SYMPHONITY – Marco Polo: Live In Europe
Release date: April 5 (digital) / 12 (CD+DVD), 2024
„Marco Polo: Live In Europe“ is the continuation of a wonderful journey that had its last stopover with the studio album „Marco Polo: The Metal Soundtrack“. Symphonity’s first live album was recorded in the clubs of five countries – in a „multicultural line-up“, unusually featuring two lead singers at the front: Slovakian Mayo Petranin (Signum Regis) and Swede David Åkesson (Qantice, Moonlight Agony). All concerts on the 2023 tour with Rhapsody of Fire through the Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, Poland and Austria were recorded.
At Symphonity’s gigs, you can experience what „musicianship“ means in Anglo-Saxon. Band founder and lead guitarist Libor Křivák has always been able to maintain the band’s class at a top level thanks to a constant stream of fitting musical personalities. The suspenseful arcs of catchy melodies, great voices and powerful guitar thunderstorms were brought to the stage without any loss of substance.
The track list consists of songs from all Symphonity albums released to date. As a special bonus, the CD package contains a DVD with the recording of their complete home show in Zlin, Czech Republic, as well as various video clips, interview and backstage sequences.
Click HERE for audio samples, videos and online stores.
WONDERS – Beyond The Mirage
Release date: June 16, 2023
„The Fragments of Wonder”, WONDERS’ 2021 debut album, enlightened our world with outstanding, sensational pieces of work. A catchy record, seamlessly crafted on the Greek/Italian precious metal workbench, instantly demanding a strong follow-up. Here they are: “Beyond The Mirage” brings back powerful anthems, skillful guitar play, progressive patterns, and a great voice.
The WONDERS side-project profits from a perfect line-up: these guys are real characters with attitude. Listen to any of Bob Katsionis’ collaborations and you will experience exceptionally designed soundscapes. Same happens if you dig into the musical worlds of brothers Pietro Paulo Lunesu (guitar) and Giorgio Lunesu (drums), hailing from the Mediterranean island of Sardinia. Back in 1999 they started their band EVEN FLOW. Since 2017, WONDERS frontman Marco Pastorino from Northern Italy has been a member of EVEN FLOW’s line-up. Marco’s principal band TEMPERANCE, featuring his skills as lead guitarist and lead singer alike, delivered six stylistically widespread progressive long play albums in less than a decade.
The compositions of WONDERS work out great, thanks to the Lunesu brothers’ fluent play with Bob, Marco and TEMPERANCE bassist Luca Negro. Working duties were strictly shared: Pietro Paolo delivered songwriting and guitar play, Marco left his axe in its case, concentrating on lead vocals, and Bob orchestrated a multi-tasking job, playing the keyboards, arranging songs, managing the studio production, and also taking care of the album’s cover artwork.
Click HERE for audio samples, videos and online stores.
PRYDAIN – The Gates Of Aramore
Release date: June 2, 2023
Austin Dixon, former guitarist and founding member of US power metallers Sonic Prophecy, is fulfilling a lifelong dream with Prydain. He has always been fascinated by the idea of artist projects such as the albums by Avantasia, the Aina rock opera „Days of Rising Doom“ or Arjen Lucassen’s „Star One“. Thanks to the support of Greek multi-talent Bob Katsionis, Austin’s compositions were put into practice with great musicians.
The music teacher hailing from Farr West, north of Salt Lake City in the state of Utah, has developed the song ideas for Prydain over several years. The path he has taken is amazing because in his part of the world, it has never been easy to find like-minded power metal lovers.
„The Gates of Aramore“ is an epitome of Epic Power Metal: vibrating guitar duels, virtuoso keyboard parts, awesome vocals, driving grooves, catchy melodies – and a storyline consisting of an ancient kingdom beyond space and time.
With „The Gates of Aramore“, Austin Dixon and his comrades-in-arms have succeeded in creating some work that once again puts Utah on the map of epic power metal, certainly not for the last time …
Click HERE for audio samples, videos and online stores.
ROGER STAFFELBACH – The Quest
Release date: May 12, 2023
Swiss guitar artist Roger Staffelbach (Artension) has been one of the respected exponents of neoclassical power guitar since the mid-1990s. Over the years, he has worked together with various greats of his guild, including vocalist John West (Artension, Royal Hunt), Keyboarder Vitalij Kuprij (Artension, TSO), bassist John Onder (Michael Schenker), guitarist Chris Caffery (Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) and drummers Mike Terrana (Rage, Tarja) and Dani Löble (Helloween) to name a few.
As with all his band releases since the strong 1996 Artension debut „Into the Eye of the Storm“, Roger is on par with his idols with his first instrumental album „The Quest“ (May 12, 2023) – from precise shred riffing and seamless melodic leads to soulful concert guitar passages. In doing so, he develops his very own stylistic touch.
„The Quest“ was created with the support of a top team, namely Ariel Perchuk on keyboard, Steve DiGiorgio (Testament, Artension, Sadus) on bass and drummer John Macaluso (Michael Romeo, Ark, TNT, Yngwie). Guitars were recorded with Roland Grapow (Masterplan ex-Helloween) the album was mixed and mastered by Simone Mularoni (Michael Romeo, Ancient Bards, Rhapsody, DGM, Labyrinth).
Offering eight classy, colorful original compositions as well as two vivid interpretations of great compositions (Antonio Vivaldi’s „Summer Presto“ from the „Four Seasons“ and the Aria from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major), „The Quest“ is a virtuously played, melodically stirring solo work for lovers of melodic and neo-classical electric guitar art.
Click HERE for audio samples, videos and online stores.
SYMPHONITY „Marco Polo: The Metal Soundtrack“ PRE-ORDER up now!
The upcoming SYMPHONITY album „Marco Polo: The Metal Soundtrack“ (May 20th) can now be pre-ordered via the band’s webshop or bandcamp! The special edition jewelcase CD comes in slipcase with 2-sided poster, artwork sticker and CD only bonus tracks.
Look for audio samples, videos and pre-order here:
This is the official „Marco Polo: The Metal Soundtrack“ tracklist:
Part 1: Venezia
Part 2: Crimson Silk
Part 3: The Plague
Part 4: Love Theme
Part 5: Mongols
Part 6: Dreaming of Home
Part 7: I Found My Way Back Home
Part 8: Prisoner
Part 9: Venezia Finale
Bonus Tracks (CD version only):
Part 5: Mongols (orchestral version)
Part 6: Dreaming of Home (orchestral version)
Part 7: I Found My Way Back Home (orchestral version)
SYMPHONITY releases new video!
This is the brand new lyric video for Symphonity’s new single „Marco Polo Part 3: The Plague“ from the upcoming album „Marco Polo: The Metal Soundtrack“, out on May 20th!
SYMPHONITY reveals artwork for „Marco Polo: The Metal Soundtrack“
This is the front cover artwork from the upcoming SYMPHONITY conceptual album “Marco Polo: The Metal Soundtrack” (out on May 20th), created by Dušan Marković (Dragony, FireWölfe, Jag Panzer) and showing a battle-ready and fierce horde of mongolian warriors on horseback.
MEMORIES OF OLD – The Land Of Xia (Performance Video)
On this day 3 years ago, MEMORIES OF OLD released their very first single to the world, which went on to become one of their most popular and well known tracks „The Land of Xia“, the worlds first taste of MEMORIES OF OLD and the groundwork for what was and still is to come!
You may remember a while back, „The Land of Xia“ was also voted for the track you all most wanted to see them make a performance video of, and with that in mind they figured today would be the perfect day to release this video for you to all enjoy. 😉
So here it is, please like, share, and most importantly, rock out with us, as we celebrate this special day in style! 😎🤘
Audio samples & Videos: HERE
CD & Streaming/Download: HERE
Release date: June 2, 2023
Release date: May 12, 2023