Avian (band)

Avian
Avian
Origin	Minneapolis, Minnesota, US
Genres	Heavy metal, power metal, progressive metal
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Nightmare (US); Hot Rockin' (Japan); Massacre (Canada & UK)
Members	Brian Hollenbeck; Yan Leviathan; Steve Stine; Dan Cunningham
Past members	Lance King ; David Ellefson ; David Small; Roger Moore; Jonah Weingarten; Bill Hudson ; Noah Martin; Jerry B; Jaden Adair

Last updated October 04, 2023

Avian is an American heavy metal band founded in 2002 by guitarist Yan Leviathan. Musically, they are influenced by bands such as Iron Maiden, HammerFall, Savatage, and Megadeth.

History

Early years (2002–2005)

Guitarist Yan Leviathan, who had been in several local bands over the years, formed Avian (pronounced 'A-VEE-YEN') in November 2002 after being inspired by a metal festival that featured performances by Gamma Ray, Blind Guardian, Edguy, and a number of other bands. On the flight back home, Leviathan decided to concentrate all of his attention and efforts to creating a band that combined all of the best elements of classic European and U.S. metal bands. As soon as he arrived home, Leviathan locked himself in his studio and began writing songs. Before long, he had a couple of songs completed and began looking around for the right studio in which to record them in. The name Avian was chosen by Leviathan from his favorite novel, the Rama series by Arthur C. Clarke. In the series, the Avian is a bird like creature with great intelligence and compassion.

Leviathan eventually ended up in a studio named The Saltmine, which is located in Phoenix, Arizona. While speaking with the owner, Don Salter, Leviathan had mentioned to him that he was looking for a bass player and a drummer to help him with the recording. Salter mentioned to Leviathan that he was a good friend of David Ellefson (Megadeth, F5) and that he would ask him if he would be interested in the project. A couple of days later, a meeting was arranged between Leviathan and Ellefson. The meeting ended with Ellefson receiving a very rough demo of one of the songs and it was agreed that he would listen to it and decide if he would like to commit to the project. A few days later, Ellefson called Leviathan and told him that he really liked the song (Final Frontier) and that they should record it as soon as possible. It was also agreed that Ellefson would produce the sessions in addition to playing bass on the songs.

The following week, Leviathan and Ellefson, along with a session drummer David Small, who was in F5 at the time with Ellefson, met in the studio and recorded the song during a 10-hour session. At the end of the day Leviathan played Ellefson a new song he had written (Queen of the Insane). The two agreed that they would meet again in a couple of weeks to record it. This process, which began in December 2002, continued through September 2003; every few weeks, the guys would get together in the studio and record a song, sometimes two.

During that time, Leviathan and Ellefson had many discussions on who should sing on the songs. During one of those discussions, Ellefson had mentioned the name Lance King. After listening to some of King's work with previous bands, most notably Balance of Power, the two immediately realized that King would be a perfect fit for Avian. Ellefson contacted King and explained to him what he and Leviathan were doing. King seemed interested and was sent two songs to record vocals on. When Leviathan and Ellefson heard King's vocals over the songs, they were impressed and immediately asked King if he would do all of the songs. Since King and Ellefson had previously discussed working together at some point in the future, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so and King signed on to do all of the vocals on the album.

At that point, what had begun as a demo project for Leviathan, escalated within a few short months into a major recording production with world-class musicians on board. By early 2004, the majority of the songs were recorded and ready for mixing. It was then decided between the three guys that a keyboard player should be brought on to add some atmosphere to the album. King suggested his Pyramaze bandmate Jonah Weingarten. Leviathan spoke with Weingarten on the phone and the two agreed that Weingarten would fly out to Leviathan's home studio (Yanmonster Studio) to record the keys. The two locked themselves away for seven straight days working 15 hours each day and managed to write and record all of the parts within that time span.

All that remained as far as recording was concerned, was the guitar solos. A number of specialists were considered, some even auditioned but none really stood out. King mentioned his good friend Roger Moore. The two were together in a band called Gemini, which achieved moderate success in the mid nineties. Roger worked on his solos at King's home studio (Nightmare Studio) during the second half of 2004. Around that time, the guys had to decide on who would mix the album. King suggested to Leviathan and Ellefson that perhaps he should do it since he had prior experience working on the Balance of Power albums. The following months (late 2004 to summer 2005) were spent on putting the finishing touches on the album and getting it ready for release. This process entailed, mixing, mastering (which was done by famed producer Tommy Hansen most recognized for his work with Helloween), overdubs, artwork (created by Mattias Noren), and last and surely not least, finding a record label. For this process, Leviathan hired a management firm. As soon as a mastered CD was available, the management guys went to work. The album generated a lot of interest by some very well known record labels. Ultimately, Avian signed on with Massacre Records for the European release, Nightmare Records, for U.S., and Hot Rockin for Japan.

From the Depths of Time (2005–2008)

The debut album, From the Depths of Time, is a concept album dealing with the end of days and a warning to mankind that there are guardians out there watching us: From the Depths of Time they are rising, fearing none they march ahead, through the past and into forever, they are the ones approaching with the storm.

On May 12, 2006, Avian performed live for the very first time as direct support to Gamma Ray in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The show was a resounding success and the band played a few more shows that year highlighted by a performance with Twisted Sister in December. The beginning of 2007 saw the band hard at work on the follow-up to From the Depths of Time. The band put the final touches on the demo versions of the new songs and began recording their second album, Ashes and Madness in the summer of 2007. By this time, Leviathan had moved to Minnesota so that the band could rehearse together on a regular basis, this opened the door for more live opportunities and the band played with established bands such as Edguy, Kamelot, Sonata Arctica, and others in 2007. Additionally, a new, refined lineup was now in place consisting of Lance King on vocals, Leviathan on guitars, newcomers Jerry Babcock on drums and Bill Hudson on lead guitar. In the spring of 2008, the band took a break from recording and headed to Florida to co-headline the Nightmare Metal Festival in Tampa Bay.

Ashes and Madness (2008–2010)

The band tried out a few new songs which were well received by the crowd. By the end of summer, the second album was complete and it was announced that the album would be released worldwide on September 16, 2008. Mattias Noren was once again enlisted to do the artwork.

In the fall of 2008, Brian Hollenbeck joined the band as their new bassist and backup vocalist and not long after, Steve Stine joined as lead guitarist replacing Bill Hudson who had joined Circle II Circle. Hollenbeck's vocals complemented King's and with the addition of drummer Jerry Babcock's low harmonies, the band sounded better than ever live.

2009 saw the band continue to perform as direct support to international bands highlighted by a performance with Primal Fear at the Minnesota Metal Fest. By late 2009, songwriting for the band's third album was underway. In March 2010, the band performed with HammerFall – the final show with Lance King. King had decided that he no longer had the time to focus on the band due to family and professional obligations. This was hard on the rest of the guys but after discussing things, they decided to continue on with Hollenbeck taking over the vocals. As luck would have it, Hollenbeck and King have very similar voices, which should make for a smooth transition on the next album. The band hired Jaden Adair to take over the bass.

New album (2010–present)

In the summer of 2010, the band announced that their third album would be released in early 2011. The band also announced that they would release an EP/single in the fall of 2010, featuring three new songs and a live acoustic version of "The Fear", originally recorded on Avian's debut, From the Depths of Time. Additionally, Avian announced that they would re-release their now out of print first album in October, which would include 3 bonus tracks that were not available on the original version of the album. From the Depths of Time Special Edition would be released by the band's new label home, Blinding Force Recordings.

Discography

From the Depths of Time (Nightmare Records 2005)
Ashes and Madness (Nightmare Records 2008)
The Path (EP) (Nightmare Records 2010)

Members

Current

Yan Leviathan – rhythm guitar (2002–present), lead guitar (2008–present), bass (2006–2008, 2008–2010)
Steve Stine – lead and rhythm guitars (2008–present)
Brian Hollenbeck – lead vocals (2010–present), bass (2008, 2011–present)
Dan Cunningham – drums (2010–present)

Former

Lance King – lead vocals (2003–2010)
Jaden Adair – bass (2010–2011)
David Ellefson – bass (2002–2004, 2005–2006)
David Small – drums (2002–2006)
Roger Moore – lead guitar (2004–2006)
Jonah Weingarten – keyboards (2004–2006)
Bill Hudson – lead guitar (2007–2008)
Noah Martin – bass (2004–2005)
Jerry B (Jerry Babcock) – drums (2007–2010)

Timeline

Related Research Articles

Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along with Metallica, Anthrax, and Slayer, responsible for the genre's development and popularization. Their music features complex arrangements and fast rhythm sections, dual lead guitars, and lyrical themes of war, politics, religion, death, and personal relationships.

David Warren Ellefson is an American musician, best known for his long tenure as the bassist for thrash metal band Megadeth.

Timothy S. "Ripper" Owens is an American heavy metal singer who currently performs with KK's Priest, Spirits of Fire, the Three Tremors and A New Revenge. He first gained attention as the lead singer of Judas Priest and then Iced Earth. He took the nickname "Ripper" from the Judas Priest song "The Ripper" during his time in the tribute band British Steel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slint</span> American rock band

Slint was an American rock band from Louisville, Kentucky, formed in 1986. The band consisted of Brian McMahan, David Pajo (guitar), Britt Walford, Todd Brashear, and Ethan Buckler. Slint's first album, Tweez, was recorded by engineer Steve Albini in 1987 and released in obscurity on the Jennifer Hartman Records label in 1989. It was followed two years later by the critically acclaimed Spiderland, released on the independent label Touch and Go Records.

Therion is a Swedish symphonic metal band founded by Christofer Johnsson in 1987. Its name was inspired by the Celtic Frost album To Mega Therion. "To Mega Therion" is Greek for "The Great Beast" and was a title used by occultist Aleister Crowley. Originally a death metal band, Therion adjusted its musical style by adding orchestral elements, including choirs, classical musicians, and even a full orchestra at their concert performances. As a result, they are considered pioneers of the symphonic metal genre.

Ilium is an Australian melodic power metal band formed in Newcastle in 1998 as Iliad. Founding mainstay is guitarist-songwriter, Jason Hodges. Upon Adam Smith (ex-Oracle) joining on guitar they changed their name and have released eight studio albums; Sirens of the Styx, Permian Dusk, Vespertilion, Ageless Decay, Genetic Memory, My Misanthropia, Sirens of the Styx: Re-Styxed and Carcinogeist.

The Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1966 in San Francisco, California. The band is led by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals. The group had a string of mid- to late-1970s hit singles that are staples of classic rock, as well as several earlier psychedelic rock albums. Miller left his first band to move to San Francisco and form the Steve Miller Blues Band. Shortly after Harvey Kornspan negotiated the band's contract with Capitol Records in 1967, the band shortened its name to the Steve Miller Band. In February 1968, the band recorded its debut album, Children of the Future. It went on to produce the albums Sailor, Brave New World, Your Saving Grace, Number 5, Rock Love, Fly Like an Eagle, Book of Dreams, among others. The band's Greatest Hits 1974–78, released in 1978, sold over 13 million copies. In 2016, Steve Miller was inducted as a solo artist in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Blind Illusion is an American progressive thrash metal band from Richmond, California. Formed in 1978 by lead guitarist and main songwriter Mark Biedermann, the band has had several lineup changes, with Biedermann being the only constant member. Blind Illusion is also notable for featuring Les Claypool and Larry LaLonde, both later of Primus, who performed bass and guitar respectively on their 1988 debut album The Sane Asylum.

"Tornado of Souls" is a song by American thrash metal band Megadeth from their 1990 studio album Rust in Peace. Despite never being released as a single nor having a music video, the song remains of a staple of the band's catalog. The song is well-known for its guitar solo played by Marty Friedman, which is considered by many one of the greatest metal guitar solos of all time. It is also widely considered to be one of the hardest songs to play on an electric guitar.

<i>Perfect Balance</i> 2001 studio album by Balance of Power

Perfect Balance is the fourth album by Canadian metal band Balance of Power. It was released in 2001 and is the last album to feature lead singer Lance King.

Hinder is an American rock band from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, formed in 2001 by lead singer Austin John Winkler, guitarist Joe "Blower" Garvey, and drummer Cody Hanson with bassist Mike Rodden and guitarist Mark King joining in 2003, solidifying the line-up. The band released four studio albums with Winkler; Extreme Behavior (2005), Take It to the Limit (2008), All American Nightmare (2010) and Welcome to the Freakshow (2012). Cody Hanson, along with former lead singer Austin Winkler, wrote the majority of the band's music on their first four albums. After Winkler left the band in 2013, they looked for a new lead vocalist, and added Marshal Dutton. They have since released When the Smoke Clears (2015) and The Reign (2017) with their new vocalist. Their seventh studio album is currently in the works. The band was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2007.

Lance King is an American heavy metal music singer and songwriter specializing in melodic progressive power metal. He has sung with many groups over the last 35 years and started the record label Nightmare in 1990 to release his own music, and is currently still at the helm of the label.

Pyramaze is a Danish power metal band formed in 2001.

<i>From the Depths of Time</i> 2005 studio album by Avian

From the Depths of Time is the debut album by Danish progressive power metal band Avian. It was released on 21 October 2005 by Nightmare Records and was remixed and remastered in 2006 with art enhancements inside the booklet. The album features American vocalist Lance King and then-former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson. The album is a concept album, dealing with the end of days and a warning to mankind that there are "guardians" watching us.

F5 is a heavy metal band based out of Phoenix, Arizona, which features ex-Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson and ex-Megadeth drummer Jimmy DeGrasso.

<i>Ashes and Madness</i> 2008 studio album by Avian

Ashes and Madness is the second album released by Danish power metal band Avian. It was released on 30 September 2008 in North America and to the rest of the world in January 2009 via Nightmare Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Last Chance to Reason</span> American progressive metal band

Last Chance to Reason is an American progressive metal band from Augusta, Maine. Their debut album, Lvl. 1, was released through Tribunal Records in 2007. Their first major label debut, Level 2, came in 2011 through Prosthetic Records. The band's third studio album, Level 3, was released on August 6, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moto Psycho</span> 2001 single by Megadeth

"Moto Psycho" is a song by the American thrash metal band Megadeth. It was released in 2001 as the lead single from their ninth studio album, The World Needs a Hero. A music video for the song was made, directed by Nathan Cox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breadline (song)</span> 2000 single by Megadeth

"Breadline" is a song by American heavy metal band Megadeth and the second single from their eighth studio album, Risk, in late 1999. "Breadline" was also released as its own EP in 2000 in Japan, which featuring several versions of the song, and remixes of other songs from Risk and Megadeth's back catalog. After leaving Megadeth, guitarist Marty Friedman would later cover this song on his solo album Future Addict.

Echoterra is an American symphonic power metal band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, founded in 2007 by Jonah Weingarten and Yan Leviathan.

References

↑ "Avian to Release The Path EP". Blabbermouth.net. June 27, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2014.

External links

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] "Avian to Release The Path EP". Blabbermouth.net. June 27, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2014.

[1]