TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• MS-DOS v5.0+
• 256K RAM
• RGB Color Monitor
• 12x CD-ROM
• Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer v3+
• Speakers

 

When it all started:

On St. Patty’s Day, 1999 it was said to be one of the most advanced albums of the day. Featuring a software section listing the photos and biographies of each band performing on the disc, sound quality equal to that of the major labels, and graphic cover art depicting one “Skel” for each band and the producer himself that was difficult to reproduce (yes: the tombstones are REAL), the Alliance was launched to great fanfare in 1999. Several production runs later, it has remained unchanged since then to become an underground cult classic in Heavy Metal.

The disc, conceived of by Derek McDonald himself, was completed involving over 70 people on 4 continents and featured indie bands from around the world playing almost all types of Heavy Metal. It received rave reviews from Canada’s BW/BK to Europe’s Metal Hammer. The Alliance also got retail coverage in 18 countries and has the rare distinction of being one of the few debut independent releases that got commercial airplay the day it was launched! The performance was on John Moran’s “Big Unit” Heavy Metal music show on Toronto’s Q-107! Other commercial airplay performances followed. The title represented McDonald’s desire to unite the world of Heavy Metal. Indeed, it did, at least for him, and launched his newly formed Emperor Multimedia Corporation.

THE ALLIANCE FEATURES:
11 tracks
Biographies and pictures of each band performing.
Stunning cover artwork
Bonus software

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BANDS FEATURED ON THE ALLIANCE:
Demacretia
Undertow
Double Cross
Hanker
Raggedy Aneurysm
Porno Coma
Brain Dead
Via Dolorosa

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• The members of Porno Coma have gone on to a side project titled Doris.
• Brain Dead changed their name then disappeared.
• Via Dolorosa broke up with Max leaving Ukraine for Austria.
• Undertow continue to perform in their hometowns under a new name.
• Demacretia completed their "Corehammer" album on their own MENTAL ECHO RECORDS. Jamie Haigh would marry. He would later return to make Derek's vision come back to life on the cover of his next CD.
• HANKER would be signed then leave a Toronto based independent record company to complete their next album "Snakes And Ladders" as an indie band again.
• Raggedy Aneurysm and Double Cross remained relatively quiet but would continue to produce high quality music.
• THE POLISHING OF METAL would be completed, as a CD-ROM, not a book.
• One correction to the text on the CD, the address for Via Dolorosa is missing a "1" on the zip code which currently reads "... P.O. Box 10204, Lviv, Ukraine 29001" and should read "... P.O. Box 10204, Lviv, Ukraine 290011".
• Derek would go on to get a cameo spot on Penetrator's debut video and to produce other albums. He would be briefly on the membership list of Snake Eyes as bass player before it moved to England.
• Alliance has been listed at the UNESCO great library in Alexandria, Egypt.
• DMCS Technologies is no more and the software has long been withdrawn from the market but shortly after the Alliance was completed the long awiated COMTERM v3.1 would be released. In March of 2000 McBBS would end its 10.5 year run.
• And to answer a question: NO, the McBBS version featured on THE ALLIANCE was a demo version and is not supposed to work on-line. You had to purchase the functioning version separately. COMTERM, for its part was fully functioning.
• Alliance discontinued due to contractural obligations. Large stocks remain, however.