From Avantasia to Ayreon and beyond, collaborations in metal typically prove to be more than the sum of their parts. This has been never been more true than in the case of Empires Of Eden, a melodic metal project originating from Sydney, Australia and spanning the entire globe in its unprecedented scope.

Masterminded by former Dungeon and current Death Dealer guitarist/producer Stu Marshall, Empires Of Eden is characterized by a massive power metal sound, 30-piece orchestral score, and guest performances from some of the most celebrated musicians in the industry. Proving that neither oceans nor national boundaries are capable of stopping this explosive onslaught, Marshall has enlisted the participation of artists from all corners of the globe to assemble an army of veteran talent like no other.

2014 will bring us to Architect Of Hope. The fourth album delivering 12 head pounding tracks and featuring heavy metal legend, Ralf Scheepers. Raising the standard yet again, Marshall has enlisted world wrecking stars like Rick Altzi, Mike Dimeo, Jeff Martin and Sean Peck just to highlight five of the amazing 11 deep cast.

The 2012 release Channelling The Infinite raised the bar across the board in several categories of metal - symphonic, collaborative, progressive, melodic and generally groundbreaking. The album received consistent scoring 9/10 or higher in reviews worldwide. In addition to Marshall's uncompromising compositional skills and technical guitar wizardry, the album was reinforced by vocalists who have earned their place in history, such as Udo Dirkschneider, Mike Dimeo and Steve Grimmett to name just a few.

Compared to other collaborative projects of this kind, Empires Of Eden is unique in the extent to which the guest vocalists are involved with the writing of the songs themselves. According to Marshall, although he tailors the instrumental backing to each singer's individual style and preferred range, "They are completely at liberty to write any lyrics they want, and they pen the vocal melodies themselves, too." Having so much artistic freedom not only increases the vocalists' enthusiasm for the project, but also enables them to deliver their best possible performances, unbounded by the usual constraints of the 'guest musician' format.

With lush, picturesque orchestral arrangements, bone-crushing riffs, kaleidoscopic soloing and spectacular vocal performances, Empires Of Eden has developed a trademark sound that redefines the concept of epic.

(Source: Official website, 7.11.2015)