Artist: ARK
Album: BURN THE SUN (CD)

Release date: 2000
Media type: CD

Project band assembled by a cast of highly regarded Hard Rock players, THE SNAKES and MUNDUS IMPERIUM singer JORN LANDE, erstwhile CONCEPTION guitarist Tore Ostby and drummer John Macaluso of TNT, POWERMAD and RIOT. All three had carved out an international reputation of excellence in their particular fields and the announcement detailing the union was highly anticipated in the Progressive Metal field. Although conceived during 1990 the band members various other commitments meant ARK would only get to issue their eponymous debut in 1999. That same year Tшre Ostby contributed his guitar skills to an album by former DEADLOCK frontman Frankie Riester dubbed FRANKIE'S PLAYGROUND.

2000's 'Burn The Sun' album is produced by former VICTORY guitarist Tommy Newton. For this effort ARK drafted bassist Randy Coven, a veteran of American Metal bands HOLY MOTHER and BURNING STARR together with keyboard player Mats Olausson. Both Olausson and Coven rank as ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN band members.

Lande and Macaluso too joined YNGWIE MALMSTEEN in November 2000 for a brief if eventful tenure. Both would abruptly decamp Malmsteen's band in the midst of North American tour dates. The singer acted as session man for BEYOND TWILIGHT's 2001 opus 'The Devil’s Hall Of Fame' whilst John Macaluso hooked up with New York Nu-Metal band MASTERLAST. During mid 2002 Lande signed on with MASTERPLAN, the high profile new act assembled by the HELLOWEEN duo of guitarist ROLAND GRAPOW and drummer Uli Kusch alongside IRON SAVIOR man Jan S. Eckert on bass and the Finnish CHILDREN OF BODOM and WARMEN keyboard player Janne Warmen. By November Lande had opted to pursue MASTERPLAN alongside his solo career full time and severed his ties with ARK.

The band unit of Ostby, Coven and Macaluso, returned to the studio in November 2003 to undertake recordings for a third album. As 2005 broke, Macaluso announced the formation of a new band unit, STARBREAKER's very heavy musical direction being illustrated by its choice of title taken after the classic JUDAS PRIEST song. The guitarist's comrades in arms for this venture would be MIDNIGHT SUN and LAST TRIBE guitarist Magnus Karlsson, Italian bassist Fabrizio Grossi and the TNT, WESTWORLD and MORNING WOOD credited Tony Harnell on vocals.

In early 2006 it would be revealed that Randy Coven and John Macaluso, working alongside MULLMUZZLER guitarist Marco Sfogli, were to participate in a Rock Opera project dubbed 'Heroes Temporis'.

TRACKLIST:

1. Heal The Waters
2. Torn
3. Burn The Sun
4. Resurrection
5. Absolute Zero
6. Just A Little
7. Walking Hour
8. Noose
9. Feed The Fire
10. I Believe
11. Missing You

LINE-UP:

Jorn Lande (vocals)
Tore Ostby (guitar)
Randy Coven (bass)
Mats Olausson (keyboards)
John Macaluso (drums)