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Frontiers Music Srl is thrilled to announce the debut album from Heart Healer, an ambitious new metal opera project by revered Swedish guitarist Magnus Karlsson. ‘The Metal Opera by Magnus Karlsson’ will be released on 12th March 2021.
Featuring seven stunning female singers playing different characters to weave an epic tale, the album presents both established artists and up-and-coming talent in Adrienne Cowan (Seven Spires, Sascha Paeth’s Masters Of Ceremony, Avantasia), Netta Laurenne (Smackbound, Laurenne/Louhimo), Youmna Jreissati (Ostura), Ailyn (Her Chariot Awaits, ex-Sirenia), Noora Louhimo (Battle Beast), Margarita Monet (Edge of Paradise) and Anette Olzon (The Dark Element, ex-Nightwish).
The album is a stunning piece of work and the culmination of over two decades of blood, sweat, and tears poured into writing and performing music by one of the most esteemed musicians and producers in the European metal scene. Karlsson’s resumé includes the likes of Last Tribe, Allen/Lande, Primal Fear, Kiske/Somerville, The Ferrymen and Magnus Karlsson’s Free Fall.
For this latest endeavour, Karlsson worked on his biggest and boldest production to date, enlisting world class orchestral musicians and weaving in the aforementioned singers, who appear as various characters over the course of the story. Karlsson himself states that “my interest in orchestral music has been increasing over the years. I wanted to mix the epic and dramatic orchestral sound with metal and produce something without any limits or rules. I began working on ideas in late 2019 and tried new sounds and arrangements with the goal of creating something dramatic, epic and beautiful. This is easily my biggest and most demanding work ever. First the music with big arrangements and orchestra, then all the singers and the need to find the right parts for everyone. Finally, mixing it all together in an interesting story about the ‘heart healer’. I have to say, if I didn’t work with such great and professional people it would be impossible to make this happen!”
Musically, the album can be described with just one word: grandiose. Arrangements, performance and production are all over the top (in the best possible sense) and, while Karlsson’s signature style is easily recognisable, there is also a Hans Zimmer-like soundtrack vibe to it.
The opera is about The Heart Healer, a character played by Adrienne Cowan, who awakes with no memory. She soon discovers that she can heal people with just a touch of her hand, but, each time she does, she gets weaker. On her journey to find out who she really is, she meets new characters, some of whom want to help her, others who need her help, and some who are afraid of her and try to hunt her down.
“I have worked with so many amazing singers in my career, albeit mainly male vocalists,” Karlsson continues. “Although I have also worked with incredible female singers such as Noora Louhimo, Amanda Somerville and Anette Olzon, I really wanted to write with more and this was a perfect opportunity. I was also aware that my label [Frontiers] had signed a lot of awesome bands with female singers and that also inspired me. Of course, I want to work with the best, but I also want to have different kinds of singers. Everyone involved with this new record has a very unique voice and sings in a different style, which was important for a project like this.”
While it is true that symphonic metal and the concept of a metal opera is not unique, Karlsson concludes by stating that “I think this has something different. It’s not just a bunch of songs. It’s a journey with epic music and beautiful voices.”
pre-order link orcd.co/hearthealer
THE METAL OPERA by MAGNUS KARLSSON
TRACKLISTING
1 Awake ft. Adrienne Cowan
2 Come Out Of The Shadows ft. Youmna Jreissati, Margarita Monet, Netta Laurenne
3 Who Can Stand All Alone ft. Adrienne Cowan, Anette Olzon
4 Back To Life ft. Margarita Monet, Ailyn, Adrienne Cowan
5 Into The Unknown ft. Noora Louhimo
6 When The Fire Burns Out ft. Ailyn, Netta Laurenne
7 Evil’s Around The Corner ft. Noora Louhimo, Adrienne Cowan
8 Mesmerized ft. Anette Olzon
9 Weaker ft. Adrienne Cowan
10 This Is Not The End ft. Adrienne Cowan, Ailyn, Youmna Jreissati, Netta Laurenne, Noora Louhimo, Margarita Monet, Anette Olzon
MUSICIANS
Magnus Karlsson – guitars, bass, keyboards
Anders Köllerfors – drums
Daniel Tengberg – cello
Erika Sävström Engman – violin
SINGERS (in alphabetical order)
Adrienne Cowan (Seven Spires, Masters of Ceremony)
Ailyn Gimenez (Her Chariot Awaits, ex-Sirenia)
Youmna Jreissati (Ostura)
Netta Laurenne (Smackbound)
Noora Louhimo (Battle Beast)
Margarita Monet (Edge of Paradise)
Anette Olzon (Dark Element, Ex-Nightwish)
facebook.com/magnuskarlssonofficial
instagram.com/magnuskarlssonguitar
MAGNUS KARLSSON photo by Andreas Svegland
