Two days working in the studio!

That's right--I am working on some new music!

On the first day, I was working on a bass track for Derek Close.  I hope it makes the upcoming Joshua's Creed album.  It is HEAVY!!!  He asked me to work on it months ago as he didn't have a 5 string bass.  I have had it for some time and just didn't have time to work on it after being at school 9 hours a day and attempting to pastor this small church.  So, now that fall break is upon us, I decided to knock it out first.

Today, I was reworking a song I had started a few months back called "Storytime In America".  It speaks of the spiritual condition of our nation which isn't great.  I changed the verse part to keep it from sounding so monotonous.  I redid the rhythm guitars and bass as I dropped my tuning a half step to make singing easier.  Hopefully, if I can't get the guys I play with sometimes to start performing it, then it will be a new Mission Of One song.  I would like to do a 5 or 6 song EP just to see how this goes either way.

I need to do something with all the lyrics I have written.  I have close to 40 pieces I have written!

Great news!

The new song of mine has kind of an Alice Cooper feel to it.  I hope I can develop it into a full band sound and can bring it to completion and a release.

I was texting with Derek and the bass track I did for him is a keeper.  I hope he can get it done for his next album.  If not, I hope he gets it on yet another album.  It was a lot of fun working on that and trying to learn more about recording on a computer.

The songs for the next album are almost complete so this new song will probably get released as a single after the album.

That is awesome news from both of you!

I was beginning to wonder if we would see another Big Chris or Mof1 album again.
Also stoked to get my hands on the second release from Joshua's Creed.

We're getting closer to finishing.  Unfortunately life is still getting in the way of what we want to do.

Andrew, Joaquin and I did a 3-way phone conversation yesterday.  It was the first time that any of us actually talked to each other live.  We had a good conversation about our faith, life and music.  They are really a couple of cool guys!

Xid wrote:

We're getting closer to finishing.  Unfortunately life is still getting in the way of what we want to do.

Andrew, Joaquin and I did a 3-way phone conversation yesterday.  It was the first time that any of us actually talked to each other live.  We had a good conversation about our faith, life and music.  They are really a couple of cool guys!

I am friends with Joaquin on Facebook.  I might have to get in touch with both of these guys for Mission of One.  I could use a solid lead player and definitely a vocalist.  However, I am trying to write my songs and then redo the music in a key better suited for me.  One of the things that people told me about "Show Me The Way" was that it had a Black Label Society vibe to it without sounding like a copy cat.  How can I grab that vibe again?  Lowering the tuning of my guitar and playing in keys that are easier for me to sing in a lower register since I am a baritone would help, I think!

A lot of bands tune a half step down to help the vocalist.  A lot of the grunge era bands played a whole step down.

Xid wrote:

A lot of bands tune a half step down to help the vocalist.  A lot of the grunge era bands played a whole step down.

I know that even some of the hair metal bands did it.  Tune standard and then try to play along with something from LA Guns.  It ain't happening!

I love it to read this very good musical news.
Go for it guys.

I completely redid one of the songs I am working on.  After listening to the Rose catalog and now some Black Label Society, I have decided that I need to embrace my baritone voice and make music where O am comfortable with my vocal range.  So, I dropped one song from A down to E.  The 2nd song I ha e started will drop from E down to D.  I am toying with other songs' arrangements and going lower with everything.  Hopefully, this will be a great fit.

alldatndensum wrote:

I completely redid one of the songs I am working on.  After listening to the Rose catalog and now some Black Label Society, I have decided that I need to embrace my baritone voice and make music where O am comfortable with my vocal range.  So, I dropped one song from A down to E.  The 2nd song I ha e started will drop from E down to D.  I am toying with other songs' arrangements and going lower with everything.  Hopefully, this will be a great fit.

Are these all new songs?

Staybrite wrote:

alldatndensum wrote:

I completely redid one of the songs I am working on.  After listening to the Rose catalog and now some Black Label Society, I have decided that I need to embrace my baritone voice and make music where O am comfortable with my vocal range.  So, I dropped one song from A down to E.  The 2nd song I ha e started will drop from E down to D.  I am toying with other songs' arrangements and going lower with everything.  Hopefully, this will be a great fit.

Are these all new songs?

They are.  I might redo a couple, but for now I am focusing on new songs.  I have lyrics written for around 40.  I kid you not.

alldatndensum wrote:

Staybrite wrote:

alldatndensum wrote:

I completely redid one of the songs I am working on.  After listening to the Rose catalog and now some Black Label Society, I have decided that I need to embrace my baritone voice and make music where O am comfortable with my vocal range.  So, I dropped one song from A down to E.  The 2nd song I ha e started will drop from E down to D.  I am toying with other songs' arrangements and going lower with everything.  Hopefully, this will be a great fit.

Are these all new songs?

They are.  I might redo a couple, but for now I am focusing on new songs.  I have lyrics written for around 40.  I kid you not.

Holy moly cow! 

I got the drums programmed for two more songs yesterday.  Today I laid down rhythm guitar tracks on one of those songs.  It is a heavy DOOM track.  It's got riffing.  It's got a little guitar harmony.  It's got slow arpeggios!  This is probably the most progressive I have ever been with writing a song as far as changes go.  It is called "Watch Your Mouth".

The next song is a heavy blues tune called "I'm Such A Fool".

Wow, 40 new songs.
That's awesome.
Does that mean we can expect a double CD with all new songs?

That heavy blues song sounds like I want to hear it.
I still like blues.

rockerVu2 wrote:

Wow, 40 new songs.
That's awesome.
Does that mean we can expect a double CD with all new songs?

That heavy blues song sounds like I want to hear it.
I still like blues.

All 40 songs at once?  No way!  I haven't decided whether I will do full length albums or focus on doing EPs for now and get them out little by little.  If I just did 10 at a time, I could do 4 new albums without writing any more lyrics.  But, I keep writing.

I would also like to redo both the "Take Another Swig" and "Show Me The Way" albums from the ground up.  On the first one, I would need to figure out some of the songs in lower keys to make them easier to sing.  I sadly used to write a riff, record the song, and then see if I could hit what I heard in my head.  The results weren't always great vocally.  I should have come up with the riff and then figure out where I could sing the song and shift everything to a different key.  That would have taken a bit more time, but the results would have worked better for me.  That is what I am doing with these songs now.  I am writing them and then reworking them to fit my voice.  So, if people tell me that there is a Randy Rose/Black Label Society/Danzig/KISS (Gene Simmons) vibe going on here, that's okay by me.  Those are the baritones in metal that have stood out to me that remind me that I don't have to be able to sing like a girl to do a metal recording.

I went back to work this week and haven't had a spare moment to work on anything.  This weekend isn't looking too good for that either.  Next week will be a beast, so it probably won't happen then.  I have election day off, so maybe I can get something done then.

I have a question for everyone.

While it will be a while before I am ready to release it anything, I have been thinking about my project name.

The Big Chris & D'Bare Bones Band was a blues project.  But, since it is still just me, would a metal project under this name fly?  Or, should I shorten it to just D'Bare Bones for this?

Or, even though my first few albums were less than stellar production, would you go back to using Mission Of One?  Do you think there would be any stigma with the name associated with my lower quality releases?

I would like your input on this, please.

If you use Big Chris for a metal project you'd have to spell it:  Byg Kris & D'Bare Bönz Band.

If you're going to go the D'Dare Bones route, you have to make it sound gross or sinister like:  Skinless Bones or Flesh Deboned  or Skeletal Solitude.  I think D'Bare Bones is a better suited album title.

I thought a lot of folks really like your Mo1 project and if the production is a lot better on this album, the Angelic Warlord review should assuage any misgivings.

I'd say go with the Mo1 name, as people know it's a more metal.  Also, if the production is a lot better and more buy the album, then some may wonder what the previous albums are like and that may make more sales for those.

I go for MO1 too.

Fundy wrote:

I'd say go with the Mo1 name, as people know it's a more metal.  Also, if the production is a lot better and more buy the album, then some may wonder what the previous albums are like and that may make more sales for those.

rockerVu2 wrote:

I go for MO1 too.

 I concur!!!

Here's a bit of what Mr. Dickens and I have done.  There aren't any vocals or lead guitar yet as there are other priorities that need to be completed first.

Xid wrote:

Here's a bit of what Mr. Dickens and I have done.  There aren't any vocals or lead guitar yet as there are other priorities that need to be completed first.

Oh wow that is seriously heavier than anything I remember from Mission of One.  Sounds super cool!