Famed rock vocalist Zak Stevens and producer / guitar player extraordinaire Aldo Lonobile make up the force behind Archon Angel and this album, aptly named ‘II’ is their second album together. Like their first effort, but even more in tune and perfected, ‘II’ is an impressive and powerful work of prog metal.
Having aced the crystal perfect production and found a fluidity with their songwriting teamwork, these two veterans need no roses considering their impressive back catalogs, but ‘II’ is a project worth being very proud of and fans will be more than satisfied with the results.
Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to present the upcoming release of Archon Angel’s second album, “II” on April 14, 2023. It follows the band’s 2020 debut, “Fallen”, which saw vocalist Zak Stevens (Circle II Circle, Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) and producer/guitarist Aldo Lonobile (Secret Sphere, Edge Of Forever) delivering a fantastic slab of power/progressive metal. Fans of Archon Angel’s debut will surely find no sophomore slump awaits them on “II”. In fact, the two have locked in on all the key parts that worked so well on their debut and amplified and perfected them for this glorious follow-up.
The seeds of Archon Angel were planted when producer/guitarist Lonobile and vocalist Stevens were collaborating on songs for Timo Tolkki’s Avalon’s ‘Return To Eden’ album, which Aldo produced and played guitar on and Zak did some guest lead vocals for. After some discussions about what musical direction they wanted to take, Aldo sent Zak some demos that were reminiscent of classic Savatage records like Edge Of Thorns and Gutter Ballet. The two felt they were onto something and followed their musical muse, ultimately culminating in what would become Archon Angel’s debut album, “Fallen”.
Zak Stevens first came to prominence in the metal scene when he was hand-picked by Savatage‘s Jon Olivia to take over as lead vocalist for the band. Starting with 1993’s Edge Of Thorns, he would record four studio albums with the band, including the aforementioned album plus Handful Of Rain, Dead Winter Dead, and The Wake Of Magellan. He has also performed on multiple Trans-Siberian Orchestra releases, including Christmas Eve and Other Stories, Beethoven’s Last Night, and more, while also being a member of the band’s touring production. Around 2001, Zak started a band, Circle II Circle, which has recorded seven studio albums, with the most recent being 2015’s Reign Of Darkness. Additionally, he has appeared on albums by Timo Tolkki’s Avalon, Machines Of Grace, Jon Olivia‘s Pain, and more.
Source: Frontiers Music s.r.l.
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