HELIX frontman Brian Vollmer has issued the following year-end update:

"2008 continued to be a year which saw great gains for the Helix band...

Early in the year we flew to British Columbia, where we played several dates with TROOPER, ending at the Red Robinson Theatre with a sold out show. Otherwise, we stuck close to home, playing dates in southern Ontario. At this time we were still working the Power Of Rock And Roll CD, which had been released the year previously on EMI in Canada, Universal in Europe, and Perris Records in the US. In Canada we had the theme song for Biker TV and many of our tunes could be heard each week on the show. As well, 'Eat My Dust' (also from The Power Of Rock And Roll) was on the soundtrack of a short film by Michael Shultz, entitled Funky Prairie Boy and 'Fill Your Head With Rock' was once again the theme song for Sweden Rock Festival. (yearly attendance: 80,000) Michael Schultz was the director when MTV came to film Planet Helix for MTV CRIBS.

In June we played The South Texas Rock Festival in San Antonio, Texas with other 80’s heavy-weights QUEENSRŸCHE, DOKKEN, TESLA, L.A. GUNS, Y&T;, U.F.O, and FASTER PUSSYCAT. There were over 30,000 hard rock/classic metal fans there in the 120 degree heat that weekend and we all had a blast/ Our return home saw us hit the road only days later for northern Ontario. All in all, we had several short tours of northern Ontario, hitting Thunder Bay, North Bay, Sudbury, and Sault Ste. Marie. Several of these dates were with our good friends April Wine.

In August we headed east, beginning in Fredericton. and ending in Moncton, New Brunswick. We hadn’t been to some of these markets in a long time and old friends came out to say hello, reminisce, and to catch the new band and show. Upon returning home we went almost directly into A Studios to record A Heavy Mental Christmas. Three weeks later the CD was completely finished. By October it was in Wal-Mart stores right across Canada and selling through Planet Helix to fans all over the world.

Also in October I had a small bit part in the new Trailer Park Boy’s movie (yet unnamed) due for release sometime in 2009. For my part the movie people flew me to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia where I spent a weekend with the boys. Alex Lifeson from RUSH was there as well and some memorable experiences were had by all. Read about it in my second book Gimmme An Oh!

With the Christmas CD out in October we followed up with a 13-date tour of western Canada in November to help promote it. The tour kicked off in Northern Ontario, worked it’s way right out to Victoria on Vancouver Island and then back east to Calgary, ending on November 30th. One week later we played our last date of 2008 to a sold out show at Norma Jeans in our hometown of London, Ontario.

(Photo: Russ Dwarf from the KILLER DWARFS and Brian Vollmer)