Labyrinth (Band)

Labyrinth is an Italian power metal band that was founded in 1991 and is considered a major influence on the Italian representatives of this style. The founding members were, inter alia, Fabio Lione, the future singer of Rhapsody of Fire and Olaf Thorsen, who later founded Vision Divine.

History

The band formed in 1991 in Massa, shortly after the establishment met the keyboardist Ken Taylor added to the cast that was so three years unchanged. In 1994, the first demo " Midnight Resistance " was recorded in the trade press received good international reviews and earned the band a record deal with the label Underground Symphony. Before the recordings of the debut EP "Piece of Time" bassist Andrea Bartoletti left the band and was replaced by Chris Breeze aka Cristiano Bertocchi. The EP has also received good reviews and offered then new Power Metal with keyboard accompaniment. It was followed by the 1996 debut albums "No Limits", which was also released overseas and in the Japanese magazine Burrn! months took first place the reader charts. After the album's release, the band with their vocalist "Joe Terry " separated aka Fabio Tordiglione, who later came to the little band Rhapsody.

1997 also left Frank Andiver and Ken Taylor, who had since 1991 while, maze and turned to other projects. As new members on vocals, keyboard and drums Roberto " Rob Tyrant" Tiranti, Andrea " Andrew McPauls " De Paoli and Mattia " Mat " Stancioiu were added. In the meantime, the band signed a new contract with U.S. label Metal Blade and released there in 1998 the second album "Return to Heaven Denied ". In the same year, the band also appeared at the famous Festival Gods of Metal in Milan. After this album Rob Tyrant left the band again and was shortly represented by Adolfo " Morby " Morviducci, the lead singer of Domine. Morviducci played with the band and a European tour with Hammerfall, Primal Fear and Pegazus. This was followed by a six-month tour of Italy with the band Heimdall. After these tours the band's EP "Timeless Crime " took on what demo material was reprocessed.

1999 Rob Tyrant returned to the band; the band played again this year at numerous summer festivals such as the Gods of Metal and the Dynamo Open Air The year 2000 the band began recording albums; even before the appearance of the third work in August she performed at the Wacken Open Air and the Spanish rock Machina Festival. The album " Sons of Thunder" then reached # 56, the largest ever sales success of the band in the Italian albums chart top spot and 26 in Japan. The band embarked on a tour of South America in the autumn, accompanied by Vision Divine, the side project of Olaf Thorsen and Fabio Lione. 2001 saw the band after a tour in Italy two indoor tours of Europe, first opening for Helloween and then before Nocturnal Rites and Iron Savior.

Since September 2009, Olaf Thorsen is back on the field again. The band has started working on "Return to Heaven Denied Part II: A Midnight Autumn's Dream " started.

In 2002 the band undertook a tour of Italy again in the form of an Italian festival called Attack with Domine, White Skull, Skylark, Novembre and Centurion. From May, the work on the next album began; paradoxically left at this time Olaf Thorsen the band to devote himself fully Vision Divine can while Andrea De Paoli and Mattia Stancioiu gave up their work at Vision Divine favor of labyrinth. First, a demo recording was made, led to a contract with the band's Century Media. Then began in January 2003, the recording of the album. The band members used on the new self-titled work the first time their Italian names instead of English pseudonyms. Instead of Olaf Thorsen came after the album's release in June Pier Gonella as the new guitarist for the band. Gonella debuted on the Agglutination Metal Festival in Chiaromontes on which belonged to the band along with Vader and Virgin Steele to the headliners. There was a constantly extended tour, which ended in the spring of 2004.

Immediately, work began on the next album, which was designed less rapidly after the departure of Olaf Thorsen. 2004 also saw the band still travel extensively, including a tour of Asia with performances in Japan, China and Taiwan; followed by festival appearances in Europe. Meanwhile, a new contract was signed with the label Arise Records, which brought the new album " Freeman " in March 2005 on the market. The Tour activities of the year were limited in essence to Italy, where the band did but numerous performances with well-known bands such as Dream Theater and Angra. 2006 Cristiano Bertocchi said his departure from the band, in order to devote solo activities. Roberto Tiranti took over in the subsequent period, in addition to singing and the bass. The band played a few gigs this year and worked most of the time on new material that was recorded in the famous Abbey Road Studios made famous by the Beatles. The release of the album " 6 Days to Nowhere " took place on 28 February 2007 via Scarlet Records, a tour is planned for September.

Which musically and lyrically on 1998 published "Return to Heaven Denied " is based and of the progressive and nu-metal elements of the two: On 21 July 2010, the seventh studio album "A Midnight Autumn's Dream Return To Heaven Denied Part II " was released predecessor distances. Songs like "Shooting Star" or "Painting on the Wall" subjects also use the roll-call previous album. Furthermore maze were asked by Iron Maiden personally, to open their show in Codroipo on 17 August 2010 as the opening act. The band was able to hold many internationally known, enforce bands.

From 24 February Labyrinth is on a five- week European tour, which will also bring several times to Germany.

Style

Unlike other metal bands from Italy such as the cross-linked by the band's founder Fabio Lione Athena, Vision Divine, Rhapsody of Fire, or other like Skylark, Spell Blast or Seven Gates maze play no symhonischen or at least pure power metal. The existing comparison with Rhapsody of Fire limp since, if only because each former by Fabio liones bands independently evolved: Vision Divine turned to Progressive Metal and remained so, even after Lione boarding again, Athena took the opposite approach and was of progressive Power Metal Symphonic Power Metal. Labyrinth eventually developed their style of Power Metal with electronic elements by synthesizer ( " Midnight Resistance ", " Piece of Time", "No Limits" ) and also on slightly progressive speed metal with virtuoso guitar solos, concise Basslininen and melancholy keyboard playing ( "Return to Heaven Denied "). Roberto Tiranti as successor liones with his soulful, reminiscent of Daniel Gildenlöw voice affected since the band's sound considerably. The style was again extended to "Timeless Crime" and "Sons of Thunder". The Power Metal elements were significantly stronger, the melancholy and wide sound of " Return to Heaven Denied " remained in its form weakened slightly, but still quite recognizable.

With the self-titled album from 2003, began like the related Vision Divine experimenting with progressive elements. The highlight was the 2007 released " 6 Days to Nowhere " that the only approaches to the classic era of the band ( "Return to Heaven Denied ", " Timeless Crime ", " Sons of Thunder", even the beginnings of "Labyrinth" ) could remember. In addition to blast beats, detuned guitars and the absence of, for the band characteristic, frequent solos, set both the cover artwork and the significantly socially critical and aggressive lyrics a break in the discography of the band dar. Nevertheless, the trade press also hinted these albums as a typical Italian Power Metal. The continued comparison with Rhapsody of Fire lagged even more.

"Return to Heaven Denied Part II: A Midnight Autumn's Dream " follows the examples of other bands (Gamma Ray, Helloween, Rhapsody of Fire, Dream Theater in batches) to make a sequel to the most successful, famous and / or popular music. Both musically and lyrically can "Return to Heaven Denied Part II: A Midnight Autumn's Dream " will be seen as the successor of the 1998's "Return to Heaven Denied ". The change in style of " Freeman " and "6 Days to Nowhere " was taken completely out of the musical concept of the band.

Discography

• Midnight Resistance (Demo, 1994)
• Piece of Time (EP, 1995)
• No Limits (1996 )
• Return to Heaven Denied (1998)
• Timeless Crime (MCD, 1999)
• Sons of Thunder ( 2000)
• Labyrinth ( 2003)
• Freeman (2005)
• 6 Days to Nowhere (2007)
• Return to Heaven Denied Part II: A Midnight Autumn's Dream (2010)