RALPH SANTOLLA's EYEWITNESS: First Two Albums To Be Made Available As A Double CD

According to MelodicRock.com, Escape Music has set a June 25 release date for the double CD containing the previosly unreleased (outside Japan) second album from former DEICIDE/DEATH guitarist Ralph Santolla's EYEWITNESS, entitled "Messiah Complex", and the group's self-titled debut.

Before hard rock vocal god Jorn Lande joined MASTERPLAN, he teamed up with Santolla in MILLENIUM and released the awesome album "Hourglass" in the year 2000. Prior to Lande joining the band, the vocalist had been Todd Plant, with whom the band released an equally amazing album, "Angelfire", in 1999. What many people don't realise is that MILLENIUM was actually simply a continuation of Santolla and Plant's previous band, EYEWITNESS.

EYEWITNESS was formed by Santolla and drummer Oliver Hanson after Santolla was asked to produce the drummer's then-band. EYEWITNESS, also featuring Keith Sterling, Shawn Phillips and vocalist Todd Plant, was duly created and rapidly became an in-demand act on the Florida touring circuit. A set of demos caught the attention of British AOR specialists Now And Then Records and EYEWITNESS was signed up for an eponymous 1995 debut album. The group's inaugural effort was produced by Scott Burns and features a track, "Arms of Love", co-written with WARRANT bassist Jerry Dixon. Santolla's love of European hard rock — specifically UFO and SCORPIONS/ZENO — was paid tribute with amazing cover versions of ZENO's "Far Away" and UFO's seminal "Only You Can Rock Me". The act appeared at the Now And Then Records Gods '95 spectacular at the Astoria 2 in London in early 1995 to coincide with the release of their debut album on the Wigan-based label, bringing the recently hired second guitarist Michael Caruso with them. Rubbing shoulders with the likes of TYKETTO, CROWN OF THORNS and JAMES CHRISTIAN, EYEWITNESS was certainly the surprise package of the day and turned in an absolutely blinding performance. A follow-up album, "Messiah Complex", was only ever released in Japan. A dark and lyrically deep LP, this did not fare so well with fans or critics — although some maintain the CD is an unappreciated classic — and the group, recently having supplanted Hodson with Manfred Binder, opted for a re-think. Thus from out of the ashes of EYEWITNESS rose MILLENIUM, but their two albums and legendary Gods live show definitely left an indelible mark on the fabric of melodic hard rock history, and are treasures well deserving of being rediscovered.