So, anyway, long time, no update....thought I'd bring everyone up to speed.
- The final vocal tracks are being recorded this weekend.
- Drums are done
- Bass tracks are almost done, just some punch-ins left in two songs.
- Guitars, almost done, I'm being a ridiculous perfectionist, but I don't have any deadlines, so I want to make it as good as possible! I've been trying to find that perfect tone for the final takes and I am almost there.
- I've had some unexpected delays because of my health not being so good AND because our vocalist was in a minor motorcycle accident and needed to heal up before he started the vocals, but we're back on track now.
- Ryo Okumoto is now playing on ALL THREE songs that make up "The ANABASIS Suite" which is the 46-minute, three part epic that makes up the bulk of the album, BUT, he won't be finishing up his keyboards until Spock's Beard gets back from their mini-tour of Europe in the fall. When you guys hear what he's done, though, you'll be glad I waited, his playing is absolutely breathtaking, especially the acoustic grand piano stuff he laid down in the opening track, "Rome."
So, there it is. I can't really say exactly when the release will be at this point, there are still a few too many variables, including my unpredictable health situation and the fact that I am relying on some other musicians to round out the album. There will be a few surprise guests that I'm not going to reveal just yet, but you ALL know at least one of the guests
. We really think we have a pretty special piece of artwork here that has been lovingly crafted over a period of what is now approaching three years since I started writing it all. I am very, very excited about how it's all coming together.
What's really cool is how the internet has made a project like this possible. I have yet to be in the same room with any of the musicians involved, and yet, here we are making an album together. We have people from Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, Rhode Island, Germany, Holland, England and Australia all taking part in this thing and I am absolutely honored to even be mentioned in the same sentence with some of these musicians.
Remember, for those of you who are on Facebook, we have a fan page here:
http://www.facebook.com/TheANABASIS We also have an official band web site here:
http://www.theanabasisproject.com Thanks to everyone here for your support and interest!