CONTENTS 04_Whitesnake 06_Cain’s Offering 07_Dennis Churchill Dries 08_Beauvoir / Free 09_Within Silence 10_House of Lords 11_Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody 12_Reviews 14_Worldview 15_Pyramaze 18_Burning Point 20_Nelson 22_Trixter Melodic Rock Fanzine The official Frontiers Music s.r.l. magazine Year #11 - Nr. 3 / Issue #68 Editor-in-chief: Elio Bordi Concept, Graphics & Design: Elio Bordi Writers: Bruce E.J. Atkinson, Duncan Jamieson, Barry McMinn, Vitale Nocerino, Rob “Ezy” Bone, Primo Bonali. 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 Facebook: facebook.com/frontiersmusicsrl Twitter: twitter.com/FrontiersMusic1 Editor and publisher: Frontiers Records s.r.l. Copyright©2015 Frontiers Records. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Printed in Italy.
Band: Whitesnake
Interview with: David Coverdale
Interview by: Vitale Nocerino
Question: Can you please introduce “The Purple Album” to all your fans? Answer: It’s a tribute to my past, the music that started me on my amazing journey that continues today & at this point in my career, I’m going to do whatever I want, not what anyone thinks I should do. I’ve worked hard to live a life of choice & this is my choice & that of my esteemed colleagues. What is interesting to me is that when we were mixing “The PURPLE Album” I had the feeling of completion that my career had come full circle...It felt good... Q: Is there a particular reanson why you have decided to make this record at this point of your life and career? A: I feel the originals deserved a fresh coat of paint. The House of Purple is fabulous as it is...this project is not intended to compete, or compare with the originals, this is simply Whitesnake’s tribute to the music of Deep Purple Mark 3 & 4. Q: Are you afraid of an eventual comparison with classic versions? A: No, not at all. Opinions are like arseholes, everyone has one... Q: Is this album a way to go straight to the more hard blues music? A: It’s simply a project that, because of circumstances, became a new Whitesnake album...Take it or leave it... Q: What is your opinion about the last Whitesnake studio album “Forevermore”? Are you still happy with it? A: Yes... I love both “Good to Be Bad” and “Forevermore”, I’m very proud of both of them and my musicians. Q: Did you ever get close to a mark III reunion, or something like that? We are also sad about the passing of your late friend Jon Lord, do you want to write some lines to remember him? Can you tell us an anectode concerning you and Mr. Lord? A: He was a beautiful Soul of a man. He taught me charm & grace. He helped polish a rough diamond into a great deal of who I am today. Q: Rumors are telling that Ritchie Blackmore is considering to return playing hard rock and reform Rainbow. What's your opinion about them? Do you think they're well founded? A: I hope so. I’m hoping to contribute to his electric project, It’s very exciting
that he may pick up his white Start again. He is, without a doubt, one of my favourite all time guitar players and I was incredibly honoured to work with him in the same band. Q: What happened with Doug Aldrich? A: We wished each other well...I love Doug & hope he achieves everything he wants in his life. I loved working with him. Some of my absolutely favourite songs I wrote with Doug. Q: You’re going to tour with Def Leppard and Black Star Riders. It will be a huge fun for everyone! A: It’s going to be an amazing UK tour... An added bonus is we’re going to work with the Riders, too, sweet package. Q: How was working with Bernie Marsden on the “Shine” record? A: I was delighted Bernie asked me to participate. We are both thrilled we reconnected so well after many years of not so nice energy between us. I wish him every success. Q: In the past you have played with some of the most amazing guitarists in the world: Ritchie Blackmore, Jimmy Page, Steve Vai, Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach. Is there anyone past or present that you would've like to have performed with? What do you look for in a guitaris? A: Jimi... Jeff Beck... he's one of the few musicians who achieves total emotional experience for me... I can get teary listening to him... then I can burst out laughing with the incredible, imaginative lines he plays... Total Guv'nor of the guitar. What I look for in musicians is if they can take Whitesnake to another level. With Deep Purple, for exemple, it became very difficult to write within that head banging, heavy metal identity. For me, I wanted Whitesnake to be this huge umbrella of hard rock rhythm and blues. Big riffs, fun, tongue in check, an elbow in the ribs, a knee in the nuts. From the beginning I knew I needed to electrify Whitesnake. To continue to take things further. Simultaneously with the kind of music I do, Whitesnake, it’s a guitar hero syndrome. I think my experience with Tommy Bolin, who I love and treasure, got a bit crazy in the end. And with Richie Blackmore, who I honor and respect and thank for all the lessons I learned from him. But I didn’t want to go through that phase where one person
can be dictatorial. Believe me, I’m not dictatorial. If people expect Whitesnake to be awesome, then everybody who comes in has to be awesome! That’s a prerequisite. When I started Whitesnake I went with extraordinarily good musical guitarists versus guitar heroes. I didn’t go for a Coverdale foil. I was probably playing it a bit safe and we did great. We established Whitesnake and gave it an identity. I needed the house of snake to have a redo but maintain that integrity with rhythm and blues. Q: What is your opinion about the social networks? I see you use them very well! A: I’m embracing new technology to record my songs & it’s a wonderful way to interact with people who love Whitesnake & help spread the Gospel of the Snake & I’m having fun doing it, very much...or I wouldn’t do it... A lot of journalists don’t bother doing their homework & I’m finding out they don’t ask the questions fans are most interested in...so, now I can respond directly to people who actually enjoy my music. Q: Looking back on your career was there ever a song that you wrote that you were confident would not be a hit and it was or vice versa? A: I have no regrets. I’m not the type of person who says “if only this” or “if only that.” I do remember having a stand up argument with my management, Geffen records, and executives at MTV that I wanted “Judgment Day” from Slip of the Tongue to be the song out of the box. They all wanted the redo of the older song “Fool For Your Loving. I though the original version was fine. I think this came from John Kalodner doing his behind the scenes manipulations. Fuck it. I wouldn’t change anything. It’s good being me! Q: What about the next step? Any news reguarding the new Whitesnake studio album with brand new songs? Is Joel Hoekstra working with you on the sogwriting as well? A: I have no doubt I will be writing with Joel, Reb and Michael, but, I have no plans for a new project at this time. I am getting prepared for “The PURPLE Tour” which will embrace the music of Whitesnake, of course, & the whatever songs we all agree to perform from the new studio release in May. MRF | 5
Artist: Cain’s Offering
Question: The debut album “Gather The Faithful” was released in 2009. Why did it take so long to have the second effort? Nowadays six years is a very long time. Didn’t you fear to miss the right momentum? Answer: To be honest, I didn’t think there would ever be a second Cain’s Offering album, and I never thought about the momentum either. I always thought it was funny when people kept asking me if there will be another Cain’s Offering album five years after the album had come out. I guess it showed that people really liked the album and wished that we’d return to make some more music. It’s now been six years since the debut came out, we are coming out with a new album and the fans are still there and interested. I think that speaks volumes about how great and devoted metal fans can be, and I am really touched and thankful for that. Q: What is his opinion about the actual phase of Sonata Arctica? Do you still see meeting points with the band that he contributed to create in 1995? A: I haven’t really been following their career that much after my departure, to be honest. I’ve tried to listen through every album they’ve released though. It is clear 6 | MRF
Interview with: Jani Liimatainen
that they have moved away quite a bit from the original style that we had when we made our first albums back in the day, but I guess that’s just a natural evolution of a band. People get older, mature and get interested in different things. I think some of their new material is pretty cool, and there are still some echoes from the “old days”. Very cool band, all the best to them! Q: Can you please explain the meaning of the band name “Cain’s Offering”? A: Back when I was first putting this band together we were thinking about the name with some friends and the label. I don’t really remember where “Cain’s Offering” came from, but I knew immediately that this is it. It’s a really intriguing name, as in the bible God rejected Cain’s offering. So I guess it means we are the “rejected ones”. Q: The first album was a kind of mixture between the main power metal finnish acts, and I mean of course Sonata Arctica and Stratovarius. Do you think that “Stormcrow” confirms this trend or is there something different? A: Of course I knew that we would inevitably be compared to those bands, I mean, I was in Sonata and Timo is the singer and frontman of Stratovarius. We operate within the same genre, although I think all three bands have
Interview by: Bruce Atkinson
their distinctive styles. I think “Stormcrow” is the definitive continuation of our first album “Gather The Faithful”, but I don’t know how it compares with the works of Sonata Arctica and Stratovarius. All three bands rely heavily on strong vocal melodies, but all three also have a bit different approach on how to write and present the songs I think. Q: In your opinion, what is the difference between the first album and this new one? A: As for meeting points, it’s still melodic metal where the main emphasis is on the vocal melodies, everything is build around them. I think the biggest difference is that for “Gather The Faithful” I had a lot material in store that I had written among the years, so I had a quite diverse pool of material to choose from. This I think manifests in a way that although the album has some really strong songs and moments it is a bit “all over the place”. The new album “Stormcrow”, in my opinion, is a much more coherent, it seems more unified and has a bit more clearer “character”, so to speak. Also I think the overall songwriting on “Stormcrow” is much stronger and more focused than it was on “Gather The Faithful”, which was the first album I wrote all by myself, so I was still learning the ropes.
Artist: Dennis Churchill Dries
Question:This is your first album since Tattoo Rodeo’s ‘Skin’. Why was the time right now? Answer: The Firefest shows White Sister did really pulled me out of “retirement”! Rick and I started writing again, and I just kept on going after we lost him… Pretty much just to keep moving forward mentally, emotionally. Q: It sounds like a very personal album. Indeed, it sounds like it was therapy in a sense. Would that be a fair assumption? A: Very true. I believe this project kept me going, moving forward with my life. It was difficult, but one of the most important things I’ve ever had to do for my family and myself. As I’ve said before, at the risk of sounding full of myself, it doesn’t matter if I sell 100 copies of this album or 100,00… I did this for me! I’ve received so many great wishes form the people who have heard the whole album, regarding the meaning behind the songs and the lyrics, I think I was able to communicate my feelings with this one without getting too deep. Understanding where I’m coming from is in fact important to me. Q: On the song ‘Unbroken’ you sing ‘I feel the time has come’ and what sounds like ‘Life’s Hand Has Just Begun’. Does this record feel like a new beginning? “I feel the time has come, and I wont be undone, I’ll never be… no no not me”, “My time has just begun, bright lights cast shadows, someone I know…
Interview with: Dennis Churchill Dries
I used to know” A: A bit of a continuation really, as I don’t know if I started something or just put this music out to the world only to go away again. I really don’t know where this is all going, just enjoying the ride! Q: How long did you take to write and record it? A: I had about half the songs written over the last couple of years and wrote “Heard It On The Radio”, “Unbroken”, “Song For the Living”, “Pieces”, and “Can You Feel” It during the recording process over the last 10 months or so. All the vocals, bass, some of the keyboards, and some of the acoustic guitars were recorded in my dining room on a Tascam MK24 portastudio! I sent the files over to Paul and he pulled them into his DAW and added his guitars, keyboards and backing vocals on a couple of songs. We worked pretty quickly when we got going. This was all self-financed, totally independent production. Q: You’ve worked with the very talented Paul Sabu on this record. How did you and he hook up and what was it like working with him? A: I have a lot of love for Brutha P! We were supposed to be in a band project that turned into a solo album. I knew Paul from the first Tattoo Rodeo album way back in 1991 and haven’t talked to him since until this project… Crazy. We started working together and hit it off right
Interview by: Duncan Jamieson
away… He has the ability to take my songs and make them sound good without getting in the way, you know? You can hear his guitars and style on the project, but he still let me be me. He’s a very underrated producer. Q: You went down really well when you reformed White Sister for Firefest in 2008 and 2009. I guess the sad death of Rick Chadock and Rich Wright will mean they’ll never be more music or shows under the White Sister or Tattoo Rodeo name’s again? A: True, although I may perform some songs live at some point from the catalogue, those two bands are gone. You can’t recreate that without Rick. Q: Both White Sister and Tattoo Rodeo didn’t make the splash that the quality of music warranted. What do you put both bands lack of good fortune down to? A: White Sister is a mystery… No idea why we didn’t break out with that project! I’m thrilled that people (you included!) feel that the music was strong enough to warrant some success… I guess the staying power of the music over time will have to do! It’s amazing to me that people still talk about that band. I’m honoured really. I still get comments on Tattoo Rodeo’s “Been Your Fool” and how it helped people get through rough times. That means a lot to me, to reach people like that. MRF | 7
Band: Beauvoir / Free
Question: Tell us a little of you how guys get back together and how you hooked up with Frontiers Music. Jean Beauvoir: Since we went our own ways in 1995 after the debut, we got back in touch and over the years have been discussing doing more recording together... I had moved on and recorded/released another 7 successful albums with my leading Crown Of Thorns, but still thought it would be cool to do a project with Micki again. We played a few gigs together including Hard Rock Calling in the UK a couple of times… I've had a long-standing relationship with Frontiers who have released several of my Crown Of Thorns albums, solo albums etc., so I decided to mention this project idea to Serafino. He and Mario liked the idea, so we made a deal with them for the Beauvoir-Free release! Q: When did you realise the magic was still there and that this record was going to be a killer? Micki Free: First off thanks for the great compliment! From the beginning stages of writing the record I felt it was special, magic far over due. As far as we are / were concerned, the magic never left. We’ve always been a great writing team, and to that there is no doubt, (Crown of Thorns debut CD). Like the brothers we are, sometimes we don’t agree, we take a break, assess the situation, speak softly and get it right… Period. We know there is a “magic” 8 | MRF
Interview with: J.Beauvoir & M. Free
when Beauvoir Free write together, and we enjoy the connection. We are “brothers to the bone”, sometimes not always agreeing, but disagree leads to talking it out and getting it right! Q: Did you have a vision of how the record was going to sound from the off, or did it just evolve with the writing and in the studio? JB: We talked about it and felt we wanted to try and capture the same kind of feeling we had on the debut. I think what we do together comes naturally and it just fell into place. I had an idea technically of where I wanted to go with this record, sounds and production. Just followed that path and this album came out of it... Q: So how did the song writing process go for this album? Did you write specifically for this record, or did you both have previous ideas you brought to the table? JB: Similar to other work we've done previously, we just sat in my studio, he'd start playing a rockin’ riff idea or vice versa, I'd just start singing a melody over it and we'd know pretty quickly if we had something cool or not. Micki would come spend some time with me in Florida, usually 2 weeks at a time for us to write and lay down his parts. When he'd leave, I worked on doing the various instruments, arrangements, vocals and production. For lyrics, we'd usually have a title idea fairly quickly...Micki would send me some lyric ideas, cool words etc. I'd use that as a base to write the final lyrics and create the story, or at times I
Interview by: Barry McMinn
just heard lyrics, being inspired late at night and would just write it... Q: What was the first song you wrote for album? MF: I think the very first song was “Whiplash”, and I think we wrote that song before we were signed to Frontiers Records. Kinda wanted to see if “The Voodoo Man” and “The Gypsy Cowboy” were still on the same page, nuff said! We just smiled, we new we were rocking when we wrote that one… I really wanted an AC/DC type song feel and sound, Jean nailed it to me, and with Jean’s sultry voice and stinging guitars… HAVE MERCY! Q: The album has some killer songs I just love the opener ‘Angels Cry’, ‘Whiplash’, the title track ‘American Trash’ all kick some serious ass, the funk element is amazing, but are there any tracks your particulary proud of? MF: Wow! I really like it when people get the “back beat” of our songs, call it funk or whatever, YOU obviously get it! Favourite song? now that’s a hard one, as we love all “our baby’s when we write them! I mean the whole CD, in my very humble opinion, is full of smoking guitar riffs, and grooves, with Jeans vocals, singing like he did and even BETTER, when we wrote the “Crown of Thorns” debut CD! Ssetting you up, the listener for the “big fall”, right into the arms of Beauvoir-Free and rest assured, we got cha baby!
Band: Within Silence Interview with: M. Klein Interview by: Barry Mcminn
Question: The band started out under the Rightdoor name, so why change to Within Silence? Answer: The reason for changing the band name was very simple. We just wanted to present a better name for our music and of course we also wanted ensure that the new name will sound good abroad (especially UK and USA). Q: How long has this line-up of the band been together? A: We have been together for 2 years now and must say that after many try outs with different musicians we finally found the right persons which fits perfectly for this band not only musically but especially as persons. Q: “Gallery of Life” is the band’s debut album, so how would you describe the band’s sound to those unfamiliar with the band? A: On Gallery of life you can find melodic metal and melodies are really what you can expect and capture during the listening and does not matter if goes about catchy choruses, nice guitars and keyboards melodies or great solos. But on the other hand you can listen also some heavy riffs and progressive elements. So this album should satisfy listeners whose expects high performance and musicianship but it is great for fans of melodic music not necessary only in metal genre. Album is treated with amazing and fresh production which is work of young producer Jan Cvercko. All in all we can say it is nice package of solid power metal music topped with atmospheric sound. Q: How long has the band been working on the album? A: It is hard question as we found band in 2008, but at that time we started from zero and we just have begun to work on our musical skills. Of course we had some nice ideas from that period but we were not able to provide needed performance for them. After three years later we started feel that we could hit the studio and record one of our songs. In 2012 we record our promo song and after this experience we started pay more attention to songwriting as we had reached good level of your musicianship and were able to treat our ideas with appropriate arrangements and performance. To sum up I can say that we spent approximately one and half year net time for writing music and lyrics. Q: Do you all have input in the songwriting process or is there one main songwriter in the band? A: No, we did not input all in the songwriting process. Normally ideas for new songs come from me, either as rough structure or as main theme which covers vocals lines, riffs and melodies. After that we started work on other parts for current song if needed and on possible arrangements. With this phase mainly helps Richard, who added some nice passages to the songs and wrote whole song anger and sorrow too. Q: Have you taken songs from your Rightdoor days and included them on the album or is it all new material? A: We can say that all songs are taken from Rightdoor days as we decided to announce changing of band name with news about our singing to Ulterium records. However, I can reveal that two songs come from really early days of the band but others was written later between 2012-2014. Anyway with new ideas we don´t have problem , contrary we have a lot of promising material, but harder is to pick best ones and get them to final form. That means put all arrangements, guitar solos or additional keyboards for making right atmosphere.
Band: House of Lords
Question: Are you satisphied with this new album? Answer: I am so happy with this CD, I had a good feeling about it, but as the songs were written I was getting more and more excited. Q: To my ears, it is one of the best album of the first months of this year: great production, great lyrics and a torrent of creativity. Is there a sort of secret formula to write songs like these? A: Man I wish there was a formula, but writting songs never works well if you think you have a formula. At this point sometimes you get it right and other times not so much. What I do know is when we get it right, I know it immediately. Q: What is the meaning of the title album? A: Since the new HOL Line-up was introduced in 2006, I have always had to hear comments that this was not really HOL because it was not the original line-up. I did understand that criticism back then, but I don’t accept that now because we had the same line-up now for 10 years. So it was my way of telling the world, hey, we are still here, INDESTRUCTIBLE. Q: Did you have a specific musical direction you wanted to go in for the new songs? A: I wanted to feature Jimi much more, he 10 | MRF
Interview with: James Christian
is an incredible guitar player and so unique. I wanted his heaviness with my melodic input. Put them together and you have “House Of Lords 2015”. Q: What were your inspirations during the writing process? A: The inspiration came from many different places, I always try to do at least one song that deals with our troops who are working so hard to protect us, it is something that is important to me. Other inspiration comes from love, corruption, betrayal, and good old fashioned party songs that helps us to forget how old we really are, even if is just for a moment. Lastly, good old fashioned rock songs about women and wine!!! Q: Was it a difficoult “journey”? A: Sometimes it does become difficult during the recording process, but not on this CD, everyone was in perfect step. We didn’t think about making it conform to the “Melodic Rock “ format, because we inherently think that way so why try too hard. At this point in our career, fans sort of know what they are gonna get, so we wanna make sure we advance the music a bit. This time around it just felt effortless“. Q: Do you avoid to listen to music during the writing process of your albums? A: No, that never changes, I have been lis-
Interview by: Vitale Nocerino
tening to so much music all my life that I have enough influence in my mind to last me a lifetime, I draw from my lifetime of music and the people that I admired through the years. Q: Which are your favourite songs of the album? A: “Got To Hell”, “Pillar Of Salt” “Call My Bluff” and “100 MPH”. Q: During the writing process are you influenced by the fact that what you are writing will be played live? A: I worry about that later, It is my job as a singer to give everything I can to a song. If I feel when I am listening to my vocal that there is not enough punch and emotion, I raise the key. Then if there are problems to do it live, I lower the key. Q: Do you think that an album should be first of all about music, or could it be also a method of communicating a message? A: The album should first and formost be about the songs. I have heard many albums with this incredible production value, great cover art and when you play the album it is empty inside. Songs mean everything to me. I listen hard, I want to be invested by the song. I want it to move me someway, somehow. Make me sad, make me think, make me realize, make me happy.
Band: Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody
Question: It’s a hugely ambitious album which obviously took a long time to produce. Answer: We invested a lot of time for writing. It took seven months. I wanted the orchestra to sound more realistic. On the last album ‘Ascending To Affinity’ I programmed the orchestra. This time I wanted to record every little part with my hands on a keyboard, which isn’t easy for a guy who wasn’t a born keyboard player. I’m happy with the result. It’s the most satisfying record I’ve made. I recorded my solos in Italy. Dominique Leurquin (the other guitarist) recorded his solos in France and then the vocals and choirs were recorded in Munich, Germany. After seven months working on the songs the three months to record everything got a little bit boring! It took over fifty days to mix the album. It was difficult to mix all the different aspects. We pre-mixed all the orchestral parts in my studio here in Italy and then sent it to Germany. It was a real fight with the frequencies between the guitars and orchestra and so on. In the end I do it all just for me. If I invest so much time, I’m the first fan of my own music. I want to make the kind of music I want to listen to. Your own creativity is the only limit to what can be
Interview with: Luca Turilli
achieved. Q: There’s particular care taken with the choirs as they differ in sound considerably from track to track. There’s a lot to take in across the record for the listener. A: You’re right. There were three kind of choirs on this record. The first type of choir we have is an epic one, with lots of voices. For me it’s the voices on a record that give the emotion. The second kind of choir is a typical heavy metal choir. For that you need only 4 or 5 metal singers who can sing powerfully. We were lucky to have Ralph Scheeps of Primal Fear, David Readman (PC69) and Dan Lucas (KARO) collaborating here. The third type of choir is an operatic, classical one. Here you don’t need so many voices. Once I made an album with sixty people doing the operatic part but in the end that wasn’t so satisfactory. Now if you compare the sound quality of a sound sample with a large choir, when you mix it in the studio then even with the London Orchestra it doesn’t sound so good as you need more definition and the same applies to a choir. We had to have two singers sing over the top to give the sound clarity or else the voices blending together can sound muddy, almost like a fake. So now I take six or seven voices
Interview by: Duncan Jamieson
singing the parts each time. I’m very interested in polyphonic voices. This way you can get a very good effect. We had two singers Previn Moore from Vienna and Bridget Fogle from Germany as the main voices with other voices around them, sometimes more and sometimes few voices. There’s even Holy, Gregorian choirs on there. Q: What touring plans do you have now? A: Right now, I’m planning a tour with my agency which will be all over Europe. It’ll be a lot of fun. The first great thing is composing the songs and recording them and then the second great thing is when you get to go out and play your own songs very loud in front of an audience. Q: The music is unmistakably Rhapsody. How much of an influence does coming from Italy have on Rhapsody’s sound? A: My father was a fiddle player. He died when I was two years old so I never really knew him. My mother played classical music so I heard that and I listened to a lot of Italian music from the 70s like Libano. Our music is cinematic but the vocal lines in our music are catchy, no don’t like that word, they’re melodic. Those melodies are influenced by those Italian musicians I grew up listening to. MRF | 11
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WHITESNAKE “The Purple Album” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.) There was an air of mystery late last year and early this year, when it was announced there would be a new Whitesnake album in 2015, following the acclaimed “Forever” album of 2011. This isn’t an album of new original material per se, with this album the band have revisited some classic Purple songs that haven’t been sung in decades, with the exception of the likes of “Burn”, “Stormbringer” and “Soldier of Fortune”, which have all been included in the live Whitesnake sets over the years. With new guitarist Joel Hoekstra teaming up with fellow six-string maestro Reb Beach, the pair take the songs guitar parts to a whole new level, while Coverdale is his usual bluesy best. This album is a must for all Purple/Snake fans. These versions are beefed up to the max, the originals would be a six-stone weaklings and these versions would be the Charles Atlas versions. I always say if you’re going to revisit the classics, then make then your own and Coverdale and the guys have done just that. Just check out the excellent “The Gypsy”. “Mistreated” is just phenomenal and “Sail Away” is Coverdale at his emotive best. If you’re going to have a Purple patch in your career, then this is the way to go. BM (90/100)
LUCA TURILLI’S RHAPSODY “Prometheus - Symphonia Ignis Divinus'” (Nuclear Blast) Music doesn’t get any more bombastic than Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody. His creative juices are not so much flowing as creating a tsunami here. Over seventy minutes long, his cinematic metal approach continues to evolve. Only the rapid firing drums remind you of the band’s metal roots. It’s mostly orchestral in nature rather than metal (a couple of good solos aside, the guitar is cast into the shadows for much of this record). What stands out are the complex choral arrangements. There is a mix of male and female voices, epic choirs and Gregorian chants. The songs are sung in Italian, Latin and English underlining the record’s diversity. Standouts are ‘Rosenkreuz (The Rose And The Cross)’, more direct than a lot of the material with a good melody and thus perfect as first single, ‘One Ring To Rule Them All’ which conjures the feel of Tolkien’s shires well and the closing nineteen minutes of ‘ Michael The Archangel And Lucifers Fall Part Ii Codex Nemesis’ (not the catchiest of titles) throws everything, including the kitchen sink (no, make that the Trevi fountain), into the mix. Rhapsody fans will rejoice in its ambition, the rest of world may find it endearingly bonkers. DJ (92/100)
CAIN’S OFFERING “Stormcrow” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.) “Stormcrow”, the second musical statement from this powerful Finnish five piece. Joining Jani on this effort is Timo Kotipelto; (vocals), Jani Hurula; (drums), Jonas Kuhlberg; (bass), and Jens Johansson; (keyboards). Opening with the title track, “Stormcrow” sets the musical stage for what is to come. A brawny track with thought provoking lyrics, this cut paints a huge music scape that continues throughout the record. “A Night To Forget” is a “building” track, telling a compelling story with a strong but melodic bed of music that just marches on. Some of the songs are full of hope, some with tenderness and some showing naked aspirations, all flowing into one another creating a stellar musical journey! The whole album shows how varied Jani’s song writing is and how he has developed the art. Here, in “Stormcrow” we have eleven heroic journeys, unfolding for all to hear, the magnificent talents of each member musician. “Power Metal”? Yes! indeed, and also very symphonic in places! “Cain’s Offering” – “Stormcrow”, immense in sound, off the scale in Talent, but what else would we expect from a Supergroup such as this! BA (94/100)
ASIA “Axis XXX Live in San Francisco MMXII” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.) Recorded on November 7th 2012 at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, this new ASIA live CD / DVD and Blu Ray captures once again the band, in the original line-up (Geoff Downes, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer and John Wetton) in front of an ecstatic audience during one of the shows that ASIA performed in support of the “XXX” album and which was broadcasted by AXS TV in the USA. The band is always top playing thei greatest songs that made the history in music. What make this album a best buy for all of you is the set list that features songs from their first two albums and selected cuts from the reunion albums, including the single from “XXX” “Face on the Bridge”. This is a historical document of where the band was at the time and a snapshot of their musicianship, camaraderie and passion. Make sure to buy it expecially the Blu Ray version that is really an amazing jouney to live with fantastic sound and HD images. VC (88/100)
NELSON “Peace Out” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.) The Nelson twins return with another infectious album of feel good, unmistakably American rock. The brothers Gunnar and Matthew's matching long, lustrous blond locks from their early 90s heyday might have gone but their songs remain as glossy as ever. While this record might not eclipse their 2011 return 'Lightning Strikes Twice', it is still a terrific listen. High energy classic rock with good harmonies and songs that have a positive life affirming vibe. It's about having a good time. Opener “Hello Everybody” lays down their manifesto, “Hope you’re here to let your hair down/free your mind and lose control”. “Back in The Day” is a song written for everyone out there who still has pangs for those glory days when hard rock was all over MTV and the radio. 'Invincible' benefits from guitar licks that ape Boston. “Rockstar”, “Autograph” and “What's Not To Love?” are hair metal anthems with power pop hooks, while “Bad For You” , my personal favourite, shows they can get down and dirty too. If this proves to be the last album under the Nelson moniker they can go out holding their heads up high. A perfect summer record. DJ (94/100)
(AFM Records)
HELLOWEEN “God Given Right” (Nuclear Blast)
BOREALIS “Purgatory” (AFM Records)
DENNIS CHURCHILL DRIES “I” (AOR Heaven)
WHITHIN SILENCE “Gallery of Life” (Ulterium Records)
Now, this is a homecoming if there ever was one! “Live At The Final Frontier” is Iron Savior’s first live document! After nearly twenty years of recording and releasing and treading the boards, the cameras finally caught up with these Metal Troopers. Yes, cameras, as this isn’t just a live audio recording, it is also the band’s first full DVD release! A visual document of their recent hometown performance in Hamburg at the beginning of this year. It’s all here—strong performances from numbers throughout their career… Including from their debut of 1997, to the “Rise Of The Hero” release of 2014! “Live From The final Frontier” is perhaps an end to a chapter, however the “Iron Savior” book is far from finished! The group continues to tour, and has just rereleased 2007’s “Megatropolis”, ompletely refreshed. The band has even re-recorded some of the material ! Not tanding still, “Iron Savior” are determined to unleash yet more of their finely precise musical drivers, muscular and molten, as it was in the past; it shall be in the future: we still have an “Iron Savior”! BA (90/100)
“God Given Right” is the fifteen studio album from German Power - Metallers Helloween. Not only is this the first time the releases five studio album with the same lineup, but also it’s the seventh consecutive album produced by Charlie Bauerfeind and the first to be release on the Nuclear Blast label since their 2003 opus “Rabbit Don’t Come Easy”. But most importantly, it’s all pure Helloween! The album is pure Heavy Metal no matter how you look at it or pigeon hole a band, and what Helloween have always done is produce great Heavy Metal albums and “God Given Right” is right up there with their best. Derris is superb as always. The guitars of Weikath and Gerstner are just as rifftastic as ever and the powerhouse rhythm section of Grosskopf and Loeble are as dynamic as ever. The album takes that 80’s Helloween sound and brings it screaming into the now as always. Tracks of note the massive opener “Living on the Edge”, the anthemic “Battles Won” and the storming ‘Lost in America’. This is Teutonic Metal at it’s very best. BM (91/100)
The Canadian melodic metal band continue to develop on their third album. It can be brutally heavy at times. The riffs are punishing, the drumming wildly frenetic and the bass rumbles so much it measures on the Richter scale, making this one for those of you who like your metal heavy but it’s also very melodic thanks to Matt Marinelli’s voice. He’s got that modern Transatlantic rock voice that is manly, angsty but ultimately melodic. The heavy elements incorporate many genres such as power metal, prog metal and symphonic metal. The keyboards add light to the darkness with orchestral parts and swirling prog passages. The biggest hook goes to “The Chosen One” and sounds ripe for a single release. The crackingly heavy “Form The Ashes” is a standout. The ballad “Rest My Child” is an acoustic and piano ballad that showcases Marinelli’s voice and the technicality and muscle of Mike Briguglio’s guitar throughout is impressive. The band’s sound is stronger than the songs though as the melodies and rhythms are similar and blend together over a whole album. Listening to a few songs in isolation it sounds great and there’s much promise in this young band. DJ (84/100)
The former White Sister and Tattoo Rodeo maestro finally appears out of exile to deliver a very personal, cathartic sounding solo record that further demonstrates what a great singer and fine songwriter this American musician is. There are touches of the melodic rock sound of White Sister on the wishful thinking of “Heard It On The Radio”, the hard rocking “Unbroken” and the uptempo AOR of “She Loves You”. He’s aided and abetted by Paul Sabu (Only Child). I was surprised initially by how little Sabu’s heavier signature sound can be heard here. Instead, he’s happy to compliment Dries own sound. Ouside of those three rockers, there are a variety of personal ballads such as ‘I’ and the terrifically sung ‘Home. The other ballads all have something different;‘Can You Feel It’ has a positive message, there’s a laid back feel to “Pictures”, “Pieces” is piano led whereas “So Good To See You” relies on acoustic guitar. Generally, I would have favoured more rockers but it’s all quality material. On ‘Unbroken’ Dries sings “I feel the time has come” and hopefully by this he means it will be the start of more output from the underappreciated talent of Dries. DJ (92/100)
Hailing from Slovakia, Within Silence is a name that may be unfamiliar now, but when this album gets it’s general release, it won’t be unfamiliar for long. “The Gallery of Life” is the bands debut release and is an impressive statement they make with it, as they blend melodic metal with fine crafted power metal elements. The driven guitars of Richard Germanus (lead) and Martin Cico (rhythm) and towering rhythm section of Filip Andel and Peter Gacik bass and drums respectively, are only dwarfed by the superb vocals of Martin Klein. The album delivers on so many levels it’s hard to use to correct superlatives to describe just how good this debut release is. So instead I’ll just pick out a few of the many highlights of the album. Kicking off with the thunderous Emptiness of Night”, the old school metal of “The Last Drop of Blood” and the massive “Judgement Day”, are just a few of my favourite tracks from one of the finest debuts this year. BM (92/100)
IRON SAVIOR “Live At The Final Frontier”
TRIXTER “Human Hera” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.) A couple of years ago I was privileged to have the assignment of reviewing what was the comeback album of “Trixter”, “New Audio Machine”. Now here we are agin-2015-and “Trixter” are celebrating the “Human Era” with a scorcher of an album! All cylinders are popping on this one! Opening up with “Rockin’ To the Edge Of The Night”, the boys go all-out delivering that energised Hard Rock sound that we all love! And they don’t let-up! But, what’d we expect? Songs like “Crash That Party”, “Good Ties Now”, and “All Night Long” certainly tell us that each member is putting their heart and soul into each jaunt and singing those famous ‘trick of the phrase’s as well! “Human Era” finds the group at the top of their collective rocking game! Twin guitars flying, pulsating and pounding rhythms and nasty, yet soaring vocals! Each track is a stellar rocked out sound experience. Tight as tight can be, this band is amazing! Raucous slices of anthemic rockers and some slow tempo songs as well! Topping this off, “Trixter” are hitting the road once again! Hopefully headline as well, as if they are opening, then they will just blow whomever off the stage and steal the show! That is how strong a rocker “Human Era” is! This Summer celebrate the human era with none other than “Trixter”! BA (91/100)
BEAUVOIR / FREE “American Trash” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.) If you’re familiar with Crown Of Thorns debut album, then the names of Jean Beauvoir and Micki Free with be no strangers to you. Now in 2015, the pair are back together for their fantastic new album “American Trash”. The pair combine once more to bring that sound of Crown of Thorns bang up to date, with Beauvoir vocals still sounding as soulful as ever, while Free’s guitar work is just sublime, with touches of rock intermingled with just enough funk to get your groove on too. The album is just pure earcandy from the opener “Angels Cry” right down to the last track “There’s No Starting Over”, there isn’t a bad song on the album and there aren’t many albums these days than can boast that. Real treats for me are the title track ‘American Trash’, a funk filled spectacular than just rocks big style, the rocking ‘Shotgun to the Heart’, the riff filled “Cold Dark December” and “There’s No Starting Over”. When it comes to great Hard Rock they don’t come any better than “American Trash”, one of the highlights of the year for sure. BM (95/100)
HOUSE OF LORDS “Indestructible” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.) As everybody here knows, House Of Lords stands for unique melodies, grandiose arrangements, epic hooks and powerful songs. And the brand new studio-album, the aptly-titled “Indestructible”, proudly keeps on the tradition of this awesome band, with eleven songs, which definitely combine the best of Heavy and Melodic Hard Rock. Starting with the heavy-sounding “Go To Hell” and “Indestructible”, the album brings us also some incredible melodies enriched by the heavenly vocals of James Christian. The following one, “Pillar of Salt", might be a good representation of how the new album sounds, a combination of heavy and melodic parts, while “Call My Bluff” contains that typical House Of Lords epic-like feel that made the band so popular worldwide. Celebrating their first ten years together, the line-up, comprising of Jimi Bell, Chris McCarvill and BJ Zampa (with James Christian leading the gang), sounds tight, powerful and better than ever, delivering an incredible performance and giving the band a real new life in its 25+ years of career. A great comeback-album from a great band that didn't always get what it deserved... PB (90/100)
THE VINTAGE CARAVAN “Arrival” (Nuclear Blast)
WORLDVIEW “The Chosen Few” (M24 Music Group)
BURNING POINT “Burning Point” (AFM Records)
T. BERGSTEN’S FANTASY “Nightwalker” (7Chords)
PYRAMAZE “Disciples Of The Sun” (Ulterium Records)
Three young musicians from the unlikely country of Iceland. The group is a power trio worthy of the name and a style that goes back to the late sixties. A three piece that could be likened to the great “Cream”! Amazing-yes! In the music and depth of composition. Unbelievable: certainly, especially when you realize their age and that this album, “Arrival” is their third! The group had its start in 2005 with Oskar only in his pre-teens. “Arrival” is a heavy, pulsating bottomed out slice of Heavy Rock and Blues. Complete with blistering guitar work, haunting vocals, and grooved out rivers of sound. Tuned down chords accentuates their heaviness, very similar to early “Sabbath” and obviously “Cream”. Each performance is simply a “groove-fest”! Creations such as “Monolith”, “Eclipsed” and “Last Day Of Light” are some of the epic performances that you will be carried away by. The three musicians are enormously talented, and this is apparent on each cut of the album. “The Vintage Caravan”, “Arrival”, this may be the start of world domination! BM (92/100)
Worldview might be a new name in the US Heavy Metal world, but band's members are definitely not new to the scene; as a matter of fact, Worldview was formed in Los Angeles by guitar-player George Rene Ochoa and vocalist Rey Parra, with the addition of John Gonzales on drums and Todd Libby on bass guitar and keyboards. Their style is not too far from what Sacred Warrior has been used to play, a ProgressivePower Melodic Metal, with a strong influence from bands like Queensryche, Fates Warning, Dream Theater and Heir Apparent. The album starts in a quite heavy way with “Mortality” and “Illusions Of Love” but it's the third, incredible track “Back In Time” that brings the band to the next level, showing awesome vocal melodies and great arrangements, and recalling here and there the mighty Crimson Glory. “The Mirror” is another early Queensryche/Dream Theaterinfluenced track, and “Why” is a ballad-type monster, with a breath-taking performance by Rey Parra. Definitely a “mustbuy” album if you love the US Melodic Power-Progressive Metal. PB (88/100)
2015 marks a new chapter in the Burning Point story as Pete Ahonen steps down from the microphone and in steps former Battle Beast vocalist Nitte Valo. The album is still Burning Point at it’s core, it’s just the surroundings have changed. Ahonen is still steering the ship with his driven guitar work alongside Pekka Kolivuori, the rhythm section of new bassist Sami Nyman and Jussi Ontero are a force to be reckoned with. The result is sonically the best Burning Point album to date. The album includes five new songs and reworking of five other plus a KISS cover. The new songs are just the tip of the iceberg and will be part of the bands upcoming album “Polttopiste”, the five reworked tracks highlight what Valo brings to the band, plus the cover “I’ve Had Enough”, which is just the cherry on the top, on what is pure Heavy Metal Burning Point style. BM (85/100)
Based upon the excellent Swedish band “Fantasy” of the early 80’s to early 90’s, Thomas Bergsten’s Fantasy is a revival of the music created at that time. Thomas has re-arranged some of the material and updated some of the lyrical content, giving new interpretations to most of what we hear. A strong musical statement, “Nightwalker” consistently displays the skills of Thomas, as a guitarist and song-writer, as well as a vocalist. The Fantasy band consists of equally talented musicians: Per Schelander on bass, Jorgen Schelander on keys, and Tobias Bergsten on drums. All four continually weave musical threads that form deep & colorful tapestries that excite the senses! A vibrant sound, coupled by an intensity of performance will make this musical project one of note. The music is actually well ahead of its time, and if “Fantasy” came and went without much notice, then this time around Thomas Bergsten’s Fantasy will certainly make an impact upon the music world! Seek out the first of this trilogy, and explore “Nightwalker”, if only to glimpse at sides of “Fantasy” that you didn’t know existed. BA (92/100)
This Pyramaze’s fourth album is a definite Work of labour, love and passion! The group has succeeded in creating a masterful body of work that will eclipse that of “Immortal”. Staying true to the original concepts, having that passion grow stronger, and the Talent combined progressing as well—this effort is perhaps more varied than the previous three. “Disciples Of The Sun” is a collection of twelve forcefully executed symphonic musical rivers that swell to create an immense ocean of sound. A fantastical set of stories set to song! In this release those present are performing with all of their being! Although a journey that began back in 2002 and has experienced many changes, the one constant is the musical vision of true melodic modern classical expressions. This constant is front and centre in “Disciples Of The Sun” and each member of the group-past and present, are brothers in this epic journey! A most powerful, majestic expression of musical stories that will resonant for years to come!! BA (89/100)
Question: Let's start with a quick story of the band... George Rene Ochoa: Johnny Gonzales (drums), Todd Libby (bass) and I had the idea of doing project together. Johnny and I played together in Recon and Deliverance and Todd played keyboards for Recon for years. We all were good friends and we still are. Rey Parra got to be our singer because of Rey and mines mutual friend Rick Macias. Rick and I talked about starting a project and at the same time he was speaking to Rey to start a project and it was he who brought us together. Unfortunately Rick passed away so Rey and I took up the torch to honor our friend. Q: I know you're coming from some well known Heavy Metal bands like Sacred Warrior, Recon and Deliverance; how did these previous experiences influence the music you've written for Worldview? Rey Parra: Fronting Sacred Warrior was a great experience, one that would shape the man I am today. We had many great and miraculous times. We saw many come to Christ. Our style
Maiden, Nightwish, Deep Purple, etc etc etc... We don't want to be labeled as a band that sounds like another band. We want all of our influences to come through along with our own creativity. Q: You're coming from Los Angeles; how is the scene for Heavy Metal over there, nowadays? GRO: Johnny, Todd and myself Band: Worldview live in Los Angeles and Rey lives in Florida. We have managed to make Interview with: GR Ochoa & R.Parra it work. We talk on the phone and all texts each other all the time. The Interview by: P.Bonali metal scene in Los Angeles is no where near as happening as is it is in Europe. Having said that, I was heavy metal and that was great for me then, singing as many high notes as I possibly could. recently went to see Judas Priest and it was These days, I don't really feel the need to packed at a larger venue. It told me that... scream all the time. I now understand that in METAL IS ALIVE AND WELL! Love it!!! order to be a good vocalist, I have to display my Q: The album features a lot of guests appearoverall vocal ability rather than singing high ances, from musicians like Oz Fox (Stryper), Les Carlsen (Bloodgood), Jimmy P. Brown notes all the time. Q: Your album sounds really powerful, still (Deliverance), Larry Farkas (Vengeance melodic with “classy� arrangements. To my Rising, Die Happy) and more. How did you ears it looks like you've been influenced by manage to have these guys playing on your the '80s traditional Power-Heavy Metal, and album? especially by bands like Queensryche (in RP: I have been great friends with Les Carlson primis), Fates Warning and Heir Apparent, for many years. We had talked about him doing am I right? Which are your most important something on this album for a while so I coninfluences, musically talking? And how tacted Les and he agreed to do it. At a later time I thought it would be great to get Oz Fox to join would you describe your album? GRO: First of all... Never heard of Heir in the fun so I asked Les if he would contact Oz Apparent. Secondly, I would say that we don't and ask him if he would be interested. Oz really sound like Queensryche. We are much agreed and he contacted George and they made heavier and more technical at times. Don't get it happen, as far as every one else goes, George me wrong, I think that their early years were made that all happen. amazing. Worldview is influenced by MANY Q: Any touring-plans? bands. In this record you may hear some of our GRO: Yes, we are currently looking for a bookinfluences such as Pink Floyd, Kamelot, Iron ing agent. Do you know anyone good?
Band: Pyramaze
Question: I would like to begin with the current line-up; it seems that there has been much upheaval in the band of late… Answer: Well, this has been going on for a couple of years, in fact since Matt Barlow left back in 2008. Urban Breed was then the vocalist for the tour the band did with Volbeat in 2008, but Michael Kammeyer (band founder and guitarist) left shortly after the tour and so did bassplayer Niels Kvist. The band then recruited Jacob Hansen as their guitarist, but Urban Breed felt he was being too busy with other bands and projects, so he quit, and Jacob got hold of me. We met during the mix of our 2nd Teodor Tuff (now CROSSNAIL) album at Jacob's studio, so we were already friends, and when he approached me with the offer to join Pyramaze, I couldn't turn it down. I heard a couple of songs, and the material was very good. Q: You joined Pyramaze in 2013, and have had two years with the group… So it must be very fulfilling to have completed such a strong musical statement in “Disciples Of The Sun”… A: Thank you! When I joined, most of the music was already written, but we worked together (with the addition of Henrik Fevre as lyricist and co-writer) on the melodies in the studio, me and Jacob, and it went really smooth. Yes, it is very fulfilling! I tried to do my best for the songs, and it came out really, really strong, also because the guys know what they're doing! And I really think the whole album is very strong. There's a variety that is important, and we change pace here and there so it goes from really heavy to almost atmospheric. I really like that in an album. It makes me proud. Q: With all that has been going on around the band, has it been hard to keep the original vision of the group intact?
Interview with: Terje Haroy
A: Well, yes and no. I think we wanted to do something new anyway. An updated version of Pyramaze. It was inevitable with the new songwriters and the new line-up, but I really don't think the band has suffered from the change. Quite the opposite in fact. It felt like it was time to bring in some new, fresh blood, and you can hear that in the songs. Everybody wanted to do their best and show the world that we're a force to be reckoned with. Michael Kammeyer was so kind to let us continue everything like we wanted, since there's still 2 members from the debut, Morten and Jonah, and Toke came in on "Legend Of The Bone Carver", so the core of the band is somehow intact. Q: Listening to the album, is there any song or songs that are expressing some of the past difficulties? A: I think in a way they all are. If you want, you can read that into every song. Our feelings making this record and struggling with past troubles shines through, I think, but in a very positive way. I mean, when I listen to the album and the songs, it puts a smile to my face, as it's all good memories from recording the vocals. It was summer, green leaves everywhere and we enjoyed every minute of it. It felt like there was this extremely positive aura around the band and members. They were so happy that finally this was happening, and everybody was having a great time. Q: Again, listening to the new material, one would not think that some of you are almost brand new to the fold. It sounds like you have playing together for a long time! A: We're pros, haha. These guys are all great musicians, and as far as I understand, Jacob (guitars) has been working with Morten (drums) on several occasions, and they all know each other from way back. Jacob recorded and mixed Michael Kammeyers first demo
Interview by: B. Atkinson
almost 15 years ago, so the whole band was not new to each other. Also, I was guided very well by both Henrik Fevre (Anubis Gate), who was on the phone + Skype and Jacob who's great at what he does. It came out as one solid unit, which is great. Q: As I write these questions, I am indeed listening to this new Recorded Work, and I don’t mind telling you that the passion of each member is so dominant! While recording, the sessions must have been just as intense… A: Indeed! Toke, Morten and Jacob went into the studio with I think 5 songs almost ready, and they just went nuts writing and working on the songs, and having a good time. Every time a song was done, they recorded the drums when it was fresh in memory and did more or less first takes on the drums. Morten is a monster, haha! And what they wanted to do, was capture the intense and positive energy, and get that onto tape, which I think went very well. I think you can tell that here's a band who loves to play these songs! They did the basic recordings as well as writing in 1 week... Q: So, is “Disciples Of The Sun” more of a solidarity statement from you, the band members? A: I think so. It's definitely a band achievement. There's not just 1 person who's behind this or responsible of making this happen. It's very much a collective spirit. Q: Do all of you contribute to the music or are there distinct songwriters and composers in the band? A: It's mainly Jacob, Toke and Jonah who's writing, but everybody has a say, and I will come with ideas here and there as well. I think on the next one it'll be even more, as I am growing accustomed to how things are done and how they write. MRF | 15
Band: Burning Point
Question: The new album is the first not to have you singing, why have you stepped down as vocalist after 15 years? A: Well, I basically just wanted to try something completely different and shuffle the deck for good. I love singing and love being the the singer, but I felt it was time for a change. Q: How did Nitte Valo become the new singer of Burning Point? A: I think it was summer 2013 when I first got the idea in my head. First I talked to the other guys and they were all very excited about it. I contacted Nitte late 2013 and asked her interest towards joining us and that does she have time in general to do music. She was interested and she did have time. So, we put the ball rolling right away and here we are! Q: How long did the album take to put together? A: It was something like 5- 6 months all in all, mixing and mastering included. Q: Do you see this as a new chapter in the Burning Point story or a new beginning? 18 | MRF
Interview with: Pete Ahonen
A: Both, definitively both. We are very proud our past and very excited about the future. Q: Your involved with many different bands apart from Burning Point like Stargazery and Ghost Machinery, so why not simply form a new band with Nitte at the helm? A: Hahahahah, good question…hmmm why I didn’t thought of that No, just kidding. As I said, I wanted to try something new and make some huge changes. Also, there are lots and lots of old BP classics that deserves to get more recognition and this is a great way to give them a “facelift”. Q: Will you still be singing the older songs when you play live or will you and Nitte share the vocal duties? A: Nitte will sing most of the songs for sure, but maybe there will be some “duets”. We’ve played one cover track we did on Empyre album, I’ll be yours, and in that song we’ve shared the duties. Q: With the success of metal in Finland and the success of some metal bands in getting their albums on the charts did you approach this album
Interview by: Barry McMinn
with the idea that it could be a commercial success and maybe hit the charts or did you not worry about that at all? A: I think that if you start looking at charts or even start writing the songs in a way that are they going to be a “hit” songs you’re way out of line. I have never wrote a song thinking that is it going to be a hit. What comes, comes straight from my heart. Q: Who has been a big influence on your musical career and how do you think these influences show up in your songwriting? A: Yeah Yngwie Malmsteen Rules!!! I listen so much different metal bands (and a little Flamenco music occasionally...) that it is very difficult to pin point where exactly I get my influences. I just listened the U.D.O`s THUNDERBALL cd and I really loved the song, Trainride in Russia. I have always loved those Russian melody lines, they have combined a power and kind of sadness in those melodies. Maybe I will do some Russian melodies too on the next albums.
Band: Nelson
Interview with: Gunnar Nelson
Interview by: Duncan Jamieson
Question: There are some great pop rock songs on this record. You’ve obviously laboured over this. Can you tell me about the writing and recording process? Answer: Thanks for the kind words. I’m really proud of this record… About a solid year went in to its creation from the writing to the final mix. This particular record was a solitary process… A matter of me locking myself in my studio late at night, and not emerging until I felt I had something great going. When writing, I hear these songs in my head as if they’re already done… As if there’s a stereo playing somewhere off in the distance in my mind. I feel really lucky that way. I’m not saying that those ideas come to me completely finished… That has happened, but it’s really rare. What I am saying is that I’ll get enough of the song to be able to sense if it’s worth chasing down or not. If it is, I tend to focus on just that one song idea until I’m done enough with it to document it (I don’t really like leaving half-finished songs and bouncing back and forth between them). I’ll tweak the production elements and the lyrics all the way up to the final master… But I usually won’t quit on a song until the melody, title, theme, semi-finished lyric, and basic arrangement is captured in recorded form. I don’t like to refer to my work tapes as “demos”. These days, you have to consider them ‘masters in progress’ from the very beginning. You never know when the very first performance or idea is going to be the one that has unbeatable magic. I’ve made the mistake of not taking my “idea tapes” seriously, and being really bummed later on that they were initially recorded shoddily. On this record, from the very beginning, I was trying to make the best record I’ve every been a part of. So, from the start in my studio it’s always my best mics, tube compressors, and vintage 1972 Neve pre-eq modules to record through. I use the same signal path that the multi-million dollar recording studios that have made my very favourite rock records have. So if the end result doesn’t sound huge and honest, it’s my fault… not the gear’s. I think this particular record sounds wonderful. Q: It’s a very positive upbeat record with songs like ‘ Invincible’, ‘On The Bright Side’ and ‘What’s Not To Love?’ . You’re in a good place at the moment, aren’t you? A: Actually, I am. I just got married to the woman of my dreams about 8 months ago… And became a father to three girls that same day. This workaholic touring machine has finally gotten some balance in his life- and it’s effected my music in a good way. This is also
my last NELSON record… So I wanted the songs to reflect the best of what I’ve had to offer these past 25 years… And the best of my attitude. The songs you mentioned are unapologetically uplifting… Yet tough at the same time. Reflective of the man I hope to be. Q: The song ‘Back In The Day’ is a homage to the glory days of 80s hard rock. What do you remember of those days in the spotlight? A: I was really blessed to have been able to enjoy that level of success at that particular time. HUGE crowds (all screaming girls!) First class tour busses, hotels, light show… and all modesty aside, I knew that when we took the stage, we had the best fucking rock band on planet earth at that time. We had the best live show most had ever seen… and we put a lot of time, effort, and our own money into it. Simply put, we CARED… and it paid off, big time. Q: “Autograph” is another terrific track. When you had a US no.1 and were all over MTV you must have had your share of fandom. What were some of the stranger things some fan did? A: There are always going to be some psycho fans around… It’s an occupational hazard. I have more “fan” stories than I could possibly recount here… But Matthew seemed to be the one of us who attracted the serious crazies. They all wanted to marry him… And if he wasn’t up for it... They’d seem perfectly happy to skin him and wear him for their birthdays. I always had a very low tolerance level for drama and obsession… So most of the time I’d just send those fans down to one of the crew guys’ rooms. Q: The title ‘Peace Out’ suggests that this could be your last record as Nelson. Please tell us this is not the case! A: I’m afraid to say, alas, it is. It’s not that I don’t love the music, or the fans. It really comes down to this industry’s lack of support for guys like me. Everything I record is organic… Not cut and pasted together. It takes a LONG time and a LOT of effort to make a proper NELSON record. I’m putting in the same amount of time that I put in when we had major label budgets of $500,000 per record. But when our own record label keeps telling me that my work is worth less and less to them with each passing record… while at the same time the cost of living keeps going up… There’s naturally going to be a point of diminishing returns. We’re at that crossroads now. I’m a professional musician… And my time is worth something. This is what I do for a living, it’s not a hobby. The juice just has got to be worth the squeeze, you know? If we’re
at the point that I can’t afford to make proper NELSON records because I’m surrounded by people who want me to make half million dollar records for free and feel lucky to be taken advantage of, I’d rather be the one to choose our ending, and to celebrate this ending on the highest of notes possible. Q: You work with people outside of your brother but what is the difference when you’re collaborating with your brother compared to other musicians? A: It’s changed quite a bit since we began working together when we were kids. He used to show up for the process a whole lot more. Now I think he trusts me to do the heavy lifting in the studio because he knows I love it… That I know he hates it… And after decades making records together, he knows that he can trust me to get it done. I think Matthew and I are going through an interesting phase at the moment. I think the more I’ve gone in the direction of loving the recording studio and making records my way, Matthew has gone ever more in the opposite direction. Yet he seems to enjoy working with other writers and performers where he can record as quickly as possible then go home… So who knows? He acts like he wants a break from me and my methods, and/or NELSON. We’ve been doing this trip together for 25 years- a quarter of a century and that’s just as NELSON. We’ve been making music together for over 40 years! Maybe we could both use a change of creative scenery for a while. I guess our next phase is going to determine if Matt needed a break from this musical style and the cast of characters that surrounds it… Or if he really just needed a break from me. Q: Even if Nelson ceases to be you’ll continue to make music with your brother, won’t you? A: That’s the plan! We’ll always do our RICKY NELSON REMEMBERED gigs together… The occasional NELSON gig… He has fun playing in Scrap Metal with me. We’ve been talking about the next creative phase… Centered around the two brothers singing together with simple production. More along the lines stylistically of what we grew up around in Southern California as kids. Q: What are you planning to do next? A: Enjoy this record cycle. Tour it like crazy. I want to do as much as we can with PEACE OUT. I want to have FUN making music again… Industry aside… It’s time to get back to what we started making music for in the first place… Getting chicks. Just kidding (but not really). It’s always been about having fun doing what I love to do more than anything. That’s the very definition of living the dream. So, let’s LIVE a little. MRF | 21
Band: Trixter
Question: From the release of the last album, you have toured extensively… When did you guys settle down to begin writing the new record? Answer: After the overwhelming response to NEW AUDIO MACHINE we got a new found confidence and sense of power knowing that we made a great record. I started writing while we were on tour and after "FOR YOU" "GOOD TIMES NOW" and "MIDNIGHT IN YOUR EYES" were produced I knew we had the goods for a new TRIXTER cd better than our last… Welcome "HUMAN ERA". Q: With “New Audio Machine”, you assembled a great production team that helped you with the production, is it the same here, you being the main producer and enlisting the talents of others to assist? A: Yes, Chuck Alkazian (Soundgarden,Pop Evil, Kid Rock) mixed a few songs, Pete Evick (Paramore,Bret Michaels) mixed the stellar ballad "BEATS ME UP" and TOMMY KESSLER from BLONDIE mixed MIDNIGHT IN YOUR EYES. I love surrounding myself with people who really care about the music and making it sound the best it 22 | MRF
Interview with: Steve Brown
can be. PJ Farley co produced as well. Q: Now, whether you like the term or not, Trixter are becoming veterans in this crazy world of Rock! To me that is a good thing, for over twenty some odd years, you and the lads have rocked us with a Capital “R”. What is your secret? A: Ha ha… Yeah wild to think that we are a CLASSIC ROCK band, but I'll take it. We are blessed to be able to this still. We are the ALL ORIGINAL band which makes it extra special. We are a band of best friends and brothers. It’s awesome! Q: Going back to the new record, “Human Era” first, has any of the material come from the “New Audio Machine” sessions? A: No, but there are some older tracks like "NOT LIKE ALL THE REST" and our first single "ROCKIN' TO THE EDGE OF THE NIGHT" which was written back in 1987 and I reworked it to be a new TRIXTER classic like GIVE IT TO ME GOOD. Q: Why the name “Human Era” and does it have a special meaning to you? A: PJ came up with the concept. It goes back to when we started as a band. When there were no cell phones, computers,
Interview by: Bruce Atkinson
social media… You had Human contact and had to deal issues face to face. As much as we all love technology it has taken away from positive personal interaction. Q: Please go through some of the recording process and the sessions. Have you done anything different ? A: We record all the music and backing vocals here in New jersey at my studio MOJO VEGAS… Pete does his vocals in Arizona at his house. He then DROPBOXES his vocal tracks to me. We have a really wonderful system for making records. It shows in the end result. Q: Trixter are obviously a road band… So fill us in on your touring plans for the Summer / Fall period. A: Oh yeah ..We have about 15 dates booked so far all across the USA and we hope to finally play Europe and go back to JAPAN. Q: “New Audio Machine” came out on the Frontiers label, and so is “Human Era”. It seems that you are getting a lot of support from the label… A: Serafino Perugino and the Frontiers camp have been great to us. They really give their all for us and the fans to get our music out there.