(RockAndMetal.com) (08/16/04)

Edited By Michael Bennett

WOODLAND HILLS, CA, USA - Melodic Rockers HEAVEN & EARTH are currently in the studio with producer Dave Jenkins recording their third album, "Screaming For Redemption," which will be released on their own Black Star Records label later this year.

Featuring guitarist Stuart Smith, vocalist Paul Shortino and drummer Richie Onori, Heaven & Earth took a break from recording last month to play to a crowd of more than 40,000 people at The Warner Center in Woodland Hills, CA on July 4th.

The band was later joined on stage that day by friends Howard Leese (Heart/Paul Rodgers) and Kelly Hansen (Hurricane) for the finale.

To commemorate that performance, Heaven & Earth have released the limited edition EP, "A Taste Of Heaven."

Featuring 4 new songs with vocalist Shortino and 4 songs from the first CD with vocal performances by Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi), Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple) and Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow), "A Taste Of Heaven" is available from www.stuartsmith.com.

A new Heaven & Earth website is also currently under construction for the band, and will be up shortly.

Heaven & Earth were formed in 1996 by British guitarist Stuart Smith after being offered a record deal by Samsung to record a solo album.

That album, entitled "Stuart Smith's Heaven & Earth," featured some of Rock's top vocalists, hailed with positive reviews and considered now to be somewhat of a Classic Rock mainstay.

The CD has also become a much sought after item among collectors and rock fans throughout Europe and Asia.

After that first release, Stuart was offered a second deal by European label Frontiers Records, known for signing some of Europe's top Rock 'N' Roll acts.

By that time, Stuart had already made the decision to put together a more cohesive band line-up, enlisting the help of drummer Richie Onori, who had already played on the first release.

Onori, a well known and respected drummer, has played with such Rock icons as Rick Derringer, Louis Johnson and Bobby Kimball (Toto), and also played with Stuart in the group Aliens Of Extraordinary Ability with keyboardist Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Stuart and Richie made the decision to go with guitarist/producer Howard Leese from Heart to produce the second Heaven & Earth album, entitled "Windows To The World," which was released in 2001 on Frontiers Records.

Once again, that Heaven & Earth release received rave reviews, solidifying the band with a fan base growing ever larger throughout the world.

In support of the release, the group toured worldwide and was received by large, enthusiastic crowds wherever they played.

Heaven & Earth are now back hard at work with Grammy/Emmy Award winning producer Dave Jenkins on the upcoming "Screaming For Redemption," which is being recorded at the band's own Wine Cellar Studios in Woodland Hills.

The latest incarnation of Heaven & Earth enlists veteran Hard Rock vocalist Paul Shortino, best known for his work with the bands Rough Cutt and Quiet Riot.

A true vocal master in the tradition of Paul Rodgers and Robert Plant, Shortino is still original and unique in his own sultry blues vocal style.

With Heaven & Earth's strong European and Asian following and popularity now firmly established, the band's sights are now set on breaking into the U.S. market and achieving that same level of success.

Black Star Records, with a distribution deal in place and its forthcoming release of "Screaming for Redemption," has also acquired the rights to the first Heaven & Earth album, with a U.S. release date slated for the near future.

In a musical environment dominated by corporate thinking, Heaven & Earth have stuck to their guns and continue to blaze their own trail believing that there will always be a demand for quality Melodic Rock music.

Copyright 2003-2008 Internet Music Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

---

[Top]