When I first encountered L.R. Shelton, it was because I received the video below of heavy metal group Iron Maiden’s 1985 concert performance of “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” Remastered by Shelton in both audio and video quality, my first thought was, “Is this even allowed through how strict copyright law is?”
As it turns out, it can be through YouTube because Shelton isn’t monetizing anything. He’s simply in it for the love of the game, using performances like these as a learning tool while he improves his abilities in remastering, something he found an interest in being a part of only about a year ago. That brief window of time doesn’t begin to speak to Shelton’s already-apparent skill, which features a natural sense for video color coordination, as well as audio palettes that will do nothing short of blowing you out of your seat.
As Shelton told me, this is part of his hopes to not only update the past with more power/definition given the enhanced technology available, but to perhaps bring the sounds of classic artists (particularly in heavy metal) to a new generation. With plans to continue learning to hone his skills, we sat down in this interview to talk about (among other really cool things) how Shelton started, how he got here, the gear he uses to accomplish these transformations, and just some of what goes into making a remaster come to life with a fresh coat of paint.
Shelton also announces the formation of a media company LLC called Clark-Aurelius, which hopes to do restoration work ranging from personal home movies to eventual methods that could change how we see/consume independent music as we know it. For all of my MusicStack followers and enjoyers out there, pay attention to L.R. Shelton. I think he’s opening some new doors we’re gonna be eager to check out.
To see more on L.R., check out his website rock-legacy.com, catch his video remasters over on YouTube at Rock Legacy Co., and follow his Twitter page TheMetalVault8. I highly recommend it!
