SIXTY WATT SHAMAN Ready To Return In August With "Reason To Live"

Maryland's pure rock mystics SIXTY WATT SHAMAN have recently completed work on Reason To Live, their sophomore full-length for Spitfire Records. The album was recorded at Phase Studio in College Park, MD and produced by the band along with the masterful Scott Reeder (i.e. KYUSS, UNIDA, THE OBSESSED).

This was Reeder's first experience working with the band and it proved to be a productive and enlightening experience for all involved. Making a record can be pretty intense - it's like diving headfirst into a meat grinder with everyone, and you never know what's gonna come out until you get to the other side, comments Reeder.

With SIXTY WATT SHAMAN, everything flowed just right - it was an amazing privilege to witness their performance and be able to capture it on tape inspiring as a musician, songwriter, producer, and human being on many levels, he continues. I came in a stranger and walked away with four brothers.

Last year's debut Seed Of Decades drew critical praise from around the world and the band made a name for themselves in the US on the memorable Penchant For Violence tour along with Zakk Wylde's BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and CROWBAR. Their debut single "Roll The Stone" has also earned permanent rotation status at several commercial radio stations across the country. As aptly described by Metal Edge magazine, "SIXTY WATT SHAMAN take their favorite elements within rock 'n roll's illustrious history, put 'em in a progressive, soulful, southern rock, metal, alternative blender, shake 'em up and spit 'em out with originality and eccentricity."

According to Reeder, this latest recording process went well beyond the standard knob-twisting and the group shared some intensely memorable moments together. One of the highlights for me was taking the guys to a performance by my wife's uncle, a Cahuilla tribal elder who helps preserve the tribal history through birdsongs. Later, we broke bread with him - he spoke of the lineage of the Shaman in his tribe's history, and summed things up with an important bit of advice: When your power comes to you, you mustn't be afraid of it, or it will go away....

Although not officially confirmed, informed sources have told BLABBERMOUTH.NET that Reason To Live will contain a hidden track consisting of a ten-minute all-out-jam featuring the members of SIXTY WATT SHAMAN along with Scott Reeder and Wino (formerly of THE OBSESSED) joining in.

Reason To Live is scheduled for release in August of 2002.