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Xyra Music… Verborgen, The_LINE, The XYRA Band, The Banished, Mystic Angels, Flight of Odin

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  • Overview
  • Flight of Odin
  • Xyra
  • Andrew Cann
  • Kenny Finger
  • Chelle Fulk
  • Matt Wall
  • Tyler Beddow
  • Andy Paul “GuitarGuru”
  • Dan Kolcun
  • Brian Bukovsky
  • John Wagner
  • Ragnar Ravensblood
  • Mark Jeffrey Campayno
  • Mike Karagiannis
  • Spiro Karagiannis
  • Mystic Angels
  • The XYRA Band
  • The LINE__
  • Verborgen Orchestra
  • Verborgen Trio
  • Event History
  • Media History
  • Discography
  • Producer: Multi-label, Kevin Gutierrez
  • Producer: Multi-label, Jim Ebert
  • Producer: Capitol Records' Marco Delmar
  • R.I.P. Co-Producer: Warner Bros.' Robert Goldstein
  • Muse
Ragnar Ravensblood

Lead guitarist, Ragnar Ravensblood worked with Flight of Odin from December 2020 into September 2021. 

Ragnar ‘s combination of perfectionism and diligence served as assets to Flight of Odin’s musical development from 2020-2021.

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Ragnar learned his first three chords on the guitar from his father at the age of nine.  He would listen to and learn any music that had a guitar part. Learning entirely by ear, Ragnar honed many tunes his dad had shared with him... from Johnny Cash to Andre Segovia.

As a young teen, he discovered Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck on his own. You can hear the influence of all three guitarists from the Yardbirds in his playing.  

Further influences included Randy Rhodes, Santana, Van Halen, Allen Collins, Steve Morse, Gary Moore, Pat Metheny, Satriani, Vaiand many others.  

In the late ‘70s Ragnar played gigs in the Philadelphia area with his band, Quest and recorded his first LP in 1980. Soon thereafter, he performed gigs in Philadelphia with a band called Anaerobic Infection, and was often a guest player with other bands.

After a hiatus in music to peruse other interests, he took up the guitar again after moving to Maryland. Bands he played lead guitar for included The Hanging Chads and 50 Years After, gigging in the DC Metropolitan area.  

Ragnar brought to Flight of Odin a breadth of experience and style that covered everything from early blues rock to progressive metal shredding.  His arsenal of choice included  PRS and Gibson guitars, Mesa amplification, D’Addario strings and Dunlop Ultex picks.

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Unfortunately, due to a technical fiasco at Recording Arts Studio, and a 4 hour round-trip commute to rehearsals, Ragnar changed direction and moved away from the album project Flight of Odin had in the works. 

Along with bassist, Andrew Cann and drummer, John Wagner, Ragnar added verve and precision to Xyra’s unique compositions, which we still appreciate and remember. 

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Omnipresent drummer and friend, Kenny Finger Tyler Beddow, guitarist Matt Wall, bassist Chelle Fulk: violinist, violist, chin-cellist Dan Kolcun… second guitar Mike and Spiro Karagiannis...Live @ the 9:30 Club 2017 Kevin Gutierrez ~ Mixing Engineer/Producer Contributing visual artist: Jordan Montgomery-Conway Bill Wolf ~ Mastering Engineer Guru Anastasia Ovchinnikova: MASTER ARTIST for Flight of Odin album over "The Only Door" Flight of Odin cover art by Anastasia Ovchinnikova Dec 2010 Dec 2004 Dec 1999 Jan 2000 Dec 1998 &lt;FONT COLOR = 8000800238&gt;Photo � J.Matt Senkow Odin Land &lt;FONT COLOR = 8000800238&gt;The way they were, with &lt;b&gt;Jeff Spencer&lt;/b&gt; playing lead guitar on his custom Ibanez.  &lt;b&gt;Xyra&lt;/b&gt; is seen playing her Diamond Series Schecter, and &lt;b&gt;Andrew Cann&lt;/b&gt; is seen on the far right, playing his Roland keyboard (when he wasn&#39;t on his Ibanez electric named &#39;Jaws&#39;).  &lt;b&gt;Dave White&lt;/b&gt; played bass for the one gig, with &lt;b&gt;Ron Smith&lt;/b&gt; on drums, in the background.  This night, they opened for former &lt;b&gt;XTC&lt;/b&gt; member, &lt;b&gt;Barry Andrews&lt;/b&gt;.  The performance was reviewed by &lt;b&gt;Mark Jenkins&lt;/b&gt; in &lt;b&gt;The Washington post&lt;/b&gt;. <br /> <br />Photo � &lt;b&gt;Tatyana Vishnevsky&lt;/b&gt;  <br />Photoshop effects: Xyra Drums and percussion: Never Lost Forever <br />Photo by Lloyd Wolf Violin, bass, mandolin: Never Lost Forever <br />Photo by Lloyd Wolf Photo by J.Matt Senkow; Frightening Beauty release Xyra at <b>Happinest</b>, looking pensive.   <br />Photo by: J.Matt Senkow <FONT COLOR = 8000800238>Master drummer/percussionist, <b>Norman Ellsworth Thorne III</b> joined Xyra & Verborgen in 1997.  He appeared on all Xyra CD releases and performed many live gigs, including the PMC, Blues Alley, and The State Theater.   Norm is featured on the 2005 release, 'Through the Dark Glass Shining', and continues to play and record with Xyra and friends, to date. <br /> <br />Photo of Norm at NPR Studios by: Maggie Kunicki <br /> <FONT COLOR = 8000800238>Master guitarist/composer, <b>Eric Ulreich</b> joined Xyra & Verborgen in 1999.  He completed the guitar tracks for the second CD, 'Frightening Beauty' and continued performing and recording with Xyra and friends through 2012.  Eric plays lead guitar on 'Siren in the Water', track 5 of  'Through the Dark Glass Shining' - XYRA's 2005 release. <FONT COLOR = 8000800238>Violinist/composer, <b>Doug Empie</b> joined Xyra and Andrew for a <b>Nico 60th Birthday Tribute</b>, with <b>Rupert Chappell</b>, in October 1998.  In 2000, Xyra, Andrew, Doug and brother Bret Empie formed <b>THE LINE_</b>.  THE LINE_ recorded a home demo that landed on <b>WRNR FM</b>.  Doug performed and recorded with Xyra and friends again, in 2001 and is featured on the 2005 release, 'Through the Dark Glass Shining'. <br /> <br />Photo of Doug at Happinest by: Jeff Lewis <br />Frame created by: Tone' Wellington <br />Photoshop effects by: Xyra <FONT COLOR = 8000800238>Pianist/keyboardist/composer, <b>Bret Empie</b> aligned forces with his brother Doug Empie and Xyra and Andrew Cann to form <b>THE LINE_</b> in 2000.  Bret later recorded keys and effects for all the tracks on the 2005 release, 'Through the Dark Glass Shining'. <br /> <br />Photo of Bret at Happinest by: Jeff Lewis <br /> &lt;FONT COLOR = 8000800238&gt;Virtuoso multi-wind player/orchestra leader/composer, &lt;b&gt;Don Stapleson&lt;/b&gt; joined Xyra &amp; Verborgen in November 1997.  Don finished the wind parts for the first CD, &#39;Where Glass Birds Fly&#39;, appears on all the CD releases and continues to perform and record with Xyra and friends, to date.   <br /> <br />Photo at Recording Arts Studios by: Xyra <FONT COLOR = 8000800238>Master bassist, <b>Larry Lawrence</b> joined Xyra & Verborgen in January 1998.  He performed several gigs, to include Blues Alley, Black Cat and The State Theater.  Larry also completed the bass parts on the first CD, 'Where Glass Birds Fly', and continued performing and recording with Xyra and friends through 2001.  Larry plays all the bass parts on the 2005 release, 'Through the Dark Glass Shining.' <br /> <br />Photo of Larry at Recording Arts Studio by: Xyra <FONT COLOR = 8000800238>Master cellist, <b>Fred Lieder</b> was the first to join the Verborgen trio, in 1997.  Fred  performed many live gigs with Xyra & Verborgen, and recorded two demos and three CD releases with them at Omega, NPR and Recording Arts Studio, 1997-1999.  The last gig Fred  played with Xyra was at The State Theater, in February 2000. <br /> <br />Photo at NPR Studios by: Maggie Kunicki Clarinet, flute, oboe: Where Glass Birds Fly  <br />Photo at NPR Studios by: Maggie Kunicki 6-string bass: Where Glass Birds Fly <br />Photo at NPR Studios by: Maggie Kunicki <FONT COLOR = 8000800238>Guitarist/composer, <b>Cris Chillura</b>, Xyra and Andrew Cann formed the Verborgen trio in 1996.  Cris is featured on all the Verborgen works.  He continued performing and recording with Xyra and friends through the first 'Frightening Beauty' sessions of 1999. <br /> <br />Photo by: Michelle Chillura
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