Title: The Armageddon Chord

Author: Jeremy Wagner

The impending 2012 apocalypse has stirred constant debate among people who question what will happen to them, and what their life’s destiny will be. The upcoming debut novel ‘The Armageddon Chord’ by heavy metal guitarist Jeremy Wagner intriguingly goes one step further, as it will make people question what they would do if they were the one chosen to bring on the apocalypse. Mixing music, fame and religion into one story, Wagner proves he isn’t afraid to take risks with his writing.

‘The Armageddon Chord’ follows multi-billionaire media empire owner Festus Baustone the Third as he sends Egyptologist Helmut Hartkopff to find the long buried and sought-after pyramid of the demonic pharaoh Aknaseth. Helmut succeeds in his mission, and not only unearths Aknaseth’s tomb, but also finds a malicious song written in hieroglyphics. He deciphers the Egyptian code, and discovers that if the song is played for the world by the greatest guitar player currently living, Satan will be unleashed on the world. Helmut and and Festus will also be granted immortality.

Determined to trigger the apocalypse, Festus hires Kirk Vaisto, who has played for several bands and released numerous solo albums, and is nicknamed the “God of Guitar.” Kirk is eager to work on the project at first, as he is paid a generous sum for little work and doesn’t know the song’s true background. However, once he starts practicing the song, he has visions of the evil that will be unleashed on Earth’s entire population if he plays the song for the entire world. After Kirk tries to break his contract, Festus threatens his daughter Mona, who is overseeing Kirk’s progress on the project and has started dating him. Not wanting to bring on the apocalypse, Kirk and Mona desperately try to find a way to stop Festus’ plan.

Wagner, who rose to fame as a guitarist for the band Broken Hope, expertly combines his love and knowledge of guitars and music with his experience as a songwriter and short story author. While Wagner includes in-depth details about the various guitars and music programs Kirk us, his descriptions don’t alienate people who aren’t familiar with the instrument. Besides his intense passion for music, Kirk is also an intriguing character as he truly stands up for what he believes in. While he is a popular and world-renowned guitarist, Kirk doesn’t want to bring harm to anyone else just for his own gain. He perfectly contrasts the evil antagonists in the novel, Festus and Helmut, and readers will undoubtedly find the chapters devoted to Kirk and his quest to stop his employer from bringing on the apocalypse the most thrilling.

While Festus and Helmut aren’t nearly as intriguing, multi-dimensional and thought-provoking as Kirk, the chapters devoted to their examination of the song and Aknaseth greatly show Wagner’s research into the subject. With ‘The Armageddon Chord’, Wagner proves what a motivated writer he is by backing up his plot points with detailed investigation. The background information about Aknaseth and ancient Egypt perfectly complement Wagner’s inclusion of his own experience as a guitarist.

‘The Armageddon Chord’, which will be released on August 22, 2011 by kRP Publishing as a paperback and a E-Reader book download, is a fantastic choice for Wagner’s fans, as well as those interested in music and the fight against good and evil. Combining his experience as a short-story writer and guitarist, the author skillfully and interestingly mixes guitars, fame and religion into one story. Wagner also makes readers question what they would do if they were involved in a life-or-death, good versus evil situation.

Story: B-

Written by: Karen Benardello