*sigh*.... The fact of the matter...

*LATE SEPTEMBER WICKED UPDATE*

Hello everyone, I hope that your summer was as productive and non-stop as mine was and I am truly sorry for lack of updates to the site. However, as everyone around me is noticing I've been burying myself in the studio a lot lately. I wrote about 4 or 5 new songs all of which came out very refreshing and clean sounding. But we'll get to that in a little bit.... first of all onto Wicked.

A lot of people have written me asking why I haven't taken pre-orders yet. Hell, I've even had a couple people just send me money already for Wicked (which I have returned).. the fact of the matter is until Wicked is 100% ready I can't release it and I don't want to release an album that is under 1 hour long.

So here is the whole situation as it stands.
I have 8 tracks on Wicked that I am completely satisfied with.
The album is clocking around 48-52 minutes (I'm unsure because I still have a little trimming to do on the tracks). I would like the album to be 65-70 minutes. The way I see it is like this. A lot of you spend your money on PG music and I want you all to have the most value as possible.

So I have a few choices that I have been toying around with.
1) releasing Wicked as download only for now and then working on it and revising it for pressing with the bonus songs. It would basically get all of the bullshit out of the way, get the album out there for everyone to hear.. and because it is more of a "temp" release I wouldn't be so anal about the production values..

2) just hold off Wicked until the album is truly done.

I have to be honest. In the time that i've spent harping on Wicked's "perfection" I've accumulated enough material to release another album. A word of advice to bands out there NEVER NAME YOUR PROJECT UNTIL IT IS FINISHED!. I have done this two times.. and both times it has bitten me in the ass.. (Diabolic and now Wicked). The issue with Wicked.. is.. I've already got the coverart made up.. I've already got the ads ready to be placed.. I've got everything out there already. I wish that I could just flush everything I have and start over... however, I know that I would be flushing the best material I have ever written.

So my dilemma is quite huge actually. I'm not entirely sure where to go from here... Wicked NEEDS to be released but I am afraid that there is no way it is going to be released in September. Which means.. I will NOT be giving another release date for Wicked until the album is 100% finished.. All 70 minutes of the album are recorded, mixed and mastered... Because I do not like letting down anyone who looks forward to these things being released.

I'm still quite unsure about what to do. I can tell you that my new material is quite aggressive. Not as doomy persay.. but tons of groove and dark, evil lyrics... (Think Mercyful Fate meets Black Sabbath meets Deep Purple... which is kind of what I think Supergod was like)... I've been a big fan of chanting lately (ala Ian Gillan, Dio) in songs.. I don't know.. some shit I'm coming up with sounds quite creepy. I have one track entitled (Summoning My Demon) and it's just tribal drumming with a high guitar line.. and bass thumping with the drums... and this tormented chanting and lyrics "I know where he goes... The devil watching over...etc" even I get quite spooked at the places these tracks are going. Once again I keep writing tracks to finish Wicked but they end up being their own thing. Older listeners of the band probably remember this happening in 2004's Diabolic and 2005's Oblivion... I'm just too a point where everything new is so good I'm not sure where to go from here.

As always I value your opinions so please feel free to e-mail me.
and thanks so much for your patience.
Every time someone writes me about Wicked and I tell them I'm not sure about it.. I get a reply like "dude take however long you need to get the album perfect. I'll be getting it whenever it comes out" to me that is so humbling.. people are ready to buy this album basically without hearing much of it.. just based on my prior work.. Fucking amazing I tell ya!.. and mostly that's my major concern.. while I must admit I write music for myself (and would do it if only one person listened to this stuff) I never want to let down the people who have followed me for years and years...

I thank you all so much for your support
and understand on this matter.
Look for new demos soon in the next coming weeks.
I've got a lot of new stuff I'm really looking forward to throwing out there.
Maybe even another free EP in the near future (cough cough Halloween perhaps)...

Again you are all the best
Sincerely
H

Planet Gemini September Update

*September Band Update*

Hello everyone, I figured I would stop in and give a quick update of how the album is going and give some more info for everyone who's wondering when the presales will start.

As of right now the album is still set for September. However, I must be honest and say that it is not 100% where I want it to be at the moment (I've only got about 40-something minutes of music and I really want more than that). So.. there may be a chance of another pushback when it comes to the release date.

It's funny because I have about 2 other albums worth of material however it's very important for me to make sure this album flows perfectly. So throwing any "cool" song won't do without being 100% sure it's going to benefit the album.

I am not going to give another release date if indeed I push this up again (as this is my 2nd now and I don't enjoy pushing albums up). But, I will say this.. I'm going to continue as if this album needs to be done by September.. and if it's not.. then it's not.. and really I can't do much in the way of speeding things up. Creativity just happens.

Until then I'll be posting a couple new DEMOS in the DEMOS section on the page. and I've even been contimplating another EP release before the end of the year (because I really enjoyed the last release and I got a lot of feedback from listeners who really enjoyed it.) I don't want you all to think that I'm putting anything on the backburner here. I have been very busy but still allocating a lot of time to the Planet Gemini album. My attention span as of late has been crazy. I've been learning many new things about production.. things that I want to impliment on this album the problem is.. the more I learn the better I want this release to sound.

Thanks to everyone who's written me about pre-ordering the album. (and the 2 people that just sent me money for it.. hehe) however, I can't accept money for an album that isn't finished just yet. It's on it's way. Trust me on this one. But... I need it to be perfect. I look to spend the next weekend writing new material and trying to throw some new ideas on the album. So far the track listing is.

Incantation
Grim (My God of Red)
Silver Strings
Lightmare
Minus
Moondancer
The Beast on Your Back
Author of Pain
Preachin to the Choir
The Man Who Killed the Sun
Eden

I just need to finish up "The Man Who Killed the Sun" and maybe write another track or two (more interludes really than songs).

I want to thank everyone for their patience. I've gotten a lot of e-mails saying "Take as long as you need for it to be perfect I just can't wait!"
and seriously... the fact that you are all so understanding about my obsession with this album being perfect is fantastic. This album is going to be very heavily promoted. It is going to be featured on many webpages and some magazines. I just need to be sure it's the perfect album. Technically I've only spent about 6 months on this album because I haven't been in writing mode all that long. But, 6 months is a long time. The next PG album will be out quickly and like I said earlier do not discount a free EP being thrown up on the webpage before the end of the year.

Thanks again everyone
Sincerely
H

PS.. anyone who needs to get in contact me can do so via e-mail at
hellion@planetgemini.net
I try my best to reply quickly but if it takes a couple of days please understand that I've been spending a lot of my time in the studio.

Dexter: The Return of Everyone’s Favorite Serial Killer!

Okay, so let’s put the Halloween rant behind us shall we? Perhaps try to focus on something a little more positive; Something more along the lines of a series instead of a movie.

I am a huge fan of Showtime’s original series “Dexter” and recently I have been blessed with the first two episodes of the season to check out before the series returns in late September.

First of all: I suppose I should address you who haven’t jumped aboard the “Dexter” train just yet. The series is about a serial killer who was raised by his stepfather (Harry) to channel his inner monster on people who deserve it. On people who prey on weaker people. As evident by the first scene in the first season where we find Dexter stalking a priest who was sexually assaulting children and then murdering them. Dexter is trained well. Harry is a police officer and has taught Dexter everything about covering his tracks and waiting for the right moments to strike. Dexter is a diamond in the rough and really is one of the best shows on television (Premium channel or not).

In the beginning of the 2^nd season of Dexter we pick up about 35 days after the end of the first series. Dexter has a new “admirer” who is over his shoulder with every move he makes. Which isn’t much of a shock if you’ve read the 2^nd book in the series “Dearly Devoted Dexter”. But from what I’ve read that’s about where the similarities to the book are going to end. As they are not following the same storyline from Jeff Lindsay. Which I think is somewhat of a good idea because the writers of this show seem to understand the character and world that Dexter inhabits rather well.

I have to say these episodes show more of what I love about the show. We are seeing the character of Rita evolve and even little nods to certain personality traits Dexter was picking up on in the 2^nd book.

This show is extremely well acted and if Michael C. Hall doesn’t get some major recognition for his transition from an incredibly flamboyant (yet very self loathing) gay man in the HBO Series “Six Feet Under” to the cold, calculated, often humorous character he is playing now I would have wonder what is going on in these peoples heads.

All in all I can’t say enough good things about this show.
Go out and buy the first season on DVD if you haven’t seen it yet.
If you have… Buy it and watch it again.
The Moondancer within you commands it.

BTW: The new book “Dexter in the Dark” by Jeff Lindsay should be getting released this month… You might want to consider getting that as well. Since you’re out and spending the money.

Thanks for reason
H