Florian Magnus Maier (Morean) | |
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Background information | |
Born | 1973 Bavaria, Germany |
Origin | Germany Netherlands |
Genres | Contemporary classical music, chamber music, flamenco, technical death metal, progressive metal, black metal |
Occupation(s) | Composer, Guitarist |
Instrument(s) | Guitar |
Website | http://www.florianmagnusmaier.com/ |
Florian Magnus Maier (born 1973), also known as Morean, is a German classical composer, guitarist, producer and vocalist of the bands Alkaloid, Dark Fortress, and Noneuclid. [1] [2] [3] Although born in Munich, he has resided in the Netherlands for over 20 years, his primary occupation being a composer and guitar player within both the contemporary classical and heavy metal communities. [4] Although mostly recognized within the metal community for his vocalist duties with black metal band Dark Fortress, Maier is also a vocalist and guitarist for progressive metal outfits Alkaloid and Noneuclid. [5] Being a classical composer, Maier has also collaborated with Devin Townsend and Paradise Lost on orchestrations. [6] [7]
In 2014, the Dutch Public Broadcasting channel released a documentary about the life and work of Maier, highlighting his most famous classical piece, Schattenspiel. [8]
After the departure of Erick Rutan from Morbid Angel, Maier auditioned for the lead guitarist role, and was one of the 3 runners-up to take the position, eventually delegated to Destructhor of Zyklon. [9]
Maier was born in Munich, and cultivated an interest in extreme metal music since he was 13. His first band was a thrash metal group called Messenger, where he handled guitar and vocal duties. [10] Having played for several years with his own thrash metal bands in his parents basement, at 17 he became obsessed with flamenco guitar styles and at 21 this prompted him to move to the Netherlands to study flamenco guitar with Paco Peña, and eventually classical composition with Klaas de Vries at the conservatory of Rotterdam. He credits Klaas de Vries, with his development in music. He earned his BA cum laude in composition in 2001, [11] and has mainly worked as a composer and guitarist with orchestras and metal musicians.
Maier played flamenco guitar for 12 years, however, he was diagnosed with hypermobility in all of his joints, preventing him from using his thumb and consequentially, dropping flamenco altogether. Currently, he uses 7 and 8 string B.C Rich and Ibanez guitars within both his own ensemble orchestrations and heavy metal bands. [12]
Maier is known within the metal community as Morean. He is married to Sanja Maier-Hasagic.
Maier joined the German Black Metal band Dark Fortress in 2007, and has since released 4 full records with the band. [13] Despite his primary occupation as a composer and guitarist, he handled vocal and lyrical duties exclusively for all their records hitherto, while occasionally playing guitars as well. In particular, Maier has been influential in utilizing lyrics and imagery based on philosophical and sometimes occultist viewpoints. [14]
When speaking about the black metal scene and adoption of corsepaint for atmospheric purposes, Maier states: [15]
As for the image: we like to think of ourselves as sophisticated and thinking individuals that live their beliefs in everything, not just on stage, and we would feel like a bunch of morons if we lowered ourselves to the level of idiocy of the usual black metal clichés. Contrary to other bands, we actually try to say something, even though we know some people only get happy if you mention Satan or bathe in your own (or someone else's) vomit. We are not schizophrenic in that sense; we don't pretend to be some random, under-researched lord of hell with a clown face on stage and go back to being a complaining, miserable cog in the machine who hates his life after the show.
Progressive metal supergroup Alkaloid was formed in 2014, initially set up as a collaboration between Hannes Grossmann, Christian Münzner, Danny Tunker and Linus Klausenitzer. Grossmann invited Maier to join on guitar and vocalist duties. Maier said "it was just impossible to say no (and not join the band)". The band stated that their first record, 'The Malkuth Grimoire', did not receive support from any labels because it was too diverse and hence unmarketable. [16] Consequently, they crowdfunded the album, receiving more than $21,000 dollars in donations from fans across the world. [16]
Grossmann stated that a central reason for his departure from death metal band Obscura was to collaborate with Maier. [17] Concerning Maier's ability, Grossmann said "he is the best composer I have ever worked with". [18] Speaking of Maier's abilities, guitarist Christian Münzner said that "The guy is probably the most amazing guitar player I ever met." [19]
In 2014, the Netherlands Public Broadcasting network NPO released a 50-minute documentary about Maier's life and his composition of a double-guitar concerto, featuring Izhar Elias, entitled "Schattenspiel" ("Shadowplay") for the Zaterdagmatinee, whose performance took place at the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. [20] In this documentary, Maier speaks about his childhood, heavy metal during his formative years, familial support and transition to flamenco and classical style guitar playing and composition. [8]
Maier played flamenco guitar with Paco Peña until 2006, at which he was diagnosed with hypermobility, and reverted to electric and acoustic guitars. He is unable to use his thumb for traditional flamenco picking, so incorporates flamenco influences in his electric guitar based music.
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Dark Fortress was a German melodic black metal band from Landshut formed in 1994. They have released seven studio albums, a split album and a demo album.
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Obscura is a German technical death metal band from Landshut, founded by guitarist and vocalist Steffen Kummerer in 2002. The band have released six studio albums, a compilation album and twelve music videos since its formation. Their latest album A Valediction was released on 19 November 2021 via Nuclear Blast.
Cosmogenesis is the second studio album by German death metal band Obscura. It was released on 17 February 2009 by Relapse Records. The album debuted at No. 71 on the Top Heatseekers chart.
Ylem is the sixth full-length studio release from German melodic black metal band Dark Fortress; and the second to feature new vocalist Morean. The album was released on January 22, 2010 in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and on January 25, 2010 for the rest of Europe. It was also released on February 9, 2010 in the United States of America.
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Per Nilsson is a Swedish guitarist and producer. He is best known as one of the founding members of the melodic death metal band Scar Symmetry and for being the touring lead guitarist for Meshuggah during Fredrik Thordendal's 2017-2021 hiatus. He is also the guitarist for Swedish progressive rock group Kaipa and since 2017 he is the lead guitarist for Swedish power metal band Nocturnal Rites.
Linus Klausenitzer is a German bass player, best known for being a former bassist for the German progressive death metal band Obscura. He also plays bass in a German/Dutch progressive death metal band Noneuclid, as well as progressive death metal project Alkaloid along with current and former members of both Obscura and Noneuclid.
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Thomas Zwijsen is a Dutch/Belgian (Flemish) classical acoustic and heavy metal guitarist. He is known for his arrangements of Iron Maiden songs for classical guitar both on YouTube since 2007 and with his 2013 and 2014 albums "Nylon Maiden", "Nylonized" and "Nylon Maiden II". Since 2011, he has worked closely with ex Iron Maiden and Wolfsbane frontman Blaze Bayley, co-composing Bayley's 2012 album The King of Metal and 2013 released Russian Holiday EP. In 2015, he released an album in Flamenco/fusion style consisting entirely of his own compositions, entitled "Divide & Unite".
Elements of the Infinite is the third studio album by American death metal band Allegaeon. The album was released on June 24, 2014 through Metal Blade Records. This is the band's first release with guitarist Michael Stancel and drummer Brandon Park, and last with original vocalist Ezra Haynes before his departure in 2015.
Neopera is a German band which combines symphonic metal music with light electronic music, operatic vocals and death growls. The band was formed in 2011 in Hamburg.
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