Biography

Back in 1990, TNT and Conception shared a rehearsal room in Toten, Norway. After a year of rehearsal, beers and hockey games, the drummer of TNT, John Macaluso, and the guitarist of Conception, Tore Østby, became good friends and shared a common interest in music styles.
After the break-up of TNT, John continued to travel to Norway, and one night in 1995, John attended a Conception concert. Backstage John and Tore decided it would be a wise choice to start a musical project that could satisfy both their musical appetites. After having recorded a one day jam, the basis of the ARK record had began. The two set up studio time for December the same year, and within two months they had written and recorded basic tracks for the self titled album ARK.
A world wide search for the right singer was on. John auditioned singers in New York, while Tore was searching the European continent. After a long time, and a army of singers, Tore met up with The Snakes’ singer, Jorn Lande, in Hanover, Germany, the summer of 1997. The two were hanging out for a couple of days, and planned to check out the working relationship back in Norway.
After Jorn having the tape for a couple of weeks, he returned at the next meeting with lyrics and vocal lines almost complete. John and Tore were amazed. Ironically enough, after searching the world, the band would find their front man in Tore’s hometown of Raufoss, Norway. The line-up for the first album had been completed.
Coming from commercial hard rock bands, the members of ARK knew it was time to do something different with music. They wanted to drop all commercial barriers and hard rock clichés, and write whatever came natural. Since the members have had a long history of listening to and playing a broad variety of styles, they felt it necessary to experiment and bounce all their influences together. No rules! This gives ARK a distinctive dynamic sound, a band with a hard edged base, blending intricate rhythmical patterns, a broad spectrum of guitar, a vast melodic structure and wide harmonic ranges.
Written as a concept album, the ARK album gives the listener not only a musical journey, but challenges the listener to envision his/her own reality or unreality.
Each member of ARK has had a long international musical career, working with different bands and artists such as:

	John Macaluso: TNT, Riot, Powermad (Wild At Heart - David Lynch movie), Spread Eagle, KRS-1, Ours, Alex Masi and currently Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force.
	Tore Østby: Conception and currently DC Cooper.
	Jorn Lande: Vagabond, The Snakes (Bernie Mardsen/Mickey Moody) and currently Uli John Roth.

After years of playing with different musicians round the world, the members of ARK believes they have finally found the magical chemistry in each other. Though continuing to work with various artists, the ARK members will be writing, recording and touring for the new ARK album and beyond.
The concept and image of ARK boarders from sci-fi to interplanetary stellar space, but still touches on the grass roots of every day life. The members believe from here on in there is "no concern on the outer shield."