Artist

Applying his intense curiosity and tenacity to first an old Mosrite and then a cheap Stratocaster, Yngwie immersed himself in the music of such bands as Deep Purple and spent long hours practicing to learn their songs. His admiration for Ritchie Blackmore’s classically influenced playing led him back to the source: Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven, and Mozart. As Yngwie absorbed the classical structures of the masters, his prodigious style began to take shape. By age 10, he began to focus all his energies into music. His mother and sister, a talented flautist, recognized his unique musical gifts and gave him support and encouragement. His mastery of the instrument progressed rapidly. In his early teens, Yngwie saw a television performance of Russian violinist Gideon Kremer, who performed the highly difficult 24 Caprices of 19th century virtuoso violinist Niccolo Paganini. The effect was profound, and Yngwie understood at last how to combine his love of classical music with his burgeoning guitar skills and onstage charisma.

By age 15, Yngwie’s trademark style had begun to emerge. He worked for a time as a luthier in a guitar repair shop, where he encountered a scalloped neck for the first time when a 17th century lute came into the shop. Intrigued, Yngwie scalloped the neck of an old guitar in similar fashion and was impressed enough with the results to try it on his better guitars. The scalloped fret board was somewhat more difficult to play than a normal neck, but his control over the strings was so improved that Yngwie immediately adopted it as a permanent alteration to his equipment.
About this time, Yngwie began playing in a number of bands built around his explosive guitar style, with long instrumental explorations. Around age 18, Yngwie and several friends recorded a demo set of three songs for Swedish CBS, but the cuts were never released. Frustrated, Yngwie began sending demo tapes to record companies and music contacts abroad. One such tape found its way into the hands of Guitar Player contributor and Shrapnel Music. Yngwie was invited to record with a new band Steeler–and the rest, as they say, is history.

From Steeler, Yngwie moved on to Alcatrazz, a Rainbow-style band, but it became clear that to fully develop his talents, Yngwie would have to go solo. Yngwie’s first solo album, Rising Force (now considered the bible for neoclassical rock) made it to #60 on the Billboard charts, an impressive feat for a mostly instrumental guitar album with no commercial airplay. The album also gained Yngwie a Grammy nomination for best rock instrumental performance. He was voted Best New Talent in several readers’ polls, Best Rock Guitarist the year after, and Rising Force became Album of the Year. Rising Force blazed a trail on the concert circuit that established Yngwie as one of rock guitar’s brightest new stars and added a new genre to the music lexicon: neoclassical rock.

With his place in guitar history firmly established, Yngwie’s neo-classical compositions fueled the ears of fans and the ambitions of aspiring guitarists worldwide for over a decade with such powerhouse classic albums as Marching Out, Trilogy, Odyssey, Live in Leningrad / Trial By Fire (gold-selling concert video of Yngwie’s 1989 sold-out concerts in Moscow and Leningrad), Fire & Ice (which debuted in Japan at #1 and sold over 100,000 copies on the day of its release), The Seventh Sign, Magnum Opus, Inspiration (covering the music of Deep Purple, Rainbow, U.K., Kansas, Scorpions, Rush, and Jimi Hendrix), Facing the Animal, Alchemy, and Attack!!
In 1997, Yngwie proved that he was much more than a rock phenomenon. After months of intensive work, Yngwie produced his first completely classical work, Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra in Eb minor, Op. 1. This groundbreaking album was recorded in Prague with the prestigious Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and famed symphony conductor Yoel Levi. Several years later, in 2001,Yngwie found his first opportunity to perform the critically acclaimed Concerto Suite with the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra in Tokyo. The DVD/CD/VHS package of this groundbreaking performance became Yngwie’s first release of the year in January 2002.

In 2003, Yngwie joined the famous “G3” Tour in a lineup many guitar fans saw as the ultimate dream combination (Satriani, Vai, Malmsteen). The CD and DVD of the tour became instant classics and hot sellers throughout the year. Once the G3 tour ended, Yngwie took to the road again in support of his Attack album.

Taking most of 2004 to rest, recharge his creative batteries, and work in his studio at his leisure, Yngwie produced a highly acclaimed new album titled Unleash the Fury. Featuring some of his most impressive playing and songwriting in years, the album garnered rave reviews from fans and critics alike. Virtuosityone.com, a popular Internet hard rock music review site proclaimed, “Yngwie Malmsteen, the Neo-Classical king is back to Unleash the Fury with another bag of alchemy fuelled compositions… Overall Unleash the Fury is a welcome return to form from … to deliver the goods.” Reviewers on Amazon.com and CD Universe gave the new album 5-star ratings, with consumers proclaiming “Yngwie is the original, don’t settle for cheap imitations!” and “it’s a great year for shredders!”
In the summer of 2005, the Unleash the Fury World Tour kicked off in Ireland and headed across the globe, blazing new trails of glory. Malmsteen and his Rising Force lineup proved they were back with a vengeance by selling out the famed Hammersmith Apollo theatre in London and playing to rapt capacity crowds across the U.K., and garnering legions of new fans from Paris to Vienna to Madrid. Eager fans in the U.S. made the Unleash the Fury Tour a major event of the year.

By 2006, Yngwie’s career resurgence was in full gear. He attended the annual NAMM music-industry convention to promote his new strings endorsement with Dean Markley, then toured the U.S. a second time, then Asia, Australia, and Finland by the end of the year, igniting fans as never before. Yngwie explained it this way: “Staying in good shape has a tremendous amount to do with it; I’m reaping the benefits this year.” That year, Fender updated Yngwie Signature Malmsteen Model Strat, making small but important changes to the neck. “Fender rules the universe. They treat me so good, and I’m so honored and proud to be working with them.” Throughout 2007, Yngwie continued work on his next rock opus, and took a break in December to South America and Mexico, fulfilling the dreams of fans who hadn’t seen him in their country in years.

2008 marked Yngwie’s 25th year in the U.S.! Yngwie signed several endorsements, with Austrian acoustics company AKG, makers of top-of-the-line microphones and acoustic equipment, and Boss/Roland. That same year, Yngwie learned he’d been chosen to be in the exclusive NAMM Oral History program. Begun in 2000, NAMM’s Oral History Project documents through videotaped interviews some of the greatest contributors to the music products industry, including Herbie Hancock, Maynard Ferguson, Les Paul, blues legend B.B. King, and now, Yngwie Malmsteen.

Yngwie’s redesigned official website, www.yngwiemalmsteen.com, went online, along with his own merchandise site. Yngwie continued to work at a leisurely pace on his next album. Work also continued on Fender’s Malmsteen limited edition replica of the “Duck,” Yngwie’s prized and famed 1972 Strat. Fender Custom Shop experts flew to Miami to measure and photograph every aspect of the original instrument to ensure the replica’s authenticity down to the last detail. With a new lineup that included ex-Priest singer Tim “Ripper” Owens, Yngwie played concert dates in Germany, doing clinics for Fender, and then hitting the summer festival circuit in Europe, starting with Graspop in Belgium and ending up in Finland, and then on to clinics and concerts in the U.K.

2008 also saw an amazing testament to Yngwie’s resurgence on the rock music scene – he scored the cover of Guitar World’s “Kings of Shred” issue, appearing alone on the cover instead of sharing it with other musicians. About his newfound visibility, Yngwie said, “There are a lot of new, younger fans who are just discovering the joys of playing with speed, power, and articulation and they’re coming to my shows and places like NAMM and guitar shows.” Throughout 2008, Yngwie scored other magazine covers, including All Access, Crusher Magazine, Fuzz, Guitar Player, Roadie Crew, and Vegas Rocks. But perhaps the biggest recognition of 2008 came in October, when Yngwie was inducted into Hollywood’s Rock Walk of Fame on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.

Also in October, Yngwie released his new studio album, Perpetual Flame, on his own newly established label, Rising Force Records. The album also marked the debut of Yngwie’s new singer, ex-Judas Priest front-man Tim “Ripper” Owens. To coincide with the festivities surrounding Yngwie’s first album in several years, the Fender Custom Shop unveiled the new Yngwie Malmsteen Tribute Series Stratocaster guitar, the reproduction of Malmsteen’s beloved “Duck” (also called the “Play Loud” guitar). Touring to support the new album began in earnest, with a full schedule of dates starting in the U.S., and the momentum of Perpetual Flame kept rolling right on into the new year.

Early in the 2009, Yngwie contributed three tracks to the video game Rock Band, for both Xbox and PlayStation. Still promoting Perpetual Flame, Yngwie and the band played a series of killer concerts in Japan with rock icons Deep Purple. By mid-summer, Yngwie astonished fans and critics alike by releasing an album completely off the beaten path for him, an entirely instrumental collection of ballads from Yngwie’s earlier works, performed on acoustic guitar with orchestral arrangements. To everyone’s surprise, Angels of Love (inspired by Yngwie’s wife April) hit the top of Amazon.com’s New Age music list.
Recognition of Yngwie’s place in music history continued to come in. In Time Magazine, Yngwie found himself included as one of the “10 Greatest Electric Guitar Players.” Near the end of the year, Yngwie and his management company decided to begin releasing rare archival concert footage. The first was Yngwie in Korea, shot during his 2001 War to End All Wars Tour, in Seoul, South Korea. And that, asserts Yngwie, is just the tip of the iceberg of things to come!

When in Rome was an electro-dance trio from England that had a worldwide hit with the Single “THE PROMISE” in 1988. Composed of Clive Farrington and Andrew Mann on vocals, and Michael Floreale on Keyboards and Piano. When in Rome released one self-titled album which sold over 350.000 copies in the US alone. Despite the success of their debut single that reached #10 on the Billboard Top 100 chart, musical differences caused the band to split. Floreale now lives in Dallas, Texas and is an award winning music composer in the TV and Film industry.

In 2006, When in Rome’s founding member Michael Floreale was approached by a West Coast agent to reform When in Rome II for a major tour with Devo and the Psychedelic Furs. Michael recruited a great new singer, Los Angeles based John Ceravolo, and the pair instantly bonded to form a powerful songwriting team. The haunting melodies of Floreale’s music flows seamlessly with Ceravalo’s insightful lyrics and soaring vocals. The band has been performing successfully all over the USA and South America for the last few years and have performed with many other great acts such as A Flock of Seagulls, Bow Wow Wow, The Romantics, The English Beat and many more. The band recently signed a new record deal with Spectra Records with a great new album soon to be released With glowing testimonies from the live shows and an overwhelming response to the new songs such as “LAST TRAIN” and “EVENTIDE”, When In Rome remain as popular as ever.

TODAY THE BAND WHEN IN ROME II CONTINUE TO TOUR AND ELECTRIFY AUDIENCES ACROSS THE GLOBE.

While the Varukers split in 1989, vocalist Rat and guitarist Biff put the band back together in 1991. Stylistically their 1990s-era music resembled the traditional UK82 style. Since the band had former members of Discharge, a D-beat sound developed as time went on. The band has gone through many line-up changes over the years with the only constant member being Rat on vocals while guitarist Biff has been with the band since 1985. They have recently released a retrospective CD on SOS Records.

Even with Rat splitting his time between The Varukers and Discharge and Biff splitting his time with Sick On the Bus The Varukers continue to tour. They shared a headlining spot with such acts as Broken Bones, The Adicts, Vice Squad and GBH[disambiguation needed] at the ill-fated British Invasion 2k6 concert festival in San Bernardino, California which ended in rioting.

Guitarist Sean is the manager of public house The Old Angel Inn in Nottingham, United Kingdom.

They are currently writing new material for a new album.

1995-1997 / After a few different lineup changes in their early years they settled into Peters, Martinez, Reynolds, Chuck Briggs (of the Dischords) on guitar and Alex Gomez on drums. In 1996 they released their second album “Garibaldi Guard” on Alive Records. The next year they put out an EP called “Nevermind the Opened Minds…Here’s the U.S. Bombs”, it originally had 6 songs but all re-releases of this album have included 4 tracks from self titled promo CD they recorded before their 2nd album. The Bombs continued to tour to support their music and began to grow a loyal fan base where ever they played. U.S. Bombs live shows were gaining recognition from the on stage antics of Duane and his band mates.

1997-2000 / In ’97 due to touring commitments the rhythm section of the band was replaced with Wade Walston on bass and Chip Hanna on drums. This year the Bombs released a 10″ picture disc on Outsider Records, the B side with a new version of The Way it Ends a song that was released on their first album, the A side with Jaks, a song that would become the bands biggest hit and most often played live song. Next they were picked up as the first band on Tim Armstrong’s new Epitaph affiliate Hellcat Records for a 4 record deal.

The first album on Hellcat was “War Birth” which would become the bands most famous and well heard album all over the world. It is even rumored that Joey Ramone had “War Birth” on his turntable when he died.
Unfortunately due to serious illness that was killing him and would eventually take his life, long time guitarist Chuck Briggs was unable to record the bands 4th full length “The World”. Briggs was replaced by Jonny “Two Bags” Wickersham, formerly of Youth Brigade and The Cadillac Tramps. “The World” was released in 1999, and when the Bombs returned from a European tour, tensions were high among the band mates due to basically living on the road together the last 5 years and Duane left to form Duane Peters and the Hunns.

During the constant touring and album recording the U.S. Bombs developed a relationship with Beer City Records/Skateboards based in Milwaukee and released three 7″ records with them. In 1997 they released “Outtakes from a Beer City Basement” which had two exclusive songs that can only be found on this recording, Hot Seat (an Empire cover) and Rejected (a song originally recorded by Duane’s early 80’s band Political Crap), it also had a new recording of the song Bubble Gum originally released on their first album. Next was a split with The Bristles, the Bombs did a cover of the Radio Birdman song Breaks My Heart. The third Beer City release was called “The Great Lakes of Beer” in 2001 and had two exclusive songs, The Great Lakes of Beer and The Critic!, both written on the road and recorded live/drunk. To support “The World”, the U.S. Bombs also released a 7″ on TKO records based in San Francisco for Hobroken Dreams which had an exclusive song The Captain on the B side.

2000-2003 / Duane left the band to start his new band Duane Peters and the Hunns. After a few releases and some touring, in 2001 he had to return to the studio with the U.S. Bombs as they were still under contract to make 2 more records with Hellcat. Duane, Kerry, Chip, and Wade went in and the result was “Back at the Laundromat”. Their fifth full length named after the early years when the Bombs would set up their gear at the local laundromat and play until the cops broke it up, was very well received but would be the last album with veteran drummer Chip Hanna. In 2001 they played the Holidays in the Sun concert in San Francisco which would be recorded and released as a live CD as well as a DVD. Chip left the band and joined San Francisco trio One Man Army. With the help of Hellcat Records and relentless touring the U.S. Bombs had begun to make a place for themselves in punk rock history. They appeared on Premium Blend as the stage band during Jim Breuer’s hosting stint, and contributed a track from Back at the Laundromat, “Yer Country”, to the soundtrack for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4.

Again it was time to return to the familiar and make another album for Hellcat Records. With Chip replaced by Jamie Reidling, and with new guitarist Curt Stitch, Peters, Martinez, and Walston went back into the studio in 2003 to make the Bombs next full length “Covert Action.” After the resulting tour the U.S. Bombs would take the longest break in the bands history, 10 years of constant touring and recording had left them needing a break to save the future of the band.

In 2006 the U.S. Bombs went into the studio again to record their 7th full length album. With Peters, Martinez, Gove, Jaime Reidling and studio bassists they released “We Are The Problem” on Sailor’s Grave Records. The following tour picked up One Man Army bassist Heiko Schrepel to rock the 4 string.

2009 and 2010 saw 2 different European tours by the U.S. Bombs and a few shows in California. These shows have reunited the classic late 90’s U.S. Bombs lineup of Duane, Kerry, Wade, Chip, and the ever changing rhythm guitar spot was filled by Jonny Two Bags again. Although, as second guitar for Social Distortion Jonny Two Bags was unable to participate in the 2010 European tour with the Bombs, leaving the very rare experience for US Bombs fans to see them perform as a 4 piece.

US Bombs will be touring in Europe in Nov-Dec 2013, This tour will coincide with the CD release of “Generation Kennedy No More U.S. Bombs” and the band will play Russia for the 1st time.

“The Sound Of Truth In A World Of Lies”

In 1991 Total Chaos recorded their first demo- which led to their first 7 inch in July of 92 Nightmares. In March of 93 they put out their first full length album Were the Punks- to promote the record they did shows around California- during that time word of the album reached Mexico City- leading to an offer to do a full Mexico tour with a band called the Yaps.

With mostly sold out shows-the tour was deemed a success. Between sold out shows in the U.S. and Mexico- interest hit lead guitarist of Bad Religion and the owner of the biggest punk label in the world Epitaph Records Bret Gurewitz. Leading to the signing of the band in Sept. 93, a quote from Rob Chaos regarding the signing to the label, I felt signing to the label was a huge opportunity to save my genre- to allow the style to reach the masses and help those that were like me to be heard. (shortly after Gary Doom left the band and was replaced by Ron Mcmurder).

By Jan. of 94 the band was in the studio recording Pledge of Defiance still to this day being the hardest most political controversial album ever put out by Epitaph records- to date. Total Chaos did 2 full U.S. tours- one of them being with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones with riots in some cities and states- clearly showing the impact of the message and the power of the response by the fans. Returning from tour- the band went back into the studio- now with a new lead guitar player-Shawn Smash- leading to a masterful collaboration- ending with the creation of Patriotic Shock. They hit the road in June of 95 with the legendary Battalion of Saints in many shows- because of Total Chaoss- strong anti- racist material and social political message- made the tour not easy- with national racists organizations showing up at every show, many death threats, even the album being banned in Japan- regardless of all the opposition, they did not falter and the message was still being expressed.

In the summer of that year the band does their first European tour- which was bigger than anyone expected- with sold out gigs all across Europe- ending up at the legendary Chaos Days in Hanover, Germany. Not schedule to play (the police would not allow it) but lucky because of a folk rock festival (The Harvest Festival) that was playing in a local park- where swarms of punks met to later attend the Chaos Days- discovered the bands arrival and literally threaten the promoter- with violence and destruction of property if the band was not allowed to play (amazing fans)- so they played- with one of the band members (Shawn Smash) a half blooded German-fluent in the language- spoke to his fellow country men- stating Lets Riot as the intro to the legendary song Riot City- unfortunately the riot cops showed up right after the song and the literal Chaos Days begun (the show made national headline news throughout the world).

Shortly after returning to the states Gearbox left the band- being replaced with Suzy Home wrecker- the band decided and after 3 hardcore albums they would choose a more classical style of 70s punk rock- leading to the creation of Anthems form the Alleyway. Again to promote- the band headed out for a full U.S. and European tour- shows were completely sold out. By 97 the contract with Epitaph was up and negotiation for resigning due,- while recording new demos for the new album- the owner of Epitaph- Bret Gruewitz disappeared for 6 months and reappeared in drug rehab. Leaving the band in limbo and with a new president of the label Andy – which who the band did not see eye to eye with- lead them to leaving the label in late 98/or they just got booted no one knows for sure even the band- with a legacy of selling more than 150,000 records- unmatched by any in their genre, to date.

In early 99 they agreed to put out 2 limited edition albums (In God We Kill and The Early Years) with Cleopatra records and hit the road for promotion with Blanks 77. After the tour was completed in 2000- they did their first Japanese tour and right after went into the studio to record Punk Invasion produced by multi-platinum producer Jim Faraci. They put out the album on their own formerly named label Reject Records- the band hit the road for several tours in Europe and the U.S., later to be invited to play the Warped Tour in 2002. After the Warped tour- the original drummer Gearbox returned to the band.

By the beginning of 2003 Rob Chaos started to do promotions and bookings for other bands such as The Lower Class Brats Funeral Dress Blanks 77, Mike Blanks and the Stads and many more. In Fall 2003 Rob Chaos went into partnership with Ezzat Soliman owner of the Showcase Theatre and Showcase Productions- birthing a new label SOS Records. Because of his strong street credibility- Rob Chaos has been able to procure legendary bands for the label such as The Exploited and Conflict- a quote from Wattie of Exploited after returning to the states after 12 years to do a full U.S. with Total Chaos, the only reasoning why I came back was because of Rob Chaos- a huge compliment from a man and a band that Rob grew up listening to and respects highly.

In Nov. of 2003 the band went back into the studio with a new bassist- Charlie former guitarist of political hardcore band Lifes Halt – during a crucial time in the United States history- and this is clearly reflected in the bands music- there are strong battle cries all over the album which emerge so intensely- it is not matched by any. The album is entitled Freedom Kills again with strong promotion- Total Chaos has just completed sold out shows with the most legendary bands of all the punk rock genres- from the Adicts to Exploited ( nationally televised riots in Canada- due to border rejection of both bands) to Conflict- setting them apart and displaying their caliber and quality.

In this new era the message is stronger than ever before- there is a sense of urgency coming from the band- regarding social and political reform- it oozes from their music and is undeniable to any that listen. After 16 years Total Chaos has grown as a band and has seen many come and go- but they have always kept their original ideals of what their genre of music is all about- which hasnt been proven to be easy- during a time of mirages and deceit.

Regardless of what you believe, whether you are pop punk, street punk, hardcore, straight edge, political punk, goth punk, skate punk, crust punk, metal punk, straight punk rock (the list goes on and on)- Total Chaoss style of music can unify them all- bringing them back to one scene and that is PUNK ROCK!

Discussions on the show focus on “all things hard rock and heavy metal”, past and present. Among the regular segments are round table discussions between the three regular hosts, top-5 debates, interviews with heavy metal musicians, “Stump the Trunk,” where audience members ask provided trivia questions of host Eddie Trunk in hopes of acquiring prizes, and “The Throwdown,” where the hosts and guests vote on and debate great moments and figures in metal history. The guitar & bass-heavy theme song, “Day to Remember” was co-written by co-host Jim Florentine and former Guns N’ Roses lead guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal and performed by Thal. The intro to “Stump the Trunk” was composed by Mark Fain.

Sponge’s follow up CD, the critically lauded “Wax Ecstatic” (Columbia) scored additional top ten Billboard hits including “Wax Ecstatic” and “Have You Seen Mary?” The band’s music was also featured in popular movies “The Craft,” “Chasing Amy,” “Mall Rats” and “Empire Records.” Sponge’s star continued to rise with network appearances on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and the “Conan O’Brien Show.”

Sponge’s subsequent releases “New Pop Sunday,” “For All The Drugs in The World,” “The Man,” “Galore Galore,” and “Destroy the Boy,” showcased the band’s swirling sonic attack, rooted in 70’s glam and of course, the Motor City influences of The Stooges, The MC5 and Motown-but still sounding distinctly like no one else.

“Plowed” continues to be the band’s signature rock track, having been spotlighted on Guitar Hero’s “Warriors of Rock – 90’s Rock Track Pack” – and on the Paper Jamz Guitar Series 2, in addition to the soundtrack for the Gerard Butler surf movie “Chasing Mavericks.”

Sponge is now touring in support of a brand new release – “Stop the Bleeding.” The full-length disc incorporates the traditional “Sponge sound” in addition to exploring edgier, industrial grooves, most apparent on the band’s twisted cover of “Time in a Bottle.”

Having shared stages the world over with Guns N’ Roses, Nickelback, Iggy Pop, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Kiss, to name just a few, Sponge continues to be one of rock’s most sought after live acts. Front man Vinnie Dombroski captivates audiences with his powerful voice, heart-on-his-sleeve lyrics and high-octane stage presence.

Now as part of the stellar Summerland Tour – hitting sheds and amphitheatres across the U.S. this summer, Sponge is poised to bring its potent brand of Detroit rock to the masses, once again proving that rock never stops.