: Former Toto vocalist Joseph Williams has two new solo releases out now in Japan. Both releases are all covers in a piano ballad style. Basically these are sequel albums to the 2006 released Two Of Us album. Full details of each release is detailed below. And dare I say...I have seen some sorry album covers in my time, and no offence to the normally dapper looking Joseph Williams, but who let these through quality control? Tears especially is horrendous! Track Listing: Tears - 1. Against All Odds 2. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight 3. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word 4. Whiter Shade Of Pale 5. Tracks Of My Tears 6. All In Love Is Fair 7. Everytime You Go Away 8. Always On My Mind 9. All By Myself 10. Tears In Heaven 11. She 12. My Immortal. Smiles - 1. Don't Worry Baby 2. Walk Between The Raindrops 3. Still Crazy After All These Years 4. Wonderful Tonight 5. For Your Love 6. Song For You 7. Peaceful Easy Feeling 8. More Than I Can Say 9. Heaven In Your Eyes 10. Maybe I'm Amazed 11. Don't Know Why 12. Somewhere Only We Know. xx![]() MELODIC BRIEFS: A new Dokken track (in rough mix form) titled Oasis can be found at the band's MySpace page: www.myspace.com/dokken1. The Musician's Voice - www.themusiciansvoice.com - has a new cool MP3 interview with the great songwriter Jim Vallance. Jim talks about his successful collaborations with Bryan Adams, Aerosmith, and Ozzy Osbourne, as well as what it's like writing with other artists, his thoughts on the current state of songwriting in music, and much more... A unique concert at the famous venue Nalen in Stockholm will see Europe on stage semi-acoustically, performing songs from their new CD Secret Society together with some of their classic hits. The concert will be broadcast live over the world wide web through their website: www.europetheband.com on January 26. BLACK N BLUE HIT THE STAGE: Site reader Frank Moore was at this week's Back N Blue re-union show and was kind enough to send me a couple of comments, plus the pictures below. Says Frank: "First of all, the show was outstanding. Everyone looked and sounded great and it was a perfect evening. I have included a few photos for you. Sorry for the quality, but all I had was a camera phone. The one of Jamie came out pretty good. After the show I played reporter and spoke for a while with Jeff "Woop" Warner. Jeff said (of the new album) "we want to release it as soon as possible but it's just not the number one priority right now. Tommy is playing with KISS and Jamie's been with Warrant for a while so we haven't had time to finish it. There are a lot of other things going on right now. Yes, we'd like to have it out by the summer. If I had to say when I'd say next summer." Frank added this: "During the show, Jamie also commented that this would NOT be the last we've seen of Black N Blue. Matter of fact, the band plans on playing "a lot more" in 2008. Also, Marc Ferrari (Keel, Cold Sweat) was there as a special guest and jammed with the guys after the show. I have enclosed a photo of him as well. He's playing Woop's Gibson Flying V in the photo." xx xx![]() THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE LION MUSIC CAMP: Astra sign to Lion Music - After their successful debut album About me: through life and beyond, Italian prog metallers Astra start the recording session for the new album called From Within, their debut release for Lion Music next year. Astra are also playing live on December 13rd at Qube in Rome (Italy). WebLinks: www.astraprog.com / www.myspace.com/astraprog. Again some cool news from the Engine of Pain front line! We are talking about 2 brand new Engine of Pain tracks called: Rack and Ruin and Spit out the Anger which will be an approximate direction of the style of the second album to be released worldwide 4th quarter of 2008 on Lion Music. These are the first studio tracks of the new line up. Both songs are recorded at the PITstudio (Weert) and mastered by Peter Neuber at Vintagemastering Studio (Berlin). Guess what?! Rack and Ruin is set "downloadable for free" at the Engine of Pain Myspace site, our official website and the Lion Music website! Check it out! Even the lyrics are downloadable so you can shout along at the top of your voices! If you want to get hold of a cool official very limited printed version of the promo (a full colour CD in a full colour wallet) visit the Shop section of the Engine of Pain website for further instructions! www.engineofpain.com/shop. Engine of Pain is very proud to announce that Patrick and Bastiaan are now endorsed by ENGL amps! On the new endorsement the guitar duo commented, "The amazing boost and force of these ENGL 100% turbo tube monsters is incredible! They give a great attack with very well defined lows and clear highs. Try it out: you just can't get a bad tone out of these amps! Don't need any distortion effects or other crap ... the amp itself is the Generator of the Ultimate kick ass Metal Tone! So if you play metal, you urgently need to have an ENGL ... Bet you won't regret it!" Check out the Kuiper-Waltmans Alliance at the ENGL website noted professional users: www.engl-amps.com/index2.html WebLinks: www.engineofpain.com / www.myspace.com/engineofpain. LISA McCLOWRY TRACK GIVES TO US MILITARY: A newly released independent song, Before the Tree Comes Down, is causing a strong reaction about America's war effort in those who hear it. Available Worldwide on iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody and Amazon, the song boldly covers the separation felt by many families as Christmas approaches and their loved ones are away in the service of the United States Military. The proceeds are going to the Armed Forces Foundation in support of wounded troops and their families. Written by Christa Wells, winner of the GMA Songwriter of the Year Award 2006, and recorded by well-known Chicago singer Lisa McClowry, the song has created strong reactions wherever it has been aired. "When I played the song to my husband, at the end there was just one reaction - complete silence," says Lisa. Her mother was the same. "After a few tears and some red faces the conversation usually turns to the importance of family, appreciating the people you love and never taking life for granted." Lisa continues, "I've seen the song raise some powerful debates regarding the war efforts. Good or bad, the song has people talking." "I played it for my golfing buddies after a game, at their insistence." Says Executive Producer Jim Covert of Chicago, "I was surprised at the length of the silence and the moist eyes at the end". "This song deals with some big issues." Lisa McClowry is a gifted performer, having provided the movie singing voice for "Princess" in "The Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, and also sung the theme song "Bridge to the Stars" for the Wild Thornberrys movie soundtrack. She also co-wrote "Through the Eyes of a Child" for the motion picture The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle." Lisa continues to perform in the Chicago area. WebLinks: www.beforethetree.com / www.lisamcclowry.com / www.armedforcesfoundation.org. MINIBYTES & OTHER SITE UPDATE NEWS: I am very pleased to finally update a very popular section fo this website - the MiniBytes page. Another victim of the MelodicRockFest workload, the MiniBytes MP3 preview page is my own way of featuring a bunch of different releases from various bands and various labels that don't get featured elsewhere on the site. Each album is represented with 5 x 1 minute MP3 previews from that given release and is a great way to discover some great bands all in one place. Come the second week of January when business for 2008 gets underway, this section will be constantly updated during the year. Some interesting albums are previewed with today's update. Speaking of catching up...it has been a struggle to balance the everyday needs of this site and the titles that deserve coverage throughout this year. The MelodicRockFest show really did strip every second of my spare time for much of the second part of the year. Sadly a great many albums have missed being reviewed this year. I believe I have covered the most vital and important releases, but many others were missed, probably more than any other year. I am working on a Reviews update to upload next week, which will cover as many of these missed titles and several more important recent releases that have yet to be reviewed. I want to get as many titles mentioned on the site as I can, so I can conclude 2007 coverage and begin work on the 2007 MelRock Awards (which, at this stage, are likely to be online later than ever unfortunately!). Please be sure to read through all the reviews, no matter how many words are used to describe each release. All are worthy and interesting titles. Stay tuned for that update. Back to the MiniBytes - New previews are online now for: Endeverafter, Crazy Lixx, Stereo Fallout, Waysted, Bill Leverty, Rob Rock, Northern Kings, Shadowland, Teargas, Sacred Heart, The Millions, Liquid Horizon, Shylock, Donnie Vie, Bad Side, Sarasin, Mountain Of Power, Lord, Naughty Boys, Saga, Helloween, Random Damage, The Dirty Pearls and CC Rock. Check these out now. |
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Monday, December 10, 2007
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BOBBY KIMBALL AND TOMMY DENANDER PLAY LIVE IN SWEDEN NOW IN DECEMBER: Press Release / Legendary Toto singer Bobby Kimball will perform a rocking duet with Kishti Tomita from the Swedish Idol TV show and Tommy Denander at a big TV gala at The Globe arena in Stockholm on December 30th. The song You're Not The Devil was produced by Tommy Denander and written by Tommy and Kishti, it will be released as a single first week of January and Bobby will record his vocals while in Sweden. Kishti Tomita has been a jury member on the Idol show in Sweden for four years now and she is one of the finest vocal coaches in the world as well as an amazing singer herself, when Tommy recently wrote and produced a song for an American Idol Christmas album she provided backing vocals and ad libs to the song. Daniel Flores plays drums on the recording and he together with Sayit (on bass for the show!!) will join them on stage. Tickets are still available to the concert and one lucky person will win 1 million Swedish kronor (about US$150,000) on the ticket, others performing on the show include Pet Shop Boys and Swedish country star Jill Johnson but they hope to see as many Toto fans as possible since will be a very unique event. The song will also be included in the next CD compilation from MelodicRock.com - MRCD5, due in 2008. xx xx![]() MSG LINE-UP CLARIFIED: After last week's confusing leak regarding possible recording and touring line-ups, guitarist Michael Schenker has updated his site with a clarification. It reads: "Michael Schenker is currently setting up a Concert Tour under the name - Michael Schenker & Friends - playing almost all of UK's Rock Clubs (starting January 10th stretching as far as March) to shake up the ground for a major MSG UK and World Tour with a Brand New Album Release in April Titled: In the Midst of Beauty with: Gary Barden - Vocals; Simon Philips - Drums; Neil Murray - Bass; Don Airey - Keyboards. Michael Schenker says: "With a new Agent and new plans I want to announce my well being by playing all over the UK before teaming up with the Schenker/Barden MSG Formation for a major UK and World Tour in April." This statement however still lends itself to a little confusion. Drummer Simon Phillips continues his long held role as Toto drummer and as Toto has a full schedule for 2008, you are unlikely to see Simon playing live with MSG, although I have confirmed he will record his drum parts for the studio album early in January. POWER QUEST NEWS: News from Power Quest: "Another exciting year is nearly over and we would like to take the chance to wish each and every one of you all the very best for the festive season and we look forward to catching up with you all on the road in 2008! Meanwhile, the band will be gathering in London on December 11th for the Master of Illusion photo shoot with renowned photographer Steve Brown, famous for his work with Turisas, MCR, Lost Prophets and more. Recording of the new album will be completed on December 22nd and we also have some guest appearances lined up for you as well. More on this in due course! We'll also be launching a new version of the website in the first part of 2008 to tie in with the album release!" WebLinks: www.myspace.com/powerquest / www.power-quest.co.uk BERNIE TORME INTERVIEWED: Get Ready To Roll's latest Roll Of Honour interview is with the wild Irish electric gypsy himself, Bernie Tormé. Bernie talks about his collaboration with Robin Guy and John McCoy as GMT, including GMT's set at last month's Hard Rock Hell festival where fellow desperado Dee Snider joined in for a performance of Emaheevull. Bernie also gives his views on the 'Gillan reunion' rumour which is currently going the rounds. WebLink: www.getreadytoroll.com/interviews/bernietorme.htm. LOCOMOTIVE RECORDS RELEASE NEW LION'S SHARE IN USA JANUARY 29: Press Release / "Lion's Share is one of those rare acts who are able to mix classic-sounding heavy metal riffs with infectious melodies without sounding dated or coming across like a throwback to an earlier era. Emotional Coma sees the revamped lineup at the peak of its game, both in terns of songwriting ability and individual performances"—Borivoj Krgin, www.blabbermouth.net. It's been six years since Lion's Share released Entrance. On January 29, 2008, Locomotive Records will release the heralded band's fifth full-length album. Emotional Coma features Guitarist/Band Founder Lars Chriss, Vocalist Patrik Johansson (Astral Doors, Wuthering Heights) making his LS CD debut (he has been compared to Ronnie James Dio and Tony Martin), Bassist Sampo Axelsson (Glenn Hughes) and non-touring studio specialist drummer extraordinaire Richard Evensand (Chimaira, Soilwork, Therion). With songs about suicide, arson, murder, futuristic drug lords, pimps, Armageddon and brainwashing, Emotional Coma's 11 tracks hit home hard. "The philosophy of the band is to write great songs from the heart that we are proud of no matter what trends are happening around us," explains Chriss. "The new album is more uptempo, energetic and to-the-point. Gone are the keyboards, big background vocals and the prog stuff." Megadeth's Glen Drover guests on lead guitar for the title track, which Chriss calls "a new genre: Doom Ballad!" Bruce Kulick formerly of KISS guests on lead guitar for "The Edge Of The Razor," which will be the first video from the album. Mats Leven (Yngwie, At Vance, Therion) contributes backing vocals. The album is out now in Europe via AFM Records. |
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Friday, December 07, 2007
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FRONTIERS AND SWEDISH NEW COMERS PRESENT A WORK OF ART: Frontiers Records is truly excited to present the European release of the Work Of Art debut album Art Work on February 22. Work Of Art is what AOR music is all about! Have you ever dreamt of soaring melodies, heavenly hooklines and a musical technique to die for? Then these Swedish boys have it all for you! This band was put together for the first time in 1992 when Herman Furin and Robert Sall met while attending the SÖL school of music. However it took them about 15 years to convince singer Lars Sarfsund to come in to the project full time and devote his time and efforts to the amazing songs the two of them wrote during the years. They have recorded a demo (which can still be listened for some time on the band's Myspace page) and started sending it around to websites and labels. What happen is well explained in guitarist Robert Sall's words "For us as a band, these past months has been quite an experience. In February 07 we still considered WOA just a "side project" having only a 3 song demo and here we are now 9 months later, signed to our favourite record label with a completed debut album soon to be released! We're totally excited about this since this is not what we'd expected (or dared to dream about) when we first release our demo. Quite honestly, we didn't know what to expect at all!" Recording of the debut album started in the summer of 2007 and in early fall the band delivered their masterpiece! Reactions are already overwhelming with such comments as "I'm really digging this record for an ultra smooth dose of traditional Westcoast / AOR" by Andrew J. McNeice of Melodicrock.com and "the best album of it's type I've heard in years" by Phil Ashcroft of Fireworks Magazine. Some album samples have been already released on Melodicrock.com and on the band's MySpace site and they have brought a great deal of interest for the guys, which also brought to licensing deals for the album for a domestic release in Japan on King Records and in the USA on Locomotive Records. Influences like Toto, Journey and Giant can be easily recognized. Ranging from more up-tempo Rockers like "Why do I?" to more radio friendly songs like "Camelia", with grandiose ballads as "One In A Lifetime" and even contemporary Rock songs like "Cover Me", Work of Art is set to reach not only the traditional Melodic Rock fan base but also to cross over to a wider and more radio based audience. Final track listing will include the following songs: Why Do I?; Maria; Camelia; Her Only Lie; Too Late; Whenever U Sleep; Once In A Lifetime; Peace Of Mind; Lost Without Your Love; Like No Other; Cover Me; One Hour. This band is already history of Melodic Rock: don't miss a journey to the AOR stratosphere! WebLinks: www.myspace.com/musicofworkofart / www.frontiers.it / www.myspace.com/frontiersrecords. xx![]() A NEW PROJECT FOR MICHAEL SCHENKER?: Blabbermouth yesterday ran the following news: "Schenker is planning to release a new Michael Schenker Group (MSG) album in April, to be followed by a world tour. Entitled "In the Midst of Beauty", the CD will feature the following lineup: Gary Barden - Vocals; Simon Philips (Toto, The Who) - Drums; Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath) - Bass; Don Airey (Deep Purple, Rainbow) - Keyboards. A tour featuring Barden on vocals will kick off following the album release." Looking for more information on this, a little clarification was obtained. In relation to the Gary Barden reference, one source had this to say: "All is top secret at the moment and I cannot comment...but there is something in the pipe..." Glenn Hughes was more precise about his involvement, sending me this comment: "The rumour about me joining Up with Michael is bizarre...I got an email from a fellow in Germany a couple days ago askin' if I was interested in makin' a record with Schenker. I never responded about the MSG project as I have been in the studio makin' my new album. At this time I am only interested in my style of music, something which is so very close 2 my heart and Soul." Glenn added "Everyone on the planet knows, that if I'm not singin' lead vox, there is something definetly wrong with the scenario..." I await comment from Simon Phillips… MR-X UPDATE: MR-X has been updated. Online today is a new Feature DVD - a 9 track classic TV special - In Concert 91, featuring concert performances from Bulletboys, Slaughter & Poison. Also online is a new Feature Album M.A.R.S. - Project Driver; a new Feature Live The Hooters - 2 July 2007 - Frankfurt, Germany and the following new Video Clips: Motley Crue - Shout At The Devil (American Music Awards Live 1997), Nelson - Won't Walk Away (ultra rare early 80s TV performance!), Van Halen - Dance The Night Away, Madam X - High In High School, Ozzy Osbourne - Paranoid (with Brad Gillis) and Poison - I Want Action (Rare - Live on Joan Rivers Show 1987). MR-X Membership Details. JIMI JAMISON INTERVIEW: A little while back, I had Belgium resident and site reader Nick Muller cover Jim Peterik's World Stage show in Belgium, which featured the special guest appearance of former Survivor vocalist Jimi Jamison. After the show Nick was able to speak with Jimi and here is what he had to say - JJ 2007 Interview. |
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Thursday, December 06, 2007
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JOURNEY WELCOMES ARNEL PINEDA WITH "OPEN ARMS": Official Press Release / After much speculation…the wait is finally over. Journey--Neal Schon (guitar), Jonathan Cain (keyboards), Ross Valory (bass), Deen Castronovo (drums)--is proud to introduce fans all over the world to their new lead singer, Arnel Pineda ("pin-eh-da"). He replaces Jeff Scott Soto, who parted ways with the band earlier this year after stepping in for Steve Augeri, who had to leave the band in 2006 for medical reasons. Arnel hails from Quezon City in the Philippines and has been singing Journey songs--in addition to original material--with his band, The Zoo, for the past couple of years in clubs all over his homeland. Joining the legendary band is a dream come true for him. "It's so exciting to sing with one of the best bands in the world. It'll be a lot of hard work on my part and I'm actually looking forward to the scrutiny I'll get from the hardcore Journey fans. I know they'll expect me to sound exactly like 'the voice' (Steve Perry), but that will never happen. I know there's only one Steve Perry in this world." When it was time for Journey to look for a new lead singer, the internet came to their rescue. Guitarist Neal Schon wanted someone new to the music business, so he turned to YouTube. After finding Arnel singing "Faithfully," he knew he had found the perfect frontman. "I was frustrated about not having a singer," explains guitarist Neal Schon, "so I went on YouTube for a couple of days and just sat on it for hours. I was starting to think I was never going to find anybody. But then I found The Zoo and I watched a bunch of different video clips that they had posted. After watching the videos over and over again, I had to walk away from the computer and let what I heard sink in because it sounded too good to be true. I thought, 'he can't be that good.' But he is that good, he's the real deal and so tremendously talented. Arnel doesn't sound synthetic and he's not emulating anyone. I tried to get a hold of him through YouTube and I finally heard from him that night, but it took some convincing to get him to believe that it really was me and not an imposter." Arnel Pineda picks up the story: "My friend Noel picked up the message on YouTube and told me it was from Neal. I thought it was a hoax so I ignored it. Noel said, 'what if it really was Neal and he wanted to offer you the chance of a lifetime?' So I e-mailed Neal back and the rest is history." "Arnel brings a soulful and passionate voice to Journey," continues keyboardist Jonathan Cain. "His personality is very well-suited to our music. He's a sincere, authentic person with a great smile and a big heart. I think fans are really going to love him. With Arnel's soaring tenor, Journey returns to our heritage sound." Schon agrees, "We feel reborn. I think there's a lot of chemistry between the five of us. At first we were going to go into the studio and just write 4 songs, but now it's escalated to a lot of great new and diverse material. The stuff sounds tremendous. Everyone's so stoked about it. We feel very fortunate to have found Arnel." Journey is currently working on a new album with legendary producer Kevin Shirley, which they hope to release by spring/summer 2008. Details will be announced early next year. WebLink: www.Journeymusic.com. INTRODUCING ZINK MUSIC: Swedish distribution company Zink Music is now also a label concentrating on the classic Westcoast sound and classic soft Melodic Rock/AOR. The label will do both originals albums and re-releases. They started slowly with the release of the debut EP from Swedish act CC-Rock, a high class release with top notch production and skilful musicianship. The band is looking backwards to the big sounds of the eighties and it's very melodic and highly addictive. Says the label: "2008 will be the year when we really kick things off and we have signed a couple of artists that we really are proud of and two albums will be released around February/March." ![]() Peter Friestedt will release his new album LA Project II; it is of-course the follow-up to the critically acclaimed album from five years ago. The new album features lead vocals from Joseph Williams, Bill Champlin, Randy Goodrum, Lou Pardini, Michael Ruff and Bill Cantos. Some of them also lend their help as featured musicians on the album, among the other musicians we also find Peter Friestedt (of-course) and friends like Abraham Laboriel, John 'JR' Robinson, Tris Imboden and Stefan Gunnarsson. The album is mixed by Ronny Lahti and mastered in HD-quality by Björn Engelman at Cutting Room in Stockholm. The material on the album is very strong and Peter has amongst others co-written with Bill Champlin and Randy Goodrum. What makes this record irresistible is the combination of outstanding musical performances, state of the art song-writing and high quality production! Daniel Andersson is a new name on the Westcoast scene, but the music he represents is mature and true to the classic sound created in California in the late seventies and early eighties. Daniel has been playing music all his life, he started out by learning the guitar and singing has always been a natural thing for him. The interest for music has grown through out the years and the styles have varied, but some influences have always been there, stuff like Toto, Chicago and Airplay! In 2003 he got the opportunity to study in Los Angeles at MI, where he met and recorded with heroes Jason Scheff (Chicago) and Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets). Being in L.A. was a tremendous experience and he got the chance to meet with a lot of great players and producers, including the Airplay duo Jay Graydon and David Foster. Back in Sweden he decided to write and record his own songs in the same style as he grew up listening to - take part of his Days In L.A. Zink Music is currently building a new website (www.zinkmusic.com), in the meantime, point your browser's at www.myspace.com/zinkmusic for some exclusive sound samples. xx![]() LOVE/HATE HIT THE UK: Love/Hate will hit the UK in a couple of weeks. 3/4 of the original Love/Hate are off to the shores of the UK for a 6 city tour: Dec 17 Camden Underworld Dec 18 Bristol KLA Social Dec 19 J.B's Dudley Dec 20 Nuneaton Queen's Hall Dec 21 Leed's Rio's Dec 22 Nottingham rescue Room One special note - the December 17 Camden Underworld show will see Love/Hate plays their 1st record Blackout in the Red Room in its entirety. BLACK AND BLUE TO RE-UNITE FOR ONE NIGHT: 80's rockers Black N Blue will re-unite once again for a one night re-union show in their hometown of Portland Oregon this Saturday December 8th 2007. The show is a benefit show for former Black N Blue road crew member Kenny Nordone who has cancer. The show will feature all 5 original members including Tommy Thayer of Kiss fame. Black N Blue recorded 4 albums for Geffen Records during the 1980's. Black N Blue with Special Guest Sugarcookie Saturday December 8th 2007 --- 8:30 PM, Berbati's Pan --- Portland, Oregon USA, Advance Tickets $18.00 / At The Door $20.00. MICHAEL BORMANN PLANS TO CAPTURE THE MOMENT: Quite a news update in from vocalist Michael Bormann. The details are as follows (excuse some of the formatting, I improved the text as much as possible, but didn't have time to re-write it entirely): First up, Michael says this of his new solo album: "The recordings to the Conspiracy-successor are as good as done. The title of the new output will be Capture The Moment, and contains 13 Songs. A release is planned for March 2008." This also: Press Release / "Leslie Monet Management is proud to announce that our client Michael Bormann - conspiracy and rain - stronger CD releases have received sixteen nominations, on the official 50th Grammy Awards Entry List combined! There were over 17,000 music entries submitted for the 50th Grammy awards screening and voting process! We are so extremely proud of michael bormann and rain for this most outstanding and highest of achievements in the music industry! To appear on the 50th Grammy awards nomination entry list with so many other famous notables in the music industry is a huge honor indeed! Note: the final five Grammy nominee's from each category of music will be announced on national tv December 6th 2007 between 11:30a.m.-noon u.s. eastern time on the CBS Television Network and also about 30 minutes after the major music news announcement the complete list of final nominee's will be available at grammy.com. Those final five nominee's will appear at the Grammy awards television show on February 10, 2008 live in Los Angeles! A very warm applause and congrat's to singer, songwriter and producer michael bormann-solo and rain! Best solo rock vocal performance: Michael bormann- conspiracy 1. Amazing 2. Conspiracy 3. One man one soul 4. Reaching out 5. Stand up (special note: michael bormann holds (5) of the 64 remaining nominations for best solo rock vocal performance!) Best rock song: 6. Amazing songwriter michael bormann-conspiracy 7. Conspiracy songwriter michael bormann-conspiracy 8. Get over it songwriter michael bormann (rain - stronger) Best rock album: 9. Michael bormann - conspiracy Song of the year: 10. I'd die for you songwriter michael bormann- (rain-stronger) 11. The other side songwriter michael bormann (rain-stronger) 12. Reaching out songwriter michael bormann-conspiracy, 13. Stand up songwriters michael bormann and niklas olsson on michael bormann-conspiracy Album of the year: 14. Michael bormann - conspiracy 15. Rain- stronger Best pop collaboration with vocals: 16. "michael bormann and anette blyckert" song: two of a kind (duet) from the michael bormann-conspiracy release! On a personal note when Leslie Monet notified her superstar client Michael Bormann, about being nominated at least 16 times on the official 50th Grammy awards entry list by phone on November 29, 2007 in germany while michael was in his rmb studio recording and producing the successor to conspiracy. Bormann was speechless and extremely happy about these incredible nominations seen on the said 50th grammy awards entry list! The band rain that features michael bormann is very excited too! As the song goes....it would be "amazing" to be a final nominee on December 6th 2007! But, we are all thrilled enough to have 16 grammy award nominations which is a miracle in itself and that alone speaks so very highly of the incredible talents of michael bormann solo and his awesome band rain! Huge cheers to michael bormann and rain!!! Leslie monet management's first target goal was to get michael bormann-solo and rain nominated for the 50th grammy awards! Mission accomplished!!! We will be shopping the fabulous music of michael bormann to the major record companies in the u.s. early 2008 once we get through the grammy process and holidays! Michael bormann holds a very " promising future," in the record business being launched out of the united states worldwide as a superstar cross over artist! In the meantime, michael bormann will continue recording and releasing his incredible music through rmb records label. Good luck Michael Bormann and Rain!!! You guys are my pride and joy! Rock on..." AMERICAN ANGEL IN UNLIKELY CHART POSITION: Press Release / American Angel have landed the #1 position on Billboard's Heatseeker (Northeast) chart with the bands latest release Vanity. Billboard notified Chavis Records and vocalist Rocco Fury last evening with the exciting news. Vocalist Rocco Fury had this to say when notified; "Where is Candid Camera, are you joking with me, is this a hoax? WOW! I am ecstatic and very very happy about this. I knew this was a solid project when we recorded it and I believe whole heartedly in the songs and album. And when we're all gone, Vanity will still stand on its own." Vanity was released in May of this year and remains a strong and consistent seller and continues to gain positive momentum and attention for the band. American Angel are no strangers to hitting Billboard as they charted in 1990 with their debut release and again in 1993 with EP 92'. American Angel will continue to tour in support of Vanity with a few remaining dates in 2007 and then hitting the touring season again in 2008. For more information visit: www.americanangelrocks.com, www.myspace.com/americanangel. INTRODUCING ECHOS LANDING: Press Release / We are proud to announce that Melodic Revolution Records Recording Artist - Echoes Landing guitarist Gregg Olson is currently holding the 4th spot in Slash's Ultimate Guitar Showdown for the solo on the song Closer to You from the current Echoes Landing CD Closer to you. (2006 Melodic Revolution Records). You can check out the solo at: www.musicnation.com or musicnation.com/search?q=gregg+olson. Greg Olson - Acoustic and Electric Guitars Bass, Percussion and Synth; Allison Von Buelow - Vocals Acoustic Guitars. Special Guest include: Gregg Bissonette – Drums ( Steve Via, David Lee Roth, Don Henley, Santana & More); Bob Conti – Hand Percussion (has 12 platinum albums under his belt –worked with Bon Jovi, Donna Summer, Bob Welch and more); Wayne Boyer – Flugelhorn (Jose Feliciano, Steven Bishop, Frankie Valli, The Platters, and more); Mike Randall – Slide Guitar; Craig Sadler – Acoustic Guitar; Mic Mahan – Bass; Tom Evans – Wood Winds. Produced and engineered by Gregg Olson. Echoes Landing was formed by Allison vonBulow and Gregg Olson in 2002 out of a strong commitment to provide a source of music for people that demand sonic and emotional depth in the music they listen to. For more information: Echoes Landing: www.myspace.com/echoeslanding. Melodic Revolution Records: www.myspace.com/melodicrevolutionrecords. |
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Wednesday, December 05, 2007
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NEW SINGER AND NEW MATERIAL FOR JOURNEY IN 2008: 2007 has been a long year for curious Journey fans and followers, patiently waiting to hear what the next move from the band would be following the decision to part with vocalist Jeff Scott Soto. And the demand for information from readers has been constant, so without further delay - it is finally time for a Journey update. The band has a new singer. An official announcement and press release will come in due course, but I can confirm today that the brand new vocalist for Journey is Arnel Pineda. Arnel is the frontman for Philippines rock band Zoo, who earlier in 2007 released their debut album Zoology. Arnel is no stranger to performing, having been in various Asian bands since the 80s and has previously released a solo album back in 1999. But it is Zoo that has captured people's attention - the band are extremely popular on the club circuit in the Philippines, and to a worldwide audience via a number of clips posted to YouTube. The band is known not only for their originals but for their performances of an array melodic rock covers. The band's most popular covers have been that of Journey's classics and it is these YouTube performances that caught the eye and ear of guitarist Neal Schon. Check out Arnel Pineda in action, covering: Faithfully - www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HjcCzgCCX0; Open Arms - www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpnEnt-qOw4&feature=related; Seperate Ways - www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4Fl-Ng7dvI&feature=related. Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain and Journey management were so impressed they flew Arnel to San Francisco for an official audition. Now the band are eyeing off future moves, with a big 2008 on the horizon. A major US tour with possibly 2 other bands in tow has been planned and what's even more interesting is news that the band has already been recording in San Francisco under the watchful eye of producer Kevin Shirley (responsible for the Trial By Fire and Arrival records with the band). Kevin Shirley has recently commented on his Web Diary that he was working with some "old friends from the Bay Area". Then this comment a week or two later: "Gosh, is it still 1980? Finished a wonderful, successful, stupidly creative stint in the Bay Area and then drove back home last night, feeling chuffed as only those rare, monster sessions leave you. Sometimes you just know when there's history in the making..." I contacted Kevin for a comment, but it was another contact that touched base first. I have been given the ok to print those comments from Kevin here: "Neal and Jon called me and asked me in November to check out a couple of new songs, for an upcoming and possible project with Journey. I went to San Francisco to assess the new Journey and check out the material. I am so swamped, have a new baby and I did not want to be involved if it wasn't focused and great. I thought I'd be there for 2 days. First, I was stunned at Arnel, who is a monster vocalist. He is the real deal. Just phenomenal. Its true Neal found him on YouTube. Next I heard the songs. I am always in awe of Jonathan Cain as songwriter/producer and together with Neal Schon, who adds the rock element, they are one of the great songwriting partnerships. Its true they don't always see eye to eye musically, but the combination is magic. We spent a while talking and seeing where they were at. I have been brutally honest with them, and was not interested in being any part of them being a nostalgia/tribute band, which could happen if their focus got lost. Some of the songs were lacking direction which I, as an outspoken and brutal outsider, immediately pointed out and set about repairing. So I cut a couple of tracks and with all the shit out of the way, you have to hear them ignore their egos and me, and just play as Journey. All together in the studio. What a privilege to see all 5 of them playing together. They are fantastic. I am always cogniscent of the space Perry and Smith occupy in the sound and legacy, and won't let that be underplayed, and Deen and Arnel are brilliant musicians, and with a little focus the entire band has found their place again. This is stronger than Trial By Fire and sounds like Journey, but state-of-the-art. People always talk up upcoming material, but just wait. Its unbelievable. There's a full album of new material coming, but much more, too. Don't believe all you read - there is no one else but the band in the studio to hear the music (although we do have a Make-A-Wish kid coming in soon). And that's the dirt from Las Vegas, where I am mixing seven new original songs. I head back to San Francisco after a quick visit to London, to see the Led Zep reunion, to finish off where we began. I can't wait, and you are going to love it!" There has been talk of the band working on other recordings in the studio, but I'll leave that for another update. What I can tell you is that an album of all new studio material is being worked on and is due for release in the American summer of 2008. Journey's first two shows of 2008 will be in South America - February 21th at Festival of Viña del Mar, at Quinta Vergara Arena and February 23 at Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo in Santiago. MRCD5 IN PLANNING STAGES: The dust has not yet settled on MelodicRock's MRCD4 compilation, but I am still looking ahead into the new year and plans for MRCD5. I hadn't initially given any thought to another compilation. But things change and there could be a few very special things in the works to make Volume 5 the biggest and most ambitious release yet. With that in mind...if there are any artists/labels that would like to be involved with MRCD5 - submissions are now being considered. As in the past, this is a perfect opportunity to feature and advance preview of an upcoming project or feature a rare/unreleased song that thus far is without a home! Interested parties - drop me an e-mail. METAL HEAVEN ANNOUNCE THE 2008 RELEASE OF DRIVER'S LOST ALBUM!: Metal Heaven is pleased to announce the signing of heralded US melodic metal masters, Driver, featuring powerhouse vocalist Rob Rock and acclaimed guitarist/producer, Roy Z (Halford, Bruce Dickinson). Based out of Los Angeles, CA, Driver was one of the top local acts at the height of melodic hard rock in the late 1980's and issued a widely circulated 5-song cassette EP in 1990 that garnered the band a dedicated worldwide following. The band was ultimately denied by major labels with the emergence of the grunge rock scene that dominated the musical landscape during the early 90's, yet Driver's cult status as one of the most underrated HR acts of their time held steadfast over the years. With Metal Heaven stepping in and inking the band to a deal, Driver will finally get a chance to release the album they intended to deliver back when. The new CD will feature re-recorded versions of songs that were written by Roy Z and Rob Rock during the band's 2-year bi-coastal existence spanning the years 1989 and '90, including those on the original demo and some new songs as well. Original drummer Reynold "Butch" Carlson will perform and some other special guests including Mat Sinner on bass. Stay tuned for more details and keep your eyes open for a Spring 2008 release! ![]() One of Sweden's finest Hard Rock bands, M.ill.ion, will release their first album for their new label - their sixth CD in total - in May 2008 on Metal Heaven. The yet untitled record will be recorded during the late Autumn and coming Winter in Sweden. M.ill.ion founder B.J Laneby comments: "We are very excited to be joining Georg Siegl's label and look forward to record, promote and tour what we think will be a really, really strong album. Our latest one "Kingsize" received fantastic reviews and attracted lots of new fans and those who liked that one will not be disappointed. We aim to pack the new album with our special combination of hooks, power and rock ´n roll and present it to as many as possible. Can't wait to meet the fans again. See You in 2008!" WebLinks: www.million.o.se / www.myspace.com/millionized Check the label's Website at: www.metalheaven.net. ![]() LED ZEP RUMOR SQUASHED: Billboard reports: "After a rumor that Led Zeppelin and Metallica would headline the 2008 Bonnaroo festival caused an Internet frenzy in the past 48 hours, the event's promoters have spoken out to quash the reports. "The rumors that are out there about the Bonnaroo 2008 headliners are inaccurate," Superfly Presents and A.C. Entertainment said in a statement released to Billboard.com. "We're very excited about the lineup that we're putting together for this year's festival. We'll be announcing the confirmed lineup toward the end of January/beginning of February." The source of the Zeppelin/Metallica rumor was an anonymous email included last week in industry commentator Bob Lefsetz's newsletter. Led Zeppelin will play its only planned show Dec. 10 in London as part of a tribute to late Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun." NEW JETBOY DVD/CD IS IN STORES NOW: News from Jetboy: "New CD Out Now - The Glam Years Movie And CD - There are six out of the total of 21 tracks (yeah that's right 21 total tracks!) on the DVD/CD that have been previously released, so you can touch Jet with those, right away. True to their Punk Glam roots, though, there's vinyl, too! The vinyl's got 8 tracks from the CD plus two heretofore unavailable LIVE cuts, that are not on the CD. You'll also discover 2 NEWLY recorded trax, including "Feel The Shake (2007 version)" and their stellar version of the classic "Folsom Prison Blues." You'll find "The Glam Years Movie And CD" at Best Buy, WalMart, iTunes, Amoeba and virtually every other retail record store with any taste at all, across the States as well as Europe and Japan." See more at myspace.com/jetboyrocks or www.jetboyrocks.com. SHOWCASE UPDATED: Two new CD Showcases online today - both out now from Escape Music - Lynn Allen & Sircle Of Silence. Check them out. |
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Tuesday, December 04, 2007
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EVER CHANGING TIMES FOR STEVE LUKATHER: Frontiers Records is thrilled to announce the European release of Steve Lukather's brand new studio album entitled Ever Changing Times on February 22. Best known as guitar player and singer for Toto and tireless session man, Steve Lukather released so far three vocal solo albums. Ever Changing Times is certainly another musical gem to be added to the list of top quality productions featuring his classic trademarks: exquisite playing, finely crafted productions and a very diverse range of music styles, encompassing heartfelt ballads, straight-ahead rockers and fusion extravaganza. "It's been 10 years since my last "vocal" record", explains Lukather, introducing his new album "And I thought it was time to rock again and sing". While his songwriting and abilities naturally evolved with time, one can't deny that "good music is always good music", especially when the creative process was "done in the traditional way: guys playing in a room together and writing good songs". The result of this new studio effort, which lasted several months in between Toto tours during 2007, are eleven songs which incorporate all aspects Steve Lukather is well known for. "The record rocks harder than Toto, but there is enough melodic stuff on there to please any Toto fan. There is also stuff that sounds youthful because my co-producer Steve Macmillan and my son were keeping me honest and up to date" says Luke, "It shows a lot of my influences and music I like. If it sounds good, then I keep it". Steve of course could not make it all on his own. How could a musician that played on hundreds of records of other amazing artists could make it without some help? But this time there are some very special people and friends involved. "My writing partner / executive producer Randy Goodrum suggested that I should do this record. He got me excited to do something different and work with such great players and songwriters. I was also thrilled that my son Trevor co-wrote 2 of the tunes with us and my daughter sang on a tune and all my friends and amazing musos came out to support". The list of special guest also includes former Toto singer Joseph Williams and Chicago's Bill Champlin on background vocals, Leland Sklar on bass, Steve Weingart, Jeff Babko, Randy Goodrum on keyboards and synths plus a Steve Porcaro cameo on one track, Abe Laboriel Jr. on drums and other friends and guest stars who all lent their talent to ensure a truly exciting and fresh result. "I think if you blindfolded rock critics and played them Tell Me What You Want From Me, they would be VERY surprised to find out who the artist is", says Luke presenting the songs on the new album, adding "I also really like the way Stab in the Back turned out. I am a Steely Dan fan and I know Donald Fagen and Walter Becker and this was a tribute to them". Ever Changing Times offered Steve Lukather a unique chance to showcase his invigorating musical freedom and is set to give the listener a complete reward for his attention and dedication. The complete track listing is as follows: Ever Changing Times, The Letting Go, New World, Tell Me What You Want From Me, I Am, Jammin With Jesus, Stab in the Back, Never Ending Nights, Icebound, How Many Zeros, The Truth. Steve Lukather will also tour Europe and the rest of the World with his band in the summer 2008. Lookout for dates in a city near you on www.stevelukather.net. WebLinks: www.stevelukather.net / www.frontiers.it / www.myspace.com/frontiersrecords. xx![]() German Rockers Jaded Heart have posted their new video for the song Hero taken from their recent release on Frontiers Records Sinister Mind. Watch it following this link and enjoy! Frontiers Records is proud to present the new issue of Melodic Rock Fanzine. The 23rd release of our successful magazine is available for free all over the world through record shops, mail-order and every fine dealer carrying the Frontiers Records releases. This new issue includes reviews and interviews of: Winger, Gary Hughes, Seven Tears, Indigo Dying, The Steve Grimmett Band, Airtime, Vengeance, Action, The Codex, Lana Lane and more...Downloadable version of the magazine is available on the Frontiers Records official site or just click here! ![]() FIREWORKS 30 ON DIGITAL SALE: Fireworks Issue 30 is out now and available right here for Digital Download. hard copies are £4.50 (postage £1 UK, £2.50 Europe, £3.50 rest of world) or £3.50 for the PDF version (complete withMP3s of the CD contents) The new Issue 30 Showcases and PDF Download is available to check out at the MR Fireworks Page. Also available from AOR Heaven (Germany) and Destiny Records and ST Records (UK). Interviews this issue: Nightwish, Tarja, Ted Nugent, Status Quo, Scorpions, Foreigner, Jaded Heart, John Parr, Glenn Hughes, Spike, Hanoi Rocks, David Readman, Amaran's Plight, Human Zoo, Mass, Iced Earth, Diablo Swing Orchestra, Heartland, Dogpound, Lec Zorn, Terry Illous, JK Northrup, Black Stone Cherry, Cage and more! 88 fact filled pages!! Also two CDs full of excellent music, featuring the following 36 tracks! Disc 1: 1. Jaded Heart – Hero, 2. Poodles – Seven Seas, 3. Heartland – For Pity's Sake, 4. Road to Ruin – The Only One, 5. Dogpound – Glass Jar, 6. Burn – 'Down In Flames', 7. Nightwish – Wishmaster, 8. Human Zoo – Communicate, 9. Amaranth's Plight – Turning Point, 10. House of Shakira – No Faith, 11. Gary John Barden – Voices in the Rain, 12. Soul Doctor – Temptation, 13. Rob Rock – Only a Matter of Time, 14. Mass – Empty Soul, 15. Vendetta – I Executioner, 16. Steve Grimmett - Enemy, 17. Elvenking – The Divided Heart, 18. Sircle of Silence – Words Get Lost. Disc 2: 1. Relay – Danger Zone, 2. JK Northrup – Wired In My Skin, 3. Sacred Heart – Lost, 4. Terry Ilous – The Road, 5. Rock Ignition – I Can't Resist, 6. Hard Spirit – Knock Your Door, 7. Nightmare World – 'The New Crusade', 8. Million Dollar Reload – Get It Up, 9. Bruno Rock – Julia, 10. Matt Hannon – Where I Wanna Be, 11. M.O.B – 'Scapegoats', 12. The Lec Zorn Projet – Fighting Chance, 13. Mermaid Kiss – Dark Cover, 14. Early Warning System – Bend, 15. Love Strange – Gimme More, 16. Linehouse – First Love, 17. Saskia – Small Town, 18. Aviator Shades - Doing Alright. ![]() FORMER SURVIVOR SINGER ANNOUNCED TO ROCK WITH SCRAP METAL: Nashville, Tennessee – December 3, 2007 Celebrity Rock Super Group Scrap Metal announced today a special guest star to perform during their upcoming 'Metal Christmas' holiday concert event at the Wildhorse Nashville December 15, 2007. Special guest star performer announced for The Scrap Metal Jingle Bell Rock Party will be Jimi Jamison former lead singer of Survivor, whose powerful vocal Top 10 hits include "Eye of the Tiger", "I Can't Hold Back", and "High on You". As a solo artist, Jameson is best known for belting out the popular "Baywatch" TV theme song, "I'm Always Here". "We're excited to announce Jimi Jamison as our special guest," enthuses Scrap Metal co-founder Gunnar Nelson, "He brings incredible vocals and some amazing hits. Plus, being from Memphis, he knows how to get a party rockin'!" "Our 'Rock and Roll Rat Pack' knows how to throw a party," raves band co-founder Mark Slaughter. "And with legendary talent Jimi Jamison it promises to be an incredible event!" The Scrap Metal Jingle Bell Rock Party will feature a special live performance by Gunnar and Matthew Nelson of their new, edgy rock Christmas hit, "Jingle Bell Rock". The song is currently available on the newly released "Monster Ballads Xmas" CD from Razor and Tie records. Come 'Party Like a Rock Star' at The Scrap Metal Jingle Bell Rock Party, live concert featuring Scrap Metal on Saturday, December 15, 2007 at 10:00 pm at The Wildhorse Saloon 120 Second Avenue in Nashville, Tennessee 37201. Doors open at 9pm. Tickets are still available at Ticketmaster locations or Ticketmaster.com or WildhorseSaloon.com or by phone (615) 902-8211. Visit the SCRAP METAL official website at www.myspace.com/ScrapMetalBand. AXEL RUDI PELL LIVE OVER EUROPE DVD: The current line-up of the Axel Rudi Pell Band was able to look back at nine extremely successful years in autumn 2007. May 1998 saw the exceptional American vocalist, Johnny Gioeli, join the group surrounding the guitarist from Wattenscheid, Germany, and world-class drummer Mike Terrana followed in September of that year. Pell, Gioeli, Terrana and the longstanding band members, Volker Krawczak (bass) and Ferdy Doernberg (keyboards), are one of the best and most homogeneous German melodic metal acts and have come up with new albums on a regular basis, followed by extensive tours. The band's performance at the 2007 Rock Hard Festival at the Gelsenkirchen Amphitheater is considered one of the band's most outstanding shows and will be released on double DVD under the title Live Over Europe on 25 February 2008 (Germany: 22 February 2008). The 75-minute concert presents the Axel Rudi Pell Band in a generous mood, performing haunting versions of their most important tracks, among them Strong As A Rock, Tear Down The Walls, Mystica, Rock The Nation and Fool Fool. The release will include an additional bonus DVD featuring select footage from the years 2004 to 2006 from Pell's private vaults, including the 2005 Wacken Open Air, the same year's Bang Your Head, the 2004 Sweden Rock Festival and shows in the UK, Belgium, Switzerland, and his local club, the Zeche in Bochum. With a total playing time of over three and a half hours, Live Over Europe is a comprehensive document highlighting the impressive live qualities of a band who have quite a few things up their sleeve for next year. Pell: "There will be a new studio album in 2008, plus a number of festival shows, and a headliner tour in autumn." That's all he's prepared to give away at this point, so we'll just have to wait and see. WebLinks: www.axel-rudi-pell.de / www.spv.de / www.spvusa.com. ![]() LITTLE CAESAR SIGNS MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT WITH JEFF KELLER: Longtime rockers, Little Caesar, have signed a worldwide management agreement with Jeff Keller Management LLC (management home for Ratt's Stephen Pearcy and White Lion). Nobody quite knew what to think of Little Caesar - longhaired, tattooed bikers singing such soulful, yet ballsy, rock music - when they arrived on the scene in Los Angeles in 1987. Little Caesar's eponymous 1990 Geffen Records debut was produced by the infamous Bob Rock (producer of Metallica's self titled 1991 multi-platinum release, Motley Crue's "Dr. Feelgood", and The Cult's "Sonic Temple" among others). The album was a no-nonsense collection of hard rock in the vein of '70s giants like Bad Company and Humble Pie, and was also brimming with classic R&B influences, garnering widespread acceptance and positive reviews from the rock media. It also featured two soul covers, including a ballsy rendition of the classic Aretha Franklin track, "Chain of Fools," which hit the Billboard Top 100 chart and received strong airplay nationwide on both rock radio and MTV. The group toured extensively opening for such legendary acts as Jane's Addiction, KISS, Social Distortion, Iggy Pop, Billy Idol, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. They also headlined their own club tours, and appeared on TV's popular "Arsenio Hall Show", "The Rick Dee's Show", and MTV's "Sex in the 90's". Vocalist Ron Young was also featured in the movie "Terminator 2" as a tough talking biker that gets into a fight with the film's star, Arnold Schwarzenegger. 1992 would bring the bands' second full-length album, "Influence", which was produced by the well respected Howard Benson (who has recently produced releases for platinum artists like Daughtry, Papa Roach, and P.O.D. among others). The band completed its first tour of Europe after the release of the album and drew rave reviews and sold out crowds across multiple countries including a sold out headlining performance at the famous Marquee club in London. In 2002, original members Ron Young (vocals), Loren Molinare (guitar), Tom Morris (drums), and Fidel Paniagua (bass) reunited alongside new guitarist, Chris Latham. Since the reformation, the band has played high profile shows at venues such as the House of Blues, the Key Club in LA, and the Knitting Factory among others. In 2008, Little Caesar is prepared to move forward with a vengeance on a worldwide level with plans to launch a new website, release new music and a historical DVD, as well as touring in the US, Europe, and Japan. States Jeff Keller, "I am excited to be representing one of my all time favorite rock 'n' roll bands. It's great to see that four original members are still together and sounding as great as ever". Further announcements are expected in the New Year. WebLink: www.myspace.com/jeffkellermanagementllc. VELVET REVOLVER HIT MORE TURBULENCE: The December Velvet Revolver tour of Australia has been postponed until February. And the reason why - "TMZ has learned that rocker Scott Weiland has been arrested, again, for DUI. Shocker, we know. The Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver singer was driving on an L.A. highway around 6:15 PM on November 21 when he crashed his car. While the California Highway Patrol was investigating the non-injury wreck, they noticed Weiland appeared to be impaired. (Um ... ya think?) According to the police report, Weiland failed sobriety tests and refused to take a blood or urine test. He was booked for "driving under the influence of a drug." He was released on $40,000 bail and will be back in court on December 13." WebLink: www.tmz.com/2007/12/03/velvet-revolving-door-weiland-arrested-again/. SWEDEN ROCK FESTIVAL ADDS WHITESNAKE AND DEF LEPPARD: Time to announce another 10 bands confirmed for Sweden Rock Festival 2008. Def Leppard is back again after the success in 2006 and so is one of the most classic bands in the history of hard rock, Whitesnake. We continue with some heavy riffs from Testament and this years guitar hero, Joe Satriani. Fast Eddie Clark will be back with his Fastway and Five Fifteen will deliver some classic rock in the vein of The Who and Led Zeppelin. They where voted newcombers of the year by the Swedish audience and now they are here; Sonic Syndicate. Peter Stormare has taken H.E.A.T. under his wings and they will release their début album in the spring of 2008. See them at Sweden Rock as well as one of the most upcoming bands from Ireland, Thin Lizzy-oozing Glyder. We end this announcement with the crazy and vodka drinking Eläkeläiset. CLASSIC METAL SHOW UPDATE: Vicious Rumors Guitarist Geoff Thorpe will appear on The Classic Metal Show on Saturday, December 8 at approximately 9:45pm EST. Thorpe will be calling in to discuss the recent altercation with now ex-Vicious Rumors vocalist James Rivera, as well as providing a current update on the status of Vicious Rumors following the departure of band members following the last tour. To listen to the show live, fans can go to www.cmsradionetwork.com on Saturday, December 8. MELODIC BRIEFS: Led Zeppelin tour rumors continue - this time mentioned in relation to the USA Bonnaroo Festival - www.bonnaroo.com. Queen's first new recording with vocalist Paul Rodgers can be downloaded off the Official Queen website now. Say It's Not True is a solid ballad that builds to a more engaging climax. WebLink: www.queenonline.com/sayitsnottrue. Tesla's Tommy Skoech has released his first ever solo record Freak Bucket. You can hear song samples and order the CD on his myspace page right now: www.myspace.com/tommyskeoch. ![]() BRANDON KEIRNS RELEASES 'IDENTITY VOLUME: I' ON ITUNES: 2527 West Publishing announces that guitarist/singer Brandon Keirns has released his 1st CD, Identity Volume: I on iTunes. The 16-song set, clocking in at just over an hour of original music, is a sonic testament to Brandon's love of melodic hard rock from the late 80's & early 90's. "I learned how to play guitar in 1987; George Lynch, Eddie Van Halen, Phil Collen & Reb Beach were on the covers of the 1st guitar magazines I'd ever bought, and I was in awe of their style & sound. Rock music was very different then from what it's become today, but the riff heavy songwriting, glossy multi-tracked backing vocals, and larger than life production from that era have stayed with me ever since, becoming an undeniable part of my sound." From the disc's opening salvo, "Am I Alone?", which announces its arrival with deep single note riffs, synths and vocal harmonies riding on top of the groove, to the thumping stomp & crunch of the finale "My Terminal Disease", a new yet familiar sound can be heard. It takes the form of talk-box intros, big drums, bigger guitars, sing-along gang vocal choruses and a sound not typically found on today's rock stations. Fans of Def Leppard, Hardline, Lynch Mob & Van Halen will find elements of their favorite bands throughout "Identity Volume: I", and that suits Brandon just fine. "I grew up on these bands and have a real love of their music, so I take it as a great compliment when someone hears their influence on my songwriting." Links: iTunes Store – search for Brandon Keirns / www.myspace.com/brandonkeirns / www.youtube.com/bmkeirns. KISSOLOGY 3 DVD DUE: The KISSology DVD Series has proven itself a smash hit success with Volume One reaching 5 Times Platinum and now Volume Two reaching an unprecedented 6 times platinum sales success! Kiss Fans can complete the ultimate KISS set this December when VH1 Classic Records releases KISSology: Volume Three 1992-2000 the third and final installment of the KISSology collection on DVD Tuesday, December 18, 2007. The set jumps right into 1992 with a complete performance recorded at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit and goes straight through June 2000 with "The Last KISS" concert recorded at The Continental Arena in New Jersey. The grand finale brings the KISSology trilogy full circle, leaving audiences with the entire Coventry Concert. The milestone concert marks the first show of KISS in make-up captured on camera. The concert was sneaked on Volume One as an "Easter Egg" but can be seen in full-length for the first time ever on DVD. "We knew that there would be strong demand for the KISSology series, but we are very pleased with its multi-platinum levels of success," said Paul DeGooyer, Senior Vice President, DVD/Audio/Electronic Games, MTV Music Networks and Logo. "We've truly enjoyed working with KISS to deliver this comprehensive anthology to their legions of fans. It's always exciting when creative and commercial success coincide." A must-own for any KISS fan, the nearly ten hours of live KISS includes a total of six complete concerts, the MTV "Unplugged" show and an exclusive MTV "Unplugged" Behind-the-scenes documentary in the super expanded four disc set. Video Streams: Nothin' To Lose: interface.audiovideoweb.com/lnk/il81win15162/kiss3/nothintolose.wmv/play.asx Detroit Rock City: interface.audiovideoweb.com/lnk/il81win15162/kiss3/detroitrockcity.wmv/play.asx |
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Monday, December 03, 2007
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TRIXTER SET TO RETURN: Press Release / Guitarist Steve Brown (Trixter/40 Ft. Ringo/Stereo Fallout) recently announced on Red & Jerry's Rockin' Metal Revival that 90s hair metal champions Trixter will reunite in the spring/summer of 2008 to tour. During an interview with show intern "JimBob", Brown recapped his post Trixter projects before admitting that plans were in place for Trixter to reform and tour in the new year. Red & Jerry's Rockin Metal Revival – Trixter is like the greatest God Damn Band I ever heard. Tell me what you guys are up to these days. Tell me what you are up to, man. Steve Brown – Well, for about the last 10 years, me and my partner PJ Farley – my partner in crime for over the last 20 years and my Trixter bass player; we've been doing a couple of projects. We had a band a couple of years ago, 40 Ft. Ringo. It was a funny thing that was destined to take over the world, but it didn't happen. We had a great time anyway. Right now I have a brand new record out called Stereo Fallout. That's my brand new thing. Stereo Fallout – The Other Side. It can be picked up anywhere around the world at CDBaby.com or on Itunes. It's great stuff. But most importantly, and I think you're going to be most happy about, in 2008, probably in the spring or summertime, you are going to see the one, the only, the mighty Trixter 2008 Given It To You Good tour coming to a neighborhood near you. To hear the clip, go to www.theclassicmetalshow.com/interviews/RJRMR-SteveBrown.mp3. For more information and airing times for Red & Jerry's Rockin' Metal Revival, go to www.rockinmetalrevival.com. NEW DEMOS FROM TONY HARNELL: Vocalist Tony Harnell has posted this blog on his MySpace page: "Merry Christmas beautiful people, I decided to share a few of my new demos with you. Not all the songs will end up on my solo album. I am experimenting with different ideas and thought I would open that up to all of you. The internet has changed everything and it just seems old fashioned and silly to hold music back till the final album when you could be enjoying new songs now. These are DEMOS so they are not perfect or finished which I think is the charm of the whole thing. And you can't download but you can come and listen anytime :) With love, Tony." Click here to listen to the new demos: www.myspace.com/tonyharnellonline. A LITTLE EDEN CONFUSION: A couple of e-mails alerted me to an issue with an upcoming Z Records title - Scream In Eden. Z will release the Scream In Eden CD in Europe in January. However, the band featuring vocalist Joe Dokken and guitarist Rex Carroll is already available elsewhere under a different name. In fact, iTunes users can purchase the record (originally made in the mid-90s) right now under the name Eden Fan The Flame. ROCK STARS RECITE TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS: Press Release / Tis the season to be jolly and at Classic Rock Revisited that means bringing something cool and unique to our readers. This year we asked several of our musician friends to recite the classic Christmas poem Twas the Night Before Christmas. They did an amazing job! First up is Black Sabbath's Bill Ward. He did a great job! Every few days during the holiday season we will add to the list. We have members of the Heart, Boston, Uriah Heep, Krokus, The Tubes, Tower of Power and more all coming your way. So be sure to keep checking back at www.classicrockrevisited.com to see what has been added! Merry Christmas to all and keep on rocking! VERTIGO TAKING YOU BACK: Vertigo's long-awaited CD Take Me Back drops Monday December 3. Renegade Sounds is proud to release this 80's melodic rock album from Canada, on the label that brought you Renegade and Matrex. Brilliantly produced on analog, "Takes Me Back" is full of great songs and is the 'real thing' for lovers of 80's AOR rock. Go to your favourite online store or visit www.renegadesounds.com for samples or to place orders. BIG COCK – SAVIORS OF ARENA ROCK: Press Release / Big Cock, the self-proclaimed "Hardest Band in the Land!" follows up 2005's debut CD Year of the Cock and 2006's sophomore Big C**k with a sonic, hard rock blast to the face - MotherLoad. MotherLoad makes it clear that Big Cock considers themselves the heir-apparent to the rock & roll throne, reverently treading in the footsteps of classic rock bands such as AC/DC, Montrose, Van Halen and Guns N' Roses - and they aim to save rock & roll one arena at a time. A tall order and an arrogant proclamation, but Big Cock clearly fills an aural void left vacant of late. MotherLoad, the band's third full-length CD is a satisfying dose of hard rock served up loud, hot and sticky by the same line-up that's been unapologetically delivering what BC has come to be known for – powerful, melodic music laced with fun, swagger, great playing, and expert showmanship. MotherLoad is blatant truth in advertising and everything you might expect from a band of rock stars called Big Cock. Pulling no punches, vocalist and lead loud-mouth Robert Mason, BMF (formerly the front man for Elektra records' Lynch Mob and Sony's Cry of Love) breaks the ice with "Get a load of Me", a raucous city-to-city romp through groupie-filled back-stages and endless throngs of adoring fans. Track two is a thundering, drum-heavy Zeppelin-esque homage aptly-titled "Stamina" and drummer John Covington has it – pummeling the song with the braggadocio of his 48" (gong), ear-splitting cymbal crashes, and giant, vintage Leedy drum kit. There's no subtlety to his earned-nickname "The Pulverizer". The bombastic "Breaking My Balls" continues with an infectious, dirty groove that is guaranteed to keep heads banging and clenched fists pumping– spewing raw energy you can taste and smell. By the time "Bump and Grind" climaxes, you're covered in enough nicotine, cheap perfume and the sour sweat of your favorite exotic dancer that you're feeling guilty and begging for a shower. "Road to Ruin" puts you on the Big Cock tour bus where guitar hero Dave Henzerling injects blood and emotion (among other things) into the track with a signature, riff-laden style honed during his 80's days with bands such as L.A.'s Keel, Lizzy Borden and Capitol Records' King Kobra. "Slave" follows as a window into the darkness of the band's not-so-private sex-dungeon where cock-sure Mason is happy to show a willing accomplice "the ropes". On the sensitive side, Big Cock delivers a classic power ballad on MotherLoad's "Don't Ask Me to be Faithful", taunting love-struck rockers everywhere to wave their cell-phones and lighters while Mason not-so-innocently discloses his philandering ways with a crooning vocal and piano delivery that could bring a tear to Elton John's eye. If radio still had balls this tune would sweep the air waves as the soundtrack for a million teenage heartbreaks. Colby's thundering bass lays it down long and low on the sing-along anthem "Live to Rock" and you can literally feel the testosterone flow like a raging river on "M.I.L.F.", a loving tribute to every hot mom you've ever lusted after. The laid back swing of "Feverish" sets up the CD's coup de grâce, "Built for Speed", a slamming rocker tooled for every NASCAR junkie who's ever dreamed of barreling down the Daytona Speedway at 200 mph with two lingerie models making out in the back seat. Big Cock carries the rock-&-roll-all-night/lock-up-your-daughters banner with pride and MotherLoad may very well be the next classic hard rock record you'll hear. BC delivers exactly what you'd expect from four guys that claim to be "The Hardest Band in the Land!" – songs about women, fast cars, hard-partying, and the trail of a thousand soiled hotel-room sheets... they're the saviors of arena rock and they're coming to a stadium near you. NEW REVIEWS: New Reviews online today for: Action, Lana Lane, Indigo Dying, Seven Tears, Goodbye Thrill, Empire, Soul Doctor, Shade, Bruce Springsteen, Duran Duran and Terry Ilous. Check out the new Reviews. |
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Friday, November 30, 2007
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THE LONG AWAITED REUNION OF DERRINGER: Press Release / Since their original signing, Derringer, has been considered one of the best guitar duos of all time . With the release of their first album, Derringer, the band found themselves the opening act for Aerosmith's "Toys In The Attic", and "Rocks" tours . Derringers' next album release, "Sweet Evil", found them the support act for Boston's "More Than A Feeling Tour". From there they went on to support Led Zeppelin for 2 nights at Bill Graham's "Day On The Green" in Oakland, CA. After the break up of Derringer, the band members, Rick Derringer, Kenny Aaronson, Vinny Appice, and Danny Johnson, all went on to put their mark on the history of rock and roll by working with some of the most well known icons in the music industry. Rick Derringer - Alice Cooper, KISS, Cyndi Lauper, Meat Loaf, The McCoys, Todd Rundgrun, Michael Stanley, Steely Dan, Edgar, and Johnny, Winter. Kenny Aaronson - Bob Dylan, Dave Edmunds, Hall and Oats, Sammy Hagar, Neil Schon, Billy Idol, Joan Jett, Brian Setzer, Mick Taylor, Leslie West. Vinny Appice - Axis, Black Sabbath, DIO, Heaven and Hell, Hollywood All Stars, George Lynch, WWIII. Danny Johnson - Alcatrazz, Alice Cooper, Axis, Graham Bonnet, Rod Stewart, and Steppenwolf Now Derringer, who influenced so many young guitar players, and musicians in general, has reunited once again. Do not miss this opportunity to see history in the making. The Paramour Group along with Derringer is pleased to announce that Derringer has reunited to perform at Sweden Rock 08, and will be doing selective dates for all of 08. Visit Derringer's Website: www.paramourgroup.com/mr/derringer/derringer.htm. ![]() OVERDRIVE GO INTO...OVERDRIVE!: Press Release / We have now posted a taster from the forthcoming Overdrive album Let The Metal Do The Talking, which will be released by Lion Music in January and Soundholic (Japan) in March. The songs is Army Of Darkness, the album opener which was penned by Kenth Ericsson. www.myspace.com/overdrivesweden. The album was mixed and co-produced by Johan Blomström (Blinded Colony, Calm, Kaptain Sun etc) He's captured the immortal 80s essence of the band, but still provided freshness and power to the production. The final track list: 1. Army Of Darkness (Ericsson), 2. Fight To The Finish (Stark), 3. Chasing Highways (Stark(Karlsson), 4. Lodestar (Jacobsson/Stark), 5. Den of Iniquity (Stark), 6. Trapped Under Ice (Jacobsson/Stark), 7. Deceived (Ericsson), 8. Bring Me To Submission (Stark), 9. Reincarnation (Stark) (Feat Chris Catena), 10. Gravy Train (Jacobsson/Stark), 11. Let The Metal Do The Talking (Jacobsson/Stark), 12. Sinister Warfare (Stark). The European version will also include a bonus - the video for "Back On The Hunt" (2006 version), while the Japanese will include the five tracks, off the limited edition MCD "Resurrected" released in June 2006. The cover is made by Monowasp (TNT, Dante Fox etc) and also follows in the fine old Overdrive tradition. Line-up: Per "PerilOz" Karlsson: Vocals, Janne Stark: Guitar, Kjell Jacobsson: Guitar, Kenth Ericsson: Bass, Kenta Svensson: Drums. WebLinks: www.overdrive.se / www.myspace.com/overdrivesweden. STARSHIP GET 24BIT TREATMENT: Next in line for the Japanese "papersleeves" re-issues with K2 24bit digital mastering is Starship! Knee Deep In The Hoopla, No Protection, Love Among The Cannibals and a Best Of are all part of a JVC twenty-album Jefferson Airplane, Starship & Jefferson Starship cardboard sleeve reissue series featuring the albums "Jefferson Airplane Takes Off," "Surrealistic Pillow," "After Bathing At Baxter's," "Crown Of Creation," "Volunteers," "Bless Its Pointed Little Head," "Bark," "Long John Silver," "Thirty Seconds Over Winterland," "Dragon Fly," "Red Octopus," "Spitfire," "Earth," "Freedom At Point Zero," "Modern Times," "Winds Of Change," "Nuclear Furniture," "Knee Deep In The Hoopla," "No Protection," and "Love Among The Cannibals." While we are talkign Starship...I'm still trying to get to the bottom of what is happening with the band and new material... CD INZANE WINNER ANNOUNCED: We have a winner! This just in: "Jody Cooney from Green Bay, Wisconsin has won the $500.00 shopping spree and was the 20,000 customer whom placed the order thru our large online database at www.cdinzane.com. Thank you to everyone who tried to win this great prize. Happy holidays to you all, be safe, rock hard! Zane Petersen (CEO / Metal Import Buyer) www.cdinzane.com." ROCK UNITED LIVE FEATURES TO VIEW: I just wanted to plug a couple of special features currently running over at the always cool Rock United website. 3 new detailed Live Reports can be found for the likes of - Crashdiet - www.rockunited.com/crashdiet.htm Stryper - www.rockunited.com/maata2007.htm Hard Rock Hell - www.rockunited.com/hrh2007.htm Go check them out! EDENBRIDGE RELEASES DOUBLE-CD BEST OF AND RARITIES SET: Edenbridge's The Chronicles of Eden, a two-CD best of and rarities set, has been released in North American through Locomotive Music. "I think a double CD for the price of one is a real value for money," said guitarist/keyboardist/composer Lanvall. "For our longtime fans, we have a lot of songs they might not know and for new people we have the best of, which is a good overview of what we have done the past years." The Austrian act, whose music has been described as "angelic bombast," let its fans choose their favorite tracks to be included on the best of compilation through it website. The rarities disc was culled from unreleased recordings, freshly-written songs, and bonus tracks from international releases. "Thin Red Line" and "Silent Wake" were originally written during the "Arcana" time period but did not fit on the album. "For Your Eyes Only" is a cover of the James Bond theme that previously appeared on a single. The single version of "Shine," the European bonus from "Shine," "On Sacred Ground," and the Japanese bonus track, "Anthem," are included, as well as several other European and Japanese bonus tracks. "Images in the Sand" is a brand piano/orchestra piece. "I think it's a great product," said Lanvall. "It's got a nice booklet that captures the band's career from the beginning with a lot of liner notes, old unreleased photos, and so on." Both CDs were remastered by Andy Horn (Halford, Rob Rock, Cage, Wolf). The cover art was provided by Katja Piolka (Leaves Eyes, Rebellion, Primal Fear). Edenbridge is in the midst of production for its sixth studio album, to be titled My Earth Dream. Locomotive Records was founded in 1996 by music producer Goyo Esteban. Since its formation 11 years ago, the company has become one of the biggest Independent labels in Europe, South America, and the United States. With well-known artists from many genres, its main focus remains rock and metal music, and as a US licensor for bigger Indie labels. As a small record label in Spain, the company started with a lone office in Madrid but soon opened up another office in Cologne, Germany, in 2002. That office is now responsible for the international business and artistic vision for the whole company. In January 2008 Locomotive Records will open a US office in New York to increase its profile in the US market and offer a local and country-specific partner to expand its business even further. Locomotive Records is driven by a passion for music and is always anxious to pave the way for new artists and bands who also share their love for good music and have an ability to delight the audience. WebLinks: www.edenbridge.org / www.locomotivemusic.com / www.myspace.com/locomotiverecords. CAGE FEATURED IN NEW THE RIGHT TO ROCK PODCAST: TheRighttoRock.com has issued their latest Podcast (episode #37), featuring Vocalist Sean Peck and Guitarist Dave Garcia from Cage. Sean and Dave took time from their busy schedule to discuss their latest CD Hell Destroyer as well their upcoming tour. Sean and Dave tackle a variety of topics and give you the true skinny on the band and much, much, more. Interview last approx. 40 min. When did metal make its way into the media? Join Genghis and Ragman while they journey back to see when metal was first accepted by Hollywood. From Heavy Metal to Metalocalypse the boys cover it all, or as much as they can think of whilst drinking some Quak. Next stay tuned for a two for interview with Cage. That's right the boys, start off the festivities with Cage guitarist Dave Garcia and then finish things up with Cage vocalist Sean Peck . Dave and Sean discuss their latest metal masterpiece Hell Destroyer as well as their upcoming tour. MR-X UPDATED: MR-X has been updated - this week no surprise, we are paying tribute to the late, great Kevin DuBrow, with Quiet Riot - Live Cleveland USA 8-10-83 (60 minutes) and Quiet Riot Live US Festival USA 1983 (6 tracks) Also online are the following Video Clips: Bon Jovi - Bounce and Undivided, Gun - Steal Your Fire, Mark Woods - Monkeybats, MSG - When I'm Gone and Mr. Big - To Be With You (Live On Letterman, 92). MR-X Membership Details. |
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Thursday, November 29, 2007
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MORE ADVANCE PREVIEWS - KHYMERA & WORK OF ART: Its been a sad week, so what better time than now for some good news in the form of a cool new sneak preview of a forthcoming release. I'm looking towards 2008 being a much better year than 2007 for traditional AOR/Melodic Rock. And two of the very best releases of this genre that I have heard in recent times are both due out at the same time - February 22, 2008. You have already heard the fabulous Westcoast AOR of Work Of Art, now it is time for Khymera! Yes, the very same act that originally featured vocalist Steve Walsh before he departed in a cloud of smoke. The project's second release featured a surprise vocalist in star producer Dennis Ward. It was a step in a more AOR direction and was a good fresh start - but the guys have turned it up a notch this time. The third Khymera album The Greatest Wonder sees the guys really gel together and deliver a truly memorable collection of moody, pure, European AOR songs. In my opinion, every aspect of this new album blows the other 2 releases away. Track listing for The Greatest Wonder will be: Ablaze (intro); Beautiful Life; Borderline; Burn Out; Since You Went Away; Love Had Come And Gone; No Sacrifice; The Greatest Wonder; Fight For Yesterday; If I Can't Be; Love Will Find You; Stay Forever; The Other Side. Writing credits for the new album include British twin brothers Tom and James Martin (House of Lords, Ted Poley). Preview time!!! Download: Khymera - Beautiful Life, Borderline and Stay Forever. ![]() And I can't help myself...I have to give you another couple of insights into the brilliant Work Of Art album. Check out: Too Late and Whenever U Sleep. ![]() VAN HALEN SAY NO TO ROLLING STONE!: While Van Halen ramp things up for a busy 2008, fans will be interested to learn that the band are still reluctant to do any interviews and just turned down Rolling Stone magazine for a full feature cover story! THE TOUR BUS & OTHERS REMEMBER QUIET RIOT VOCALIST KEVIN DUBROW: Free One Hour Radio Tribute Available For Broadcast / The rock and roll community lost one of its most colorful personalities with the sudden passing of Quiet Riot vocalist and 80s icon Kevin DuBrow. Envision Radio Networks' The Tour Bus, a nationally syndicated radio show featuring party rock bands from the 80's, 90's and today, will remember Kevin with a special one hour tribute show that will be available to stations for broadcast this weekend. Hosts Ralph Sutton and Stacey X take a look back at the life and career of Kevin DuBrow. The Tour Bus "Kevin DuBrow Tribute" features a full hour of special guests, rare in-studio performances, tour stories, and music from a truly great frontman and his friends. Quiet Riot was the first hard rock band to have a number one album and went on to sell millions of records, touring the globe with a career spanning four decades. Quiet Riot also helped to launch the careers of musicians like legendary Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Randy Rhoads, who was a founding member of Quiet Riot and played on the band's first two albums. This free tribute is available via internet download for broadcast. Please contact Rebecca Pixley with Envision Radio Networks at 216-831-3761 or rebeccap@envisionradio.com for complete details. Envision Radio Networks is the largest independently owned affiliate relations company in America with more than twenty-five years of experience in radio syndication. Currently, ERN has affiliates in every major market in all radio formats and is rapidly expanding. Envision represents all types of programming and services for radio including short-form vignettes, comedy services, morning show prep, long-form weekend programming, live morning show syndication, remote broadcasts and event programming, off-air tools and web content, album releases and artist specials. The Mitch Minute (with BW&BK's Mitch Lafon) - a quick segment featured on Ottawa's Majic 100's That 80's Show hosted by Codi Jefferies will pay tribute to Kevin DuBrow this Friday Night. The live-to-air segment usually airing at 7:45PM will start sooner (a little after 7:30PM EST). Anybody interested in listening can tune into to www.majic100.fm for the live stream of the radio broadcast. Sean Hollywood is working on doing a tribute radio show for Kevin DuBrow. If anyone has any memories of Kevin they would like to share, you are asked to e-mail: seanhollywood@seanhollywood.net. Las Vegas Review Journal - www.lvrj.com/news/11850476.html Steve Lukather comments: "Very sad.. We went to the same high school. A huge personality but a good guy. He was always very cool to me and my guys. He was at our show in Vegas a few months ago and seemed so happy and together? Life... God Bless him." Stevie Rachelle (Tuff): "I was a high school junior (1983) watching MTV and saw this spider like front man prowling across my TV clad in stripes. He encouraged me to bang my head. And I did. A few years later (1986) going to see Quiet Riot in concert with special guest Poison. I couldn't believe how powerful Kevin's voice was. Quiet Riot & the openers –both blew me away. In Hollywood late 80s standing around at the "Rainbow Bar & Grill" and seeing him walk in tall and lanky. He was very full of life. A true rock star. At LAX airport mid 90s walking along and realized that Kevin & Frankie Banali were neck and neck with me to the gate. "Hey where you guys going?" Kevin replies with his voice on 10! "To play a festival in Oklahoma. What about you guys, what you up to?" Hello, handshakes, and goodbyes all in less than a minute. It felt cool knowing we were comrades in this industry. Early millennium (2001-02) I was playing "Pinkees" in Las Vegas with my cover band Motley Priest. We went into "Metal Health" and next thing I know Kevin is standing right next to the stage smiling at me. I motioned to him to come up. He obliged and walked on stage during the solo, the place went crazy as he did the breakdown. He handed me the microphone back. I was honored. Late 2004 Kevin informs me of his love for Metal Sludge and we become e-buddies. We exchanged e-mails and phone calls every few months. He was always SO nice, and offered to take me to a nice dinner more times than I can count. Being a Dad in recent years, and life in general took up my time – I never took him up on it. It's kind of like a "Cats in the Cradle" scenario I guess. I regret not going. Metal Sludge filmed a TV pilot (2005-06) with Kevin & Frankie, Paul Gargano, DJ Will & Happenin' Harry. It was a great time, we all had so much in common and so many stories that intertwined. Kevin was watching play back at one point and said: "Wow, looks killer, just like one of those VH1 shows." I was proud. Walking down Melrose last summer I run into Kevin and Alexx Grossi. Kevin says: "Dude, we're going to Jamba Juice, let me buy you one!" I went, we laughed, talked about the "Bad Boys of Metal " tour and parted ways going opposite directions down the street. He talked me into the wheat grass shot too. I choked it down. We had not talked much in recent months. I heard disturbing news on Sunday night and called him several times. I kept getting his voice mail, which was full. Hearing his voice made me think of what a great guy Kevin DuBrow was and how much I will miss him. I am truly saddened to lose my friend." DANTE FOX SUPPORT LEGENDARY EX-SURVIVOR VOCALIST JIMI JAMISON ON UK TOUR: Press Release / UK Female fronted melodic rockers Dante Fox have been chosen by legendary ex-Survivor vocalist Jimi Jamison as support act for his First UK tour in May 2008. Dante Fox will also performing for the whole tour as Jimi Jamison's backing band. The promoters "Factory 5" are currently finalising venues but at this stage we can confirm that the tour dates will consist of the following cities - Wolverhampton, Sheffield, Manchester, Nottingham, Cardiff, Bristol, Norwich, London and Bournemouth with tickets going on sale before the Christmas break. Dante Fox will be promoting their latest album Under The Seven Skies which was released on Frontiers Records earlier this year and capitalising on the rave reviews for the new album from press and fans. For further updates please check out www.jimijamison.com, www.dantefox.com, www.myspace.com/dantefox or www.factory5.co.uk. xx![]() SCREAM IN EDEN TO DEBUT ON Z: Press Release / Z Records would like to announce their latest signing Chicago's Scream In Eden. The band are yet another fine example of excellent melodic hard rock that fans have grown to expect from Z. Discovered by Mark Alger a few months ago Scream In Eden's debut entitled Original Sin will be released on January 28th 2008 and is essential for fans of Tesla, Dokken and Babylon AD. Over the past week we have ran a special anonymous preview at www.myspace.com/zrockrecordsuk with amazing feedback, if you haven't yet checked out the two tracks by the band do so now you will be impressed! Featured around the fantastic vocals of Joe Dokken and the guitar work of White Cross Axeman Rex Carroll Scream In Eden are set to make 2008 their year. Lillian Axe's Fields of Yesterday re-issue has been delayed until January 28. Chris Nelson will be interviewing some of the bands that appeared at this years Z-Rock festival including James Christian from House Of Lords, Eric Saint Micheals from the band China, with interviews from Lost Weekend, Sacred Heart & Bullitt. Hair Metal Haven, Saturday December 1st on www.rock247online.co.uk 17.00-19.00 GMT/18.00-20.00 CET. STONELAKE PREPARE UNCHARTED SOULS: Release date for the new StoneLake album Uncharted Souls will be March 30. Cover/artwork design will be made by once again "Carl André Beckston" and the album are gonna be Recorded/Produced/Mixed/Mastered at Unlimited Music Production www.ump.se by Jan Åkesson. Lineup - Vocals: Peter Grundström (True Metalscream), L/R-guitars and keyboard: Jan Åkesson, Bass: Lasse Johansson, Drums: Jens Westberg. Label: Unlimited Music Production / Promotion: Unlimited Music production / Distribution: CDInzane. WebLink: www.stonelake.se. MIKE CAMPESE'S MEANING OF CHRISTMAS: Press Release / The Meaning Of Christmas is the 6th solo release by lead guitarist Mike Campese. This CD features some of Mike's, balls to the walls, guitar playing with his own original arrangements of 10 holiday classics and 2 of his own original compositions. While listening to this CD, you will know why Mike got picked over hundreds of guitarists to work with the multi platinum band, The Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Campese reinvents new sections and melodies to these traditional Christmas songs, like in the blistering version of "Joy to the World" that shred guitar fanatics will love. Guitar virtuoso Mike Campese does not hesitate to get a little heavier than on his previous CD's, like in his version of the "Little Drummer Boy" and the rip your face off version of the "Grinch". On this CD and all of his others, Mike does not stray from the melodies, this is something he is known for, Mike does a beautiful version of the vocal classic "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and has written 2 of his own Christmas songs. "Christmas in Maui" which features some of the most beautiful melodies Mike has written and the vocal tune "The Meaning of Christmas" which is based from a poem Mike wrote. There can't be a Mike Campese CD without some acoustic on it, Mike does a nice jazzy acoustic version of "Chestnuts and "Silent Night". Mike's reinvented version of "Carol of The Bells" will make holiday music fans very happy. We feel that Mike has put the true meaning of Christmas on this incredible guitar driven CD. Visit www.mikecampese.com for sound clips and info on how to order. |
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Wednesday, November 28, 2007
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KEVIN DuBROW CONDOLENCES CONTINUE: Condolences and tributes continue to roll in following the death of Quite Riot frontman Kevin DuBrow. Frankie Banali - QR drummer and long time mate of Kevin's would like to thank everyone for signing the KD Condolence Book right here. He has also updated his own website with some heartfelt reflections on dealing with this tragedy. Media continues to cover the story - a few links of relevance include: LA Times - www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/music/ MTV - www.mtv.com/news/articles/1575114/20071127/quiet_riot.jhtml Associated Press - ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j3CVM9tSCRAA7A3yxLpnIuM2l-IAD8T5K1280 TheDay.com - www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=2f74358d-abe5-48b8-8f68-e121580ad970 Jeff Scott Soto has posted a comment on his website: "'I met Kevin back in 1986 when Quiet Riot were on the bill with us (Yngwie Malmsteen) for a few shows in the US. He was a funny, high spirited, overall good guy. Through all that he created his image of the 'mouth that roared', I found him to be a very endearing & genuine soul. He's was a saint then & continued to be such a humble person always treating me with absolute respect since day one. I was a Quiet Riot fan when the Metal Health album came out & through knowing Kevin & Co, continued to support the guys & their quest to continue the path they set for themselves from the ground up. As we drove to soundcheck today here in the UK, I was given the information that Kevin has passed away. My deepest condolences go out to his family, those near & dear & especially to the boys in QR. Kevin leaves us with his legacy of work that we should always remember him by & knowing him, he doesn't want us to be sad for his passing, he'd want us to celebrate by 'screaming until our throats bleed!'. RIP my friend, we'll meet again!" EVEN DEEPER SHIT THAN WE THOUGHT?: Gotta love this...full article available at: nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2007/11/universal_music_ceo_doug_morris.html - Universal Music CEO Doug Morris Speaks, Recording Industry in Even Deeper Shit Than We Thought "In the December issue of Wired, Seth Mnookin sits down with Universal Music Group CEO/supervillain Doug Morris for a pretty excellent profile (which is, tragically, not yet online). In it, Mnookin paints the 68-year old Morris as a crotchety executive who's upset that he can't focus more on simple product and artist development because he's too busy worrying about iPods, MP3s, and his company's digital strategy (which was never really supposed to be part of his job description when he took the gig in 1995). In a way, he almost comes off as cute, like if your grandfather were accidentally hired to run Google (at one point, Morris hilariously compares his embattled industry to a character in "Li'l Abner," a comic strip that stopped running in 1977). As for his actual digital strategy, it's pretty much what we expected — Morris's singular goal these days is to limit the power of Steve Jobs and iTunes. He puts most of his energy into designing Universal's own Internet music store (Total Music, which is definitely doomed to fail), cutting deals with Apple competitor Microsoft for a piece of those massive Zune profits, and heroically doing all he can to make it even more difficult for consumers to justify paying for music online. But then he says something so ridiculous it sort of blows our minds. When Morris is asked why the music business didn't work harder, in the early days of file-sharing, to build its own (legal) online presence, there's this exchange: "There's no one in the record industry that's a technologist," Morris explains. "That's a misconception writers make all the time, that the record industry missed this. They didn't. They just didn't know what to do. It's like if you were suddenly asked to operate on your dog to remove his kidney. What would you do?" Personally, I would hire a vet. But to Morris, even that wasn't an option. "We didn't know who to hire," he says, becoming more agitated. "I wouldn't be able to recognize a good technology person — anyone with a good bullshit story would have gotten past me." Even though we shouldn't be, we're actually a little shocked. We'd always assumed the labels had met with a team of technology experts in the late nineties and ignored their advice, but it turns out they never even got that far — they didn't even try! Understanding the Internet certainly isn't easy — especially for an industry run by a bunch of technology-averse sexagenarians — but it's definitely not impossible. The original Napster hit its peak in 1999 — kids born since then have hacked into CIA computers. Surely it wouldn't have taken someone at Universal more than a month or two to learn enough about the Internet to know who to call to answer a few questions. They didn't even have any geeky interns? We give this industry six months to live." GUNS N'ROSES N'PROMISES: Another top newspaper article - this time on Guns N Roses can be found at: www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/27/DD0DTH03G.DTL. Some highlights - "There's something missing this holiday season, and it's not just the lack of inclement weather. For the first time in years, nobody is spreading rumors about the imminent arrival of a new Guns N' Roses album. Chinese Democracy, which has been on the verge of coming out for the better part of a decade, currently has no pre-release buzz, a fact that makes us want to start a rumor right now. Things are a little bit too quiet ... At this point, though, it might be better if the album didn't come out. A release of "Chinese Democracy" would be like O.J. Simpson suddenly finding the real killer. Aging metal-heads' hearts would give out. Stock markets would crash. MTV newsman Kurt Loder would probably have to stop working, and so would Larry King. (At this point, does anyone doubt that they're the same person?) When Peanuts creator Charles Schulz announced his retirement in the late 1990s, there was much talk about his final strip. One popular prediction was that Charlie Brown would finally get to kick the football - advice that Schulz very wisely didn't take. If Charlie Brown kicked the football, it would undo 50 years of good comics with one bad one. That's exactly how I feel about "Chinese Democracy." We, the remaining Guns N' Roses fan base, are Charlie Brown. The album is the football. And Axl Rose is Lucy, repeatedly setting deadlines he knows he'll never make, because the public is gullible enough to believe him. (I think Slash is Schroeder in this analogy, and Stephanie Seymour is the Little Red-Haired Girl, although I haven't totally thought that part out.) The last time Rose announced a "tentative" release date of March 2007, no less than three dozen different news agencies reported it, including the Chicago Tribune, Hollywood Reporter and Agence France-Presse. March 2007 has come and gone, and here we are, still clutching worn-out copies of "Use Your Illusion II" to our chests, waiting anxiously for the next rumor. There's something that's so sweet and human about the whole charade." SAGA HIT YOUTUBE FOR NEW SINGER: Canadian prog-rockers Saga have announced plans to audition new singers via YouTube. That sounds familiar... This from the band's website: "We just recorded these two songs without vocals during a sound check in Germany. So all you have to do is download them, and video tape yourself singing along to them. Then post them on YouTube and email us the link along with your name & brief biography of yourself!!! It's that easy!!!" WebLink: www.sagaontour.ca. DUE TO OVERWHELMING DEMAND VAN HALEN EXTENDS HISTORIC TOUR INTO 2008: "For more than two hours, the gods delivered." -- Rolling Stone In the midst of one of the most highly anticipated and successful tours of the year, Van Halen announces that they will extend their historic tour into 2008. Eddie, Alex & Wolfgang Van Halen and David Lee Roth, together for the first time in 24 years, will kick off the New Year by extending their tour into 29 additional cities, kicking off with a January 22 performance at Oklahoma City's Ford Center and running through April 7 at Milwaukee, Wisconsin's Bradley Center. The 2007 tour has drawn over 600,000 fans thus far with sold out shows in dozens of cities across America, winning the praise of fans and critics alike. "From the first power chords of "You Really Got Me," the band hit a hard groove that didn't let up for the next two hours," said the New York Daily News. "[Van Halen] filled the arena with hard rock energy rarely generated since, well, the band's previous forays," noted USA Today. The Hollywood Reporter said: "For one perfect night…Van Halen was nothing short of spectacular." Tickets for the San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, Omaha, New Orleans, Charlottesville, Hershey, and Atlantic City dates will go on sale Saturday December 1st and East Rutherford and New York will go on sale Monday December 3rd and are available at www.livenation.com and Ticketmaster. On sale dates for the rest of the tour will be announced shortly and additional 2008 dates are also expected to be announced soon. Formed in Los Angeles in 1974, the band has always been known for their electrifying live shows. From the moment they released their self-titled 1978 debut album, Van Halen shook the foundations of rock, thanks largely to Roth's peerless showmanship, Eddie Van Halen's revolutionary guitar virtuosity and their songwriting abilities. Their music has changed rock and roll forever. Van Halen was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Van Halen Second Leg Dates Jan. 22 Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center Jan. 24 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center Jan. 26 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center Jan. 28 Houston, TX Toyota Center Feb. 1 Denver, CO Pepsi Center Feb. 4 Omaha, NB Qwest Event Center Feb. 8 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena Feb. 12 Ft. Lauderdale, FL BankAtlantic Center Feb. 14 Orlando, FL Amway Arena Feb. 16 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena Feb. 18 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum Feb. 22 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena Mar. 3 Ft. Wayne, IN Allen County Memorial Coliseum Mar. 5 Cincinnati, OH US Bank Arena Mar. 7 Raleigh, NC RBC Center Mar. 9 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena Mar. 11 Manchester, NH Verizon Wireless Arena Mar. 13 E. Rutherford, NJ Izod Center Mar. 17 New York, NY Madison Square Garden Mar. 19 Hershey, PA Giant Center Mar. 21 Pittsburgh, PA Mellon Arena Mar. 24 Providence, RI Dunkin Donuts Center Mar. 26 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena Mar. 28 Atlantic City, NJ Boardwalk Hall Mar. 30 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center Apr. 1 Columbus, OH Value City Arena Apr. 3 Chicago, IL Allstate Arena Apr. 5 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena Apr. 7 Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center DONNIE VIE REVISITS ENUFF Z NUFF'S STRENGTH: Press Release / While a lot of artists are doing cover albums, Enuff Z'nuff's Donnie Vie decided to do something a little different and cover himself. Donnie took one of Enuff Z'nuff's most loved albums, 1991's Strength, and recorded acoustic and alternate versions of the songs for his new album Extra Strength. antiMusic.com is pleased to offer a preview stream of six tracks from Extra Strength. They are exclusively streaming "Heaven or Hell," "Baby Loves You," "The World is a Gutter," "Mother's Eyes," "It's No Good" and "Missing You" on their Myspace page at: www.myspace.com/antimusic. The album will hit stores in the UK this week (Nov 26th) on Cargo Records. For the U.S. fans (and everywhere else) Donnie is offering one new song for digital download every two weeks from his website. The digital release will include alternate versions of "Baby Loves You" and an A Cappella version of "Mother's Eyes" that are different from the versions on the UK release. Both feature "It's No Good" from the "Seven" album and the UK version features a cover of the Beatles "In My Life". The idea for this project came from the fans. One of the most heavily traded and most requested Enuff Z'nuff bootlegs is a three hour 1993 radio appearance where Donnie and Chip Z'nuff performed dozens of songs acoustically. Known as the Y108 tape for the radio station, it quickly became a fan favorite. Donnie saw some fan postings about the Y108 tape on his fan club message board and decided it might be fun to give fans studio recordings of acoustic versions of some of the songs and he enlisted his friend Tim Tame to help. The idea quickly turned into re-recording a full album and Donnie selected the band's sophomore effort which earned them a hot artist honor from Rolling Stone when it was released and also ranks at the top among Enuff Z'nuff fans when polled about their favorite albums. Once recording got underway, Donnie's creative side took over and the album became much more than simply acoustic re-recordings of the album tracks. There are also rumblings that Donnie may give the "Paraphernalia" album the extra treatment next. We invite you to now hear six of the tracks for yourself. Tracklisting: Heaven or Hell*, Missing You*, Strength, In Crowd, Hollywood Ya, The World is a Gutter*, Goodbye, It's No Good*, In My Life (UK Only), Baby Loves You (US Only)*, Mother's Eyes (A Cappela Version is for US Only)*, Long Way To Go, Blue Island, The Way Home, Time To Let You Go, Baby Loves You (electric - UK Only). * preview available at: www.myspace.com/antimusic. Official Site: www.donnievie.com / Label Info Page for UK Release: www.cargorecords.co.uk/release_zoom.php?item=4795. INTERVIEW BRIEFS: FireHouse guitarist Bill Leverty talks about his new solo CD Southern Exposure at: www.sleazeroxx.com. In a brand new, exclusive, interview conducted by Rock N Roll Universe (www.rocknrolluniverse.com) with John Garner of Sir Lord Baltimore, the legendary vocalist discusses the band's new album Sir Lord Baltimore III: Raw, which also features Tony Franklin (The Firm, Blue Murder) on bass. Also covered during the interview is Sir Lord Baltimore's stint opening for Black Sabbath on several dates of the 'Paranoid' tour as well as appearing with Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant during a show with The Lizards in Stourbridge, England in 2004. WebLink: rocknrolluniverse.com/rocknrolluniverse_481.htm. TheRighttoRock.com has has issued their latest podcast (episode #36), featuring Vocalist Adam Troy and Bassist Joseph Cumbo from Sonic X. Adam and Joseph took time from their busy schedule to discuss their latest CD 13 as well their upcoming tour. Adam and Joseph tackle a variety of topics and give you the true skinny on the band and much, much, more. Interview last approx. 40 min. While Genghis and Ragman give thanks, they thought you'd like to feast on their latest Podcast wherein they discuss everything from the recent VH reunion to the rebirth of thrash. And after you've finished your first turkey leg, settle in for a killer interview with Adam and Joseph of Canadian band, Sonic X, who discuss their kick-ass new release, 13, as well as their upcoming tour. So sit back, undo the button on your pants, and enjoy Thanksgiving with your favorite metalhead pilgrims. A new interview with Eden's Curse frontman Michael Eden is online now at: www.rockeyez.com/interviews/int-michaeleden.html. |
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Tuesday, November 27, 2007
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![]() Frankie Banali: "I can't even find words to say. Please respect my privacy as I mourn the passing and honor the memory of my dearest friend Kevin DuBrow." Friend and fellow vocal legend Glenn Hughes comments to MelodicRock.com: "We are all grieving...Kevin and I were brothers....We spoke daily, and I mean on the phone, not email.....the Kevin that I knew was a beautiful human being.... He was kind, giving, nurturing.... And generous..... He would stay @ my LA home when he was in town.... I never saw Kevin Loaded... He respected my sobriety... He always spoke how about the change of my lifestyle, and how he also wanted to change his.....the last conversation I had with him 10 days ago, was about this subject, he said he had to make some life changes.... I was so happy and elated to hear this.... Gabi and I spoke to him last on Fri, the 16th of Nov.... He wanted to know if I could pick him up @ LAX. On the 23rd, the day of a Party @ my house.....then , there was nothing, no communication..... Zero.... Come thanksgiving I knew something was strange.... @ the house, Kevin's room was prepared as always, with his fave Candies next to the bed.... He always requests them when he stays.... I thought, he's gonna come jumping thru the door any minute and Demand to play the winner of the Pool game between Chad Smith and myself..... As the Party ended, Gabi and I spoke of his absence... She was very upset..... All along, I felt something seriously wrong.... Come Sunday Morning , I couldn't take it anymore. And called Lark Williams. Kevs ex-girlfriend. She was in San Francisco.. I asked her if she knew a paramedic who could go over to Kevs house and investigate..... Dana, the Medic, got in the house only to find my sweet brother......@ peace..... I am completely shell shocked... We were planning to go 2 Hawaii for some relaxation in the new year...... For those of you that didn't know him..... He was a true, true friend.... l'm gonna miss our dinners @ the Palm in Beverly hills.....I'm gonna miss his loud voice bellowing thru my house... I'm gonna miss those oh so corny jokes.... We all will miss him.....sleep well brother.. your legacy is in good hands with me..... Your loving brother Glenn xxx." QR bassist Chuck Wright comments to MelodicRock.com: "I'm completely shocked and devastated. I've truly lost a brother and it's a very sad loss for the world of rock n' roll. I'm so very fortunate to have been a part of his life these past 26 years. I have so many fond memories and it's a blessing that these recent few years have been so great with the band. There is no reason to say "I wish we could have ...we did!" I still can't believe I won't be sharing the stage with his larger than life presence ever again. The man left a mark wherever he went and I'm heartbroken that he is no longer with us. Blessings, Chuck." Original QR bassist Kelly Garni: "I ask this to all of you not only for myself but for other friends and family. I ask that no one here offer any speculation or opinions, theories or other things that could be construed as negative or, and I'm sorry for this, even sympathetic, right at this immediate time. I am already within hours of this having to deal with untrue rumors and speculation and that only adds fuel to that. There is a tendency for the subject of Kevin to incite flames on every board and now is not the time for that. I will explain to everyone here the facts and the truth in the next 24 to 48 hours as I realize this will effect us all. So please, until then, be patient. All details and other pertinent info will be passed on to you here when it becomes available to me. Thank you." Phil Ashcoft (Fireworks Magazine): "I saw Quiet Riot this past summer at the Sweden Rock Festival, the first time I'd seen them since around '84/85, and Kevin still had all the energy and exactly the same powerful voice he had back then. He covered every inch of the massive stage and really got the crowd involved. Back when the likes of Motley Crue and the other LA hopefuls were tentatively knocking on the door to stardom, Quiet Riot came along and smashed it down, along with the final bit of resistance the mainstream media and MTV had against metal bands. I guess you could argue that if it hadn't been them then the time was right and someone else would have done it, but the point is that it wasn't someone else. I don't think they ever got the full recognition for that. Kevin had a knack of rubbing people up the wrong way and other bands and critics were the main targets for his 'alligator' mouth, but he always treated the fans who put him where he was with respect and a friendly smile. My thoughts are with his family, as well as with Frankie, Chuck and Alex. R.I.P." MelodicRock.com Statement: "The rock n roll world mourns the loss of one of the great frontmen of the metal era and the face of a movement that to this day retains its passionate and dedicated fans. Unlike any other form of music on this planet, metal is a brotherhood and in the death of Kevin DuBrow, we have lost one of the most recognizable, charismatic and outspoken leaders of the fraternity. My personal regards and condolences go to Frankie, Chuck, Kelly, Glenn and other members past and present of the extended Quiet Riot family. Kevin's death is unfair and well before his time. R.I.P Kevin." Here is how Kevin's passing is being reported around the world: (CNN) -- Kevin DuBrow, the lead singer of the 1980s heavy metal band Quiet Riot, has died, CNN has confirmed. He was 52. Kevin DuBrow and Quiet Riot hit No. 1 with Metal Health in 1983. DuBrow died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to TMZ.com. The Clark County coroner's office was examining the body to determine the cause of death, according to TMZ. "I'm at a loss for words. I've just lost my best friend," Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali told CNN. "Out of respect for both Kevin and his family, I won't comment further. There's going to be a lot of speculation out there, and I won't add to that. I love him too much." Quiet Riot hit the top of the charts with its 1983 album, "Metal Health," considered by some sources as the first heavy metal album to hit No. 1. The album was driven by the group's cover of Slade's "Cum on Feel the Noize," which hit the Top 40. The band's other hits included "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)" and another Slade cover, "Mama Weer All Crazee Now." The band formed in the mid-1970s behind DuBrow and guitarist Randy Rhoads, who later joined Ozzy Osbourne's band and died in a tour accident. After several years, during which time the band disbanded, regrouped and built an audience, everything came together for "Metal Health," which put Quiet Riot in the vanguard of the Los Angeles heavy metal movement. But the band's rushed follow-up, Condition Critical, didn't do as well, and DuBrow started taking shots at other L.A. bands, such as Motley Crue and Ratt, according to Allmusic.com. Within a few years, the band had mutinied (leaving DuBrow at a hotel in Hawaii while other members returned to California, Allmusic's Eduardo Rivadavia observes) and taken on a new lead singer. The bad blood prompted a lawsuit from DuBrow. By the 1990s tempers had calmed and the band got together again, putting out a live album in 1999 and a new studio set, Guilty Pleasures, in 2001. NewsLink: www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/26/obit.dubrow/ MTV - www.mtv.com/news/articles/1574957/20071126/quiet_riot.jhtml TMZ - www.tmz.com/2007/11/26/quiet-riot-singer-found-dead-in-his-vegas-home Pollstar - pollstar.com/news/viewnews.pl?NewsID=8793 Jeb Wright (Classic Rock Revisited) - www.classicrockrevisited.com/Interviews/07/dubrowtribute.htm Two recent Kevin DuBrow interviews - KNAC (perhaps his last ever interview)(November 25) - www.knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=3610. RockEyez (May 07) - www.rockeyez.com/interviews/int-quietriot-kevindubrow07.html. At this time I would like to invite fans and friends to post their condolences to the Kevin DuBrow Tribute Page, which I have just set up. I'll make sure Frankie and Kevin's family are made aware of the page and everyone's comments. Add Condolences Here. ASIA ANNOUNCE NEW STUDIO ALBUM AND 2008 TOUR DATES: Geoff Downes, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer & John Wetton announce the release of a brand new Asia studio album on Frontiers Records. World Tour announced. Asia, the first legendary super group to emerge with the dawn of the MTV-age, reunited in 2006 with its original line-up. The founding members Geoff Downes, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer and John Wetton all had experiences in Classic Rock icons such as Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer, King Crimson and The Buggles, and released one of the most enduring and commercially successful debuts of all time. Simply entitled Asia, the album stayed at the #1 spot on the Billboard Top 100 album chart for an astounding 9 weeks in 1982. Only a handful of albums such as Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" and Michael Jackson's "Thriller" have been #1 on the Billboard charts for a longer time. Asia celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the debut album's release with a World Tour that brought more than 70 successful dates. During their time and work together, the four musicians began to write new songs and, in the summer 2007, they started working on the recording of a brand new all original studio album. The natural choice for the band was to sign a worldwide deal with Frontiers Records, the Italian label which has a solid trademark for quality, enthusiasm and professionalism in Classic Rock Music. "Our initial optimism was more than rewarded by the enthusiasm of our fans" says, John Wetton. Adds Geoff Downes: "It's great finally to give some new music to those Asia fans who have remained with us patiently all these years". "There is a certain chemistry and energy that comes out when the four of us are working together and the new material reflects this", says drummer Carl Palmer. "This is the REAL ASIA", states guitarist Steve Howe "and the new album will be the landmark of our enthusiasm and pleasure to work together again". Geoff Downes concludes: "We've all remained dedicated to our craft of making compelling and powerful music. After many years apart, I think we all have a new and very fresh attitude to the music. I am looking forward to playing the new songs on stage." Recording is well underway with a commercial release scheduled for April 2008. The new album will also see the return of Roger Dean who will provide one of his paintings for the cover art. xx![]() Asia has already announced a new UK Tour in March 2008, where they will be showcasing the songs from the yet untitled album for the first time. More tour dates are being settled in the USA and Japan for the rest of the spring 2008, with a full European tour to follow. Weblinks: www.originalasia.com / www.frontiers.it / www.myspace.com/frontiersrecords. Currently listed Asia tour dates are (USA & Japan): April 1 Harrisburg, PA - Sunoco Performance Theater April 4 Wilkes Barre, PA - Kirby PAC April 5 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Casino Wolf Den April 8 Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere April 9 Ridgefield, CT - Playhouse April 10 Collingswood, NJ - Scottish Rite Auditorium April 12 Westbury, NY - North Fork Theatre April 13 Peekskill, NY - Paramount Center For The Arts April 15 Verona, NY - Turning Stone Resort & Casino April 16 Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre April 17 Englewood, NJ - Bergen Performing Arts Center April 19 Cleveland, OH - House of Blues April 20 Chicago, IL - House of Blues April 21 Indianapolis, IN - Music Mill April 23 Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater April 27 Dallas, TX - House of Blues April 29 Espanola NM - Big Rock Casino April 30 Phoenix, AZ - Celebrity Theatre May 2 Agoura Hills, CA - Canyon Club May 3 Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues May 4 San Juan Capistrano, CA - The Coach House May 8 Fukuoka, Japan - Shimin Kaikan May 9 Osaka, Japan - Koseinenkin Kaikan May 11 Nagoya, Japan - Shimin Kaikan May 12 Tokyo, Japan - International Forum EXTREME REJOIN FORCES FOR NEW ALBUM AND TOUR IN 2008: Extreme are set to return in the spring of 2008 with their first album of all new material in 13 years. The band features original members Nuno Bettencourt (guitar), Gary Cherone (vocals) and Pat Badger (bass), along with new drummer Kevin Figueiredo. In the coming weeks, Extreme will announce their plans for a world tour in 2008 as well as a release date and label for the as yet untitled album, which is being produced by Bettencourt, who says: "It will have all the ingredients of an Extreme record. The music is always Funkier than most rock bandsand born a Bipolar Bastard child of Mr. Zeppelin and Mrs. Beatles." The Grammy-nominated Extreme have released four albums, plus two greatest hits sets selling over 10 million records worldwide and completed multiple world tours. They also achieved a 1 hit single, "More Than Words" from their 1990 multi-platinum album Extreme II: Pornograffitti on the Billboard Hot 100, which they followed with the Top Five "Hole Hearted." Although these two acoustic hits brought the band great mainstream success, it overshadowed the band's trademark sound: a mix of hard rock funk in the spirit and style of their predecessors Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Queen and Van Halen fueled by Bettencourt's signature guitar flights and Cherone's resonant vocals and matched with a social consciousness in their lyrics. A career highlight came for Extreme when Queen's Brian May asked them to perform at the Freddie Mercury Tribute concert in 1992, which gave the band considerable credibility beyond the hard rock fraternity. Extreme have been introduced to a new generation of music fans who are connecting with the band through MySpace as a result of the inclusion of their song "Play With Me" on 2007's "Guitar Hero" video game. Outside of Extreme, Cherone joined Van Halen as lead singer in 1998, co-writing the Van Halen III album and touring the world with them. Bettencourt joined up with Jane's Addiction front man Perry Farrell to form the band Satellite Party and co-produce their album Ultra Payloaded. Satellite Party also consisted of drummer Kevin Figuieredo, whom was previously in a band with Bettencourt called Dramagods. Through the years, Bettencourt and Cherone have remained close and continued to collaborate on occasion. But what exactly inspired them to rejoin forces as Extreme? "Rock and Roll Famine…I know it might sound crazy, but there is a massive shortage of rock and roll on this planet," says Bettencourt. "It's almost extinct. I mean the true spirit of quality rock and rollyou know, Musicianship, when you would give up every moment of your day to master your instrument and create your own identity and sound so as to respectfully outdo all your past heroes whilst proudly wearing the badge of their influences." "Passion," says Bettencourt, is what drives Extreme. "To do whatever it takes, with integrity, to bring music to the people, not because of fame…but just cause you simply couldn't wait to share it with them." "We realized," adds Bettencourt, "not only are the people starved for rock and roll...So are we. Let's eat." Look for the Boston-based group to perform Saturday, December 1 at the Boston Music Awards at the Orpheum Theatre. ![]() JOURNEY LINE UP SECOND SOUTH AMERICAN SHOW: A week or so back I posted news of Journey's first show for 2008 - in Chile, South America. Well...now a second date has been added! First Journey show is on February 21th at Festival of Viña del Mar, at Quinta Vergara Arena, 25.000 seat capacity. The new Second Journey show is on February 23 at Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo in Santiago, 40.000 seat capacity. Opener bands to this show: Earth, Wind & Fire and Peter Frampton! SHAW/BLADES, STYX SIGN WITH BIDFORGREEN: November 26, 2007 - Environmental solutions provider BidForGreen announced today that they will be fuelling the famed rock band Styx and Tommy Shaw's side project Shaw/Blades in 2007-2008. BidForGreen, which fuels Willie Nelson, Pat Matheny and Merle Haggard among others, will provide biodiesel and logistics for the tours. The service has been popular with artists, who get access to quality biofuel, and to drivers, who get help with logistics and delivery. Tommy Shaw, legendary guitarist and singer for Styx and Shaw/Blades, wrote a blog for BidForGreen highlighting his interest in the company's services: "Bid For Green is doing what needed to be done--creating a data base of fuel suppliers and setting up accounts so that it has been made even easier for us to use biodiesel than to spend the time fueling up in the stinky line at the truck stop, something we've all accepted as part of traveling by tour bus." Shaw/Blades—Styx/Damn Yankees guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw and Night Ranger/Damn Yankees bassist/vocalist Jack Blades—is currently touring the U.S. in support of their critically acclaimed Influence album, which was released March 6 on VH1 Classic Records. BidForGreen President Dale Wiley was ecstatic with the addition of Styx and Shaw/Blades to their roster. "Many of my teenage hours were spent listening to 'Blue Collar Man' and 'Renegade.' Tommy Shaw is really ahead of the curve on environmental issues, and it is a pleasure to work with him." Shaw's blog on the environment can be viewed at http://www.bidforgreen.com/bid/guestblog.php. Shaw also conducted an interview with BidForGreen, which can be seen on the site. To learn more about BidForGreen Touring Solutions, go to www.bidforgreen.com, or call 877-723-0417. Here are the remaining Shaw/Blades tour dates: Mon 11/26 Annapolis, MD Rams Head on Stage Tue 11/27 Hagarstown, MD Cancun West Thu 11/29 Allentown, PA Crocodile Café Fri 11/30 Albany, NY Northern Lights Sat 12/1 Collingswood, NJ Scottish Rite Auditorium Sun 12/2 Baltimore, MD Sonar Thu 12/6 Columbus, OH LC Pavilion Fri 12/7 South Bend, IN Club Fever Sat 12/8 Nashville, TN Wildhorse Saloon Sun 12/9 Tunica, MS Horseshoe Casino WebLinks: www.shawblades.com / www.myspace.com/shawbladesinfluence / www.vh1classic.com. "METAL IN AMERICA", FEATURING RATT VOCALIST STEPHEN PEARCY, JETBOY & THE ANTIDIVISION: Tour starts this Wednesday Nov. 28th in Denver, CO @ The Soiled Dove thru December 12, Bentonville, AR @ The Icehouse. L.A. to be added, New Years Eve show TBA. Stephen Pearcy Says: "I have the new solo CD Under My Skin (on Top Fuel Records) out in a couple months, leaked a couple songs on my space, master the thing and away we go 2008. "UMS" is released in Japan Feb 2008 also. I love the CD, took long enough. New Top Fuel Records artist also releasing in 2008, The Antidivision and Gash, Inc. Now we go out M.I.A. and try a few new songs from UMS. Beside going "Round & Round" and laying it down, I'll be doing songs from Arcade, Vicious Delite, maybe Vertex, the heavier Ratt stuff, anything goes, that's why we set it up. "Metal In America" was set up for exactly what were doing! Back to basic's in your face, ass kicking good time, with a splash of Ratt an Roll. I just finished the large summer venues (don't get me wrong, the bigger the party, the..) but it's always the smaller venues that really kick it up. I'd rather be at a drag race, speaking of... You bring it, we finish it! We lay down some Priest, Aerosmith, Cooper, Zep, Ratt, whatever. You get crazy, we get crazier, and the party last longer on the solo tours! Don't ask! Check for dates, only doing a few, but very much looking forward to Jet Boy and my guitarists new band The Antidivision takin' care on business, M.I.A.! We/Top Fuel World with Danno, Evan Knoll-Torco/Skull Gear are planning a new breed of Rock & Racin! A lot to set up for 2008, and then some!! Are you ready for some evil? "We like going 330 MPH, and makin' you shake"! See Ya out there! And always bring a friend!" VAN HALEN RING TONES NOW AVAILABLE: On the heels of their heralded North American tour, Van Halen has announced the release of official ringtones and ringback tones for the first time. Among the 15 official Van Halen ringers available are the Grammy-nominated, #1 smash hit, "Jump," one of the most famous guitar solos of all time, "Eruption," and the iconic rock classics "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love," "Runnin' With The Devil," "Jamie's Cryin'," "Unchained," "Panama," and "Hot For Teacher." Van Halen ringtones are available now by searching "Van Halen" on mobile phones from all major carriers or by sending the text message "VH" to 74466. For the next four weeks, AT&T Mobility will be offering exclusive versions of several of the Van Halen ringtones and answer tones to their subscribers. Van Halen redefined rock 'n' roll in the late '70s and early '80s and is arguably one of the greatest bands of all time. They were inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year and have sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Van Halen is one of only seven bands in history that have released two albums that sold more than 10 million copies each. Van Halen Official Ringtones: "Runnin' With The Devil", "Eruption", "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love", "Jamie's Cryin'", "Dance The Night Away", "Somebody Get Me A Doctor", "Beautiful Girls", "And The Cradle Will Rock", "Everybody Wants Some", "Mean Street", "Unchained", "So This Is Love?", "Jump", "Panama", "Hot For Teacher". 2008 Van Halen Tour Dates (so far): Tue 01/22/08 Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center Thu 01/24/08 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center Sat 01/26/08 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center Mon 01/28/08 Houston, TX Toyota Center Mon 02/04/08 Omaha, NE Qwest Center Omaha Fri 02/08/08 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena Tue 02/12/08 Sunrise, FL BankAtlantic Center Fri 02/22/08 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena Thu 03/13/08 East Rutherford, NJ Izod Center Mon 03/17/08 New York, NY Madison Square Garden Arena Wed 03/19/08 Hershey, PA Giant Center Fri 03/28/08 Atlantic City, NJ Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall Sun 03/30/08 Saint Louis, MO Scottrade Center |
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Monday, November 26, 2007
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JEFF SCOTT SOTO LIVE IN THE UK: Jeff Scott Soto & his band have started the UK tour with a packed crowd in Sheffield behind them last night. Remaining dates including the newly added one replacing Glasgow are as follows: Mon Nov 26 - JB's - Dudley Tue Nov 27 - Nottingham City Centre - Nottingham Wed Nov 28 - Islington Academy - London Fri Nov 30 - The Rosetta - Belfast Unfortunately the scheduled date in Sofia, Bulgaria has been postponed due to lack of time to properly promote the show, however Talisman are reuniting for 2 shows in Italy Dec 14 & 15, more details to come but we are told JSS Band guitarist & Talisman alumni Howie Simon will be joining them for the shows. THE COUNTDOWN SPECTACULAR LIVE 2 OUT NOW: Following the massive success of the Countdown Spectacular in 2007, the live concert spectacular returned in August & September of this year for another sold out national tour. Countdown Spectacular 2 is now a 3DVD set featuring the classic live performances from the sold out national tour. Includes a third disc featuring the original videos. Disc 1: 1. Katrina Leskanich - Walking On Sunshine, 2. Plastic Bertrand - Ca Plane Pour Moi, 3. Graham Bonnet - It's All Over Now Baby Blue, 4. The Radiators - Coming Home, 5. Samantha Fox - Do Ya Do Ya, 6. Samantha Fox - Touch Me, 7. Ignatius Jones - They Won't Let My Girlfriend Talk To Me, 8. Ignatius Jones - I'm Not Like Everybody Else, 9. David Paton - Magic, 10. David Paton - January, 11. Richard Gower - Lay Your Love On Me, 12. Richard Gower - Some Girls, 13. Sharon O'Neill & Alan Mansfield - Maxine, 14. Robin Scott - Pop Muzik, 15. Paul Gray - Stimulation, 16. Paul Gray - Sugar Free, 17. Doc Neeson's Angels - Take A Long Line, 18. Doc Neeson's Angels - No Secrets, 19. Doc Neeson's Angels - Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again. Disc 2: 1. John Schumann & Hugh Mcdonald - I Was Only 19 (A Walk In The Light Green), 2. Doug Fieger - My Sharona, 3. Dave Mason - Quasimodo's Dream, 4. Supernaut - I Like It Both Ways, 5. The Wolfgramm Sisters - Sweet Dreams, 6. The Wolfgramm Sisters - Mama Mia, 7. The Wolfgramm Sisters - Knock On Wood, 8. The Wolfgramm Sisters - Vogue, 9. The Wolfgramm Sisters - Lady Marmalade, 10. Les Mckeown - I Only Want To Be With You, 11. Les Mckeown - Give A Little Love Les Mckeown - Bye Bye Baby, 12. Kate Ceberano - Trust Me, 13. Kate Ceberano - Love Don't Live Here Anymore, 14. Richard Clapton - Girls On The Avenue, 15. Richard Clapton - Deep Water, 16. Richard Clapton - I Am An Island, 17. John Paul Young - Where The Action Is, 18. Martha Davis - Total Control, 19. Martha Davis - Only The Lonely, 20. Martha Davis - Take The L, 21. Birtles, Shorrock & Goble - Medley, 22. Rick Springfield - Affair Of The Heart, 23. Rick Springfield - Don't Talk To Strangers, 24. Rick Springfield - Speak To The Sky, 25. Rick Springfield - Jessie's Girl. Disc 3: (Videos) 1. Katrina & The Waves - Walking On Sunshine, 2. Plastic Bertrand - Ca Plane Pour Moi, 3. Radiators - Comin' Home, 4. Samantha Fox - Touch Me 2007, 5. Jimmy & The Boys - They Won't Let My Girlfriend Talk To Me, 6. Pilot - January, 7. Racey - Some Girls, 8. Sharon O'neill - Maxine, 9. M Pop - Muzik, 10. Wa Wa Nee - Stimulation, 11. The Angels - No Secrets, 12. Redgum - I Was Only 19 (A Walk In The Light Green), 13. The Knack - My Sharona, 14. The Reels - Quasimodo's Dream, 15. Bay City Rollers - Bye Bye Baby, 16. I'm Talking - Trust Me, 17. Richard Clapton - Deep Water, 18. The Motels - Take The L, 19. Little River Band - Lonesome Loser, 20. Rick Springfield - Jessie's Girl. ![]() Z STEP UP ACTIVITY FOR 2008 WITH LATEST SIGNING ALIBI: Press Release / Z Rock Records are extremely proud to announce the signing of UK rockers Alibi featuring Vince O'Regan [Bob Catley, Eden] to a Worldwide deal for their forthcoming all new studio album [title tbc] which will be released on February 25. Lead vocals are handled by Rick Chase [Mama's Boys] and the all new album surpasses their debut both in production and songwriting. The band have recorded 14 tracks in all and we are in the process of deciding the final running order for the new album. ALIBI will be supporting the release on the Live front and may appear at Z Rock 08 watch this space! SWEDEN ROCK FESTIVAL - FIRST 26 BANDS: Sweden Rock Festival have issued their first press release for the 2008 festival. It reads as follows: "It's the 24th November and one month to Christmas but Santa Claus has already arrived carrying his "heavy" presents. At the annual kick Sweden Rock Festival, which this year was held at the Tyrol in Stockholm, the first 26 bands for the festival of 2008 were announced. They are as follows: JUDAS PRIEST - The classic lineup of Rob Halford, KK Downing, Glenn Tipton, Ian Hill and Scott Travis will visit our festival once again. They´re currently putting the finishing touches to a new studio album based on the life of Nostradamus. ASTRAL DOORS (S) - Astral Doors continue to create cosmic metal with their latest album "New revelation" AT THE GATES (S) - The band who created "the Gothenburg sound" will reform for an exclusive gig for Sweden and our festival. AVATAR (S) - A young Swedish melodic death metal band who have received a lot of recognition over the last two years. AXEWITCH (S) - Another Swedish hardrock act who has decided to reform with four of their five original members. And a new album might face the day next year. BLUE ÖYSTER CULT (US) - A classic American rock band who got their big breakthrough with "(Don´t fear) the reaper" and Godzilla in the mid 70´s incorporating science fiction and the occult in their music. The band last visited Sweden Rock Festival in 1998 and they will be back in 2008. BONAFIDE (S) - Those who have seen Bonafide can tell you about a band rooted in Humble Pie, Rose Tattoo and AC/DC. CARCASS (UK/S) - An English death metal band, but with a Swedish guitar player Michael Amott (Arch Enemy/Spiritual Beggars), will re-unite for Sweden Rock Festival. Drummer Ken Owen will, however, be replaced by Daniel Erlandssson. COHEED & CAMBRIA (US) - An American progressive band from New York. They´re fascinated by 70´s-rock and many have compared them to Rush. And the producer of their latest album "Good Apollo, I'm burning star IV, Volume two: no world for tomorrow" – Nick Raskulinecz – is the same guy who did "Snakes and arrows"! DARE (UK) - Melodic rock with Celtic influences is the direction that former Thin Lizzy-keyboardist Darren Wharton has chosen to go since the debut in 1989. A new album entitled "Arc of dawn" will be released next year. DERRINGER BAND (US) - Derringer-Johnson-Appice-Aronson. Rick Derringer, Danny Johnson, Vinny Appice and Kenny Aaronson released three classic albums in the 70´s ("Derringer", "Sweet Evil" and "Derringer Live") and they´re sure to command interest today as well. ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA - former members of ELO and ELO Part II (UK) - With former members of ELO and ELO II this is a band who will prove that the large audience has not forgotten classic albums such as "A new world record" and "Out of the blues". GOTTHARD (CH) - A heavy rockband from Switzerland who graced our kickoff with a gig. Eleven of their twelve album releases have reached the number one spot in Switzerland. HAVANA BLACK (FIN) - Southern rock from Finland? Yes, it can work and did so some 20 years ago with "Faceless days", "Indian warrior" and "Exiles in mainstream". It still does. HENSLEY/LAWTON & LIVE FIRE (UK) - Ken Hensley first came to prominence as a keyboardist in Uriah Heep and he teamed up with John Lawton in the latter parts of the 70´s. Of course you can count on them to play a couple of Heep-tracks. LIZZY BORDEN (US) - Got their name from a young American woman who axe murdered her parents. This music will definitely kill you! MINISTRY (US) - The main man in black has announced that he and the band will retire but not before Al Jourgensen has visited Sweden Rock Festival. This is the band who defined and still defines the term metal with an industrial touch. MUSTASCH (S) - Probably the most successive hard rock band from Sweden in Sweden during 2007 thanks to their hit single "Double nature" from their latest album "Latest version of the truth". NEGATIVE (FIN) - They started out as something closer to gothrock but can nowadays be regarded as glam- and sleazerock. Big in Finland and soon to be big everywhere else. SABATON (S) - They played Sweden Rock Festival in 2005 and their fan base has been growing ever since. A new album will be released this coming spring. SAXON (UK) - One of the most classic bands hailing from NWOBHM-era makes every festival better. And yes – they´re bringing their eagle with them! SHAKIN` STREET - Fronted by beautiful Fabienne Shine this band released to albums in the 80´s. Fabienne, Ross the Boss, Mike Winter and Jean-Lou plus Phillipe Kalfon and Phillipe Bonnano are back. TESLA (US) - Had great success in the early 90´s in the US starting with "Mechanical resonance" but disbanded in 1994. The band members have found their way back together. First ever visit to Sweden Rock Festival. THE BLUES BAND (UK) - Much talked about bluesband from England who has existed close to 30 years. This is an institution! ULI JOHN ROTH (D) - Played a handful of songs together with his former bandmates in Scorpions at our festival in June this year and the German guitarist will return with his own band. He has concentrated on combining heavier rock with orchestral elements and his masterpeice "Metamorphosis" was released in 2004. He´s got a new album coming out next year. VOLBEAT (DK) - Heavy and hard from Denmark with a singer who reminds a lot about Elvis Presley! Sweden Rock Details: The festival will be held between the 4th June and 7th June 2008. The reactions from our visitors during 2007 for the 4-dayfestival was so overwhelming that we decided to do it again. The capacity for June 4th will be 10 000 and three stages – Sweden Stage, Zeppelin Stage and the Gibson Tent – will be open with bands performing. Tickets - Can ONLY be bought via our official website at www.swedenrock.com. The festivals in 2004, 2005 and 2006 were sold out well in advance. With some 30, 000 visitors the Sweden Rock Festival was the biggest festival we have staged so far regarding the number of bands and days. The festival has made a major investment in a building on the festival site with facilities such as toilets and water taps. New Camping Area For Disabled - As a consequence of this new building our camping site for the disabled has been moved to a site closer to the sea enabling us to accommodate more people. More Acts To Follow - We will continue to announce more bands over the next couple of months. Please check out our official webiste for more news. GRAND ENTERTAINMENT NEWS FROM LA: Sponsor Update / "We have now available at our on-line store The Heaven and Hell DVD Live from Radio City Music Hall the Dio years. Also the Frankie Banali and Friends Tribute To Led Zeppelin's John Bonham featuring Jeff Scott Soto, Glen Hughes, Don Dokken, Kevin Dubrow, Steve Fister, Gilby Clarke, Bruce Kulick and many more.(Check out the sound bites on our site). Do not forget the CD's of Marco Mendoza (Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Ted Nugent), Steve Ferrone (Tom Petty, Eric Clapton) Steve Fister (Lita Ford), Taylor Mills (Brian Wilson), and Jeff Young (Steely Dan). Special price on the Soul SirkUS Cd which features Neal Schon, Marco Mendoza, Jeff Scott Soto and Virgil Donati. You will receive a picture of Marco Mendoza and a Thin Lizzy guitar pick at no extra charge just $12.99 plus shipping). Two new shows upcoming also: December 7 - Cozy's www.cozysblues.com in Sherman Oaks CA. The Dirty Knobs featuring Mike Campbell Rock and Roll hall of fame inductee and guitar player from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. This show will sellout and limited tickets left. December 13 - the Steve Fister Band live at Lavelee Jazz Club in Studio city Ca. www.laveleejazzclub.com with Philip Bynoe (Steve Vai) and Sandro Feliciano Our annual Xams bash. www.stevefister.com To purchase music or tickets from us go to www.grandentertainment.info and Happy Holidays to all the melodic rock fans!" MELODICROCK T-SHIRT PRE-ORDER OPEN: T-Shirt Pre-Orders continue through until Thursday this week when I will have to place the order for what is needed. I won't at this time be ordering many extra numbers as this is purely a fill-requests order. I can't say when I will do any further orders at this stage. So get in this week if you are interested! Just in regards to the pricing - I had 1 comment about the costs - let me say that these shirts are full color (some band and front) and A-Grade quality, plus the cost of shipping each shirt from here (in the ass-end of the world) is nearly US$10. Plus the numbers being place in this order is a long long way from anything that would get me a bulk discount. I've done the best I can to deliver the best qulaity possible (as I always do) at the best price possible! Thanks for all those that have plced orders thus far. 5 designs available....Blue, Grey and Black Ts, plus a Long Sleeve Shirt, in sizes from Small to 4XL. Pre-Order is open right now. |
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Friday, November 23, 2007
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CHRIS SQUIRE'S SWISS CHOIR: Press Release / In the pre Pop Idol era, where instant opportunities for fame were few, one young boy found his first musical inspiration singing in a church choir. This choirboy's love of ecclesiastical music harmony would change the face of music…..unlike today's shooting star wannabes he would go on to achieve 18 Gold Albums, 9 Platinum Albums and 3 Multi Platinum Albums, a Grammy and provide his distinctive vocals and bass playing for the legendary band YES – Stadiums would no longer be just sporting venues, the Ford Transit would be replaced by the fleet of articulated trucks and you could knit a sweater in the time it took to play one track. It is 2007 and Chris Squire has decided to come full circle and release this unique album reworking classic baroque Xmas carols. He is joined by the influential former guitarist of Genesis, Steve Hackett, who is no stranger to worldwide success himself and the sublime vocal beauty of The English Baroque Choir. The 13 tracks on this new Album steer from the darkly Gothic cinematic Medieval German of Personent Hodie to joyous takes on Ding Dong Merrily On High and I Saw Three Ships. The bonus track is his 1981 Christmas classic - Run With The Fox. The only member of Yes who has appeared in all of their line ups, performing on their hits Roundabout and Owner of a Lonely Heart , winning many "best bass player in the world" awards over the years, he also had huge success with his solo album Fish Out Of Water and formed the band XYZ with Jimmy Page when Led Zeppelin disbanded. Chris is appearing in a super group of Rick Wakeman, Paul Rogers and Keith Emerson as support to Led Zeppelin at the London 02 on December 10th and a much talked about classic line up Yes world tour is likely to be announced soon. Though no actual Swiss choirs were used or harmed in the making of this album, don't try saying "Chris Squire's Swiss Choir" three times! For more information contact: www.limerecords.com / www.chrissquire.net. ![]() MR-X UPDATED: MR-X has been updated with some Swiss treats. The following Swiss rarities are all included in today's update - KC Rose - KC Rose; Nation - Take Off; D/C World (Swiss AC/DC Tribute album produced by Leo Leoni). Also online are the following new Video Clips: Enuff Z Nuff - New Thing, Kix - Don't Close Your Eyes and celebrating the new Airtime release, some Rik Emmett clips - Rik Emmett - Bang On, Big Lie & When A Heart Breaks plus Triumph - When The Lights Go Down, Somebody's Out There & Hold On. MR-X Membership Details. THIS WEEK ON THE CLASSIC METAL SHOW: Press Release / It seems like it's been a tough couple of months for our most recent CMS guests. First, Helstar vocalist James Rivera called in to talk about being assaulted by a band member with a bottle, and now CMS Friend and Mad Margritt vocalist Eddie Smith will be calling in this week to talk about a violent car accident that left him close to death. Oh, and he'll also be talking about Mad Margritt's new album Animal as well. Mad Margritt, as you may remember, played at one of our live events a few years ago, and have proven to be good friends of The Classic Metal Show. Given that, and the fact that their album is very solid, we are more than happy to have Eddie on as we do a New Music Listening Party for ANIMAL. Additionally, Tyketto has "officially" hung up their band recently, but emptied the closet in doing so. They've released a collection of tunes called The Last Sunset Farewell 2007, which is made up of unreleased tracks as well as different versions of some of their most popular material. We'll do a New Music Listening Party for The Last Sunset Farewell 2007, and vocalist Danny Vaughn will call in to talk about ending Tyketto as we have known them before. A late added guest, and one that will please CMS Fan Evil Batman, The Voice of Triumph, Rik Emmett, has agreed to call into The Classic Metal Show this week! Rik has a brand new band called Airtime, with their debut release Liberty Manifesto just now coming out. It's not really a departure from what you've come to expect from Emmett - a project based on great vocals. In any event, we'll feature a few songs from Airtime, and Rik will be on to talk about this new project, as well as his history in the rock business. Finally, in the wake of last week's controversial interview with Seven Witches guitarist Jack Frost, The Cursed guitarist Dan Lorenzo was in contact with The Classic Metal Show during the week and would like some time to address these comments. We're only too happy to oblige him. Dan will be calling in to address Jack Frost's comments, as well as updating everyone on his latest musical projects. The Classic Metal Show airs live from 9p-3a EST on Saturdays at www.cmsradionetwork.com. |
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Thursday, November 22, 2007
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MR.COM T-SHIRTS - INITIAL DETAILS: Hi folks....finally an update on T-Shirt pre-orders. Look for the links and final details tomorrow. I have to do pre-sales, as I have no freaking clue as to how many are needed or wanted, so I hope people are ok with that and delivery before Christmas (if all goes to plan...). The designs are both general and some re-prints and left overs from the MelodicRockFest show, in case anyone still wanted those or didn't get one on the night. One brand new design is featured here - the MR Logo and Wombat as a stand alone shirt (not connected to MRF). The colors are obviously more vivid than what is reflected in these small jpegs, but you get the idea! The designs are as follows: MelodicRock.com - T-Shirt (Available in Grey and Blue) ![]() MelodicRock.com - The Wombat (Available in Blue, Black and Grey) ![]() MelodicRockFest - Wombat & Show Line-Up ![]() MelodicRockFest - Long Sleeve (Black Only) ![]() I'll finalize prices tonight - the shipping cost is likely to be included in the overall T-Shirt price as trying to work out combinations of different designs and sizes is near impossible, so all will be included in a price-per-shirt deal. Any questions or enquiries...drop me a line, but full details and links tomorrow. ARTIST SERVICE NEW RELEASE UPDATE: Artist Service is proud to announce new releases in November - Terry Ilous Here And Gone – release: 23.11.2007 - XYZ singer Terry Ilous is back with "Here And Gone" - a compilation of rare tracks recorded for his solo projects or with XYZ. He was fortunate enough to record these tracks with some exceptional players, engineers, and producers throughout the years. Several of these tracks were originally recorded long ago for CD releases that never saw the light of the day, while others, recorded more recently as soundtracks for movies and TV. The translation behind the Japanese writing on the CD is "BUSHIDO", meaning "The way of the Samurai". Terry chose this to represent my musical path so far, which has been a tough road filled with many challenges, sacrifices, and its share of disappointments and sadness, yet so full of joy. Truly, an unbelievable journey that took one outcast foreigner all the way to Hollywood for the real American Rock and Roll Dream! Terry Ilous: "I just wanted to share some of those moments in time with my friends and fans from all over the world that I have been lucky enough to touch and connect with in some way through my music." Here And Gone contains 18 rare tracks, featuring JK Northrup, Sean McNabb, Pat Fontaine, Michael T.Ross, Vinnie Appice, Tony Franklin, Matt Bissonette, Jeff Pilson, Jack Frost, James Kottak, Vinnie Colaiuta, Marc Diglio, Paul Monroe, and many more! Naughty Boys R U Naughty Enough? – release: 23.11.2007 - Already founded in 1989, swedish melodic hard rock outfit NAUGHTY BOYS went through several line-up changes and split up in 1994 but due to the warm feedback their debut album, EP´s and radio singles received, they reunited in 2005 and are now back with their second full-length release "R U Naughty Enough?". 13 new songs, with a heavy, but still melodic sound, hook-laden melodies and brilliant vocal lines. This is how the Naughty Boys sound in 2007 - pure rock'n'roll! Random Damage Human Flytrap – release: 23.11.2007 - Formed in 1994, Random Damage was quickly snapped up by Mascot Records. Drummer Ray Hartmann is very well known as his previous band ANNIHILATOR had toured extensively over in Europe. The shredding guitar attack of Dean Boland (Doomsayer) and Jonas Falle (Aragathor), together with the booming bottom-end from John Prutton (Doomsayer) completed the metal quartet's aggressive, edgy attack. Melodic, yet, raunchy biting rhythym's portray Random Damage's style. "Human Flytrap" appears in a stricktly limited edition with a bonus CD: the EP "In My Corner" of Random Damage guitarist Dean Boland's solo album! Hush Mirage – release: 23.11.2007 - In 1998 the Norwegian rock band HUSH released their debut "I You Smile" to rave reviews and massive response first in Japan and later in Europe. The band saw the hardcore fans of AOR and Melodic Rock welcome them to the scene as their music left hints of the best bands of the genre (Bad English, Whitesnake, Journey, etc.) Three years later their anticipated sophomore effort "Hush II" saw the light of day (on Frontiers Records), again to great reviews, and stylistically it was much in the vain of the debut, but still a step further both musically and lyrically. Now, in 2007, the band once again strikes back with a brand new record called "Mirage". It's been in the works for quite some time, but the band wanted the record to sound good in the best possible way – and this is what it is all about. Accompanied to the new release, "Hush 2" and "If You Smile" are available on digital format! All releases are available in physical and digital format at MusicBuyMail.eu or lots of other fine shops all around the world! xx xx xx![]() EVIDENCE ONE TO SUPPORT SAXON IN EUROPE: Evidence One will be touring Europe as support for the mighty Saxon next month. This is actually the second time after 2003 the band's supporting legendary UK Metalheadz. Additionally, E1 will be headlining next year's "Titans Of Power" Festival in Nettetal/Germany. 07/12/07 Karlsdorf Altenbuerghalle Germany (with Saxon & U.D.O.) 08/12/07 Andernach JUZ Live Club Germany (with Saxon) 09/12/07 Hohenems Event Center Austria (with Saxon) 10/12/07 Salzburg Rockhouse Austria (with Saxon) 11/12/07 Pratteln Z7 Switzerland (with Saxon) 12/12/07 Antwerp Hof Ter Lo Belgium (with Saxon) 14/12/07 Strasbourg La Laiterie France (with Saxon) 16/12/07 Nuremberg Loewensaal Germany (with Saxon) 17/12/07 Prague Retro Music Hall Czech Republic (with Saxon) 23/03/08 Nettetal Titans Of Power Festival Germany WebLink: www.evidenceone.de. TRIUMPH CLASSICS SCHEDULED FOR NEW 2007 REMASTERS: The Japanese are at it again! More "papersleeves" re-issues coming your way - this time it is Triumph getting the treatment. Fresh 2007 24bit Digital Masters will be released December 12 for the following albums: "Triumph," "Rock & Roll Machine," "Just a Game," "Progressive of Power," "Allied Forces," "Never Surrender," "Thunder Seven," "Stages," "The Sport of Kings," and "Surveillance". And while we are on upcoming releases, GTR Live is a DVD scheduled for release in Japan December 19, featuring stereo TV recordings from the band's brief career. PRESS RELEASE FOR THE ATARFE VEGA ROCK FESTIVAL: Kotipelto will play at the Atarfe Vega Rock Festival, set to take place the 7th (Friday) and 8th of March (Saturday) 2008, in the city of Atarfe (at 11 km from Granada, Andalusia - SPAIN). By now, this is the billing after adding this new act: Destruction, Exciter, Grave Digger, Katatonia, Korpiklaani, Kotipelto, Mayhem, My Dying Bride, Tribal and Unleashed. More bands to be announced very soon. This year the shows will be hold at "Coliseo Ciudad Atarfe", a modern covered Bullring, with all the facilities, that a music festival like the Atarfe Vega Rock Festival requires. First tickets can now be sold. The special price for the two day tickets is 45 Euros + issue expenses, this promotion will end the 27th December. For more info about our festival, please visit the official website www.brmusic.net |
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Wednesday, November 21, 2007
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A HOLIDAY GREETING FROM TESLA: News fresh from Tesla - "A Peace Of Time is a 7 song taste of music that was recorded live in the studio and features recordings of Tesla's own songs in a different fashion as well as a few covers that we love. Set to be released for the Holiday season, there is a recording of the Christmas classic Silent Night and alternate recordings of Tesla classics." An iTunes Digital Download Exclusive! Track By Track as told by the band: I Love You (Climax Blues Band) - This track was the first song that Tesla recorded in the studio together when reuniting in 2000 after the 5 year break-up. JK asked the band to record this song to be played at his wedding. Everything I Own (Bread) - Another beautiful love song, this song really showcases JK's vocal ability and Tesla's ability to "own" a classic cover. Transposed using a capo and teslafied during the guitar solo, this track captures Tesla chemistry. Signs - This is a very raunchy version of our top 10 hit recorded "live" in the studio with a little more grit and attitude than the 5 man "acoustic" version. The Way It Is - We recorded this version in the studio after coming home from the Canadian "acoustic" tour. It is a stripped down version and we opted to sing it a bit lower to make it more soulful and played the guitar parts with a softer touch. What You Give - Not much to say about this track except it is one of our favorite songs we've written and our fans seem to love it as much if not more today than ever. This recording is a Hybrid version of acoustic and electric complete with the guitar solo being played acoustically and the twangy country licks complementing JK's soulful lyrics. I'd Love To Change The World (ten years after) - A Great song! This track was originally considered for the "Real To Reel" set list but somehow got left behind. This is a "live" demo version recorded in the studio and we wanted to convey a fierce "Guitar" battle between Frank and Tommy. There is a lot of aggression in the music and JK put some serious vibes in the vocals. Silent Night (Acoustic Solo) - This recording is an acoustic arrangement put together by Frank Hannon as a bonus track for the EP's release in December for Christmas. The melody is beautiful and is reminiscent of Tesla's "Love Song" intro with classical guitar lines and finger picking. To add to the arrangement, there are Dobro slide parts and a Mandolin outro added to enhance the holiday spirit. Enjoy! Visit TeslaTheBand.com or iTunes for sound clips! ![]() ASIA FEATURING JOHN PAYNE ANNOUNCE NEW KEYBOARDIST: Interesting that it seems there will continue to be two Asia's in the market place. This news update from Asia featuring John Payne: "John, Jay and Guthrie are pleased to officially announce that the band lineup has finally been completed with the addition of keyboard wizard par excellence Erik Norlander. Erik's evocative synthesizer technique and style is reminiscent of the legendary Rick Wakeman, Keith Emerson and Jon Lord while still creating a very unique musical voice of his own. Vocalist John Payne adds, "We know that the keyboard position is extremely critical to this band and therefore much time was invested to find the right person and all roads lead us to Erik". The band has commenced recording the much-anticipated album Architect of Time to be released in 2008. Red Entertainment is currently booking worldwide tour dates." In related news - Sony/BMG will be releasing an Extended Versions live recording featuring John Payne, Geoff Downes, Guthrie Govan, Jay Schellen. Included on the CD are: Time Again, Only Time Will Tell, Wildest Dreams, Here Comes The Feeling, Silent Nation, Long Way From Home, Cutting It Fine, What About Love, Sole Survivor, and Heat of The Moment. WebLinks: www.theasiaband.com / www.eriknorlander.com / www.redentertainment.com. SONIC PAST MUSIC UNCOVERS RICK SPRINGFIELD: Press Release / Los Angeles, CA - After a 24-year sabbatical, Dr. Noah Drake has returned to ABC daytime, and the music of Rick Springfield is about to fill our speakers once again. Sonic Past Music, a new label dedicated to bringing fans previously unreleased albums from their favorite classic artists, has just uncovered Rick Springfield: The Early Sound City Sessions. The CD will be available on November 20 and includes material that set the stage for Springfield's rise as a Pop star. Recorded in 1977 and '78, the album includes songs that were later re-recorded with studio musicians for his Beautiful Feelings album. But, check this out – Rick Springfield: The Early Sound City Sessions features a bonus track, Still Got the Magic, which has never been heard before. Sonic Past Music was formed as an outlet for popular and recognizable artists to make available albums that had been previously un-released on any label. All Sonic Past albums are available only from the Sonic Past Music website (www.sonicpastmusic.com), CDBaby and Amazon.com. Sonic Past founder, Joey Stec explains, "In today's fractured music industry we don't have to be 19 and mainstream to put out our albums, it's okay to cater to a niche market. These titles are by artists that made their mark primarily on the West Coast in the '70s and '80s. They are my friends, colleagues and family. Collectively we've spent decades together in the studio amassing hundreds of albums'-worth of masters." Rick Springfield was a triple-threat as actor, musician and teen idol. His role as Dr. Drake on ABC Daytime coincided with the chart-climbing hit "Jessie's Girl" from his album Working Class Dog in 1980. Even as his acting career was taking off in the early '80s, Springfield was first and foremost a musician at heart. The Australian-born artist continued to record after a serious ATV accident in the late '80s and released two albums in the late '90s. All Sonic Past releases for the U.S. have been digitally re-mastered and include music and art not found elsewhere. Prior Japanese and European Sonic Past releases of some of these albums are available. Further information is available at www.sonicpastmusic.com. Track Listing: Bruce, Just One Look, Solitary One, Spanish Eyes, Everybody's Cheating, Looking for the One, Cold Feet, Brand New Feeling, Beautiful Feelings, Guenevere, Still Got The Magic (Bonus Track). [Note: The track listing is identical running order to that of the album that would become Beautiful Feelings, which in 1978, was released without Rick's permission using alternative musicians as already indicated. Beautiful Feelings was again re-issued in 1982 - again without Rick's permission. It is nice to get the original recordings at long last] DirectLink: rickspringfield.sonicpastmusic.com. ![]() MAGNUM TO PLAY BENEFIT FOR FORMER DRUMMER: A benefit gig is being held to raise funds towards the cost of medical treatment for former Magnum drummer Kex Gorin. Taking place on December 10th at the Robin 2 Club in Bilston, near Wolverhampton, in addition to a set by Magnum there will also be a memorabilia auction with many 'unique and collectible items' up for grabs including full size prints of Rodney Mathew's Magnum artwork signed by Rodney and all of the band. Together with Bob Catley and Tony Clarkin, Kex was a founder member of Magnum in 1972 when they were the 'house' band at Birmingham's famous Rum Runner club and played on the albums 'Kingdom of Madness', 'Magnum II', 'Marauder', 'Chase The Dragon' and 'The Eleventh Hour'. After leaving Magnum in 1984, Kex went on to play with artists such as Robin George, Roy Wood and Leo Lyons. Diagnosed with kidney cancer two years ago, the drugs needed to prolong his life expectancy and ease his suffering are unavailable via the NHS and cost around £2,700 every six weeks. Advance tickets for the gig are priced at £8 and are available from www.therobin.co.uk. MORE LIVE RUMORS: Led Zeppelin with The Cult as support for a full tour in 2008? |
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Tuesday, November 20, 2007
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LEVERAGE & WORK OF ART - BRAND NEW SAMPLES EXCLUSIVE!: People complain from time to time about the lack of new talent in this scene. I thought I would take a little time out to plug a couple of acts that deserve extra attention. One has been around a little while already, but is still establishing themselves - Finland's Leverage. I described Leverage in 2006 as "more in the league of Masterplan – powerful yet very melodic hard rock/metal." and their debut album Tides as "a melodic metal gem, oozing a powerful energy that few other albums emulate....songs full of life and passion, not to mention good choruses, powerful guitar riffs and swirling keyboards." Well, I have been spending time with the band's brand new album Blind Fire, due out January 25 and I am extremely pleased to say that the guys have matched the brilliance of the debut and perhaps even gone one further. I need some more time with the album, but safe to say that all the elements within the songwriting and all the energy and power displayed on the debut are present again here, with a monster production fueling the quality performances. Three tracks have previously been sampled (Shadow In The Rain; Stormchild and Sentenced), so right now I'd like to add another 3 clips so folks can get a handle on the kind of quality album this is. Download - Leverage - King Of The Night / Mr. Universe / Heart Of Darkness. ![]() At the other end of the melodic scale, I'd love to plug Swedish newcomers Work Of Art and their upcoming debut album Artwork. AOR fans rejoice! True quality AOR releases are further apart these days. But in the tradition of killer AOR debut's such as Mecca and On The Rise comes Work Of Art! I'm really digging this record for an ultra smooth dose of traditional Westcoast/AOR. Two things come to mind when playing this record back. First - Toto. Fans of the band's classic IV, Fahrenheit and Seventh One albums will love the keyboard drenched sound of these guys. That's the music - vocally I kept being reminded of Mark Free/Signal. So if Toto meets Signal does it for you...check these guys out. In fact, let's road test a few samples now...what the heck! Let's go with the first three songs from the upcoming album which is due via Frontiers Records on February 25! Download - Work Of Art - Why Do I / Maria / Camelia. ![]() I'm in the midst of playing back some other upcoming 2008 albums too - with the promise of more joy for melodic rock fans to talk about...coming up soon! INTRODUCING BASSINVADERS: Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the release of Markus Grosskopf's Bassinvaders album Hellbassbeaters on January 25. Markus Grosskopf is mostly known as the bass player of Germany's Heavy Metal legend Helloween, but Bassinvaders has been a creation of Markus while sitting in a bar and enjoying a few drinks. There it was that he got inspired to an impressive idea: a heavy rock record without any guitars at all. He presented this concept to Frontiers Records in early 2007, who was intrigued with the idea and gave it a go. And yes, at the end of the day the idea paid off! Hellbassbeaters contains all basic elements a heavy rock record and so much more. You got the strong vocals, rhythmic bass, intoxicating drums and even bass & twin bass solo parts. What you hear is what you get: 100 % genuine heavy / rock record with absolutely no discordant guitar note on it at all. To guarantee a great variety of different influences Markus invited some well-known singing bass players from the German Metal scene to join the band. And they didn't need an extra invitation. In Destruction's enfant terrible Schmier, Sodom's frontman Tom Angelripper and Rage boss Peavy, Markus found some real Bassinvaders-friends. To push it even further Markus invited a few of his bass heroes to play solos on some of the tracks. When he started searching for support making this album excellent he expected to get a cautious response of 2 or 3 musicians. He ended up organizing more than 13 people for a solo appearance on the album. They named themselves – like the album title – the Hellbassbeaters: Billy Sheehan (Steve Vai, ex-Mr. Big, ex-David Lee Roth), Rudy Sarzo (Dio, ex-Ozzy Osbourne, ex-Whitesnake, ex-Quiet Riot), Lee Rocker (Stray Cats), Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy, ex-Whitesnake, ex-Ted Nugent), DD Verni (Overkill), Wyzard (Mother's Finest), Dirk Schlächter (Gamma Ray), Joey Vera (Armored Saint, Fates Warning, ex-Anthrax), Stig Pedersen (D.A.D), Nibbs (Saxon), Tobias Exxel (Edguy), Jens Becker (Grave Digger, ex-Running Wild), Dennis Ward (Pink Cream 69), Peter Baltes (Accept), Jan S. Eckert (Masterplan) and Michael Müller (Jaded Heart). Markus has also invited some guest singers for the songs he wrote: Apollo Papathanasio (Firewind, Time Requiem, Evil Masquerade, Majestic) and the frontman of the legendary Danish stadium rock band D.A.D – Jesper Binzer. While the guest drummers are André Hilgers (Rage, Axxis, Silent Force) and Stefan Arnold (Grave Digger). This guest list and the killer line-up make the first Bassinvaders album something very special, but it's not only about the name dropping. Songs like "Boiling Blood", "We Live", "Voices", "Razorblade Romance", "Armageddon" or the storming Bassinvaders version of the classic Helloween anthem "Eagle Fly Free" are proving that Markus' late night idea won't be just a one-off slap, but the foundation for another "battlefield" for the always smiling bassist. The album tracklisting includes: Awakening the Bass Machine; We Live; Armageddon; Romance In Black; Godless Gods; Empty Memories (Breaking Free); Boiling Blood; Far Too Late; The Asshole Song; Dead From the Eyes Down; Razorblade Romance; Voices; Eagles Fly Free; To Hell And Back (Bonus Track Europe) xx![]() ACTION - TRACK BY TRACK: Action guitarist Chip and vocalist Jack Marques sat down to reflect on what inspired them to pen the lyrics for the following songs off of their self-titled debut CD to be released on December 7 on Frontiers Records. 1. Without Your Love - Chip: "In a world where everyone one is forgiving and forgetting...and writing songs about how strong and powerful love is...no matter what, work it out... This song is about knowing when not to work it out...about finding yourself again...moving on, being strong...love is strong, beautiful, powerful...but there can be a blind spot where you lose yourself...where is that...who knows...but there is a fine line between love and stupidity." 2. Someday - Jack: "This song is basically about our struggle as musicians chasing a dream! It's a long hard road and you're very often unfairly judged, misunderstood and sometimes viewed as some kind of foolish dreamer. However, those who are not like us, can never understand the passion that drives us, and the hope that some day we will flourish in what we were born to do!" 3. Here In My Heart - Chip: "This one is about holding on to the memory of those loved ones we've lost...and the hope to be with them again someday...until then we have their memory to live with…" 4. Destiny - Jack: "This song is somewhat a reflection of me. It paints the picture of a man who had almost given up on love when the girl that was always destined for him shows up in his life. Then together they discover it was somehow always meant to be!" 5. Forever - Jack: "In a world where so many people are giving up on their relationships, I wanted to write something that would challenge people to work it out and fight through adversity. Too many are just giving up! I believe love is a choice and when you choose to hang in there and fight for your love, the bond is strengthened and your love grows deeper roots. That's what makes great relationships. But that can never be discovered when you give up!" 6. Loveless - Chip: "This one is about the final decision...stay or go...seems simple enough...so why is it so hard...any answers?...lol" 7. Don't Leave Me Lonely - Chip: "Written with friends Kevin Morin, Greg Varatta...this one is about a long term relationship gone wrong...seems impossible at times, especially when you are in it, but it does happen...more than we would ever think...be careful...it could happen to you or I." 8. Heaven Tonight - Chip: "Written in '86. This was our take on the dream of making it...written with friends Tom Regine and Bill Huling...hey don't we have another song on this record about this same subject...I'll be back, I'm gonna go check, be back...SOMEDAY…lol" 9. Cinderella - Jack: "Anyone who knows me well knows that I have a strong faith in God. This song is based on a true story about a girl who really had a rough life and childhood. She was ready to give up on her life when she learned that the love of God was there for her. That he is there, ready to help anyone who would call and take his hand. Well, she did and amazingly her life completely turned around, and she now lives the kind of life she never thought possible." 10. Feel The Fire - Chip: "Ah true love...that's what this one is about...written in 1990-something...with yours truly and old Action singer, Roger Monteiro. This is a dedication to his lovely wife Michelle...now I ask you...can you feel the fire?" 11. Is It Love - Chip: "The big question is it or isn't it love...the answer we are all waiting for...some will make it a game...it's not... but go on... jump in and love away what do you have to lose... don't be afraid...you may be blessed for the rest of your life...that's all I have to say about that...life is like a box of..." ![]() LIVE LIVE LIVE - REPORTS ONLINE: It's nice to get through some of the back-log of work still waiting for my attention. Today I have Live Reports from a couple of recent shows and one from way back in June (it's never too late!) Firstly - with thanks to Sven Horlemann - 2 reports from Germany. 1 - Bang Your Head Festival, June 2007 (Featuring headliners Heaven & Hell, Edguy). Read Report & View Photos. 2 - United Forces Of Rock October 2007 (Featuring Soul Doctor, Last Autumns Dream, Danger Danger, Joe Lynn Turner and more...) Read Report & View Photos. And with thanks to Nick Muller, a nice report from Jim Peterik's World Stage – 'Lokerse Feesten', Lokeren, Belgium – Monday, August 6, 2007. Read Report & View Photos. ![]() THE NIGHT RANGER REMASTERS VERDICT: So what about the Night Ranger Box? Well folks...the title is now out of print as I previously mentioned, but the verdict is now in - it is worth picking up if you are a die-hard Night Ranger fan. I can confirm that Big Life and Man In Motion have been remastered for this occasion and both sound great! The first three albums (Dawn Patrol, Midnight Madness and Seven Wishes) are also remastered, but the same masters that appeared maybe 2 years back as individual re-issues (in regular jewel cases). This 5 Disc set features the brilliant "papersleeves" packaging, featuring thick cardboard sleeves the size slightly bigger than that of regular CD releases, with full LP artwork loving restored as they were first released back in the day. The inner sleeves of those original LPs are also reproduced, right down to the plastic protector you used to slide LPs into after playing. Brilliant! Sound wise the first three albums sound simply amazing as remasters (if you don't already own the previous re-issues). Big Life features the least improvement overall, but still sounds a little fresher than my original CD and the overall sound is brighter. Man In Motion sounds markedly better than the original CD, with a fresh booming bass/drum sound and more impact with both vocals and those guitar riffs. So Night Ranger fans...despite the hefty price tag, the Night Ranger Box is a quality release. I have not yet heard if these albums will be individually released in regular packaging, but stay tuned for updates if that ever happens. Speaking of Night Ranger remasters though - there is one more still to come! The band's original live release from 1988 Live In Japan (which remains a classic in its own right) is also getting the remaster treatment and will be re-issued in Japan on January 23. LIVE LIVE LIVE - RUMOR MILL: A little hot-off-the-press tour speculation for you today. First up, it looks as if the first 2008 US show for Journey has been confirmed - the guys will be the main attraction at a corporate only show the 2008 Remax Real Estate Convention - March 6, 2008 at MGM Grand in Vegas. Secondly - Heart & Cheap Trick will team up for a dual attack on US concert venues in Summer 2008. And lastly - Van Halen are the hot rumor to be the headline act for Sweden Rock 2008. If true, that places the band in Europe for the first time in a long long time and you could expect further dates are being booked around an appearance at Sweden Rock. Stay tuned... CD SHOWCASE UPDATE: CD Showcases have been updated today - more great new releases to check out. This time featuring: Action, Seven Tears, Indigo Dying and Lana Lane (Frontiers Records, December 7 release); Angel Of Eden, MCM and Palace Terrace (Lion Music, Out Now) plus Snow (Z Records, November 26 release). Check them all out now. |
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Monday, November 19, 2007
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CROWN OF THORNS CONTINUE ALBUM WORK: Just a little teaser here - Crown Of Thorns - busy in a Los Angeles studio with producer Bob Clearmountain. Frontman Jean Beauvoir states: "We've been working hard on the record. Tommy Lafferty just flew back to San Francisco today after some days of guitars. I head to LA on Thursday and we will be working 5 days recording Drums and Bass with Bob Clearmountain in his studio. It's going well!" A release is due in the first half of 2008 via Frontiers Records. ![]() MIKE TRAMP TO PLAY FIRST AUSTRALIAN SHOW IN 12 MONTHS: Press Release / It has been over 12 months since Mike Tramp last took the stage in Australia. Since then he has toured the US and Indonesia and completed a new White Lion album (due for release in the new year) and is almost ready to complete a new solo album. But while all of these things start to take shape, Mike has called on a bunch of his friends to join him for a night of rock and roll and some fun. Joining Mike will be an array of musicians some of whom Mike has played with previously and some that have become new friends recording with him. It's pretty much "play until we run out of songs or drop, whatever comes first. "The idea was just to have some fun, the music business is so serious, this is an opportunity just to play the songs I love with a group of people that I enjoy playing with. It'll probably be the longest show I've played - there will be unplugged, plugged in and all kinds of combinations on stage, who knows where we'll end up", Tramp said. The show takes place at The Corner Hotel on Thursday 6 December, tickets are on sale now Ph 03 9427 9198 or through www.cornerhotel.com / www.miketramp.com. In very related and important news - Mike Tramp begins mixing the new White Lion studio album this week! Stay tuned for more details very shortly! ERIC MARTIN DUE IN ITALY: A new note from Eric Martin, with tour dates for his Italian fans. Says Eric: "I'm going to conclude my world tour (for 2007 at least) in Italy. This time I get to bring my entire family with me, so it's more like vacation than work! I'm working on a news section; I've just been very busy since getting home from India. It's coming though. I hope to see you at one of these shows. Ciao, ~E~" Dec 01, 2007 7:00 PM People of Art, S. Damaso - Modena, Italy Dec 04, 2007 7:00 PM BSide, Cosenza, Italy Dec 06, 2007 7:00 PM Black Horse, Cermenate, Como, Italy Dec 09, 2007 7:00 PM Nord Wind, Bari, Italy Dec 12, 2007 7:00 PM Borderline Club, Pisa, Italy Dec 14, 2007 7:00 PM Locanda Blues, Roma, Italy Dec 15, 2007 7:00 PM Rockhouse, Pescara, Italy BRITNY FOX INK DEAL WITH Z & CONFIRM Z ROCK 08 APPEARANCE: Press Release / Z Records are extremely proud to announce the signing of the legendary BRITNY FOX and their confirmed appearance at Z Rock 08. The bands manager Chris "Bog Poppa" and Z Rock label chief Mark Alger finalised all parts of this impressive deal during the late hours of Friday evening. Both parties are extremely excited that BRITNY FOX will finally return to the UK for this exclusive appearance after 18 long years and in the process record a live album to make it even more special for fans! The band are set to return to UK shores for a special appearance at Z Rock 08 and record a live album for Z Rock Records to celebrate their return to European soil. Z Rock 08 will now be held on May 10th [Saturday] in central Birmingham at an all new venue set to open early 2008. Details will be posted soon at www.myspace.com/zrockfest. Tickets already purchased are still valid but if you are unable to attend on the new date we will happily refund your ticket if you purchased prior to November 19 2007. We apologies if the change of date has caused anyone problems but it was necessary to attract further quality acts whom will be disclosed soon. WIN A $500 METAL SHOPPING SPREE: Press Release / "Our database is approaching it's 20,000th customer. As of 11/18/07, www.cdinzane.com in Minneapolis is at it's 19,903rd customer. Now take in account that 90% of our customers call their orders in on the phone, once they've a card on file and you're talking metal headz everywhere... We're in the Christmas spirit and celebrating so here's a mega-present: The customer who places that 20,000th order will get the best present of this year, a free $500 shopping spree at www.cdinzane.com good for anything and everything, good for 2 years. We will personally call the 20,000th customer by phone and congratulate them and also send them a $500 gift certificate good for all of the best metal in the world. Now you cannot beat that can you? ...and this is a worldwide offer, no matter where you are!!! We would like to thank everyone who supports this great music, even if you do not buy from us. We would especially like to thank all of our customers and friends who do buy from us for the great business and record sales with our company this year. Music retail sales have truly grown over the past 7 years we've been in business, despite digital downloads. A huge part is in thanks to the great limited editions, box sets and extra packaging of releases coming out of Europe and Japan. Fanz love to hold metal in their handz... Happy holidays to you all. Stay safe... CD Inzane LLC." - (763) 391-9344 - www.cdinzane.com ![]() GRAND SPECIALS ON OFFER: Retailer Grand Entertainment has a couple of special offers to plug. They are: Soul SirkUS (Jeff Scott Soto/Neal Schon/Marco Mendoza/Virgil Donati) on sale $12.99 Live for Tomorrow - Marco Mendoza's solo CD with Ted Nugent, Steve Lukather, Doug Aldrich and more. $17.99 ea get a free Thin Lizzy guitar pick and Marco Mendoza picture with every order. Also Tribute to Led Zeppelin's John Bonham (Frankie Banali and Friends) CD $14.99 (Featuring: Jeff Scott Soto, Doug Aldrich, Gilby Clarke, Kevin Dubrow, Tony Franklin, Bruce Kulick, Steve Fister) WebLink: www.grandentertainment.info. NEWS FROM VICIOUS RUMORS: Press Release / Vicious Rumors would like to thank all the fans and friends who supported the band over the last year on the World War Tour. We had a great time with everyone at all the shows in the USA, Europe & Japan. As the Warball tour ends the band is now in pre-production for a new studio CD to be released next year. Even tho the band has gone through many changes over the years VR has maintained a solid force in US power metal over the last 25 years. VR has already written several new songs for the new CD to follow up Warball. Due to artistic differences singer James Rivera is no longer in VR. James was let go after the European tour in Sept 07. Recently James Rivera has issued a statement saying VR was Broken up after his departure with a list of other personal problems. We understand that Helstar is his true love and passion and wish them all the best. VR moves forward to next year with a new CD and a new lineup. After 25 years, 12 CDs & countless tours in no way has Vicious Rumors split up. You cant kill rock n roll...Look for VR on tour with a new CD in 2008. MELODIC BRIEFS: Greek Scorpions' Fan Club and Rockmachine.gr, present a special radio show on Saturday, November 24th, with special guest Herman Rarebell. At the first half of the show, fan club's members will play some rare Scorpions tunes, while the second half Herman Rarebell will play music for you. The radio show will be broadcasted through Rockmachine.gr. Greece: 12:00 - 14:00; Central European Time: 11:00 - 13:00; United Kingdom: 10:00 - 12:00; United States (New York) 05:00 - 07:00; United States (Los Angeles) 02:00 - 04:00; Japan: 19:00 - 21:00. Greek born female vocalist Electra has just completed her new 4 song EP produces by Mickey Kravitz ( Harlow, rocknrollstation.com) Track order is Blame, Opposites Attract, Felling Good, Teleia. "Electra" has been sitting in every Wednesday night at the Aqua lounge in Beverley hills with Stuart Smith and Richie Onori from ( Heaven and Earth ). Electra is looking for management anyone interested please contact via her website at: www.electrabarakos.com. Longtime Foreigner keyboardist Jeff Jacobs has left the band to be replaced with Paul Mirkovich musical director for the Rock Star TV show. No reason for his departure has been announced. Photo Galleries from BW&BK's Micth Lafon for two recent Montréal shows can be found here: Bon Jovi and Van Halen. LIONS SHARE UPDATE: Press Release / Swedish melodic metal masters LION'S SHARE will release their new album, Emotional Coma, in USA on January 29 via Locomotive Music. "Emotional Coma" was released by AFM Records in Europe and Spiritual Beast in Japan/Asia and features guest solos from ex-KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick, and Megadeth guitarist Glen Drover. E-card for the album: www.fanbay.se/buy/index.asp?movie_id=1897&company_id=39 Lion's Share will have two songs "Soultaker" and "The Edge Of The Razor", on the "Magic Circle Festival 2007" double-DVD set — shot live at Manowar's Magic Circle Festival in Bad Arolsen, Germany on July 7th 2007. Watch DVD trailer here www.youtube.com/watch?v=VItIukLGLJs In related news Road To Ruin, the new Swedish four-piece featuring Lion's Share guitarist Lars Chriss and bassist Sampo Axelsson alongside drummer Thomas Broman (Hughes/Turner, John Norum, Electric Boys) and vocalist Matti Alfonzetti (Skintrade, Jagged Edge, Scott Gorham), will release its self-titled debut album in Japan on January 23 via Marquee/Avalon. The album was release in Europe by Metal Heaven on October 26. According to a press release, Road To Ruin's influences come "from the classic rock era and carry trademarks from artists such as Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Rainbow plus — especially when it comes to the guitar sound — Black Sabbath." Road To Ruin was founded in the year 2005 when guitarist Chriss and Axelsson started to write some material which didn't fit their main band Lion's Share. Full song samples at www.myspace.com/roadtoruintheband For more info and interview requests: www.lionsshare.org / www.roadtoruin.org. EBAY DEMAND FOR GROUP'S MUSIC PUSHES BAND TO REUNITE: Press Release / Rock music trivia question - which CD garnered the highest sale price on eBay? A rare Beatles CD, a bootleg of Led Zeppelin unreleased tracks? While these might be predictable guesses - the actual winner of the highest selling CD is, Sudden Impact, by the Philadelphia band, Hit The Ground Runnin (HTGR). HTGR originally hit it big with millions of young adults from their guest appearances on the daily dance show, "Dance Party USA", on USA Network. As their reputation and fan base quickly grew, they also enjoyed success in both Canada and Europe. Hit The Ground Runnin (HTGR) might not jump out to you as a household name......but this Philadelphia quintet holds the title as having the most sought after CD, Album and cassette on eBay today according to HeavyHarmonies.com. The group's debut CD "Sudden Impact" has sold on eBay for a record $1950.52, with an average sales price of $838.17 (for a good condition original copy), and it has held the title as the most valuable CD since 2001. The band was first signed to a Canadian record label, Autograph Records, distributed by BMG, and was followed up by a standing ovation performance at the 20th anniversary of the Monterey Pop Festival in Monterey, California, where music great Janis Joplin was first discovered. The band went on to sign a 5 year, 3 album deal with an international company, The Music Group, working with the legendary producer, Joe Venneri, who also produced Bob Marley and Vanilla Fudge. Because of issues with their management and management's subsequent legal issues, the group eventually was forced to disband, much to the dismay of their loyal fan base. A few years ago, original band member Paul Piccari and producer Dan McKeown mastered a dream copy of what would have been the group's second CD release, Control Yourself, from previously recorded material, and placed it on the website MP3.com. Within a month, the results were astounding, with the site generating orders for 15,000 CDs in just 6 weeks...topping the sales of every independent label overseas! Distributors, magazines, and fans old and new wanted to know what happened to HTGR and where to find more product by this American group! After receiving countless offers from different record labels to re-release the "Sudden Impact" CD and requests to license unreleased tracks for compilation CD's overseas......producer Dan McKeown along with the original members Paul Piccari and Blair Rumsey, who created the group's powerful signature vocals, decided it was time to reunite HTGR. Earlier this year, Piccari and Rumsey - along with Vinnie Martello, vocals and guitars, Adam Feriolia on drums and Kalah Higgenbottom on vocals and keyboards went into the studio and recorded a 14 track masterpiece, "HGR", which contains new material along with a cover song written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart called "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone", originally recorded by The Monkees! The group is planning a 2008 European tour and has offers for the release of the new album. For the band whose infamous first CD still sells for thousands of dollars, HGTR plans to do it again...and this time, they will definitely Hit The Ground Runnin'!! WebLinks: www.hitthegroundrunnin.com / www.hitthegroundrunnin.net. |
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Friday, November 16, 2007
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PARTY LIKE A ROCK STAR WITH CELEB GROUP SCRAP METAL THIS CHRISTMAS: Press Release / Celebrity Rock Super Group Scrap Metal announced today they will appear in concert at a special holiday event in Music City at the Wildhorse Saloon on December 15. The Scrap Metal Jingle Bell Rock Party promises A Metal Christmas for rock fans who want to Party Like a Rock Star with their favorite lead singers from the most popular bands of the 80s and 90s. "Celebrating the holidays with a special concert in our hometown (Nashville) is something we're all excited about," enthuses Scrap Metal co-founder Mark Slaughter, "A wonderful time of year to celebrate with all our Scrap friends and family!" "For Scrap Metal to hit the stage at the infamous Wildhorse in Nashville is exciting," raves band co-founder Gunnar Nelson. "We have a few surprises and special guests lined up, so we hope everyone will come out and party like a rock star with our rock and roll rat pack!" The Scrap Metal Jingle Bell Rock Party will feature Gunnar and Matthew Nelson performing their edgy, NEW rockin' Christmas hit, Jingle Bell Rock live. The song is currently available on the newly released Monster Ballads Xmas CD from Razor and Tie Records. The Scrap Metal Jingle Bell Rock Party, live concert featuring Scrap Metal is Saturday, December 15, 2007 at 10:00 pm at The Wildhorse Saloon located at 120 Second Avenue in Nashville, Tennessee 37201. Doors open at 9pm. Tickets available at all Ticketmaster locations or Ticketmaster.com or WildhorseSaloon.com or by phone (615) 902-8211. Visit the SCRAP METAL official website at www.myspace.com/ScrapMetalBand. IAN PARRY LINES-UP EUROPEAN TOUR: Press Release / Ian Parry is proud to announce the Consortium Project line-up for their 2008 European and Brazilian tour. After the successful release of the new Consortium Project IV cd in Europe, the USA and Brazil, Ian and colleagues will be touring live with a great new Consortium band. The European line-up is as follows: Ian Parry - lead vocals (Elegy/Ayreon/Hammerhead); Dirk Bruinenberg - Drums (Adagio/Elegy); Joshua Dutrieux - Keyboards & guitar (Elegy); Niels Vejlyt - Lead guitar (Danish masterclass guitarist); Kristoffer Gildenlöw - bass guitar (Pain of Salvation); Erna auf der Haar - female backing vocals As a prelude to the tour, their will be a new video clip from the C IV Children Of Tomorrow cd The track from the C IV album will be "Nowhere Fast" and can be seen on Ian's youtube site from December: www.uk.youtube.com/ianparrycom For further information about the live dates for the Consortium Project 2008 tour, please contact Bert Wildenberg at Multi Fairs Music Agency. www.musicagency.multifairs.nl or visit www.ianparry.com / www.myspace.com/ianparrytheartist. SAMPLE SEBASTIAN'S ANGEL DOWN: Sebastian Bach's new solo album Angel Down is out in a week or two and samples from the album can be heard at: www.amazon.com/Angel-Down/dp/B000YB...7521222-5982826. The track listing for the album is: 01. Angel Down, 02. You Don't Understand, 03. Back In The Saddle (feat. Axl Rose), 04. (Love Is) A Bitchslap (feat. Axl Rose), 05. Stuck Inside (feat. Axl Rose), 06. American Metalhead, 07. Negative Light, 08. Live & Die, 09. By Your Side, 10. Our Love Is A Lie, 11. Take You Down With Me, 12. Stabbin' Daggers, 13. You Bring Me Down, 14. Falling Into You. ![]() LILLIAN AXE RE-ISSUE FROM Z: Press Release / Originally released in 1999 and now much sought after, Lillian Axe's Fields Of Yesterday has been remastered and carries 2 bonus tracks. The album will be re-released on December 10 as part of Z 's 10th anniversary celebrations. Check out two songs in full at Z's MySpace site: www.myspace.com/zrockrecordsuk. Track Listing: 01 - Death Valley Daze 02 - Do It 03 - Twilight In Hell 04 - For Crying Out Loud 05 - The Last Time 06 - Calm Before The Storm 07 - Pulling The Rats Out 08 - When It Rains 09 - Daddy Long Legs 10 - Blood On The Moon 11 - Kill Me Again 12 - Become A Monster 13 - Throw You Away [bonus track] 14 - Thirst [bonus track]. MELODIC BRIEFS: Tyketto's official homepage (www.tyketto.de) has copies of the new rarities CD release by the band - available to ship worldwide. Another Firefest IV photo album can be viewed at: www.cityofdreamsweb.com. Mind Key are pleased to announce the second amazing contribution on the upcoming album from singer Tom S. Englund (Evergrey). More info: www.myspace.com/davideguidone. In the wake of his quitting Vicious Rumors as the result of a very publicized physical confrontation with guitarist Geoff Thorpe, Helstar vocalist James Rivera has agreed to be a guest on The Classic Metal Show on Saturday, November 1. James will discuss the incident that lead to him leaving the band, as well as discussing the new Helstar Greatest Hits release called Sins Of The Past. To listen to the show live, tune in on Saturday at 9pm EST at www.cmsradionetwork.com. MR-X UPDATED: MR-X has been updated again. This week the members area features yet another Feature DVD! This time some rare Dokken footage, Live At The Beat Club 1982. Also on line is audio from AC/DC - The 2003 SARS Concert - Live In Toronto. And the following new videos have been added: Bon Jovi - Something For The Pain, Bad 4 Good - Nineteen and a Kiss 3-Play - Crazy Nights, Reason To Live and Turn On The Night. MR-X Membership Details. REVIEWS UPDATED: Reviews have been updated again - still catching up from the many titles not covered due to work on MelodicRockFest. Reviewed today is: Loverboy, The Codex, Toto, Richie Kotzen, Airtime, Gary John Barden, Axel Rudi Pell, Eddie Money and Dogpound. Read The Reviews. I'm hoping to finally have the MelodicRock T-Shirt pre-order details online early next week - Monday even. I had to get these reviews online, so still coming are the promised Live Features, MiniBytes update and still more Reviews as we count down to the end of the year and the annual MelRock Awards. |
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Thursday, November 15, 2007
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VOX TEMPUS SIGNS WITH ANGEL MILK RECORDS: Press Release / Vox Tempus is proud to have signed an exclusive deal with Angel Milk Records in Europe! This has been is a long time coming. Label president Andy Bramhall initially expressed interest in the band when they were first shopping the debut, In the Eye of Time. The album ultimately saw a small independent release in the U.S., with virtually no overseas distribution. Andy went on to form Angel Milk Records in the U.K., and kept in touch with the band through keyboardist Eric Ragno. With the latest resurgence in progressive rock, there has been a new wave of interest in the band through both My Space and the individual careers of Eric and super-drummer Gregg Bissonette. Says Eric: "We often receive questions about where to buy the album, if there are any leftover tracks and what will come next. In conversations with Angel Milk, many of these same questions arose. After some discussion, it was agreed that we should explore these answers together." The first step is to re-release the debut album In the Eye of Time in Europe and Asia. The album is being expertly remastered by Andy Bramhall, with assistance by Greg Michael Burnell at Jellyjam Digital UK using Daniel Weiss Engineering products - "the finest Digital Mastering hardware boxes in the world." Eric continues: "We are excited about this new partnership, and look forward to seeing the album get the overseas exposure that it deserves. Be sure to visit out website at www.vox-tempus.com, and visit our My Space page at www.myspace.com/voxtempus to hear clips from the album, as well our unreleased cover of the Journey classic Stone in Love." Andy Bramhall from Angelmilk – "This is a quality release as it stands with plenty of light and shade and superb musicianship - I love the progressive vibe if its done well, always have always will, and these boys do it well! I have done a deal with the band to re-master the record in the UK and do a small European release with a Japanese licence to follow, there's a strong possibility that there will be another record from Vox Tempus with the label shouting up some money to get the band out playing to support it, both in the UK for some shows, the USA and Japan." Stay tuned for release information when available. ![]() BON JOVI SELLS OUT IN AUSTRALIA: Press Article / Tickets for US rock band Bon Jovi's first Australian concerts in more than 10 years have sold out in minutes. The band, fronted by Jon Bon Jovi, are playing shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth in January. Tickets to the Lost Highway Tour went on sale this morning, with the Sydney and Melbourne shows selling out in minutes. A second and final show has been added at Sydney's Acer Arena on January 22 due to the overwhelming demand. The tour, which will be Bon Jovi's first in Australia since 1995, is in support of the band's 10th studio album, Lost Highway, which entered the Australian charts at No.5. Bon Jovi is one of the most successful rock bands in the world, having sold more than 120 million albums. In Australia the band have had 30 hits in the Top 40 and six albums that have topped the charts. Bon Jovi 2008 tour dates: * Melbourne, Sidney Myer Music Bowl - January 19 SOLD OUT * Sydney, Acer Arena - January 21 SOLD OUT * Sydney, Acer Arena - January 22 (newly added show) * Perth, Subiaco Oval - January 25 [Note: the article fails to mention pre-sales to fan clubs, VIP seating services and other preferred ticket organizations has been going on for a week now. I'm suprised any tickets were left for the "genral public."] RELEASE DATES & FEATURE INTERVIEWS UPDATED: Release Dates has finally been overhauled and updated. Plenty of new titles featured, but still plenty more to be added next update. For now - check it out. San Diego based metal band Cage don't short-change fans when it comes to quality material and an all-round quality package. The new album is Hell Destroyer and frontman Sean Peck talks things over in this new Feature Interview. ![]() |
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Wednesday, November 14, 2007
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FRONTIERS RECORDS INTRODUCES SAINT DEAMON: Frontiers Records is excited to announce the signing of the next Melodic Metal sensation from Sweden Saint Deamon, for the release of their debut album In Shadows Lost From The Brave on January 25, 2008. This Swedish/Norwegian band, named after a fictive ghost rider called S. Deamon, was formed in 2006 by drummer Ronny Milianowicz after a 7 year long successful era with Swedish/German melodic metal band Dionysus. He rejoined his forces with Dionysus bass player Nobby Noberg, which Ronny describe as "The best bass player in the business", along with the exceptional guitar virtuoso Toya Johansson, which Ronny knew back from their studying together at the University Of Music, in Örebro Sweden. The band scanned the whole internet to find a singer that would do their magnificent music justice and in the spring of 2008, they finally found the ultra talented voice of gold, Norwegian Jan Thore Grefstad, most known for his impressive singing in Norwegian power metallers Highland Glory and for being the singer in TNT guitarist Ronnie Le Tekro's second band Wild Willy's Gang, a position he took over after Jorn Lande. The Saint Deamon line up was then complete and started to work on the debut album, under the guidance of the high acclaimed monster producer Jens Bogren, best known for his excellent work with Symphony X, Hammerfall, Opeth, Katatonia and Dionysus. The musical idea of Saint Deamon is to mix four very talented musicians dream and ideas and come up with a unique form of music that varies from apocalyptic riffing and shredding to visions of historical musical landscapes, from Gregorian hymns to the sophisticated aggression of the Saint Deamon stylish trademark of metal. For those who haven't heard about Saint Deamon and their members, think again, this band has an armada of song writing credits. Ronny Milianowicz has been co-writing metal anthem singles like "Seven Seals", "Fighting The Darkness" with Primal Fear, "Red Light" with Cans as well as some classic hymns for Dionysus; Toya have been co-writing immortal songs for Sinner and Ride The Sky and in 2006 together with Joacim Cans (Hammerfall), Uli Kusch (Ride The Sky, Masterplan, Helloween) and Ronny, co-wrote the Football World Cup Metal Hymn "Glorious" where some of the world's leading metal singers such as Ralf Sheepers (Primal Fear), Tobias Sammet (Edguy), Edu Falaschi (Angra), Timo Kotipelto (Stratovarius) joined forces and blew of the roof entering on position # 7 in the Swedish charts: the highest position for any of the members ever in Sweden! Final tracklisting of In Shadows Lost From The Brave will be: The Exodus (Intro); My Judas; In Shadows Lost From The Brave; My Heart; The Burden; No Mans Land; Ride Forever; Black Symphony; Deamons; The Brave Never Bleeds; My Sorrow; Run For Your Life. A video for the awesome song My Heart was produced and can be viewed following this link! Prepare to sail the seven seas with Saint Deamon and his crew into the shadowland! WebLinks: www.saintdeamon.se / www.myspace.com/saintdeamonband / www.frontiers.it / www.myspace.com/frontiersrecords. xx![]() Guitarist Jonathan Carlemar sent out an interesting insight on the songs included on Prog-Metal hopefuls Seven Tears debut album In Every Frozen Tear due out on Frontiers Records on December 7. Twist of Fate: A powerful opening track that contains everything that Seven Tears stand for, with heavy riffs and melodic song melodies. It was a part of the demo that gave us the deal with Frontiers Records and it means a lot to us all. Great song! Faded Memory: This catchy song starts with a really cool 7/4 guitar riff and an awesome synth melody. I'm sure you will sing along to the chorus as soon as you hear it and it has a lot of influences from the 80's! Hollow Ground: This is one of the heaviest songs on the album and I think that many bearded, tattooed men will enjoy it! Brutal guitars and great vocals in a beautiful combination. I think that this will be the favourite track for many listeners! Reflections: This song is a nice hybrid between and modern metal and AOR. I think that this track will work on the radio stations worldwide and the chorus has a catchy "hit-feeling". This song will also be released as a radio edit in Japan. All Alone: This powerful ballad is one of our oldest songs and I just love the version on the record! Heavy guitars, excellent work with the keys and brilliant vocals by Zoran. I hope that the listeners will enjoy it as much as I do! In Every Frozen Tear: The title track of the record contains a lot of Prog elements and is a nice mixture of heavy guitar rhythms and melodic singing. It has always been a challenge for us to play, but truly fun! Sorrows: The song starts with catchy riff that leads in to a cool tapping run. I don't know what to say about the song really, but I think it's a great one! Prayer For The Dying: This track opens with a heavy Megadeth riff that might be the heaviest part of the record. The song is very catchy and a mixture of different styles and influences. One of the coolest if you ask me! The Story Unfolds: One of my personal favourites on the record. The intro riff is as powerful as the rest of the song and the melodic chorus adds an interesting touch on the track. I'm also very satisfied with the guitar work on this song! Dream of Insanity: This is a cool track with a great riff melody and a heavy verse followed by a catchy up tempo chorus. It was one of the last songs that we wrote for the album and I am truly satisfied! Fragments: This dark track is kind of demanding for the listener but a true highlight on the album. It has always been a favourite for us in the band. It has a really cool solo part with an outstanding keyboard solo and a melodic guitar part. The end of the song is kind of weird but we decided to keep it that way because it sounds awesome. Truth of Tomorrow: I wrote this epic song in a very important time of my life and is therefore a very special song for me. It starts with an acoustic guitar intro that is followed by some strings and a heavy and melodic riff. It's a good end song and hope you will enjoy it as much as the record! Weblink: www.myspace.com/seventearsmusic. ![]() Finnish duo Land Of Tales completed the songwriting of the tracks that will be included in their – still untitled – debut album to be released on Frontiers Records sometime in 2008! Some of the song titles include: Silence, All the Same, Outlander, Keep Out, Choose, Slow Waters, So Long, Nobody Dares. It is possible to look at a few pix of the band busy in the studio on the band's official website: www.landoftales.net. The original demo tape that earned the band the recording deal can still be listened on the band's myspace site at: www.myspace.com/landoftales. KISS TO ROCK F1 GRAND PRIX IN MELBOURNE: Press Release / American band Kiss will set tongues wagging when they rock the 2008 Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne next March. The band, made up of singer Gene Simmons, guitarists Paul Stanley and Tommy Thayer, and drummer Eric Singer, will fly to Australia especially for the Grand Prix, which runs from March 13 to 16. Kiss, best known for its trademark face paint and stage outfits, will perform a full concert for race fans on a specially erected stage to close the Formula One race on Sunday, March 16. "Let me see - high octane, roaring horsepower testing the threshold of sound and speed, and then the Formula One Grand Prix. No way we'd miss this," Stanley said. "We'll be firing on all cylinders and the audience will need their seatbelts." The band is yet to reveal what it has in store for Australian fans, but its live shows are famous for antics like fire breathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars and pyrotechnics. Kiss has released 32 albums and amassed record sales of more than 90 million, with hits such as I Was Made For Lovin' You and Rock and Roll All Nite. Everyone with a valid Grand Prix ticket for March 16 will be able to watch the concert, but a limited number of "Kiss Pole Position" tickets will be available in a reserved general admission area. Tickets go on sale on November 30. SHAW/BLADES LIVE ACROSS CALIFORNIA: MelodicRock's LA based roving reporter for hire Dan Clavadetscher has been at it again, stalking Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw once again as they re-start the 2007 Shaw/Blades tour. Over to Dan for his report on 3 Californian shows: Coach House, San Juan Capistrano, California Thursday, Nov. 8, 9:10 – 10:57 p.m. PT Set List: 1. Summer Breeze 2. Too Much Time on My Hands 3. Down That Highway 4. Your Move 5. I Am A Rock 6. Lucky Man 7. High Enough 8. Sound of Silence 9. Dirty Work 10. Sister Christian 11. Carry On/Foolin' Yourself/Love the One You're With 12. Coming of Age 13. California Dreamin' Encore: 14. Time of the Season 15. Blue Collar Man Coach House, San Juan Capistrano, California Friday, Nov. 9 Set List: 1. Summer Breeze 2. Too Much Time On My Hands 3. The Night Goes On 4. Beth's Song 5. Your Move 6. I Am A Rock 7. High Enough 8. Don't Tell Me You Love Me 9. For What It's Worth 10. Dirty Work 11. Sister Christian 12. Carry On/Foolin' Yourself/Love the One You're With 13. Love In The Midnight 14. Coming of Age 15. California Dreamin' Encore: 14. Lucky Man 15. Blue Collar Man. Canyon Club, Agoura Hills, California Saturday, Nov. 10, 9:07 – 10:49 p.m. PT Set List: 1. California Dreamin' 2. Too Much Time On My Hands 3. Summer Breeze 4. I Stumble In 5. Your Move 6. I Am A Rock 7. I'll Always Be With You 8. Time of the Season 9. Dirty Work 10. High Enough 11. Rock You Like A Hurricane/Sister Christian 12. Carry On/Foolin' Yourself/Love the One You're With 13. Coming of Age 14. Boat on the River 15. Lucky Man Encore: 16. Crystal Ball 17. Don't Tell Me You Love Me/Hotel California/Highway Star 18. Blue Collar Man. "Following a successful series of four California dates in April, Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades returned to Southern California on the second leg of their "Influence" tour for two shows at the Coach House and one date at the Canyon Club, Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 8-10. Part comedy routine, part VH1 Storytellers and part classic music, the three dates showcased music from "Influence," as well as selected hits from Damn Yankees, Night Ranger, Styx and the first Shaw/Blades release, "Hallucination." Although the first stop of the Southern California leg was on a weeknight, hundreds of faithful fans turned out on Thursday for the first of two nights at the Coach House. After performing their version of Simon and Garfunkel's "I Am a Rock," Shaw and Blades changed the set list by debuting "Lucky Man" for the first time before a live audience. Following a Blades introduction in which he explained how much the Emerson, Lake and Palmer song meant to him, Shaw blistered through the guitar solo and garnered a standing ovation at the conclusion of "Lucky Man." The Styx front man explained after the song that he was nervous to play the tune and that his "nerves are shot." Prior to performing "High Enough," Blades explained that Ted Nugent "taught my kids how to hunt and fish," while Shaw "taught my kids how to cuss." After Shaw and Blades began laughing while performing "Sound of Silence" when Blades mixed up a few words, Shaw turned to his partner and said after the song that "Paul Simon is going to kick your ass. I'm glad we're among friends tonight." Continuing the night of music and comedy, Shaw later told a story of when he had once jammed with Jimmy Buffett and Christopher Cross. After Shaw assured Buffett that he knew how to play "Margaritaville," a confident Shaw thought he was playing the proper solo, but instead performed the notes from "Brown Eyed Girl." Despite performing the song nightly on both tours, Shaw mixed up the words on "Sister Christian" and kiddingly told the audience that "everybody knows it but me." He turned to Blades and said that he was used to listening to it in his car with Night Ranger singing it. Before closing the evening with the customary "Blue Collar Man," Shaw and Blades played "Time of the Season" for the first time before an audience and had the crowd perform the tune's sound effects. Friday's show at the Coach House featured a different set list, as Shaw and Blades played "The Night Goes On," "Don't Tell Me You Love Me," and "For What It's Worth. They also played a new tune that someone had sent them as a demo called "Beth's Song," and the Styx song, "Love in the Midnight." On Saturday at the Canyon Club, the evening commenced with a video that Shaw directed for their version of "Dance with Me." Rather than open with "Summer Breeze," Shaw and Blades began their set by performing the song they usually do before the encore, "California Dreamin.' The pair also added "I'll Stumble In" from "Hallucination." After a woman seated near the stage held up a sign and requested that the pair play her wedding song," Shaw and Blades obliged by performing "I'll Always Be with You." Three songs later, Shaw told a story about how he and Blades performed with the Scorpions in Jakarta in 1995. This led into a brief version of "Rock You Like a Hurricane" leading into "Sister Christian." After their medley of "Carry On/Foolin' Yourself/Love the One You're With," Blades turned to Shaw (who was holding a mandolin) prior to "Coming of Age" and said: "If Ted Nugent knew you were going to play this song with that tiny mandolin, he would shoot an arrow up your ass." Blades also told the crowd that Howard Stern had invited him and Shaw to perform at the radio legend's wedding. Three nights of classic music closed with three Styx songs (Boat on the River, Crystal Ball and Blue Collar Man), a Night Ranger tune (Don't Tell Me You Love Me) and a personal highlight, "Lucky Man." In attendance at the Canyon Club show were former "American Idol" contestant Ace Young and Bob Coburn, the longtime host of the nationally-syndicated radio show "Rockline." Shaw and Blades will conclude their tour on Dec. 8 in Nashville, Tenn. xx![]() DREAM THEATER AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES: Dream Theater have confirmed Australian and Asian tour dates - the details revealed this week at: www.mikeportnoy.com: Dream Theater Chaos In Motion - World Tour 2007/2008 Asia - January 2008 Sat Jan 12th 2008 - Melon-AX Hall - Seoul Korea Tues Jan 15th - Budokan - Tokyo, Japan Thurs January 17th - Fort Canning Park - Singapore Jan 19 Bangkok, Thailand - Bangkok Hall Jan 22 Beijing, China - MG Live House Australia - January/February 2008 January 25th Perth Showgrounds 27th Adelaide Showgrounds 29th Melbourne Festival Hall 30th Sydney The Horden February 1st Brisbane Riverstage All shows will be "An Evening With Dream Theater" REVIEW - FIREFEST IV - ROCK CITY, NOTINGHAM. 26/27th OCTOBER 2007: UK writer Robbie Evans was kind enough to send me a review of the recent Firefest IV Festival in the UK. So...over to Robbie: "Here we go again. Does it really seem like twelve months since we did this last time? Time flies, as they say. The Firefest bandwagon rolls into town once more for two days of the best that the world of melodic rock has to offer. Since the announcement of this gig, earlier in the year, It's safe to say that this has been one of the most anticipated Firefest's, ever! The news that FM would reform for a one off gig, their first for twelve years, was enough to make this gig a sell-out, chuck in the fact that Valentine were also reforming and Tyketto and Harem Scarem would be playing their last ever gigs, then this was one hot ticket. The Friday night was held at the Trent University, which is situated just down the road from Rock City. Compared to last years pre-show at the Rig, this was like stepping into Wembley Arena (a slight exaggeration, but you get the point). A spacious room, good stage and great views were what was on offer....but were we going to get some great music? Stormzone were up first and I can remember talking to Harv at last years gig, saying that they should be on next years bill. Well, here we are. With a debut album to be proud of, Stormzone set out to prove that they were also a live band to be reckoned with. Playing in front of a healthy turn out (Friday was nearly sold-out) they tore through the likes of "Spellbound", "Call Of The Wild", "Tugging On My Heartstrings", "Rock On Through The Night" and a superb version of "Crying In The Rain". Harv Harbinson is an assured frontman who commanded the stage and made it his own. I have to say they were probably one of the best opening bands of any Firefest. The Steve Grimmett Band were next up and certainly surprised quite a few people. I was one of the 30 people that saw him perform at the Cavern, when he was on a Z Rock show, so certainly knew what he was capable of. Running through a healthy selection of material that encompassed all parts of his career, Steve Grimmett certainly had one of the most powerful voices of the weekend. With Eric Ragno (Ted Poley, Vox Tempus) and Pete Newdeck (Eden's Curse) in his band they were a well balanced act. He finished his set with that Grim Reaper classic "See You In Hell". Metal! One of the highly anticipated bands of the evening were probably Soul Doctor. I've never really taken to Tommy Heart's other band in the same way as I've taken to Fair Warning. However, live they were much better than on record and certainly better live performers than Fair Warning. They gave an energetic, if a little one dimensional, performance that included the likes of "Good Times Slippin'", "Temptation" and "Goodbye". They finished the set with a Led Zep medley and a rousing version of "Soul Doctor". Clichéd for sure, but in a good way. Hmmmmm, Demon! Not to sure what to make of their inclusion on the bill. NWOBHM stalwarts who have, over the years, made some half decent albums. They certainly had an awful lot of people wearing their T-shirts and went down a storm, so their Inclusion was justified. They were OK in a background noise kinda way (C. Phil Ashcroft) but they left me cold. What they do they do well, but it's pedestrian at best. The crowd loved them and that's what matters. Threshold, the British Dream Theater. Man, did they leave me bemused, or what? I didn't really know what to make of this mob and their brand of technical metal. I'm not the biggest fan of this genre and bands like this only enforce my view. To me it sounded like one long song that seemed to play forever. They weren't blessed with the best of sounds, but as musicians they were exemplary. Their new singer, who was their old singer, performed well and on the whole they were good if you like that kinda thing. I'm sorry Threshold fans, but this wasn't for me. Having spent the rest of the evening talking and drinking with Vinny Burns and wishing I hadn't in the morning, it was a great end to a good and varied evenings entertainment. Saturday morning...whoaaa, steady there. I got up at 7.47, there was no strangers in the night and the ground lights were certainly switched off! Admittedly come show time I was ready, if a little jaded and shaky, for round two. We proceeded to Rock City to be met by one of the biggest queues I have ever seen at a melodic rock festival in the UK. It stretched right around the corner all the way past the Wellbeck Hotel. Melodic rock, dead? Hmmm, maybe not. Saturday's opening honours went to Germany's Jaded Heart. After the departure of frontman Michael Bormann, Jaded Heart have had a lot to prove. Hopefully their albums "Helluva Time" and "Sinister Mind" have gone some way to proving that there is life after MB and new vocalist Johan Fahlberg can rest easy as he's certainly a better frontman than Bormann. They were spirited, enjoyable and certainly better than the last time they played in the UK. They gave us the likes of "Sinister Mind", "Tomorrow Never Comes", a rousing "Pay My Dues" and they finished with "It Feels Like Home". Like Stormzone they were one of the best opening acts to grace a Firefest. I was seriously looking forward to watching Crunch. As Adrian Gale they had released three extremely polished slices of melodic hard rock. But as Crunch? Well, if this gig is the evidence then I have to say I am extremely disappointed. They were beset with sound problems from the very start and looked a bit disjointed as a band. They had some extremely tight harmonies but as a live unit they came across as flat and dull. Jamie Rowe has a half decent voice but just looked strange, in fact other than Vic Rivera they all looked like they hadn't made an effort at all and considering they were being filmed then perhaps they should have. Disappointing. At this point in the day I was itching for some pure AOR, you know the kind...soft, pink and fluffy. Enter Valentine to deliver the goods, big time! It must be the early nineties since this lot last played live and it was on 1993's Open Skyz album that we last saw them together. It's also hard to believe that it's ten years since Hugo's debut solo album, an album that saw him deliver one of the finest of his career. I actually had the chance to see him in the studio when he was making the album but turned it down due to being busy, it's something I've regretted to this day. There was no way I was going to miss this performance, so I watched it center stage in the photo pit. Hugo looked resplendent in a tan leather jacket, ripped jeans and white shirt. In truth he didn't look a day older from the Valentine days. As for the other guys, well the hair may be shorter but they certainly looked well and played even better. A short intro and they ripped straight into "We'll Find A Way" from Hugo's debut. In one blistering moment the AOR had finally arrived. They moved straight into the Valentine classics "No Way" and "Tears In The Night" and when this song finished the place erupted and I mean, erupted. What an AOR moment. I saw Hugo twice in the nineties and I have to say that his voice tonight was as good, if not better, than it's ever been. He made it look so effortless. Sure he looks like Perry, sure he moves like him and at times it's damn uncanny, but do you know what? Good on him. I always say that if you're going to be like someone, then be like the best. "If You're Ever Lonely" saw them going back to Hugo's debut and with "Golden Years" it was time to visit the Open Skyz album. "Never Said It Was Gonna Be Easy" is a ballad of epic proportions and it was delivered to a crowd who lapped up every minute of it. "Tell It To My Heart" saw them dipping into Hugo's "Time On Earth" album, whilst "None Of It Matters" was another Open Skyz song. With a rousing, and damn near perfect, version of the Kansas classic "Carry On My Wayward Son" to finish with this would have to rate as one of the best AOR gigs to ever grace a British stage. All of the band members were visibly moved, every song was greeted like a long lost son and Hugo was unbelievable. They've said that they may make a new album next year.....the queue starts here! Was it me, or did everyone have the same Idea and leave the building to get something to eat and therefore run the risk of missing part of Jorne Lande's set? I think so. I came in just as his guitarist was going into a self indulgent guitar solo. Apparently there had already been a short drum solo and a couple of Thin Lizzy covers amongst other things. The original material that I heard just sounded dull and dirgy. Jorne himself may have a good voice but he just lacks charisma and had all the attraction of a bucket of wet fish. For somebody who has been in the business for several years and countless albums his set was a schoolboy error of epic proportions. He should have geared it towards a more melodic approach, instead we got covers and dire metal. Not even a Whitesnake medley and Deep Purples "Stormbringer" could rescue this set. Heavy metal? More like scrap metal! Love them or loathe them, there is no denying that Harem Scarem are a class act and they certainly proved that tonight. This was to be their last ever gig under the name of Harem Scarem. Carrying on from a great album ("Human Nature") the Harem's set about giving the fans something to remember them by. Harry Hess actually looked quite animated tonight and a positive vibe seemed to be running through the band as they gave spirited versions of "Human Nature", "With A Little Love", "Voice Of Reason", "If There Was A Time" and "No Justice" to name just a few. They got an ecstatic response that earned them the first encore of the day and that tells you something. For Tyketto this was their final ever gig in England and it spelt the end of one of AOR's most favourite sons. I don't think that in all my years of watching Danny Vaughn that I've seen him so pumped up, there was a fire raging Inside him for sure. He's a master frontman and had the crowd in the palm of his hand from the very off. Starting with "Nothing But Love" and then tearing into the likes of "Rescue Me", "Wings" and "Catch My Fall" this was Tyketto at their very best. With the likes of "End Of The Summer Days", "Burning Down Inside", "Meet Me In The Night", "Standing Alone" and "Sail Away" to back them up, this was a perfect set. They finished with "Forever Young" and damn near tore the roof off. This was by far and away the song of the day. With emotions running high you couldn't have asked for more from these guys tonight. Danny Vaughn left the stage almost in tears, in fact according to Jeff Price he was in tears. Thank you for everything. Guys, I salute you. I have to say that in the eighties, especially the nineties, we took FM for granted. They used to play in the UK on what seemed like an almost weekly basis. Christ, at one point I was convinced they were the Buckley Tivoli's house band. It was a case of if you didn't see them this time then there was always next time. And then there wasn't a next time. Twelve years is a long time. To say that this crowd was at fever pitch by the time FM hit the stage, would be an understatement. No disrespect to the other bands on the bill, but I'm convinced that FM could have sold out this show on their own. They are this country's finest AOR band and they were given a welcome that befitted that tag. When they took to the stage it was like a scene from the last night of the proms. There is something so wonderfully British about FM. Opening with "Breathe Fire" they never looked back on a set that included the likes of "Face To Face", "I Belong To The Night" (it was at this point that Bruce Mee pointed out that they all had pink towels. None more AOR!), "I Ain't Gonna Run No More", "All Or Nothing", "Burning My Heart Down", "Bad Luck", "Closer To Heaven" ( I was stood behind Leigh Matty (Romeo's Daughter) that's how close to heaven I was), "Other Side Of Midnight", "Blood And Gasoline", "Hey Jude", "Frozen Heart" and they finished on "I Heard It Through The Grapevine". Not even a power cut could stop them. Steve Overland still has a majestic sounding voice, even after all these years. How he's not become a household name I will never know. They left the stage to thunderous applause, probably the loudest of the day. With the promise that they are going to tour again, next year. The future looks good for British melodic rock. I will just have to add that this gig was a complete success and a total triumph for the scene. It was heartwarming to see such a queue at an AOR gig. As usual my thanks go to the following people for having the guts to pull this off. So a huge thank you to Kieran, Bruce, Tony Marshall and everyone else involved in Firefest 4. Here's to next year?" Rob Evans / Powerplay Magazine. www.mypace.com/aorundergroundrobevans Photos available from UK photographer Marty Moffatt at: www.martymoffatt.com; or specific photo galleries are online from Marty now for: Crunch, Jorn, Harem Scarem, Tyketto and Valentine. LAST AUTUMNS DREAM BACK HUNTING SHADOWS: Swedish AOR stars Last Autumns Dream continue to record new material, quickly moving to release their 5th studio release Hunting Shadows in Japan on December 19. Featured on the all new album will be the tracks: Strange Operation, Rainbow Sky, My Alibi, I'm Not Supposed To Love You Anymore, Lost In Moscow, R U Ready To Rock N Roll, Serenity, War Of Your Worlds, Save Our Love, Every Beat Of My Heart, Overnight Sensation with the added Bonus Track of Match Made In Heaven. Last Autumns Dream are Mikael Erlandsson on Lead Vocals, Andy Malecek (Fair Warning) on Guitars, Marcel Jacob (Talisman) on bass, and Jamie Borger (Talisman) on drums. ![]() INTERVIEW BRIEFS: MetalSymphony.com has issued an interview with Michele Luppi about Los Angeles project, his career with Vision Divine and much more: www.metalsymphony.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2851. A new interview with Eddie Smith (lead vocalist Mad Margritt) talks about the brand new record his band has out titled Animal. Download: download.yousendit.com/41D096E86421CC20. MetalSymphony.com has also posted a new interview with Hanoi Rocks mainman Michael Monroe in which he talks about the group's new album, Street Poetry, the canceled European tour with L.A Guns, the future of HR and much more. You can read it here: www.metalsymphony.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2843. GENE SIMMONS GETS STRAIGHT TO THE POINT: You have to hand it to Kiss mainman Gene Simmons. Like him or loathe him, he knows how to generate a quote. Here is just a couple from his latest interview, a feature at Billboard.com. Full interview at: www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003671447 Billboard: You've got the third series of the Kissology DVD coming out next month. Is there much more we can expect coming? Simmons: There'll be 10. No one -- and that includes the Beatles and Elvis -- can touch our (Kiss') merchandising and licensing. Nobody. Outside of the music world, it's only Disney and Lucas. But in the music world, they can't shine our shoes. It has been nine years since we've seen a new KISS album. Any plans to get back into the studio? The record industry is in such a mess. I called for what it was when college kids first started download music for free -- that they were crooks. I told every record label I spoke with that they just lit the fuse to their own bomb that was going to explode from under them and put them on the street. There is nothing in me that wants to go in there and do new music. How are you going to deliver it? How are you going to get paid for it if people can just get it for free? I will be putting out a Gene Simmons box set called Monster -- a collection of 150 unreleased songs. KISS will have another box set of unreleased music in the next year. The record industry doesn't have a f*cking clue how to make money. It's only their fault for letting foxes get into the henhouse and then wondering why there's no eggs or chickens. Every little college kid, every freshly-scrubbed little kid's face should have been sued off the face of the earth. They should have taken their houses and cars and nipped it right there in the beginning. Those kids are putting 100,000 to a million people out of work. How can you pick on them? They've got freckles. That's a crook. He may as well be wearing a bandit's mask. Doesn't affect me. But imagine being a new band with dreams of getting on stage and putting out your own record. Forget it. But some artist like Radiohead and Trent Reznor are trying to find a new business model. That doesn't count. You can't pick on one person as an exception. And that's not a business model that works. I open a store and say "Come on in and pay whatever you want." Are you on f*cking crack? Do you really believe that's a business model that works? So what if music just becomes free and artists make their living off of touring and merchandise? Well therein lies the most stupid mistake anybody can make. The most important part is the music. Without that, why would you care? Even the idea that you're considering giving the music away for free makes it easier to give it away for free. The only reason why gold is expensive is because we all agree that it is. There's no real use for it, except we all agree and abide by the idea that gold costs a certain amount per ounce. As soon as you give people the choice to deviate from it, you have chaos and anarchy. And that's what going on. DARKSUN ONLINE: FC Metal recording artist Darksun have recorded a video for the track Prisoners Of Fate from their The Dark Side album, and placed it on YouTube at this location: youtube.com/watch?v=J9aXS_EjHdw. "Prisoners Of Fate" features guest vocals from Peavy Wagner of Rage (Darksun previously collaborated with Rage on their "Speak Of The Dead" album, creating a Spanish version of the song "Full Moon" entitled "La Luna Reine," which appeared as a bonus track). The Dark Side was mixed by Dennis Ward (Angra, Silent Force, Adagio, Symphorce), with vocals produced by Lars Ratz (Metalium). "The Dark Side," is currently being featured on Melodicrock.com in their CD Showcase at: melodicrock.com/showcase/darksun-thedarkside.html For more information, please visit: www.myspace.com/fcmetal. |
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Tuesday, November 13, 2007
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ALLIANCE TOURING AND RIOT ENTERTAINMENT PRESENT: TOTO - AUSTRALIAN TOUR MARCH 2008: The Musicianship - the History - the Passion! In March 2008 the legendary Toto are returning for a rare and upfront National tour of Australia. Coming off another run of successful SOLD OUT shows around the world, Toto are trekking back to Australia after their brief but SOLD OUT tour in 2006, in support of their critically acclaimed release Falling In Between. (Frontiers / Riot) By now you know the history and the hits, (if you don't, just check out the bands official and super detailed website www.toto99.com) The band was built from its inception on solid friendship and musical camaraderie that started 30 years ago and has been like no other, either past or present. Toto's seven Grammy Awards – (and that's not counting the Grammy's held by them as individuals as solo artists) - has seen the band clock up over 30 million records sales worldwide!! Plus, all members of Toto still currently have very successful solo careers. Besides the hits and familiarity of 'Hold The Line,' 'Rosanna,' 'Africa,' 'Georgy Porgy,' 'I'll Be Over You,' 'Pamela,' 'I Won't Hold You Back' and 'Bottom Of Your Soul' (a #1 single in 2006 on many of the European charts), anyone who gets the opportunity to experience these Rare Australian Shows, will be blown away by the bands perfect pitched sound, impeccable musicianship and infectious stage presence. The band's current path is still forged by Toto originators guitarist/vocalist Steve "Luke" Lukather (respected by the likes of Paul McCartney, David Gilmour, Jeff Beck & Larry Carlton just to name a few) and the white-eyed soulful vocals of Bobby Kimball, a man possessing an amazing voice and mesmerizing stage presence. Since the untimely death of drummer Jeff Porcaro in 1992, the Toto drum throne has been occupied by the one and only Simon Phillips (The Who, Jeff Beck, Judas Priest). Simon's freak-of-nature, open handed drum playing takes Toto's musicianship to another level and fills every available space within each song while never once overplaying them. Toto's most recent member is the brilliant keyboardist/vocalist Greg Phillinganes. Stevie Wonder discovered this musical prodigy at a youthful age and Greg has performed and recorded with artists such as Eric Clapton, Barbara Streisand, Michael Jackson and of course Stevie Wonder, just to name a few. Toto bassist Mike Porcaro will be sadly absent on this tour due to injury and filling in for Mike is none-other then renowned bassist Leland Sklar (James Taylor, David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Phil Collins and many more). Lee is an "Ace of a player" and like the rest of Toto, is amazing to watch live and a master of locking down a groove. Also on guitar and vocals is Tony Spinner, Toto's youngest member. The band will be touring Australia on the back of their latest release Falling in Between Live a CD, DVD and HD-DVD filmed in March 2007. Whether you go back and look at the discography of artists these guys have recorded with, or the ever so passionate musicianship heard on any great Toto song, you don't want to miss the opportunity to catch their captivating live Australian performances in 2008. For any music guru of pop, rock, funk, prog and jazz on the planet, Toto 2008 translated is, "Still All - Encompassing". See you ALL at the shows! Toto Australian Tour 2008 Dates: Tickets on sale from November 26 Brisbane Tuesday 4TH March The Tivoli Ticketek | 132 849 www.ticketek.com.au Sydney Wednesday 5TH March The Enmore Theatre Ticketek | 132 849 www.ticketek.com.au Melbourne Friday 7TH March The Palais Theatre Ticketmaster | 136 100 www.ticketmaster.com.au Adelaide Saturday 8TH March Thebarton Theatre Venuetix | 08 8225 8888 www.venuetix.com.au Perth Monday 10TH March Metro City Moshtix | 1300 438 849 www.moshtix.com.au Toto's New DVD Falling In Between - Live Available Feb 2, 2008. At all good music stores / Through destraEntertainment www.destra.com. WebLinks: www.myspace.com/alliancetouring / www.toto99.com / www.riotact.com.au. xx xx![]() xx![]() |
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Monday, November 12, 2007
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BLOODBOUND REUNITE WITH ORIGINAL VOCALIST URBAN BREED: Bloodbound update from Fredrik Bergh: "As some of you already know, Urban Breed has been doing all the live shows with the band for the last six months. He is now officially back and the band is stronger than ever." The band has also started to work on their third album. www.bloodbound.se. Check out a clip from one recent gig in Germany when the band supported Hammerfall: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDtPrtgSYXk. QUEENSRYCHE CANCEL EUROPEAN TOUR: Queensrÿche is disappointed to announce the unfortunate cancellation of our upcoming tour of the United Kingdom with Thin Lizzy and other shows in Europe due to a personal emergency. We'd like to thank our loyal fans for their continued support and understanding. We are looking forward to making it up to them and are currently working on a plan to return to Europe in 2008 with a production that fans have been waiting years for! Note: Thin Lizzy will still be performing the originally scheduled dates of their UK tour. INTRODUCING NORTHERN KINGS: It is always a pleasure to introduce a new artist here - in this case, a group of known artists under a new moniker. And this might just win the award for quirkiest covers album of 2007. This is the strangest covers album since Black Sweden's now classic release. Review and soundbytes soon...for those that haven't heard of the guys thus far, introducing Finland's newest metal sensation, the Northern Kings! Northern Kings can without a doubt be called an all-star line-up of Finnish metal. The group is not an ordinary band, but a league of four vocalists, who are all frontmen of successful heavy metal bands. They wanted to create something special together and came up with an idea of arranging 80's classics to heavy metal versions - to which all the four vocalists could contribute. The Northern Kings are Marco Hietala (Nightwish), Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica), JP Leppäluoto (Charon) and J Ahola (Teräsbetoni). The tracks on the debut album Reborn, Finnish release scheduled to October 31, include legendary pieces such as "I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight" by Cutting Crew, "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins, "Brothers In Arms" by Dire Straits and "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel. The arrangements and styles vary from doom-esque gothic metal to faster-beating heavy metal, such as introduced by Nightwish, Sonata Arctica and alike. Full Track Listing (with original artist in brackets): Don't Stop Believin' (Journey); We Don't Need Another Hero (Tina Turner); Broken Wings (Mr. Mister); Rebel Yell (Billy Idol); Ashes To Ashes (David Bowie); Fallen On Hard Times (Jethro Tull); I Just Died In Your Arms (Cutting Crew); Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel); Don't Bring Me Down (ELO); In The Air Tonight (Phil Collins); Creep (Radiohead); Hello (Lionel Richie); Brothers In Arms (Dire Straits). WebLinks: www.northernkings.com / www.myspace.com/northernkings. ![]() LEATHERWOLF'S UFO MOMENT: Press Release / Southern California metal band Leatherwolf have parted ways with guitarist Geoff Gayer in the wake of the group's European tour which had to be cut short by one date. "First of all, we would like to apologize to the Rock House crew in Pescara, Italy and all the fans that were looking forward to seeing us live. We were very much looking forward to playing for you all and ending our trip on a high note. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. Geoff's unacceptable behavior prevented us from carrying on after last night's gig at the Black Horse in Cermenate, which was ruined by Mr.Gayer's alcohol-induced stupor and will go down as the most embarrassing performance in the long history of Leatherwolf. We will spare you the details but it was ugly - now we know how the members of UFO must have felt like every time Michael Schenker had one of his 'episodes.' "We are on our way back home to Orange County as we speak and will evaluate the situation and go from there. Working with Geoff in his current state is absolutely out of the question yet we are aware that replacing a key member and major creative force will not be easy. Ideally, we'll move on with a local Southern California guitar talent who we can write, rehearse, and gig with on a regular basis and gear up for 2008, which includes playing the Festival de Metal Borocua 5 next May in Puerto Rico. "Qualified interested parties can contact us via our MySpace page www.myspace.com/leatherwolfmusic or e-mail us at dean.rob@mac.com (please do not send us any mp3s unless asked!)." A re-worked version of Leatherwolf's acclaimed 2006 comeback album, titled New World Asylum and featuring returning frontman Michael Olivieri on lead vocals, is out now on the band's NIL8 label. 'Behind The Gun', 'Dr.Wicked (Rx O.D.)', 'The Grail', and 'Never Again' can currently be heard on Olivieri's personal MySpace page at www.myspace.com/michaelolivieri. DRAGONFORCE DOMINATE WITH TOP SELLING DIGITAL TRACK: New York, NY – Following the October 28 release of Activision's Guitar Hero III many of the artists with tracks featured in the game saw impressive spikes in both album and single sales. British metallers DragonForce have claimed the #1 spot for digital single sales amongst other tracks included in Guitar Hero III for Through the Fire and Flames, a track from their Roadrunner Records debut, Inhuman Rampage. The single saw an impressive 183% increase over the prior weeks single sales, beating out The Killers, The Rolling Stones, Metallica and Guns N' Roses among others. DragonForce also ranked #3 in album sales among other bands with tracks featured in the game. Labelmates Killswitch Engage emerged with #1 album sales when compared to artists included in the game, ranking ahead of Disturbed and Metallica. Guitar Hero III features the track "My Curse" from their current Roadrunner offering As Daylight Dies. Activision's Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is the third installment in the Guitar Hero gaming series and is currently available at North American retailers. Activision Inc. is headquartered in Santa Monica, California and is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $1.5 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007. Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. For more information on Guitar Hero III, please visit: www.guitarhero.com. |
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Friday, November 09, 2007
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IRON MAIDEN LIVE AFTER DVD: Press Release / Finally available on DVD for the first time, New Door Records/UMe are proud to announce the eagerly awaited release of the Double Disc DVD of Live After Death, the legendary recording of Iron Maiden's four night stand at Long Beach Arena, California, in 1984. In the stores February 5th, 2008, the release will coincide with the start of the band's "Somewhere Back In Time World Tour" on which they will recreate many of the aspects of this original and spectacular show. Disc one contains the recording of this full 90 minute concert. Originally filmed on 35mm, the footage comes alive on DVD resulting in a visually stunning film that far outstrips the usual live video of the '80's. The disc carries two sound options - the original concert audio specially mixed into 5.1 Surround Sound by Kevin Shirley, Maiden's producer since 1999, plus the original stereo sound track by Martin Birch, the band's producer from 1981 to 1993. Originally released on video in 1985, this has been largely unavailable for the past 20 years. Disc two has Part 2 of the 'History of Iron Maiden', continuing on the Maiden story from "The Early Days" DVD, along with rare and unseen bonus footage in the form of Behind The Iron Curtain, Rock In Rio '85, and 'Ello Texas, all in all giving a total running time of well over three hours. Plus of course the photo galleries, relevant promo videos, artwork galleries, tour dates, tour programme and other features which all combine to make Maiden DVDs a very special and utterly comprehensive treat for their fans. Manager Rod Smallwood explained "The original video of Live After Death has not been readily available for a long time so its good that we finally got around to this. lt was one of the first full concerts to be filmed after the advent of video and of course the live album, recorded on a different night to the video, has long been considered to be one of the seminal Metal live albums and has sold millions since. Fans have been begging us to do this DVD for some time now but we wanted to wait until we were able to recreate that whole tour to go with it and also to make it part of a series of DVDs that we are putting together around the band's history. And of course we are making sure that now we have got to it we will be giving the fans everything we can find from that period!!" Full List Of Contents: Disc 1 Live After Death Live After Death concert with Stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio (90 minutes) Set list Churchill Speech/Aces High, 2 Minutes to Midnight, The Trooper, Revelations, Flight of Icarus, Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Powerslave, Number of the Beast, Hallowed Be Thy Name, Iron Maiden, Run to The Hills, Running Free, Sanctuary. Disc 2 - Documentary / Bonus Concert Footage 1. THE History of Iron Maiden Part 2 (60 mins) Documentary. Band members, crew, friends and associates talk about the period in the band's career which saw the writing, recording and release of the Powerslave album, and later Live After Death, and the subsequent massive touring. And not just the serious side!! 2. Behind the Iron Curtain ( 57 mins approx) Documentary and Live shot during Maiden's historic tour of Poland and other parts to the Eastern Bloc in 1984 featuring interviews, live and offstage footage capturing the atmosphere of this remarkable journey behind the Wall at the height of the Cold War. 3. Live Footage - Rock in Rio '85 (50 mins approx) The full Maiden set supporting Queen on the first day of the first Rock in Rio in front of 300,000 manic metal fans. A bloody and stirring performance!! Songs performed include Aces High, 2 Minutes to Midnight, The Trooper, Revelations, Powerslave, Iron Maiden, Run To The Hills, Running Free. 4. Ello Texas 15 minutes Interview and live. Caught by a film crew in 1983 at the Alamo and sound checking their show in San Antonio. 5. Artwork Gallery, Tour Programme, Tour dates and photo gallery 6. Promotional clips for Aces High and 2 Minutes to Midnight. SWEDEN ROCK LIVE KICK-OFF: Press Release / Sweden Rock Kick Off at Tyrol in Stockholm November 24 will be broadcasted live by Stockholm based rock channel, 106, 7 Rockklassiker. This means that it also will be sent through their web radio so that anyone in the world can listen to this years show. The show will start at 7 PM local time and end when the party ends! You can find link to Rockklassikers web radio here on SW's homepage. We hope that alot of people will listen and enjoy the evening and as usual, we will announce the first 20-25 bands confirmed for Sweden Rock Festival 2008! WebLink: www.swedenrock.com. UFO BONUS TRACKS REVEALED: As mentioned earlier in the week, Rock Candy Records is involved in the upcoming UFO re-issues with EMI. The first details of bonus tracks has come to light - the details being: Released - January 28, 2008 Phenomenon - Sixteen (Demo produced by Dave Edmund), Oh My (Demo produced by Dave Edmunds), Give Her The Gun (German non LP Chrysalis single A-side), Sweet Little Thing (German non LP Chrysalis single B-side), Sixteen (Previously unreleased studio track), Doctor Doctor (Recorded live 06/06/74) No Heavy Petting - All Or Nothing (Previously unreleased studio track), French Kisses (Previously unreleased studio track), Have You Seen Me Lately Joan (Previously unreleased studio track), Property (Previously unreleased studio track), Sunset Lights (Previously unreleased studio track) Force It - A Million Miles (Previously unreleased studio track produced by Leo Lyons at Morgan Studios, Dec 17th 1973), Mother Mary (Recorded live at the Paris Theater, London, 11/12/75), Out In The Streets (Recorded live at the Paris Theater, London, 11/12/75), Shoot Shoot (Recorded live at the Paris Theater, London, 11/12/75), Let It Roll (Recorded live at the Roundhouse, London 25/4/76), This Kid's (Recorded live at the Roundhouse, London 25/4/76) MR-X UPDATED: MR-X has been updated again. Online this week is yet another cool Feature DVD - this one featuring a smoking Foreigner show - Live December 19 1981, Dortmund, Germany. Also online is a new Feature Live - Paul Stanley - Live Fillmore San Francisco, CA Nov 13, 2006 and a new Feature Album - Aussie pop/rockers Mondo Rock Boom Bay Boom from 1986. The following new Videos are online this week: Danger Danger - Monkey Business, Southgang - Love Ain't Enough, Steve Plunkett - Louie Louie, Dream Theater - Pull Me Under and Take The Time. MR-X Membership Details. REVIEWS UPDATED: Yes, I'm back in business with new Reviews online today. It is amazing what can be done when there isn't a concert to organize. So today - new reviews are online for: Ted Poley, Jaded Heart, House Of Shakira, Gary Hughes, Road To Ruin, Winger, Human Zoo and Vengeance. More to come! Check these out now. Coming up next week - updates galore! An interview with Cage vocalist Sean Peak; concert reviews of Firefest, World Stage Belgium, UFOR 3; new MiniBytes, more Reviews and even an update of the long forgotten Release Dates page. Lots to tune in for... |
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Thursday, November 08, 2007
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LEVERAGE UNLEASH THEIR BLIND FIRE: Frontiers Records is excited to announce all details related to Leverage highly anticipated second album entitled Blind Fire. Leverage is a Top Level Melodic Metal band which came out of nowhere in 2006, causing a stir with the release of their debut album Tides. Their blend of modern metal sound and old school melody-based songwriting earned rave reviews from the media and created a fanbase both in Finland and throughout the rock community in many countries. One highlight of the ratings was melodicrock.com naming 'Tides' as the Best Metal/Prog album of 2006, with 2 songs at the top of their heavy rock song listing. The band's frontman Pekka Heino (also singer for Brother Firetribe) was also named the Vocalist Of The Year! "The warm welcome for 'Tides' was a pleasant surprise for us" says the band's guitar player and main composer Tuomas Heikkinen. "We got good radio airplay in Finland, even climbed to the charts, all before our very first gig with our own material! Since then, we've played throughout Finland at clubs and festivals. Our music has been described as melodic metal or melodic heavy rock, which is fine by us". Rock and Metal lovers will easily recognize influences from Rainbow, Magnum, Stratovarius and Masterplan with a light Progressive Metal edge. "We wanted to plan the second album and the second step of our career carefully" continues Heikkinen "As a big part of that, we were happy to sign with Frontiers. The songs were all written between the release of 'Tides' and entering the studio in July 07. Right from the first demos we knew that the second album will be a great step forward for Leverage. Here's why: we're tighter as a band, we know what our own style is and what we might be capable of, and we're busting our butts to make as solid music as we ever can. We recorded and mixed (Torsti Spoof and Jari Mikkola) the album at Studio Audio, Jyväskylä, Finland between the beginning of July and halfway of September. It was mastered at Chartmakers, Helsinki." Blind Fire will be released in Europe (minus Finland) on Frontiers Records on January 25, 2008. The first reactions to the material are enthusiastic and there are already plans for the band to play live outside their homeland. Tracklisting of "Blind Fire" includes: Shadow In The Rain; King Of The Nigh; Stormchild; Sentenced; Hellhorn; Mr. Universe; Don't Touch The Sun; Run Down; Heart Of Darkness; Learn To Live. "All in all, we are really proud of 'Blind Fire'" concludes Tuomas Heikkinen. "We worked hard to make the most of the relatively short time between 'Tides' and the new one, and we feel we accomplished what we set out to do." Frontiers will also release at the same time of the new album a new edition of Tides which will also include two exclusive bonus tracks: Superstition (live) and Twilight Symphony (live). Click here to enjoy a sample of Superstition from Tides! Weblinks: www.frontiers.it / www.leverageband.com / www.myspace.com/leverageband / www.myspace.com/frontiersrecords. ![]() THE BEST OF LIBERTY & JUSTICE READY FOR ALL: Liberty N Justice's "Best Of" CD is being released in the US by Versailles Records. The official track listing has been released. The CD will be released in March of 08' and people can go to LNJ's website (www.libertynjustice.net) to get more info. Track Listing: 4-All: The Best Of LNJ New tracks - 1. We have A God (Derrick Lefevre of Lillian Ax & Larry Worley of FearNot), 2. Rage (Dug Pinnick of Kings X), 3. Devil In The Details (Steve Brown of Trixter/ Stereo Fallout), 4. Author Of The Flame (Dale & Troy Thompson of Bride); From 2004 Welcome To The Revolution 5. Blind Man's Bluff (Michael Sweet of Stryper), 6. Noise (Jamie Rowe of Guardian), 7. Shed My Skin (Lou Gramm of Foreigner); From 2006 Soundtrack Of A Soul 8. Another Nail (Sebastian Bach x-Skid Row), 9. Sight Unseen (Leif Garret), 10. Flinch (Tony Harnell x-TNT), 11. Thy Will Be Done (Mark Slaughter of Slaughter & Pete Loran of Trixter), 12. Killer Grin (Stephen Pearcy of RATT); From 2007 Independence Day 13. Doubting Thomas (John Corabi x-Motley Crue/RATT/Union), 14. Monkey Dance (Jack Russell of Great White), 15. Soldier (Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger & Mark Slaughter of Slaughter), 16. Independence Day (Kelly Kelling of Baton Rouge/ TSO), 17. Praying For A Miracle (Ted Poley of Danger Danger), 18. Addiction (Jani Lane x-Warrant). ![]() NEW INNOVATION FEATURES STRYPER & MICHEAL SWEET SOLO UPDATE: It's not every day you come across something that turns your head...or something completely different, but this story got my attention. I'm not sure what the impact or uptake from fans for this concept will be, but I'll be watching with interest. What am I talking about? SongVest. The first rock band to use this service is Stryper, so over to the SongVest website for details, followed by a Press Release from the lads in Stryper: An Internet only auction of the Stryper songs Always There For You and Keep The Fire Burning will begin at noon EST on November 24. The auction will close at 7:00 PM EST on December 1. Songs earn revenue in a variety of ways including record sales, radio airplay, Internet downloads, and film and TV placements. In the past, only music insiders could purchase parts of songs to share in the royalties. For the first time ever, an artist has decided to share his songs directly with those who love them most – the fans. The high bidder for each song will receive a one-of-a-kind platinum album with handwritten lyrics signed by Michael Sweet and 50% of the songwriter's share of royalties. After the auction closes, SongVest and its legal partner Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP will contact the appropriate Performance Rights Organizations (ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC) to orchestrate the legal transfer of royalties to the high bidder. Quarterly, the appropriate Performance Rights Organization will issue a check for the previous quarter's revenue. The standard buyer's premium for this auction ranges from 15% to 25% based on the final bid; but for this auction only the fee will be capped at 15%. Own The Ultimate Stryper Memorabilia – The Songs Michael Sweet would like to share some of his songs in a way no artist has ever done before. The rights to song royalty streams have been sold within the music industry for years; for the first time ever, an artist is taking songs straight to his fans. Beginning November 24, Stryper fans will be able to bid on Always There For You and Keep The Fire Burning at www.songvest.com. In addition to the songwriter's share of royalties, the high bidder will receive a one-of-a-kind platinum album with handwritten lyrics signed by Michael. Don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity. Visit www.songvest.com to register and get all the details. A Message from Michael Sweet about SongVest: "Hi everyone...I recently joined forces with a company that will soon revolutionize the music business. It's a company that gives a songwriter the chance to share their music with the fans in the most intimate way possible. For years music companies have gone into business with artists. This company, however, will allow me to go into business with you. SongVest is the name of the company and they are launching an auction where a Stryper fan can purchase a portion of the songwriter's share of Stryper songs. You will, in effect, own my music with me. Traditionally music publishers and record labels have owned songs with the songwriter. For the first time in history, this allows the fan to own the songs with the songwriter. As you know, Stryper has always been a band, called by God, to pioneer new methods of getting His message out. It started with us playing the Sunset Strip in California when we were called Roxx Regime. We then signed to a mainstream label (Enigma) to have the message and music spread to an even broader audience. We were the first Christian rock band to get mainstream radio and MTV airplay. I don't say all of this to brag; I say it because throughout our career, by the grace of God, we have been on the cutting edge of exploring new ways to share our music and this is the next step in that process. Songvest has created a way for those of you that have faithfully endorsed Stryper for so many years to now take ownership in our music. Songvest is allowing the fan to purchase part of a song and share in the revenues from that song, for life. Stryper is the very first band to take part in this new company and we are honored to once again be leading the way in an aspect of the music industry that will soon forever be changed. Let's have fun with this. I'm looking forward to "working together" with one of you that has, and continues to, believe in these songs. I personally am hoping Van Halen gets on board with this. You'll see me bidding on a couple of their songs. All the best...Michael Sweet." And in related news: Don't forget to pre-order your copy of Michael's new CD Touched being released on December 3, 2007 exclusively through www.michaelsweet.com! This CD will not be available in stores! Order now and your CD will be autographed by Michael Sweet. Note: All of the Stryper songs appearing on "Touched" have been given new arraignments and re-recorded! Touched Track Listing: 1. You Are So Beautiful - (Originally Recorded By: Joe Cocker) 2. Together As One - (Originally Recorded By: Stryper) 3. She's Got A Way - (Originally Recorded By: Billy Joel) 4. All Of Me - (Originally Recorded By: Stryper) 5. Without You - (Originally Recorded By: Badfinger) 6. First Love - (Originally Recorded By: Stryper) 7. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - (Originally Recorded By: Roberta Flack) 8. Honestly - (Originally Recorded By: Stryper) 9. The Rose - (Originally Recorded By: Bette Midler) 10. My Love, My Life, My Flame - New Song! (Recorded By: Michael Sweet) 11. Colour My World - (Originally Recorded By: Chicago). More from Michael Sweet: "As you all know, my wife Kyle was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer in February and she underwent surgery and treatment from 2/14-7/14. During this time at home, as I took care of my wife and family, I felt led to record a "love letter" to Kyle - love songs that are in dedication to her. I remember when I was recording the vocals (my studio is just below our bedroom), Kyle could hear this music faintly below and it was an encouragement to her throughout. Somehow it was a form of comfort and it helped us to heal. This compilation is entitled Touched and we've decided to offer it here exclusively at michaelsweet.com to all of you. During this extremely difficult and painful time (the toughest battle and test of our lives), I realized just how much Kyle means to me. We were faced with the biggest challenge of our lives and everything came to a complete stand still. In an instant, I learned that nothing is more important than love, faith and commitment. This led to my desire to record and dedicate an entire project to Kyle and it's an honor to be able to share this music with all of you. You've shown tremendous support and because of all the prayers, prayed around the world, Kyle is healthy and healed! It's miraculous to say the least and I can't express how grateful we are - truly grateful. Your love and support has blessed and changed our lives. This record is a testimony of what God has done and what God can do. Take a moment to listen to the samples and to read the words and hopefully you will be "Touched" as well. Eternally, Michael." Download Together As One from Touched at the following location: www.michaelsweet.com/Media/Audio/Free%20Download/togetherasone_download.htm. ![]() JOHN MELLENCAMP & TOM COCHRANE & RED RIDER TEAM FOR CANADIAN TOUR: BLOOMINGTON, IN, Nov. 5 - John Mellencamp, who just embarked on a six week U.S. tour this week, will be performing a series of Canadian dates, across six provinces, in February 2008. Mellencamp will be joined on the bill by Canada's own Tom Cochrane & Red Rider for a total of 12 performance dates that kick off on February 1 in Montreal. The tour goes on to Ontario for dates in Ottawa, London, Toronto, and Sault Ste. Marie. These will be followed by concerts in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Red Deer, and Calgary, with the last three dates on the Pacific Coast in Kelowna, Vancouver, and Victoria. Mellencamp noted, "We're very excited about playing these dates with Tom for our friends across Canada. We've incorporated some interesting innovations in terms of staging and lighting that are working out very well for us on the current tour that we'll be bringing along. But, of course, what's most important, the essence of these shows, is the music and the songs." Tom Cochrane commented, "We will be doing a one hour set and it will be packed with songs like 'Life Is A Highway,' 'Big League,' 'Lunatic Fringe,' 'White Hot,' 'Boy Inside the Man,' 'Good Times' and more: songs that are close to a lot of Canadian hearts. The band is sounding outrageously good these days and we are looking forward to this tour." Mellencamp and his band -- Mike Wanchic, (guitar), Andy York (guitar), Dane Clark (drums), John Gunnell (bass), Miriam Sturm (violin), and Troye Kinnett (keyboards) -- have been working together almost continually since early in August when they participated in recording sessions for a new album, as yet untitled, produced by T Bone Burnett. It is expected that some of the songs from that album will be performed on the Canadian concert tour as well as Mellencamp's classic repertoire. 02/01 Montreal, QC Centre Bell 02/02 Ottawa, ON Scotiabank Place 02/05 London, ON John Labatt Centre 02/06 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre 02/08 Sault Ste Marie, ON Steelback Centre 02/11 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre 02/12 Saskatoon, SK Credit Union Centre 02/14 Red Deer, AB ENMAX Centrium Arena 02/15 Calgary, AB Pengrowth Saddledome 02/17 Kelowna, BC Prospera Place 02/18 Vancouver, BC Pacific Coliseum 02/19 Victoria, BC Save On Foods Centre RODGERS READY TO ROCK AHMET TRIBUTE, QUEEN CD: From Billboard.com / November 07, 2007, 11:10 AM ET Gary Graff, Detroit Despite the excitement surrounding Led Zeppelin's reunion, Paul Rodgers is hoping that fans will remember the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert on Dec. 10 in London is indeed supposed to be about the late Atlantic Records co-founder. "I do think that the purpose and the point of the show is to celebrate Ahmet Ertegun's life," says Rodgers, the former Bad Company/Free/the Firm/the Law frontman who's a late addition to a lineup that, besides Led Zep, includes Pete Townshend, Foreigner, Paolo Nutini and Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings. Rodgers -- who met Ertegun when Bad Company signed to Led Zeppelin's Atlantic-distributed Swan Song Records in 1974 -- tells Billboard.com he plans to perform two songs, most likely an acoustic version of something from Bad Company's debut album and Free's enduring hit "All Right Now." "Ahmet was that very rare example of an entrepreneurial record company chief who was brave enough and intelligent enough to ... follow what his heart told him, and it usually worked," Rodgers notes. "It's an honor to have been signed by the man who discovered people like Ray Charles, Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin, who were some of my heroes." Rodgers says that he hopes Led Zep "can live up to the expectations, because they're huge. But God bless 'em and good luck to 'em." There are no plans for he and Zep guitarist Jimmy Page to reunite to play anything from their short-lived '80s band the Firm, though Rodgers notes, "it's not a bad idea, is it? We did make some great music." Besides preparing for the Ertegun show, Rodgers has been in the studio with Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor working on an album of new material that should be out under the Queen + Paul Rodgers moniker next year. He says the three of them have been writing individually and "are working towards actually writing together as well." Each of them are taking turns playing bass, and while Rodgers is inserting the blues and R&B influence that's so much a part of his style, he says May has been carefully orchestrating the "whole orchestra of harmonies" that are Queen's hallmark. "With any band there's two sides -- there's the image and there's the music," says Rodgers. "I don't feel that I stepped into the image of Queen, although I wouldn't know that. But I really stepped into the music. It's safe to say we're quietly excited about what we're doing." Rodgers says the group will wrap up its latest round of recording this week and take stock of what it has, then resume around the time he returns to England for the Ertegun concert. He expects a tour to follow the album's release. ArticleLink: www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003669056. |
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Wednesday, November 07, 2007
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FIREWORKS 30 ON SALE: Fireworks Issue 30 is out now. The details are: £4.50 (postage £1 UK, £2.50 Europe, £3.50 rest of world). Available direct via Paypal from: fireworks.mag@ntlworld.com or cheque (UK only) payable to 'Bruce Mee' and sent to: Fireworks Magazine, 10 Dunnock Close, Offerton, Stockport, SK2 5XD. Also available from AOR Heaven (Germany) and Destiny Records and ST Records (UK). Interviews this issue: Nightwish, Tarja, Ted Nugent, Status Quo, Scorpions, Foreigner, Jaded Heart, John Parr, Glenn Hughes, Spike, Hanoi Rocks, David Readman, Amaran's Plight, Human Zoo, Mass, Iced Earth, Diablo Swing Orchestra, Heartland, Dogpound, Lec Zorn, Terry Illous, JK Northrup, Black Stone Cherry, Cage and more! 88 fact filled pages!! Also two CDs full of excellent music, featuring the following 36 tracks! Disc 1: 1. Jaded Heart – Hero, 2. Poodles – Seven Seas, 3. Heartland – For Pity's Sake, 4. Road to Ruin – The Only One, 5. Dogpound – Glass Jar, 6. Burn – 'Down In Flames', 7. Nightwish – Wishmaster, 8. Human Zoo – Communicate, 9. Amaranth's Plight – Turning Point, 10. House of Shakira – No Faith, 11. Gary John Barden – Voices in the Rain, 12. Soul Doctor – Temptation, 13. Rob Rock – Only a Matter of Time, 14. Mass – Empty Soul, 15. Vendetta – I Executioner, 16. Steve Grimmett - Enemy, 17. Elvenking – The Divided Heart, 18. Sircle of Silence – Words Get Lost. Disc 2: 1. Relay – Danger Zone, 2. JK Northrup – Wired In My Skin, 3. Sacred Heart – Lost, 4. Terry Ilous – The Road, 5. Rock Ignition – I Can't Resist, 6. Hard Spirit – Knock Your Door, 7. Nightmare World – 'The New Crusade', 8. Million Dollar Reload – Get It Up, 9. Bruno Rock – Julia, 10. Matt Hannon – Where I Wanna Be, 11. M.O.B – 'Scapegoats', 12. The Lec Zorn Projet – Fighting Chance, 13. Mermaid Kiss – Dark Cover, 14. Early Warning System – Bend, 15. Love Strange – Gimme More, 16. Linehouse – First Love, 17. Saskia – Small Town, 18. Aviator Shades - Doing Alright. ![]() FUSE GREEN LIGHTS "TALKING METAL" PILOT: New York, NY - fuse, the national music television network, green lights "Talking Metal on fuse," a one-hour pilot that brings the number-one heavy metal/hard rock Podcast on iTunes to television. Hosted by Mark Strigl and John Ostronomy, the ultimate metal geeks and hard rock aficionados, the show provides a unique perspective and insiders look into the world of metal and hard rock music. "Heavy metal has some of the most loyal and passionate fans and has been one of the most consistent performers in music television," said Eric Sherman, president, fuse. "fuse is committed to showcasing a variety of music genres and we're thrilled to be able to bring Mark and John's distinctive voice, along with their number-one Podcast, to our network." Premiering on Friday, November 9 at 12:30 AM ET, "Talking Metal on fuse" brings Mark and John's zany antics and superfan-style perspective to viewers. They take fans on a wild ride where anything can happen including guitar lessons with Dave Mustaine (Megadeth), a book signing road trip with Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue/Sixx A.M./The New York Times best selling author), cocktails with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), and a home studio makeover-turned-impromptu jam session with members of Guns N' Roses. Mark and John are joined by sidekicks Bud Friendly (The Metal Wrestler/commentator), resident guitarist Metal Mike (member of Rob Halford's and Sebastian Bach's solo bands) and the "Talking Metal" fans, a rotating group of in-studio guests who join in on the metal conversation, offer opinions and throw up the metal horns. As the number-one heavy metal/hard rock Podcast on iTunes, "Talking Metal" averages 100,000 downloads per month and has listeners in more than 100 countries. The talkingmetal.com website averages between 1-2 million hits per month. About fuse: fuse is a music television network offering a window into artists and bands and unorthodox music line-ups. fuse reflects the rapidly changing interests and attitudes of its 12-34 year-old audience providing a destination for discovery and authentic content that pushes boundaries. Viewers can find a multi-media experience combining TV, Web and mobile technologies incorporating their opinions and ideas into the networks programming. Additional information about fuse can be found at www.fuse.tv. fuse is part of Madison Square Garden, L.P., owned by Cablevision Systems Corporation, which includes the New York Knicks (NBA); the New York Rangers (NHL); the New York Liberty (WNBA); the Hartford Wolf Pack (American Hockey League); MSG Entertainment, which includes concerts and events at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, and the Beacon Theatre; and MSG Media, which is comprised of MSG and FSN New York; and the Madison Square Garden arena complex, located in the heart of the New York metropolitan area. THE EAGLES HIT #1: The Eagles' first new studio album in 28 years, Long Road Out of Eden, takes a short route to No. 1 on The Billboard 200 after Billboard revised a significant chart policy today (Nov. 7). In consultation with Nielsen SoundScan, Billboard will now allow exclusive album titles that are only available through one retailer to appear on The Billboard 200 and other Billboard charts, effective with this week's charts. Prior to this, proprietary titles were not eligible to appear on most Billboard charts. Early Nielsen SoundScan numbers have the Eagles taking the top perch on The Billboard 200 with 711,000 copies sold, with most sales moved by Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores. For now, the only other U.S. outlets carrying "Eden" are walmart.com, where both physical copies and downloads are sold, and the Eagles' own Web site. "Eden" became available at the mass-market chain Oct. 30. Aside from two compilations, this is the Eagles' first album since the live "Hell Freezes Over," which led The Billboard 200 for two weeks in 1994. Britney Spears' new Jive album, "Blackout," which would have been No. 1 had the Eagles' data not been reported, will open at No. 2 with first-week sales of 290,000 copies. "We know that some retailers will be uncomfortable with this policy, but it was inevitable that Billboard's charts would ultimately widen the parameters of to reflect changes that are unfolding in music distribution," says Geoff Mayfield, Billboard's director of charts. "We would have preferred to make this decision earlier, but only became aware within the last 24 hours that Wal-Mart would be willing to share the data for this title with Nielsen SoundScan." The revised policy initially impacts The Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums, where "Eden" will also bow at No. 1. Criteria for the remainder of Billboard's albums charts will be formulated later this week. A handful of other titles will debut this week on The Billboard 200 as a consequence of the policy revision. Previously, titles that were not generally available at retail were not eligible to appear on The Billboard 200, but were entitled to chart on Billboard's Top Comprehensive Albums, which includes catalog titles and proprietary albums from retailers willing to report those sales. The comprehensive chart will continue to appear on Billboard.biz, to show how catalog titles compete with the overall market. However, once parameters for the remainder of the album charts are determined, Top Comprehensive Music Videos will be discontinued, as exclusive titles will then be eligible for the Nielsen SoundScan-fed Top Music Videos. SONIC X LIVE: Sonic X will be playing their 1st Concert in support of their new CD Thirteen on Saturday November 17th. The Concert will take place at "The Mod Club" which is a great Concert Venue on College Street in Toronto. Since this is a "Special Event Concert" at the "Mod Club" the show starts at 8:00pm...It is an All Ages event so if anyone under 19 Years of age wants to attend they are welcome. For info on the Mod Club visit: www.themodclub.com the club is located at: 722 College Street (College & Crawford) Ph. 416.588.4663. For info on "Sonic X" visit: www.myspace.com/thesonicx or www.thesonicx.com. MEAT LOAF SCRAPS EURO TOUR, VOWS TO RETURN: November 06, 2007, 1:10 PM ET Meat Loaf has cancelled his European tour after developing a cyst on his vocal cords, but he denied media reports he might be quitting the stage for good. A series of November concerts across Europe, including one at Wembley Arena in London tonight (Nov. 6), have been scrapped. "It really breaks my heart not to be able to perform these shows," Meat Loaf said in a statement. "But I have to do what the doctors tell me so I can look forward to healing and coming back strong in 2008. Let me dispel any rumors before they start -- I will be back." According to the statement, most inter-vocal cord cysts require surgery, but voice therapy is normally conducted first to determine if it is necessary. It will take four to six weeks to decide in this case, it added. Speculation about the tour, and "Bat Out of Hell" star Meat Loaf's long-term performing career, first started when a regional British newspaper quoted him as saying: "This is the last show I may ever do in my life," before walking off stage. WebLink: www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003668665. QUEEN ROCK MONTREAL: On 29 October 2007, Eagle Rock Entertainment simultaneously released two incredible DVDs capturing the incomparable Queen in their pomp as the world's biggest band at a sold out show in 1981 at Montreal's 18,000-seater Forum. The single DVD is Queen Rock Montreal and there is a special edition double DVD Queen Rock Montreal + Live Aid. The live CD/LP from the concert is released on the same date on EMI with HD-DVD and Blu-ray versions to follow in November through Eagle. Following their record-breaking South American tour, the Montreal shows on 24 and 25 November 1981 were to be the only concerts by Queen ever shot on film – indeed they were the first group to shoot an entire show in full cinema format 35mm. These releases offer the best ever sound and picture quality on a Queen concert release. Always a great live band, with two years non-stop touring behind them and Freddie Mercury in front of them, Queen excelled themselves with the cameras rolling. The footage has been digitally restored from the original film and the sound has been newly mixed and mastered for DTS Surround Sound and PCM Stereo from the original multi-track tapes. "Hello Montreal...long time no see. You wanna get crazy?" asks Freddie as the band tear into their alternative 'fast' version of We Will Rock You, and from there on Queen show their hard rock roots, slowing down only for Love of My Life and the more mid-tempo Under Pressure, notably being performed live for the first time in this concert. Tracklisting: 1) Intro 2) We Will Rock You (fast) 3) Let Me Entertain You 4) Play The Game 5) Somebody To Love 6) Killer Queen 7) I'm In Love With My Car 8) Get Down Make Love 9) Save Me 10) Now I'm Here 11) Dragon Attack 12) Now I'm Here (reprise) 13) Love Of My Life 14) Under Pressure 15) Keep Yourself Alive 16) Drum & Timpani Solo 17) Guitar Solo 18) Crazy Little Thing Called Love 19) Jailhouse Rock 20) Bohemian Rhapsody 21) Tie Your Mother Down 22) Another One Bites The Dust 23) Sheer Heart Attack 24) We Will Rock You 25) We Are The Champions 26) God Save The Queen. Tracklisting (Double Disc Live Aid footage) Live Aid: 1) Bohemian Rhapsody 2) Radio Gaga 3) Hammer To Fall 4) Crazy Little Thing Called Love 5) We Will Rock You 6) We Are The Champions 7) Is This The World We Created. The real joy to be had in watching Freddie, Brian, Roger and John performing here is that, unlike any other Queen concert film available, this delivers raw Queen. This is before the Hot Space album, before keyboards would find a place in the band's touring line up; this is simply four musicians in total cohesion. Originally titled, "We Will Rock You", this film was first launched at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1983 - as only Queen could. It was then released in North America (September 1984), becoming the first commercially available film of Queen in concert. For this special edition, the picture has been digitally restored from the original 35mm negative. The double disc release offers the incredible bonus of a slew of Live Aid features and performances. Regularly polled as the greatest live performance of all time, Queen's mighty Live Aid show at 6.44pm on July 13, 1985, is here in full. In addition to the set that reinforced Queen's position as unrivalled rock entertainers, Freddie and Brian's performance later in the evening of the poignant "Is This The World We Created" is included. Also featured are 11 minutes of never before seen Live Aid rehearsal footage, plus a rehearsal interview with the band. In addition, there's the curiosity value of a 1982 news feature from US TV series PM Magazine. Brian May and Roger Taylor bring the story up to date with a brand new audio commentary on the Montreal concert. Both these releases offer extraordinary footage of one if the greatest acts of all time, recorded at the height of the powers. Truly, Rock royalty. JUST FOR LAUGHS: From Rolling Stone - Chris Rock on the music business: "Music kind of sucks. Nobody's into being a musician. Everybody's getting their mogul on. You've been so infiltrated by this corporate mentality that all the time you'd spend getting great songs together, you're busy doing nine other things that have nothing to do with art. You know how shitty Stevie Wonder's songs would have been if he had to run a fuckin' clothing company and a cologne line?" SHOWCASES UPDATED: 4 new CD Showcases online today: Airtime (Featuring Rik Emmett & Mike Shotton), Goodbye Thrill, White Wolf and Darksun. Check it out. |
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Tuesday, November 06, 2007
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METAL HEAVEN RELEASES FOR JANUARY 2008: Spanish/Swedish Melodic Metal band Sandalinas has found a new home on Metal Heaven. Their new CD is called Fly To The Sun and next to mainman Jordi Sandalinas also features the great vocal talents of singer Rick Altzi (At Vance), Patrik Johansson (Yngwie Malmsteen) on drums, Mick Cervino (Blackmore's Night) on bass guitar and Elias Holmild (Dragonland) on keyboards. The album furthermore includes various guests such as Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater) on keyboards on the track "Seasons In The Sand" as well as Chris Caffery (Savatage) and Andy LaRocque (King Diamond) at various guitar solos. Listen to some advance music: Bad Dreams, Fly To The Angels & Never Seen Before. The tracklist goes as follows: 1 Fly To The Sun, 2 Never Seen Before, 3 Bad Dreams, 4 Back From The Light, 5 No Matter What, 6 As The Rain Falls, 7 Double Cross, 8 Ring Of Fire , 9 The Wrong Side Of Me, 10 Shadows In The Rain , 11 The Healer Talks, 12 Seasons In The Sand. WebLink: www.sandalinas.com. xx![]() Lechery were formed in 2004, when guitarist/vocalist Martin Bengtsson left Arch Enemy. After a couple of demo tapes, the band came to the attention of Metal Heaven A&R Georg Siegl who signed this band for the production of their debut album. The result became "Violator", an album that is filled with pure Heavy Metal, just the way that Lechery wants it to be! The album will see the light of day on January 18th, 2008. Here come some sound samples in advance: Come Alive, Cynical, Your Fate. Lechery are: Martin Bengtsson - Guitar, Vocals, Fredrik Nordstrandh - Guitar, Keyboards, Robert Persson - Drums, Martin Karlsson - Bass WebLinks: www.lechery.se / www.metalheaven.net. ![]() ROCK CANDY RECORDS ALIVE AND WELL: Despite rumors to the contrary, UK re-issue label Rock Candy Records remain alive and active. Label boss Derek Oliver kindly sent me this statement to print in response to rumors of the label's demise: "Apologies to all for the break in service - a situation that really was, for the most part, beyond our control. Sadly, in business, you can't always prepare for the unexpected but we are pretty much over the hump at this point so it's full steam ahead in our quest to bring some of the best re-issues that we can legally provide. In addition to having to deal with some of the problems we encountered at RC, Dante and myself have been very busy with numerous other extra curricular activity including work with Roadrunner. It's a pleasure to report that the latest Dream Theater album has already outsold the bands previous release and looks set to continue selling with more touring and promotion planned for the new year including the bands first Australian shows. Yes, that's right they will be there for the very first time early next year. We just saw the band demolish Wembley arena in London - the crowd lapped it up and the rave two page lead review in last weeks Kerrang! indicates that they are at long last connecting with a heavier and younger audience. If you haven't seen the band live in concert yet then you really must make a point of going along to see one of the most compelling performances you'll likely ever witness. In addition to our Roadrunner activity we've also been ensconced at Abbey Road Studios in London sifting through hours of studio and live tapes from UFO. We had asked EMI if we could license a few UFO records. Sadly, they denied us but then suggested that we oversee a comprehensive re-issue programme through EMI UK of all eleven albums. Armed with the appropriate paperwork, hard hats and flash lights in hand we went, Indiana Jones style, deep into the bowels of Abbey Road Studio in search of outtakes, live and bonus material. Amazingly we were well rewarded, reappearing weeks later with armfuls of unreleased bonus tracks and several previously unheard live performances from their very earliest days to their untimely demise in the mid eighties. The first three of their albums 'Phenomenon', 'Force It' and 'No Heavy Petting' will be issued via EMI/Rock Candy by January with the rest of the catalogue to follow in batches of three throughout next year. There's also a three CD box set being planned with bonus DVD! One piece of news that you might find of interest is that we've signed (to our production company) of a band called Lethargy. Hailing from Neath, South Wales this young four piece have a fantastic sound that draws from a number of influences including Pink Floyd, Dream Theater, Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam. We played their demo album to renowned producer David Prater who thought that they were so good that he got straight on a plane and recorded their album in a remote Welsh residential recording studio. David thinks it's the best thing on a musical level that he's been involved with since Dream Theater's 'Images And Worlds' album and who are we to argue! You can check out some of the tracks at the bands my space page: www.myspace.com/lethargymusic. In respect of Rock Candy, our new distributor is a company called Plastic Head who are doing great stuff behind the scenes with the existing catalogue. We've just issued our latest three titles- an eighties sleaze rock special featuring the Sea Hags 'S/T', The Throbs 'The Language Of Thieves And Vagabonds' and Zodiac Mindwarp & The Love Reaction 'Tattooed Beat Messiah'. All with the usual Rock Candy care to attention and details plus bonus tracks. The release programme will start properly again in January with three titles per month: Next three will be the lone and highly regarded album from NWOBHM nearly men and Queen devotees Money (produced by Chris Tsangarides), the debut album from AOR demi gods Romeo's Daughter (produced by Mutt Lange and John Parr) and Canadian power pop legends Reckless. All will, feature bonus tracks as well as previously unseen photos and full involvement from the artists. From Feb onwards look for the long awaited re-issue of Michael Bolton's near perfect AOR masterpiece Everybody's Crazy (despite my long standing personal relationship with Michael he has refused to be involved with the re-issue but that has not prevented us from securing previously unseen photos from that era, pre Mullet!), Mother's Finest debut album for Epic records 1976 (a personal fave of mine plus bonus tracks!), Desmond Child's previously unissued Runner's in the Night, Eric Martin's I'm Only Fooling Myself, Los Angeles G 'n' R wannabes Cats In Boots, battle metal originators Warrior with their ground breaking Fighting For The Earth masterpiece, two from Roadmaster, a clutch of southern rock titles including the much over looked Danny Joe Brown Band album, Molly Hatchet's 'Beatin The Odds' and Doc Holiday's superb debut. Also, and this isn't one that'll necessarily whip your readers into a frenzy, Manowar's classic 'Sign Of The Hammer' album. Natch there are several others in the pipeline but these are the titles that have been confirmed and green lighted so far." Out right now for the label is the following three releases - Zodiac Mindwarp - Tattooed Beat Messiah. The mid eighties were a funny time for rock 'n roll. The charts may have been filled with quasi electronic pop but down in the underground a revolution of sorts was brewing. The US west coast had chipped in hard with Motley Crue and Guns 'n Roses, whilst the UK was expanding the envelope of decency with the Cult, Rogue Male and…Zodiac Mindwarp. The brainchild of front man Mark Manning, a former music magazine editor, and professional raconteur, Zodiac Mindwarp & the Love Reaction (to give the project its full name) was designed with one experience in mind; to make a mint, and live the dream. For a full five minutes it looked as though Manning might just have pulled it off if it wasn't for the fact that the public thought otherwise. 'Tattoed Beat Messiah', originally released in March 1988, appeared like a lightning bolt out of the blue. Choc full of low down riffs (courtesy of the wonderfully monikered Cobalt Stargazer), sleazy grooves, cantankerous lyrics and a swagger that suggested they'd been working the circuit for years instead of months, the critics knelt and kissed the feet of rock 'n roll's latest great deceiver. 'TTBM', even after passage of nearly 20 years, remains one of rock's most impressive and exciting statements, issued at a time when everyone seemed to be second guessing where rock 'n roll was heading. Buckle up and enjoy the ride one more time… Tracklist: 1. Prime Mover 2. Skull Spark Joker 3. Backseat Education 4. Bad Girl City 5. Untamed Stare 6. Tattooed Beat Messiah 7. Let's Break The Law 8. Spasm Gang 9. Driving On Holy Gasoline 10. Planet Girl 11. Kid's Stuff 12. Messianic Reprise Bonus Tracks: 13. Laughing In The Face Of Death 14. Hangover From Hell 15. Mess With The Killer 16.Whore Of Babylon 16. Lager Woman From Hell 17. Messin' With My Best Friend's Girl 18. Dog Face Driver 19. Born to Be Wild 20. Go Go baby Dream Show. Sea Hags - Self Titled "There's only so far you can get with three junkies and one alcoholic," That, as legend has it, is a direct quote from the manager of the Sea Hags, a man no doubt at the end of his tether having watched one of the most hotly tipped hard rock bands of the era slide off the edge of the world into oblivion. Hailing from San Francisco, the Hags brought the a certain (alcoholic) swagger to the eighties with one foot in the vapour trail of Guns 'n Roses and the other in the classic pre punk attack of the New York Dolls. The G 'n R connection was not that surprising considering that their producer Mike Clink was also the man behind the console of the Sea Hags album. Originally released in 1989 on the Chyrsalis label, the album was the work of nearly a decade of struggle from humble origins in Seattle, a demo tape produced by Metallica's Kirk Hammett, and a very public fight with a variety of interesting but largely illegal substances. Indeed, Chrysalis were so concerned about their investment that they postponed the release of the record until two members had detoxed and scrubbed up nicely. Despite a rapturous reception from the rock cognoscenti the band barely managed to stumble through one short tour before succumbing to the aggregate pressures of frontline rockin'. Tragically, in 1991, bassist Chris Schlosshardt was found dead of a heroin overdose thus forever sealing the fate of the band and leaving behind one of the era's most celebrated, if overlooked, releases. Tracklist: 1. Half Way The Valley 2. Doghouse 3. Too Much T-Bone 4. Someday 5. Back To the Grind 6. Bunkbed Creek 7. In The Mood For Love 8. Miss Fortune 9. All The Time 10. Three's A Charm Bonus Tracks: 12. Dog House (Demo) 13. Half Way The Valley (Demo). The Throbs - The Language Of Thieves And Vagabonds If, in 1989, you'd wanted to bet your house on a band becomin' BIG, then The Throbs would have been the obvious choice. Rising up from the gutters of lower Manhattan, these four musicians came together to prise rock'n'roll from the cold dead clutches of corporate strangulation. That they didn't entirely succeed is not the point; that they (nearly) died trying, very much is…Drawing inspiration from The Stones, The Dolls and The Underground (Rolling, New York and Velvet, respectively), The Throbs specialised in spiking old-fashioned rock'n'roll with liberal helpings of psychedelia; their hair piled high, their paisley shirts slashed to the waist, and wearing enough mascara to paint the town black, they were the perfect (drinking) partners for a city short on sleep. Once under the wing of studio veteran Bob Ezrin (Kiss, Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd), they set about cutting their one and only album in what sounds like a hash-filled Turkish harem, with sitars & baglamas giving exotic support to the deeply rock'n' roll guitars. What's more, critics – on both sides of the Atlantic – were quick to heap praise on the results, hailing The Throbs as the 'new Guns N'Roses'; however, the band's untempered enjoyment of the rock star lifestyle would ultimately lead to friction with their label (Geffen) and a premature demise. One things's for certain, though; 'The Language Of Thieves And Vagabonds' – all late nights, lost love and Little Richard on guest keys! – is very much a wrinkle-free release, having stood the test of time remarkably well. A PG (Pre-Grunge) classic? You betcha! 24-bit remastering from original source tapes, 4,000 word story of the making of the album, previously unpublished photos, all spread out over a super 16 page full colour booklet. Track listing: 'Underground', 'Come Down Sister', 'It's Not The End Of The World', 'Dreamin', 'Honeychild', 'Rip It Up', 'Ocean Of Love', 'Only Way Out', 'Sweet Addiction', 'Ecstasy', 'Strange Behaviour' Bonus tracks: 'Rainbow', 'Strange Behaviour'. xx xx![]() TYKETTO CD NOW AVAILABLE TO ALL: Tyketto frontman Danny Vaughn checked in with the following good news update: "The dust hasn't settled yet but I wanted to take a minute to thank everyone that was involved in the last 4 Tyketto shows. They were an amazing time for all of us and we were happy that we got to share our final moments with such good friends in The UK, Spain, Belgium, and Northern Ireland. One thing I do want to let everyone know is that the new CD, Tyketto The Last Sunset Farewell 2007 was such an unexpected success that we will be making lots more this week in order to get copies to anyone that wants it, anywhere in the world. The best place for all of our American friends to find it, and get the best deal on it, is on our web site, www.tyketto.de or www.dannyvaughn.com. So don't fall for any "rarity" nonsense from the pond scum that are already trying to pitch it on ebay. Please remember that this is not a "new" CD, but rather, a much requested releasing of previously unheard demos (7 never before heard songs) and alternate versions of songs that have been released before. While the source tapes were old, I think they did a great job mastering them and making it into excellent album quality sounding songs. We also did all new liner notes and art work for the occasion. It's something that our fans of long standing will love. Speaking on behalf of the 4 of us, we simply want to say that you were awesome and we are so happy we did this one last time. All the best, Danny Vaughn." MELODIC BRIEFS: Looks like Bon Jovi ticket prices for Australia will be: Melbourne Reserved seating $385, GA $177 / Sydney and Perth $265 / $195 / $145. The band's first tour here since 1995 is no reason to gouge the fans such a horrendous amount of money. No wonder the promoters website and ticket outlets had not listed ticket prices. The Lost Highway Retirement Fund claims another country... Rock Candy Records is still standing, but Majestic Rock Records isn't - their website now reads: "This Account Has Been Suspended..." Last I heard from the label was that they owed several bands and several other companies a lot of money. A few of those bands have contacted me here in search for a way to reach someone from the label. Disappointing news for sure... Due to strong demand post Firefest 4 - when we sold out all t-shirts - we will be doing a limited run of red baseball tops (men) and black tops (men and women). Anyone wishing to order a t-shirt must contact us before Monday 12th November. E-Mail: Fireworks.mag@ntlworld.com Neil Daniels - Fireworks writer and author of The Story Of Judas Priest: Defenders Of The Faith - has a new website: www.neildaniels.com. THE AXE ATTACK IS BACK! '80S ROCK LEGENDS AXE RETURN TO THE STAGE: 11/5/07 - Texas - Rock and Roll is alive and well and living in Texas with the return of '80s rock legends Axe. Known for such classic rock anthems as "Rock and Roll Party In The Streets" and "Battles", Axe has reformed and are now prepared to take the rock world by storm. The band recently performed several special engagements and the reaction has been none less than fervid! When Axe this Summer opened for Queensryche at Sunken Garden Amphitheater in San Antonio to an attendance of over 5,000, and reportedly the audience literally went wild. Six weeks later, Axe was back in San Antonio headlining at Hemisfair Park to a capacity crowd. And again, the band showed its magic and held the audience in their hands. Andy Laudano of Harder Beat Magazine (Dallas/Ft. Worth) said the following of Axe's performance at The Rockyard on August 15, 2007, "Easily one of the best hard rock acts of the early '80s, Axe had the ability to combine great songwriting with strong melodies, powerful guitars and tasteful keyboards." Recently, Bob Harris (vocals/keyboards) and Brad Banhagel (guitar/vocals) put the band back together with the blessing of founder Bobby Barth. The current line-up also includes Chris Lewis (drums), Dave Landis (guitar), Alex Salinas (keyboards) and newest member, Tommy Luna (bass). Anyone who wasn't there for Axe's recent show in Ft. Worth, really missed out. Pete with Nikita Productions says of the band …"Having produced and promoted Axe on two explosive concerts this year at Sunken Garden and Hemisfair Park, I can easily say that his is one of the greatest national bands to work with. With their combined vocals and musical talents, the band rocks viciously, throwing in some of their ballads that really touch the soul. Great guys, great sound!" Axe was formed in 1978 from the ashes of a mid-western band called Babyface and began recording their first album Axe in 1979. The band's debut album garnered rave reviews from the music press, and in support of the release, Axe started a tour that lasted until 1984! Their second album, Living On The Edge, followed in 1980, and once again, the reaction was positive. In 1981, Axe changed labels and recorded Offering for ATCO Atlantic which featured the hit "Rock and Roll Party In the Streets". The song reached #59 on the Billboard charts and was one of the most-played-songs in 1982 - it became a nationwide rock anthem. After 19 months of touring with the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, the Scorpions, ZZ Top, Kiss, Cheap Trick, Def Leopard, Queensryche and Motley Crue, among others, it was time to record the fourth Axe album - Nemesis. Continued success meant more touring. Unfortunately, around this time, band leader Bobby Barth was seriously injured in a car crash which also tragically took the life of guitar player, Michael Osborne. This accident led to Barth disbanding Axe and later joining Blackfoot. After his stint with Blackfoot, Barth took his talents to Australia to join Angry Anderson (Rose Tattoo), hitting the Top 5 on the Australian charts. In 1995, Bobby Barth decided to reform the band due to label interests in Europe. It was at that time that Bob Harris joined the band. The band went on to record two original albums and two Greatest Hits albums (MTM Records) and tours of Europe. After the third tour in Europe, Barth and Harris decided to take a break and pursue other projects. Today, the line up of Axe is Bob Harris (lead vocals/keys), Brad Banhagel (lead vocals/guitar), David Landes (guitar/vocals) who has performed with Simon Wright and Greg T. Walker, Chris "Drumzilla" Lewis (drums) who has performed with Glenn Hughes and Howard Leese of Heart, Tommy Luna (Bass), and Alex Salinas (keys). To his credit, Bob Harris has performed with some of the greatest artists in the music industry. Covering vocals and keyboards for Frank Zappa , he proved his ability as an outstanding musician and writer. Lending his writing skill and vocal talent to the later recordings, Harris would help define the lasting style and sound that is Axe. Guitarist/singer Brad Banhagel is an intricate part of the current Axe line-up and conjures visions of classic guitarists as Steve Marriot, Tommy Bolin, Bobby Barth and Jimmy Page. Brad himself has shared the stage and performed with Greg T. Walker (Blackfoot) and Simon Wright (UFO, AC/DC, Dio), and has also worked with Pat Travers, Blackfoot, Thin Lizzy, Quiet Riot, Ratt, Rick Derringer and Warrant. "... Brad is also a very talented singer, guitarist and song writer who deserves to be center stage and I'm sure that that day will come sooner than he thinks." Rock legend Pat Travers. "When Bob Harris and Brad Banhagel approached me about putting Axe back on the road, I had mixed feelings," original band leader Bobby Barth recently commented. "It made me re-examine all the years, all the tragedies and triumphs the band has endured. Most American fans of Axe are not aware that the band stopped the day that Michael Osborne was killed. Soon after, Axe was back in both Europe and Japan, releasing another four CDs and touring several times. A lot of the strength that I needed to continue on came from my friendship with Bob Harris and what I consider to be one of the greatest rock voices in the world. We went on over the years to write and produce several records together, both for Axe and for many others. We wrote and produced, what is without a doubt, songs and CD's that are far superior to anything we recorded in the earlier days of Axe. Those songs, and that later band, were never given a chance here in America, and that is a shame. So it is with that in mind that I give my blessing and lend whatever support to I can to their endeavor, I have their promise to remain true to the music, and you never know when I might show up." With the added buzz that Bobby Barth may appear at selected shows, this could prove to be the hottest incarnation of Bobby's vision of Axe yet! For more information on Axe and current tour schedule check out the official band websites: www.axerocks.com / www.myspace.com/axelives. |
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Monday, November 05, 2007
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LION MUSIC - MIND'S EYE NEWS & NOVEMBER RELEASES: Daniel Flores talks about the story behind every murder in his new concept story A Gentleman's Hurricane, the critically acclaimed new album from Mind's Eye – out now on Lion Music. A Gentleman's Hurricane - As you all may know the story is about a top assassin called Adam Evangelista. His is really having second thoughts about his profession and wants to take a step outside this world. He can't do that before his last job. When trying to dig inside his own mind he takes refuge in a local church where he then meets Father Cavallero Dimori who is a retired head priest from the Vatican. Adam poor his heart out for him and confesses all his former crimes to the shocked priest, as you all know the priests take a vow of secrecy so he can't tell anyone about these confessions. 01. Praying For Confession We meet our hero or assassin if you will, after he has shot three shots in the woods... why? At this point we just don't know. He goes out of the woods and washes his hands in an empty public toilet. He starts to speak about his past when looking into the dirty mirror. He goes back in time to where he is going to speak with the priest (as you hear the children sing) Adam is walking trough the church's hallway, he suddenly sees his own reflection and can't stand his face, he crushes the mirror. By doing that he goes even further back to history where he was an orphan where he was badly molested and hurt by the headmaster. He learnt what pain was and it was then when he knew what we wanted to do when he would become old, a man who hurt other people, let other know the pain he went through. At the end of the song we go back to when Adam talks to the Priest Cavallero in the confession booth. 02. Seven Days This is the first murder he chose to talk about. The murder of Olof Palme; prime minister of Sweden and leader of the social democratic party (whose logo is a red rose). Adam has much regret of this particular assassination as he felt Palme was a great man... but orders are orders. Adam take orders from the Illuminati who is the counterpart of the church and he gets all his orders form his contact person, an ice cold Englishman who's name will never be revealed. During the confession of this murder Adam tries to give the priest a picture of what he goes trough as a professional assassin. He has seven days to pour his heart out before his last job. 03. Assassination This is where he tells the priest about a job done in the late sixties. A man named Robert Kennedy. Adam has a huge headache when he speaks about this, ironically he shot Robert in the head three times… maybe he is feeling the pain of his victims… The priest orders him to take a pill. 04. Chaos Unleashed Adam does not feel much regret when he speaks about next man to feel his anger. Martin Luther king. What strikes Adam is that most people feel that the whole thing is just a show to be seen on TV. He tells the priest about the people who watched the story on TV in a fast restaurant next day after the job was done, how can people just sit there and eat while watching this? Adam explains how he used the media coverage to hide himself being dressed as a homeless that day. Maybe that's why this country is collapsing, people just don't give a damn anymore… 05. Hell's Invitation The priest tries now to get Adam into seeing the light of a religious life. He tries to make Adam think he is a just the hand of god. Adam does not believe in the afterlife and god means nothing to him, he knows that if he would exist he would never let Adam in heaven anyway, not after what he has done anyway. He compares Jesus to Malcolm X, another victim of Adam's gun. Like Jesus, Malcolm also carried a cross, a cross which he carried for his people and just like Jesus he was betrayed by his own apostles. 06. Feed My Revolver Adam now recalls another murder and this is where he gets to hear the voice of Illuminati. He feels proud to hear this voice and follows the directions over the phone. As he recalls this victim is none other than John f. Kennedy, Robert's brother… Adam feels guilt coming over him as he has always wished for a brother… He killed them both…how could he? Adams explains exactly how things happen to father Cavallero telling him that he had huge help from his friends in the CIA. This is actually Adam's first big job and he recalls having no regrets what so ever back then, not bad for a 20 year old kid. 07. Ashes To Ashes Adam quickly goes to a more recent job. The assassination of Georges Besse the director of Renault (the car manufacture) who has just released a large sum of workers, a perfect change for Adam and the Illuminate to get rid of him as he has lost credibility and can no longer be part of the Illuminati anymore. Adam also explains that during that night a woman has come to seek him, apparently it's his daughter "Pandora" and she hands him a gift… 08. The Hour Of Need Adam recalls this story very well and it was the first time he had to kill a woman. This woman was apparently a huge movie star who also made money as a high society call girl, her name? Yes, it's was Norma Jean… Adam disguised as an American, multi million dollar man explains to the priest how he felt before poisoning this woman to death, right after having sex with her… He had to shut her up; apparently the president of USA had an affair with her and said too much. Poor girl… 09. Red Winter Sirens For a long time Adam wanted to go to Russia. He went there by train from a nearby country. Unfortunately for Adam vacation was over when he received the message to kill national democratic leader Giorgi Chanturia, in a cold December night. Giorgias first president had to be eliminated by four Assassins, Adam recalls meeting a lot of friends from the times in IRA in Ireland and the man responsible for introducing Adam to the Illminati. He recalls former USSR as a cold and forgotten world… 10. Skin Crawl Now to Italy, says Adam to Father Cavallero. It's was the late 70's Adam was ordered to frame and kill a man named Giuseppe Impastato, a political activist from Palermo. Adam explains that he made it look like a suicide but in reality it was an assassination by the Illuminati. This poor man had become a problem for them and they needed to get rid of him before he become too strong. 11. Graveyard Hands As he told the priest earlier, Adam had joined the IRA in his 30's and this is where he tells about the story of Christopher Ewart-Biggs a British selected governor in Ireland he assassinated, a man hated by the Irish people. He recalls the people of Ireland being a happy people with many scars to carry from the long bad treatment of the British authorities. As Adam is half Italian half Irish (according to his papers) he has a special place in his heart fro the Irish people. 12. Say Goodnight This is where Adam starts to recognize the Priest Cavallero, he has heard his voice somewhere before, where can it be? While telling him the story of a job which to him was scary and yet very fulfilling of a man named Juan Jesus Posadas Ocampo from Mexico a head priest and respected by many. Adam chooses to tell the story to Father Cavallero in a poetic way as he doesn't want to scare away him. Father Cavallero is shocked to stand before the killer of one of his peers. Adam suddenly recognizes the voice of Father Cavallero… Could it be? No!? 13. Pandora's Musical Box Adam examines the voice of Father Cavallero in a much different way now he knows that it's him, he is so sure. He has to make a decision… Adam starts to tell father Cavallero about his past as an orphan. Father Cavallero recognizes allot of what Adam talks about. Could he be? Wonders the old priest… No, it's impossible he comforts himself. Adam on the other side of the confession booth is sure, absolutely sure that Father Cavallero is the dreaded headmaster from back in orphanage school. Adams saviour is also his worst demon, what can he do? Should he kill him or forgive him? Turn the other cheek? Is the ending a happy or a sad ending? That's completely up to you the listener to decide. If you buy the album you'll figure out why the story starts out in the woods, as the story starts with the ending just like in a Quentin Tarantino movie. Hope you will like the story and may this shed a light on you the listener. Web Links: www.roundrec.com / www.myspace.com/eyeofthemind. And now news of the planned November 16 releases from Lion Music: M.C.M. - 1900: Hard TimeS Three of the world's most respected musicians in Alex Masi, Randy Coven and John Macaluso live on one stage with the soul intention of creating a moment in time. "MCM : 1900 – Hard Times" is a window to what happens during an MCM performance. Recorded at different shows from the trio's live shows throughout the USA and Central America the album is an electrifying showcase of immense musicianship and vision. "MCM: 1900 – Hard Times" is the result of spontaneous theme elaboration done on the spot with guitarist Alex Masi commenting, "The only written, composed parts are pretty obvious, most intros, some outros and occasionally some bit in the middle but each piece include at least 80% of improvisation". Masi, Coven and Macaluso find the openness of the MCM material a welcome change to their normal fully scripted studio sessions with drummer John Macaluso stating, "MCM gives us an outlet for our need to let go of all the "do's and don'ts" associated with the life of a professional musician. Sometime the level of synchronicity among us is downright mysterious...when it happens it feels like "something" else is moving our hands and fingers and all we have to do is get out of our own way and let things happen". Bassist Randy Coven's adds on MCM approach, "Its absolute freedom from pre-fabricated structures and disregard of general expectations and that's exactly where we are in MCM, listen with your mind wide open." The trio's goal in making the album was to try to convey the feeling of an MCM show to a bigger audience and show also a more immediate side than the one displayed on the previous studio album "Ritual Factory" (Lion Music). The musical influences of MCM come from everywhere - jazz, qawwali, drum n bass, heavy rock, hindu and carnatic music etc yet the freedom shown allows transitions between these genres. "MCM : 1900 – Hard Times" is freedom of expression at its peak from three of the most distinguished performers in music today. Track Listing - 01 (1900) Hard Times, 02 Raw Extremities, 03 River Offering, 04 Emergency Poncho, 05 Mutual Assured Distraction, 06 The Ground Above, 07 Them Ain't Us, 08 30 Seconds Over Your Land, 09 Esse'n'Emme, 10 Unmatched Fragment, 11 House of Deviants, 12 For Every Color You Know. Musicians: Alex Masi – Guitar, Loops, Randy Coven - Bass, John Macaluso - Drums. Web Links: www.alexmasi.net / www.randycovensite.com / www.johnmacaluso.com. Angel Of Eden - The End Of Never Angel Of Eden is Artension guitarist Roger Stafffelbach's new band project. Having recorded seven albums with the prog metallers Roger has formed his own band in his own vision with the focus on top quality metal with neo-classical influences. The result is The End Of Never - ten tracks of melodic harmonies, neo-classical lead work, potent riffs and grinding heavy metal rhythms all wrapped in a powerful production with superb artwork. Fuelled by Roger's virtuoso guitar work, the melodic soaring vocals of Carsten "Lizard" Schulz [Evidence One, ex Domain], keyboard wizardry of Mistheria [solo, Bruce Dickinson] and, the powerhouse drumming of Rami Ali [Evidence One] "The End Of Never" is a first class album from some of metal most respected names offering lush vocal melodies, pulsating rhythms and virtuoso lead breaks within captivating songs. The album is also home to several notable guest performances in the guise of bassist Steve Di Giorgio [ex Testament] John West [ex Royal Hunt/Artension], David Shankle [ex Manowar] and Ferdy Doernberg [Axel Rudi Pell]. The End Of Never is the start of Roger Staffelbach setting out with his own vision, more accessible than his work in Artension yet with the all the trademarks his playing is renowned for backed up with the ever impressive vocals of Carsten Schulz.. "Angel Of Eden - The End Of Never" showcases an impressive new beginning from Staffelbach and a band that is ready to expand on this blistering debut. Track Listing - 01. The End Of Never, 02. Dreamchaser, 03. Angel Of Eden, 04. Return Of The Pharaoh (Pt. I), 05. The Battle Of 1386, 06. Into The Black, 07. Return Of The Pharaoh (Pt. II), 08. Keys To Avalon, 09. Stampede, 10. Towards The Light. MUSICIANS: Roger Staffelbach – Guitars, Carsten `Lizard' Schulz – Vocals, Rami Ali – Drums, Mistheria – Keyboards. GUEST MUSICIANS: Steve Di Georgio – Bass, John West – lead vocals on "The Battle Of 1386", Dave Shankle – first solo on solo section of Return Of The Pharaoh (Pt. I), Ferdy Doernberg – keyboards on tracks 1, 2, 3 + 4. Web Links: www.angelofedenband.com / www.myspace.com/angelofedenband / www.rogerstaffelbach.com. Palace Terrace - Flying Through Infinity Palace Terrace is a progressive and neoclassical rock band with a theatrical and modern edge. Their music combines superb musicianship, beautifully crafted melodies, unique harmonic progressions, compelling stories, counterpoint, large orchestrations, wide dynamics, odd meters, stunning vocal arrangements and elaborate forms. Palace Terrace was formed when composer and world renowned guitarist virtuoso George Bellas [ex Ring Of Fire, ex Mogg/Way] contacted Tenor Vocalist Jonathan R Marshall and invited him to fill the main vocalist spot in the band. The two discussed how they would like to see the band debut as well as evolve into the future. Sharing very similar visions the two began writing their first album "Flying Through Infinity". The search for an extraordinary percussionist was much of a concern for George and was a long but fruitful ambition when he finally discovered the prolific talents of Percussionist Sasha Horn. "Flying Through Infinity" is a combination of progressive and neoclassical styles. The music contains extensive odd meters (with one section in 99/32 time), melodic vocal lines sung by John Marshall and rich vocal harmonies sung by George Bellas, along with big orchestrations and guitar solos that are drenched in feeling. The album is filled with a very wide dynamic range. Some of the vocal arrangements were written in strict 4 part counterpoint and others using imitative counterpoint. The album is very diverse in different types of songs, it contains progressive songs, neoclassical and even simple commercial structures. On the album's concept George Bellas states, |