Website Address:
Music Style:
Instrumental Rock
City:
GAITHERSBURG
State:
MD
Country:
USA
Band Description
Instrumental rock/metal that will melt your face! Seriously though, it's upbeat, crunchy, catchy, energetic, soaring, fun, and gets you moving and in a good mood. An 80s vibe but modern.
Additional Band Websites
Artist Biography
Instrumental guitarist Randy Ellefson grew up listening to twin guitar metal bands like Iron Maiden, Scorpions, Judas Priest, and Metallica, with their catchy melodies and heavy, intricate riffing. It’s no surprise that his instrumentals feature far more of the latter than is usually expected. The result is a multi-layered sonic overload of melody and energy. The latest example is his fifth album, Now Weaponized!, independently released November 12, 2013.
Featuring Ellefson as the sole performer of all guitars, bass, and drums, the album is a digital-only release of twelve, original hard rock songs ranging from the crushing metal of “Moshkill” to the almost stately, waltz-like feel of “Promenade”. The album was recorded at Ellefson’s home studio with him acting as engineer and producer. Due to his troubled history, some songs were recorded as far back as 2006 while still others were written a decade earlier (the bulk of the recordings were done in 2011).
The delays were caused by a tendonitis injury that robbed him of his guitar playing for years. Back in 1993, just as he began writing instrumental guitar songs, he changed majors in college, from music composition to classical guitar. The result is that he needed to gain four years of playing skill in the two remaining years of school. By heavily practicing, he succeeded, earning a Bachelors of Music in classical guitar, Magna cum Laude, from Catholic University in D.C., USA, in 1995.
A year later, he began paying the price when he developed such severe tendonitis in both arms that he could no longer play for a year. The injury also ruined his life and plans for a career in classical music. Not until 2001 could he perform all of his own music again. That’s when he set about recording and releasing his debut album, The Firebard (2004).
Since then, his arms have largely recovered, though he still must be careful. Along the way, he began a new career as a professional software developer and now runs his own consulting firm, having beaten the injury to become a better player and have a better life, too.
In support of the album, Ellefson will release a music video for each song, showing him performing all parts onscreen at once. It will be like having a front row seat for every viewer. Featured in the videos are his homemade electric guitars, which are the only ones he plays. He first built one in ninth grade and still plays it both live and in the studio.
In 2014, Ellefson will re-release his 2004 debut, The Firebard, which has been completely re-performed. He’s already completed recording most songs for another acoustic guitar instrumental album similar to 2010’s Serenade of Strings, with a release tentatively scheduled for late 2014.
He also intends to release the debut album by his metal band, Z-Order, which has already finished recording backing tracks. Vocals should be completed next spring with the album released shortly thereafter.
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INSTRUMENTAL GUITARIST RANDY ELLEFSON RELEASES NEW ALBUM
NOVEMBER 12, 2013 (GAITHERSBURG, MARYLAND) – Randy Ellefson has released his fifth instrumental album, Now Weaponized! An hour of original music, the twelve songs are a return to the hard rock and metal of his first two albums. He is the sole performer of all guitars, bass, and drums; he also engineered and produced.
While Ellefson has been playing guitar and bass for three decades, this marks his debut as a drummer. Performing the drums meant finding a way around a tendonitis injury that still affects him. Back in 1993, after majoring in classical composition for two years, he became a classical guitar major instead, but this meant he needed to gain four years of classical guitar skill in the remaining two years of school. By heavily practicing, he succeeded in earning the Bachelors of Music in guitar only to develop such severe tendonitis in both arms a year later that he lost the ability to play guitar – or do much of anything else.
Temporarily crippled, Ellefson couldn’t play guitar at all for a year, then spent another four years regaining his skills, but only on electric guitar, the easiest to play. When he recorded his debut album, The Firebard (2004), he couldn’t play some songs all the way through without hurting his arms, so he often recorded the music a few sections at a time. His arms have continued recovering so that he no longer does this and can even play drums now, but when he started performing drums for Now Weaponized!, he used the same technique of recording a few sections at a time, once again finding a way around the injury.
The album’s full track listing is:
- Serenade
- Rapid Fire
- The Thrill of it All
- Mesmerize
- Keeping Pace
- Crunch Time
- Promenade
- Moshkill
- Surreal
- Ostinato
- Bounce
- Farewell
A digital-only release, Now Weaponized! is available now via randyellefson.com, CDBaby.com and iTunes. The first single, “Keeping Pace” can be downloaded at this location: http://www.randyellefson.com/KeepingPace_RandyEllefson.mp3
Visit http://www.randyellefson.com for free mp3s, videos, guitar tablature, articles, and the latest news on Randy Ellefson.
###
For more information, send to mail@randyellefson.com.
No hay comentarios:
Deja tu comentario: