Got the first two copies of RETROFUTURE 7 in the mail from the printers yesterday and I am very happy about it. Tonight, cover boy (guitarist/singer) Michael Mojo Nilsson came by and picked up a copy. Took a few snapshots in my living room (yes, that is Vampirella on my wall!). The Mojo interview is featured on this blog as an exclusive preview (see Classic Rock Interviews).
The countdown is on…
(My image)
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Due out next week, The Summit´s “Higher Ground” (Monty Music) will surprise a lot of people. It is a staggering album, not a bad second on it. The Summit then, is four friends originating from Östersund (Jämtland county, Sweden) – all quite busy with their own careers – that wanted to have a quick blast together just for the hell of it. The resulting album might be the best thing any of them is likely to be on for some time. This really ought to be a full time band and not a project.
Guitarist Mats Karlsson (220 Volt) is a huge talent and his stamp is all over this record. He plays like a demon on this album and musically this really represents his entire life in music (except for the pure Metal of 220 Volt´s “Mind Over Muscle” period). The early influences of Deep Purple (that the entire band shares) is evident in “W.O.W” (short for “Walking On Water”) but the canvas is huge. Great riffs, melodies to kill for.
It is a happy album, but there are a couple of epic tracks that sends me to heaven, “The Calling” and “Not My Country”. The latter could, in my opinion, be a massive hit in Classic Rock circles.
10 tracks in all, the album takes you back to the days of real music, played and performed by real musicians and artists. Drummer Björn Höglund (Hoven Droven) and bass player Lars Ericsson are a superb team (both were present on last years “The Abduction Of Big Papa Mojo” album with Michael Mojo Nilsson). Höglund has been the driving force behind this project and deserves a medal for his work. Singer Michael Klemmé is doing his first high profile work in the Classic Rock field (that I know of) here and it is about time that he is heard. I am so proud of these guys.
This will be THE Classic Rock album of 2014. It deserves a follow up.
(Image from the old 220 Volt archives)
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More snow this morning, which is a tad unsettling for most of us by now. Summer turns out to be late this year. OK, maybe next week then… At least, the good news is that RETROFUTURE 7 is about to be shipped from the printers. This tuesday, 400 out of 1000 copies were done, so next week is a pretty safe bet. I certainly hope so, it would be nice to have them here on May 17, for a couple of reasons. The UFO-Expo (mentioned earlier on this blog) being one.
Good times ahead, more news will follow.
(My images)
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Got some lovely feedback from a gentleman that used to be a member of the old DEEP PURPLE FOREVER club the other day. He had checked out what I am up to these days and read some recent RETROFUTURE stuff. I was happy to see that he thought that the Tornado Blaze novel (published in two magazines last year) was “astounding!” and that the variety of the stuff I create these days is so big. “More is more” he said, quoting a famous Yngwie Malmsteen interview.
I really appreciate feedback, especially from people that has connected with my output long ago. I would say that RETROFUTURE is largely unknown to the old Purple crowd, which is a bit sad. Especially since I never stopped supporting Purple.
Thank you Erik.
(Archive photo of model Ellinor Nordbakk as Tornado Blaze, July 2012)
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I think I have published a few decent covers over the years. Here is DEEP PURPLE FOREVER issue 10, created back in 1994. Actually, a friend of mine did this one. Photographers include Matz Lagnefors (Glenn Hughes and David Coverdale), Robert Lundgren (Joe Satriani and Ian Gillan), Stephen Wunrow (Ritchie Blackmore) – the early MK2 shot comes from an early Japanese “Made In Japan” release. My buddy did not want credit for the cover at the time, so I will keep it like that.
20 years ago now…
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trinkelbonker 