Jon Oliva's Pain has issued the following update. Says drummer Christopher Kinder:

"Sorry for the delay in keeping our most excellent fans up to date. Between pre-production, Oliva's TSO obligations, the passing of our good friend Les Talent.....well let's just say it has been crazy.

So let's bring everyone up to speed on what's been happening.15 songs have been completed and are now in their rehearsal format for Kevin and I to begin our final preperation's before hitting Audio Lab in September. He and I will take a week apart to solidify our own idea's before spending a few final day's exchanging idea's and nailing the rythym section to the floor! Kevin and I have been writing, recording and performing together for more than 13 year's. We know how to get it done in the least possible time. But unlike the last record (without all the stupid band turmoil), we will be very well prepared and the bulk of our idea's written in stone. Of course, anything can and will happen once we hit the studio and you can expect a good 20% of our idea's to be spontaneous. We always raise a few eyebrow's at each other after some track's are finished...."Hey, where the f*ck did you come up with that"?......" I don't know, it was actually a mistake.....cool"!

Oliva and company have spent tireless hour's recording, arranging, re-arranging, and more re-arranging. At some point you just have to say "enough" and feel confident that the building block's are firmly in place............. and boy, are they in place! There is so much diversity and texture going into these songs. Some of the material will surprise your sense's and some will just make you smile knowing that Oliva's trademark stamp is still alive and well. There are some very heavy songs, and some bombastic epic's......just what you would expect from an Oliva/JOP record. Now that we have arrived at the start of JOP#3, and the machine is now 4 year's old....it run's like clock-work!.....This recording is going to the most fun and challenging yet!

The title of the CD and artwork concept are complete. AFM has approved all of our idea's with great enthusiasm. The schedule of event's for the next 4-6 weeks will be rehearsal, Drum and bass tracks recorded, and then back to rehearsal for the Bourbon Street show-Oliva's solo gig at PP-Atlanta- and our headling appearance at Prog-Power Europe on Sunday October 7. From there it is all JOP #3 until we turn in the final master to AFM by the end of November. Tentative release date is set for February 28th in Europe.....A US date has yet to be determined.

Hope you are pumped up for the next installment of JOP! We are pulling out all the stops on this one and we certainly have some crazy idea's in mind. We are going to wake-up your senses, your ear's and make you think!

Cheers to you all........See you soon!
Chris Kinder"