Hey!

I am upstate for the day...yesterday I was in the stuido getting prepared for the next phase. Paul Morris will come in on Tuesday. Tomorrow we start editing and finalizing the vox and guitar parts. There are lots of takes to listen to, but we are pretty organized.

One of my mom's ducks has washed down the river here. She could not get it...so...tomorrow I will wake up and try to rescue it. I hope she is still alive so I can go and bring her home!

Attacks in Spain are creepy...I believe it happened exactly 911 days after 9-11...

GDWAR becomes more important every day. I think this CD will have a huge impact on music fans all over the world...

I will be getting the last weeks studio diary up soon, I still have to go through my photos...now I am actually going to sleep!

Thanks for your support!

Chris

Top of the night to ya!

OK...I disappeared for a day!

Let me try to re-cap the past 2 days...a lot has gone on!

First thing...I managed to get the duck home safely. I was in the river at 8AM. The water was like 35 degrees and there was about 3 inches in my boot by the time I got home!!!! Brr....

I then left for the city because I was running late for the studio!

We began edit world. This stuff sounds amazing. I am so happy with things. We worked from 12 'til 8:30. We had to take a trip to Comp USA to get another Fire Wire drive...but all was up and running in Nick's studio. I like the change of scenery. I will not be back in SPIN until I mix. I think this will be in a week. It is a small room with a great vibe!

Speaking of great vibes...

We decided to go see Prince last night! It was incredible. I went with Nick, his girlfriend and Nick's friend Carl. Carl is Robot Man on the Dave Chapele show!!! This dude is funny! We got along great. We met Dave! He cracks me up! The show was at a club in NYCity. I had never seen Prince...the audience was insane! He was on fire! We were hammered! I did not get home until 6AM. I was pretty much a mess...I slept until noon and just woke up and left for the studio in the snow...

Paul Morris was in to record keyboards today. Holy sheeeit dude! This guy is insane himself! I have never worked with a better keyboard player in my life. His sounds...his playing...he is from another planet! This music took a giant leap today! "Abandoned" is going to kick your ass!!!! I am so proud of this song. I have never heard anything quite like it! The vocals are so emotional. We also worked on "Fright Knights", "Never" and one of my bonus tracks.....

It took a long time to get up and running...but once we got moving it was amazing! Tomorrow we will try to finish the keyboards...I am not sure if this is possible...but we will get as much done as we can. "Faces", "Erase", "Forever"...these are the first up and then we will see from there!

I will eventually get the photos up for last week's diary...I am so swamped here...I will catch up soon!!!!! The more I hear, the more special this CD gets...every note breathes a new breath into this creature that is coming to life. I really think that you will have fun listening to it! I know I can't wait!

I am going to try to get to sleep...I have to be out the door by 11:30.

Green Beer anyone?

Astoria is always a lot of fun on St. Patrick's Day!!!!!

I consider myself the luckiest person alive on this March 17th...my dreams are all coming true..."Faces" awaits at the end of the Rainbow!!!!!!!!

Cheers!

Chris

Howdy!

Just wrapping up my day. I was talking to Damond and his girl about life for the past 2 hours. It appears that things went well in the studio with him and TSO land...

I had another great day in the land of Faces.

We arrived at noon and began keyboard madness day 2!

We bagan with "Forever"...then I went and purchased some Bailey's for our coffee...it was not seeming festive enough...although I was dressed in green and had on some pretty amusing clothes and beads...

"Faces" was up next...that song rocks! It is a great opener...I liken it to my "Burn" from Deep Purple. Just hits and does not stop!!!

We put keys on "Remember" and "Erase" also...so...8 songs have them...I believe we may get some on another 4 or 5 during mix. We have to continue edit land tomorrow. "Erase" is so dark...it is my song on the WAR CD that happens chronologically right after 9-11...spooky.... /p>

Verse one and chorus....

"The city it burns from the tower extreme, a bright blinding force that cuts through the seams"
"A safe passage far in the castle of stone...the devil can muscle destroying his own!!!!"

"Never wander, march your feet to the cause...time shall alter...minds will erase...defend me Heaven...all we see is not lost...time shall alter...sins will Erase!!!!!!!!"

I left the studio at 7 and headed for my favorite Irish restaurant...everything was mobbed...so...Paul and I headed to my favorite Mexican Restaurant!!!! Sangria and Chimichanga's!!!! I guess it is kinda Irish? Maybe not!

We stopped in McCann's at 9...it was completely mobbed...I saw Tim Cain and had one drink...collected more beads and went home!

Tomorrow starts at 10:30...

I am off to sleep again!

Paul Morris is a monster! I am so glad I ran into him...the CD has went to another dimension!!!!

These partly Irish eyes are smiling!!!!

Chris

Hello...

I am actually home at a decent hour! We began working at 11AM and just had a normal 8 hour day.

We got another 5 songs edited and ready to mix. All of this work is done in the computer. The song "Fade Into The X" was a bit of a pain in the ass... Computer thing! On our work drive it was having trouble locating some bass tracks....on the Spin drive it was having trouble with my guitar solo!!! I left the room and let the engineers handle it! I think it will be ok...it is strange...I can see the files...but the computer could not!!!!

There is some really unique guitar work on this CD. I show as many faces on guitar as I do on vocals! Listening back it is really cool because I dont even remember playing some of the solos...there were so many and a lot I just let fly! All of my influences are there...I think you will recognize some of my lead style, but a lot of it you have never gotten to hear. This is the stuff I have not been able to do...stuff that is either too fast or too experimental.

I think we will just get "Faces" ready to mix Monday. I need a change of pace...I feel it will be the best thing if we finish those 16 songs and then attack GDWAR...so to speak! It is a silly thought to think of finishing 16 songs and still having another album to mix! These songs are not short either..."Abandoned" is up to 11 minutes now I believe...I added more time to my solo!!!!

I feel virtually exhausted now. The process is so involved...every step is 30 songs...every day another adventure....every week another mountain to climb! It was kinda funny because I text messaged Kemp today and told her to remind me not to do 30 songs next CD...she just wrote back..."You won't need reminding!" I thought that was cute!

I just walked across town after I left the studio...I needed air! I will try to get last week's diary photos up tonite...Butch took some cool shots. Tomorrow is more of the same stuff as today...listen and comp... Saturday I will go in to do any final vocal and guitar fixes...we have found a few spots that I either forgot to do...or know I can do better! There are a surprisingly small amount so far!

Once "Faces" is mixed we will go in and edit GDWAR...then mix it with a different frame of mind...way darker and more futuristic!!!!

I am going to try to get some work done here...talk to you soon!

Chris

Randy Rhoads....

Umm...uh....

Does that count?

I don't know?!?!?!

Yesterday was extremely productive...we started working at 11AM and did not leave 'til 1:45AM! We are just about ready to mix "Faces". I have to go to the studio at 3 to do final vocal tweaks and then Monday we hit early with day one of final mixing!!!!

I mentioned Randy Rhoads yesterday, it was a very fitting day for the rememberance of one of the greatest guitarists ever! I loved Randy's playing and the 2 CD's he left us. The song "Abandoned" received its edit work late in the afternoon. The song begins with a 3 minute guitar solo. The song itself reminds me a lot of "Revelation Mother Earth" in some parts now that Paul added piano. The ghosts were in the studio once more!

Everything is edited but 3 songs and we will finish those when we mix them. "The Fall" is just about edited anyway. "Pisses Me Off" is all about attitude and "Forever We'll Be" is just guitars, some keys and vocals...so...the fun really begins! I can't wait to bring CD's home and check out the mixes!!!!!

Right now I just finished my vocal workout and I am getting ready to run out the door again!

I love my neighborhood...last night we were starving when we left the studio. We were not going to make the kitchen at McCann's so I called them. My bartender friends ordered us food and we had a table waiting! We wandered in and the burgers came out in 5 minutes...I love this town!

Talk to you very late tonite or tomorrow...

Peace....or is there such a thing?

Chris