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Monday, June 14, 2010

Rock News for Monday 14th June, 2010

Yes, I know ... Where's the news Al?! It's here, sorry it's late on Monday ...
Been a busy rest of the weekend after my last post folks, a couple of interviews too that will be shared as soon as I can get them wrapped up.
Still trying to get you the Gil Moore one from May up here, but with all the CD's / DVD's I'm trying to wrap up, there's just not enough hours in the day folks!
I know, England were huge disappointment to so many of us, but I have to say, the USA team didn't deserve to lose, so all in all, England were lucky to get a draw if you ask me ... Anyway, Friday will show us if they are up to it or not ... 
So, on with the news! Happy days!

Tony Iommi Announces Dio Tribute Gig

14th June 2010 -
“The Devil You Know” won Best Album at the Metal Hammer Awards this evening.

While accepting the award on behalf of Heaven and Hell, Tony Iommi announced they would be performing a tribute to Ronnie James Dio at the High Voltage Festival next month (Saturday 24th July). Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice will take to the stage with guest singers and perform a 60 minute set of songs in memory of the band’s lead singer who sadly lost his fight against stomach cancer last month. Proceeds from their performance will be going to the Ronnie James Dio “Stand Up and Shout” Cancer Fund (http://www.ronniejamesdio.com/).

For tickets and further information please visit:
http://www.highvoltagefestival.com/
http://www.iommi.com/index.php


 Frontiers Records to release a TERRY BROCK second solo album “Diamond Blue”


Napoli, June 2010 – Frontiers Records will release on August 27th in Europe and September 14th in the USA “Diamond Blue”, the anticipated second solo album from the gifted singer Terry Brock.
Best known as current vocalist in the Melodic Rock titans Giant, Terry has also recently announced to rejoin Strangeways, the legendary British AOR band that launched his name in the spotlight in the late 80’s, for the recording of a brand new album.

Still, in between these two very important milestone albums in the melodic rock year, Terry managed to complete “Diamond Blue” in collaboration with renowned guitarist / producer / songwriter Mike Slamer. The two of them have already worked together in Seventh Key and on the Slamer album “Nowhere Land” and have already showed the world the magic that the combination of their talent can achieve. “I had been working with Mike on Seventh Key and Slamer, so it was a natural progression. I begged him, basically, to do it !!” states Terry “I wouldn't have wanted anyone else !!”

In “Diamond Blue” the two of them explore a more classic Melodic Rock sonic landscape which showcases Terry’s vocal abilities in its most natural environment. Still, when Mike Slamer’s around you can’t help but having some roaring guitars and riveting guitar solos. All this, combined with a brilliant songwriting, builds up a fabulous release which is already very much talked and anticipated by the legions of Melodic Rock fans around the world. “Diamond Blue” also includes a song “Jessie’s Gone” written by Terry with Strangeways’ guitar player Ian Stewart.

“This record” says Terry, “is the end result of years of very hard, fun work. It is the solo CD that I've always wanted to make, but never thought I could make. Mike pushed me to be better as a singer, songwriter and musician, and I believe the results show that. It is very representative of where I'm at as an artist now and I'm particularly happy that I could involve a lot of friends in the recording process”.

Terry Brock’s musical career started as a background vocalist on Kansas album "Drastic Measures" in 1983. On that session he met Neil Kernon (the producer of the record) who subsequently turned out to be very important in Terry’s career. He also toured with Kansas in support of that album, playing guitar and doing background vocals. Before joining the legendary british Melodic Rock outfit Strangeways, Terry toured extensively with the Steve Morse Band, playing guitar and singing. Strangeways, of course, were Terry's best known experience in the music business. With them he recorded two albums on BMG / RCA: "Native Sons" and "Walk In the Fire".
With Strangeways he toured extensively around the whole of Europe garnering the band a reputation as one of the best UK based AOR bands ever and for himself the mantle of being the real heir to Steve Perry's (of Journey) throne. After he left Strangeways he moved to New York working mainly with famed producer Neil Kernon, who hired him to sing background vocals on albums by bands such as Aviator, Heaven's Edge, Valentine, Britny Fox and Michael Bolton. After a few years spent in Nashville, he came back on the scene taking part in the Melodic Rock supergroup The Sign and later with Seventh Key (both featuring Kansas bassist/singer Billy Greer) and Slamer. He recently joined Giant as replacement for Dann Huff on vocals on the acclaimed “Promise Land” album and he is currently working on the recording of the anticipated Strangeways reunion CD scheduled for a fall release on Frontiers.

“Diamond Blue” final tracklisting includes:
Diamond Blue; It’s You; Jessie’s Gone; No More Mr. Nice Guy; The Rain; Broken; Face in the Crowd; Why; Too Young; Soldier Falls; Face The Night.

The songs “Diamond Blue” and “Jessie’s Gone” can exclusively be listened in full in streaming on the Frontiers Web radio from June 13th. Tune in at: www.frontiers.it/webradio

Musicians
Terry Brock: vocals, guitar
Mike Slamer: guitars, bass, keyboards
Andy Bigan: drums

Weblinks:

Whitesnake wine anyone?

OK, so in my younger years, I remember drinking Snakebite - A mix of Lager and Cider for those who don't know, often finished off with a splash of blackcurrant as the venom! - which often was the cause of many a rough morning, sometimes a rough night, but what about a fully fledged Whitesnake bottle of wine?
Indeed, it seems where a band thinks there's a market these days, they'll ..., erm, take advantage of it!
Let's face it, Kiss have ripped everyone off for years with their extreme, beyond belief sometimes - Kiss coffin / casket?! - and even Styx in recent years have been selling Styx coffee ... Sigh!
OK, without further ado, here you have it, the Whitesnake Zinfandel press release!


Whitesnake & Dennis de la Montanya are proud to present
The Whitesnake Zinfandel 2010

"Its a bodacious, cheeky little wine, filled to the brim with the spicy essence of sexy, slippery Snakeyness... I recommend it to complement any & all grown up friskiness & hot tub jollies ...
Is This Love?... I believe it is..."

The Whitesnake Zinfandel 2010 wine will be available in most US states after July 1 and available internationally shortly thereafter.

Iron Maiden - El Dorado Update / Pre-order details - The Final Frontier

This news update from Maiden's website:
Demand for Iron Maiden’s free download of the forthcoming album track EL DORADO has been phenomenal. So much so, we regret that some visitors might have had trouble in accessing the site during the first couple of days. Now the traffic has eased off there should be no problems in grabbing your download if you haven’t already done so. Don’t forget we have an exclusive offer to pre-order a digital version of the album at a very special price. Grab it while you can as the offer closes Monday 21st June.

The upcoming new studio album THE FINAL FRONTIER was recorded at Compass Point Studios in Nassau. Producer Kevin “Caveman” Shirley reports “Each of the guitar players has a very much more distinct sound on this record. The textures sound quite different to each other. It’s nothing that I’m doing any differently, it’s what they’re doing differently, a spectacular landscape they’re painting for themselves”.

10 tracks and 76 minutes of Maiden Metal in overdrive.

 Robin Trower - 2011 US Tour Update


An update from Robin Trower's website regarding his next US tour:

Good news US Trower fans ...! We are booking the Robin Trower 2011 US tour.
The current plan sees the tour starting in Florida in February, cutting across Texas to California and up the West coast, finishing in Seattle in April. Then Robin will take a break, and will start again in Chicago in June, going thru the midwest, and finishing in the Northeast at the end of July.

The Agency is soliciting offers, and as shows are confirmed, we will post them in the tours section.
Robin has asked Davey Pattison, Glenn Letsch and Pete Thompson to join him on the 2011 US tour, which will feature some new songs from the CD that is being recorded now, along with some musical surprises.

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