2008 News Archive


Wednesday, May 07, 2008

FRONTIERS TO RELEASE RICHIE KOTZEN LIVE:
Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the European release of Live In Sao Paulo, Richie Kotzen's first-ever live album on July 4. With much prompting from fans, Kotzen chose for the purpose a stellar performance from his South American tour in 2007.
Live in Sao Paulo is an absorbing collective blend of Kotzen's songs throughout the years. His live performance reflects the guitar style's that has defined his career as a virtuoso. Kotzen reveals to fans live his true diversity with the rhythmic labours of "A Love Divine" to the poignant ballad "Remember". The performance continually travels between moments of classic-rock song "Shapes of Things", to the uplifting original "Stand".
Kotzen is influenced from such bands as Bad Company, Free, early Van Halen and Cream. They are the inspiration for his songs, but having deep Philly roots Kotzen tends to combine rock with the Motown influences he heard as a kid. "Much influence for my songs comes from the likes of the Spinners, O-Jays, and Curtis Mayfield", explains Kotzen. "Growing up outside Philadelphia and listening to those old soul stations I ended up with that sound being a heavy influence in my writing even though the core of what I do is Rock".
Kotzen burst onto the heavy metal scene as a teenager with a lightning-fast guitar techniques. With his talents, Kotzen has played with some of the best musicians; securing such major collaboration with the band Mr. Big and renowned jazz great Stanley Clarke as well as his own solo projects. "I have been lucky, in the sense, that I have been able to play with guys who I could learn from. The biggest musical lesson for me was playing in a band with Stanley Clarke and Lenny White. Obviously these guys are jazz musicians and I am not, but I learned so much from the time we recorded and toured together. My favourite rock bassist is Billy Sheehan and we were in Mr. Big together for 3 years which was awesome".
Live In Sao Paulo track listing includes: Socialite; High; Remember; Fooled Again; Faith; So Cold; A Love Divine; Shapes Of Things; Doin' What The Devil Says To Do; I'm Losing You; Mother Head's Family Reunion; Stand.

xx

Primal Fear's "10 Years Of Metal" Tour continues with the confirmation of the bands summer festival schedule!
10.05.2008 Cz - Kurim - Rockfest
17.05.2008 IT - Cremona - Motorock
05.06.2008 SE - Solvesborg - Sweden Rock Festival
21.06.2008 IT - Moraro - Mora Rock Festival
27.06.2008 Cz - Trinec - Noc Plna Hvezd Festival
28.06.2008 Cz - Porici - Basinfirefest Festival
11.07.2008 RO - Bucharest - B'estfest Aftershock
26.07.2008 SK - Martin - Inferno Boom Fest
27.07.2008 BE - Deinze - Brielpoort Festival
02.08.2008 Cz - Nikolcice - Motonalet Festival
15.08.2008 UK - Derbyshire - Bloodstock Festival
16.08.2008 D - Dinkelsbühl - Summer Breeze Open Air
20.09.2008 RU - St. Petersburg - Orlandino
21.09.2008 RU - Moscow - Tochka Club
More festival dates are under negotiation and will be announced soon! After finishing their successful European anniversary tour, the band featuring: Ralf Scheepers – Lead Vocals, Randy Black – Drums, Henny Wolter – Guitars, Magnus Karlsson – Guitars, Mat Sinner – Bass & Vocals.
... will start the songwriting process for their next album under the working title 16.6 now. Recordings will take place in November/December 2008.

MARCELLO/VESTRY RELEASED IN JAPAN TODAY:
Danger Danger guitarist Rob Marcello has a new project almost ready for release - Marcello/Vestry. The classic styled melodic rock album is due out today in Japan! The album was produced by DD bassist Bruno Ravel, who also features throughout the album.
The Track Listing is: 1 Fireworks, 2 Ready Or Not, 3 All I Wanna Do Is U, 4 Gone, 5 Without You, 6 Live Life, 7 What You Mean, 8 Love Injection, 9 Gangster Of Love, 10 One More Night, 11 Gone (Acoustic Version).
Sample the album with soundbytes at: www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail/2694114.
Order the album via: www.cdjapan.co.jp/aff/click.cgi/ZRcokempdVE/514/A867157/detailview.html?KEY=MICP-10727.

Z ROCK 08 UPDATE:
It goes from bad to worse for organisers of Z Rock 2008. This update comes only a week after Von Groove's appearance at the show was cancelled. Now Black N Blue are out:

"As everyone is aware the credit crunch has been hitting all aspects of the western worlds economy. During the last 9/10 months we have seen events such as Firefest, Progpower, Thunderfest and many others either cut back or completely cancelled. Z Rock 08 is not alone and despite the efforts of the team behind the show this years event has been hit. As of Thursday last week the entire Saturday was going to be pulled, however after consultation with the acts and other people involved the decision was made to stage the show for the sake of the scene, the last thing it needs is another festival disappearing.
We where on target to make a £9000 loss this has been reduced to a possible loss of £3000 by not bringing Black n Blue over for the show. Before anyone points the finger, no tickets have been sold via our site since April 22 that's 2 full weeks and sales from the outlets have been low during that time when they should be flying. To compensate for the loss we will be offering a £5 refund to those who paid the full price for their Saturday ticket and £3 to those bought theirs at the discounted rate. A simple form will be given out on the Saturday for people to complete with details of their ticket no's and such payments will be made when we return to our offices on May 22.
Fridays line up is as advertised and Saturdays remains the same minus Black n Blue, on a positive we are currently looking into the possibility of touring Black n Blue during the autumn to support their forthcoming album."

LION MUSIC ARTIST UPDATE:
Lion Music is proud to be a sponsor of the worlds' biggest International online Guitarist Talent Search designed to find the hottest new guitarists!
How does it work? Visit www.guitar-idol.co.uk, Contestants upload audio or video's of their entries which are then voted for by thousands of guitar fans worldwide in order to win both `The People's Choice' Award and - in combination with a panel of top music industry professionals - the chance to be one of 10 finalists to play live in front of thousands at the London International Music Show on June 14 and be awarded the `Guitar Idol 2008' crown.
Uniquely the 10 finalists will have the chance to appear on an album released by top international guitarists label Lion Music with worldwide distribution. The Winner will also collect top of the range prizes from Paul Reed Smith, Peavey and Roland - as well as a cash prize from exam board Rockschool - and interviews/promotion and professional opportunities with The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, www.alloutguitar.com, www.licklibrary.com and Guitar Buyer magazine.
As if that is not enough, the eventual Winner will get to open up for Joe Satriani on June 15tat The London International Music Show, and be able to play over the weekend on the various sponsors stands – what a chance to kick-start a career!
For more information contact: Owen Edwards - Editor www.alloutguitar.com.

The new album from one of the world's hottest metal acts Venturia has just been mastered and a release is anticipated in September 2008. The new album entitled Hybrid takes off from where the bands critically acclaimed debut The New Kingdom left off, yet shows impressive growth from the band incorporating new sounds and a killer production.
Charly Sahona of the band comments, "We're extremely proud of the result: the production, the song writing and the performance of everybody is a step higher than the previous album. The musical approach is the same as before, a blend between metal, prog, pop, classical, electronic music and the technical parts are even more crazy. The title "Hybrid" , it's a good name to reflect the musical direction, influences and sounds with different styles of music".
"Hybrid" is home to 10 new songs on the album: 01. Intro/Will You Save Me?, 02. Swearing Lies, 03. Be The One, 04. Running Blind, 05. Pearls Of Dawn, 06. Sparkling Rain, 07. Hottest Ticket In Town, 08. Love Gamers, 09. Why? / This Women's Life, 10. Sublimated Dementia.
Hybrid was recorded at Artsonikstudios in Switzerland in the winter of 07/08 and you can check all the different steps of the recording on Venturia's official blog at: blog.venturiaofficial.com.
WebLinks: www.venturiaofficial.com / www.myspace.com/venturiamusic

Emir Hot has announced his first tour dates in 2008 to support the release of Sevdah Metal which is currently picking up tremendous praise worldwide. This is only a short summer tour on both sides of beautiful Adriatic Sea with a big European tour to follow a couple months after this "warm-up". The following dates are confirmed:
Wed 23th July: Split – Croatia (Special guest Markonee – Italy)
Fri 25th July: Rimini - Italy
Sat 26th July: Verona – Italy
The line up will be: Emir Hot – Guitars / backing vocal; John West (ex Royal Hunt, Artension)– Vocal; John Macaluso (ex Malmsteen, Ark)– Drums; Ivan Cvitkovic – Bass; Muhamed Sehic – Keyboards/Accordion; Lonnie Park - Backing Vocals.
Emir adds, "As you can see Mike Terrana is not playing with us on this one due to his every day music obligations. But could we have got a better replacement than John Macaluso? Probably not! We welcome one of the greatest drummers in the metal world ever. Check out www.johnmacaluso.com. In between our tour dates there will be some acoustic shows with John West and Lonnie Park. That will make this little tour even more interesting. As soon as these dates are confirmed we will let you all know. We hope to see some of you there and get ready to rock!!!"
If you haven't heard "Sevdah Metal" check out this free album sampler mp3 (9.32mb)
WebLinks: www.emirhot.com / www.myspace.com/sevdahmetal.

Drummer John Macaluso (John Macaluso's Union Radio/MCM) has become the DJ for the Saturday night prog rock radio show broadcasting every week on Solar Guitars radio. Last week John had Mike Portnoy (drummer of Dream Theater) on the show and this Saturday night is the legendary Drummer Rod Morganstein (Dixie Dregs, Winger, Morganstein/Rudas) with loads more names lined up for future shows.
To tune into the "The Johnny Mac Prog Rock Show" on a Saturday night at 11:00 PM (23:00 EST) Eastern Standard visit www.solarguitars.com and listen online for great music and great chat.

Seventh Wonder being the recordings of their third album Mercy Falls on May 5th as the band once again teams up with Daniel Flores in the studio. After the massive sound of "WITW" the band has also decided to hook up with Tommy Hansen again to do the mixing and mastering at the famous Jailhouse Studios in Denmark. This is scheduled for late June. The album will be released late this summer on Lion Music worldwide and there will also be a very limited first edition with bonus material; more news on this will follow.
As soon as the actual recordings start, there will be a studio log accessible from: www.seventhwonder.nu - where you can track the progress and the making of the album. Make sure to join the new forum (link below) and make it as alive as the old one was or even more for that matter!
Andreas Blomqvist of the band states, "Updates have been scarce lately and the band wishes to thank everyone for their patience and understanding. Every minute of time has been put into the writing and producing of this album to make sure it is the best that can be. Now we invite you to join us in this endeavour."
WebLinks: www.seventhwonder.nu / www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/seventh-wonder-488.

SQUEALER FINISHED RECORDINGS FOR NEW ALBUM:
The guys from Squealer just finished the recordings for their new studio album The Circle Shuts. Currently, the songs will be mixed in the "Gernhart Studios" in Siegburg before Mika Jussila will do the mastering in the famous Finnvox Studios in Helsinki. According to the first audio samples, "The Circle Shuts" will include a perfect mix of heavy riffing and great melodies. Soon, you can check out some audio samples on www.afm-records.de.
Furthermore, "The Circle Shuts" will come with a big surprise for all longtime Squealer fans. Stay tuned for further information.

RATT TO THE UK AND EUROPE:
Ratt brings 25th Anniversary Tour To Ireland, England, Sweden and Spain! We look forward to connecting again with all of our fans on the other side of the pond! See you in May!
5/30 - Sheffield-Corporation
5/31 - Nottingham-Rock city
6/1 - Belfast-Spring & Airbrake
6/3 - Dudley-JB's
6/4 - London Astoria 2
6/5 - Leeds-Rio's
6/7- Sweden-Sweden Rock Festival
6/9 - Bilbao-Rock Star Live
6/10 -Barcelona- Razzmatazz

ECLIPSE ANNOUNCE NEW DRUMMER:
"Since the departure of former drummer Magnus Ulfstedt in late 2006 the drum spot in Eclipse has been empty. Until now when the young gun Mr Robert Bäck from Falun, Sweden stepped in for an audition and totally blew our heads away with his talent. He is one of Sweden´s best kept secrets but we can promise that you´ll hear much more from him in the future. His playing sounds like a combination of all our favourite drummers. Tight, heavy, technical and very musical.
We welcome him warmly to the Eclipse family and we are very eager to present this new leathal combination along with our upcoming next album for you soon. Check out www.myspace.com/eclipsemania for more info."

MANCHESTER LAUNCHES FIRST CLASSIC ROCK STATION:
UK reader Chris Clark was kind enough to send in this report from the recent launch of Greater Manchester's first classic rock music station. This is what Chris had to say:

"Just like to say a big thank you for the news last week regarding the free launch show for the new classic rock radio station in Manchester. Living about 40 miles outside of Manchester, I knew nothing of this until I read about it on melodicrock.com. Anyway I went to Manchester in the afternoon for a spot of shopping and then went to the free gig and got there in time for Lets Zep and stayed until two songs into Bad Company's set. Had to leave to go to the stock car racing which was also on that evening down the road in Manchester.
Lets Zep were good, Salford Jets were also good for old rockers reliving their youth. But Gun were absolutely fantastic, and they nearly shock the place to the ground. Toby Jepson fitted in real well and got the entire crowd going and got them all to join in singing and clapping. Forgot how many Gun tracks I actually still knew after all this time.
Bad Company musically were ok, but sadly the singer had come down with flu, so bless him, he tried to sing but simply was not able to do so properly which was a shame, so it was kind of Bad Company without vocals. Harry James got a big "Harry, harry, harry" chanting when they introduced him.
The day looked to be a complete success and there was maybe 4000 – 5000 people packed in to watch the concert and they even had a big screen TV up showing the gig for all to see."
And for the record - Gun's set list was: Better Days, Welcome To The Real World, Don't Say Its Over, Taking On The World, Steal Your Fire, Word Up, Shame On You.
Gun will next play the "T in the Park" music festival in Scotland, appearing on Saturday July 12.
NewsLink: www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1048298_rocking_for_radio_revolution_

OPPORTUNITY FOR UNSIGNED BANDS:
An interesting update here for unsigned bands, coming from of all places, Clear Channel radio in the USA:
Have you ever wanted to hear your music on the radio? Here is your chance!
By submitting to NEW!, your music could possibly be played on air! In addition, you could be exposed to more than 10 MILLION PEOPLE PER MONTH on nearly 400 radio station web sites across the country! Are you unsigned and ready to shine? Complete the form below!
See Details at: www.clearchannelmusic.com/cc-common/artist_submission/.

MELODIC BRIEFS:
Ted Poley has a tour update to pass on: "I have added a special solo date to my South American Solo Tour in Lima Peru on May 14th at Discoteca Etheria Calle Ucello 220, Al Costado De Wong De San Borja."

Interesting that Lou Gramm Band guitarist Don Mancuso mentions this week that Lou's new solo CD will be a Christian Rock disc. I hadn't picked up on that fact before. I'm looking forward to hearing what the great man can deliver in 2008. Keep up to date at: www.lougramm.com.

Lightning Strikes Again, the new Dokken album due in the USA on Tuesday, May 13 on Rhino Records, has been posted in it's entirety for stream on VH1's THE LEAK website. To listen to the album in it's entirety, go to: www.vh1.com/artists/az/dokken/2074386/album.jhtml.
Additionally, vocalist Don Dokken will be a special live guest of The Classic Metal Show on Saturday, May 10th to talk about the release of Lightning Strikes Again. Chuck Billy from Testament will also be appearing on the show. For more information or to listen online to the broadcast, go to www.theclassicmetalshow.com beginning at 9pm EST on Saturday, May 10.

DAVID GILMOUR LIVE ALBUM DUE:
David Gilmour has announced the release of Live In Gdañsk in September, 2008 on Columbia Records. The album was recorded during the last concert of Gilmour's 2006 summer tour, which was held in front of 50,000 people at the shipyards in Gdañsk, Poland. The concert was the only occasion on which Gilmour performed the tour material with an orchestra, using the 40-strong string section of the Polish Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Zbigniew Preisner, who was responsible for On An Island album's orchestral arrangements.
Other unique features of the show included the special 6-screen design, created by lightmeister Marc Brickman to allow each band member his own dedicated screen for the edification of the audience; the performance of "A Great Day For Freedom" with the orchestral arrangement of the late Michael Kamen, and a guest appearance by prominent Polish pianist Leszek Mozdzer, who reprised his piano part from On An Island's "A Pocketful Of Stones".
David Gilmour's most recent offering, On An Island, was multi-platinum around the world, hitting number 1 in Europe, number 1 in the UK and number 6 in the U.S. Best known as guitarist, vocalist and writer with Pink Floyd, Gilmour is also renowned for his solo work and collaborations with other artists including Kate Bush, Paul McCartney and Pete Townshend.
David Gilmour Official Website: www.davidgilmour.com.

CD SHOWCASE UPDATED:
New Showcases have been added for: Overland (Escape Music, due May 21); and Mattson, George Bellas & Emire Hot (all Lion Music, all out now). Check them out now.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

TESLA "COMIN' ATCHA LIVE! 2008" DVD SET FOR RELEASE:
May 5, 2008 -- After 25 years, 12 albums, over 2,500 shows, over 16 million albums sold worldwide, Tesla is stronger than ever.
Continuing on that momentum, Tesla--Jeff Keith (vocals), Frank Hannon (guitars), Brian Wheat (bass), Troy Luccketta (drums) and Dave Rude (guitar)­will release their third DVD, Comin' Atcha Live! 2008, on June 24 on the band's Tesla Electric Company Recordings label (in partnership with Ryko Distribution).
"This DVD marks a new era creatively for Tesla because we put it all together ourselves, capturing the band's concert and life on the road," says lead guitarist Frank Hannon. "Nowadays, we are more involved in every aspect of our music career than ever before. We are very excited about the creative results and it really shows in the new DVD."
It's Tesla's first DVD in 17 years (since 1991's Five Man Video Band) and is filled with over two hours of live music, over an hour of special behind-the-scenes footage and never-before-seen material, including footage of Tesla interacting with fans, giving viewers a personal tour of Seattle, and an up-close look at their touring equipment and guitars.
Comin' Atcha Live! 2008 also marks the world premiere of "Dear Pvt. Ledbetter," a new song written in honor of the troops from the band's forthcoming album, which is currently being recorded at bassist Brian Wheat's studio, J Street Recorders with producer Terry Thomas (who was behind the boards on the band's 1994 Bust A Nut album) and will be released this September. More details to be announced in the coming weeks.
The DVD was filmed at the Myth Nightclub in Maplewood, Minnesota on February 22. At the sold-out show, Tesla treated fans to numerous classics such as "What You Give," "Signs," "Modern Day Cowboy," "Love Song" and "Little Suzi."
Tesla has been non-stop touring all around the world the past 12 months in support of their two-disc critically acclaimed Real To Reel covers album. After taking their current hiatus from the road to record the new album of all original material, they're getting right back out on the concert trail. Their 2008 worldwide tour starts June 6 in Solvesborg, Sweden at the Sweden Rock Festival. After the European dates conclude on June 27, they'll start a U.S. trek on July 12, lasting throughout the summer and well into the fall. Their summer trek includes a stop in Pryor, OK on July 13 as part of Rocklahoma.
Here are the current tour dates. Fans should stay tuned to the band's official website and MySpace page (see addresses below) for more dates which will be added in the coming weeks.
Fri 6/6 Solvesborg, Sweden Sweden Rock Festival
Sat 6/7 Copenhagen, Denmark Vega
Tue 6/10 Prattein, Switzerland Z7
Wed 6/11 Ludwigsburg, Germany Rockfabrik
Fri 6/13 Berlin, Germany Columbia Club
Sat 6/14 Essen, Germany Weststadthalle
Mon 6/16 Dudley, England JB's Club
Tue 6/17 Leeds, England Rio's
Thu 6/19 Sheffield, England Corporation
Sat 6/21 Bilboa, Spain Kobeta Sonic Festival
Sun 6/22 Zaragoza, Spin Oasis
Tue 6/24 Paris, France Trabendo
Wed 6/25 Zoetermeer, Netherlands De Boerderij
Fri 6/27 Dessel, Belgium Graspop Metal Meeting
Sat 7/12 Boerne, TX South Texas Rockfest
Sun 7/13 Pryor, OK Rocklahoma
Sat 7/19 Waukesha, WI Waukesha County Fair
Sun 7/20 Cadott, WI Chippewa Valley Rock Fest
WebLinks: www.teslatheband.com / www.myspace.com/teslatheband.

MOTLEY CRUE'S LA UPDATE:
An update to the Motley Crue Saints Of Los Angeles album track listing, is as follows: 1. L.A.M.F., 2. Face Down In The Dirt, 3. What's It Gonna Take, 4. Down At The Whisky, 5. Saints Of Los Angeles, 6. Mutherfucker Of The Year, 7. The Animal In Me, 8. Welcome To The Machine, 9. Just Another Psycho, 10. Chicks = Trouble, 11. This Ain't A Love Song, 12. White Trash Circus, 13. Goin' Out Swingin'.

HAREM SCAREM DELIVER HOPE TO FANS:
Harem Scarem's new album is finished and will be titled Hope. The album of 10 brand new studio tracks will be released in the next few months and you can expect a press release on the album anytime now...It is the band's last planned release after announcing their split last year.

GLOBAL WARNING LANDS MAY 6 BY JON OLIVA'S PAIN:
New York, NY (May 5, 2008)—Locomotive Records will unleash an important Global Warning by Jon Oliva's Pain on May 6.
Oliva—singer/songwriter/guitarist/bassist/drummer/keyboardist—contents himself by just singing and adding some keyboard flourishes on this, the band's third album. The band—drummer Christopher Kinder, bassist Kevin Rothney, guitarist Matt LaPorte and keyboardist John Zahner—smokes through 13 toxic cuts of metallic Hard Rock, sure to please fans of Doctor Butcher, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Circle II Circle, Jon Oliva's Pain and Savatage (the bands Oliva's played in during the course of his legendary career).
He's been warming down in Florida writing this material and fine-tuning it, overcoming an obstacle that would have withered mere mortals: the death of engineer/co-producer Greg "Super G" Marchak. Oliva, who had already survived the 1993 death of his guitarist brother Criss (with whom he formed Savatage) marched on, teaming up with engineers Tom and Jim Morris from Morrisound Studios in Tampa.
As with the last album, Maniacal Renderings, several of the new songs are from tapes that Jon's wife found in an old shoebox. "The new album is like a buffet," says Jon. "There will be something for everyone."
"No More Saturday Nights" was originally supposed to be a Savatage song. Now, it's a bonus track for the limited edition of this CD.
Much of the material hearkens back to his Gutter Ballet and Streets eras. From the distorted vocals of "Master" to the complexity of the breathtaking "Firefly," Oliva, on Global Warning, has fashioned a Metal gem, one you would only expect from the man known as "The Mountain King" himself!
Tracks: 1) Global Warning, 2) Look At The World, 3) Adding The Cost, 4) Before I Hang, 5) Firefly, 6) Master, 7) The Ride, 8) O To G, 9) Walk Upon Water, 10) Stories, 11) Open Your Eyes, 12) You Never Know, 13) Someone/Souls.

SWEET SAVAGE RETURNS:
The greatest of all blonde glam melodic bands of the 80's, were Sweet Savage, and they are currently reforming with prospects of a Rocklahoma spot (in July), European dates, and an album of tunes that prove they should have been up there with the Poison and Warrants' of this world.
The band Joey C Jones (GloryHounds, CCDeville, Rick Nielsen ,Robin Zander) on lead vocals, Chris Sheridan guitars, Laine Sheridan bass, and Randy St John, came out at the same time as Poison but were mainly mid west based and despite a huge following and turning down the Enigma Records deal that Poison eventually took, proving major deals were not the problem; only they were too good for LA!
They've now secured promotion with glam guru Kelv Hellrazer, who has been helping Joey C Jones prior to this project, (with his latest cd release "Melodies For The Masses-Best of Vol1" available on CD Baby and iTunes)
WebLink: www.myspace.com/sweetsavagetunes / www.myspace.com/joeycjones.

MELODIC BRIEFS:
Syrym is a new hard rock band hailing from California's San Francisco Bay Area. Formed at the end of 2007 by Babylon A.D. founding member/guitarist Ron Freschi and vocalist Jeffrey Winslow, Syrym is a throwback to a time when bone-crushing riffs and huge melodic hooks ruled the day. The band's debut album is slated for release Summer 2008. WebLink: www.syrym.com.

MelodicDownloads.com have signed an agreement with Avenue Of Allies Music, and therefore have the great new Frozen Rain CD available for digital download purchase right now. www.melodicdownloads.com.

Yes drummer Alan White lives in Seattle and is having a fundraising concert on May 9 that includes touring members of Queen and Jeff Scott Soto on vocals. Fans can take advantage of a rare US appearance from JSS by checking out: www.yelp.com/events/seattle-the-white-sox---members-of-yes-queen-journey.

Official tour dates are finally online (again) for the upcoming Cinderella, Warrant, Lynch Mob & Lynam US Tour: www.cinderella.net/08_index.html.

Graham Bonnet can be found on MySpace at: www.myspace.com/grahambonnetofficialmyspace.

Billy Idol tour updates online now at: www.myspace.com/billyidol.

StoneLake have another video for fans to check out - this time the metal power ballad (Tonight) You're Beyond The Shadows:


Shooting Star have a brand new song and video on YouTube - the re-recording of the new single George's Song featuring new vocalist Ronnie Platt can be viewed by checking out: www.youtube.com/shootingstarband or clicking below.


BURN TO HEAT UP HAIRSPRAY HEAVEN SHOW:
British Melodic Hard Rock band Burn will be be featuring in a special edition of Chris Nelson's Hairspray Heaven Show on www.rock247online.co.uk on Saturday May 10 (1700hrs BST). Original band members, Jeff Ogden and Barney Stackhouse, will be appearing live in the studio and will be picking the tracklisting for the show, which will include a number of classic rock tracks that have influenced the band over the years. Chris will also be featuring tracks from Burn's comeback album, Global Warning, which has gained tremendous reviews from around the world and is now available globally on Formula One Records.
Chris chose the track 'Pray For Rain', from 'Global Warning', as his favourite song of 2007. BURN are also making a rare live appearance in the UK at Nuneaton Queen's Hall on Saturday May 17.
WebLinks: www.burn.uk.com / www.myspace.com/burnuk.

SINNER ANNOUNCE PRE-RELEASE SHOW ON MAY 30 IN HAMBURG WITH ROSS THE BOSS:
After spending a couple of weeks in the studio recording their new album Crash & Burn (to be released on Sept 19 via AFM), German rock veterans Sinner need to get out - for some noise, lights and ROCK!
They will play a special pre-release show on May 30 at Headbanger's Ballroom in Hamburg. This is where a pre-listening session for the new album will be held during the day for international media. The concert is, of course, open to the public! Expect some surprises in the set…
Also on the bill will be label mate Ross The Boss of Manowar fame, who will release his CD New Metal Leader at the end of August.
Sinner + Ross The Boss / 30.05. D-Hamburg, Headbanger's Ballroom.

DOUG ALDRICH INTERVIEWED ON WOOZYFLY:
Doug Aldrich recently stopped by the Woozyfly.com metal compound to discuss all things metal. Doug and Buckshot chatted about the upcoming Whitesnake release, touring this summer, Doug's all time memorable moment in rock, working with Dio and plans for the future.
You can check out the interview with Doug Aldrich on Buckshot's Bonanza on Woozyfly.com at www.woozyfly.com/buckshotsbonanza.

TACERE IS SEARCHING FOR A NEW SINGER AND STARTS RECORDING 2ND ALBUM:
Finnish melodic metal band Tacere and singer Helena Haaparanta have gone their separate ways. Helena is not a part of Tacere anymore due to personal reasons that have nothing to do with the band itself or its music. Because of this Tacere is now looking for a new female singer to fill the position left open by Helena. The application process is open for anyone, and more information about how to apply for the position can be received by sending e-mail to taceresinger@gmail.com.
The band has also announced that despite of the vocalist situation, the recordings of their new (2nd) album will start at the end of May this year at Astia-Studio, Lappeenranta, Finland. The recording sessions will continue until late in the autumn in several different locations and the album will be produced by the band's front man Karri Knuuttila together with producer guru Anssi Kippo who is known for his groundbreaking work with bands such as Children of Bodom. The album will feature 12 new songs with massive orchestrations.
WebLink: www.myspace.com/tacere.

Monday, May 05, 2008

NEW BOSTON CD WILL INCLUDE CORPORATE AMERICA MATERIAL:
Comments that are bound to raise the eyebrow's of Boston fans came from Tom Scholz last Friday, interviewed by Billboard.com. Seems the ill-fated Corporate American album isn't entirely dead:
"Boston leader Tom Scholz tells Billboard.com he hopes to finish recording the band's next studio album after its summer tour and have it out "just after the first of the year."
Scholz says the album -- Boston's first since 2002's "Corporate America" -- is a mix of "really straightforward rock 'n' roll songs and some things that are pretty esoteric.
"When I first started," he continues, "I was doing music that had pretty simple themes. Then as I got into 'Third Stage' and 'Walk On' I got a little more technical and a little more involved, more complicated. In this one I'm trying to do both."
The new album will also include several songs from "Corporate America" that Scholz is remixing, rearranging and, in some cases, completely re-recording -- including the title track, "You Gave Up on Love" and "Someone."
"'Corporate America' was a really poor seller," Scholz acknowledges. "Very few people have heard it. I'd like to give some of these songs another chance to be heard."
Brad Delp, whose 2007 suicide "completely derailed" Scholz, appears on a couple of tracks on the new album. Scholz says he felt "very weird" about playing Boston music without Delp at a tribute show last August, but has grown more comfortable with the idea during rehearsals for the summer tour with former Stryper singer Michael Sweet and Tommy DeCarlo, a fan Scholz discovered via a Delp tribute DeCarlo posted to YouTube.
"Brad was the most amazing musician [and] singer I've ever known. There's nobody on the face of this Earth that could replace him and do what he did," Scholz says. "But I have to say that these two guys, Michael and Tommy, do a really impressive job of performing these songs live.
"So it seemed wrong not to take it back out, and there were an awful lot of people out there that don't want to hear Boston go away," he adds. Boston's tour kicks off June 6 in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Scholz has prepared a revised version of the group's "Greatest Hits" album to coincide with the tour.
WebLink: www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003798064.
- Has anyone suggested to Tom that the reason Corporate America didn't sell very well is because fans didn't like it?

CARL DIXON SENDS A MESSAGE TO FANS:
More news for anxious Carl Dixon fans via this update from wife Betty:
A Note from Carl through Betty....
Hello everyone. I've been reading Carl your messages over the last couple of days and he has listened, smiled and at times been overwhelmed. Today I asked him if he felt ready to send a message to all of these wonderful people. This is what he said.

"To my family, relatives, friends and loved ones of all stripes, I lie here in a hospital bed in Melbourne Australia for almost the third week running following the worst accident in my life. Today I asked for a list of my injuries and was startled to see how bad it looked on paper. They are as follows: head injury consisting of haemorrhage and cerebral oedema, right orbital wall fracture and sever trauma to the globe, fractured right C7 vertebrae, right pulmonary contusion, liver lacerations, pancreatic duodenum, right fractured femur, left fractured tibia, right fractured forearm bones, right open knee, multiple facial lacerations, broken right finger, broken left toe, and over 150 external stitches and staples. And yet, as I sit here today April 30, 2008, I feel like the luckiest man on earth. I've now been blessed with the knowledge during my lifetime of an enormous amount of goodwill from the people around me. There has been a huge learning experience for me in dealing with this crisis and in feeling the love around me that has brought me through it. I have many people to thank and will do so on an ongoing basis but first I must give thanks to my wife Betty and my daughters Carlin and Lauren for bravely rallying around me when I needed them most. The friends and relations who have stepped up at this time are too numerous to count, and their good wishes all shine. Please know that I'm working hard to get back on my feet and share the joy of music and the joy of life with all of you again. I will begin to post my own news now that I'm back and well enough to do so. Blessings on you all, Carl."

Please continue to check in on the site and continue posting your messages. The energy from your thoughts, prayers and good wishes have created a ripple effect of good feelings. An emotional connection has been generated, and it all radiates from Carl.
I remain ever grateful to you all for your kindness and support, Betty."

And this update from Toronto Sun newspaper on Friday May 2: www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/Bonokoski_Mark/2008/05/02/5450516-sun.php.

CHRIS FRANCIS LEAVES TEN:
After a six year stint with celebrated British melodic rockers Ten, lead guitarist Chris Francis has made the decision to move on. Chris played on four of the band's albums, as well as three albums by lead singer/ songwriter Gary Hughes, and appeared live with the band at such memorable shows as The Gods 2002 and Atarfe Vega Rock 2006. He had these words to say: "I'd like to thank Gary and the boys and wish them well for the future of Ten."
Already with two solo albums to his name (2001's Chris Francis and' 2006's Studs n' Sisters), Chris has been writing material for a new project and is currently on the look out for a vocalist. He will also be looking to remain active as a studio and live guitarist and can be contacted through chris@chrisfrancis.net.

ROCK FEST 2008 IN CADOTT WISCONSIN...PRESS RELEASE:
Rock Fest 2008 Lineup:
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Vic Ferrari, Trixter, Poison, Boston
Friday, July 18, 2008
Catchpenny, Cowboy Mouth, Jackyl, Puddle of Mudd, Three Days Grace, Godsmack
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Grid Lock, Big Deeks, Plain White T's, Switchfoot, Live, Goo Goo Dolls, Stone Temple Pilots
Sunday, July 20, 2008
M!SS Crazy, Ligion, Flyleaf, Tesla, The Wallflowers, Matchbox Twenty

All tickets and Camping are on sale now at the early bird prices. Order before May 7th and save! You can order on our Website at: www.rock-fest.com or call our office at 1-800-326-3378. Artists, dates and times subject to change without notice. Check out the rest of our lineup to date on our website at: www.rock-fest.com.

STEEVI JAIMZ SIGNS NEW MANAGEMENT DEAL:
STEEVI JAIMZ has just signed a new management deal with Rock-it Management, who also handle Norwegian glamsters WIG WAM.
Steevi says: "We are very happy to announce that we can now concentrate on the release and promotion of the new record tentatively titled My Private Hell. The new record is in the final stages of recording and will be mixed at the end of the month at Polar Studios Stockholm, Sweden (Abba, Led Zeppelin, Scorpions). It will be mixed and produced by the now legendary Chris Laney.
I'm really excited about the album. People will finally get to hear what myself, Chris Laney and Anders Ringman have been working on for the last coupla' years. All but one of the tunes on the record are collaborations with Chris and Anders. The other being a Laney/ Ryan Roxie (Alice Cooper, Slash's Snakepit) written tune.
Lack of industry support has continued to delay the release of this composition, but with the support of Rock It Management, I am now in a position to unleash My Private Hell to a wealth of anticipating fans around the Summer of 2008. I am very proud of the work we have produced, so far, to this CD. It is by far the best material I have ever been involved with or released, period! Its a Fukkin' Monster!!"
WebLink: www.myspace.com/steevijaimzband / www.steevijaimz.com.

BLESSFEST VI FESTIVAL IN JUNE:
Neon Cross and Recon are among the confirmed bands for the Blessfest VI festival, set to take place June 28, 2008 at the Aletheia Christian Fellowship in Wildomar, California.
The annual festival has been steadily growing over the past five years. But this sixth installment is going to be the biggest yet, and most of all it's FREE.
'80s Christian metal rockers Neon Cross will perform some brand new material that they are working on for their new release. Also, special guests Recon will play a FULL set — their first with original vocalist Vett Roberts in nearly ten years! They will also play some new material that they are currently working on for their new as-yet-untitled release.
Roxx Records recording artists Stricken will play material from their debut self-titled CD. Newcomers Broad Awake will open the show.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/roxxproductions.

Friday, May 02, 2008

HAREM SCAREM - THE MELODIC EP AVAILABLE NEXT WEEK:
The Harem Scarem MelodicRock EP will be available right here for sale via Digital Download, next week. The tracks will be available in highest quality MP3 (and FLAC files on demand), plus full front and back cover art thanks to the always brilliant Dan Friml (Harem's webmaster extraordinaire).
The track listing is: Caught Up In Your World (from Human Nature) / Coming Down (from Rubber) / Honestly (from Harem Scarem) / Human Nature (from Human Nature) / If There Was A Time (from Mood Swings).


GRAHAM BONNET AND ERIC RAGNO TALK CANCELLATIONS:
There was recently an announcement of the cancellation of Russian tour dates by Graham Bonnet with the Taz Taylor Band. The announcements put the blame squarely on Graham, but now....Graham has responded to all and exclusively for melodicrock.com, keyboard player Eric Ragno (touring with Graham) also reports back on what happened.
First to Graham:
The following is a personal statement from Graham Bonnet regarding the recent Russian show cancellations with the Taz Taylor Band.
"There's some speculation that the shows in Russia with the Taz Taylor Band were cancelled purely because of my unwillingness to perform. This isn't quite true, the reason for the cancellation was that we'd recently performed in Europe and the fees I'd negotiated and expected were not honoured. I actually lost money on the tour as my modest outgoings were far greater than my final paycheck. Regardless of our professions, we all work to make a living and get by in the world. I don't know of anyone who would in effect work for free or even more bizarrely, pay to work...
I'd like to apologize to all my Russian fans for the cancellation, I hope they understand, and I'll see them on the Graham Bonnet tour in Russia this June."


And Eric Ragno:
"Hey Andrew, thanks for checking in. There has been a bit of conjecture this week about why the Russian dates were not honored, and I have read some disparaging things about both the Taz Taylor band and Graham Bonnet himself, which really upset me. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to help clear this up. This tour was remarkable in a lot of ways, and the European fans are amazing! The Taz Taylor set was built around Graham's extensive songbook, while also promoting the new album which Graham had been hired to sing on. The stacks of records, CD's, pictures, etc. that people brought to have signed each night is a real testament to the man's achievements.
Simply put, the tour suffered from poor promotion (no radio, no magazines), and financial commitments that were not met. This affected everyone, including the band (who invested their own money and organized the tour themselves) as well as Graham & myself, who were hired by the band to do this tour. Everyone lost money in this venture, and while some folks have day jobs where they can hopefully recoup these losses, for some this IS our day job. For anyone who loses money after three weeks of work, you might not go right back without at least a discussion and some assurances.
But leaving that for a moment...The Russian dates were always a question mark. I was told by the band that the week-long trip wouldn't be financially viable unless there were at least three dates confirmed. With only one date on the books (and confirmation that another promoter was trying to edge us out by booking Graham solo that same week!), we were told that the trip looked bleak. With this news, Graham & I started separately planning work for when we got home, to help recoup our losses.
After two days in the States, I got word (randomly, from a different Russian promoter no less) that a second date was added. I informed the band, almost laughing about it - just two dates? We were literally the last to know. Anyway, the guys e-mailed me immediately that - a) we would be leaving in a week for Russia, b) tickets were to be bought tomorrow, and c) the financial guarantee might not be a guarantee.
I spoke with Graham, who shared some obvious concerns - and we both had scheduled paying sessions to make up for our losses. I e-mailed the band that same afternoon to please call me right away to discuss this before moving forward. Graham finally reached them the following morning and expressed his concerns, which led to the cancellation of these two dates.
All in all, the European tour was a real blast! I was honored to be playing these classic songs with the man who defined them all. There is footage out there that is slowly making its way to You Tube, as well as some pro video that I hope to see soon. I've posted some pics on my site, along with some You Tube video. There were some great highs and some unfortunate lows, and I wish everyone only the best.
In the meantime I am looking forward to new releases this month from Tony Mills & Michael Bormann, who both brought me on to do keyboards for their new albums. I've resumed work on the Los Angeles record, which will blow people away! And I'm proud to say that the China Blue album was submitted to Frontiers right before I went on tour - that was a real milestone for me, and I'm proud to be working with Serafino, Mario & Ron Vining on this album, mixed by the phenomenal JK Northrup! More to follow, E."

GLENN HUGHES PODCAST AVAILABLE:
News from the good folks at the Glenn Hughes website GHPG -
"The fifth edition of the Glenn Hughes Coast To Coast Podcast is now ready for your listening pleasure! Included is an exclusive audio interview with GLENN. He talks about his Summer 2008 Tour of Europe and the rest of the world, new band personnel, plus a song by song rundown from his new album, First Underground Nuclear Kitchen, news of his soon to be published biography and a whole lot more!
Run-time is just over an hour! To listen, point your web browser to: www.ghpg.net/ctc/podcast/ghctcpodcastno5.mp3 (45MB) or if you have Apple's iTunes installed, you'll find us in their Podcast Directory at: phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=147757011.

HARDREAMS SIGN WITH PERRIS RECORDS:
Press Release / "As we said a few time ago, things have happened so quickly that now we can already announce that our new album will be released May 20 through the American label Perris Records, for worldwide distribution. The final title of this second album is The Road Goes On and it includes the following tracks: 1. Apologies 2. Bad times are gone 3. Rebel Heart 4. My Last Desire 5. Little Sinner Queen 6. We are one 7. Too late 8. Someday Somewhere 9. I'll say bye tonight 10. Two shots 11. The road goes on. More information at: www.myspace.com/hardreams.


NO STONE UNTURNED FOR CHICAGO:
Press Release / LOS ANGELES - In his book, The Greatest Music Never Sold, author Dan Leroy writes about the Stone Of Sisyphus, the great 'lost' Chicago album. Recorded in 1993 and produced by Peter Wolf, Sisyphus became a cult record immediately after Warner Bros. refused to release it because it wasn't the Chicago record that was expected. Knowing what they had created and not willing to compromise, the band left Warner Bros. and took the album with them.
Now, 15 years later, on June 17, this 11-song album with four bonus tracks will finally be available from Rhino Records at all physical and digital outlets, including www.rhino.com, for a suggested list price of $18.98 for CD and $9.99 for download.
Powered by Chicago's celebrated horn section, the tracks on SISYPHUS have bite, power and swing, and the 'fire in the belly' that one associates usually with debut albums. The songs touch on a wide range of styles and moods including the energetic horn-driven title track, "Stone Of Sisyphus," the cool funk groove of "Mah-Jong," the anti-corporate rock broadside "Plaid," the touching emotional lyrics of "Pull" and Robert Lamm's rap on "Sleeping In The Middle Of The Bed." "Bigger Than Elvis" features contributions from musicians who worked with "The King" himself, including The Jordinaires and Jerry Scheff (father of Chicago bassist Jason Scheff).
"We wrote songs that were more experimental, songs that were more daring in terms of musical direction and chord construction, more than anything," remembers James Pankow, whose innovative horn charts had been an integral part of Chicago's distinctive sound from the start. "We got into really feeling our oats in terms of being the voice of Chicago again. It had been a long time since we had made a record like that."
Looking back, the band members wish they had found a way to release Sisyphus sooner, but there is intense pride in having stood up for their creativity integrity - a Chicago trademark. While Sisyphus became an underground classic, widely bootlegged by fans, Chicago continued to defy music business conventions by forming their own record company, and recording hugely successful big band and holiday records before it was the fashion.
To date, Chicago's remarkable achievements include a Grammy Award, record sales that exceed 100,000,000, including 21 Top 10 singles, five consecutive Number One albums, five Number One singles, 13 platinum albums and five gold singles. An incredible 25 of their 30 albums have been certified platinum, and Chicago is the first American band to chart Top 40 albums in five decades.
Chicago XXXII: STONE OF SISYPHUS Track Listing: 1. "Stone Of Sisyphus", 2. "Bigger Than Elvis", 3. "All The Years", 4. "Mah-Jong", 5. "Sleeping In The Middle Of The Bed", 6. "Let's Take A Lifetime", 7. "The Pull", 8. "Here With Me (A Candle For The Dark)", 9. "Plaid", 10. "Cry For The Lost", 11. "The Show Must Go On", Bonus Tracks: 12. Love Is Forever (Demo), 13. Mah-Jong (Demo), 14. Let's Take A Lifetime (Demo), 15. Stone Of Sisyphus (No Rhythm Loop).

MR-X UPDATE:
MR-X has been updated as per usual. Online this week is a new Feature Album - Tower City's A Little Bit Of Fire. Also online is two recent Rockline Radio Interviews, featuring the always fabulous Steve Lukather and also Fleetwood Mac's Lindsay Buckingham.
And the following new Video Clips are online: Wrathchild - Nukklear Rokket, Nuclear Assault - Brainwashed, Bulletboys - Smooth Up In Ya and Graham Bonnet - Night Games.
MR-X Membership Details.

REVIEWS UPDATED:
Just one new Review online today - but a big one - Def Leppard's new opus Songs From The Sparkle Lounge. Read the review.

I'll open up the Review online early next week for your opinions. Get them ready...

Thursday, May 01, 2008

ESCAPE MUSIC ANNOUNCE MORE POLUTION:
Escape Music would like to announce their next scheduled release - it is the band Polution and their album Overheated.
Polution was founded in 1997 and has been playing in today's music scene since 2005. The band are used to playing their music in various `rock-cellars` right up to renowned clubs such as the Rohstofflager in Zurich, the Treibhaus in Lucerne or the Transsilvania in Erstfeld. Polution have acted as support for bands such as Krokus, Sideburn and John Coghlan (formerly of Status Quo). Being placed third at the Emergenza Bandcontest `06 in Zurich currently ranks among the band's greatest success story.
While originally having focused on cover-versions of bands like AC/DC, Metallica and Motörhead, the band has started to continually include more and more of their own songs into their repertoire. They have developed a style based on supportive melodies and hard guitar riffs. This music style has gained large approval amongst listeners and has gained them a following beyond the local area for their outstanding instrumental communication on stage.
In spring 2007, Polution took the chance and ventured into producing a CD at the New Sound Studio. The recording is produced and engineered by Tommy Vetterli at NewSoundStudio, Switzerland. Tommy was a founder of trash-metal-band Coroner in the 80's as their guitarist, and has since started as a music producer for bands like Gotthard, Pure Inc., PX-Pain, Backwash, much much more.
The debut CD by Polution is full of great catchy songs with an energetic sound, anyone who likes the music of AC/DC, Airborne and Krokus should look no further than these boys. Guaranteed to stop you in your tracks, this is a monster of a recording and is bound to set pulses racing when it is released....watch this space...

Released - June 20. Track List: 1 - Reality 2 - Hard Work 3 - Overheated 4 - Same 5 - Love It Or Hate It 6 - Don't Know 7 - Paid Soul 8 - Obsessed 9 - Going Down 10 - Sweet Little Girl 11 - Wicked Moment 12 - Creation Of Hate 13 - Five Years (bonus track with first pressing) only!!
Line-Up: Marcel – Lead guitar, Andreas Bass Guitar, Armin – Drums, Pascal - Vocals, Matthias – Rhythm Guitar.

And here is an exclusive full track download Overheated for melodicrock.com - Download: Polution - Overheated. (wma file)

xx

DAVE BICKLER JOINS JIM PETERIK ON STAGE:
Jim Peterik has just stepped off the stage in Chicago after shooting a special Sound Stage performance with the World Stage Band. Full details to follow tomorrow. But joining Jim on stage for the Survivor song Summer Nights was none other than original Survivor vocalist Dave Bickler. More soon...

WHITESNAKE'S GOOD CHART RESULTS:
SPV are pleased to announce the following first week chart-entries for Whitesnake's Good To Be Bad opus:
Norway: # 5, Finland: # 5, Germany: # 6, UK: # 7, Sweden: # 10, Austria: # 11, Switzerland: # 15, Denmark: # 18, Canada: # 23, Czech Republic: # 27, Holland: # 33, Italy: # 57, France: # 69, US: # 70.
And here's the new video: www.youtube.com/spv.

TONY MILLS LIVE ON ARFM:
Tony Mills will be joining Steve Price Show on ARfm this coming Saturday (3rd May 6pm UK time) to chat about his forthcoming solo album Vital Design which is released on 26th May worldwide.
To listen to ARfm go to: www.arfm.co.uk.

2ND ANNUAL BAY AREA ROCK FEST NEWS:
Bay Area Rock Promotions is pleased to announce the 2nd annual Bay Area Rock Festival at the Independent in San Francisco on June 27 and 28, 2008. Liquid Tension Experiment and Jeff Scott Soto will headline the premier west coast festival for progressive and melodic music.
In 1998 and 1999, Liquid Tension Experiment released two instrumental albums that set the prog world on fire. The project featured Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci, virtuoso keyboardist Jordan Rudess and bass legend Tony Levin. After the success of the two albums and the project's undeniable chemistry, Rudess was asked to join Dream Theater full-time and the project was put on the shelf for an indefinite hiatus until now! The quartet has reunited to revisit the magical music they created 10 years ago and tap back into their chemistry for a whole new musical experiment. They are closing out their limited tour on Saturday night as the headliner of the festival.
Jeff Scott Soto headlines the first night of the festival, bringing his talented mix of rock, metal and funk back to San Francisco after recently fronting Journey. Joining him onstage for a special guest appearance will be Dave Meniketti and Phil Kennemore from Y&T, as well as Eric Martin.
Returning to the festival for a 2nd year are Bay Area bands Enchant and Zero Hour. Zero Hour is debuting their new album The Dark Deceiver available on Sensory Records. Making their North American debut Saturday night is Netherlands prog metal sensation Sun Caged. The Rocket Scientists with special guest Lana Lane will be appearing on Friday night. Additional bands will be announced at a later date.
Tickets for the festival will be on sale Sunday May 4 at Tickets.com. 2 day discounted festival passes will be available as well as single day tickets. Only 500 tickets will be made available. For more details visit www.bayarearockfest.com or www.independentsf.com.

CLOUDSCAPE ANOUNCE GLOBAL DRAMA:
It's been a long wait for the announcement of release dates and info regarding the third Cloudscape album entitled Global Drama. The original plan was to release the album during spring 2008 but, those plans took a different direction. But, now it's decided that Global Drama will be released during August/September 2008 but, you have to wait a few more days to get the exact release dates and info + sneak peak(s). All details such as release dates and info will be announced at www.cloudscape.se very, very soon.
But, until then you can watch the album cover made by Mattias Norén.
WebLinks: www.cloudscape.se / www.myspace.com/cloudscapemetal.


CONCERTS UNDER THE STARS:
The following show will take place in King Of Prussia, PA over the course of the American summer ahead. Venue: Upper Merion Township Building Park 175 West Valley Forge Rd., King of Prussia, PA 19406 610.265.1071. All concerts are held outdoors. Bring lawn chairs and blankets (beach chairs and blankets only in front of the sound board).
The dates and artists are:
Sunday June 1st - Lauren Hart with Lisa Bouchelle
Sunday June 8th - David Ryan Harris with Mary Scholz
Sunday June 15th - Dan May with Craig Bickhardt
Sunday June 22nd - Jeffrey Gaines with Mike Indeglio
Sunday June 29th - Eric Martin (The Voice of Mr. Big) with Ted Poley (from Danger Danger)
Sunday July 6th - The Mango Men with Next Best Friend
Sunday July 13th - Tony Harnell (Acoustic) with Julius Curcio
Sunday July 20th - The Norristones
Sunday July 27th - Lori McKenna (Trio) with Carolyn Cott
Sunday August 3rd - Kip Winger (Solo) with Dan Rooney
Sunday August 10th - Edwin McCain with The Freddie Long Band
Admission is $10.00 per person. Children ages 16 and under, and adults 62 and over, FREE. This is a NO SMOKING venue. Please do not smoke anywhere in the park. All Concerts Start at 7PM.
WebLink: www.umconcerts.org.

NEIL DIAMOND "THE 'THANK YOU AUSTRALIA' CONCERT LIVE 1976" ON DVD JULY 1:
New York, NY (April 30, 2008)—On July 1, Eagle Rock Entertainment proudly releases the historic, concert event The Thank You Australia Concert Live 1976 DVD [EV30256-9] from the legendary and inimitable songwriter and performer Neil Diamond. Performing to a record-breaking crowd at Sydney's Sports Ground and telecast live to the largest viewer audience in Australian history, Neil Diamond's explosive performance in March of 1976 electrified and mesmerized an entire nation for one amazing night with nearly three hours of phenomenal showmanship and entertainment.
With a stunning set packed with hit singles and classic musical gems this special release DVD captures the magic of this unforgettable concert from a cultural icon and is truly a must have collectible for any music fan. More than thirty years after this remarkable event, Neil Diamond continues to captivate audiences with enduring hits and sold out stadium performances worldwide. Neil Diamond's highly anticipated new studio album, "Home Before Dark", is due in stores May 6, and he will be kicking off a live concert tour in the US later this summer. Neil Diamond's legions of fans are in for a great 2008.
Neil Diamond is an American legend. He is one of the finest, most prolific and successful songwriters of the last forty years as well as being a multi-platinum selling recording artist and one of the most dynamic and consummate live performers of his generation. Everybody knows a Neil Diamond song! His songs have been covered by everyone from Cliff Richard to Elvis; UB40, Urge Overkill, Smashmouth and Frank Sinatra. This concert from the Sydney Sports Stadium was the final show of his Australian New Zealand tour in 1976, an event which marked his comeback to the live stage after a creatively fruitful four year sabbatical from live performance that resulted in the creation of the ground-breaking, Grammy winning album; "Jonathon Livingston Seagull" and the autobiographical album produced by Robbie Robertson of The Band; "Beautiful Noise". Just ten years after Solitary Man rocketed into the charts and introduced us to the musical magic of Neil Diamond; the 1976 tour is still one of the most memorable in Australian history and in The Thank You Australia Concert Live 1976 Neil Diamond delivers the enthralling performance of a consummate showman.
Tracklisting: 1) Missa, 2) Soolaimon, 3) Play Me, 4) Solitary Man, 5) Cherry Cherry, 6) Sweet Caroline, 7) The Last Picasso, 8) Longfellow Serenade, 9) Song Sung Blue, 10) Cracklin' Rosie, 11) Holly Holy, 12) I Am…I Said, 13) Anthem, 14) Be, 15) Dear Father, 16) Skybird, 17) Lonely Looking Sky, 18) Anthem (reprise), 19) Be (reprise), 20) Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show, 21) I've Been This Way Before.
The Thank You Australia Concert Live 1976 is presented with a host of bonus features including priceless moments of entertainment history: Neil Diamond's first ever full length Television interview – an intimate 50 minutes filmed during the March '76 tour; Sponsors' commercials performed live on stage by Neil Diamond himself; David Frost's original TV feature building up to the concert for Channel 9 and a Photo Gallery of previously unreleased images. The telecast of the concert – hosted to thank Australia for their incredible support of the tour - was watched by hundreds of thousands of people via 37 affiliate stations nationwide and broke viewing records. Clocking in at nearly three hours of top quality entertainment The Thank You Australia Concert Live 1976 release is a testament to one of music's most original, successful and enduring stars. The ultimate fan's collector's item, essential viewing.
For more information about Neil Diamond go to www.neildiamond.com.

ERIC CLAPTON & PLANET ROCK NEWS:
With Eric Clapton's up coming concerts at Hard Rock Calling and Harewood House, Planet Rock – the UK's classic rock station is featuring a number of on-air and online specials on this legendary guitarist.
As part of Eric Clapton month, Planet Rock presents an exclusive interview with Eric Clapton. Presented in two parts, the guitar legend will be talking about his life's work as a solo artist and collaborator.
Blues guitarist, Gary Moore will take a look at Eric Clapton's work (TBC). Plus there will be a 'Set List Special' with some greatest live performance captured in one hour special. To compliment the on-air specials, Planet Rock's website will feature an article by rock journalist Hugh Fielder on the musical life of Eric Clapton. There will also be a buyer's guide to Eric's back catalogue and a collector's guide to his memorabilia. Plus there will be a chance to win tickets to his upcoming performances this summer.
Eric Clapton specials: Eric Clapton Solo work (part one) / Sunday 4th May 6pm (UK time) Friday 9th May 6pm repeat
Eric Clapton Live A "Set List" special: some of the best live recordings of Eric Clapton / Sunday 11th May 6pm (UK time) Friday 16th May 6pm repeat
Gary Moore on the Blues of Eric Clapton (TBC) / Sunday 18th May 6pm (UK time) Friday 23rd May 6pm repeat
Eric Clapton Collaboration (part two) / Sunday 25th May 6pm (UK time) Friday 30th May 6pm repeat
For more information visit www.planetrock.com for the latest info.

Speaking of Eric Clapton - recall rumor of his collaboration with Roger Waters? This from The Palm Beach Post: www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/04/23/a2a_josecol_0423.html.
"Classic rockers Roger Waters of Pink Floyd and Eric Clapton just spent a quiet weekend in Palm Beach. No real vacation for them, however. Holed up at the Brazilian Court at times, and often breaking bread at Café Boulud at the hotel, the two were here to record music at the Palm Beach Sound Studios off Blue Heron in Riviera Beach. Waters was spotted carrying a Powerbook as if it were the Ark of the Covenant back and forth to the studio. Waters left Tuesday for concert dates in Brazil, while Slowhand's still here at the Four Seasons. He is rehearsing with his band at the studio for a summer tour that starts in Tampa May 3."

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

FRONTIERS RECORDS - ARTIST & LABEL NEWS:
More chart entries for the brand new Asia album Phoenix! In the week of release "Phoenix" was certified #58 in the German official sales charts and #75 in the official Swiss album charts. Moreover "Phoenix" was certified No. 77 in the Top 200 in the first week of release in the USA. This is Asia 's highest debut in the Soundscan era and the first Frontiers Records production to chart overseas. Congratulations to everyone for the outstanding result!

The production of the second chapter of the popular Place Vendome album, the record that brought back former Helloween singer Michael Kiske to Rock Music, has started under the direction of Dennis Ward (PC 69) at his studio in Karlsdorf, Germany. Ward's Pink Cream 69 bandmate, Kosta Zafiriou and Gunther Werno of Vandenplas will also appear on drums and keyboards respectively. This time the songs have been supplied also by Ronny Milianowicz (Saint Deamon, Primal Fear), Torsti Spoof (Leverage) and Robert Sall (Work Of Art). Track titles include: Surrender Your Soul, Completely Breathless, A Scene In Reply, Dancer, Changes, Believer, Streets of Fire, Follow Me, I'd Die For You, Set Me Free, Valerie. You can expect a follow-up album that will match the brilliance of the debut and will showcase more and more amazing talent in the Melodic Rock world. Frontiers hopes to release the album in late 2008.

Michele Luppi and Fabrizio Grossi started exchanging tapes and ideas to give the Los Angeles project a great follow-up release. Completing the lineup there will be Peter Lobo on drums, Eric Ragno on keyboards, Tommy Denander and Joey Sykes on guitars. The songs completed so far are: Neverland, Nowhere to Hide, Paradise, Passing By, Confessions of a Broken Heart, Promises and Inside. More songs are being written and the guys are planning to record the album during the summer 2008 for a release pencilled in early 2009. Fans can expect a killer Melodic Rock release!

Royal Hunt have posted the updated European tour dates in support of the release of the band's awesome newest studio album Paradox II – Collision Course.
May 7, 2008 Wednesday GR Athens Gagarin 205
May 9, 2008 Friday GR Thessaloniki Mylos Xilourgio
May 10, 2008 Saturday RO Bucharest Club Fabrica
May 11, 2008 Sunday BG Sofia 4km Party Center
May 12, 2008 Monday H Budapest A38
May 13, 2008 Tuesday CH Pratteln (Basel) Z7
May 14, 2008 Wednesday I Bologna Nuovo Sottotetto
May 16, 2008 Friday B Vosselaar Biebob
May 17, 2008 Saturday NL Nieuw Vossemeer Open Air (tent)
May 18, 2008 Sunday NL Weert De Bosuil
May 19, 2008 Monday GB London The Underworld
May 20, 2008 Tuesday E Barcelona La Nau
May 22, 2008 Thursday P Warsaw Progresja Music Club
June 6, 2008 Friday S Solvesborg Open Air Sweden Rock Festival
July 16, 2008 Wednesday DK Sønderborg Mølleparken open air (with Alice Cooper)
July 25, 2008 Friday Portugal Algarve Festival
August 6, 2008 Wednesday DK Copenhagen KB Hallen (with Deep Purple)
August 10, 2008 Sunday DK Odense Arina Fyn (with Deep Purple)

Time for massive improvements in the Frontiers website. A long overdue rework of the video section has been finalized. Now it is possible to tune in and watch all the video clips and screen animations that have been uploaded on the Frontiers Records channel on YouTube. Follow the link and enjoy!
Moreover the Frontiers MySpace site has been recently updated with an extra music player which previews some of the up and coming releases of the label. It is possible to listen, among others, to new songs from Jimi Jamison, From The Inside, Places of Power, Silent Rage and many more! Check it out: www.myspace.com/frontiersrecords.

EXTREME FANS HAVE SPOKEN:
Gary Cherone addresses Extreme fans via the band's website: "And you are right! I apologize to you. Extreme have the most loyal and patient fans on the planet and you deserve an update every once in a while from the band. Is that too much to ask? OK enough with the groveling.
The record is finished except for one lead vocal and a few backgrounds. Nuno is working overtime finishing up the mixes, and believe the hype! These are the best performances of the band... ever!
You're gonna hear everything you expect from Extreme, and everything you don't!
The release of the record will ultimately depend on the label, and what's best for the band. We're working on an American run for mid/late summer. Europe, Japan, and the rest of the world to follow!"

NEW MOTLEY CRUE TRACK LISTING REVEALED:
Amazon.com have listed a tentative track list for the new Motley Crue album Saints Of Los Angeles, which will be due out in June. The songs are:
1. Mother Fucker Of the Year, 2. Down At The Whiskey, 3. Saints of Los Angeles, 4. Face Down In The Dirt, 5. What's It Gonna Take, 6. Chicks = Trouble, 7. White Trash Circus, 8. The Animal In Me, 9. Welcome To The Machine, 10. This Ain't A Love Song, 11. Just Another Psycho.


TRIXTER RE-UNITE ON AIR IN NY:
Reunited US rockers Trixter did their 1st "live radio" interview in over 13 years last night on XM Satellite Radio's Eddie Trunk Live / Boneyard Ch. 41. All original members, Steve Brown, PJ Farley & Mark "Gus" Scott were live in studio with Eddie while lead vocalist, Pete Loran, called in from Phoenix, AZ.
The group was on for nearly 2 hours and talked about the past, present and future plans of the reunited band. The NY XM studio is where radio giants, Opie & Anthony and Ron & Fez do their broadcasts....and yes the Trixter guys got on the infamous Opie & Anthony Stripper pole. Following the Nationwide Uncensored Broadcast, the band and Eddie headed back to New Jersey to meet up with good friend & Trixter fan WWE Superstar, Chris Jericho, who just finished a WWE Smackdown match at the IZOD center in East Rutherford, NJ.
Trixter has new CD coming out, Alive In Japan which features 12 classic songs recorded live on their 1993 Japanese Tour plus 2 new songs. Trixter can also be seen live in concert this summer:
July 12th- Rocklahoma - Pryor, OK
July 17th - Rock-Fest, Cadott, WI
July 26th - Hi-Pines Music Festival, Eagle River, WI
See exclusive photos at: www.trixterrocks.com.

STEELHEART UPDATE PENDING:
News from Steelheart frontman Miljenko - "I Miljenko Matijevic, Steelheart, will be launching my new website on May 10th 2008. My team and I have built a powerful cutting edge music/media site, which will feature SteelHeart and my new material, media, and other ventures we have embarked on. We will also be announcing the official release date of my new album Good 2B Alive. Thank you for all of your support and I am looking forward to getting to know more of you through as we build our dreams!"

FILTER SET TO KICK OFF FIRST TOUR IN NEARLY SIX YEARSAPRIL 24 IN AUSTIN, TEXAS:
As they prepare to release their new CD Anthems For The Damned May 13 via Pulse Recordings, Filter have announced their first tour in nearly six years. The first leg of this U.S. trek--a mix of headlining shows, radio festivals and special engagements--begins April 24 at Emo's in Austin, Texas, to be followed by three June shows overseas in Germany and the U.K. Earlier this month, FILTER made a special appearance for the troops in Kuwait when they performed at the March 10 Operation MySpace concert.
While on tour, Filter will preview songs from Anthems For The Damned alongside such FILTER classics as "Hey Man, Nice Shot," "Take a Picture" and others. Anthems For The Damned--produced by Pulse Recording head Josh Abraham--features the first single "Soldiers of Misfortune"; its been one of the most added tracks on the active and alternative radio charts the past two weeks with airplay on stations such as KDGE (Dallas), KTBZ (Houston), Q101 (Chicago), KPNT (St. Louis), WBCN (Boston), KQRC (Kansas City), KXXR (Minneapolis), WEBN (Cincinnati) and WBUZ (Nashville), to name a few. PATRICK describes the soaring anthem--with its U2/Bowie flavor and stacked backdrop of buzzing electric guitars--as a "sardonic anti-war/pro-troops song." The first-person narrative was inspired by a letter from a Filter fan who had enlisted in the Army reserves to get his college tuition paid; in his final year of college, he was shipped off to Iraq where he died from a rocket attack and small arms fire after just a few days of duty.
Catch Filter live at the following shows and look for more tour dates to be announced in the near future. Also check out www.officialfilter.com and www.myspace.com/filter1.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Forgive the lack of update yesterday. I'm still stuck in server hell, but resolution is on the horizon. Right now we are back on the old server, but with any luck, a move to the new server will be underway again tonight (take 2) and within 48 hours, everyone should be logging into the faster server.
To complicate things, my own PC came up with another spasm, but that's sorted and I'm back to playing catch up again. The news of the day is as follows:

REO SPEEDWAGON PERFORMS LIVE ON "THE EARLY SHOW":
Legendary rockers REO Speedwagon are traveling to Greensburg, Kan., to perform a live concert on The Early Show on Friday, May 2 (7:00–9:00 AM/ET) on the CBS Television Network. The concert concludes "Tragedy to Triumph: Greensburg Rising," a special week-long series highlighting a community that banned together to build an ecologically and economically sustainable town after being annihilated by a tornado last year. The Early Show will broadcast live from Greensburg all week as the anchors and staffers head to the nation's heartland and roll up their sleeves to help residents in their quest to build an eco-friendly playground.
During the concert, the band will perform some of their most popular songs including, "Can't Fight This Feeling," "Roll With The Changes," "Ridin' The Storm Out," and their current hit, "Find Your Own Way Home."
Since the release of their first record in 1971, REO Speedwagon has produced 17 critically acclaimed albums, including the 10-million seller, "Hi Infidelity." The band has scored 13 Top 40 singles, including the number one hits "Can't Fight This Feeling," and "Keep On Loving You," as well as timeless classics like "Roll With The Changes," "Ridin' The Storm Out," "Take It On The Run," "Time For Me To Fly," "Don't Let Him Go" and "Keep Pushin." REO Speedwagon's latest album, "Find Your Own Way Home," was released last year and is the band's first album in 11 years. The band has sold more than 40 million albums to date and is currently touring North America with Def Leppard. For more information, visit their Web site at www.reospeedwagon.com / www.cbsnews.com/sections/earlyshow/main500202.shtml.

CHALFANT & AUGERI TO PERFORM AT JOURNEY TO THE CURE:
Journey to the Cure is happy to announce its first ever Sparkle Tie Summer Ball. Proceeds will benefit our breast cancer support programs. It will take place on Saturday, July 19, 2008 in the Chicago area. Ticket price includes 5 course gourmet dinner, open bar, raffles, door prizes, silent auction (including cool Journey memorabilia) and musical entertainment provided by Steve Augeri, Kevin Chalfant & Band, others tba.

When: Saturday evening, July 19th, 2008, (exact time tba)
Where: The Meadows Club, 2950 W Golf Road, Rolling Meadows, Illinois.
What: Silent auction, door prizes, open bar, 5 course gourmet dinner, musical entertainment.
Who: Musical guests include: Steve Augeri (Tall Stories, Journey); Kevin Chalfant (Two Fires, The Storm)
Purpose: To raise awareness of breast cancer and money to support JTTC's programs
Attire: Formal, black tie optional
Tickets: Tickets are $150 each and participants will be seated at tables of 8.
All the information on the event can be found on the events page at: www.journeytothecure.com. For more information, e-mail val@journeytothecure.com.
This is sure to be a very fun and very special event for a very worthwhile cause (a very long sentence!). Please post this information anywhere that breast cancer survivors visit, Augeri fans, Chalfant fans and just generally cool people hang out.

LION MUSIC ARTIST UPDATE:
Lion Music have announced some updated news and a May release (out May 24). The details are as follows:

Winterlong - Longing For Winter (www.lionmusic.com/cd/longingforwinter.html) / Winterlong is the brainchild of Thorbjörn Englund. Proving to be purveyors of some of the finest neo-classical Nordic power metal to have come out of Scandinavia in the 21st century. The band went through a series of line-up changes yet retained their own identifiable sound for their first 3 albums before changing track to a heavier style of metal for their fourth (and to date last) album `Metal/Technology'. "Longing For Winter" sees tracks compiled from the bands career and along with 4 previously unreleased tracks from the bands archives makes this an ideal starting point for anyone that has yet to sample the Winterlong sound.
Track Listing: 01. Sky Travellers*, 02. The Priest***, 03. Northman**, 04. Bloodshred***, 05. Like Ships in the Night****, 06. Nosferatu*, 07. Wild Winter Nights**, 08. And So We Remember****, 09. Each Night We Die***, 10. Twisting Your Tail**, 11. The Hunter****, 12. Retaliation**, 13. Winterlong*, 14. Judgement Day***, 15. The Prediction of M. King Hubbert*****, 16. Dragon Breath*****, 17. The Heartland*****, 18. Elements*****.
* taken from the album "Valley of the Lost" (2001), ** taken from the album "The Second Coming" (2003), *** taken from the album "Winterlong" (2004), **** taken from the album "Metal/Technology" (2005), ***** previously unreleased new tracks (2008).

Seventh Wonder being the recordings of their third album Mercy Falls on May 5th as the band once again teams up with Daniel Flores in the studio. After the massive sound of "WITW" the band has also decided to hook up with Tommy Hansen again to do the mixing and mastering at the famous Jailhouse Studios in Denmark. This is scheduled for late June.
The album will be released late this summer on Lion Music worldwide and there will also be a very limited first edition with bonus material; more news on this will follow. As soon as the actual recordings start, there will be a studio log accessible from: www.seventhwonder.nu - where you can track the progress and the making of the album. Make sure to join the new forum (link below) and make it as alive as the old one was or even more for that matter!
Andreas Blomqvist of the band states, "Updates have been scarce lately and the band wishes to thank everyone for their patience and understanding. Every minute of time has been put into the writing and producing of this album to make sure it is the best that can be. Now we invite you to join us in this endeavour."
WebLinks: www.seventhwonder.nu and www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/seventh-wonder-488.
LabelLinks: www.lionmusic.com / www.myspace.com/lionmusiclabel.

Z AND LOST WEEKEND PART COMPANY ON GOOD TERMS:
UK melodic rock band Lost Weekend have parted company with Z Records by mutual agreement.
In a statement released by the band vocalist Paul Uttley had this to say, "We would like thank mark for all his efforts while we were with the label, but we feel with a new album already written and of a slightly heavier feel a new approach and label would give the band renewed impetus and re-energize all areas of the lost weekend camp, an announcement regarding the future will follow shortly, once again thanks to mark and all at Z Rock."

PLEASURE MAKER PRESENTS ITS NEW MEMBERS:
The new album Twisted Desire from Pleasure Maker, that will be released in June, will come with new musicians: Andy Starr gets the Bass Guitar, replacing the great Mark Santanna and Sandro Rossi is now responsible for all the keyboards. The line-up is fulfilled with Alex Meister on the guitars, C. Marshall on the Lead Vocals and Adriano Morais on the drums (these last ones are from the original line-up). The band's new release evolved to bring more mature and "in the face" songs, having great emphasis on the chorus.
The new single from Twisted Desire, the song Twisted Desire, is available now at Pleasure Maker MySpace website at: www.myspace.com/pleasuremakerrocks. More tracks will be available shortly at MySpace.
WebLink: www.pleasuremaker.com.

HARD ROCK HAVEN THIS WEEK:
On this weeks Hair Metal Haven, Chris Nelson will be talking to Nils K Rue, vocalist and frontman for Norwegian melodic power metal stars Pagan's Mind. Chris will be playing songs from their latest album God's Equation, and chatting with Nils about their current tour, Gods Equation , and their plans for the rest of 2008. Join Chris to find out why this band are tipped to be the next Dream Theater, Saturday 3rd May 17.00-19.00 GMT/18.00-20.00 CET, only on www.rock247online.co.uk.

DOMINICI VOCALIST CHARLIE DOMINICI FEATURED IN NEW PODCAST:
TheRighttoRock.com has issued their latest Podcast (episode #53), featuring ex-Dream Theater vocalist Charlie Dominici. Charlie took time out of hi busy schedule to discuss his latest release 03 Trilogy. Charlie discusses how the CD and band came together as well as what him back to the business. Interview last approx. 60 min.
Genghis and Ragman love giving back to the listeners, so here's your second entry in their An Evening With… series where the whole Podcast centers around a particular artist and their current release. The second in this series is An Evening With…Dominici. That's right the boys sat down with Charlie Dominici - best known as the singer of Dream Theater before James LaBrie - to discuss his new CD and more. So sit back, relax, and hide in your basement, because Charlie will unveil the secrets behind his intriguing trilogy. Crank it Up!

GREAT WHITE EMBARKS ON SUMMER SHOW DATES:
HOLLYWOOD (April 27, 2008) –Great White's original members Jack Russell (vocals), Mark Kendall (lead Guitar), Audie Desbrow (drums), Michael Lardie (Guitar/keyboards) and Sean McNabb (bass) is once again ready to rock all summer long. The band will hit the road for summer shows Nation wide performing all their greatest hits the fans know and love.
Show Dates (many more to come):
May
22 Portland, OR Roseland
24 Roseburgh, OR Douglas Hall
30 Ogden, UT Teazers
31 Twin Falls, ID Krusers
June
05 Waukesha, WI Tatse oF Minnesota
07 Celing, OH Romers at Westlake
13 Santa Fe, NM Camel Rock Casino
14 Anthony ,TX Wet N Wild WaterPark
19 San Juan Capistrano,CA Coach House
20 Los Angeles, CA Crash Mansion
21 Agoura, CA Canyon Club
27 Balingen, GER Bang Your Head Festival
July
11 Walker, MN Moondance JAM
12 Glendale Heights, IL Summerfest
23 London, ONT Harris Park
24 Heyward, WI LCO Casino
25 Eagle River, WI High Pines Amp
26 Toledo, OH Make Wish Foundation
August
16 Santa Fe, NM Sky City Casino
23 Greenwood, IL Galt Airport
September
12 Boone, IA The Venue
20 Jim Thorpe, PA Penn Peak
For more information go to: www.mistabone.com.

EUROPE TOUR IN PICTURES:
Europe has released a digital tourbook. See their site for more details: www.europetheband.com - "The concert barriers are down and you have been granted exclusive backstage access into the lives of Europe! Europe allows you to follow the band on the road during their "Secret Society" Tour and take a glimpse into their private moments, captured candidly through the lens of photographer Thomas Larsson. This stunning 95-page digital tourbook contains 135 high-resolution, printable images, documenting the band as they roll from city to city, bringing their music to the people. Enjoy a never-seen-before snapshot of what goes on before and after the stage shows... and witness how the band, road crew and the fans follow the dream."

NEW LAURIE LARSON FROM MELODIC REVOLUTION:
Melodic Revolution Records are proud to announce the release of the brand new Laurie Larson release A Striking Resemblance. US Street date is May 5 - other territories in the near future.
Laurie shines on her 3rd Solo Release, A Striking Resemblance. The follow up to Aquila 2006. Laurie is once again backed by Ralph Gilmore - Drums (Grass Roots) Jim Brady - Bass (Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt) Ed DeLucia - Guitars (Ronstadts) Special guest Jim Roberts, Jim has produced, performed on or engineered records for John Entwistle (The Who), Kansas, Steve Walsh (Kansas), Leslie West (Mountain), Joe Franco (Twisted Sister), Joel Kosche (Collective Soul), Steve Luongo and Mark Hitt (TorQue) Jim plays the Hammond B3 on the first track "Endless Thank You Loop" and he mixed "Artist's Mirage Two". The rest of the mixing was done by Jim Brady at his studio in Tucson, Arizona. The production will satisfy even the most discriminate audiophile.
A Striking Resemblance is already receiving major market airplay before its official release. Laurie truly is an original her voice is dreamy and smooth and her music will draw you in like a great novel by Joanne Harris (Chocolat, Five Quarters of the Orange) the music is crisp and clean reminiscent of an era when radio played your favorite new music by the likes of Jefferson Airplane, Sandy Denny, Spirt and Poco to name a few. A Striking Resemblance is melodic from the opening track Endless Thank You Loop to the closing track Corporate Chew Toy. The Artwork was provide by the very talented Ed Unitsky (Tangent, Guy Manning, The Flower Kings).
The CD is now available for digital download on iTunes and is available through Melodic Revolution Records shop.melodicrevolution.com Laurie will personally hand sign a copy of the her new CD to the 1st 100 to people who purchase it through Melodic Revolution.
October 2007 Laurie becomes a voting member of the 50th Grammy Awards November 2007 she starts Progressive Rock Hall of Fame.
WebLinks: www.laurielarson.com / www.myspace.com/laurielarson / www.progressiverockhalloffame.com.

CLASSIC METAL SHOW TALKS TO A RATT:
Ratt Drummer Bobby Blotzer was a guest on The Classic Metal Show on their April 26th show, during which he lashed out at former Ratt producer Beau Hill. During the conversation on the show, the topic of Hill's early morning schedule with Ratt back in their heyday was approached, when Blotzer took that opportunity to accuse Hill of using the band's studio time to record other artists. Here's an excerpt from the interview:
The Classic Metal Show - We had Beau Hill on the show a couple of weeks ago, and he indicated to us that he had you guys in the studio as early as 10am every day. After seeing you guys over the years, I find that very hard to believe.
Bobby Blotzer - "You know, it's hard for me to fucking not just stop you in your tracks, because Beau Hill was such a dictator. Not only a dictator, but a manipulator. Number 1 and 2. Number 3, let me just preface that by saying that the guy had great musical ideas and good harmony ideas, but his procedures in the studio I don't savor. We would never work with him again. When he's saying that he had us in there at 10, well yeah. He had us in there at 10. You know why he had us in there at 10? Sometimes he did that because he would be in there using our studio dime...this is what I've been told...using that to record Fiona and such. Then he could be out of there. It was definitely not a democratic society working with him. I think that a lot of other bands that I've talked to had that same feeling. I don't embrace that. I do have thanks to Beau on different stuff that he accomplished with Ratt, but I definitely have other things that would prevent me from ever visiting that again too."
To check out the entire interview, you can view it on The Classic Metal Show's MySpace page at: myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=33148546 or download an MP3 of it at: feeds.feedburner.com/theclassicmetalshow.
The Classic Metal Show airs weekly on Saturdays from 9p-3a EST at www.theclassicmetalshow.com.

STP TRIBUTE LP TO FEATURE MEMBERS OF CONCRETE BLONDE, BADLANDS, MEGADETH, FUEL:
Since announcing the early 09 release of 'Wicked Garden: A Millennium Tribute to Stone Temple Pilots', Versailles Records is excited to report that the album's artist roster now includes current/former members of Concrete Blonde, Black Sabbath, Racer X, Megadeth, Badlands, Alice Cooper Band, Fuel, Surgical Steel, Circle Jerks, Slash's Snakepit, Warrant, Steelheart, Michael Shanker Group, Dokken, L.A. Guns, Machine Head, Ratt, WASP, Quiet Riot, and others to be announced. The roster also includes a host of millennium rock bands, in many cases paired with the aforementioned name rockers, including such artists as Rev. Jones & friends, Katet, The Rosemary Ftring. Keri Kelli, Dirty Vendetta Ftring. Chris Poland, Binary Code, Richard Kendrick, Motor Devil, Brian Colburn & D.C. Slater, Jeff Martin & James Mankey (lead guitarist of Concrete Blonde), Spiral Arms, Rose Reiter, Martian Honey, Blackk Jack, One Bad Son, Nigel Cuff, Lee Thompson, and others to be announced covering STP's greatest hits! The CD will also include a bonus CD Sampler featuring original bands/songs influenced/inspired by STP. Inquiries re the latter bonus sampler may be directed to www.myspace.com/versaillesrecords.

Friday, April 25, 2008

ANOTHER WORLD FROM GYPSY ROSE:
Escape Music would like to announce the release of the brand new Gypsy Rose album Another World, which will be released in Europe on June 20.
Gypsy Rose was originally formed in 1981 in Mölnlycke, Sweden, inspired by great British bands such as Thin Lizzy, Rainbow, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin. In 1984, Gypsy Rose signed a deal with a Belgium label which went out of business shortly afterwards and the recordings never saw the light of day. After struggling for several more years Gypsy Rose came in contact with American producer Taavi Mote in 1989. He really liked what they were doing and came over to Sweden to look for a good studio to record the first album. But it all ended up with nothing again.
In 2004 the idea came up to talk about playing together again. Almost all musicians in between had been working on other projects. Guitarist Kronlund for example recorded two albums with the band Dogface and with Uriah Heep man Ken Hensley. The only problem was that the previous drummer hadn't touched his drums since 1991, so the guys asked another friend to join them: Imre Daun (Don Patrol). Gypsy Rose was born again!
The band's first album "Gypsy Rose" (ESM120) was released in 2005. This work shows influences from various eras of rock music. Some say the band's very own style somewhere lies right in the middle between typical Swedish Melodic Rock, Fair Warning, Bonfire, Scorpions and Thin Lizzy. "Gypsy Rose" was recorded at JM Studio in Mölnlycke, Sweden by Martin Kronlund. The album featured a guest appearance by Dogface/At Vance vocalist Mats Levén on backing vocals, and he also a guest on this new CD. Reviews were hot!
It's now 2008 and here is the new CD "Another World", and with an important change in the line-up. Vocalist Håkan Gustafsson has been replaced with David Reece, a seasoned front man previously involved with Accept and Bangalore Choir. This makes a huge difference to the vocals and the result is astounding. Many will already know that Martin Kronlund is a world class producer and his work shows on this outstanding CD. Powerful melodies, crunching guitar work and beautiful keyboards are the order of the day. This is a huge recording and begs to be heard, Gypsy Rose have finally matured and blossomed into a force to be reckoned with!
Gypsy Rose will be on tour this summer.
Track list: Don't Look Back / Fired / Another World / Angels / Nothing Really Matters / All The Way To The Sun / Final Call / A Little Ain't Enough / A Million Miles / When I Call Your Name / Higher / Liar / Hellhammer.
Line-Up: David Reece - Vocals; Martin Kronlund - Guitars, backing vocals; Rikard Quist - Keyboards; Mats Bostedt - Bass; Imre Daun - Drums. Additional musicians: Mats Levén - Backing Vocals & Mats Olausson - Piano.
And here is an exclusive full track download Nothing Really Matters for melodicrock.com readers. Download: Gypsy Rose - Nothing Really Matters (.wma format)


ROCK CANDY'S APRIL AND MAY RELEASES ANNOUNCED:
Rock Candy Records would like to announce their 3 new releases, which are available instore and online at: www.rockcandyrecords.com. Together with all other Rock Candy releases, they are at a cost of £12.99 including postage to anywhere in the world.
Next month - May 12th will see three AOR classics:
Touch S/T - a complete dusting down and reappraisal of this classic opus originally released in 1980, in the finest Rock Candy tradition with bonus tracks and full band involvement. Promises to be the definitive re-issue of this album with superior 24 bit remastering.
Desmond Child & Rouge Runner's In The Night - 1st time of CD for this AOR classic originally issued in 1979, again with all the typical Rock Candy attention to detail and full involvement by Desmond Child & Rouge.
Eric Martin I'm Only Fooling Myself - another classic AOR release originally from 1987. 1st time on CD outside of Japan and with full involvement from Eric.

But...onto this month's new releases:
Molly Hatchet Beatin' The Odds CANDY 036
During the seventies and eighties, Southern Rock was at the peak of popularity. Born out of traditional country music, blues and up-tempo rock 'n' roll such acts as The Allman Brother's Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Marshall Tucker Band led the charge, waving their confederate flags high and proud. Molly Hatchet, from Jacksonville, Florida, were one of the biggest and best of the 'new wave' of Southern rock bands whose self titled debut album appeared in 1978. It confounded the critics by selling over a million copies making them one of the most popular live attractions in the US. And, as if to prove that it wasn't a fluke their follow-up album 'Flirtin' With Disaster' continued the success selling double platinum and lodging itself in the top twenty album chart.
So, when original lead vocalist Danny Joe Brown opted to leave the band in 1980 and pursue a solo career, many thought that Hatchet's days would be numbered. Amazingly nothing could be further from the truth. With the appointment of new front man Jimmy Farrar they crafted yet another classic slice of southern fried rock, the prophetically titled 'Beatin' The Odds', becoming yet another platinum success story.
Like its predecessors, 'Beatin' The Odds' is another masterpiece of loud and proud southern rock with guitars a blazing and guns a firing. New boy Jimmy Farrar fits the role like he was born for the job whilst the triple lead guitar work of Duane Rolland, Steve Holland and Dave Hlubek would even give Skynyrd a run for their money. Unquestionably a southern rock classic.
Track Listing: Beatin' The Odds, Double Talker, The Rambler, Sailor, Dead And Gone, Few And Far Between, Penthouse Pauper, Get Her Back, Poison Pen. Bonus Tracks: Beatin' The Odds (Live 1981), Few And Far Between (Live 1981), Penthouse Pauper (Live 1981), Dead And Gone (Live 1981).

Doc Holliday Doc Holliday CANDY 035
During the 1970's, the glorious Sunshine State of Georgia had been a fertile breeding ground for home grown Southern Rock nurturing, amongst others, the Allman Brothers Band, Grinderswitch and the Atlanta Rhythm Section. Doc Holliday, although not as universally well known as those big selling, stubble sporting whiskey soaked troubadours, were an important, nay essential, addition to that linage of respected and revered musicians. Developing a reputation as one of the hottest acts on what was affectionately termed the chittlin' circuit DH, or Roundhouse as they had been known, eventually courted the ears of various power players in the record business. Wined and dined by the cigar chomping executives at A&M Records they were eventually signed to a major contract in 1980.
Introduced to renowned English record producer 'Colonel' Tom Allom (Judas Priest, Strawbs, Nantucket) the coupling appeared an unlikely marriage but the natural bonhomie of both parties proved hugely infectious helping to create one of the most impressive debut albums from a Southern Rock band since the glory days of the Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Embraced by their peers and feted in the media, Doc Holliday's debut album quickly became the must have Southern Rock record of 1981, a work that is still praised to this very day and cited as one of the highlights of the genre.
Track Listing: 1. Ain't No Fool, 2. Moonshine Runner, 3. Magic Midnight, 4. A Good Woman's Hard To Find, 5. Round And Round, 6. Keep On Running, 7. Never Another Night, 8. The Way You Do, 9. Somebody Help Me, 10. I'm A Rocker. Bonus Tracks: 11. Bad Love (Roundhouse demo), 12. Crazy (Roundhouse demo).

Danny Joe Brown Band Danny Joe Brown Band CANDY 034
The Southern Rock hall of fame is decorated with some of the finest voices in the music business; Ronnie Van Zant and Gregg Allman being two fine examples. Equally as impressive is the immediate and identifiable rasp of Danny Joe Brown, erstwhile vocalist for Jacksonville based multi platinum rockers Molly Hatchet. Helmed by Brown, Hatchet rocketed to success and then, just as they looked like consolidating their burgeoning superstar status, Danny quit.
Opting to call his own shots he set about forming the Danny Joe Brown Band, which like Hatchet featured a three guitar army, including childhood friend Bobby Ingram. Snapped up by Epic Records, the band we're seconded at the world famous Compass Point studios in Nassau, with veteran English producer Glynn Johns (The Faces, The Who, The Eagles, Rolling Stones etc) recording their debut album. The 'DJB' album is about as good a Southern Rock record as you will ever hear. With impassioned vocals and copious lead guitar playing, the songs are superior examples of a much maligned and now largely defunct genre. Indeed, it houses two of the movement's greatest signature tracks; 'The Alamo' and 'Edge Of Sundown', the latter contains an extended guitar showdown in the finest Southern Rock tradition.
Danny Joe would, before his untimely death in 2005, returned to front Hatchet but despite a fine body of work with the mother ship his solo album is still regarded by many as his greatest achievement.
Track Listing: 1. Sundance, 2. Nobody Walks On Me, 3. The Alamo, 4. Two Days Home, 5. Edge Of Sundown, 6. Beggar Man, 7. Run For Your Life, 8. Hear My Song, 9. Gambler's Dream, 10. Hit The Road.

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RETROSPECT RECORDS ANNOUNCE LATEST SIGNINGS:
Retrospect Records is excited to announce the following new releases:
Arrival Point of Origin - AOR fans and collectors rejoice! Here we have one of the most amazing collection of AOR gems ever assembled on one disc. Arrival hail from Denver and here we have 10 mind-blowing tracks of pure melodic rock featuring previously unreleased recordings by none other than Mark Free (King Kobra, Signal, Unruly Child). After King Kobra and before Signal, Mark recorded five fantastic AOR tracks with Arrival and here they are in all their remastered glory. Sharing vocal duties with Mark is the equally talented Michael Badagliacco and between these two singers, we have an instant Melodic Rock classic. Retrospect once again unearths a masterpiece which must be heard to be believed. Massive hooks, World-class musicianship and a top-notch production makes this CD an essential addition to your AOR collection. This release could definitely be a contender for album of the year and comes highly recommended to fans of Journey, Styx, Survivor, Alliance, Toto and Franke