Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius Release Outrage Olympics from Upcoming Album

The first single “Outrage Olympics” is now streaming on all digital platforms. Plus the album Impostor! is available for pre-order on Bandcamp and the 7D Media website. 

Preorder & Stream “Outrage Olympics”
Available October 11, 2024

Led by the remarkable Kansas violinist/guitarist Joe Deninzon, who also serves as the frontman and lead singer, Stratospheerius boasts a talented lineup including guitarist Michelangelo Quirinale (Thrilldriver), keyboardist Bill Hubauer (Neal Morse Band, Crack the Sky), bassist Paul Ranieri (Mark Wood, Riot Act), and drummer Jason Gianni (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Rock of Ages, Neal Morse Band).

The band’s sixth album “Impostor!” will be released on October 11 by 7d Media. Their album features an impressive array of guest musicians from the prog rock world, such as Michael Sadler (Saga), Randy McStine (Porcupine Tree), Fernando Perdomo (Jacob Dylan), Chloe Lowery (Trans-Siberian Orchestra), Val Vigoda (Groovelilly), and multi instrumentalist Rachel Flowers

KANSAS is Excited to Announce the Addition of Violinist/Guitarist Joe Deninzon to the Band

Photo – Joel Barrios 

Joe Deninzon has been hailed by critics as “The Jimi Hendrix of the Violin,” because of his innovative style on the “Viper” seven-string electric violin. Joe is the lead singer and violinist for the progressive rock band, Stratospheerius, which has just released their 6th album, “Behind the Curtain (Live at ProgStock).” He can be heard on over a hundred albums and jingles as a violinist and string arranger.

Deninzon has performed and/or recorded with the Who, Bruce Springsteen, 50 Cent, Sheryl Crow, Ritchie Blackmore, Alex Skolnick, Smokey Robinson, Les Paul, Peter Criss from KISS, Michael Sadler, Renaissance with Annie Haslam, Kurt Elling, and as a soloist with Jazz at Lincoln Center and the New York City Ballet. A BMI Composer’s Grant recipient and winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, he has written solo works for violinist Rachel Barton Pine, and in 2015, premiered his Electric Violin Concerto with the Muncie Symphony Orchestra.

Joe holds a Bachelors degree in Violin Performance from Indiana University and a Masters in Jazz Violin From Manhattan School of music. 

KANSAS original member and drummer Phil Ehart comments, “We are extremely excited for Joe Deninzon to be the newest member of KANSAS. We believe KANSAS fans will enjoy what Joe will bring to the band. We are excited to kick off the KANSAS 50th Anniversary Tour. As the paragraph in the band’s first album said, ‘KANSAS IS A BAND’ and we remain so to this day.”

Deninzon adds, “As a lifelong fan of Kansas, I am overwhelmed and humbled to have been invited to join this legendary band! I have the deepest respect for Robby and David and will do my best to honor and build on their musical legacy.”

Joe Deninzon’s first performance with the band will be in Pittsburgh, PA on June 2 at the Benedum Center during the premier date of the KANSAS 50th Anniversary Tour – Another Fork in the Road.

A complete list of KANSAS 50th Anniversary Tour – Another Fork in the Road is below. Ticket and VIP Package information can be found at KansasBand.com.

Kansas online
www.kansasband.com
www.facebook.com/kansasband
www.twitter.com/kansasband
www.instagram.com/kansasband
www.youtube.com/kansas

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius will give away Free Digital Downloads during the preview of the New Music Video on YouTube this Saturday!

Join Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius on YouTube Saturday, February 27th at 3 PM EST for a chance to win free music downloads. There can only be 20, will you be one of them?

The new video features claymation with live footage from each band member from their own studio. “Cognitive Dissonance” is a collaboration with Patrick Carmichael, who has subbed on drums for the band through the years.  

“Cognitive Dissonance”’s first verse deals with the confusion we go through, when elders and leaders influence us to change our minds with their negative feelings on those we care about. “We are all born innocent, free of prejudice and hatred, but our elders make us carry a heavy burden, which can last our whole lives. Hatred is taught, we are not born with it,” explains Joe. “We all see children that are terrified by friends that are their same ages, because their parents have taught them negative things about other religions, ethnicities, genders, skin colors, political ideologies….” He says prejudicial teachings “can create “cognitive dissonance” in anyone’s mind when they’re told their friends are ‘evil’ because they have different roots.” 

The second verse deals with political and ideological intolerance. “There’s rising extremism, and it’s been this way for decades. People are prisoners of fake news, social media echo chamber bubbles, and politicians who reinforce conspiracy theories and retweet them to their followers. The line ‘No one can touch us now’ refers to people hiding behind their screens, spewing the deep-rooted hatred without fear of physical retaliation. Even though I wrote the song a year ago, I think it eerily speaks to recent events.”

“It’s easy to write about our high ideals and our wishes for world peace, but when you have a gun pointed to your head or your business is burning down, it’s a rude awakening about how nasty the world really is. The big collective guitar/electric violin solo at the end represents two sides screaming at each other, full of hatred, fading out screaming, never reaching an understanding or resolving anything.” 

Multi-instrumentalist Randy McStine, who has subbed in Stratospheerius on guitar, bass, and drums, has played on a few of the band’s songs: “Soul Food” and “Impostor.” His voice blends with Joe’s, that “we thought it’d be cool to have him sing lead on the second version of ‘Cognitive Dissonance.’”

Joe has been called The Jimi Hendrix of the electric violin. Stratospheerius has showcased their “frenzied mélange of progressive rock, jazz fusion and funkabilly” throughout the world. Stratospheerius was a winner of the John Lennon International Songwriting Competition the Musicians Atlas Independent Music Awards. They have been featured in Progression, Relix, Downbeat, and Jazziz, among other publications. Their last album on Melodic Revolution Records, “Guilty of Innocence,” has been widely acclaimed by critics and fans. Joe has played violin in orchestras for Bruce Springsteen, the Who, Sheryl Crow, 50 Cent, and Renaissance.

Stratospheerius is:
Joe Deninzon – lead vocals/electric violin
Jason Gianni – drums
Michelangelo Quirinale – guitar
Paul Ranieri – bass

with special guest Randy McStine on vocals

Music and lyrics by Joe Deninzon 
Engineered by Rave Tesar 
Mixed and Mastered by Rich Mouser
©2020 Fiddlefunk Music. All rights reserved.  

Image & Claymation Patrick Carmichael 
Single layout Nick Katona @ Revolution Studios

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius Online
Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Patreon | Spotify | Twitter 

Follow Melodic Revolution Records Online:
Website Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Soundcloud | ELLO Spotify | Twitter | YouTube

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius Release Cognitive Dissonance Single

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius has released their first new song “Cognitive Dissonance,” with a claymation video to follow in late February. The video is a collaboration with Patrick Carmichael, who has subbed on drums for the band through the years.  

“Cognitive Dissonance”’s first verse deals with the confusion we go through, when elders and leaders influence us to change our minds with their negative feelings on those we care about. “We are all born innocent, free of prejudice and hatred, but our elders make us carry a heavy burden, which can last our whole lives. Hatred is taught, we are not born with it,” explains Joe. “We all see children that are terrified by friends that are their same ages, because their parents have taught them negative things about other religions, ethnicities, genders, skin colors, political ideologies….” He says prejudicial teachings “can create “cognitive dissonance” in anyone’s mind when they’re told their friends are ‘evil’ because they have different roots.” 

The second verse deals with political and ideological intolerance. “There’s rising extremism, and it’s been this way for decades. People are prisoners of fake news, social media echo chamber bubbles, and politicians who reinforce conspiracy theories and retweet them to their followers. The line ‘No one can touch us now’ refers to people hiding behind their screens, spewing the deep-rooted hatred without fear of physical retaliation. Even though I wrote the song a year ago, I think it eerily speaks to recent events.”

“It’s easy to write about our high ideals and our wishes for world peace, but when you have a gun pointed to your head or your business is burning down, it’s a rude awakening about how nasty the world really is. The big collective guitar/electric violin solo at the end represents two sides screaming at each other, full of hatred, fading out screaming, never reaching an understanding or resolving anything.” 

Multi-instrumentalist Randy McStine, who has subbed in Stratospheerius on guitar, bass, and drums, has played on a few of the band’s songs: “Soul Food” and “Impostor.” His voice blends with Joe’s, that “we thought it’d be cool to have him sing lead on the second version of ‘Cognitive Dissonance.’”

Joe has been called The Jimi Hendrix of the electric violin. Stratospheerius has showcased their “frenzied mélange of progressive rock, jazz fusion and funkabilly” throughout the world. Stratospheerius was a winner of the John Lennon International Songwriting Competition the Musicians Atlas Independent Music Awards. They have been featured in Progression, Relix, Downbeat, and Jazziz, among other publications. Their last album on Melodic Revolution Records, “Guilty of Innocence,” has been widely acclaimed by critics and fans. Joe has played violin in orchestras for Bruce Springsteen, the Who, Sheryl Crow, 50 Cent, and Renaissance.

Stratospheerius is:
Joe Deninzon – lead vocals/electric violin
Jason Gianni – drums
Michelangelo Quirinale – guitar
Paul Ranieri – bass

with special guest Randy McStine on vocals

Music and lyrics by Joe Deninzon 
Engineered by Rave Tesar 
Mixed and Mastered by Rich Mouser
©2020 Fiddlefunk Music. All rights reserved.  

Image & Claymation Patrick Carmichael 
Single layout Nick Katona @ Revolution Studios

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius Online
Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Patreon | Spotify | Twitter 

Follow Melodic Revolution Records Online:
Website Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Soundcloud | ELLO Spotify | Twitter | YouTube

Phoen1x to Release Debut Album Immaterial Witness Featuring All-Star Cast

Melodic Revolution Records is thrilled to announce that US symphonic act Phoen1x will release Immaterial Witness on October 23rd, in all popular Digital formats and a very limited-run Compact Disc. 

Immaterial Witness is a collection of ten songs written over the last couple of decades that have been recorded by an all-star outfit featuring members of Vertical Alignment, Proto-Kaw, Evership, Time Horizon, Stratospheerius, among many other talented musicians.

Tracklisting
01 Immaterial Witness 
02 Dreamer Awaken 
03 Sunrise 
04 Home of the Brave 
05 Small Charade 
06 Legend of Brick House 
07 The Opera 
08 Song of Life (Phyl’s Song) 
09 Tomorrows 
10 Angels 

Phoen1x is.
Jake Livgren – Lead and Back Vocals, Saxophone 
Seth Trotman – Bass 
Michael Adams – Percussion and Drums 
Phoen1x – Vocals, Keyboards, Guitars, Cherokee Flute 

Additional Musicians 
Bill Rebsamen – Keyboards 
Deron Freeman – Trumpet 
Kev Rowland – Narration 
Jaymi Millard – Bass 
Mike FitzPatrick – Lead Vocals 
Mark Thompson – Lead Guitar 
Erikson Silva – Lead Guitar 
Joe Deninzon – Vocals, Electric Violin (Viper) 
Lyda Livgren – Back Vocals 
Chuck Tidwell – Lead Guitar 
Greg Wollan – 12 String Guitar 
Ralph Otteson – Keyboards 
Mike Florio – Lead Vocals 
Bill Coan – Vocals, Bass

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