“Feel good rock n’ roll - the music tells stories we can all relate to, but in a fun way” is how songwriter/guitarist Duane Morano describes his CD, Incognito. And on its first-ever release, ‘Incognito’ (whose pre sale begins on November 30th via Pledge Music (http://pmusic.co/lNL9xL), before its official release on February 8th, 2019), Duane has assembled a stellar supporting cast of names that are well-known to melodic rock fans worldwide - Tyketto’s Danny Vaughn, Extreme’s Pat Badger and Kevin Figueiredo, Firehouse’s Michael Foster and Bill Leverty, XYZ’s Terry Ilous, The Firm/Blue Murder’s Tony Franklin, and Alice Cooper’s Nita Strauss, among others.
As Duane explains, the CD ‘Incognito’ came together in a huge stroke of luck. “I had known Bill Leverty for a great many years so he was in from the beginning. Back in 2016, I was having dinner with Bill and was asked if I was ever going to unshelve a CD I started working on years ago. After some thought, I finished a few of the tracks in my studio and sent them to Bill to be mixed. As we listened to the mixes, it became clear to both of us I needed to get rid of the programmed drums, find a bass player instead of a guitar player trying to play bass, and get someone that could sing what I was struggling to attempt. Changes needed to be made. That was when Bill suggested his drummer Michael Foster, so I gave him a shout.”
“The next step was finding the right vocalists to fit the handful of songs that were ready. I had my MP3 player on shuffle and Great White's ‘Hard to Say Goodbye’ came on and thought, ‘Terry's voice would be a great fit for a song,’ so I reached out to him and he asked to hear it. I sent him an MP3 with Michael and Tony playing on it. Terry was a bit surprised that as a guitar player I hired a bass player and didn't do it myself which is typical in self-funded, small budget projects. After explaining, Terry saw I was willing to do what's best for the music and liked the song so he agreed to sing a song or two. As the project progressed and we got to know each other, we started trading ideas back and forth, writing and arraigning together, and ultimately ended up with 5 songs for consideration.”
“Pat coming on board was really a happy accident. For 20 years or so I've collected music memorabilia as hobby. Pat had a Pledge campaign going on at the time and I pledged for the Patocam. He sent me an email saying something like, ‘Dude you got the Patocam,’ so I replied with some smart-aleck funny comment. He laughed and we emailed back and forth for a few hours and went our separate ways. About a week went by and much to my surprise, I got a random email from him asking how I was doing.”
As the project’s leader explains, the album is loaded with rockin’ highlights. “Nita Strauss solo on ‘Manhattan’ was a pick up your jaw off the floor moment. Bryan Cole’s vocals on ‘Don’t Believe You’ grabs elements of rock and blues with a touch of soul, and delivers one of the best performances I’ve ever heard him do. The way Michael Foster and Pat Badger really cement and play with the groove on ‘Kid Gloves’ is really cool.”
And the guests sound equally enthusiastic about the disc. Terry Ilous - “If you want to listen to good rock and roll, good music, pledge for this CD. Duane is a wonderful guitar player and I’m looking forward to singing more songs for him.” Nita Strauss - “‘Manhattan’ is a GREAT song. Thank you for having me on it.” Bill Leverty - "Duane has an amazing CD, filled with tasty music and killer guitar work."
Duane is also confident that his brand of rock fits in well with the current musical climate. “With the interest people have in bands of my youth, I think Incognito gives people the opportunity to hear elements of what was great about that era of music - but in a fresh way. Incognito pays tribute to that time period, but leaves the listener feeling satisfied like you’ve got something new.
And if all goes according to plan, the CD will not merely be a studio project. “Shows could happen if we can get schedules coordinated. That's always the hardest part when trying to get people from several different active bands together in the same place at the same time. There is talk of a live version, and something Bryan, Danny, Terry, and I think could be a lot of fun.”
Lastly, what are Duane’s future plans? “Finish the CD and then spend some much-needed time with my wife and kids - while putting a live band together, for special events.”
CONFIRMED TRACKS/LINE-UPS FOR ‘INCOGNITO’:
After the Love- Danny Vaughn, Duane Morano, Pat Badger, Michael Foster, Bryan Cole
Cookie Jar- Bryan Cole, Duane Morano, Tony Franklin, Michael Foster, Chris Lester
Sincerely Yours- Bryan Cole, Duane Morano, Pat Badger, Michael Foster, Shane French
Don't Believe You- Bryan Cole, Duane Morano, Keith Horne, Michael Foster
Face the Fire- Danny Vaughn, Duane Morano, Keith Horne, Bryan Cole, Kevin Figueiredo (K-Figg)
Giovanna- Danny Vaughn, Duane Morano, John Morano, Michael Foster
Kid Gloves- Danny Vaughn, Duane Morano, Pat Badger, Michael Foster, John Surabian, Bryan Cole
Manhattan- Dan Michaels, Duane Morano, Pat Badger, Michael Foster, Nita Strauss
Hearts- Terry Ilous, Duane Morano, Tony Franklin, Michael Foster, Dan Michaels, Bryan Cole
Love is just a lie- Terry Ilous, Duane Morano, JK Northrup, Pat Badger, Michael Foster
Why- Terry Ilous, Duane Morano, Keith Horne, Bryan Cole, Michael Foster
Barely Breathing- Danny Vaughn, Duane Morano, Pat Badger, Michael Foster
In celebration of their 30th Anniversary, Thunder revisit and reinterpret of their finest songs in a way you’ve not heard before. Released in the U.S. on Friday, January 18th, 2019 through BMG, ‘Please Remain Seated’ is the sound of a band taking a strange journey into their own music, but also distilling thirty years of playing together in order to create something truly compelling, taking in flavors of rock, blues, jazz and soul along the way.
‘She’s So Fine’ was the album’s first single, and on this Friday, November 30th Thunder will be releasing the second single / video from ‘Please Remain Seated’ – ‘Miracle Man.’ This version of the track has been given a completely new slant and fully underlines the fresh, innovative and daring approach taken by the band during the ‘Please Remain Seated’ sessions. The video can be viewed here:
‘Please Remain Seated’ will be available in various formats: Standard 1CD, Deluxe 2CD (bonus tracks), 180g standard black, gatefold double vinyl, Limited edition transparent orange double vinyl (Indie store exclusive, limited to 500), Digital - HD, MFiT andd standard. The album has been mastered at half speed on vinyl for dynamic range. New single and video ‘Miracle Man’ is out on November 30th. Pre-orders available here: https://thunderband.lnk.to/PRS
Danny Bowes said, “We’ve never been the kind of band that wanted to make the same album over and over, and we’ve never been scared to try new things. In fact, making Thunder music over the past 30 years has taught us that the more we challenge ourselves, the better we get. Having re-imagined and re-recorded Love Walked In in 2017, we were very stimulated by the process, and wanted to try it on other songs. We made it as live as possible, jamming ideas until we found an arrangement that felt good. We set ourselves three rules: work fast, don’t aim for perfection, and make it different to the original. Some songs fell together spontaneously, and some took a series of strange left turns before ending up in a place none of us predicted.
By shaking up old tunes in this way, we forced ourselves to rethink how we felt about them. We think it’ll probably be the same for fans when they hear them. It’s not supposed to be a ‘Best Of’, and it’s not a change of direction, it’s just another brief stop along the journey to where we’re heading (wherever that is). We really like it, and we hope others will too”.
TRACKLISTING: Bigger Than Both Of Us / Future Train / Girl’s Going Out Of Her Head / I’m Dreaming Again / Fly On The Wall / Just Another Suicide / Empty City / Miracle Man / Blown Away / Loser / She’s So Fine / Low Life In High Places
Since forming in 1989, Thunder have notched up twenty Top Fifty singles, 2 gold albums, and cultivated a reputation as consummate live performers. Their last album - 2017’s ‘Rip It Up - hit number 3 in the UK album charts, giving the band theirr highest chart placing in 22 years. ‘Please Remain Seated’ is the result of all those miles on the clock and represents the sound of a band having fun. The smiles on their faces are almost audible, and the occasional bit of inter-band banter that made the final cut just underlines the d’esprit de corps that has always been there with Thunder. Half of the tracks feature additional musicians who’ve performed at the famed Christmas shows and there’s even a choir on one track!
‘Please Remain Seated’ may be a quieter album - thhe delicate sound of Thunder if you will! - but this collection undderlines the strength of the songwriting and musicianship, and it also proves that great [even unexpected] things can happen when a band is prepared to step out of its comfort zone and challenge itself, even after 30 years.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT: thunderonline.com
TOTO have delivered fans another new song - this time the cracking rock track 'Devil's Tower', taken from the 'Old Is New' LP, which is perhaps the most anticipatd part of the 'All In' box set, due to be delivered to pre-order customers any day now. There are just 2000 box sets worldwide and I'm told there's under 200 left.
'Devil's Tower' is one of the earliest tracks dug out of the archives, featuring Jeff Porcaro and David Hungate. The 1981 one track keeps the original drums, bass, piano, organ and electric guitars. Vocals and additional guitars added.
Song Line-up:
DEVIL’S TOWER (Lukather/Paich/Porcaro/Williams)
Drums: Jeff Porcaro
Bass: David Hungate
All Guitars: Steve Lukather
Piano/Keyboards: David Paich
Synths: Steve Porcaro
Percussion: Lenny Castro
Lead & Backing Vocals: Steve Lukather, Joseph Williams
Vivian Campbell, Vinny Appice, Phil Soussan, and Andrew Freeman collectively known as Last in Line, are set to release their second album, “II” via Frontiers Music Srl on February 22.
Last In Line was formed in 2011, when Vinny Appice, Jimmy Bain, and Vivian Campbell, (Ronnie James Dio’s co-conspirators and co-writers on the "Holy Diver", "Last In Line" - the album from which they took their name, and "Sacred Heart” albums) teamed up with esteemed vocalist Andrew Freeman. The debut al-bum “Heavy Crown” was released in February 2016, landing at #1 on the Billboard HeatSeekers Chart. Initially, the release had been preceded by tragedy when bassist Jimmy Bain unexpectedly passed away at the age of 68 on January 23, 2016. Last In Line, honoring what they knew would be Bain’s wish to keep the band moving, brought in renowned bassist Phil Soussan (ex-Ozzy Osbourne) and committed to sustained touring in support of the album, hitting festivals, headlining clubs, and sharing the stage with metal luminaries such as Saxon and Megadeth.
In late 2017, the band gathered in L.A. to start the recording of the second album, which was produced by the band members and Jeff Pilson (Foreigner, The End: machine, ex-Dokken), who also produced the debut album. Having really gelled as a band while touring in support of the debut album, the songwriting came readily to the members. They’ve created a record that shows a big progression in sound, while immediately being recognizable as Last In Line thanks to Vinny Appice’s rhythms, thunderous bass from Soussan, amazing vocals from Andrew Freeman, and the roaring guitars of Vivian Campbell.
Tracklisting:
1. Intro
2. Black Out The Sun
3. Landslide
4. Gods And Tyrants
5. Year Of The Gun
6. Give Up The Ghost
7. The Unknown
8. Sword From The Stone
9. Electrified
10. Love And War
11. False Flag
12. The Light
Lineup:
Andrew Freeman - Vocals
Vinny Appice - Drums
Phil Soussan - Bass
Vivian Campbell – Guitars
New York based Livesay is a prime example of a band that has flown under the proverbial radar and has self-sustained 4 incredible albums: S/T (1996), Darkest Hour (2002), Awaken the Giant (2010) and Frozen Hell (2016). Livesay is not a novice to the big stage and has opened for a multitude of hard rocks premier acts such as Ronnie James Dio, Y&T, Dokken, Lynch Mob, Ratt, Thin Lizzy, Vince Neil, Sebastian Bach, Quiet Riot, Michael Schenker, UFO, Fates Warning and many others. In addition to appearing at the Rock N’ Skull Festival 2 years in a row, they have headlined many times as well. With very little major backing, it’s been a willingness and belief that has driven this band.
Livesay’s sound is not easily classified; musical diversity is what powers these guys. It can best be described as Neo-Classical, Melodic, Hard Rock meshed with Progressive elements that combined, deliver a sonic, dream symphony. The band draws influences & inspiration from the likes of Yngwie Malmsteen, Classic Deep Purple, Racer X, Early Dream Theater and Early Fates Warning. With a magnitude of melodic, catchy hooks and vocal harmonies to the dark, mystical, heavy, technical progression, there is something for every rock genre to latch onto.
The new album titled “Chronicles” features 13 Tracks that bring the history of Livesay full-circle.
From the earliest unreleased material from 1992's Demo ep "Live & Let Rock that features the tracks “Live & Let Rock” and the ballad “Fallen Nights” to the best of 1996 - 2016. The “Chronicles” album coverrs the bands career from humble beginnings and culminates with the brand new track and single, “International Man,” recorded at Fox Hollow Studios, engineered by Sal Lorello and mixed and mastered by Jeff Westlake (Hydrogyn) of Ridgeline Productions. The new track features new Vocalist Mike Gill (Beyond Purple) and ushers in a brand new beginning that will feature a new album in 2019. “Chronicles” is certain to draw the attention of hard rock fans no matter what their taste and drops November 30th on RFL Records/Cargo Records Distro Europe.
CHRONICLES LINEUP:
G - Gregg Livesay - All Tracks
V - Pete White - Tracks 1-6
V - Anthony Cross - Tracks 7-9
V - Dean Sternberg - Tracks 10-12
V - Mike Gill - Track 13
D - Tim Hunter - Tracks 10-12
D - Keith Michaels - Tracks 1-7, 13
K - Tony Stahl - Tracks 3-13
K - Kenny Mosk - Tracks 1-2
B - Rich Andrews - Track 13
B - Pete Ronda - Tracks 1-6
B - Alan D'Angelo - Tracks 7-12
“Live & Let Rock” & “Fallen Nights”
Recorded @ Northlake Sound
Engineered by Ed Solan
“Red Room” thru “Aphasia”
Recorded @ Millbrook Studios
Engineered by Paul Drofino
“International Man”
Recorded @ Fox Hollow Studios
Engineered by Sal Lorello
Mixed and Mastered by Jeff Westlake
COME TASTE THE BAND - new album “Reignition” feat. Doogie White & Joe Lynn Turner on vocals!
Come Taste the Band (CTTB) is a Norwegian classic hard rock band, founded in 1997 by guitarist Jo Henning Kaasin and singer Vidar Heldal. The early line-up, included bass player Ståle Naas, Eldar Melkvik on keyboards and Frode Flatland on drums. In the early years, CTTB was a Deep Purple tribute band and released two CD`s with Deep Purple songs; «A Tribute To Deep Purple» in 1999 and «Live» in 2006. From 1997 to 2007, CTTB played hundreds of concerts in Scandinavia.
In 2007, CTTB were asked by the Norwegian festival, Kartfestivalen, to play a concert with former Deep Purple singer/bass player, Glenn Hughes. This show resulted in a partnership that lasted until 2010, when Hughes founded Black Country Communion with Joe Bonamassa. Glenn Hughes & CTTB did four tours together, playing Deep Purple Mk III and IV classics.
In 2011, Come Taste the Band teamed up with former Deep Purple/Rainbow-singer, Joe Lynn Turner. JLT & CTTB toured Scandinavia, doing both Rainbow and Deep Purple material. Together they hit the road between 2012 to 2014. During days of, Turner, guitarist Jo Henning Kaasin and bassplayer Ståle Naas wrote and started recording two brand new songs, Tied Down and Don`t Let Me Bleed. Both songs ended up on the new CTTB album, «REIGNITION».
2014 also saw CTTB doing two concerts with former Rainbow singers, Doogie White and Graham Bonnet + Norwegian singer, JORN Lande. Come Taste the Band have changed the line-up several times during the years, with only leader and guitarist, Jo Henning Kaasin, singer Vidar Heldal and bass player Ståle Naas staying constant in the band.
In 2017 celebrating 20 years, CTTB played two big sold out shows with former Whitesnake guitarist, Bernie Marsden and Doogie White (Rainbow/Michael Schenker). After those concerts Doogie White and Jo Henning Kaasin started to write new material.
CTTB landed a record deal with AOR Heaven in November 2017 and recorded seven songs with Doogie White as the singer. Those songs were recorded at Juke Joint Studio, Notodden and Stable Studio, Oslo Norway. The band now is joined by Swedish musicans, Birger Löfman on drums and Svenne Jansson on organ/keyboards. The album was produced by Halvor Halvorsen/Jo Henning Kaasin & CTTB, with Leif Johansen (Phenomena/21 Guns/A-ha) helping out with engineering. Njål Frode Lie mixed and mastered the album.
The album «REIGNITION» includes 9 classic hard rock tracks, played mostly live in the studio and with lots of improvisations. Doogie White is singin on 7 tracks and Joe Lynn Turner on 2 tracks.
Tracklist: 1.Not That Kind Of Man 2.Under Your Skin 3.Slave For Your Love 4.Black Rose 5.Tied Down 6.Don`t Let Me Bleed 7.Fools In The Night 8.Cradle To Grave 9.So Long Old Friend
WAKE THE NATIONS - new Melodic Rock signing from Finland!
Heart-shaped rock from Finland! The second album of Wake the Nations (WTN) is loaded with fresh AOR tracks containing a twist of the 80’s melodic hard rock.
In 2009, Risto Tuominen got interested in a band that was being established by Janne ‘Gekko’ Granfors: a grunge-type of band with Krister Stenbom on the lead vocals, Tuomas Pelli on drums, and Gekko on guitar. They were after a bass player, but since Risto came along, Gekko took the bass guitar. A hard rock band ‘Villa Sucka’ was formed. They wrote songs actively and recorded an EP during the spring of 2010. In the same year, Risto got recruited to a melodic rock/AOR band ‘Human Temple’. Gekko soon followed him. In those times, Jori ‘Jorge’ Tojander was the keyboard player of Human Temple.
As Human Temple was having a break, Risto decided to start recording his solo album in 2012. During the past years, he had written some songs that were never published. Risto asked Jorge, Gekko and Kalle Saarinen, all from Human Temple, to help him with the record. Also, Tuomas got an enquiry whether he could join. Initially the idea was to record already written songs just for his own sake, with good quality. But things got more and more ambitious... Risto came up with a thought of ‘Wake the Nations’ project band. Janne Hurme (Human Temple) and Petri Kitti (Violent Code) permitted him to record two of their songs as well, and so the album became to form an entity of its own.
It took a year to fine-tune the songs. When it was time to record the vocals, Risto wasn't confident enough to do it himself. So, he began to search for proper singers. In 2013, he found Estef Martinez (Insider) from Ecuador, Dado Topić (Time) from Croatia, Taage Laiho (Kilpi), and Nils Nordling (Silver Bullet). Janne Hurme and Krister Stenbom were invited also. In addition, Timo Pelander (Finlanders) played guitars and Jari Pailamo (King Company) keys on some tracks. ‘Sign of Heart’ was born in January 2015. The album got its way to the top-50 of the official Finnish chart in the first week after release.
The band did not have a fixed front man and they were not supposed to tour anyways. But as a one-time-occasion, they played at album release party, it became evident that WTN would continue playing for live audience. Soon Krister joined the band and WTN hit bigger stages. Live performance in DBTL festival 2015 was a turning point: WTN opened for Sunrise Avenue and got some international interest after their show. Ever since, the band have been playing numerous gigs: for instance, they have toured Germany numerous times and supported Swedish metal act Dynazty during their ‘Titanic Mass’ tour in Finland. These guys are known not only for their music, but also energetic and positive attitude which is present on and off stage.
During the years 2016-2018, WTN wrote and recorded material for ‘Heartrock’. It was done in cooperation with some of the best melodic hard rock professionals in Scandinavia. For instance, writers also include gurus as Sören Kronqvist (Joe-Lynn Turner/One Desire) and Thomas Wikström (Therion), mixing and mastering was conducted by the almighty Erik Mårtensson (Eclipse/W.E.T.), producers include Ilkka Wirtanen (Reckless Love/The Nights). The end result being a solid yet diverse melodic AOR album with stadium rock sounds, a hint of the 80’s, and interesting stories of life and love.
Check out the video for the track “Tattooed Girl” here:
Tracklist: 1. No Mercy, 2. Tattooed Girl, 3. Midnight Lovers, 4. All My Life, 5. Fallen Angel, 6. Now You’re Gone, 7. New Day, 8. Flames, 9. Somehting In Your Eyes, 10. Higher, 11. This Is Over
Gathering Of Kings debut album "First Mission" will arrive in late January 2019!
The Album was produced, mixed, and mastered by Thomas Plec Johansson (Soilwork, The Night Flight Orchestra, Nocturnal Rites, Dynazty) at The Panic Room in Skövde, Sweden.
All songs written by hugely talented Victor Olsson except "The Runaway", which was written by Maurice Gibb & Robin Gibb from Bee Gees. The song is a cover of Carolas hit single from 1986. So that's a tribute to the best swedish female singer of all time!
The cover artwork was created by the German artist Markus Vesper.
An official video for the upcoming fourth single "Love Will Stay Alive" to be released next week. Until then you can listen to the three previous singles on Spotify or Youtube:
Rock / Metal Icons WITHIN TEMPTATION’S are back with a double helping of new music. Raise Your Banner and Mad World are taken from the highly anticipated new album Resist which will be released 14. Raise Your Banner features In Flames frontman Anders Fridén.
The message of WITHIN TEMPTATION’S seventh studio album is clear: RESIST. Sharon: “It’s important to resist, because in today’s society people increasingly get oppressed by social subjection – a process fueled by authorities, dictators but also multi-nationals that manipulate and control. We have to break free in order to develop ourselves, especially when we are constantly being controlled and monitored by a higher power”.
Watch: Raise Your Banner (Official Lyric Video feat. Anders Fridén) Below:
This wake-up call soars through the album track list as a sharpened knife. RESIST is armed with ten anthemic tracks, driven by grand melodies and dark hooks. “RESIST is a true milestone for us. If it wasn’t for RESIST, WITHIN TEMPTATION wouldn’t be here anymore.” “Resist is a true milestone for us. If it wasn’t for Resist, Within Temptation wouldn’t be here anymore. With this record, we’ve taken inspiration from modern music and gave it a face - a very dark one. Sometimes it feels that today’s pop music lacks a rebellious edge.
Frontiers Music Srl announces the release of TOBY HITCHCOCK's second solo album, “Reckoning” on January 25, 2019.
First single and music video, "Promise Me" out now!
Powerhouse American vocalist Toby Hitchcock is back with a brand new solo album, “Reckoning”. The album was written and produced in collaboration with Swedish producer Daniel Flores (Find Me, The Murder of My Sweet). Toby first came to the attention of melodic rock fans when former Survivor founding member Jim Peterik hand-picked him to be the lead singer for Pride Of Lions, the band that would mark Jim's return to the rock scene.
With Pride of Lions, Toby has sung on five studio albums which are considered true classics among the melodic rock/AOR faithful. Often compared to Bobby Kimball (Toto), Jimi Jamison (Survivor), and Lou Gramm (Foreigner), Hitchcock’s voice has the depth, feeling and the feel of each of them, while still keeping his own identity and trademark.
When Pride of Lions took a small hiatus in 2011, Toby took the opportunity to hook up with Swedish songwriter/producer Erik Martensson (Eclipse, W.E.T., Ammunition) for his first solo album, “Mercury’s Down.” The album was a display of the talent of the two young guns, with Toby showing an unbelievable set of pipes on some heavier material, specially penned for him by Martensson.
In 2017, work on a new solo album started with Toby once again looking to Sweden for another exciting collaboration. Swedish producer Daniel Flores (Find Me, The Murder Of My Sweet) crafted a superb set of songs that are an absolute AOR gem of an album.
Toby Hitchcock says: “Being able to record my second solo album was a big step for me. I didn’t want to be a “one hit wonder” type of artist. So I’m very thankful for the opportunity to record a sophomore album. Working on my own solo record is really a great way for me to be creative on my own, so it’s very satisfying, and I love the feeling. Both of my solo projects were produced by different artists. So they feel completely different. This is a great thing for music lovers, as it brings a different vibe. This allows me to really explore my vocals and just have a great time doing it. Both albums have been amazing to work on and I couldn’t be happier."
“Reckoning” is a must hear release for all melodic rock/AOR fans out there. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!
SPIRITS OF FIRE, the new band featuring Tim “Ripper" Owens, Chris Caffery, Steve Di Giorgio & Mark Zonder, have announced a February 22, 2019
release date for their self-titled debut album and released the first single & video, "Light Speed Marching" from the album.
Frontiers Music Srl is known for building new bands/projects featuring musicians of outstanding quality and who come from unique backgrounds. After an intense brainstorming session, a dream team of renowned metal musicians including Tim "Ripper" Owens (ex Judas Priest, Iced Earth), Chris Caffery (Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra), Steve DiGiorgio (Testament, Death etc.) and Mark Zonder (ex Fates Warning, Warlord) was born and put together under the direction of renowned LA-based producer Roy Z. (Bruce Dickinson, Halford, Tribe Of Gypsies).
Called SPIRITS OF FIRE (after the title of one of their songs), the band has completed work on their debut album which is set for release on February 22nd via Frontiers Music Srl. The music can best be described as “classic Priest meets Savatage”.
Guitarist Chris Caffery on his influences for the record and working with Roy Z: “My influences for writing on this record were the bands that we were and are still in! I wanted to write songs that [Judas] Priest, Savatage, Testament, and Fates Warning fans would like. But, I wanted them to have a personality of their own as well. To give it a vibe that was SPIRITS OF FIRE! I grew up listening to Judas Priest and spent 30 plus years working with Jon Oliva and Paul O’Neill with Savatage and TSO. Many years playing Criss’ music. These influences for me came naturally! Especially because I’m a fan of all of our bands!
This was the first time that I ever worked with Roy and it was so much fun. I have been a huge fan of his work for a long time. He’s written music, played on, and produced some of my favorite metal albums ever. He had a difficult job bringing this all together and I can’t think of anyone that would have been a better producer and co-worker for this album!”
“I always just sing to the song, whatever I feel it should be. It’s like a character thing! I like layers! This music is really perfect for me and in my natural wheel house. I like to sing all over the place and change it up and this all happens on this album. This is just the start of an amazing band, I mean sky is the limit and I actually can’t wait to record the next album, because this one is so great and perfect,” says vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens.
Drummer Mark Zonder adds about his playing and writing process, “I am the kind of player that plays what I think fits best with the music. With SPIRITS OF FIRE, the music was more aggressive and hard hitting which I really liked. Again, I tried to be very mindful of the song and the vocals, but tried to add parts that were interesting and creative for the listener.”
First single and video 'Lolita' out 23 November 2018
He’s back again! But was he ever truly gone? Rock’N’Roll with a capital ‘N’ showing that anything goes in this profession – is experiencing what feels like its seventh or eighth spring. And in the middle of it all: John Diva & The Rockets Of Love.
The flashy band in the style of the eighties has been blessed with the talent of bringing a breath of fresh air to classic rock music. They are the rightful heirs of an era in which Van Halen, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, Scorpions, Guns N` Roses or Mötley Crüe roved around all over the planet and took apart anything they could get their hands on. John Diva is charged US entertainment at its very best.
At John Diva’s side are the guitarists Snake Rocket and J.J. Love, bassist Remmie Martin and drummer Lee Stingray jr. who, in previous years, have pulled off their spectacular performances in front of thousands of fans, three times at the Wacken Open Air alone, amongst others. Once you have witnessed this band on stage, you know how exciting and stimulating strenuous Rock’N’Roll can be.
All twelve songs were produced by Michael Voss (Mad Max, Michael Schenker, Tony Carey etc..) in the ‘Gizmo 7 Studios’ in Malaga, Spain, the ‘Principal Studios’ and the ‘Kidroom Studio’ in Münster, with Chris von Rohr (Krokus, Gotthard) as creative supervisor. A dream team of international renown with the experience of real Rock’N’Rollers.
Hence: Welcome to an album that will revive your Rock’N’Roll life as well!
"Mama Said Rock Is Dead" will be released through SPV/Steamhammer on February 08th, 2019 as CD DigiPak, 2LP Gatefold, download and stream.
Tracklisting:
1. WHIPLASH 3:31
2. LOLITA 3:52
3. ROCK N' ROLL HEAVEN 4:09
4. WILD LIFE 4:03
5. BLINDED 4:00
6. DANCE DIRTY 3:58
7. JUST A NIGHT AWAY 4:06
8. FIRE EYES 4:38
9. GET IT ON 3:56
10. LONG LEGS 3:32
11. TOXIC 3:25
12. ROCKET OF LOVE 4:03
Kane Roberts is back with a new solo album, “The New Normal”, which will be released on January 25, 2019. The first taste of music has been released from the album in the form of the track, “Forever Out Of Place”.
“‘Forever Out of Place’ is one of the “lighter” tracks on the album, although it still kicks pretty hard with a killer chorus,” explains Roberts. “The lyrics are about not feeling at home anywhere, having zero sense of belonging, and the sooner you stop searching for those things, the sooner you realize where you belong. There is a bit of style cross section in terms of the material, but keep in mind that they all include my past, present, and what I hope to be my future, however short or long that might be.”
Kane has involved some really amazing friends in the making of “The New Normal, including Alice Cooper, Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy, Nita Strauss, Babymetal drummer Aoyama Hideki and his former Alice Cooper bandmates: Kip Winger, Paul Taylor, and Ken Mary. Three years in the making, “The New Normal” melds the old and new in metal for a truly outstanding album. Kane comments on how the collaborations came to be: “I noticed artists that were busting down doors and at the same time kickstarting new ways of thinking about life and creativity. I knew I wanted to try to work with some of them. Nita Strauss is a killer guitarist. She really tore it up on the song “King Of The World". Her work on it woke me the f*** up and forced me to explore new guitar techniques to compliment her insane skills!
Alice Cooper....no one individual has scorched the earth like my former boss. I started getting into recording "Beginning Of The End" and realized I needed Alice to sing a duet with me. Not just a line, not just an intro, but sing throughout the song. I took the shot that he might be available at some point to get involved and when I called, he said "I’m in Hollywood. I'll be right over." Full on stroke of luck.
My approach to much of the album was cinematic in the hope that sounds and lyrics would create imagery and emotion beyond what I had done before. Keeping with that idea, I had Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy) fall from the sky like some pissed off dark angel in the middle of the song with Alice and I and burn the place down. Her attitude and singing prowess is stunning and I was so jazzed when she agreed to participate. I was obsessed with getting drum monster Aoyama Hideki from Baby Metal. After he heard the song, he immediately came on board and played with controlled fury like only he can....AMAZING!
I also was also able to work with Brent Smith (Shinedown) and Lzzy Hale (Halestorm) on songwriting and they were of course a blessing to the entire process.
Upon hearing a few of the early recordings, Michael Alago (the A&R guy that discovered Metallica and White Zombie, to name just a few) offered to executive produce the project for me and got a lot of things done for that otherwise would have been impossible for me to accomplish. Last, but certainly not least, no one plays bass like Kip Winger or sings quite the way he can. Didn’t think twice about asking him to join up and he delivered, like always.”
“My music has evolved over the years, even though I was out of the spotlight. Stepping into this new project, there are new styles and sounds evident, but I haven’t made some false effort to distance myself from the past. People will notice a blend of influences from classic rock and metal to the hot bands that are emerging more recently,” says Roberts.
He continues, “Zeppelin to Volbeat to Arch Enemy - they’re all bringing crushing energy to rock/metal while creating truly awesome music. I was lucky to have found Frontiers because they allowed me three years to make this album and sort through my truest feelings and vocal/guitar skills to create something meaningful to me. There is a real concern for preserving the creative process at Frontiers and to my way of thinking there’s no better place for me right now”
Of the many iconic images of '80s rock 'n roll, one that has certainly stood the test of time is Alice Cooper’s then “Rambo-looking” guitar player shooting fire from his M-80 shaped guitar. That guitar player is none other than Kane Roberts, an accomplished musician and singer who, after leaving Cooper's band, went on to record a total of four solo albums (including the “Phoenix Down” project released by Frontiers Records in the late '90s).
Kane’s name and musical abilities first came to prominence on Alice Cooper’s “Constrictor” and "Raise Your Fist And Yell" albums. The tours and popular videos for each made Kane a well-known face in the scene, especially for his outstanding guitar skills, but also for his body-builder image and his iconic machine-gun guitar.
As a solo recording artist, he landed some Top 40 hits and his varied musical background includes recording, writing and touring with artists such as Rod Stewart, Desmond Child, KISS, Diane Warren, Alice in Chains, Berlin, Guns N’ Roses, Garland Jeffries, and more. He’s also written or recorded music for films like Light Sleeper, Penelope Spheeris’ Decline of Western Civilization, Friday the 13th IV: Jason Lives, John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness, and more. In 1991, his second solo album for Geffen Records, “Saints and Sinners” was released and included the Top 40 Billboard hit “Does Anybody Really Fall In Love Anymore?”, originally written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora.
Tracklisting:
1. King Of The World (Feat. Nita Strauss)
2. Wonderful
3. Beginning Of The End (Feat. Alice Cooper, Alissa White-Gluz, Aoyama Hideki, Kip Winger)
DEKO MUSIC LAUNCHES NEW LABEL WITH SPECIALITY VINYL RELEASES
West West Side Music, the company responsible for mastering over 15,000 records (Mastodon, Yes, Monster Magnet, Fleetwood Mac, The Misfits, etc...) has launched the independent label Deko Music, which is distributed by Warner Music Group’s ADA (Alternative Distribution Alliance) in North America and the Target Group in Europe. The label is headed up by West West Side Music owner and Grammy award-winning engineer Alan Douches, with veteran record producer Neil Kernon, Billboard charting artist/performer Charlie Calv and long-time industry sales veteran Bob Ardrey.
The label operates with a full service analog/digital recording facility, mastering facility, 5.1 surround sound room, and separate mixing facility run by Neil Kernon, who has been behind the helm of records as diverse as Hall and Oates, Queensryche, Kansas, Dokken, Yes and many others. Alan Douches states, “Well, it’s a complicated machine this thing called the music business. I guess we’re going to try to help a few artists that we can appreciate along the way, it is about believing in the quality of the art whether it is Hard Rock, Metal or Jazz and not limiting the type of artists we will work with.”
Deko Music’s inaugural releases include specialty vinyl titles from projects with Danger Danger vocalist Ted Poley, and the legendary Angel with Punky Meadows and Frank DiMino (see release listings below). Charlie states, “We are starting out with some veteran artists that we feel best represent their genre and setting our sights on developing some newer acts in the very near future”. In 2019 we will see some archive releases from legendary New York band the Good Rats, former Styx member Glen Burtnik, a special live recording of Tygers of Pan Tang featuring John Sykes (Thin Lizzy/Whitesnake), former Kansas singer Steve Walsh, and the first new studio album in 40 years from legendary jazz composer GilEvans.
December 7: Mike Tramp “Capricorn 20th Anniversary” CD/LP
December 7: Electric Boys “The Ghost Ward Diaries” CD/LP
December 14: Ted Poley “Modern Art” LP (splattered vinyl)
December 14: Punky Meadows/Frank DiMino of ANGEL 12” (etched 3 song single)
The label will announce additional new artist signings and future releases in the upcoming months via the labels official website. Please visit www.dekoentertainment.comfor up-to-date artist and label news and full list of releases.
