ainsi que Yves Campion (Nightmare) dans ce nouveau projet.
Archon Angel was born from a meeting between producer/guitarist Aldo Lonobile (Secret Sphere) and former Savatage, Circle II Circle, and current T.S.O. lead vocalist Zak Stevens during the making of Timo Tolkki's Avalon's Return To Eden album, of which Aldo produced and played guitar and Zak did some guest lead vocals. The two soon started talking to Frontiers about the concept of working on new music together, which was met with great enthusiasm from the label. Aldo submitted to Zak some song ideas which were reminiscent of the classic Savatage sound, the two felt the magic was there, and thus no time was wasted in getting together to craft an absolutely striking metal album. Aldo was also helped in the songwriting department by some of the most outstanding writers and musicians from the Italian rock scene including Simone Mularoni (of DGM and Sweet Oblivion) and Alessandro Del Vecchio (Aldo’s bandmate in Edge of Forever and of course Jorn, Hardline, etc.).
The album itself deals with a central character, the "Archon", who is a modern day angel figure. The idea goes back to the religious system of Gnosticism. The only difference is that we are immersing the Archon's story into modern-day times. The Archon is a medium who brings messages to God (Demiurge) from the people of Earth. The only real concept to the albums is that they simply follow the story and life and times of the modern day "Archon" and his life as he is called upon to protect the people of earth through frightening, turbulent times.
I'm the lost one chasing colors to the sun
Colors bleed but never fade
Comme on pouvait s'en douter, ce projet existe car son groupe Circle II Circle est à l'arrêt, et Savatage semble même moins mort que CIIC :
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Vocalist Zak Stevens (SAVATAGE, CIRCLE II CIRCLE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) recently spoke with J Rocks Metal Zone. The full interview can be streamed below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).
On his new project, ARCHON ANGEL:
Zak: "That was kind of one that came out of nowhere. I got a surprise call, I think, [at] the beginning of last year or maybe the end of 2017. I had worked with this guy, Aldo Lonobile, the Italian producer. He got into some producing with his own band SECRET SPHERE... He worked with AVALON, Timo Tolkki's side project. I sang a couple of songs on those AVALON records, and it was being produced by Aldo, so that's how I met him. I think it was the label's idea to say, 'Hey, you guys work real good together. Would you consider writing some songs together?' At the beginning, it was a project, and then it turned into a real band. We just got a team of good people — he had a couple writers on his side; my wife Kate, she writes great lyrics; and I think I did a song and a half. It worked out good. It gave me the chance to just really focus on vocals. With CIRCLE II CIRCLE, I was writing all the lyrics and stuff, and it's not bad, but I wanted to get some new insight. Kate came up with a lot of the conceptual stuff for the record — the title, the [band name], the concept behind it... Aldo said, 'That sounds good to me,' so he got a couple of dudes on his side, and we recorded it between Italy, and I did my vocal tracks in Jackson, Michigan, where I'm living... It worked out well. Everybody collaborated well together, so we're going to see what happens. I think people will dig the tunes when they come out."
On how TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA prepares for its annual winter tours:
Zak: "We practice both bands in Omaha — actually, across the border in Council Bluffs, Iowa. We set up both bands there. That's where the West has their first show. We put both bands in there because it has to be a mirrored show. Everything's exactly the same. That's where we practice for a couple of weeks. We start in the practice rooms, and [then] we take it to the big stage and sync up the East and West band to be as exactly the same as we can get... Each [touring] company has about 55 shows in about six weeks. It's kind of a brutal little run, but everybody just tries to stay healthy. That's the main concern — just try to stay feeling good, and if that's the case, we'll be able to have a great show every night."
On his favorite musical memory:
Zak: "I really look back at that first tour I ever did with SAVATAGE. It was with OVERKILL in '93 in Europe. Just going to those big clubs and filling them up every night. Plus, we had the single 'Edge Of Thorns' playing on the radio back home — a lot of spins... I couldn't go to the grocery store. Get back in the car, 'Edge Of Thorns' is on. It was amazing."
On the future of CIRCLE II CIRCLE:
Zak: "We don't really know. We had 13 years and seven records, so there's quite a long — a little bit over a decade of history. We have that. Then it got to the point of, 'Where do you go from here?' That's the part we're still trying to figure out. There's been no decision to say, 'This is completely over.' In music, we never really say never, because you might think something's one way, and then it can be different. We're basically idle right now, because we're still trying to figure out the next step, if there is one... I really don't have a definitive answer."
On SAVATAGE, which reunited after a 13-year hiatus for the 2015 Wacken Open Air festival but hasn't performed since:
Zak: "You've always got SAVATAGE lurking out there that we really don't know for sure either. Basically the same answer that I get from them is what I'm giving for CIRCLE II CIRCLE — 'You know what? It's not ever gone, but we just have to figure out what [to do], and the answer will come.' When the right situation appears, that's when I think things will happen... It needs the right thing to come along. I like the fact that TSO has five SAVATAGE songs in the last half of the set this year, so something's brewing... I don't really have any more answers after that, but something seems like it's going on. We're going to find out one way or the other at some point, but the right situation has to come along, I think."
I'm the lost one chasing colors to the sun
Colors bleed but never fade
