Levon Sultanian Bio

Over the past decade, veteran musician and songwriter Levon Sultanian has been a valuable player within the Los Angeles music scene. His musical journey began on piano at the age of seven, where he studied classical music with his grandfather. He eventually picked up the guitar at age nine. Discovering players such as Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) and Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen, it inspired him to buy his first Fender Stratocaster at age 11.

As a musician, he has played with Onesidezero, recording and writing on their two full length recordings, 2001’s Is This Room Getting Smaller? (Maverick Records), and 2007’s Onesidezero (Corporate Punishment). ‘Tapwater’ was featured in the 2002 film A Walk To Remember (Warner Bros. Pictures), while ‘New World Order’ was featured in the television series Smallville (CW Network), both songs that Levon co-wrote. They toured with Incubus, 311, Rob Zombie, Zebrahead, and the Static X and Soulfly tour, which eventually led to the formation of his next project, Abloom.

In Abloom, Levon had worked with former Soulfly members, drummer Roy Mayorga (Stone Sour), guitarist Mikey Doling (Snot/Invitro), and bassist Marcello Dias (Against All Will/Dead Heart Saints), as well as Onesidezero vocalist Jasan Radford. Within its brief time, the band recorded material with System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian, and later opened the Southwestern dates on the Static X/SOiL tour, as well as participating on the 2005 Zippo Tour. Their song ‘What You Came For’ was featured in the B-Movie The Passing.

Levon has since expanded his horizons into other areas, including producing and sound engineering. He has previously worked with producers Ulrich Wild (Static X), Toby Wright (Sevendust, Fear Factory), Jim Wirt (Incubus, Jack’s Mannequin), and John Travis (Kid Rock) on many of his previous musical ventures. His personal credits include classical outfit Kohar, Los Angeles based rock band Red Snow and Russian metal band ANJ (he co-wrote songs and hired as their live guitarist). ANJ was nominated in three categories for the 2009 Los Angeles Music Awards - Music Video of the Year, Best Song, International Showcase Artist of the Year, and International Songwriter of the Year.

As a songwriter, he has teamed up with various musical acts to collaborate for songwriting. His understanding and adaptability between different genres of music has made his skills a valuable asset. He has co-written with people such as Poet Named Life, which featured Black Eyed Peas members Jaime Luis “Taboo Nawasha” Gomez and Allan “apl.de.ap” Pineda Lindo ; Mazik (Blood of Abraham); and Takbir ‘Tak’ Bashir (Styles of Beyond); as well as a song on Roy Mayorga’s solo album titled ‘Desert Song’ (also featuring Slipknot/Stone Sour guitarist Jim Root).

Levon has been involved with coordinating benefit concerts for various causes. He was involved in four high profile Los Angeles benefit shows - Sultan To Marz Productions – Der Zor Eve Of Justice: A Rock Concert To Benefit Pyunic Disabled Children of Armenia at the Roxy Theater, Amplifly Your Voice Against Genocide” benefit concert for Darfur at the El Rey Theater, Recognize The Armenian Genocide Festival (with Axis of Justice) at the Knitting Factory, and Silenced Cries: A Benefit Concert For Humanity (co-sponsored by the USC Armenian Student Association) at USC Bovard Auditorium (with Jacob Armen). Each of the benefit shows helped raise money for various causes he felt deeply about.

Levon is endorsed by ESP Guitars, Bogner Amplifiers, Dunlop Electronics, Dean Markley Strings, and Seymour Duncan Pick Ups.

Year of the Dragon Press Release

For Immediate Release: Former Fishbone Member Launch Year of the Dragon, Announces Releasing of Full Length Release, Upcoming U.S. Shows

Los Angeles, CA - YEAR OF THE DRAGON, featuring Dirty Walt Kibby, former co-vocalist of the veteran ska/punk/funk outfit Fishbone and newcomer Roderick ‘Rodcore’ Palmer, is currently placing the finishing touches on their upcoming full length release, Blunt Force Karma. The release will be out this spring on IBCT Records.

Blunt Force Karma is the result of the two masterminds teaming up to create rock music with soul and groove, but is also hard hitting at the same time. There are elements of Walt’s former band, as well as Rodcore’s various musical influences. The record was recorded with drummer Kerim Imes, bassist Elliot Lawrence, and guitarist Jason ‘JMR’ Richardson. ‘No Tomorrow’ brings passionate vocals along with familiar poetry in motion that fans will be familiar with. ‘Bailout’ features a groove and smooth vocals that Dirty Walt fans will be reacquainted with.

Songs from the album are currently available on the band’s Myspace page at www.myspace.com/yotd and the band’s official website at http://www.yearofthedragonband.com.

The band was started by Palmer in 2003 out of the ashes of seminal 1980s heavy metal band Sound Barrier, the first band to feature all African American members. With new members and an updated sound, he and guitarist Spacey T. began writing music around their common love of punk, funk, jazz and rock music. They brought in Dirty Walt after he left Fishbone after being a member for 23 years. They recorded an EP, A Time To Love Is A Time To Bleed, in 2006.

Year of the Dragon will be playing these upcoming US shows:

February 21st – Blackbird (Los Angeles NOIR Festival) – Los Angeles, CA (with Bad Brains, Cipher, Blaxsmyth, The Objex, Punk Funk Mob, Vinyl Gypsies, Blood Sugar, Sabata)
March 6th – The Relax Bar – Los Angeles, CA (with Million Kids)
March 22nd – Headhunters – Austin, TX (South By Southwest Show)
April 20th – Nevada N Ranch Eureka County (420 Hempfest 2009) – Reno, NV

For more information, please contact Kris J. Kraus @ The IBCT at kris@theibct.com or 917-748-3036.

Fernandes Guitars - 2009 SHIN Series

SHIN was born in 1965 in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. In 1990, SHIN followed his dreams as an aspiring musician to study to Los Angeles. During his brief stay there, he was exposed to various forms of Airbrushing street performances, which changed his outlook on art.

Airbrushing is an art form that requires a real eye and a keen sense to create something special. Unlike painting by a normal brush, when creating an airbrushed picture, you have to have distance from the original picture. The main characteristics of airbrushed work are great color graduation and its expression.

By many artists, airbrushing is better known as painting by a machine rather than by hand. Hand painting is a lot more of a sensitive art form than airbrushing, which traditionally uses molds. Instead, SHIN created a new technique by capturing the strokes of a paint brush in traditional paintings. This freehand technique was what amazed people about SHIN’s work.

After returning to Japan, he educated himself and started producing Airbrushing work himself, using the same techniques used in other industries such as Automobiles, Bicycles, Leather Apparel, and Guitars. However, he began questioning the airbrushing technique in Japan, so he shifted his outlook towards the international market.

After some time, SHIN picked Erotic Art to be his specialty, always wanting realism and seeking evaluation of his brush techniques by other artists.
This is when he established a relationship with Mr. Sorayama, who is the master of Erotic Art, and introduced SHIN into the world of Erotic Art. Through his mentorship, SHIN’s work began to be recognized by people around the world.

In December 2001 and February 2002, SHIN had his first own exhibitions at Echo Gallary in Chicago. In April 2002 “The Art of SHIN” was published by MR Publishing. Since then, original pictures have been displayed at several galleries. SHIN’s original works were also displayed at SEMA Show in Las Vegas, three series from 2005.

In 2005 SHIN released “SHIN Real Airbrush Technique VL 123” and he has also worked as instructor of Iwata Certified Airbrush.

In 2005, SHIN began collaborating with Fernandes Guitar Co. to create his DRAGON Guitar model. Because SHIN’s heart was originally in music, he felt that Guitar Art is another one of his great strengths along with airbrushing. He has been influenced by a variety of artwork that many popular guitarists over the years have used.

He has designed and produced guitar art for other artists, which inspired him towards creating the art of the “DRAGON,” which was used for automotive companies such as Lamborghini and Ferrari. He has recently expanded his brush work into other areas such as Nail Art and Body Art, and his work is well recognized at historical temples, for expressing not only tradition, but brilliance and solidarity.

Through SHIN’s work, he strives to bring out the unexpected and an element of surprise out of people. This is what he strives for out of his work. We look forward to seeing what he creates in the future.

Fernandes Guitar 2008 Catalog - Company Bio

I revamped the Fernandes Guitars USA's company bio below. This is also available on the company website at http://www.fernandesguitars.com/.

For over four decades, Fernandes Guitars has dedicated itself to building quality guitars and guitar accessories. Throughout the company's history, they have sold a quality line of products, making them the largest guitar manufacturer in Japan.

Fernandes Guitars began in 1969 in Japan, originally building Flamenco Guitars. As the company flourished over the years, the company expanded its production line to include an extensive line of acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitars, amplifiers and accessories.

During the 1970s, the company established its name through building guitars that challenged other well reputable guitar manufacturers from the United States and Europe. Artists such as Steve Jones (Sex Pistols), Robert Fripp (King Crimson) and Steve Hackett (Genesis) are some of the musicians that have played the early models.

In 1992, following the company's reputation and history of success throughout Asia, Fernandes USA opened its doors in Los Angeles, California. Sticking to its reputation of building quality products, it quickly established a presence within the American guitar market by offering quality instruments at affordable prices.

In 1996, the Fernandes USA Custom Shop made bold moves by expanding its scope by advancing development within its guitar craftsmanship. Through models like the Ravelle and Nomad, which introduced the Sustainer System technology, our Research and Development Department sought out how guitar players of the future would play. Catering to everyone from the first time buyer to the seasoned pro, Fernandes offers many options to meet their needs. An invaluable understanding of the player fuels our strong committment to the consumer and the quality they demand. This is the approach that helps establish Fernandes as the leading guitar manufacturer in Japan and to become a competitive manufacturer in the American market.

The company has drawn strong acclaim for building qulaity bass guitars, as testified by probably rock's greatest bassist, Robert Trujillo. One of its most popular models is the Tremor Deluxe, which is played by Tony Campos (Static X/Asesino). Sticking to the company's trademark look, this model has the feel of models of past models, but includes many of the modern specs that would attract today's top players. Using the elements of traditional style with contemporary techniques, Fernandes continues to provide a unique voice for today's musician, pushing the limits of guitar manufacturing with innovative body shapes and hardware configurations. Guitar players demand a vintage feel with a modernized look.

Fernandes supplies the best of both worlds without any compromise. Fernandes is the key to defining your sound and taking it to the next level.

Levon Sultanian/ANJ Press Release

For Immediate Release:
Former Onesidezero Guitarist Records With Russian Metallers ANJ, Announces Upcoming US Shows.

Former Onesidezero/Abloom guitarist Levon Sultanian has been collaborating with Russian metallers ANJ on new material for a full length recording. He has been writing and recording new songs with the Russian metallers, who they are currently seeking an international recording deal. Their forthcoming release will be their first recordings available outside of their native Russia.

"I just want to say thank you to all the fans that have been sending emails and showing concern to my parting ways with my previous band. I've decided to move on and have been busy working on a few new projects which I'm very excited about. One of which is still to remain a secret. As for the others, I've been fortunate to be working with such a great musician and songwriter in the studio and now live, Anatoly aka ANJ. America welcomes ANJ. I'm looking forward to the new future in metal music and just music in itself! Cheerz to all!”

Sultanian co-wrote and recorded the song ‘Gorbachev’ in Los Angeles with producer John Travis (Static X, Kid Rock). Stone Sour drummer Roy Mayorga also played on that track. The song is available to stream on their Myspace page at www.myspace.com/anjkill or their official website at http://www.anj.su/

ANJ was formed in Moscow, Russian Federation in 2003 by vocalist and guitarist Anatoli Zhuravlev. The band has previously released two full length recordings, Under An Intent Target and 100 Miles Straight Ahead in their native Russia. They have extensively toured across Europe, appearing at various festivals such as Metalmania 2005, Finnish Metal Expo 2006, and the Soul Ecology Festival in Moscow, Russia in 2005.

ANJ will be playing their first upcoming US shows with Sultanian on guitar. Filling in on drums for these dates is Kenneth Schalk (ex-Candiria, Hope Kills Fear).

May 7th – The Rave/Eagles Club – Milwaukee, WI (Gigantour with Megadeth, In Flames, Children of Bodom, Job For A Cowboy and High On Fire)

May 9th – The Rave/Eagles Club – Milwaukee, WI (with As I Lay Dying)

For more info on Levon Sultanian, please visit www.myspace.com/levsidezero and www.myspace.com/levonsultanian.

Dead Hearts Saints bio (2008)

Dead Heart Saints bio
Bio written by Rei Nishimoto

Creating music from the soul and the gut is what most musicians strive for. Sometimes returning to the basics is where the inspiration lies. Dead Heart Saints is a band that fuses powerful rock melodies with driving punk rhythms, without losing any of the edge.

Drawing from a variety of musical influences, ranging from Led Zeppelin to Soundgarden to Radiohead, gives an idea of where the inspiration comes from. Songs like ‘When You Fall’ and ‘In The Light’ represent solid tunes filled with melody and a guitar driven sound, while ‘All I Said’ and ‘Saints of Nowhere’ are a guitar driven tune full of groove. Plus frontman Mark MacIntosh (aka Mac)’s lyrics touch upon a wide variety of subjects, from deep personal experiences to religious issues. But with his distinctive vocal style wrapped around the music, there is something special about to happen here. Some of their deepest, darkest music has yet to be written.

Inspired by bassist Marcelo D. Rapp (aka Cello D9), he began creating his own music after moving in a different direction than what he was doing with veteran metal band Soulfly. Finding his role within the band limiting, he eventually parted ways. Understanding how difficult it is to succeed in the music business, he felt the need to move forward and face this head on.

He was briefly in Abloom with former Soulfly bandmates, guitarist Mikey Doling (Snot, Invitro) and drummer Roy Mayorga (Stone Sour); along with vocalist Jasan Radford and guitarist Levon Sultanian (Onesidezero). They recorded 3 demos produced by Shavo Odajian (System of a Down), which became highly acclaimed by the music media. But internal conflicts prematurely ended the band, landing Cello to start over from scratch.

In January 2007, former bandmate and friend Jasan introduced Cello to MacIntosh and guitarist Jason Berkman (aka JB). They were also looking to start a new band following the end of their band, Dempsey. The three began writing music and discovered that there was chemistry between them. They later added drummer Trevor Statfford (aka T.Rex), formerly of Shuvel (Interscope Records) and played their debut show at the Malibu Inn in Malibu, CA, impressing the local viewers with their charismatic live performance.

Dead Heart Saints is current playing in all California regions and will be playing abroad soon. For all the latest updates, please visit http://www.myspace.com/deadheartsaints.

Enjoy the world of Dead Heart Saints and experience this phenomenon for yourself….

AGONY, Bio – 2008

The spirit of Latin American metal is felt across the globe, and each area has spawned its own identity within an already groundbreaking subgenre. But after two decades of existence, AGONY is ready to keep their death-thrash brand of metal assault alive.

AGONY burst out of the Columbian metal scene in 1992, when then-college students, Alfonzo Pinzon (drums), Andres Jaramillo (lead guitar), and Ernesto Robayo (rhythm guitar) started playing together. They later added Hector Lozano (bass) and Ernesto Velasco (vocals) to round out the original lineup.

They released a demo tape in 1994, with all of the songs controversially written in English. The response to their demo, along with their energetic live shows helped attract a solid fan base. They later landed support slots for international acts such as Testament (USA) and A.N.I.M.A.L. (Argentina), as well as headlining the Rock Al Parque festival numerous times.

One of their shows was turned into a live album, Live All The Time. This release became one of the first live recordings released by a Columbian metal act. This release also featured new members, vocalist Cesar Botero (ex-Sangre Picha) and guitarist Carlos ‘Belo’ Marin (ex-Kilcrops).

AGONY reached a milestone within the Latin metal scene through the release of Millenium in 1996. Fusing Latin percussion sounds and powerful death/thrash sounds, this release became an instant classic amongst the South American underground scene. New bassist Carlos Reyes helped the band take their sound to new heights and placed AGONY within the forefront of the Colombian metal scene.

In 1999, AGONY made a bold move and relocated to Los Angeles to record Reborn (Sum Records). Shortly after their move, Reyes left the band and Marin to follow shortly after. AGONY had utilized the bass services of Tony Campos (Static X) and Louiche Mayorga (Suicidal Tendencies, Horny Toad) for live and recording purposes.

Botero left AGONY in 2001 before the release of Reborn to return to Bogota, Columbia. He is currently in Decode, with the former members of Pestilencia.

In 2002, AGONY headlined the Rock Al Parque festival, with vocalist Jeez (ex-Crux) and Tony Campos.

Unable to find a permanent vocalist, Pinzon and Jaramillo both started a new project called Dia De Los Muertos. This new project consisted of mutual friends playing uncompromised metal with a unique Latin flavor. They were invited to headline the 2006 Rock Al Parque festival, with Body Count bassist Vincent Price and Ruin vocalist Nick Reyes. The group surprised the crowd with a few AGONY songs within its setlist.

In 2006, the 10th Anniversary edition of Millenium was released, with a completely remaster and an enhanced CD with video clips from their Rock Al Parque Festival performances.

Since then, the classic Millenium-era AGONY lineup has reformed and is working on new music. With each member bringing in their experiences back into the band, AGONY is unleashing two decades worth of metallic brutality onto the world.