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ALBERTO RIGONI & MICHAEL MANRING Announce Legendary Bassist STUART HAMM as Third Bassist on Upcoming Album: Dystopia

Posted in bass, bass guitar, bass guitar players, Hard Rock, Music, music news, news with tags , , , , , , , , on October 22, 2025 by Metal Odyssey

Above: Stuart Hamm. Photos provided by featured artists.

Celebrated Italian bassist, composer, and producer ALBERTO RIGONI, together with world-renowned virtuoso MICHAEL MANRING, proudly announce the addition of STUART HAMM to their upcoming instrumental progressive rock/ambient album Dystopia. With Hamm joining the lineup alongside drummer David Menoudakis, the project’s powerful ensemble is now almost complete. A famous drummer will be announced soon as special guest!

A pioneer of modern electric bass, Stuart Hamm has redefined the boundaries of the instrument through his visionary solo albums and collaborations with icons such as Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Frank Gambale. His signature blend of technical brilliance, melodic sensibility, and fearless experimentation adds a new dimension to Dystopia, enriching its sonic architecture with depth and intensity.

Above: Alberto Rigoni. Photos provided by featured artists.

“When Alberto and Michael invited me to be part of Dystopia, I immediately felt the creative spark,” says Stuart Hamm. “The concept of three distinct bass voices blending and contrasting within the same musical vision is incredibly exciting. Each of us brings our own tone, feel, and emotion. It’s like a dialogue between different worlds of bass.”

The interplay among Rigoni, Manring, and Hamm highlights their unique sonic personalities, from ambient and melodic passages to aggressive and experimental textures. The album promises an immersive listening experience that showcases the expressive range of the instrument like never before.

Above: Michael Manring. Photos provided by featured artists.

The full album Dystopia is scheduled for release in the early months of next year.

Fans can already pre-order the digital edition via Bandcamp at:
http://albertorigoni.bandcamp.com

A Digipack CD edition will be produced, and limited vinyl versions are also being considered. Rigoni is currently in discussions with several international record labels for the release of this new album.

Are you ready to face a new prog experience?

More on MICHAEL MANRING: 

https://www.instagram.com/michael_manring and https://www.facebook.com/michaelmanring

More information on ALBERTO RIGONI: 

www.facebook.com/albertorigonimusic | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Rigoni | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Rigoni

Source: Split Screen PR

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Cliff Burton will always be remembered by this Metallica fan.

Posted in concerts, Guitar, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, james hetfield, Metal, Metal Church, metal concerts, Metallica, Music, Rock, Thrash Metal with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on April 4, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

3791052I was extremely lucky enough to see Cliff Burton, the late bass playing legend for Metallica, at two live gigs in 1986. The first live experience I had seeing Metallica with Cliff Burton was in a large club setting, (The West Hartford Ballroom, West Hartford, Connecticut). Metal Church opened for Metallica, what a night. The second live gig I experienced seeing Cliff Burton was a rather very large gig. Metallica opened for none other than – Ozzy Osbourne! This exciting concert took place at the New Haven Coliseum, New Haven, Connecticut). (During 1986, Metallica was touring in support of their album “Master of Puppets” and Ozzy Osbourne was touring in support of his album “The Ultimate Sin”) My Metal memory cannot recall the exact dates of these shows, yet they both occurred in the brutally cold Winter months of 1986!

Let me say this much, as I witnessed Cliff Burton up close, in the large club setting, I still never have witnessed, to this very day, another Metal bass player that was so electrifying and physically into the music as Cliff was. It was because of Cliff Burton that I emulated his style of headbanging! Cliff Burton, from seeing him so up close that night, made it so vividly clear to me, that he was the master of his bass guitar, he was really enjoying the music he was playing. I could see in his face, the raw and yet enthusiastic emotion of what Thrash Metal really was. I will never forget that night, nor can I forget seeing Cliff Burton truly feel the Thrash music he was playing. Again, this is my own personal, live, first hand account from what I witnessed while watching Cliff Burton play his bass. (I of course remember James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett too from that night!).

The New Haven concert was of course, bigger, therefore my nose bleed seat did not afford me the exclusiveness of being up close to the stage this time around. However, I did witness Metallica with Cliff Burton for a second time, live – they literally blew the roof off the coliseum with their brand of Thrash Metal fury! I remember gazing down on the entire stage, revering Metallica, taking it all in, taking each person on that stage for granted. Now, reflecting back, I grin while thinking of the New Haven concert. On that night, the thrill of seeing Metallica was euphoric to say the least, yet I was also equally thrilled that night to see Ozzy Osbourne on stage too. Just to pause for a moment, I and no one else for that matter on that particular evening, knew, that this very well would be the last time we would see the great Cliff Burton play his bass guitar live. These Metal life lessons have taught me to no longer take any person you enjoy for granted. Reflecting on these terrific Metal moments of my past reminds me, to cherish the moments I have today, to cherish family, friends, Metal music and good times. 

Clifford Lee Burton – February 10, 1962 – September 27, 1986

Congratulations, Cliff Burton, on your induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with your band Metallica, on April 4, class of 2009! 

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