Many people think Alex Masi is an American guitarplayer, but in fact he was Born in Venice, Italy but first catched real attention when Metal Blade MD Brian Slagel decided to bring him over to the States to join Sound Barrier. What I especially remember of this band is the incredible voice of singer Bernie K. (Bernie Kimbell). Later, when Alex started a band on his own, the same Bernie K. and drummer Dave Brown joined forces. Vertical Invader, released in 1990, will probably always been seen by many as the ultimate Masi album. On this album John Macaluso, of Ark, TNT and Yngwie Malmsteen fame, sits behind the drums. And it was the same John Macaluso which was in Belgium early october 2012 to have another chapter of jamming into the progress of a new band called John Macaluso & Phoenix Project. On bass that evening our good friend Nic Angileri (Gotthard, Jorn), on vocals Tony from Max Pie. We really hope this combination will find more time to team up the coming months, as the combination Macaluso-Masi is magic.

Macaluso and Angileri will be AGAIN in Belgium (Their new hometown?) in June, when they will join Tore St Moren on stage at the R-Mine Metalfest in Tongeren, which takes place from the 21th of june upto the 23th. Headliners for those three days will be Rhapsody on Fire, Jorn, Freak Kitchen, Symphony X, Tygers of Pan Tang and Hell. Somehow we hope (dream...) that the organisation will be “in” to fly over Alex Masi too. He is, without any doubt, one of the best guitarplayers on this planet! And for those who like classic: Discover In the name of Bach (1999), In the name of Mozart (2004) and in the name of Beethoven (2005). Alex latest release came out in 2010, it we are right, under the name of “Theory of Everything”. Sorry for the quality of the pictures, but they were done “almost in my livingroom”... So poor light, poor sound... But hell yeah, MAGIC was there!