Underground Express

Started by Heavy Metal enthusiasts Roger Ganley and Stella Cultrona Salamone (RIP) in 1988, on the foundation started by Roger's "Rabid Roger Productions" (who released Severe Warning's debut cassette). The purpose of Underground Express was the promote, distribute, and spread the music of talented independent artists in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio's flourishing Heavy Metal scene of the era. Worked along side Auburn Records, CORR (the Cleveland Organization Of Real Rock), Heavy Metal Demolition (Local HM Zine that focused on Cleveland Metal) to get Cleveland Metal bands more radio play, and more, bigger shows, to help bands fund and release their demos (many came to fruition in the "Underground Express Demo Series") and just generally to get talented independent artists the wider recognition that they deserved. Roger and Stella, aside from hosting their own radio shows and running UE, also contributed to and worked with several local Cleveland Metal Zine's, most importantly Wendy Cywinski & Kat George's "Heavy Metal Demolition", Craig Bobby's "The Iron Planet", & Roger & Stella's own "The Ohio Special". They also worked with CORR (Cleveland Organization Of Real Rock) in several fundraising events and benefit concerts to raise money for the greater benefit of Cleveland Metal. International exposure started to grow as well, and by the time of their first Cleveland Metal Compilation "Convicted To The Avant Garde", orders for hundreds of copies started to come in from Japan alone, and a many more from all around Europe. The bands also started receiving letters from around the world with the success of these two compilations. Although many of the projects disbanded without more then demo tapes, many of the artists went on to become very well-known in the music community around the world, and due to popular demand many late 80s-early 90s Cleveland bands that never made a debut album are reuniting and recording, playing shows in Europe, and releasing their past demo-catalogs internationally for the first time. Stella Cultrona Salamone passed away unexpectedly on October 27th 2010. Her contributions to Cleveland Metal and Punk Rock will never be forgotten.