Happy Presidents Day Eve...

Do any of you have off tomorrow? I have not really known the difference in days of the week for a long time.

I hope your Valentines Days were fun and eventful. I spent most of the day getting my lyrics together. I still have a bunch to type out today. In the end, I got to have dinner and spend time with my best friend, so I was happy.

I hope you are enjoying the studio diary. The new one is up, along with some of my photos, K's too...on the main site.

I spoke to Bryan, my tattoo artist today. He is in Florida for 2 months. I am having him start on some ideas for the artwork for the inside of the CD booklet. I am still looking at art from anyone who wants to submit it. If you e-mail me I will give you an idea of what I am looking for.

The overall picture of this CD is developing into somethiing very cool. Something noone has ever done before. If I manage to pull it off, I will be amazed! I have doubled my work load for the recording process, but I think you all will be so psyched by the end result. You will get more details as I decide to release them!

Jeff left town, Igor is still out of town, K left town...so it is just me and Haley here for a while.

Today I will get to the gym, type out more lyrics, print out the lyrics, record a couple tempo maps for 2 songs that don't need drums, do my vocal workouts, finalize the keys of the songs and prepare for week 2 of the many "Faces" in this "God Damn War" that I have started.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, if it is a 3 day...have a drink for me tonite...vocals start this week...I am dry and under house arrest for the duration! The "Time is now my friends, to scorch the souls of the non-believers..."

Peace out,

Chris

p.s. Pretty cool when I sound angry huh? Wait 'til you hear the CD...

	My best friend likes to take good care of her teeth!

Hello...

Seems like my days are getting longer. Since Dave Z is on a tight schedule this week, we needed to try and get bass tracks done in two days. I knew it was a lot to ask for, but we made a serious dent today.

I woke up and got to my vocal workout and headed to the studio with my driver for the morning...John from the basement! Haley of course had to run out the door again, she did this Sunday when K was leaving too. I don't know where she thinks she is going...but it is no fun to chase her when it is 10 degrees and you have someplace to go....!!!!

Since I am completely fried, I will give you another timeline from today...

Day Six - Monday February 16

Studio Timeline

10:50 AM Drop Haley off in basement after chasing her around the driveway, leave for studio with Greek John
11:10 Arrive at Spin, Skippy was actually early
11:30 Get game plan together, do some biz...BS
12 PM Tune and get bass sound...put educational material on TV
12:30 Take one "Evil is as Evil Does!"
12:42 Analyzing slides
12:46 Listening...fixing...
1PM One done...here we go again! PMO next!
1:10 Listening and fixing...
1:15 Bass Part #2 - Derek Smalls...he wrote this...
1:20 Part #3
1:30 Listening...
1:45 2 Done!
1:50 Starting "Erase"
2:30 Listening
2:36 3 Done!
2:40 Start "Jealousy"
3:12 Fixing
3:20 4 Done!!!
3:30 Skippy is trying to remember Remember...take one
3:40 Listening and fixing...
3:48 5 Done!
3:50 "Music Man"
3:55 Realized I recorded the guitar in the wrong key, recording with Skippy
4PM Take one on bass - pretty good
4:10 Listening and fixing
4:15 6 Done!!
4:20 "Never"
4:37 Listening and fixing
4:50 7 Done!!!
5PM "The Fall"
5:20 Listening and fixing
5:33 8 Done!
5:40 "Faces"
6:00 Listening and fixing
6:15 9 Done!!!
6:20 Fade into the X
6:50 10 Done!!!
7PM "The Mold"
7:15 Listening and fixing
7:20 11 Done!!!
7:25 "The Edge Of Darkness"
7:45 Listening and fixing
8:00 12 done!
8:05 Ordering pizza...
8:10 "Saddamize"
8:40 listening!
9PM Still going
9:15 Eating...13 Done!!!
9:44 "Fright Knights"
10:35 14 Done!!! Yikes! Bass solo now!
10:45 Cool...idea!!! Light Bulb!!
11:00 "Beat Me...." - PLEASE!!!
11:15 Fixing and listening
11:30 15 Done!!!
11:35 "Abandoned"
12:00 16 Done....oh shit...the intro!
12:24 Odd time....all done for today....Backing up!

I know my timeline was not so detailed, but we were very busy. Skippy did a great job today. The educational material was extremely inspirational! We will hit from noon 'til 8PM with him tomorrow, I hope he can finish...either way, I will start final guitars after 8PM...then hit vocals for the first time!!! I am nervously excited to get going. We have to see which mics will sound the best, etc. My work is just beginning!

We added one of K's pics and a sound clip to the site intro! Pretty cool! Tons of things going on now, you will hear about them as they develop and as I sort them out. I just finished backing up my Fire Wire drives, now I will type out some more lyrics and get to bed!

Talk to you soon,

Chris

Dave requested special educational viewing on the TV.	Recording the song "Never"... as in when I will be finished with this CD!

Hey!

OK...it is late, but I am psyched!

We got all but 2 songs finished today on the bass. Skippy did an amazing job. He had to hurry to his last ZO2 rehearsal before he splits to Cleveland to play the Mark Wood shows. I believe he did another 10 today and I played one on the bass! We had a lot of fun. He has a bass solo on this CD and there is a cool slapping part in the song "Bag O Bones"!

I am frickin starving now. This is day two of my "Get my fat ass in Olympic shape for my photos" diet. Still eating and taking a lot of vitamins, but not eating a lot! I can just look at the amount of work I have left on this CD and get fed up!!!!

We said goodbye to Dave around 8:30 PM. Then, after a brief computer scare...we headed into guitar hell. We set up 4 amps for the final rhythm sound. 2 Marshall's, a Soldano and a Peavey...Great mix. Infinite possibilities! By 10 I was ready to start final rhythm guitars! I decided to do the song "Life, Crazy Life" first. It is Dave's favorite song. I got the rhythms finished at around 11:15.

Then....it was time. I was actually nervous. Although I have sang a lot at home, I have never sang lead vocals in another studio. We tried out a few mics. At midnight we found the perfect one for my voice. I believe it was a Sony 8000G. I may be wrong about the model. Sting and Mariah Carey swear by it, I guess I can live with that! I was so excited to hear how it sounded. I believe you will all be quite surprised by my new secret weapon! I am a singer now! I like it! I can whine and complain and people listen!

I must get to sleep now....us singers need our rest!

I am going to try to bang out the keeper dirty rhythms and a scratch vocal for everything by Friday night. A lot to do, but I have a lot of time and energy!

Goodnight!

Chris

Serious Z	Foot Z	Am I almost done?

Hi from the studio,

Have I mentioned how much of an idiot I am today...

I am viewing my work ahead and have realized just how much stuff I have left to do...

I got "Fright Knights" and "Faces" finished for the main rhythms...some scratch vox too...so, that is 3 down and over 20 left!!!! Yikes!

If you can count you probably have figured out that this CD has MULTIPLE personalities and possibilities...

Back to work!

Next time you see me...kick me!!!

Chris

	I shall call him "Mini Marshall"

HELP!

I am just finishing up here for the day/night!

All went very well today. The guitars sound huge. I am very excited!

I recorded about 25 different keeper guitar tracks. (Those are different individual tracks of rhythms) Plus, I sang scratch vocals on 5 more songs.

I got to work on the song "Fool, Fool!" just before we left. It is obnoxiously heavy! I also hit "Erase", "Pisses ME Off", "Tired(Last Time)", and "Edge of Darkness". I think I have 80% of the vocals for Darkness in the first take of the scratch vocal! This is fun!

Tomorrow will be more of the same. I hope to have all of my distorted rhythms done by Friday. I think I can have mostly all of the guitars finished by the end of next week. We shall see!

I am so excited about the voice. As huge as the music sounds...it is carrying well on top of it. It is interesting to sing in the studio. Everything is under a different kind of a microscope.

By the end of next week I think I will give you a better idea of what my final plan is for my CD/CD's.......I have given some hints...soon it will be time to unveil the map of the insanity to you all here!

I am going to chase my cat around the house for a few minutes and get to sleep!

'Til we meet again!

Chris

Organized?	The Rig Gets Eviler!	Vocal World

Greetings once more!

Today was a groundbreaking day in vocal world. I am starting to feel very comfortable singing in the studio. We recorded the guitars for "Fade Into The X", "The Fall", "The Mold", "Piece Be With You" and "God Damn War". The first take vocal I did for most of them was good enough to use on the CD. I am so excited. We ended the night with some work on "Abandoned", but we were too fried to finish. Tomorrow is another day!

These songs are the heavier, darker songs on the CD. The ones with the distorted guitars...I have 11 of them done with rhythms. I think I have 9 more heavy ones to go. Some of this stuff is so obnoxiously heavy that it is difficult to listen to it with a straight face! Nevt week I will get to the ballads, moody, instrumental and acoustic stuff. It is so much fun making this CD. I have never had this much fun making music in the studio in my life. Odd thing is that I am incredibly busy and tired. There is a tremendous amount of pressure on me....however, it is just frickin fun to be in the studio right now! "God Damn War" is coming to life...we have created the living "War" machine for the song/songs...I love heavy metal, it is a blast!

I look forward to the weekend...I need to relax and polish lyrics. I also need to organize and just sleep for a bit. K left for England today, she is probably on the ground by now...always busy she is....however, I have her beat in that department 'til this CD is finished.

Still smiling about the A-Rod trade! Knicks are making some cool moves too! Rangers suck, but at least they pulverized the Islanders tonite!

Talk to you tomorrow,

Chris

p.s. I have decided that on March 1st I will post what the heck I have officially decided to do with this CD...it is a bit crazy and over the top...but so am I!!!

OK...

I know that I said I would post my CD outline on March 1st...well..oops...

Here is the deal. I am having trouble focusing on everything while trying to dance around what is really happening.

October of 2002 I started singing to my demos. It was not amazing, but interesting. "Erase" was the first song I ever tried. I wrote 3 or 4 songs. Then we left to tour with TSO. In January of 2003 I started writing once more...but...I had a hunch that I was writing for myself on vocals.

Little by little the sound of my voice came alive. By March I had recorded about 15 songs. Not many people had heard me. As a matter of fact, Kemp was about my one and only fan at the time (Besides my Mom). I would not even be writing you this studio diary right now if it was not for the love, support and friendship of them both! It was a challenging position to be in when I decided to sing all of the vocals...

When I finally decided to sign my recording contract I had written about 65 songs. I told Black Lotus Records that I wanted to record and release 20 of them. This seemed like a huge undertaking. Yet, I knew I had to let this music be heard.

I had the task of cutting my songs from 65 to 20. I managed to get to 30. This was not too difficult. However, from this point it became very tough. At one point I re-evaluated everything and decided I could not compromise myself as a writer and a person.

Sooo....

Here is the dealio...

I will be releasing a CD called "Faces".

It is going to be 2 CD's...in the same package...

The first CD will be called "Faces".....DUH!

The second will be called "God Damn War"

When you open the CD box "Faces" will be on the left..."GDW" on the right. Similar to a mini box set, where there is a fold in the package.

"Faces" will be 16 songs, all pertaining to myself lyrically and personally. It is about 80 minutes long and very schitzophrenic. Dark, light, happy, sad, funny....my "Faces"...

"GDW" is 10 songs...it is a brutally heavy war opus. In feel, it resembles "The Wall". Yes, it is a concept CD. But a concept CD of many different Faces.

Yes, it has a story. Yes, I will tie the songs together and make it flow like a rock opera. There will be cool artwork and...quite frankly, I am in love with GDW. It tickles me every time I work on it. This CD is my childhood dream. ..

Its main concept is for me to get a chance to make the one heavy metal CD I never had a chance to make. I love Savatage. I love Doctor Butcher...BUT, I never had a chance to get all of my love for heavy metal out of my system. Not that this would be the last heavy thing I would do...BUT, I just feel I have to record this CD now. It will hit you like 10 tons of bricks. BEWARE...

GDW is a 10 song, 60 minute bonus track. For both you the fans and myself. I am not requesting an additional budget for this CD, it is my gift to you and the Savatage/TSO/CC fans around the world. In other words.... I have been able to live my dreams through the help of people like Jon Oliva and Paul O'Neill. I have performed to nearly 2 million people, I have seen the world several times. I try to give things back to the fans as much as possible....on the road and here on my site. It never seems to be enough. When I first approached Black Lotus Records with the idea of the double CD they were very excited. They gracefully asked if I would need to increase my budget. I declined. Black Lotus has given me the chance to show you some of my many "Faces". Their belief in me, as well as yours and that of my closest friends has personally inspired me; ignited me..."GDW" is MY gift to you...my fans...my friends...

In "Faces/GDW" I am giving you my heart and soul. Take it for what it is worth, but it is over 20 years of emotion, 20 years of smiles, 20 years of tears. This CD is your first chance to meet me deep inside. Every day that it develops in the studio I know I am doing the right thing.

Today I did one vocal track that my engineer/co-producer Nick really liked. My voice was tired, I did not try to push it. I felt good about what I sang, but I am still nervous and anxious about singing. I was so happy to have someone respond positively. I left the vocal booth in tears...sad...NO...happy, cuz I made someone smile with my music. I really think this CD will be special. Unlike any CD you have ever heard before. It may make you laugh, it may make you cry, it may make you want to break your car windshield...I really think that you will get a chance to experience the emotions I went through writing it when you hear this CD/s.

The studio has been brutal. Jeff was amazing. In all I am recording and releasing 29 songs. 26 have drums. Dave Z did 26 songs on bass. Three are bonus tracks...I will tell you more about them soon.

I have 21 songs of rhythm guitars finished now. I did the leads on "Saddamize" tonite. "So Far Today" also. I am so sick of basic tracks. We just decided to have fun. I forget that I am a guitar player sometimes!

It should be a difficult process to finish the CD's...but, I am very organized and ahead of schedule. There are 29 songs...over 150 minutes of music.

At times I feel like I have been so foolish for deciding to undertake this work. Other times, like right now...I realize that there is no other way....no other way for you to finally get a chance to meet my many "Faces".

I will be talking to you regularly, I just wanted to clear the air and my head!!! Thank you once again for your support. CC.com is becoming one of the most popular individual artist sites on the wwweb. The future should be very interesting...

BTW...I am becoming worse and worse at my studio timeline. Very difficult when I actually have to do all of the work also! Here is today's addition...not too detailed!!!

Day 10 - Friday Feb 20th

Studio Timeline

2:30 Arrive...Late start
2:45 Try to finish Abandoned...which we Abandoned last night!
4:00 Clean guitars Aband...
4:30-9PM I spaced out... Guitars on "Remember", "Jealousy", "Beat Me", "Evil is as Evil Does"...scratch vox on Remember and Jealousy…
9:05 Change strings!
9:30 So Far Today...
10:30 All guitars done on SFT!
11PM "I"
11:40 Done w/rhythms...next...
12AM Saddamize
12:40 Rhythms done
1:05 Serious lead done on Saddamize!!!
1:40 Backing up
2AM Leaving for Studio Coma!!!

YUP...I am in a fog!

Goodnight,

Chris