Record cover Ioannis (Deep Purple, Sepultura, Uriah Heep, Yngwie Malmsteen, Dream Theater, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Biohazard, Styx, ) checks in from his studio:
“Hello to all my Fates Warning friends and supporters, I am happy to announce that I will be redesigning the new expanded limited edition package of APSOG to be released in the fall, it will feature a lot of extra music by the band, and also a number of never before seen images. It was a joy to reconnect with this project after so many years to listen to the music again and have a chance to develop the themes more properly this time around.
Intelligent Music Project III Releases New Single & Video MIND PROJECTION feat. John Payne & Drum Legend Simon Phillips From Forthcoming Touching the Divine Album
Sofia, Bulgaria - A year after releasing the all-star project My Kind O' Lovin' producer and composer Milen Vrabevski returns to fulfill, as earlier claimed, his promise and ambition with Intelligent Music Project III - Touching the Divine. The new album features session legends Simon Phillips and Tim Pierce, and Nathan East courtesy of YEG. Тhe production concept relies again on two project launchers - guest stars John Payne (ex-Asia) and Toto's Joseph Williams. Says Joseph, It's wonderful to explore working with Milen. The project has a wonderful message, accompanied with some beautiful music and some great rock 'n' roll the musicians in this projecct are top-noch.
Musically Touching the Divine delivers a thrilling example of straightforward songwriting combined with rich and layered sound and gently executed dynamic spins. The first single MIND PROJECTION is a melodic and energetic slice of AOR, scored with John Payne's powerful vocal arrangement and virtuoso instrumental charge, that lets you in deeper to the magic ingredient of this sophisticated project. Bass great Nathan East and fabulous Simon Phillips stamp their own authority in this piece, as well on the record throughout.
Watch the video:
Full creative input by all guest stars in the project. Recording sessions took place at Simon Phillips' Phantom recordings (Williams, Pierce, Phillips and East) and at Intelligent Music Studios in Sofia (Payne, Pierce and vocals from Carl Sentance, recently appointed as Nazareth's lead singer). Says Simon, Music is an universal language. It's really a blessing to have the opportunity to work with musicians from around the world.
MIND PROJECTION brings together once again the positive idea of the producer and composer Milen Vrabevski, that following the true excitement of our hearts and souls will give us the key to living a conscious live and to spiritual satisfaction, we often call happiness. Says Nathan, This project is very special to me, because of the nature of the message of the project. I was very inspired and happy with the idea, because the message has value and meaning and I am about that. The word 'inspirational' is what I use to describe this project.
John Payne, who continues his 14 year legacy as ASIA Featuring John Payne says, Doing this project with Milen - it has been great, really - these songs have a lot of structure and melody. It's a very mature project, it's a very intelligent project for the mind.
Says Milen Vrabevski, I believe we managed to deliver an astonishing sound once again and it will delight the ears and sound systems of hardcore rockers all around the world. Bearing in mind the top-noch level of our guest stars, I allowed myself mainly to record the acoustic guitar of the first single MIND PROJECTION. The video was shot in Bulgaria by Vasil Stefanov, a very prolific and talented video director. The explicit idea was to show the level of collaboration and collective effort of all featuring musicians, which I believe, would be one of the most intriguing aspects for the music fans.
Says Tim Pierce, "My DNA is 'a rock player'. Musically, this project is fun, because it travels a lot of different places."
"I really enjoyed working with Milen in his studio. There is a great sense of depth in his songs. We tried to get the best of my voice." (Carl Sentance)
Intelligent Music Project III - Touching the Divine is coming out in late September 2015.
The coming album is to bring us to the subject of the essence of life. It directs to searching for this special place within our souls that brings the spiritual satisfaction we often call happiness. It is our source of love and creation, balance and harmony. This place is the Divine in us all (Milen Vrabevski, MD)
Intelligent Music Project III - Touching the Divine
Author and producer - Milen Vrabevski, MD
Featuring:
Simon Phillips - drums and percussion
Nathan East (appears courtesy of Yamaha Entertainment Group) - bass
John Payne - lead & backing vocals
Joseph Williams - lead & backing vocals
Carl Sentance - backing vocals & ad-lib, lead vocal part on 7
Tim Pierce - guitars
All: Invaluable full creative input!
Previous albums by the same author, featuring Simon Phillips, Joseph Williams & John Lawton are IMP I & II, respectively titled The Power of Mind & My Kind O'Lovin'
This week on the Double Stop Podcast is Producer/Engineer/Mixer Wyn Davis (Dokken, Great White, Dio, Foreigner, Heaven & Hell).
Wyn Davis walks us through his career, from his early days in production, to working with Dokken, Dio and Foreigner. We learn how he became Ronnie James Dio's favorite recording engineer, and shares his experiences working with Ronnie in both Dio and Heaven & Hell.
Legendary songwriter/producer Desmond Child guests on this week's episode of the Decibel Geek podcast. In this hour-plus talk, Desmond looks back on his early days as a performer in the NY-based disco group Desmond Child and Rouge. This band was a favorite of KISS singer/guitarist Paul Stanley, who used to frequent the band's live shows. A friendship was struck as well as gold when the two collaborated on 'I Was Made for Lovin' You', a Top 10 smash that spanned the globe. Desmond's career in writing/producing took off from there. While the songwriting partnership with Stanley was harmonious, his dealings with the other boss of KISS, Gene Simmons, have been more complex. 'There was one point where they decided they weren't going to have any co-writers on their records. So, they made a big deal out of it because suddenly I was co-writing with KISS and Bon Jovi and Alice Cooper and Joan Jett and having #1 songs and they said 'Well, we have to go against the grain.' Gene started saying, 'Well, we're recording at our studio but we have guards outside the door to keep Desmond Child out.' I was so pissed off. It's like 'Hey guys, I helped to make you richer than you already were, you know? Why would you do that? You're hurting my feelings. If you're gonna attack somebody, attack the other bands (laughs), not the guy that's helped you. I was so hurt. I actually didn't write with them for a very long time after that. But, I came back to write on Paul's solo record. We wrote a great song called 'Live to Win'.'
While that early 90's quote from Simmons stung, Child has gone on to forge a friendship with the long-tongued rock legend. 'Now he's kind of a mentor to me. I'll ask him questions and he emails me right back. Because he has so much experience in every genre; film, television, records. He like an encyclopedia of wealth, of information; especially business-wise. He's a genius.'
While working with Rouge, Child used his songwriting prowess to help work through a big transition in his personal life during the making of the band's sophomore album Runners in the Night. 'It was all about my relationship with Maria because we had started the group together and we were together and then I fell in love with a guy and then realized I was really more gay than I was straight. The first song on that album's called 'The Truth Comes Out' and it's all about my coming out. We thought 'Well let's just put our lives into the music.'
While Desmond Child's songwriting credit list is impressive, boasting over 300 million in sales, his take on the current state of streaming music is sobering. 'Jon (Bon Jovi), Richie (Sambora), and I get 6 million streams on Pandora every quarter on average for 'Livin on a Prayer'; just the one song. Imagine all the other streams we're getting. Yeah, but we got a big check for $110.00 to split amongst the three of us and our publishers. The record companies get 96% of the money and we get 4% because they got in there and made deals and they bought into these companies and frankly, we got dicked. We've gotta turn that around. That's what the Songwriters Equity Act is that's coming through Congress this year. It's to re-establish the 50/50 licensing model for all music usages.'
Also sobering is Desmond's take on the future of terrestrial radio. 'Terrestrial radio will die. It's on its way out, it's over. The whole country of Norway just stopped stopped terrestrial radio; it went digital. So, Sweden's next, then the rest of Europe, then pretty soon the UK. It's gonna be here (USA) too and in Canada. In 10 years there will be no terrestrial radio. There will be no AM. There will be no FM and if it's tilted in that direction where we get 4% and they get 96%, it really hurts the music because people aren't going to choose this as a career. Think about this, when I came to Nashville in 1991, there were over 5,000 signed writers to publishing companies within the 440-Circle (interstate that surrounds Nashville). At last count, there were 237. In 20 years, that's how much music has diminished.'
While his resume is filled with superstars that have provided the soundtrack of millions of lives, Child looks back especially fondly at a songwriting session at a small house in New Jersey with two young rockers that would yield a massive anthem still spun by millions today. 'I rented a car and drove to NJ and went to this little house that was on the edge of a marsh. On the other side of the marsh, like Emerald City, was this oil refinery. It was like the most toxic place on Earth and that's where Richie (Sambora) lived. I had a title in my back pocket; You Give Love a Bad Name. Jon (Bon Jovi) loved that. He had a song on (7800) Farenheit, because he's very resourceful, called 'Shot Through the Heart.' So we started the song with 'Shot through the heart and you're to blame. You give love a bad name.' And history was made.'
The full talk with Desmond Child can be heard via the following links:
The Decibel Geek Podcast, hosted by Chris Czynszak and Aaron Camaro has been in existence since 2011 and releases new episodes every Monday covering hard rock and heavy metal. The official site for the Decibel Geek podcast is at http://www.decibelgeek.com
Gary sits down with Mitch to discuss his band's performance at Heavy Montreal in August, the 25th Pornograffitti Anniversary tour, their upcoming live album & DVD, making new music, his band HURTSMILE, working with Nuno Bettencourt, addresses the recent Eddie Van Halen (Billboard) interview, working on a second Van Halen album (the follow-up to the Van Halen III) and working with Madonna songwriter Patrick Leonard, did Michael Anthony play on VH III, working with producer Michael Wagener, the importance of having a producer, working on the KISS My Ass (tribute to KISS album) and reveals which song Gene Simmons wanted them to record (from The Elder), Dream Theater' Mike Magini's time with the band, and much much more.
Quote from the interview:
On new Extreme music: "There will be new music. It's important for the band and the fans have been asking for it. We are long overdue."
On the second (yet unreleased) Gary Cherone - Van Halen album: "Patrick Leonard (Madonna's songwriter) came up to 5150 and we wrote a couple of songs with him, but most of the demos were just me and Eddie. The two songs were did with him (Patrick Leonard) were actually really good. There was some real good stuff."
"The whole Sammy/Michael thing... I love Mike. He's an underrated bass player in a band with two virtuosos. Even Alex gets overshadowed by Eddie."
On Michael Anthony needing to be shown how to play by Eddie Van Halen: "There was never a video camera and Michael played on VH III. Michael was a rock on the VH 3 tour."
Speaking of Extreme's bassist Pat Badger: "We call Pat Badger the poor man's Michael Anthony."
This episode is co-hosted by FIREHOUSE guitarist, Bill Leverty (who discusses Firehouse's plan for a 25th Anniversary Firehouse [1st album] tour).
UK rockers NEWMAN are set to release the follow up to 2013's acclaimed "Siren" album.
The new album entitled "The Elegance Machine" continues in the same vein as its predecessor, combining powerful hard edged rock with massive hooks.
Songs set for inclusion are : "The Suit (Skyscraper)", "The Elegance Machine", "Don't Stay Lonely", "Illuminate", "Confess", "Halo", "One Good Reason", "Prayer For Apollo", "Send Us Salvation", "Pretender Surrender", "She Walks In Silence" and "Scars".
"The Elegance Machine" will be released through the AOR Heaven label in August
You can also catch the band live at their only date in the UK this year:
29th August - Andover, UK - The Station
63 Bridge Street, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 1BY
Tel: 01264 336585 http://www.stationinnandover.co.uk/
They will also be playing the "Just Say Yes" festival in January 2016 with more dates to follow.
From TMZ: Deen Castronovo's recent arrest for domestic violence is much worse than we thought ... he's now been charged with rape ... TMZ has learned.
The Journey drummer had been arrested earlier this month for domestic violence related charges involving his wife, but now the D.A. has added new charges -- rape, sexual abuse, coercion and unlawful use of a weapon.
Castronovo is being held without bail in Marion County, Oregon.
Drummer Deen Castronovo was arraigned Tuesday, on several charges, including rape and sexual assault, in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident on June 14.
Castronovo, 50, appeared in a suicide smock at the Marion County Courthouse Annex where he was formally charged with five counts of fourth-degree assault, one count of first-degree rape, two counts of menacing, one count of unlawful use of a weapon, one count of second-degree assault, one count of second-degree sex abuse, one count of coercion, one count of second-degree criminal mischief, and three counts of contempt of court, according to the indictment.
Court documents indicate Castronovo, who is the drummer for the rock band Journey, was arrested on a grand jury indictment Monday in Salem. The indictment indicates the alleged abuse took place between April 25, 2015, and June 29, 2015. He is scheduled to appear before the judge July 1st.
Stala & So are back with album number three, this album recorded more towards Melodic Rock with bigger hooks and massive choruses!!
Release Date: 21st August 2015
Track list: I Need More / When The Night Falls / Headlong / Now N' Everyday / I Can See It In Your Eyes / Shine Out / Living For Today / The Girl With Guilty Eyes / You Don't Mind (Devil In Disguise) / Goodbye
Sampsa Stala ' Lead Vocals (Kita - ex Lordi, Finland)
Nick Gore ' Bass, vocals
Sami J. ' Lead Guitars, Vocals
Pete Vaughn ' Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Rudy Fabritius ' Drums, Percussion
Founded in 1997, Stala & So. is known for melodic rock tunes and a positive attitude.
The band has had the freedom to follow their own direction with their music and live performances while entertaining audiences and gathering lots of fans from all over the world along the way. The 70's and 80's glam rock bands, such as Sweet, T-Rex and Ziggy Stardust -era David Bowie, have had a strong influence on the band's image. Stala & So. is making music professionally and also having fun with it. The late Finnish comedian, Spede Pasanen, said: "The main thing is to have FUN!". This has been, and continues to be, the guideline for the band as well.
In the beginning of 2011 the band became familiar to the Finnish tv-viewing people by taking part in the Finnish Eurovision Song Contest. They made their way to the national finals. There is also one ESC 2006 winner in the band's line up. After the Eurovision show it was time for the Finnish release of their self-written, -recorded and -produced debut album "It Is So."
On October 24th the Japanese record company, King Records, released the It Is So. album in Japan and South-East Asia. The German-based music company, Music Buy Mail, released the album in Europe and South America on September. In the fall of 2011 the band recorded five new songs and those were released as an EP, titled "Gimme Five".
In 2013 Stala and so. Signed with Escape Music and released the CD 'Play Another Round' which is exciting catchy, vibrant music that fits in well with the modern rock scene today. There is no doubt that this Finnish band excel in bouncy hard melodic rock with unforgettable chorus lines. Their new CD for 2015 is simply self-titled and it extends their music to another level, this new album recorded more towards the melodic hard rock with bigger hooks and massive choruses are remained etched in your mind after just one play.
Stala and So. are like a breath of fresh air that put a whole new perspective on today's ever changing rock music scene.
