CONTENTS04_Foreigner

06_Crazy Lixx

08_Harmony

09_Wicked Sensat ion

10_Bloodbound

12_Reviews

14_White Widdow

15_Harem Scarem

16_Black Fate + Axenstar

17_Bailey

20_Rated X

22_Triosphere

Melodic Rock Fanzine

The official Frontiers Music s.r.l. magazine

Year #10 - Nr. 6 / Issue #65

Editor-in-chief: Elio Bordi

Concept, Graphics & Design: Elio Bordi

Writers: Bruce E.J. Atkinson, Duncan Jamieson, Barry McMinn, Vitale

Nocerino, Rob “Ezy” Bone, Primo Bonali.

Headquarters and general contacts:

Frontiers Records - Via Gonzaga 18

80125, Napoli - Italy

Tel: +39.081.2399340/7753

Fax: +39.081.2399794

E-mail: elio@frontiers.it

Website: www.frontiers.it

Facebook: facebook.com/frontiersmusicsrl

Twitter: twitter.com/FrontiersMusic1

Editor and publisher: Frontiers Records s.r.l.

Copyright©2014 Frontiers Records. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is pro-

hibited.

Printed in Italy.

Band: Foreigner

Interview with: K. Hansen and J Pilson

Interview by: Primo Bonali

MRF | 5

Question: 33 years passed since the

release of “4”. Did you expect that the

album could have such a long life?

KH: I don't think it's surprising when

you actually listen to the album. There

is some really excellent writing, per-

forming & arranging that really speaks

for itself.

JP: Great songs, great performances

and great production are timeless. F4

has all 3 in spades, so no, I'm not sur-

prised.

Q: Can you reveal what will be the

“surprise” tracks (if any) which you

will be including in this live package

(by “surprise” tracks I mean songs

that normally Foreigner would not

play live in their regular live show)?

KH: I don't want to say exactly but

there are going to be some tracks that

we have never done live before!

JP: Just that we'll be doing "the best of

Foreigner 4"- and more! Some of the

arrangements may be a surprise as

well, but I can't give away too much!

Q: What are your expectations from

this release and how did it come

about?

KH: I have no expectations but the idea

came from the anniversary of the

release as a way to celebrate.

JP: If we can do F4 justice, and bring it

to life with the energy and passion the

band has always maintained- we'll be

very happy. I'd love it if it gave people

a chance to really reflect on what a

great and classic album this truly is.

Q: It’s almost 10 years that Foreigner

had a rebirth around new members

such as Kelly Hansen and Jeff Pilson.

How would you describe the band’s

health and general feeling these days?

KH: I think the band is really strong

and it's great to be in a group with peo-

ple who really "get it" and understand

how fortunate we are to be playing &

performing such great material.

JP: Running on all cylinders- that's how

I'd describe it! This version of the band

is so special in that everyone is really

focused and dedicated to Mick Jones'

vision of what Foreigner is really

about. Our energy live is at its' peak,

and the musicianship is top notch. We

have the finest front man in rock and a

band that kicks absolute ass every

night. We're as happy and confident as

we've ever been.

Kelly, How did you join Foreigner?

KH: Actually, I was at a point in my

career where I wasn't happy with where

I was going and what I was accomplish-

ing. I thought to myself, "I really need

to try to be proactive about what I am

doing." Because, most of my career,

things have just landed in my lap out of

luck, I guess. So I started looking

actively for things to do. One of the

first things I saw was an article on the

Internet about a charity show that Mick

had done with Jason Bonham, Jeff

Pilson and some of the guys from

Foreigner. I thought it was alluding to

a Mick Jones solo project, but really, it

was talking about a revamping of

Foreigner. Being in LA and being a

singer for 30 years, I knew some peo-

ple, I made some phone calls and I got

in touch with the band. We went back

and forth, and they sent me a karaoke

CD of five original Foreigner hits, the

actual real recordings without vocals,

and said, "Put your voice on these." So

I did. Those actual versions that I did,

ended up being for a while some of the

music that we would use to advertise

shows on the radio. Mick got to hear

the CD in New York, and they were

coming out to do some rehearsals. So I

sat in, we played for about an hour and

a half, and it sounded really good. They

called me an hour later and said,

"Listen, we're booking shows for next

weekend, can you start rehearsing

tomorrow?" So, I had five days to learn

the set, and from that point it was a

juggernaut.

Q: What is your position about the

comparisons with Lou Gramm?

KH: First of all, I respect Lou’s contri-

bution to this band, and it’s impossible

to deny – even if I wanted to – his

impact, vocally and in other aspects:

it’s great, and there’s no denying that.

But I came into this group with the

understanding that there were going to

be contrary voices, there were going to

be people who would hear me and never

accept me, hear me and eventually

accept me, hear me and immediately

accept me, and that was going to be a

part of what it is for me to be in this

band. That was not going to go away.

To try to pretend that I was not going to

experience that would be fooling

myself. So I just had to be honest with

myself and say, “Are you prepared for

this?” And frankly, I just had to say,

“You know what? I’ve never listened to

critics or people who don’t agree with

me; I’ve always done what I think is

right to do.” Mick and I were both

strongly in agreement on that idea of

you do what you think is right and,

hopefully, your fans will follow you and

they’ll get it.

Q: First time you listen to Foreigner?

KH: I don’t remember the first time I

heard FOREIGNER but I was well

aware of the band, I respected the

recordings that they were making, I

thought that the songs were great. I

don’t know if you remember or not but,

back in the ’70s, when FOREIGNER

came out, some of the critics were very

brutal about the fact that they thought

the band was manufactured in the

record company’s offices and it wasn’t

really a real band – none of that was

true, of course. But I always liked the

band from the beginning because I was

a guy who loved commercial rock and

pop music. I lived in L.A. at the time,

and there was time where if you did

commercial straight-ahead pop or rock

music in the States, the critics hated

you for whatever reason.

Q: Anything you would like to say or

add for the European fans especially?

KH: As always, it is a joy for us any

time we get the opportunity to come to

Europe and play for such awesome

music fans!

JP: We can't wait to see you in October-

the acoustic tour will really be a magi-

cal one. Europe is like a second home

to us now- and we couldn't be happier

about it! Foreigner and Europe really

go together well!

6 | MRF

Question: So, knowing that this is Crazy

Lixx’s fourth record, why the self titled sta-

tus?

Answer: Originally it wasn’t meant to be self

titled but going through possible titles we

found that nothing really stuck. Then I present-

ed the idea of making it self titled and we all

kind of felt it was suiting for the album, consid-

ering this album really came out the way we

feel a Crazy Lixx album should sound. Then as

always with self titled albums, fans and press

can’t just leave it at that (like with Metallica’s

‘Black Album’ or Whitesnake’s ‘1987’) and

because of the symbol on the front of the album

I’ve already heard some people referring to it

as ‘CL’. But I think that’s nice. People can call

it whatever they want as long as they enjoy it.

Q: Being the Producer as well, Danny, did

you put more pressure on yourself during

the recording sessions?

A: I always go to great lengths to make the

best out of my vocal recordings but most of the

production work was actually made more with

the guitar and bass recordings. I think I might

have pushed the guys more than I did myself

actually. But in the end I think we got a great

result out of it. When it comes to recording

vocals, for the past 3-4 years I’ve always done

it the same way; I record myself in my own

home studio and give it as much time as it

needs to sound how I want it to sound.

Q: What would you say is different with this

album than the previous three?

A: I think it’s more complete than the others,

from the song writing, music and lyrics all the

way to the playing, musicianship and produc-

tion of the album. All in all we’ve become bet-

ter at pretty much everything that has to do

with making an album and also zoned in on

what truly is the “Crazy Lixx Sound”.

Q: In preparing for the review of this self-

titled effort, I noticed that the energy level is

very high, and everyone seems so up; was it

hard to capture all of that energy… And

keep focused?

A: It was actually easier than ever because we

set out to make our best album ever but with-

out the pressure of a close deadline or limited,

expensive studio time. This time we recorded

bits and pieces when we felt up to it and where

we felt it would be best and most comfortable

to do it, instead of booking a high-end studio

for two weeks and then working our asses off

day and night to get it all done before the stu-

dio time was up. The kind of work strategy that

we had on this album suits us a lot better. But

then of course it took a year to get it done,

from the first drum recording to the final mas-

ters. And that’s without considering the song

writing that was done before that.

Q: We hear eleven fantastic slices of rock on

this effort… How many songs did you go in

with, and would some of those left be for the

next album?

A: We looked at around 40 more or less com-

plete demos for this album and a lot of the

songs that we left out are sure to be in the run-

ning for a follow-up album. My guess would be

that we can probably add 10-15 new demos to

that pile in a year or so, so there’s no shortage

of material for more albums, that’s for sure.

Then again, we try to set our standards higher

for each album so a lot of the stuff that we left

out now probably won’t make the cut in the

future either. Then there are songs that were

great but simply didn’t fit in because there

were already too many songs of the same style,

tempo or lyrical content selected for the

album. We try to have diversity on an album

and when you get many songs of the same style

you simply leave out some of them for later.

That doesn’t necessarily mean they weren’t

good enough, they just had to make room for

another kind of tune.

Band: Crazy Lixx Interview with: Danny Rexon Interview by: Bruce Atkinson

Band: Harmony Interview with: Markus Sigfridsson Interview by: Barry McMinn

Question: The new album is the bands

third release but the first full album to

feature new vocalist Daniel Heiman, so

why did Henrik leave the band?

A: Henrik chose to leave the band to

focus on Darkwater. He has never been

involved in the writing process in

Harmony and feel that the music we cre-

ate in Darkwater is more his thing. We

also felt as a band that it was a good

thing since there has been a lot of confu-

sion why we have had two bands going,

with almost the same members. We split

as friends obviously, and we are all still

in Darkwater.

Q: Was Daniel the obvious choice to

replace Henrik?

A: We actually had a few auditions but

didn´t find anyone that we were complete-

ly happy with, and we always had Daniel

on our mind since his guest appearance

on our previous album. So it definitely

felt right in the end, and we were very

happy when Daniel agreed to do the

vocals for the album.

Q: What does Daniel bring to the band?

A: Hi brings a new dimension to our

sound, he has this very wide range but his

voice is still very raw and natural. Both

Henrik and Daniel are amazing singers,

but they are different.

Q: How do you think ‘Theatre of

Redemption’ compares to the bands

two previous albums?

A: I think that we have evolved on all lev-

els, the song writing, playing skills etc.

The production is also a step up from

Chapter II: Aftermath. The album is still

as varied song wise as the previous ones,

in which our strength lies, I think.

Q: The album is veritable smorgasbord

of styles and influences, but still keep-

ing that Melodic Metal vibe, what songs

are you particularly proud of and why?

A: From the songs I wrote I´m most

happy with, at the moment, is “Son Of

The Morning” and the title track

“Theatre of Redemption”. Son Of The

Morning has this oriental vibe that I like,

it has some Rainbow influences, I´m also

happy with the lyrics on this one, they fit

the sound I think. For Theatre Of

Redemption I´m happy with the whole

arrangement, it´s moody and has this

dark but hopeful feeling to it. I think

Tobias would be most proud of Inhale,

that he wrote. It´s a really good song and

probably the most catchy song on the

album.

Q: As well as Daniel’s vocals the band

have brought in Ulrik Arturén, how did

Ulrik get involved in the album?

A: I´ve known about Ulrik for a long

time, but never worked with him, his quite

famous where we live. A friend recom-

mended him when I asked for a profes-

sional back up vocalist. He was happy to

help out, and I must say that we are so

happy with what he came up with, he

really adds something special to the

album.

Q: Will the band be taking to the road

in 2015 to promote the new album?

A: We don´t know yet, we would love to

though. Since Daniel is a guest vocalist

on the album we can´t guarantee any-

thing. We just have to wait and see, much

depending on how the interest for the

album is.

Q: What does the future hold for

Harmony, where would you like to see

the band in 3 years time?

A: Hopefully we will have at least one

more album out and be playing live more.

8 | MRF

Question: The new album is a really

rounded record. You must be pleased

with it.

Answer: Absolutely! The making of this

album led us through different troubling

situations, but the result is very good

and I think its easily a step forward

after CRYSTALLIZED which counts in

my personal WS faves. Adrenaline Rush

is full of great ear catchers, melodies as

well as powerful riffs and hooks. We

spent time in the songwriting of this

album and if you listen you will hear

what I mean. I doubt that it`s possible to

produce albums like in a factory and

expect a milestone to come out of such a

rush work. It needs its time to create

and write songs and a production as

well... In our case we sadly had to deal

with other problems as well, but now

it`s done and we like it very much.

Q: Tell us how writing and recording

the material differed from your pre-

vious records? Although this is your

fourth album, it’s quite a change as

you have David Reece replacing

Robert Soeterboek due to health rea-

sons. How is Robert doing now?

A: Since i have my own recording studio

things became more comfortable and

easier to handle, having a own studio

gives more room to be creative and you

can try different kinds of recording

tricks with microphone set ups, re-amp-

ing and so on, without having somebody

behind you who stares at the clock on

the wall, because time's money. A real

studio out there costs a lot of money, not

very helpful if you sit there and trying to

lay down tracks with this pressure

behind you. Robert sadly became seri-

ous problems with his voice in the mid-

dle of the recordings. We tried to make

a break and give him time to rest, but it

did not make it better. Robert told us to

find a singer to complete this album and

decided to step back from this produc-

tion. We found David who agreed to

help us out. Robert had a surgery and

have to make a long break of singing,

but the surgery was successful and he

works on his voice and will be back

soon!

Q: What’s it been like having David as

a band member?

A: David Reece is not a member of

Wicked Sensation, he only agreed to

help us out, he knew Wicked Sensation

before and liked the material so he

agreed to sing on Adrenaline Rush. As a

matter of fact his voice is not so far

away from Robert, so he was the right

decision for this Album and he did a

good job I think. Robert is still a mem-

ber and we will start working again as

soon as he is recovered.

Q: Athough of course David is

American, he lives in Germany. That

must have made the recording process

easier.

A: David lives in the U.S. the recordings

happened through file sharing over the

internet. We sent him the instrumentals

and pilots and he recorded in a studio in

his area, very simple actually and for

many other acts already normal if you

have to work over such a distance. We

was still able to talk about things to

change, or try out other ideas... So this

was basically easy to do.

Q: You also have Harry Hess of

Harem Scarem helping out on some

choruses. How did you get him

involved?

A: I made a record with Harry called

"First Signal" in 2010 who was released

on Frontiers Records. Since I played

guitars for him on this project I have a

good contact to him. Harry is a very

nice and handsome person and a "real

pro" he is an amazing singer and I had

to ask him for some choirs on

Adrenaline Rush. Like with David we

shared files and Harry sended us his

vocaltracks, we`re very happy to have

him on the album!

Interview by: Duncan JamiesonInterview with: Michael KleinBand: Wicked Sensation

MRF | 9

Question: I was introduced to

“Bloodbound” back in 2006, with their

debut album… The group had a mas-

sive impact then and with the release

of “Stormborn”, I would say that you

and your mates will repeat that feat!

Answer: When we started to record the

album we felt we had something really

good going on. And now with all the

amazing response so far, it seems that

people agree with us and that is just a

great feeling.

Q: How long have you been with the

group-five years?

A: I joined the band in April 2010, so a

little bit over four years now.

Q: Patrik, are you able to partake in

the song writing as well as laying

down your fine vocals?

A: I haven’t been very involved in the

song writing so far, but that’s not

because I can’t be. Tomas and Fredrik

who are the main song writers want me

and the others to participate more and

are encouraging us to come up with

songs and ideas.

For me, I just think that those two are

doing such a good job and don’t feel

that I, for my own ego or anything, need

to contribute with material just for the

sake of it. I write songs all the time and

co-wrote a couple of songs on “Unholy

Cross” and “In the name of metal”, but

this time I didn’t have any material that

suited the album. Maybe I’ll have more

for the next one.

Q: Now, with the way that

Bloodbound delivers their musical

creations with the operatic elements

and such, do you find that reproduc-

ing all of this live is somewhat diffi-

cult? It certainly must have a strain

on your voice, what do you do to keep

your voice in top form?

A: With Stormborn we have a lot more

keyboards and choirs and stuff so for

some things we’re gonna need to use a

sampler or backing tracks to reproduce

the sound live. We haven’t rehearsed the

new material yet, but if we manage to do

the songs justice live, which I really

think we can, it’s gonna be very power-

ful. About to keep the voice in form. I

don’t do too much in that matter to be

honest. But for me the best way is to sing

a lot to keep the motor running so to

speak. As long as you don’t feel sore in

the throat of course.

Q: May we talk more about the new

album? Is “Stormborn” another con-

ceptual piece?

A: I would not exactly call it a concep-

tual album. Most of the songs have their

own story. But Tomas who wrote most of

the lyrics were very inspired by the tv-

show “Game of Thrones” this time. So

songs like “Stormborn” and “Iron

Throne” are based on that. Which I

think fits the music perfectly.

Q: If we think back to when you first

joined up with your fellow band-

mates… And going through the years

and albums, “Unholy Cross”, and “In

The Name Of Metal”, did you feel that

a change of direction was happening?

A: When I joined the band they made it

very clear that they wanted to return to

what bloodbound was from the begin-

ning. They had released “Tabula Rasa”

and felt that that direction wasn’t the

right way for the band to go, musically.

Which suited me perfectly because I

loved the first album “Nosferatu” and

are more into that kind of music. Then

“In the name of metal” was more of a

“back to the roots”-album, a celebra-

tion to Metal if you like, and contained

these Metal anthems that are made for

live shows. And I think we kept the foun-

dation of the Bloodbound sound.

10 | MRF

Band : Bloodbound Interview with: Patrik Johansson Interview by: Bruce Atkinson

RATED X “Rated X”

(Frontiers Music s.r.l.)

Another Frontiers project, masterminded

by Serefino but this one threatens to

become a fully-fledged band. When you

have Joe Lynn Turner handling the vocals,

his sometime writing partner Karl Cochran

on guitar and a legendary rhythm section in

Carmine Appice and Tony Franklin, who

worked together in the mighty Blue

Murder, it’s easy to get excited about this.

Rockier than Turner’s recent Sunstorm

records, “Fire And Ice” and “Lhasa” have

that epic blues rock feel of Blue Murder

while there’s a Deep Purple feel to “On The

Way to Paradise” and a Rainbow groove to

“Get Back My Crown” (JLT loves doing a

song on most albums that revs like “Death

Alley Driver”). A lot of the material bumps

and grinds, creating room for the musicians

to stretch out and solo, taking turns in the

spotlight. Such an approach, helps remind

you of those cherished 70s rock albums in

your collection. Turner adds a bit more grit

to his voice than usual here to fit the mate-

rial. Seasoned professionals deliver a solid

effort. (DJ 97/100)

WHITESNAKE “Live in ‘84 - Back to the Bone”

(Frontiers Music s.r.l.)The 80’s albums of Whitesnake dominatedthe album charts of the day with “Ready andWilling”, “Come an’ Get It”, “Saints andSinners” all top 10 charting albums. But itwas the 1984 album “Slide It In” that is themain feature of this review. This year seesthe 30th Anniversary of the album’s releaseand to celebrate this milestone, FrontiersRecords have released the live CD/DVDcombo “Back To The Bone 1984”. TheDVD and CD are pure Whitesnake, this isthe band at their very best and at the heightof their popularity. This is also an album thatreflects upon three of the band memberswho recorded “Slide It In”, Cozy Powell,Jon Lord and Mel Galley, all now deceased.As you can imagine all the hits are here fromthat great era of the band, with added bonusmaterial including Jon Lord’s final perform-ance with the band on the DVD/CDDigipak, with the CD featuring the best ofthe Bootlegs entitled “Snakeskin Boots”.This is a not just another live Whitesnakealbum, this is history. This is the band attheir pinnacle, with what is still regarded asits finest line-up and is a must by for all fansof the band and that era. (BM 90/100)

CRAZY LIXX “Crazy Lixx”

(Frontiers Music s.r.l.)Wow! This sounds so fresh and new, thatone wouldn’t think that “Crazy Lixx’s lat-est is actually the group’s fourth excursion!From the opening blasts of “Hell RaisingWomen” we are hit with hard rock galore!And it just keeps coming; big fat riffs, ahuge Rock Voice and a driving bottom thatjust keeps driving us towards RockHeaven! This self-titled collection showsthe Swedish quintet at the top of their pow-ers. All barriers are gone, this record musthave been recorded with the adrenaline setto maximum! Every song shines, everyagarangement pops! Danny Rexon’ssinging is at a level I haven’t heard for along time. The playing is tight; some nicechanges in every song and everything isloaded with huge choruses! The twin gui-tars of Edo Liam and Andy Zata are redhot, and they both add meat to the vocals.And on every number! That rhythm sec-tion-whew! Can these two play! JoelCirera on drums and Jens Sjoholm on bass,never a lull in the bottom end! There is somuch energy on this “Crazy Lixx” album,you are going to have to press pause mid-way through just to catch your breath! Thisis definitely a “Call to Action” from fivefantastic Rockers! An album worth itsweight in platinum! (BA 92/100)

HEART “Home for the Holidays”

(Frontiers Music s.r.l.)

This isn’t a regular Heart album. It captures

them live with their slippers kicked off, in front

of the fire, singing a few festive songs with

some of their showbiz friends. It’s like a warm

sweater, the instrumentation mellow, suiting

the Christmas themed songs, but despite not

being your typical Heart record, Ann Wilson’s

voice still shines through, strong and emotive.

You surrender to the sentimental mood and

friendly welcoming ambience. It includes a

poetry reading and amiable guest appearances

by the likes of Richard Marx, Shawn Colvin,

Pat Monahan and a full Choir. Sammy Hagar

pops up on two tracks, in his laid back, beach

bum mode which might sound at odds with the

frosty theme but his contribution is a good one

and his original ‘Santa’s Goin’ South’ will

prove to be a fun draw for Red rocker devo-

tees. Just when you’ve got that post-Christmas

lunch sleepy feeling, the guitars finally get

plugged in for the old favourite ‘Barracuda’

before they play a spellbinding version of

‘Stairway To Heaven’. The song is a perfect fit

for them. If you’re looking for music to get you

into the festive spirit then ask Santa for this one.

(DJ 90/100)

BLOODBOUND

“Stormborn”

(AFM Records)Patrik Johansson seems to have

fitted in nicely with

“Bloodbound”, and this being

his third album with them, seems

to be flexing his musical muscles

a little more aggressively! Of

course, this is music that is not

for the faint of heart… Both in

lyrical content, and the composi-

tions themselves. “Bloodbound”

have created a complicated and

telling story; with the waves of

music creating the cinematic

atmosphere of an epic tale that

will not fade very quickly. In

fact, I’m thinking the group have

outdone themselves on this

release! Prepare yourselves for a

musical journey that is full of

drama, aggressive, melodic yet

molten and very thought provok-

ing. The musicianship heard

here is beyond “10”, the writing

and lyrical content is full of emo-

tion and mystery… And the

whole of this Recorded Work

can be described as Epically

Bombastic! It exudes confidence

from each and every member to

the extent that we are in for some

surprises regarding some of the

musical elements employed

herein. “Bloodbound”;

“Stormborn” is setting a high

water mark, one that will reso-

nant for a long time to come! BA

(92/100)

AXENSTAR

“Where Dreams Are Forgotten”

(Ulterium Records)Not the most prolific band on

earth (two albums released in

the last eight years), Swedish

Power metallers Axenstar are

returning to the scene with a

new record-deal just signed

and a brand new strong album

(in the band's own words: "this

could be the best Axenstar

album so far). Produced and

mixed at “Studio

Underground”, “Where

Dreams Are Forgotten” sounds

great and features a nice mix of

melody and power, something

that Melodic Power Metal fans

will definitely appreciate.

Composed by 11 Metal hymns,

the Classic '80s Metal influ-

ences are always there, as

songs like the epic “The

Reaper” and the melodic

“Inside The Maze” clearly

show, while a song like “My

Sacrifice” tends to incorporate

some slightly updated ele-

ments. The strong songwriting

is always supported by an

immaculate musicianship that

let the band also enter into

some slightly more Progressive

fields, and especially the gui-

tar-parts shine thru the whole

album. All in all, a powerful

and enjoyable album. Listeners

of the genre please take notice!

PB (85/100)

HARMONY

“Theatre of Redemption”

(Ulterium Records)“Theatre of Redemption” is the

third album from Swedish

Melodic Metallers Harmony,

featuring the vocal might of

Daniel Heiman as new vocalist.

With this new album we see

the band make the most of

Heiman’s superb vocals as he

delivers power and grace on all

the 10 tracks, from the opener

“The Window of My Soul”,

right down to the last track “In

Search of”, as he brings a

Geoff Tate styled power to pro-

ceedings. Highlights of the

album for me have to be

“Crown Me King”, a big

chunky riff drives this one,

then at the other end of the

Melodic Metal scale is the

superb “Son Of The Morning”,

a track with more Eastern

Promise than a case of Turkish

Delight. “Hands of Time” is

another riff laden spectacle that

really brings out best in all the

band, from the rampaging gui-

tars and towering vocals to the

powerhouse rhythm section.

All in all a great return from

the band and with Heiman on

this release, it’s time for the

band to be the hot topic on the

lips of the Melodic Metal fans

the world over when this

albums gets released. BMM

(90/100)

AVATARIUM

“All I Want”

(Nuclear Blast)With bassist Leif Endling from

Candlemass and ex-Evergrey

guitarist Marcus Jiddle on board

this EP will create interest. The

strong vocals of Jeanne Ann-

Smith distance this material from

the participants previous work,

with its retro feel, going back to

the late sixties and early seven-

ties “All I Want” is the most

direct with a catchy riff akin to

Blue Oyster Cult and Smith’s

vocals reminding you of those

iconic female vocalists of the six-

ties; Janis Joplin and Grace Slick.

There are some likeable pots and

pan sounding percussion mid-

song and it comes as no surprise

that Michael Blair has previously

worked with Tom Waits. “Deep

Well” has a broad early Rainbow

sound; you can imagine Ronnie

James Dio singing this one. It

gets darker and gloomier with

“Pandora’s Egg”, the first of

three live songs included. The

spacey “Tales Of Telepathy” is

the pick of the bunch with a good

extended solo from Jiddle that

has the spirit of Hendrix. Jiddle,

good throughout, has a lot of

room to noodle on these songs.

Good though the studio tracks

are, the live songs have an extra

dimension to them. Interesting

for dark retro fans. DJ (86/100)

WICKED SENSATION

“Adrenaline Rush”

(AOR Heaven)It’s the fourth album for the

German rockers and they’ve come

through adversity to make perhaps

their strongest release to date.

Singer Robert Soeterboek, who

has a great Coverdale quality to his

voice, had to unfortunately pull out

due to throat issues. However, he’s

been replaced by none other than

David Reece of Accept, Bangalore

Choir and Tango Down fame.

He’s a great choice and helps give

the music a fresh American feel to

add to the European hard rock

sound. The Whitesnake compar-

isons made on their last album

“Crystalized” are a little less pro-

nounced this time (although

“Misery” and “Leave Me like A

Fool” do have some of that

Coverdale swagger). Guitarist and

song writer Michael Klein has cre-

ated a well-balanced album with

harder rockers like “King Of The

World”, more melodic tracks like

“Same Old Situation” and “Blue

Painted Sky” a sunny, top down

radio rocker, and the well sung

acoustic “This Time”. The title

track appears late on the record.

It’s a heart pumping, fast and

heavy song and would have made

a great opening song. Wicked

Sensation, David Reece and

melodic rock fans in general will

be well satisfied with this release.

DJ (90/100)

ZERO ZERO

“Heroes Live Forever”

(Steelheart Memories)New chapter in the “Lost UK

Jewels” Series and another one

to look for. Originally formed in

the mid-eighties, Zero Zero was

put together when a young

Stevie Doherty (vocalist/gui-

tarist) left an early version of

Strangeways to create a brand

new band. The slew of demos

that followed proved that they

were probably one of the finest

UK AOR bands to have never

been signed. They did come

close, with offers from both

Atlantic and Carrere but, due to

management mishaps, it all fell

through. Including all the materi-

al that the band recorded back in

the day, coupled with two new

songs, “Heroes Live Forever”

featuressome superior British

AOR-Melodic Rock, and songs

like “Forget About Love”,

“Heroes Live Forever”,

“Warning Light” and “Lvers

And Losers” are here to prove it;

the first bunch of songs (dated

back 1986) are more into a

Journey meets B.Adams vein,

while the second lot (recorded in

1993) have a more in-your-face

Hard-Rock approach a la

Firehouse/Von Groove. Digitally

remastered and strictly limited to

500 copies, this Cd is highly rec-

ommended. REB (90/100)

eview

s

R

FOREIGNER “The Best of 4 and More”

(Frontiers Music s.r.l.)On October 3rd & 4th 2014, Foreignerperformed and recorded an uniqueevent at the prestigious “Borgata Hotel”in Atlantic City. For the first time ever,the band presented a show called "TheBest of Foreigner 4 & More", a showthat their fans asked for since years andthat the band decided to put together,with a repertoire consisting of some ofthe best and most loved songs ofForeigner “4” plus a selection of otherForeigner timeless hits. In front of avery passionate audience, Foreignerdelivered at their best, exactly as every-one is expecting by an awesome bandlike them, and they played some offans’ favorite songs with class and feel-ing, with a special mention to KellyHansen's incredible vocal performance.Hits like “Waiting For A Girl LikeYou”, “Say You Will”, “Jukebox Hero”and the #1 global hit “I Want To KnowWhat Love Is” have been played alongwith slightly less-known tunes such as“Night Life”, “Break It Up” and “GirlOn The Moon” for a final result whichis no less than spectacular. As responsi-ble for creating a genre (AOR), with tenmulti-platinum albums and sixteen Top30 US hits, Foreigner are still keepingthe flag flying high. (PB 92/100)

BAILEY “Long Way Down”

(Frontiers Music s.r.l.)I’m not sure if we can take this! First wehad the first rate debut of “Three Lions” andnow the stellar debut of that group’s frontman: Nigel Bailey with “Bailey: Long WayDown”! Opening with “Feed The Flames”,this debut will be a force to be reckonedwith. Showcasing not only his powerfulvoice and guitar playing, his song writingand composition is surpassing the scales!“In The Name Of The King” is epic in pro-portion and will serve as Nigel’s lead-offsingle & video. If you were blown away bythe “Three Lions” material, you will befloored by “Long Way Down”. This albumis loaded with hard British Rock andmelodies thick and lush, plus a vocal rangethat simply amazes. Nigel shows musicalemotion on each and every track. “DirtyLittle Secret” works on so many levels,showcasing this humble musician’s highdegree of song smithing. Continuing toshow his immense Talents, “Long WayDown” is full of riff-driven guitar workfuelled by heart and soul! This whole col-lection is driven by heart and soul, Nigelhas so much music in him it is obviouslyhard to contain! Nigel Bailey is on the vergeof becoming a major Talent & Musicalforce in the finest tradition of British HardRock! For “Bailey”, yes the debut is called“Long Way Down”; the music? It is noth-ing but up! up! up! (BA 93/100)

HAREM SCAREM “Thirteen”

(Frontiers Music s.r.l.)

The Canadian rock band called it a day

back in 2008, but good rock bands are

like zombies; you just can’t kill ‘em

off. Resurrected, the band have

returned with 10 tracks that have all

the classic Harem Scarem trademarks.

Pete Lesperance’ guitar unpeels slabs

of melodic rock groove throughout

and he dispatches some lovely well-

crafted solos. Harry Hesse’s voice is

as unmistakable as ever, aided by a

good production sound that adds lay-

ers of harmonies and helps those cho-

ruses work their infectious magic. The

great musicianship on “Garden Of

Eden”, the sing-a-long ‘Live It’, the

mature, reflective “The Midnight

Hours” and the uber-feelgood “All I

Need” have Harem Scarem sounding

refreshed and re-invigorated. Fans of

the band will be cock-a-hoop. Indeed

the whole album proves that the num-

ber “Thirteen” needn’t necessary be

unlucky. (DJ 94/100)

YES “Like It Is”

(Frontiers Music s.r.l.)A double CD/Live DVD package-this isa live documentation of Yes World Tourof 2014 in which they presented twoiconic Yes albums in their entirety. CD-1 of this package is their stellar perform-ance of 1977’s “Going For The One”.The atmosphere created here is one ofreverence, and as the group flowsthrough each selection, those gatheredgrow warmer, taking in all of the subtleperfection wafting from the stage. CD-2is of course the performance of the veryfirst album “The Yes Album”, first heardin 1971. Unbelievable that these musicalpassages are all of forty-three years old!The magic here is that each piece doesnot sound like it’s been dusted off, on thecontrary, they sound freshly minted!“Like It Is…” captures an inspired per-formance from these five legendarymusicians: Jon Davison-Steve Howe-Alan White-Chris Squire, and GeoffDownes: with each member putting fortha stunning show of musicianship! It’s allhere, everything that ever made Yes twosteps ahead of their peers! Now, with theaccompanying DVD you can fully re-live this magical concert! (BA 85/100)

PAVLOV’S GOD

“The Pekin Tapes”

(Rockville Music)Formed in St Louis Missouri in

1972, Pavlov’s Dog first saw

the light of day with their debut

album “Pampered Menail”, but

little did we know this album

wouldn’t have been released if

it wasn’t for the bands untitled

album, which was just called

“The Pekin Tapes”. An album

recorded in just 3 days at

Golden Voice Studio in Pekin

Illinois. When ABC Records

heard the untitled album they

signed the band and instead of

releasing “The Pekin Tapes”,

then went into the studio to

record what would be

“Pampered Menial”. In 1977

Golden Voice Studio burned

down with the masters of “The

Pekin Tapes” lost in the blaze,

but in 2014 a copy of the album

was found in a private inheri-

tance and now after painstaking

lengths to restore the tape, “The

Pekin Tapes” finally sees the

light of day some 41 years late.

The album is true to the era,

there is an air of the progressive

about it with frontman David

Surkamp having a Geddy Lee

vocal style. This may not be to

everyone’s taste, but for nostal-

gia and history buffs is a must

for fans of 70 rock like Blue

Oyster Cult. BM (75/100)

TOKYO

“Listen To Your Heartbeat”

(Steelheart Memories)Not to be confused with the

german band sporting the

same name, the UK combo

called TOKYO started life as a

Pomp Rock oufit (a la

Magnum) before adopting the

more familiar AOR sound that

characterized the UK scene in

the late '80s. During 1988 – on

the back of winning a “Metal

Hammer”-sponsored “battle of

the bands” - they recorded an

EP entitled “Listen To Your

Heartbeat” for Great Western

Records. In addition to this,

the band cut various demos

from 1984 on to 1989, and all

of this material is here fea-

tured (first ever time on CD!),

as Volume 8 of the “Lost UK

Jewels” Collectors Series.

Classic '80s British AOR with

some Pomp Rock influences,

close to Strangeways, Airrace

and Virginia Wolf, that will

definitely please any fan of the

genre. As usual, strictly limit-

ed to 500 copies, fully remas-

tered from the master-tapes,

and with a nice full-color 16

pages booklet (containing a

band-history, pics and memo-

rabilia), “Listen To Your

Heartbeat” might be a nice

addiction to your precious CD

collection. REB(88/100)

WHITE WIDDOW

“Crossfire”

(AOR Heaven)“Crossfire” marks the third

release from these Australian

rockers. The record continues

where their second

”Serenade” left off. Again,

full of huge production, with

dominant keyboards and

thundering guitars,

“Crossfire” has a little more

octane in its tank! Yes, the

group are still stirring that

big AOR Arena Rock style,

but this time out, just a little

harder edged! What this

album has contained within

will go a long way in cement-

ing “White Widdow’s right-

ful place in the skies of

Melodic Rock. The guys con-

tinue to drive forth giving us

a very energetic symphonic,

(in places), melodic sound-

scape. A musical tapestry

filled with up-tempo, heart-

felt renderings. With that

harder edge, it will be easier

for some to take notice, and

yes impact the Global AOR

charts as well! “Crossfire”, a

very solid effort, another plus

for the guys that make up

“White Widdow”. BA

(90/100)

BLACK FATE

“Between Visions & Lies”

(Ulterium Records)Harkening from Greece, “Black

Fate” began back in 1990. The

group released a couple of demos,

“Black Fate” and “A Piece Of

Dream”, which found favourable

reaction in their home country. A

major change in the line-up during

the 2000’s saw the group finally

releasing their debut full length

album, “Uncover” and continued

to make headway. As 2007

approached, the group changed

their line-up slightly and had a

renewal of energy and commit-

ment and saw the release of

“Deliverance of Soul” in 2009.

The time came for this group of

highly trained and inspired musi-

cians to sit down and start to com-

pose a new collection of heroic

music… And they did! “Black

Fate” are finally ready to release!

“Between Visions & Lies” is that

very album. A classically tinged

Heavy Metal collection that rocks!

Full of technical expertise and

flash, melodic and driving, we

experience eleven molten passages

that will amaze! The group are also

ready to amaze us with taking this

album on the road. 2015 should see

their collective efforts rise higher

and louder. “Black Fate” will be

rewarded for all their hard work

and determination. “Between

Visions & Lies” will make sure of

that! BA (90/100)

DEVILMENT

“The Great and Secret Show”

(Nuclear Blast)Originally formed by Daniel Finch

back in late 2011, Devilment expe-

rienced a lot of problems before

having a stable line-up. With Dani

Filth (Cradle Of Filth) invited to

take the slot behind the mic but

extra-busy with his main band, and

some other musicians leaving the

band to other commitments,

Devilment has been on a hiatus sit-

uation for a long time. Finally, with

some right guys accepting the role

(Nick Johnson on Bass, Colin

Parks on Guitar, Lauren Francis on

vocals & Keyboards, and Aaron

Boast on Percussion) and a record-

deal offered by Nuclear Blast, the

band entered “Grindstone Studios”

in Suffolk, UK, during September

2013, with Producer Scott Atkins

(Cradle Of Filth, Behemoth, Amon

Amarth, etc). The result is the

debut-album entitled “The Great

And Secret Show”, 13 tracks of

pure Metal madness, heavy guitar-

riffs, thrashy parts and insane

melodies, with lyrics centered

around the poetically macabre,

songs celebrating the band's Witch

County origins, murderously

unstable relationships, exotic cine-

matic women, mind-altering

Victorian drugs and the phantas-

magorical beauty that exists behind

the thinly veiled curtain of exis-

tence. I'm sure you got the picture...

PB (88/100)

TRIOSPHERE

“The Heart Of The Matter”

(AFM Records)Triosphere are led by the towering

vocals and thunderous bass lines

of Ida Haukland, along with the

guitars of Marious Silver

Bergesen and T. O Byberg and

the rampaging drumming of

Orjan Jorgensen. Together they

have produce another stunning

slice of Melodic Power /

Progressive Metal. If you’re a fan

of the genre like I am, then you’ll

just love this album from the off.

The power driven melodies that

have become part and parcel of

what Triosphere are all about are

here in spades with this new

album. The album has so many

great tracks that I could wax lyri-

cally about them all, but editorial

restrictions make this impossible,

so here are the highlights the

opener “My Fortress”, a stunning

way to open the album, both epic

and sublime. “Departure”, which

is a massive bass driven anthem.

“The Heart’s Dominion”, the

track of the album for me. Power

and grace all wrapped up in one

tight slice of power driven metal.

These are just a few of my high-

lights of what is another stunning

release from these Norwegians.

BM (98/100)

Question: Last t ime we chatted, i t

was wi th the re l ease o f

“Serenade”… So has your approach

to recording this new record been

any different?

Answer: This album was considerably

more di f f icul t to wri te and record,

most ly due to the fact that towards

the end of the wri t ing / rehearsal ses-

s ions our drummer and good fr iend

George Kr i s t y commi t t ed su i c ide .

This brought the band to a s tand s t i l l ,

in severe shock for some t ime at the

loss of our fr iend. I t was a very hard

t ime to be able to pick up the pieces

and keep pushing forward. However

I think that af ter pushing through the

tragedy we have ended up with our

best album so far .

Q: Knowing your previous work, I

must say that the expectations are

high… So when preparing for the

sessions, did you and the group feel

any undue pressure?

A: Yes, there is some pressure for

sure to bring out an album as good or

bet ter than “Serenade”, but the only

way we can even try to do that is the

same way we made that album, and

that’s to put our heart and soul into

every song and every per formance

and give i t everything we can, and

tha t ’ s wha t we have done w i th

“Crossf ire”.

Q: I would imagine that “Crossf ire”

be ing your th ird e f for t , shows

White Widdow at a more comfort-

able stage, would that be correct?

A: I think that we had a much clearer

idea of what to do and were more

famil iar wi th how to make the best

a lbum tha t we cou ld . We’ve been

working with each other now for 6

years , so Xavier (Keys/Producer) was

much more famil iar wi th how to get

the best performances out of the rest

of us in the s tudio.

Q: Let ’ s ta lk about the record

label , AOR Heaven, you have been

wi th them s ince the beg inn ing ,

which is a good s ign that the rela-

t ionship is a very good one… And

being that they are a smaller label ,

would i t be fair to say that they

have a more personal relat ionship

with you?

A: Georg & Monika at AOR Heaven

are very b ig par t o f t he Whi t e

Widdow s tory , w i thou t t hem we

wouldn’t have got ten this far . They

signed us af ter hearing only a three

song demo and have never interfered

with our creat ive process . They sup-

port us 100% and we would rather be

with a label that can focus on each

release for a longer period of t ime,

rather than a larger label that has

too many releases per month to be

ab le to g ive any re lease the t rue

focus that i t deserves .

Q: Aga in , ta lk ing about

“Crossf ire”, what are your expecta-

t ions for i t?

A: We just hope that everyone that

has enjoyed our f irs t two albums, wi l l

enjoy “Crossf ire” as much or even

more! And hopeful ly we can also win

some new fans with the new album as

wel l .

Q: White Widdow are a very road-

worthy group, so are you hoping to

increase your touring in the next

year, and do you have any area that

you wil l be focusing in on?

A: We certainly love to tour the coun-

tr ies that appreciate our music , we

are current ly booking a tour for 2015

that wi l l inc lude the UK, Greece ,

Switzerland and hopeful ly Germany

and I taly once again.

Band: White Widdow Interview with: Jules Millis Interview by: Duncan Jamieson

14 | MRF

Question: It’s great to have you back

with an album of new material!

Answer: Thanks! We’re excited to be back.

Q: The record is classic Harem Scarem.

Big guitars, great vocals, harmonies and

those damn catchy melodies. Why was

the time right to get back together again

and make new music?

Answer: Basically, I think we just had to

step away from it for long enough.

Speaking for myself, when we shut it down

after Hope, I was just out of tricks. I real-

ly felt I had said everything I had to say

musically in HS at that time. But after 6

years away from it and post the 2013

“Moodswings 2” tour, it we felt totally

inspired to write new music and see what

Harem Scarem sounded like in 2014.

Q: When you previously split did you

really think that was the end of Harem

Scarem?

A: Hard to say. When you’re ending some-

thing the last thing you’re thinking of is

when you’re going to be starting it up

again. We never had any hard fast rules or

thoughts on Harem Scarem’s future, we

just knew we were done with it for the time

being.

Q: You went down the pledge route for

making this album. How did that work

for you and what have you learned from

this experience?

A: Actually, our situation is a bit of a

hybrid really. We do have label support in

Europe (Frontiers) and Japan (Marquee /

Avalon). For us the Pledge Music thing

was more about reconnecting with our

fans and offering them the opportunity to

pick up some HS swag that we don’t nor-

mally offer, as well as bringing them

behind-the-scenes videos to show them

what goes into making our records. The

Pledge Music campaign runs until Dec 9th

and so far we’re thrilled at the response

we’ve had.

Q: You were quite consistent in the

nineties releasing records up to your

last album “Hope”. How has the gap

affected the way you’ve approached

“Thirteen”?

A: The best thing the gap did for us was

give us some time to recharge creatively. I

think we really enjoyed the writing and

recording process for “Thirteen” more

then we have in the recent past. It felt

fresh to us and I think it really comes out

in the tracks.

Q: Musically and lyrically it feels more

mature than the past. Would you agree?

A: Hard to say from my perspective as I’m

obviously way to close to it but I’m glad

you think so. I can definitely say that I

think it’s some of Harry’s best lyrical

work.

Q: You are great at last year’s Firefest

in the UK. Have you any plans to come

back over to Europe to promote

“Thirteen”?

A: We will hopefully be putting some dates

together for Europe in the Spring.

Q: What’s next for Harem Scarem?

A: At this point we’re finishing up the

Pledge campaign and waiting for the

album release. After that… It’s anyone’s

guess.

MRF | 15

Band: Harem Scarem Interview with: Pete Lesperance Interview by: Duncan Jamieson

Question: Black Fate has an interesting

history… Could you briefly bring us up

to date on the group’s membership?

Answer: Sure! Black Fate was formed back

in 1990 in Larissa Greece. The band

released two demos called “Black Fate”

and “A Piece of Dream” which earned

great reviews from the Greek metal media

and the band started playing their first

shows. In 2000 after a few line-up changes

the band released Its first album called

“Uncover” and two years later the two first

demos were also re-released together on an

album with the title “A Piece of Dream”. In

2007 Nikos Tsintzilonis met Vasilis

Georgiou and decided to put Black Fate

back on track. They started working on new

material and writing new songs for a new

album and began to make plans for a new

beginning of the band. The result of all this

work was the album "Deliverance of Soul"

that was released in 2009. After the album

release the old line up couldn't follow the

bands live obligations and the search for

new band members started. Me and Vasilis

Liakos joined the band which led to this

days line up.

Q: Obviously you have been doing a lot of

Live Work, when you do. Do you preview

some of the new material or do you wait

until you finish recording?

A: We have actually played some of the new

songs live already yes. We like doing

that,rehearsing and playing them live. Its a

good way for us to see how they work and if

we need to change anything in them. We

don’t want to have parts within songs that

we have second thoughts about and i think

this is a good way to work.

Q: Speaking of recording, when did you

begin work on “Between Visions &

Lies”?

A: It was late 2010 I think.

Q: So, with all of the complicated move-

ments within each piece, is it a complicat-

ed process in laying everything down?

A: Not really to be honest. We practiced the

songs for a while and were ready to go in

the studio and record everything well and

give it our best!

Q: You are now with a new label…how is

that working out?

A: So far so good! We are very happy with

our relation with Ulterium Records. The

guys know very well how to do their job and

we are very very satisfied with how things

are working out so far. Emil and the rest of

the guys know very well how to promote the

album and the band in general!

16 | MRF

Band: Black Fate

Interview with: Gus Drax

Interview by: B. Atkinson

Question: Hello guys! How are you

doing? Let's start talking about your

new album “Where Dreams Are

Forgotten”. How do you feel about it?

What do you think are the main differ-

ences between this album and your pre-

vious ones?

A: We are just fine and we are really

excited about the release of the new

album! We are very happy with how the

album turned out, I think we have really

managed to write 11 strong tracks and

I'm sure the fans will love it! I think the

main difference between this new album

and the previous ones is the fact that it

feels like the whole band has contributed

to the songwriting and the songarrang-

ment this time and I think that have real-

ly made the songs as good as they can be.

Q: What’s the lyrical concept or main

theme of the album? Why a title like

“Where Dreams Are Forgotten”?

A: It's hard to say, there is no lyrical

theme throughout the whole album. The

lyrics deal with a lot of different subjects

like loss, war, death well mostly negative

stuff really. The title is taken from the

lyrics to the song "Sweet Farewell" and

that song is about a guy who has lost his

will to live and he has realized that the

one thing certain in life is that we're all

going to die, so he has reached the point

where his dreams are forgotten.

Q: What can you tell us about the pow-

erful production made at “Studio

Underground”?

A: I think it's a very good one! I think the

sound on the album is the best we have

had on any album and Pelle Saether at

Studio Underground did a great job engi-

neering and mixing the album.

Q: How is the swedish scene and mar-

ket for Heavy Metal at the moment?

A: I think it's pretty strong, as always

haha! There is a lot of great Swedish

bands around and more are on the way

up. I would say that the market for Heavy

Metal will always be big since once you

start listen to metal you're hooked for

life!

Band: Axenstar

Interview with: M.Winterwild

Interview by: P. Bonali

MRF | 17

Question: When I received this assignment,

Nigel, I must tell you I was simply amazed

that a solo effort was coming our way from

you, what with the Three Lions bursting on

the scene and all; you must be just chalk

full of music!

Answer: Thanks very much! It’s a passion I

have had for many years, my whole life

revolves around music, playing, writing or lis-

tening.

Q: Please take us through the events that

steered you to make this decision in releas-

ing music on the Solo plateau…

A: This album was recorded before I was

introduced to Vinny and Greg. I had been

signed to Frontiers as a solo artist and then

met the Lions and things have gone from

there.

Q: Upon first listen, “Long Way Down” is

different than the Three Lions release;

although both run in similar musical

rivers…are the songs on this record more

personal?

A: A little I guess because these were the first

songs I got to record, but I don’t really write

from personal experience although that some-

times plays a part and gives me an idea to

elaborate on. I have a vivid imagination when

it comes to lyrics. There are obviously simi-

larities to the Three Lions record but still

quite different as the songs on Long Way

Down were written with no collaboration with

other musicians.

Q: Whom did you enlist to help on this?

A: I recorded the Vocals, Bass and Guitars.

Mario Percudani plays guitar on the record

and Alessandro Mori plays drums. Ale (Del

Vecchio) put the Keyboards down and also

sang some BV’s. I’m very lucky to have had

such great musicians and nice guys on the

album.

Q: In my opinion your Talent absolutely

shines here… Sort of what was promised on

the group’s debut is fully realised here…

So did you work with a little more free-

dom?

A: With Long Way Down and Three Lions, we

were allowed to write the music we love, there

was no agenda or instructions. Both albums

are exactly how I wanted them to turn out and

Im very proud of them.

Q: What was it like working with Mr. Del

Vecchio! He seems to be everywhere these

days!

A: He’s a Legend! Not only is he a fantastic

producer, vocalist, and keyboard player but

he is one of the nicest guys in the world. Its a

pleasure to work with him.

Q: What are your hopes, Nigel, for “Long

Way Down”?

A: I hope people like it, naturally. I think it

has some great songs, great musicianship and

I hope that the listener gets the feeling of pas-

sion and energy that was put into making it.

Q: I know, I keep going back to the Three

Lions, however, the group is so powerful

and your debut on the scene the same; so

now with just as powerful a solo debut, are

you going out by yourself with live gigs, or

would you incorporate some of this materi-

al in the Three Lions’ set?

A: Yes, I have a sold out live show to launch

the album in December in my hometown of

Bradford and am honoured to have been

asked to play with Bailey at the Frontiers

Rock Festival again in April next year. I hope

to have some more live dates for next year

also for both Bailey and Three Lions. Im sure

there will be some cross overs on the live

shows. At my launch party I’m very pleased

that Vinny and Greg, plus the Mancubs have

agreed to join me for a couple of tunes and

Vinny is playing guitar on the solo stuff too.

Q: I notice that there is another Bailey on

this record, is this a family member?

A: Yes, thats my brother Andy, he is part of

the Bailey live line up and also the Three

Lions. Its great to have him on there and live

our voices work so well together, he has an

amazing voice.

Interview by: Bruce AtkinsonInterview with: Nigel BaileyArtist: Bailey

Band: Rated X

Interview with: Joe Lynn Turner

Interview by: Duncan Jamieson

Question: It’s a stellar line-up. How

did you feel and react when Serafino

from frontiers approached you about

the idea of getting together?

Answer: I was extremely into the idea

that Serafino presented... He has a good

understanding of what it takes to make

great music. I always wanted a band I

could call my own... As I was on the road

touring so it took a bit of time to create

the right situation but we prevailed in

getting the right players in the right posi-

tions!

Q: Carmine and Tony have a rich his-

tory. What’s it like playing with the

rhythm section of the late, great Blue

Murder?

A: Absolutely incredible! As I listen

back to what they laid down i am still

amazed at the power... Timing... Style

and expertise they both have shown on

this cd. I would put them up against any-

one out there!

Q: Guitarist Karl Cochran has been

seriously ill. How is he now?

A: Yes... Tragically Karl suffered a

stroke about 7 tracks in while working on

the album. With strong will and determi-

nation he has made incredible progress

so far... We have organized a few benefit

concerts to assist in covering medical

bills. We have raised a good sum of

money so far and it allows Karl to get the

best treatment he can possibly receive

and it has encouraged him further in a

positive way to keep working hard to

overcome this affliction. Needless to say

this was a severe and heartbreaking

event for us all. Karl is an amazing play-

er... A guitar hero waiting to happen.

You can clearly hear that on the Rated X

CD and we are supportive in our prayers

and efforts that he will have a full recov-

ery. It's difficult but very possible! I

might add that when we were confronted

with this problem we needed a guitar

player of virtuoso ability so I invited my

long time friend Nikolo Kotsev from

Brazen Abbot to finish the remaining 4

tracks and he played brilliantly.

Q: Who’s written the songs for this

record?

A: The songs started with Alessandro del

Vecchio writing and recording demos. Al

is quite a talented person to have so

many accomplishments... But as we went

on we needed more material so I dug into

some solo songs I was holding on to. In

the end I have to say it was a collabora-

tive effort on the part of everyone

involved to create what you hear on the

Rated X CD. We changed lyrics...

Musical parts... Solo sections etc. to cre-

ate a style unique to Rated X. I believe

we have achieved the sound we were

looking for.

Q: You’ve made good use of technolo-

gy in recent years to help you record

with musicians in different loctions. Do

you enjoy making music this way?

A: Well... It was more of a necessity to

record in different locations and at dif-

ferent times because we were all busy in

other situations during that timeline. We

did use technology to our advantage

...cell phones... Skype... Texts... sound

files etc. Were employed so we could

keep in constant touch with each other

and comment on the performances we

were recording and to in some cases

adjust the parts played to better fit with

the over all concept of our sound. It's

more difficult to record this way but we

had no choice and I must say that I was

never sure how it would all work once we

went to mix the record. Listening back

after the mix I was amazed at the unity

and cohesive sound of the band. It sounds

like a live band in the studio playing all

together... So much energy... Excitement

and interplay happening at the same

time! But I do believe that it takes true

professionals with experience and great

ability to construct such an outcome!

This is a testament to us all! I am very

proud of everyone!

Q: It’s rockier than the recent

Sunstorm material. Was that deliber-

ate?

A: Oh yeah! It's all about the material

and attitude! From the beginning we all

knew what we wanted in song and sound

and we tried to stay true to our vision.

That was tough to do sometimes but we

seem to hit the target with Rated X.

Q: How does this band rate when com-

pared to previous bands you’ve been

in?

A: Lol! Well... We are all seasoned pro-

fessionals with experience and adjusted

personalities. We checked our egos at the

door so to speak... So it was much easier

to communicate with each other without

that getting in the way! With all respect

and love to the bands and players I have

worked with throughout the years the

guys in Rated X are a pleasure to work

with!

Q: You previously worked with

Carmine in Mother’s Army. Do you

feel that band were under appreciat-

ed?

A: Absolutely! What a band! Way ahead

of our time! People didn't get it... The

tides of music were changing and 'MA'

got caught in the middle of the transition

somewhere. I still listen and get

impressed every time I hear the CDs. We

had a box set released 2 years ago and

only 10,000 units were sold. Maybe if we

had the promo machine working we could

have surfaced into the world arena but to

no avail. I recommend the listeners to go

back and check out the 3 CDs we

made...there is some great music with

timely messages in the lyrics!

Q: Is this going to be more than a one

off project? Do you see this becoming

afully fledged gigging band?

A: It started as a project... But we all

wanted a band that we could call our

own and that takes a commitment. So, we

discussed the prospect of working as a

band and the time and energy we would

have to give in that the situation and we

agreed to give it a shot. It’s tougher

these days because of the new paradigm

in the music industry but we feel we have

what it takes to succeed. If the public will

give us a listen I’m sure they will agree

that we can deliver great music that is

viable and needed in the rock music

scene today.

Q: Are there any shows lined up?

A: We have to get the music out to the

people and create a demand for the pro-

moters to book live shows...that's the way

of the world today. The CD is finally out

and the reviews are amazing! We can

only hope that by Spring 2015 that our

agents have a few tours lined up so we

can bring Rated X to the stage. We are

confident that we can recreate exactly

what you hear on the CD plus the energy

of a live show... It will be rocking!

MRF | 21

Question: So how long have you been working on the album?

Answer: We have been working on this album for quite some time.

Marius introduced us to the first riffs and ideas already right after the

release of The road less travelled. So the writingprocess has been

going on continuously since then. But since we have been busy play-

ing a lot of concerts, we haven't had the time to fully concentrate on

finishing the album and beginning to record it until about a year ago.

So it has been a long process, and we are really glad to finally share

the result with everyone.

Q: Following such a successful album in’ A Road Less Travelled’,

was there any pressure on the band when working on the new

album to take up where that album left off?

A: The Road Less Travelled received amazingly good critics around

the world, so yes, the pressure was definitely on. But we kept working

the way we always do; playing the different ideas together and craft-

ing the songs until we were 100% happy with them. After that, we

could only hope that what we were happy with would also get a good

reception in the public.

Q: This is the bands third album, so how have the band as a whole

developed since the debut?

A: The years since the release of “Onwards” have been really full of

experiences; we have learned a lot about each other as musicians, as

individuals and us as a band. We have become much more confident

in our sound, and better songwriters. Triosphere have always sound-

ed as “Triosphere”, but we’re definitely more “grown up” now.

Q: What aspects of this new album are you most proud of?

A: We are really proud of all the aspects of this album. The variety of

the songs, the cover art, the sound. It all fits well together. The album

was mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren, at Fascination street stu-

dios. I think he did a really good job, creating the right sound for

these songs.

Q: The band have been labelled as a Progressive Power Metal

band, but how would you describe the sound of Triosphere to

someone not familiar with the band?

A:We have seen a lot of different opinions on what Triosphere sounds

like. I would say that we are a mix of sevral different sub-genres with-

in metal and rock. From progressive power metal to melodic hard

rock in a unique combination, and with a modern edge. There is

something for every taste in our music.

Band: Triosphere

Interview with: Tor Ole Byberg

Interview by: Barry McMinn