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Mecca - new melodic rock classic; Mecca - new melodic rock classic
Topic Started: Sep 27 2011, 10:11 AM (193 Views)
zeitgeist
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Six years in the making “Undeniable” is the culmination of hard work, blood, sweat and tears. Rewind to 2002: the Melodic Rock community is taken by storm by the debut album of a new band named Mecca. Formed by vocalist Joe Vana, he enlisted, among others, the services of former Toto members David Hungate (bass) and Fergie Frederiksen on vocals and close friend and former Survivor founding member Jim Peterik, who contributed masterfully to the songwriting and production of the album.

“Mecca” created a sonic treasure bringing the energy to drive diamond hard rockers and the finesse to create lush power ballads, all with the texture that, until now, only super-groups such as Journey, Toto or Foreigner could provide. Amazing press responses blessed the album’s release and Joe Vana soon started putting together plans for a follow up album.

Songwriting started in 2005 between Vana and Swedish guitarist Christian Wolff. In 2007 things really took a ground breaking turn with the songwriting masterpieces that Vana wrote with Swedish Producer/Song Writer/Guitarist Tommy Denander. According to Vana “The writing synergy between Tommy and I has been amazing, we think so much alike in terms of melody and space but sounds very different melodically than what we both have done separately, so it truly is a union of ideas...”. The musical direction soon showed that new heights in Melodic Rock music could be reached.

Several problems created bumps in the road, including the death of Vana's longtime friend and co-producer / engineer Bryan Mitchell which made the completion of the recording process extremely slow. Vana continued charging forward, enlisting the talents of session masters such as Pat Mastellotto (King Crimson, Mr Mister), Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, King Crimson), along with Denander and Wolff. His core band was also created around Rick Vitek on drums, Brian Moritz on keyboards, Wally Hustin on bass, Eric Ragno on keyboards, Mark Alano on guitar and Joe’s ace in the hole....his son Joey on guitars and backing vocals.

Fast forward to 2011. Mecca II “Undeniable” is finally completed and delivered. The results are breathtaking. An album which perfectly melts the outstanding High-Tech AOR approach of Mr. Mister’s “Welcome to the Real World” to the commercial sheer brilliance of Toto’s “The Seventh One”. Oh and... the good news is that Mecca III is underway!

If Mecca I was born to unveil the treasures of the Melodic Rock genre to the unsuspecting public, then Mecca II “Undeniable” sets in stone the gospel of this music with stunning arrangements and unbelievable melodies. Mecca is now here to stay....get converted to their music!!!

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Edited by zeitgeist, Sep 27 2011, 10:11 AM.
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