phoenix 23

Goodbye Today Hello Tomorrow

Phoenix 23

Phoenix 23 was an enjoyable experience for me & an important one...I really grew as a guitarist during this time, and I'm really proud of this EP. This was recorded completely live at the Queen's Film Theatre (QFT) in Belfast, plus we videoed the whole experience & it turned out great. We'd gigged extensively by this point (2015) & I

Phoenix 23 was an enjoyable experience for me & an important one...I really grew as a guitarist during this time, and I'm really proud of this EP. This was recorded completely live at the Queen's Film Theatre (QFT) in Belfast, plus we videoed the whole experience & it turned out great. We'd gigged extensively by this point (2015) & I think that really shows.

I'd been involved with Phoenix 23 since 2010. The band included my cousins Gav Campbell, Neil Donnelly & Glenn Donnelly...they had actually already recorded their debut album in California with Carl Verheyen of Supertramp, who mentored them & played lead. Subsequently, they needed a lead guitarist to play gigs back home here in the UK, so after Thrones Of Roll had disbanded they asked if I'd like to step in. I accepted the challenge & soon realised I needed to approach this from such a different angle...I wasn't a songwriter in this band, or the producer, as I had been in Thrones Of Roll...nor was I a player of the calibre of Carl Verheyen - he's one of the top players out there...so I studied the songs, identified the hooks & licks that needed kept..and then did my own thing around that. I switched to Strat too as it just suited this band far more...and I think it worked! I felt really comfortable in this band, my cousins are such fun, and being exclusively the lead guitarist allowed me to focus on just that...and I definitely grew as a player.

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    Goodbye Today Hello Tomorrow 3:24
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    Lonely 3:44
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    How Very Amusing 3:27
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    Hit The Ground Running 2:55
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    White Room 5:24
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Master distiller

Beast Within

Master Distiller

A heavy yet melodic tour de force! This was a side-project I worked on with my cousin Gav Campbell, and with producer Russell Matbouli at the helm I think the results are superb. It's got a slight System Of A Down vibe to it sonically, but song wise it's more straight ahead. Beast Within is a dark brooding track...and Gav really knocked it out the

A heavy yet melodic tour de force! This was a side-project I worked on with my cousin Gav Campbell, and with producer Russell Matbouli at the helm I think the results are superb. It's got a slight System Of A Down vibe to it sonically, but song wise it's more straight ahead. Beast Within is a dark brooding track...and Gav really knocked it out the park both vocally & lyrically. Seconds To Live has this groove to it & a huge chorus, and Six Shot Serenade is a track which I think surprised us both - for some reason we went Spaghetti Western! I played all the instruments & the vocals/lyrics were all Gav's department - it was great to connect with someone on that songwriting level where there was just the two of you, so I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience & the music really stands up.

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    Beast Within 4:15
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    Seconds to Live 3:55
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    Six Shot Serenade 5:59
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    Whiskey Bottle Blues 5:16
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THRONES OF ROLL

Time After Time

Thrones Of Roll

Time After Time was the first album I ever made & still to this day feels special. I formed Thrones Of Roll with vocalist Shane McCaul & all we had was a belief that we could make an album, just the two of us, and the rest would follow...Have to say I think the songs have really stood the test of time & it's a really strong yet varied

Time After Time was the first album I ever made & still to this day feels special. I formed Thrones Of Roll with vocalist Shane McCaul & all we had was a belief that we could make an album, just the two of us, and the rest would follow...Have to say I think the songs have really stood the test of time & it's a really strong yet varied album - from rock anthems such as Summerheat & Rollin' In to more progressive moments of Sleepy Olde King & Time After Time, to the flamenco-tinged Back To The Ranch, to the lush melodies of Final Flight & the rather haunting Lonelyville, we really achieved a sense of light & shade - there is something for everyone here. Production-wise I tried my best as we couldn't afford to go into a studio & this was home recorded on a PC in 2005...however, it does give the album a certain charm & allowed us the freedom to spend time crafting the songs. It's an album I am immensely proud of.

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    Summerheat 3:51
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    Final Flight 5:48
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    Back To The Ranch 4:18
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    Live A Little 4:11
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    Sleepy Olde King 4:36
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    Time After Time 5:01
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    It Won't Be Long 6:37
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    Rollin' In 5:34
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    Other Names 3:50
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    Lonelyville 5:18
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Music Box

Thrones Of Roll

Writing a follow up to Time After Time was no easy feat. Shane & myself had recruited a band on the back of our debut album & had gained a reputation as a potent force live on the Belfast rock scene. We had fans who loved our debut, so there was pressure to deliver & I think we did with an accomplished collection eclectic tracks.

Writing a follow up to Time After Time was no easy feat. Shane & myself had recruited a band on the back of our debut album & had gained a reputation as a potent force live on the Belfast rock scene. We had fans who loved our debut, so there was pressure to deliver & I think we did with an accomplished collection eclectic tracks. Hurricane was an instant fan-favourite, both heavy & melodic...perhaps darker than anything we had written before, October Crow was slightly Mark Knopfler influenced, Walk On Through had a superb hook, and We Hang On was a wonderful ballad. However, for me, the ambitious epic Say Something stood out...Pink Floyd but heavier, this track took the band into new territory. I felt at this point Shane & I were writing incredibly well together - the consistency of the album is proof should any be required.

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    Hurricane 4:12
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    October Crow 2:29
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    Broken Music Box 3:04
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    The Wall You Built Yourself 3:23
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    On The Radio 3:04
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    Say Something 9:10
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    Walk On Through 4:17
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    We Hang On 5:02
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