DREAM THEATER's JAMES LABRIE To Guest On LAST UNION Album

DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie will guest on the debut album from the Italian progressive metal band LAST UNION. The disc, which also features Mike LePond (SYMPHONY X) on bass, Uli Kusch (HELLOWEEN, MASTERPLAN) on drums, will be released through ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records. The effort was mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren, best known for his work with ARCH ENEMY, SYMPHONY X, DEVIN TOWNSEND, ANGRA and OPETH, to name a few.

The quiet city of Tolentino in the Marche region of Central Italy not only boasts a rich historical background, it is also the place progressive metal band LAST UNION calls home. Founded by vocalist Elisa Scarpeccio, guitarist Cristiano Tiberi and keyboardist Claudio Feliziani in 2007, the band — originally known as BLAZING ICE — embarked on their journey in the pursuit of sharing their thoughts and feelings about life, and ultimately their art, with the world. With the assistance of professional session bassists and drummers, the trio established themselves on the Italian scene with a string of shows that helped them evolve and refine their craft. Over the course of 20 shows, LAST UNION presented songs that would eventually make the final cut for their debut album.

Strong and positive reactions to their music spurred Scarpeccio and Tiberi on to take the first of many bold steps. The first was to reach out to Kusch, who, after hearing the music, expressed interest in joining the band as a full member rather than just a touring drummer. A similar scenario played out with LePond and LAST UNION was officially born. The icing on the cake, however, was getting LaBrie to sing on three tracks.