The sky was crying when Gary Moore passed away on 6th February 2011. From Thin Lizzy to Colosseum II, together with his solo hits ‘Parisienne Walkways’ and ‘Out In The Fields’, Gary influenced a whole generation of guitar players and guitar playing.
The bass player/producer Bob Daisley had played with Gary since the 1980's, and is known for suggesting to Gary that he should make a blues album - the rest is history, ‘Still Got The Blues’ was an immense hit, followed by a series of classic modern blues albums. Bob, also known for his contributions to Rainbow and Ozzy Osbourne, was the driving force behind “Moore Blues For Gary”.
“In my opinion, Gary was one of the best guitarists who ever lived”, says Bob Daisley. “It was an honour for me to have worked with him and to have known him so well. When Gary passed away in 2011 the world lost one of the all-time greats. I don’t think that enough was said or done at the time to acknowledge the loss of such a great player so I took it upon myself to pay personal tribute to the man and record some new versions of his music, mostly from his blues catalogue.
I asked many members of the Gary Moore family tree, and some other great players, to contribute to the project. The response was not only encouraging, but very moving. It seems that the name Gary Moore is also synonymous with the words ‘respect’, ‘honour’ and ‘greatness’. I didn’t set out to recreate anything that Gary had done, or to compete in any way, these arrangements and performances represent a ‘hats off’ to Gary and nothing more. Long live the memory of Robert William Gary Moore. Yes, he was another ‘Bob’ - something that I wasn’t aware of for all of those years that I worked with him. I feel such gratitude towards the people who contributed to this album and I’m honoured to have worked with them all."
John Sykes (ex-Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake) makes a triumphant return after a long absence with an uber-emotional rendition of ‘Still Got The Blues’, with the soulful vocals by Daniel Bowes (Thunder) complementing each other.
‘Parisienne Walkways’ is played by Steve Morse (Deep Purple, Dixie Dregs) and Ricky Warwick (Thin Lizzy, Black Star Riders, The Almighty), with the unlikely pair resulting in a miraculous chemistry.
Gary's friends are here - his rocking keyboard / guitar / vocal sidekick Neil Carter sings ‘Empty Rooms’, which he co-wrote with Gary. Don Airey (Deep Purple, Rainbow) and Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple) had joined forces with Gary on numerous occasions, together with Eric Singer (Kiss) and Darrin Mooney (Primal Scream). Brush Shiels, the leader of Gary's first professional band Skid Row, also makes an appearance.
Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio), Steve Lukather (Toto), Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow), Jeff Watson (Night Ranger), Damon Johnson (Black Star Riders, Alice Cooper) and Stan Webb (Chicken Shack) also unsparingly pour all their emotions to show their appreciation to Gary.
Gary's sons Jack and Gus are also involved, playing guitar and singing on ‘This One's For You’, showing that the ‘Blood Of Emeralds’ still runs their veins.
During his blues days, Gary made two albums to thank the guitarists that made him who he was: “Blues For Greeny” for Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac, and “Blues For Jimi” for Jimi Hendrix. Now this is his turn to be rewarded with an album full of love and respect. We still got the blues for you.
Tracklist 1. ‘THAT’S WHY I PLAY THE BLUES’
VOCALS - JON C. BUTLER; GUITARS - TIM GAZE; BASS GUITAR - BOB DAISLEY; DRUMS - ROB GROSSER; KEYBOARDS - CLAYTON DOLEY
2. ‘THE BLUES JUST GOT SADDER’
VOCALS - JOE LYNN TURNER; LEAD GUITAR - STEVE LUKATHER; RHYTHM GUITAR AND SLIDE GUITAR - TIM GAZE; BASS GUITAR - BOB DAISLEY; DRUMS - ROB GROSSER; KEYBOARDS - CLAYTON DOLEY
3. ‘EMPTY ROOMS’
LEAD VOCAL, KEYBOARDS - NEIL CARTER; BASS GUITAR, HARMONICA, BACKING VOCALS - BOB DAISLEY; DRUMS - ROB GROSSER; GUITARS - ILLYA SZWEC; BACKING VOCALS - ROSANNA DAISLEY
4. ‘STILL GOT THE BLUES (FOR YOU)’
VOCALS - DANNY BOWES; GUITARS - JOHN SYKES; KEYBOARDS - DON AIREY; BASS GUITAR - BOB DAISLEY; DRUMS - ROB GROSSER
5. ‘TEXAS STRUT’
VOCALS - BRUSH SHIELS; BASS GUITAR - BOB DAISLEY; GUITARS - TIM GAZE; DRUMS - ROB GROSSER
6. ‘NOTHING’S THE SAME’
VOCALS - GLENN HUGHES; FRETLESS ACOUSTIC BASS - BOB DAISLEY; CELLO - ANA LENCHANTIN; GUITARS - LUIS MALDONADO
7. ‘THE LONER’
GUITARS - DOUG ALDRICH; DRUMS - ERIC SINGER; BASS GUITAR - BOB DAISLEY; KEYBOARDS - DON AIREY
8. ‘TORN INSIDE’
VOCALS, LEAD GUITAR - STAN WEBB; BASS GUITAR, RIFF GUITAR - BOB OB DAISLEY; DRUMS - DARRIN MOONEY; KEYBOARDS - LACHLAN DOLEY
9. ‘DON’T BELIEVE A WORD’
VOCALS, LEAD GUITAR - DAMON JOHNSON; BASS GUITAR - BOB DAISLEY; DRUMS - ROB GROSSER; RHYTHM GUITAR - ILLYA SZWEC
10. ‘STORY OF THE BLUES’
LEAD VOCAL - JON C. BUTLER; BASS GUITAR, RIFF GUITAR, BACKING VOCALS - BOB DAISLEY; LEAD AND RHYTHM GUITAR - TIM GAZE; DRUMS - ROB GROSSER; KEYBOARDS - LACHLAN DOLEY; BACKING VOCALS - ROSANNA DAISLEY
11. ‘THIS ONE’S FOR YOU’
VOCALS - GUS MOORE; LEAD GUITAR - JACK MOORE; BASS GUITAR - BOB DAISLEY; DRUMS - ROB GROSSER; RHYTHM GUITAR - ILLYA SZWEC
12. ‘POWER OF THE BLUES’
VOCALS - JOE LYNN TURNER; LEAD GUITAR - JEFF WATSON; BASS GUITAR, RIFF GUITAR - BOB DAISLEY; DRUMS - DARRIN MOONEY; RHYTHM GUITAR - ILLYA SZWEC
13. ‘PARISIENNE WALKWAYS’
GUITARS - STEVE MORSE; VOCALS - RICKY WARWICK; BASS GUITAR - BOB DAISLEY; DRUMS - ROB GROSSER; KEYBOARDS - CLAYTON DOLEY
MelodicRock Records is excited to unveil the full album credits for 'Voices From The Past' - a very special double CD voyage into the heyday of the Los Angeles 80s rock scene, with your hosts Jimmy Waldo & Steven Rosen.
Track Listing (& Featured Vocalists)
Disc 1:
01. Billy Trudell - (Ain't No Honor) Among Thieves 04:12
02. Jeff Scott Soto - Ice 04:29
03. Sherwood Ball - City Of Angels 03:34
04. Mike Val - Ricochet 04:16
05. Mike Val - When A Heart Beats Alone 04:14
06. Guy Perry - Lay This Ghost To Rest 03:59
07. Guy Perry - I Wish You Heaven 04:52
08. Paul Bardot - Hearts Under Fire 03:59
09. Paul Bardot - Blood In The Water 04:14
10. Mona Moore - Second Nature 03:45
11. Steve Plunkett - Still On My Mind 04:44
12. Steve Plunkett - Baby You're The Blood 03:32
13. Steve Plunkett - Tough Enough 04:01
14. Laura Creamer - Naked 04:34
15. Billy Trudell - When It Was A Game 04:19
16. Guy Perry - Water Under The Bridge 04:08
Disc 2:
01. JP Palalenka - Talking To Myself 03:34
02. Phil Brown - Phantom Of Passion 04:32
03. Mona Moore - (Don't Give Up) On Me 03:43
04. Mona Moore - Thrill Of The Chase 03:00
05. Jamie St. James - Answers In Your Eyes 03:37
06. Guy Perry - Toys Night Out 03:47
07. Greg Edelman - Blow The Beast 03:18
08. Mona Moore - Hold The Night 03:28
09. Laura Creamer - Still On My Mind (Second Version) 04:40
10. Jamie St. James - The Other Side 04:20
11. Mona Moore - Word Of Honor 04:50
12. Greg Edelman - Thinking Is A Dangerous Game 03:56
13. Jimmy Waldo - Island In The Sun (Inst.) 04:06
14. Paul Shortino - Fire Burns Twice 03:21
15. Desi Rexx - Too Far Gone 04:34
16. Mona Moore - Death Of A Kiss 03:15
Jimmy Waldo and Steven Rosen were a prolific writing duo at the height of hard rock’s popularity and were two of the go-to-guys for songs. But it didn’t stop there. This writing partnership lasted more than 30 years. And featured on these songs are the cream of the city’s musicians and singers – Jeff Scott Soto, Steve Plunkett, Billy Trudell, Keith Howland, Tim Pierce, Sherwood Ball, Tommy Thayer, Jamie St James, Marc Ferrari, Bob Kulick and more!
It is a story best told by Steven Rosen, who has penned a detailed essay for the liner notes. Here he summarizes:
Steven writes: "This songwriting partnership endured and survived the pummelling and pulverizing hammer of the music business, one that relentlessly and thoughtlessly banged you on the head with rejections and the closing of doors. Reaching out hundreds and hundreds of times to publishers, managers, music supervisors and anyone else who might listen to our music, we were summarily dismissed out of hand.
We’d sit for hours writing, recording, bashing our brains out and always coming away with something cool.
A handful of the songs here were things I wrote with other people and which Jimmy engineered. Jimmy had by the time we met, already played keyboards in New England and Alcatrazz and would go on to become a member in Blackthorne, Murder’s Row, Quiet Riot and ultimately Graham Bonnet’s band.
As time passed, we began writing with more specific artists and projects in mind. 'Naked' was written as a possible song for Heart; 'Ricochet' and 'When A Heart Beats Alone' were written for an L.A. glam rock band Jimmy was producing called Lace; 'City Of Angels' was written for the JapaneseNHK network; and 'Outlaws' was written for an indie film of the same name and so on.
Because we were writing for certain artists, we both knew we needed to pull in guitar players and singers who could convey a specific vibe. We were able to work with mad gifted players like Keith Howland (Chicago), Harry Cody (Shotgun Messiah), Tony Palacios (Guardian) and Lance Morrison (Don Henley, Rick Springfield).
And the singers? Oh, my god. Mona Moore brought drama and passion to these songs like no other vocalist I’d ever heard. Billy Trudell, working in Warpipes at the time, brought soaring and melodic thunder to 'When It Was A Game,' 'Runaway Fire' and '(Ain’t No) Honor Among Thieves.'
The songs on ‘Voices From the Past’ have remained dormant for years, residing in boxes, hidden in dusty corners. Giles Lavery, Graham Bonnet’s manager and a music historian with an encyclopedic knowledge of all things rock bordering on ultra-nerd, discovered these DATs, ADATs, reel-to-reels, hard drives and even cassettes deep within the bowels of Waldo’s garage. He started listening and was enthralled with what he heard. Giles rescued, resuscitated and resurrected these songs and for that Jimmy and I are eternally grateful."
As per usual, JK Northrup has done his complete remastering service on the tracks and Nello Dell’Omo has put together some classy artwork to match.
The double CD will be released via MRR on September 28.
Album Artwork by: Nello Dell’Omo
FULL SONG CREDITS
Disc 1:
01. (Ain’t No) Honor Among Thieves
Vocals – Billy Trudell
Guitars – Harry Cody
Keyboards – Jimmy Waldo
Writers – Steve Rosen/Patrick Dollahan
02. Ice
Jeff Scott Soto – Vocals
Bob Kulick – Guitar
Jimmy Waldo – Keyboards
Writers: Jimmy Waldo/Jeff Scott Soto/Arlene Matza
03. City Of Angels
Vocals – Sherwood Ball
Guitars/bass – Michael Angelo
Recorded by – Jimmy Waldo
Writers – Steve Rosen/Jimmy Waldo/Grover Jackson
04. Ricochet
Vocals – Mike Val
Guitars – Keith Howland
Bass – Lance Morrison
Keyboards – Jimmy Waldo
Drum programming – Jimmy Waldo
Recorded by – Jimmy Waldo
Writers – Mike Val/Steve Rosen/Jimmy Waldo
05. When A Heart Beats Alone
Vocals – Mike Val
Guitars – Keith Howland
Bass – Lance Morrison
Jimmy Waldo – Keyboards
Recorded by – Jimmy Waldo
06. Lay This Ghost to Rest
Vocals – Guy Perry
Guitars – Tony Palacios
Keyboards – Jimmy Waldo
Recorded by – Jimmy Waldo
Writers – Steve Rosen/Jimmy Waldo
07. I Wish You Heaven
Guitars – Tommy Thayer
Vocals/bass – Guy Perry
Keyboards – Jimmy Waldo
Recorded by – Brad Bailey
Writers – Steve Rosen/Tommy Thayer/Adam Wolfe
08. Hearts Under Fire
Vocals – Paul Bardot
Bass – Lance Morrison
Jimmy Waldo – Keyboards/production/drum programming
Writers – Steve Rosen/Lance Morrison
09. Blood In the Water
Vocals – Paul E. Bardot
Guitars – Keith Howland
Bass – Lance Morrison
Jimmy Waldo – Keyboards
Recorded by – Jimmy Waldo
Writers – Steve Rosen/Jimmy Waldo
10. Second Nature
Vocals – Mona Moore
Guitars – Steve Rosen
Bass – Ron de la Vega
Keyboards – Jimmy Waldo
Recorded by – Jimmy Waldo
Writers – Steve Rosen/Ron de la Vega
11. Still On My Mind
Vocals – Steve Plunkett
Guitars – Steve Plunkett
Keyboards – Steve Plunkett
Produced by – Steve Plunkett
Writers – Steve Plunkett/Steve Rosen
12. Baby You're The Blood
Steve Plunkett – Vocals
Bob Kulick – Guitars
Keyboards – Jimmy Waldo
Writers – Plunkett/Kulick/Waldo
13. Tough Enough
Steve Plunkett –Vocals, guitars, bass, drum programming/production
Writers – Steve Plunkett / Steven Rosen
14. Naked
Vocals – Laura Creamer (Bob Seger)
Guitars – Keith Howland
Bass – Lance Morrison
Keyboards – Jimmy Waldo
Drum programming/engineering – Jimmy Waldo
Writers – Steve Rosen/Jimmy Waldo
15. When It Was A Game
Vocals – Billy Trudell
Guitars – Harry Cody
Keyboards/drum programming – Jimmy Waldo
Writers – Jimmy Waldo/Steve Rosen
16. Water Under the Bridge
Vocals – Guy Perry
Guitars – Tommy Thayer
Bass – Guy Perry
Keyboards – Jimmy Waldo
Recorded by – Brad Bailey
Writers – Tommy Thayer/Steve Rosen
Disc 2:
01. Talking To Myself
Vocals – J.P. Palalenka
Guitars – Steve Rosen
Bass – Ron de la Vega
Keyboards – Ron de la Vega
Drums – Pete Christian
Writers – Steve Rosen/Ron de la Vega
02. Phantom Of Passion
Vocals/guitar – Phil Brown
Synclavier programming – Jimmy Waldo
Writers – Phil Brown/Steve Rosen
03. (Don’t Give Up) On Me
Vocals – Mona Moore
Guitars – Steve Rosen
Bass – Ron de la Vega (Patti Griffith)
Keyboards – Jimmy Waldo
Recorded by – Jimmy Waldo
Writer – Steven Rosen
04. Thrill Of the Chase
Vocals – Mona Moore
Guitars – Steve Rosen
Bass – Ron de la Vega
Keyboards – Jimmy Waldo
Recorded by – Jimmy Waldo
Writers – Steve Rosen/Jimmy Waldo
05. Answers In Your Eyes
Vocals – Jamie St. James
Guitars – Marc Ferrari
Keyboards – Jimmy Waldo
Recorded by – Jimmy Waldo
Writers – Steven Rosen/Mark Ferrari
06. Tough Enough (Second Vers)
Vocals – TBC
Steve Plunkett – Guitars, bass, drum programming/production
Writers – Steve Plunkett/Steven Rosen
07. Toys Night Out
Vocals – Guy Perry
Guitars – Harry Cody
Bass – Tim Skold
Keyboards – Jimmy Waldo
Writers – Harry Cody/Tim Skold/Steve Rosen
08. Blow the Beast
Vocals – Greg Edelman
Guitars – Steve Rosen
Bass – Ron de la Vega
Keyboards – Jimmy Waldo
Recorded by – Brian Levi
Writers – Steve Rosen/Ron de la Vega
09. Hold the Night
Vocals – Mona Moore
Guitars – Steve Rosen
Keyboards – Steve Vonderheide
Writers – Steve Vonderheide/Steve Rosen
10. Still On My Mind (Second Vers)
Vocals – Laura Creamer
Guitars – Steve Plunkett
Keyboards – Steve Plunkett
Produced by – Steve Plunkett
Writers – Steve Plunkett/Steve Rosen
11. The Other Side
Vocals – Jamie St. James
Guitars/bass – Marc Ferrari
Writers – Steve Rosen/Marc Ferrari
12. Word of Honor
Vocals – Mona Moore
Keyboards – Jimmy Waldo
Recorded by – Jimmy Waldo
Writers – Jimmy Waldo/Steve Rosen
13. Thinking Is A Dangerous Game
Vocals – Greg Edelman
Guitars – Steve Rosen
Bass/keyboards – Ron de la Vega
Recorded by – Brian Levi
Writers – Steve Rosen/Ron de la Vega
14. Island In The Sun (New Inst. of Alcatrazz song)
Jimmy Waldo – All Instruments
Writer – Jimmy Waldo
15. Fire Burns Twice
Paul Shortino – Vocals
Paul Shortino – Guitar
Jimmy Waldo – Keybords
Drum Programming Jimmy Waldo
Writers – Jimmy Waldo/Paul Shortino
16. Too Far Gone
Vocals – Desi Rexx (D’Molls)
Guitars – Danny Johnson
Jimmy Waldo – Keyboards
Writers – Danny Johnson/Steve Rosen/Desi Rexx
17. Death Of A Kiss
Vocals – Mona Moore
Guitars – Steve Rosen
Bass/keyboards – Ron de la Vega
Programming – Jimmy Waldo
Recorded by – Jimmy Waldo
Writers – Steve Rosen/Ron de la Vega
PRE-ORDER BONUS DOWNLOAD TRACKS:
Runaway Fire
Vocals – Billy Trudel
Guitars – Danny Johnson (Private Life, Steppenwolf)
Bass – Danny Johnson
Keyboards – Jimmy Waldo
Recorded by – Jimmy Waldo
Writers – Jimmy Waldo/Steve Rosen
Voice From the Past
Vocals – Ralph Morman
Guitars – Steve Rosen
Bass/keyboards – Ron de la Vega
Writers – Steve Rosen/Ron de la Vega
'Ice' featuring JEFF SCOTT SOTO – Vocals, BOB KULICK – Guitar, JIMMY WALDO – Keyboards. (Writers: Jimmy Waldo / Jeff Scott Soto / Arlene Matza)
AFM Records proudly announces the signing of Finnish melodic metal act ARION. The band led by guitarist Iivo Kaipainen, been around since 2011, when all members (most of them students of the Sibelius musical high school in Helsinki) were still teenagers. In 2013 ARION entered the limelight for the first time when participating in Finland's Eurovision Song Contest qualifiers with their song “Lost". The then unknown band ended up on a sensational #5 and shortly after was offered a deal by a Finnish label.
ARION's debut album “Last Of Us" was released to critical acclaim in 2014, delivering an extremely mellow up-to-date melodic/power metal in the tradition of Finnish metal greats such as Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica. In the past few years ARION have stood busy with live shows and working on new material for their upcoming album, so the band's sophomore opus, titled “Life Is Not Beautiful", will be released on October 19th (CD, Digipak with 3 bonus tracks, Vinyl).
Tracklisting:
01. The End Of The Fall
02. No One Stands In My Way
03. At The Break Of Dawn (feat. Elize Ryd)
04. The Last Sacrifice
05. Through Your Falling Tears
06. Unforgivable
07. Punish You
08. Life Is Not Beautiful
09. Last One Falls
10. Last Of Us (2018) – bonus track on Digipak
11. Seven (2018) – bonus track on Digipak
12. I Am The Storm (2018) – bonus track on Digipak
After a self-imposed exile from the music industry and the public eye, heralded guitarist Jake E. Lee (Ozzy Osbourne, Badlands) returned with a fresh new band, Red Dragon Cartel in 2014. Now, Jake and RDC are back with their new album “Patina”, which is set for release November 9th via Frontiers Music Srl.
Jake’s 2014 comeback was greeted with much enthusiasm from the fans and media alike and the virtuoso guitarist is back once again to grace the rock world with his unbridled skill! With an extremely talented band featuring Anthony Esposito on bass (ex-Lynch Mob), Phil Varone (ex-Saigon Kick, Skid Row) on drums and returning vocalist Darren Smith (Harem Scarem) backing him up, Jake has delivered the album fans have been eager to hear since Badlands dissolved years ago.
In addition to being the new bassist for Red Dragon Cartel, Anthony Esposito co-produced the album alongside Jake E. Lee. “I think we had a great production partnership. He never discouraged me from trying things that were a bit outside the box, in fact he encouraged it. His attention to detail in the recording of everything was exceptional. Much more than I alone would have toiled over. He has an incredible work ethic that kept me from lapsing into complacency. If we disagreed on how something should be, we'd find a perfect marriage of the two sides, or completely reimagine it. We didn't settle on anything unless we both agreed it was perfect. If I do another album, I'd love it to be with him again,” says Lee.
Another new member to Red Dragon Cartel is drummer Phil Varone, whose style Lee really appreciated. “Phil is a very solid and groove oriented player, who is not afraid to turn things upside down to give the song a more unique flavor," explains Lee.
“Patina” marks a change of style from the debut Red Dragon Cartel album, going more bluesy hard rock as opposed to the debuts heavier leanings. Remarks Lee, “The first album was more of a piecemeal production with some of the song ideas being 10 years old, and never having more than one player in the room at any time. I wanted to do this one from scratch with all the songs originating and worked on with everyone in the room, on their instruments. It felt much more organic, like the way I used to do it for the first 20 years of my career, more honest to my roots.”
When asked about his musical inspirations for the record, Jake muses, “[m]y inspirations for ‘Patina’ are from the artists I loved during my youth. Robin Trower, Santana, Black Sabbath, Captain Beyond, Thin Lizzy, Grand Funk Railroad, David Bowie ... I could go on and on, but let me also say that there are also hints of Sly & the Family Stone, Dick Dale, psychedelia and even some George Benson. Don't let any of that scare you, it all makes sense!”
“Patina” is a definitive statement of Jake’s unbelievable skills with a monster production from Esposito and a perfect mix, courtesy of Max Norman, whose relationship with Jake dates back to his days with Ozzy Osbourne.
Get ready, “Patina” is coming and with it, Jake E. Lee is BACK!
Tracklisting:
1. Speedbag
2. Havana
3. Crooked Man
4. The Luxury Of Breathing
5. Bitter
6. Chasing Ghosts
7. A Painted Heart
8. Punchclown (Bonus Track - Physical Albums Only)
Blurring the lines between past and present, the retro-world and modern society, AOR, Melodic Rock and Heavy Metal, OUTLOUD release their first video-single out of their forthcoming album "VHS:Virtual Hero Society" (Rock Of Angels Records)
According to the band: "We love the whole new retro wave but on the other hand we don't live in the past. This video is representative of how the new OUTLOUD album sounds like: it's old but fresh, it's melodic but heavy, it's something familiar yet completely new. Somewhere between Guns & Roses, Annihilator, Eclipse and Iron Maiden we feel that we have evolved our personal sound and have contributed to the world metal scene with a really strong album. "Virtual Heroes" is definitely one of the less obvious melodic/arena rock/AOR video-singles; the album is full of them. We just wanted to make a difference and a statement."
WAR OF THRONES, featuring former members of Crimson Glory and Rob Rock, have released a new music video, 'Savior', from their debut album. The album, Conflict In Creation, hit stores worldwide on March 9 via Sonic Night Music Club.
Forged in steel, WAR OF THRONES was formed when iconic vocalist Wade Black and virtuoso guitarist Rick Renstrom joined forces in 2012. Previously, the two had worked together in LEASH LAW releasing Dogface in 2005.
Wade is no stranger to metal. For more than two decades, Wade has thrilled audiences worldwide fronting such legendary metal bands as Crimson Glory, Seven Witches, and Leatherwolf. Rick entered the scene in 2000, joining legendary vocalist Rob Rock's touring and recording band. Having toured around the world, hundreds of thousands have witnessed Rick’s incredible and inspiring guitar playing. Joining Wade and Rick is bass player Rich Marks (Vivaldi Metal Project) who delivers a booming low end and virtuosic moving lines along with former Yngwie Malmsteen drummer Patrick Johansson behind the drumkit.
Influential Rock Pioneer Drops from the Spotlight, Produces Celine Dion,
Returns 30 Years Later on His Own Terms with New Album 2.0 (October 19 / Megaforce), Featuring Re-recordings of His Biggest Hits
“I was like a ghost. I would always be there in the background, but I was never there in the foreground. I let the artists do that. And that was a plan.” - Aldo
A fit, handsome twentysomething in a leopard-print bodysuit exits a helicopter and is followed by armed guards toward some kind of warehouse. Entry is gained via a magical Gibson Les Paul, which, naturally, the young hero uses to fire laser beams at the door. Inside, he meets his band onstage and performs “Fantasy,” among the earliest staples on MTV, and one of the best and most perfect singles in rock history—a flawless balance of pop-metal craftsmanship, studio ingenuity and hard-earned musicianship, flaunting killer guitar leads and trailblazing synth parts.
“I don’t know what possessed me to wear a stripper’s leopard-print outfit,” Aldo Nova says today, chuckling. A remarkable record from start to finish, Also Nova can be understood in rock history as both an icon of its era and a profound but still unsung influence on things to come.
On October 19, the guitarist, vocalist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer will release his first new album release in over three decades. Titled 2.0 (Megaforce), it’s a collection of supercharged reinventions of six classic songs off his self-titled smash debut, plus one new original, “I’m a Survivor,” initially written for Foreigner singer Lou Gramm.
2.0 stands as a testament to the extraordinary integrity and continuing imagination of an uncompromising artist who would only make his comeback on his terms. “I thought, ‘I’m gonna become visible again when I have something to say, and when I have something that’s good enough that I can present it to my fans,’” Nova says. “Because that’s always been my priority.”
The idea for 2.0 was set in motion in late 2016. “When I turned 60, I told myself I was going to turn the page,” Nova says. “I realized I had to shut the book and write a completely new book.” He wanted to celebrate his debut’s 35th anniversary in some fashion, but rather than simply remaster and reissue the album, he thought to “bring the songs into the 22nd century.” He was sober, calm, confident, full of faith and in the best shape of his life. As it turned out, the angst, ego and hunger of his younger days were overrated.
A Montreal native, Nova was approached by a 15-year-old Celine Dion to producer her first album, and released Blood on the Bricks on Jon Bon Jovi’s Jambco label in 1991. It stood as the culmination of a long-running friendship and, as any knowledgeable rock fan might argue, a thank-you note of sorts: the rock superstar lifting up the personal hero whose sound provided the blueprint for his own hits.
Nova provided guitar, keys and background vocals for the demo of Bon Jovi’s first hit, “Runaway,” and ended up playing with an assemblage of session musicians throughout Bon Jovi’s 1984 self-titled debut. Nova’s imprint is also all over Jon Bon Jovi’s debut solo album, Blaze of Glory—especially the chart-topping title track, on which Nova’s writing and producing went uncredited but were absolutely essential.
Blood on the Bricks was released alongside “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and the landscape changed completely. “Nirvana was amazing,” he says. “Just the way Kurt Cobain could rip his own soul out when he sang.”
Over the next three decades, Nova’s journey would take him through great professional highs and painful personal lows, and eventually into self-discovery and spiritual contentment. He decided again to focus on his roles as a writer, producer and session musician, capitalizing on the goodwill he’d generated in the industry to put food on the table for his family.
During the ’90s and 2000s, in addition to tracks for popular foreign-language artists, Nova collaborated with Jon Bon Jovi, Faith Hill and Clay Aiken (he co-wrote his hit “This Is the Night”), and did hugely successful work with Celine Dion. In 1997, Nova won a Grammy for Dion’s blockbuster album Falling Into You—“It’s a paperweight,” he laughs; “what I do today is what counts”—and co-produced/co-wrote later Dion singles like the global smash “A New Day Has Come” and “You and I,” the latter chosen as Hillary Clinton’s campaign song in 2008.
Canadian music-industry bigwig Paola Simonetto became the love of Nova’s life, as well as his advocate and catalyst. Simonetto continues to inspire and support Nova, though not from this earthly plane. “During the time that I was working on 2.0, my wife was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer,” he explains. “I managed to finish the album right before she passed away on Christmas Day. I still was able to take care of every doctor’s appointment, every chemo treatment. I was cooking and cleaning and at night I worked on my album.
“She always had very good ears. She gave me a lot of pointers on what to do with the music and what not to do,” he continues. “She was a big part of why 2.0 sounds as good as it does.”
“With 2.0, my goal has already been achieved, as far as I’m concerned,” Nova says. “I wanted to beat the 1.0 to death. The second thing is to reintroduce my music to the old fans, and play to a new generation of fans who just developed an interest. I don’t think that young generation has heard music like this ever before. I’m on top of my game now. I’m ready for it.”
