CRYSTAL VIPER is a Polish heavy metal band, founded in 2003 by Marta Gabriel. For the next three years CRYSTAL VIPER was a project featuring Marta Gabriel and other musicians, with whom she recorded bunch of demo and rehearsal tapes, compilation tracks, and with whom she played several local live shows.
In the Summer of 2006 the first official line up got established, and CRYSTAL VIPER turned into a regular band, with: Marta Gabriel as a vocalist and composer, Andy Wave (real name: Lukasz Halczuch) on guitar, Tomek "Golem" Danczak on drums and Tommy Targosz on bass guitar. The same year the band recorded first official track (cover version of "Flaming Metal Systems" for the MANILLA ROAD tribute album), and inked a deal with the German label Karthago Records. The debut album entitled "The Curse Of Crystal Viper" came out in early 2007. The second studio album, entitled "Metal Nation" - featuring new bass guitarist, Tomasz Woryna, and co-produced by the KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque - was released in 2009. Between 2006 and 2009 CRYSTAL VIPER was a four piece band in the studio and a five piece band on stage, featuring different musicians at the position of the live rhythm guitarist, until Marta took over the duties of a rhythm guitarist as well.
In 2009 CRYSTAL VIPER signed multiple record deal with AFM Records. The third studio album entitled "Legends" (with lyrics based on old Polish legends and stories) came out in 2010, and was followed by "Crimen Excepta" in 2012 (concept effort about witches and holy inquisition). Due to occupational obligations Tomasz Woryna was forced to take lesser part in band's activity, and most of the bass guitar parts on "Crimen Excepta" were recorded by Marta Gabriel. The band didn't stop to tour, so Michal Badocha stepped in as the new bass player. In 2013, after several live shows in countries such as: Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden and Denmark, CRYSTAL VIPER returned to the studio to record fifth studio album, "Possession". Sadly soon after its premiere, due to Marta's health issues, the band was forced to stop its activity.
In the fall of 2016, the band finally broke the silence: the witch is back! The comeback album entitled "Queen Of The Witches", was released after a four year silence, in the February of 2017. Like all the previous ones, the album was produced by Bart Gabriel (known for his collaboration with such acts as CIRITH UNGOL, PAGAN ALTAR, HEXX or SAVAGE GRACE). "Queen Of The Witches" was the first CRYSTAL VIPER album recorded with the new bass player, Blaze Grygiel, and was promoted on an European Tour, during which the band visited: Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Poland. The witch has returned!
We are one year later, and Marta Gabriel and her crew prove that they are stronger than ever! The last album is still hot, but CRYSTAL VIPER strikes back with a special, limited edition vinyl EP entitled "At The Edge Of Time". 2019: more shows, and new studio album! "Tales Of Fire And Ice", which was the band's 7th studio album, and which marked CRYSTAL VIPER's adventure with more melodic metal, was the first one recorded with new guitarist, Eric Juris, who extended the line up of the band. The shows promoting new album were also played with a new drummer, Cederick Forsberg. 2020 will be remembered as one of the most weird years of the new millenium... After the previously booked European Tour and all festival appearances got cancelled, CRYSTAL VIPER returned to the studio, to record new studio album, "The Cult". The album marks band's return to its roots: the traditional heavy metal, and is the first one released by band's new home label, Listenable Records.
CRYSTAL VIPER is: Marta Gabriel (vocals, guitar), Andy Wave (guitar), Eric Juris (guitar), Blaze Grygiel (bass) and Cederick Forsberg (drums).
MPERIA is an atmospheric metal band who’s sound is especially evident by the distinguished voice of Helena Iren Michaelsen who sings in a variety of styles from deep emotional feelings to extreme operatic expressions and grunts.
IMPERIA’s music is full of vivacity, it is heavy, bombastic and orchestral, but it also contains elements of pure metal. The band is a true cross-border unit of musicians originating from different countries: Norway, Finland, Germany and Belgium.
The first release of IMPERIA was a cover-song “Lotus Eaters” for a Dead Can Dance tribute album which was released in the spring of 2004. In the summer of 2004 IMPERIA played their first gigs and also recorded their debut album “The Ancient Dance of Qetesh”, which was released in autumn of 2004.
In 2005 the band recorded another project of Helena called Angel. The album “A Woman’s Diary – Chapter I” was released by Black Lotus Records in the spring of 2005. Though the style of the album was very varied and less metal the band succeeded to demonstrate their versatility and musicianship.
Towards the end of 2005 IMPERIA had written enough new material for the second full length. The band teamed up with the German Massacre Records. The second IMPERIA album was titled as “Queen of Light” and it was released in the early 2007.
To support the album IMPERIA toured European festivals like TUSKA in Finland, Battle Of Metal in Germany and Magic Circle Festival II in Germany. Imperia was also featured on the MCM festival DVD with two live-tracks
In the autumn of 2010 IMPERIA started recording their third album titled as “Secret Passion”. The recordings took place in different studios and countries this time. “Secret Passion” was released in 2011 and it received excellent reviews in the metal press. The band played gigs in several countries and festivals like Metal Female Voices XI in Belgium and Magic Circle Festival in Helsinki.
In 2014 preparations of the next album started to take place. In April 2015 IMPERIA entered the Spacelab studio in Germany once more and recorded 13 tracks for the new album. The title “Tears Of Silence” was chosen as a title for the new album, which was released the same year
In 2017 IMPERIA started writing material for the new album and by the early 2018 everything was ready to get busy again. The band aimed for more compact and straight album as before, which would still have the typical Imperia sound. Once again the band teamed up with Oliver Philipps for the orchestral and vocal recordings. This time band travelled to Finland to Fantom Studio for the drum recordings. A studio known for the metal drum sound and the expertise of Samu Oittinen – drummer himself too. For the Mix and The Mastering band got together with Jacob Hansen, who had mixed their Secret Passion album before. The symbolic title Flames Of Eternity was chosen for the new album.
In 2019 Imperia played at the release Athens Festival in Greece. Soon after the drummer Steve Wolz decided to leave the band in order to concentrate on his family life. A replacement was found in an old Dutch friend, Merijn Mol. Merijn and Jan have been playing together already in 1994 and have recortded several albums together with Danse Macabre and Satyrian. With this line up band played at the Female Voices fest in Holland and another show in Belgium.
In the early 2020 the band started recording the next album and by April the recordings were finished. In the summer band met in Germany for a photo and video shoots. As always, Oliver Philipps took care of the orchestrations and Jacob Hansen mixed and mastered the album. The new album became the most epic and grand Imperia album ever and therefore it was decided to split it on 2 separate CDs. Almost 80 minutes of music varying from thrash metal riffs and guitar shred to epic cinematic athmospheres and intimate pianoballads are all included in this album.
Let IMPERIA take you on an epic journey, to The Last Horizon
Epinikion is a symphonic metal band settled in Belgium. The band is founded in 2020 by Renate de Boer on keys and Robert Tangerman on guitar. To complete the album 'Inquisition', they worked together with session mucisians Eleonora Damiano on vocals, Levent Gasgil on lead guitar and Emre Demir on bass.
For the live shows Zoya Belous will join on vocals, besides Alex Haak on lead guitar and Kjell de Raes on drums.
After Robert and Renate had ended their topsport careers, Robert came up with the idea to do something in music. The combination of his electric guitar and Renate’s classical piano almost naturally lead to the choice for symphonic metal music. As a bandname they chose ‘Epinikion’, which means ‘hymne for the winner’. In Ancient Greece the heroic stories of athletes were sung in an epinikion after their victories at major events. A phoenix was added to the band logo, as a sign of athletes resurrected from their ashes as musicians.
As a result of the passion and sports mentality of Robert and Renate, the band evolved rapidly. It gave rise to the need of professional music production. From the very beginning Epinikion combined heavy guitar riffs with subtle progressive and heavy metal influences, completed with harmonic and bombastic orchestral lines. The typical Epinikion sound is described as ‘epic, cinematic with captivating melodic lines. Refreshing sympfonic metal with a personal twist’.
