Morgana Lefay - Biography
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1989-
Biography
1986
The band Damage was founded by Jonas Söderlind, Joakim Lundberg, Tony Eriksson and Stefan Jonsson.
1988
The former singer of Sepher Jezirah, Charles Rytkönen, joined the band. Worth to mention is that all the members of Damage and Sepher Jezirah had known each other for a long time and had played together in different constilations.
1989
The band changes their name to Morgana Lefay. Stefan Jonsson left the band and was replaced by Tommi Karppanen, a companion of Charles Rytkönen from the Sepher Jezirah-era. With this line-up, in 1990 the band released the self-finaced album
Symphony Of The Damned.
1991
During additional demo recordings at FS-Studios, Söderhamn, Sweden. Joakim Lundberg left the band due to difference of opinion. His successor was Joakim Heder. The superior master quality of this demo tape convinced the label Black Mark Productions to sign the band. To give the recording an acceptable total playing time the band added a bonus track that became the title song of the upcoming album Knowing Just As I.
1993
The album Knowing Just As I was released and got great reviews worldwide. In autumn the album The Secret Doctrine was recorded at the Swedish Wavestation L.A. studios. Engineered and mixed by Ulf Peterson. It was released in December followed by a European tour.
1994
Early this year Morgana Lefay played at the Swedish Metal Music Awards, the so called "Zeppelin Gala". In April they made their first promotional video entitled "Rooms Of Sleep". Tommi Karppanen sadly left the band in June and was replaced by Fantasmagoria's Peter Grehn to ensure a tour in Finland and gigs at The Stockholm Water festival in Sweden and the PopKomm festival in Cologne, Germany. Peter then returned to his band Fantasmagoria. The empty spot was taken by Daniel Persson, former member in local act Shotgun Alley.
1995
The third album Sanctified was released and got raving reviews. The band headed for Europe again, now as a part of a festival tour together with Cemetary, Memento Mori and Tad Morose. The videos "To Isengard" and " In The Court Of The Crimson King" was released and the band went on a headline tour in Sweden. The compilation Past, Present, Future, also containing four new tracks, was released and at the same time the band toured Europe once again, this time supporting Gamma Ray. Recordings for the next album began in October.
1996
The album Maleficium was released and the new title track video was getting high rotation on various TV channels.
1997
First headliner tour across middle Europe, supported by the US band Solitude Aeturnus and the German quintet Brainstorm. A new compilation album, Fata Morgana was released. It contained the bands faster songs. J.Heder, D.Persson and J.Söderlind left the band, moving to Stockholm. P.Grehn returned to the duo Eriksson/Rytkönen with his Fantasmagoria friends Mikael Åsentorp and Robin Engström.
1998
Under the name of Lefay (modified for legal reasons), the band recorded the album The Seventh Seal, now signed to the label of Noise Records.
1999
The Seventh Seal was a big success. The album was released early during a European tour with Nevermore, Nocturnal Rites and Sacred Steel. That summer the band made a re-recording of the "unofficial" debut album Symphony Of The Damned. The band played at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany.
1999/2000
The band entered the Soundcreation Studios, Bollnäs, Sweden to record the concept album ...---.... Engineered by Per Ryberg, later mixed by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman, Gothenburg, Sweden.
2000
Various festival appearences like the Bang Your Head festival in Balingen, Germany beeing one of the larger ones. The band headlined the Lost In Europe tour supported by Angel Dust, Steel Prophet and Stormhammer. The co-operation with label Noise Records ended in Berlin over a cup of coffee and a biscuit with a bitter taste.
2001/2003
The band took a long vacation, but the addiction to play resulted in various stray-gigs in Sweden. Mikael Åsentorp left the band due to difference of opinion. He was replaced by Fredrik Lundberg former Divine Sin, Fantasmagoria, Incarnated.
2004
The idea of a new album is taking form. Alot of rehearsals and brainstorming leads to the idea of a concept album. The working title is Grand Materia. The band signs a new deal with their old label Black Mark in September. Leaving the past behind the band is once again Morgana Lefay. A funny idea of a homevideo is getting real. One song "Hollow" is recorded in October for that purpose. With the help of some really good friends and a budget of 500 000 Skr they create the most proffessional video in the history of music.
2005
The band release the Grand Materia album in spring and go for a european tour supported by German acts Mindcrime and Lanfear. Morgana Lefay perform at a lot of festival gigs during the summer and fall.
2006
After the gig at the Chicago Powerfest in April Robin leaves the band. He is replaced with Pelle Åkerlind. Morgana Lefay continue playing at different festivals and events and start working on new material for an upcoming album. They enter Studio Soundcreation in September to record the new album Aberrations Of The Mind.
2007
On February 26th, the band is releasing their first single from the upcomimg album. The tracks on the single will be "Over And Over Again" and "Face Of Fear". The new album Aberrations Of The Mind is planned to be released in March followed by a european tour.
2007/2012
In 2007 Morgana Lefay decide to take a break. And so they do after the release of Aberrations Of The Mind and some gigs in Germany,Sweden and Norway.
During this period of time Peter start his band Lady Die and Charles is one of the founder of the band Cibola Junction. Both these bands are still active. Tony is the founding member of Mad Messiah. Fredrik is involved in different music projects and Pelle continues to play with Bloodbound and other projects. Charles is asked to sing with Inmoria and so he does for a while.
In 2012, after a request from Sweden Rock Festival Morgana Lefay reunites for a gig on the Sweden Rock Cruise in October. And thanx to Sweden Rock Festival the band decides to roll up their sleeves once again.
Their work with Lady Die and Cibola Junction continues as usual though.
(Source: Official website, 29.1.2014)
The band Damage was founded by Jonas Söderlind, Joakim Lundberg, Tony Eriksson and Stefan Jonsson.
1988
The former singer of Sepher Jezirah, Charles Rytkönen, joined the band. Worth to mention is that all the members of Damage and Sepher Jezirah had known each other for a long time and had played together in different constilations.
1989
The band changes their name to Morgana Lefay. Stefan Jonsson left the band and was replaced by Tommi Karppanen, a companion of Charles Rytkönen from the Sepher Jezirah-era. With this line-up, in 1990 the band released the self-finaced album
Symphony Of The Damned.
1991
During additional demo recordings at FS-Studios, Söderhamn, Sweden. Joakim Lundberg left the band due to difference of opinion. His successor was Joakim Heder. The superior master quality of this demo tape convinced the label Black Mark Productions to sign the band. To give the recording an acceptable total playing time the band added a bonus track that became the title song of the upcoming album Knowing Just As I.
1993
The album Knowing Just As I was released and got great reviews worldwide. In autumn the album The Secret Doctrine was recorded at the Swedish Wavestation L.A. studios. Engineered and mixed by Ulf Peterson. It was released in December followed by a European tour.
1994
Early this year Morgana Lefay played at the Swedish Metal Music Awards, the so called "Zeppelin Gala". In April they made their first promotional video entitled "Rooms Of Sleep". Tommi Karppanen sadly left the band in June and was replaced by Fantasmagoria's Peter Grehn to ensure a tour in Finland and gigs at The Stockholm Water festival in Sweden and the PopKomm festival in Cologne, Germany. Peter then returned to his band Fantasmagoria. The empty spot was taken by Daniel Persson, former member in local act Shotgun Alley.
1995
The third album Sanctified was released and got raving reviews. The band headed for Europe again, now as a part of a festival tour together with Cemetary, Memento Mori and Tad Morose. The videos "To Isengard" and " In The Court Of The Crimson King" was released and the band went on a headline tour in Sweden. The compilation Past, Present, Future, also containing four new tracks, was released and at the same time the band toured Europe once again, this time supporting Gamma Ray. Recordings for the next album began in October.
1996
The album Maleficium was released and the new title track video was getting high rotation on various TV channels.
1997
First headliner tour across middle Europe, supported by the US band Solitude Aeturnus and the German quintet Brainstorm. A new compilation album, Fata Morgana was released. It contained the bands faster songs. J.Heder, D.Persson and J.Söderlind left the band, moving to Stockholm. P.Grehn returned to the duo Eriksson/Rytkönen with his Fantasmagoria friends Mikael Åsentorp and Robin Engström.
1998
Under the name of Lefay (modified for legal reasons), the band recorded the album The Seventh Seal, now signed to the label of Noise Records.
1999
The Seventh Seal was a big success. The album was released early during a European tour with Nevermore, Nocturnal Rites and Sacred Steel. That summer the band made a re-recording of the "unofficial" debut album Symphony Of The Damned. The band played at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany.
1999/2000
The band entered the Soundcreation Studios, Bollnäs, Sweden to record the concept album ...---.... Engineered by Per Ryberg, later mixed by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman, Gothenburg, Sweden.
2000
Various festival appearences like the Bang Your Head festival in Balingen, Germany beeing one of the larger ones. The band headlined the Lost In Europe tour supported by Angel Dust, Steel Prophet and Stormhammer. The co-operation with label Noise Records ended in Berlin over a cup of coffee and a biscuit with a bitter taste.
2001/2003
The band took a long vacation, but the addiction to play resulted in various stray-gigs in Sweden. Mikael Åsentorp left the band due to difference of opinion. He was replaced by Fredrik Lundberg former Divine Sin, Fantasmagoria, Incarnated.
2004
The idea of a new album is taking form. Alot of rehearsals and brainstorming leads to the idea of a concept album. The working title is Grand Materia. The band signs a new deal with their old label Black Mark in September. Leaving the past behind the band is once again Morgana Lefay. A funny idea of a homevideo is getting real. One song "Hollow" is recorded in October for that purpose. With the help of some really good friends and a budget of 500 000 Skr they create the most proffessional video in the history of music.
2005
The band release the Grand Materia album in spring and go for a european tour supported by German acts Mindcrime and Lanfear. Morgana Lefay perform at a lot of festival gigs during the summer and fall.
2006
After the gig at the Chicago Powerfest in April Robin leaves the band. He is replaced with Pelle Åkerlind. Morgana Lefay continue playing at different festivals and events and start working on new material for an upcoming album. They enter Studio Soundcreation in September to record the new album Aberrations Of The Mind.
2007
On February 26th, the band is releasing their first single from the upcomimg album. The tracks on the single will be "Over And Over Again" and "Face Of Fear". The new album Aberrations Of The Mind is planned to be released in March followed by a european tour.
2007/2012
In 2007 Morgana Lefay decide to take a break. And so they do after the release of Aberrations Of The Mind and some gigs in Germany,Sweden and Norway.
During this period of time Peter start his band Lady Die and Charles is one of the founder of the band Cibola Junction. Both these bands are still active. Tony is the founding member of Mad Messiah. Fredrik is involved in different music projects and Pelle continues to play with Bloodbound and other projects. Charles is asked to sing with Inmoria and so he does for a while.
In 2012, after a request from Sweden Rock Festival Morgana Lefay reunites for a gig on the Sweden Rock Cruise in October. And thanx to Sweden Rock Festival the band decides to roll up their sleeves once again.
Their work with Lady Die and Cibola Junction continues as usual though.
(Source: Official website, 29.1.2014)