A NEW HOME FOR SOTO
In their effort to serve the best of melodic hard rock, Frontiers Records and Now & Then Productions gladly add to their roster former Malmsteen’s sidekick Jeff Scott Soto. Recently, the singer parted company with Z Records who’d been causing a delay with the release of Soto’s new album which currently is being finished, and, alongside mighty pipes of Jeff himself, will feature guest vocals from Glenn Hughes.
CAUGHT IN THE CAGE AGAIN
Italian guitarmeister Dario Mollo and Tony Martin, who’s famous for his stint with BLACK SABBATH, have completed the second album to the name of their joint project, THE CAGE. Currently, the album is in the mixing stages and will include the following songs:
Terra Toria, Overload, Amore Silenzioso, Life Love, Wind Of Change, Balance Of Power, Theatre of Dreams, What A Strange Thing Love Is, Guardian Angel, Poison Roses and ZEP’s Dazed And Confused.
The first album from the band was released in 1999 and featured veteran keyboardist Don Airey, in 2000 Mollo switched to another project, with Glenn Hughes, that resulted in "Voodoo Hill" album. All this said, means the new one should be extremely good, though hardly bring any surprise.
HEAVY GUESTS FOR HERO-NATION
METALIUM are ready to kill with their new album, titled "Hero-Nation", as not only the band will reincarnate into various historical persons like El Cid in Spain or Nero in Italy, but they have two heavy guests, working in the keyboards department: the first is Don Airey, who, in the band’s words, should bring in the “Mr. Crowley”-spirit, and the second Ken Hensley, who is to fill the album with his classic Hammond B3.
ANOTHER PURPLE BOX
An endless conveyer of DEEP PURPLE releases brings forth another box set, being compiled by EMI. The box will include the pre-break-up material from 1968-1976, spreaded across six CDs, a full-length history of the band, based on the original “Illustrated Biography” which is out of print for a long time, and a good amount of rare pictures.
This time around, it seems, the compilation is to be interested not only to either hard-core collectors or neophytes, but to major Purpleheads as well: the quater of the selection is said to be rarities. At the time, there’s no word on unknown songs yet talk is about unreleased versions alongside classic tracks. As of live recordings, included will be PURPLE’s BBC sessions from 1969 and 1970, that didn’t make it onto the remastered versions of the first three albums. One more songs, which wasn’t included in the re-releases due to space limitation is the ad-lib vocal version of “Fools” mastered for the “Fireball” anniversary edition.
Moreover, if there’s no post-reunion material, pre- PURPLE era songs will be covered, with an appropriate selection of tracks, one by each of the ten members.
Tentative release date is October 2002 with possible EP to be out in order to promote the box and mark the 30th anniversary of the “Smoke On The Water” single.
ILL-FATED EXODUS
Paul Baloff, the singer with metal masters EXODUS , suffered a massive heart attack and passed away, aged 41.
SEE ME? HEAR ME?
Pete Townshend has closed his website at PeteTownshend.com due to his need to write and THE WHO being in the spotlight. Some parts of the site will be moved to the guitarist’s commercial web-space, eelpie.com.
OYE COMO PLACIDO
“Shaman” is the title of the new album from Carlos Santana. The successor to celebrated “Supernatural” is penned in for the June release and will feature Placido Domingo on one of the songs.
SUPER-GROUPING ON THE WAY
Presently, there are two supergroups in the making.
The first, still untitled, comprises Sammy Hagar, Neal Schon, Deen Castronovo, Slash and, possibly, Michael Anthony, and is set to take off this fall. The second already has the name of THE BARRELHOUSE BROTHERS and a plan to release a blues-rock album in May. There are even more great players onboard, all from the ’70s: Noel Redding of JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE, Corky Laing of MOUNTAIN, Colin Earl of MUNGO JERRY, John Coughlan of STATUS QUO, Jeff Ward, who worked with Roy Harper, Noel Jones of WHITE LIGHTNING, Smiley, the Robin Williams and Joe Strummer companion, Eric Bell of THIN LIZZY, David Jackson of VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR and Roger Earl of both SAVOY BROWN and FOGHAT.
