Killing Touch is the new band, founded and strongly desired by Michele Luppi (Vision Divine, Los Angeles, MR.PIG). The artistic and professional experiences of one of the most esteemed Metal singers of our times have lead to “One Of A Kind”, the debut album.
One Of A Kind is a concept-album, freely inspired by Stephen King’s novel “The Dead Zone”, composed by 12 tracks of powerful, refined and meticulously crafted sound. All the songs are the result and follow the natural course of a path that began years ago; they develop a great synergy between melody, harmony and lyrics, which makes every song unique, though perfectly inserted in the concept.
For this occasion there are some special guests, three former Michele’s companions: Oleg Smirnoff, Andrea “Tower” Torricini and Federico Puleri. What makes this project so special is the presence of “true” elements and instruments: acoustic drums, guitars and piano (the latter played by Luppi himself). This new band wants to combine the various experiences of his members in a brand-new music reality!
There are so many different influences in this intense work: Metal, Rock, Prog, Power, with a huge measure of Hard Rock sound. The accurate songwriting and arrangement make Killing Touch a band with several nuances and great personality, that will find its natural strength in the “live” dimension. The great on-stage experience of some members of the band has been an essential requisite for composing fresh, powerful and genuine songs. Passion, professionalism and dedication are distinctive elements of this album, that make both the musician and the composition itself stand out. The result is a unique sound (…”One of a kind”…), that is the representation of what Killing Touch are today, both at the emotional and musical level.
I Componenti:
Michele Luppi
, voce:* 35-year-old Michele Luppi first started getting into music at the tender age of just 5, thanks to his fascination with the hugely charismatic and popular Kiss.
* He continued to take an active interest in music throughout his school years, focusing on musical studies as soon as possible and ultimately obtaining a diploma in the Vocal Institute of Technology (VIT) program from the Hollywood Musicians Institute, CA.
* In 1994 he formed a band called Mr. Pig, which, with a series of extensive tours, soon became one of the most popular live acts in Italy. To date Mr. Pig has played more than 800 gigs.
* In the mid ‘90s Michele started working on the composition of original material with Italian lyrics, working as a songwriter and vocalist with Republique Infame, an outfit that took the number one slot at Red Ronnie’s Roxy Bar, an extremely popular live TV music show on the TMC2 channel.
* Around the same time he started working as a singer, musician, composer and producer with a range of different musical projects. In the past 12 years as a professional musician Michele has worked with a host of live acts and in studio sessions with artists and bands including Maurizio Solieri, Class, Steve Rogers Band, Ian Paice, George Lynch, Andrea Braido, Gli Atroci, Glenn Hughes and many others.
* In 1997 he started teaching, developing his own unique method for voice production that proved to be invaluable in the world of genres derived from Rock (Michele’s main focus) and also resulted in an invitation in October of 2007 from renowned auditive system and speech specialist Dr Franco Fussi to participate in an international convention in the role of opinion leader, alongside speech therapists, singers, and many top professionals in the field.
* Apart from teaching voice art in top Italian Music Schools and holding private lessons in his own studio, Michele has become one of Italy’s most sought after voice teachers and has organised a series of workshops based around his incredibly successful Voice Control method. At the time of writing more than 2000 students have benefited from learning Michele’s techniques.
* Between 2002 and 2003 he participated in Umberto Tozzi’s world tour as a vocalist and keyboard player, taking part night after night in concerts with audiences in the thousands at many top venues such as the Paris Olympia, Les Palais Des-Beaux-Arts in Brussels, all the main theatres in France, Italy, and several other countries. He has also been on many music and variety shows on the main Italian TV channels (RAI and Mediaset) to promote Umberto Tozzi’s “Best Of” album, which went Platinum.
* After turning down an offer for the leading role in an important Italian–produced musical, Michele decided to put his career on the line by joining Vision Divine in August of 2003 as a full time member. This proved to be a great move, since he went on to record three albums with the band plus a live DVD, all of which distributed worldwide.
* Michele wrote the material on the various albums, singing all the parts and recording his tracks in his private studio (MiLu’s RockLab) where, apart from giving voice lessons, he also carries out voice track production and recording for many other bands.
* Vision Divine’s “Stream Of Consciousness” (2004), the “Stage Of Consciousness” DVD (2005), “The Perfect Machine” (2005) and “The 25th Hour”(2007) have all become absolute milestones in the genre and key albums in the collections of the band’s melodic metal fans, thanks also to excellent promotion and distribution, handled by several of the top labels in the genre, including Scarlet Records, King Records (Japan), Metal Blade and all the distributors that helped to spread the band’s name throughout the world.
* This success resulted in Vision Divine performing as the headliner act on several Italian tours and as the opening act for Dream Theater, Nightwish, Sebastian Bach, Helloween, Children Of Bodom and many other big international names.
* Buoyed by critical acclaim and massive support (not to mention soaring album sales) Vision Divine subsequently embarked on a series of international tours as a headline act, with shows in the following countries (in chronological order): Japan, US, Austria, China, Taiwan and all the main Latin American capital cities.
* Aside from his work with Vision Divine, Michele found time to release two solo albums: the self-produced “Strive” (2005), which climbed high on the Japanese charts, and “Los Angeles”, his first release for the Frontiers label. Both albums are now generally held to be absolute classics in the melodic rock genre, with AOR project “Los Angeles” featuring Gregg Giuffria (one of Michele’s all-time musical idols) on keyboards. Apart from reaping the same excellent reviews received by the earlier works, this album greatly increased Michele’s international profile.
* In April 2008 Michele decided it was time to part company with Vision Divine to form his own band over which he would have more control. This idea led to the birth of Killing Touch, with Michele writing the material and producing the debut album “One Of A Kind” (Scarlet/Audioglobe, 2009), which is scheduled for release at the beginning of May in Japan on Marquee Records, just a few days ahead of the planned release date in Italy and the rest of the world.
Michele "Dr. Viossi" Vioni, chirarra
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Started playing guitar @10 and falls in love with R’n’R a little later.
* Played in many different bands, but he found his home in Mr.Pig in 1994
* He’s been giving guitar lessons for many years, teaching not only the techniques, but also the love for the instrument and the infinite possibilities it offers.
* 2004/2005 he was hired by Lizard Music Academy as Rock/Metal guitar teacher
* 2005: he recorded “Strive”, Michele Luppi’s first solo album.
* Since 2003 he works in partnership with Jam For Live, the biggest booking agenci for cover/tribute bands in Italy.
* 2003/2005 he was in charge of the guitar department of Rock Master Project in S.Marino Republic. RMP was an innovative project, involving master-classes and instructional workshops on advanced Rock guitar techniques and interplay between guitar and bass in a Rock band.
* 2005 he was hired by Accademia di Musica Moderna, as National Tutor of the Rock/Metal/Prog Guitar Department.
* 2007 he founds the band Absynth Aura with Giorgio “JT” Terenziani, Claudia “Klod” Saponi and Marco “Mark” Renzi. The first album is going to be finished in Summer 2009.
* Feb 2008: his first instructional DVD “eXtreme Hard Rock Guitar” was released by Carisch and became a bestseller. It’s going to be reissued in the next few weeks.
* 2008: he joins the band Killing Touch…and a new era begins…!
Giorgio "JT" Terenzani, Basso,
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1999: he joins the band MR.PIG. Trough this years he plays over 800 live shows in the most renowned Italian live clubs: Alcatraz (Milan), Tempo Rock (Reggio Emilia), LiveClub (Milan) etc.
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2000: he starts giving private lessons in electric bass.
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2002: he plays some gigs with the band of Maurizio Solieri (Vasco Rossi’s guitar player), Daniele Tedeschi, Vic Johnson and Michele Luppi.
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2002: he’s hired by Lizard Music Academy, being the youngest bass teacher in the history of this renowned institute.
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2003-2005: he gives seminars and clinics on advanced bass techniques, interplay and live sound-management, often in partnership with Michele “Dr.Viossy” Vioni (MR.PIG – Killing Touch and Absynth Aura’s guitar player and rock guitar teacher for Lizard Music Academy).
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2004-2005: he gives lessons in HD Recording and Interplay.
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2003: he records bass on the opener track of “STRIVE”, first album of Michele Luppi (MR.PIG, Killing Touch, ex-Vision Divine’s singer), published in July 2005 by Scarlet Records.
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Winter 2003: he starts, with his band MR.PIG, the collaboration with Jam for Live, the biggest and most important cover-bands booking-agency in Italy. MR.PIG will become one of the most important cover bands in Italy.
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May 2005: He coordinates the bass department of “Rock Master Project© in the state of S.Marino. RMP© is an innovatory programme, including Master Classes and Workshops on advanced bass techniques, studio and live sound-management, home recording and interplay.
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Jul 2005/September 2006: touring with MR.PIG to promote Michele Luppi’s “STRIVE”
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Nov 2005: his first instructional video “Suonare il basso Rock” is released by Playgame Music.
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Jan 2007: Giorgio’s first DVD reaches the 3rd position in the Carisch’s charts.
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Oct 2006/July 2008: National Tutor of the National Music School (former Accademia di Musica Moderna). This role gives him exclusive rights to plan the rock/metal courses, the final examinations, the master courses and to train all the other national teachers.
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Aug 2007: he's columnist of Guitar Club's "Pro Evolution Bassist", talking of the most modern bass techniques, sound and business.
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Since Sept2007 he's been promoting Absynth Aura's first EP. AA is Giorgio's new band, featuring Claudia Saponi, Michele "Dr.Viossy" Vioni and Marco Renzi. The band was born from the success of Claudia's masterpiece "Will is power", winner song of the international "Virus-Free Generation" competition.
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Feb 2008: his new instructional DVD "Extreme Hard Rock Bass" is released by Carisch. Distributed all over Italy, available in France and Spain, is now a bestseller of his category.
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Apr 2008: Absynth Aura start the recording sessions for their first official release.
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Apr 2008: he join Killing Touch the new Michele Luppi’s Band and starting writing and recording the songs for the band’s first album. In this band he found his mate Michele “Dr. Viossy” Vioni and 2 new great musicians: Davide Montorsi on guitar and Paolo Caridi on Drum
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Oct 2008: he finishes the recording of "Instrumentality" an amazing instrumental rock album, featuring Giorgio with Marco Cardona on guitar and Greg Bissonette on drums. The release date still to come.
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Sept 2008: he is Special Tutor for MMI - Modern Music Institute and National Coordinator of Modern Metal Institute, Rock/Metal Bass section. His collaboration with MMI will take Giorgio on tour all over the nation: clinics, workshops, special lectures and other didactic projects with national and international musicians.
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Mar 2009: his new instructional for self-taught bassists "Bassista Autodidatta" wrote in collaboration with Lorenzo Poli is finished and it will be released by Carisch in April/May 2009. Giorgio is also the producer and coordinator of the project behind this instructional.
Davide Montorsi, Chitarra:
• 1998: @11 he starts playing the guitar.
• 2000: joins his first band and starts playing live.
• 2002: he studies modern harmony, ear-traning and jazz-fusion guitar @ Accademia di Musica Moderna, with Giuseppe Lamonica. In the meantime he studies the most advanced Rock/Metal guitar techniques.
• 2003: he graduates from Accademia di Musica Moderna, second level of guitar.
• 2004 – 2005: he actively participates to many workshops and seminars and goes on with his live activity.
• 2006: he starts giving lessons in electric and acoustic guitar.
• 2007: he joins Alberto Bertoli's band and plays in many live shows around Italy.
• Jun 2007: he graduates from Accademia di Musica Moderna, advanced level of guitar.
• Sept 2007: he stars working as a teacher (and co-director) for Modern Music Institute
• 2007-2009: he takes lessons from one the most renowned italian guitar teachers, Alex Stornello, founder and director of Modern Music Institute.
• Feb 2008: in partnership with the MMI staff he organizes the first edition of "Vocal Day" and he plays live with the Modern Metal Band, with Michele Luppi as very special guest of this event.
• Jun 2008: he joins KILLING TOUCH!
• Oct 2008: to coincide with a Kee Marcello's workshops, organized by MMI, he plays on the same stage of the legendary Europe's guitar player, who paid Dave a lot of compliments.
• Jan 2009: he plays with Modern Metal Band (this time with Giorgio "JT" Terenziani on bass) on the same stage as the famous italian Metal band Arthemis.
Paolo "Dimitri" Carridi, Batteria:
• 2002: @16 he starts playing drums.
• 2004 - 2007: he plays with many bands, going through different genres, Funk, Fusion, Rock, Metal and Progressive.
• 2005: he starts giving private lessons.
• Jul 2007: he records drum tracks for the Progressive Metal band “Seven Virtues” @ Esagono Studio (Italy).
• Sept 2007: he's Drum Teacher for MMI - Modern Music Institute and National Educator of the Rock/Metal Drum section.
• Feb 2008: he participates to the first edition of “Vocal Day”, playing with Michele Luppi and Alessandro Conti (Trick or Treat)
• May/Jun 2008: he joins KILLING TOUCH!
• Jul 2008: he enters the Doctor’s Studio to record the drum tracks of “One Of A Kind”, Killing Touch’s first album.
• Nov 2008: he actively attends to a Virgil Donati’s workshop and he gets to partecipate to a special masterclass and study with Virgil himself.
Una band grandiosa, e il vocalist, uno dei migliori cantanti di casa nostra e di gran livello anche a livello mondiale
Hanno all' attivo un solo album appena uscito, ma merita un sacco, gran gusto musicale e compositivo, che si intitola One Of a Kind.
