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Release info 4: Steve Stevens – Memory Crash
You’ve heard his raygun-like sound effects on the massive hits “Rebel Yell”, “Eyes Without A Face” and “World’s Forgotten Boy” …
His grungy “21st Century Schizoid” musical tirades heard on such seminal efforts as the “Matrix Reloaded” and “Top Gun” soundtracks are revered as much for their technical precision as textural sophistication …
His Leo Kotke-inspired independent bass and melodic guitar lines continue to confound and astound …
Steve Stevens, the wizard of guitar effects and longtime musical partner of fist-pumpin’, punk-pop bad boy Billy Idol, is one of the most refreshingly creative guitarists in all of rockdom. For the uninitiated, experiencing Stevens’ kaleidoscopic sonic assault has all the psychic potency of spotting unidentified incandescent objects in the night sky: you know you’ve witnessed something unexplained and dramatic, and perhaps even intergalactic … In a word, “shocking.”
Well, prepare to have your mind blown, again. Alert the trauma-ward attendants. Get psyched for another supernatural jolt of sonic chaos when the atomic playboy drops his first solo record in nearly eight years, “Memory Crash” – an electro-centric sonic tour de force that makes a serious musical impact. No gimmicks. No over-the-top production. No compromising. It’s just Steve Stevens, his guitar, and his beloved effects – all the ingredients that have made him a global star.
“I think the time is right for me to make a record that is totally me – my world”, Stevens says of “Memory Crash”.
Boasting such tracks as “Water On Ares”, “Hellcats Take The Highway”, “Small Arms Fire”, an interpretation of Robin Trower’s’ “Day Of The Eagle” (featuring Dug Pinnick of King’s X) and the rousing/psychedelic “Cherry Vanilla”, “Memory Crash” is a journey through another dimension, “a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind”, to steal a line from Rod Serling. It’s virtually musical cinema. “I have a lot of weird little segues going on with this record”, Stevens says. “I’ve always loved that about the prog records, like “Dark Side Of The Moon”. You enter this little theater of the mind. It’s a true headphone experience.”
Nothing encapsulates this more than the sizzling wah-wah- and flanger-inflected instrumental “Cherry Vanilla”. “I just happened to have a recorder with me when I was on my way to an appointment”, says Stevens. “There were these women walking by, talking amongst themselves, so I caught them on tape. I just wanted to capture this moment of people’s everyday lives and problems. On the track you also hear this other voice that says, ‘Hey, man, can you dig what is going on in the world today’, or something to that effect. He goes on to say, ‘Man, you just gotta play a stone groove.’ Other words, when all else fails, just play a good guitar groove.”
Indeed. A freaked-out, Hendrix-meets-Stevens vibe is prevalent in the interpretation of Robin Trower’s “Day Of The Eagle”, a tune Stevens says Dug Pinnick “takes to church with a Sly Stone spin.”
Jimi wasn’t the only influence that crept up on Stevens. He revisited a cast of legendary characters, from Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, King Crimson and Yes, to Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Bo Diddley and Jeff Beck. Yet, despite the presence and interplay of diverse and distinct musical elements, Stevens never surrenders his own creative identity.
“I spent a long time before making this record watching old archival footage and retrospectives on bands like Pink Floyd and Yes, just soaking up what made them tick”, Stevens says. “But this record is not a retro gimmick at all. It’s still very much a Steve Stevens record.”
“Memory Crash” is a singular accomplishment for Stevens as a guitarist, songwriter and arranger. “It was great to be able to stretch out on some of the records I’ve played on in the last few years, but ‘Memory Crash’ is a little different”, Stevens says. “It is certainly more compositional than some others I’ve done. For this record, I didn’t start on an idea unless it was fully realized. These pieces follow along a traditional structure.”
Above all, however, Stevens reminds us (as he does with a song like “Small Arms Fire”) that the guitar is still a dangerous instrument. “Whether it is Jimi Hendrix setting his guitar ablaze onstage, Woody Guthrie writing ‘This machine kills fascists’ on his acoustic, or the ‘wake up calls’ The Edge and U2 give us with their songs, when you think about it, the guitar is the only instrument that has the power to be a protest instrument”, Stevens says. “At the end of the day, this instrument, the guitar, has been with me since I was a kid, and it still fascinates me. I still have a love affair with the guitar.”
Release info 3: Bill Cutler – Crossing The Line
Bill Cutler is a singer/songwriter, producer and manager, whose career – spanning musical styles from pop to punk – has led him to work with artists ranging from Jerry Garcia to Jewel.
He’s about to release his new album, “Crossing the Line” (Magnatude Records), which has literally been in the works for 3 decades. Says Bill: “I guess no one can accuse me of rushing this project! The first half was recorded back in the 70s at what was then called Wally Heider's Studios in San Francisco, with Steve Barncard engineering, and a great bunch of players, including Jerry Garcia and Scotty Quik on lead guitars, Austin deLone on keys, Pat Campbell on bass and Carl Tassi on drums. Those tracks were not completed at the time, and remained unfinished until I finally recorded the second half of this album in 2000, using some of the same musicians, along with lead guitarists Jorma Kaukonen, Jerry Miller, Mark Karan, David Nelson and Barry Sless on various tracks. I'm very excited to finally be able to put this music out. These songs have a lot of meaning for me. Hope you enjoy hearing this album. We sure had fun making it!”
URL: http://www.billcutler.com
Release info 2: Audiocracy – Revolution’s Son
“Revolution’s Son”, Audiocracy’s debut album released on January 31, 2008 through The Lost Records indie label, draws on the epic tradition of progressive rock. Heavy organ, multiple guitars and layered vocals tell the story of a young man’s journey through idealism, anarchistic zeal, betrayal and redemption. A post-political tale told through impressionistic, poetic lyrics.
Line-up:
Tobin Mueller (or, k)
Twøn (lv, b)
Darren Chapman (g)
Bob Piper (g)
Tadashi Togawa (g)
Rob Thurman (d)
Find out more about them at http://www.tobinmueller.com/music/audiocracy
Release info 1: Krackerjack – Rock On!
Krackerjack is one of the few bands in Denmark devoted to rock as rock should sound. No contemporary melancholy trends, but loads of loud guitar, Hammond organ and catchy tunes. The band, consisting of Allan G. Pedersen (lv), René Mikkelsen (g, v), Rasmus Bruun (b), Claus Greve (or, v) and Jeppe Christensen (d) has been working intensely on their music since the late 90s and in 2005 the debut album “Good Thing Goin’” was released in Denmark.
Krackerjack saw the light of day during Christmas of 1997 after the demise of René Mikkelsen’s and Jeppe Christensen’s former band, Painted Horse. As the only consistent member of Krackerjack, Mikkelsen spent the next years perfecting Krackerjack to become ‘the next generation of classic rock’. The band has held the current line-up since 2006.
The members of Krackerjack have grown up with the music of Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Van Halen, Pretty Maids and AC/DC, and don’t try to hide their inspiration. The music relies on dynamics and energy; but there’s a love of great melodies and most of Krackerjack’s songs stick to the eardrums after only a few plays.
In 2006 the band released another album, “Call Of The Wild – The Early Years”, including recordings from 1999. These performances were done by the original Krackerjack line-up and several songs are still mainstays in their live set.
Krackerjack’s third album, “Rock On!”, hit the streets in December 2007. The CD contains ten fine compositions, all signalling solid, old school hard rock.
URLs: http://www.krackerjack.dk , http://www.myspace.com/krackerjackdenmark
Z Rock Records sign Eden
Z Records are extremely proud to announce the signing of Eden to a worldwide deal. The UK
outfit which features Nick Workman (Kick) and Vince O'Regan (Bob Catley) have produced a
solid melodic hard rock album which bears no resemblance to the band’s previous outing “Open Minds”. Eden have progressed and produced an album which features influences from Whitesnake,
Led Zeppelin and Queensrÿche to name but a few. “Oblivion” could seriously be one of the best
English melodic hard rock albums of the last decade and that is not said lightly. “Oblivion” will be released April 28!
Nick and Vince made the following comment about the newly signed deal.
Nick Workman: “Eden are very happy to forge a partnership with Z Rock Records. With Eden being a gigging band and not just studio based, it made perfect sense to sign to a label that supports its bands on the live front. This album is very different from our first album ‘Open Minds’, in that it has a more melodic approach but still maintains the grooves and edge. When we wrote that
first album, me and Vince had only just hooked up, so it was all new. This time around we had more time to work on the songs."”
Vince O'Regan, Eden’s guitarist, also had this to say: Having had negative comments regarding albums that I had recently recorded, me and Nick decided to hand over mixing duties to someone else. Nick is good friends with Steve Newman and Steve was more than happy to take it on and he has done a fantastic job and given us a huge sounding album.”
DGM: new singer revealed
DGM, one of Europe’s finest and most renowed power/progressive acts, have just announced that Mark Basile (B.R.A.K.E., Mind Key) is the new singer of the band. Mark was chosen among several auditions throughout Italy, Europe and America. The band would like to thank all those who have sent their material for being so professional. DGM are excited to work with Mark on the songs for the new album, which is expected soon.
Asia’s “Phoenix” will be released in April
Frontiers Records are honoured to present the European release of Asia’s comeback studio album “Phoenix” on April 11, 2008!
Geoffrey Downes, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer and John Wetton (the four original members) reunited in 2006, 23 years after all four had last played together. The much publicised reunion resulted in two highly successful world tours in 2006 and 2007, an acclaimed double live LP and DVD, entitled “Fantasia: Live In Tokyo” and an overwhelming response from fans and the media, which continues today.
Starting from the summer 2007, Geoff, Steve, Carl and John have been busy in the studio recording their brand-new CD “Phoenix”, the first studio album from the band's members since 1983. Eagerly anticipated by fans all over the world, “Phoenix” contains an eclectic selection of songs bound by the unique Asia trademark.
“Decades later, as if by destiny, the four of us are still here doing the one thing we are most passionate about - making music. The result of our latest endeavours is our new album ‘Phoenix’”, says Geoff Downes
“Phoenix” has been influenced by the same fusion of talents and heritages which so excited the world in 1982 and has a very poignant underlying theme placed at the intersection of love, discovery and reflection, no doubt due, at least partly, to Wetton’s unexpected triple by-pass heart surgery which forced the cancellation of Asia’s 2007 West Coast North American tour and an eagerly anticipated tour of the United Kingdom. Based on such personal events John was inspired to write “An Extraordinary Life”, making the concept of Carpe Diem dramatically pertinent.
“The album is a very adult, deep album both lyrically and musically and shows the development the individuals have gone through during their time apart pursuing other ventures”, says Carl Palmer. “With songs like ‘An Extraordinary Life’ and ‘Alibis’ one can see the very strong English rock / pop / progressive style the group still retains. Lyrically the album is deep, to the point and highly personal. Coupled with the expertise and musicianship you have the band Asia”.
The new record include rockers such as “Never Again” (the first single) and “Nothing's Forever”, power ballads such as “Heroine” and “I Will Remember You” and two mini-epics too, among a dozen new songs which presents all themes the band is very well known for.
Steve Howe says: “This has been no ordinary reunion, the dates went well, the audiences have been encouraging as we have gone peacefully about our work. This new CD was really an enormous test, a challenge worthy of our intent. All the distractions usually evident vapourised, as we focused on collaborating to select and arrange these new songs, all in the style of Asia. Just 3 months later, the recordings demonstrate that professionalism, pleasure and hard work can go hand in hand with musical adventures, long may we revel!”.
“We are neither over-confident, nor unsure of our ground. Each one of us is comfortable as a human being, and the sound on the CD “Phoenix” finally reflects the collective maturity of these four people who are not only eager to explore, but also relaxed enough to luxuriate in the strength of the material”, adds John Wetton, while Downes concludes “The 12 song collection seeks to transport the listener on a musical journey, sharing our own personal thoughts, emotions and experiences along the way. The CD sleeve is adorned with an exquisite Roger Dean painting depicting the phoenix in ascendancy. Enjoy the ride!”
The CD will also include an EPK playable on all computers, featuring video footage with interviews and live recordings.
“Phoenix” will be released by Frontiers Records on April 11, 2008 with King Records handling the release in Japan. More domestic releases (including USA, Brazil, Korea, Argentina, Russia and Taiwan) are planned at the moment with details to be released at a later stage.
Rock It! # 44 (February-March 2008) out now!
The very best German AOR, hard rock & metal magazine.
Contents (68 pages, written in German):
Interviews
Ayreon | Bassinvaders | Benedictum | Burn | Crazy Lixx | Crown Of Glory | Gang Loco | Ken Hensley | Khymera | Lechery | Leverage | Steve Lukather | Lynn Allen | Magnum | Matos | Neverland | Primal Fear | Rage | Redrum | Saint Deamon | Sandalinas | Sinwell | StoneRider | StormWarrior | Vindictiv | Viron | Work Of Art
Live Reports
Hardcore Suprstar & Crashdiët | Helloween, Gamma Ray & Axxis | Heavy Christmas Meeting 2007
Specials
Tommy Heart ABC | Hear It! Vol. 35 (free 9-track CD featuring songs from Work Of Art, Last Autumn’s Dream, Sandalinas, Crazy Lixx, Lechery, Mafuba, Khymera, Vindictic, Crown Of Glory) | 2007’s favourite albums etc. of the editors | Headhunter Studio Report | Dig It Out!
Plus
Editorial - News - Reader's Charts - Reader's Letters - Editor's Charts - Reviews (albums, books & DVDs) - Tour Dates etc.
Next issue (# 45): due April 16, 2008.
URL: http://www.rock-it-magazine.de
Rock It!
Birgitt Schwanke
Lüdinghauser Str. 23
D-59387 Ascheberg
tel 02593-951063
fax 02593-951064
birgitt@rock-it-magazine.de
Introducing the Frozen Rain project
“Frozen Rain” is the title of an AOR/melodic rock project set up by the Belgian Kurt Vereecke. Here’s some info.
Kurt has always been fascinated by music and wrote his first song when he was only 10 years old.
When Kurt discovered the music of bands like Toto, Journey and Loverboy, he knew that was the kind of music he wanted to play.
Kurt started his musical career as lead singer and guitar player, but soon switched over to keyboards. With his band Rhyana, Kurt played gigs all over Belgium.
After having played many years in several bands, Kurt recorded some of his demo songs and was offered a record deal by Long Island Records. Sadly enough that label broke up and Kurt did not have the chance to release his album.
After this setback Kurt decided to do something totally different. Being a teacher in daily life, he felt there was a great need for new songs for children. Different publishers showed great interest in his song material. During 6 years Kurt made 3 double CDs with songs for children and also wrote 3 music books for teachers. Nowadays the songs of Kurt are used in many Belgian schools.
After finishing the project with songs for children, Kurt thought it was finally time for his own CD. After all the setbacks in the past, he was even more determined to make his dream come true.
In 2001 Kurt started with the preparations for the “Frozen Rain” album. He wrote new songs with the Swedish lyricist Andy Flash and started the search for good musicians. It took Kurt 2 years to find the perfect vocalists for the album.
In 2002 Kurt began with the recordings for the album in his home studio. During the recordings more and more musicians got involved in the “Frozen Rain” project. Kurt was delighted he had the chance to work with some of his personal idols like Tommy Denander (Radioactive) and Steve Newman (Newman). Other musicians on the album are Daniel Flores (Mind’s Eye), Jim Santos (Norway), Johan Waem (very popular Belgian singer a.k.a.Danzel), Ollie Oldenburg (ex-Zinatra vocalist), Ward Snauwaert (guitar player of Reborn, famous Belgian artist) and many, many more…
With “Avenue Of Allies Music”, Kurt has now found the perfect home for his music.
The “Frozen Rain” album is filled with catchy melodies all packed with awesome guitars, powerful drums, sparkling keys and expressive vocals, while the “happy feel” is a trademark for Kurt’s music. With this album Kurt has succeeded to make an album all AOR fans will hold close to their hearts.
Kurt’s own page for Frozen Rain includes soundbytes to all the songs. So check out http://www.frozenrain.be
Introducing Avenue Of Allies Music
We got the following e-mail from Gregor Klee in which he introduces his brand-new label Avenue Of Allies Music.
Hi everybody at Rock Report,
My name is Gregor Klee, I’m from Germany and I’d like to introduce myself and my new small label Avenue Of Allies Music to you.
Maybe you remember me from a few years ago, when I participated with a little addition to your Melodic Rock Bible and I guess I also have traded with somebody on the RR team, but that was a long time ago, maybe ten years or even more ;-)
I have been following your website constantly for the last couple of years and it’s nice to see that you are still supporting the MR and AOR genres after all those years.
We are a new record record label for new releases as well as for re-issues of rare stuff and never before released vinyl LPs. Musically we will cover all bases that are connected to AOR, melodic rock and westcoast.
In the past I’ve worked on a couple of CD releases for Target Records. Robert Pancur of Target is also involved in Avenue Of Allies Music with his long-time experience and contacts in the business. He’s more or less acting behind the scenes while focusing on his mail order business with Target Records.
Avenue Of Allies Music started into the business in late 2007 with the release of Daniel Nelson’s self-titled 5-track CD, a pure westcoast record in the vein of David Foster’s early 80s productions. The CD is currently at number 6 on the CD Baby Charts: http://cdbaby.com/top/760
Today I have attached a bit of information about the release of Frozen Rain, a pure AOR/melodic rock project of your fellow country man Kurt Vereecke, whom you certainly know. The “Frozen Rain” CD will be available in April.
Best regards,
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