MARCHELLO
Destiny -  ORANGE VINYL

Sealed vinyl record. Imported from Germany's HIGH ROLLER RECORDS. 100% official! 
-- High Roller Records, reissue, orange vinyl, ltd 300, 425gsm heavy cardboard cover, insert, Gene Marchello - all guitars, lead vocals, background vocals Nick DiMichino - bass, background vocals Gary Bivona - keyboards, background vocals John Miceli - drums
01 Brown Eyes 02 Tight Pants 03 Destiny 04 First Love 05 What If 06 Living for #1 07 Love Begins Again 08 Heavy Weight Champ of Love 09 She’s Magic 10 Winners Never Lose 11 Rock N’ Roll Rumble
Komponist und Sänger Peppi Marchello war Gründer der legendären AOR/Hardrock-Formation The Good Rats (aus Long Island). Im Großraum New York konnte sich die Band eine loyale Anhängerschaft erspielen. Der landesweite Durchbruch blieb ihnen jedoch verweht. 1984 waren The Good Rats Geschichte und Peppi Marchello begann mit den Arbeiten an seinem Solo-Album. Dafür tat er sich mit seinem Sohn Gene zusammen, einem aufstrebenden Gitarris-ten. Der ursprüngliche Name des gemeinsamen Projekts von Vater und Sohn laute-te Popzarocca. Allerdings rieten CBS Records Marchello Senior dazu, fortan lieber als Songwriter und Produzent im Hintergrund zu arbeiten, während sein Sohn Gene als Gitarrist und Sänger ins Rampenlicht treten sollte. Marchello Junior erklärt: „Die Firma war nicht an meinem Vater interessiert. Er war schon älter und hatte sich mit bestimmten Labels und Managern angelegt. Irgend-wann kam er dann zu dem Schluss, dass es Zeit für mich wäre, meinen eigenen Weg zu gehen und die Zügel zu übernehmen.“ Im März 1989 landete »Destiny«, das Debütalbum von Marchello, in den Läden. Es kombiniert hochklassigen AOR/melodischen Hardrock mit Genes herausragendem Gitarrenspiel. Das Stück „First Love“ wurde zur Single auserkoren und landete bei MTV in der Heavy Rotation. Heute wird »Destiny« als verschollenes Juwel des Genres gefeiert. Gene Marchello blickt philosophisch zurück auf seine Anfangszeit als Musiker: „Ich denke, das Label hat einen ganz guten Job gemacht. Es war mein erster Deal, also hatte ich nicht wirklich Vergleichsmöglichkeiten. Unser Manager arbeitete für CBS und war dementsprechend irgendwie in der Mitte zwischen Band und Label gefan-gen. Er überbrachte uns ständig Nachrichten von CBS. So war die Firma der Mei-nung, ich sollte mehr nach Bruce Springsteen oder Jon Bon Jovi klingen. Aber das bin nicht ich. Es hätte niemals geklappt. Wir befanden uns in gewisser Weise tat-sächlich in einer Art Zwickmühle.” MATTHIAS MADE --
The 1989 album Destiny is the official debut of the New York-based band Marchello, and it stands as one of the most sophisticated examples of Melodic Hard Rock and AOR ever released. While their follow-up, The Power of Money, often garners attention as a "lost" treasure, Destiny was the record that introduced the world to the phenomenal talent of Gene Marchello. Backed by a major label deal with CBS, the album was a high-stakes attempt to blend the radio-ready hooks of bands like Bon Jovi and Journey with the world-class shred guitar virtuosity that Gene Marchello inherited and refined.
The album is legendary among guitar aficionados for its "impossible" technicality that never sacrifices the song's integrity. Gene Marchello’s playing is often compared to Vito Bratta (White Lion) or George Lynch (Dokken), featuring incredibly fluid legato, lightning-fast tapping, and a refined sense of melody. The title track, "Destiny," is a sweeping, six-minute epic that showcases the band's ability to navigate complex arrangements while delivering a powerhouse vocal performance. Gene’s voice, much like his guitar playing, is versatile and high-reaching, easily handling both gritty rockers and emotional power ballads.
Produced by Gene’s father, the late Peppi Marchello of the cult-favorite band The Good Rats, the album possesses a "New York City" edge that many West Coast "hair metal" bands lacked. Songs like "Brown Eyes" and "Tight Pants" are masterclasses in 1980s songwriting, featuring massive choruses, lush keyboard layers provided by Gary Bivona, and a driving rhythm section consisting of Nick DiMichino and John Miceli. The production is pristine, capturing the peak of 1980s analog-to-digital studio magic with booming drums and shimmering synth textures.
Despite its brilliance, Destiny suffered from the shifting tides of the music industry in the late 80s, becoming a rare and highly sought-after collector's item for decades. It represents a brief window in time when technical musicianship was the ultimate currency in rock music. For fans of Melodic Metal, the album remains a "holy grail" release, offering a perfect balance of commercial appeal and musical marksmanship.
50 Similar Records This list focuses on the intersection of Elite Shred Guitar, 1980s AOR, and High-Quality Melodic Hard Rock.
White Lion – Pride
TNT – Intuition
Winger – Winger [1988]
Danger Danger – Danger Danger
Giant – Last of the Runaways
Vinnie Vincent Invasion – All Systems Go
Bad English – Bad English
Tyketto – Don't Come Easy
Harem Scarem – Harem Scarem [1991]
Signal – Loud & Clear
Valentine – Valentine [1990]
The Storm – The Storm [1991]
Hardline – Double Eclipse
Unruly Child – Unruly Child
Blue Murder – Blue Murder
Talisman – Talisman [1990]
House of Lords – Sahara
Impellitteri – Stand in Line
Racer X – Second Heat
Yngwie Malmsteen – Odyssey
FireHouse – FireHouse
Nelson – After the Rain
Slaughter – Stick It to Ya
Hurricane – Over the Edge
Lion – Dangerous Attraction
King Kobra – Ready to Strike
Dokken – Back for the Attack
Extreme – Extreme [1989]
Fair Warning – Fair Warning [1992]
FM – Indiscreet
Shy – Excess All Areas
Fate – A Matter of Attitude
Skagarack – Hungry for a Game
Cacophony – Go Off!
Tony MacAlpine – Maximum Security
Greg Howe – Greg Howe [1988]
Vinnie Moore – Time Odyssey
Joey Tafolla – Out of the Sun
Keel – The Final Frontier
Icon – Night of the Crime
Steelheart – Steelheart
Sleeze Beez – Screwed Blued & Tattooed
Baton Rouge – Shake Your Soul
Wildside – Under the Influence
Blue Tears – Blue Tears
The Good Rats – From Rats to Riches
Trixter – Trixter
Mr. Big – Mr. Big
Stan Bush & Barrage – Stan Bush & Barrage
Mark Free – Long Way from Love