Moonlight Agony - Biography
Biography
Moonlight Agony formed 1999, is a Kungsbacka based, Swedish metal band. The music can be described as dark symphonic powermetal with a touch of progressiveness.
1999:
Guitarist Kalle Landin and drummer Robert Willstedt decided to start a metal band. They teamed up Christofer Starnefalk and began rehearsing some Helloween and Blind Guardian songs.
2000:
The band started a search for a second guitarist and they finally
ended up with Andreas Lindvall.
By chance the band got in touch with the keyboardplayer Martin Mellström. The first Moonlight Agony gig ever was performed autumn 2000. Realizing that a singer who would give 100% attention to the vocals was needed, the band started a search for a new lead singer. Late 2000, Christian Karlzon was found and another gig was performed.
2001:
With a stable line-up, the band started to feel wind under their wings. Tired of playing covers the band started working with some own material and it all ended up in their very first demo. The songs were very basic powermetal but nevertheless quite amusing here and there. Performing some gigs early 2001 the band felt a seemingly neverending source of inspiration. Moonlight Agony recorded a second demo which meant a huge leap towards a more interesting and progressive style.
May 2001 was the last gig with this line-up. Robert began his military service in June 2001 and Kalle went to Oskarshamn to study music. Andreas Lindvall decided to leave the band in October 2001. Due to long distances Moonlight were not able to rehearse a lot together, however, the members improved individually on their instruments.
2002:
When Robert left the military in May 2002 and Kalle ended his music studies in Oskarshamn, the band got together for rehearsing new material. In the summer 2002 the band rehearsed intense and in the autumn, the third demo could be recorded. However,early autumn, Moonlight Agony and Christian Karlzon went separate ways. The studio session went on as planned. Kalle, being a trained classical singer, performed the vocals on the demo. We began the search for a new lead singer and another guitarplayer and after trying out a bunch, Rikard Petersson, guitars, and Simon Hermansson, vocals, became members of the band. Late 2002 the vocals were re-recorded
with Simon and the demo was sent out to a few labels.
2003:
Moonlight Agony went separate ways with Simon Hermansson in May 2003. Intromental Management showed interest for the band and a deal was made in July. Moonlight Agony was working intensively with new material and by the end of the summer they started the recording of their first full-length album. Intromental helped the band getting in touch with Chitral Somapala (FIREWIND, FARO, ex. AVALON etc.). This excellent singer had agreed to do the vocal duties for the band and during the autumn and winter, Chitral came to Sweden a few times for studio sessions. The band went to Division One studio outside Gothenburg for the vocal recording and mixing of the album. Producer in the studio was Tom Englund, singer and
guitarist of Evergrey.
2004:
The first full-length album titled "Echoes of a Nightmare" is completed and Moonlight Agony signs a multi-album deal with MASSACRE RECORDS, KING RECORDS, & NIGHTMARE RECORDS for distribution of the album in different geographical areas.
Moonlight Agony perform live acts at the Axefeast festival in Gothenburg and on a mini tour to Denmark supporting DORO.
2005:
Moonlight Agony spends the entire year writing new material for the second album. Late 2005 The band splits up with Chity due to geographical distances. The band wants to be able to perform more live gigs and start therefore a search for a local lead singer. After several auditions they team up with David Akesson, a brilliant Swedish vocalist.
2006:
The recording of "Silent Waters" begin in early 2006 and the album is completed late summer. Being one of the original members, the bassplayer Christofer Starnefalk leaves the band due to personal reasons. The talented and experienced Christer "Zigge" Pedersen (Dragonland, Nigtshade) takes Christofers place playing the bass. Christer is, besides a bassplayer, a studiotechnician and were involved in both mixing all Moonlight Agony's early demos and recording "Echoes of a Nightmare".
1999:
Guitarist Kalle Landin and drummer Robert Willstedt decided to start a metal band. They teamed up Christofer Starnefalk and began rehearsing some Helloween and Blind Guardian songs.
2000:
The band started a search for a second guitarist and they finally
ended up with Andreas Lindvall.
By chance the band got in touch with the keyboardplayer Martin Mellström. The first Moonlight Agony gig ever was performed autumn 2000. Realizing that a singer who would give 100% attention to the vocals was needed, the band started a search for a new lead singer. Late 2000, Christian Karlzon was found and another gig was performed.
2001:
With a stable line-up, the band started to feel wind under their wings. Tired of playing covers the band started working with some own material and it all ended up in their very first demo. The songs were very basic powermetal but nevertheless quite amusing here and there. Performing some gigs early 2001 the band felt a seemingly neverending source of inspiration. Moonlight Agony recorded a second demo which meant a huge leap towards a more interesting and progressive style.
May 2001 was the last gig with this line-up. Robert began his military service in June 2001 and Kalle went to Oskarshamn to study music. Andreas Lindvall decided to leave the band in October 2001. Due to long distances Moonlight were not able to rehearse a lot together, however, the members improved individually on their instruments.
2002:
When Robert left the military in May 2002 and Kalle ended his music studies in Oskarshamn, the band got together for rehearsing new material. In the summer 2002 the band rehearsed intense and in the autumn, the third demo could be recorded. However,early autumn, Moonlight Agony and Christian Karlzon went separate ways. The studio session went on as planned. Kalle, being a trained classical singer, performed the vocals on the demo. We began the search for a new lead singer and another guitarplayer and after trying out a bunch, Rikard Petersson, guitars, and Simon Hermansson, vocals, became members of the band. Late 2002 the vocals were re-recorded
with Simon and the demo was sent out to a few labels.
2003:
Moonlight Agony went separate ways with Simon Hermansson in May 2003. Intromental Management showed interest for the band and a deal was made in July. Moonlight Agony was working intensively with new material and by the end of the summer they started the recording of their first full-length album. Intromental helped the band getting in touch with Chitral Somapala (FIREWIND, FARO, ex. AVALON etc.). This excellent singer had agreed to do the vocal duties for the band and during the autumn and winter, Chitral came to Sweden a few times for studio sessions. The band went to Division One studio outside Gothenburg for the vocal recording and mixing of the album. Producer in the studio was Tom Englund, singer and
guitarist of Evergrey.
2004:
The first full-length album titled "Echoes of a Nightmare" is completed and Moonlight Agony signs a multi-album deal with MASSACRE RECORDS, KING RECORDS, & NIGHTMARE RECORDS for distribution of the album in different geographical areas.
Moonlight Agony perform live acts at the Axefeast festival in Gothenburg and on a mini tour to Denmark supporting DORO.
2005:
Moonlight Agony spends the entire year writing new material for the second album. Late 2005 The band splits up with Chity due to geographical distances. The band wants to be able to perform more live gigs and start therefore a search for a local lead singer. After several auditions they team up with David Akesson, a brilliant Swedish vocalist.
2006:
The recording of "Silent Waters" begin in early 2006 and the album is completed late summer. Being one of the original members, the bassplayer Christofer Starnefalk leaves the band due to personal reasons. The talented and experienced Christer "Zigge" Pedersen (Dragonland, Nigtshade) takes Christofers place playing the bass. Christer is, besides a bassplayer, a studiotechnician and were involved in both mixing all Moonlight Agony's early demos and recording "Echoes of a Nightmare".