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BIOGRAPHY

2002 marks the 15th anniversary of Mastermind, America's premier heavy progressive alternative hard rock metal fusion band, centered on the talents of the brothers Berends: guitarist, composer, producer, Bill Berends, and drummer extraordinaire, Rich Berends. Leading the "new progressive" wave from the late 80's through the mid 90's as a prog power trio, the band has evolved into a modern multifaceted musical entity blazing new trails into the third Millennium. With six acclaimed studio albums under their belt, and a seventh in the works, Mastermind is not afraid to push the envelope. And with notable success - they have sold an estimated 100,000 albums worldwide. The first decade of Mastermind saw four indie releases which embraced and enhanced the motifs of the original progressive founding fathers such as ELP and Yes. These rare now out-of-print discs remain classic "new-prog" albums to this day and are the foundation upon which the Mastermind empire is built.

Entering their second decade with "Excelsior!" (the band's first title on InsideOut and 5th release overall), Swedish keyboard wizard Jens Johansson (Stratovarius, Malmsteen, Dio) was invited to help push the sound into new territory resulting in a contemporary take on virtuoso instrumental fusion. The result is breathtaking with reviews hailing it as the best instrumental album of the past decade.

Not content to stay in one place, Mastermind's sixth release "Angels of the Apocalypse" pushed into new territory once more, again with Johansson on keyboard, and the addition of female vocalist Lisa Bouchelle. Expanding their sound ever further, skillfully balancing prog, fusion, and power metal with strong melody, virtuoso musicianship, and a new voice, "Angels" broke new ground and introduced the band to many new fans worldwide on the InsideOut label in Europe and America (also Avalon/JVC in Japan).

All was not set in stone however, and shortly after "Angels" release, Bouchelle parted company. In search of a more modern aggressive sound, vocalist Tracy McShane was recruited for her dynamic vocal style, and writing for a new album began. The upcoming release, now in the final stages of recording, again sees Jens Johansson on keys and combines many of the band's earlier elements with solid songwriting and a contemporary approach to recording. The results will be well worth the short hiatus following the 2000 release of "Angels...".

But recording is not the whole story with Mastermind, and in one form or another, the band has always been about live performance. With revolving bassists over the years, Mastermind has performed live in Europe, Japan, and coast-to-coast across the USA. Spearheading many well known events such as NEARfest, Progday, Progscape, and the Orion showcase series, touring with Fish, opening for Rush, Satriani, Gong, TransAtlantic, John Wetton, or co-billed with Symphony-X and Spocks Beard, Mastermind is as comfortable onstage as in the studio with two live albums to document various stages of the band: "Live In Tokyo" as a power trio, and "Prog, Fusion. Metal, Leather & Sweat" as a quintet with Mickey Simmonds (Camel, Mike Oldfield) on keyboard.

As the finishing touches are being put on the new album, Mastermind is happy to announce the discovery of 21 year old bassist Greg Hagen. "Definitely the best bassist we've ever worked with" says Bill Berends, and if early indications are correct, Greg may become the permanent bassist the band has always sought. This solidifies the core element of a new and vital Mastermind with Berends, Berends, McShane, & Hagen hitting the road on Halloween of 2002. For now, Johansson remains an element of the recording band, but he may tour with them in the future as his schedule allows. In the meantime the band is working hard to finish the new album as it will mark the beginning of a new chapter in the book of Mastermind. The best is yet to come.

Music Style
Prog/Power Metal

DISCOGRAPHY
Broken EP

Prog, Fusion, Metal, Leather, and Sweat

Angels of the Apocalypse

Excelsior!

IV ~ Until Eternity

III ~ Tragic Symphony

Volume Two ~ Brainstorm

Volume One

BAND MEMBERS

Tracy McShane
VOCALS

Bill Berends
GUITAR

Laura Johnson
BASS

Rich Berends
DRUMS