Фирма High Roller Records

ltd 500, original mix + bonus track + unedited rough mix, 2017 reissue Record Label: High Roller Records Style: Metal

transparent blood-red vinyl, ltd 300, gatefold cover. Razor formed in 1984 in Ontario, Canada. Over the decades they have become one of the most legendary North American Thrash Metal bands developing their own unique sound. The band's debut was the Record Label: High Roller Records Style: Metal

silver vinyl, ltd 300, lyric sheet, mastered for vinyl by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony.Canada, Toronto's true power metal presents their first album from 1982 with Lips (Anvil) on soundboard. All full digital remaster, lyrics, unpublished Record Label: High Roller Records Style: Metal

re-issue! Expanded edition. limited triple black vinyl, ltd 400, 425gsm heavy cardboard cover with 7mm spine, poster, A5 promo photo, 8 page booklet, lyric sheet, 17 bonus tracks(!), remastered and restored by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony Record Label: High Roller Records Style: Metal

re-issue! Expanded edition. limited triple black vinyl, ltd 400, 425gsm heavy cardboard cover with 7mm spine, poster, A5 promo photo, 8 page booklet, lyric sheet, 18 bonus tracks(!), remastered and restored by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony Record Label: High Roller Records Style: Metal

re-issue! Expanded edition. double CD, slipcase, 17 bonus tracks(!), remastered and restored by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony Record Label: High Roller Records Style: Metal

re-issue! Expanded edition. double CD, slipcase, 18 bonus tracks(!), remastered and restored by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony Record Label: High Roller Records Style: Metal

ltd 200, insert, poster, remastered. It was the summer of 1985 when five deranged souls from Staten Island formed the still infamous Savage Thrust. Giving their name the reputation it deserved, they soon became well known in the NY metal scene for their intense and violent shows, but also recognized for both their impressive talent and their hunger to devour the world. In 1990, Savage Thrust’s first and so far only full-length album “Eat ‘em raw” came out on Avanzada Metálica. Released only on tape and vinyl, this monster of an album was received with huge enthusiasm not only in Mexico and NYC but by a worldwide audience! It was the combination of intense, aggressive, yet melodic and passionate riffs, with nerve-shattering vocals and a pounding rhythmic section that soon established the band as a major force in speed/thrash metal. When asked about their influences, their now-famous phrase “everything from Sabbath to Slayer...” stands still true to what Savage Thrust deliver. Based on a fast and dynamic speed/thrash metal assault, the band loved to challenge their listeners with some complex-yet-imaginative rhythms, surely something to make them stand out among all those other bands that were crowding the scene back in the days. Savage Thrust shared the stage with Anthrax, Exodus, Overkill, Manowar, Armored Saint, Nuclear Assault, M.O.D., plus many others, but, sadly enough, suffering from a row of line-up changes, in 1992 they decided to put the beast to sleep. But their devoted fans were not letting this one go away easily! In a twisted turn of fate, a Mexican fan got in touch with Savage Thrust, asking them to release the 1990 album on CD for the first time. The band saw his dedication and passion and accepted. The album master tapes had been lost in time, but another sound source could be found that was of the required quality, and it was taken to a proper studio to give this timeless jewel both new life and an improved sound. Now, this masterpiece of pure speed/thrash metal is finally available again on vinyl. Of course with all the quality you expect from High Roller Records, and with a fresh sound that was re-mastered especially for vinyl by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony. Record Label: High Roller Records Style: Trash Metal

ltd vinyl, 425gsm heavy cardboard cover, uv spot, 300gsm art paper insert, bonus 7" in separate p/s. Hobbs’ Angel of Death should be a household name for every well-informed thrash metal fan. Hailing from Melbourne, Victoria, the Australian band first started out as a solo project of main man and former Tyrus-guitarist Peter Hobbs, and one can rightfully say that they belong to the pioneers of mid-Eighties’ Australian thrash metal. The two demos “Angel of Death” and “Virgin Metal Invasion from Down Under” were followed by the self-titled debut album in 1988 which thrilled thrashers on both halves of the globe; 1995 saw the release of the sophomore album “Inheritance” and sadly, in spite of the cult status they had acquired in the meantime, Hobbs’ Angel of Death dissolved soon after its release. That could have been the end of it, but… In 2002 the band got reformed, signed a four-album deal the next year and have been alive and kicking ever since; and now they finally give their brand new album to the world; and it was about time, wasn’t it? Peter Hobbs himself gives a short account of what has happened since “Inheritance” came out: “Actually it's almost 23 years since ‘Inheritance’ was recorded. I've still been writing tunes and playing though, but it really kicked off again in 2010. Where has the time gone I ask myself!!?” Apart from Peter himself, the band has a completely new line-up that has only been playing together since 2013/14. Peter talks a bit about his new comrades-in-arms: “I travel a lot touring so I come across many people. I toured Europe and found Alessio. He needed a gig in Germany and I needed a show in Italy. From that meeting we have become great friends. He is actually like a son to me now. We have travelled many miles together from our first meeting in 2013.” If one has ever wondered why it regularly takes Peter so long to record and release new stuff, the answer may lie in his perfectionism: “I've recorded the new album three times. I was my goal to give to the industry a more mature album. The previous attempts were great but I was not totally satisfied with the results so I kept at it until I knew and felt that my achievement was made, and it clearly shines through within the new album. I believe that ‘Heaven Bled’ is just as great a the earlier albums, all written and produced by myself for a wider range of musical tastes and catering for more people in all fields of metal.” Some people say that Hobbs’ Angel of Death play thrash metal in the Slayer vein while Peter himself refers to his music as “virgin metal”, an “untainted and pure form of metal”. Is this also true for “Heaven Bled”? “I'm glad you brought that question up. I played just before Slayer in Finland at Jalomettalii 2013 - a thirty year wait! I asked Kerry King the question if he felt or thought or heard that Hobbs’ was a Slayer cover band. His reply was ‘I've heard of Hobbs’ Angel of Death but no, you have your own style compared to us !!!!!!’ But it's a fact, I love Slayer!!!!!!” So, looks like this question has been answered once and for all. As said above, Peter wrote all the music for the new album and did all the arrangements himself. “I've been doing this since day one. I’ve had the songs on the new album in the works for many years, some of them I even wrote almost 30 years ago. I revamped some old riffs with the modern feel and it's paid off for the release of ‘Heaven Bled’.” Even though it seems to be a good guess, the opener “Il monstro di Firenzi” is not a contribution by bassist Alessio “Cane” Medici: “I had written this song some time ago but I was still looking for a title. A lot of my tunes are inspired by history, just like the cult song ‘Jack the Ripper’ from our debut album. Here it was the same: I did some research of where the murders where committed by the Florence monster and I actually walked around the areas and felt the ground and breathed the air and tried to put my self within the same frame of mind as these serial killers, so the song just fell into place.” “Heaven Bled” was recorded at the West Link Studio in Italy: “I had arranged to meet the engineer to get a feel of him and his studio. I walked in and saw the old school sound craft desk!!!!! I was at home and I new from seeing his equipment that Ovi could get me the sound I wanted, so I made the right choice. I'm very happy with the product, I knew exactly what I wanted and had full focus on every result.” When the debut came out Hobbs’ Angel of Death gained some early fame as “the other remarkable Australian thrash metal band besides Mortal Sin.” With the next album German Rock Hard magazine even went so far as to ask if they were “the better Slayer”. Peter’s comment on this: “Wow, I'm being called the better Slayer! I'm overwhelmed with that statement, but to be honest, it's not the first time I've heard that…everyone who knows me does know that I put my heart and soul into what I do as a professional, on the road and off the road. When touring I give it my full passion and execute the job as sincerely as I can.” Mr. Hobbs seems to be quite satisfied to see his new endeavour coming out on High Roller Records: “I’ve always had respect for companies that are trying to keep the industry alive, and High Roller Records is one of them, so I felt that we are on the same side and could work together as a team, and I'm sure we will put out some top quality in every aspect.” The album will come with a 7inch that contains a version of “Depopulation” from the “Inheritance” album, and another song called “Suicide”. Peter explains why he decided to include this little extra: “I wrote the song ‘Suicide’ many years ago and I wanted it to be on an album; it has a great 80s feel about it. ‘Depopulation’ was more or less a bonus track. One day I will re-record “Inheritance” and revamp these songs, but for now let's concentrate on one thing at a time.” He’s surely right, and the thing to concentrate on is of course the new album “Heaven Bled”: “My plan is to continue to tour world-wide and to promote this new Hobbs’ album and move it into the cult status the debut already has ...” Peter knows of course that this status would mean nothing if it wasn’t for his loyal Hobbs’ fans, thus his last words here go to them: “I’d like to thank all Hobbs’ supporters for the love and respect from people that is greatly given to me. You all have my respect in full return and I look forward seeing you all again on tour. Record Label: High Roller Records Style: Trash Metal

Hobbs’ Angel of Death should be a household name for every well-informed thrash metal fan. Hailing from Melbourne, Victoria, the Australian band first started out as a solo project of main man and former Tyrus-guitarist Peter Hobbs, and one can rightfully say that they belong to the pioneers of mid-Eighties’ Australian thrash metal. The two demos “Angel of Death” and “Virgin Metal Invasion from Down Under” were followed by the self-titled debut album in 1988 which thrilled thrashers on both halves of the globe; 1995 saw the release of the sophomore album “Inheritance” and sadly, in spite of the cult status they had acquired in the meantime, Hobbs’ Angel of Death dissolved soon after its release. That could have been the end of it, but… In 2002 the band got reformed, signed a four-album deal the next year and have been alive and kicking ever since; and now they finally give their brand new album to the world; and it was about time, wasn’t it? Peter Hobbs himself gives a short account of what has happened since “Inheritance” came out: “Actually it's almost 23 years since ‘Inheritance’ was recorded. I've still been writing tunes and playing though, but it really kicked off again in 2010. Where has the time gone I ask myself!!?” Apart from Peter himself, the band has a completely new line-up that has only been playing together since 2013/14. Peter talks a bit about his new comrades-in-arms: “I travel a lot touring so I come across many people. I toured Europe and found Alessio. He needed a gig in Germany and I needed a show in Italy. From that meeting we have become great friends. He is actually like a son to me now. We have travelled many miles together from our first meeting in 2013.” If one has ever wondered why it regularly takes Peter so long to record and release new stuff, the answer may lie in his perfectionism: “I've recorded the new album three times. I was my goal to give to the industry a more mature album. The previous attempts were great but I was not totally satisfied with the results so I kept at it until I knew and felt that my achievement was made, and it clearly shines through within the new album. I believe that ‘Heaven Bled’ is just as great a the earlier albums, all written and produced by myself for a wider range of musical tastes and catering for more people in all fields of metal.” Some people say that Hobbs’ Angel of Death play thrash metal in the Slayer vein while Peter himself refers to his music as “virgin metal”, an “untainted and pure form of metal”. Is this also true for “Heaven Bled”? “I'm glad you brought that question up. I played just before Slayer in Finland at Jalomettalii 2013 - a thirty year wait! I asked Kerry King the question if he felt or thought or heard that Hobbs’ was a Slayer cover band. His reply was ‘I've heard of Hobbs’ Angel of Death but no, you have your own style compared to us !!!!!!’ But it's a fact, I love Slayer!!!!!!” So, looks like this question has been answered once and for all. As said above, Peter wrote all the music for the new album and did all the arrangements himself. “I've been doing this since day one. I’ve had the songs on the new album in the works for many years, some of them I even wrote almost 30 years ago. I revamped some old riffs with the modern feel and it's paid off for the release of ‘Heaven Bled’.” Even though it seems to be a good guess, the opener “Il monstro di Firenzi” is not a contribution by bassist Alessio “Cane” Medici: “I had written this song some time ago but I was still looking for a title. A lot of my tunes are inspired by history, just like the cult song ‘Jack the Ripper’ from our debut album. Here it was the same: I did some research of where the murders where committed by the Florence monster and I actually walked around the areas and felt the ground and breathed the air and tried to put my self within the same frame of mind as these serial killers, so the song just fell into place.” “Heaven Bled” was recorded at the West Link Studio in Italy: “I had arranged to meet the engineer to get a feel of him and his studio. I walked in and saw the old school sound craft desk!!!!! I was at home and I new from seeing his equipment that Ovi could get me the sound I wanted, so I made the right choice. I'm very happy with the product, I knew exactly what I wanted and had full focus on every result.” When the debut came out Hobbs’ Angel of Death gained some early fame as “the other remarkable Australian thrash metal band besides Mortal Sin.” With the next album German Rock Hard magazine even went so far as to ask if they were “the better Slayer”. Peter’s comment on this: “Wow, I'm being called the better Slayer! I'm overwhelmed with that statement, but to be honest, it's not the first time I've heard that…everyone who knows me does know that I put my heart and soul into what I do as a professional, on the road and off the road. When touring I give it my full passion and execute the job as sincerely as I can.” Mr. Hobbs seems to be quite satisfied to see his new endeavour coming out on High Roller Records: “I’ve always had respect for companies that are trying to keep the industry alive, and High Roller Records is one of them, so I felt that we are on the same side and could work together as a team, and I'm sure we will put out some top quality in every aspect.” The album will come with a 7inch that contains a version of “Depopulation” from the “Inheritance” album, and another song called “Suicide”. Peter explains why he decided to include this little extra: “I wrote the song ‘Suicide’ many years ago and I wanted it to be on an album; it has a great 80s feel about it. ‘Depopulation’ was more or less a bonus track. One day I will re-record “Inheritance” and revamp these songs, but for now let's concentrate on one thing at a time.” He’s surely right, and the thing to concentrate on is of course the new album “Heaven Bled”: “My plan is to continue to tour world-wide and to promote this new Hobbs’ album and move it into the cult status the debut already has ...” Peter knows of course that this status would mean nothing if it wasn’t for his loyal Hobbs’ fans, thus his last words here go to them: “I’d like to thank all Hobbs’ supporters for the love and respect from people that is greatly given to me. You all have my respect in full return and I look forward seeing you all again on tour. Record Label: High Roller Records Style: Trash Metal

Titan Force's second and final album 'Winner/Loser' was originally released in 1991. Though this work offers songs that are a bit easier to listen to than those on its predecessor, it still contains lots of progressive, almost jazzy, parts. Record Label: High Roller Records Style: Metal

Reissue of TITAN FORCE's self-titled debut-album. With a style ranging from heavy metal to melodic power metal, and adding a progressive jazzy touch and a unique vocal approach, Titan Force added a whole new dimension to the rock scene back in 1989. Record Label: High Roller Records Style: Metal

Titan Force's second and final album 'Winner/Loser' was originally released in 1991. Though this work offers songs that are a bit easier to listen to than those on its predecessor, it still contains lots of progressive, almost jazzy, parts. Record Label: High Roller Records Style: Metal

Reissue of TITAN FORCE's self-titled debut-album. With a style ranging from heavy metal to melodic power metal, and adding a progressive jazzy touch and a unique vocal approach, Titan Force added a whole new dimension to the rock scene back in 1989. Record Label: High Roller Records Style: Metal

Robert Pehrsson (born 13th of December 1975) is currently one of the most talented Swedish rock guitarists. Furthermore, he is an outstanding songwriter as well. It's only a matter of time until a broader (rock) audience will recognize him as what he is: a star in the making. Robert Pehrsson has worked for such diverse bands such as Runemagick, Thunder Express, Death Breath, Dundertåget, Imperial State Electric, Slingblade and also Dagger. He picked up his guitar in 1987 and started a (professional) career in 1994 (at the time concentrating mainly on playing extreme music like thrash and early death metal). In 2013, his debut longplayer under the name of Robert Pehrsson's Humbucker was released (via High Roller Records). It was a perfect example for a contemporary classic rock album, landing the Swedish guitarist extraordinaire the album of the month award in Germany's leading independent metal magazine Rock Hard. No wonder then that expectations for the follow-up album Long Way To The Light are sky high. The record contains eight brand new compositions (plus a re-worked version of the single The Hollow In A Rising Tone). With songs such as Send Her My Love or Traveling Through The Dark Robert Pehrsson's Humbucker carry on where they have left off with the captivating debut album – albeit with even slicker guitar playing and sharper song arrangements. I put so much pressure on myself so I got enough to deal with already, comments Robert Pehrsson on the expectations surrounding the release of Long Way To The Light. The main thing is to not disappoint myself and to know in the end that I did the best I could. I was sincerely happy both for High Roller and of course for myself with the great reviews on the previous album. I think the new album is stronger, but in the end, it's up to the listener and that I have no control over. Listening to Long Way To The Light for the first time, one might get the impression that overall it's a slightly poppier record compared to the debut. It might be, reflects Robert Pehrsson. But it's not really intentional. I like the songs short and to the point with a strong hook. That's what I strive for always. I think people sometimes put us in the same category as more hard rocking bands and we're not really that type of band in the end. I want the freedom to do other styles as well. If I look at the old bands, I like that they were all very diverse, not playing on 10 all the time. D'accord, diversity in songwriting has always been the forté of Robert Pehrsson's Humbucker. But in the past, for some, this has been a dangerous road, if you look at Phil Lynott's solo album Solo In Soho, which for some is, well, a total mess. I actually like a lot of that album, confesses the Swedish guitarist. But maybe it was wise to do it as a solo album. I'm not scared to try different approaches to both writing and recording and I think it's possible to paint with a wide brush and still be true to the overall sound of the band. I'm not talking about rocket science here and we record in a very old school fashion. But there are so many different ways to approach things and I am intrigued with these things. I'm interested in the craft of songwriting and recording. This approach shows on each of the nine tracks of the record. So nine songs once more (just like on the debut platter), that must be the lucky number for Robert Pehrsson indeed. I guess so, he laughs. There was more material written and recorded, but I was not 100% happy with how some of the songs came together so I've put them on hold for another day. I don't want any filler material and I don't like albums that go on forever personally. Sometimes we are limited as performers. I wrote some material for this album that I was really excited about, but I just could not make it sound right this time around. I listen to lots of different music and I would like the band to be able to do diverse material. The biggest difference is that we have played live since the first album, comments Robert Pehrsson on the main differences between the first album and Long Way To The Light. My approach for the writing was not that different, but I kept in mind that I want do be able to perform the songs live in their true form. I also co-worked with Joseph Tholl, Nicke Andersson and Andreas Axelsson on some tracks. So I think there is more of a band feeling to this one compared to the first album. And that was something I wanted from the beginning when I started working on this album. Robert Pehrsson's Humbucker have played around 40 live shows since the debut album, so the line-up is starting to gel. Robert Pehrsson: Long Way To The Light has been recorded mostly by me and Nicke Anderssons (drums and bass). Joseph Tholl has also been involved a lot. I really like recording with these guys. But a lot of the players on the previous also appear on this. The live line-up has been Joseph Tholl, Jakob Ljungberg and Jens Lagergren, and they all appear on the album. It's a mixture of really talented friends from other bands: Enforcer, Imperial State Electric, The Hellacopters, Tribulation etc... We tend to do a lot of stuff together. Here's some names: Robert Eriksson, Jonas Wikstrand, Johan Bäckman, Johannes Borgström. The list goes on! Maybe Robert Pehrsson is indeed one the last great guitarist in the tradition of Ritchie Blackmore, Michael Schenker, Jimmy Page and Scott Gorham. But then again Long Way To The Light is not a guitar-driven record per se. So what comes first for the Swedish guitarist exytraordinaire, the song or the guitar performance? Robert Pehrsson: Thanks! The song is always first. I see it the same way playing live. I want us, as a band, to play together and be a strong unit. It's not about individual performances at all. I do, however, think there is quite a lot of guitar playing, but there is no room for unnecessary flash in the songs. I want the listener to feel that the solo is an integral part of the song and not just there for me to show off. My main goal is to create a solo that you can and would want to hum along to. There are lots of great songs on the album, for example Zero Emotion. It's some kind of a love song, correct? It's more of a breakup song, laughs Robert Pehrsson. And how you sometimes end up dealing with things like that. A lot of the lyrics are about losing loved ones in one way or another. I guess it's because I'm at that age now when things like that happen, whereas in the past I did not really have to deal with that in the same way. The closing number No I don't is quite funky partially … so maybe the right choice for the title of most unusual song on the album? Robert Pehrsson begs to differ: I would probably say it's rather 'Traveling Through The Dark'. It's got an 1980s vibe to it and I don't really see any other of the songs having that. But overall I think this album is more diverse. 'Pretender' also comes to mind as a bit unusual and something we have not really done before. These are the songs I tend to like the most. Record Label: High Roller Records Style: Metal

2016 reissue, white/ red splatter vinyl, ltd 350, new artwork, lyric sheet Record Label: High Roller Records Style: Metal

Robert Pehrsson (born 13th of December 1975) is currently one of the most talented Swedish rock guitarists. Furthermore, he is an outstanding songwriter as well. It's only a matter of time until a broader (rock) audience will recognize him as what he is: a star in the making. Robert Pehrsson has worked for such diverse bands such as Runemagick, Thunder Express, Death Breath, Dundertåget, Imperial State Electric, Slingblade and also Dagger. He picked up his guitar in 1987 and started a (professional) career in 1994 (at the time concentrating mainly on playing extreme music like thrash and early death metal). In 2013, his debut longplayer under the name of Robert Pehrsson's Humbucker was released (via High Roller Records). It was a perfect example for a contemporary classic rock album, landing the Swedish guitarist extraordinaire the album of the month award in Germany's leading independent metal magazine Rock Hard. No wonder then that expectations for the follow-up album Long Way To The Light are sky high. The record contains eight brand new compositions (plus a re-worked version of the single The Hollow In A Rising Tone). With songs such as Send Her My Love or Traveling Through The Dark Robert Pehrsson's Humbucker carry on where they have left off with the captivating debut album – albeit with even slicker guitar playing and sharper song arrangements. I put so much pressure on myself so I got enough to deal with already, comments Robert Pehrsson on the expectations surrounding the release of Long Way To The Light. The main thing is to not disappoint myself and to know in the end that I did the best I could. I was sincerely happy both for High Roller and of course for myself with the great reviews on the previous album. I think the new album is stronger, but in the end, it's up to the listener and that I have no control over. Listening to Long Way To The Light for the first time, one might get the impression that overall it's a slightly poppier record compared to the debut. It might be, reflects Robert Pehrsson. But it's not really intentional. I like the songs short and to the point with a strong hook. That's what I strive for always. I think people sometimes put us in the same category as more hard rocking bands and we're not really that type of band in the end. I want the freedom to do other styles as well. If I look at the old bands, I like that they were all very diverse, not playing on 10 all the time. D'accord, diversity in songwriting has always been the forté of Robert Pehrsson's Humbucker. But in the past, for some, this has been a dangerous road, if you look at Phil Lynott's solo album Solo In Soho, which for some is, well, a total mess. I actually like a lot of that album, confesses the Swedish guitarist. But maybe it was wise to do it as a solo album. I'm not scared to try different approaches to both writing and recording and I think it's possible to paint with a wide brush and still be true to the overall sound of the band. I'm not talking about rocket science here and we record in a very old school fashion. But there are so many different ways to approach things and I am intrigued with these things. I'm interested in the craft of songwriting and recording. This approach shows on each of the nine tracks of the record. So nine songs once more (just like on the debut platter), that must be the lucky number for Robert Pehrsson indeed. I guess so, he laughs. There was more material written and recorded, but I was not 100% happy with how some of the songs came together so I've put them on hold for another day. I don't want any filler material and I don't like albums that go on forever personally. Sometimes we are limited as performers. I wrote some material for this album that I was really excited about, but I just could not make it sound right this time around. I listen to lots of different music and I would like the band to be able to do diverse material. The biggest difference is that we have played live since the first album, comments Robert Pehrsson on the main differences between the first album and Long Way To The Light. My approach for the writing was not that different, but I kept in mind that I want do be able to perform the songs live in their true form. I also co-worked with Joseph Tholl, Nicke Andersson and Andreas Axelsson on some tracks. So I think there is more of a band feeling to this one compared to the first album. And that was something I wanted from the beginning when I started working on this album. Robert Pehrsson's Humbucker have played around 40 live shows since the debut album, so the line-up is starting to gel. Robert Pehrsson: Long Way To The Light has been recorded mostly by me and Nicke Anderssons (drums and bass). Joseph Tholl has also been involved a lot. I really like recording with these guys. But a lot of the players on the previous also appear on this. The live line-up has been Joseph Tholl, Jakob Ljungberg and Jens Lagergren, and they all appear on the album. It's a mixture of really talented friends from other bands: Enforcer, Imperial State Electric, The Hellacopters, Tribulation etc... We tend to do a lot of stuff together. Here's some names: Robert Eriksson, Jonas Wikstrand, Johan Bäckman, Johannes Borgström. The list goes on! Maybe Robert Pehrsson is indeed one the last great guitarist in the tradition of Ritchie Blackmore, Michael Schenker, Jimmy Page and Scott Gorham. But then again Long Way To The Light is not a guitar-driven record per se. So what comes first for the Swedish guitarist exytraordinaire, the song or the guitar performance? Robert Pehrsson: Thanks! The song is always first. I see it the same way playing live. I want us, as a band, to play together and be a strong unit. It's not about individual performances at all. I do, however, think there is quite a lot of guitar playing, but there is no room for unnecessary flash in the songs. I want the listener to feel that the solo is an integral part of the song and not just there for me to show off. My main goal is to create a solo that you can and would want to hum along to. There are lots of great songs on the album, for example Zero Emotion. It's some kind of a love song, correct? It's more of a breakup song, laughs Robert Pehrsson. And how you sometimes end up dealing with things like that. A lot of the lyrics are about losing loved ones in one way or another. I guess it's because I'm at that age now when things like that happen, whereas in the past I did not really have to deal with that in the same way. The closing number No I don't is quite funky partially … so maybe the right choice for the title of most unusual song on the album? Robert Pehrsson begs to differ: I would probably say it's rather 'Traveling Through The Dark'. It's got an 1980s vibe to it and I don't really see any other of the songs having that. But overall I think this album is more diverse. 'Pretender' also comes to mind as a bit unusual and something we have not really done before. These are the songs I tend to like the most. Record Label: High Roller Records Style: Metal

One of the biggest “re-discoveries” of obscure eighties US Metal/Hard Rock are Ashbury from Tuscon in Arizona. The band, led by brothers Randy and Rob Davis, did originally record two very hard to find albums: »Endless Skies« in 1983 and the (belated) follow-up »Something Funny Going On« (issued in 2010). However, the roots of the band go way back to the late 1970s, when multi-instrumentalist Randy Davis formed his very first band in Southern Oklahoma. “That was before Ashbury proper,” explains Randy. ”It was in late 1977 that Ashbury South was formed in Oklahoma. In early 1980 Rob and I returned to Tucson and formed Ashbury in June 1980. The original line-up of that band broke up a year later. Ashbury proper was born at that time as Rob and I were writing music and our long term objective was to record original music and we knew we had to have the right elements in place for that. Ironically, it would turn out that just the two of us would become the base for Ashbury, both then and now.” The story goes that Ashbury was offered an album deal by a major company(from Los Angeles) in the early 1980s. Which company was that? ”The label was Polydor,” states Randy, “and the 'offer' came in September 1983. We had recorded »Endless Skies« and self released the LP in May of the same year. Rob was 'shopping' it around all the major labels in L.A. (and agencies like William Morris). We were looking for a major label's interest in order to possibly re-record the album again (maybe with a larger budget and major label producer), or to at least gain better distribution, etc. Ashbury had only existed as a 'cover' band up until the release of »Endless Skies«, so we had not attracted the interest of A&R people at the major labels. The label, however, wanted to 'shelve' the whole record and sign us for something entirely different. They had in mind an acoustic sound featuring our songwriting and vocal harmony skills (i. e.: England Dan & John Ford Coley). We were not interested in that and turned them down. Ironically, we now perform an acoustic show as a duo and it is a major source of our music income. We perform the show locally here in Tucson, but have also performed acoustically as a duo in Greece and Sweden, while there to perform Ashbury shows.” The original vinyl edition of »Endless Skies« came out in 1983 (with a circulation of 1,000 copies). ”It was a complete indie project all the way,” states Rob Davis. “The early processes were handled by Randy and another guy who was instrumental in putting everything together. His name is Stone Age, he went on to found other Metal bands like Butcher. He also was the artist that conceived and drew our 'Rocker' logo, and he found the artist Ernie Polo that painted the artwork for the »Endless Skies« cover (from our own conception). We worked mostly on a budget of $ 5,000 for the entire project, financed by a backer named Mac Whitton. Our distribution was through Tower Records in the western U.S. ... and we put that together ourselves also. Tower Records was the #1 "Record" store in the western U.S., and we had secured distribution in several western states.” Ashbury's sound has sometimes been compared to Jethro Tull, would that be a fair comparison? ”We both have a big smile on our face with that question”, expain the Davis brothers. “Yes, we are proud to be compared with Jethro Tull, and can easily live with that comparison. Jethro Tull and Ian Anderson's writing were a huge influence on us both. Ironically, Ian Anderson and Martin Barre were the stable members of the band while many others came and went, similar to us, except for the amount of success and sales - haha - that's where the comparison ends!” The first album does feature an iconic artwork. Who was responsible for it and what does the cover signify? ”Responsibility for the concept lies with Randy, Rob and Stone Age,” is the answer to the question. “Once we knew what we wanted, the search for the right artist began. Stone Age was not only a musician, but a very good artist (remember he conceived and drew our 'Rocker' logo), but he felt the cover art needed a more talented artist/painter than he was. He began the search, and found an artist named Ernie Polo working in Tucson, and subsidizing his art by selling shoes in a mall shoe store. We commissioned him and with relative ease he delivered the painting in just a couple of weeks. The cover signifies Creation, and the choices we all make. The cover obviously coincides with the opening song 'The Warning', about the Prophet who warns against bad choices, evil and greed. The final touch was a 'fantasy' setting, a look just off from any real world appearance.” Were Ashbury catering to a metal audience back then at all? Or were they exclusively playing to normal rock audiences (locally?) in the States? ”Exactly!,” exclaims Randy Davis. “We were playing to 'Rock' audiences in night clubs throughout the western U.S. We did not consider anything about Ashbury to be catered to a 'Metal' audience. The irony might be that Stone Age was as "Metal" as Metal gets. During pre-production, he actually mentioned that we needed to have at least one song to appeal to the Metal fans, and we wrote 'Vengeance' at that time and Stone was very thumbs up on the song. Looks like he was right.” Randy and Rob Davis are playing as brothers in Ashbury, they have always been the core of the band: ”We would not continue performing as Ashbury without both being involved. We write independently, and also together, therefore the very creation of the music would be different if one of us left the band. We also both sing lead vocals, so the sound of the band would be altered. I might refer to a recent tour concerning Styx - touring without Dennis DeYoung - therefore it's NOT Styx Record Label: High Roller Records Style: Metal

One of the biggest “re-discoveries” of obscure eighties US Metal/Hard Rock are Ashbury from Tuscon in Arizona. The band, led by brothers Randy and Rob Davis, did originally record two very hard to find albums: »Endless Skies« in 1983 and the (belated) follow-up »Something Funny Going On« (issued in 2010). However, the roots of the band go way back to the late 1970s, when multi-instrumentalist Randy Davis formed his very first band in Southern Oklahoma. “That was before Ashbury proper,” explains Randy. ”It was in late 1977 that Ashbury South was formed in Oklahoma. In early 1980 Rob and I returned to Tucson and formed Ashbury in June 1980. The original line-up of that band broke up a year later. Ashbury proper was born at that time as Rob and I were writing music and our long term objective was to record original music and we knew we had to have the right elements in place for that. Ironically, it would turn out that just the two of us would become the base for Ashbury, both then and now.” The story goes that Ashbury was offered an album deal by a major company(from Los Angeles) in the early 1980s. Which company was that? ”The label was Polydor,” states Randy, “and the 'offer' came in September 1983. We had recorded »Endless Skies« and self released the LP in May of the same year. Rob was 'shopping' it around all the major labels in L.A. (and agencies like William Morris). We were looking for a major label's interest in order to possibly re-record the album again (maybe with a larger budget and major label producer), or to at least gain better distribution, etc. Ashbury had only existed as a 'cover' band up until the release of »Endless Skies«, so we had not attracted the interest of A&R people at the major labels. The label, however, wanted to 'shelve' the whole record and sign us for something entirely different. They had in mind an acoustic sound featuring our songwriting and vocal harmony skills (i. e.: England Dan & John Ford Coley). We were not interested in that and turned them down. Ironically, we now perform an acoustic show as a duo and it is a major source of our music income. We perform the show locally here in Tucson, but have also performed acoustically as a duo in Greece and Sweden, while there to perform Ashbury shows.” The original vinyl edition of »Endless Skies« came out in 1983 (with a circulation of 1,000 copies). ”It was a complete indie project all the way,” states Rob Davis. “The early processes were handled by Randy and another guy who was instrumental in putting everything together. His name is Stone Age, he went on to found other Metal bands like Butcher. He also was the artist that conceived and drew our 'Rocker' logo, and he found the artist Ernie Polo that painted the artwork for the »Endless Skies« cover (from our own conception). We worked mostly on a budget of $ 5,000 for the entire project, financed by a backer named Mac Whitton. Our distribution was through Tower Records in the western U.S. ... and we put that together ourselves also. Tower Records was the #1 "Record" store in the western U.S., and we had secured distribution in several western states.” Ashbury's sound has sometimes been compared to Jethro Tull, would that be a fair comparison? ”We both have a big smile on our face with that question”, expain the Davis brothers. “Yes, we are proud to be compared with Jethro Tull, and can easily live with that comparison. Jethro Tull and Ian Anderson's writing were a huge influence on us both. Ironically, Ian Anderson and Martin Barre were the stable members of the band while many others came and went, similar to us, except for the amount of success and sales - haha - that's where the comparison ends!” The first album does feature an iconic artwork. Who was responsible for it and what does the cover signify? ”Responsibility for the concept lies with Randy, Rob and Stone Age,” is the answer to the question. “Once we knew what we wanted, the search for the right artist began. Stone Age was not only a musician, but a very good artist (remember he conceived and drew our 'Rocker' logo), but he felt the cover art needed a more talented artist/painter than he was. He began the search, and found an artist named Ernie Polo working in Tucson, and subsidizing his art by selling shoes in a mall shoe store. We commissioned him and with relative ease he delivered the painting in just a couple of weeks. The cover signifies Creation, and the choices we all make. The cover obviously coincides with the opening song 'The Warning', about the Prophet who warns against bad choices, evil and greed. The final touch was a 'fantasy' setting, a look just off from any real world appearance.” Were Ashbury catering to a metal audience back then at all? Or were they exclusively playing to normal rock audiences (locally?) in the States? ”Exactly!,” exclaims Randy Davis. “We were playing to 'Rock' audiences in night clubs throughout the western U.S. We did not consider anything about Ashbury to be catered to a 'Metal' audience. The irony might be that Stone Age was as "Metal" as Metal gets. During pre-production, he actually mentioned that we needed to have at least one song to appeal to the Metal fans, and we wrote 'Vengeance' at that time and Stone was very thumbs up on the song. Looks like he was right.” Randy and Rob Davis are playing as brothers in Ashbury, they have always been the core of the band: ”We would not continue performing as Ashbury without both being involved. We write independently, and also together, therefore the very creation of the music would be different if one of us left the band. We also both sing lead vocals, so the sound of the band would be altered. I might refer to a recent tour concerning Styx - touring without Dennis DeYoung - therefore it's NOT Styx Record Label: High Roller Records Style: Metal

Record Label: High Roller Records Style: Metal