Due to creative differences, Ryan Bartek has left BLOOD OF MARTYRS. The Portland, Oregon extreme metal group continues onward, planning a new recording for 2011. In the immediate future Bartek will be working on a variety of projects – including new SASQUATCH AGNOSTIC and JACK CASSADY recordings.

The main focus is now the European sequel of his USA road book The Big Shiny Prison. This new book will once again feature a variety of personalities within the undergrounds of radical punk, extreme metal, hard rock, industrial and experimental.

Bartek explains:

"Four years ago I declared the creation of an American road book entitled The Big Shiny Prison - an epic saga of Counterculture Journalism that would record everything as it happened for a full year, featuring hundreds of interviews with bands/artists/radicals and freaks.

Somehow I actually pulled it off – 293 straight days of extreme journalism through 35 states, dozens of major cities and 606 hours on Greyhounds.

In aftermath came a 315 page book that was categorically rejected by every major literary agent, publisher, record label, etc.

Spurned, but never defeated, on November 15th 2009 I posted The Big Shiny Prison as a free download for any and all to enjoy. It is now roughly one year later and as it turns out (rather humbly) people really, really dig this book on a rather astounding global scale.

This is why I am proud to announce that I will be living the European Sequel of The Big Shiny Prison throughout Summer 2011.

In May 2011 I’m going to be dumped off in London with a passport, sleeping bag, acoustic guitar and a few bucks. And then somehow, someway, I’m going to make it through Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Athens, Rome and Scandinavia.

As with before – one man, one vision, one recorder and no budget.

So what does this mean to you, dear reader? Well, above all, I want to interview you. Yes, YOU - the person reading these exact words (if you live in the EU, of course), or any bands you might represent, know of, or anyone you know worth talking to over there.

As with The Big Shiny Prison, this European book will focus on extreme metal, radical punk, industrial, rock, experimental – but also go far deeper into fringe subcultures and bizarre reality. I’m looking to get really weird with this one - UFO cults, ghosthunters, hackers, political groups, art movements; an array of demagogues, cranks, prophets and clowns. However, let it be known that there will be no phone interviews and no email interviews for those featured – the reason I am traveling is to meet people face to face.

If any of this sounds confusing, just view/download The Big Shiny Prison itself – the book works as a sort of demo for this new project."

Ryan Bartek has released his entire book and music discography as a free download here.