Reunited SHOK PARIS Working On New Material

Reunited Cleveland metallers SHOK PARIS performed to a capacity crowd at the Auburn Records 25th Anniversary Concert on December 12, 2009 at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio. It was their first show since 2004 when the group played Auburn's 20th Anniversary Concert and the Bang Your Head!!! festival in Balingen, Germany.

The band's setlist for the Cleveland show was as follows:

01. American Dream
02. Find A Way Out
03. Caged Tiger
04. Never Say Why
05. Hot On Your Heels
06. Go Down Fighting
07. On Your Feet
08. Concrete Killers
09. Go For The Throat
10. Steel And Starlight
11. Burn It Down
12. Run But Don't Hide

Video footage of the performance can be viewed below.

SHOK PARIS will headline the first night of the Headbangers Open Air festival, set to take place July 29-31, 2010 in Brande-Hörnerkirchen, Germany.

"Headbangers Open Air can't get here soon enough", says vocalist Vic Hix. "It is another great opportunity to play for the best metal fans on earth.

"We had an incredible time in '04 at Bang Your Head!!! and I know it will be another great show, but this time in northern Germany."

Adds guitarist Ken Erb, "I'm amped about this festival. The band is very excited and honored to be part of HOA 2010.

"We'll be adding some more obscure songs to the set for the diehard HOA fans. We're gonna burn the garden to the ground!"

SHOK PARIS has plans to record and release new studio material next year.

"It is great working together with Vic (Hix) again," says Erb. "His voice is as strong as ever.

"I have a lot of new material I have been writing that is perfect for SHOK PARIS.

"Vic and I have always had a special songwriting connection. We're excited to be back!"

SHOK PARIS released three albums on Auburn — "Go For The Throat" (1984),"Steel And Starlight" (1987) and "Concrete Killers" (1989) — and was one of the label's most productive bands. "Go For The Throat" was Auburn's very first release, while "Steel And Starlight" and "Concrete Killers" were released through a joint partnership between I.R.S./ MCA and Auburn.

"I started working with SHOK PARIS before my 'Cleveland Metal' album was released in 1983," says Auburn Records president Bill Peters. "They had never played out live, a different singer and only three songs written at the time — 'Burn It Down', 'Run But Don't Hide' and 'Go Down Fighting'. I was an early believer and saw the potential. The band won me over after our first meeting.

"The song we recorded for the compilation, 'Go Down Fighting', became a big regional hit with extensive airplay on college radio and WMMS. The rest is history."

SHOK PARIS was the first Auburn Records band to get signed to a major label (I.R.S./MCA). They did extensive touring in the U.S. with SAVATAGE and LIZZY BORDEN in the late '80s, produced two MTV music videos and were the featured band in a science-fiction horror movie called "The Hidden".

"I asked Ken if he would be interested in putting a SHOK PARIS lineup together for my Auburn Records 25th Anniversary Concert several months ago", explains Peters. "The reunion went so well that the band decided to keep things going.

"It is great to be working with them again. I have always loved their music. Our trip to Germany in 2004 was one of the best and most fun of my many overseas trips.

"We'll have new studio material ready for next year and reissue some of my Auburn back catalog for the fans."

SHOK PARIS is:

Vic Hix - Vocals
Ken Erb - Guitar
John Korzekwa - Guitar
Ed Stephens - Bass
Donovan Kenaga - Drums