Frontiers Music Srl is delighted to announce the release of
Italian prog metal band MIND KEY’s long awaited third album,
“MK III - Aliens In
Wonderland” on July 12.
Today, the first single and video, "Alien In Wonderland" has
been
released
Pre-order "MK III - Aliens In Wonderland" and
stream the first single HERE: http://radi.al/MKIII
"MKIII - Aliens in Wonderland" marks the return of one of the most gifted
Italian progressive metal outfits to the scene after a nine year absence. Formed
in Napoli in 1999 by Dario De Cicco (keyboards) and Emanuele Colella (guitars),
the two wanted to create a band that melded the sound of bands like Dream
Theater, Symphony X, Evergrey, and Pain of Salvation with a songwriting approach
inspired by '80/'90s hard rock style.
Mind Key released their debut album, “Journey Of A Rough Diamond” in July
2004 on the Frontiers label. The band played various gigs in support of the
album’s release, including shows with Dream Theater, Vision Divine, and
Pendragon, among others. They then began work on their second album, “Pulse for
a Graveheart”. Released in 2009, the album saw the band refining their
songwriting approach and introduced their new singer, Aurelio Fierro. Fierro was
truly able to showcase his vocal potential on the album, which can be described
as a powerful mix of Ronnie James Dio, David Coverdale, and Jorn Lande.
“Pulse for a Graveheart” grew the band's fanbase along with touring for the
album which included shows with Edguy, Vanden Plas, Europe, and Hammerfall.
However, the band went on an unexpected hiatus afterwards. "On the one hand, you
could say the delay was because we simply took the right time to write the songs
and work harder on the arrangements and final product,” says Dario De Cicco “but
on the other hand, we also had to face some lineup changes and with Emanuele and
Lucio moving abroad for some time things became more complicated. I also had to
face a severe illness in 2014, but I overcame the hurdle and I'm stronger than
ever right now! Aurelio also spent some time with “The Voice” Italy TV show,
which cause further delays. So, quite a lot of things happened, but our
motivation and desire to accomplish this musical mission we began got the better
of us and here we are!"
The band is joined on this album by new members bassist Lucio Grilli
(ex-Soul Secret) and drummer Mirko De Maio (The Flower Kings, Hangarvain).
“MK III - Aliens in Wonderland” can be described as a further evolutionary
step in Mind Key’s sound. "We all had a metal/hard rock/prog backgrounds, but we
felt that our playing style was changing towards a more direct and concise
approach,” says Lucio Grilli. "And our way to conceive the songs was influenced
as well. In addition to that, we were also looking for something more suitable
for Aurelio's powerful voice, something closer to rock/metal to fully let his
voice be heard. It's more natural for us to talk about MK simply as a melodic
metal band than a prog metal one."
Guitarist Emanuele Colella concludes, “the current line-up is the best one
to achieve our goal to create the perfect mix of melodic rock, progressive
metal, and classic hard rock. What made everything different and better was the
alchemy, walking in the same exact direction. This, I really think, makes “MKIII
- Aliens in Wonderland” truly special!”
“MK III - Aliens In Wonderland” tracklisting:
1. Alien In Wonderland
2. Hank (The Blazing Eyes)
3. Hate At First Sight
4. Angry Men
5. Hands Off Cain
6. Be-Polar
7. Oblivion
8. Psycho World
9. Vertigo (Where The Cold Wind Blows)
10. Pure He/Art
11. Non-Existence
Produced by Dario De Cicco
Mixed and Mastered by Riccardo Piscopo
Aurelio Fierro Jr. – Vocals
Dario De Cicco – Piano & Keyboards;
Emanuele Colella – Guitars;
Lucio Grilli – Bass;
Mirko De Maio - Drums
PHOTO CREDIT: Stefano Di Stasio – Elena De Santis