Destinia - Biography
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2017-
2014-2017
As Nozomu Wakai's Destinia
As Nozomu Wakai's Destinia
Biography
Nozomu Wakai heard hard rock/heavy metal for the first time during high school, and has been playing music ever since.
He studied Jazz at the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music.
He has been playing music professionally since his teens, and has released CDs with various bands. In 2016, he joined forces with Mari Hamada, Japan’s leading female hard rock/heavy metal singer, as her sound director and guitarist; as well as playing live support for Seikima II guitarist, Luke Takamura. He is also involved in music production for anime and computer games. In 2014, Nozomu embarked on his project Nozomu Wakai’s DESTINIA.
The first album “Requiem For A Scream” and 2015 EP “Anecdote Of The Queens” featured heavy metal singers, Rob Rock (Impelliteri/Driver) and Masatoshi Ono(Galneryus).
The EP made it to the Japanese national music chart, despite being a hard rock/heavy metal release with English lyrics. The live release, “A Live For A Scream” followed shortly after in 2016.
In the 2014 “Heavy Metal Championship” poll, readers of Japan’s premier hard rock/heavy metal magazine,
Burrn! voted Nozomu “Brightest Hope” (Best New Artist).
Having hit it off with Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt) after supporting on his 2016 Japan tour, they are currently working on a new album together in Las Vegas.
In 2017, Nozomu signed to Ward Records and began production on the new DESTINIA album, featuring hard rock legends, Ronnie Romero (Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow/Lords Of Black), Tommy Aldridge (Whitesnake) and Marco Mendoza (The Dead Daisies). He pursues the ‘Modern Classic’ style to revive the classic melodic hard rock/heavy metal by injecting it with modern aesthetics.
DESTINIA is the true successor of the musical style played by Rainbow, Dio and Whitesnake. DESTINIA’s 2018 album will also be released under Whitesnake’s Italian label, Frontiers Records.
From Japan to the world, “METAL SOULS” is bound to go down in hard rock history.
After a successful DESTINIA show with the full “Metal Souls” album lineup in January 2019, Nozomu formed METAL SOULS with DESTINIA’s Ronnie Romero and performed at heavy metal festival “METAL WEEKEND 2019” in September of the same year.
Apart from performing live, Nozomu is also a multi-talented composer, producer and designer. Notable projects include production for SHOW-YA, artwork for ALCATRAZZ and GARY MOORE TRIBUTE albums, and a new record with Paul Shortino in the works.
Favorite guitarists: Ritchie Blackmore, Randy Rhodes, Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth, Warren DeMartini and more.
Source: Official website
He studied Jazz at the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music.
He has been playing music professionally since his teens, and has released CDs with various bands. In 2016, he joined forces with Mari Hamada, Japan’s leading female hard rock/heavy metal singer, as her sound director and guitarist; as well as playing live support for Seikima II guitarist, Luke Takamura. He is also involved in music production for anime and computer games. In 2014, Nozomu embarked on his project Nozomu Wakai’s DESTINIA.
The first album “Requiem For A Scream” and 2015 EP “Anecdote Of The Queens” featured heavy metal singers, Rob Rock (Impelliteri/Driver) and Masatoshi Ono(Galneryus).
The EP made it to the Japanese national music chart, despite being a hard rock/heavy metal release with English lyrics. The live release, “A Live For A Scream” followed shortly after in 2016.
In the 2014 “Heavy Metal Championship” poll, readers of Japan’s premier hard rock/heavy metal magazine,
Burrn! voted Nozomu “Brightest Hope” (Best New Artist).
Having hit it off with Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt) after supporting on his 2016 Japan tour, they are currently working on a new album together in Las Vegas.
In 2017, Nozomu signed to Ward Records and began production on the new DESTINIA album, featuring hard rock legends, Ronnie Romero (Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow/Lords Of Black), Tommy Aldridge (Whitesnake) and Marco Mendoza (The Dead Daisies). He pursues the ‘Modern Classic’ style to revive the classic melodic hard rock/heavy metal by injecting it with modern aesthetics.
DESTINIA is the true successor of the musical style played by Rainbow, Dio and Whitesnake. DESTINIA’s 2018 album will also be released under Whitesnake’s Italian label, Frontiers Records.
From Japan to the world, “METAL SOULS” is bound to go down in hard rock history.
After a successful DESTINIA show with the full “Metal Souls” album lineup in January 2019, Nozomu formed METAL SOULS with DESTINIA’s Ronnie Romero and performed at heavy metal festival “METAL WEEKEND 2019” in September of the same year.
Apart from performing live, Nozomu is also a multi-talented composer, producer and designer. Notable projects include production for SHOW-YA, artwork for ALCATRAZZ and GARY MOORE TRIBUTE albums, and a new record with Paul Shortino in the works.
Favorite guitarists: Ritchie Blackmore, Randy Rhodes, Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth, Warren DeMartini and more.
Source: Official website