Виктор Смольский

Victor Smolski Musician, producer, composer, teacher, author of one of the most successful German guitar learning DVD “School of Metal” The Russian magazine Classic Rock voted Victor Guitarist of the Year in 2005. Also the Japanese magazine Burrn! voted him many times in the Top 20 guitarist of the reader´s pop poll. Composed the song “Straight to Hell” for the most successful German film of all time Manitou’s Shoe Jury member for international music competitions Worldwide representative and co-developer for prestigious companies in the music industry, such as YAMAHA, ENGL, SHURE, CORDIAL, Thomastik-Infeld, etc. After 15 years and 10 CDs as guitarist, producer and composer for the German Heavy Metal institution RAGE and with hits penned by him like “Down”, “Soundchaser”, “War of Worlds”, “Straight to Hell” (well-known from the German blockbuster movie “Manitou’s Shoe”), “Carved in Stone”, “Forever Dead”, “Empty Hollow” and “Cleansed by Fire”, Victor Smolski now continues his musical career with his new group ALMANAC. The guitar virtuoso’s composition “Suite Lingua Mortis”, released first on the successful 2006 RAGE record “Speak Of The Dead”, built the Classical foundation for the new, more versatile yet even playful LINGUA MORTIS ORCHESTRA sound and their LMO release in 2013, which scored a big success by outselling all most recent RAGE releases and charted in Germany at #24 on the official album charts. In comparison to RAGE, LMO offered fresh song material entirely composed by Smolski, a new musical concept combining Heavy Metal with Classical music, songs written especially for band & orchestra plus several male and female singers sharing the lead vocal job. This successful story now continues with ALMANAC who add a powerful touch of heaviness to LMO’s unique sound. The Belarus-born guitarist with this new group is joined by former LMO band members Jeannette Marchewka (vocals), the “Orquestra Barcelona Filharmonia” with Enric Garcia on keyboards and “White Russian Symphony Orchestra”. New members are Tim Rashid on bass and Athanasios "Zacky" Tsoukas on drums. The two singers David Readman (PINK CREAM 69) and Andy B. Franck (BRAINSTORM) complete the line-up. For all the members of ALMANAC the debut album is a new, exciting, and very interesting chapter that has now begun. Traditional power metal in conjunction with classical music, world music with a modern sound are making ALMANAC an absolute listening experience. Fans with an interest in deeper subjects including history and culture will also be able to dive into a new world with their first album, which combines historic and modern parallels that will surprise many. From the warlike nomadic horsemen in the steppes of Russia, to the Tsardom, Ivan the Terrible, warlike Cossacks who dominate the Tatar, the siege of Constantinople and the Mongol invasion are stories about battles, wars, intrigue, conquest, terror, power and love that can be heard vocally using the different styles of the singer’s voices. ALMANAC has signed a record deal with the world’s leading Heavy Metal label Nuclear Blast. ALMANAC's debut album »Tsar« is a new, exciting, and very interesting chapter that has now begun. Traditional power metal in conjunction with classical music, world music with a modern sound make ALMANAC for an absolute listening experience. ALMANAC's debut album »Tsar« ( release date March 18th 2016 through Nuclear Blast ) has entered the charts at the following positions: Germany #74, Swiss #87 Since the band was founded two years ago, ALMANAC played around 50 shows in 10 different countries, their first CD "Tsar" was also nominated at the Metal Hammer awards as best debut album 2016. Actually, the band members are working on a new CD production. As Producer: From 1999 to 2014: 10 Rage CDs 3 Solo CDs: “Destiny”, “The Heretic” and “Majesty&Passion” Numerous CDs from Rock and Metal bands, for example 4 Mind Odyssey CDs, Seven, etc. 2007 - Nuclear Blast Allstars CD - „Into The Light“ : Andy Deris (Helloween), Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian), Tobias Sammet (Avantasia, Edguy), Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica), Oddleif Stensland (Communic), Mats Leven (ex-Therion), Marco Hietala (Nightwish), Schmier (Destruction), Tarja Turunen (Tarja, ex-Nightwish) 2013 - Lingua Mortis Orchestra - „LMO“ Discography: 1993 - Inspector - „Russian Prayer“ 1996 - Victor Smolski - „Destiny“ - EP 1998 - Mind Odyssey - „Nailed To The Shade“ 1999 - Mind Odyssey - „Signs“ 1999 - Rage - „Ghosts“ 2000 - Victor Smolski - „The Heretic“ 2001 - Rage - „Welcome To The Other Side“ 2002 - Rage - „Unity“ 2003 - Rage - „Soundchaser“ 2004 - Rage - „From The Cradle To The Stage“ 2004 - Victor Smolski - „Majesty & Passion“ 2005 - Kipelov - „Rivers of Time“ 2006 - Rage - „Speak Of The Dead“ 2006 - Victor Smolski - „2 in 1“ (Re-Release) 2006 - Kipelov - „Live in Moskau“ – (DVD) 2007 - Rage - „Full Moon in St. Petersburg“ (DVD/CD) 2007 - Nuclear Blast Allstars - „Into The Light“ 2008 - Rage - „Carved In Stone“ (CD/DVD-Live at Wacken) 2008 - Mind Odyssey - „Best Of“ 2009 - Rage - „Gib Dich Nie Auf“ - EP 2009 - Mind Odyssey - „Time To Change It“ 2009 - Mind Odyssey - „Nailed To The Shade“ (Re-Release) 2009 - Mind Odyssey - „Signs“ (Re-Release) 2009 - Victor Smolski - School Of Metal - (DVD) 2010 - Rage - „Strings To A Web“ (CD/DVD-Live at Wacken) 2012 - Rage - „21“ 2013 - Lingua Mortis Orchestra - „LMO“ 2013 - Victor Smolski - „Two Orchestral Symphonies“ (Re-Release) 2014 - Rage - „The Soundchaser Archives“ (CD/DVD-Live at Masters Of Rock) 2014 - Victor Smolski - "Straight To Hell Or To Paradise" (Book) 2016 - Almanac - "Tsar" Orchestra and Choir Recording for: 2001 - Silent Force - „Infatuator” 2005 - Lacrimosa - „Lichtgestalt” 2009 - Leaves Eyes - „Njord” 2011 - Leaves Eyes - „Meredead" 2012 - Atrocity "OKKULT" 2013 - Leaves Eyes “Symphonies of the Night” 2014 - Savn - „Savn“ 2014 - Eluveitie - „Origins” http://www.amazon.de/Victor-Smolski-Straight-Hell-Paradise-ebook/dp/B00OG1BT2C/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414324564&sr=1-1&keywords=victor+smolski Doku Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2so_tSw8Ms&feature=youtu.be The official artist page for Victor Smolski (ALMANAC, ex-RAGE)