Artist description Russ explores the dark and light sides of reality with an up-tempo approach. His music is melodic and wildly diverse. Heavy Metal is his forte but his acoustic melodies are always a hit.

Music Style Metal, Classical, Rock, Pop

Musical Influences Forbidden, old Megadeth, Iron Maiden

Similar Artists Sepultura, Megadeth, Joe Satriani, Randy Rhoads, Zakk Wylde

Artist History Born and raised in Northern California, Russ was inspired by his mother's incredible skills on the piano and organ. Russ began to really enjoy music when he started listening to pop radio stations from age 10 to 16. He then discovered heavy metal and was inspired to play guitar by Randy Rhoads and Ozzy Osbourne. Russ joined and formed a few bands that had moderate success during the 90's while continuing to write and record music as a solo artist. Russ' diversity, integrity and incredible chops have earned him his share of fans and respect from other musicians and industry professionals.

Group Members R. Charan Pagan - vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitar, piano, electronic percussion

Instruments Electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitar, piano, vocals, percussion

Albums Ice Cream Casualty, Paganism, 2002

Press Reviews "Russ shreds in an era when shredders are dead."- Jeffro Hunter, The Sh*t List 1999 "Killer thrash, great guitar riffs!"- Handy Jaya of Metaleastteen. April 2002 "Melody driven, heavy metal ridden style that worked at several tempos and walked all over the map with guitar intricacies. ...Blistering solos!"- Powerslave.com 2002 "Gifted lead guitarist and exceedingly proficient on acoustic guitar."- Jeffro Hunter, The Sh*t List 2002 ALBUM REVIEW: CHARAN PAGAN- PAGANISM The first solo album by Charan Pagan is aptly titled Paganism. When popping this 18 song masterpiece in my CD machine, I was expecting very fast 6/8 time shredding. What I got was melodic acoustic guitar with bass counterpoint which took me totally by surprise! Charan Pagan not only being a gifted lead guitarist, I found exceedingly proficient on the acoustic guitar. His style seems to fall around the mid-renaissance period although Charan will assure you he's knows nothing of that particular period of Classical music. If you believe in reincarnation, you'd believe that maybe a 16th century lute player like John Dowling is channeling his spirit through Charan Pagan- stranger things have happened! So the CD starts off on the acoustic side but soon goes into a brief but melodic piano piece which segues into Charan Pagan- The lead guitarist. This is where it gets heavy folks; where the rubber hits the road you might say. Charan Pagan once again shows a proficiency in writing very melodic heavy metal with killer guitar harmonies. If you wonder where all the shred guitar playing went in today's music, look no farther the Paganism. Okay, look farther, but your going to find a whole shitload of killer lead on this album! Charan Pagan weaves a tale in his music of technological nightmares and the eventual demise of the human race. Very thought provoking, you can't help but listen to his music while seeing the world we live in today and wonder if Charan Pagan's vision is actually a view of reality-with a little foresight. Not for the paranoid agoraphobic! Once again this album shifts gears around song # 6 and goes into a very impressive instrumental entitled Ka-7. IF you're a fan of Steve Vai or Satch, this is the song for you-very intense double-picking showcases Charan's incredible chops. Soon the acoustic guitar reappears on track 7 entitled Ominous. Track 8,9,10 is a trilogy touching again on the world demise theme. I could go on, but I think I'll let you hear it for yourself. You can get Paganism on Pagan Ritual records. Their ad is on the shitlist so order your copy today! -J. Jeffro Hunter - The Sh*t List (issue #65) DEMO REVIEW: CHARAN PAGAN- TECHNO NIGHTMARE The next offering from Charan Pagan is a four-song demo entitled Techno Nightmare. The 4 songs Techno Nightmare, Body in a Bag, Suicide Religion, and Venim are a far heavier offering than Paganism. Charan sets the acoustic aside for this demo and puts down some serious chunk on the opening song; Technological Nightmare- a song about man trying to play god by building high tech toys of mass destruction. This is the kind of songwriting that turned me on to Black Sabbath! Once again, excellent guitar harmonies throughout. This demo also has a lot more vocals than Paganism. Much more in the vein of ENSLAVIOR only way more progressive. In conclusion, if you want an acoustical journey into the mind of Charan Pagan I would suggest Paganism. If you prefer you music loud, fast, and heavy, then Techno Nightmare is for you. Personally, I'm happy to own both albums! -J. Jeffro Hunter - The Sh*t List (issue #65)

Location Los Angeles, CA - USA

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