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Saturday, December 1, 2012

Jimi Jamison – ‘Never Too Late’ album review

 
 
 
 
Jimi Jamison – ‘Never Too Late’ album review
Released on: Frontiers Records. Release date: Available now.
 
 
 
Yes, folks, another album that’s released already and has been out for about a month now.
Too much new stuff hitting me up and being a one man show – People have offered to help with reviews, but sadly not come through when they realize how much it takes, but at least some have with gig reviews. Thank you those folks. – it’s tough to stay on top of all this.
 
Anyway, here we go with another great new release from an extremely huge talent, who has simply proved himself time and time again. This really is a GREAT album, I truly love it! Should I leave it there ….? OK, review done!
Ha ha! Ah, but I can’t, I really have to tell you more!
 
Jimi Jamison seriously, what a talent! Even when you listen back to his pre-Survivor days, with both Cobra and Target, the material was always good strong stuff with the man’s vocals shining through again and again.
When Survivor released the first album to feature Jimi Jamison, 84’s ‘Vital Signs’ the chemistry was simply undeniable!
For me, the follow up ‘When Seconds Count,’ although a little more thought out musically, I felt it was easily just as good and then they put out the rockin’ ‘Too Hot To Sleep’ in 1988 which was the last studio release for some time.
The band toured from time to time, although they seemed to be under the radar for the most part with little or no promotional push from anywhere, finally ‘Reach’ was released in 2006 but Jamison departed almost immediately after this.
 The band continued with the excellent Robin McAuley (McAuley Schenker, Grand Prix, Far Corporation), but only in a touring capacity, no more studio releases.
 
 
Jimi got into his stride with his solo career, although during the on / off Survivor years, he did put out under the title of Jimi Jamison’s Survivor, the classy ‘Empires’ in 1999.
Jimi’s solo work to date has included ‘When Love Comes Down,’ in 1991, in 2008 the much praised ‘Crossroads Moment,’ then the low key ‘Extra Moments’ alongside fellow former Survivor talent Jim Peterik (Ides of March, Pride of Lions) in 2010.
He then teamed up with former Toto vocalist Bobby Kimball for the appropriately titled ‘Kimball / Jamison’ in 2011, which was a strong release.
Review link here:
http://chambersofrock.blogspot.com/2012/01/kimball-jamison-album-review.html
 
 
So, here we are at the end of 2012 and although Jimi is now back with Survivor, I guess he wanted to still make his mark with his solo career – And who can blame him, with Survivor’s lack of studio output! – and put out ‘Never Too Late!’
 
Here’s the thing though, not only is Jimi singing great, but he’s teamed up with a class act in Erik Martensson (Eclipse, W.E.T.), who is another greatly talented all-rounder, who’s co-written and produced so much magic right here.
Great band behind these guys too, this is a seriously class album, I’d go so far as to say it’s the best Survivor album they NEVER released! Yes, I think it’s that strong!
 
‘Everybody’s Got A Broken Heart’ starts with an almost typical true Survivor style gentle keyboard intro and then rocks out and gets into a great groove!
Great rocking guitar, sweet keys, killer harmonies and melodies in the best Survivor style ever!
Would love to see Jimi live again, shame his solo shows are usually limited to Europe ony.
 
 
‘The Great Unknown’ keeps it going with a more gritty vocal from Jimi from the start and then the song just grows and grows and the Hammond organ sound is great too, but there’s just so much more to this. The chug along guitar through the verses and then the pre-chorus into the then killer chorus is simply wonderful!
Great lead work from Erik too, just all round AOR bliss!
 
The title track ‘Never Too Late’ is next which has that gentle keyboard intro accompanying Jimi’s vocal and again, this is one of those great tracks that just builds and builds and yes, the chorus will just floor you. Love it!
 
 
‘I Can’t Turn Back’ starts atmospherically and then starts to build just about a minute in and it’s another huge track that layers up and down, in classic 80’s style so if you miss that classic, nay, CLASSIC Survivor sound, then this album is for you!
 
 
Oh boy, next track ‘Street Survivor’ brings to mind ‘American Heartbeat’ from the intro and then wham!
It’s a great AOR rocker of the finest calibre, people BUY THIS ALBUM!
The track just oozes greatness, it really does.
 
 
It’s power ballad time in ‘The Air That I Breathe’ and huge kudos for everyone’s input to this and the whole album.
 It’s just one gem after another, it really is and I can’t say that enough.
 
 
‘Not Tonight’ is a great pop rocker that starts with an intro like something Starship might use and then it gets into an almost Bryan Adams like groove, before the pre-chorus sounds a little like Def Leppard! Erik Martensson becomes Mutt Lange! Ha ha!
Nice track!
 
 
With ‘Calling The Game,’ I’m very much reminded once again of classic era Survivor, brilliant!
Nice up tempo smooth AOR rocker, classy yet again!
 
 
Erik Martensson really has done his Survivor homework on song structures, ‘Bullet In The Gun’ starts with gentle piano arpeggios and then in kick the power chords and the whole band is onboard!
 
This really is a magical trip down memory lane, in terms of song styling, but there’s without doubt modernisms in terms of keeping the overall sound up with the likes of Eclipse, Work Of Art, etc type material. Love it!
 
 
Hammond organ gently drives ‘Heaven Call Your Name’ behind a very emotive vocal from Jimi. I get goose bumps hearing this each time, it’s like right there with say Giant’s ‘I’ll See You In My Dream’s’ in places. So nicely done …
 
 
The album is closed by the excellent rocker ‘Walk On (Wildest Dreams),’ which is simply melodic hard rock of the finest calibre.
I mean it, I love this album, no complaints and it’s an album I keep going back to listen to again and again, to be honest just as I used to do with ‘Vital Signs’ and ‘When Seconds Count,’ but you know what this is just so right up to date, it’s magical it really is.
It surpasses ‘When Seconds Count’ to me is very close to call on ‘Vital Signs.’
An absolute winner by me!
Now Jimi, what chance of a Detroit date, eh?!
Buy it!
 
Rating: 5 out of 5
 
Official weblinks:
 
 
 

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Friday, November 30, 2012

Dare – ‘Calm Before The Storm 2 – Re-recorded’ album review





Dare – ‘Calm Before The Storm 2 - Re-recorded’ album review

 
Released on: Legend Records. Release date: Available now
 
 
 
For those that didn’t know …
After Thin Lizzy parted ways back in the mid ‘80’s, keyboard player Darren Wharton, who had featured on the last three Lizzy albums, decided to put his own band together and call it Dare.
 
In 1988 the band released the absolutely excellent ‘Out of the Silence’ (1988) chock full of fantastic AOR magic, indeed a far cry from Thin Lizzy, but clearly Lizzy had rubbed off on Wharton, as the Celtic influence often shone through in Dare’s music.
The band had also featured the extremely talented guitarist, Vinny Burns (Asia, Burns/Blue), who also recorded the significantly heavier release by Dare, ‘Blood From Stone,’ (1990) which the band recorded after being criticized in some quarters for being too wimpy.
Fans then perhaps seemed a little confused, as they also figured the band must be too, by releasing two very different albums back to back, which direction to follow?
I have to say I love both, although I recall the vinyl copy of ‘Blood from Stone’ that I got at the time, didn’t seem to have been pressed right – Or mixed right? – as my copy seemed to sound completely distorted when I tried to play it back, even the replacement I got at the time sounded the same … Ah well …
 
Burns left soon after that to join Asia, Wharton continued with other musicians briefly, before rejoining ex-Thin Lizzy members in 1994 to tour with John Sykes now fronting the band. Darren Wharton didn’t stay too long with that lineup though and after sometime – 1998 – he released the third Dare album, ‘Calm Before The Storm.’
It seemed to be more or less looking to capture what the band had achieved on ‘Out of the Silence,’ although perhaps a little too much on the softer side.
 
He did play a while longer with Lizzy guys, until around 2000, when he was no longer willing to be a part of it ... At that time ...
Subsequent Dare albums were released, ‘Belief’ (2001), ‘Beneath The Shining Water’ (2004), the live ‘Power of Nature’ (2005) and then ‘Arc of the Dawn’ in 2009.
That brings us full circle to the latest reissue if you will, which is a re-recorded version of ‘Calm Before The Storm 2.’
 
Many fans had been hoping there would be a re-recorded version of ‘Out of the Silence’ Which had long been talked about, since it had been originally recorded so long ago now and ‘Calm Before The Storm’ unless it was going to be beefed up, many thought was there any point?
The original was good, slick, smooth AOR, great songs and was fine in the Dare catalogue, kind of the downside to Dare’s output though was that after ‘Calm Before The Storm’ came ‘Belief’ and then ‘Beneath The Shining Water,’ both nice albums but seemingly perhaps like re-writes of ‘C.B.T.S.’ IMHO.
 I don’t know if I would say it’s really not been worth it, as it’s a little richer in overall production, the guitars are up some in the mix too and some songs are sung a little different or are a little shorter and refreshing to hear again after all this time.
Although there are two bonus tracks here, that were not on the original UK release and the running order has changed a little, sadly Darren has also chosen to take off the Thin Lizzy classic track, ‘Still In Love With You’ on this new version. Shame …
‘Walk on The Water,’ is a great track to open the album with, great stuff, classic Dare material and Darren still sings it so smoothly, if a little different in some spots.
 
Likewise, ‘Someday’ next is another winner in my book and in fact, there’s some pretty tasty guitar work here, brought a little more up in the mix but on 'C.B.T.S. 2' the track is about thirty seconds shorter, but with so much layering on the Dare albums, it sometimes seems a little too easy to not think that it still rocks. Good stuff in my books!
 
Title track ‘Calm Before the Storm’ is so rich, really like all of the tracks on here, but it gives the impression of power ballad after power ballad. You do at times just kind of wish for a little more of the mix of songs that ‘Out of the Silence’ had or some more of the edge of ‘Blood From Stone.’
Don’t get me wrong, sure there are soaring guitar solos throughout, but they seem at times to be a little too much in the overall mix and they don’t get enough of centre stage if you ask me.
On this latest version of the album, the song has without doubt been cleaned up, chopped down from over eight minutes originally to just over six and a half here.
 
‘Crown of Thorns’ sounds like it really wants to rock a little harder and not be quite so slick, although again it is perfectly smooth AOR, heavy on keyboards on this one, like every track and the guitar blends into the mix without really projecting.
All the lead breaks are at the same level at the rhythm guitar, which although they’ve been brought up a little more in the mix and very nice, it still – to me - is lacking a little punch.
 
‘Precious’ is the first of the bonus tracks and it fits as if it were always there. While it’s mid to up tempo in pace, it still feels like it could use some more ‘rock’ but then with a title like ‘Precious’ perhaps I’m misguided in my desire.
 
  To ‘Silence Of Your Head’ and the song keeps up with everything else here as well as being cut down by a full minute off the songs original length, there’s also another tasty guitar solo here too.
 
OK, getting down to brass tacks and yes, there is still more of the album to discuss, BUT …, if truth be known, without doubt the overall production and mix is better than the original and if you are an owner of the original, then you’ll know where I’m coming from …
I don’t want to be critical, I really don’t as I’ve shouted the praises of this band to so many people who have sadly missed out on knowing their material previously and Darren Wharton is one of nicest people you could wish to meet. It’s just that …
I think if Vinny Burns had been brought in on here, it could’ve been rocked up a little, when re-recorded, but then Vinny didn’t play on the original either so ….
Andrew Moore who replaced Vinny back in the day and Richard Dews who is on this new one are both very good players and Richard sounds good here, I just think Vinny had a little more edge to his playing.
I really do love the music Darren writes and has written or contributed to, I mean on top of Dare’s great material just look what he contributed to Thin Lizzy as the last three albums with Phil Lynott show.
Who can knock the killer ‘Angel of Death’ from ‘Renegade’ or his contributions to the final Lizzy album ‘Thunder and Lightning,’ where Darren co-wrote four of the nine tracks, including the excellent ‘The Sun Goes Down?!’
I’m getting off track here, clearly ....!
 
Seriously, there is nothing wrong or even mediocre about any of the songs on ‘Calm Before The Storm’ version one or two and again they’re all great songs. It’s really just about what you or I or anyone would expect someone or a band to do different, if you’re going to completely re-record something?
What are / would you be expecting to get and why would any artist spend all that time and money doing it, unless you were going to make significant changes, which I guess they have to some degree.
Perhaps I’m just making more of this than I need to, anyone hearing this album for the first time that is a lover of class AOR will most likely simply love it! So, back to the review!
 
‘Rescue Me’ next is almost a minute shorter than the original version but no less enjoyable, great, lush harmonies both musically and vocally. Nicely done mid-paced AOR number, good job guys!

There’s more of a power ballad style to ‘Ashes’ next and again, all these tracks really do just ooze class and really Darren Wharton has this down to a fine art.
‘Rising Sun’ is another again written in power ballad style and is very slick indeed, of course right?!
 
Here’s ‘Cold Wind Will Blow’ which is the second of the previously not released tracks – It was actually previously available as a bonus track on the European special edition originally, but I never had that one. – and yes, it follows the same kind of pattern as the two previous tracks. Perhaps just even a little more laid back, until the guitar solo which rips initially with raunchy style then eases back a little.
Nice one again!

 ‘Deliverance’ closes the album and while it’s still laid back, it’s a song where the power chords are more emphasized than the previous few tracks and the guitar solo is just sweet, great flurry on the final track to wrap things up here.
 
I think in summary, I’ve said so much about how I think this could’ve been a little different, since it has been completely re-recorded, but it’s still a class album to hear redone.
Anyone hearing it for the first time, who enjoys smooth, slick AOR, will love it!
 
Don't forget also, if you want to see Darren playing live, he's still out for a little while longer with Thin Lizzy right now, but that will soon be over, as the band have announced they will no longer tour or release the album they have been recording together under that name.
 
 
Rating: 4 out of 5
 
Official artist releated weblinks:
http://www.dare-music.com/ - Ed's note: Not sure how valid this is today?
 
 
 
 
 

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

News Update for Thursday November 29th, 2012

 
Hi All,
 
As promised, here's that update for you!
Enjoy!
 
Cheers,
Al 
 
 
Michael Schenker "Temple Of Rock - Live In Europe"
to be released on January 15, 2013
 
Released on three formats & Limited Deluxe Edition:
Ltd Deluxe Edition (2 CD, 1 Blu-ray, 1 Bonus DVD)
Blu-ray Edition (1 Disc) / CD Edition (2 Discs)
DVD Edition (1 Disc)
 
 
 Inakustik will release Michael Schenker's Temple of Rock: Live in Europe on CD, DVD, Blu-ray and Limited Deluxe Edition, on January 15, 2013 in North America.
This essential live rock'n'roll release includes songs performed live in Tilburg, The Netherlands in May 2012, plus songs performed at London's 2011 High Voltage Festival.
Visit the official Temple Of Rock - Live in Europe Microsite:
and pre-order HERE:
 
 
 
 
At the ripe age of 15, after a very early start in his professional music career recording his first album with the Scorpions and after joining UFO age 17, Michael Schenker focused exclusively on lead guitar and pure self-expression.
The second chapter in his career was focused on experimenting and developing his expertise on a more musical and personal level. With excellent musicians, friends and fans from all over the world, this live recording is part of this celebration.
Michael Schenker sees his music as a building block in the construction of the Temple Of Rock.
 
"The Temple Of Rock is almost finished," explains Michael Schenker. "The foundation was laid in the 60s by Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Jeff Beck, and Cream. In the late 70s, the pillars were then built by bands like UFO and AC/DC.
By the 80s it was further reinforced by the likes of Judas Priest and the Scorpions, and many other influential rock bands.
 There's not much new left to expect, but I am glad to be a part of this temple," says Michael. "It's unbelievable fun and an honor to share a stage and make music with some of the world's best musicians."
 
A concert from Tilburg, the Netherlands was recorded in May 2012 that noticeably distinguishes itself from previous releases due to the line-up that includes Michael Schenker (lead guitar), Doogie White (vocals), Herman Rarebell (drums), Francis Buchholz (bass) and Wayne Findley (rhythm guitar, keyboards).
 
 
In addition to this Tilburg concert, fans can experience extracts from London's 2011 High Voltage Festival with Michael Voss (vocals), featuring awe-inspiring guest appearances from Schenker's friends and musical companions including his brother Rudolf Schenker (The Scorpions) who plays rhythm guitar on "Rock You Like a Hurricane", "Hanging On" and "Doctor Doctor", UFO's Pete Way who plays bass guitar on "Doctor Doctor", and vocalists Jeff Scott Soto (ex-Journey), and Doogie White, who jointly sing on "Doctor Doctor".
All in all, there has never been such extensive and high quality material from Michael Schenker for your viewing and listening pleasure.
 
 
 
 Michael Schenker live!
 
 
LIVE IN TILBURG - TRACK LISTING:

Into The Arena
Armed And Ready
Lovedrive
Another Piece Of Meat
Hanging On
Cry For The Nations
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Coast To Coast
Assault Attack
Before The Devil Knows You're Dead
Lights Out
On And On
Let It Roll
Shoot Shoot
Rock You Like A Hurricane
Rock Bottom
Holiday
Blackout
Doctor Doctor
 

THE MUSICIANS:

Michael Schenker (lead guitars)
Doogie White (lead vocals)
Herman Rarebell (drums)
Francis Buchholz (bass)
Wayne Findlay (keyboards, guitars, backing vocals)
Michael Voss (lead vocals, guitar - Special guest on 'Hanging On')
 

LIVE AT HIGH VOLTAGE - TRACK LISTING:

Armed And Ready
Another Piece Of Meat
Rock You Like A Hurricane
(ft. Rudolph Schenker)
Hanging On (ft. Rudolph Schenker)
Doctor Doctor (ft. Rudolph Schenker)
 
THE MUSICIANS:

Michael Schenker (lead guitars)
Michael Voss (lead vocals, guitar)
Herman Rarebell (drums)
Wayne Findlay (keyboards, guitars, backing vocals)
Elliott Dean Rubinson (bass)
 
SPECIAL GUESTS

Rudolf Schenker (Rhythm guitar on Rock You Like A Hurricane, Hanging On, Doctor Doctor)
Pete Way (bass guitar on Doctor Doctor)
Jeff Scott Soto (vocals on Doctor Doctor)
Doogie White (vocals on Doctor Doctor)
 
 
FORMATS and SPECIAL FEATURES:
 
CD EDITION - 2 DISC
Recording from 2012's Tilburg, Netherlands concert
Recording (extracts) from London's 2011
High Voltage Festival
 
 
DVD EDITION - 1 DISC:

Recording from 2012's Tilburg, Netherlands concert
Recording (extracts) from London's 2011 High Voltage Festival
Bonus Footage:
Before the show (Tilburg)
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, dts, Stereo

 
BLU-RAY EDITION - 1 DISC

Recording from 2012's Tilburg, Netherlands concert
Recording (extracts) from London's 2011 High Voltage Festival
Bonus Footage: Before the show (Tilburg) 
Bonus Footage: Soundcheck (Tilburg)
Audio: DTS HD Master, Stereo
 
 
LIMITED DELUXE EDITION - 4 DISCS:

Includes 2 CDs, 1 Blu-ray, 1 Bonus DVD.
Bonus DVD includes the following content:
Brighton Rehearsal
Doogie's Video Impressions



Official website:
 
 
 
 
Thin Lizzy Live 2012 - Exclusive CD set coming soon!
 
 
 
 
As part of their 2012 tour dates, Thin Lizzy is pleased to announce exclusive live recordings of two shows made available by instant music specialists, Concert Live.
 
Two UK shows are the foundation for the live recordings. The show at Bournemouth on the 29th November 2012 (Thursday) and the London show on the 17th December 2012 will be recorded live on the night and then be available to pick up immediately after the last note of each gig.

These deluxe 3CD live albums are the perfect way to re-live the night and celebrate over forty years of Thin Lizzy’s career!
 

 
If you can’t make the gigs but don’t want to miss out, you’re in luck, these live albums are also available for convenient home delivery. For more information or to pre-order, visit the Concert Live website now, right here:
 
 
In related Lizzy news, the band who had said they would play no more live dates as Thin Lizzy after the end of the year UNLESS there was demand on continents other than those already played since they reformed in 2010 with former Lizzy members, Scott Gorham, Brian Downey and Darren Wharton, will tour Australia in 2013, as guests of Kiss and Motley Crue.

In addition to this, look out for a big Thin Lizzy related announcement next week!
Watch this space!!!

 
Official band website:
 
 
 
 
Swedish metal sensation CRASHDIET return with their fourth album 'The Savage Playground' out in January on Frontiers.
 

 

The lead single “Cocaine Cowboys” is out 12th of December
 
Swedish metal sensation CRASHDIET return with their fourth album 'The Savage Playground' out in January on Frontiers. The lead single “Cocaine Cowboys” is out 12th of December.
 
 
 
                Frontiers Records is excited to announce the release of CRASHDIET’s anticipated new studio album “The Savage Playground” on January 25th in Europe (excl. Scandinavia) and January 22nd in North America.
 
A leading force in the Swedish "sleaze rock" scene of the 2000s — a revival of the glam metal of the 1980s, but with a more pronounced punk element — CRASHDÏET for the first time manage to release their brand of down and dirty Rock and Roll simultaneously all over the world.
 
In April of 2010 the band’s third album "Generation Wild" pretty much summed up the extraordinary but yet tragic history of a band, determined to never give up their dream. CRASHDÏET has become known as a band with a huge following of diehard fans, and the massive interest for them never seems to fade.
 
 
There has been extensive touring during the course of “Generation Wild” and the absolute highlight saw the band conquer Hollywood and New York City with sold out shows at Whisky A Go Go and Webster Hall. The band also supported their heroes Motley Crue and Ozzy Osbourne. “Supporting Motley Crue in Helsinki and headlining Whisky A Go Go have been the highlights of the Generation Wild tour”, says guitarist Martin Sweet.
 
With the new studio album “The Savage Playground”, recorded during summer/autumn 2012 in native Sweden, the band has their minds set to break through on a world-wide basis with a tour that will see the band going back to the US as well as going to Japan for the first time.
“We will put a lot of effort into the US for our new tour. We will start in Scandinavia in February, Then we head to the US & Canada. Coming back end of April to do UK and then Europe and Japan will follow with Festivals in the summer and then South-America to kick off in the autumn” continues Sweet.
 
                The new album sees CRASHDÏET going in a heavier and more live direction musicwise. “THE SAVAGE PLAYGROUND is our playground, its the beginning and the end, its the place where we eat and breed”, tells Martin Sweet.
“We thought the time was right for us to do a edgier and not so polished sounding album, kinda like what we sound like live. It's more organic and rough sounding. And of course we're always evolving as musicians and like to try new ways of expressing ourselves, and that can most definitely be heard this album”.
 
                Anticipated by the release of the cracking first single “Cocaine Cowboys” on December 12th, “The Savage Playground” will include the following tracks:
Change The World; Cocaine Cowboys; Anarchy; California; Lickin’ Dog; Circus; Sin City; Got A Reason; Drinkin’ Without You; Snakes In Paradise; Damaged Kid; Excited; Garden Of Babylon.
 
 
 
CRASHDIET
    Martin Sweet - guitar
    Peter London - bass
    Eric Young - drums
    Simon Cruz – vocals
 
Weblinks:
 
 
 

Don Dokken special acoustic show at Whisky A Go Go 12/14/12
 
 
In support of the recently-released 11th studio album (BROKEN BONES) from melodic hard rockers Dokken, Dokken frontman and namesake, Don Dokken and vocalist Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen, Doug Aldrich, Uli Jon Roth, Vinny Appice), will be setting out on a very special acoustic tour hitting select markets in December. 
They will play at the Whisky A Go Go on Friday, December 14th.
 
 
 
 
Dokken's latest release, BROKEN BONES, was produced by Don Dokken, mixed by Bob St. John (Extreme, Duran Duran, Collective Soul) and Wyn Davis (Black Sabbath, Dio,
Whitesnake) and mastered by famed engineer Maor Appelbaum (Halford, Yngwie Malmsteen, Sepultura).  The new set features a return to the band's signature sound of catchy melodies, hot riffs and monster production.  Of BROKEN BONES, Vintage Guitar declared, "Dokken is still going strong with their 11th studio album...the album is truly 'Rockin' Like Dokken!'" 
 
You can check out the video for first single, "Empire" here:
 
 
Dokken exploded out of the hotbed that was the hard rock and heavy metal scene in Los Angeles in the early '80s.
Such classic albums as TOOTH AND NAIL, UNDER LOCK  AND KEY and BACK FOR THE ATTACK were all certified multi-platinum, with songs like "Alone Again," "Just Got Lucky," "Into the Fire," "It's Not Love" and "Dream Warriors" still being regarded as amongst the genre's finest.
 
Dokken was one of the first groups to sell a million copies of their DVD "Unchain The Night."  The group continues to tour the world extensively and has shared the stage with AC/DC, Metallica, Aerosmith, Judas Priest, Van Halen, Kiss, Scorpions, Bon Jovi and many more. 
 To date, the band has sold upwards of 10 million albums worldwide.  The group has been nominated for a Grammy as well as an American Music Award. In 1988, Don was awarded the keys to the city of Los Angeles by Mayor Tom Bradley declaring January 27th as "Dokken Day" for his charity contributions to the Los Angeles Children's Hospital. 
 
Dokken is:
Don Dokken (vocals), Mick Brown (drums), Jon Levin (guitar) and Sean McNabb (bass).
 
Official website:
 
 
 Geoff Tate's Queensryche to kick off 'Operation: Mindcrime' tour

Well, the chaos that is Queensryche 2012 / 2013 continues ...
As the 'main' band that features most of the classic Queensryche band members, sans Geoff Tate, are already on tour with Todd La Torre (Crimson Glory) and apparently they are doing very wel!


 
 

The Geoff Tate band has just wrapped up their latest North American tour in support of Geoff's latest solo release 'Kings and Thieves,' but he has now it seems decided to take the advice of the judge that had ruled on the court case between Tate and other Queensryche members, to go ahead and both use the name Queensryche?!
Bloody stupid if you ask me, but what do I know?!
 
 The court judge ruled that both parties could use the Queensryche name until a full hearing at the end of 2013.

Geoff Tate’s version of Queensryche have tour dates planned for the US in 2013, they will be touring playing the album Operation: Mindcrime in it's entirity.
There are ten live dates announced for Tate's Queensryche tour in April 2013.
 

This tour was announced after ex-Megadeth guitarist Glen Drover’s released a statement that he would no longer be a part of Geoff Tate's Queensryche.
After Drover issued the statement - See lower down in this news piece. - Geoff Tate removed any reference to Drover’s name from the Queensryche website - That he and his family still control. - as well as the initial announcement of him joining his band?!
Sadly it seems Geoff Tate is not as ..., understanding as he could be, since I think Drover's statement was very courteous?


Guitarist Glen Drover quits Geoff Tate’s Queensryche band.

Ex-Megadeth guitarist Drover said it would be best for him not to take part in the band formed after the original Queensryche sacked Tate and hired new frontman Todd La Torre. That leaves Tate with bassist Rudy Sarzo (ex Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot), drummer Bobby Blotzer (Ratt) and regular collaborators Kelly Gray and Randy Gane.
Drover issued this statement:
 
“I am really sorry to say that I have decided to bow out of Geoff Tate’s Queensryche.

“I was very excited about doing this gig initially, but learned in the past week or so that it’s in my best interest not to do this right now.
I feel really bad for those who were excited about the idea, and to Geoff himself, who, I have to say, was very nice to me on my past trip to Seattle. I, of course, am very disappointed for arriving at this point, and making this decision, to say the least.
I sincerely wish the Geoff and the band all the luck on what they do in the future.”

The band made up of the majority of the original members are currently recording their first album with La Torre, inbetween the current tour they are on. 
 
Official weblinks:


Asia's 30th Anniversary UK Tour Starts December 15
 

ASIA, featuring the original line-up of Geoff Downes (keyboards),  Steve Howe (guitar), Carl Palmer (drums) and John Wetton (bass, lead vocals) start their 30th Anniversary UK Tour on December 15.
 
 
 
Asia Live in Detroit - Photo: Alun Williams
 

The tour celebrates their 1982 eponymous debut album (now released as a new collectors’ edition) and their critically acclaimed new studio album ‘XXX’.
 
 

 
Tickets are available from the 24 Hour Box Office: 0844 478 0898, www.thegigcartel.com.
 
Tavistock The Wharf – Dec 15 (SOLD OUT)
Holmfirth Picturedrome – Dec 16 (SOLD OUT)
Edinburgh Queen’s Hall – Dec 17
Salisbury City Hall – Dec 19
Birmingham Town Hall – Dec 20
Manchester Royal Northern College of Music – Dec 21 (LAST FEW TICKETS REMAINING)
London o2 Shepherds Bush Empire – Dec 22
 
 
Thirty years after its eponymous debut album, ASIA ascended to the top of the Billboard Top 100 chart (where the album was #1 for nine weeks).
The new album, ‘XXX’, featuring artwork by the legendary Roger Dean, has been hailed as ASIA’s best album since their early 80s classics. 
 
 
Read the official tour and album web release details here:
 
 
BTW - Asia through Frontiers Records has just released 'Resonance,' a live CD/DVD release recorded on 'Omega' tour.

 
Details here:

Official artist website:
 
 
 
 
 

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