Simon McBride

Photo by Jim Rakete

Legendary hard rock band Deep Purple is set to release their latest studio album, “=1.” This album marks the first studio effort featuring guitarist Simon McBride, who has joined the band following the departure of Steve Morse. Deep Purple has had an illustrious history of iconic guitarists, starting with the great Ritchie Blackmore, followed by Tommy Bolin, a temporary touring stint by Joe Satriani, and then Steve Morse. The addition of Simon McBride brings fresh anticipation and excitement for “=1.”
Ahead of the album’s release, music videos for “Portable Door” and “Pictures of You” have been unveiled. These tracks showcase Simon McBride’s unique guitar work, which not only retains the classic Deep Purple essence but also highlights his original style through precise backing guitar and emotionally charged, clever guitar solos.
We spoke with Simon McBride about his musical background, his encounter with Deep Purple, and the creation of their latest studio album, “=1.”

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Guthrie Govan

Photo by Jon Luini

Guthrie Govan (guitar), Bryan Beller (bass), and Marco Minnemann (drums) form the powerhouse trio known as THE ARISTOCRATS. Their latest concept album, “DUCK,” features a narrative centered around a duck protagonist. Interestingly, the story was not created first. Instead, each member composed three tracks independently, and these nine tracks were then woven into a cohesive nine-chapter tale.

With their deep knowledge of various music genres and exceptional technical skills, THE ARISTOCRATS create music that paints vivid, cinematic scenes. Their latest work stimulates the listener’s imagination and draws them deeply into the story. We had the opportunity to speak with Guthrie Govan about THE ARISTOCRATS’ new album “DUCK,” as well as his involvement in Hans Zimmer’s projects.

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TODAY WAS YESTERDAY

Angelo Barbera and Ty Dennis, who once shared the stage as band members of The Doors of the 21st Century, have formed the music unit TODAY WAS YESTERDAY and released their self-titled debut album, “TODAY WAS YESTERDAY.” The album features ten tracks, including six songs with Alex Lifeson of Rush, a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, and one track with Robby Krieger of The Doors as guest guitarists. In this album, they elevate their unique sound by drawing influence from the artistic, beautifully nuanced music of Japan, Genesis, and Tears for Fears, as well as the experimental sounds of Led Zeppelin and Rush. Meanwhile, they successfully merge complexity with an accessible catchiness.

We sat down with Angelo Barbera [vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards] and Ty Dennis [drums, percussion, programming] to discuss the formation of their unit and their debut album “TODAY WAS YESTERDAY.”

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Keith Scott

Photo ©Keith Scott

Bryan Adams’s live album ‘LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL’, recorded at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 2022, has been released. This work features live performances of every track from three studio albums: ‘CUTS LIKE A KNIFE’, ‘INTO THE FIRE’, and ‘WAKING UP THE NEIGHBOURS’, both audio and video recordings are included. In this live work, Bryan’s numerous classic songs still radiate power and brilliance without fading, and the wonderful and solid combination of Bryan and his close friend, guitarist Keith Scott, is proven to be intact. Keith Scott, a guitar master who beautifully accentuates Bryan’s music with his soulful guitar playing, speaks about their brand new album with Muse on Muse.

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Francis Dunnery

Many rock guitarists notice the blues as the root and foundation of their playing style. Francis Dunnery has released a genuine blues album, “THE BLUES OF TOMBSTONE DUNNERY,” that tackles this music head-on, expressing its full range of emotions and striking directly at the listener’s heart. Francis Dunnery, who shone as a guitarist and singer in the progressive rock band IT BITES during the 80s, continued to create a multitude of artistic works that added further brilliance to his creativity as a musician after leaving the band. Starting in 2023, he also reignited under the name IT BITES FD, releasing the live work “Live From The Black Country.” We asked Francis Dunnery himself about his latest blues album “THE BLUES OF TOMBSTONE DUNNERY” and his and his upcoming plans.

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Carl Verheyen

Carl Verheyen’s latest album, “RIVERBOAT SKY,” has been released. His authentic guitar tones, brought to life by his genuine guitar playing, are truly the marks of a master. Of the eight tracks on this album, seven feature vocals, with the remaining track, “APRIL SURPRISE,” being purely instrumental. The core group consists of Carl’s familiar tour band: John Mader on drums, Dave Marotta on bass, and Troy Dexter on keys. Additionally, they’re joined by Jim Cox on keyboards, Chad Wackerman on drums, and Alex Acuna on percussion. Notably, the title track “RIVERBOAT SKY” features a vocal duet between Carl and Sophia James, who is known from the U.S. audition show, American Idol.

With such a strong lineup, this album showcases Carl’s distinctive and comforting vocals and masterful guitar play. Beyond that, it’s enriched with spontaneous improvisations from all the instruments. It’s a well-balanced work that will appeal to fans who love vocal tracks, as well as those who prefer instrumental numbers.

We had a chance to chat with Carl about his latest album, “RIVERBOAT SKY.”

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Michael Thompson

© Lindsey M. Thompson

Michael Thompson, a well-known session guitarist, boasts an impressive resume packed with collaborations alongside top artists like Celine Dion and Mariah Carey, both in the studio and on tour. Not only has he lent his six-string mastery to movie soundtracks, but he has also graced the world with his solo projects, including the critically acclaimed albums ‘The World According To M.T.’ and ‘M.T. Speaks’. These records serve as a testament to Thompson’s artistry, showcasing his astute and ingenious guitar prowess.

Not content with solely pursuing solo endeavors, Thompson has also steered the ship of Michael Thompson Band, delivering three studio albums and a captivating live album. Now, their highly anticipated release, ‘The Love Goes On’, which is just released. This musical offering features the exceptional vocal talents of Moon Calhoun, promising a harmonious blend of their respective strengths.

‘The Love Goes On’ is more than a treat for guitar aficionados; it aims to captivate a diverse audience of music lovers who revel in the sonic landscapes of AOR/Rock. With this album, Michael Thompson and his band are poised to transcend boundaries and make a resonating impact on the music scene.

We had a chat with Michael Thompson himself about the brand new piece “The Love Goes On”

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Martin Miller

Martin Miller, a musician hailing from Germany, has gained a dedicated fanbase worldwide through his online guitar lessons, guitar resources, and his YouTube channel which holds over 700,000 subscribers and more than 120 million views. On his channel, he performs high-quality covers of classic hits from the 70s to 90s alongside the Martin Miller Session Band.
In 2013, Martin released an instrumental album focused on guitar called “The Other End”. Then He released his latest album “Maze of My Mind”, where he not only showcases his guitar skills but also takes on the role of a vocalist. The album, brimming with catchy song melodies and high-level technicality, exhibits a progressive heavy rock genre coloured by sophisticated feeling and sensibility in his guitar work. It doesn’t just flaunt Martin’s charm as a guitarist, but also his overall musical sense as a vocalist, composer, and arranger.
We had a chance to speak with Martin about his latest work, “Maze of My Mind”.

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Mike Keneally

Photo by Martin Mann

The multi-instrumentalist Mike Keneally is known as the guitarist for the late Frank Zappa band, his solo works, contribution for legends like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Devin Townsend and numerous others.
There are quite few multi role players who can sing, play guitar, keyboards, write and produce songs. But not many have exceptional skills to play for legendary artists like Frank Zappa band. Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. Mike also is a true magician about composing supreme melodies and took listeners to his own musical planet.
Mike recently released his brand new album “The Thing That Knowledge Can’t Eat”. The album consists of 9 songs and lasts only 42minutes so it is not the most lengthy album he has ever done but they are not average guitar songs, there are full of ideas, characters and pure musical niceness.
We had a chat with Mike Kenearlly himself about his brand new piece “The Thing That Knowledge Can’t Eat”

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Steve Stevens

The brand-new EP of Billy Idle “THE CAGE” has been released. Billy’s longtime collaborator Steve Stevens hugely contributed to this record as guitarist and co-songwritter. Steve proved his ability as a Rock guitarist and his developed music taste. He still strongly has an aura which he built up through his career working with many top artists including Michael Jackson.
Steve’s guitar is famous for bigtunes with Billy like “Rebel Yell” and “White Wedding (part 1)” which both milestones in Rock guitar history. No need to mention that he contributed his beautiful and aggressive guitar to “Top Gun Anthem” which is the theme song for the classic film “Top Gun” in 1986. We can watch countless video which young guitarists cover Steve’s tunes on YouTube.
As a solo artist, Steve Stevens has released a Hard-Rock piece “Steve Stevens Atomic Play Boys”, Flamenco guitar project “FLAMENCO.A.GO.GO” and the great Rock guitar instrumental album “Memory Crash”. Those albums speak to all music lovers how Steve is an expert of songwriting, arrangement, production and of course musician.
Muse On Muse had a chat with Steve himself about Billy Idol’s new EP “The Cage”, “Top Gun Anthem” and DynlR product “the Steve Stevens Platinum Collection” on Two Notes.

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