product: Almanac - Tsar
release date: 18.03.2016
label: Nuclear Blast
PR territory: Germany & Austria (printed, non-metal press only)
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Musician, producer, composer, teacher, and author of one of the most successful German guitar learning DVD “School of Metal” – Victor Smolski without any doubt is one of the busiest and most successful Metal musicians of our time. The accomplished guitarist is well known for his stellar performances and releases with the world renowned metal bands RAGE, MIND ODYSSEY and the LINGUA MORTIS ORCHESTRA (LMO) amongst others.
Now, in 2015, Smolski has turned LMO into ALMANAC! After 15 years and 10 CD’s as guitarist, producer and main composer for the German Heavy Metal institution RAGE and with hits penned by him like “Down”, “Soundchaser”, “War of Worlds”, “Straight to Hell” (well-known from the German blockbuster movie “Manitou’s Shoe”), “Carved in Stone”, “Forever Dead”, “Empty Hollow” and “Cleansed by Fire”, he now continues his musical career with his new group ALMANAC. The guitar virtuoso’s composition “Suite Lingua Mortis”, released first on the successful 2006 RAGE record “Speak Of The Dead”, built the Classical foundation for the new, more versatile yet even playful LINGUA MORTIS ORCHESTRA sound and their LMO release in 2013 which scored a big success by outselling all most recent RAGE releases and charted in Germany at #24 on the official album charts. In comparison to RAGE, LMO offered fresh song material entirely composed by Smolski, a new musical concept combining Heavy Metal with Classical music, songs written especially for band & orchestra plus several male and female singers sharing the lead vocal job.
This successful story now continues with ALMANAC who add a powerful touch of heaviness to LMO’s unique sound. The Belarus-born guitarist with this new group is joined by former LMO band member Jeanette Marchewka (vocals) and the Symphony Orchestra “Orquestra Barcelona Filharmonia” plus the White Russian Symphony Orchestra the two high-class singers David Readman (PINK CREAM 69) and Andy B. Franck (BRAINSTORM), drummer Michael Kolar, bass player Armin Alic and keyboard player Enric Garcia complete the extremely prominent line-up.
For all the members of ALMANAC this debut album is a new, exciting, and very interesting chapter that has now begun. Traditional metal in conjunction with classical music, world music and elements of Russian folklore with a modern sound make ALMANAC for an absolute listening experience.
Fans with an interest in deeper subjects including history and culture will also be able to dive into a new world with their first album, which combines historic and modern parallels that will surprise many. From the warlike nomadic horsemen in the steppes of Russia, to the Tsardom, Ivan the Terrible, warlike Cossacks who dominate the Tatar, the siege of Constantinople and the Mongol invasion are stories about battles, wars, intrigue, conquest, terror, power and love that can be heard vocally using the different styles of the singer’s voices.
Victor Smolski says: “We're thrilled about this first release and of the many albums to come commencing from spring 2016, also we are very eager to let loose the mighty power of ALMANAC to the people, on many different platforms as possible as well as on stage.”
Most recently ALMANAC has signed a record deal with the world’s leading Heavy Metal label Nuclear Blast. Their new album “Tsar” will be released in March 18th, 2016.
