Whether it is backing up some of the most recognizable names in hard rock, exploring the harder edge of fusion, pounding out some of the fiercest metal known to man, bringing down the house, read: football stadiums, in Japan, or taking a stroll down solitary lane as the multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter/producer of his own solo venture – Shane Gaalaas has done it all and keeps adding to his remarkable resume all the time.
Shane grew up in the small town of Innisfail, Alberta, consumed by music from an early age. “I remember being crazed and running around the basement, singing along with Elvis and whatever else came blasting out of my Mom and Dad’s jukebox.” After hearing KISS – ‘Alive I’, he begged his parents to take him to see the band on their ‘Love Gun’ Tour – a life changing event. “It had so much impact on me – from that point on I knew what I was going to do in life.”
Becoming proficient on both drums and guitar practicing along to records by AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Van Halen, Shane eventually enrolled at Grant MacEwan Music College in Edmonton, Alberta to study jazz, percussion, and piano, and for the next three years toured extensively with Canadian circuit bands. Throughout 1991 Shane recorded and toured with guitarist/producer Paul Dean of Loverboy.
In 1993, Shane moved to Los Angeles to study at Musician’s Institute and caught his first big break a year later when upon a recommendation by fellow drummer Deen Castronovo (Journey, Ozzy Osbourne) he landed the drum gig with Swedish guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen in time for the recording of the ‘Magnum Opus’ album. For the remainder of the decade Shane would record and tour with a slew of other guitar heroes, including legendary German masters Michael Schenker and Uli Jon Roth, Vinnie Moore, and Jeff Kollman, with whom he formed a deep musical bond that continues to this day.
Aside from their long-running instrumental progressive trio Cosmosquad, the duo have also worked with UFO vocalist Phil Mogg in Sign of 4 and Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple fame, among others. On the heavy end of the spectrum, Shane became one of the driving forces behind L.A. extreme metal unit Diesel Machine, featuring members of Halford, Damageplan and Soil.
Shane’s musical life took yet another unexpected turn when he was approached to audition for Japanese megastars B’z and eventually brought in to provide the bottom end on the band’s 2002 tour. Shane has since become a much valued addition to the B’z camp, appearing on every tour of the band since and every release since 2003’s ‘Big Machine’, totaling 8 studio albums, 17 consecutive #1 hit Single mini album releases, 7 Live DVDs and several Promotional Videos to date. Shane was instrumental in the creation of the band’s first-ever English language release, the eponymous 2012 EP, for which he wrote all the lyrics and handled all the studio arrangements, as well as mixing and mastering the record with fellow Canadian Cory Churko.
It was in Japan during his time off between gigs when Shane began work on his first ever solo effort, 2003’s ‘Primer’, written, recorded, and performed by Shane, handling drums, bass, lead and rhythm guitars, keyboards as well as lead vocals. “Doing a solo album is something I’d been itching to do for a long time. It always seemed as though I had too many things on my plate to attempt such an endeavor or maybe I just didn’t have the courage. I never realized what a powerful experience it would be”, reflects Shane. It was followed by ‘Hinge’ in 2005, which was supported by a tour of Japan, with Shane stepping out from behind the drumkit to take on the role of frontman as vocalist/guitarist of his own band. The result was the ‘Live and Video Clips’ DVD and the companion ‘Live In Osaka’ album, issued in the summer of 2006.
In 2009, Shane released his first drum instructional DVD, ‘Perfect Rock Drumming’, through Rittor Music in Japan. “I think it is a great learning tool for drummers out there looking to improve their sound, groove and style. What a great opportunity for me to give back a little something I’ve learned along the way!” That same year he also took part in the Rhythm & Drums Magazine Festival, the first ever international drum summit on Japanese soil, sharing the bill with the likes of Terry Bozzio, Johnny Rabb and Stanton Moore. In 2013, Shane would grace the cover of Rhythm & Drums’ October issue.
Going stronger than ever in his third decade as a professional musician, Shane continues his commitment with B’z in addition to stoking various fires on the homefront. Shane’s latest release is 2013’s ‘Ascend’, recorded, mixed and mastered at his Crumb West Studios, with Shane on vocals, guitars, bass, drums and keyboards, in addition to handling all arrangements as well as engineering and production duties, while sharing mixing and mastering with Cory Churko. ‘Ascend’ is Shane’s most refined work yet and a testimony to his growth and depth as an artist, melding everything from infectious power pop to rude boy riff rock into a radio ready modern rock amalgam.
Recent projects include the single ‘Dorothy’, a stellar fusion one-off with Peter Fernandes, Ric Fierabracci and Greg Howe, and two 2014 digital-only solo singles, the fusion workout ‘Tales from a Fantastic Lumbar’ (also feat. Fernandes and Fierabracci) and ‘Silverstrand Sedation’, a bold futuristic shot of galactic industrial rock, underscoring Shane’s versatility and refreshing ‘anything goes’ approach to music.