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Karelia - Biography


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2004-

Biography

1. The birth of Karelia

2000 has born KARELIA with a deep wish to bring something new to a saturated heavy-metal scene : in this aim Lionel VEST (guitars/ keyboards) and Matthieu KLEIBER (guitars/ vocals) tried to implement a metal band including classic musicals? but quickly realized that the concrete working of such a structure was much complicated.
Then, in order to keep a symphonic side in their music, they had no choice but to use some classical samples complemented with electronic drums and bass. Bertrand MAILLOT (Keyboards) joined the band, bringing many good points as a composer. Sebastien FELLMANN, took in charge the lead guitar.
This line up released a demo (recorded and mastered in the Lionel VEST's home studio). The band was pleased to notice that, in spite of these poor means? and certain blunders? some people found in that a kind of new trend, as KARELIA music could not be strictly assimilated to an other metal band. 400 copies of that maxi single were sold? and some people are still trying to buy it as the band do not want to produce more copies !

2. Radical changes in line-up, and growing interest from labels

Live concerts (with KAMELOT, AT VANCE, VANDEN PLAS, DYSLESIA... notably) and contacts with production companies put forward the need to play with a "real" rhythmic section. Then, a casting began among Eastern-France musicians and KARELIA finally enlisted in summer 2001 two gifted and practised musicals coming from a heavy metal band called JERICAN : Loïc JENN (drums), and Erwan MORICE (guitars).
Sebastien FELLMANN left the band. Lionel VEST, launched in some classical projects, only kept the technical part of his job in KARELIA (that's to say the orchestral arrangements direction).


3. Real symphonic metal needs huge means...

After such changes in the line-up, Matthieu KLEIBER and Bertrand MAILLOT, the music composers of KARELIA, are warily keeping all the same the original spirit of that melodies... but realize that, a great financial support was necessary in order to get a chance on the international scene.
Thanks to the relative and local success of the former line-up, and the interest from some labels, KARELIA got the opportunity to sign up an edition contract with STUDIOS BLUE BIRD in the beginning of year 2002. The band took benefit that way from huge production means (symphonic arrangements, the assistance of some chorists from the well-known "Opéra du Rhin", a mix by Renaud Hebinger- ex colleague of Colin Richardson on productions like Fear Factory, MachineHead).
With such means, KARELIA had the incredible opportunity to record a debut album full of symphonic influences which found immediately proposals from numerous labels. The band decided to work with Drakkar/BMG and now hopes that "USUAL TRAGEDY" will surprise all the metal fans? So, keep a watch on that new KARELIA first album...
coming out : 23th February 2004


"Let me tell you ... a usual tragedy" : The concept.

" Usual Tragedy " is a concept album : 10 tracks telling every stage of a man's life. A man who crossed both wars. The first took off his father from his scary child eyes. As a soldier during the second one, he went over to the enemy, with the hope to rejoin his beloved. But she already was just a sweet memory under his muddy helmet. Burrying under the moonlight her corpse stained by human vice, he found in madness the only one shelter. Violence and rage alleviate his never-ending pain. Then, a cold hospital room became his unique and gloomy scenery. Seasons passed beyond the bars of his window until the morning he found this providential death which was too long to come by itself. Unlamented : no one to cry or even remember that he has ever existed...
... Neither a Shaekespeare drama, nor a doleful opera... just a "Usual Tragedy". The story of thausends of men in years gone by, or nowadays. A slow descent into hell with some ephemeral moments of joy.
So is the KARELIA's music : some signs of hope lost in dark and sorrowful tunes