Thursday, December 15, 2011

News Update for Thursday 15th December, 2011

Sad days in the Great White camp, with two conflicting announcements 


There appears to be an element of chaos surrounding the 80's band, Great White right now.
Over the past almost two years now, the band has been moving along without original vocalist, Jack Russell, following Russell's ongoing battles with health issues of one sort or another.
Russell is an incredible vocalist, which he has proven countless times live for almost thirty years, but the man has had problems, as have so many characters in the game and specifically from the 80's era.

Russell saw fit to make an announcement, to the whole world this past weekend through Facebook on his pending return to Great White .., only it was with a completely new band.
Well, OK, not completely new as the line up included some former if short lived, members of the band from the various different line ups over the years, that for the most part, have more or less, featured just Russell as the constant original member.

This was the statement put out by Jack Russell:

   To all my friends: Just wanted to announce that I will be coming back with my band Great White and a BRAND NEW line up.

My new band mates are some of the most incredible musicians I have ever had the privilege to play with, Matthew Johnson former guitarist for Great White, Derrick Pontier former drummer for Great White, Dario Seixas former Bassist for Firehouse and the Stephen Pearcy Band, and Robby Lochner former Guitarist for Rob Halford's Band and Cherie Currie.  

I am very excited about this new beginning. I am feeling better than ever, despite any rumors you may hear to the contrary. Unfortunately, and as confusing as it will be, my former band mates and their manager have decided to continue to tour next year under the name I created, Great White.
I will be touring under the name Great White featuring Jack Russell, to try avoid any confusion. So now the true fans will know the difference. I will be announcing tour dates as soon as they become available. Our first performance will be at the Pre-NAMM Jam January 14 2012.
Only shows advertised as Great White featuring Jack Russell will include myself on vocals.
I have missed all of you terribly and look forward to seeing you all on the road. You have no idea how much your love and devotion has meant to me during what has been one of the hardest periods of my life.
Happy Holidays! Much peace and love to you and your families. Have a blessed New Year. Yours as always, Jack Russell, founder and lead vocalist, Great White PS. JACK IS BACK!!!!!!!!
Source:


Suffice to say, the band that has been touring as Great White in Russell's absence, that at one point featured the now late Jani Lane RIP (Ex-Warrant), has decided to make a crystal clear statement on the situation of the 'official' current line up of Great White.
Read on:



Press Release:
Official Great White Statement Regarding Jack Russell Announcement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OFFICIAL STATEMENT REGARDING JACK RUSSELL ANNOUNCEMENT


First and foremost, our main concern is our fans. We have
spent 30 years trying to be the best we can be and bring our fans the top
quality of music they have become accustomed to and deserve. It
saddens us today to have to respond to Jack Russell's announcement.

Jack Russell announced on Facebook on Saturday, December 10, 2011 that
he was returning to Great White with a new line-up.
This was a complete shock to the entire Great White Family.

This couldn’t be further from the truth.

As we all know Jack Russell has been fighting drug and
alcohol abuse for many years. He has had numerous stints in and out of
treatment facilities and hospitals.

In 2010 Jack’s physical condition deteriorated to the
point that he routinely fell on and off stage, forgot lyrics and we had to
cancel shows due to his inability to perform. In the past two years, Jack has
had five major surgeries and has almost died three times. His drug abuse was
so bad that his body began to shut down and ultimately resulted in colostomy
surgery from a perforated bowel (he nearly died during this procedure).
The colostomy surgery saved his life, but vanquished him with a colostomy bag
for a year.

We stood by Jack; we supported his sobriety and eagerly awaited
his return.

Jack was first slated to return to Great White this past
summer. Unfortunately his frail body and his drug abuse prohibited this event. In
the following months, Jack had three more surgeries that delayed his return.
Finally, he chose February 2012 as his target return date.
We had five clear conditions for Jack’s return:

1. Jack had to be drug free. Off all Opiates, Methadone, Valium or Xanax.
2. Jack had to be off Prednisone (a steroid that ate away at Jack’s internal organs that
caused the perforated bowel).
3. Jack had to be sober and off crack cocaine and all alcohol.
4. Jack had to agree to weekly drug tests.
5. Jack must attend weekly meetings for AA and NA.

Last week Jack notified management he would not make it
back by February 2012. Jack referred to his doctor’s opinion that he would not
be ready. He had just started physical rehabilitation again and his legs and
back needed more rehab to handle the rigors of touring. Jack thought he would
be ready by May to start the summer touring season. However, he wasn’t sure if
he could be off the Methadone by then or ever. Management reiterated that he
had to be completely drug free for his return. He owed it to the fans.
He owed it to us. He owed to himself.

Out of nowhere, we all received an email on Saturday,
December 10, 2011 stating that he was coming back now and that he was starting
his own (a different lineup) Great White. As you can imagine, this was shocking
to say the least. We were saddened and hurt from this shocking announcement ..

We only want to do right by our fans. We aim to give
the best possible show and have every fan leave the show feeling they
got their monies worth. This band is sober and music is our passion. With
Jack Russell, not being drug free and unable to physically perform on stage. It
will only let down our fans.

Time and again, Jack Russell has let down his band and fans.
His addictions have ruined his life the past eight years. We will not sit by
and enable our brother to abuse alcohol and drugs to kill himself. We have lost
too many loved ones to this madness. After the passing of our dear friend, the
talented Jani Lane, it has become more evident that this has to stop. It must
end.

Since Jack’s departure in August 2010, Great White has
performed almost 100 concerts. We’ve had no shortened sets, cancellations or
song choice limitations due to vocal issues. In this struggling economy, fans
need and deserve more—not less. We owe it to our fans and the promoters to not
to allow Jack Russell and some garage band to hurt Great White’s classic rock
legacy and bright future.

Jack Russell does not have the right to start his own
Great White or use the name without our names in the lineup.
We will litigate any promoter that books ‘Jack Russell's Great White’ or uses
any logo featuring the name Great White.

We give you our word, we will continue through 2012 and
beyond to provide you with the top quality musical performances you have been
accustomed and deserve. We hope and pray that Jack gets healthy, happy and
sober. His health and well-being is the only thing that matters.

Keep Rocking, God Bless and Happy Holidays!

Mark, Audie, Michael, Scott and Terry

GREAT WHITE


Official band website:




Give it to me good!
TRIXTER are firing up the engines for their comeback album!

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the signing of TRIXTER for the worldwide release of the band’s reunion album in the spring of 2012!





Formed in Paramus, New Jersey during 1983, TRIXTER would learn their chops playing live in the club circuit around their hometown with the likes of SKID ROW and KIX, before eventually getting signed by Mechanic/MCA for their self-titled debut album in 1990, which spawned the Billboard Hits and #1 MTV Videos "Give It To me Good," "One in a Million" and "Surrender" and went on to become gold.
The band toured nationally during 1990-91 sold out arena tours with POISON, SCORPIONS and WARRANT. TRIXTER's second album, "Hear!," was released in October 1992, touring in support of KISS. Unfortunately the change of musical climate made it impossible for the band to keep going so, after the release of an independent covers album, the band called it quits in 1995.

TRIXTER finally announced the reunion of the original lineup in 2007. Since then the band played several shows, including a successful appearance at the Rocklahoma festival in 2008. 'The band has been playing together for the last 4 years, so making a new record is the next logical step,' tells guitarist Steve Brown. 'We are all very excited: the new cd will be entitled "New Audio Machine" and is a classic style Melodic Hard Rock album. All the sounds people have loved about TRIXTER will be there ... Great songs, big guitar riffs, catchy vocals and a huge bottom end. A total big rock production!!!'
TRIXTER are now formed by Pete Loran on lead vocals and guitar, Steve Brown on lead guitar, P.J. Farley on bass and Gus Scott on drums. 'We take pride in the fact that we are one of the few bands of our genre that have all original members,' says Brown.

With an arsenal of great new songs and a catalogue of two successful releases TRIXTER are looking forward to bring their songs on stage 'We are hoping to land a support slot on one of the major summer tours,' concludes Brown. 'And we finally hope to play our first European tour as well.'
Get ready for the return of TRIXTER !

Weblinks:



The new AOR dream rising from Sweden!
SONIC STATION to debut in February 2012 on Frontiers

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the signing to the label of a brand new Artist SONIC STATION for the release of their self titled debut album on February 24th 2012 in Europe and February 28th in North America.

SONIC STATION is a new Westcoast-AOR Project put together by Alexander Kronbrink (a Swedish guitarist, composer and producer). Alexander is a young musician who learned his skills playing with Smooth Jazz star Jonathan Fritzén. Later on – after being introduced to Lee Ritenour - Alexander started to see a clearer direction in his playing. Through Ritenour he discovered the music of such giants as Steely Dan, Kenny Loggins, composer and producer David Foster and guitarist Jay Graydon, among others. Alexander says: “I have always been interested in guitarists with the ability to play everything from Jazz, to Pop, to Country, to Hard Rock. I have listened a lot to American session guitarists such as Steve Lukather, Michael Landau and Dan Huff. I guess that type of guitar playing is what have influenced me the most.”



From the very beginning the SONIC STATION project has been based in the 80’s AOR music (influenced by Toto, Mr. Mister and Journey) and the West Coast-sound of Airplay and Chicago. The resulting album “SONIC STATION” is an expressive and warm record, where each song has an obvious and immediate hit feeling. “The focus is on melody and the SONIC STATION sound is a meticulous and exciting mixture of Pop, Rock and Jazz”, explains Kronbrink. To get the most quality out of each track Alexander, who composed ten of the songs and also produced and arranged the whole record, engaged four singers with different styles and voices: Marika Willstedt (from the Swedish TV show “Så ska det låta”), Magnus Bäcklund (member of the Swedish duo “Fame”), Kristoffer Fogelmark and Tove Lo.


There are many musicians working on the album but the three contributing the most are Alexander’s close friends Jonathan Fritzén (on keyboards – a smooth Jazz solo artist who reached #1 on the Billboard Indicator Smooth Jazz Chart), Henrik Linder (on bass – Dirty Loops, Work of Art) and Aron Mellergård (on drums – Dirty Loops). All of them are accomplished musicians and gave their contribution for the final result. “I definitely think SONIC STATION will have a life on stage and I expect that we will be able to do some shows in the coming months” concludes Alexander Kronbrink.

“Sonic Station” includes the following songs: Intro; Love's Gonna Show The Way
(Feat. Magnus Bäcklund); I Wish I Could Lie (Feat. Marika Willstedt); Hold On To Me (Feat. Kristoffer Fogelmark); You Have To Let Me Go (Feat. Tove Lo); The Most Beautiful Fear (Feat. Magnus Bäcklund); Running Through The Night (Feat. Marika Willstedt); Never Let The Sunshine Die (Feat. Kristoffer Fogelmark); My Last Refrain (Feat. Marika Willstedt); Love You More (Feat. Marika Willstedt and Kristoffer Fogelmark); Reasons (Feat. Marika Willstedt)

With SONIC STATION, Alexander Kronbrink has taken the 80’s into the future.

Weblinks:



SEBASTIAN BACH'S NEW VIDEO "TUNNELVISION"
HAS EXCLUSIVE WORLDWIDE PREMIERE ON REVOLVERMAG.COM

2012 INTERNATIONAL TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED
(New York, NY) - Mothertruckers, it's time for another Baz fix! 
Log on right now to Revolver Magazine's website, www.revolvermag.com, to witness the worldwide premiere of "TunnelVision," the next video from iconic rocker Sebastian Bach and his latest album KICKING & SCREAMING
Bach fans can also look forward to catching their idol back on the road in 2012 as new international tour dates have just been announced. 
Please see below for the itinerary, with more dates to be added.



Sebastian Bach's recently-released KICKING & SCREAMING debuted in the Top 75 of the Billboard Top 200 Album chart and has been receiving rave reviews from critics and fans alike. Outburn declared, "Sebastian Bach delivers a balls out gang of mountainous hooks, titanic grooves and straight down the middle hard rock", while Revolver avowed, "Bach's voice is in particularly fine form on KICKING & SCREAMING, boasting more color and range than most..." 
Bach was also named one of the 100 greatest living rock stars by Revolver and is featured in that issue on stands now. KICKING & SCREAMING features young virtuosic guitarist Nick Sterling and drum pro Bobby Jarzombek (Halford, Riot, Iced Earth), as well a guest appearance by noted guitarist John 5 (Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie) on the track "TunnelVision".

Sebastian Bach has sold in excess of 20 million records worldwide as lead singer with his former band, Skid Row and as a solo artist. Far from just being a multi-platinum recording artist, the singer/songwriter/actor/entertainer has expanded his career over the past decade to include episodic television with a 5-season recurring role on the CW's hit series "Gilmore Girls", starring roles on Broadway ("Jekyll & Hyde", "The Rocky Horror Picture Show") and national touring companies ("Jesus Chris Superstar"), and has appeared regularly on MTV and VH1.

Sebastian Bach on tour:
 FEBRUARY

1 Winston-Salem, NC Ziggy's
2 Baltimore, MD Rams Head
3 Toledo, OH The Omni
4 Mt. Clemens, MI The Hayloft
7 Cleveland, OH Peabody's
8 Lincolnshire, IL Cubby Bear
10 Fargo, ND The Venue At The Hub
11 Calgary, AB Chrome Showroom At Deerfoot
APRIL

12 Santiago, Chile Teatro Caupolican
13 Buenos Aires, Argentina Teatro Flores
14 Sao Paolo, Brazil Carioca Club
15 Porto Alegre, Brazil Opiniao

Bach on the web:


The Acoustic Saints Live Update!

Stan Bush’s new band, The Acoustic Saints, have announced their first live gig for 2012!
Catch them at the Hard Rock Hollywood (right on Hollywood Blvd!) on January 14th, 2012!




The band also features Chuck Wright (bass) and Rick Sailon (guitar/violin/mandolin).

The Acoustic Saints reinterpret Classic Rock tunes with a moody atmospheric vibe – catch ‘em live! Faves from the 70′s and 80′s, plus a a few surprises along the way make up the set the Saints are rehearsing for this first live appearance of the New Year!

Official sites:
http://stanbush.com
http://www.chuckwright.com
http://www.myspace.com/ricksailon
http://www.wix.com/acousticsaints/as#!




Metallica Update after 30th Anniversary celebrations come to an end

This message just posted at the band's website, from Metallica to their fans:

Last week we celebrated our 30th anniversary together with Fan Club members from around the world by playing four nights at the historic Fillmore in San Francisco . . . it was quite the bash each and every night! If you were able to join us at any or all of the parties, thanks for coming out to hang with us. And whether or not you were there, you may have heard that we added some unreleased tracks from the Death Magnetic sessions to the set list – one “new” song each night as part of the shenanigans on stage.



This week, we’re releasing those four tracks through iTunes exclusively in North America and on iTunes and additional digital retailers in other parts of the world as the Beyond Magnetic EP.
All four studio versions of these songs were sent to Met Club members for free immediately following their live debut on stage at the Fillmore and tomorrow they will be available to everyone via the magic of digital downloading. They are the rough mixes, unfinished to their original degree of mixing from March of 2008, and those of you with very keen senses of sound might recognize bits and pieces from the ‘Mission Metallica’ videos posted in the summer of 2008.

Thanks again to everyone who visited us in San Francisco. As Lars (Ulrich) mentioned at the end of the last show, we’ll be back here in January with an announcement about a special interactive fan event in June of 2012 . . . we may ask you to do a little traveling again!




BEYOND MAGNETIC TRACKLISTING:

1. Hate Train

2. Just A Bullet Away

3. Hell And Back

4. Rebel Of Babylon

Official band website:

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Update for Wednesday December 14th, 2011

Hi folks, sorry for no news updates today, there will be tomorrow I hope, but right now I’m trying to catch up with getting these interviews typed up for you.

Unfortunately, the guy that had said he should be able to help me with some ‘voice recognition’ stuff to get them addressed and up on the site quicker, has not had much luck …

I guess that’s the second time I’ve looked to get help with the site and it’s not worked out … I appreciate those two guys trying to help me out but ... I guess it wasn't meant to be ...
Looks like it's all just me then folks, but then that’s what you’re used to right?!

Ah well, time rolls on and there’s loads to try and get done and I’m working on those interviews during lunch at the day job so … Keep watching folks, hope to have something up for you tonight or tomorrow on the news updates. Maybe another CD review tomorrow or Friday, we’ll see …
By the way, serious I do appreciate you all coming back here and sharing with friends, the site has just passed 99,000 views and hopefully before the end of the year, it can reach the magic 100,000!

Cheers and thanks again for your continued support folks, keep on rockin', Al

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

News Update for Tuesday December 13th, 2011

Presenting ...
Resurgence of Rock
the new album from
BlancaWhite


BlancaWhite’s debut album, Resurgence of Rock, is a rallying cry, a call to arms for a global resurgence of the sounds that made rock n’ roll great! Resurgence of Rock is original, in-your-face, party-hardy, 70’s and 80’s style hard rock at its finest, sung by legendary performers from that era.

Born out of the desert southwest, raised in Mexican bars, and nurtured by the icons of hard rock, Resurgence of Rock is original, classic style hard rock for the modern day. Following the models of the Alan Parsons Project and early Queens of the Stone Age, BlancaWhite invited renowned veteran rock vocalists Paul Shortino (QUIET RIOT, ROUGH CUTT and KING KOBRA), Lorraine Lewis (FEMME FATALE and L.A. NOOKIE), Terry Ilous (XYZ and GREAT WHITE), and Jeff Paris (CINDERELLA, VIXEN, SLASH, and KEB MO) to sing lead vocals for the album. And sing they did, recording stunning vocal performances with the skill, excitement and spirit of the rock anthems of hard rock’s greatest era!

“The album and the Resurgence are unique in two ways,” explains BlancaWhite co-founder and rock fan, Ken Savage. “First, we’re just ordinary rock fans who want the world to return to the glory days of hard rock. This album was a labor of love—made by fans for fans—and we invite everyone to join our grass roots revolution!”

The other unique feature of the album, explains Savage, is the way it mixes hard rock sounds of the 70’s and 80’s with a modern-day perspective. “The driving rock sounds on this album are straight out of the classic hard rock era. But the subject matter and lyrics fit with today. The songs either look back on the good old days, or they address issues that someone who grew up in that era faces today.”

BlancaWhite is named after the world-famous bar in Matamoros, Mexico, just across from the Texas border, where Savage and fellow BlancWhite co-founders, Austin Schell and Rick Schell, grew up. “I spent my formative years in that bar,” says Savage, “and it inspired much of the spirit for this album.” Anyone who’s ever raised a little hell “down south” will connect with “Livin It Up! (in a Mexican Bar),” one of the outstanding hard rockers on the album.

Little surprise that SAMMY HAGAR and VAN HALEN were major influences on this album, in addition to AC/DC. “We were most strongly influenced by Sammy, Eddie (Van Halen), Malcolm and Angus (Young), with some combination of DEF LEPPARD and JUDAS PRIEST as well,” says Savage. “There’s a strong partying theme to this album, and even a reference to Cabo Wabo in our title song. Sammy ought to be proud of what he’s inspired!”

At the same time, Resurgence of Rock contains unmistakable influences of AC/DC. According to Savage, AC/DC inspires much of the driving rock sounds on Resurgence of Rock, as well as the lyrics. “Everybody knows the AC/DC sound, and there is certainly a lot of that on this album. But AC/DC was the biggest inspiration to us in terms of witty, tongue-in-cheek lyrics. We’ve tried to emulate that in a number of our songs.”

BlancaWhite co-founder Austin Schell is the “musical genius” behind Resurgence of Rock. Schell is a consummate musician, composer and arranger and a veteran of the Austin, Texas music scene. On Resurgence of Rock, Schell took the basic building blocks of classic hard rock and put them together with Savage’s brilliantly witty lyrics to create fresh, hook laden songs. “That’s the magic of the songs,” said L.A. based singer, producer and instrumentalist Jeff Paris, one of BlancaWhite’s guest singers, “the language that Austin put to the messages that Ken wrote. They are serving their audience with the language they love the most.” The language of ROCK.
BlancaWhite is already working on its next album and intends to follow the same format. “Our model is to write the best rock music we can and find the best singers and players for each song,” says Savage. “We are going to keep making hard rock music with a modern twist for fans who grew up in the classic era—and hopefully some new fans as well!”
Watch the EPK right here:

It’s high time for a Resurgence of Rock!
Join the Revolution now!

Official webpages:




EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT TO RELEASE STYX: THE GRAND ILLUSION/PIECES OF 8 LIVE
~SIMULTANEOUS DVD, BLU-RAY AND DVD/2CD OUT JANUARY 31~




New York, NY--Two of the most beloved albums in the Styx catalog are 1977's The Grand Illusion and 1978's Pieces Of Eight. Now, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release Styx: The Grand Illusion/Pieces Of Eight Live on DVD, Blu-Ray, and DVD/2CD on January 31.

This show was recorded November 9, 2010 at the historic Orpheum Theater in Memphis, Tennessee, on the tour that saw them perform both these albums in their entirety for the first time.

This 20-song two-hour and 11-minute presentation features stunning high-definition visuals accenting the complex musical arrangements recorded in DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital 5.1, and LPCM Stereo. The staging of these two multi-platinum albums and the fevered response makes this concert a must for all Styx fans. The Grand Illusion/Pieces of Eight Live also includes the bonus feature "Putting On The Show," an inside look at the people and equipment needed to stage such a massive spectacle.
Selling millions of records worldwide since their 1972 Chicago inception, Styx have branded themselves as one of the greatest American progressive rock bands. The current line-up consists of James "J.Y." Young (vocals, guitars, keyboards); Tommy Shaw (vocals, guitars); Todd Sucherman (drums); Lawrence Gowan (vocals, keyboards); Ricky Phillips (bass, backing vocals) and Chuck Panozzo (bass guitar).
Eagle Rock Entertainment has also released their Regeneration, Volume I and II 2CD set, a newly recorded retrospective (Release date October 4, 2011).
Track Listing:
1) Intro/1978
2) The Grand Illusion
3) Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)
4) Superstars
5) Come Sail Away
6) Miss America
7) Man In The Wilderness
8) Castle Walls
9) The Grand Finale  
10) Great White Hope
11) I'm Okay
12) Sing For The Day
13) The Message
14) Lords Of The Ring
15) Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)
16) Queen Of Spades
17) Renegade
18) Keyboard Interlude
19) Pieces Of Eight
20) Aku-Aku

Official weblinks:



Michael Schenker working with Robin McAuley again ...? Maybe ...


OK, I didn't start this rumour although I do recall at one point during my listening to Temple of Rock, under review at the time, that I sent a message to Michael Schenker to get Robin McAuley back in M.S.G.!

Temple of Rock is generally a very good album, certainly not the best of Michael's releases, but good nonetheless. I don't really think that Michael Voss' voice works.
Doogie White on one track there sounds so like Dio and then there's the Robin McAuley track, which I think it sounds great!

They did record some great material in three studio albums, starting with Perfect Timing, Save Yourself and then, M.S.G., which was then followed by an Acoustic release and then and a live unplugged album too.

The thing is word is now, that since McAuley - Or before - left Survivor that he has been communicating with Michael Schenker again and that there will hopefully be some new dates announced ..., Soon!
Whatever the case, if I was you, I'be keeping tabs on things at the Schenker site:



Monday, December 12, 2011

Issa – 'The Storm' album review

Issa – The Storm album review
Released on: Frontiers Records. Release date: Available now
 Norwegian songstress Issa, has an absolutely incredible voice which can come across as a brilliant pop rock vocalist and then in the next instance belt out a great rocker.
She has moments that often remind me vocally of Roxette, Heart and then Lee Aaron and I do like all of those artists and so when I received her last album ‘Sign of Angels’ last year for review, I was very impressed indeed.

Here we are a year on and ‘The Storm’ hits us all!
It’s different from ‘S.O.A.’ though and this time around she’s having a go at songwriting herself and she’s also got a bunch of names from the melodic rock genre helping out too.
There’s Daniel Flores (Mind’s Eye) helping out with drums, keyboards and even some bass work too.
Randy Goodrum (Steve Lukather, Steve Perry, Toto), Soren Kronqvist (Sunstorm), Magnus Karlsson and Chris Laney to name just a few.
Robert Sall (Work of Art) helps out on opening track ‘Looking For Love’ as well as providing the lead guitar work here and the song is an instant hook laden, rockin’ winner!

‘Please Hold On’ is next and it’s a bit of a chug along pop rocker, which at times reminds me of some of Heart’s more commercial period. At all times with Issa though, the backing guitar is nearly always distorted power chords, which is where I often feel the desire to compare Issa’s material with Lee Aaron. Where there’s so much melody in the vocal presentation and keyboards all over and yet there’s these dirty guitars pumping out riffs galore.
 In ‘Take a Stand’ it’s a steady enough rocker, with some pop like overtones here and there, again though, she has such a great vocal delivery and a very tasty guitar solo from Mats Lindfors. Very good stuff indeed!

Next song ‘Invincible’ almost takes another direction initially, with a softly, softly intro, very poppy indeed as this power ballad grows. Kind of a little like Roxette territory but it’s got rock to it though, which takes it to the next level. Sweet!

After a flurry of guitar at the beginning, ‘Two Hearts,’ then gets into a steady mid paced chug along pop rocker.
 ‘Black Clouds’ is a track that plays a role as a mid to up tempo number and some of the keyboard touches bring Journey to mind, but the overall sound is pretty consistent with the rest of the album, heavily melodic, yet with those dirty backing guitar riffs, in the fashion I mentioned before, similar a lot of times to how Lee Aaron’s material often came across. It’s good stuff, no question, but often one track sounds very much like the next.
More so, there’s a number of these tracks on here that I swear I’ve heard before, perhaps though that stands testament to how strong they are with their hook lines.
Next up I have to say, ‘You’re Making Me’ again – at least in the chorus - sounds like something very familiar.
It’s another up tempo, hard edged pop rocker that really seems to be Issa’s niche for sure.

‘Going to Stand by You’ is a keyboard / synth driven number, a little in a similar fashion to say Foreigner’s ‘Urgent’ through the verses, but the chorus takes a slightly different direction. I like it and it fits well with everything else here and then just as the guitar solo kicks in ..., the song fades out …? What?! Crazy!

Another steady mid to up tempo is ‘We’re On Fire’ next, keeping the steady mid pace through the verses and then picking up a notch in the chorus. We do get the guitar solo in full here, even if it is brief!
There’s no questioning Issa’s vocal’s at all, I think she sounds great but I think she could benefit with recording with a completely fresh set of musicians and different writers, for a little more variety.
Just as I say this though, the next ballad comes along in ‘Too Late for Love,’ and sounds in a slightly little different style. You know she’s even reminding me a little of T’Pau’s Carol Decker meets Roxette on this one, no bad thing at all, just look at the success both acts have had! All she needs now is worldwide airplay!
‘What Does It Take’ is another one that has a familiar sounding style guitar riff about it and it’s another mid / up tempo number, that is indeed contagious.
 Final track is title track, ‘The Storm’ that starts slow and then picks up to a steady mid paced edgy pop rocker once more.

Overall it’s a good album and it’s good to hear Issa’s voice again, but for me, while ‘The Storm’ is good, ‘Sign of Angels’ has the edge on this for me.
I gave 'Sign of Angels' a rating just under 4 / 5, this one is close but not quite there.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

Official weblinks:

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Brief News Update for Sunday December 11th, 2011




 Tesla Receive Key to Sacramento



Tesla recently received the key to Sacramento from Mayor Kevin Johnson, at the Sacramento Rock and Roll Museum, which is very cool indeed.
You can check out a video of the event, right here:

Good for you guys, there's no doubting Tesla is one hard working band.

Tesla have also had to reschedule a bunch of dates, due to vocalist  Jeff Keith getting struck down with bronchitus.
Here's wishing Jeff a speedy recovery, take it easy buddy!

TESLA's Anaheim House of Blues Acoustic show for November 20 has been rescheduled for Thursday, January 5, 2012.

TESLA's Phoenix Celebrity Theatre Acoustic show for Friday, November 18 has been rescheduled for Friday, January 6th, 2012.

TESLA's Las Vegas House of Blues Acoustic show for Thursday, November 17 has been rescheduled for Saturday, January 7, 2012.

All tickets purchased will be valid for the new dates.
If you have not yet bought your tickets, now's the perfect time to stuff someone's stocking for the holidays!

Jeff Keith, Frank Hannon, Brian Wheat, Troy Luccketta and Dave Rude apologize for rescheduling and promise to bring a great acoustical evening.
See you on January 5th, 6th & 7th!

Official band website:





Stan Bush and Acoustic Saints, what's the story?



AOR / Melodic rock favourite Stan Bush, has of course recorded some really popular material as a solo artist as well as the album 'Stan Bush and Barrage.'
Love that one!

You know he's released thirteen studio albums - Not including the Christmas one! - and there's some really great material out there, there really is and one of the great things now, is that's many of them have been made available again through Stan's site and LA Records, including 'Every Beat of My Heart,' 'Heaven,' 'Capture the Dream,' 'Shine' and 'In This Life' to name a few and you can find them again, right here:

Aside from just Stan Bush solo though, who's currently writing his new album, the follow up to last years excellent 'Dream The Dream' inbetween his side project, Acoustic Saints, Stan shared this with me:

'I'm mainly just working on writing for a new album. Got a killer new ballad in the works.
I'm hoping to have a new album finished in the coming year.'

Then when I asked what else ...

'I'm also doing the Acoustic Saints project with myself, Chuck Wright (bass) from
Quiet Riot, House of Lords and Rick Sailon (violin, mandolin, guitar).
We're performing some local gigs and also doing some recording together. It's an unplugged trio
that's turning out to a be very cool project.'

Sounds very cool indeed Stan and I do like what I hear over at the band's site and here's a link to the music they've been playing. I think you'll agree folks, sounds very good indeed!

Official Stan Bush site:




Saxon's Biff Byford joins Metallica onstage for 30th Anniversary show

Metallica recently celebrated their 30th Anniversary with a handful of shows at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco and invited a bunch of special guests that they've always had respect for and have always plugged as influences.

One those special nights, they invited Biff Byford from Saxon - who've just finished their American 'Call To Arm's' tour. - to join them, but Biff didn't just happen to be in town, he flew in especially for the event ..., from Helinski!

Saxon like to keep their fans informed of activities through regular podcasts and they captured the event, from Biff's arrival at the airport, through the ride to the venue and then inside the venue and the tail end of the night at the Metallica show is captured too.

Biff went and joined the band as they ploughed through 'Motorcycle Man.'
Here's the link to the night:

For photo's of the night and more, go to:




Saga drummer Jim Gilmour undergoes eye surgery

Canadian band Saga have recently put everything on hold currently due to the condition of drummer Jim Gilmour. This posted over at Saga's site:


Due to circumstances obviously completely out of his control, Jim Gilmour is to undergo emergency eye surgery in an attempt repair a detached retina in his right eye tomorrow, 21/11/11.

Without this very sudden unexpected surgery, “Daryl” was at risk of almost certain permanent loss of vision in that eye. We’re all praying that the procedure is a 100% success and that his recovery time is as short and painless as possible. I’m sure that Jim will offer a more in-depth explanation of the situation when he is able.

In the meantime, in order for the tour to continue without having to cancel any shows, we have managed to find someone to temporarily step into his shoes and handle the keyboard responsibilities, albeit in a different version of the existing set. (It’s a lot of information for one person to absorb on such short notice so some changes will have to be made to accommodate the “new guy”!) We offer our apologies to those of you who were looking forward to the set you may have seen posted on various forums. But this is the only way that we could avoid any cancellations.
Thank you for your understanding.

Update:
After speaking with Jim, he asked me to pass along this update regarding the status of his condition/eye surgery. It is now confirmed that on Tuesday, the 29th of November he will undergo the surgical procedure of the re-attachment of the retina in his right eye, and while we all agree that the operation will be a complete success, our thoughts and prayers will be with him nonetheless.
Jim also asked me to say “Thank you all so much!” to everyone for their extraordinary outpouring of support, well wishes and affection at this very difficult moment in his life. He is extremely touched by your concern and takes great comfort in knowing that he is not alone.

Further Update:
I have just received word that the doctor is well pleased with how the procedure to repair Jim's retina went today. While it's a little early to call it a resounding success, all signs so far point in that direction. So that's very good news! He will be resting for the next 48 hrs.

Hope it all falls into place guys, all my best to you all.

Official Saga website:



Steve Lukather has started his next solo album

I have to say, while Steve Lukather is an absolute master of music and yes, I'm pleased to hear he's writing again, but with all the activity in the Toto camp over this past year, I would've hoped that there might've been a new album from the band.

This posted at Lukather's site:

On December 6th 2011 Steve Lukather officially started working on a new solo record.
As always you can follow his and his friends steps at the special work in progress section. Right HERE!

Official website of Steve Lukather: