Biography
Born in Barcelona in 1971, Jordi Sandalinas has always had an intense feeling for music. He started his studies of piano and music reading when he was just 9 years old at the Conservatory of Music of Barcelona (Spain). At the age of 16 Jordi changed his piano for an electric guitar when he listened to Adrian Smith’s way of playing. He was just 14 years old when he bought Iron Maiden’s “Powerslave” and “Live After Death” albums, and from there on his heart was sold to heavy metal. In 1992 Jordi went back and forth to the United States to study guitar at New Milford’s NGSW, where he took lessons from Terry Syrek (www.terrysyrek.com). Terry is undoubtedly one of the best US guitar shredders, and Jordi learned a lot from taking lessons with him.
The whole SANDALINAS project began back in 2000 when Jordi Sandalinas (guitarist) gathered some compositions he wrote during his early years and decided to record a definitive album at a well known recording studio with a great producer. Jordi talked to Andy LaRocque (guitarist for King Diamond) and had him listen some of his tracks, and slowly but surely Andy realized that Jordi’s songs were really good. Though, it was pure metal, the songs seemed to open a new door in the music market with a lot of expectations. Andy introduced Apollo Papathanasio (vocalist, ex-Time Requiem, Meduza, Faith Taboo) and Daniel Moilanen (drummer, Runemagick, Relevant Few and Notre Dame) to Jordi and they both liked the songs a lot. Also, Jordi brought from Spain with him two studio musicians: one of the best jazz players, Xavier Monfort, and a conservatory pianist, Narcís Palahí. With help of Niclas Rudolfsson (engineer) and Stefan Ingelstrand (backing vocals) the wheels were put into motion. After two months of intense work, the album was finished. Andy did some guest guitars on two songs (“All along the Everglades” and “If it wasn’t for you”) and he decided to produce and mix the whole album. He was really convinced by the quality of the product. In summer of 2004 the band hooked up with Danish metal agency, Intromental Management, who actually had worked with Apollo previously in Meduza – it was a welcomed return, and more so a happy situation, as the entire staff at Intromental had found great liking by the SANDALINAS album.
During the fall of 2004 Intromental shopped the album towards various record labels and soon a deal was inked with Germany’s Massacre Records, who decided to have the album mastered by Andy Horn to give it the full sound it deserved. Cover artwork was done by Thomas Ewerhart, and by early 2005 the album hit the stores all around Europe. Through Massacre Records a deal was soon put into place for Russia with Art Music Group, and shortly after a contract was signed for the North American license with Nightmare Records. Wheels were turning, and the media really took the band to heart, as the melodic hard rock scene found great liking in the classic sound of “Living On The Edge”. Musically you would be able to compare SANDALINAS to classic hard rock acts, such as Rainbow, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath, but also inspirations from the neo-classical guitarists such as Malmsteen and Uli Jon Roth, to the melodies of AOR acts in the vein of Pink Cream 69 or Gotthart. It’s all there, and it’s what makes SANDALINAS a unique band. After a quite long hiatus and once tours with Y&T, Yngwie and Scorpions were over, SANDALINAS released in 2008 FLY TO THE SUN with singer RICK ALTZI (AT VANCE), MATS RENDLERT (DREAMLAND), ALVARO SVANERÖ (LOCH VOSTOK) throught METAL HEAVEN in Europe which has been considered on of the best ever releasing among hard rock lovers and journalists. FLY TO THE SUN’s recording process was one of the toughest process that can be remembered. 6 months of non-stop intensive studio recording, recorded in two continents in almost 5 different studios and it features guest appearances of the finest musicians of today, a great partnership sealed between Mats, Rick, Alvaro and Jordi, four friends that love music above all. Fly to the Sun recording started in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA, on December 2006, at the Barn’s Studio Facilities (Florida, USA) where Jordi and Patrick Johansson set up the first stone of this excellent album by recording all drum files following the precise instructions and guideliness of Andy LaRocque. Rhythm guitars and keyboards were tracked down at Los Angered Studio recording facilities by Jordi Sandalinas (guitars) and Elias Holmild (keyb) and following ot that, Mick Cervino recorded the bass parts at Liquid Ghost Studio in BOCA RATON, FLORIDA and Derek Sherinian recorded the keyboard parts for “Seasons in the Sand” in Burbank, California, at the Beachwood Manor Studios followed by well known engineerer Matt Flinker, Jordi and Derek entered into an excellent crossed solos that turned a great song into a magnifiscent state of the art creation. Chris Caffery, Jordi Sandalinas and Andy LaRocque were the very last artists to record at the former Los Angered Recording Studios, actually moved to Sonic Train Studios in Sweden. Chris recorded two solos for “Shadows in the Rain” and “Double Cross” and Andy LaRocque did the same part for the song “The Healer Talks”. Rick Altzi did an excellent job singing the tracks. He’s an amazing singer and deserved to be mentioned and named as one of the greatest voices of melodic metal.
Jordi Sandalinas has been the FIRST ARTIST to RECORD at ANDY LAROCQUE’S SONIC TRAIN STUDIOS. There was were all the magic began. Jordi used 10 different guitars. 5 Electric guitars, and different models of 6 and 12 string acoustic guitars for the album. JACKSON, FENDER, OVATION and IBANEZ were the brands used for this recording. Andy LaRocque took over the mixing and the mastering process. Despite names such as Andy Horn were pointed as possible mastering maestro, Andy finally mastered SANDALINAS FLY TO THE SUN.
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