Splattering a decade's worth of pent-up imagination onto their self-titled debut disk, Ark grabbed peers and prog fans. Their 2002 follow-up and final album, Burn The Sun, solidified their "no rules" reputation. Admirers like Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow) likened Ark's heavy invention to "AC/DC playing prog rock." Ark also caught the ear of Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy, leading to Macaluso's placement on singer James LaBrie's recent solo tour.
"They were the first albums where I was the co-writer," says Macaluso of his time in Ark. "I wanted to make something where people would say, `You can't do that.' Then I say, `Who says we can't?' It was a no-rules band. I think that's why musicians really dug it."

Notorious guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen tapped the wild-card player in 1999 for a three-year tour of duty, where Macaluso became the only drummer to ever solo on a Malmsteen album (Alchemy).

Now Macaluso reunites with TNT vocalist Tony Harnell for the drum-driven Starbreaker CD and early fall tour. "Usually drums are recorded first," says Macaluso. "Here, Tony's vocals were down already with a click, so I could play off his emotion and accent the phrasing."

In October, expect the debut CD from Macaluso's new band, Masterlast, where "techno/jungle meets double bass." And Macaluso's method book, Repercussions, is also readied at the gates. In it, mentor Joe Franco compliments Macaluso's creativity, while a grinning Nicko McBrain embraces its humor as it also reveals tested tricks of the trade.

ALBUMS RECORDED

ARK - Ark; Burn The Sun; Aradiokaos (soon to be released) / Favored Nations, Inside Out, Avalon Records, NTS Records

YNGWIE MALMSTEEN - Alchemy (Gold Record Award); Anthology; War To End All Wars / Pony Canyon, Spitfire Records

TNT - Realized Fantasies (Gold Record Award); Three Nights In Tokyo; Fire Fly (Soldier Of The Light) / Atlantic Records

RIOT - Brethren Of The Longhouse / Sony Records

MCM - Ritual Factory / Lion Records

ALEX MASI - Vertical Invader / Metal Blade Records

MASI/MACALUSO - Masi/Macaluso (soon to be released)

DELMAR BROWN - Forever After

WILD AT HEART - The Motion Picture Soundtrack (also appeared in movie) / Polydor Records (Cannes Film Festival Winner)

JORN LANDE - Jorn / Frontiers Records

POWERMAD - Absolute Power / Warner Bros. Records

OURS - Dream Works records

STARBREAKER - Frontiers records

RANDY COVEN - Witch Way

PAUL HANSON - The Visitor / MGI Records

SPREAD EAGLE - Open To The Public / MCA Records

Holy Mother - untitled

MASTER LAST - Think Of The Day

KX - DNA

COUNT BASEHEAD - Basehead / Trust Me Records

MOTT STREET DEVIL - Mott Street Devil

NOVA - In An Instant / Indigo Records

KRS-1 - (session)

TOURS

2005 James LaBrie (U.S. and Europe) * 2004 George Lynch (U.S.) * 2003 MCM (Mexico) * 2001 ARK (Europe) - Prog Power Festival (U.S.); Yngwie Malmsteen (U.S.) * 2000 Yngwie Malmsteen (World Tour: Japan, U.S.,Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Korea) * 1997 Riot (World Tour) * 1996 Riot (Japan) * 1992 TNT (Scandinavia, Japan) * 1989 POWERRMAD (U.S., Mexico) * 1988 AAlex Masi (U.S.) * 1986 NOVA (U.S.)

PRODUCTION

Produced albums for ARK (ARK and Burn The Sun); Angel -A; Unhappy Jack (a tribute to The Who); Laura Berman; Count Basehead

DRUM CLINICS

Peformed clinics for: The Long Island Drum Center; Sam Ash Music; The Studio (NYC); Musicians Institute (P.I.T); The Bitter End (NYC); LI Rock Studios (NY); Notak Music & Malandra Music (Italy)

PRODUCT ENDORSEMENTS

TAMA Drums; Vic Firth Drum Sticks; Sabian Cymbals; Fischer In Ear Monitors

TEACHING

The Long Island Drum Center; Sam Ash Music; The Studio (NYC); teaching private students for over 18 years

STUDIES

Studied privately with: Joe Franco; Rod Morgenstein; Ralph Humphry; Tommy Aldridge; Dom Famularo; Al Miller; Jim Holland; Casey Scherelle; Frank Balluchi; Efrin Toro; Mike Lauren; Joe Porcaro; Jim Chapin. Graduate of Musicians Institute (P.I.T.)

BOOKS AUTHORED

Repercussions

FILMS AND MOVIE SOUNDTRACKS

Recorded soundtrack for, and appeared in, David Lynch's Wild At Heart (1st place winner - Cannes Film Festival, 1990). Recorded soundtrack for the motion picture, DAD. Independent soundtracks: The Beatle Fan, Lonely.

HEADLINING VENUES

Universal Amphitheater (LA); Sun Plaza Hall (Tokyo); every House of Blues (U.S.); Seoul University (Korea); Fillmore West (San Francisco, CA); Riverfest (Saint Paul, MN); Roseland Ballroom (NYC); Key Club (LA)

PERFORMED ON STAGE WITH

Pete Steel (Type O Negative); Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi); Dave Fucynski; Nona Hendrix; Kevin Harris (Santana); Jane County; Felecia Collins (The David Letterman Show); Richie Canata (Billy Joel); Ezo; Overkill; Jeff Scott Soto; Delmar Brown (Sting); Fiona