Members Of STATETROOPER Form New Label

May 11, 2004

When the members of STATETROOPER decided to be their own label, they planned that it would be for more than simply to release STATETROOPER albums. In 1987 vocalist Gary Barden (ex-MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP) disbanded the group, a decision based more on his disappointment with the way the industry had dealt with the band's career (both management and record company) than because he no longer wished to front this great hard rock outfit. "I was completely fed up," Barden admits, "and at the time, it was my intention that I would never record again."

However, the success of the reissued original STATETROOPER album a couple of years ago convinced Barden, along with guitarist Jeff Summers and drummer Bruce Bisland, that there was still a very strong fanbase out there, and that if they could take control of the business side of things more, it could be different than it had been 15 years ago.

"We really gave it a lot of thought," Summers explains, "and then we decided that with all the collective experience we've had before and since (Barden as vocalist in MSG, Bisland with SWEET and Summers with WEAPON),we should simply manage ourselves and set up our own label." The band members then created CIC Records, and recruited British industry vet Rupert Withers, formerly of A2 Records and Assassination Music, to coordinate the international releases. Now that the new STATETROOPER album, "The Calling", is finished and ready for release in the States and in Europe on June 14, 2004, the label is actively seeking to sign other artists to the label.

"We're not really pigeonholed into the hard rock we play either," admits Bruce Bisland. "We are open to anything that's good."

CIC Records has multiple distribution deals including in the

U.K. (Nova/Pinnacle),
Germany/Austria/Switzerland (Generation/Reality/Sony)
France/Spain (Musea),
Italy (Frontiers)
Sweden (Sound Pollution)
Benelux (Rock Inc./Bertus)
U.S. (Digital Waves)

A Japanese distribution deal is currently in negotiations.

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