CONTENTS 04 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 14 17 19 20
Journey Warrant Electric Boys Night Ranger Reece - Kronlund Lionville Rhapsody Of Fire Reviews Symphony X Williams / Friestedt Black ‘N Blue Def Leppard
Melodic Rock Fanzine
The official Frontiers Records magazine Year #7 - Nr. 3 / Issue #44 Editor-in-chief: Elio Bordi Graphic & Design: Elio Bordi Writers: Bruce E.J. Atkinson, Fulvio Bordi, Duncan Jamieson, Barry McMinn, Vitale Nocerino, Rob “Ezy” Bone, Fabio Mainardi, Tommy Hash. 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 Copyright©2011 Frontiers Records. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Printed in Italy.
BAND: JOURNEY ALBUM: ECLIPSE INTERVIEW WITH: JONATHAN CAIN INTERVIEWED BY: DUNCAN JAMIESON Focus on:
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JOURNEY - Eclipse (Frontiers Records)
This is the album Neil Schon has been chomping at the bit to make for years. Closest in spirit to “Frontiers”, it’s possibly their heaviest album ever. “City Of Hope” is a typically great Journey album opener with strong hooks but what really grabs you is Schon’s guitar that comes on like an unleashed, rabid dog. It’s indicative of the whole record. “Chain Of Love” has the biggest riff this side of their classic “Edge Of The Blade” and “Resonate” is another scorcher. Jonathan Cain’s keyboards do get to take centre stage on the ballad “Tantra” where Arnel Pineda steps out of Steve Perry’s shadow to give a terrifically gymnastic vocal performance. The more organic sounding “She’s A Mystery” also surprises, sounding rather ironically like a Tall Stories track! “Ritual” and “Anything Is Possible” are on more familiar Journey territory, their melodic flair similar to tracks on their last disc “Revelation”. The people who found Journey through Glee or the X Factor won’t know what to do with this record, but Journey fans will rejoice as the band are rocking harder than ever and are still the benchmark for other melodic rock bands to aspire to. Duncan Jamieson (98/100)
Question: This is Journey rocking harder than ever before! How do you feel about the new record? Answer: It is a departure from what we have done lately. We felt it was time to try something raw and edgy. I love the lyric concept woven into the rock soundtrack—very cinematic stuff. It is big and wide -Journey has always been a chameleon —so this CD is less of our pop side…more of our rock side. Q: Before going into the studio what was the brief? It sounds like it was decided to rock harder and put Neal’s guitar to the fore. How close is that to what happened? A: Neal had a vision for this album during the Revelation tour. We spoke at length about the style and nature of the way the music would be crafted. I shared this vision and worked in that direction with him. It is a raw, edgy sound with a deep message. I am pleased with the results. Q: To me this record holds onto the solid gold hooks the band has been renowned for since you joined, adding your song writing skills back in 1980. Then, it adds some of the fire of the “Frontiers” record and it gives Neal the space to wig out on guitar in the manner he used to in the first incarnation of the band back in the 70s. How do you describe the sound of Journey in 2011? A: Guitar driven rock with vocal hooks.--and message lyric--big, raw and wide sound. Q: You’ve mentioned that there is a concept to the album lyrically. Could you expand? A: Neal and I stumbled into the concept of Tantra — which means to weave — ancient Hindu belief that all energy is connected in a endless circle. If we get our thoughts out of our head… We can find peace and enlightenment.—It takes place on the spiritual plane— thru meditation—the physical plane—thru yoga and even sexual encounter. In a techno world with streaming media we live in — we thought it was a good message to slow down and examine how your soul relates to God and the universe. Q: Although there’s a lot of input on guitar from Neal, the likes of “Tantra” and “Anything Is Possible” totally sound like songs from your pen. Which ones are your babies and how has the way you and Neil write songs and record changed over the years? A: Actually, I wrote those with Neal. I brought in Resonate and Chain of Love. Neal and I have moved away from the pop sounding ideas --to the rock. Q: What songs from the new record do you think will find
their way onto your European tour this summer? A: Resonate, Human Feel, Chain of Love and City of Hope, Anything is Possible. Q: The story of Arnel’s rise to stardom sounds like a Jonathan Cain lyric! How did his input on this record differ to “Revelations” and how do you feel he’s changed as a live performer since he first started touring with you? A: Arnel inspired a lot of this music. It began when Neal and I wrote City of Hope in Manila while we were there for the DVD. He is the main character of this CD is search of enlightenment—he is a Buddist and a person with a deep conscience and conviction. He cares about the human race—his foundation feeds the hungry in Manila. Writing with him has been brief but I look forward to more opportunity. Since the show in Manila, I think he has taken complete ownership as the lead singer of Journey. No question about it. Q: You’ve worked with Kevin Shirley for the last four out of your last five albums. What does he bring to the process? A: Kevin has a musical sensibility and a creative spirit that helps us let go while we are recording. He helps us arrange raw ideas and is fearless when it comes to trying new concepts. Q: What is a typical day at home with Jonathan Cain? A: First there is a loving "good morning" to all my children. Then breakfast, off to school with Madison, dash to the gym, back to the studio in the afternoon and chaos with the kids followed by dinner, jammies a bedtime story and the 10:00 news, then into bed. Q: Has having a family changed the way that you look at life, and Why? A: I still view life the same... opportunity to grow and become closer to the Lord. I think a family puts you in the ground like an Oak tree and allows you to establish a creed and philosophy based on your own values and beliefs. Passing down to the next generation your personal KEYS to - HAPPINESS AND LOVE IN LIFE. Q: Do you have a favorite period in your life and Why? A: This is my favorite period because I've been so blessed to experience the richness of parenthood, a loving marriage, a successful career and great friendships. Q: Who influences you now? A: My family and the Journey fans. Q: What was the first song that ever wrote? A: A song for the 8th grade school play, it was called "Madalyn", about a girl I had a crush on. Q: Are you surprised by the resurgence of popularity of the band’s old hits, and the recent
critical acclaim your last album received from most quarters of the rock press (and I predict this record will too)? What do you attribute to your star rising again? A: It is humbling to say the least. I think we always tried to be soulful and authentic no matter what we wrote or recorded. Maybe that is why our music has lasted. The albums we did still sound effortless—due to the musicianship and vocal prowess that we were lucky to have as components of our sound. We tried to write positive feeling music—avoiding the dark stuff. Q: There are some big shows on the European tour. You’re playing Wembley Arena which is as big as a gig gets in the UK. Also, it’s the first time you’re playing Italy with Journey. It must be great to still be reaching new audiences. Are there any dates on the tour you’re particularly looking forward to? A: We look forward to all of the dates in Europe, especially the place we haven’t been. It is a market we thought we could never crack. With our new agent and management---we have made strides in changing that. All of us are now committed to making Journey a world brand. Wembley will be a trip for sure. Q: Europe missed out on seeing Journey in the 80s. Why was that? A: Certain members didn’t want to invest the time touring Europe. Certain members thought it was a big mistake to not tour Europe. Personally, I thought we missed out on a huge opportunity back then. Q: How does the touring experience differ for you now in 2011 than it did in the 80s? A: The sound equipment is much better. We have in ear monitors now—so there is less volume to deal with. I think the new venues are improving—better sounding— more enjoyable to watch a show. The busses are hi tech and comfortable compared the smelly diesel ones from the old days. Some of us have families and are married— which keeps us grounded.--less booze, chicks and drugs…thank God…that sounds boring… but it has kept us together and on the road after all these years. Q: Have you got an eye on any projects outside of Journey in the near future? A: Just helping my daughter Madison when I can—who desires to be a country artist here in Nashville---being a good husband and father to my other kids, Weston and Liza. Q: Good luck with the new album and tour. So glad Journey never stopped believin’. A: Thank you for your interest in our band. We look forward to continuing.
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BAND: WARRANT ALBUM: ROCKAHOLIC INTERVIEW WITH: ERIK TURNER INTERVIEWED BY: BRUCE ATKINSON
Question: I started our last interview with stating that “Born Again” was such an apt title, and now with the release of “Rockaholic”, history repeats itself! Congratulations on the new album, however, this record did not come easy… let’s discuss some of what happened between 2006 and now… A: Warrant are a very hard working band, this is so evident in the amount of road miles you guys put on, and by the sounds that I hear on the new disc… that energy translates unto the record… Q: Erik, you have been with the group since its beginnings…what makes your vision of the group so strong? A: Jerry (16) and I (19) have been in this band since the beginning, 1984 and have had a mutual never say quit attitude, without ever really discussing it. We have both hung in there always looking forward and rolling with the punches when they come along. That said being in this band for all these Focus on:
years has been pretty fugging cool most of the time! I wish we made it to Bon Jovi level, but hey, I sure am not complaining! Q: “Rockaholic” is an album that has brought you all back to form, but at the same time enters into some uncharted musical waters… an amazing work... walk us through some of the recording of the record. A: Thanks! Well the writing process started at least two years ago. The first song I can remember is Dusty’s Revenge. The title idea came up when Dixon was showing me some video game artwork that had a western theme to it on a plane ride somewhere. Then we got together at his studio sometime later and worked up the music. Jerry wrote the lyrics and recorded the idea for everyone. I won’t bore you all with the long drawn out writing process, but everything from the record deal to finally finishing this CD took a long time and could be very frustrating to different degrees from time to time & band member to mem-
WARRANT - Rockaholic (Frontiers Records)
ber. Recording the CD was finally the fun part and was a great experience working with Keith Olsen & Robert Mason for the first time, then we started mixing… Q: The new record is coming out on Frontiers… is this a worldwide release on the label? A: Yes it is a worldwide release, which means I have to dust off my passport and learn several new languages very quickly! Frontiers signed Journey, Whitesnake, and Mr Big and Extreme just to name a few great bands that we are label mates with. Q: Are you planning to tour alone or with other groups and if so, what has been booked so far? A: We will be doing a combination of both, a smorgasbord of ROCKAHOLIC touring. We book shows all year round and we mostly play on the weekends and then come home to chillax during the week. Weekend warriors we like to call it. We will be adding dates year round so check out WarrantRocks.com for touring updates or join our mailing list...
The last time I chewed in to Warrant was back in ’06 when I was ‘Born Again’ into their infectious Hard Rock musings! This time I’m immersed in a Spiritual renewal with the arrival of their brand new release! “Rockaholic” comes out of the box sleek, potent and very tasty! The group has battled through four tough years, and yes you can say they have been tempered by fire. Maybe it’s the addition of Robert Mason — the group’s new lead singer—but all I know is that 2011’s Warrant is stronger than ever!! “Rockaholic” showcases these veterans’ talents wrapped in some of the tastiest Blues-Rock this side of Montreal! A strapping— mature sound—the album is simply a Killer! It is all here: the signature sound of Warrant, along with many surprises… a collection of finely honed musical journeys that will infuse your spirit with untold energy. There is also a depth and richness to this collective Work that is matchless. I cannot express this adequately in words... but it is there, and you will hear it firsthand! Warrant-“Rockaholic”, a great habit to have!! Bruce Atkinson (92/100) 6 | MRF
BAND: ELECTRIC BOYS ALBUM: AND THEM BOYS SWANG INTERVIEW WITH: CONNY BLOOM INTERVIEWED BY: BARRY MCMINN
Question: Firstly welcome back boys! Answer: Thank you. It's good to be back! Q: And secondly great album in ‘And Them Boys Done Swang’! A: I'm glad you like it. I'm very happy about it too. It is the kind of album we wanted to make at the moment so it feel good. Q: The band got back together in 2009 for a series of festival dates, did you feel back then the time was right for a new Electric Boys album? A: I had a bunch of ideas already and we had talked about it. We started out playing together to see if the vibe was there still and it definately was. Then I played them some demos and started writing more, new material and we were all way into it by that time so making a new album seemed like a natural step. Q: When you got back together in the studio was it just like you’d never been apart? A: It sounded a bit ruff in the edges obviously but the SOUND and the chemistry was there from scratch. We have a very distinctive sound when we get together in a room and Focus on:
play I noticed. Q: How long did the album take to put together? A: It's hard to say, cuz it was done a bit here and there. The actual making of it didn't take as long as sorting out deals, contracts etc though. Q: Were all the songs written specifically for the new album or did you have a few tunes from the past you reworked and refreshed? A: It goes from some ideas I had back when I was a teenager til the very last minute. I wrote 4 new songs during the making of the album that we recorded as well. Q: The band’s albums have always seemed like parties put to music, so do the band have a good time when it comes to recording or is strictly business and then party time when all the works done? A: It's partytime 24/7!! :-) Seriously, it's pretty hard work making a great album so there's plenty frustration involved until you have the finished product in your hands. I usually go into the studio with a big smile on my face and then halfway through you think
"how the fxxk are we gonna get this thing finished". Then by the end when you're mixing it all becomes fun again. Touring, playing live, is the essential thing for us and making albums is a way to get you out on the road, to play in front of people. That's how it is for us anyway. Q: The band appeared on tour with Alice Cooper in December last year, but what we want to know is will the Electric Boys be hitting the stages once more in 2011? A: We've got plenty of festival lined up for our home country (Sweden) but now that the album is getting release all over Europe we're starting to book shows in other countries as well. Would love to take the band around Europe! Q: Finally where do you go from here and is there another album in the pipeline? A: Right now we're focusing on getting the machine around the band to work smoothly, with booking agents, management, record companies etc. Home is where the stage is, so like I said, the main goal is to tour, then tour, then tour again. I can definately see another album coming, that's for sure!
ELECTRIC BOYS - And Them Boys Swang (Escape Music)
This is the band at their funk ridden best, with Bloom not only proving his worth on the six-string but also vocally. The album gets underway with ‘Reeferlord’, no intro’s just straight-up funk driven hard rock. The album boasts not only some of the band’s best songs to date, but also some of the best titles you’ll hear this year. Just the sound of ‘Father Popcorn’s Magic Oysters’ fills you with wonderment, not only is it a cracking tune, but you’ll want a taste of what they were having when this was written. The feeling of tranquility is felt at its most sedate with the mellow ‘Ten Thousand Times Goodbye’ and ‘The Day The Gypsies Came To Town’, but I simply love the rockier moments like ‘The House Is Rockin’, the soul grooved ‘Welcome To The High Times’ and the superb ‘Sometimes U Gotta Go Look For The Car’, that really bring back the magic that can only be Electric Boys, because in a world where doom and gloom seem to dominate, it’s nice to sit back and just get a little funky from time to time. Barry McMinn (90/100)
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BAND: NIGHT RANGER ALBUM: SOMEWHERE IN CALIFORNIA INTERVIEW WITH: BRAD GILLIS INTERVIEWED BY: FABIO MAINARDI Question: Hi guys, thanks for being here and thanks for an amazing album too!! What about the title, is it an homage to your land and your origin? Answer: Yes it is... All of the Night Ranger boys have roots in California. Jack, Eric and I still live in Northern Cal and it's a wonderful state where you can be on the beach and three hours east, you can be in the Sierra mountain snow. The weather never gets too hot or cold in the Bay Area with San Francisco only a few minutes away. Q: Somewhere in California, is your 4th studio album since the 1996 reunion, How the things going among you? Is still fun the record&tour life together? A: Recording the new CD was a blast! The comfort of recording at Jack's studio takes the pressure off and we were able to take our time gifting the right song, lyrics and guitar solos together. It was a truly laid back experience to bring out the best in everyone’s talents. It seems our touring schedule will be very heavy with Japan, Europe and about 80 shows in the US this year. Most of the shows will be with Journey, Foreigner and Night Ranger. Q: Would you like to tell us more Focus on:
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about the writing and recording process of the album? A: We went into the studio pretty open with ideas. I had quite a few music track ideas that I brought into the guys and Jack and Kelly finished up with some great lyrics. Jack had written "Growing Up In California" for his solo CD but I new we needed to put the Night Ranger touch to the song and save it for our new CD "Somewhere In California". It was great to work with Joel on guitar solos and we feel we did well, as we pulled off some cool harmonies and wanted to get back to old school NR with the big vocal choruses and double lead guitars... Q: You had separate and very successful solo or outside careers in the past years. What good or new elements these experiences bring in into the Night Ranger picture? A: Many of the ideas that I brought to the band were tracks that were initially written for another solo effort or ESPN music beds... I'm always writing music but when I found out a new worldwide record deal was looming, I saved my best tracks for the new CD. Another great new element was that everyone had input into the songs and
took advice from others to end up with the best possible parts that everyone agreed on...My advice to bands in the recording process: every band member should look to all other band members to get the best out of the team. It will turn good songs into great songs!!! Q: What your thoughts about the current Music industry situation and have you a secret receipt to bring a new gold era in it like it was in the 80’? A: The industry is in the download era where CD sales are slacking. We're not expecting much airplay in the US but our heavy touring could help awareness of the new CD. Were hoping on the freshness of the new record to generate resurgence in 80's music. The energy and feel of our new music has a good natured vibe and the new single and video "Growing Up In California" will turn heads... Q: I read you are going to tour soon, can you tell us about that and your future plans? A: We're hoping for a massive "Buzz" on the new CD and would like to hit Australia and South America next year...Only time and a little luck will tell our future.
NIGHT RANGER - Somewhere In California (Frontiers Records)
Formed by the three original members, Jack Blades – bass guitar, lead & backing vocals, Kelly Keagy – drums, backing & lead vocals and Brad Gillis – lead & rhythm guitars and backing vocals, plus Joel Hoekstra – lead & rhythm guitars and backing vocals and Eric Levy – keyboards and backing vocals. The album is fresh a and crunching, form the title is California sound from head to toe. Night Ranger play all sort of classic numbers on that from up-tempo beats to melodic cuts and hard rocking tunes with shredding guitars work and catchy melodies that will please all their fans out there and also the casual rock fan. Although some songs play like fillers such as the ending track “Say It With Love” or the ballad “Time Of Our Lives”, there are plenty of good songs, such as the opener Growin' Up In California, or the energetic “Lay It On Me”, and the almost progressive rock “Follow Your Heart”. Night Ranger will soon be on Tour in Japan and Europe in June then heading to the US, so do not miss them live too. Fabio Mainardi (90/100)
BAND: REECE - KRONLUD ALBUM: SOLID INTERVIEW WITH: DAVID REECE INTERVIEWED BY: BRUCE ATKINSON Question: David… Martin, this is a very interesting musical project; let us begin by talking how you two first got together… Answer: Firstly thank you for the chance to speak with you. I met Martin in 2007 when we wrote and recorded the 'Gypsy Rose' record 'Another World'. From the beginning Martin and I could feel a natural ease in writing and we share some of the same influences musically as well. Martin to me is a great musician as well as a top producer and I look forward doing much more with him. Q: With “Reece-Kronlund”, you have included some hard-hitting musical friends… let’s chat about them and how you have also explored their individual creative prowess with some collaborations… A: I understand first that the song is the most important! For myself as a lyricist I don't like Focus on:
cliche words about 'getting lucky' and the party scene, although there are certain songs that naturally lend themselves to those subjects I would rather write storys with depth. Songs like 'Could this be madness' which is about middle age which we both are speak of the day in and day out things we experience. All this said sometimes you run into walls creatively so myself I write with others to stay fresh. Writing with Jon Wilde is a real treat as he and I have the same style. Some of the other co-writers are Tommy Denander, Rikard Quist, Brynn Arens, Andy Susemihl and Christian Tolle, all of these people I hold in high regard musically and find easy to write with as I know some of them for ages. Q: Now, are you wanting to take this musical experience on the road, or are you happy with having this as a recording project only?
REECE-KRONLUND - Solid
A: Of course touring this record would be wonderful and if given the chance to perform these songs live, Absolutely! Martin and I have written many songs for other artists and definately will do another Reece-Kronlund record which we are talking about now. Q: I realise that you both are busy with other musical journeys…however, can we expect more from this team? A: As I say this is a real musical relationship which I have been excited about from the start of our friendship... stay tuned!!! Q: Thank-you for your time with answering these questions… please leave us with some words of wisdom… A: I would like to thank all of our fans and friends, the press as well as Georg Siegl for believing in us and our project 'SOLID'. Remember to keep the spirit of music alive!!!
(AOR Heaven)
A brand new creative partnership — “Solid” is the first effort of Vocalist David Reece and Swedish guitarist Martin Kronlund. ‘Solid’ is a treasure chest of Progressive & Hard rocking musical expressions. This duo have invited many top Rock/Metal musicians to take part in this creative endeavour, resulting in more than a ‘Solid’ recorded work. Beautiful, yet forceful… the guitar work of Martin can also be breathless… and David’s singing, at times, touches upon the realm of a David Coverdale! David and Martin have also teamed up with some of their musical guests in the song writing department. Tommy Denander appears on the album and co-wrote “My Angel Wears White”… along with Christian Tolle pulling the same duties on “Animals And Cannibals”. There are ten slices of astounding, rocking music on this record. The new team of Reece-Kronlund proves to be a ‘Solid’ combination and a team to watch! Bruce Atkinson (88/100)
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BAND: LIONVILLE ALBUM: LIONVILLE INTERVIEW WITH: STEFANO LIONETTI INTERVIEWED BY: BARRY MCMINN
Question: Let’s start at the beginning, how did Lionville come about? Answer: First of all hello and thanks for the interview! The project “Lionville” originated from an idea by myself and my brother Alessandro (the executive producer of the album and a great AOR lover). I’m writing songs for many years now and my brother convinced me to finally make my dream become reality. The friendship with drummer and songwriter Pierpaolo "Zorro11” Monti (Shining Line) and producer, musician and singer Alessandro Del Vecchio (Edge Of Forever, Eden's Curse, Glenn Hughes, Axe) made the recording of the album possible. Gregor Klee, owner of Avenue Of Allies, immediately believed in my demo, so he decided to sign the project and get some great artists involved in the recordings. It was Greg who suggested to have the word "Lion" in the name of the project to have the connection to my last name Lionetti. Greg’s idea “Lionville” seemed very fitting and I also liked the idea of having a unique name and impact. Focus on:
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Q: What was it about Lars Säfsund that made him the ideal choice for the album? A: Work Of Art’ “Artwork” is one of the greatest AOR albums of the last 10 years, in my opinion. I think that the voice of Lars is a big part of that. When I decided to record the Lionville debut I had no doubt: I immediately thought that Lars was the right voice because of his timbre and vocal range and his technical abilities. He is really extraordinary and an amazing talent and I think he can sing just about anything. He certainly added a lot of value to Lionville. Q: The album is just stunning and one of my favourite tracks has to be ‘The Chosen Ones’, the duet Lars does with Arabella Vitanc is just great. Will we be hearing more of Arabella with Lionville? A: Thank you, I'm glad you like the album and that song in particular ! I was lucky to write this track based on an idea of Tommy Denander and Soren Kronqvist and I also think it turned out really cool! The duet with Arabella is great indeed. Everyone
LIONVILLE - Lionville (Avenue Of Allies)
involved would be happy to have Arabella back in the line-up for another Lionville album. Q: Will there be another Lionville album in the not too distant future? A: I surely hope so ! I’m writing songs constantly, so there is certainly material for a new album ! Now I hope that the enthusiasm I and everyone else involved put into this first album will be embraced by the audience. Q: We are seeing more and more bands with Melodic and Hard Rock pedigree’s coming out of Italy, is it something in the pasta that’s bringing a touch of Italian flair to the scene right now? A: Hahaha ... Well, good food is certainly an added value, I live in Genova, we have the "Pesto" sauce used for pasta. It’s really a magic potion ;-) Seriously I think that there is a lot of talent in Italy these days. For me it’s sad to see that a genre as enjoyable as AOR with all its attention for melodies and details, doesn’t enjoy a bigger success. Lionville and Shining Line will try to change this situation !
Over recent years the collaboration album has seen many a great partnerships evolve and in this digital age we have seen many great albums take shape as artists from all over the world can now work together like never before. Another partnership hot off the press is that of composer Stefano Lionetti and Alessandro Del Vecchio, who along with Lars Säfsund (vocals), Anna Portalupiv (Bass), Pierpaolo “Zorro11” Monti (Drums) and guest artists and songwriters, have been put together under the moniker of Lionville. The album is pure bred Melodic and AOR in one tight package, with some quite outstanding moments like the stunning ‘Dreamhunter’, the excellent ‘The Chosen Ones’, which sees Säfsund duetting with Arabella Vitanc. The cover of John Farnhams ‘Thunder in the Heart’, which is just stunning as Säfsund makes this version his own. Even the Richard Marx penned ‘The World Without Your Love’ will bring a lump to your throat. This one will go down great with the diehard AOR fans and will even cross over to the Melodic rockers with ease. For those looking for a great summertime album then you won’t go wrong with this one. Barry McMinn (80/100)
Primo Bonali: Hello guys! How are you? It was quite a surprise for me to see that you have a new album out soon, when your previous album, “The Frozen Tears Of An Angel”, has been released just one year ago, and - after that - you also put out a EP, “The Cold Embrace Of Fear – A Dark Romantic Symphony”! I’m wondering if all of these new songs have been written in the last year or if you had some material left from the years of your legal battle versus Magic Circle… Alex Staropoli: No, actually they’re basically all new songs. During the past years we wrote something, but – at the end – we have used only bits and pieces of that material, some ideas and some riffs, that we arranged in a new way. So I can say that most of the songs in the albums you’re mentioning are brand new songs. But, please, don’t expect another new album in one year-time, as it will be impossible to make it in such a short time! PB: After leaving the Magic Circle label, you’ve been asked to join the Nuclear Blast-roster, which I guess it was a very good move for your career. How was the approach of the label to you, and how your approach to them (after the problems you had with your previous label)? Have Nuclear Blast made some pressure on you somehow? Was a Nuclear Blast-idea to put out these three releases in such a short frame of time? AS: Being on Nuclear Blast is a dream come true for us. We’ve been in touch with them for some time, then, when we closed the deal with Magic Circle, we immediately offered our band to the Nuclear Blast manager and we easily found and agreement. They’re great guys, totally into the music and we trust them completely. They never put any pressure to us, we’ve always been free to write our music as we want… we feel like being in a big family with them. And they have a great promotional and distributionnet so we are very happy. PB: What can you tell me about this new album “From Chaos To Eternity”? Any difference with the previous ones? AS: The album is very powerful and direct and the guitar sound is loud and “fat”, as this time we’ve mixed the guitars really upfront. Luca Turilli did an amazing work on this album, and also our general approach for the new album has been more direct, really Metal! We’ve recorded most of this album in my personal home-studio, with the exception of the drums recorded in Germany and the guitars recorded in Luca’s personal studio; this way we had the chance to dedicate more time to the recording, to the overall sound and to the mixing. And Sascha Paeth – as usual – did the final mixing. I’m really happy with the final result! PB: On the new album you keep your tradition to have a couple of songs in italian language: is this very important to you, right? Never thought to try launching an italian single and attempting the italian Pop charts? AS: Yes, you’re right, we like to have some italian songs on our albums. At the beginning we started with songs with a middle-age feel, if you know what I mean, as I was a bit skeptic about the result of a Metal song in italian language! But, album after album, we tried different ideas, we approached the lyrics in a different way, and now we have also a Speed Metal song in italian language on our album! About the idea to launch a single in Italy…. well, no, I don’t think we’ll never do something like that, we play Metal and Metal is not going into charts in Italy, ha ha!
UDO - Rev - Raptor (AFM Records) Thirteen tracks, each uniquely individual but definitely classic U.D.O There is no mistaking this sound. The title song, “Rev-Raptor” has awesome guitar work; catchy riffs that the fan will still hear long after the song ends. Guitarists Igor Gianola and Stefan Kaufmann are responsible for this. Udo’s voice is stronger than ever and showcases well on this first track leaving the listener wanting more naturally. The next track, “Leatherhead” might be the standout among the rest for it has power, but is melodic, so it will appeal to a wider array of fans than maybe their heavier hitters. Rounding out this band on bass is Fitty Wienhold who lends that wonderful euphoric sound that makes the fan feel it deep in their chest when played loud, and it should be played loud! ”Renegade”, “Dr. Death”, “Terrorvision” are also very clearly U.D.O and in an awesome way. “Underworld”, and “I Give As Good As I Get” display a cleaner guitar sound in parts, which is a nice diversion from the riff driven music that is so wonderfully put together that it is apparent that this band has had time together to make it all mesh and be U.D.O; the magnificent. Rev-Raptor rocks! Justine Bevan (90/100) RHAPSODY OF FIRE - From Chaos to Eternity (Nuclear Blast) One full-length album and an EP in 2010, and now a brand new album out in a couple of months! The guys of the band definitely have a clear vision of their career, and they don’t want to lose time as they did in the past, with the years spent on the legal battle versus Magic Circle. Rhapsody Of Fire is back with this “From Chaos To Eternity”, an album that shows a band in great shape, with a special mention for guitar-player Luca Turilli. The album is very direct, heavy and powerful, the production is super (as usual, Sascha Paeth did the mixing), and the performance of any musician here is simply perfect. The band started its own style years ago, and their trademark is always there, album after album; so that, anytime I’m listening to their new work, I recall some musical parts I used to listen, somehow, in their previous ones. But considering that this band is one of the best in the genre (and this album prove it once again), you are never wrong when you buy an album from Rhapsody Of Fire! They used to call themselves “Hollywood Metal” in the past; these new songs can really be described as “Power Metal themes played in the hollywood movie style”! Primo Bonali (88/100)
WHITESNAKE - Live At Donington 1990 (Frontiers Records) From one of the most talked about tours in the band's history, comes the Live at Donnington 1990 CD/DVD. Although having written the album with David Coverdale, Adrian Vandenberg was absent from the recoding of the album due to recovery of an injury, and this brings both him and Vai on stage together. Performing classics such as "Slow and Easy," "Slide it In," "Is this Love," "Here I Go Again," & "Still of the Night," with then current material such as "Fool for Your Lovin'" recently made popular again from a re-recording and "Now You're Gone," there is a variety of Whitesnake favorites, plus you get a solo spot from Vandenberg ("Adagio for Strato") and Vai ("The Audience is Listening") with Coverdale's hellraising antics on display throughout the show. This DVD with both stereo and 5.1 sound is as close as it gets to being within the masses of the big time festival, and for the double CD, the sound quality is also in top sonic quality - exposing a true testament to what a great unit Whitesnake is, in whatever form. Tommy Hash - ytsejam.com (90/100) ELEVENER - Symmetry In Motion (AOR Heaven) Elevener is the story of two Swedish musicians childhood friends Johan Bergquist (vocals, keyboards, bass) and Andreas Brodén (guitar, drums). Parted away to pursue their own career, in 2005 they got together again, giving the birth to Elevener; in 2009, Bergquist got together with guitarist Magnus Lindqvist and Elevener 2.0 was born, in late 2010 they started recording the tunes that soon became their new album "Symmetry In Motion". The album is 11 tracks collection of Melodic Rock / AOR in its pure form, from catchy melodies to roaring guitars. "Symmetry In Motion", has all what to be there to get appreciations. You get rocking tunes and melodic harmonies, and of course the ballad too. Production wise the album is really well balanced and song arrangements let the listeners wanting more from this band. Best tracks for me, the opener “Just As I Thought”, “ Tearing Me Down” and “For The Times We Share”. A nice release the will appeal all Melodic Rock fans around the world. Fabio “Deuce” Mainardi (86/100)
KING OF HEARTS - King Of Hearts (Avenue Of Allies) This time it’s the King of Hearts album ‘1989’ which saw the combination of the talents of multiplatinum songwriter, guitarist, producer, engineer Bruce Gaitsch and Tommy Funderburk. The album, like the bands other three albums, were only available in Japan, Sweden and Germany, which is quite a surprise as the album boasted another who’s who star line-up that included Kelly Keagy (Night Ranger) on drums and vocals, George Hawkins (Kenny Loggins band) on bass, Bill Champlin on keyboards and vocals. Not a bad line-up in anyone’s book you must agree. With a stellar line-up like that you can guess that the album is going to be something special and you wouldn’t be wrong, with some real classy songs like ‘Working Man’, ‘In So Many Words’ and the rocking ‘Smack Dab’ with Kelly Keagy on vocals, just a spattering of what this album has to offer. This is a must have album for fans of great Melodic Rock and AOR. It’s hard to believe that albums of this quality seem to get forgotten about, so good on you Avenue of Allies for bringing these bands back out of the darkness and back into the light. Barry McMinn (87/100)
DAVID MARK PEARCE - Strange Ang3ls (AOR Heaven) Nine tracks, in which Dave plays guitar whilst John Payne lends a hand with vocals, are supremely done. The album has a sound that is characteristic of 70’s rock in the Yes kind of vain. “Strange Ang3ls” along with “Eden Is Burning” are heavy on synthesizer and harmonies, as are all of the songs which create a rich, round sound that is easy to listen to. “To Live Again” and “Save Your Prayers” are the standouts for guitar work and make no mistake this is a “guitar” album.”So Far From Heaven”, “Alone I Cry” and “Tell Me Why”, which was previously released, are all greatly orchestrated, mixed and produced. This certainly comes as no surprise. The true star of the album, in addition to the title track of course, is “Every Time It Rains”. The percussion at the onset is interwoven with guitar and synthesizer. However the guitar work is maddening it’s so good. The song is solely instrumental and rightfully so. Making the song “wordy” would only dampen the experience that is David Mark Pearce! Justine Bevan (88/100)
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DAVID ROBERTS - The Missing Years (Avenue Of Allies) “The Missing Years” is an excellent mix of AOR, Westcoast and Pop music. Although out of the releasing side of the business for almost three decades Roberts worked with a lot of renewed artists such as Starship, Bad English, Lee Aaron, Signal and House Of Lords just to name a few. During this period lots of demos and songs ideas were recorded and then came to fruitions on this collection, quite like a testament of what this Canadian artist is about. And be sure these are not left overs but true gems that deserved to be up on a record. The album opens up with a classic AOR track, “Run Back”, followed by two Westcoast tunes, “Misunderstood” and “Gone but not forgotten”. But to my taste best track comes with “Forbidden Fruit”, a song could have been up on a Bad English CD! Other remarkable moments are given by I Love You So Much It Hurts and “One Soul”. If you love AOR and westcoast music don’t miss this album, it’s great! Fabio “Deuce” Mainardi (90/100) NAZARETH - Big Dogz (EarMusic) Another new Nazareth record is always welcome, and after a whopping forty-three years their honest, no nonsense hard rock sound holds its allure. It’s a satisfying record because rather than try to ape young bands in a display of power the band are happy to play to their strengths on a set of songs that for the most part have a groove that sits on the back burner and slowly smoulders. The brooding blues of “When Jesus Comes To Save The World Again” is a great example of this, as is the thoughtful “Time And Tide”. The stomping “The Toast” and “No Mean Monster” show they can still rock when they want to and the driving “Sleeptalker” offers a glimpse into Nazareth’s very Scottish psyche. The record finds McCafferty in a philosophical mood, ruminating on life, politics, faith and memories. The band and the record are perhaps best summed up by “Radio” when McCafferty sings “Songs that make you think... songs that speak to you...songs that never age”. Yes, indeed and plenty of life in these old dogz yet. Duncan Jamieson (90/100)
DAVID ROBERTS – Better Late Than Never (Avenue Of Allies) With his classic “All Dressed Up” album getting a welcome reissue, it’s great to have some new material from Roberts. The 80s westcoast AOR feel is still there and his voice (which, for the uninitiated, has a touch of Mitch Malloy about it) breathes life into the songs that are produced in that impeccable west coast manner, with strong piano melodies and tasteful guitar solos. When Roberts sings “Be Gentle With My Heart” you hope whoever it’s addressed to pays heed, as these songs suggest Roberts has had more heartache than a hospital’s cardiac unit. “Best Thing I Never Had”, “Better Late Than Ever” and “Someone Else’s Song” are timeless AOR-lite tunes. “Eighth Wonder” sounds more like Toto than Toto do and it’s good to hear his own version of “Before I Go”, which Starship covered. “This Is How I Say Goodbye”, with a radical remix, you could imagine as a hit for Justin Timberlake or someone similar. It’s a good westcoast album where you can almost feel the heat of the LA sun, and the Westcoast breeze coming out of the grooves. Duncan Jamieson (88/100)
GEORGE & G – So Much To Say (Avenue Of Allies) Reissues time... and here we are with an amazing album I really like! Although previously released, “So Much To Say” was a limited album in only certain parts of the world. Now, Avenue Of Allies has changed all of that with this version… which includes a couple of bonus tracks. This gorgeous set of ‘West Coast’ styled songs are the children of one George Grunwald. George has written & co-written most of what we hear… and has had a hand in the engineering, arranging and production of this record!He has enlisted the talents of many ‘West Coast’ stars to perform on this disc—resulting in a smooth bright sounding album. “So Much To Say” covers almost the whole spectrum of ‘West Coast’ music — great up-tempo expressions to the light, airy and syrupy explorations of love to some nice ‘blue-eyed’ soulful expressions! George & G-“So Much To Say” — and yes he does! Bruce Atkinson (85/100)
DAVID ROBERTS – All Dressed Up (Avenue Of Allies) David Roberts is no stranger to the music business. After this release David was better known for his songwriting abilities and he took a break from being a recording artist. Record label Avenue of Allies is now rereleasing All Dressed Up and has been remastered, and will be a limited edition. The album opens with “All In The Name Of Love” which has a definite 80’s, catchy, hook driven, kind of feel. This is very reminiscent of Loverboy, or REO Speedwagon. “Too Good To Last” takes one on a journey that might well be with Hall and Oates. This is far from insulting because David is a masterful songwriter and it is not out of the realm of possibilities that any of the aforementioned acts might have made a good decision to cover one of these gems. “Someone Like You” is heavy on the keys as are most of the songs. The album has a true flow to it that feels comfortable in its own skin. “Wrong Side of The Tracks” has a great rhythmic quality, while “Never Gonna Let You Go” has a great groove. Clean vocals are consistent throughout. All Dressed Up is a great listen! Justine Bevan 88/100
ALYSON AVENUE – Changes (Avenue Of Allies) “Changes” brings forth the talents of sultry lead vocalist Arabella Vitancher first full length recording with the group. ‘Changes’ also features original vocalist Anette Olzon guesting on several numbers along with Arabella. The group as a whole have dug deeper in their collective Creative cupboard and offer up eleven finely crafted musical Works that will move you. Now, there have been many comparisons of this group to ‘Nightwish’, especially since Anette is now part of them… and the comparisons will undoubtedly continue. However, ‘Alyson Avenue, although a forceful group, present their music in a much lighter vein than their compatriots. If I may be so bold… ’Alyson Avenue’ are more accessible…that is to say, they are more easily connected. Rich and commanding, but not as foreboding. Each creative work on this album is luxuriantly textured, expansive and airy. There are some real nice surprises too! “Changes” is all of its title, an album full of changes: the music, the performances, and the ‘feel’. A walk down ‘Alyson Avenue’ will bring you in to a invigorating and beautiful state! Don’t be afraid of the changes!! Bruce Atkinson (80/100) MRF | 13
BAND: SYMPHONY X ALBUM: ICONOCLAST INTERVIEW WITH: MICHAEL ROMEO INTERVIEWED BY: PRIMO BONALI Question: You have a new album ready to be released; let’s start from the title, “Iconoclast”. What about the themes you’re developing on the album, and is it a concept album? Answer: Well, with every CD we try to do something a little different. Like with Paradise Lost, we went with a ‘good vs. evil’ / heaven and hell type of theme. The music also reflected that; a heavier, darker sound – the orchestral parts a bit more ominous – and the riffs were more aggressive. With the new CD, we decided on a more “mechanical” type of sound. “Man vs. Machine” was the basic idea and, again, the music and lyrics would reflect that. Q: Musicalwise, the album is very strong – as usual! – technically perfect and on a level that most of the actual bands never dare to reach. That said, I think that the overall vibe on the whole album is quite dark and the sound is quite heavy, sometimes aggressive. Has been this your idea from the beginning or the songwriting came out this way spontaneously? Focus on:
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A: At first, the basic song ideas and riffs were somewhat similar to the sound of Paradise Lost, but it wasn’t until the “mechanical” idea came into focus that the music took a different direction. Once that ‘sound’ was established, everything flowed from there. Q: Is this new album reflecting what Symphony X are now, and what Symphony X-musicians listen to these days? Any names of bands that impressed you lately? A: Every CD is what we are, at least at that point in time. Some of the music on the new CD is reminiscent of music on previous discs and some is quite new sounding – but it is still always us as a band. We all listen to different styles of music, and all have different influences, but they all find their way into or music, one way or another. We always try to make each album different, some more progressive, some more symphonic, some more metal, but that is what keeps things interesting. I think now, though, we are really focused more on the ‘song’ as a whole. We spend a lot of time crafting each song and making it the best it can be. Q: Any plans for tour in the
SYMPHONY X - Iconoclast (Nuclear Blast)
spring/summer? A: We are currently on tour in the US, and we will be going over to South America next month. The CD will be released in June, and over the remainder of the summer, we will be putting together a new show and getting a setlist ready with a lot of the new material. The Iconoclast tour will start sometime in the fall, I think now we are looking at late September/ October, starting in Europe. Q: Anything to add? A: A big thanks to the fans, for being patient with us in waiting for the new CD. It always takes us a bit longer that we anticipate with the production of these albums, but we really put everything into it. With ‘Iconoclast’, there was more music written than any CD we’ve done before, the reason for the double disc! Even though the writing/recording process was going smooth and at a good pace, we felt like things were taking unusually longer that we predicted… until I timed the amount of music we had, which was about 85 minutes or so! So thanks again to all our fans and I hope they really enjoy the new music!
A new album from the Prog Metal legend and another one that will definitely please any fan of the band and of the genre. Musically, the album is really heavy, the guitar-playing of Romeo is really incredible (I can say, better than ever!), the vocals of Russell Allen are simply shining and astonishing, and the band looks so brilliant. The overall feeling of the work is quite dark, being a concept album based on the “machines vs. humanity” theme, so you need some time and some plays to really “enter” into the album. Especially ‘cause the first song is 10 minutes long, really epic and heavy, so it’s not something for the casual listeners! All in all, a great album in the genre, enriched by a top-notch production and stellar musical performances. Let’s wait and see how Dream Theater will answer to this opus; definitely it will not be easy… Primo Bonali (90/100)
BAND: WILLIAMS / FRIESTEDT ALBUM: WILLIAMS / FRIESTEDT INTERVIEW WITH: PETER FRIESTEDT INTERVIEWED BY: BARRY MCMINN Question: What made you two years so did this album come both good and bad? finally get together on a com- easy because you knew each A: I think some things are fantasplete album? others strengths, and would tic with this new interactive Answer: We worked together on you do it all again? media thing happening through my LA Project records and toured A: We recorded most of the facebook, twitter and myspace! At together a couple of times here in record here in Stockholm as the same time it is really sad with Scandinavia, during that first run Joseph's studio in LA has been all the record stores closing down we decided to cut a whole record down for a while and it was also and the download problems! and join forces! nice to be able to work together Q: Do you have any advice for Q: The album boasts an all- on final lead and background any young bands hoping to star line-up of artists, how did vocals! We had so much fun doing make it big in today’s music you get the other guys this record and I would do it again industry? involved in the album? in a second! A: Go for what your heart tells A: Over the years they've become Q: If you could take Williams / you, there's so much out there friends and while being in LA I Friestedt on the road and the that the only way you will get tracked rhythm & background logistics were right would you heard is if you are honest about parts with John JR Robinson , Bill put a band together and do it? what you do! Cantos, Bill Champlin and Randy A: That would be fantastic and if Q: Where do Williams and Goodrum ! the record do well I think it might Friestedt go from here, what Q: The album is pure gold happen! plans both individually and AOR, with both your back- Q: Joseph will be returning to together can we look forward grounds was it going to go any front TOTO on the stage in to in the not too distant other way? Did you ever toy 2011, are you looking forward future? with a different direction? to it? A: It's been a blast working on A: This is what we were aiming A: Yeah, I saw them last summer this record and we are really for and I'm very proud of the and the line up is very strong, the proud of the work, as you all result, some of the finest songs band sounds better than ever!!! know Joe is busy with Toto this I've ever written is featured on Q: You’ve been involved in the summer/fall but after that I hope this album. music business for a while we'll get together to do some Q: You’ve worked together on now, how do you think things shows again! numerous occasions over the have changed over the years F o c u s o n : W I L L I A M S / F R I E S T E D T - Williams / Friestedt (AOR Heaven)
When you here the names of Joseph Williams and Peter Friestedt you know that there a quality slice of AOR not too far away, but when the pair are linked on one album, the world of AOR is set for a whole new level of greatness. And that’s exactly what the pair have put together with their new album simply entitled ‘Williams / Friestedt’. Like I said this is pure AOR that doesn’t stray from that path one iota, no hidden shocks, no fillers all killer slices of Americana AOR. From the opener ‘Swear Your Love’ right to the closer ‘Letter To God’, there is no deviation from that gentle Melodic path. Williams has never sounded better and the soar away guitar work of Friestedt is second to none, along with a list of who’s who from the world of AOR and Melodic rock, which includes former CHICAGO singer Bill Champlin, Tommy Denander, John "JR" Robinson, Randy Goodrum and Bill Cantos. Tracks of note have to be ‘Stay With Me’, ‘Say Goodbye’ and ‘Where To Touch You’. These are just a few of my favourites off an album that will go down a storm with the fans of TOTO, Chicago, Kansas and the like. Barry McMinn (90/100)
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BAND: BLACK ‘N BLUE ALBUM: HELL YEAH! INTERVIEW WITH: JEFF WARNER INTERVIEWED BY: VITALE NOCERINO Question: Hi guys! You've been working on this new record for seven years or so. Would you recap the events behind it? Answer: Wow, it's such a long story! Back 7 years ago, BnB members, at that point, had all gone their seperate ways and were spread all over the map, yet we were always such good friends and really considered each other as "family", so we never had let that "flame" of our band extinguish. We were always in good touch with each other and had on occasion played a few reunion shows here and there on the west coast. Tommy Thayer, living in L.A., had joined KISS as their lead guitarist; Pete Holmes, also in L.A., was drumming with several known artists including Michael Schenker, Ian Gillan, etc..; Patrick Young had moved back to Portland, Oregon (where we're all originally from), and had joined Don Dokken briefly as the bass player for one of Don's solo albums. Myself, I had moved from L.A. to Portland where I had started a family and started producing and engineering music at Apache Focus on:
Recording Studios, which I owned and operated. Jaime briefly moved to Portland in 2004 when first had the idea of making a BnB CD at my studio. As soon as we started writing songs and recording it was pure magic! We were always a 2 guitar orientated band, so then the addition of Shawn Sonnenshein was brought in and he fit in beautifully! Things were moving along actually quite quickly when Jaime was called in to replace Janie Lane of Warrant as their vocalist. So thus putting our record on hold. While he toured extensively with Warrant for a few years (including doing an album with them) I was forced to close down my studio and Jaime ended up making L.A. his home once again. So a few more years down the road, Warrant decided to try bringing Janie back to their band, so Jaime was free once again to concentrate on BnB. Me and him then tried to figure out how to get the BnB recording back going again... so I guess the reason for all this detail on the chain of events is to just let people know we were'nt taking all this time in the studio, we
are actually quite quick once we are in there! So basically Frontiers Records stepped in and got us up and running so we could finish the damn thing! Then of course deciding on all the final details of any cd came into play and now it's finally here!! Hell Yeah!!! Q: When you listened back to the early stuff for "Hell yeah", did it still sound fresh, or did you have to rework it in any way? A: Nothing sounded old or unfresh to us, probably because we were never really trying to "modernize" our sound in the first place... it's just timeless Black 'N Blue!! Q: The album has a really heavy, uncompromised and powerful sound, which is fantastic. Do you think this is the best way to make your songs? A: Wow, since I recorded it, Thank You!! Yeah, I think me and the rest of the band always like things sounding as big as possible...especially if the song calls for it..we did try to keep things raw and possible to play live. I think that's important to us.
B L A C K ‘ N B L U E - Hell Yeah! (Frontiers Records)
In 2011 the band return with the album ‘Hell Yeah’, which originally started life back in 03 but due to James involvement with Warrant and some wrangling with their former label, the album is now finally set for release. Once again the names of Jamie St James, Jef “Woop” Warner (guitar) and Patrick Young (bass), along with Pete Holmes (drums) and Shawn Sonnenschein (guitars), are bringing back the sleaze driven hard rock to bruise the very soul of the world of rock in true Black n Blue style.This is old school no doubt about it, with the down right dirty riffs filling the album and James at his vocal best, this is the band we knew that made the world sit up and take notice back in 84. With great rock anthems like the opener ‘Monkey’, the riff spewn ‘Candy’, the sleazy driven title track ‘Hell Yeah’, all of which will make you dust off your Air Guitar. There is even a little tongue and cheek with ‘Jamie’s Got The Beer’ and even a gentle rocker in ‘Fools Bleed’. All in all a great come back album and one for fans of great hard rock no matter what genre you’re in to. Barry McMinn (85/100)
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BAND: DEF LEPPARD ALBUM: MIRROR BALL INTERVIEW WITH: PHIL COLLEN INTERVIEWED BY: BRUCE ATKINSON Focus on:
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DEF LEPPARD - Mirror Ball (Frontiers Records) Well, it is Party Time! The first Live presentation of Def Leppard’s in concert performances — and about time too! “Mirror Ball” – a collection of Def Leppard’s greatest ‘on stage’ moments… culled from their 2009-2010 tours. A highly energised and powerful 2-cd set that will keep you rocking long after the final encore. This, the group’s first release on Frontiers Records—“Mirror Ball” is packaged with a DVD featuring some behind-thescenes tour footage and select live performances. Everything is here that has made Def Leppard the premier Rock outfit out of the wild of the great United Kingdom. Lovingly compiled and presented — the boys are even giving us a few surprises! With the inclusion of three brand new creations — “Mirror Ball” has become a ‘Crystal Ball’ in which we can peer in and hear the future according to the Lep’s. Def Leppard, “Mirror Ball” – now you can re-live that thrilling concert anytime you want to! Bruce Atkinson (96/100)
Question: Def Leppard are back from a brief hiatus with Mirrorball, the band’s first official live release. Why wait until now to put out a live offering? Answer: We actually didn’t get the time up until now. It’s always been album-tour - album - tour, and believe it or not, this was the first real break we’ve had in thirty years. You get off tour, and it’s pretty much straight into recording another album. So it never really seemed valid or the right time, but now it’s absolutely perfect. We had a year off, and we record every show, so we were able to gather all the stuff up and there you go–choose the best stuff. Q: The album actually features a few new studio songs as well. How does this new material compare to the band’s past work? A: You know, it’s really interesting. When you put any band’s greatest hits on, even if the stuff was recorded in a span of two decades or even longer, you can still tell that it’s the same band. So I think they sound obviously Def Leppard; they sound very much like classic Def Leppard, whatever that is, or whatever that may be. (LAUGHS) But you know, you listen to it for like ten seconds and you go, “Oh yeah, that’s Def Leppard.” Q: In addition to Def Leppard, you’ve been busy with Man Raze too. How has it been pulling double-duty between both projects? A: It’s great! It’s such a completely different thing. With Def Leppard, like I said, it obviously sounds like Def Leppard. We’ve been at it for years, and it is what it is. If you stray too far off of that, then people get upset, you know? They don’t really like you to change at all, so you have to be really careful to keep a common thread with Def Leppard stuff. With Man Raze, it’s the complete opposite. You can have fun with it and experiment with it, and we do. It’s a lot of harder-edge stuff, lyrically and certainly soundwise. It’s got a definite, different sonic thing about it. Some of it sounds like punk, some of it sounds like hard rock, some of it sounds like dub reggae–it’s all over the place, so it’s so much fun. Q: The band just put out the theme song for the movie I, Superbiker. How did that come about? A: This guy Mark Stoper, who’s been a real champion of the band, is a friend of Paul Cook’s from London. He makes TV shows and films and actually has done a bunch of promo videos for Man Raze. He’s always really believed in us. He said, “I’m
doing this documentary movie on super bike racing. Just four guys competing and we need a theme song.” So that’s really how the song came about, and we wrote the song to order. It’s really high-octane and has all the crashes, so we wrote the song based on that and actually included some of the phases that the racing bikers use and everything, so that was really fun. I’ve never done anything like that before, so it was a blast. Q: Is the song going to be included on the Man Raze album as well? A: Yes, it is, but a different mix of it. So, yes, for sure. We’re mixing all the stuff right now. Q: From a songwriting standpoint, what is it like working on a Man Raze record versus Def Leppard? A: You can go a lot deeper, lyrically, with Man Raze stuff: politically, spiritually, anything. With Def Leppard, like I said, there are restraints. You can’t go too far out of the box, otherwise you might lose people or it doesn’t really sound like Def Leppard. We had actually done an album called Slang in the ’90s, and we kind of went left field on that and it was great fun, really cool, but no one got it. No one got it. They just wanted to hear “Pour Some Sugar On Me” and stuff like that. So really, when you’re trying to write stuff that has a bit more depth to it, you almost have to disguise it, which makes it hard. As a songwriter, it’s kind of nice to just be able to flow with it and not have those restrictions. Like I said, it’s so different for me, writing for both bands as well. It’s great. It’s so perfect as an artist because I really get to experience and express myself in many different ways. It’s a lot of fun, and also being a guitar player in one band and a singer and guitar player in another, that’s totally different. Something on this Man Raze album that I was shocked about is that a lot of vocals were one take, and actually a lot of the album was one-take stuff. It just had a flow about it that was, again, very different from a Def Leppard album, where we actually are very particular. It’s really cool doing both, because I get to experience both sides of it. Q: After so many years performing how do you keep the passion and freshness going? A: I do have natural energy with this, I will say I am obsessed with music but it is a healthy one. My parents highly encouraged me. I remember growing up and seeing this guitar that I wanted. My mum told me that I could have it if I learnt to play, she taught me the 3
riffs that you get with all songs, and in the end she bought me the guitar. When we are on the road travelling that can make or break the band because the sugar rush of performing & touring but then we get the lows of getting from one place to another. Q: Is there anybody present or past tense that you would've loved to work with? A: Well, I'm fascinated by the whole Jimmy Hendrix thing. Pioneering, and just the whole thing. It would've been great to have been around, in the late '60s and actually been in the studio with him, because that must've been absolutely mind blowing. I mean, listening to it now, you go, yeah, we just accept it for what it is, whatever, but at the time, it must've been completely freaking people out. The whole guitar playing thing. I was a Hendrix fan. I was more of a Stones guy than a Beetles guy as well. It's got a bit more raw, and a bit more rock and roll to it, and that was my thing. But yeah, Jimi Hendrix would've been great. Stevie Wonder, in the early-- the mid-70s I guess. Truly one of the greats around. Q: Are there bands that you'd love to hit the road with? A: Yeah, funny enough, we just did two tours with Styx. And back in the day, we'd have said, "In a million years, you couldn't have put us with, say, Styx." We've done a Journey tour; it was HUGE. I mean, the first show we did, there were 25,000 people. I mean, they couldn't get anymore people in there. That went so well, that the Styx thing came up, and they were THE nicest band that we've ever worked with. And they're just gentlemen, I can't say enough good things about them, they're brilliant. So we had a great time, and then we toured with them again. And it worked; whether or not people liked Styx, they'd go to the show and they'd leave, and they'd go, "Wow, those guys are GREAT!" And again, they don't do "Babe," they don't do "Mr. Roboto," they do all the other stuff they wrote that's cool. So whenever you go on tour, there's a list of bands available for touring, and we're getting names thrown out there for summer, and you'd love a really young, hip, trendy band, but a lot of the times it just doesn't work out that way, and sometimes even that pairing doesn't work. Wasn't our experience with Styx and Journey, and to a lesser extent Foreigner last year, and REO Speedwagon, we love those guys as well. So that worked, so who knows. MRF | 21