Jason Becker’s story is one of brilliance, talent, determination, adversity, and, ultimately, triumph. A child prodigy on guitar, Jason rose to prominence as a teenager when he was one half of the legendary rock guitar duo Cacophony (with his great friend Marty Friedman).
After wowing audiences all over the world with his amazing guitar chops and deep compositions, Jason got a gig with David Lee Roth, following in the huge footsteps of Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai. He wrote and recorded the DLR album A Little Ain’t Enough and was poised to take over the rock guitar world when a nagging pain in his leg was diagnosed as ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, a debilitating and fatal condition with a life expectancy of maybe five years.
Maybe.
That was 29 years ago.
Today Jason’s busier and more prolific than ever, as evidenced by Triumphant Hearts. Many of the guitar parts are performed by a who’s-who of 6-string gods including Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Neal Schon, Steve Morse, Paul Gilbert, Joe Bonamassa, and many others. And, in what will absolutely delight his fans, Jason’s amazing guitar playing—recorded in the ’80s and ’90s—graces several tunes.
Triumphant Hearts will be released worldwide on CD, double vinyl and digital.
The double vinyl includes a code for a complimentary MP3 download of the album.
Free poster with every pre-order from the Official MLG store!
Official video for Valley Of Fire featuring guest performances by Michael Lee Firkins, Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa, Paul Gilbert, Neal Schon, Mattias IA Eklundh, Marty Friedman, Greg Howe, Jeff Loomis, Richie Kotzen, Gus G., Steve Hunter and Ben Woods.
Well its been a long road of daily diligence, and we’re proud to announce to our loyal listeners that Evership II will be released on October 19, 2018! What took 10 years has been done in 10 months! An exhausted but excited Shane is currently mastering an hour and five minutes of new Evership music before making the drop to the retail machinery the day before the band leaves for New Jersey to perform at ProgStock! The new album has the same stunning artwork style as the debut, by Philip Willis.
Cover art and illustrations by Philip Willis.
Track Listing:
1. The Serious Room (7:52)
2. Monomyth (10:42)
3. Real or Imagined (8:17)
4. Wanderer (7:39)
5. Isle of the Broken Tree (I. Castaway, II. Meadow of Shades, III. My Father’s Friend, IV. Hall of Visions, V. My Own Worst Enemy, VI. The Tree and the Door) (28:24)
Credits:
All words, music, arrangements, production, engineering, programming, recording, mixing, mastering and art concept by Shane Atkinson, with the exception of “Meadow of Shades”, with words and music by Shane Atkinson and Dan Bracken.
Musicians:
Beau West: Lead Vocals
Shane Atkinson: Keyboards, Drums and Percussion, Vocals
James Atkinson: Lead Guitars
John Rose: Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar, Classical Guitar and Slide Guitar
Ben Young: Bass and Chapman Stick
Joel Grumblatt performed a portion of drums on The Serious Room (Recorded live at RoSFest in 2017)
Jesse Hardin performed a portion of the guitar solo on The Serious Room (Recorded live at RoSFest in 2017)
With:
Additional Backing Vocals: Mike Priebe, Amelia West
Orchestra: Allison Cowan, Asa Graham Hartley, Nicelle Priebe, Gracie Staggenborg and Emily Walsh
Featuring the Charles Heimermann Chorale
They said it couldn’t be done. Not sure who “they” are but man it seemed far-fetched that we’d ever reconvene 3RDegree after our January 1997 breakup. Even though in late ’97 when no one was looking we actually recorded Marillion’s “That Time Of The Night (the short straw)” for a tribute album that never happened it felt like that ship had sailed. After that it was over except for some side projects involving no more than a few of us at a time. Anyway, the story is told in the inside of the album liner notes but when Robert, Rob & Pat met in December of 2005 and decided to reform the band, demos for new songs were then created, re-arranging of old songs never finished ensued and George was included a few months later so that by late 2006 we were recording what would be an album of the same name as a new RJP demo called “Narrow-Caster” which basically laid out exactly how the band would approach the next decade. Instead of going crazy trying to “make it” as they once did, they’d instead narrow in on the pockets of people who might like their type of music enabled by something that really took hold in the time they spent apart: the internet…and to a great extent: social media.
Anyway, you probably know the rest but joined our legion with 2012’s The Long Division or our latest Ones & Zeros albums. If you look at the “crossover prog” page on Progarchives.com you will see our 2008 album Narrow-Caster as one of the revolving “overlooked and obscure gems” and we kind of agree. We’ve put out better albums since (IMHO) but Narrow-Caster was a real bridge from where we were in the 90’s to who we’d become in the 10’s. It was our calling card for a bunch of years as we tried creating a name for ourselves by make friends in various places of the prog world be it radio, the festivals, review websites or with fans on line and at the shows. This would all pay off to our great surprise with our 2009 ProgDay invitation.
Narrow-Caster served us well but would be surpassed in popularity quite quickly with our subsequent releases. We’d love you to take a first-or another-look at our 2008 album that debuted in the merch room at NEARfest that year in jewel case form and then in December with our first “eco-wallet” that would be copied for every release after. This was the “blueprint” if you will, featured all over the CD sleeve.
For the occasion, we are throwing in-for a limited time-many of the demos members of the band made for other members of the band to hear of songs that made the album. Also, we’ve included some songs that never made the album in various states of “finished” and we threw in a one-time-only performance of the title track from our living room.
This offer is good only for CD purchase. There will be no download-only Narrow-Caster 10th Anniversary edition, however you will receive the download of the album proper and the bonus tracks in download form with your CD purchase.
For those of you who have the album already and would like the bonus tracks, please do one of two things. Send us an email or message on Facebook, Tweet or whatever with a photo of your Narrow-Caster CD (preferably with you holding it, smiling, fully-clothed) and then we’ll know you bought it already and we’ll send you a link to the bonus disk.
WHAT’S ON THE BONUS DISK?
1. A Capella open
This is a strange experiment Patrick recorded with various melodies from the album. Almost an overture of sorts.
2. Narrow-Caster (live in the living room 4/11/09)
This is a spirited version of the song (faster) with bass, drums, piano and vocals featuring Dan D’Elia on drums along with RJP and George. You may hear Eric Pseja on cowbell too!
3. Apophenia (George Demo)
4. Doesn’t Quite Belong (Demo)
A pretty acoustic number we played at our ’07 Reunion Concerts and recorded for the album but never finished.
5. It Works (George Demo)
6. Home In The Clouds (The Future Doesn’t Need You early version)
This is a song we played live in ’07 and was from ’96. By this point it was in it’s 2nd melodic incarnation with the third featured on our new album Ones & Zeros: vol. 0. It was called “Home In The Clouds” in the first two versions.
7. Heaven Is (Cautionary Tale early version)
A 90’s era demo recording of just drums, rough vocal and keyboards to get the idea down of the song “Heaven Is” which later became “Cautionary Tale”.
8. Live With This Forever (Robert Demo)
An 90’s era demo
9. The Art Of Being Alone
This is a mixed and “finished” version of another pretty number we played in ’07 at our Reunion Concerts. It was “released” on a one-time-only EP we named SNEAK PEAKS.
10. Scenery (Patrick Demo)
11. Narrow-Caster (Robert Demo)
12. The Last Gasp (Patrick Demo)
13. Scenery (A Capella reprise)
Just a little idea Pat had to call back to “Scenery”.
OUR LAST CONCERT OF THE YEAR
THIS THURSDAY
at The Waiting Room
Rahway, NJ
Robert Richardson of Cell 15 8:00
3RDegree 9:00
FREE ADMISSION
RIVERSIDE’s Mariusz Duda checked in with the following comment:
”Today sees the release of an album, which for me is the finale of quite a painful journey. After two Lunatic Soul releases, this is the last part of a private trilogy about surviving and trying to find yourself in a new reality. In music, emotions are the most important aspect for me. All the rest is superficial, more or less polished, it attracts or puts off only those who think they are in the know.
Thanks to all of you who have stood by our side, by my side for the past few years. Thanks for taking the journey together and for your understanding. I hope you’ll like ‘Wasteland’.“
“That day is coming
I know that you are calling to me
I don’t want you to make me wait too long
It’s time to get on the road.“
The full statement to be found here: http://bit.ly/2xISJfQ
Starting with the album release date, RIVERSIDE will be performing special acoustic in-store sets across Poland. Check out an excerpt of an acoustic rendition of the single track “Vale Of Tears” and look up all exact dates and times of the performances here:
The track-listing for RIVERSIDE “Wasteland” album reads as follows:
RIVERSIDE – “Wasteland”:
1. The Day After
2. Acid Rain
3. Vale Of Tears
4. Guardian Angel
5. Lament
6. The Struggle For Survival
7. River Down Below
8. Wasteland
9. The Night Before
Next to the standard edition of “Wasteland“ as Jewelcase CD, CD Digipak, and Digital Album, the release will also be available as limited edition Mediabook CD (with extended booklet, a bonus track radio edit version and a set of 3 stickers) and as Gatefold 2LP (on 180gr. vinyl with the album on CD as bonus and an Etching of the D-Side).
The various editions and limitations of the vinyl release are as follows:
Black 2LP+CD: Unlimited
Clear 2LP+CD: 100x copies / IOM Webshop Europe
Silver 2LP+CD: 100x copies / IOM Webshop Europe
Golden 2LP+CD: 100x copies / Laser’s Edge – IOM Webshop USA
Lilac 2LP+CD: 200x copies / JPC Germany
Dark Green 2LP+CD: 300x copies / Burning Shed UK
White 2LP+CD: 300x copies / CM Distro Europe
About ZIGGY BLACKSTAR (A Tribute to David Bowie)
During the time we were working on the most recent Ten Jinn release, Sisyphus, came the very sad news about the passing of David Bowie. At the time (though we were very busy working on the album and dealing with the upcoming release Sisyphus in 2017) we decided that as soon as Sisyphus was completed, we would record a David Bowie tribute record before preparing for live shows or recording the next Ten Jinn Record: “Worlds (the Four Worlds of the Hopi).” While the band was very excited about the prospect of playing live again and getting on to Worlds (John even completed the first draft of the hour-long score) we felt very strongly about taking this detour in order to pay my respects to an artist, who was a very important musical influence for all of the band members in general, and the single most important influence in John’s evolution as vocalist in particular.
Choosing the songs for the record was not an easy thing (as there are so many great Bowie tunes) but one thing we decided on right away was to avoid any of the major hits from the 1980s or things we thought a lot of other people might do (since John was the one doing the lead vocals on the record, we mostly supported him in the suggestions he made). At one point we thought it would be really cool to do a version of Blackstar, but since it was from Bowie’s final album, it seemed perhaps a bit disrespectful to do so soon after his death. In the end, we decided on material mostly from the 1970s (with a couple of tunes from the late 1990s thrown in) that have very deep meaning for us.
Ten Jinn
ZIGGY BLACKSTAR (A Tribute to David Bowie) Track List
1. I’m Afraid of Americans 04:48
2. Aladdin Sane 05:48
3. Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide 03:04
4. Dead Man Walking 04:06
5. Fame 03:57
6. Future Legend 00:57
7. Diamond Dogs 05:00
8. Life On Mars 04:01
Ziggy Blackstar Album Credits:
The Band: Ten Jinn
John Paul Strauss – lead and backing vocals/keyboards.
Mark Wickliffe – drums/bass/electric guitar/backing vocals.
Ken Skoglund – electric and acoustic guitars.
Mike Matier – electric guitar.
Guest Musicians:
Matt Brown – piano solo (Alladin Sane).
Joe Geiger – fretless bass (Dead Man Walking).
Helena Skoglund – backing vocals (Life on Mars/Fame/Future Legend).
J.T. Holmström – saxophone (Diamond Dogs).
Arranged by: Ten Jinn.
Produced by: John Paul Strauss, Mark Wickliffe, and Ken Skoglund.
Mix engineers: Ken Skoglund (Sound Control Sweden). John Prpich (Radd Studios, Los Angeles).
Mastering engineer: Ken Skoglund (Sound Control Sweden).
Cover Art by Nick Katona (Melodic Revolution Records). Revolution Studios, Orlando, Florida
Vocal editing by Steve Deutsch.
Other Ten Jinn Releases Sisyphus (2018) Melodic Revolution Records CD & Digital Alone (2003) Sweden Rock Records / Musea CD & Digital As On A Darkling Plan (1999) Wildman Records CD & Digital Wildman (1997) Wildman Records CD & Digital
Multi-instrumentalist Steve Bonino (Bomber Goggles, Children of The Moon, Zabocus, Peter Matuchniak) is offering a two for one special for the pre-order of his new opus Stargazer, while supplies last all pre-orders will be accompanied by the highly acclaimed Peace Rocks CD.
Stargazer is released under the guise of The Steve Bonino Project and the physical release will be on October 5th, 2018
About the album
Stargazer is the nickname given to the hero of our story born into a dystopian future in which man’s neglect has made Earth no longer habitable. Ever since he was a child he has been enamored with telescopes, growing up to be a leading scientist working for the Hubble Telescope Project. The Earth has reached the point of no return and our leading minds built the starship Phoenix whose mission is to carry a select group of people to our nearest habitable planet, Proxima b in the Alpha Centauri system. Stargazer is chosen for his astrological and scientific expertise. Leaving seven billion souls behind, The Phoenix takes off on the most perilous and hopeful voyage in mankind’s history.
The Steve Bonino Project Line-Up Is:
Steve Bonino: Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards & Drum Programming
Böhn: Acoustic & Electric Guitars and Backing Vocals
Bingo Brown: Drums, Percussions, and Backing Vocals
Special Guest:
Pamela George: Orchestral arrangements for Through The Eyes Of A Child
Recent Comments