Year : 2016
Style : Melodic Hard Rock , AOR
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 160 mb
Bio:
Project Voyager was born in January of 1999. This was the demo project of Chicago-based singer/songwriter Joe Vana. Joe was a member of Jim Peterik and World Stage at the time and was toying with the idea of getting out the songs he had co-written with Jim. Joe informed his friend and melodicrock.com webmaster Andrew McNeice, and since then Andrew's followed the project all the way through. In 1999 Joe knew he was ready to take the first step.Joe enlisted the help of Mike Aquino. Mike is Vana's guitar teacher and was playing on Joe's demos in addition to writing a lot of material with Joe. Joe then approached Jim Peterik with his idea of doing an album. Peterik agreed to produce, at minimum, the tracks he co-wrote with Vana. Project Voyager was moving forward.Joe contacted friend Fergie Frederiksen to join the mix. "I've always seen myself as a ballad and finesse type of singer," says Vana. "I wanted Fergie to sing the harder-edged numbers I had earmarked for the album." After meeting with Fergie and the investment group, they informed the project's co-producer Jim Peterik that Fergie was in. Project Voyager was moving even faster.Vana met with Jim and they discussed the game plan of who else and where? Where to record the album and who to bring into the band. Joe wanted David Hungate, the legendary bass player of Toto and about every other hit song in the '80s. Jim previously worked with Hungate in Nashville on a song written with producer Joe Thomas and Ides bandmate Larry Millas. The song "That's Why God Made Radio" was coincidentally the first song Joe ever sang with Jim Peterik. Joe contacted David by email (what a wonderful thing) and asked his availability. David agreed. Next JP placed a call to Hungate. David Hungate informed JP that Shannon Forrest had to be the drummer. Shannon was an unknown musician to Vana and Peterik. But if Hungate recommends him, who are we to question? Boy, were they glad they didn't! Jimmy Nichols was next to join Mecca's line-up. Nichols played on JP's debut World Stage album and has been a longtime friend of JP's. The studio? The Sound Kitchen in Nashville based on its remarkable capabilities and drum rooms.During this time Joe was finishing up vocals for an album on the Long Hill Entertainment label. Soon afterwards Peterik and Vana started writing more intently and Jim laid out the beginnings of a song called "Mecca." Joe loved it and they worked together to finish the song within a two-hour timeframe. Songs entitled "Silence of the Heart" and "Without You" soon followed. Vana adds, "Songwriting with Jim Peterik is so easy. He is open to ideas and different arrangements. I thought it would be hard to get the arrangements on certain songs the way I envisioned them. But Jim was real open to change. I am a sucker for breakdowns and wanted a lot of them. We got 'em." Vana further explains, "Jim also helped on songs I wrote with Jason Deroche about a year prior. I wrote those during a trying period. But Jim helped me lyrically pull the emotion through these songs. And his musical ideas and arrangements were breathtaking." Peterik and Vana discussed calling the band Mecca instead of Project Voyager. It was done. With Jim now producing the whole album and the band's team mates established, the recording process was right around the corner.Look out Nashville, here comes Mecca…
Album:
MelodicRock Records is proud and excited to announce a partnership with MECCA to release their monumental new album Mecca 3 on October 14. Records like this don't come along very often. At least not in 2016 they don't. But this is one for the ages. Mecca will now find themselves sitting alongside genre classics from Toto, Mr. Mister, Survivor, Giant and Journey to name a few. Recorded over the last 3 years in Nashville, this is a record that would have topped AOR charts back in the day. Make no mistake - this is a classic. MRR's Andrew McNeice: "Joe has been a friend of mine since 1996 and I've seen him develop into one of the most reliable and mature songwriters in this game. On Mecca III he takes everything that came before as a launching pad for what must come next and Mecca III delivers. This is a monster record that is layers deep in rich textures that remain fresh to my ears even after first receiving the original writers' demos some 3 years ago. I'm so proud of my friend and I'm honoured to be given the chance to bring this exceptional album to the world. The instrumentation is nothing short of world class, the production is analogue all the way - you can hear it in every crisp, clear note. And the vocals are quite simply the most stunning and emotion filled tones that I have ever heard from Joe. I simply cannot wait to hear fan reactions to this album. It's a masterpiece." Joe Vana is equally as excited to finally reveal his masterpiece to the world. "Mecca III, here we are! I wanted to take all I had learned from the amazing list of players involved in Mecca up to this point...from Shannon Forrest to Pat Mastelotto...David Hungate to Tony Levin...Mike Aquino to Christian Wolff and my son Joey...and the production I learned over many years working closely with Jim Peterik on his songs as well as Mecca 1. But...I wanted even more...I wanted A TRUE Audiophile record...not a pro-tooled, over edited mess of 100 takes edited into one...and the groove less, lifeless carcass that playing to the grid creates, the ruination of vibe, groove and soul in music. I hope everyone digs the record....it's 8 tracks because that's all I needed to tell the story I wanted to convey...lyrically the record flows...All are separate but continuous chapters...vocally the songs even feel different as I move through different phases of my life." And what does Toto's Steve Lukather think about it? "Killer new music! Great songs! Great playing from everyone...and Joe's vocals are better than ever! Smooth, real and soulful. I love the 'surprise modulations' that are now his style which make this a great listen for fans of his and the entire genre of melodic rock music. Creative arrangements throughout and I love the synth/keyboard work. David Hungate is amazing as is Shannon Forrest on drums and production. Great sounds + killer guitars all over it! Can't say what is my fave yet cause I love all of it. Summing it up in 3 words...Well f-ing done!" Luke - 2016. The album was produced by new Toto drummer Shannon Forrest (Tim McGraw, Michael McDonald, Kenny Rogers, Don Henley), Associate Produced by Joey Vana and Recorded at Off The Grid Studios, Nashville Tennessee. Alongside drummer Shannon Forrest, featured on the album are some of Nashville's very finest musicians: Tim Akers - B3 and Piano (Rascal Flatts, Amy Grant, Kid Rock, Alabama); Toto's legendary bass man David Hungate; plus David Browning (Katy Perry, Amy Grant, Hollywood Heroes). Track listing: Take My Hand; Unknown; Alone; Gone; Cry; A Kiss On The Wind; Let It Go; Believe
Line Up:
Joe Vana - Lead Vocals
Shannon Forrest - Drums and Percussion
David Hungate - Bass
Tim Akers - B3 and Piano, Background Vocals
David Browning - Synths
Joey Vana - Guitars
Mark Baldwin - Guitar
With:
Sol Philcox-Littlefield - Additional Guitars
Ethan Forrest - Additional Guitars
Rudy Chmelik - Add. Perc. on "Believe"
Bill Syniar - Vibe
Produced By: Shannon Forrest
Associate Producer: Joey Vana
Tracklist:
01. Take My Hand
02. Unknown
03. Alone
04. Gone
05. Cry
06. A Kiss On The Wind
07. Let It Go
08. Believe
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
