Day 16 in the studio........

July 11th

Veronica Freeman, Christopher Shrum, and, Pete Wells from Benedictum joined Rock Star and Super Star in the studio for an amazing session.

First, let me start by saying what an absolute pleasure it was to work with all three of these musicians on this day. Especially, Veronica. She blew me away!

The session started with Veronica laying down the vocals for the song “Mistress Insidious”, (formerly “Such a Bitch”). It is so funny that when I heard this track in my head, the only woman I thought could ever do it justice was Doro Pesch. Since Doro was busy in Germany, I decided I needed to really take some time and do some investigative research to find someone I thought might be as good. This was rather discouraging because I was not having any luck for quite some time finding someone I thought was comparable. That is until I walked into a music store in Illinois and overheard a track from a band called Benedictum on the overhead music. Immediately I was sold. Now jump forward another couple of months, here she was in the studio with me. Pretty cool how when your sober, you can make things happen.

Veronica did not waste anytime behind the mic. Its so funny that during the first second of her opening up her mouth, I realized I had found an even better fit for the song than what I had originally intended. (No offense Doro, I’ll get you for the next CD!). She blitzed through the song at a fiery pace and instantly won the hearts of everyone else in the studio. I must have heard the words “Amazing” 7 to 8 times. How a girl can sing like this, I have no idea. I know I have said this about 4 or 5 times now, but this may now be my favorite track. In fact, its so good that its now one of the first to be mixed. I think the Brett and Bob liked it so much that they wanted to get right on it. Thanks Veronica. Oh boy will we be working together again. Very professional and as far as I am concerned, the new queen of metal!

Pete! Where do I begin? Ok, Chris Caffery laid out most of the solo on the “Mistress Insidious” track but we had room for a weeee bit and thanks to Veronica, enter Pete. Pete’s is a funny guy! But beware, if you are around him, your on camera. He loves to video tape! He and I are a lot alike in that way. Life is too short, get it on film! When he did finally put the camera down it was his turn in the hot seat. There is no doubt the song needed a little extra something. Caffery did amazing, but there was one spot that we added later on that needed some fluff. Pete took his time and would not let up until he found just the right solo for the track. He tried a few different approaches but there was one in particular that was special. When we heard it, we all knew it was worth keeping. He’s such a technical player. Very speedy! I could not be happier with his performance and am so glad Veronica made the suggestion to bring him! Go get em’ Pete!

Now on to Chris. He was kind enough to lay out the bass on the track Serenity. It was a solid performance. So much so that it was pretty much done in one take. Chris obviously prepped for the track in advance and because of this helped us nail it out in no time. For someone like Chris to take the time out of his busy schedule and to drive the four hours to the studio to help Rock Star and Super Star on a project such as this really goes to show you what kind of a person he is. Very relaxed and very quick. What a great asset to Benedictum. Thanks again Chris

Another wonderful experience and these guys made it happen and took our song and made it into a masterpiece, I can’t wait for everyone to hear it!

Day 15 in the studio........

Tonight at 6:30pm, my perspective on this project changed forever. Lorraine Lewis signed up for the project. She came in today and absolutely tore apart the song called “We Are One.” This song has a very punkish anthem type sound and just might be my favorite. I have probably said this about every song thus far, but this one has been played (with scratch vocals) on my IPOD over 100 times while working out because it’s so darn catchy!

Two weeks ago I found a scratch vocalist named Shela Revandale to lay down the scratch vocals for this track. What was special about Shela was not just her unique and powerful voice, but also her humble appreciation for the opportunity to lay down vocals for someone that she admires. When I told her who this was for, she just about fell over. I am so glad that we crossed paths and am excited to work with her in the future. Thank you, Shela!

Thanks to Brett and Bob, Lorraine was able to get setup quickly and was off and running through the song right away. I could not believe how killer she sounded the first time through. I initially chose her because I knew she could give the song the attitude it needed and, boy, did I pick the right girl. She blew me away with her enthusiasm and her voice. She was so eager to make each line perfect and was so much the professional with everything concerning this song. I am rather shocked by just how emotionally involved she gets when singing. It really impressed me. I was so proud to be witnessing these moments with her. She was able to nail this song within an hour’s time and was able to put her stamp on it, making it that much more special for all of us.

It’s sometimes overwhelming to think of whom my brother and I have been successful in recruiting for this project. We have been able to work with some amazing names and it wasn’t until tonight that it hit me just how amazing and special this ride has been. To me, working with Lorraine Lewis was what opened my eyes and brought to my attention just how lucky I am. Here we were, in the studio with someone that I used to adore for hours, from pictures taken from Metal Edge and her debut CD, "Femme Fatale", and now I am in the same room with her, while she is working her craft brilliantly and with such ease that at times I had chills. She is officially "the bomb".

What an amazing night and an even more spectacular performance. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it. So AMAZING!

Day 14 in the studio.......

Laid down the backing vocals for the Rockin Angel track. A woman named Sherri came in and laid down the most angelic vocals yet against Cherie Curry’s voice. I cant wait for the blend on it. It will sound amazing!

Next track, “Steps!”

Day 13 in the studio.........

Day 13 in the studio

So we went in Monday the 11th and nailed out a track called “We Are One”. Its odd, this track was supposed to be a song called “I am sorry”, but ultimately ended up being too upbeat. So since I am responsible for all the melodies and lyrics for this project, I felt I needed to make best use of the emotion that I was feeling while listening back to the track. Something was pulling me towards having it be a song that celebrates a community of recovering addicts. And so it hit me, why not be a song named after our non-profit “We Are One”. It only makes sense. The irony to this story is that this is the track that while in Chicago; I worked on with some young recovering addicts. (Video on the weareoneonline.com website) How appropriate is that! So cool!

Anyway, let me tell you. The song was developed from an acoustic tune that my brother handed to me sometime ago. It was this track that I let the kid’s rock along with, put their “vibe” on it, and is now what I regard as my most favorite track on the CD. Although I must say, I have yet to write any of the lyrics yet, but I do have some great ideas for the melodies!

While at the studio Monday, the drums took no time at all, the guitar we ripped through, and in less than 3 hrs, had the whole thing on tape. Moreover, that included Mr. Bob Kulick on bass… See Bob helps kids in recovery too! Nice job Bob. And Brett, another fine job.

Rock Star, the jury is still out on you. Nevertheless, I nailed it! Cannot wait for you all to hear it! Now I need to find the perfect singer for it! I’m pretty sure Jack Frost will be doing some soloing on it. Should be an interesting experience!

See you soon!

Day 12 in the studio......

Boy do I feel like a shmuck for not updating the last 2 times I have been in the studio like I said I would. I am sorry. I didn’t realize how many people actually read this. It will not happen again! So now……..let me get right to it.

Stevie Rachelle is coming! Ok, if you don’t already know, he is the mastermind behind Metal Sludge.net. However, this is not how we first heard of him. It was through a band called “Tuff”. Back in 89 when I was in High School, my brother and I would walk up and down the halls playing “Tuff” music just to annoy all those kids who were into the newer fresher music. Sorry, I was not into New Kids on the Block, I was a bit more Rock and Roll. I also had a shirt that the school administration made me take off during this time. I didn’t realize what the back verbage meant until I got older.

Anyway, Stevie is perfect for the track “Get out of my way!”. It’s a rough track, written to give you a concise idea of what I was going through, everyday when I woke up. My thirst was always for more drugs. I put this before my friends, my family, and myself. So with this being said, it was important to convey this in this opening track. Thanks to Stevie, this song drives that point home quickly. I knew his voice would be a perfect fit and with his professionalism, he nailed this out quickly. With this, along with Bruce Kulick’s solo, the song might be my favorite this far!

It was cool to watch him, (as the others), perform and work with our track. He must have felt at home quickly behind the mic as it didn’t seem like it took him that long to finish. He also had dome cool ideas that made the song a bit more strong lyrically and melodically! So thank you Stevie, job well done! You did so good, I may have to think of another song for you to do!

Day 11 in the studio...

Wow, it has been awhile. I have been in Chicago and now back in LA working my tail off. My brother and I have worked on some new songs in rehearsal and have just laid 2 more down on tape on Day 11, 3/27/09. On this day I laid down the drums for “Rockin Angel”, and “Get out of my way!”. The Rockin Angel song smokes and it looks like we may have a very special guest lined up to sing on it. It’s a very uplifting song and has a very charming and spiritual vibe to it. Announcement will be made soon. Nevertheless, I have to say, the day was exhausting. Not only did I lay down the drums for this song, I also nailed my performance on “Get out of my way!”. This one especially is difficult as it has so many changes! Lost of different feelings. Ultimately, the feeling of this one is an angry one, and it will be the first on the CD. It’s a story of me, knee deep in my addiction, and if your in my way, you better get out of it! I was sweating like a pig after recoding both these songs and I think they came out great!

There are only 2 more tracks to play on! “Relapse Romance” and the “Steps” song! We are getting closer! Bob and Brett were very cool today. Sometimes it’s tough to read Bob, but now that I get him, it’s ALL fun! His favorite expression "Now Back to work!"

I almost forgot, (can tyou blame me) Rock Star laid down the guitars for both tracks today too! He was spot on today which saved us some time. We were able to get out before dark, which was nice...

I am off to rehearsal. I never knew how much went into writing a CD. I’m anxious to get it done.

Day 10 in the studio....

Oh crap! Bruce is coming in. Bruce Kulick! How cool is that we got Bruce Kulick to play on “Do it for you”, and “Abuse Me”. Ok, so Bruce walks in, we make the introductions and are beside ourselves that we are going to be working with him today. As if all this wasn’t enough, he then whips out the guitar, a 1953 Les Paul, that his brother had used on the studio side of Kiss Alive 2 on for such songs as “Rocking in the USA”, and “Larger than Life”. It was also used on some songs for Paul Stanley’s 1978 Solo album. He plugs it in and immediately begins crafting a solo for “Do it for you”. When the dust settled and all was said and done, the result was amazing. It was so eerie to hear that tone from that guitar that was featured on so any of those classic Kiss tunes, now being played on our track. We got some pictures of it and some great video as well. God, it came out so amazing! Because of its heavy message, this is the tune that we intend to use to promote heavy awareness to our We Are One non-profit venture. Thank god he had no problem doing this track justice.

The next track was called “Abuse Me”. It is a weird song. Its very Kiss like up front but then evetuentaully settles in to a Beatles type bridge section, only to go right back in a Kiss type arrangement for the chorus. It is a delicate beast. The song is about my love affair with drugs, so it takes you through a wide array of emotions. We had to set it up this way so be able to communicate the message of the dangers of drugs. I have to say, thank god we chose Bruce to play on this track as well. He nailed it, note for note and thought of a few things that never even crossed our minds. That is the difference between a pro and someone who just plays for fun. From his years of playing, Bruce just has this vast array of tools that he is able to pick and chose from and is able to use these tools and ideas to best compliment a song like this.

He was gracious enough to let us take some video and pictures of him, and we will be posting these on my site as well as the We Are One website (www.weareoneonline.com) as well. What a great an successful day! Bruce we will see you again very soon, thank you for making these tracks extra special!

Day 9 in the studio....

Where do I begin? What a great day. After Marc laid down the final rhythm for “Abuse me”, we had the great Carlos Cavazo (Quiet Riot, Ratt) come in and lay down the lead for two songs, tentively titled, “You can do it”, and “Stronger Now.” Ok, so I am not the biggest fan of the “Stronger Now” song. I have been fighting with Rock to dump this song from the beginning. I didn’t think anything could save it. However, as soon as Carlos picked up his axe and started to shred to it, I was convinced its worth keeping. Very cool fills. The great thing about this song is the fact that its not all wall-to-wall vocals as our other songs are. It’s got more room for some solos throughout. Knowing this, we filled up every spot we could. That Carlos, your a crafty one, you saved this song!

Now the next one, “You can do it”, is another I have been fighting with Rock to abandon. Ok, so I am a bit critical. Hey, every song has to be just perfect. It is our first effort and it means the world to me so I want it to be just right! Well as soon as it spun up, Carlos nailed a great solo section up front. Its very melodic and very catchy! The solo in the middle was blistering, complete with a very cool dive bomb like effect at the end. Overall, a great session. Ill post some pictures up on the site as soon as I get them. Great day! Thanks again Carlos!

Day 8 in the studio....

Jan 23,

We had Chris in the studio to lay down the guitars for the song called “Serenity.” I played it to someone later today and they started to cry. Chris nailed it. His performance is so incredible I get goose bumps thinking about it. Wow, this CD is coming along great! We have laid out the tracks for seven songs now. I am sad to know that we only have 5 more to go. We have a song called “Such a bitch” we are working on and let me the first to tell you, when you find out who is going to sing on it, you will sit there and wonder for days how we pulled that one off. Very exciting!

Bob and Brett were helpful today in so many ways. I have to say that our relationship with them has been bit odd and frustrating at times. These two guys are seasons veterans. Their job is to keep our feet planted firmly in the ground. However, that is obviously not how Marc and I roll. I know they are a bit skeptical of some of our ideas and at times, it’s difficult to present them to them. But I have to say, we are getting through it and Bob ad Brett are doing what they do best, they are getting good music from us. I think the fact that they believe in this effort as much as we do seems to help the cause. They are two very good guys. If you are in Van Nuys and want quality work, look them up!

Day 7 in the studio.....

Were in the studio today. Marc laid down the guitars for two of the tracks. “Do it for you”, and “Don’t give up”. He whipped through them in no time. I thought Bob and Brett had great direction and did a great job guiding him. All is good. We talked about what the plan is for the next few sessions and are very excited to have Chris Caffery come up and help us for the title track, “Serenity”. It’s a fucking monster and so balls out, it’s going to be an instant hit.

Day 6 in the studio.....

Brought in the serenity song today. We rehearsed it yesterday and got it down on tape. It’s going to be a hit. We were very excited to play it for the guys. They liked it but not as much as we had hoped. I think it’s because we hear what it may sound like when all is said and done, and they only hear the piano and guitars. We know it’s going to be a full production piece, at least that’s what I hear my head. I know they think the same.

Day 5 in the studio.....

Rock Star and I brought in a song called “Abuse me” today. It was song that we started to write with Bob a few weeks ago. I took it, played with it a bit, wrote some lyrics for it and took the melody we had and bumped it up a notch, and presto! I think its going to be one of the best on the album. I cannot wait for people to latch onto it! You can hear some of it in the video clip that I will be posting on my website either tonight or tomorrow.

It was a very short session. I just could not seem to find my groove behind the kit today so we broke lose early. We will have another session tomorrow. Stay tuned!