CARMINE APPICE And CACTUS Announce 'Temple Of Blues II' Album Feat. STEVE MORSE, TRACII GUNS, JOE LYNN TURNER, Others

It's two years since drum legend Carmine Appice and his reformed CACTUS first unbarred the doors to the "Temple Of Blues" — a 15-track slab of headbanging, hip-swinging heavy blues rock whose subtitle, "Influences And Friends", roped in a host of special guests, all of whom held the band very close to their hearts.

Now the "Temple" opens again, this time for an "All-Star" aggregation that recalls Ted Nugent, Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG),Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (GUNS N' ROSES),Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER) and Pat Travers from volume one, alongside an all-new wave of heavy hitters including Steve Morse (DEEP PURPLE),Tracii Guns (L.A. GUNS),Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE),Rudy Sarzo (OZZY OSBOURNE, QUIET RIOT),Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT) and a whole lot more.

And, to get the ball rolling ahead of time, today sees the release of the first single from "Temple Of Blues II", a savage two-part "Back Door Man" featuring Sheehan, Eric Gales and Artie Dillon.

Carmine enthuses: "When we finished 'Back Door Man' and listened to the whole mix, it blew me away. Billy and Eric are amazing together on top of my drums."

Oft described as America's LED ZEPPELIN, the original CACTUS grew out of Appice's past experiences with VANILLA FUDGE and BECK, BOGERT & APPICE, debuting in 1970 with a self-titled album and an immediate impact on the live circuit. And "Temple Of Blues II" takes us back to their birth — that summer, CACTUS were among the main attractions at the Isle Of Wight festival in England, and the new album's "Purple Haze" reunites them with both another of that bill's audience favorites, Melanie, and its overall headliner, Jimi Hendrix. The result will startle fans of all three.

"Melanie's voice was so distinctive in that it could shift seamlessly from sweet to raspy," says Carmine. "Her talent was versatile too — she was at home in front of the mic whether it be an anthem or a pop tune. That voice could sound childlike in one moment and full of wisdom and maturity the next. No wonder she and her work are still so beloved."

Elsewhere on this thunderous sequel, Pat Travers returns for the mighty "Moanin' At Midnight"; Joe Lynn Turner joins Morse, Carmine's "Guitar Zeus" bandmate Tony Franklin and Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER) for "Bad Stuff"; Dee Snider and Tracii Guns lead the way for "The Little Red Rooster"; and Ted Nugent and Bob Daisley (OZZY OSBOURNE, RAINBOW) join forces for an astonishing "Spoonful".

But every track here expands the raw blues-rock vision of volume one with even more fire, swagger, and authority. And Carmine, of course, anchors the proceedings with his unmistakable power, groove, and feel, driving every track and reaffirming his status as one of the most influential drummers in rock history.

Due on April 3 via Cleopatra Records, "Temple Of Blues II" will feature the following track listing:

01. Back Door Man Pt. 1 & 2 (feat. Eric Gales & Billy Sheehan)
02. 300 Pounds Of Joy (feat. Ty Tabor)
03. Moanin' At Midnight (feat. Pat Travers)
04. Down In The Bottom (feat. Dug Pinnick)
05. Token Chokin' (feat. Bumblefoot)
06. Bad Stuff (feat. Steve Morse, Joe Lynn Turner, Derek Sherinian & Tony Franklin)
07. Tail Dragger (feat. Rudy Sarzo & Alex Skolnick)
08. The Little Red Rooster (feat. Dee Snider, Tracii Guns, Jimmy
Haslip)
09. Purple Haze (feat. Melanie)
10. Spoonful (feat. Ted Nugent & Bob Daisley)

Bonus track (CD only):

11. Feel So Good (feat. Billy Sheehan & Britt Lightning)