Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to announce the signing of British hard rock quartet DIRTY THRILLS for a multi-album deal.
Dirty Thrills have recently been hard at work in the studio recording their upcoming new album, “Heavy Living”. A highly anticipated first release for their new label home, Frontiers Music Srl, that is going to be full of explosive, pull-no-punches new songs. "Heavy Living" serves as the follow up to their well received EP releases and 2014 self-titled debut. The release will be accompanied by festival dates this summer and a full headline tour this fall.
Renowned producer, engineer, and mixer James ‘Lerock’ Loughrey is producing the album at Monnow Valley Studio in North Wales. Opened in 1975, the studio has played host to many a legend (like Black Sabbath and Robert Plant, to name a few) and James Loughrey himself has his own impressive track record including work with a diverse array of artists ranging from Skindred (official) to Lionel Richie to Manic Street Preachers to Björk and not to mention, Page and Plant and Def Leppard.
“The first time I saw the Dirty Thrills live I was blown away!” says James Loughrey. “I knew straight away that we needed to get into a studio to capture that raw energy and give them a record which would do their live show justice.”
The band’s live work has been building an impressive reputation as a perfect musical blend of sex, riffs, and lung-busting vocals and the aim is to capture that synergy in the studio, where according to bass player Aaron Plows, “the new album is shaping up to be a real treat.”
“We are honoured and beyond excited to be signing a multi-album deal with Frontiers,” says the band. “Many of the legendary bands on the label have hugely influenced our music and direction. We can't wait to spread the Dirty Thrills sound around the globe, make new fans to share our music with and hopefully inspire the next generation in the way we have been. Here's to the future with our new family at Frontiers!”
Snow – At Last… Limited edition with first pressing only will include a full length live CD recorded in LA at the Starwood back in May 1981! with complete liner note written by Dave Reynolds.
Release Date: 21 July 2017
Band is:
Doug Ellison – All Vocals
Carlos Cavazo – All guitars (Quite Riot)
Tony Cavazo – Bass (Hurricane)
Stephen Quadros - Drums
CD 1 (Studio):
1. We're Gonna Make It 4:06
2. Oh, Baby 3:30
3. Steal A Kiss 4:34
4. Mannequin Eyes 3:57
5. Stop The Music 5:01
6. Trying To Survive 3:25
7. Fever 3:56
8. Crack The Whip 3:42
9. No Way To Treat A Lady 3:37
10. Hell No 4:32
11. Don't Want Anymore 4:26
12. Bad Generation 4:04
CD 2 (Live)
1. Fire 4:43
2. Shame On You 4:00
3. No Way To Treat A Lady 3:54
4. I Really Don't Care 3:25
5. Throw Me A Line 4:34
6. Makes Me Cry 3:42
7. Break Your Neck 6:25
8. Don't Want Anymore 4:26
9. Full Auto (Drum Solo) 4:11
10. Crack The Whip 4:39
11. White Noize (Guitar Solo) 2:59
12. No More Booze 7:12
The Live CD was Mixed by Duane Barron (Ozzy Osborne, Quite Riot, Dream Theatre, Cinderella, Alice Cooper),
The Story goes:
Formed from the ashes of Speed Of Light by the Cavazo brothers – guitarist Carlos and bassist Tony – SNOW should've been as huge as Van Halen. Sadly, the quartet (the line-up completed by vocalist Doug Ellison and drummer Stephen Quadros) just couldn't get signed for love or money. However, as you will discover, the Californian band would still have a great deal of influence on the early 80s American metal scene....
'My brother Tony and I formed Speed Of Light with a drummer by the name of Perri Strong in 1973,' explains Carlos Cavazo. 'Tony and I did all the vocals. I hated singing, but we couldn't find anyone who could sing at the time, so we were stuck doing the vocals. We were a cover band, but we nevertheless were able to gain some local notoriety.'
'We were a hard rock band playing backyard keg parties and thirty minute lunchtime shows at High Schools,' adds Tony Cavazo. 'When we first put the band together we were both guitarists and we had a bass player, but he went on vacation with his parents for a month. He had left his bass and amp at Perri's house where we rehearsed. I picked it up and from that moment on the bass became my instrument. When our bassist came back we had to tell him that I was playing bass in the band now.'
The search for a lead singer had ended with the recruitment in 1976 of Fred Dehut, who joined alongside new drummer Roger Singer. Dehut would last until mid 1977, at which point the legendary Doug Ellison came on board. The name change to SNOW occurred soon after.
'We met Doug through a musicians contact service in Hollywood,' recalls Carlos. 'At that time Tony and I were sharing a house in Newport Beach. When Doug joined the band he moved in with us. It was definitely a party house!'
'I auditioned and moved in the house shortly thereafter,' adds Ellison, having relocated to California from New York City. 'I had been in a band called the Flying Tigers and played in Manhattan with the likes of the Ramones, Blondie and Talking Heads at CBGB's and Max's Kansas City. I moved west to get serious.'
In the summer of '78 Roger Singer left the band, and SNOW decided to move to L.A.
'I was living in a very dangerous neighbourhood in Hollywood at the time,' remembers Stephen. 'I think either I had an ad in the 'Recycler' newspaper or the band did. I was out of practice at the time but their music was right up my alley. So when we got together, in their garage, the chemistry was immediate. And when we launched into an impromptu version of Montrose's 'Space Station #5' we all knew.'
'We started out playing clubs and backyard parties; basically any gigs that were paying money,' recalls Carlos.
'We did our share of backyard parties, and getting them raided by the police because we were so loud!' Stephen chuckles. 'But it wasn't long before we were playing clubs like The Whisky A Go Go, The Troubadour and The Starwood.'
Becoming regulars on the L.A. club circuit over the next two years, SNOW built up a healthy and fervent following, playing alongside contemporaries as Smile, Pretty Poison, Eulogy, A La Carte, White Sister, Pegasus, The Boyz, Quiet Riot and London. The latter's bassist Nikki Sixx would also open for SNOW on two occasions in Motley Crue's formative club daze. SNOW also opened up for Johnny Winter, Starz, Spirit and Canned Heat
'Like any other band it took us a while to garner a following and to tighten up our live presentation,' recalls Quadros. 'We definitely paid our dues and slowly began to reap the rewards. One thing that was a constant however was that we always had loads of raw energy! Thus our tagline 'Pure Uncut Rock'! This was a result of the natural or unnatural, whichever way you look at it, chemistry between all of us.'
By this point SNOW had begun to gather together recordings of their original material.
'Our first demos were recorded in our rehearsal studio with a 4 track,' states Carlos, 'but I think the first pro- recordings we made were for the EP. We managed to build a large following and our EP helped immensely. When the EP came out, I noticed the crowds getting bigger. And we did have a pretty cool stage show. Between what we had, and what our management invested into the band, we were pretty fortunate to have decent gear.'
The Snow EP was something of legend, even in the early 80s. Released on their own Dynamic imprint, it was extremely limited, with distribution appearing to centre solely on the L.A. area and particularly the band's gigs. Consisting of five tracks ('No Way To Treat A Lady', 'Hell No', 'Crack The Whip', 'Bad Generation' and the absolutely skull crushing 'Don't Want Anymore') , the EP found SNOW in utterly ferocious form. What it lacked in state of the art production it more than made up for with its sheer 'take no prisoners' attitude and 'pure uncut' energy.
MelodicRock Records is thrilled to announce one of the biggest releases for the label thus far! How else could you describe an album featuring Don Barnes, Dann Huff, Alan Pasqua, Jeff & Mike Porcaro, Jesse Harms and Denny Carmassi?
MRR will be the label finally able to extract one of the best “lost” albums of all time for an official release. Plenty have tried over the years, but timing is everything!
Nearly 30 years ago, what would have been an instant classic was relegated to storage thanks to the old story of record label machinations.
Of course, we are talking about the classic AOR masterpiece DON BARNES solo album ‘Ride The Storm’.
MelodicRock Records started a conversation with the legendary 38 Special vocalist nearly 12 months ago to the day, suggesting that more than enough time has passed and that this record deserves its time to shine.
So it is with great pleasure that MRR announces that DON BARNES‘Ride The Storm’ will be released worldwide June 30.
And even better news for fans and collectors that have had this record in its various MP3 forms over the years, what you have isn’t the main record you’re about to hear.
In searching for the original masters for ‘Ride The Storm’, after being lost for two decades, Don found the only existing copy of a ‘rock mix’ that was commissioned back in 1989 to take a look at how the songs would sound, remixed for a bigger ‘rock’ impact.
Ever the completist, MRR’s Andrew McNeice insisted that both mixes of the classic album were included in the release – as well as the three individual, heavily traded, solo demo tracks that were recorded but not included on the original album.
The complete ‘Ride The Storm’ release will therefore be a 2CD set, featuring the album in its intended form, plus the second ‘alternate mix’ disc, on which the three additional bonus tracks are added at the end.
PRE-ORDER DON BARNES 'Ride The Storm' NOW! Out June 30
Swedish hard rockers REACH is back - now as a power trio with a brandd new album just recorded and mixed. The album has been produced by Jona Tee (H.E.A.T), and Tobias Lindell (Europe, Avatar, etc.) mixed the album. With a modern sound and strong melodies showcasing the bands abilities this new album called "The Great Divine" will take the listeners by storm. REACH's new album is due for release in 2017.
The new material consists of 10 songs written by singer and guitar player Ludvig Turner ranging from the heavy opening track "Into Tomorrow", the spooky ”Nightmare” and the modern and catchy "Running On Empty" to the radio friendly ”One Life”. More titles and album cover revealed in near future.
REACH is:
Marcus Johansson (Drums)
Ludvig Turner (Guitars & Vocals)
Soufian Ma’Aoui (Bass)
Originally put together in 2012 by guitarist Ludvig Turner and drummer Marcus Johansson they got lots of attention from making their own version of Avicii’s super hit ”Wake me up” - a huge success and now the video has almost 3.000.000 views.
The debut album ”Reach Out To Rock” was released in 2015, followed by tours in UK, Sweden and visiting 11 countries in Europe. Ludvig also became known for his singing ability taking part in the Swedish Idol contest 2014, so when starting to prepare for the new album it felt naturally that he picked up the singing as well and playing the guitar. They are now joined by long-term friend and bass extraordinary Soufian Ma’Aoui (We will rock you UK, Gutterdämmerung, Houston).
REACH’s music can be described as classic rock, and the sound has developed into a more modern sound, still with strong melodies and hooks and showcasing Ludvig’s vocal range capabilities.
Despite their young age they are already experienced live performers, having played festivals such as HRH (UK), Frontiers (IT), Download (UK), Väsby Rock (SE), Skogsröjet (SE). 2016 kept them busy writing new material and making a one off festival appearance at Stockholm Rocks Summerfest. And 2017 started off with a UK mini tour in conjunction to the HRH Festival in March.
Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to announce an amazing new melodic rock combo from Sweden: KRYPTONITE
For your first taste of music and to hear more about the band from the guys themselves, head on over to their freshly launched Facebook page and watch the behind-the-scenes video they've shared there: fb.me/KryptoniteSweden
Sometimes musicians are put together who only know each other from afar via their respective recordings, but something clicks and triggers a magical moment. That's exactly what happened when Jakob Samuel from The Poodles met up with producer Alessandro Del Vecchio on the heels of a concept created by Frontiers President Serafino Perugino. Together, they set off to work on a new band that could offer lyrical concepts that are deep and intelligent with music that operates within the genres they excel in. And most importantly, has a great energy and impact.
Together with executive producer Serafino Perugino, they handpicked each musician to be part of their vision for a strong lineup of young and hungry Swedish musicians that would be ready to go out there and kick some ass. Pontus Egberg, formerly of The Poodles and now the bass player for King Diamond and Treat, was the first one to enter the picture, followed shortly thereafter by Robban Back of Mustasch (and ex-Eclipse). The choice of guitar player fell to the young and immensely gifted Mike Palace. Mike showed his huge talents as a writer and performer on his band Palace’s debut album and on several songs he has already written for the label.
The recording and writing sessions flowed freely and the songs came naturally. This band will truly set a standard for what fans perceive as melodic hard rock in today’s climate. It is classic, but modern at the same time, groovy and cool.
You will love what Jakob, Michael, Pontus, and Robban have cooked up for you as Kryptonite - Sweden! Stay tuned for upcoming announcements concerning the release date and the forthcoming first video/single!
Frontiers Music Srl is excited to announce the signing of legendary rockers NAZARETH to the label for the release of a brand new studio album in 2018!
The current line-up of the band consists of Jimmy Murrison (longest serving guitarist in the band’s history), Lee Agnew (drummer since Darrel Sweet’s death in 1999), Pete Agnew (founding member, on bass) and new singer Carl Sentance (who joined the band in 2015 after Dan McCafferty had to retire due to illness).
Pete Agnew says, “[w]ith Carl as our brand new singer and Frontiers as our brand new record company, the buzz surrounding us right now is the same as it was when we went in to record our very first album. Can't wait for the sparks to fly!“
Originally coming together as The Shadettes in 1968 in Dunfermline, Scotland, the entity known as Nazareth came together in spring 1970 and released their eponymous debut album in 1971. The band came to prominence after the release of the Roger Glover (Deep Purple, Rainbow) produced "Razamanaz" in 1973. Two more successful releases, "Loud 'n' Proud" and Rampant, followed before the release of "Hair of the Dog" in 1975, which was an unqualified success. The title track was a staple of '70s rock radio and the ballad "Love Hurts" is a worldwide hit.
Nazareth mantained a solid sales history during the '80s, particularly in Germany, where "Dream On" became a hit single. A tribute of note to the band came in 1993 when Guns N' Roses covered "Hair of the Dog" on their "The Spaghetti Incident?" album.
To date, Nazareth has recorded 23 studio albums, earning them platinum, gold, and silver awards around the world. Their latest release, “Rock n’ Roll Telephone” was released in 2014 and generally hailed by music critics as another masterpiece in a long line of them from the band.
Frontiers is honored to be part of this legendary band's rock 'n roll legacy and looks forward to releasing another great slice of classic hard rock from Nazareth!
MelodicRock Records is thrilled to announce one of the biggest releases for the label thus far! How else could you describe an album featuring Dann Huff, Alan Pasqua, Jeff & Mike Porcaro, Jesse Harms and Denny Carmassi?
MRR will be the label finally able to extract one of the best “lost” albums of all time for an official release. Plenty have tried over the years, but timing is everything!
Nearly 30 years ago, what would have been an instant classic was relegated to storage thanks to the old story of record label machinations.
Of course, we are talking about the classic AOR masterpiece DON BARNES solo album ‘Ride The Storm’.
MelodicRock Records started a conversation with the legendary 38 Special vocalist nearly 12 months ago to the day, suggesting that more than enough time has passed and that this record deserves its time to shine.
So it is with great pleasure that MRR announces that DON BARNES‘Ride The Storm’ will be released worldwide June 30.
And even better news for fans and collectors that have had this record in its various MP3 forms over the years, what you have isn’t the main record you’re about to hear.
In searching for the original masters for ‘Ride The Storm’, after being lost for two decades, Don found the only existing copy of a ‘rock mix’ that was commissioned back in 1989 to take a look at how the songs would sound, remixed for a bigger ‘rock’ impact.
Ever the completist, MRR’s Andrew McNeice insisted that both mixes of the classic album were included in the release – as well as the three individual, heavily traded, solo demo tracks that were recorded but not included on the original album.
The complete ‘Ride The Storm’ release will therefore be a 2CD set, featuring the album in its intended form, plus the second ‘alternate mix’ disc, on which the three additional bonus tracks are added at the end.
PRE-ORDER DON BARNES 'Ride The Storm' NOW! Out June 30
As there was no original artwork yet conceived for ‘Ride The Storm’, so regular MRR artist extraordinaire Nello Dell'Omo was commissioned to come up with something amazing. And that he has. In collaboration with Don, who drove the vision and MRR, the end result might just be one of his best album covers yet!
Two individual sets of remastering also serve the album well – it sounds as fresh, punchy and as amazing as it ever has. Thanks to JK Northrup (Rock Mix) and Brian Foraker (Alt. Mix) for their vital work.
It’s time Don himself jumped in with the story behind this amazing solo album:
“Over two decades ago, with years of success as lead singer and guitarist with 38 Special, I was given an opportunity by A&M Records to create a side solo project as an artist. A&M suggested putting several top-rated musicians in the studio with me and I would write and co-produce the project. I set about co-writing songs and was honored to have some of the industry’s top musicians join me in the recording.
All of these players were extraordinary talents in the music business; the great Jeff Porcaro along with his brother Mike, respectively the drummer and bassist from the band Toto - and the best 'bottom-end foundation’ for any session - came on board to help forge a great rock record.
We also had the masterful veteran drummer Denny Carmassi from the band Heart, noted session keyboardist and composer Alan Pasqua from the band Giant on keyboards...along with another music titan, virtuoso guitarist and now-producer Dann Huff, all of whom brought such excellence and talent to the sessions that I just can't find enough words of praise and appreciation for them.
Additionally, I was privileged to work and collaborate with two extremely talented producers - Martin Briley and Brian Foraker - both of whom brought a wealth of experience and cool vibe to our sessions. We had always felt that the combination of these powerhouse players together created a very special album, a unique ‘rock classic.' Many who have heard the album say that description still remains true today.
Unfortunately, unexpected situations arose in the record business at that time and corporate transitions got in the way of the release date. The album was finished, mixed, and ready to go, but what started out as a great rock record turned into a series of disappointing twists and turns. Just as it was ready to be released, A&M Records was sold through a huge global acquisition and the company changed hands several times over the years. The new company and staff had their own difficulties getting accustomed to the transition and my project was put aside without a release date. My solo album became one of those music stories of a great rock record that started in one direction but had corporate business dealings move it to some other outcome.
I'm proud to finally present my solo album, complete with extras like the 3 additional recordings in demo form left off of the original group of songs, along with a second full CD of alternate mixes.
We had a great time recording these big, explosive songs, all presented here with newly re-mastered technology. You’ll hear the intensity and spirit of the songwriting, the excellence and power of talented players, and the absolute force we delivered on the recordings.
This album and these songs made it through a rough storm and they rock stronger than ever today. Turn it up and enjoy a great ride.”
- Don Barnes, May 2017.
And who is responsible for the contents of this album alongside Don? Quite simply the best of the best.
Track List and Player Credit:
1. Ride The Storm
Guitars - Don Barnes / Additional Guitar Solos - Dann Huff / Keys - Martin Briley / Bass Guitar - Mike Porcaro / Drums - Jeff Porcaro
2. Looking For You
Guitars - Don Barnes / Keys and Additional Guitar - Martin Briley / Bass Guitar - Mike Porcaro / Drums - Jeff Pocaro
3. I Fall Back
Guitars - Don Barnes / Keys - Martin Briley / Bass Guitar - Mike Porcaro / Drums - Jeff Porcaro
4. Don't Look Down
Guitars - Don Barnes / Keys - Jesse Harms / Bass Guitar - Mike Porcaro / Drums - Denny Carmassi
5. Maybe You'll Believe Me Now
Guitars - Don Barnes / Keys - Alan Pasqua / Bass Guitar - Mike Porcaro / Drums - Denny Carmassi
6. I'd Do It All Over Again
Guitars - Don Barnes / Additional Guitar - Dann Huff / Keys - Alan Pasqua / Bass Guitar - Mike Porcaro / Drums - Jeff Porcaro
7. Every Time We Say Goodbye
Guitars - Don Barnes / Additional Rhythm Guitar - Tim Pierce / Bass Guitar - Mike Porcaro / Drums - Jeff Porcaro
8. Feelin' Stronger Every Day
Guitars - Don Barnes / Additional Guitar - Dann Huff / Keys - Alan Pasqua / Bass Guitar - Mike Porcaro / Drums - Jeff Porcaro
9. After The Way
Guitars - Don Barnes / Keys - Martin Briley / Bass - Mike Porcaro / Drums - Denny Carmassi
10. Johnny Ain't So Cool
Guitars - Don Barnes / Bass Guitar - Mike Porcaro / Keys and Guitar Solo - Martin Briley / Drums - Denny Carmassi
MelodicRock Records is once again tapping into the magic that is Sweden’s reservoir of talent to bring you a monster debut album from one of the country’s best young bands.
We’re very excited to announce the signing of RIAN – a melodic hard rock trio from Stockholm.
RIAN’s melodic hard rock sound is a unique combination of 80s AOR with a modern American rock sound.
RIAN is:
Richard Andermyr: Vocals, Guitar
Jan Johansson: Drums
Jonas Melin: Bass
The guys have spent the last year working on their debut album ‘Out Of The Darkness’ with producer Daniel Flores(Mind’s Eye, Find Me, The Murder of My Sweet). Frontman Richard Andermyr was a fan of Daniel’s work and wanted to see if he could imagine mixing their recordings. After listening to the demos, he instantly understood the potential and said that he was ready to not only to mix, but also to produce and record their album.
The result is ‘Out Of The Darkness’, a powerful, melodic hard rock record that is filled with hooks, harmonies and a gritty edge that gives them an original sound.
Their influences are many, including Bon Jovi, Chicago, Dokken, FM, Gary Moore, Giant, Journey, Metallica, Skid Row, Toto, Van Halen, Warrant, Whitesnake and Winger.
Richard Andermyr discovered his songwriting skills in the late 90s. In 2000 he moved to the USA for studies and teamed up with metal band Black Prizm. Back in Sweden Richard formed the hard rock band Whisperwave, who reached the finals in the Emergenza Festival 2 years in a row and were invited by Europe’s Ian Haugland to play live on the Swedish radio station “Rockklassiker”.
After spending some years playing covers, writing new material and building up his home studio, Richard teamed up with drummer Jan Johansson(Flower Punch, Kitto) in a new cover band. The musical connection was instant. Jan having heard some of Richard’s recordings, convinced him they needed to quit the cover scene and focus on original melodic hard rock. After auditioning several bassists, they found the right bass player in Jonas Melin(Asparagus, U R in Hot Water) and the lineup was complete.
The guys rehearsed and recorded demos in Richard’s basement; in the beginning of 2016 they started to see a strong album forming. They were right.
RIAN’s powerful debut album will be released worldwide on July 22 via MRR.
A video for RIAN’s title track ‘Out Of The Darkness’ will debut in the coming weeks.
Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to announce the signing of KEE OF HEARTS, a new band project built around two true melodic rock superstars: Tommy Heart, singer of Fair Warning and Kee Marcello, former Europe guitarist!
With a line-up rounded out by Ken Sandin (Alien) on bass and Italian drummer Marco Di Salvia (Pino Scotto), the guys started working on the album in late 2016. With their songwriting strongly focused on melodic rock songs, the album came to completion under the direction of producer Alessandro Del Vecchio and covers a wide spectrum of styles with a lot of attention given to crafting great hooks delivered by musicians that know how to deliver the goods!
Musically, the band operates in a territory defined by Scandinavian AOR meeting German melodic hard rock with influences from the classic U.S. AOR giants (think Giant, Journey, etc.).
All in all, an unmissable release and a highlight of the melodic rock scene! The album is planned for release in the late summer.
The rock world continues to mourn the “sudden and unexpected” death of Soundgarden frontman CHRIS CORNELL earlier today. His death is now being investigated as a suicide.
Statements from ANN and NANCY WILSON of HEART on the loss of Chris Cornell:
ANN WILSON: "It's important now to keep thoughts of Chris positive. He is on his way. We loved him well, now wish him well on his journey. He was and is a beautiful soul."
NANCY WILSON: "No one is ever prepared to hear about a death in the family. And today Chris Cornell my brother from my Seattle music family is gone. I thought his voice would forever grace the world of music. Devastating."
Here are some of the headlines being reported around the world:
MelodicRock Records is excited to announce signing new hard rock project FICTION SYXX. The debut album ‘Tall Dark Secrets’ will be released in August.
FICTION SYXX, is the brain child of songwriter/vocalist/guitarist, Mark Allen Lanoue. But like all ideas, including musical ones, it is not just about the writing; it is about the delivery. So, after writing the first song called “Welcome to my Nightmare” for this new musical journey, Mark started talking with friend and multi-talented musician/songwriter/producer, JK Northrup (KING KOBRA, XYZ) about starting a project that would be framed around a core of members.
Mark then talked to an old bandmate, drummer, Rory Faciane. Rory is a live and studio drummer that attended the Musicians Institute and now resided in Nashville TN. Rory immediately came on board with Mark and JK as the drummer. Then Mark began talking to Tony “The Fretless Monster” Franklin (THE FIRM, BLUE MURDER). After Tony heard the first ideas for this project, he offered to play bass and added his amazing talents to the project. Finally, keyboardist extraordinaire, Eric Ragno (GRAHAM BONNET, JOE LYNN TURNER) was added to the lineup.
Now the band was complete and ready to deliver the album “TALL DARK SECRETS”!
FICTION SYXX mixes progressive hard rock with a nuance of melodic rock. The first release from this project was a way to bring a talented core of seasoned musicians together and to bring several guest artists and what came out of the effort is a solid 11 songs of progressive rock.
The name FICTION SYXX was created nearly 10 years ago. It is derived from the many mystical and mythical meanings behind the number 6 and sequences of that number such as “666” and “6666”. Since Mark was born on 6-6-66, the mystique about the number six became intriguing to him. In the 80’s, it also gained quite the bit of attention when being ID’d at convenience stores and bars.
FICTION SYXX is:
Mark Allen Lanoue - Lead and Backing Vocal, Rhythm- Lead and Acoustic Guitar
JK Northrup - Rhythm- Lead- Slide and Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocal
Tony Franklin - Bass
Rory Faciane - Drums and Percussion
Eric Ragno - Keyboards
The album was Produced, Mixed and Mastered by JK Northrup at Alien Productions Music Studio, Carmichael CA, USA
Inner Wound Recordings are proud to announce the signing of the folk/power metal band WIND ROSE to the label. Their new album "Stonehymn" is scheduled to be released later this spring and more details will be revealed later this month.
Having toured with bands like Wintersun, Eluveitie and Ensiferum, and with two successful albums under their belt, WIND ROSE are ready to take things to the next level with the release of their third album "Stonehymn", an album filled by the epic, powerful and folk inspired brand of power metal the band is known for.
One of my favourite albums of the 90s is the classic AOR of a record called Nevertheless. The timeless production from David Prater and a voice that defined soulful AOR – Brett Walker.
As it turned out, Brett was one hell of a nice guy too. As I followed his career from that classic solo album, I had the chance to interview him several times and as time went on, got to know him very well. He was one of the good guys as they say.
Then came the heartbreaking news of his sudden passing in 2013. Gone way too soon and with so much music still to give.
Brett was a prolific writer and was always recording and demoing new material. Much of which remained stored on various DATs in his home studio.
With the co-operation of Brett’s wife Sheron, I am very pleased to say that MelodicRock Records will embark on a mission to pay tribute to Brett by presenting an anthology of his unreleased work, which will include demos and outtakes for some of his iconic songs as well as an extensive collection of previously unheard material, reflecting the classic Brett Walker sound.
And yes, the Person 2 Person tracks are amongst the nearly 30 DAT tapes that make up Brett’s work.
I am honoured to be able to work on this and promise that this will be the best possible way of paying tribute to the late Brett Walker, while giving his fans something of substance to remember him by.
Progress updates will be posted over the coming months and a release is planned for later in 2017.
JIMMY DAVIS - Kick The Wall (Deluxe Edition, 2CD) and Going The Distance have been delayed by 10 days and will both be released May 29.
Manufacturing set to take longer than anticipated - but ALL preorders will recieve digital audio links on the original release date of May 19 with CDs shipped when in stock.
MelodicRock Records is immensely proud and excited to be partnering with American musician Jimmy Davis to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Jimmy Davis & Junction's debut album 'Kick The Wall'. Working with Jimmy over the past several months, MRR will chronicle the complete history of JD&J recordings and bring that to the fans, remastered from original master sources.
MelodicRock Records and Jimmy Davis will reissue the debut album 'Kick The Wall', freshly remastered by JK Northrup along with a very special bonus. The release will feature a second disc featuring a rare live concert, 'Live At The Bottom Line', as broadcast by Westwood One in 1987.
But that's not all! A conversation that started well over a year ago will result in the long desired official release of one of the best unreleased melodic rock albums ever. We're talking about the phenomenal shelved sophomore Jimmy Davis & Junction album 'Going The Distance'. It's a melodic rock masterpiece.
JIMMY DAVIS & JUNCTION - The MRR Reissues Deal (Kick The Wall Deluxe 2CD and Going The Distance CD) $32 + $5 shipping worldwide
JIMMY DAVIS & JUNCTION - 'Kick The Wall' (2CD $17 + $5 shipping)
JIMMY DAVIS & JUNCTION - 'Going The Distance' ($15 + $5 shipping)
Jimmy Davis on that debut: "In the early 80s, I met John Scott. We were put together in a theme park show replacing my favorite local bluegrass band turned rock and roll band that featured fiddle, mandolin, guitar whiz Tommy Burroughs. I was already writing and wanted to incorporate all of my influences in one band like they did. But somewhere around 1985 I wrote 'Kick the Wall' and demoed it at John's home demo studio. We knew we were on to something. We started getting noticed and joined up with a new studio in Memphis, Sounds Unreel. The studio started in our soon to be manager, Jon Hornyak's house. But they grew into a full on 24 track studio. Our hero Jack Holder and Don C Smith all took us in and we stared recording what became the debut album."
You could be forgiven for never hearing of the 'Going The Distance' album previously, or even be entirely unaware of Jimmy Davis and his talents as a singer, guitarist and songwriter. It's never too late to discover a masterpiece. And that's exactly what these albums represent. An extremely talented band at their very best, another victim of record label machinations.
Jimmy on the 'lost' album: "We starred on the second record in Memphis and ended up doing 4 or 5 songs in LA with Danny Kortchmar with Chad on drums. It took a long time and we had amazing quests, Warren Hayes co-wrote and played, Kevin Dukes from Jackson Browne's band and the Memphis Horns... But things were changing going into the 90s. Grunge for one. I was tired and frustrated, nothing made sense. We made the record for three different label presidents and it was time for a change. I wanted to do what is now called Americana. I simply walked away and 'Going the Distance' was shelved."
No one knows how the original recording of 'Going The Distance' leaked, probably from one of the original advance cassette that Chrysalis Records sent out when the album was touted for release back in 1990.
But that would explain the less than perfect audio that has been heavily traded by collectors ever since.
And if that's you - wait until you hear this record remastered from the original tapes!
The power, passion and performances on 'Going The Distance' are nothing short of melodic rock perfection.
Mixing the rootsy, natural live Midwestern rock n roll style with the commercial melodic rock sound of the day is a brilliant combination.
Imagine Bryan Adams in his 'Into The Fire' style or John Mellencamp during his 'Scarecrow' period. Add in some Charlie Sexton, John Kilzer, Richie Sambora (solo) and Jimmy's own unique style and you get an amazing record that I personally would have had on regular rotation over the last two decades had the release gone according to plan.
Using previously unseen original artwork for both albums - including using the original cover Jimmy wanted for 'Kick The Wall' - this is an essential purchase for longtime Jimmy Davis fans. And there is no doubt that Jimmy is going to attract a whole new group of followers with these albums available soon.
MRR will release the 'Kick The Wall 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition' with bonus live disc and the 'Going The Distance' album May 19.
MelodicRock Records is offering a couple of very special deals with four very fine examples of Aussie hard rock/melodic rock.
There are two packages to choose from, or dive in and grab all 4 for the special price.
Deal 1 - HARD ROCK - EMPIRES OF EDEN'Architect Of Hope' & ROADKILL'Extinct' - Both albums for the combo sale price of $25 (and free shipping worldwide)
Deal 2 - MELODIC ROCK - THE RADIO SUN'Outside Looking In - Special Edition' & SERPENTINE SKY'Serpentine Sky - Special Edition' - Both albums for the combo sale price of $25 (and free shipping worldwide)
Or dive in and buy all 4 for just $40 (and free shipping worldwide)
