TC Electronic Announces JOHN PETRUCCI Signature Pedal

Long-time TC guitar effects user John Petrucci (DREAM THEATER) has joined forces with TC Electronic, taking their collaboration to a whole new level.

Petrucci was one of the first artists to join TC's revolutionary TonePrint concept. In total, John created five personal TonePrints in early 2011 — two for Corona Chorus, two for Shaker Vibrato and one for the Vortex Flanger. John loved having access to all effect parameters so much that he instantly agreed to develop a signature pedal together with TC — one that was based on his own TonePrints. And so The Dreamscape was born.

John wanted to gather all of his TonePrints into a single pedal even though
his original TonePrints are for three different pedals in the series.
Therefore, his new signature pedal contains no less than three
mind-blowing modulation effects that have been painstakingly tailored
with an eye on even the tiniest detail by the master himself. To take
this pedal over the top, John even created a brand new TonePrint
for Vortex Flanger taking the total amount of custom-tweaked tones up to six — 2 x chorus, 2 x flanger and 2 x Vibrato.

Further, there is a TonePrint setting for uploading or beaming other TonePrints to the pedal. In short, for all John Petrucci and DREAM THEATER fans, this pedal is a must-have, and for anybody else, it is a clever
way of getting three top-notch modulation effects in a compact pedal
that will only take up a minimum of real estate on their pedal boards.

The
Dreamscape has four knobs: Speed, Depth, FX Level and one that chooses
between the six integrated signature tones and one additional TonePrint.
Further, the pedal has a three-way switch for toggling between Bright,
Normal and Dark, which is an overall tonal shaping feature chosen by Petrucci. Finally, The Dreamscape also contains all of the great features
included in other TonePrint pedals such as true bypass,
one-screw-battery-access and a sturdy design made for life on the road.

John Petrucci will be visiting three Guitar Center stores in Manhattan (March 30), Central Chicago (March 31) and San
Francisco (April 1), introducing The Dreamscape. These in-store
appearances will give musicians the opportunity to hear Petrucci unlock
the power of The Dreamscape, take a photo and also get The Dreamscape
signed by Petrucci.

The Dreamscape is exclusively available at Guitar Center in the U.S., and can be pre-ordered at GuitarCenter.com in early February. and will also be available in the three stores mentioned above on March 16.

For die-hard Petrucci fans, picking up The Dreamscape online or at one of these exclusive Guitar Center locations ahead of time or online, is a must as Petrucci will only be signing The Dreamscape at these in-store appearances. In Canada, Long & McQuade will be the exclusive dealer for The Dreamscape. In the rest of the world, Dreamscape will be available February 2012.

The Dreamscape Main Features

* Six Signature Tones Tailored by John Petrucci
* One Brand New Flanger TonePrint
* Three Mind-blowing Modulation Effects in One Pedal: Chorus, Flanger and Vibrato
* Corona Chorus TonePrints Are Available as The Dreamscape TonePrints

Grammy nominees MASTODON have announced that they will hit the road for a spring North American tour in support of their current album "The Hunter", which was released by Reprise Records in September. The tour kicks off on April 4 in Portland, Maine, and
visits more than 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada before wrapping up
with a hometown show at Atlanta's Masquerade Music Park on May 12. These shows will feature an amazing night of powerful music featuring a dream bill with Swedish metal band OPETH as co-headliners, with special guest GHOST providing support on all dates. Collectively MASTODON has stated: "We're excited to co-headline this tour with OPETH for whom we have great respect and admiration. Having GHOST along as well will make this tour a special event." Tickets go on sale February 3 and February 4. There will be a fan presale scheduled to
begin at 3 p.m. local venue time on Wednesday, February 1 available only at MastodonRocks.com.

Tour dates as follows:

(M) Indicates MASTODON closes the show
(O) Indicates OPETH closes the show

Apr. 04 - Portland, ME - State Theater (M)
Apr. 05 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theater (O)
Apr. 06 - Montreal, QC - Metropolis (O)
Apr. 07 - Toronto, ON - Sony Centre (O)
Apr. 09 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory(M)
Apr. 10 - Wallingford, CT - The Dome (M)
Apr. 11 - New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom (M)
Apr. 13 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre(M)
Apr. 14 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Intersection (M)
Apr. 15 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE (M)
Apr. 16 - Knoxville, TN - TN Theater (O)
Apr. 18 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom (M)
Apr. 19 - Dallas, TX - Palladium Ballroom (O)
Apr. 20 - San Antonio, TX - Back Stage Live (O)
Apr. 21 - Corpus Christi, TX - Concrete Street (O)
Apr. 23 - Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium (O)
Apr. 25 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues (M)
Apr. 26 - Los Angeles, CA - Gibson Amphitheatre (O)
Apr. 27 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theatre (O)
Apr. 28 - Reno, NV - Grand Sierra Resort (M)
Apr. 30 - Seattle, WA - The Paramount (O)
May 01 - Vancouver, BC - Orpheum Theatre (O)
May 03 - Edmonton, AB - Edmonton Events Center (O)
May 04 - Calgary, AB - MacEwan Hall (M)
May 05 - Saskatoon, SK - The Odeon (O)
May 06 - Winnipeg, MB - Burton Cummings Theatre (O)
May 09 - Washington, DC - The Fillmore (O)
May 10 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore (M)
May 11 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues (M)
May 12 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade Music Park (M)

MASTODON is among the nominees for the 54th annual Grammy Awards, which will be held on Sunday, February 12, 2012 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The band's Grammy nomination is for "Curl Of The Burl", the first single from MASTODON's new album, "The Hunter".

MASTODON received its first Grammy nomination in 2006 for the single "Colony Of Birchmen", from the band's Reprise Records debut album, "Blood Mountain".

OPETH's new album, "Heritage", sold 19,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's
previous studio CD, 2008's "Watershed", opened with more than 19,000 units to land at No. 23.

"Watershed" was the follow-up to the band's acclaimed "Ghost Reveries" CD, which debuted at No. 64 on the Billboard chart back in September 2005 with first-week sales of just under 15,000.

OPETH's 2003 album, "Damnation", premiered with a little over 5,000 copies.

Guitar Icon Signs SIgnature Deal with Guitar Apprentice - Becomes Company's Inaugural Artist

GUITAR ICON ZAKK WYLDE SIGNS AN EXCLUSIVE ARTIST DEAL WITH GUITAR APPRENTICE FROM LEGACY LEARNING

THE BLACK LABEL SOCIETY FRONTMAN BECOMES INAUGURAL SIGNATURE ARTIST FOR COMPANY

Nashville, Tennessee

Zakk Wylde, the legendary rock icon and Black Label Society frontman has signed an official endorsement deal with Guitar Apprentice produced by Legacy Learning Systems in Nashville. The signing marks the first official signature artist for the company and the critically acclaimed instructional product.

As Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist for more than twenty years and founder of the heavy metal band Black Label Society, Wylde has gone on to become one of the greatest guitarists of our time and an iconic talent in the world of rock-n-roll. He has released seven successful studio albums which have sold millions. His legions of fans from around the world are amongst the most loyal in the business and his masterful talents on both the guitar and the piano are a true testament to his success.

Guitar Apprentice takes a hit guitar song and breaks it down into 15 different levels of playing. The user is playing great guitar songs with a full band, supplying only a chord or two at first. The user can then work on songs at any desired speed and when it is completed is playing 100% of the song – including solos. At every level Guitar Apprentice shows the user visually, exactly what and when to play at the pace he or she desires. Guitar Apprentice which includes Rock Hits, the British Invasion, Rock Roots and Country are available in Guitar Center locations nationwide and is distributed by Hal Leonard Corp.

In 2012, the Zakk Wylde Guitar Apprentice edition will be available and will undoubtedly include some of the greatest original music from the guitar genius. Fans of Zakk Wylde will have the opportunity to use their own guitar to play with Zakk Wylde in this first inaugural signature product from the company.

“We could not be happier to be able to announce this great new partnership with such a legendary guitarist as Zakk Wylde during the NAMM Convention this week,” said Gabriel Smith, founder and CEO of Legacy Learning Systems. “What kid doesn’t want to grow up to play like Zakk Wylde?” We are thrilled he is our inaugural signature artist for the company.

ABOUT LEGACY LEARNING SYSTEMS:Legacy Learning Systems is known for producing instructional multimedia training courses and apps with a mission to bring personal dreams and talents within reach while maintaining a fun and exciting learning experience based on personal interaction, new technologies, steadfast techniques and engaging instructors. In addition to Guitar Apprentice, Legacy Learning Systems also produces the popular Gibson Learn & Master Guitar Lessons series as well as Learn & Master Photography and others. For more information go to www.learnandmaster.com

ABOUT ZAKK WYLDE:
In the two decades since Ozzy Osbourne hired him away from his job at a New Jersey gas station, Zakk Wylde has established himself as a guitar icon known and revered the world over. Wylde has won every guitar award imaginable, graced countless magazine covers and is a major influence to a new battalion of rock guitarists. Writing and recording with Osbourne led to multi-platinum success, inspiring him to create the new iconic Black Label Society in 1998. In the decade plus since, BLS has turned the notion of what a rock band should be upside down by inspiring legions of fans (known as Berserkers) all over the world to follow the mantra: Strength, Determination, Merciless, Forever (SDMF for short). Wylde and his Berserkers have established a heavy metal institution true to the vision of uncompromising, unfiltered and unrestrained rock ‘n’ roll. To date, Black Label Society has sold millions of albums worldwide and continues to be a massive presence on the worldwide touring and merchandising circuits. Black Label Society’s ORDER OF THE BLACK (eOne Music), was released in August 2010 and debuted at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart. For more information please visit www.blacklabelsociety.com or www.zakkwylde.com

Longtime RUSH Photographer Dies

Longtime RUSH friend and photographer Andrew MacNaughtan died of a heart attack while on assignment with the band in Los Angeles.

In a statement, the members of the group said, "We're deeply shocked and
heartbroken to learn of the sudden passing of our close friend and
longtime photographer, Andrew MacNaughtan. He was a sweet person and a very talented artist. Words cannot describe how much he will be missed."

MacNaughtan, a four-time Juno Award winner (for RUSH, OUR LADY PEACE, Tom Cochrane and Jann Arden), had worked with RUSH as a photographer and videographer since the 1980s.

MacNaughtan travelled to Tanzania and Kenya in November 2010 with the purpose of
capturing the spirit and beauty of the landscapes, wildlife and people to raise funds for the prevention, care and advocacy of children in HIV/AIDS-affected regions. The idea to use these photographs in a book was taken a step further when MacNaughtan enlisted the help of friends in the recording industry to lend poetic voice to the images. More than 30 artists including Celine Dion, Michael Bublé, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, Bryan Adams, Annie Lennox, Daniel Lanois, Hedley, Bruce Cockburn, Fefe Dobson, Ed Robertson, Jann Arden, Serena Ryder, Lights, Nikki Yanofsky and Tom Cochrane, to name a few, graciously provided commentary to photos that inspired them.

Through ArtGivesHope, a charity founded by MacNaughtan in 2006, the sales of the limited edition images and book support World Vision's Hope Program.

To see a sampling of the photographs, visit http://artgiveshope.ca
SOURCE: RNR

ARCH/MATHEOS Announces Only U.S. Show

ARCH/MATHEOS — the new progressive rock band featuring FATES WARNING/OSI guitarist Jim Matheos and former FATES WARNING singer John Arch — will play its only U.S. show on May 5 at the Webster Theater in Hartford, Connecticut.

ARCH/MATHEOS last year filmed a video for the song "Midnight Serenade" with director David Brodsky of MyGoodEye (DEVIN TOWNSEND, HELMET, IN THIS MOMENT). The track comes off the group's debut album, "Sympathetic Resonance", which sold around 1,800 copies in the United States in its first week
of release. The CD landed at No. 13 on the Top New Artist Albums
(Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and
developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top
100 of The Billboard 200.

"Sympathetic Resonance" entered the official chart in Germany at No. 27, in Austria at No. 67, and in Switzerland at No. 78.

The cover art for "Sympathetic Resonance" was fashioned using an image created by light painting photographer Dennis Calvert, who has described light painting as "The ability to see in four
dimensions, time traveling, and creating fantasy using only what we base all reality on, light."

Released on September 13, 2011 via Metal Blade Records, "Sympathetic Resonance" features the following track listing:

01. Neurotically Wired
02. Midnight Serenade
03. Stained Glass Sky
04. On the Fence
05. Any Given Day (Strangers Like Me)
06. Incense and Myrrh

ARCH/MATHEOS features an all-star lineup, including the talents of Joey Vera (ARMORED SAINT, ANTHRAX, FATES WARNING, SEVEN WITCHES) on bass, Bobby Jarzombek (HALFORD, FATES WARNING, SEBASTIAN BACH, RIOT) on drums, and Frank Aresti (FATES WARNING) on additional lead guitar.

Comments Matheos: "I think John and I work really well together. There's a lot of mutual respect and
trust in what we do. But we're also both very critical of ourselves, and each other. This can make for a long and sometimes tedious process. But ultimately it's one I enjoy because I think it brings out the best in
both of us."

ARCH/MATHEOS recording lineup:

* John Arch (FATES WARNING) - Vocals
* Jim Matheos (FATES WARNING, OSI) - Guitar
* Joey Vera (ARMORED SAINT, ANTHRAX, FATES WARNING, SEVEN WITCHES) - Bass
* Bobby Jarzombek (HALFORD, FATES WARNING, SEBASTIAN BACH, RIOT) - Drums
* Frank Aresti (FATES WARNING) - Additional Lead Guitar

JANUARY NEWS BYTES

• After Gavin's Harrison guest appearance on Paul Cusick's gem P'dice, he's now banging the chopsticks on the the new OSI album. http://www.youtube.com/watchv=R6kZV_XyUDY&feature=youtu.be

LANA LANE To Release "El Dorado Hotel"

After a four-year break since her last album, Lana Lane is back with her most powerful release to date, "El Dorado Hotel." The veteran symphonic rock diva delivers a 10-song tour-de-force of finely crafted original tracks in an audiophile production by husband/keyboardist, Erik Norlander. "El Dorado Hotel" hosts Lane's usual broad spectrum of musical styles and genres with a cohesiveness that fans of the artist will recognize instantly.

The musicians of "El Dorado Hotel" are a top-notch group of artists including both new and familiar faces. Lane says about the musicians, "Both Freddy DeMarco and Mark Matthews did some fantastic work on Erik’s solo project, “The Galactic Collective”. I then had the opportunity to play with them both during some live appearances in 2011 when I sang with the band. After having played with the guys and getting to know them, I knew that I wanted them to be a part of this project as well. Then for John Payne, Jay Schellen, Guthrie Govan and Bruce Bouillet (ex-Racer X), as you know, Erik has been playing with John Payne for about 5 years now. When the original 1982 lineup of ASIA reformed a few years back, John Payne formed his own separate band to continue all the work that he had done with ASIA during his 14-year run and many albums with them. So John and Erik tour as “ ASIA Featuring John Payne,” and they have probably played over a hundred shows together. Jay is the drummer in the band, and both Guthrie and Bruce have been the guitarists. Bruce is working with them currently. I of course go to a lot of their shows and have become friends with all of them. It is a great group of people, and they are all very talented musicians. Since we see them so much and Erik plays with them constantly, it was only natural to work with them on this album. And then finally for Mark McCrite, Neil Citron and Don Schiff, all three of them have been on so many Lana Lane albums going all the back to my very first album in 1995. It’s great to continue working with them through all these years."