Steven Cenker
Dissolution
© 2005 Cenker Music (617157121252)
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Powerful, Emotional, Melodic,Guitar-Driven Rock with some Dark Acoustic Moments. Musical style in the vein of Boston, Journey, UFO,Cheap Trick, Dokken,Triumph, and REO Speedwagon.
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The thundering, screaming wail of a Gibson Les Paul, and the soulful leathery vocals of a road veteran; these are hallmarks of rock guitarist and singer Steve Cenker. Twenty years of writing, recording and performing are evident in every lovingly tortured note from his guitar,
every heart-stabbed phrase from his lungs.
Though he was born in the quiet hills of West Virginia, Steve could hear the echo of loud guitars drawing him to the road and the big city. He was only eleven when he attended his first concert, witnessing the smooth style of REO Speedwagon guitarslinger, Gary Richrath.
Awestruck with the authority and musicianship that a guitarist can display, Steve immediately bargained to obtain his first guitar, a $60 Harmony electric from Sears. He wore blisters in his fingers while burning through the various popular rock songs of the day.
Things changed suddenly, though, when Cenker discovered a band called Deep Purple. Being his first exposure to the guitar-centered mayhem of hard rock and metal, Steve turned his focus toward this harder edged style and found it suited his deep need to tell stories through 6 strings and a thundrous grind.
As early as 1985, he was recording his first demo with a band called Legend. This was the beginning of his personal love of the recording process, as well. Little did he realize, the studio would soon come to be his second home.
Realizing that West Virginia was far away from the music business that called him, Cenker relocated to Orange County, California in 1987. After networking with locals in the music scene, Steve landed a position as guitarist for Malteze, an L.A. based metal band signed to Gold Records. This was late 1989, and by 1990, Malteze was in tight enough form to record their first full-length album called "Count Your Blessings." Released worldwide, the band obtained a following that is still faithful to this day, though they have long since disbanded. The breakup happened in 1992, during the making of their follow-up CD, when tensions in the studio ran high and disagreements in direction caused a rift that could not be healed.
Steve continued with studio work while drifting through various projects, including a cover band named Slider that was instrumental in pushing him to adopt more varied styles and methods of improvisation. He was now feeling confident to attack a whole new project; one that was
centered on his personal vision of what a hard rock band should be.
Through club and musician contacts, Cenker found a tall, gangly drummer named Bart Robley. Robley, also a current L.A. transplant, from Colorado, shared Cenker's small-town mentality and his hunger for a career playing hard rock. Together with local A.J. Schad on bass guitar,this 3-piece thundered onto the music scene as War Crime.
Eager to get his music to the audience, Cenker decided to forego the usual introductory studio album and, in 1995, compiled early club performances of War Crime onto a CD called 'LIVE." Locals hungry for a new sound had found it in this collection of leather-clad, armored metal anthems.
War Crime toured endlessly, building an audience that was eager to hear more from this triad of metal warriors. By the end of 1996, it was due time to give something new to the audience, and War Crime invaded the studio to record a load of brand new tracks. Released in 1997 on Black Wall Records, War Crime's "No Escape" album, in all its raw glory, was an underground hit in Los Angeles, and received rave reviews in Europe,garnering extensive airplay and a huge overseas audience.
As with all things, by 1998, War Crime had seen the departure of bassist A.J. Schad, and though he was temporarily replaced, Cenker and Robley decided to lay their metal beast, War Crime, to its final rest. The two
remaining members parted ways, but stayed in constant contact, relaying their musical stories and woes along the way.
It was this deep friendship between Cenker and Robley that kept their personal musical fires fueled, and they helped push each other forward,though no longer playing together. Steve had returned to studio and cover band work, and Robley was working with southern rockers,The Sam Morrison Band. Through Robley's recommendation, Cenker was invited on-board the fully-restructured Sam Morrison Band to play hard edged Southern Rock. With his metal sensibilities and his raw sound and vocals, the Sam Morrison Band became a whole new animal...not Southern Rock, not Hard Rock, but a melodic mix of power and soul somewhere in between the two styles.
2002 saw the release of the first full-length album from a
re-invigorated SMB. Solid reviews and packed houses are a testament to the new sound that is already a favorite at biker events and venues and working its way into the main public bloodstream. After tour support for the 2002 release, SMB has returned to the studio to tell
some new stories about life on the road and the mysterious dark of the southern swamps.
Steve continues his own personal vision by writing and producing his own music, most recently compiled on an album called "Dissolution," a title which obviously reflects the ever-changing nature of an artist.
We have seen Cenker grow and change with each musical adventure, and on his new album, we hear the depth of emotion that one man and a guitar express in a world of hard roads and directions to choose.
reviews
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This IS Rock "n Roll
author: Mike OstromSteven is equaly strong playing Lead,Acoustic guitars and Bass.His voice is strong and honset. Drummer Bart Robley provides just the right beats for these well crafted original songs.The first cut I Feel Good makes you...well feel good. "Dont have much money but I Feel Good" hey that sounds like my life. I could easily imagine someone like Sammy Hagar doing that song.Track 3-Seperate Ways should be a HIT.It's a great song as is the next song-I Believe In You.The CD ends VERY strong with some good acoustic work on the songs Believed To Be Mine and Hideaway.Believed To Be Mine is an emotional song.Wow,VERY impressive how Steven expresses himself in this tune.Hideaway has a steady rainfall inthe background throughout the whole song,one of the coolest effects I have heard in a long time. Dissolution is outstanding,check it out.
Great song-Great friend & musician
author: Falbo's Custom Guitar Shop-c'mon inNice guitar work. Steve can play.Try it yourself and you will appreciate a hell of a Guitar-Singer.It's not as easy as it sounds. Cenker sticks to his roots-to the grave. He is awesome-singing or playing.He is a talented musician. what more can I say!-He is a great friend!I like the songs. on Cenk's C.D. He takes guitar to a new level-jacko!
Very Serious CD
author: Just Someone in the Sea of HumanityPerhaps you can learn a bit about integrity by listening to this catharsis by an obviously sensitive and experienced man. Listen to break your heart Track 8, if the tears well, ask, Who’s mind wouldn’t have been reeling? Intelligent, creative expression with raw and poignant vocals, good mix and great guitar electric, 12-string, and acoustic. Can imagine Believed to be Mine fully orchestrated! Looking forward to what’s next.
A trip to Hell and back
author: ThorThis CD obviously represents love gone wrong. Breaking up, separation, and divorce are very bitter pills to swallow however when compounded by extreme betrayal (don’t want to jade the listeners opinion here) and the intensity of which it comes across, you can actually feel the pain through the power of music. A very well written, composed, and produced CD.