Sunday, July 09, 2006

Underground Artist - Jonas Hörnqvist (9th July 06)




Jonas Hörnqvist started playing the guitar 1983 at the age of 12, inspired by guitarplayers like Ace Frehley, Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth and Gary Moore.

A year after Jonas started playing guitar, Jonas put his first band together and played live at some schools and even some backyard partys. Songs in the setlist included only KISS songs.
Summer of 1985 changed Jonas playing totally when he heard Yngwie J Malmsteen for the first time. Jonas also discovered jazz/rock guitarplayer Al Di Meola that summer. This lead to an almost obsessive guitar practicing period since Jonas wanted to take his guitarplaying to a higher level.


In 1987, Jonas was in the biggest rock band competition ever held in Sweden, playing live in front of 2500 people with his band Calilio. A year later his band signed a record deal which resulted in a single (Lips/I remember you) that sold well over all of Europe.
By the end of 1991, Jonas disolved his band and started to work on more progressive songs, during 1991 Jonas also recorded a 8 song instrumental demo which sold almost 2000 copies world wide.


In 1993 Jonas put together the band he still have today, Treasure Land. In April 1996 Treasure Land signed a world wide record deal with German label Modern Music.
Two cd’s later (”Questions” released 1997 and ”Gateway” released 1998) Treasure Land parted ways with the label.


Treasure Land also participated in two tribute cd’s:Power from the north – Sweden rocks the world 1999 A guitar odyssey – A tribute to Yngwie J Malmsteen 2000
Treasure Land is currently writing songs for a 3rd CD after some years of doing other music stuff.
Jonas have also written 3 books about ”Guitar technique” written for the Swedish market.
There will also be 3 instructional dvd’s.
Jonas is currently teaching 35-40 students a week, both privately and online. At the moment, Jonas have students from USA, Italy, France, Germany, Denmark, Canada and Sweden.


Some impressive press quotes state...

Guitarist Jonas Hornqvist is a class neoclassical guitarist who is without a doubt one of the most talented uprising stars in Progressive metal.(Metal warriors - Australia)

J. Hörnqvist is a high class stringbender mixing flashy technique with Yngwiesque feeling.(Janne Stark. Author of "The Encyclopedia of Swedish Hardrock and Heavy Metal - Sweden)

Jonas Hornqvist is a man on a mission. I listen in utter amazement of his guitar work.(Metallic Symphonies - Greece)

Baroque & Roll hopes to interview Jonas very soon.

Web Links
http://www.jonashornqvist.com
http://www.myspace.com/jonashornqvist
http://www.treasureland.nu/

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Underground Artist - Anthony Bracaglia (5th July 2006)




Anthony Bracaglia was born in 1971 in Queens, New York and began to play guitar at age 13 but didn’t take much interest until he heard a young Yngwie Malmsteen in Steeler. The new sound he heard was something that really took a hold of him. At around the same time he discovered Shrapnel Records and found many great players such as Vinnie Moore and Paul Gilbert who were further sources of inspiration. The following years saw Anthony practising to achieve the levels of guitar player of his mentors.

In recent years Bracaglia played with a short lived band ‘Pounding Mound’ and working with Barry Alpert on his ‘Faith In Chaos’ projects. Early 2005 saw Anthony starting to write his own material and recorded some material for his own demo ‘Time Will Tell’ which is hoped to be completed very soon.

Bracaglia’s website is home to some excellent neo-classical instrumentals as well as a mouth watering collection of amps and guitars - one to watch!

Check out Anthony now at his official website and myspace page.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Neo-Classical Charts (month of June 06)

Courtesy of www.guitar9.com

1. Michael Romeo
The Dark Chapter
Romeo is an incredibly accomplished player drawing on a neo-classical style reminiscent of Yngwie Malmsteen while retaining his own identifiable signature that sets him apart from other players in this genre. He has received major coverage in many of the guitar magazines around the world and is best known for his role as lead guitarist in Symphony X.
Baroque & Roll comments - perhaps more prog metal than all out neo-classical but some nice classical themese and arpeggio ideas throughout.

2. Joey Taffola
Out Of The Sun
Guitarist Joey Tafolla teamed with two heavyweights - Tony MacAlpine (keyboards, melodies and production) and Paul Gilbert (guest guitar solos on four tracks) - and the result is a melodic metal feast topped with a barrage of ripping guitar solos and furious keyboard accompaniment. Tafolla's debut is powered by the rhythm section of former Rising Force bassist Wally Voss and innovative drummer Reynold Carlson.

3. Vinnie Moore
Time Odyssey
Time Odyssey was Vinnie Moore's 1988 follow up to "Mind's Eye" and was released on the Squawk label (a division of PolyGram Records), which also released the amazing "Maximum Security" by Tony MacAlpine. This release ontinues the neo-classical metal backdrop of his first album, while keeping shred guitar fans happy with cuts like "Prelude/Into The Future" and "Race With Destiny".

4. Yngwie J Malmsteen
Instrumental Best Album
Imagine taking the best of the Yngwie Malmsteen instrumental tracks from the Pony Canyon years, putting them together on one CD and putting it out for all the instrumental fans out there. What would you call it? How about the Instrumental Best Album?

5. Theodore Ziras
Virtual Virtuosity
Greece's Theodore Ziras' brilliant neo-classical release Virtual Virtuosity. Classic sweep arpeggios, searing extended solo sections, memorable themes, and overall extraordinary playing mark this CD, Ziras' second, and cement his place in the roster of notable neo-classical shredders. Inspired by Bach, Vivaldi and Paganini, as well as a host of modern players such as George Bellas, John Petrucci and Jason Becker, Ziras played all the instruments and did all the recording, mixing, mastering and production himself.

6. Borislav Mitic
Fantasy
Fantasy is guitarist Borislav Mitic's 1996 Yugoslavian release which eventually led to his signing with Shrapnel Records. Featuring original compositions and works by Paganini, Handel and Bach, the CD is a neo-classical shredfest in every sense of the word.
Baroque & Roll comments - A good release but try and hunt down the self-titled release on Shrapnel Records, sadly long out of print

7. Hideaki Nakama
Point Of No Return
Hideaki Nakama, a neo-classical and metal guitarist who gained fame with the hard rock band Hurry Scuary released a mostly instrumental showcase album in 1989 called Point Of No Return. The CD features seven instrumental tracks, along with two vocal numbers sung by bassist Norio Sakai.

8. Hess
Opus 1
Hess, featuring guitarist Tom Hess, guitarist Mike Walsh and drummer Chris Dowgun come screaming out of Illinois with their 12 track debut album Opus 1. The CD features a new breed of high caliber instrumental guitar compositions combining the neo-classical styles of Yngwie Malmsteen and Jason Becker with the progressive rock styles of Dream Theater and George Bellas, along with the emotion of 19th century Romanticism.
Baroque & Roll comments: Be sure to check our Baroque & Roll's interview with Tom Hess here.

9. Matt Mills Project
Matt Mills Project
Loaded with blazing fretfire and a true contender for the NPM (notes per minute) award is the Matt Mills Project self-titled CD. The twelve all instrumental tracks feature a smorgasbord of large, swept arpeggiated sequences, diminished patterns and pedaled passages (ala Malmsteen and Moore) - with Mills' guitaristic prowess comes through strikingly on every track. He also favors a lot of harmonized lines -- a Malmsteen favorite -- and the song "Drive" is a showcase of this aspect of Mill's style. The Guitar Mania site even remarked, "Neo-Classical guitar has a new force - his name is Matthew Mills. Not since Malmsteen or Stump have we heard such a melodic assault of harmonized arpeggios combined with catchy melodies and awesome, jaw dropping technique." A true arpeggiated assault.

10. George Bellas
Venomous Fingers
The third release from one of neo-classical's leading players. Loaded with deft fretwork, progressive frameworks and that Bellas "butter tone". A fantastic slice of fretboard action.
Baroque & Roll comments - read our interview with George here

Sunday, July 02, 2006

James Byrd Interview - 2nd July 2006

James Byrd is my all time favourite guitarist simple as that. However, to many he is criminally unknown except for those that may have heard Yngwie Malmsteen mention his name in interviews (Yes a player Malmsteen has praised). To find out about Byrd's career in detail I suggest you read our write up on him here, for those wishing to get straight to the interview then an opening paragraph from that profile should tell you everything you need to know - Byrd has one of the purest tones you will hear and his entire catalogue screams quality and is essential listening. His guitar work showcases what the instrument is capable of in the right hands with his immense note choice, clean speed picking, superb vibrato and original phrasing - Byrd is "a players player" and anyone that takes the time to investigate his music further will be blown away – (a baroque and roll.com guarantee) - simply if you have yet to check out any of Byrd's work then get on over to Guitar9.com via the following links and purchase any of these albums.



Now on with the interview.

James many thanks for participating in this interview with Baroque & Roll.
JB: Thank you

If we can start bang up-to date and talk about your recently formed company Byrd ™ Guitars (
http://www.byrdguitars.com). Can you give us some background into why you started your own guitar company, especially given the major endorsement deals you have had in the past?
JB: It really didn’t start out that way. I mean, I wasn’t intent on creating a company. It all started one day with my frustration with my Strat’s ergonomics and in particular, a cut I got on my right hand from a pickguard screw which had gone rusty and presented a miniature razor from the chrome plate lifting. I was actually recording solos for Crimes of Virtuosity when it happened, and I realized there was actually blood smeared on the pickguard. Pretty rock and roll really, but at the times, I was really pissed about it. The studio can be a frustrating place sometimes, so I’m sure that added to it. Later that day I was looking at my Strat and wondering why it was the way it was. I mean I knew the history of Fender very well, so it was rhetorical. All of a had a sudden realization that of all people, I was actually in a very good position to design my own guitar, and to finally have exactly what I’d always wanted.



The Super Avianti ® really is a beautiful guitar to look at, yet is quite unique as well, what led to the body design and headstock design?
JB: I’ve been associated with two instruments in my professional career; the Gibson Flying V ®, and the Fender Stratocaster ®. There were things I liked about both guitars, but I’d settled on the Fender ® as being closest to giving me everything. Two things I didn’t like about the Fender ® though, were the lower body horn, and the headstock. The lower body horn was put there for people who find sitting with the guitar over their right leg, and not playing above the 10th fret to be among their priorities, and although I liked the looks of the headstock, I knew it was actually backwards from an engineering perspective; it’s design raised the string tension on the highest strings dramatically. The only thing I really liked about the Flying V ® were it’s lack of a body horn, and it seemed to have some interesting acoustical properties as well. I didn’t like the humbucking pickups or the controls and fixed bridge, and it was also not well balanced on the strap. Now these were all things I already knew, but really, the guitar’s design just came rushing to me in one drawing; I took the basic ‘V’ shape, and added length to the lower wing while shortening the upper wing to put the center of gravity below the centerline and to make the right arm position better, and I designed the headstock with the four higher strings (D through E) in a left handed configuration to re-balance the string tension and eliminate the need for string trees.
There was really a lot more than that to it, but that was the initial concept. I also decided that while I was at it, I’d try inlaying the pickguard assembly into the face of the guitar to make it smoother, going back to my original cut hand as inspiration. Obviously I also decided to use better designed screws that were truly flush and wouldn’t rust. When I finally had the first guitar in hand, I thought is played and sounded brilliantly. The man who’d helped me build the first guitar is a guy named Lynn Ellsworth, founder of Boogie Body ™ guitars. He was something of a saint to me, and when we assembled the first guitar, he really thought I was onto something and said so. It was then that I sort of fell into the whole thing in a way I hadn’t intended, thinking that my guitar had real potential for everyone of a particular playing bent. All refinements of the design took place between 14 prototypes, each one slightly more evolved than the previous. The headstock was enlarged because it gave a better sound, the contours on the body were refined from one to the next, and experiments with routing ended up creating a large tone chamber. The neck joint went through 4 different versions; the first being like a Strat ® with the metal plate and four screws, then a square neck heel with a contour and four screws, then an extended sculpted 5 bolt neck joint, and finally, a slightly less extended contoured neck heel with four bolts. It was all a lot of time spent evaluating comfort and performance.

Obviously this site is aimed at neo-classical metal fans and being a pioneer of the style why would you recommend the Super Avianti® to anyone looking into potentially buying a new instrument?
JB: If you love a great Strat ® sound, plus additional pickup combinations (it has seven), plus some really fat sounds all it’s own, and more comfort from a performance based design, this might be your holy grail. It has it’s priorities, first and foremost being able to get around on the fret board unimpeded. Playing in the upper neck areas is a joy, and even shifting your hand to play sweep arpeggios at the 14th fret is easy on account of the complete access to the last fret. So if you value the notion of nothing interfering with anywhere you want to go on the neck, this is for you. But if you’re someone who insists on sitting down with the guitar over your right leg to play, you’re going to have an argument right away because that was not the priority in the design. This was never my concern because when I sit down to play, I play in the classical position with the guitar between my legs. The Super Avianti ® is the most comfortable guitar I’ve ever played sitting down, and because of the body’s shape, I can actually take both hands of the instrument, and it just stays there. It’s also designed to stay in tune during radical tremolo abuse without a locking tremolo system. Because of my headstock design, these things truly stay in tune when you use the trem.

The custom scalloped neck work you do is again unique, what led to this design and did you have a similar scallop on your previous Strats/ESP’s?
JB: My endorsement guitars has ordinary scalloping if I requested the companies to scallop the necks, but the guitars I did myself, I scalloped in what I thought was a better way; removing wood exactly where your fingers are placed, as opposed to directly in the middle of the fingerboard.

Tonally what can this guitar do that you were unable to do with other guitars?
JB: Because of the scale length (25.5) and pickups (single coil sized noiseless DiMarzio ® Virtual ® pickups ), the basic tonality is very much like a Strat. But it has more sustain, and a fuller bottom end to the sound because of the body size and shape, and the tone chambering. Because of the 2 additional pickup combinations I added over the standard 5-way set-up, I can turn on the neck pick and bridge pickup together, or all three pickups at once. I also put the tone controls on the neck and the bridge instead of the neck and the middle. As a result, I can get all the Stratty sounds, plus Gibson ® like fatness, and with all 3 pickups on, it gets a hollowish tone very similar to Brian May’s tone on ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. It’s just really versatile, playable, and as I said, it stays in tune like a rock. Before I designed these guitars, all my guitars had Floyd Rose ® locking tremolos on them. Now none of my guitars have them. The sound is much better without the Floyd Rose ®.

Music, you have been quiet since the release of the stunning ‘Byrd – Anthem’ back in 2002, can we expect any new music in the near future?
JB: Yes, but I’m sorry to say that I’m not immersed in anything recording-wise at the moment. I went through a lot of really difficult times between a spinal injury I suffered in 2001, the artistic difficulties of 9-11, and the death of my Father in 2004, just a bunch of negative stuff. So I’ve been taking a break from composing and recording because I just don’t feel like dealing with certain emotions for a while. The short answer is when I feel ready to pour my heart into it, and right now, I don’t.

Going back to ‘Anthem’, that release is in my top 3 all time favorites and still a couple of hundred listens on inspires and speaks to me. Yet it’s quite advanced from your earlier works such as Atlantis Rising or The Apocalypse Chime. How do you view that album now looking back?
JB: Honestly, I can’t even listen to it. Making that album was actually nothing short of hellish. I was on so many narcotics for pain from my back injury, it was just a bad trip. It was physically painful to even sit with the guitar, and it took forever to record because the narcotics really effected my short term memory badly. If I left off on something for more than a day, I’d have to re-learn things, and the pain I was in made it very difficult to spend more than 45 minutes at a time sitting in the studio (I was actually in a wheel chair some of the time, and laid out on in bed the rest of the time for several months). They had me on dilaudid morphine and phentynol, a drug supposedly 10 times more powerful than heroin. I’d glad someone likes the album because I just have this association with physical pain, 9-11 anxiety and frustration with the recording album that almost makes me sick to listen to it today.

Compositionally it’s immense and your guitar work is the icing on the cake to many degrees. Was the material written with guitar in mind foremost and did you approach for that album differ radically from your previous works?
JB: Everything was composed apart from the guitar. I think the pain that holding the guitar created probably made that decision easy to make, but yes, the guitar was intended to be entirely supported as opposed to being the support. I composed everything on the keyboard, and that too added a lot to the frustration of making the album because I’m not a keyboard player; I’d have the lines in my head (what there was of it anyway!), and then have to learn them on the keyboards. I recorded all the orchestration as single lines. If you hear 30 violins and cellos, it was 30 single note recordings of each sample. Plus I was doing some of the engineering by myself. Try keeping track of that when you’re drugged into numb oblivion (don’t). But the good thing is, I’ve learned I’d make a lousy drug addict. I hate the way that stuff made me feel, the way they affected me, and although it took me months to taper off all the medications because of the physical addiction, I’m not someone who’s ever going to end up hooked on narcotics. I’d rather stick pins in my eyes than be on them again.

You have a large back catalogue of material. What album gave you the most headaches from start to finish and does that in anyway detract from your attachment to the album?
JB: Well I think I’ve answered that one haven’t I.

Your growth as a musician is quite clear to anyone that listens to your back catalogue. But how do you feel you have grown as a musician/artist over your career?
JB: I wish I could answer that, I really do. It’s one of the things I’m trying to figure out right now. I’ve “grown” to the point of being sick of even hearing my own music. That’s the truth. I’m so self-critical, I’ve criticized myself right out of wanting to make an album at the moment. You know I’ve changed directions within my direction so many times, and it’s really because my relationship with music is a love-hate affair. Once I’ve gone in a particular direction, I’m just always dissatisfied and feel like there must be something “more”. I know it’s actually a liability commercially because people naturally want the second album they purchase from an artist, to have some bearing on the previous one. And a lot of people do that, in fact most try to do that. Well, I did that one time with Anthem, deliberately picking up on where I’d left off conceptually with Flying Beyond the 9, and it’s hard to be objective on account of the other factors, but now I’m just tired of the whole approach right now. I’m trying to figure out what’s left within what I consider my musical parameters. I don’t really care for progressive Jazz, but honestly, I’m just kind of at the point where I wish there were more than 12 notes to work with, you know? I’ve got so many different approaches to music in me, many of them things I’ve never recorded (like big-band stuff, traditional blues and rockabilly) but making an album requires a certain unification of focus. That’s why I’m taking a break, that and the other reasons I mentioned. Obviously commercial considerations have little to do with what I’ve been about musically or I’d never have bothered to make the albums I make. Sometimes you just have to question everything and stew for a while, and that’s where I am right now.


Over the last few years you have also appeared on a few tribute albums, your working of Uli Jon Roth’s ‘Still So Many Lives Away’ stood out a million miles from any other on the Uli tribute, what do you try to do when doing a cover version?
JB: You really think so? That’s nice of you to say. I didn’t see the point in playing Uli’s solo note for note. If someone really wanted to hear that, well, they can just listen to the original. And Uli played a truly brilliant solo in my opinion. I’ve never seen the point of becoming a human tape recorder on these tribute albums. That’s what most guys do I know, but my feeling is why do it at all if you’re going to do that. I just tried to take the vibe, and work within what I considered it’s wider intent, with my own choice of notes. To maybe play something in the same spirit, but not the same notes.

You recently contributed to a Frank Marino tribute; can you tell the readers how that came about?
JB: I’ve known Frank for ten years now, and before we became friends, I was a huge fan of him growing up. Frank introduced me to the guy who runs his website (
http://www.mahoganyrush.com) because I was needing some help with my first website. His name is Willy Parsons, otherwise known as “Wild Willy” (http://www.wildwilly.com/) . He’s actually a stand-up comedian in LA and right now he’s in the finals of “The last comic standing” on NBC (http://www.nbc.com/Last_Comic_Standing) . Willy is really responsible for bringing Frank Marino back into the public eye through his web site. Anyway, over the years of knowing Willy, at some point we started discussing the idea of doing a tribute album for Frank. Willy found a financial backer in LA who put up the production money, and I helped Willy decide who we’d try to get on the album.

Getting back to guitar you have the finest vibrato out there and alter it to suit the mood, how long did it take for you to realise you had a unique vibrato – often seen as the players fingerprint.
JB: It was actually hearing a player who had a brilliant vibrato that made me nearly obsessive about developing my own. This goes back a very long way, probably further than most people know, but it was hearing Paul Kossoff of Free that first spun my head. I was in awe of his vibrato. I had it nailed by the time I was 15, and from there, it was a matter of realizing that there were several other vibratos that could be studied and eventually made into a lexicon. Robin Trower was another one, but his was almost the same as Paul Kossoff’s. Hendrix also had a remarkable vibrato at times, and I loved his slow-hand vibrato on the studio side of ‘Voodoo ‘Chile’. The of course there was Blackmore. And then Micheal Schenker. Let’s just say, that I was a connoisseur of the subject. I eventually came to regard different approaches to vibrato, the same way I regarded modes or even notes; why just use the same one all the time? Of course there were other things which came into the mix like using the tremolo. And there’s also length-wise classical vibrato which I use all the time too. That has a whole different sound to it because you’re not only going above the pitch, but below it as well. And sometimes I actually combine using the vibrato arm, and lengthwise classical hand vibrato at the same time. It's extremely tricky to do, but it has a wholly unique sound to it. That’s what I did on the intro to “Goodbye my Love” (Crimes of Virtuosity) along with the volume swells.

Your use of speed is also more selective than many other players in the neo-classical genre, what do you aim for when it comes to solo time?
JB: It really isn’t a conscious thing, it just evolves as I familiarize myself with the music.

What is your most challenging lead break recorded to date?
JB: That’s really hard to answer because when I first record them, they’re all challenging. The only way to answer that is to think in terms of having to go back and exactly play them note for note. Some of them are more structured than others, so it’s easier to go back and know exactly what I was doing. But some of those structures are physically insane (see TAB examples below
, MIDIFILE: http://www.geocities.com/strat110/solo1.mid) .

Going Home solo tab p.1 [click to englarge]


Going Home solo tab p.2 [click to englarge]


Going Home solo tab p.3 [click to englarge]


Going Home solo tab p.4 [click to englarge]

Going Home solo tab p.5 [click to englarge]

I see you also recently launched your own myspace page. What do you think of the myspace phenomena and can you see it going the same way as the original mp3.com?
JB: I think it’s hilarious! I mean really, think about it. What IS it? It’s a lot like a bunch of people congregating in some empty field for no reason. Why am I there? Because everyone else is there. I can’t even remember how I got there! It doesn’t really do anything. It’s just a social cluster-fuck. It’s a bunch of people all standing in the same place, and I don’t think a single one of them could tell you why they’re there other than the fact that everyone else is also there. Maybe it’s like some guy on a sidewalk who decides to stand there and look up and point, you know? Pretty soon there’s a crowd all standing there looking up and pointing at the sky. People are strange and have a herd mentality. As to any comparison to MP3, I don’t know. People are also opportunists, so I’m sure that eventually someone’s going to try to make more money out of it for the shareholders. I guess the bottom line is that it’s a nice place to put pictures and music for now, but like MP3, I wouldn’t ever pay for the privilege if the owners get greedy. I’m just there because it’s there, and it allows me to engage in shameless self-promotion free of bandwidth charge. Does anyone really need a better reason than that? http://www.myspace.com/guitaristjamesbyrd

James Byrd Links

Now check out some of Byrd's work!





2nd July 2006 Underground Artist - Raj Mohan

Feel the need... the need for speed? Well if so you’re in the right place, for speedy guitar stuff anyway. Raj Mohan is a guitar player and instructor from Los Angeles, CA. Right now he's recording his instrumental solo album tentatively titled 'Strat Out Of Hell' as well as teaching lessons and writing stuff for his band Warrden. If you are into today’s new breed of “super shredders” such as Rusty Cooley, Francesco Fareri and others, or if you just like classically influenced guitar playing that is super fast, then you will probably like what you hear!

To find out more about Raj check out his website here

Saturday, July 01, 2006

Neo-Classical News 1st July 2006

Back after a hectic June during which time I got married and plenty of good things coming your way including an interview with James Byrd, reviews of the Joe Stump instructional DVD's and much more! In the meantime here is the latest neo-classical news happenings.

Happy Birthday Yngwie

Yngwie turned 43 on June 30th, Baroque & Roll send our congratulations and best wishes for another neo-classical filled year.

George Bellas opens new webstore


Looking for some of the leading instructional tools, software and more? Then be sure to check out the new George Bellas webstore for a variety of goodies. To enter click
here


Jose Del Rio - Chilean guitar master to unleash debut release

Jose Del Rio is an exciting guitarist hailing from Chile who is set to release his debut album entitled 'Journey Into The Fourth Dimension' on Lion Music on July 21st. The album includes guest keyboard performances from Vitalij Kuprij [Artension / Ring Of Fire] is features rich orchestration along with frightening speed, including a cover of 'Flight Of The Bumblebee' recorded at 300 bpm! For more info check
http://www.lionmusic.com/fourthdimension.htm

Marco Ferrigno ready to release 'Hanging Gardens'
Also on Lion Music is the forthcoming release in August of another neo-classical tinted release, Marco Ferrigno - Hanging Gardens. Readers may be familiar with the Ferrigno name from the Ferrigno, Leal, Kuprij album released on Lion a few years back. More information on this release to follow next month but we can announce that George Bellas guests on the album as well as bass parts being handled by virtuoso Tony Franklin (Blue Murder / Liquid Tension Experiment).


Vitalij Kuprij's Revenge set to Rock Mexico City with Joe Stump's Reign Of Terror
Vitalij's REVENGE will be the main band for the Expo Rock Festival in Mexico City on August 17th, support comes from Joe Stump's Reign Of Terror and Ron Thals Bumblefoot.

Joe Stump begins work on new solo album and instructional DVD

In addition to the Holy Hell disc which Joe has spent the last 2 months recording for, he's also got a new solo record in the pipes, with all of the material composed. Joe is preparing to start work on that after the guitars are finished with Holy Hell.
Another new instructional DVD, Neo-Classical Guitar 3 is also done. This DVD focuses on Baroque style classical pedal point and linear playing. As with the previous DVD, it contains quite a bit of instructional content, performance footage, and yes, plenty of gratuitous shredding. It should be released by the Shred Academy soon, look out for Baroque & Roll's review of Joe's currently available DVD's very soon.
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