PLACE VENDOME
Thunder in the Distance

Tracklisting: Talk To Me; Power of Music; Broken Wings; Lost in Paradise; It Can’t Rain Forever; Fragile Ground; Hold Your Love; Never Too Late; Heaven Lost; My Heart is Dying; Breakout; Maybe Tomorrow; Thunder in the Distance.

Following a self imposed exile from the rock and metal scene which lasted a few years after his departure from HELLOWEEN and solo career, Hamburg-based singer Michael Kiske, accepted in 2004 to be part of a Melodic Rock oriented concept put together by Frontiers Records’ President Serafino Perugino.

The resulting PLACE VENDOME debut album brought Kiske back to a more straight ahead and Rock sound, still very accessible and melodic and far from the Heavy Metal stereotypes of blood, violence and hate from which Kiske never had anything to do with. He collaborated for the first time with PINK CREAM 69’s Dennis Ward, Kosta Zafiriou and Uwe Reitenauer with Gunther Werno (VANDENPLAS) on keyboards. In a quite ironic twist of fate Michael found himself to work with members of PINK CREAM 69, when the band’s original singer Andy Deris took his place in HELLOWEEN when he left.

The very favorable acceptance of the first PLACE VENDOME album planted the seeds for a second recording entitled “Streets of Fire”, which was produced during 2008. The concept was slightly changed, with some outside writers such as Robert Säll (Work of Art), Ronny Milianowicz (Saint Deamon) and Torsti Spoof (Leverage) handling the bulk of the songwriting, with Dennis Ward still handling the recording and production sessions.

Following his stint with his new band UNISONIC, Kiske decided to go back to the PLACE VENDOME concept with more melodic rock oriented songs which once again have been selected by Frontiers Records President Serafino Perugino from outside writers including Magnus Karlsson (Primal Fear), Timo Tolkki (ex-Stratovarius), Alessandro Del Vecchio (Hardline), Roberto Tiranti and Andrea Cantarelli (Labyrinth, A Perfect Day), Tommy Denander (Radioactive), Sören Kronqvist (Sunstorm, Issa), and Brett Jones.

Dennis Ward once again produced and mixed the album with such musicians as Dirk Bruineberg (Consortium Project), Gunter Werno (Vandenplas) and Uwe Reitenauer (Pink Cream 69) completing the lineup. Another total masterpiece from Kiske and Place Vendome is about to hit the market. A true must for all Melodic Rock fans !

LINE UP

Michael Kiske – Lead Vocals
Dennis Ward – Bass, vocals, rhythm guitars
Dirk Bruineberg– Drums
Gunter Werno – Keyboards
Uwe Reitenauer – Lead guitars

Mixed and produced by Dennis Ward