Thursday, October 30, 2008

The Vetta XONE Continues


Where would I be without my Vetta? I would be immersed in a land of 2-3 tones. I just need more than that. The Line 6 Vetta delivers a huge palette of tones, and with the two amps at once feature, I’m able to blend two amp models to make a unique original tone each time. The applications are almost endless. Especially in XONE.

While there are many awesome tube amps out on the market, and most of the ones you’d want cost a fistful of cash. It’s great if you can afford that. I cannot. Yet. I need an almost limitless palette of tones for XONE’s music. The only way I can afford this type of device, is with the Line 6 Vetta. In 2003, I walked out of Guitar Center with a Line 6 Vetta HD (head) and an FBV Longboard Foot Controller for $2000. It’s still the best investment I’ve ever made with my tone.

Before Line 6, I swore by Marshall.
I have to admit that some of the Marshall models in the Vetta really give that Marshall tone that I like.
The ’85 Marshall Silver Jubilee, ’92 Marshall JCM 900, and ’68 Jumpered Marshall Super Lead really stand out in the Vetta for hi-Gain tones. Mixing any of those with the Line 6 Original Spinal Puppet model,
And I get a really rich Marshally tone. The Spinal Puppet is basically a hot-rodded Marshall head, so it brings out that rich Marshally tone when mixed with a Marshall model.

Typically, use the Marshall model as the Main amp in the patch,
Lows and low-mids, with the Channel Volume at 100% (all the way up),
The Spinal Puppet covers the high-mids, highs at 50% (12o’clock).
Sounds really awesome to my ears!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

More Evergrey XONE


Evergrey’s latest CD TORN pushes the limits of Progressive Power Metal to their newest extreme! The CD is a complete musical journey that takes time to fully digest. I have been listening it exclusively since it’s release.
I’m not listening to anything else for a while…It’s that great of a CD.


Evergrey has really been a huge influence on XONE. Evergrey’s music has influenced a few XONE songs and parts of XONE songs. Our latest song “Young Man’s Destiny” is an example of this. The whole song’s impetus came from our love of a few Evergrey songs such as “I’m Sorry” and “Blinded”. Every Evergrey song we’ve ever listened to has influenced us to write new material.

That is not to say that we TRY to make Evergrey-like songs.
We write a new song, and then reflect on it, and find that it was influenced by some artist we listened to recently. Most of our newest material has been influenced by Evergrey.
Our next 2 CDs will feature these songs.

If you haven’t already bought Evergrey’s latest CD TORN,
You are missing out on something huge. It is an amazing album!
The rhythmns are layered and complex.
The Guitar solos are melodic an poignant.
Best of all, the CD is Evergrey at their BEST!!!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

The Evergrey XONE


Evergrey is undoubtedly my favorite band in the world. I anticipate their CD releases like a kid waiting for Christmas. I spent this summer waiting for Evergrey to release their latest CD TORN. It was a torturous wait, but well worth it. Evergrey’s new CD TORN is AWESOME!!!

I’ve spent every day since Sept 23, 2008 (TORN’s US Release Date) listening to this CD. It has been the same as every time Evergrey has released an album. It was that way in 2006 when they released Monday Morning Apocalypse.

The first time you listen to a new Evergrey CD, you always react to it like: “what the heck was that!?!”, hearing something that doesn’t necessarly sound brilliant.

Then the second time you listen to it, you react like: OK, I kind of understand what they’re doing here…”, hearing a little bit of the musical feel.

But the third time you listen to it, that new Evergrey CD changes your life!! You hear everything they are doing, catch the complex vibe, and fall in love with at least one song to start.

Then you begin to devour the entire CD slowly, as you listen to the songs more and more intently, following the lyrics, and being struck by how powerful ALL of the CD really is. Usually, all I listen to for the next 3 months is their latest CD. Period.

Evergrey’s albums are intense emotional, musical journeys that must be completely compartmentalized by the listener. By the time you are ready to move to another band recording, you have completely exhausted every single millimeter of the entire CD.

Like a fine wine. Evergrey is not LOVED on the first sip,
nor understood on the second,
but rather, AWAKENS YOUR ENTIRE SOUL on the third listen.


…my Broken Wings can’t take me, through the Dark of Day…
(Broken Wings-Evergrey-2008)