MuzikMan's Reviews And News: Steve Stevens

2/22/2024

Rock Guitar Hero STEVE STEVENS Explores The Dark Side Of Progressive Rock On New Single “Darkest Hour” With Supergroup THE PROG COLLECTIVE, Preview Haunting New Album!

Album features performances by Steve Morse, King Crimson violinist David Cross, GnR guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, and keyboard legend Patrick Moraz plus members of Weather Report, Utopia, Angel, Soft Machine, Gong, and more!

Los Angeles, CA – As longtime guitarist and co-writer for the powerhouse rock hitmaker Billy Idol, Steve Stevens is widely celebrated as a master of composing forceful, electrifying rock melodies that balance their intensity with an undeniable mainstream appeal. It’s that melodic sensibility matched with an impressive technical mastery that has made Stevens one of the most sought after collaborators in music today. Recently, Stevens accepted an invitation to contribute to the new album from The Prog Collective and the result is one of the purest expressions of Stevens’s creativity ever captured.

For the uninitiated, The Prog Collective, founded and helmed by producer/multi-instrumentalist and famed bassist for Yes Billy Sherwood, has united some of the finest musicians of rock, jazz, metal, pop and everything in between since its founding in 2012. The group’s newest studio effort, entitled Dark Encounters, takes a deliberate turn toward a more brooding and melancholic musical path, filled with haunting ambience and eerie melodic passages. All of this makes Stevens the perfect partner for an exploration into the darker side of prog rock. Check out the album’s first single and the album’s leadoff track, “Darkest Hour,” which is released today on all music platforms.

Stream/download the track: https://orcd.co/tpc_darkesthour

Dark Encounters is set for release on March 29 and includes contributions from a number of notable musicians and creative geniuses from the legendary Steve Morse, violinist David Cross, and guitar wizard Bumblefoot to keyboardist Patrick Moraz, Utopia’s Kasim Sulton, Gong’s Steve Hillage, and more!

Order CD/Vinyl: https://cleorecs.com/store/?s=the+prog+collective+dark+encounters&post_type=product
Pre-order/pre-save the digital: https://orcd.co/tpc_darkencounters

Track List:
1. Darkest Hour with Steve Stevens
2. Ominous Signs with Steve Morse
3. At The Gates with David Cross
4. Dark Days with Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Patrick Moraz & Omar Hakim
5. Lonely Landscape with Kasim Sulton
6. The Long Night with Frank Dimino & Marco Minnemann
7. The Quasi Effect with Billy Sherwood
8. The 11th Hour with John Etheridge
9. Between Two Worlds with Steve Hillage & Gregg Bissonette
10. Distant Thunder with Todd Sucherman
11. Dark Money with Joe Bouchard
12. For All To See with Pat Mastelotto
13. Beyond Reason with Chad Wackerman
BONUS TRACKS [CD ONLY]
14. I Saw the Light - Todd Rundgren with Rick Wakeman
15. I'm Not In Love - Nektar with Rick Wakeman

Press inquiries:
Glass Onyon PR
Billy James
PH: 828-350-8158
glassonyonpr@gmail.com

7/20/2023

JYRKI 69 Lends His Voice To A Psychedelic Melding Of Minds Between STEVE STEVENS, BOOTSY COLLINS, GEOFF DOWNES, and CARMINE APPICE On A Brand New Version Of PINK FLOYD’S “ONE OF THESE DAYS”

Los Angeles, CA - Pink Floyd’s sixth studio album, Meddle, marked the dawn of a new era for the British quartet. Still reeling from the departure of former front man, Syd Barrett, and struggling to find their feet, Meddle pushed the remaining members to new heights of collaboration and novel experimentation, as heard most forcefully on the album’s opening track, “One Of These Days.” Today, a brand-new version of the song carries forth this collaborative spirit as an eclectic group of stellar musicians and boldly creative artists offer their take on this psychedelic masterpiece.

This star-studded single features a pulsating bassline from rhinestone rockstar and Parliament-Funkadelic icon, Bootsy Collins, the wailing guitar licks and shredding reverberations of Grammy Award winning guitarist, Steve Stevens, accompanied by the aggressive, hard-hitting cymbal crashes and snare hits of legendary percussionist, Carmine Appice, and all sewn together by the scintillating treble musings from keyboard commander and prog rock superstar, Geoff Downes. Providing the song’s only vocal moment, the surreal spoken word bit, is none other than the voice of Finland’s finest goth metal band, The 69 Eyes, baritone vocal god, Jyrki 69.

Stream/download the single: https://orcd.co/j69_collins_stevens_downes_appice_oneofthesedays

“One Of These Days” is the second single to be released from the forthcoming full-length recreation of the entirety of Meddle. Dubbed Meddle Reimagined - A Tribute To Pink Floyd, the album features a host of stellar guests such as Graham Bonnet (Rainbow), Rick Wakeman (Yes), Chris Poland (Megadeth), Dave Lombardo (Slayer), James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Frank DiMino (Angel), Martin Barre (Jethro Tull), Helios Creed (Chrome), Rat Scabies (The Damned) and more! Watch for the full album to be released on CD and digital September 1st with the vinyl version following on September 22nd!

Pre-order the physical:
https://cleorecs.com/store/shop/meddle-reimagined-a-tribute-to-pink-floyd-cd/
https://cleorecs.com/store/shop/meddle-reimagined-a-tribute-to-pink-floyd-haze-vinyl/

Pre-save the digital: https://orcd.co/variousartists_meddlereimaingedatributetopinkfloyd

TRACK LIST:
1. One Of These Days - Jyrki 69 (The 69 Eyes), Geoff Downes (Asia/Yes), Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), Bootsy Collins, Carmine Appice (Cactus, Vanilla Fudge)
2. A Pillow Of Winds - James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Martin Barre (Jethro Tull), Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater), Alan Davey (Hawkwind)
3. Fearless - Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge), Helios Creed (Chrome), Bob Daisley (Ozzy Osbourne), Rat Scabies (The Damned)
4. San Tropez - Graham Bonnet (Rainbow), Chris Poland (Megadeth), Rick Wakeman (Yes), Joe Bouchard (Blue Öyster Cult), Dave Lombardo (Slayer)
5. Seamus - Terry Reid, Brian Auger
6. Echoes - Frank DiMino (Angel)