We started writing for the follow-up to our self-titled CD in the spring of 2001, with every intention of having the CD wrapped and released in the first part of 2002. The writing process went very quickly. By the end of June we had ten songs written.

“But it’s 2005,” you’re saying. “What took you so long?”

Let’s start from the beginning:

After we finished writing the new material, we began planning the next stage of the project: recording. We made a couple of decisions up front. First, we wanted to produce and record the CD ourselves, in our own studio. Second, the finished product needed to KICK ASS.

Seems simple enough, right?

Wrong.

We won’t bore you with all the details, but we spent the first half of 2002 assembling the necessary gear to record the album, learning how to use it, and getting a rhythm section assembled and rehearsed. Recording officially began in mid-2002, but things just weren’t working. We ended up not being able to use any of the tracks from these sessions. We were tired, burned out, and very frustrated. Clearly, we needed another approach.

Enter producer Jeff McMullen. John had done some session work with Jeff and thought he might be the missing piece of the puzzle to get the project back on track. After running it by Paula, she agreed. We also decided to sack the rhythm section. We’ve always played everything on our demos, so why not? Recording began anew in January 2004, with John handling all the instruments and Paula on the mic. In addition to his invaluable production and mixing assistance, Jeff added keys to several tracks.

In December of 2004, we finally had our album – almost 3 years behind schedule. But we think you’ll agree with us that the wait was well worth it. This album kicks ass! If you enjoy hard rock, AOR, melodic rock, 80’s metal – bands like Heart, King’s X, Deep Purple, Queensryche, Ratt – you will LOVE this record! We believe that we have made an album worthy of its predecessor, and exactly the album we wanted to make. Crank it up loud, never give up, and never give in!

John Walker
Paula Blade
January 2005

Everything you wanted to know about Lochinvar:

1987: Paula Blade and guitarist Steve Rabeler form Lochinvar. The band’s name comes from a poem by Sir Walter Scott.

1987: First recorded appearance is on the album “12x12”, a compilation CD of local Dallas, Texas bands.

1988: First studio demo was recorded at Omega Audio in Dallas. Songs included: “The Untamed Child”, “Lay Down the News”, and “Walkin’ on the Edge”.

1988: Videos were made for the songs “The Untamed Child” and “Stealing the Fire”.

1988: The band’s first television appearance was on Dallas Music Videos, which showcased local bands.

1989: Guitarist John Walker replaces Steve. The band’s second demo was recorded. Songs included: “Chatelaine”, “Love’s a Game”, and “Driving Force”.

1989: Lochinvar performed live for the first time, opening for the band Shock Tu at On the Rocks in downtown Dallas.

1990: Third demo was recorded with Rick Rooney of Planet Dallas producing. Songs included: “Won’t See Me Cry”, “One More Tear”, and “Lonely Child”.

1990: “One More Tear” is played on Dallas radio station Q102.

1990: Lochinvar performs 5 songs live on TV for the first time on “4th Row Center”.

1991: The band opens for Lillian Axe at the Basement in Dallas, in front of a packed house.

1991: John leaves and forms the band Bad Dog, and is replaced by Bret Pollan.

1993 – 1996: we refer to these as the dark years. The band was on hiatus during this time.

1996: John and Paula decide to give it another go and reform the band.

1997: The acoustic EP “Knight Songs” is released.

1998: Band opens for Starship and April Wine.

1999: The compilation CD, “It Came from the 80’s” is released through MP3.com. The CD includes tracks from the first 3 Lochinvar demos.

1999: Paula releases her first solo CD, “Burning Bridges”.

2000: Paula releases her second solo CD, “The Awakening”.

2001: To meet demands from European record distributors, the “It Came from the 80’s” CD is re-released as “Lochinvar”, with new artwork and three live bonus tracks.

2001: Writing begins for the second full length Lochinvar CD.

2002: New band is put together. Recording begins.

2004: “Lochinvar” sells out.

2004: Recording for the second CD finally completes. Paula and John settle on “Fire Eyes” as the title.

2005: “Fire Eyes” is released.