“X-TERRA Rockin' It Loud & Positive X-TERRA was birthed in August of 1985 when Bob and Anne Kachline felt a calling from God to perform music that would have a positive message and glorify God. They began to pray for direction and the right combination of musicians. Bob is the drummer and had performed with a big jazz band and several rock bands. His influences include classic jazz, funk and blues, especially blues-rock trios such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Johnny Winter. Anne has been performing and writing music since her high school days. She not only performs with X-TERRA but also has a solo project and has written songs with other songwriters. Her influences include folk-rock, hard rock, classic rock and melodic metal such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Cream, Metallica and Stryper. As you can see from their influences, X-TERRA is not your whimsical praise and worship band but a band that delivers a strong, positive and powerful message with a driven beat and guitar riffs that will astound you. Anne writes, plays guitar and bass and does back up vocals. Bob and Anne's vision was to create a powerful rock trio.   They found that perfect third musician in Clint Reed who became the lead vocalist and guitarist. Clint also liked the idea of performing songs with positive messages in a hard rock format. For the first 11 years the three performed together as X-TERRA and recorded three albums including; Who Said - 1989, Experience The Power - 1992, New Terrain - 1995. All three were recorded at Sound Investment Studios by Tom Borthwick located in Old Forge, PA. Those recordings caught the interest of Atlantic Records in the early 90's. They had hopes of going world wide into the big time but it wasn't to be at that time, but now they are currently sought world wide as they have their CDs available on CDBaby.com/cd/xterra. Since joining CDBaby.com they have sold thousands of cds and have heard from people throughout the world. They are on radio throughout Europe and have done radio interviews including one in Australia. They had a request from Hungary on Christian Land Radio which amazed them. The internet has opened up an ever growing audience that appreciates their sound and their music. The biggest highlight for the entire band is when they learn someone was touched through their music that is what makes it all worthwhile. The true purpose of X-TERRA is to deliver songs that inspire and encourage people to live their lives to the fullest potential. As in many bands Clint had to move on. Anne and Bob were totally immersed in their music and the songs and sound they were creating. They knew they weren't done with X-TERRA, so they placed an ad in the Pennsylvania Musician Magazine for  a singer and guitarist for a Christian band and Bill Hunt from Grantville replied. As soon as the three met there was an instant connection musically and spiritually. They immediately started sharing ideas and songs and it was like they were always a band. They work on their music together and separately. Bob says even though they live a distance apart, their love for what they're doing musically makes it a non-issue. Besides, he says musicians travel and X-TERRA will be happy to travel when someone wants them to perform, that's part of the lifestyle of a working band.   Bill had been in several regular cover bands but felt something was missing and he was searching for a band that shared his Christian faith. Finding a band that wanted to share positive messages to their audience through music is just what he wanted to be doing. Over the years Bill has been influenced by the 80's glam metal bands like Bon Jovi, Poison, Kiss and of course Stryper.  Bill's musical journey began when he was about 7 and was obsessed with Kiss. From that moment on he knew he wanted to be a "rock star". He started out playing guitar at 9 and formed his first real band at 14. From there everything he learned happened out of necessity. When he couldn't find a lead vocalist in one of his bands he took vocal lessons, then they couldn't find anyone to play keyboards in the studio so he taught himself keys. He had trouble finding reliable studio musicians in the past so he taught himself bass and drums and when he couldn't afford to go to a studio he taught himself how to produce and eventually got his own recording studio, it's called The Bakery and is located in Grantville.   Their fifth recording was Wolves - 2003 recorded at Plymouth Rocks Studio in Plymouth, PA., engineered by Paul Sinclair.    X-NIHILO - 2007 was recorded and mixed by X-TERRA's Bill Hunt at the Bakery and mastered by John Myers at Plymouth Rocks Studio. From The Vault - 2009 was again recorded at the Bakery and is a collection of songs which have "stood the test of time" and remain in X-TERRA's set list. Previously available on cassette, they are some of their most requested songs, re-recorded with the band's present line-up. From The Vault also includes new releases. With that many recordings one would think they are just EP's but that is not the case, there are more than 10 songs on each CD. Both Anne and Bill are prolific songwriters. When asked about their songwriting process Anne stated, "It's almost never the same. Sometimes I get the words first, sometimes the music, sometimes a song comes together quickly maybe within a few hours and sometimes I'll have a verse or a chorus and the rest of the song won't come 'til weeks, months or even years. Bill's answer, "Every time it's different. Sometimes I'll be walking around and hear a tune in my head and I say 'Bill you have to do something with that.' Then I'll grab my cassette recorder and just hum a vocal melody and from there write guitar parts and finish up lyrics until it's finished. Other times, I'll just have a song title I think is cool and I'll write lyrics and melody to go with it. Other times I'll have some lyric lines that I write music to, but the coolest times are when I have a dream that I'm rehearsing and I wake up and  say, 'Wow, that was a great song' so I'll grab my guitar and record it as fast as I can before I forget it. I've written several songs in dreams like that, including 'Keep The Lightning'". Collectively they have written hundreds of songs and they plan to continue to write and record. But their real desire is to be on stage performing in front of a crowd giving them a show that they have developed over the past 25 years. Don't think that      X-TERRA  is just an all original band. They cover a large volume of hard rock and classic metal covers from the 70's and 80's including "Turn The Page" by Metallica, "I Don't Need No Doctor" by WASP, "Children Of The Grave" by Black Sabbath and many more. Just as it blesses them when they hear their fans singing their songs they feel it is a priviledge and honor to cover the bands that have influenced them throughout their lives. X-TERRA when looked up on the internet is listed as a verb meaning - to live to your ultimate potential. Over the past 25 years with the help of Jesus, Anne, Bob, and Bill have done just that. They keep pressing into God and His desire for them to minister to people through the words and music He gives them. They never stop writing and performing, they know they are doing just what God wants them to do, rockin' it loud and positive.   To book X-TERRA  for your event or club: xterrarocks@hotmail.com    ” - Robin Clark Noll

“REGIONAL ROUNDUP   (All questions answered by Anne Kachline) Q. What are the names, city of residence, how long they've been in the band and responsibilities of each member? A. Bill Hunt - Lead vocals, lead guitar, songwriting. Bill is from Grantville. He joined the band in August 2000. Anne Kachline - Bass, backing vocals, songwriting. Bob Kachline - Drums, backing vocals, songwriting. Bob and Anne are from Pittston and are founding members of X-TERRA.   Q. Give a brief history of X-TERRA. A. X-TERRA was formed in 1985 by Bob and Anne Kachline and lead guitarist/lead vocalist Clint Reed. Clint left the band in 1996. The original line-up released a three song demo in 1988 (out of print), and three full length, self-produced albums: "Who Said" (1989), "Experience The Power" (1992) and "New Terrain" (1995). For the next two years Bob and Anne wrote new material for X-TERRA. In 1998, guitarist Josh Haynes and lead vocalist Rich Wilkens and rhythm guitarist Russ Straw joined the band and released one self-produced "album" "X-TERRA" which some refer to as "the red album". In September 2000, lead vocalist/lead guitarist Bill Hunt (formerly of Runaway Train) joined X-TERRA and the present line-up was born. In 2003 the group released its first CD. "Wolves", with Bill on lead vocals/lead guitar. Then in 2006, the group released       "X-NIHILO". Both are available through CD Baby: www.cdbaby.com/cd/xterra   Q. You have been around for a long time. What do you credit your longevity to? A. I feel the longevity of the band is due to the fact that we have been very fortunate and blessed to work with serious and dedicated musicians who want to use their God-given talents to not only go out and play music and have fun, but also to use music as a positive force in a sometimes very negative world.   Q. Do you guys play all original music, covers or a mixture of both? A. X-TERRA plays about 70% originals and 30% covers.   Q. What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of your local music scene? A. Probably the biggest weakness of the local music scene is loss of venues. Also back eight or ten years ago, bands could play almost any night of the week, which was great for new bands or bands that play mostly original music. Today, that is not common and usually limited to open mic nights. That's great for acoustic players, but not bands. I'm not sure what can be done to improve the local scene, but I hope it does improve because there are a lot of good bands out there that should be playing a lot more than they are at present.   Q. What can someone expect when they come out to see you live? A. We love to play live so when we play out we give it our all. We play as if it were our last night on earth.   Q. What is one of the craziest show experiences that you had? A. We've had quite a few crazy experiences at shows, but one of the coolest things was one time we played a New Year's Eve lock-in in western Pennsylvania. The kids really got into the music, dancing, moshing and having a great time. There was just such a good vibe. Probably to someone looking on it was chaos, but everyone had fun; no violence, just good fun.   Q. What are the future plans for X-TERRA? A. We just finished recording a new CD. "From The Vault", which we plan to release very soon. It is in the mixing/mastering stage. It contains some songs from our earlier recordings from the '80's and early '90's that were on cassettes, plus some new material.   ” - Mike Staugaitis

“When it comes to good- old fashion hard rock in NEPA, bands that have stood the test of time are few and far between. Wilkes-Barre area band X-TERRA has aced this test however, closing in on 20 years together. X-TERRA's core has always been drummer Bob Kachline and his wife, bassist  Anne Kachline. The two formed the band back in 1985 with original singer/guitarist Clint Reed. With X-TERRA, Bob and Anne formed the band out of somewhat musical frustration. "We were never able to meet up with people who took things seriously, and have the same focus" says Bob. "We came to the realization that we should start our own band." Bob, who was mainly into jazz at the time, also brought an early '70's rock vibe to the band a la Deep Purple/Led Zeppelin. Anne, who's influences were within the same pedigree, brought Zeppelin, Cream, Black Sabbath, Stryper and a classic metal feel. Consequently, a sound that walks a fine line between hard rock and full on metal bombast was conceived.   The lineup of Bob, Anne and Clint lasted a full decade - from 1985 to 1995, with the trio releasing a demo and three full-length albums. Their 1989 first full-length record "Who Said" placed in the Top 10 for that year in a poll of local releases taken by music newspaper Pennsylvania Musician.   The band's lineup became a five-piece in 1998, when new members Josh Haynes, Rich Wilkens and Russ Straw  joined  the band's ranks. This incarnation of X-TERRA lasted two years, playing extensive live shows and releasing a self-titled album. In 2000, guitarists Haynes and Straw and vocalist Wilkens would exit and the band would again become a trio. Bob and Anne were joined by singer/guitarist Bill Hunt, formerly of Runaway Train. Anne believes that in this form, X-TERRA is at it's best. "We've always been fortunate to work with good people in this band, but I feel that so far this is the strongest lineup.   The band's current CD "Wolves" released in 2003, is a strong effort from these hard rock veterans. The disc showcases their hard rock influences laced with melody and power. The songs are tight, and listening to the album as a whole,          X-TERRA touches on pure power metal, a bit of '80's Sunser Strip flavored metal, and hard classic rock in the '70's vein. X-TERRA runs the gamut of all aspects of hard rock and metal throughout the CD, skillfully not being tied down to one label. If you're a rock fan, you'll find something here you'll enjoy. Tracks like opener "Wake Up" and "Calm Before The Storm" are heavy rockers that will satisfy fans of classic heavy metal, with an early Metallica/Megadeth/Anthrax thrash feel.   The band's mellow side shines through the tough metallic surface in tracks like the album's closer "It Doesn't Matter", a softly introspective acoustic ballad. A track called "The Sun Will Shine Again" features a sing along '80's style hook circa early Poison and an upbeat positive message. Actually, the positive feel to the songs on "Wolves" and X-TERRA's music in general is very much a concious effort. "We wanted to put in something that was encouraging, but yet not a happy sense of encouraging; just sort of a confidence" says Anne. The lyrics to songs like "We All Need A Hand To Hold" and "God's Grace" illustrate this sense of encouragement, set to some ear-pleasing musical accompaniment. Comparisons to one of Anne's influences; Stryper, will undoubtedly be drawn. X-TERRA is a band focused on spirituality. The spirituality in their music is not preachy or over-zealous but instead becomes one with the music. The band's faith pour out of them effortlessly on Wolves, which is commendable in a musical world that often frowns upon such stark idealism. X-TERRA holds their own, "spreading the word" with music, defying any trends or preconceptions that may say to "tone down" their message. The band's beliefs are strong, passionate and true. Being true to yourself and what you believe in? That's not only spirituality, that's rock n' roll. Wolves has garnered the band airplay and encouraging reviews from all over the globe, including Australia, France and Italy as well as the U.S. "I think this is the best line-up we've had and therefore this is the best album we've done" says Bob. "As long as each album keeps getting better than the last. With X-TERRA coming up on their 20 year mark, it seems Wolves can be taken as somewhat of a celebration of longevity and persistence. "It's quite a pleasant surprise" Bob says of the band's tenure. "We've had our ups and downs." The Wolves CD. has recently been mentioned on the official websites of Poison and Britny Fox, so word among X-TERRA's musical peers is definitely spreading; as it has among NEPA, the east coast, and now worldwide for the last almost 20 years. So what's next for X-TERRA? "Anne and Bill are writing all the time" says Bob. So the band certainly is not lacking in material. Bob and Anne say it's just a matter of doing some time in the studio before they get another record going. There's no rush though, because Wolves will certainly provide ample repeated listening to fans of this musical style.   With solid songs, genuine people, and a complete lack of bad attitudes, X-TERRA is likely to rock well into the future.   ” - Mark Uricheck