I made seven cds in 15 years, give or take. That’s not too bad. I was hoping to be like Motorhead or Black Flag, and crank out an album a year but that wasn’t happening. As long as I stay creative, then that’s all I care about.

I would have had 15 cds by now though!

Anyway, as I prepare for the eighth (and possibly final) studio album, I figured we’d hop in my Kia Soul (since I don’t have a DeLorean) and go back to my past seven Magnum P.I. opuses.

The 80s are back. I have to accept that.

TWISTED METAL (2003) was obviously the first cd I made and it was done under very interesting circumstances. I was granted an endorsement deal with Ibanez guitars (that’s a whole ‘nother story!) and the rep Angelo asked me “Would you do clinics? Do you have music for sale?” I said yes to the clinics but had to put something together quickly. I had two months to get a cd going and thankfully it happened. My thought was “Just do this for clinics, and be happy.” Somehow it grew a pair of legs and people started taking notice of my strange brand of, well, twisted metal. I played all the guitars and bass, and Darren Patrick was on drums.

ALL WIRED UP (2004) was the first cd recorded with a proper trio as I originally wanted with the first album: Darren on drums, me on guitar, and Courtenay Penick on bass. The vibes were flowing nicely with this one, everyone brought their A-game and we made a terrific cd and it was a lot of fun in the studio. Then something bizarre happened: I was asked by a club owner “Will you fill in for a band that cancelled last minute?” We said “Yes” and this line-up took to the stage on October 4, 2004. After this, there was a line-up change, the first of many…

JUPITER RETURN (2005) is possibly the dark horse cd, and the one with the most painful memories for me. It has good songs but there was a lot of bad vibes floating around. I should have had the insight to stop the sessions but my ego got in the way and things fell apart. Evan Prettyman replaced Darren on drums, and truthfully, he was a fine drummer but not the right one for the job. We played some good shows and then it was over for a while.

ABOUT TO EXPLODE! (2008) was a return to form for me. Two guys from the band Brokensoul played on this one: CJ (drums) and Ko (bass). The sessions were a lot of fun, and I remember seeing CJ sweat profusely after each song! We didn’t do many shows to promote it so it fell into the abyss. One song, the title track, made its way onto a compilation cd called SHREDDING AROUND THE WORLD.

GO BERZERK! (2011) Another three years in between…I should have called my band Def Boston! Anyway, this album seemed to be the biggest one I created, as it got the most press, and a great review in M Music Magazine (see the PRESS page for that one). Joe DeMott on bass and Ed Faust on drums for this one. Ed left soon after the album was done, and TC Tolliver of the Plasmatics stepped in to help with some live shows. This cd got a ton of attention on Facebook and to date, it’s still my best-seller. Also it’s the only cd where I didn’t write every song; Joe wrote a song called “Chomp” to showcase his slap/pop skills, and audiences would sit there dumb-founded.

LAYERS OF TIME (2015) is the only album where there was no band. HUH? Well, I had a band but they left because, umm, that’s what most musicians do, right? So I played all the guitars and bass, programmed all the drums (!!) and the only thing I didn’t do was one keyboard part on the title track. This was a CHALLENGE to make but it paid off. It’s my second-best seller, and with this cd came a lot of great shows, opened for many nationals. The live band I had featured Jimmy Donegan (bass) and Tommy Irwin (drums). I have to admit it was the most solid line-up I ever had, and I blew it. Because most musicians do that, right?

MARBLEHEAD (2018) was supposed to have Tommy and Jimmy on it but as I said earlier, I loused things up. We have all since made up but life moves on. This album features two guys from the band Inversion Circus: Chris Davison (bass) and Ronnie Mormino (drums). They swooped in and helped me, and what a job they did! I still say this is my personal best cd, with my personal best song “Turn To Rust”. Don Jamieson even told a crowd at Dingbatz, “You have to get this f-n cd!” (And yes, I sold a lot of copies that night!) Three songs from this album made its way onto WRAT 95.9 FM in Belmar, NJ, thanks to the DJ Tom Hanley. Yes, my instrumental music received mainstream airplay for the first time! This line-up played a few shows and then Steven Fortgang (drums) and Adrian Calonico (bass) stepped in. One show had Peter Dentico filling in on drums. After the gig I did back in May 2019, I walked away from performing and all the stress that comes with it.

I’m not done being creative, as I have been doing pre-production for my 8th album. As I said, it may be the last one as far as full-lengths. I may do a single here and there but outside of that, I think this ship sailed. That’s cool with me. I am proud of what I accomplished in what seems like a short span of time. I did more than I expected, didn’t reach other goals but so be it. I walked away with my dignity and integrity intact.

All while having a revolving door 😉

• 

• 

• 

New Jersey musicians did not want this day to come. But it did last night.

The Brighton Bar in Long Branch, NJ is closed for good.

You can hear the sound of hearts breaking all over. This place was an institution, a rare breed. It was truly a room for original bands. Not many in New Jersey cater to bands who write songs. This room attracted bands from all over, just had the coolest vibe. No big space to set up your gear, the “dressing room” barely had any room, it was a narrow club. But damn it was one of the coolest!

I started frequenting Brighton Bar in the summer of 1993, when TM Stevens played there. I would tell myself “One day I will play here” and that wish came true…as TM’s guitar player in 2012!! I was hoping to OPEN for him with my band but on June 16, 2012, the unthinkable happened. I was on stage…at Brighton Bar…with TM and TC Tolliver (drummer w/Plasmatics). The 23-year-old Steve Bello would have been proud of me!

Since that night, I played there a few times with my own band as well as one more show with TM in August 2014. The last time I stepped foot on that stage was June 2017 when I helped a punk band out. Was hoping to play there again but no dice. Was supposed to be me as guest for Tony MacAlpine but I walked away from performing plus Tony was unable to make it, so it worked out for the best.

Last summer, bands were allowed to perform outside the bar, limited seating, the whole nine yards. There were rumblings of “this place may shut down” but we all brushed it off. This place cannot close! But last night, the news came out and all of us started venting on social media about it.

I posted three photos here. The first is when I played with TM in August 2014, the second and third are from September 2020. The very last time I was there was in November last year to see Metal Land play. And I guess that was it, without realizing it.

Sad day for sure..,

It has been quite some time since I said anything about my music. There’s good reason for that. I won’t go into detail as normal.

Define “normal” though?

The Reader’s Digest Condensed Version: I had a drummer and bassist back in the fall of 2020, looked like things were shaping up but then things took a downturn. I wasn’t happy with things, not getting the results I wanted. They were very good musicians but the planets weren’t lining up. So I walked away from it all. As far as I was concerned, it was over. My depression steamrolled me, and the last thing I thought about was the new album.

Being passionate sucks sometimes.

Around January this year, a drummer reached out to me and asked “What’s going on with the album? You haven’t said anything.” I told him the deal and he said “Send me the songs, I will help you. You need to get this up and running, man.” We got together on February 21st and everything fell into place. The songs sounded the way I wanted, there was no talk of “You should do this” or “If I were you, I would write this kind of riff.” I cannot say who this drummer is, but rest assured, he is pounding the crap out of the songs in a good way. I will be handling the bass as well as guitar on the album. Not in the mood for teaching another bassist songs that will collect dust on their watch.

Since all is going well, I am hoping to start recording in May. If this cd comes out by end of summer, then fantastic! I am not saying much else. Keeping things very much on the downlow until everything is officially recorded.

All I will say is this: It will be the most muscular-sounding album I’ve ever written.

Brace yourselves…

I had not done a radio show in a few years. Think the last time I was on the air was back in 2018 promoting MARBLEHEAD with my friend Metal Maiden Vicki on her Metal Euphoria show. But while I don’t have anything new (yet) to promote, I received an invite that I had waiting for since the dawn of time.

I got to be guest DJ on WSRX.FM 107.9 (Vernon, NJ) with The Metal Mistress!

She asked me to send a list of songs that I wanted to hear, so I typed my fingers off. Yes, I included some of my own songs from past albums. But for me, it was important to showcase some of my influences as well as pull out obscure songs from popular bands. Of course, bands like Led Zeppelin, Rush, Living Colour, Black Sabbath, etc were on the list. Threw some curveballs such as “Son and Daughter” by Queen, “Holidays In The Sun” by Sex Pistols and “Rise Above” by Black Flag.

But wait there’s more…

When The Metal Mistress said “We need 3 seconds of music here”, I suggested “You Suffer” by Napalm Death! Blink and you miss it, but it was played after “Victim Of Changes” by Judas Priest. Think that was the first time that song (all three seconds) was played on terrestrial radio. Also had to add 30 seconds in another spot, so in went “Spray Paint” by Black Flag.

I told you that my choices were not typical!

As for my own pieces, there were such feel-good hits as “Time To Fly”, “Turn To Rust”, “Smash The Past”, “I Play Guitar”, etc. Some of these songs were placed after songs by Steve Vai or Deep Purple. Good company to be in.

Had two callers, was nice chatting on the air with them. Was hoping for a couple more callers but so be it. By the way: it was supposed to be from 8-11 but we went til midnight (ooh, we’re rebels!) I had the best time last night, felt very relaxed, lots of laughs, and I have to say her dog and two cats ROCK!!

Metal and animals…the only way to fly!

This has been in the talking stages for quite some time but now it will be a reality.

Bet you didn’t see this coming…

I will be a guest DJ on my friend Wendy “The Metal Mistress” Chandler’s show on Saturday March 13th from 8-11pm! I have not done a live in-studio radio show in quite some time so this will be a lot of fun. She has asked me to hand-pick songs to fill the three hours, along with little chats here and there. Listeners can send requests too, but for the most part, the list is all mine!! And what will I be playing? You’ll have to tune in but rest assured, it’s going to be one hell of a playlist!! You will be pointing at the speakers like “I haven’t heard THIS in a long time!”

Those who live near the Vernon, NJ area can tune in to 107.9 FM but everyone else can use the power of the internet with this link: https://www.vernonfm.org/

So mark your calendars for a rare Steve Bello sighting 😉

How many times have you been compared to someone? “Why can’t you be more like your cousin?” or “How come you’re not like your friend up the block?” Did you lose count every time someone had a suggestion under the guise of a back-handed compliment?

You’re not alone.

Far too many times, those who are in the creative field tend to get bombarded with inanities and passive-aggressive attitudes. Why is this? It’s because some people are jealous of you. They want to be you. They know they can’t so they twist the knife and make you feel like you are doing things wrong. They can’t stand the fact that you could actually be correct or that you have a precise goal/vision in mind. As I always say, “Most people can’t find their ass with two hands and a GPS.”

What brought on this Saturday morning epiphany? I’ll tell you…

Fighting the winter blues forces me to re-evaluate my life and surroundings. I have always been constantly surrounded by negativity and resentment. And to be fair, I was the same way. I can be a dark, cynical person but am trying to turn that around. I can’t force it. Others bask in the glory of being oppressive and cutting. These are the same people who will tell you “You need therapy” because they don’t want to be scrutinized themselves. When you’re happy, they hate it. When you are reaching your goals, they find ways to undermine you. There’s a few people in my life who are double-agents, and live to be the undercurrent. I must be a decent human being because that drives them crazy.

Am I perfect? Nope. Never will be. Will I ever be truly happy? No. Anyone who is always “on” is hiding something. Eventually the armour tarnishes. The veneer cracks and you will see people for who they really are.

TM Stevens once told me years ago: “You are cut from a different cloth…and then they discontinued the fabric!” This is me, warts and all. You like me? Fine, you can stay. You don’t like me? Your loss. And if you only like me for personal gain, you’re barking up the wrong tree.

And for the record, don’t tell me what I “should be doing”. You don’t like something? Write your own damn songs.

They won’t be as good as mine.

The new album is on hold until I feel like starting up again. I made this decision a while back because I wasn’t happy with anything. It’s my own fault really. I always get excited about things like this, and plaster my thoughts all over social media. And more often than not, it blows up in my face.

I need to show more admirable restraint.

While going over the initial batch of songs, I found myself feeling fatigued. Not in a good way either. In the past, I would have that “runner’s high” after playing my songs, that feeling of being more excited leaving a rehearsal than going in. Now I noticed that that warm fuzzy feeling wasn’t there.

Uh-oh.

I made a big mistake way back in 2005 when I was working on the album JUPITER RETURN. Things were not moving well yet I forced it along because I felt I had something to prove. The vibes were not right, egos were running rampant, and yet I pushed the album along and pissed everyone off in the process. I promised myself that that would never happen again.

Since then, every album I’ve made was an absolute joy, even if there was more grunt work than needed. This time around, I was not feeling it. The one rehearsal back in October was very good but the universe had other ideas, mainly “This music isn’t ready yet, you prick!”

So I pulled the plug on everything. I ruffled some feathers in the process but it’s my name going on the album. I have the right to change my mind, re-tool things, even discard stuff to the compost pile.

I am chipping away at the songs here and there, not obsessing over them as I normally would. I’m not on a time table, no deadlines, nobody hanging over my head. I used to tell myself “This has to be done! My ego depends on it!” But now, I am more relaxed about it. I am in no rush to get to work on the album.

I have been speaking with other musicians who feel their energy and drive fading a bit because of the lock downs and such. Tony Iommi said it best in a Facebook video that “We musicians are taking a beating!” and he’s right. While he was talking about not touring and hearing the sound of applause, I also interpreted it as “We can only do so many Instagram videos and Facebook Live clips.”

Back to the songs…

One question that was gnawing at me while going over them a while back was “What am I trying to say?” I was writing this really heavy, angry-type music and thought “THIS is going to be insane!” But I was sometimes known for writing fun guitar music, even if something was borderline Pantera-level. Part of my feeling worn out in a bad way was that for the first time ever, I felt like my music was a chore. Yes I said that out loud. And if I thought that, then others would think that too. I’m not about to dumb down who I am, but I am being more conscious about “Does this make sense?” and “Am I truly happy with this before I release it?” Deep down inside, I had to admit to myself that this music wasn’t working. So while a couple of songs are staying, others are being stripped down and re-worked. Again, don’t expect me to run into the studio soon to do anything. I am simply not ready. My heart is not there. It will come back, but unlike 2005, I will not force things.

BTW: I posted that pic of all my Ibanez guitars because you all like pretty colours. And Ibanez rules!!

Well here we are, feeling cabin fever, which begs the question…

How many more days til Spring?

I hate winter. Always did, since I was a kid. Would always feel sad and bummed, unlike my friends who thrived on snowball fights, sledding and writing their name in the snow with, well, use your imagination. Often times I would be told “Suck it up” when that’s the last thing someone who is depressed wants to hear. If saying that to someone makes themselves feel comfortable, then I guess their job is done.

A few years ago, I came across an article about something called Seasonal Affective Disorder. I ran down the check list and thought “That’s it! That’s what I have, or I think I have.” Chat with some friends about it and they suffer from it too. It is possible to feel this in the summer but more often than not, it’s a winter thing. I have been taking plenty of Vitamin D, and just trying to keep my brain occupied with good things. Not always easy when you’re invisible to many people.

I am putting my music away for a while. My heart is simply not there. I still love teaching, and that seems to be where my heart belongs. Having students tell me “This was fun” and “You’re cooler than most of the teachers in my school” is very validating. But the most important thing is that my students are learning and asking great questions (my brain hurts but it’s worth it). I wanted pats on the back for my music. I don’t ask for them when I teach. That’s not the job of a teacher. If a student feels enriched and says so unsolicited, then great.

Do I have “just” winter blues? Maybe. But depression is real, people. And while I recall a former friend telling me “You cannot write about this stuff online! Everything has to be positive!”, I beg to differ. Too much pressure is applied to feel like “I am the greatest” and it comes across as shallow and parochial. If this blog inspires someone to take a stand, then great. If this blog makes me lose a fan/friend, then oh well.

OH WELL!!!!

Virtual NAMM was last week. It was what it wasn’t. But as most faux optimists would say “It’s better than nothing, right?”

Well, no.

Still it was cool of Ibanez to send me a virtual badge/link. I popped in on some things here and there, but it wasn’t right. Sitting at my dining room table, perusing new gear, when I should be playing it in person while dealing with noises all around me…that’s how you experience NAMM! But as it stands, I got to watch an interview with Ibanez artist Lara Basilio as she debuted her new signature guitar. Wish I could see it in person, but I can tell it’s a stunning guitar. Oh and yes she plays really well too (check out her song “Sunny Days”)! Also caught my friend, another Ibanez artist (see a theme here?) Rob Balducci play a short set in his studio. He played new tunes as well as older cuts, and his tone is just amazing! Great lyrical player. I capped off the week with seeing Larry Mitchell play a SMOKING set via “Virtual Marriot Lobby”.

And no, I chose not to perform. But I might get to play in the GHS booth if NAMM 2022 happens. I chat with my rep Jon and he said it’s a good possibility. I had seen my friends Melia and Scott Gailor play great sets last year in that booth, so I figured I could make a blithering fool of myself, yes?

Ah the plight of being a musician…

So now all of us musician-type people have to wait a whole year for the next show. There’s talk that it will happen in 2022. Seeing everyone post photos from last year (myself included) only brought out the sentimental feelings even more. I always said NAMM is basically Toys R Us for grown-ups who never grew up. Not being there forced us to reminisce harder than ever. I can guarantee that when the next show happens, there will be a HUGE turnout.

Which means I better play well in the GHS booth.

Last year around this time, I was sitting in Newark Airport at 5am. Dead tired but excited for my first trip to Anaheim since 2014. Arrived at LAX 3:30pm, greeted to warmer weather, sunnier skies, and the chance to be a pretend guitar god for four days at NAMM.

Now all of us musicians sit home going over photos from Janaury 2020. What a difference a year makes. When it was announced back in July that Winter NAMM 2021 was off the table, you could hear the sound of hearts breaking all over the world. “Maybe things will change” was the mantra but was not meant to be. Instead, we look at pictures of ourselves on social media, hoping for NAMM 2022 to happen.

So we have virtual NAMM. Yeah, no. I think we are all pretty sick and tired of Zoom/Skype/Google chat. Human interaction is crucial. Staring at a computer screen is not the same as being in person, no matter how many times we hear the cliche of “We’re all in this together.” We all looked forward to shaking hands, bumping elbows, hugging, sitting in a Denny’s, staring at palm trees. We all couldn’t wait to get our hands on new gear.

Now we wait to see if next year happens.