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.”
Frontiers Music, after an intense brainstorming session, announce 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 (Fates Warning, Warlord) was born and put together under the direction of renowned LA-based producer Roy Z Ramirez (Bruce Dickinson, Halford, Tribe Of Gypsies).
Called SPIRITS OF FIRE (after the title of one of their songs), the band is currently halfway through recording their debut album. The music can best be described as “classic Priest meets Savatage”.
“It's going to be a great album!” says producer Roy Z and fans can look forward to a release in the early part of 2018!
NY/NJ based metal band Dark Sky Choir announce the release of their self titled debut album on May 16, 2017. The record release party will take place on June 23 at The Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ, and will be hosted by Eddie Trunk, Don Jamieson and Jim Florentine of That Metal Show. The show is being sponsored by WRAT and WDHA radio stations. Artwork for the project was created by legendary cover artist Ioannis (Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Dream Theater, Dokken, Fates Warning, Skid Row, Sepultura, Yngwie Malmsteen). The album will also feature guest appearances by Chris Caffery of Savatage, and Michael Pinnella of Symphony X.
Track list for this 43 minute release is as follows:
1– DEATH OF A NATION
2- LIKE IT OR NOT
3- WALKING BY MYSELF
4- DIE YOUNG (MAYBE HE WANTED TO)
5- THE END
6- SAILS OF CHARON
7- CRY FOR THE LEGIONS
8- SHOW NO MERCY
9- BEDOUIN CARAVAN
For more information and updates about Dark Sky Choir, go to www.darkskychoir.com
An in-depth Interview with Jon Oliva about the Savatage/Trans-Siberian Orchestra Wacken performance, TSO's New Album Letters From the Labyrinth, and the TSO 2015 winter tour.
BP: You've obviously been playing a lot of the Savatage material on your own since the last time you guys toured together, but what was it like when the six of you got together for rehearsals again for Wacken?
Jon Oliva: It was like we never stopped playing. It was really strange. This whole Wacken thing was a very bizarre thing because when we first set up for the first days of rehearsal at the fairgrounds, it was just like we never stopped playing together. It was so weird. I mean we just played through the stuff as if we were on tour. That was strange as well just the way, you know, I mean we hadn't played, that group of guys, we haven't been on stage together or even played together since Al's last tour was what, '98? I mean we toured again in 2000, 2001, but Pitrelli wasn't with us. So '98 was his last tour so that was a long time, but it didn't feel like we...you know you would expect some rust or you would expect some mistakes or some shit like that, but it was as if we were, you know, it was as if we were playing together for the last twenty years. That's what people don't understand, but we do, we are together a lot.
"I gave all the Savatage fans the best years of my life from the day I turned 21 to the day I turned 40. That's all I did was Savatage. That was the best years of my life. I lost my, I lost my house, I lost my cars, I got divorced. Thank god my wife forgave me and remarried me, but I sacrificed everything for that band and you know, people don't really...it kind of bothers me a little bit people don't really understand that. How much that, how much I went through to keep that band together. And I would think people would be happy that I'm happy. You know, and to say, "Jon gave, if this is what he wants to do great, he's writing great stuff and blah blah blah..." And that's how I want it, you know. I wish the Savatage fans would feel that, you know, this is my decision.
It's nothing that was forced on me or anything like that. This is what I want to do because I want, I want to push my limits until the day I'm dead. I want to keep trying to come up with different things and new ideas and I gave you guys 25 years of my life with Savatage. You know, the best years of my life. You know while everybody else was living their lives I was sleeping in fucking vans and buses and traveling around playing in front of 200 people in a beer bar and doing all that shit in the early days and then legging around Europe and all the stuff that we went through and the, you know, all the chaos and the, you know, the tragedy of losing Criss and everything like that. You know it's just, it was time for me to take a step back and say look to the...what do you want to do when you're in your 50s and 60s. Obviously it's not running around singing "24 Hours Ago." You know, it's not gonna happen. So, this is my decision and I'm very happy right now. I'm a very happy guy."
In episode 137 of One On One With Mitch Lafon, Mitch is joined by SAVATAGE & TSO guitarist, CHRIS CAFFERY.
Chris discusses his new album 'Your Heaven Is Real', former KISS guitarist ACE FREHLEY, Savatage's upcoming plans, the TSO/Savatage at Wacken performance, his line of Hot Sauces, and much more.
Quotes from the interview:
Savatage: "The word on the street is that we weren't going to play again; which I always hoped and believed we would and we did."
The future of Savatage: "The ultimate decision for Savatage is up to Jon."
On making a new Savatage album: "If they decide it's time to do another record then we'll do it. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."
Wacken performance: "It was amazing. Every single hand was in the air. Every person stayed from the first note to the last note. It was a great feeling."
His new album - YOUR HEAVEN IS REAL: "I'm really proud of the record. I'm just doing these records for me; to make some music I enjoy playing."
The song 'Your Heaven Is Real': "I had an allergic reaction to mussels in Ottawa and had died for five minutes. That's what that whole song is about."
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