Vinny Burns: A killer new album, a fresh melodic vibe and life outside of Ten. Hi Andrew. How are you. Hope that you are well. Hi Vinny. Great to see you at The Gods this year - how did you enjoy the show? I enjoyed it a lot. I love playing live and it seems like ages since I had played a gig. The venue was a great and it was a good crowd. And did you get the crowd reaction you had hoped for? I thought it was rather good considering the material was almost all new. It was weird doing a show with material that isn't yet released but the response was more than favourable. As long as we did not get bottled off we were happy. Seriously though, it was the first ever gig for this band so I thought we did a good job. People still spoke to us afterwards :-) Besides having a pint, what do you do to warm up before a show? Believe it or not, I don't really drink before we go on. I might walk on with a beer but that will be the first of the day. I make up ...

Praying Mantis: The Journey continues for one of the UK's longest running hard rock acts.. Chris Troy talks about the band's new singers, new songs and dealing with life in 2003. Hi Chris…This album was recorded after the departure of vocalist Tony O'Hara. How did that originally come about? What were the circumstances leading up to his departure? It is quite a long story but basically like all singers, they get too big for their boots and eventually start making excessive demands. We really did try to salvage the band but I think when he moved from London to Birmingham the death knell was already sounding. Sometimes geography like that does make things very difficult. On top of that there was talk from him for the requirement for big money and the band got sick and tired of it ...it just was not worth the hassle. You have used the band members and two guest vocalists for the album - how was the process behind selecting those sings undertaken? Mainly because there is some history there. John worked with Dennis when he was in Lionheart a number of years ago and he told Tino and me what a great voice ...

40ft Ringo: One band that defines the nu-breed sound. Steve Brown - from Trixter to Soaked to this....The oldest "kid" in rock n roll finds an home for his much loved 40ft Ringo. Hi Steve, it's been a long road between releases - how does it feel to finally have this album out and in stores? Very happy.....it's been a long time coming. Let's go back a little....Trixter broke through when melodic rock was at it's peak. How was the roller coaster ride that was life on the road in the US heyday? It was every dream coming true daily. Everything I ever wanted out of music was happening. We had #1 videos, sold out tours and met most of my heroes. Oh yeah.....lot's of girls and we made some money.......he, he, he. Any particular story that stands out in your mind from that time? The 1st time we played the Meadowlands Arena in 1991 on the SCORPIONS TOUR. That was the dream from day one , to play our hometown arena. We did it and received our gold records that night. The Bon Jovi + TESLA guys were there to celebrate with us along with all of our ...

Mark Mangold: American Tears to Drive She Said to The Sign and a new Freaky project. Mark Mangold runs through the new Drive She Said album, his love of working with the people he does and the new Magic Freak Society project. Ok Mark, thanks for taking the time out to be interrogated. There is much more to the man than just a keyboard player - how would you describe yourself? Mmm, I don't think I would actually. That's a hard one. Just another one of the 6 billion Universes living and breathing on this planet, and I must say I'm sure enjoying it. You are a songwriter by trade - could there possibly be a tougher trade to make a living from on the face of the earth? Soldier......But yes anything in the "arts" is subjective and hard and it often comes down to pleasing an "executive" before it even gets out there to the world. That has seriously stifled the making of music unfortunately. I know a lot of my readers are interested in the industry side of things and behind the scenes. In relation to your songs being adopted by same very high profile names such as ...

Artension: Another new discovery. Keyboard wiz Vitalij talks about the band's new album, and what else is keeping the composer very busy. Album number 2 after the re-union of sorts. How did things flow this time - even easier, or were there new pressures on the band? Well, things always get easier after you get more experienced in the field as well as in this case the recording process or song-writing process would be much easier to handle or deal with. However, there is always another they say (new thing) that we have to consider and learn and there are as well some things that get more difficult and challenging.. John West has an incredible voice - how do you rate his performance on this album? Great, we all try to get better and try to progress and that is showing in this new album where John as well as other members are showing the higher scales or ability. As a musician that has played around for several years, who do you rate as the best vocalist you have ever worked with? You know it's very hard to do--- to judge. I mean everyone is so different, for example: there are ...

Crush40: A fresh name for a well known project. Japanese guitarist Jun Senoe runs through the new album compiling his work with Hardline singer Johnny Gioeli and guests Ted Poley and Tony Harnell. Jun, a previous release from you was available in Japan a few years back now, under the Sons Of Angels moniker. But this is album is a compilation of the rock vocal tracks from that album and some others recorded elsewhere isn't it? Yes, exactly. We released the album “SONS OF ANGELS / Thrill Of The Feel” from JVC for Japanese market in 2000. Where do the extra tracks come from? From the video game stuff. One came from the soundtrack of “SONIC ADVENTURE”, and the rest came from “SONIC ADVENTURE 2/ BATTLE”. Tell us the history behind the music itself - what was it recorded for and when? Ok… “Live & Learn” was written as a main theme of “SONIC ADVENTURE 2/ BATTLE” in 2001. Also “Escape From The City” is taken from the same game, and very popular with the videogame fans. From “Revvin' Up” to “All The Way” were written for the racing game called “NASCAR ARCADE”. The game was not so much popular especially in Europe though… And “...

Urban Tale: A new band for our times. Urban Tale's Erkka talks about the challenges of being a new band in this musical era and of the challenges facing them while recording album #2. Ok, Erkka - let's go! Did the band feel any sort of pressure to perform after the great critical success of the debut album? I guess that there was some, but we believed in the new songs right from the beginning. And as we hit the studio, Theo (Anders Theander, our producer) came up with the finishing touches that were really cool too. It was actually easier to do the actual recordings this time, since we know Theo better now and vice versa. We worked together more closely on song tempos, feelings and such, and he really respects our opinions. Also, now he also knew how we play in the studio so it was much easier. During the production we noticed that the album was gonna be a bit different from the 1st one, and we also knew that it was gonna get varied responses from the critics. It´s great to get good reviews from the AOR/Melodic Rock media, but we're shooting for the mainstream ...

  Mark Boals: Busier than ever... Not content with just being a solo artist, Mark Boals also has his band Ring Of Fire. Between the two, there have been 3 albums this year and it looks like it's only going to get busier for the former Yngwie Malmsteen vocalist. So, it's been a while since we talked last, but you have been very busy! You have now established two band names - Mark Boals the solo artist and Ring Of Fire. What's the primary difference between the two? OK! With Mark Boals, I obviously get to do what I want, write what I want, work with new people, and in general, have a great time with the freedom of a being a solo artist, making up for years of artistic suppression!!! Haha! But seriously, I wanted to be able to do music that was more based around the melody, with a heavy sound that is a little progressive, and totally different from the neo-classic sound of Ring Of Fire. So many people have been asking me to do it for so long, and I wanted to do it for myself, so there it is! With Ring Of Fire, I have the ...

Singer Ted Poley has been around long enough that he's witnessed and seen first hand the ups and downs of the music industry. Are the recent down's enough to put him into retirement? And all about his new album with Gerhard Pichler - "Big". So Ted, here we are - why is this the last Poley-Pichler album? Well, that's a sad way to start out an interview! Actually, my friend, partner and guitar player of 3 years has gotten a big taste of the sad realities of the music business and has decided not to continue along this path in life, so he is heading home to his native Austria to pursue a more "fair" career and I don't blame him. I wish him the best of luck in whatever he ends up doing, he is very intelligent and will do well no matter what he chooses. We achieved a lot in just 3 years and I will miss working with him in the future, I hope to still keep our friendship going and I would love to keep doing some songwriting together but it will be harder because of the distance. Its a sad time for me. Since the team of ...

Hi Tony, tell us all about the band, and the line up? Gus Adrian Gabarrò Vocals Tony Mad Fontò Guitar BB Nick Savio Guitar Fabio Pozzato Bass Alex Mantiero Drum About the story of the Band you can look in the home page: http://users.iol.it/white_skull How long have you been together? A lot of years, sometimes one member change for personal reason, but Me, Fabio and Alex are together since '90s. What is the best description for the musical style of White Skull? Power Metal! And no other discussion. Who did the artwork for the amazing CD cover? Diego Ferrarin, the same art-worker for all the White Skull's cover. He is a professional drawer. He have drawn a lot of cover for other some bands especially for the Underground Symphony's Band. First album ever bought? [Not answered] Biggest musical influence over career? Iron Maiden. What other bands have you played in? Grave Digger, Saxon, Overkill, UDO, Doro, Uriah Heep and more... a lot of experience with other bands. Last album bought and what is on your current playlist? The last is HALFORD Crucible, on the play list the best is Iron Maiden The Number of ...

G'Day Chris! Tell us all about the band, and the line up? Based in the North of France 'Charleville Mezizères'near Belgium, Northwind is Franck - vocals, Gilles - bass, Nico - Keyboards, Yannick - drums and me guitars. How long have you been together? I started with Franck the band on the summer 2000,the actual line up was drafted in september 2001. What is the best description for the musical style of Northwind? I think Northwind play melodic Heavy Metal mixing old and new influences. Who did the artwork for the CD cover? The artwork was made by Mathiew Bennett, based on a idea from Phil Igram from England. First album ever bought? I think it was Lovedrive by Scorpions. After some AC-DC, Saxon, Motorhead, Van Halen....... Biggest musical influence over career? My favorite band will be forever Thin Lizzy, many melodic bands like UFO, Pretty maids, TNT, Ozzy........and lately Stratovarius. What other bands have you played in? Many unknown local bands, in solo and the last one was a French Metal band call Heavenly (Noise Records). Last album bought and what is on your current playlist? The last album I bought is Thunderstone, Ozzy 'live at Budokan', on ...

WMMS Cleveland - Interview by Matt. Van Halen, in particular, the Hagar era, has always been a religion for me. All of my very best friendships in this world, were started around musical discussion that led us to discover that “5150” was definitely our favorite album ever recorded, and when it came to live videos, there was definitely nothing that could touch our well worn copies of “Live Without A Net”. Any TRUE Van Halen fan knows that the Hagar and Roth eras are two very separate periods of time, and one, does not mix with the other……or does it? In what could be a possible sign of the apocalypse, Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth have united for a tour this summer, and the tour opens right here in Cleveland, on Wednesday, May 29th. I had an opportunity to catch up with Sammy and discuss many things on a Friday afternoon, and here is just a bit of what the Red Rocker had to say! MBL – You guys have said some pretty colorful stuff about each other in the past. How is it in 2002 that you guys are touring together? SAMMY HAGAR (SH) – First of all, Dave said a ...

The Cage Dario Mollo Speaks... Hi Dario, congratulations on a fine album. Thank you very much for the fantastic review, I'm really glad that you enjoy the album. Yes, I did. Firstly, you recorded the debut Cage record and left Tony Martin to record with the great Glenn Hughes on Voodoo Hill. What circumstances arose to allow you to again hook up with Tony for The Cage 2? Tony is one of the best singer in the world and he's my friend, for me it was a natural choice to work with him again.   Did you have a pre-established plan with this album? Yes I had a plan to work with Tony again and the music was constructed before we got together. I ask that as I noticed that The Cage 2 is a true partnership between you and Tony, as you wrote all the songs together. Yes this is true in one sense, because although the music was written previously but then Tony received the songs at his home and adjusted them so that the vocals would work with the tracks. We work so well together that we trust each other to make the songs work even if we are ...

xx So Martin, it's been an interesting 12 months or so, how are things with you right now? Oh yeah... Things went from good to bad to worse to fantastic! It's been a year of ups and downs for sure. Pleased to get this album finished and released? Very pleased. I can't wait for people's reactions. I don't want to go over old ground, or get too personal, but can you explain what happened when you decided to leave the band at one point last year? Well, I never left. We were trying to make the band work with a (once again) new lineup, but things weren't happening. We never found a good rythm and I felt that most of the duties were on my shoulders. When I formed the band in '94 I wanted it to be a platform for my ideas and my music. I wanna make music, I don't wanna argue with people so I decided it was time for me to record a solo album instead and put PUSH on a shelve for a while. However, the fan reaction blew me away. People wanted me to continue the band and I realised that was what I had ...

Ok Vince, thanks for taking time out to answer some questions about the new British AOR band Pulse. For those that don't know the band yet, can you run down the line-up of the band. Simon Abbotts-vocals Lynch Radinsky-drums+vocals Andy Mills-bass+vocals Rob Wood-keyboards and myself, Vince As a prelude for those that might be interested in hearing/buying the album, how can you best describe and compare the band's sound? I would describe the bands sound as ballsy but very melodic AOR, it's hard for me to say who we sound like so will leave that up to you. How long have you been together as a band? Simon and myself have been writing songs together for over 10 years but the band was only put together last June. Now your name of course, might be more familiar than most, as you have been in Bob Catley's live band for a few years now. How has that experience been for you? Playing in Bob's band has been an incredible experience, lots of new faces, lots of new places. I can't wait till he tours again. Has playing with Bob helped craft your sound in any way? Yes definitely, I ...

So Mike, in 2002 we will see your lead vocals on 3 different releases for three different labels - congratulations - that's pretty impressive! Jaded Heart, Rain and of course your cool solo album for Z Records... Is it a reality for a full time melodic rock musician in 2002 to have to seek other avenues to record and earn money, outside their main gig? No, not really! My solo thing I have been pushing from year to year aside. This was planed for soooo many years. I recorded most of the tracks already 2 years ago. Rain was more or less a coincidence. I met the guys summer ´97 on Rhodes, where I sing every summer for a couple of weeks, and we recorded over the last 4 years this album. So all in all in was a coincidence that all those albums come out the same time. The different companies, because each of them was interested in the particular thing, that they have signed in the end! Just purely for the love of the craft then? You know, I´m what you call a fullblood musician. I write and record constantly. I do love it. This is my life. But I must admit, that ...

  Tony, congratulations on the solo album - the record sounds great. Why a solo album now? The album was recorded over a period of years in several sessions around the UK between 1990 and 1995. After I left SHY in 1990 I had serious intentions to become a solo artist, but through various management issues, it didn't really take off, and I ended up forming and working with SIAM until 1996. This material would have been the basis for the launch of a possible solo career. I had forgotten all about it until recently I put a studio in my house and the tapes were found in a flight case that had been stored. This was discovered whilst I was setting the studio up. Z records were interested and hey presto ! The solo album is obviously in place of the Shy album you have been working on for a while now. Can you share any of the frustrations of the recording process with us? Trying to work together with people that you don't regularly stay in contact with can be a real problem. Every one has a very different life of their own these days; much has changed since we used to live ...