Displaying items by tag: Progressive Metal

In a world where music and craftsmanship collide, few artists embody the fusion of culture, innovation, and raw sonic power like Demetrio Scopelliti and John Ivan. Scopelliti—a multifaceted guitarist, producer, and founder of Inspiria Guitars—has built his legacy across borders. Born in Italy and based in Norway since 2008, he blends the bold spirit of Viking culture with the elegance of Italian design. His music and instruments are reflections of that duality: fierce, expressive, and meticulously crafted. 

Joining the conversation is John Ivan, known to many as GuitarSlinger—a veteran of the international metal scene and a true force in progressive and thrash metal. As a key member of the Michael Vescera Project and co-founder of The Voices of Metal, John brings decades of stage and studio experience to the table. Together, these two music experts explore what it means to push boundaries, elevate the guitar craft, and stay authentic in an ever-evolving musical landscape.

In the dynamic world of rock and metal, there are a few names that demonstrate an unparalleled synergy of technical mastery and raw passion as Nick Z Marino, a powerhouse vocalist and keyboardist known for his work with Yngwie Malmsteen and his solo project NZM, and John Ivan Belousov, an internationally acclaimed progressive and thrash metal guitarist and songwriter, a member of the Michael Vescera Project, and co-founder of The Voices of Metal Project. 

In this exclusive interview, we explore their musical journeys, their life experiences and stories, and what drives them to continue evolving. Nick and John talk about the roots of their friendship, the commonality of their backgrounds and fate, and share the history of their collaboration, offering a rare glimpse into the minds of two artists who live and breathe music of the highest level of creativity, drive, and multi-layered complexity.

For Chicago heavyweights SOiL, 2024 became an exciting and busy year of touring. They started in March by headlining in The Back To The 2000’s Tour along with their counterparts from Texas, nu-metal pioneers The Union Underground, playing exclusive material from their most popular albums that were released in the early 2000’s.

In August, SOiL takes off to Europe for a two-week European tour, The tour kicks off at the legendary Wacken Open Air Festival on August 2 and concludes on August 16 in Sulingen, Germany at the ReLoad Festival. In November 2024, the band returns to the UK for another headlining round for the first time since 2019.