In 2002, Onward was beginning to grow in popularity and touring opportunities started coming our way. There were big features on us in mainstream magazines like Metal Maniacs, Hit Parader and even Guitar World gave kudos to the guitar work, describing me as "A carnivorous Malmsteen". At our shows people in Iron Maiden and Marduk shirts were banging heads side by side. We seemed to appeal to a large audience because we integrated more musical influences than the usual power metal band. We could gallop like Maiden, Thrash out like Destruction, get weird like Sigh and write a pop song like "In Due Time".
We were booked to play 'Brick by Brick" in San Diego with Ann Boleyn's band 'Hellion". I was excited to confront Ann about the $500 she ripped my band 'Seance' off for when we were young and dumb (she was talking about signing us to New Renaissance Records and fooled us and several other bands and dissapeared with everyone's money). She didn't show up.
Back to Las Vegas to open for the Exodus! We were nervous fanboys and had brought tons of lp's for them to autograph and they were gracious, kind and patient with us. What Exodus did not like was that we were a Century Media band and they advised us to "get out of that shit fast". We played a mediocre show and then they took the stage and roared through the best of their first three albums. This was the beginning of their "comeback" which remains in full force to this day.
A bigger tour with Angra was on the horizon but I had time to begin writing Onward's third album (New Fathoms Down). I wanted more classic rock in our music; Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, early Uli Roth era Scorpions, etc. I just felt we needed to do an album that would bring in more listeners while retaining our fanbase. Century Media received an instrumental version of the album and LOVED IT. Vocalist Michael Grant did not.
Michael Grant was subtly pushing for me to let his friend into Onward as a co-writer and second guitarist. The end of Onward was now in sight. Musical differences. We had a contract and tour dates to fulfill so we buried the conflict......for awhile. On a positive note, the eventual split of Onward would result in a lot of good music from each band member. More to come…
