Let's speak with Rage about the upcoming UK tour

Soon after having re-discovered some Rage CDs in my collection (Ghosts, Lingua Mortis and End of All Days) a Email hit my inbox saying that the band is going to play a string of dates in the United Kingdom soon. 

Rage are back as a three-piece band.

The full list of dates is as follows:

November 27th – Dudley – Red By Night

https://www.facebook.com/events/291235009932841/

November 28th – Newcastle – The Cluny 2

https://www.facebook.com/events/286485224037167/

November 29th – Dunfermline – PJ Molloys

https://www.facebook.com/events/1038416840849718/

November 30th – Sheffield – Corporation

https://www.facebook.com/events/117477021403958/

December 1st – Bradford – Nightrain

https://www.facebook.com/events/613130937466997/

December 2nd – Brighton – The Arch

https://www.facebook.com/events/785652519717595/

December 3rd – London – The Underworld

https://www.facebook.com/events/1410405596357836/

Rage will be bringing a superb supporting cast with them for their UK campaign, with their old friends, British band C.O.P. UK and the excellent Italian symphonic metal troupe Secret Rule joining them for every date.

For ticketing information see https://linktr.ee/rageinuk

The Email also offered the chance to talk to the band - something I couldn't let unused. They were one of the first band's here in Germany that performed heavy/speed/power metal so I compiled a few questions and got a reply instantly.

Let's see what Peavy Wagner has to say about the upcoming shows and the evolution of the band in nearly 40 bands of existence.

Heavy Metal Underdogs: Why does the new line-up of Rage only feature three band members? What happened in the meantime?

Rage (Peavy Wagner): Our second guitarist Stefan is taking a break from the music biz for a while, due to private reasons. In the meantime we continue as a three piece…

Your website lists three releases entitled "The early years", "The metal years" and "The classic years". Is this a way you would also describe the evolution of the band?

These are different boxset releases, that contain albums from the different phases of Rage, there are three more boxsets (the millenium years, the rising years and the glory years, the last two coming soon). We just called the boxsets like this. The names not necessarily explain the content.

Looking back: what was the trigger that made you try out classic sounds at all?

I (Peavy) always liked classical music, it was often an inspiration to me, when the chance came up to work with orchestra musicians we gave it a chance.

How do you compile the setlists for each show?

We try to feature as much as possible of those 4 decades, of course the highlights but also some forgotten pearls here and there…

Can fans hope to see and hear some songs at the UK dates that have not been in the setlist for a long time?

Yes, we dug out some nice stuff from our older albums, wait and listen! Lookin‘ forward to see you all in the UK! Metal for all 🤘🏻

Finally check out some music in the player below.

Marty Friedman & Brian Auger perform on new Fusion Syndicate single

It's moments like this that make you wonder what's able to happen in the world of music - and only there is seems to be possible. These thoughts rushed through my head as I've become aware of the new Fusion Syndicate single.

It comes with two guest stars I never thought would come together in such a music frame. Marty Friedman is known to many as the guitar player with Megadeth in the 90's. His performance is one of a kind and he also puts out own solo albums ("Dragons Kiss" still rotates on my mind).

Brian Auger took part in the german TV show "Super Drumming" that was broadcasted way back in August 1989 here in Germany. Pete York was the sticksman who brought together many great drummers of that time among them Cozy Powell, Simon Phillips, Ian Paice and Gerry Brown to name just a few. 

It was all centered around the history of the drums in Rock and Blues music. A core band called "The All Styles band" performed classic tracks in a church - amongst them Brian Auger on keyboards. The drummers added their own signature drumming and solo parts into those songs. It left a massive feeling behind in me that music is something very special here on earth.

And now both can be heard in this jazz fusion supergroup called Fusion Syndicate. This link has been given to me with a overview on several music services that have "Meteor Shower" on offer for streaming and download.

Marty Friedman and Brian Auger unite in the Jazz Fusion Band The Fusion Syndiacate.

A first listen left a balanced impression on me. It's happily not a too overloaded release coming in two parts. It all starts out with a more basic performance with lots of atmosphere and few splitters of all contributors taking part. The topic of a meteoric shower is well present in my mind as I listen to the music. It's very well worked out in the details and the sound. The second part clearly put's the guitar into the bright spotlight. It's a typical hefty axe attack that shows Friedman's abilities very well most of all towards the end of the track. 

There's also a full album coming up. Read the following announcement for more details on this:

f you thought you would have to wait another 10 years for a new Fusion Syndicate album to light up the night sky, we have some exciting news for you! Yes it took over a decade for the jazz fusion supergroup to follow up its 2012 debut self-titled album with their sophomore effort, A Speedway On Saturn’s Rings, released earlier this month. But now comes the announcement that the group is set to release another full-length album, Beautiful Horizon, on November 3, ensuring that their fans and followers will have plenty to tide them over for at least another decade or more!

Beautiful Horizon is in many ways a companion piece to Speedway, continuing its cosmic theme while expanding its universe with a mindblowing array of eclectic performers including Fishbone's Angelo Moore, The Door's Robby Krieger, PiL's Jah Wobble, Mahavishnu Orchestra's Jerry Goodman, Megadeth's Marty Friedman, Chrome's Helios Creed, and more. The album showcases even more adventurous, musically complex master works, including the album’s first single “Meteor Shower,” which is released today. The combination of fiery metal guitarist Marty Friedman and icy cool keyboardist Brian Auger creates a brilliant once-in-a-lifetime cosmic event that not even Haley’s comet could upstage!

Watch for the full album experience of Beautiful Horizon to be released on CD and digital with bonus tracks that feature additional performances Steve Morse, Tony Kaye, John Etheridge, Steve Hillage and others! And keep watching the night sky for the appearance of the vinyl version following shortly after.

Order the CD: https://cleorecs.com/store/shop/the-fusion-syndicate-beautiful-horizon-cd/

Pre-order/pre-save the digital: https://orcd.co/beautifulhorizon