Heavy metal band is big on love

By Becky Bosshart

Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009 | 4:58 p.m.

If Valentine's Day is the perfect time to take in the frenetic energy of a heavy metal band, why not one with a name like "SteelHeart"?

He may not be singing the love songs of Dino and Frankie, but SteelHeart singer Miljenko Matijevic is a man in love. The 44-year-old hard rocker with an impressively wide vocal range performs at 8 p.m. Feb. 14 in Santa Fe Station's Chrome Showroom. The concert will feature songs from Matijevic's four previous albums and 2008's "Good 2B Alive," produced on his own label.

"This is the best work I've done yet," he said from his studio in Charlottesville, Va. "It has a great message and the message is, it's good to be alive. What everyone is forgetting in today's world is the gift of life. We are alive. When get sick, we realize it."

Matijevic came to this realization after a stage stunt led to a traumatic brain injury. While performing the song "Dancing in the Fire" from the album "Tangled in Reins," he climbed an unsecured lighting truss. The rig fell, striking Matijevic on the back of his head and crushing him on the stage. He walked off stage, but what followed was years of rehabilitation.

Matijevic describes this experience as the time when he found himself.

The accident ended SteelHeart for several years. The group later reformed with the 1996 album "Wait." With new band members Chris Risola, Rev Jones, Mike Humbert and Uros Raskovski, Matijevic said he has found his crew. And he's also found his love, fiancee Angela Salidis, a former Tommy Hilfiger model.

Las Vegas is part of their love story.

They met 10 years ago, during a tough time in Matijevic's life. His mother had just died and he'd gone through a divorce. Matijevic was staying at the Los Angeles home of then-Scorpions bassist Ralph Rieckermann.

Matijevic said he was fed up with the party scene and ready to get out of town. He was spurred to go downstairs to the party after what he called a spiritual visit from his mother. He met Salidis in the kitchen. They watched the sunrise together from Mulholland Drive.

The romance didn't end when Salidis had to return to Philadelphia. She was home only a week when Matijevic asked her to rendezvous in Las Vegas.

"I told her I think it would be best if we meet again and find out who we are to each other. So we met each other in Vegas. It was just too strong. And it worked. We haven't parted since. She's my best friend."

Matijevic has this advice about love on Valentine's Day:

"You have to want to accept it," he said. "You can't settle. You'll know when it's real. Otherwise it's not going to work."

Being in love also means loving the people around her, family and friends, he said.

Salidis is featured in SteelHeart's newest video, "LOL" which is on the band's Web site, www.steelheart.com. Their love story will also be in the documentary about Matijevic's life, "Good 2B Alive" being produced now by North Sea Films and director Dana Altman.

For $15 tickets to the 21-and-over show, visit www.santafestationlasvegas.com or call 547-5300.

Becky Bosshart can be reached at 990-7748 or [email protected].