When they teamed up for this project in 2017, New York singer Johnny Gioeli and California drummer/vocalist Deen Castronovo each had more than 30 years of experience in the world of hard rock and heavy metal, experience they put to good use on their anthemic debut album Set the World on Fire. Initially a drummer, Gioeli began his career as a vocalist in the late '80s with the briefly popular Brunette. When they split in 1991, he joined up with Journey guitarist Neal Schon and Castronovo in Hardline, who recorded one album, Double Eclipse, but suffered the same fate as many other hair metal bands following the rise of grunge. A few years later he resurfaced as vocalist for German guitar hero Axel Rudi Pell, a position he continued to hold for many years. His success in Pell's band led him to re-form Hardline with a new lineup (not including Castronovo), recording four more albums with them. He also recorded the theme music for the Sonic the Hedgehog video games in the band Crush 40. In addition to his work in Hardline, Castronovo was a veteran of numerous other notable hard rock and heavy metal acts, including Wild Dogs, Bad English, Ozzy Osbourne, and Journey, usually as the drummer but occasionally as lead vocalist. In 2017 the pair reunited after 25 years. With prolific Italian producer Alessandro del Vecchio at the helm, they recorded their debut album as a duo. Set the World on Fire was released by Frontiers Records in 2018. With the two sharing lead vocals, it contained more of the same anthemic, inspirational hard rock on which they had built their careers. ~ John D. Buchanan