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Album Details
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· Produced By: Mark Boals &
· Ring Of Fire
· Running Time: 68.44
· Release Date: September 20
· Released: EU
· Genre: Symphonic Hard Rock
· WebLink:
· LabelLink: Frontiers
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Artist Bio
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Ring Of Fire's story begins in the year 2000. Having completed a successful mini-tour with Yngwie Malmsteen in late 1999 on the heels of the 'Alchemy' album, vocalist Mark Boals set about creating his second solo album, a collection of songs very neo-classical in their nature.
When deciding on a line-up for the album, Tony MacAlpine came highly recommended and Tony in turn recommended Virgil Donati (Planet X) on drums. The impressive line-up was completed by classically-trained Artension keyboardist Vitalij Kuprij, with Boals and MacAlpine splitting bass duties between them.
Combining melodic metal songs with fantasy-based lyrics, topped off with virtuoso performances from the line-up, the resulting album “RING OF FIRE” proved to be exactly what many neoclassical-metal fans had waited for.
Despite having recorded another album with Malmsteen (“War To End All Wars”) just prior to the ROF sessions, as fate would have it, Boals did not participate in Malmsteen's initial "War" tour. Instead, Boals, Donati and Kuprij agreed to make their project more ongoing, with the aim of taking the band on the road. Tony MacAlpine was unable to commit at the time but remained on good terms with the other musicians. With Shrapnel Records shredder George Bellas filling the guitar spot and ex-Rising Force bassist Barry Dunaway coming on board, RING OF FIRE the band was born, being announced on November 16, 2000.
The band commenced work on their 'debut' album during the first few months of 2001, though Dunaway's tenure was over before it began. He was replaced by Steve Vai's bassist Philip Bynoe. With the line-up confirmed, the band went about recording the album 'The Oracle': a melodic metal tour de force, combining superb musicianship with imaginative songwriting and progressive neo-classical concepts.
While the band prepared for their February 2002 tour of Japan, it became clear that guitarist Bellas would not be able to satisfy the requirements of being in the band. With the tour looming, a quick call from Mark Boals was all it took to welcome back Tony MacAlpine, to the delight of both band and fans alike.
Members of Ring Of Fire started to become absorbed in the whirlwind recording sessions of their second studio effort during the late summer 2002: "Dreamtower". Vitalij Kuprij did not fly to LA to be with the band for the recording, choosing to make his contributions from his home in Philadelphia. He left the group shortly after, being replaced by Steve Weingart a classically trained, well known musician from the LA area.
In the meanwhile the band released the live cd / DVD “Burning Live In Tokyo” which served as the perfect legacy of the band's live abilities.
“Lapse Of Reality” is the band's third studio album and marks Ring Of Fire at it's creative peak, building on the band's sound with fantastic songwriting contributions from Virgil Donati, Mark Boals and Tony MacAlpine and stellar performances by all.
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