Fabio Lione

Last updated

Fabio Lione
Rhapsody of Fire Rockharz Open Air 2014 02 retuschiert.jpg
Fabio Lione at the 2014 Rockharz Open Air, Germany
Background information
Birth nameFabio Tordiglione
Also known asJ. Storm
Born (1973-10-09) 9 October 1973 (age 50)
Pisa, Italy
Genres Heavy metal, Eurobeat
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentVocals
Years active1990–present

Fabio Tordiglione (born 9 October 1973), known professionally as Fabio Lione, is an Italian singer who has worked with many bands in the metal genre. He was known for being the singer of Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire for 21 years. He later formed his own band Turilli / Lione Rhapsody with former Rhapsody of Fire guitarist Luca Turilli. He is also the current lead vocalist of Angra, and was the original singer of Labyrinth and Vision Divine.

Contents

Career

Lione was born in Pisa. His career started in 1990 at the age of 17 when he began to sing with a small rock and roll underground group who played classics of 1950s and 1960s similar to Elvis Presley's songs.[ citation needed ] He had a passion for groups such as Queensrÿche, Fates Warning, and Crimson Glory, which inspired him to form his own heavy metal band.

His musical activities continued with a young group from Pisa, named Athena. They were a progressive metal band with their own unique style and challenged various expressions. Lione recorded a demotape with Athena and it was his first experience in a metal band. Lione did twenty shows with the band, but after two years, he left the band in 1994. Athena made their first album in 1995 (Inside the moon).

At first his stage name was Joe Terry which was the combination of his favourite heroes' names in Japanese games (Joe Higashi and Terry Bogard from Fatal Fury). His first piece of musical equipment was a Shure SM 58 microphone.

Labyrinth

Lione met the band Labyrinth, then going under the name of "Vision". Shortly after, in 1993 the band started to work on a demotape called Midnight Resistance, lyrics and vocal lines written by Lione. Before the album No Limits was released, Lione recorded a mini CD with Labyrinth, [Piece of Time] lyrics and vocal lines written by Fabio Lione.

Lione created the album No Limits together with Olaf, a band member of Labyrinth. His lyrics were mainly based on his personal experiences and his emotions. He wrote vocal lines and lyrics for this record, all the lyrics in the album were connected as Lione did this as an experiment. Labyrinth's style was different from other bands because it was mixed with different music genres including thrash metal and progressive rock. Lione was the singer of Labyrinth for just more than three years.

Athena

Lione joined Athena in 1991 and in 1992 they recorded their first demotape. After several concerts he left the band in 1993 for a new collaboration, the one with Labyrinth. Athena called Lione again in '97 ..so they could start work on their second album A New Religion which was released in 1998. Lione wrote the lyrics and the vocal lines for ten songs; the lyrics used religious and philosophical words and had the tendency to reflect deep meanings on their music. Lione and the other members of Athena attended Axel Rudi Pell Tour 1998 with Dreamscape, another progressive metal band from Germany in December. Shortly after the tour the band decided to break up.

Vision Divine

Lione at the Rockin' Field Festival of Milan in 2008 Vision Divine - Rockin' field festival - luglio 2008 (5).jpg
Lione at the Rockin' Field Festival of Milan in 2008

In 1998, Lione met Olaf Thorsen and to seal their newfound friendship, they decided to create what was originally supposed to be only a side-project: Vision Divine. Lione now found himself in the two groups: Rhapsody and Vision Divine, and this situation continued, with successes in both groups, until 2003. The first "Vision Divine" record in 1999 received excellent sales results and criticism (and took the band on tour in South America for the first time). The second album of Vision Divine Send me an angel was released in January 2002. Lione composed eight vocal lines for this album. Their expressions became more serious and deeper, close to the reality of divinity and humanity with progressive and heavy sounds. The album Beto Vazquez Infinity was released in February, including the song "The battle of the Past" in which Lione was singing as a guest vocalist for the Beto Vazquez project.

In 2003, Lione sang at shows with Vision Divine at Gods of Metal 2003 (Milan) and at Heineken Jammin' Festival (Imola) in June. He then recorded four demo songs with Vision Divine in November and performed on an Italian Tour in December. Shortly after it was announced Lione had to leave the band, due to his other commitments making it too difficult front this band as well. He nevertheless spent most of the year writing and left the band nine new vocal lines for the "Stream of Consciousness" album, executed with a different singer.

In 2008, Lione took part in some shows with Vision Divine to celebrate the ten years of the band, and on 28 May, they announced that Fabio had rejoined the band as the new singer. The band released the new CD "9 Degrees West of the Moon" in 2009 and did many shows supporting the record.

In 2012, they released (with Edel/Ear music) what is probably considered their best work so far, "Destination Set To Nowhere", with many great reviews received. The band performed many shows in Italy, Spain and on a South-American tour supporting the record.

Fabio departed from Vision Divine on 28 April 2018.

Rhapsody of Fire

In 1997, the most important and longest running moment began: becoming the lead vocalist of the heavy metal/power metal band Rhapsody. Rhapsody first began negotiations with Lione at Gate Pathway Studio in Wolfsburg, Germany after hearing him in the "Piece of Time" album from Labyrinth. Later that year, the first of many albums, Legendary Tales, was released with Lione as lead vocalist. The second album, Symphony of Enchanted Lands, would be released in 1998, followed by Dawn of Victory in 2000.

The band participated in many concerts throughout their first years. Lione also recorded a new EP album Rain of a Thousand Flames with Rhapsody in Germany between April and August. The album was released in December 2001. Lione performed on stages with Rhapsody at Gods of Metal 2001 (Milan) in June, during South American Tour (Mexico, Colombia, Brazil and Chile) and at Rock Machina Festival (Spain) in July. After these concerts, Lione and Rhapsody recorded their fifth album Power of the Dragonflame. The album was released in March 2002.

Rhapsody travelled with Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica on a successful European tour in April and May 2000 when they also had a chance to join the Wacken Festival 2000 in Germany. Lione attended Rock Machina Festival in Spain in July. Lione set out on Rhapsody's first headlining tour (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Japan and Korea) and joined the summer festivals in Europe including the Bang Your Head Festival in Germany.

In February 2004, he finished vocals for Rhapsody's new album Symphony of Enchanted Lands II: The Dark Secret. The band went promo tour for their new album throughout Canada, US, Germany, Sweden, Czech Republic, Greece, and the UK. On the album's release day, 27 September, the band had a signing session with Christopher Lee in London. Lione also appeared with Christopher Lee on a TV music program in Germany. In 2005, because of copyright issues, the band officially changed its name to Rhapsody of Fire. Under the label Nuclear Blast, they released two more albums and one EP and did a worldwide tour as well as many festivals.

Triumph or Agony was released in 2006, followed by The Frozen Tears of Angels and The Cold Embrace of Fear – A Dark Romantic Symphony in 2010 and From Chaos to Eternity in 2011. Rhapsody of Fire, with Lione at its helm, went back to the studio without long time guitarist and founding member Luca Turilli, to record a new album, Dark Wings of Steel, Fabio Lione wrote all the lyrics for this record. The album was released in 2013.

In 2016, the band released the album Into the Legend, all lyrics written by Fabio Lione. After a short tour promoting the album, Lione announced on 28 September that he was parting ways with the band. [1] From April 2017 to March 2018, he joined Turilli and his former bandmates to perform on Rhapsody's 20th Anniversary Farewell Tour.

Turilli / Lione Rhapsody

In December 2018, Lione and Luca Turilli announced that they had formed a new band: Turilli / Lione Rhapsody. They were joined by former members Alex Holzwarth, Patrice Guers and Dominique Leurqin. They released their only studio album "Zero Gravity (Rebirth and Evolution)" on 5 July 2019. [2] Following the band's final tour in Latin America in January and February 2023, the band disbanded at its conclusion, which was announced prior as the band "closing a chapter of their career for good". [3]

Kamelot

On 16 December 2010, American power metal band Kamelot announced that Lione would take over lead vocal duties for Roy Khan for the Kamelot's tour supporting their "Poetry for the Poisoned" release due to Khan's eventual departure from Kamelot. 70000 Tons of Metal was the last of 49 shows with them, in January 2012. [4]

Angra

Lione with Angra at the 2014 Hellfest W1867-Hellfest2014 Angra FabioLione 87034.JPG
Lione with Angra at the 2014 Hellfest

In January 2013, Lione was again on the stage at 70000 Tons of Metal, but this time with Brazilian progressive metal band Angra. The two shows were a great success and Fabio was again with them at the Live n' Louder Festival in São Paulo with Twisted Sister, Metal Church and Loudness. After that, the band decides to do a special tour, a commemorative one celebrating 20 years from the release of the first record "Angels Cry". They celebrate 20 years of career with 11 shows in Latin-America and the release of a new DVD, recorded in the last show in São Paulo. After that Angra played in Japan as co/headliner at the Loud Park festival 13 with Stone Temple Pilots and Europe and they had a very good response. The commemorative tour continues with another 14 shows in Latin America and 4 shows in Europe, where the band performed at Hellfest in France, alongside Black Sabbath, Soundgarden, Aerosmith and others. Following Hellfest, Angra returned to Sweden to record "Secret Garden".

Angra announced that the band's new release, and the first album to feature vocalist Fabio Lione, entitled Secret Garden . The album was released by JVC in Asia on 17 December and later released on 16 January 2015 in Brazil, published by Universal Music, and North America, Europe, and Russia. The album brings what the band has called "a true renewal in the style of the band." With production by producer Roy Z (Judas Priest, Bruce Dickinson, Halford) and was recorded and produced in Sweden by Jens Bogren (Kreator, Arch Enemy, Opeth).

Eurobeat

Lione's first Eurobeat song Eye of the Tiger was released in Japan in 2000. His name for Eurobeat project was "J. Storm", deriving from Joey Tempest. He published thirteen Eurobeat songs (list below) under this name between 2000 and 2005 and has declared that he wouldn't be making any more Eurobeat in the future. However, by the end of 2013 a new song was released called "Dancing into fire". One of his songs, "Dancing in My Dreams", was also used in Initial D Battle Stage 1 and in the games Arcade Stage 3 and Street Stage along with Demolition.

Discography

Rhapsody of Fire releases
Turilli / Lione Rhapsody releases
Labyrinth releases
Athena releases
Vision Divine releases
Ayreon releases
Hollow Haze releases
Angra releases
Avalon releases
Spirits of Fire
Ancient Bards
Miscellaneous releases
Thy Majestie releases
Sebastien releases
Alexander Koller's SALVATOR release
Evan K release
Eternal Idol release
Steel Seal release
Ancestral Dawn release
Soulspell release
Coherent Souls Orchestra release
Lione/Conti
Cruel Juno
Opera Magna

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angra (band)</span> Brazilian power metal band

Angra is a Brazilian power metal band formed in 1991. They have released ten regular studio albums, five EPs, and three live CD/DVDs to date. Led by Rafael Bittencourt, the band has gained a degree of popularity in Japan and Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Labyrinth (band)</span> Italian power metal band

Labyrinth is an Italian power metal band formed in 1994 in Massa, Tuscany. The band underwent a change in style and themes after the departure of Olaf Thorsen in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamelot</span> American power metal band

Kamelot is an American power metal band from Tampa, Florida, formed by Thomas Youngblood in 1987. The Norwegian vocalist Roy Khan joined for the album Siége Perilous, and shared songwriting credit with Youngblood until his departure in April 2011. On June 22, 2012, Youngblood announced on their website that their new vocalist would be the Swedish singer Tommy Karevik, who was first featured on Kamelot's album Silverthorn as the main vocalist, co-songwriter, and lyricist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vision Divine</span> Italian metal band

Vision Divine is an Italian power/progressive metal band formed in 1998.

<i>Legendary Tales</i> 1997 studio album by Rhapsody

Legendary Tales is the debut studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody. It was released in 1997 on Limb Music. The album is the beginning of the Emerald Sword Saga.

Beto Vazquez Infinity is an Argentine heavy metal project from Buenos Aires led by Alberto 'Beto' Vazquez. Formed in 2000, the outfit has released seven studio albums and a live DVD. Vazquez uses a large number guests on his records, while he occasionally plays live with a six-piece band.

<i>Triumph or Agony</i> 2006 studio album by Rhapsody of Fire

Triumph or Agony is the seventh studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire, released in Europe on 25 September 2006. It is the first album that the band released after their name change.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhapsody of Fire</span> Italian symphonic power metal band

Rhapsody of Fire is an Italian symphonic power metal band formed by Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli, widely seen as a pioneer of the symphonic power metal subgenre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luca Turilli</span> Italian musician

Luca Turilli is an Italian composer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist constantly engaged in various musical projects, ranging from trance and electronic music of his first compositions to symphonic metal inspired by the world of soundtracks and also to modern pop and piano compositions of his current productions. He is one of the founders of the symphonic power metal band Rhapsody, later called Rhapsody of Fire, for which he composed and arranged all music with his colleague Alex Staropoli from 1997 until 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Rodenberg</span> Musical artist

Michael Rodenberg, nicknamed Miro, is a German keyboard player and record producer known for working with power metal bands such as Angra, Shaaman, Luca Turilli, Rhapsody of Fire, Kamelot, and Heavens Gate. He mainly works in conjunction with his some-time bandmate Sascha Paeth.

Steel Seal is an Italian Neoclassical Power Metal band formed in 2003 by guitar player and main songwriter, Marco Valerio Zangani, and vocalist Bruno Baudo, bassist Roberto Fasciani and the keyboardist Adriano Rossi. They produced their first demo in 2003, entitled Demo 2003, with computer-generated drums, which led to a recording contract with Italian label Underground Symphony in 2004. Internal band problems resulted in the departure of Baudo and Fasciani, and the arrival of Andrea Orciuolo, Fabio Bernardi, Luca Iovieno. With a hole in the vocalist spot, the band recruited world-renowned singer D.C. Cooper as a session vocalist and By the Power of Thunder was released in Japan in December 2006 and worldwide in 2007. In 2008, original members Fasciani and Rossi replaced Orciuolo and Bernardi and this time around, Thomas Vikstrom handled vocal duties for the follow-up album, recording them in Argentina in January 2009. On one song, Vikstrom sings a duet with Italian vocalist Val Shieldon, who also is credited for the backing vocals on many tracks. Redemption Denied was released worldwide by Underground Symphony in 2010. With the same line-up, and the Italian vocalist Fabio Lione as a special guest, the band started to work on the following album. After a long and troubled preparation, The Lion's Den was released worldwide, in 2017: besides Lione, other guests are guitarist Lorenzo Milone, as for the previous album, and Andrea De Paoli on the keyboards. The album enhanced the Neoclassical influences of the band reproposing at the same time their typical mixture of Power Metal and Hard Rock with lyrics often deriving from verses of famous British and American poets. Subsequently, the same musicians, including Lione as a session vocalist again, recorded the still unreleased Fireraiser, completed in 2020 at the Outer Sound Studios in Rome, like its three predecessors. On one song, Lione sings a duet with Italian vocalist Andrea Marchisio ; other guests are Milone, as usual, and Val Shieldon again, who sings a cover of Lost and Lonely Days by Warlord. The release of the album is about to be scheduled by Underground Symphony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luca Turilli's Rhapsody</span> Italian metal band

Luca Turilli's Rhapsody was an Italian symphonic power metal band created and led by Luca Turilli after his split from Rhapsody of Fire, also including German, French and Finnish members. The band members referred their style as "Cinematic metal" to underline Luca Turilli's passion for the world of cinema and the soundtracks, yet the main influence of his new artistic proposal.

<i>Dark Wings of Steel</i> 2013 studio album by Rhapsody of Fire

Dark Wings of Steel is the tenth studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. It was released on November 22, 2013, in Europe and December 3, 2013, in the United States via AFM Records. Following the various line-up changes since the previous album From Chaos to Eternity in 2011, Dark Wings of Steel is the first album by the band to not feature guitarist and founding member Luca Turilli, the first with guitarist Roberto De Micheli, and the only album with bassist Oliver Holzwarth.

<i>Blue Lightning</i> (Evan K album) 2016 studio album by Evan K

Blue Lightning is the first solo album of guitar virtuoso Evan K, released 2016 by FC Metal Recordings in Europe and King Records in Japan. It consists of 6 instrumental titles and 3 songs and features some famous guests from the Power-Progressive Metal Scene like Fabio Lione, Bob Katsionis, Markus Johansson and Jimmy Pitts.

<i>Legendary Years</i> 2017 compilation album of re-recorded songs by Rhapsody of Fire

Legendary Years is the second compilation album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. It consists of re-recorded songs from The Emerald Sword Saga, a five concept albums-long story started in their first album Legendary Tales in 1997 and concluded in Power of the Dragonflame in 2002.

Turilli / Lione Rhapsody was an Italian symphonic metal band formed in December 2018, by former Rhapsody of Fire members Luca Turilli and Fabio Lione. The lineup also included former Rhapsody of Fire members Alex Holzwarth, Patrice Guers, and Dominique Leurquin. Prior to the band's formation, the same lineup performed under the Rhapsody moniker for the 20th Anniversary Farewell Tour, which celebrated 20 years of the original band's existence. On the same day that the band formed, the band started a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to fund their only studio album.

Spirits of Fire is an American/Italian supergroup consisting of Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitarist Chris Caffery, Testament bassist Steve Di Giorgio, and former Fates Warning drummer Mark Zonder. Tim "Ripper" Owens formerly of Judas Priest and Iced Earth was a founding member of the band before leaving in 2021. The identity of Owens' replacement was kept secret while the band was recording their second album. The new singer Fabio Lione was announced 8 December 2021 with their second album Embrace The Unknown that was released on 28 February 2022 via Frontiers Records.

<i>Zero Gravity (Rebirth and Evolution)</i> 2019 studio album by Turilli Lione Rhapsody

Zero Gravity (Rebirth and Evolution) is the only studio album by Italian symphonic metal band Turilli Lione Rhapsody. It was released on July 5, 2019 via Nuclear Blast. The album was funded by a crowdfunding campaign that the band had started on Indiegogo.

<i>Lione/Conti</i> 2018 studio album by Lione/Conti

Lione/Conti is a collaborative album by Italian power metal singers Fabio Lione and Alessandro Conti under the moniker Lione/Conti. It was released through Frontiers Records on 26 January 2018. The project was conceived by Frontiers's president Serafino Perugino, who was willing to create an Italian version of the label's Allen/Lande partnership. The album was written and produced by Simone Mularoni (DGM).

<i>The Enigma Birth</i> 2021 studio album by Avalon

The Enigma Birth is the fourth and final full-length album by Timo Tolkki's Finnish metal opera project Avalon, released on June 18, 2021.

References

  1. "Fabio Lione part ways with Rhapsody of Fire". Official Fabio Lione Facebook Page. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  2. "LUCA TURILLI and FABIO LIONE Reunite for TURILLI/LIONE RHAPSODY". 5 December 2018.
  3. "Turilli / Lione Rhapsody final Latin American Tour". Turilli / Lione Rhapsody. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  4. "US Shows Announced! Singer Update…". Official Kamelot Website. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2010.