Glenn Snelwar Blog

2012-01-15T18:11:00.000-08:00

It's been too long since I've posted an update here. Things have been progressing very, very well with the 5.1 mix of Torn Between Dimensions...and the additional acoustic versions that will go along with it. It will be a bit longer, but hopefully not too much longer!!! I am anticipating having it released the first half of this year. I recently broke one of the fingers on my left hand, so that will certainly slow things down for a while as I try to finish up the acoustic versions.

I have worked on a few cover tunes to take a break from the 5.1 work, and here is one of the covers that Manfred Dikkers kindly provided drums tracks for - one of my favorite Police tracks, Invisible Sun. A couple more covers are in the works.

I've also posted this and the free full preview tracks from each of the At War With Self discs over on Soundcloud - you can also listen and download them on the main site here as well. And check out the AWWS Facebook page if that's your thing.

Thanks again to all of you who have purchased A Familiar Path over the past couple of years - as well as Acts of God and Torn Between Dimensions - more to come in a few months, for certain.

Glenn

Reflecting on Torn Between Dimensions

2011-01-09T18:53:00.000-08:00

I figured a new post here was way overdue. First off, thanks to all of you who have purchased my CDs and supported this project - At War With Self is at this time a self-financed, independent operation and every CD sale that comes in is truly appreciated!!! It helps me continue to justify releasing physical CDs. Also, many thanks to the people who take the time to listen carefully to the disc and write a review. Without this sort of support, the pressing and distribution of physical copies of the discs would not be possible.

The end of 2010 allowed me time to think about the course of this project, and what should be next - I am extremely satisfied with the end result of A Familiar Path. For me it really brings together the ideas of merging classical guitar and metal that I had when I first trusted my instinct to combine the styles the way I like to do, and write Reflections back in '94. A Familiar Path is an appropriate title for me as a musician thinking of how I started this, and how it's come full circle for me to realize what I envisioned so long ago.

So where to go from here? I've been thinking a lot of which direction to take with At War With Self. I've been writing for the next disc, and a lot of rough ideas are down. Manfred Dikkers, who covered all the drums and percussion for A Familiar Path, has kindly offered to write drum and percussion tracks for the next set of new music. So the foundation is underway for a new release in the future.

Over the past few years, I've gotten heavily involved with listening to music in surround format - getting my hands on all the DVD audio, super audio and DTS mixes I can find. The ability to take stereo mixes to 5.1 is something I'm very intrigued by. The new King Crimson surround re-mixes of Red and In the Wake of Poseidon are currently in heavy rotation and kicking my ass! Listening to Deep Purple's Machine Head in 5.1 makes me take back the idea that I would never want to hear Smoke on the Water ever again. It's truly an incredible format.

I have a very specific idea for the next AWWS release - and it will be released with two discs - a CD with a stereo version, and a DVD containing a DTS surround mix. As I've been writing the new material with the surround format in mind, I decided to take some existing tracks to see how this could work- I re-mixed a couple of tracks from A Familiar Path to 5.1. Then I decided to dust off the tracks from Torn Between Dimensions, which have been sitting untouched since the discs's release for a number of reasons.

Going back through the tracks on Torn Between Dimensions and listening to all the drum and guitar parts that are difficult to discern in the stereo mix, due to the dense layering and nature of the compositions, I realized that the 5.1 format is a must for this music. Similar to my idea for the next new set of tracks for AWWS, the re-release of Torn Between Dimensions will have a re-mixed stereo version and a DTS format surround mix. There may also be some acoustic versions of some of the tracks added for this release, as some of these songs were originally written for two or three classical guitars (The God Interface was originally an exercise to incorporate some of Leo Brouwer's classical etude techniques into my own compositions, as his studies are still very inspiring for me to listen to).

Re-visiting Torn Between Dimensions was way, way overdue and this format is the perfect reason for me to do it now. I hope to have it released by end of this year, with a new AWWS disc to follow shortly thereafter.

I hope to have another post within the coming months to provide an update on timing for the release, as it gets closer to completion.

A Familiar Path-Reviews Posted, New Collaboration

2010-02-14T07:09:00.000-08:00

New reviews for A Familiar Path are available in German, French, Italian, Norwegian and English. Direct links to reviews follow - pdf versions can be accessed at the reviews page on my site. See details and press info below the reviews links for ordering directly from me through Paypal (signed copies available), or through the following distributors: CDBaby Justforkicks.de or Synphonic.com (links below).

A Familiar Path was also featured on the gagliarchives radio show and recently placed on the weekly top 20 list. Thanks to all of the radio stations and magazines, websites around the globe that have supported A Familiar Path and included it on their playlists or reviewed the disc.

In other news, I just finished recording acoustic guitar parts on a track called Irreversible Damage for Slovenian guitarist Grega Habic. Check out the track and Grega's very fine work at his myspace page!

Review links:

Sea of Tranquility (English)
Ytsejam.com (English)
Ragazzi-music.de (German)
Rocktimes.de (German)
babyblaue-seiten.de (German)
musikreviews.de (German)
hooked on music.de (German)
Arlequins.it (Italian)
merlinprog.com (Norwegian)
Musicwaves.fr (French)
music in belgium.net (French)
Progressia.net (French)

A Familiar Path is the third chapter of At War With Self, which is a return to Snelwar’s roots as a musician that maintains the concept of the project changing for each release. The original concept in which Snelwar combined classical guitars into progressive and thrash metal has been re-visited and fully realized with A Familiar Path. The new incarnation of At War With Self features Manfred Dikkers, who joins Snelwar again from the Acts of God sessions on drums and percussion. The tracks on A Familiar Path are “the heaviest, most aggressive and accurate version of what I’ve had in mind for combining metal and progressive influences with classical guitars” says Snelwar. Instrumental tracks such as a hybrid half-classical, half-metal rendition of a Heitor Villa-Lobos guitar study, the Slayer-meets-King Crimson aggression of Concrete and Poison and Diseased State, a new rendering of Reflections originally featured on the debut Gordian Knot disc and the guitar shred of The Ether Trail, are balanced with the vocally-centered title track and Ourselves. A Familiar Path is accompanied with artwork that completes the emotion and intensity inspired by the 42 minutes on the disc.
A Familiar Path was released November 2009.

The full track Reflections is available for free download, and preview clips available below:

Or, stream the entire disc at lastfm.com

Reflections (click for full-length MP3)

Etude 10 (Villa-Lobos)

Concrete and Poison

Hope

You can order the disc directly from me through Paypal for $8 USD (shipments to US), and $12 USD (outside US). The different rates include postage, and account for my shipping costs from the US. All CDs will be sent first class air mail (typically 3-5 days US and 5-10 days OUS).

I have had some people inquire in the past about getting a signed copy of the disc - if this something you're interested in, just let me know when placing your order, I'd be glad to do so.

Alternate Purchase links:

Through CD Baby ($10 USD):

Digital versions (MP3s at 192 kbps) are available at Digstation.com - the entire disc for $4 USD, or $0.50 per song.

The disc is also available through the following distributors (please contact me if interested in distributing the disc):

Just for Kicks (Germany)
Synphonic (U.S.)

A Familiar Path - now available

2009-11-21T05:42:00.000-08:00

The CD will be available shortly through CD Baby and Just for Kicks music.

You can also order directly from me through Paypal for $8 USD (shipments to US), and $12 USD (outside US). The different rates include postage, and account for my shipping costs from the US. All CDs will be sent first class air mail (typically 3-5 days US and 5-10 days OUS). Paypal link is at bottom of the post.

I have had some people inquire in the past about getting a signed copy of the disc - if this something you're interested in, just let me know when placing your order, I'd be glad to do so.

A digital version (MP3s, 192 kbps) is also available through digstation.com for $4.00 USD! There are preview clips on the digstation site as well.

The full track Reflections is available for free download, and preview clips available below:

Reflections (click for full-length MP3)

Etude 10 (Villa-Lobos)

Concrete and Poison

Hope

A Familiar Path

2009-10-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

The NEW At War With Self disc, A Familiar Path, will be released in mid-November. Discs are being manufactured now.

Track list (click on each for MP3 previews):

Reflections (click for full-length MP3)

Etude 10 (Villa-Lobos)

Concrete and Poison

Hope

Site Re-Design

2009-06-27T06:16:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the newly re-designed site! A very generous AWWS fan took it upon himself to do a complete overhaul of the site and contents (for the second time now!!!), and the end result is what you see here. I'm incredibly happy with it, and hope you all are as well! The experience of knowing the music is appreciated to the extent that people will send an e-mail to thank me, or go even further to devote their time and energy to support my efforts by doing an interview, writing a review or doing a complete site re-design is humbling to say the least - hearing from people around the world is one of the best outcomes of writing and recording.

All news will be posted on the blog from this point on, and I'll do my best to answer any of your questions to news-related posts. Please be patient if I don't respond right away - as some of you may have noticed, I've been slow at times to update the site with news posts or respond to e-mail (I'm sure this format will make life easier). Lately I've purposefully avoided frequent posts and logging into myspace and here, etc., to keep focused on getting the next CD out...once that happens I'll probably use this format to post on a more frequent basis.

The new disc is being mastered, and a preview track will be posted shortly. Anticipated release date for A Familiar Path is sometime in late August/early September.

Thanks for listening!!!

Glenn

now playing in the car:
Mastodon - Crack the Skye
Riotgod
Alex Machacek - Improvision
Project Z - self-titled

at home:
Genesis - A Trick of the Tail (SACD)
Opeth - Watershed (DTS 5.1)
Steven Wilson - Insurgentes (DVD-A 5.1)

2009-05-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

An update long overdue!!! Manfred Dikkers and I have been busy working on the next At War With Self release, A Familiar Path, to be released in the next few months. Mark Sunshine will be graciously taking time away from RiotGod to provide vocals for a couple of the tracks. As the release date gets closer updated preview clips and full length tracks will be available for download, so check back soon!

Here's a link to an interview done for Archaic Magazine a while back that discusses Acts of God and the new disc. Thanks to Ron Salden for his time and the detailed questions.

2008-07-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some preview clips for the next At War With Self disc. The disc won't be released until 2009, but I'm excited to share some of the rough mixes to date for some of the songs. This disc will be a return to some fundamental ideas for me as a guitarist and songwriter. When I started recording my ideas for combining classical guitar and metal, it was at a time where synths and string programming was not an option for me to include in the compositions, without resorting to trying (very poorly) to play the violin parts I had written.

A lot has changed since then, and I'm fortunate to have had the tools available to incorporate into the writing process. This disc will not be an exception to use of these tools. It will however, be much more streamlined and focused on my original goal 15 years ago - to intertwine acoustic and heavier electric guitars together into compositions. To re-enforce that concept, I've decided to re-record a version of Reflections from the first GK disc, more similar to my original idea for the song. There will also be a performance of a Villa-Lobos etude, to make it clear how critical my influences have been on my path to this point. There are also lots of heavy rhythm guitars, arising from too many influences to mention here (the listener can draw their own conclusions on these).

I think these clips capture the essence of that spirit well. Manfred Dikkers, one of the drummers on Acts of God, is playing all the drums here, with myself covering the rest.

There are still many, many details that need to be worked out before the next release, but hopefully this will give you an idea of what's to come! Thanks for listening.

2008-07-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

The NEW At War With Self disc, Acts of God (click here for more info - visit Sluggo's Goon Music to stream the entire disc) is available for purchase at CD Baby!

The debut At War With Self disc, Torn Between Dimensions (click here for more info and sound files) is available for purchase at The Laser's Edge!

2008-05-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since my last post - this will be short, but much more to follow in the coming weeks. The next At War With Self disc is being recorded. More details, including some preview clips, to come soon. In the meantime, check out the re-designed Sluggo's Goon Music site, where all releases, including Acts of God, can be streamed in their entirety (including an alternate version of Ursa Minor, featured on Von Garcia's I Think a Think). Much, much more info on each of the bands can be found there, please visit! And, check out Mark Sunshine's new band RiotGod on myspace.

More reviews are also posted for Acts of God. And thanks again to every one of you for listening.

2007-10-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

Von Garcia's I Think a Think and Dave Corp's The Sweet Life have been released on the Sluggo's Goon Music label!!!!

Von Garcia is James VonBuelow's project, a guitartist and co-writer of some tunes on Acts of God. The debut disc features a guest performance by jazz guitarist Ben Monder, as well as Mark Sunshine, Steve Decker and Damon Trotta (musicians on Acts of God). An alternate version of Ursa Minor from Acts of God is on the disc. I contributed guitar and mandolin parts to a few of the tunes.

Dave Corp is an experimental jazz/rock trio - no way to easily describe, so go and listen to some samples!!! Check out Von Garcia, Dave Corp, and Vehicle at their myspace sites, at CD Baby and over at www.sluggosgoonmusic.com.

Two tracks off of Acts of God are available for download, or to add to your myspace player, from the myspace site:

www.myspace.com/glennsnelwaratwarwithself

Be sure to also visit

www.myspace.com/sluggosgoonmusic

2007-08-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

Acts of God has been listed as one of the discs "Spinning in the Editors' heads this month" in Guitar Player magazine's September issue!!! Click here to see the reviews with new additions from July and August.

I recently joined the myspace community as well - please visit and send a friend request. It's been great to hear from other bands and check out some great music...Sluggo's Goon Music, the label for Acts of God with the sole mission to create music with no boundaries, also has a site - so please check them out !

www.myspace.com/glennsnelwaratwarwithself
www.myspace.com/sluggosgoonmusic

Damon Trotta is busy getting ready for the release of Von Garcia and DaveCorps, two projects on the Sluggo's Goon Music label. Vehicle, Damon's funk band, is also on the label.

Von Garcia is James VonBuelow's project, a guitartist and co-writer of some tunes on Acts of God. The disc features jazz guitarist Ben Monder, as well as Mark Sunshine, Steve Decker and Damon Trotta (musicians on Acts of God). An alternate version of Ursa Minor from Acts of God is on the disc. I contributed guitar and mandolin parts to a few of the tunes.

Dave Corps is an experimental jazz/rock trio - no way to easily describe, so go and listen to some samples!!! Check out some samples of Von Garcia, Dave Corps, and Vehicle at their myspace sites, and over at www.sluggosgoonmusic.com.

I'm working on some new material with Manfred Dikkers, one of the drummers on Acts of God. More updates on this to follow soon...

2007-07-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

Click here for an MP3 version of an interview (59 MB file) that was aired as part of the July 17 airing of a show called Soundscapes on the Dividing Line Network, a progressive rock internet radio station. The interview is just over 1 hour, and includes a few of the songs from the new disc Acts of God, a discussion of the disc and the project in general, and lots of other topics thanks to some great questions Woody Harris, the host of the show, had asked.

2007-07-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

Some new reviews for the disc have been added below, as well as on the Reviews page. Babyblaue-seiten, a German progressive rock web site, has voted Acts of God pick of the month for July. We also have obtained distribution for the disc through justforkicks.de, a German distributor. If there are any other distributors interested in carrying the disc, please contact the label directly at www.sluggosgoonmusic.com. Thanks to all the radio shows, magazines and fans who've listened to the disc and shared their comments and thoughts on it - and most of all, to the people who have supported us by purchasing the disc! We appreciate it!!!

I recently did an interview for a show called Soundscapes on the Dividing Line Network, a progressive rock internet radio station. Some of the details on the conceptualization and realization of Acts of God, as well as the project in general, will be featured. It will be airing Tuesday, July 17 from 6-9 PM EST, so check it out if you can! Thanks to Woody Harris, the host who asked some very different and interesting questions - check out his myspace page for more info on Woody and the show.

An interview was also done on Randy Allar's weekly fusion show in Cleveland for WCSB this past Friday. An MP3 version will be posted shortly on this site. Thanks to Randy for the lengthy interview and for playing tracks off Torn Between Dimensions and Acts of God!

WCSB has some links on their site for people to become active in the fight to keep small internet radio shows like these alive and well. These links are also posted below. Please visit these sites to find out more about what government here in the U.S. is trying to do to make it financially impossible for these stations to continue what they do. To be able to listen to independent artists who have no other way to have their music broadcast on the radio than through these shows, please contact your Congressional Representatives and Senators, and fight to keep this kind of programming alive and well.

Webcaster's Day of Silence
WCSB will participate in the Webcaster's Day of Silence, Tuesday, June 26th, 2007. For more information, visit the links below, and PLEASE contact your Congressional Representatives and Senators. Ask them to support the Internet Radio Equality Act. Thank you for your support.

2007-06-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

For MP3 preview clips for tracks off of Acts of God, including the full-length version of Threads, click here.

Acts of God is available for purchase at CD Baby. Thanks to everyone who's purchased and asked about the disc!

Acts of God
911
Threads
Ursa Minor
Martyr
End in Blue
No Place
Choke Loud
Refugee

Glenn Snelwar: Guitars, Mandolins, Synths
Damon Trotta: Bass Guitars, Digideroo, Various Percussion, Vocals

Additional Guest Musicians:

Mark Sunshine: Vocals
Steve Decker: Drums
Manfred Dikkers: Drums
James vonBuelow: Guitars
Dave Archer: Synths

See the Trailer with full MP3 stream of 911.

AT WAR WITH SELF - ACTS OF GOD

At War With Self - "sounds more like a psychological diagnosis than a band..." an appropriate description in the biography for the debut of the project and its first release, Torn Between Dimensions, led by Glenn Snelwar (Gordian Knot), featuring Michael Manring (Michael Hedges, Attention Defecit) and Mark Zonder (Fates Warning, Temple Within). The instrumental trio created an amalgam of tight-knit compositions encompassing progressive rock, metal, jazz, ambient and classical stylings, often within the boundaries of each composition. The end result was critically acclaimed and continues to grow a following as word of mouth of the project expands.

For Acts of God, the second release from the At War With Self project, Snelwar has desired to create a set of compositions with the intentions of living up to the label 'progressive' by dramatically changing almost every facet of the project while staying true to the underlying inspiration of the project's inception - to combine disparate styles and create music with no boundaries. No better choice than Damon Trotta as a co-writer and bassist to create what is sure to be as intriguing a release as Torn Between Dimensions. Trotta's background ranges from co-founder of metal acts Non-Fiction and System Addict, to the funk outfit Vehicle and has worked with the likes of Bernie Worell and Isaac Hayes. Prior to that, Snelwar and Trotta were in a progressive hardcore/metal trio together.. Trotta and Snelwar are back to their roots, with some added influences. With Trotta on bass, vocals, synths and programming and Snelwar on guitars, mandolin and synths, the duo is assisted by Sluggo's Goon Music labelmates James vonBuelow (guitars), Steve Decker (drums), Mark Sunshine (vocals), Dave Archer (synths) and Manfred Dikkers (drums) to create some truly stunning, inspired progressive music.

Torn Between Dimensions had a warm, organic feel as the all-instrumental interplay of Snelwar, Manring and Zonder created a complex, but introspective, set of related compositions. For Acts of God, that introspection is turned outward in the form of a cold stare at conflicts and resolutions prompted by recent world events. From the intensity and imagery-invoking 911 and Martyr, to the elated solace present in No Place and Ursa Minor, to the desolation of End in Blue and Refugee, Acts of God has managed to strike a balance of emotions that once again run the gamut from elation and warmth to fear and horror.

Snelwar describes his collaboration with Trotta as the latest incarnation of At War With Self: "What's so amazing to me about Acts of God is that the vocals lend themselves perfectly to this set of compositions. To change focus from an all-instrumental project to a set of songs mostly containing vocals has strengthened the idea that At War With Self can successfully morph, live up to its name and push the boundaries from one release to the next. That, together with the heavy intertwining of funk and electronic styles with metal and progressive ideas really make this something unique - add to that the ability to get all of the musicians from the label to contribute tremendously in their own way without limitations on what they do - who all come from different backgrounds with vastly different styles - the project took on a life of it's own, yet stayed true to the original idea of combining disparate styles effectively and with incredible intensity".

Acts of God is released on Sluggo's Goon Music.

Here are direct links to reviews that have been done for the disc, more to come soon (for downloadable PDF versions, visit Reviews page):

www.prognaut.com (English)
www.roughedge.com (English)
www.progressiveears.com (English)
www.progplanet.com (English)
www.ytsejam.com (English)
www.seaoftranquility.org (English)
www.allaboutjazz.com (English)
www.musicinbelgium.net (French)
Department of Virtuosity (Polish site in English)
www.progressivewaves.com (French)
www.heavy-metal.it (Italian)
www.benzoworld.it (Italian)
www.tempi-duri.it (italian)
www.arlequins.it (Spanish)
www.planetarock.ar (Spanish)
www.pilgrimworld.net (Japanese)
www.babyblaue-seiten.de (German)
www.rocktimes.de (German)
www.ragazzi-music.de (German)
www.powermetal.de (German)
www.heavy-metal.dk (Danish)

2006-11-01T08:47:00.000-08:00

Manfred Dikkers just finished the drums for two tracks on Acts of God, and here are some preview MP3s to check out:

2006-10-15T08:44:00.000-07:00

Recording for Acts of God is almost completed, with the addition of Manfred Dikkers on drums for a couple of tracks. Manfred is a great drummer who I'm collaborating with for a solo project just underway, and he's the perfect choice for the remaining tracks on Acts of God that needed some aggressive drumming. Check out Manfred's website for more info on him and his projects.

We are still anticipating an early 2007 release for Acts of God. Download Threads, a full song from the upcoming disc:

Threads (full song)

2006-07-26T08:43:00.000-07:00

Click here to be directed to an interview I did recently for a Moroccan site called Chaos Forum, where the new disc, Acts of God, is discussed, and much more.

Listening to the Voivod disc that came out today- Piggy R.I.P.!

2006-07-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

A change in plans... the next At War With Self disc will be released early 2007. This is to allow the best timing for the label to release the disc and have it coincide with the launch of other releases at the beginning of the year.

Another update to come within the next week.

2006-05-08T08:40:00.000-07:00

Preview MP3s and Biography have been posted for the upcoming At War With Self release, Acts of God.

2006-04-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

Damon Trotta and I just finished mixing most of the songs for the new At War With Self CD, Acts of God, in New Jersey. Preview MP3s for tracks will be posted within the next week. As for a release date, it will be sometime this summer. Details for mastering and promotion are in the works, and the release will coincide with other releases on the Sluggo's Goon Music label... here's the press biography that describes the project and the musicians that contributed to Acts of God - huge thanks from Damon and I go out to Mark Sunshine, Steve Decker, James vonBuelow, Pete Teresi, Rodney Zodda and Dave Archer for making the tracks what they have become. Be sure to check out Sluggo's Goon Music to find out more about these musicians and their projects on the label, to be released in 2006.

AT WAR WITH SELF - ACTS OF GOD

At War With Self - "sounds more like a psychological diagnosis than a band..." an appropriate description in the biography for the debut of the project and its first release, Torn Between Dimensions, led by Glenn Snelwar (Gordian Knot), featuring Michael Manring (Michael Hedges, Attention Defecit) and Mark Zonder (Fates Warning, Temple Within). The instrumental trio created an amalgam of tight-knit compositions encompassing progressive rock, metal, jazz, ambient and classical stylings, often within the boundaries of each composition. The end result was critically acclaimed and continues to grow a following as word of mouth of the project expands.

For Acts of God, the second release from the At War With Self project, Snelwar has desired to create a set of compositions with the intentions of living up to the label 'progressive' by dramatically changing almost every facet of the project while staying true to the underlying inspiration of the project's inception - to combine disparate styles and create music with no boundaries. No better choice than Damon Trotta as a co-writer and bassist to create what is sure to be as intriguing a release as Torn Between Dimensions. Trotta's background ranges from co-founder of metal acts Non-Fiction and System Addict, to the funk outfit Vehicle and has worked with the likes of Bernie Worell and Isaac Hayes. Prior to that, Snelwar and Trotta were in a progressive hardcore/metal trio with Rodney Zodda. Trotta, Snelwar and Zodda on percussion are here and back to their roots, with some added influences. With Trotta on bass, vocals, synths and programming and Snelwar on guitars, mandolin and synths, the duo is assisted by Sluggo's Goon Music labelmates James vonBuelow (guitars), Steve Decker (drums), Mark Sunshine (vocals), Pete Teresi (guitars), Rodney Zodda (percussion) and Dave Archer (synths) to create some truly stunning, inspired progressive music.

Torn Between Dimensions had a warm, organic feel as the all-instrumental interplay of Snelwar, Manring and Zonder created a complex, but introspective, set of related compositions. For Acts of God, that introspection is turned outward in the form of a cold stare at conflicts and resolutions prompted by recent world events. From the intensity and imagery-invoking 911 and Martyr, to the elated solace present in No Place and Ursa 5, to the desolation of End in Blue and Refugee, Acts of God has managed to strike a balance of emotions that once again run the gamut from elation and warmth to fear and horror.

Snelwar describes his collaboration with Trotta as the latest incarnation of At War With Self: "What's so amazing to me about Acts of God is that the vocals lend themselves perfectly to this set of compositions. To change focus from an all-instrumental project to a set of songs mostly containing vocals has strengthened the idea that At War With Self can successfully morph, live up to its name and push the boundaries from one release to the next. That, together with the heavy intertwining of funk and electronic styles with metal and progressive ideas really make this something unique - add to that the ability to get all of the musicians from the label to contribute tremendously in their own way without limitations on what they do - who all come from different backgrounds with vastly different styles - the project took on a life of it's own, yet stayed true to the original idea of combining disparate styles effectively and with incredible intensity".

Acts of God will be released early 2007, on Sluggo's Goon Music.

2006-01-16T08:31:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a very generous fan who chooses to remain anonymous, the site has been redesigned! I've updated most of the information within the pages. Under the Results page, past and current projects have been broken out separately. This is to emphasize that in the future, everything I do may not be associated with the name "At War With Self". For example, I just finished recording mandolin and guitar parts for James Vonbuelow, a guitarist that will be releasing a CD later this year. A solo CD is something that I'm considering for the future as well.

Also under the results section, I've posted the MP3s for the entire Reflections demo. I've received a lot of inquiries on this so I figured I'd post them. More info behind the demo and some history behind the different projects I've been involved with can be found in the updated Biography section.

Progress on the next At War With Self CD, Acts of God, is coming along nicely. The release date will be sometime the first half of this year. Damon Trotta and I are still working out the details for mixing, mastering, artwork and manufacture. Additional guest musicians are yet to be determined. At this point we're focusing on getting the compositions completed, and other musicians will be brought in soon after. The preview MP3s for some of the songs, and a tentative track listing, can be found on the Results page.

I've added a few more reviews that have recently been done, for Torn Between Dimensions.

Thanks to all of you who take the time to send an e-mail, it's great hearing from you! Thanks for your support.

2005-10-10T04:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some preview clips from the next AT WAR WITH SELF release, ACTS OF GOD. The songwriters for this project are Damon Trotta (Vehicle, Non-Fiction) and myself, and will have appearances from guest musicians (to be announced). Damon will take on the bass, various percussion, digideroo, synths, programming, vocals and engineering roles, and I'll be covering the guitars, mandolins, synths, vocals and programming. There will be more info posted about Damon in the coming weeks, but for now you can check out some more of his bass playing from former projects with the links below. ACTS OF GOD will be released in early 2006.

AT WAR WITH SELF - Acts of God preview MP3s

Link to Vehicle (Damon's most recent funk project)

2005-10-01T04:31:00.000-07:00

Links to some interviews have been added on the Reviews page - thanks to all the magazines that did interviews, for their time and interest. Links to some additional reviews that have recently been done for Torn Between Dimensions have also been added. I'll be updating the site within the next week with news of the next project, some sound clips, and a lot of information - thanks for stopping by and check back soon!

2005-08-27T04:28:00.000-07:00

Very, very sad news today - Voivod's guitarist, Denis "Piggy" D'Amour passed away after fighting colon cancer. His playing has influenced me more than any other guitar player has. His style was unique and visionary - there's no comparison to what he had done for advancing progressive metal to new heights, and his ideas defied categorization. I hope that he's remembered as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. I will miss listening to his new ideas, and continue to listen in amazement at what he had accomplished. My condolences go out to his family, friends and band-mates. Rest in peace, Denis - you will be missed.

2005-06-19T04:26:00.000-07:00

Sample MP3s for Torn Between Dimensions have been posted on the Results page. Additional reviews have also been posted on the Reviews page. Many thanks again to the radio stations, magazines and web sites around the world that have been generous with their time to review and/or play the CD!

Writing is currently underway for a collaborative project to be completed by year's end, with an anticipated release in early 2006. More details will become available and posted within the coming months.

2005-04-17T04:24:00.000-07:00

More reviews have been posted on the Reviews page. A link to an upcoming interview for Voivod.net (VOIVOD!!!!!! One of my favorite bands) will be posted soon as well.

2005-03-27T04:19:00.000-08:00

Links to reviews of At War With Self Torn Between Dimensions have been added to the Reviews page. As additional reviews come in, they will be posted on the reviews page. Thanks to the magazines and radio stations who have taken the time to review and/or play Torn Between Dimensions!

2005-02-03T04:05:00.000-08:00

Download an MP3 for The God Interface from Torn Between Dimensions

Release Date of February 22.

2005-01-04T03:58:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone for being patient with another update. I've been waiting to update the site until an official release date for the CD was obtained. The first AT WAR WITH SELF CD, Torn Between Dimensions, will be released February 22. An MP3 of The God Interface is posted on the Laser's Edge site, home of the Free Electric Sound label. Mastering was done by Bob Katz, and I have a whole new appreciation for the skill that is involved with the final step in releasing a recording. The artwork was done by Travis Smith, and the cover art is also posted on the Laser's Edge site. Travis did an incredible job with the artwork, and it was great to have him come up with some fascinating imagery that fits the music very well. Be sure to check out Travis's artwork at www.seempieces.com.

Thanks for checking in, another update will follow in the next few weeks!

2004-06-28T03:55:00.000-07:00

The first At War With Self CD, Torn Between Dimensions, was mixed June 3-6, 2004, by Vic Stevens at Giant Steps Recording. Vic is not only a great drummer (McGill, Manring, Stevens), but an excellent engineer as well. Somehow Vic was able to separate out all the instruments and have them create a wall of sound where the individual instruments have their own 'niche'. This was no easy task, as some of the songs have as many as four acoustic guitar/mandolin parts playing simultaneously over the top of Michael Manring's expressive bass parts, piano, synths, two or three heavy guitars, and Mark Zonder's intricate drum parts. Next up is the mastering and artwork. The expected release time-frame is January 2005.

I've had a number of inquiries into the original Reflections demo and how people can get a copy. The demo from 1994 had 3 songs, one of which was re-done for the upcoming CD. When I listen back to the Reflections demo, it does represent what I do stylistically to an extent. However, the ideas weren't fully realized when that demo was recorded and mixed (use of a drum machine and little studio time were the main limitations). Because I've received so many inquiries into this, I've decided to post the demo version of the song Reflections again on this site. Click here for MP3 download.

I want to also thank the people who have contacted me, it's great to hear from people around the world who are interested in what I do!

2004-01-20T03:53:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been over four months since an update, so this one will be quite lengthy. A short version follows - I've also written down some thoughts on how this project has evolved over it's recent time frame, and the events and situations that influenced how this project became a reality.

To summarize the status of Torn Between Dimensions, Mark is finished with his drum tracks, I'm putting finishing touches on guitar/mandolin and keys, and Michael is hard at work on his bass parts. Final mix-down is certainly close, and discussions are in place as to the location and engineer.

I am going to avoid discussing what the music sounds similar or dissimilar to. I will say that the way I envisioned this CD's impact on the listener is akin to an emotional sledgehammer, and I think my aim has been true. I have played rough tracks for a few close fiends and the reaction I've gotten is one of exhaustion, not unlike the feeling after watching an engaging movie with difficult subject matter. The emotions behind the compositions run the gamut from elation to rage, and everything in between. Sometimes the emotions are expressed musically in a linear fashion, and sometimes all are present at once. It is my hope that the listener makes this as personal a listening experience as possible, and that they are able to relate to, struggle with and conquer their own war with self.

2003-02-09T03:43:00.000-08:00

There have been some exciting developments with the project. I have signed with The Laser's Edge to release material under the project name At War With Self. The first release will be entitled Torn Between Dimensions. I am very excited to have two incredibly talented and creative musicians performing bass and percussion for this release. Mark Zonder (Fates Warning, Warlord) and Michael Manring (McGill, Manring, Stevens, Michael Hedges, Attention Deficit among others) will complete the trio.

I have enjoyed listening to both Mark and Michael for many years. For Torn Between Dimensions, I've asked them to both provide as much creative input as possible. The result so far has been the introduction of fresh ideas that are making the compositions sound better than I ever would have imagined.

I'll be updating the site as the recording progresses. The CD will be released in 2004.