''Built to Perform'' is the second and last full-length album by
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
heavy metal band
Phantom Blue. In contrast to the first album's
glam metal
Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam r ...
sound, ''Built to Perform'' displays a more raw, heavy metal sound. It also features songwriting credits by all fourof the band members plus former member
Nicole Couch, who left prior to the album's release. The album includes the band's cover of
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Their music reflects a wide range of influences, including blues, soul music, psychedelic rock and traditional Irish folk music, but is generally classified as hard rock or some ...
's "Bad Reputation."
Veteran producer
Max Norman
Max Norman is a British record producer and recording engineer active since 1973. He produced many acclaimed heavy metal releases.
While Norman was resident engineer at Ridge Farm Studios in London, Ozzy Osbourne was recording his debut solo ...
oversaw the album's production, while
Marty Friedman
Marty Friedman (born December 8, 1962) is an American guitarist, best known for his tenure as the lead guitarist for thrash metal band Megadeth from 1990 to 2000. He is also known for playing alongside Jason Becker in Cacophony from 1986 until ...
(who was then with
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...
) and
John Norum
John Norum (born 23 February 1964) is a Norwegian-Swedish guitarist and one of the founders of the rock band Europe. Concurrent to his role with Europe, he also maintains a career as a solo artist.
Biography
As an infant, Norum moved with his p ...
(of
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
) contributed as guest guitarists. Norum and guitarist
Michelle Meldrum
Michelle Meldrum (September 28, 1968 – May 21, 2008) was an American hard rock guitarist known for being a member of the bands Phantom Blue and Meldrum.
Biography
Meldrum was born in Detroit, Michigan, to a family of musicians and actors ...
eventually married in 1995. "My Misery" was co-written by
West Arkeen
Aaron West Arkeen (June 18, 1960 – May 30, 1997) was an American musician best known for co-writing several Guns N' Roses songs. He died in Los Angeles of a drug overdose.
Early life
Aaron West Arkeen was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France and g ...
, known for his collaborations with
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...
.
Released by
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint.
Founded in 1980, Geffen Records has been a part of Interscope Geffen A&M since 1999 and h ...
, this was the band's only album under a major record label.
Phantom Blue - Sounds
Track listing
Personnel
;Phantom Blue
* Gigi Hangach – vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
* Michelle Meldrum
Michelle Meldrum (September 28, 1968 – May 21, 2008) was an American hard rock guitarist known for being a member of the bands Phantom Blue and Meldrum.
Biography
Meldrum was born in Detroit, Michigan, to a family of musicians and actors ...
– guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
s
* Karen Kreutzer – guitar
* Kim Nielsen – bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
* Linda McDonald
Linda McDonald is an American musician best known as the drummer of the all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens (billed as the "World's Only Female Tribute to Iron Maiden"). In addition, she was a member of the Ozzy Osbourne tribute band Th ...
– drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
;Additional musicians
* Marty Friedman
Marty Friedman (born December 8, 1962) is an American guitarist, best known for his tenure as the lead guitarist for thrash metal band Megadeth from 1990 to 2000. He is also known for playing alongside Jason Becker in Cacophony from 1986 until ...
- guitar on "A Little Evil"
* John Norum
John Norum (born 23 February 1964) is a Norwegian-Swedish guitarist and one of the founders of the rock band Europe. Concurrent to his role with Europe, he also maintains a career as a solo artist.
Biography
As an infant, Norum moved with his p ...
- guitar on "Better Off Dead"
*A.T Das - In studio additional guitar
;Production
*Max Norman
Max Norman is a British record producer and recording engineer active since 1973. He produced many acclaimed heavy metal releases.
While Norman was resident engineer at Ridge Farm Studios in London, Ozzy Osbourne was recording his debut solo ...
- producer, engineer, mixing
*George Marino
George Marino (April 15, 1947 – June 4, 2012) was an American mastering engineer known for working on albums by rock bands starting in the late 1960s.
Biography
Marino was born on April 15, 1947, in the New York City borough The Bronx. He at ...
- mastering
References
{{Authority control
1993 albums
Phantom Blue albums
Albums produced by Max Norman
Geffen Records albums
Roadrunner Records albums