kingsrowmusic.com

12/5/11

It's that time of year again! I can remember this time last year, putting the final touches on "Unbroken", getting the artwork and final mixes together... It has been a long year but one that has turned out to be very productive.

Chris and I have completely finished writing and arranging the new CD, which means we are fully into final recording mode! That being said, it will still probably be some time before we're done but I thought I would share what we have so far.

This being a concept album and all, we have to have a big, grand instrumental intro. Tentatively titled "String Theory", this is based on a piece I've been kicking around for years which Chris helped me finish off. It's a heavy intro but we'll also be reprising the same piece with symphony sounds at the end of the album. Should be a good way to bookend things.

First, here's a video of the intro. So far, Chris hasn't put anything down on it so it's just me (sorry):

Here's a rough version of the outro:

It will probably be a bit before I check in again so Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Dale

9/23/11

FRAMING

(I'm going with a building theme. We'll see how long I can keep it going before my construction knowledge runs out).

The last time we got together we finished mapping out a couple of other songs. Things are coming together very well at this point. Chris and I are very much on the same page with a lot of things. Our only downfall is, as always, time (of which there's never enough). Anyway, rather than reading all my thoughts, take a look at the latest videos from the studio:

PREY (from the point of view of a serial killer)

PAINKILLER (chemically dependent character)

9/4/2011

BUILDING THE FOUNDATION

We're well underway towards building the foundation of our concept album. Chris and I got together again this Friday and roughly mapped out 2 more songs. We're working quickly to get a rough idea of the scope of the whole thing, then we'll go back and work harder on our specific performances.

The concept revolves around the story of a criminally insane ward of a mental hospital and a therapist who radically believes that group therapy is the way to treat them. Each song will focus on one person with a major mental disorder, tell their story, and also help propel the story of the whole CD.

But hey, instead of telling you, check out the latest videos:

THE CONCEPT (Chris and I talking about the overall idea of the CD)

CUT (character who self-mutilates)

UNTITLED (bipolar character)

CHORUS OF CHAOS (schizophrenic character)

8/13/2011

A NEW CHAPTER BEGINS

A couple of months later and my, how things have changed. First and foremost, Jim Hare has decided to take a hiatus from the band. We respect his decision and he is welcome back whenever he is ready, but in the meantime, Chris and I will carry on writing the next CD.

As reported earlier, it is a concept album, the scope of which has not yet been determined. The basic story line and concept are in place and many of the songs have been written. We're concentrating on just a few songs at a time, working out the arrangements, melodies, and overall sounds. These are just demos for the moment so that we can make sure we have all the right elements in place to help tell the story before we commit to final recordings.

Another new development is a change in recording equipment. Chris and I both now have computers with Cubase for recording and I've finally parted ways with my trusty Roland VS-2400. There's a learning curve involved for our production flow so much of my time so far has been spent testing out equipment and processes to see what works best. But now we're in full swing.

To give you a taste, check out this video of Chris working on some basic guitar ideas for the first major song, tentatively titled "Symphony of Flame":

SYMPHONY OF FLAME (arsonist character)

6/17/2011

Two words regarding the next CD:

concept album!