CONTENTS 04 06 08 09 10 11 12 14 16 19 21
Lou Gramm Primal Fear Praying Mantis Invictus Rob Rock OutLoud preview Reviews Shortino Saint Deamon Pathosray Jorn
Melodic Rock Fanzine
The official Frontiers Records magazine Year #5 - Nr. 3 / Issue #32 Editor-in-chief: Elio Bordi Design: Elio Bordi Writers: Bruce E.J. Atkinson, Fulvio Bordi, Duncan Jamieson, Barry McMinn, Vitale Nocerino. Headquarters and general contacts: Frontiers Records - Via Gonzaga 18 80125, Napoli - Italy Tel: +39.081.2399340/7753 Fax: +39.081.2399794 E-mail: elio@frontiers.it Website: www.frontiers.it Myspace: www.myspace.com/frontiersrecords Editor and publisher: Frontiers Records US Headquarters: usa.frontiers.it CopyrightŠ2009 Frontiers Records. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Printed in Italy.
Band: The Lou Gramm Band Album: The Lou Gramm Band Interview with: Lou Gramm Interviewed by: Barry McMinn
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THE LOU GRAMM BAND - S/T (Frontiers Records)
One of most recognised vocalists in the history of rock is Lou Gramm, who’s rise to fame in the 80’s with Foreigner made them a worldwide phenomena. He even proved he could go it alone with his ‘Ready Of Not’ album and then with his Shadow King project he proved he is more than a one band man. Since 2004 Gramm has been touring and playing with brothers Ben and Richard, together with fellow musicians as Andy Knoll on keyboards and Don Mancuso as part of The Lou Gramm Band, covering Gramm’s thirty years in the business and recalling some of his greatest hits. Now in 2009 the band have finally put together an album of original material simply entitled ‘The Lou Gramm Band’ and with this new album the band have gone down the Christian Rock path, and it’s obvious that faith has become a big part of Gramm’s life and this album reflects that. The album host’s a bounty of great melodic songs from the opener ‘Baptized By Fire’, to the seminal ballads ‘Willing To Forgive’ and ‘That’s The Way Planned It’, standing back to back with the rockier moments like ‘So Great’ and ‘Made To Be Broken’. All with the smoother that silk vocal of Gramm, which hasn’t lost any of that quality that we loved in his early days and which will make this album a hit no matter what your beliefs, one thing’s for sure this is a great album. Barry McMinn (90/100)
Question: Firstly congratulation on a wonderful new album! This is another chapter in the Lou Gramm story, how does it feel to be working with your brothers at this new stage in your musical career? A: Very good, we have always shared much of the same musical upbringing, but life took us down very different paths. Finally we can share in this together. Q: You’ve been around for a while now, but what keeps you motivated and focused? A: I still feel that I have something relevant to say musically, however this CD is received, will tell me if my fans agree. Q: The Lou Gramm band” consists of you and your brothers Ben and Richard, together with your long time friends Don Mancuso and Andy Knoll. However, we know that Bruce Turgon, Rocket Richotte, Kevin Neal and Gary Corbett formed the original line up. So, why did you decided to split up with those musicians and how the current line up has been assembled? Why “Lou Gramm Band” instead of, for example, “The Gramm Brothers Band”? A: I did tour in 2003 with Bruce and a different line up, but that line up was assembled by Bruce and never felt as though it would be a long-term thing. Both of my parents passed away in 2003 and before my Dad died, my brothers and I told him that we were going to finally play together. It’s a promise that we’re glad we made. Q: When working with your brothers on this album was there any sibling rivalry on the way or are you all past that? A: I don’t know if you have any brothers or sisters, if you do, you know that you’re never completely past that rivalry, but at this point; we were able to use the difference in our opinions to improve the final outcome of the CD. Q: Who wrote the songs for the album? Was it a band effort or more an individual effort by yourself? A: The writing was very much a team effort, the ideas for the music usually originated from Don or Andy, lyrics and melodies came from me, Richard supplied musical bridges and arrangements to complete the songs and Ben was able to take in the whole picture and give the CD
continuity. Q: The band have been together since 2004, why so long before releasing an album under the Lou Gramm Band moniker? A: This is a working band, playing 50 to 60 shows a year. Using the time we had available, this CD took about 3 years to complete. We probably could have rushed and gotten it done sooner, but I don’t think that we would have been as happy with the outcome. Q: Your name is synonymous with the 80’s era, how has the business changed in your eyes? A: The 80’s was an era of excess; these are much leaner times for artists and record companies. Many of the challenges are the same, but the solutions require new thinking. Q: There are quite a few religious referenced on the album, how important is your faith to you? A: My Faith is with me every hour of every day, before taking any action or making any decision, I look to the Lord. Q: If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice would it be? A: You can’t always count on the people around you to have your best interests at heart, chose wisely when picking your partners and keep your eyes open at all times. Q: The album itself with your vocals rolls back the years, have you had to do any vocal exercises to keep your voice at it peak over the 30 years? A: A: Nothing is stronger than your actions, when it comes to demonstrating your faith. I try to be a good father, brother, and friend and seek the Lords guidance along the way. I’ve been lucky not to suffer many of the problems that have plagued vocalists in loud rock bands. I try to warm up properly before every show and avoid pushing beyond my limits. So far, it’s worked. Q; Did you have a particular vision for the band when you were putting it together? A: It’s hard to tell at the beginning, how well a band will work together or how long it will last. These were and are my goals for this band. Q: Ok, let’s go back in time for a while. Many years ago, you were involved in the Shadow King project. The
self-titled album issued in 1991, is still considered one of the greatest classics in AOR music. What are your memories of the time when you were singing for Shadow King? A: Shadow King came at a time when there were many changes going on in my life and the lives of those around me. Although the quality of our efforts was strong, the timing was not right to allow us the success we could have achieved. Q. So, of all your works, with Foreigner, solo and with others on various projects, what do you rate as your best and why? (one million dollars question?) A: I’m very proud of both my solo efforts, “Ready or Not” and “Long Hard Look” and with Foreigner, one of my favorites is Mr. Moonlight. I feel that these are some of the best representations of where I wanted to be musically at that time. Q: Surely you’ve had to answer 1.000.000 times to this, but…are you still in contact with Mr. Mick Jones? Is there the possibility to see Foreigner reunited in the original line up somewhere in the future? A: I haven’t talked to Mick in many years, since 2002. I really do not see the possibility of any kind of a Foreigner reunion. Q: Apart from the US dates are there any plans to tour outside the US this year? A: Of course we are waiting to see how well our CD will be accepted, but we are hoping to play anywhere that we have an appreciative audience. Q: Are you working on any other projects that we should be keeping an eye out for later this year or early next year? A: In the past, I’ve been involved with projects that allow me to pay tribute to the music of the Beatles, last years Sgt. Peppers tribute “It Was 40 Years Ago Today” was a lot of fun. It’s always a possibility that I’ll take part in something like that again. Q: Finally where does the Lou Gramm band go from here? A: This will be an interesting year for LGB. Although much of our plans will be riding on the acceptance of our CD, we will continue to travel and perform as we have since January of 2004. MRF | 5
Band: Primal Fear Album: 16.6 (Before The Devil...) Interview with: Ralf Scheepers Interviewed by: Bruce E. J. Atkinson
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Primal Fear - 16.6 (Before The Devil...) (Frontiers Records)
One of the biggest if not THE biggest Metal bands to come out of Germany are Primal Fear and with Mat Sinner and Ralf Scheepers at the helm, what else can you expect. The one thing that has kept the band at the top of the pile is their ability to push the boundaries of the Melodic Metal genre and again they’ve done just that with what I think is the bands biggest release to date. ‘16.6’ is a powerful album that takes you on a power-trip from the opener ‘Riding The Eagle’ and keeps you there right until the final pulsating metal track ‘Scream’. Apart from the fantastic musicianship of this album the vocals of Scheepers just have to be heard to be believed, as his vocals soar away in a mix of sheer power and grace, and for a metal vocalist this is quite a feat. Just check out ‘Night After Night’ and the title track ‘16.6’and you’ll see what I mean. There is no doubt this album will be among my top albums of the year. Bruce E.J. Atkinson (95/100)
Question: Ever since “Primal Fear” hit the scene, you have been a great influence in the Progressive Metal world, and now is no different… with new members and a relatively new contract, are we witnessing a new chapter in the book of “Primal Fear”? Answer: Well, we’re very happy at the moment. The song writing, the recodings, the mix and the little things around the production were all very peaceful and everybody so well prepared and focused – it was a real pleasure to work with these guys on the album! Every album marks a new chapter in the career of a band. This one is one of our best albums, maybe our best so far! The concerts we did with this line up were the best for Primal Fear in every direction! Q: The group has also become a “staple” in music, and each member is also hugely known and loved… how do you contain all this creative energy and channel it, without it overwhelming the group? A: Everybody has his position and his freedom. All the guys in the band can show their special technique and their abilities in the studio and on stage. Especially the guitar section is a huge step forward for Primal Fear and is highly welcomed. A great single player could be a fantastic team player, if he’s not jealous, greedy and has oversized ego. Mat is man to keep all those characters together und the name of Primal Fear and so far it’s perfect! Q: One of the hallmarks of “Primal Fear” is extensive touring…are we to expect the same for 2009? A: Festivals, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, the US, Canada and a nice European tour, then Japan and another stint in the US & Canada early next year! Maybe the longest tour we’ve ever played! If there will be somebody in Australia to bring us over, we will have played nearly every territory, where metal is alive! But we’re really honoured, that we can the play in the entire world and fans & supporters everywhere. Can’t wait to play the new songs on stage! Q: Now, to the new album…it sounds so fresh, obviously a result of the ‘new blood’ in the group…walk us through the making of “16.6”… A: We did a lot of things different this time. First we had a songwriting session with Magnus, Henny & Mat at Magnus studio. They wrote about 20 songs and the material was a great mix of the old Primal Fear vibe with Henny/Mat songs from the Nuclear Fire time and on the other
side some great new stuff the guys wrote with Magnus. I added my melodies and lyrics later. Then in the recording studio, we had a fantastic time. No discussions, just focused, creative and a very peaceful atmosphere. Everybody was so well prepared, it was a pleasure to work with these guys in the studio! Mat produced, Dennis Ward engineered and Achim Koehler mixed the album at the House Of Music studio near Stuttgart. Ted Jensen mastered the album in New York. If you have such great technical experienced players, you don’t need a wall of effects. You can bring it to the max and this sounds fresh and exciting. You can really feel the energy of the band now! Q: Again, in keeping with making this record, you have brought in some new musical elements, which add a whole new dimension to the overall production… you must be very happy with the result… A: We’re always searching for new elements and never want to record the same album again and again. We’re far too ambitioned and always on the search for surprises and interesting parts. The more diverse, the better – but it has to be still Primal Fear! The bigger the challenge, the better! Q: As the years wear on, “Primal Fear” goes from strength to strength…has the original vision of the group changed, and what is next for “Primal Fear”? A: After this long tour, we will have a lot of new influences and a lot of new visions to create the next masterpiece. I think this band has a lot of potential and we will prove, that we have a lot to say in the future! Q: how much was important the official enter of Magnus Karlsson for this new album, after the collaboration on "New Religion"? A: Magnus strated to write songs and to collaborate with Mat 3 years ago and Mat always told us about the unbelieable talent of Magnus. We know that the time will come for Stefan to leave the band. His job and family was too important for him and he is a great guy. As we came to this point, Magnus was our first choice and he was a huge Primal Fear fan. Magnus is not only a great guitarist, he is a great keyboarder and singer too! We have new possibilities and a new, very creative & friendly chemistry in the band. Henny & Magnus are a dream team. Everybody who could see a Primal Fear concert with the new line up, was thrilled about the new power of the band! Q: You are a top metal act, while Magnus is a top songwriter. Was
it difficult to reach a balance? A: We did a lot of things different with this album. The basic songs for the album were written at Magnus studio in Sweden, where Mat, Henny & Magnus spend a weel on ideas, riffs and songs. This was the start of the 16.6 production. As Mat & Magnus wrote songs before and doing this for other artists too, we knew that both of them will work very well and creative together. We just added the spice of Henny's metal riffs and the three came up with the most diverse and interesting set of songs we've written in the history of Primal Fear. This was a perfect bridge of the old Primal Fear days and the future of the band. We catch the vibe of alltime classics and added again some great new elements to Primal Fear's music. Q: Is there a meaning behind the title of the album "16.6"? How did you choose it? A: Of course there is a deeper meaning. The code will be decrypted soon, but this number will be prominent in Primal Fear's image in the future too and not only for one album! Just let your readers write an e-mail to info@primalfear.de and one of the girls will win meet & greet with the band on the next tour. How about that? Q: You shot a videoclip for "Six Times Dead". Where did you shoot it? A: We've shot the clip in the south of Germany and as we were surrounded by a lot of fire and flames, it was freezing cold! We choose the title track, because of the message, the groove and we can already hear our fans scream 16.6 - nice rocking clip! Q: Tell me about the song "Smith & Wesson". What was the inspiration for it? A: Female humanoids can drive men so crazy, that they try to think about stupid things. It's about a man who decided to end his life with a jump from a skyscraper, because he was chated and badmouthed by his girl. Wel on the way up, the entire story comes to life again and he changed his decision in rage :-) Q: If you watch to your past Primal Fear albums, which are your favourite ones? A: Nuclear Fire, Seven Seals and of course the most important 16.6. Q: This is the second album for Frontiers record. Were you satisfied with the result of the previous "New Religion"? A: Frontiers did a great job. In the time of massive illigal downloading, they are really abitioned to sell records and Primal Fear is a loyal partner with a lof of fiath in the Frontiers team!
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Band: Praying Mantus Album: Sanctuary Interview with: Tino Troy Interviewed by: Fulvio Bordi Question: Please, present us this brand new “Sanctuary”. Answer: “Sanctuary" is the culmination of 4 years of Blood, Sweat & Tears [and Drink]. It has been hailed by those we know as our finest yet and we are very proud to present and share our music with each and everyone of you. Q: What about the composition and recording process? This is not the same line up the band had for the last “The Journey Goes On”. Did those changes influence the way the band had to work on together? A: Having different musos on the album will definitely influence the sound of the end product but essentially the core of the material is the same. In this instance, we decided to go to the US to complete the album with Producer Andy Reilly. Many parts were already recorded by ourselves back in London but the primary aim was to capture the performances with live drums. Benjy Reid [drummer] gives the band a real groove whereas in earlier stuff everything sounded quite robotic. We also lurrrrrve his long hair...Ha Ha. Andy Burgess [our new guitarist] we've known for eons and brings in the perfect blend of riffs, songs ["Highway"- what a cracker!] and of course Drink! Q: Did all the musicians cooperate in complete harmony, or sometimes you had to deal with different points of view? A: The only things we fought over were the Jaegermeister & Jack Daniels Ha Ha! Seriously speaking, we are a very democratic unit and mature enough to deal with
all issues - we all want what is best for Mantis so it is best to hear what everyone has to say and take a majority decision on anything unresolved.... However, 3 new members were not about to start rocking a boat they had just boarded... Would You now Guys??? ;-) Q: Is it exactly the result the band fixed into its mind before starting the working process? Or have many changes been done until the last note has been sounded? A: Not to the last note, melody or choice of rhythm but again we had a pretty good idea of where we were headed. Dealing with a situation where we have 3 new members things were bound to be a little radical. At the end of the day it still sounds like a Mantis Production which is what it's all about. Q: The line-up features Mike Freeland on vocals. How did you get in touch with him? A: We remember Mike from around 1987/88 when he sang in a pub covers band and must say.... he sounded great back then. It was only after Bruce Bisland jumped ship that he mentioned Mikes name. At the time he was singing with a band called "Dangerous Breed" but they seemed to fizzle out so we gave him a couple of the new tunes to learn then recorded him. We saw the potential straight away and the rest is History. Q: I think his voice well interplays with the rest of the band in the performances. Did he take part to the composition process? Which are the most important benefits he gave the band?
A: Mike had a very big hand in the compositions, in fact one of the tunes, "Restless Heart" was a lyric he wrote for one of the "Dangerous Breed" songs. He also wrote lyrics and melodies on other tracks of the album which you will have to buy in order to find out which... Ha! As a band we have always tried to encourage our past singers to write but none have ever had the same commitment as Mike. This is the reason why now we feel that this line-up has a bond - stronger than ever before. Q: Why a title such as “Sanctuary”? Is there a particular message Praying Mantis wanted to communicate with the entire album behind it? A: Yeah! We wanted to ruffle some "Iron Maiden" feathers ;-) Actually Sanctuary is the title track on the album and was written about a number of incidents that occurred in Wales last year. Basically a large number of kids in a certain area had forming this pact and decided to commit suicide for no real reason other than escaping life!!! ...a sort of Sanctuary through death !! Q: Praying Mantis is a band who has been releasing albums along three decades. Many things change around a band after all this time. What would you suggest from your experience to today’s newcomers in music? A: Just to stick with your belief in your particular style of music [which of course is what you do best] and the rewards will follow. Q: Next band’s steps? A: F****** BIG ONE'S... To Infinity and Beyond! To tour and to give this album the exposure it deserves...
Focus on: PRAYING MANTIS - Sanctuary (Frontiers Records)
We left Praying Mantis back in 2003 with the release “The Journey Goes On”, a brilliant album featuring songs with great hooks and melodies, composed and performed with class. Six years of silence have been passing and now the Troy Brothers’ band is back at last with the new “Sanctuary”, a release pulling their musical quality still beyond what they did before. The line-up features now Benjy Reid on drums, talented axeman Andy Burgess and Mike Freeland on vocals, giving songs new energy and sap. Since the opener “In Time”, passing through “Tears In The Rain”, “Turn The Tide”, “Playing God” Praying Mantis show how they can create brilliant Hard & Heavy songs, powerful and extremely melodic at the same time, enriching the whole work with a smart use of keyboards. A true lesson to today’s newcomer bands in the scene. Everything shines perfect and even the sound comes out great from the speakers: the album was recorded and mixed in the US (Atlanta) under the direction of Andy Reily (Asia, FM, The Cult…) who produced and engineered the entire set of tracks. Don’t miss this one! “Sanctuary” is music composed and played with the heart. Fulvio Bordi (94/100)
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Band: Eruption Album: All Screwed Up Interview with: Santi Rigolizio Interviewed by: Bruce E. J. Atkinson
Question: Santi, upon reading some press, I was impressed by your determination in regards to making a musical statement… a strong musical statement… is that the background for the interesting name “Eruption”? Answer: Thank you for that. Well Eruption came from the fact that our music reminds Van Halen to a lot of people I guess. It happened the same with Khalil at Escape Music. Everybody in the band loves Van Halen so along with Khalil we decided to keep the name. It’s a good name and tells you straightaway that this is a rock band… well at least I hope so… We’re are just trying to be honest with ourselves and the people who listen to our music. This is what we are. A kick ass rock band no bullshit. Q: Let’s talk a little about your experiences in Australia, where the foundation of your music was formed… A: I went to Australia because I was looking for music. I was born in Italy and we get all the great rock bands there. But if you wanna play rock you have to go to a country where people speak English or at least write songs in English. I am from a city called Messina in Sicily. Great city and a lot of good musicians there but I needed more. Then I had the opportunity to move to Australia so I did it. It was hard because I couldn’t speak much English so when I was trying to communicate with people it was frustrating at times, but it was also very good cos’ I met a lot of great musicians. Darren was one of them. I had never worked with somebody who was so good. I still remember the Focus on:
first time we jammed together. When he started singing AC/DC that was it! Q: Moving to England seemed to be a gamble, which indeed, paid off… however you experienced some lean times, care to comment? A: When you move to another country it’s always tough. I had my previous experience so I wasn’t scared. I thought though it would have been easier to find musicians who wanted to make it. I mean this is England, I live in London and you have no idea how tough it was to find serious musicians. I realized that there are a lot of people that wanna just play for fun. I do play for fun also but playing music is my life so I hope I can make a living out of it. So is Darren, Lee and Nick, the rest of the band. It took long time but I can definitely say that everyone in the band wants the same thing. Q: Now, let’s talk about your debut…”All Screwed Up”, another interesting title…any meaning behind the Title and song? A: We have a song that is called “Screwed Up”. I guess the guys at the record label read our story and they must have thought that all was screwed up! And to be honest we are a little screwed up... I mean this band is formed by one Italian, one Australian and two English... so we all think in a different way but we love music in the same way. I believe this is what makes it work. Also, in my opinion the music business is a little screwed up as well therefore I can say that this title sums up a lot of things. Q: As we progress through the
ERUPTION - All Screwed Up
album, you have a very strong line-up…has everyone contributed to the debut, or are you the main songwriter/arranger? A: The songs were written mainly by me and Darren but we also let the other guys doing what they wanted in the songs. Everyone has their own ideas. Unless something sounds really bad we never stop people from doing what they want. Even I and Darren, who also plays guitar, try not to play the same thing. Except for a couple of songs we try to play two different riffs. I think it sounds much better if you listen to a song with different sounds and riffs than having 2 guitars doing the same thing unless you want something heavier like we did with “I wanna know”. Also, although we play rock music I like to have a composition within. For instance take bands like Van Halen and Extreme. Eddie Van Halen and Nuno Bettencourt have a lot of things going on in their riffs. I mean, it’s great to play chords and rhythm but man when you come up with a great riff it’s just an awesome feeling. Q: Now that you have a good recording contract, are you planning any touring? And where? A: We want to try to play anywhere possible. It’s very important for us to play live cos’ that’s when we really show what we are about. We are trying to find the right people and maybe get a support tour with a good band. In the main time we are trying to organize shows in Uk and also Europe. The idea in to get on a Van and travel from city to city. The music market isn’t what it used to be but if you play live a lot people will know who you are. Anywhere we’ve played we have always done well.
(Escape Music)
Here we are with this new amazing act from the UK label Escape Music. The band is a newcomer and is formed by Darren Grant (Lead Vocals, Guitars), Santi Rigolizio (Lead Guitars, backing Vocals) and David Pennisi (Drums), Doe Prijaono (Bass) and Glenn Williams (Bass) as guest musicians. The music Eruption plays is a classic hard rock that reming me bands like Aerosmith, Kiss, Deep Purple, Guns N’ Roses and of course Van Halen, the band that expired the name of the band. In general the album has all good tracks and it is really amazing to listen to from the beginning to the end. The album is produced by Martin Kronlund and the sound is really well balanced. Highligh of tha album are the opener Temple Of Love, I Wanna Know and the title track All Screwed Up. If you want to listen to a good album, buy All Screwed Up! Vitale Nocerino (80/100)
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Band: Rob Rock Album: The Voice Of Melodic... Interview with: Rob Rock Interviewed by: Barry McMinn Question: May I ask you to introduce yourself to our readers? A: Hello, this is AFM Records / JVC / Victor Entertainment Recording Artist - Rob Rock. I have four solo albums released since 2000 and a new live CD/DVD worldwide release coming out this month. It is titled Rob Rock – The Voice of Melodic Metal – Live in Atlanta. I have also recently released albums with Impellitteri (Wicked Maiden) and Driver (Sons of Thunder). I will be touring with both bands this summer as well as Rob Rock (Live in Atlanta) promotions and gigs this fall. Q: What was the reason for you to leave Impellitteri a few years a go and further: what’s the reason to go back for the latest Album? A: The previous album I did with Impellitteri was “Crunch” in 1998. In 2000 I released my first solo album. Since then I've released four more solo albums. Now, I've reunited with Impellitteri for the new “Wicked Maiden” album and tour. Chris and I decided to pursue different avenues in 1999 after releasing 6 albums together in the 90's. In 2008 we've decided to re-group and record a new album because the timing seemed right to do so. We've always remained friends throughout the years so it was easy to just come together again and make new music. Q: Furthermore the LiveFocus on:
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Album will be released this month. What was your personal highlight on this tour? A: My personal highlight was to finally get the live CD/DVD recorded and mastered. It's been a long time coming and I am grateful that finally in September of 2008 we could make it happen. Fans have been waiting a long time for a Rob Rock DVD release and it was also a personal goal of mine to get it done and documented. I was glad I could do it not too far from home at the Progpower 9 Festival in Georgia. Q: I can imagine your work being time-consuming… is there any time left for private life at all? A: Not lately. I've been going nonstop since my Garden of Chaos album. I really look forward to a break after the summer touring is over. It's time to re-connect with my family and spend some quality time together. Q: Where do you find inspiration for your music? A: Life, news, the Bible and current events going on in the world. Mostly though, the music will deliver a vibe that I feed off of to make the melody and lyrics happen. Q: How can one imagine an ordinary day in your life? A: It's hard to have an ordinary day, It seems like each day has it's own emergency's or deadlines to deal with. There's not enough time for everything so I try hard to keep
the sanity by taking one step at a time. I start off slow with prayer and a coffee and then I get on the computer. From there, it's rehearsal or travel, or taking care of business with recording, bands, interviews, business, or the studio. It gets heavy at times with so much going on right now. Q: Did you ever wish to just quit everything? A: There are days when I just want to scream and usually it's over the small details that get backed up along the way. But I must remember that it is usually feast or famine for me, and soon it will slow down enough for me to catch my breath. Q: In one of your Vocal tips of 1999 you claim Coat Throat tea to help soothe the throat. Did you really drink that tea? If yes, do you still drink it? And if yes, don’t you think it might be addictive? A: Yes, I drink it still, but usually only in the studio or when my throat is sore or hoarse from singing too much. I don't drink it on a regular daily basis. I don't think it's addictive, I think coffee is more addictive than tea for me. Q: What’s the most extraordinary question you’ve ever been asked? A: The most common is: Is Rob Rock your real name? The answer is YES. The most extraordinary question has yet to be asked, I guess I'll know it when I hear it!
ROB ROCK - The Voice Of Melodic Metal Live In Atlanta (AFM Records)
One of the most prolific vocalist over the past couple of years has to be Rob Rock, whose name has already appeared on a couple of albums this year and I’m sure will be on a few others before the year’s out. His own Rob Rock band played the Prog Power US show last year and was the only band to actually record their live set. The Prog Power show has always been a great addition to any bands portfolio and the live albums have always been sought after, this release is sure to be no different. Rock puts together a great set for the show with tracks from his solo career from the debut ‘Rage Of Creation’, right up to his latest album ‘Garden Of Chaos’. With great Melodic Metal anthems like ‘Garden Of Chaos’ itself, the superb ‘Rock The Earth’ and the excellent ‘In The Night’ just to name a few all go to make this an extremely attractive release. This is Rock at his finest and with this package being released as a joint CD/DVD package, this is a must for all fans of the great man and those who just love great Melodic Metal. Barry McMinn (90/100)
“We’ll Rock You To hell And Back Again” Reviewed by Chandler Mogel Question: Tony, tell us a bit about Outloud - how did you get together? Tony: It all started back in the year of 2004 when I was searching for a guitar teacher and found Bob Katsionis (Firewind ex-Nightfall). So I started taking lessons from him and one day I brought some ideas on the guitar and worked them out with Bob. In the beginning, we didn't realize what we were messing around with until we laid down the first ideas, and subsequently put a band together. First of all we knew that a good singer was needed. It didn't take long and Bob remembered someone he had met during the Firewind tour in the US. His name was Chandler Mogel (Talon) and Bob sent him a song to do as a demo. When we listened to the result afterward, we immediately flew him out to Athens to start recording the album. When all was said and done, we were very stunned from the final result and Chandler joined the band as the lead singer of Outloud! But we were still missing two members - a drummer and a bass player. Bob called his band mate Mark Cross (ex Helloween, Metallium, Kindom Come), who he had been playing with in Firewind for the past four years and and I gave my best friend and partner in other projects that we had done together for the past years Jason Mercury the position of the bass player. Q: Mark, where did you record? Mark: All basic tracks were recorded at Bob’s place and later on taken to the Basement Studio in Athens, Greece where I do most of my stuff. We recorded the drums and guitars in a very short time I’d say but the result speaks for itself! Tommy Hansen (Helloween, Pretty Maids, etc.) mixed and mastered and it couldn’t be done in a better way! We are very happy with the way things turned out! Q: Do you consider Outloud a project or full band and what are your plans ? Tony: Outloud is not a project but a band that’s here to stay. And what I mean with that is that the band will be playing live and working on our next album very soon to show everyone that the band is full of energy and really loves what it’s doing. Mark: It’s funny to say, but everything happened in a very sponta-
Out on August the 28th 2009
Which question comes first? What makes Outloud different and special from the other rock bands in the past decade? Is the heart pumping groove in their songs? Is it Chandler Mogel's (Talon) passion filled voice? Is it Tony Kash's musical artistry? Is it Bob Katsionis's (Firewind) pure magic on the lead or Mark Cross’s (Firewind, ex-Helloween, Kingdom Come, Metalium) groove heavy beats? Actually all of the above in combination with Tommy Hansen's (Helloween, Pretty Maids, Jorn, TNT) heart and soul in the mix create a very special recepie to satisfy the appetite of all fans of true hard rock! By pressing the play button of your stereo, Mr. Chandler Mogel welcomes you to Outloud's world with an evil and promiscuous laugh... that’s “What I Need”, a very rhythmical and catchy song which is the best introduction of what you are about to experience on the rest of this musical trip. This venture is followed by a piano hook, emotive vocals and touching lyrics all encompassing the classic melodic rock feel of "Tonite". Despite the fact that these guys seem to know what hard rock is all about, both with “Lovesigh”, an acoustic ballad, and “This Broken Heart”, the epic power ballad of the album, they dare to show another aspect of the band - a more sensitive, romantic and emotional side. Both songs mentioned contain truly touching lyrics which are excellently performed with Chandler’s velvet voice, accompanied with soft and delicate guitar sounds. The breathtaking "Broken Sleep" comes next, representing outstanding musicianship and a killer hook. The final track on the album is the power metal-like title track, "Out Loud", with its heavy double bass that simply cries out to be played as loud as possible! And last but not least to mention but first in my preferences is one of the true diamonds of this album, a song called “We Run” which is also the first video clip of the band.
neous way and we’re very happy with the result and to have signed with Frontiers and gained so fast such a positive feedback. When the time is right we’ll bring Outloud on the road and combine shows to our free time ! Q: Bob, Is your role and performance based more on Keyboards or guitar? Bob: Well for this album it turned out to be mostly guitar! There are keyboards in some of the songs, such as Tonite and We Run, but mostly it's a guitar driven album. Q: Chandler, tell us a bit about the songwriting on the album ? Chandler: Good question! All of the music was written first, by Tony and Bob. I came in later, and Tony already had some lyric and melody ideas for alot of the songs, and I expounded upon those, and wrote lyrics and melodies for the rest of the parts and a few more songs. It worked out very nicely, things just
seemed to fall into place... As we mentioned before, the styles are across the board of hard rock uptempos, ballads, heavy rock, melodic rock, etc. - but I must mention my favorite song on the record here, Broken Sleep, which has kind of a TNT vibe to it. The lyrics are very personal to me and I'm looking forward to playing it live. :) Q: People often say good music and bands have gone, what is your perspective on that ? Bob: There are alot of great bands still out there and making great music, sometimes it's a little harder to find them that's all! You have to search on the internet or whatever.......but good music is alive and well, and will stay that way if I have anything to do with it! :) Chandler: Well the music scene here in America is decent, but Europe -- wow so much great music still coming out from over there! Scandanavia especially great music is the way of life! But there has been a noticeable decrease in good music in the mainstream in general, in my opinion, since about 20 years ago. Records and bands were more organic, more creative now hopefully we can start to bring some of that back, as that was our approach for this album. Q: Mark, do you consider your music as modern or old school rock? Mark: All our influences go back through the past three decades, European and American; I’d even say more the American influence can be heard on this album. We all have different backgrounds and combined those. When Tony and Bob started writing the material it was meant to be AOR. It’s funny, Bob and I are the metal heads and probably got pigeon-holed, but hey…. this proves we can rock it other ways too! It’s definitely modern in certain ways because it was written and recorded in the 2000’s. Rippin’ guitars and solos, strong catchy melodic vocals, a powerful groovy rhythm section, lyrics for the heart and good compositions. MRF | 11
THUNDER - The EP Sessions 2007/2008 (Metal Heaven)
INVICTUS - Persecution (Escape Music)
"The EP Sessions 20072008" marks the farewell to one of England's most prominent bands since 1989 when Thunder's debut albu "Backstreet Symphony" conquered many fans. In the year 2007 till 2008 Thunder released 3 EPs prior to their studio album "Bang" and almost all of the recordings have been combined on this single CD compilation titled "The EP Sessions 20072008". The album is a nice mix of Rockers N' Ballads with a handful of live songs thrown in. The top rockers are Survivor, which is classic Thunder and Chain Reaction driven by a splendid Luke Morley riff. Thunder has always mastered the ballads. I Believe is acoustic with emotional lyrics once again dealing with love and the issue of breaking up. The outcome of Morley's superb acoustic playing and Bowes' expressive voice is one again a bulls-eye ballad that makes even the strongest boys sappy. Michael - Revelationz.net (80/100)
Hailing from France Invictus return to the studio after a seven-year hiatus to produce what is without a doubt the bands finest album to date. A monstrous mix of ymphonic/Melodic Metal and a little old school Metal, that will ignite the metalheads around the world, as they now have modern metal band ready to take on the world. The album is a sheer delight to listen to. A more polished affair than their previous album ‘Black Heart’ and a more mature release altogether. This is apparent not only in the musicianship of the band, but also their song writing. With such titanic metal anthems as ‘Kill The Dogs’ and ‘See You Back’, mixed with the sublime metal ballads of ‘Agony Of War’ and ‘Rosy Rose’, this album has something for all and really should put Invictus on the metal map for 2009. Barry McMinn (82/100)
The whole Power / Symphonic/ Progressive Metal genres have really captured my attention over the past five or so years. Every year I’ve witnessed many new bands come to light and push these genres higher up on the Rock evolutionary ladder. One new band to grab my attention are Swedes ReinXeed, a band that is as melodic as they are powerful, which is a truly great combination in the Power Metal world. The band are the vision of Tommy Johansson, who takes his inspiration from as far afield as Gary Moore, Stratovarious, Helloween and Angra. Quite a diverse selection and this is reflected quite well on this new album. The towering vocals of Johansson are matched well by some power fuelled guitars and a pummelling rhythm section. Noteworthy tracks have to be ‘Magic Still Remain’, a real powerhouse slice of Power Metal, the grandiose ‘Higher’ and the thumping ‘Fantasia’, but don’t take my word for it, if you’re into the likes of Power Quest and the like then believe me, you’re going to love this album. Barry McMinn (80/100)
Arthur Falcone has been acclaimed, in the past, as “one of the best guitarists coming out of Italy” by japanese, U.S. and german press. His previous experiences include bands like Halloween (btw, their Mini-Album, “L.A.D.Y.”, is one of the best Glam Rock record ever appeared in Europe), Devil’s Claws, Foxy Lady and Laroxx. “The Genesis Of The Prophecy” is Falcone’ second solo album, after the debut of 1988, but it’s not the typical virtuoso album under the “shredding at the speed of light” flag! This is definitely an album that might appeal any Melodic Rock fan, as - off the 12 songs appearing on this opus – only 3 (+ the intro) are instrumental. The other ones are first-class Melodic Rock tracks, with a special mention for the awesome “Nothing More For Me” (think Europe meets Whitesnake) with top-singer Goran Edman taking care of all the vocal-lines, or the epic “Don’t Fade Away”, the Rainbow-inspired “A Stranger In My Dream”, and the ballad “Sunset” (with Manuel Staropoli of Rhapsody Of Fire on flute). Above all, the talent of Arthur Falcone, clearly influenced by both, Ritchie Blackmore and Yngwie Malmsteen. To say more, “The Genesis Of The Prophecy” is the album that Yngwie Malmsteen was not able to record since “Magnum Opus”! Rob “Ezy” Bone (89/100)
It might be album number four for Australian Ilium but it’s not business as usual. Mike Dieo, formerly of Riot, and more recently Masterplan fills the mike spot vacated by Lord Tim. Dieo possesses a commanding voice with a wide range and a worthy NWOBHM scream, befitting this type of metal. With the majority of tracks weighing in at around the six minute mark there’s plenty of scope for lengthy solos, fine duelling guitars and tasty keyboard interplay such as on “Hibernal Thaw”. On the likes of “Tar Pit”, “Xerophyte” and “Fragmented Glory” there’s some real speed wizardy, backed by fine rapid fire drumming. They flirt with Eastern scales on the Egyptian themed “Nubia Awakes”, complementing Jason Hodges’ Supernatural lyrics. It’s all well mixed by Tommy Hansen of Helloween fame. Good power metal, but most of the hooks are reliant on the guitar or keyboard motifs and while Dieo has a strong voice, there aren’t many immediate choruses. It’s refreshing to hear these antipodeans in a genre that’s over populated with Europeons but on this occasion perhaps some of those big, sing along choruses the Europeans excel at wouldn’t have gone amiss here. Duncan Jamieson (80/100) 12 | MRF
Formed by guitarist Robby Bobel (Talon, Frontline and Evidence One) and vocalist Ebby Paduch (Stonefield and Infintiy’s Call), Sanction-X deal in big bombastic European metal. Roberto D’Amico and Peter Langer supply the coruscating rhythm section and Ben Eifert’s keyboards enhance the overall sound. Initially, The slow grind of opener “The Calling” made me think this record was going to be a bit of a let down but by the time they hit the third track “Demon’s Dance” , which would have been a much stronger opening tune, you realise, in fact, that they do what they do with some aplomb. Bobel’s guitar work maintains the melodic urgency of Frontline when soloing but adds a more metal crunch to the riffing. Layered choruses bang you over the head with robust hooks, and a solid production sound courtesy of the seasoned Bobel. Paduch’s delivery at times is redolent of Bob Catley (with a bit of a German accent). This is especially true of “Eyes of a Stranger”, “Feelings Came To Me”, “Reasons Why We Were Born” and “The Eyes”. The songs carry that bold, triumphant, flag unfurling power of Magnum, but with added Euro-metal muscle. Duncan Jamieson (87/100)
REINXEED - Higher (CMSweden / Rivel)
ILIUM - Ageless Decay (Escape Music)
A. Falcone’ STARGAZER - The Genesis Of The Prophecy (Heart Of Steel)
SANCTION X - The Last Day (Metal Heaven)
MISTRUST - Spin The World (Heart Of Steel)
STORMHAMMER - Signs of Revolution (Silverwolf)
Another hidden gem of classic ‘80s Heavy Metal/Hard Rock reissued by italian label Heart Of Steel Records! “Spin The World” is the debut (and only) album recorded by the Seattle, WA-based group, Mistrust, and released on COMA Records, back in 1986. The group was featuring a great line-up including topsinger Jeff L’Hereux (of Culprit), drummer Chris Godhe (My Sister’s Machine), guitarists Michael Winston (Rottweiller) & Owen Wright (My Sister’s Machine) and bassist Tim Wolfe (Rottweiller), and their sound can be described as a powerful Hard Rock with an US Metal edge, kind a mix of early Ratt , Stryper and, obviously, Culprit. In fact, songs like opener “Lightning and Thunder” or “Running For My Life” might let the listener think of a Power/Heavy Metal album, but most of the album is more in the Hard Rock vein, with vocallines that sound so close to S. Pearcy’s unmistakable ones! The Cd features the usual de-luxe booklet, a fully re-mastered sound and two additional demos bonus-tracks. Rob “Ezy” Bone (85/100)
Stormhammer have had a habit of losing vocalists after each campaign. This is no exception as Mike Zotter (Dreamscape) joins the ranks on this, the German’s fourth outing to lead the battle cry. Up to now, they’ve been fairly undistinguished as power metal bands go but they’ve really raised their game on this one. Zotter’s heroic voice has a bit more bite and added backing vocals lift the choruses. The better of the tracks such as “Omens of Agony”, “Kiss at the Abyss” and the Burning Point sounding “Signs of Revolution” are lead by thunderous drumming and a barrage of heavy riffing. Effective keyboard stabs and a roaring guitar sound mark out “Permanent Menace” as the best battle hymn on offer here. The dramatic ballad “Bridges to Eternity”, the brooding bass drum driven “Pied Piper” and the whispered menace of “From Dusk to Dawn” ensure there’s some variety to the disc. Not strong enough to put them at the top of the hill with the generals such as Iced Earth or Gamma Ray but there’s enough muscle here to suggest they, at least, can put up a good fight in the mêlée of battling power metal bands. Duncan Jamieson (78/100)
Since almost ten years up to now, every Dream Theater’s new release has always been linked with several discussions about its musical quality. By an hand the diehard fans keeping alive their total admiration for the band, on the other hand many other detractors putting serious doubts about their musical sincerity since “SFAM” on. Today this brand new “BCASL” won’t change the situation. It seems that Dream Theater is a band still alive and with many arrows to shoot, but there’s something lacking. I don’t talk about the musical, melodic or instrumental ideas, but about how the band uses to develop them together into the same songs or along all the entire album. They look like not having a well defined harmony in their composition progress. “BCASL” features many great melodic ideas, perfect instrumental performances (as usual), but many parts figure out not well connected each one with the other, they look as different pieces pasted together without a precise target about what to do. Anyway the release is good and still better than the previous “Systematic Chaos” or “Octavarium”, for sure; it displays us how the band has still more to give in music, but maybe something has to be changed for the future. Fulvio Bordi (80/100)
Mr. Big celebrate the band's return with a new Best Of compilation. Next Time Around is an 18 track compilation of best tracks and I'm not here to argue the finer points of those selections. The freshly remastered tracks sound fantastic and great to see some personal favourites – Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy, Take Cover, Addicted To That Rush, Alive And Kickin', The Whole World's Gonna Know and Colorado Bulldog.The attraction of this compilation for die-hards is the 2 “new” tracks. Well, the title track Next Time Around sounds like absolutely classic Mr. Big because it is absolutely classic. Taken from the 1993 sessions that resulted in the Bump Ahead album. Hold Your Head Up is another archive track restored for this occasion and is of course the Argent cover and sounds pretty cool actually. The bonus DVD collects tracks from the previously issued VHS and gives us another reminder of what a great live band Mr. Big are. Andrew McNeice - melodicrock.com (90/100)
DREAM THEATER - Black Clouds And Silver Linings (Roadrunner)
THE POODLES - Clash Of The Elements (Rosehip Alley)
It's good to see The Poodles still going strong with yet another album out on May 20th, the album title "Clash of the elements" is powerful but the complete album isn't as powerful I'm afraid. There are a few songs that are the band's finest songs to date like "Don't rescue me", "Give me a sign", "Too much of everything" and "I rule the night" (written by Hal Marabel of Bad Habit). But there are also lots of cliche's lined up and they are dangerously close of crossing the line over to Eurometal, next stop would be Britney Spearia! Guitarist Pontus Norgren who left to join Hammerfall is replaced by Henrik Bergquist, The Poodles also left Lionheart Records and releases the new album on their own label Rosehip Alley Records. The major part of this clash is good anyhow! Kaj Roth - Melodic.net (90/100)
MR. BIG - Next Time Around (Atlantic Japan)
HEAVEN AND HELL - The Devil You Know (Roadrunner)
The Dio fronted version of Black Sabbath sure has made an impact on the history of rocknroll, just as much as the classic line up with Ozzy. After a long hiatus Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice got together in 2006 for the compilation "Black Sabbath The Dio Years" and recorded 3 new tracks. "The devil you know" was recorded in 3 weeks, the band wanted to recapture the energy of playing live so the songs were done in just a couple of takes. I think we call can agree on that Iommi is the father of riffs, he started playing these melt down riffs when James Hetfield was just a young kid. Dio is 66 years old and still live up to the rocknroll legend he is with a voice that most rock singers would die for, the new epic single "Bible black" is one of the best songs I've heard from this line up. I think this is a great album that combines the best from the 80's albums Heaven and Hell, Mob Rules and the 1992 album "Dehumanizer"."Double the pain" will do just fine in the setlist along with the old classics, Heaven and Hell take good care of their legacy! Kaj Roth - Melodic.net (88/100) MRF | 13
Band: Shortino Album: Chasing My Dream Interview with: Paul Shortino Interviewed by: Barry McMinn
Question: Well what can I say, ‘Chasing My Dream’ is one hell of a great album! Answer: Thank you! I am very pleased with this CD. It is one of my best performances. Working with Michael Voss was Brilliant. He is an Amazing talent!!! Q: Why so long between albums? A: I was producing other projects, such as a band called Level, cd called Sipmlexity, Howard Leese’s new cd, Secret Weapon. Also, while recording this new cd, Chasing my Dream, I was producing a new, young band called Black Tora. Q: How did you come to get the likes of Michael Voss and rest of the guys involved with the album? A: He e-mailed me through MySpace, asked if I was interested in doing a song for the new Voices of Rock CD. After recording the song Rock Me, he came back and said Georg from AOR Heaven/Metal Heaven wanted to know if I wanted to record another Shortino CD. Sounded Great!!!. Q: What inspires your writing is it art reflecting life or are things not that deep? A: Life experiences and dreams. Q: When you look back at Focus on:
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your career there must have been some moments when you thought is this all worth it, what keeps you going? A: Music is all I know... Q: Will we be seeing Paul Shortino on the road very soon? A: Hopefully, we are working on it. Haven’t been out on the road for a long time, so it is harder to get on a tour. Q: If so what can we expect from you live any surprises and who can we expect to be in the live band? A: Expect to hear material from Rough Cutt, Quiet, Riot, my solo projects, Back on Track, Sacred Place, and the new CD, Chasing my Dream. Players TBA. Q: Looking back of your long career what major changes in the music industry have been for the good and what have been for the bad? A: The Internet has been good for he Industry. It has created a lot of Independent labels. The bad thing is for the Major labels because they were not prepared for the Internet. Because they could not/cannot control it. Q:What was the difference between the 70's L.A. scene and the 80's scene? A: I was a place where music
was born. Everybody came to L.A. to make it. You've got the industry there, but as far as the entertainment goes, at that time, everybody was flocking to L.A. in the late 70's, early 80's. The club scene was booming then, but it is not now. Q: In a world full of news of money worries, pandemics and other woes, what does Paul Shortino do to switch off and just relax and let the world go by? A: Watch reality tv with my wife. Mindless stuff! Q: Will we be seeing another collaboration with JK Northrup? A: Never know. He co-wrote a song on the new CD. It is called Promises... Q: There were rumours some while ago about a Rough Cutt reunion, will we ever see that coming to be? A: Not anytime soon, but you never know. Q: Finally what has the rest of 2009 and 2010 have in store for Paul Shortino anything we should keep an eye out for? A: Tour my new CD, Maybe produce some more young talent, do another CD, Get Black Tora out to the public, and maybe you will hear from Duke Fame.
SHORTINO - Chasing My Dream (Metal Heaven)
It’s seems all too long since the Shortino/Northrup album ‘Afterlife’, which was one of my favourite albums of 2004, but now Paul Shortino returns with Michael Voss and a host of special guests from Roland Bergman, Michael Mueller, Johnny Douglas and Ralf Heyne for his new album ‘Chasing My Dream’. His is a straight up Hard Rock album which again reminds us just what we’ve been missing since 2004, as Shortino’s vocals power on through the album and are just one of the many highlights of this album. I’ve been a fan of Shortino for some time now and this new album really is the man at his very best. A superb mix of hard rock tracks with some great ballads, all of them making the most of Shortino’s vocals. From the majestic tones of ‘Missing’, a track on which Voss’s guitar work is just superb, the harder edged tracks like ‘To The Cross’ and my personal favourite the excellent rocker ‘Side FX’. This is a real corker of an album and real return to form from the former Rough Cutt star. Barry McMinn (90/100)
Band: Saint Deamon Album: Padeamonium Interview with: Ronny Milianowicz Interviewed by: Bruce A.J. Atkinson
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Saint Deamon - Pandeamonium (Frontiers Records)
Well we’re only a quarter of the year through and already there have been some great Rock and Metal albums released this year. A band to keep that trend going are Saint Deamon who return with their new album Pandeamonium’. Riding high on their debut album ‘Shadows Lost From The Brave’ the band hasn’t rested on their laurels, they’ve kept the sweeping metal of their first album going well into this new release. This is ten tracks of sheer class from the band, right from the opening barrage of ‘Deception’, ‘The Only One Sane’ and ‘Pandeamonium’, but the band have that ability to mix together fundamentally heavy riff laden tracks with quite sublime metal ballad like ‘Fallen Angel’. It’s hard to believe the band could better their debut but they’ve certainly done that with ‘Pandeamonium’, another great release from a band destined for greatness. The CD has a data track with the fantastic “Padeamonium” video... Buy this cd and enjoy this amazing heavy metal masterpiece. Bruce A.J. Atkinson (90/100)
Question: Well, the last time I talked with you, Ronny… I wished you a Happy and productive New Year, and it seems like that is just what you had! 2008 proved out very good for “Saint Deamon”, tell us some of the highlights… Answer: The Saint Deamon highlights were quite a few things actually. The first was to go on our first tour with Saint Deamon to Italy, I just played in Bergamo with my old band Dionysus before supporting Saxon. Then came the Bloodstock and Prog Power festival. Then to work with Jens Bogren och Roy Z was something I never forget. As a producer highlight was to work with bands like Wolf and Amon Amarth And most important of course was the birth of my daughter. Q: I’m actually surprised that we are seeing another Recorded Work so soon… what with all the touring activity you did last year… when did you have time in putting this record together? A: In between changing the dypers ha,ha. Well, Im blessed to play in a band where everybody want the same goal and when inspiration is there there is absolutely no problem to come up with material that fast. Some band are alcoholic we are workoholics, you know we are Swedes ha,ha… there is no warm beach to check out girls, it bloody cold so might as well work, you have not that much else to do really… its not like you guys can with wine and womans ha,ha. Q: "In Shadows Lost From The Brave" was very well acclaimed by critics and fans. Did you feel any pressure in the working to "Pandeamonium"? A: Yes,I felt a lot of pressure.You must know that when i quit Dionysus I was working on the songs for almost 3 years with the members of Saint Deamon coming in one by one. This time we wrote everything in 3 month so it a totally diffrent thing. But we had plans from the debut release to go into the studio after one year again. On the other hand we would be that crazy to do a 2nd album if we didnt have the songs for it. The big difference is we didnt rehearsed the song at all before recording them. It might in once sence be stupid but the guys in the band plays so goddam good it sounds like they played the songs for ages and they DO their homework and learn the songs from the demos. This time the we wrote songs more as a band also since we know each other so much better this time.
Q: So has the recording process changed at all… ? A: We do more of ourselves in our studio. If I was a millionare I would let Jens and Roy do it all but it’s a matter of saving money really and at the same. Q: Are you completely satisfied with the result? A: Productionwise I think its even a little better than the first album. Songwise its up to the fans to say, I know I was so proud of the first album and thought I can never do it again ha,ha but it seems on the reviews people actually think with grew a litte better. Q: Do you think that lyrically "Pandeamonium" can be considered a concept album? A: Not really but there is a red line in the lyrics about struggle in life, both Jan Thore and I had some rough times and music is one way to deal with it and to find inspiration and not be consumed of all shit going on in this crazy world. My family and Saint Deamon bring so much joy to my life, there is a lot of people out there not being as blessed as me so i can imagine how hard it must be to keep on struggle through life. Q: "Pandeamonium" was prodeced by the famous Roy Z, that co-wrote also the titletrack: how was working with him? A: Like having a big brother. That’s how well we got along. If I ever write a book in the future when I’m old about my life then I would write down all great things about that guys big heart as a human being. After the first night at our local bar I forgot all about the big mighty Roy Z since his so down to earth. What I do remember is his one of the most inspiring people I ever met and when you sit down with a guitar and can make magic like that with a big smile on your face you are truly worthy to work with Rob and Bruce and I am forever grateful I got some weeks of his valuable time for me and Saint Deamon. I really miss him as that crazy friend of mine, not as the big Mr. Z. On a pro musical view I learned a lot of him when he worked in our studio and he had some absolutely crazy ideas like switching a verse with the solo part and so on but it all worked out to be 100 % better songs. Q: Let’s go back to touring and such… please let us know what are “Saint Deamon”’s plans for the rest of this year?... A: We´re very close to finnish the details for going on tour with primal fear in the autum, then we will play festivals such as Prog Power Scandinavia as well as our own club gigs. Q: How was your experience in
the U.S. and are you planning to return to North America? A: It’s a big country to tour but if there is economy in it we gonna go tomorrow if we could! Q: The cover draws strongly recall the first album. Why? Do you like sea? Do you like galleons? Do you like Running Wild? =) A: We all like Rock’n’Rolfs Pirate tights ha,ha... Actually Jan is raised at the northern see at the top of Norway and if you google the town Båtsfjord you understand that he looked more or less to the northpoole outside his window. I have a huge painting in my livingroom from when my own grandfather came from a ship and set his feet on swedish ground for the first time comming from Poland. I dunno it we have it in our blood or if its the simple fact it fits with the band name . Q: What do you think about music piracy? Both from personal and Saint deamon point of view... A: The first and most basic problem with downloads is that you dont get any budget to record your albums in a proffesional well sounding way anymore. Musicians has to record there albums in the worst studios or in worst case record it themselves, and 9 of 10 musicians are musicians not producers. So the downloading metal fan dont get it for free really, they pay their depts in bad sound on their favorite bands. The other thing is that it takes longer time before you recouped your latest album before you can go into the studio again. So anyone reading this must think about this. Is it best to download the album and wait 2 years before next album comes (with worse sound then the last album). Or pay the liitle money to get well sounding albums of your favorite band and might even get a new album within 1 year? If you are a true metal fan the answer is easy. Q: You also wrote some song for the Place Vendome project. Did you listen to the final version of the album? Do you like it? A: If I like it, I love it! I have it in my car right now. Not one bad song on the album. If Serafino could convince Michael to record the vocals with a producer instead of singing it all from home he would get 10 of 10 next time. That would be the logical step to make some real magic like the good old days in my book and I really hope he would be that cool person to give that to his fans. You know I’m one of them still. MRF | 17
Band: Pathosray Album: Sunless Skies Interview with: Fabio D’Amore Interviewed by: Fulvio Bordi Question: The album deserves so many shots before being completely understood. Since the beginning, listener can achieve it as great Heavy Prog strongly influenced by classic masters Symphony X, Dream Theater and Fates Warning, but time after time many multiple influence merge from this huge wall of sound; starting from seventies rock progressive, Pink Floyd, passing through some melodic edges coming from 80’s Hard Rock, till today’s heavy sounds coming from acts like Eldritch or Nevermore. Is it the right impression? Answer: Well, yes, you said the right things. Even we don't like to be compared to such big monsters of the musical scene, I think you can hear and catch some of the influences you've above mentionned. Maybe in this new release, "Sunless Skies" we wanted to focus first on the "song shape", instead of build a lot of technical parts, losing the listener's attention. There's a little bit of something in our compositions... Q: Please tell us something about the band’s musical growth through the years. I know the band lives since the far 2000 year... A: Since the beginning, the band had difficulties on finding the right musicians to carry on this musical journey. The first line-up released the very first demo, in 2001, called "Strange kind of energies", a very progressive oriented work, but already influenced by other styles. Then, the following years there were some changes, I joined the band, and also with a
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new keyboarder, we released the second demo in 2006, called "Deathless Crescendo". After a new change in the line up, with Gianpaolo joining the line up, we started thinking about putting together all the tracks from the second demo, "Pathosray". During its recordings Luca, the guitarist, left the band for personal problems, then Alessio arrived, and finally the line-up was completed, the one you know now. Q: I love the cover, in some ways it brings my mind back to the Pink Floyd’s The Wall artwork. Who did work on it? A: This amazing job was made by an artist from Chile, called Gonzalo "Genzo" Ordonez. He's part of the famous Deviant Art's community and he's a very respected artist in his field. Q: Which are, in your opinion, the most evident differences between this “Sunless Skies” and your self-titled release? A: If in the first album we showed a lot our typical prog metal side, without losing our identity, in this new album we tried to work a lot of suggestions and dark atmosphere, but increasing also a lot our melodic moments, with some 70's passages. I could say everything we wanted to do was done correctly, and we don't have any regret about the recordings and about songwriting process. Q: I love so much your skill to change into the same composition from very heavy moments to extremely soft passages. All the prog bands try, but so few of them are able to really do the job. Is this band’s skill the result of a planned, well rounded
organized composition process, or the child of long improvisation sessions? A: I can say that's the main Pathosray's skill, exactly what you've just mentionned. We wanted to focus and developpe as much as possible this ability of passing from heavy riffs to really melodic moments. That's a consequence of all the styles influence each member of the band. We listen to band coming from Black metal, Prog metal, Death Metal, Thrash and Heavy from 80's to modern stuff and arriving on progressive rock from the 70's and jazz/fusion. I think that's a normal, unplanned, evolution of our sound. Q: Are you already working on new stuff for the third album? A: I know that Ivan, who's our main composer, already started composing some tracks for our next release. Then we already started discussing about the lyrical style it would have, but I can't say if it's far different from "Sunless Skies", but I'm pretty sure it will be a developpement of our actual style... Q: Any tour dates planned for the immediate future? A: We're always working to promote our new album in our area and around Italy, but we're also thinking about the "Sunless Skies" release party. Our first big appointment is at Prog Power Scandinavia 2009, in Copenaghen Denmark. We will play in the same stage with big acts as Candlemass, Pretty Maids, Mercenary, Freak Kitchen and so on - we're really excited about it and we will try to show all our skills to the Scandinavian audience!
PATHOSRAY - Sunless Skies (Frontiers Records) More than meets the eye! Pathosray is the new Prog Metal sensation coming from Italy and “Sunless Skies” is their second effort (following the 2006 self titled debut) combining many influences and giving the band an unexpected twin musical identity. The very first impressions lead to great Progressive Metal influences such as Symphony X, Dream Theater, Nevermore, Fates Warning, Eldritch and Rush, but there’s still more than this. Under this dense surface many other influences coming from seventies Progressive Rock, Pink Floyd, Death Metal elements and some picks of 80s Hard Rock melodies can be discovered. “Sunless Skies” reveals as a real kaleidoscope of influences fusing together in an unique original result. The amazing instrumental technique, their ability to combine into the same song dark, heavy moments to relaxed soft parts, and their wide open structural complexity gets well combined with the band’s important melodic approach to compositions. Songs flow naturally and listener won’t absolutely get tired along this musical journey. Guaranteed. Fulvio Bordi (92/100) MRF | 19
Band: Jorn Album: Spirit Black Interview with: Jorn Lande Interviewed by: Fulvio Bordi Focus on:
JORN - Spirit Black (Frontiers Records) A spirit still blacker than ever. Jorn comes back to us with a new intense solo work, going deep down into his already well known dark metal moods and atmospheres. Guitars roar powerful and fat, sounding in low tonalities giving riffs a still more heavy and dark sound, while his voice underlines with a supreme interpretative charisma each particular intense songs’ atmosphere. Talking about songwriting and compositions’ structure, well, this time Jorn seems to favorite a still more direct approach. Songs go straight to the point, they don’t turn around for too much before getting to the refrains. Maybe Jorn now wants to give listener’s ear the most melodic impact possible, making the songs irrupt melodically straight, as soon as possible and printing immediately in mind their identity. Even instrumental parts and solos are given the right space, but with a limited timing, just to lead back soon to the song’s chorus. I love how “Spirit Black” grows along all of its chapters: the track-list is disposed with masterly skill giving a progressive stairway of growing moods until the closing “I Walk Alone” with no weak points in. Superb! Fulvio Bordi (95/100)
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Question: How do you feel about releasing this new product after the great acclaim that was gathered by “Lonely Are The Brave”? Answer: The sound of the album is like a crossover between "The Duke" and "Lonely Are The brave", and I feel that some of the songs on Spirit Black have the potential to become essential hardrock classics that will stand the test of time. Q: How did the new songs come about? A: I have carried some of these ideas with me for quite some time. Willy, Jimmy, Sid and myself have known each other since the 80's, and some of the song ideas and demos from back then have now seen the light of day, and become an essential part of Spirit Black. When we were younger we usually never cared about what we did yesterday, only about the future, but the past can sometimes reveal hidden treasures and I discovered great potential in some of these song-ideas. Q: How would you compare the new stuff with the music you have released throughout your career? A: The musical style and direction is now more defined and less experimental. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel anymore, I just want to write good quality hard rock songs that people can relate to and identify with. When I was old enough to establish my own carrier, the world already had bands like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple and it was "expected" that we would have to create something new and different, to be able to build a future in the music business. Everytime I wrote or sang something bluesy, people would automatically compare me to Paul Rodgers, Robert plant, David Coverdale or Lou Gramm, and if I went for a less dynamic and more powerful dramatic approach, my style was compared to singers like Bruce Dickinson, Ronnie James Dio and so on... It was of course good compliments to get for a young and hungry singer, but at the same time it undermined my own originality and personal trademark. To avoid beeing labeled and categorized, I experimented with various musical landscapes and combined different vocal style expressions within the frame of rock and metal, to establish my own musical platform of respect and credibility. This philosophy and way of thinking gave me the freedom to explore myself artistically. On the other hand it also made it more difficult, 22 | MRF
since people would'nt know what to expect from me musically, and found it hard to identify me with a defined musical style or direction. As we entered into the new millennium, I realized and accepted that my strenght as a singer was more classic rock oriented. If you buy a Jorn album today, you know what you will get. True classic hard rock music... Q: In the past we’ve often seen you participating in a promising band (like for instance Beyond Twilight and Millennium) and leaving that band after a very promising start. Are you such a difficult person or is this just coincidental? A: Let me correct you on this, since I believe that only Masterplan was a promising band both from an artistic as well as a commercial standpoint. The other bands were good, but they didn’t sell any records. Take Beyond Twilight as an example, there was no tour, no investments by the record company, no real support in general. Therefore is was impossible for me to stay, because I have to make a living from singing you know. Same story with Ark, great band, ‘Burn The Sun’ was a great record, but we didn’t get anywhere. There were no actual results. So to answer your question, I’m not a difficult person at all, I just need to provide a living for myself which makes it sometimes impossible to stay in a band. I want and need to be productive. Q: Can you tell me what happened with Ark? Why did you leave? A: I was always eager to move forward, to progress. I was involved with Ark for five years. During that time the musical climate began to change. After the second record -- and it was a great record! -- we had no support from the company, there was nowhere to move forward. We didn't tour. That meant that I had to start looking for work somewhere else. And when the band finally got together to record the third album, they wanted me to stop working on whatever project I was working on at the time, and that's when I had to make a choice. Tore Ostby makes his living elsewhere, he does not rely on music, but I'm a musician, that's my life! I just want to write and record songs, that's what I want to do, and if it involves working on several projects at the same time -then all the better! Of course, we all would love to just have
one project, but that's not always possible. Q: How do you feel the musical climate changed over the past ten years? A: Right now anybody can make a record. At home, with a computer. People get their own record companies, their own catalogues, and distribute their own music through their websites. Q: You’re seen as one of the best vocalists around nowadays. Is this a matter of pure talent or did you have years of hard training below your belt to get at this level? A: I don’t know really, I tend not to categorize myself or compare myself to somebody else. I just work hard to survive in this tough business. From the time that I was a kid I always wanted to become a singer and my talent got me to where I am today. It started in 1973 when the Sweet released their ‘Ballroom Blitz’ single and when I saw Brian Connely I knew that this is what I wanted. Shortly thereafter I discovered other artists like Paul Rodgers, Robert Plant, Ian Gillan and I got inspired by all of them. At the end of the eighties I was ready to go, but then Nirvana came along and the market for my type of music collapsed. So now I’m just giving it a second try. Q: Any of the contemporary hard rock and metal artists you would like to point out as having those qualities? A: I honestly am not that much into the new metal scene. I'm sure there are many great bands out there, but I just can't think of any. In the US I was never into that whole Linkin Park scene. I mean, I see what's good about them, I understand it, but it doesn't touch me. I like Velvet Revolver, Slash's new band. That one sounds very special, and I like the vocals there too. Audioslave I like. And King's X. As far as power metal, I can't say that I was ever into that music. I did work with some people from that scene, in Masterplan, for example, because I thought it would be interesting to cross my voice and my style over to that genre. But still we had some classical elements going, so I believe it made us somewhat unique. Q: Do you have any plans to tour Europe in the forthcoming months? A: We have just recently startet to work with a new agency, and we hope to tour Europe this coming winter.