Benjamin David Christodoulou[1] (born 22 March 1980) is an English rock musician, guitarist, songwriter, vocalist, lyricist and session musician, he is best known for his tenures with The Sisters of Mercy, Night By Night and Diamond Black.
Christo was born in Bristol, England and began playing music at seven years old. During a 2023 interview he said: "At a very young age, I gravitated toward any pop music that featured rock guitar. Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Michael Bolton, even stuff like Belinda Carlisle! If there was a guitar solo or heavy guitar, I would be drawn in".[2] He continued performing in a number of rock, metal and punk bands in his early to mid-teens. At 15, his school group, Balanced State, won the South West of England's regional battle of the bands, leading to his first TV appearance.
AKO
He first saw national success in the hardcore punk/metal/rock band AKO, which he co-founded in 1998, whose debut album received favourable reviews in Kerrang!, Metal Hammer and Total Guitar. The band's unique combination of punk, hardcore, nu-metal and melodic rock caught the attention of Tony Iommi’s management, who gave Christo one of Iommi's old Laney amplifiers and arranged for the band to meet with producer Bob Marlette (Alice Cooper, Shinedown, Rob Zombie), to discuss collaboration on their second album. However, 9/11 severed trans-Atlantic links to such an extent that the plans were shelved indefinitely.
The band's final show was at the 2005 South By South West Festival in Austin, Texas. AKO decided to call it a day shortly thereafter and Christo moved to London.
In October 2020, Cherry Red Records began re-releasing the back catalogue on worldwide digital platforms, including previously unreleased single "The Death of Us", which includes never-before-heard B-sides from the "Tomorrow Night's Regret" sessions.
The Sisters of Mercy
Ben Christo
In 2006, Christo joined The Sisters of Mercy, as lead guitarist and backing vocalist. He was first invited to the band via phone in December 2005. Said Christo, "I got a call one afternoon, from an unknown number. With very little preamble, the caller, without introducing himself, stated, ‘We might want you to be in our band'."[3] He has toured extensively with the band,[4] headlining festivals worldwide such as Sonsiphere, Fuji Rock, Nova Rock, Tuska OpenAir Metal Festival, M’era Luna, Greenfield Festival, Spirit of Burgas, Amphi and Soundwave Australia. The 2019 – 2020 world tour showcased a number of new songs that Christo had co-written with Andrew Eldritch and new guitarist Dylan Smith, with additional new works being premiered during the 2022 tour dates.
In May 2024, TSOM announced a return to the USA for fall, supported by Blaqk Audio, featuring Davey Havok and Jade Puget of AFI. The 26-date tour goes coast to coast and includes Canadian shows in Vancouver and Toronto.[5]
Night by Night
In 2008, Christo founded Night By Night, where he was lead singer, guitarist, primary songwriter and key lyricist for the band. Their first EP, "Just Tonight", was produced by Paul Tipler (Idlewild) and released in 2009. Later recruiting an additional lead singer and expanding to a 5-piece, Night by Night's debut album, "NxN", was released to critical acclaim in 2014.
In addition to substantial touring across the UK, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Poland, Germany and Switzerland (including shows supporting Alannah Miles, The Quireboys, Lord of the Lost and Jettblack), Night by Night was selected as sole tour supports to both Europe and Y&T, and also appeared at Download (2013) and Hard Rock Hell (2012 and 2015) festivals. In June 2015, the band announced that they would be on hiatus until further notice.
Diamond Black
Ben on vocals during a Diamond Black show
In 2016, Christo established dark-rock quartet, Diamond Black,[8] with Finnish singer J.I. Turunen and Finnish producer Jaani Peuhu (Swallow the Sun, Lord of the Lost), with artist & bassist Adam Lightspeed joining shortly after to help create the band's identity. Drummer Jan-Vincent Velazco (Pendragon) was recruited soon after, completing the group. The debut single was released on 20 October 2017 and received public praise from Metal Hammer, W.A.S.P. and Deathstars, with Piggy D of Rob Zombie and Mark Thwaite of The Mission sharing the video on their social media. Sony Pictures Television channel Scuzz set the track on rotation and Bass Guitar Magazine ran a feature on the band. On 12 December, a limited-edition physical copy of the single was released from the band's website, selling out in 2 hours, which included Christo's hand-written lyrics as part of the CD package. In March 2018, Diamond Black toured the UK as sole support to Cellar Darling, to positive feedback from public and press. Soon after, the sophomore single, Ghost in the Glass was released, gaining public acclaim from Therapy?'s Michael McKeegan and scoring the band rotation on one of Spotify's new music playlists, seeing the band's Spotify plays shoot to 70K+ in a number of days. In June 2019, the band signed to Cargo Records, and with first release with the label, The Scarlet, publicly hailed by Michael Rainbow of The Birthday massacre and with the promotional video clip winning first place in both the New York Cinematography Awards and Paris International Music Awards. This activity caught the attention of live booker, United Talent Agency, who signed the band, leading to a support slot to Finnish rockers The 69 Eyes. In June 2020, during worldwide lockdown, the band released single If You Kill My Demons. In August 2022, it was announced that the band would move forward as a three-piece, with Christo adopting lead vocal duties, with a UK tour supporting Esprit D'Air scheduled for February 2023.
The band released single Though the Misery on Cargo, which Jyrki 69 lauded as "Goth AOR... DB are creating a new scene!" and was featured in Sonic Seducer. Summer 2023 UK dates followed with Lord of the Lost and in spring 2024, Diamond Black embarked on another tour with Esprit D'Air, this time expanding into mainland Europe.
June 30th saw the band perform at Hellfest, with dates either side in France and Belgium. The set featured a cameo by Neonfly guitarist Freddy Thunder.
In 2002, Christo was selected as one of eight songwriters, alongside Jonny Kalsi, chosen from thousands of members of PRS for Music for their The Song's The Thing workshop, led by Boo Hewerdine. Around the same time, he appeared in a promo feature for Roadrunner Records.
In 2014, Christo composed and played guitar parts for Anzi Destruction’s "Black Dog Bias".
From 2016 - 2020, Ben was performer and promoter at Shot Through the Heart, an eighties cover act and monthly rock club night in at The Lounge in London, with whom he performed at Stone Free Festival alongside Scorpions and Megadeth.
In June 2018, Pig released full-length album "Risen", on which Christo co-wrote and performed. The album also features En Esch, Tim Skold, Marc Heal and Mark Thwaite. The album release promoted by a US tour, including a 3-week support slot for Killing Joke on the U.S.A. leg of their fortieth anniversary world tour.[9] In May 2019, The Revelation, a song Ben co-wrote and performed with Raymond Watts was featured in DC Comics' Legends of Tomorrow, as John Constantine prepares to battle demons in the night club ‘Hell’.
April 2019 saw Christo invited by Chris Dale to perform a special show in Sarajevo, Bosnia, commemorating 25 years since Bruce Dickinson’s band, Skunkworks (featuring Dale on bass), had played there during the war (as documented in the award-winning movie "Scream for me Sarajevo"). The show was a sell-out success, filmed for national television and with Dickinson himself in attendance.
In May and August 2018, Christo accompanied Nathan Gray (Boysetsfire) on his solo tour of Germany as guitarist, backing vocalist and keyboard player, the recordings of which were released in February 2019 as a live album and DVD. The physical copies of the album sold out in just 4 days. A European tour followed in March, with many shows being sold out. Ben then co-wrote and performed guitars and backing vocals on a number of Nathan's new recordings, featured on the 2019 EP Split (with Jesse Barnett of Stick to Your Guns ) and the 2020 album Working Title, both produced by Pete Steinkopf of the Bouncing Souls, the new songs from which were debuted on a February 2020 European tour. In August 2022, he rejoined the band for three European festivals.
During lockdown 2020/21, Ben composed and performed parts for Lev Kerzhner and Noa Gruman's Together On Our Own, a remotely-recorded collaboration featuring members of Kamelot and Subway to Sally. He also appeared on Rob Lane's Straight to Video podcast, joining a roster of guests that includes members of Steel Panther, Slash and the Conspirators and The Alice Cooper Band.
In July 2021, Lord of the Lost's Judas was released, on which Ben contributed music, lyrics, guitars and vocals (Argent - composed lyrics and co-wrote music with Chris Harms and Jaani Peuhu) and Still Life to Die For (composed lyrics, vocal melody, sang all vocals and played lead guitar). The album reached no. 2 in the German mainstream chart.
In summer that year, IANAI's Sunir record was released, on which Ben sang backing vocals. The album also featured members of HIM and Massive Attack.
That year, Ben contributed to the Oceans album, by award-winning J-rock artist, Esprit D'Air. Ben wrote lyrics and vocal melodies and sang guest lead vocals on Dead Zone, which was released as a single on March 11 and publicly lauded by Cradle of Filth guitarist Richard Shaw.
2024 saw the release of Ovdan by Tomorrow's Rains, on which Ben composed and recorded guitar parts onTurnaround (Gothic Rock Version), featuring John Denner of Mercyful Fate / King Diamond. The album also featured cameos by Xmal Deutschland and Mayhem.
The Sisters of Mercy are an English rock band formed in Leeds in 1980. After achieving early underground fame, the band experienced a commercial breakthrough in the mid-1980s, sustaining their success until the early 1990s, when they halted the release of new records in protest against their record company, WEA. Currently, although the band operates primarily as a touring outfit, they continue to perform new and unreleased music live.
Show No Mercy is the debut studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released in December 1983 by Metal Blade Records. Brian Slagel signed the band to the label after watching them perform an Iron Maiden cover. The band self-financed their full-length debut, combining the savings of vocalist Tom Araya, who was employed as a respiratory therapist, and money borrowed from guitarist Kerry King's father. Touring extensively promoting the album, the band brought close friends and family members along the trip, who helped backstage with lighting and sound.
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.
Diamond Head are an English heavy metal band formed in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in 1976. They were part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement and are acknowledged by bands such as Metallica and Megadeth as a significant early influence.
Cinderella was an American rock band formed in the suburbs of Philadelphia in 1983. The band emerged in the mid-1980s with a series of multi-platinum studio albums and hit singles whose music videos received heavy MTV rotation and popularity. Cinderella initially had a glam metal sound throughout the late 1980s before shifting into a more blues rock-based sound during the early to mid 1990s.
Kai Michael Hansen is a German musician who is the founder, lead guitarist and vocalist of power metal band Gamma Ray. He is also one of the co-founders of another power metal band Helloween, which he was a part of from 1983 to 1989 and rejoined in 2016. He is a prominent figure in power metal and has sold millions of albums worldwide. He is regarded as "the godfather of power metal", having founded two seminal bands in the genre. In 2011, he joined the band Unisonic featuring former Helloween vocalist Michael Kiske. Hansen and Kiske reunited with Helloween in 2017 for a world tour with all current members, celebrating the 30-year anniversary of release of the albums Keeper of the Seven Keys Parts I and II.
Slaughter is an American hard rock band that formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1988. The group was founded by lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mark Slaughter and bassist Dana Strum, who previously played together in the band Vinnie Vincent Invasion. The addition of guitarist Tim Kelly and drummer Blas Elias allowed Slaughter to quickly gain attention for their lively performances, catchy hooks, and melodic guitar solos.
Hawk Nelson was a Canadian Christian pop-punk band from Peterborough, Ontario. Formed in 2000, the band has released eight studio albums. Bassist/backing vocalist Daniel Biro was the band's only founding member to remain throughout their entire history.
Divlje Jagode is a hard rock and heavy metal band, originally formed in 1977 in Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia, and since their 1994 reunion based in Croatia. Led by guitarist Sead "Zele" Lipovača, Divlje Jagode are considered one of the most popular and most influential acts of the Yugoslav hard rock and heavy metal scenes.
Neil Turbin is an American singer known for being the first full-time vocalist for thrash metal band Anthrax. He is the current lead vocalist and songwriter of heavy metal band DeathRiders and a member of hard rock band Bleed the Hunger.
Marseille were a British heavy metal band from Liverpool, England, formed in 1976 by Neil Buchanan, Andy Charters and Keith Knowles. Marseille were the first band to win the "UK Battle of the Bands" competition at Wembley Arena in 1977. Marseille are often incorrectly noted as the first new wave of British heavy metal band to secure a major recording contract and to tour in the United States, as well as the first NWOBHM band to release an album there, even though they were established and releasing records nearly a year before the term was coined.
Wisdom was a Hungarian power metal band from Budapest. Formed in autumn 2001, the group was known for its practice of basing each song on a well-known quotation. Many of the band's lyrics and all of the album covers center on the story of an old man, a cult figure called Wiseman.
Night by Night is a UK-based melodic rock band founded in 2008 by Ben Christo and Jonny Thornton. The band's music style is that of a modern take on the classic 80's bands such as Def Leppard with its dual guitars and three-part vocal harmonies.
Esprit D'Air is a British-Japanese progressive metal band formed in London in 2010 with members from Japan and England. In 2013, the band increased in popularity as their single "Shizuku" became the first playable song in the J-rock category in the video game Rock Band 3 but disbanded in the same year as members went back to Japan. Since reforming in 2016, Kai appoints session musicians and support members, which included some of the original line-up to perform with him on tour.
Jan-Vincent Velazco is a Filipino-born British drummer, session rock musician and composer. He is a current member of Pendragon after the recommendation of Craig Blundell, drummer for Steven Wilson and Frost*. He also plays with Raymond Watts of KMFDM, Esprit D'Air, Ben Christo of The Sisters of Mercy and previously with Control.
Kai is a rock singer, musician, producer, and leader of the British-Japanese rock and alternative metal group Esprit D'Air as a multi-instrumentalist. He is also one of the current guitarists for English rock band The Sisters of Mercy.
Nemophila is a Japanese heavy metal band formed in Tokyo in 2019. It consists of vocalist Mayu, guitarist Hazuki, bassist Haraguchi-san and drummer Tamu Murata. While independently releasing three singles between 2020 and 2021, Nemophila garnered a sizable multinational following online by uploading videos to YouTube. In June 2021, British record label JPU compiled the singles into the internationally released Oiran: Extended Edition. Nemophila released their debut studio album, Revive, in December 2021. Their most recent album, Evolve, was released in January 2024.
Oceans is the second studio album by London-based British-Japanese rock band Esprit D'Air. It was released on 18 February 2022, through the band's own Starstorm Records with a distribution partnership with AWAL and Plastic Head Distribution. Work on the album began in 2018, but was halted due to the theft of producer and singer Kai's laptop and backups in 2019, which delayed new singles and the album releases.
"Leviathan" is a song by Japanese electronicore band Esprit D'Air, released on December 4, 2020, as a single from the Oceans album.
Seasons is the third studio album by Japanese rock band Esprit D'Air. It was released on 8 November 2024 through Starstorm Records.
References
↑ "BUT GENEVIEVE". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
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.
