Merry (Dimaension-)Xmas!! More music!!!

Yep - more music - I dug into the vaults and found some unreleased tunes that I recorded a few years ago (whilst in a very Metal mood!) and decided everybody behaved themselves very well this year and deserved another extra present from yours truly. More free music!!

This is a short EP, called "fUTUREGRIND", featuring my Schecter Omen 6 while it still had the stock pickups and using an Open C/D tuning (C,G,C,G,C,D). I was also testing my Behringer X1204 mixer, so the last few songs are recorded with that and my old Tech 21 Original Sansamp instead of my usual PODXT Live.

And yeah, I realized after I did the cover that it does look a lot like Jeff Loomis's solo album cover. Sorry, Jeff. But I really don't think anyone will mistake my album for yours.

Here's the link to The Internet Archive page, and the DIRECT DOWNLOAD link.

This stuff is very metal. So have a Very Metal Xmas and a Blastingly Loud New Year!!

To Black Dresses and Exploding Robots

To Black Dresses and Exploding Robots is the name of the new Dimaension X album, which should be available very soon at The Internet Archive.

I just finished uploading the files to The Internet Archive, so they should be all done deriving the file formats in about a day or so, so the album should be ready for download just in time for Christmas.

Click HERE to go to the page at The Internet Archive to download the files.

You can also begin a DIRECT DOWNLOAD from The Internet Archive by clicking HERE!

And finally ... HERE is the Mediafire Link.

Thanks again for listening.

New Deadside Manor song

Here's a (kind of) new song that my live band, Deadside Manor is adding to our live set:

Holy Roller by dimaensionx

New album in the works for early 2012?

I managed to get a bunch of guitar tracks recorded yesterday for some new music I've been working on is whatever small amounts of spare time I've had lately. Next comes bass guitar, and I really have to work on the mix on some of the more complex songs. Lot's of weird synth parts combined with the heavy guitars, some orchestral sections, some guitar solos, etc. You know - a typical Dimaension X album.

Not sure if I'll have it ready before Christmas, but perhaps early 2012.

I've recorded all of the guitar tracks exclusively with my Schecter Omen 6, which has the new GFS Power Rails pickups - man these things cook! I liked the Mean 90's, but these just fit what I want to play much better. Heavy and crunchy.

Here's a preview below:

To Black Dresses and Exploding Robots by dimaensionx

Working on Zappa Tribute Album

I am working of collecting all of my Zappa covers (plus a few non-Zappa covers) and compiling them all into one album that I'll post for download.

The only thing is they were all recorded at different times, so I have to do some re-mastering first and make sure the levels are all relatively even.

I'm also thinking of starting a new project like Burn Without Me. Just weird, heavy, complex, lots of different parts that wouldn't normally go together.

More later.

E-Crisis-1 complete and ready for download!

Here it is, finally, by first full album recorded since 2009 -

E-Crisis-1

(or download the ZIP file direct from the Internet Archive by clicking HERE!)

Or download from Mediafire HERE!

Another foray into my musical roots of progressive ambient rock fusion.

The music from this recording was actually first realized way back in 1999 on cassette tape. Yes, cassette tape. Similar to my Gothambia Redux album, I decided to give some of my old music an update, so I dug out the old tape, listened to it, and began re-creating it using the newer modern studio equipment that is now in existence (better drum samples, Reaper DAW software, VSTi Synths, etc.)

I also mainly used my Schecter Omen 6 with the new GFS Mean 90 pickups. I think my rhythm guitar tones came out pretty good, and my leads sound okay, too. I did also use my other guitars for some solos and rhythm parts (my trusty old Yamaha SSJ-550 Hr with DiMarzio pickups, and my new Xaviere XV-870 Darkside w/Lil Killer rail humbuckers).

I'll be adding the album to my Discography, complete with link to it's download page at the Internet Archive as usual. Dig in, download, and crank it up!!

E-Crisis-1 Guitars almost done!

Finally managed to get most of the guitars done for this Dimaension X project - it's been sitting there waiting for me since early May, when I started my new job (so yeah, I've been a bit busy), but now it is "mostly" done. I've got one song left to do, kind of a bonus track that I already recorded and posted at Soundcloud under the name "Darkrisis-1", but without any guitars. I will add some heavy, abstract guitars to this mix, and add it to the E-Crisis-1 project.

It sounds a bit different than the other tracks on this album, but it might be a good lead into the next project, whatever it may be.

I'm really rusty as far as "lead" playing goes. I've mainly been concentrating on rhythm playing with my band, and haven't played any extended solo improvisations in a LONG TIME. Plus my left arm has a bit of tendinitis. And my left hand fingers seem to be developing some arthritis. My dad just calls these symptoms of a common condition known as "T.F.O."

Too F#%kin' Old

Yup. My dad. A sayer of truth if there ever was one.

So ... hopefully I will be posting the new album at The Internet Archive soon. I'll let y'all know when it happens. Oh, the anticipation.

2nd Gig - polar opposite, and yet not really...

2nd gig accomplished.

Same result, but different journey along the way.

Instead of opening for an alterna-pop band and a cover band, we opened for three metal-core bands. And these guys were intense. Very talented musicians, completely "damaged" vocalists, blast-beats, sweep-picking/shredding, 8-string guitars, and so on.

As They Looked To the Sky (8string guitarists, no bass needed)
Destroy the Legacy (completely whacked-out vocalist, damn!)
Amnaeon (all under 21 years old - a girl guitarist - GO JUSTINE!!)

Boy do I feel old.

But the sound was much better - I could actually hear myself without turning my up to eleven, and I think we played pretty well. Lights were cool. Awesome size stage (though the drum-riser is really un-necessary). We stayed pretty tight, a few flubs here or there, but not really noticeable to anyone but us. And the other bands were appreciative and supportive (and we did the same, staying until the end of the last bands set).

The club (Whiskey Alley, in Fitchburg MA) was pretty much empty, except for my wife, son, brother, two friends of the bassist, a few other band girlfriends, and ... well, the other bands. I'm sure the club owner was pissed, but I still had a great time. Not many metal shows in the local areas featuring bands with that kind of "intensity" and dedication.

We may have another gig on October, this time with local legends Musclecah (our drummer is their drummer - we are wicked lucky to have him.) More updates at a later date.

Deadside Manor Videos

The gig at the Lucky Dog Music Hall went pretty well.

Yeah, there were only about 15 people there, but they really seemed to like what we did. We also got a buddy there to video record the whole show, and we're getting the vidz up one at a time on Facebook, and on our webpage.

here's the link the the Video page:

Deadide Manor Live Video

The sound isn't all that great, but it was done with a FlipCam. Whadaya expect? A Spielberg production?

Deadside Manor Website up (sort of)

The Deadside Manor website is up and running (sort of). At least I think it is. Try the link and see. It seems to work for me, but when I try to add it at the band's Facebook page, it just doesn't seem to want to apply.

Deadside Manor Website

Weird.

Well, try it out.

Oh, and the Deadside Manor email address is:

deadsidemanor@gmail.com

Thanks.

Email us for booking info, etc.

Debut Gig at The Lucky Dog!!

Yup, our debut gig is June 17th, 9:00pm at the famed Lucky Dog Music Hall (formerly sir Morgan's Cove) in Worcester MA. The Rolling Stones played there in 1981. Yeah, the Rolling-freakin'-Stones!

Anybody into Motorhead, Clutch, Foo Fighters, Entombed, Sex Pistols, and any insane combination of all of the above should get themselves down there. We're hoping anybody with a decent video cam will record us and post it at the YouTube, or Vimeo, or any of those online video services.

We also have a Facebook page started up, so hop on over and LIKE us.

Scroll down a bit, or just click HERE, DUDE for our online demo (also posted directly at Soundcloud).

For the uninitiated, Deadside Manor is:

Dan "the Man" Flynn - Vocals

Clint Mitchell - Bass

James Jones - Drums

Dave Lanciani - Guitar

Please c'mon by for the debut gig. There's only one debut gig ever for any band, and this is ours!

E-Crisis-1 gets the "George Lucas" treatment

This project was originally one of my last "cassette tape" recordings from 1998, just before I finally began recording on computer and CDs. Stylistically, it is more similar to my "Bryson's Universe" album. Spacey synths, simple rock rhythms and extended guitar solos. I was going to try transferring the original songs directly from cassette, but the sound quality was just too bad.

I also realized that I deleted all of my original MIDI files, so I could not use any pre-existing tracks. I decided to re-create the whole thing completely from scratch. Yay.

So I sat at the computer with my DAW open, and started listening to the tape. And began playing/programming all new tracks. And made some revisions here and there, but the songs are basically the same as before, but a bit different, revising the order of some of the tracks, and trying to re-create some of the weirder synth sounds from my old Casio keyboards with GM Standard MIDI sounds in my Cakewalk TTS-1 VSTi, and a few other VSTi's.

Overdubbing and punching-in guitar tracks will also be very different than my original guitar tracks which were recorded "live" on one track from start to finish in each song. This time I can stop and re-do parts, layer, pan, add effects, etc. And hopefully my guitar-playing ability has improved a bit since 1998. And my equipment has been upgraded a bit.

I've been exploring my old computer files and disks, and realized I have accumulated enough music for at least six albums that I never committed to recording final versions. I will begin "raiding the vaults" for as much material as I can, and try to bring some of these old albums to life. I think some of this music really deserves to be properly recorded and released. I think my album, Gothambia Redux really came out good, far better than it's original incarnation, so perhaps it is time I gave some of my old and unreleased music the "George Lucas" treatment.

Deadside Manor Demo (so far...)

Here's a link to the Deadside Manor Demo posted at Soundcloud.com

Deadside Manor Demo

Deadside Manor is:

Dan Flynn - Vox

Clint Mitchell - Bass

James Jones - Drums

Dave Lanciani - Guitar

Note: - the drums are currently still my programmed drums, but I tried to match what Jonesy plays as close as possible, and believe me, his live drums friggen' ROCK! I've had the pleasure of seeing this guy with his main band, Musclecah at Ralphs' in Worcester, MA and the whole room shakes. Really.

We've burned some disks and will hand them to club owners, promoters, etc. This band has been a great experience for me; just an absolute blast.

Debut/Warm-up Gig Soon?

Rumors of a debut/warm-up gig may be true very soon - stay tuned!!

Wisdom from the Deadside Manor ...

If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before.

Deadside Manor

the name of the band is ...

Deadside Manor

Finally agreed on a name. Now onward...

First Song by the New Band

Okay, kids, here's the first song that we've decided to post from the still unnamed band. Technically, I'm actually playing all the instruments for this particular demo, but we are adding live bass guitar from Clint, and Jamie will soon be recording his live drums.

Right-click to open in new tab or window.

http://soundcloud.com/dimaensionx/mr-flynns-rockit-ride

It's a heavy, kinda bluesy tune called, "Mr. Flynn's Rockit Ride." Here's a few comments we've already heard from a few "fans" on the Reaper DAW Users Forum.

"Great rocking tune! I like the sounds too, especially the bass growl and string clunk."

"Liked your dirty 70s blues sound."

"Sounds like a great start. IMO, you should make this band all about the singer. He's got a very gritty and distinct blue-collar kind of style. Make sure that he always has interesting phrasing and bad attitude."

So far so good, huh? Here's the details on the band:

Dan Flynn - vox

Clint Mitchell - bass

James Jones - drums

Dave Lanciani - guitar

Arisen from the ashes of the "Basement Barfers" (today's color is "chunky pink"), the eternal trio of Dan Flynn, James Jones, and Clint Mitchell "volunteered" (conscripted/recruited?? lured by the prospect of money, drugs and groupies) Dave Lanciani into the mix, hoping to temporarily stave off the "revolving-door policy" of random guitar-players. The new band, now with more of a rockin' thrashy, traditional heavy metalbackground (imagine the Sex Pistols jamming with Entombed, Motorhead and Iron Maiden) forge ahead into the unknown.

Wow, that sounds really pretentious...

We're going to get a link up on Facebook, too. And we still need a name. Any ideas?

Some new music ... yet another Zappa Tribute

I managed to get a new tune recorded on Sunday, January 02, 2011

After watching my new copy of Frank Zappa, "The Torture Never Stops", which is a DVD of his great concert from Halloween Night, 1981 at the Palladium in New York, I was feeling a bit down, realizing that Mr Zappa has actually been gone for more than ten years. We'll never have another musician like him. So I pulled out my new Xaviere XV-870, plugged in, and recorded this:

Dimaension X "Ink Ero Des"

It's basically a cover of Frank Zappa's guitar solo section of his song "Inca Roads". One of my favorite solos from Frank (and apparently one of the more popular guitar solos from him, since there's a ton of different versions of this very solo).

Hope y'all like.