BILL MENCHEN news

Retroactive Records recently announced several new projects featuring guitarist Bill Menchen:

MENCHEN – An instrumental metal album – title to be announced – featuring Robert Sweet (STRYPER) on drums. Famed bassist Tony Franklin (WHITESNAKE, BLUE MURDER) will play on at least one track.

SEVENTH POWER – Also untitled, the second SEVENTH POWER album will continue in the OZZY/BLACK SABBATH direction while also including the drumming of Robert Sweet.

TITANIC – Wreckage is a compilation (best of) made up of tracks from the bands three full length albums in addition to rarities and two never before released songs.

TITANIC - Maiden Voyage (Special Addition) & TITANIC – Screaming In Silence (Special Addition). Re-mastered, remixed and repackaged, these long out of print classics will now feature Robert Sweet on all drum tracks.

FINAL AXE – Beyond Hell’s Gate (Special Edition) will come with new artwork in addition to being re-mastered and remixed. Robert Sweet now handles all drums. Bonus tracks as well.

Thanks for the info. Sounds good.

I got to get Heavy Laden I first, though .

I really like the newest Titanic. The rest of his stuff sounds extremely repetitive, it really lacks variety among songs.

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SEVENTH POWER – Also untitled, the second SEVENTH POWER album will continue in the OZZY/BLACK SABBATH direction while also including the drumming of Robert Sweet.

I'll definitely check this one out when it releases.

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TITANIC - Maiden Voyage (Special Addition) & TITANIC – Screaming In Silence (Special Addition). Re-mastered, remixed and repackaged, these long out of print classics will now feature Robert Sweet on all drum tracks.

FINAL AXE – Beyond Hell’s Gate (Special Edition) will come with new artwork in addition to being re-mastered and remixed. Robert Sweet now handles all drums. Bonus tracks as well.

Now comes the question: do I like these well enough to rebuy them just because Robert Sweet is going to be on them? The Final Axe I always thought would have been better received with some great drumming, and this could really make a good project great. I'm not sure about the two Titanics, though.

The second question that came to mind: are these projects the reason Robert isn't recording with Stryper?

Third question: how many more times will these be re-released?

Wow that is a lot of stuff, I thought he was taking a break from music for a while.

The only thing I am interested in from that list is the new Seventh Power.

alldatndensum wrote:

Third question: how many more times will these be re-released?

LOL. My thought exactly.

He and Robert must be really good friends. I'll be looking forward to the new SP.

My new rule is one version of each album that comes out. That's all I'm buying. Secular or Christian band. Remastered, remixed, whatever I don't care anymore. This trend has gotten totally ridiculous. I've already got Beyond Hell's Gate so that's the version I'll have.

I, for the most part, feel the same way, 7th. But, if the overall sound quality increases, I might get the new versions.

But, just to buy it for the sake of having the whole collection, I'm not doing. I don't care if you reissue a CD a year later with 2 bonus tracks and some video content. CCM is doing this constantly to lure people to buy the CD. Just put all the bonus features on there to start with if it really helps sales.

For the most part, the only reissues I am interested in are discs by artists that I cannot find at a reasonable price or I never heard the first time around.

I'm very happy with the Final Axe stuff I have now.
I don't need to have an other re-released album.

A new Seventh Power sounds interesting.

alldatndensum wrote:

I, for the most part, feel the same way, 7th. But, if the overall sound quality increases, I might get the new versions.

But, just to buy it for the sake of having the whole collection, I'm not doing. I don't care if you reissue a CD a year later with 2 bonus tracks and some video content. CCM is doing this constantly to lure people to buy the CD. Just put all the bonus features on there to start with if it really helps sales.

For the most part, the only reissues I am interested in are discs by artists that I cannot find at a reasonable price or I never heard the first time around.

Ditto, I agree 100%

The first Final Axe album would be sweet to have with better drum tracks. I don't know if there was a live drummer or a drum machine being used. The tracks are very basic with almost no fills. So, I will probably get this one just for this reason.

Freakin' Titanic, man...that new record from them sounds like it shoulda been the soundtrack to the Rock Star movie and that's a GREAT thing as far as I'm concerned.

Seventh Power is cool, but Bill's vocals always make every song sound like it's the same song. He's such a great music writer...wish he'd get himself a permanent singer who also is a talented lyricist.

Matt Hunt told me that Retroactive will also be giving those Redeemer and Rev Seven releases their proper due...the drum machines will be replaced with the always killer work of Mr Sweet and they will be properly manufactured as well (as opposed to nice looking short run CDRs). Hopefully that happens some time in '08.

later...Cliffy

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Matt Hunt told me that Retroactive will also be giving those Redeemer and Rev Seven releases their proper due...the drum machines will be replaced with the always killer work of Mr Sweet and they will be properly manufactured as well (as opposed to nice looking short run CDRs). Hopefully that happens some time in '08.

They should have done that to start with. Matt should have known better than to release something substandard if he had the ability to do it better. This just makes it look like he's on a cash grab. I'm not rebuying the Redeemer or Rev Seven discs no matter how shiney & pretty he makes them look. Apparently those short run CD-Rs must have sold well enough to warrant a bigger budget release.

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Seventh Power is cool, but Bill's vocals always make every song sound like it's the same song. He's such a great music writer...wish he'd get himself a permanent singer who also is a talented lyricist.

Bill can do a lot better. If you ever got to hear the original Rev Seven tapes, you will hear Bill doing a great Ozzy impression. I'm sure it's his natural voice, but he did an awesome job. But, he comes off very dry and almost monotone in his delivery nowadays. So, you are right that he needs a different singer. Maybe he and David Benson could hook up.

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Freakin' Titanic, man...that new record from them sounds like it shoulda been the soundtrack to the Rock Star movie and that's a GREAT thing as far as I'm concerned.

Freakin' CD of the year!!! So far, ain't nothin' stacking up to that disc in my opinion.

alldatndensum wrote:

They should have done that to start with. Matt should have known better than to release something substandard if he had the ability to do it better. This just makes it look like he's on a cash grab. I'm not rebuying the Redeemer or Rev Seven discs no matter how shiney & pretty he makes them look. Apparently those short run CD-Rs must have sold well enough to warrant a bigger budget release.

Actually, those short run cdrs were an idea for a different label born from a discussion he had with a friend of his. It was his friend's label and Matt was just helping him. The friend in question lost the desire to do it after a few months and Matt likes the albums enough to make sure they get their proper due...that's it. There's no cash grab or anything like that...at least it doesn't seem that way to me from the conversations I've had with him about it.

later...Cliffy

So does that mean there won't be anymore Watergraves Records releases?