Year : 1995 (Lions Pride Music Edition 2024)
Style : Melodic Hard Rock
Country : Germany
Audio : 320 kbps + front
Size : 106 mb
Bio:
Established in 1992 - The debut album of the quintet Burned Down (LBT-records / Progressive Music) appears and is initially released in Japan with great success (Burrrn-Magazine: 86 points). Stylistically, the spectrum of the CD moves between bluesy-inspired material and a selection of harder components from the hard and heavy area.In 1995 the line-up changed - the new members: Reiner Backe, Bass + Back Vocals , Andreas Keppler, lead vocals.This year SHEELA has her first tour in Germany - a package tour with the Detroit-based US band Oriental Spas, which had just toured with Billy Idol in their home country. As a special highlight for the larger clubs on this tour, SHEELA bring the French action painter Ibara with them. During the band's concert, he created huge frescoes and scenes on a separate, raised stage behind the band (drummed colors and painted rhythms - as one critic noted). Ibara is also responsible for the artwork for the Sheela CD cover.In 1997 the second album Changes (LBT-records / Progressive Music) is released - the title says it all and reflects the departure of the two band members in the previous year. The line-up change also creates a wider stylistic range and a more modern, experimental approach to the music. As with the previous CD, it will first be released in Japan and then only in Germany. This year SHEELA accompanies the Canadian rock band Saga on their European tour, with a 50-minute set and not only won over the sympathies of the audience, but also the headliners. Shortly before the end of the year, JoJo Nimtz leaves the band and after a long search is replaced by: Jacky Voutay, drums.1998 The newly established band tours with the American band Fates Warning on their European concert tour and 3 weeks later wins the Karlsberg Challenge, a band competition with more than 4000 participating groups. In addition, there is the special price for the best stage performance. The radio single Trapped gets good airplay and attracts some American record companies.1999 is the year of the big festivals, including the German Bike Week-Hahn / Airfield (40,000 visitors) with Gotthard and the ComPop Festival in Saarbrücken / Messe (22,000 visitors) with Pur and Fools Garden. Furthermore festivals in France, Belgium and Hungary.2000 The band is awarded the contract for 3 shows during the Sturgis rally in the American Black Hills - the world's largest Harley Davidson meeting, with the 2000 record of over 90,000 participants. Together with bands like Styx, Johnny Lang and REO-Speedwagon, the American audience is taken by storm. An affiliated 2-week club tour is so successful that tour offers are already available for March and August 2001. The recordings for the new album will be finished in spring - planned release date of the third album Straight Hearted One’s: January 2001 - then as a guest musician, the saga frontman Michael Sadler on a track and additionally in a duet with Andreas Keppler. As a reminiscence of the motorcycle meeting in Sturgis, there is also a cover version of Steppenwolf's Born to be wild to be heard on this album.2001 Promotion activities for the new album begin - the starting signal is a tour together with the British band Nazareth at the end of January in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Second USA tour in March! In June and July SHEELA play various support shows for Manfred Mann’s Earthband. Then in August a furious start to the 3rd USA tour in Sturgis together with Poison - the tour also has to be shortened by 2 days so that the band can open for the Scorpions in the Schlosspark Künzelsau in time.2002 The planned US spring tour is canceled due to casting problems. Jacky Voutay on drums leaves because of a professional reorientation - one of his last concerts is the Biker Jamboree in Berlin-Biesenthal in May. His part will take over from June: Christoph Ullmann, who was selected from a pool of 29 drummers - the native Viennese will now have to cover many kilometers, but as always with Sheela: Quality rules! Keyboarder Markus Teske will also be leaving the band by autumn for personal reasons. Nevertheless, the 4th CD Process ... was pre-produced in Germany in August / September and recorded in New Orleans in October / November. Christian Moser and Bobby Barth (Ax, Blackfoot) share the producer job. The release party will take place on December 26th in the cultural center in Mainz.2003 Christoph Ullmann moves from Vienna to Cologne and SHEELA are planning the 4th US tour to promote the new album.
Album:
In 2023, SHEELA signed a landmark deal with Lions Pride Music, a renowned record label based in Denmark. This collaboration brought forth a reissue of their debut album "Burned Down," remixed, remastered, and adorned with a new artwork.This collaboration brought forth a reissue of their debut 1995’s album “Burned Down,” remixed, remastered, and adorned with a new artwork.Many years out of print, this worldwide release on CD brings back the timeless sound of SHEELA’s debut record to a global audience while the band works for an upcoming new album. And we say ‘timeless’ because despite originally released in 1995, the band didn’t care about the rock trends at the time and recorded this classic bluesy hard rock album with a melodic edge and big choruses, musically in the vein of Hardline, Warrant, Damn Yankees, Talisman, etc.Despite hailing from Germany, SHEELA style is pure American melodic hard rock with a 1990-1992 sound, a powerful singer pretty Coverdale-ish and a stupendous lead guitarist similar to the great Kee Marcello. Production is very good, clean, sharp, and this remix / remaster makes “Burned Down” sounding fresh – and pretty awesome if you ask me.The album blasts through the speakers with ‘Long Time’. The change ups between the slower, quieter parts and the explosive riff in the chorus is everything we love about the late 80s hard rock scene. They have several songs that follow this motif, but varied adding acoustics into the mix, other cool keyboard arrangements. A true representation of their potential and representative of the album overall.Some of our favorites include ‘Reno’, a midtempo melodic rocker with its fantastic backing vocals, chorus and bridge right before it’s smokin’ solo. ‘Kickin’ Up the Dust’ has a Trixter-flair to it, opening with just an acoustic guitar before the band kicks in, first with drum cymbals and guitar strikes, then the full entry for the bridge and chorus.A special mention to a track that at first didn’t impress you much, but has an ending so spectacular that I immediately had to hit repeat. Ballad ‘Spread Your Wings’ is a very quiet track, with just an electric guitar being plucked softly and a mellow bass line. At around the three-and-a-half-minute mark, the whole band comes in and guitarist Christian Moser kicks off an awesome solo, that leads to some great backing vocals from the band and singer Wolfgang reaching for the stratosphere with his vocals, just completely cutting loose. Honestly, there would be no way he would be able to recreate his highs in a live setting without risking him losing his voice, but as a one shot recording, it’s quite powerful.Then there is closing track ‘You Got Something’, where the band cuts loose with the fastest tempo found on the album. Very reminiscent of Heavens Edge. A great way to end the album.Fans of late ’80s / early 1990’s American melodic hard rock sound are in for a treat with SHEELA’s “Burned Down”, a new name for some but we guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised.
Line-Up:
Wolfgang Weber - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Christian Moser - Guitar
Tony Spagone - Bass
Markus Teske - Keyboards
Jo Jo Nimitz - Drums
+
Stefan Djokic Slide - Guitar
Robert Henrich - Harp
Martin Hofmann - Backing Vocals
Patricia Loesch - Backing Vocals
Tracklist:
01. Long Time
02. Burned Down
03. Claire
04. Ready
05. Holdin' On
06. Reno
07. Fire Woman
08. Spread Your Wings
09. Kickin' Up Dust
10. Hang Tough
11. You Got Something
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
