March, 2006.. I moved to Texas after years of being in various bands in the Baltimore area. Sometimes I would play along with material from former bands, or work on some old riffs that never came to fruition. But over time, after being out of a band, I fell into a state of depression. I didn't even pick up a guitar for about 18 months. Frankly, I was afraid that if I did, I might have a violent reaction and destroy the one thing that I was avoiding, my passion. Then, one day, I was listening to some Iced Earth, came home and started playing along with the CD at full volume. A neighbor heard me and later said it sounded very good, and he was impressed by my playing. That spark, at that moment, was exactly what I needed to find the strength to crawl out of the hole I was digging. Eventually, I set up a PC-based recording studio using my old computer and some software. Over time it has been completely revamped and upgraded to today's current setup.
For years I tried getting former bandmates and fellow friends to do something, anything, even from a distance, just to feed this desire of writing music. Many people, good and well intentioned people, close friends, great musicians all, said they were interested in working with me on this, and some had. But in August of 2018 I decided to do it alone. I needed to do this for my own good and my own vision. This quiet voice in my soul was telling me that I had to move forward after years of writing lyrics, recording drums, guitars and bass. I had already recorded most of a full album, why wait any longer? At that time I began singing vocal tracks, watching Ken Tamplin and other vocal coaches on YouTube. Other than backups, vocals were the one thing I never really tried doing, and it isn't easy. I thought it would be a walk in the park, but there's more than just singing in key. Trust me.
When it comes to my music, for years I've been told "you should do this" or "you should sound like that", etc. I have incorporated some of those suggestions, but I've never subscribed to the idea of changing my personal style to gain someone else's favor.
Fast-forward to now...
This is what this is... All music and lyrics on this album were written and recorded by me. This is my vision. This is my baby. If you like it, great! If you don't like it, I'm fine with that too. I really don't want to waste energy trying to please everyone because that's just an impossible waste of time. I do, however, hope you like it and tell everyone about it.
All vocals(but for minor exceptions), guitars, and bass are me playing the instruments and singing. I'm using Jackson Guitars, with FU_Tone Tremolo Upgrades, Schecter, Ovation, Epiphone, GHS Strings, Marshall Amplification, Peavey Amplification, Hartke Amplification, KRK, Furman, Alesis, Rocktron, QSC, MXR, Cakewalk Recording Software, Toontrack Software, Radial, Stedman, Shure, Dunlop Picks, and Monster Cables. The drums were written using EZDrummer by Toontrack, the basic version. Every cymbal, kick, tap, hit, etc., was perfectly timed and precisely chosen by me using the "piano roll view" in a grid. No pre-recorded groove clips, or loops, were utilized. So essentially, without having a session drummer for these tracks, the drums are as organic as I could get without spending 10+ years learning another instrument and another $20k on drums, mics, and cables. This entire production was recorded "direct to board".
I don't want to bore you with anymore with this background story. So, let's just get to the real reason you're checking this out. Shall we?
The first track, Harmonic Dissidence, is the combined sound of four cathedral bells from around the world.
The seventh track, Saying Goodby To A Close Friend, for me, is a way of saying goodby to a close friend who I did not have the chance to see, or speak with, before they passed unexpectedly. Maybe this song will help others who have found themselves in the same situation.
The eleventh track, Revelation, is indicative of the insane world we find ourselves in today. It's crazy, and getting crazier every passing day.
I want to thank my friend Jason Tipton "The Tiptonizer" for his contribution at the end of Revelation.
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