Ex-BLACK SHEEP Frontman Announces Touring Lineup For His Band

Self-proclaimed "'80s metal pioneer" Willie Basse has announced the touring lineup for his group in support of his new album "The Money Grind". Basse will be joined by Geoff Nicholls (BLACK SABBATH, QUARTZ) on keyboards, Bobby Rondinelli (BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW, BLUE YSTER CULT) on drums and Mitch Perry (MSG, AEROSMITH) on guitar for a European and U.S. tour. Exact cities and dates will be announced.

Basse is best known for his role as bassist/frontman for the legendary L.A.-based metalheads BLACK SHEEP (the metal version, not the rap version who bought the name from him in the '90s). BLACK SHEEP and Willie Basse were mainstays on the Los Angeles sunset strip during the '80s metal explosion. The group has boasted members that reportedly include Slash, Paul Gilbert, James Kottak, Randy Castillo and Mitch Perry.

Staying true to his his metal and rock roots, Basse flexes his abilities as a songwriter on "The Money Grind" with 12 ear-crunching, classic metal songs that will bring him back to the forefront of the genre.

"The term classic metal doesn't really make sense to me," says Basse when describing his new album, "because that implies that there isn't anything current about metal music, which isn't true. Alternative, grunge, punk, emo, etc. they all have their basis in the same metal music that I've been playing for years.'

Despite taking a hiatus to pursue real estate, Basse has remained active during his absence from the music scene. In addition to his own label, Willie has built several state-of-the-art recording studio facilities. He's worked for years as a pro audio equipment specialist and technology consultant.