Keyboard virtuoso MISTHERIA is featured in a new interview with SeaOf Tranquility.com discussing his new album, Dragon Fire. An excerpt is available below.

SoT: Can you tell us about your musical background and other recordings?

Mistheria: "I am a classical trained musician; I graduated at Italian Music Conservatory as Organist and Composer. Generally, I had a lot of experiences both as composer and performer in the Prog, Pop, Theatre, Soundtracks, Rock, Classical, Metal, Orchestra genres. In fact on 2004 I released the metal album, Messenger Of The Gods and on 2007 Solo Piano, a classical/new-age work. After Dragon Fire, the new album of the classical series will be released, next year. Concerning my job as session musician, I have many recordings in different music fields. I like to test myself each time; I like to create new music mixing all my experiences, emotions and inspiration."

SoT: What style of music do you prefer to perform or just listen to?

Mistheria: "I love to perform and listen for both classical and metal music. Also I like to perform pop music, when it is really well done and as I did for many years in the past. I like to listen for jazz music and generally any kind of music, because I believe that all music of the world can give something to each of us, some ideas, suggestions, emotions that we can than 'forge' in our own music, creating always something new and different. It's really important to not snob anything because everywhere it is something hidden to discover."

SoT: Will you be putting a band together for any possible live performances?

Mistheria: "A Dragon Fire – mini-tour de force is going to be scheduled. I'm working on it, putting together ideas and musicians for a series of concerts. In the last time, I always performed as soloist, now I feel to really play live again with a band promoting my new album. To put together the band is easy, I've to work more with agencies to plan the tour that should happen the first half of 2011."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Lion Music released Dragon Fire on October 15th. Following is the label's official press release:

Keyboard virtuoso Mistheria returns with an all star cast for the neo-classical progressive metal tour de force Dragon Fire. Home to 13 tracks of full on metal pomposity, this is music crafted around stirring vocal melodies and impassioned first class musicianship. The virtuoso meter of the personnel involved sets a new standard and fans of artists such as SYMPHONY X, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and ARTENSION will find this a sheer musical delight.

The grandiose music on offer has its home within the classical music masters but the metal charge brings Dragon Fire firmly into the present day. Yet this is more than musical virtuosity. Mistheria has taken great care to produce songs first and foremost with catchy vocal melodies and big choruses and just one listen will prove that he has succeeded in his aim producing captivating compositions. After demos for the album had been made the personnel was then hand selected by Mistheria to bring out the best in each track with the highest calibre musicians within the genre chosen to do justice to his songs.

The vocalists comprise of John West (Artension, ROYAL HUNT), ROB ROCK (IMPELLITTERI), Mark Boals (ex-Malmsteen, RING OF FIRE, ROYAL HUNT), Lance King (BALANCE OF POWER) and Titta Tani (ex-ASTRA, ASHENT). Each vocalist’s unique style has been selected for the appropriate track to deliver Mistheria’s vision. The same process was used for the guitarists with GEORGE BELLAS (Ring Of Fire), NEIL ZAZA (solo), Roger Staffelbach (Artension, ANGEL OF EDEN) and EMIR HOT playing their virtuoso guitar work which blend beautifully with Mistheria keyboards to recreate the classic guitar/keyboard pairing in all its glory. The bass was ably handled by Alberto Rigoni (TWINSPIRITS) and drums come courtesy of John Macaluso (ARK, TNT, ex-Malmsteen) whose performance is full of high-power heavy grooves and tons of energy making this one of his best performances to date.

Yet despite the number of musicians involved there is an impressive sense of cohesion to the material all thanks to the quality of Mistheria’s initial vision shining through in all aspects. Even the sound of the album has produced and mixed to his own personal taste.

Mistheria comments, “Since I only wrote vocal melodies and lyrics for Dragon Fire and vocal melodies for Eye Of The Storm songs (although I gave ideas for the others), all singers involved influenced the songs prominently with really great lyrics and melodies. John Macaluso’s job on drums has been nothing short of astonishing starting from my programmed drums guideline. The guitarists moved on my own demo ideas as well as Alberto Rigoni on bass and their job has been simply perfect. Ivana Greguric wrote a song exclusively for the album (The Beast) and her work is really remarkable”.

Tracklisting:

'Dragon Fire'

'Lies & Deception'

'Killing The Pain'

'Two Of Us'

'Metal Opera Pt. 1: A.D.1982'

'Metal Opera Pt. 2: Eye Of The Storm'

'Now It’s Never'

'Fire & Flames'

'Prelude 18 In F Min'

'Chopin Fantasy'

'The Power Of One'

'The Beast'

'A Beautiful Dream'

More info at this location.