Mike Terrana

Originally born in New York State. Mike had to pay his dues in the club scene in the late 70's and early 80's. In 1987 Mike decided to make his way to the west coast to settle in Los Angeles Ca. At that time, LA was considered to be the Mecca for Heavy Metal. After ten years filled with the relentless grind of recording and touring complete with it's fair share of ups and downs, Mike became disenchanted with his situation in the USA and decide to relocate to Europe in 1997.

The music scene in LA had changed drastically and there was not much work for drummers of my style. During this time I had completed a few tours of Europe with Yngwie Malmsteen and Tony Macalpine. I thought the response to my playing style was quite receptive, so I took a gamble and decided to move to Holland. I lived there for about 6 months. I found it to be a great place to live, but it was still hard to find work as a drummer.

Then Mike started getting calls from many German musicians, like Roland Grapow from Master Plan (Ex-Helloween), Gammy Ray, Axel Rudy Pell, and Rage. Since there was more work in Germany it made sense to move there. Mike ended up in Hamburg, which also turned out to the launching pad for artists like The Beatles, Ritchie Blackmore and Cozy Powell.

Terrana keeps busy as a full band member of Rage. He also performs clinics and recording sessions with various other artists when his schedule permits. Recently he has formed a new fusion band with French guitar player Cyril Achard called Taboo Voodoo. The band is a mixture of rock and fusion, incorporating beautiful melodies interwoven with odd meter and interesting arrangements. I really love this kind of music. I was a big fan of all the fusion bands that came out in the 70's. Weather Report, Return To Forever, Tony Williams and The Mahavishnu Orchestra.

When I am at home, I listen to a lot of Big Band Swing music and the drummers from that era, most notably Buddy Rich, which I believe to be the greatest drummer ever to walk the face of the earth. I also like to listen to Frank Sinatra, one of the coolest and most important Jazz singers in the history of swing music. I like this music because really gifted musicians played it in real time, often in one take. These people were innovators, pioneers, and craftsmen. They really had something to say and created a timeless and classic style all, their own. Their music will live for many generations to come.

There has only been one very constant obsession in my life up until now, and that is drumming. When I was a kid that's all I ever dreamed about, I thought it was cool then and it is still cool now! I knew at the age of 8 that I was going to pursue a career as a professional drummer. I really can't think of anything else I would rather do with my life. My work is my passion. I enjoy the fact that no matter how much I practice. I can never get good enough it is a never-ending growth process. I really enjoy watching other drummers of our day like Terry Bozzio, Marco Minnemann and Virgil Donati take the art form of soloing to the very edge. I find it instructional and inspirational to see and hear this display of drumming pyrotechnics. I find that when I expose myself to these various artists, that my own style develops and morphs into something new. I think that's what being a musician is about, learning, creating and being inspired by what other before you have created.

I like to use all of these influences from swing, fusion jazz and funk when I play. I think it's cool to make heavy metal music swing and groove. I believe that it is the human touch, which fills the music with emotion and captures the soul of the artist. I think vinyl and CD recordings are like snap shots of that particular moment in one artists life; how they felt & played at that time. The art of recording is basically to capture those magic moments.

The attitude of the recording industry has changed drastically in the past 20 years. The advent of Digital recording technology and the use of computers and samplers have choked out the precious and delicate nuances of human emotion from today's music. Many people have lost site of this very beautiful and important key element.

If this technology had existed in the 60's & 70's I truly believe that drummers like John Bonham, Keith Moon, Cozy Powell, Stewart Copland, Bill Bruford, Billy Cobham, Phil Collins and a host of many other legendary drummers would not exist. All of the above-mentioned drummers can be recognized by their personalized drum sound (tuning) and playing style. Drum samples erase the style and soul of the drummer. It masks the personality of the artist.

Now all drummers sound the same!

What a Tragedy!
Boring!

I really try hard to make records that reflect my personality and style. In this day of age, the task is easier said then done. I believe it is becoming an exercise in futility; however; I press on and fight the good fight! When I get behind my kit, I am there for one reason and one reason only, to express myself as an artist and to entertain the listener.

2004 to Present:

I will busy during the end of 2003 and first half of 2004 touring with Rage and Axel Pell until the end of summer.  I will also perform a workshop tour of Europe to support my latest solo CD entitled “Man of the World”.  In the fall of 2004 I will be touring Europe with a few of the other side projects that I have recorded in 2003.

See you out there somewhere on the road!

Cheers!

Mike Terrana

Artension "Future World" Marquee records Japan
Zillion- (Melodic Hard Rock) "Zillion" Frontiers records
Victor Smolski "Majesty and Passion" Drakkar records (Bach Orchestral Instrumental Classical Rock)(SPV)
Mike Terrana Solo CD (Instrumental Rock Fusion) "Man of the World" Lion records
Tony Hernando- (Instrumental Rock Fusion) "Title Unknown" Lion records
Kiko Loureiro Angra - "No Gravity" (Instrumental Rock Fusion) Replica records
Axel Pell - "Ballads 3" SPV
Rage double live CD & DVD 20th Anniversary Box Set "From the Cradle to the Stage" SPV
Damir (Croatian guitar player) (Instrumental Rock Fusion) "Demonstartus" Music for Nations
Damir "Live at Zagreb" / Recorded at the "Pauk" Zagreb Croatia / Independent release
Not Fragile "Title Unknown" Hamburg based Speed Metal band / Independent release
Rage Video Shoot "Straight to Hell" for the German movie "Shoe of Manitou"

2003 to Present:

2002:

2001:

Scheduled to play the Drum Festival in Mexico City
Performed a drum clinic tour in Spain (Bilbao, Valencia, Madrid)
Performed scattered drum clinics in Germany
Rage & Axel Rudi Pell played Festivals throughout the summer in Europe
Completes a 4 week tour of Europe with Rage
Recorded a new Rage CD 'Welcome to the Other Side'
Recorded Artension CD Sacred Pathways
Played as a clinician for Premier & Meinl at the Frankfurt Music Fair
Recorded 2 Axel Rudi Pell CD`s
Recorded a CD with LA based Heavy Metal band called Driven (featuring Tracy G. ex gtr DIO) The CD will be released in October 2001 on MTM records

2000:

Completed a 2 week tour of Russia with Rage
Completed playing European Summer Open Air Festivals with Rage
Scheduled to record the new Rage CD in August / GUN records
Scheduled to record 3 tracks for Best of Axel Rudi Pell Compilation / SPV Records
European Tour booked for November with Axel Rudi Pell
Tour with Rage scheduled for spring 2001

1999:

Relocated to Hamburg Germany from The Netherlands
Currently a member of "RAGE" The band will tour Europe & Japan in the fall of '99
Played the Wacken Open Air Festival with 3 bands, RAGE, Roland Grapov & Axel Rudy Pell
Released my solo fusion CD "Shadows of the Past" featuring Steve Lukather (Toto) on guitar
Recorded Millenium Metal Part 1 / Metalium (Massacre)
Recorded Roland Grapow's (Helloween) 2nd. Solo CD "Kaleidoscope" SPV, toured Europe & South America as the support act for Gamma Ray
Scheduled to record new CD's with Axel Rudi Pell & Running Wild in the fall of '99

Shadows Of The Past

EFA 12845-2

This CD commemorates the 30th. Anniversary of my drumming career! WOW! What a ride! I wanted to make a drum oriented CD, but I didn't want to be a boring self-indulgent collection of drum solos. I felt it was important to show people another side of my playing style. The melodies and the arrangements of the songs were just as important as the grooves that propel them. At the last minute I decided to include a drum solo on the CD. It was recorded in Holland on my most recent tour of Europe. I believe it truly captures the primal energy, spirit and sole of my drumming.

I hope that you have as much fun listening to this CD as I did making it!

CHEERS
Mike Terrana

1998:

Recently relocated from Los Angeles to The Netherlands
Toured with German Speed Metal band Gamma Ray. The first show was the Wacken Open Air in Germany. The band played to a crowd of approximately 17,000 people. Segments of the show were broadcast on national German Television
Will tour & record with German guitarist Axel Rudy Pell
Scheduled to record Roland Grapo's 2nd. Solo CD (gtr. Player for Helloween)
October tour with Guitarist Chris Caffery (Savatage) & vocalist John West (Lynch Mob Cozy Powell) The band will tour Holland, Germany & Belgium.
Performed a clinic at the Music & Harmony Festival - Rotterdam.
Upcoming Clinics in December:
Triepels Drum Shop & Cesar Zuiderwijk (drummer for Golden Earring) "Music Station"
Meinl would like to organise a clinic tour of Europe in 1999
Will tour Holland with Tomas (Hungarian instrumental Guitarist)
I released my Solo Fusion CD entitled "Man in Machine" featuring the guitar playing of Steve Lukather (Toto)

1997 to 1998:

Toured the USA, Japan & Europe with Tony MacAlpine in support of "Live Insanity" recorded live at the Roxy in Hollywood CA
Recorded John West's (vocalist for Lynch Mob, Artension, Cozy Powell) solo CD "Mind Journey"
Recorded "Artension's" 2nd. CD entitled "Phoenix Rising"

1996 to 1997:

Recorded "Violent Machine"/ Tony MacAlpine / JVC Records
Recorded a live Tony MacAlpine Video at Musicians Institute Hollywood CA.
Toured the USA, Japan & Europe in support of "Violent Machine"
Recorded Artension Debut. CD "Eye of the Storm"

1995 to 1996:

Recorded Tony MacAlpine's "Evolution" featuring Tony Franklin on bass (Firm, white Snake)
Recorded and produced my own instructional video entitled "Double Bass Mechanics"
Toured the USA & Europe with Tony MacAlpine Band

1992 to 1995:

Recorded Yngwie Malmsteen's "The 7th. Sign"
Completed a year long world tour with Malmsteen
Recorded a "Yngwie Live at the Budokan" Tokyo Japan
Recorded an EP Malmsteen release entitled "I can't wait"

1990 to 1992:

Recorded MacAlpine's "Freedom to Fly"
Toured the USA & Canada
Recorded MacAlpine's Star Licks instructional video
Recorded Mike Terrana's "Beginning Rock Drums" Star Licks Video

1987 to 1990:

Completed a 6-month MacAlpine tour of the USA & Canada to support "Eyes of the World"
Recorded and toured as a member of Beau Nasty. / CBS
Beau Hill (producer of Ratt & Winger) produced the debut Beau Nasty CD "Dirty But Well Dressed"
Beau Nasty toured as the support act for Lover Boy & Love/Hate

1988 to 1987:

Relocated from NYC to Los Angeles
Recorded "Lookin for Action" and toured with Japanese guitarist "Kuni" / Polygram
Filmed a live show in Tokyo in cooperation with NHK television

1986 to 1984:

Recorded "Hungry Eyes" with Canadian Hard Rock band "Hanover Fist" MCA
The band toured the USA & Canada as the support act for Saxon

www.terrana.com