Lyraka Interviews

Audio Interviews:

Text Interviews:

(Press on the picture for Andy's interview)

Another Text Interview with Andy DiGelsomina:

"How to Compose Music With a Hammer!"

Tell us something about yourself.

My name is Andy DiGelsomina, and I'm an opera composer and lead guitar player. I have lived the majority of my life in the New England area: Maine and Vermont. I love snow and ice, so I guess I'm weird. I'm most definitely crazy!

But this crazy person is going to revolutionize guitar-driven heavy metal music composition. In fact, my music is the revolution in progress.

Who are your top musical influences?

Richard Wagner (the composer), Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, and Uli Jon Roth.

How many instruments can you play and how long have you been playing and writing?

I play the electric lead guitar and I compose/score music. I started playing in 1984,  but I put the guitar down for many years. I've played almost eighteen years overall. I play just enough piano, cello, violin, and viola to compose for them.

What were your earliest musical memories?

My paternal grandfather was big into the classics: Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. My father was more into popular music and kept up with the top 10 stuff, so a lot of my early childhood had alternating Beethoven, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, and Chicago. At the age of eight I came under the spell of the Who's "Quadrophenia", its themes of alienation and bitterness struck a chord within. Although Pete Townshend wasn't an influence from a guitar playing perspective, his impact as a rock opera visionary has been colossal for me.

My dad wasn't a fan of hard rock at all, though he'd buy the most popular albums of that genre to stay current. The good side of this is that I would "inherit" those albums he didn't like, and one of the most important of these was "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow". "Man on the Silver Mountain"was the first heavy metal (or whatever you want to call it these days) I ever liked, and it fascinated me; the quasi-religious lyrics, Ronnie James Dio's vocal delivery, the Bach-y pre-chorus, everything. I next discovered (and appropriated) the album "Burn" from the refuse section of my Dad's collection, and hearing the title track my interest in the whole Progressive Metal thing was deepened, resulting in  a lifetime journey. It made me conscious early on of Art Music and its relation to Rock/Metal. Over the course of the '70's and early '80's (before I ever picked up guitar), I read a lot of rock music magazines, which introduced me to blockbuster guitar albums like "Tokyo Tapes"; "Strangers in the Night"; "Long Live Rock 'N Roll", "Made in Japan", "Blow by Blow", "Van Halen", "Michael Schenker Group", "We Want Moore", "Blizzard Of Ozz".

The negative side was, I was intimidated by the seemingly advanced musical qualities of those albums, so it was a long time before I picked up guitar.

How did you start actually playing guitar?

Although I mentioned being a music lover since a really early age, I only started playing after I heard the first Black Sabbath album. I was seventeen, and about to earn a college degree in Creative Writing. Of course, I was already familiar with Black Sabbath before then: Never Say Die, Heaven and Hell, Iron Man, etc. But Iommi's playing on that first Black Sabbath album completely floored me. It had to do with the fact that a lot of his leads sounded improvised...like something I could play in a relatively short time. His lead on Warning struck the most compelling chord in me. It sounded so wild and free. He just let rip and didn't think too much about it. That had a massive impact on me. I learned that solo note for note, and pretty much the whole Ozzy and Dio era Black Sabbath repetoire. These days I can't remember how to play half of it (laughing). I also spent a lot of time learning songs by Deep Purple, Rainbow, Ulrich Roth's Scorpions, UFO/MSG,  Manowar, Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne (Randy Rhoads and Jake E. Lee eras), Metallica, Slayer, Candlemass (Messiah-era), Vivian Campbell-era Dio, Gary Moore, Ac/Dc, Kiss, and Judas Priest.

Malmsteen? Zeppelin? Hendrix?

My feelings toward Yngwie Malmsteen's music are complicated, and I go into depth regarding the subject at my blog here:

As for Zeppelin and Hendrix, anyone who didn't like them in the 70's and '80s were considered losers, so I bought their albums just to try to fit in. In the case of Zeppelin, I never liked their folk influence at all, and Robert Plant's voice too often sounded girly. I do admire the song "Achilles' Last Stand", and consider that to be their high point.

As for Hendrix, I only like the hits like "All Along the Watchtower" and "Purple Haze". I tried time and again to get into his music as a whole, but most of it disinterests me. I'm not a huge fan of his lead guitar playing either, though obviously he was superb. Same with Page.

How were things early on playing? Did you have any guitar lessons?

I had exactly two lessons in the very beginning, from a jazz guitar teacher that wasn't particularly interested in Rock. I learned almost entirely from records and magazines. Developing my ear was massively important, more important than practically anything else.

It's funny: I was inspired to play guitar when I was only a semester away from getting a degree in Creative Writing. Once I picked up the guitar, I knew that my then current major was kind of silly. Music became life. Unfortunately, I was in a family situation that was already suspicious of the arts, and I'd had to fight to have even a Creative Writing major. So, changing my major to music would have been out of the question. After my love affair with guitar and music began, I went ahead and finished my Associate's Degree in writing; but once I moved onto the University campus, I found myself stuck having to aim toward a graduate's degree in a subject I didn't even care about. From that point, all I did was practice, improvise, and write for the guitar, up to eleven hours a day. Because of this constant music (and the unavoidable campus "party all the time" ethos), I was unceremoniously booted from the University in the second semester of my Junior year. My family, who were never supportive of my interests in the first place, once again disowned me, and I gave up everything to practice guitar and live music all day long. I had nothing but a Kramer Striker guitar, case, the clothes on my back, and an old fashioned tape player/recorder. I'd sleep with my guitar on the street and in homeless missions, wake up and start playing.

I have to mention that I studied arpeggios relatively recently, and learned alot from Joe Stump's instructional videos. Not that I'm some technical marvel, but when I wanted to learn, those videos were really there for me. Joe has a way of making you want to learn, a really friendly and personal approach. And the man ROCKS! You can buy Joe's videos and cds here: . Just be prepared to feel very punked out when you first hear him play. Joe has also been extremely encouraging of my playing and music on a personal level, and that encouragement has helped just as much, if not more in the long run.

Did you also teach yourself music composition?

Yes, again it was mostly by continually developing and teaching my ear to listen to music mindfully. I got the theory and music reading basics down, then studied the scores of Richard Wagner, Beethoven, Gustav Mahler, Joseph Haydn, Mozart, Richard Strauss, and Anton Bruckner.

Because of Wagner, I was more motivated to learn how to read orchestral and operatic scores than chamber stuff. I own most of his orchestral scores, and they've been tremendously inspiring. I often go back and forth between analyzing the scores and letting my ear guide me.

Any book reccomendations for the aspiring composer?

Start out extremely simple. Don't be afraid to plunder the knowledge of an idiot's guide, or to learn two and three chord wonders. It's a great way to start, and you have to have that base. By starting out really simple, you won't get intimidated and frustrated early on.

It's a really good idea to get the cd and book package of Samuel Adler's "Study of Orchestration" if you want to write that sort of music, or even just to lightly orchestrate your Rock compositions.

Never give up: your time is now.

Name your 5 favorite albums.

Rainbow Rising

Michael Schenker Group "Assault Attack"

Richard Wagner's Götterdämmerung (conducted by Georg Solti)

The Who Quadrophenia

Ludwig Van Beethoven's Opus 132 (as performed by the Borodin String Quartet)

What inspired your choice of guitar?

Two albums made me into a Strat fanatic: Rainbow Rising and Scorpions' Tokyo Tapes.

Who came up with the name Lyraka?

It's Jasmine's last name. The whole story, characters, website, and movie script are her creation, so the name is obvious.

You will be releasing a 3D animation movie. How is that coming along for you?

The majority of the soundtrack has been written. Jasmine has finished the second draft of the script.

Do you write the music alone, or is it a collaborative effort?

The music is all mine, but I consult with Jasmine when incorporating her story ideas into the music. She's also great as far as having another, live-in creative person to bounce ideas around with.

Tell us more about the artistic side of your opera.

As intimated above, it's just as much Jasmine's opera as mine. I take from her story and screenplay and set it to music and poetry. Although most Rock 'n Roll people will pick out the Blackmore influences, the working relationship I have with Jasmine is more like the one that Richard Strauss had with his librettist, Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Except, Jasmine has a screenplay instead of a libretto; or, one could say that I make a libretto out of the screenplay.

As mentioned earlier, I have some literary background, and the lyrics I write are influenced by the works of Nietzsche, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Langston Hughes, Carl Gustav Jung and the New Testament. There's a little Stephen King and Tennessee Williams in there as well.

Like Richard Wagner, I will sometimes use certain musical keys and literary devices to represent specific aspects of each character and situation in the opera. There are literary and musical motifs that intertwine throughout the opera, reinforcing the main themes of the work as a whole. The big picture from a literary/motivic perspective is the concept of belief, taken in its broadest definition.

This opera provides the focused listener the oppurtunity to learn something about his or herself and others, which to me is the common denominator in any great work of art. You can customize the broad archetypes inherent in the work to your own, uniquely amazing life.

Obviously, this type of higher Art will be rejected by most. That doesn't change what it is.

Jasmine and I regularly discuss the literary and musical sides to the opera, which helps the artistic side of it develop more naturally (or, as Wagner would have put it, "organically"). We are not afraid to let the themes of the story and music grow and develop as we grow together.

That said, I'll relieve the worries of those music appreciators who just listen to "rock out": there's plenty of headbanging stuff in the Lyraka material. Trust me, I LOVE to rock out, so expect stuff like that in the Lyraka music.

In fact, "Lyraka Volume 1" is most often Wagnerian from a lyrical, allegorical standpoint, and from the way the music presents the story. Because we were concerned with keeping the "Rock" factor in our music, we saw no need to have endless 'symphonic' doodling. Paucis Verbis, we chose not to leech out the hard rocking side of our music with endless bombast.

A track on Lyraka Volume 1 that is most obviously Wagnerian from a musical perspective is "Errandia", with its Tristan und Isolde-esque chromaticism, general atmosphere, and extensive motival transformations. 

I must make clear that from an overall perspective the Lyraka opera is more DiGelsominian than anything else, as I won't settle for simply aping past masters. One way it is DiGelsominian is that I will sometimes utilize different genres of music (not just Metal) to underscore different personality and experiential components of the opera. This is a complete withdrawal from Wagner's approach.

Most people don't want to spend a lot of time mindfully absorbing a work of art, and I completely sympathise with that. The general listening public want something that is entertaining, something they "don't have to think about too much". And there's nothing wrong with that; Jasmine and I like a lot of music that is more groove oriented, "catchy". But the Lyraka opera as a whole is best experienced with a mind open to its intricacies. Listening mindfully, with concentration, immersing yourself in the story, with all the ironicisms and allegories inherent, will provide you with a very rewarding experience,

As for the vehemently negative: it's far easier to dismiss (or label as "boring") something you don't (or won't try to) understand. Most folks are threatened by anything unique, outside the box of their preconceptions. It's endlessly amusing for me to read reviews where the reviewer is simply stating an opinion (everyone has one), not having the musical and/or literary backround to give a real exegesis, or even an unegotistical reason why they don't like it.

To the people who listen to music for music: open your minds and you'll find yourself continually rewarded with my music, which is truly what's happening today. The people who listen to music for more than just a groovy set of beats have been the first to deeply appreciate my work.

In general, I find that people get needlessly meek when it comes to putting up the music of today against the masters of the past like Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Wagner. History will prove that my music, given its temporal context and genre, is just as relevant as the music people give so much overly-reverential lip service to. I take a Nietzschean "composing with a hammer" approach, not letting the great accomplishments of my forebears hold me back from being great myself. Studying and writing without fear puts you up on top of the mountain, not amidst the frightened idolaters.

Though their music hasn't aged well for me, I must take the time to give credit to the Beatles. They really were the first to make people take notice of rock music's contribution to western civilization. Lyraka (and select others) are taking that further, contributing more involved compositions and literary ambitions.

What do you think of other artists who have released Metal Operas, like Avantasia, Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Liverani...?

Am besten ist es, nichts zu sagen

Do you feel you fit in the ranks of great guitar players who have worked with Graham Bonnet, i.e. Ritchie Blackmore, Michael Schenker, Yngwie, Vai...?

In some ways I most certainly don't, but in other ways I more than fit. Once again I go into this in more detail in my blog .

Do you listen to any recent projects?

For me the most relevant rock guitar album of the 21st century, and one of the most visionary ever from both a musical and conceptual standpoint, has been Uli Jon Roth's Under a Dark Sky. A really killer thing about that album, and one that has both inspired and aligned itself with my own work, is how it takes as its base the pioneering progressive rock of the 70s, and with the lead guitar in Uli's hands, ups the expressive content of the album to a heretofore unrealized degree. Roth's guitar becomes like a separate voice, a prime protagonist in an apocalyptic opera. Plus, the entire work as a concept seems to circle the same orbit as Beethoven's 9th, with dire, ecumenically-directed warnings intertwined with exhortations toward tolerance. I was in the process of writing for the first Lyraka album when I heard it, and it pushed me even further compositionally; Under a Dark Sky featured a favorite guitar hero of mine using advanced composition and orchestration where others just went for immature shred concertos using the orchestra as an overblown three piece.

Uli's overall message on Under a Dark Sky is refreshingly mature and positive, and to me far preferable to the snooze-inducingly cliched, "shock yo mama" circus of much rock/metal. Or maybe I'm just old (laughing). In many ways I see my own work as being a harder edged extension of what Uli has done in the past 25 years.

Keeping within the 21st century time frame, I must give props to Emperor's "Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire and Demise". The second half of that album in particular is really excellent from a compositional perspective. Like their album Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk, Prometheus took many, many listens for me to fully appreciate. But now I can see how inspired and risk-taking it truly is.

I usually get very bored by recent bands; too many are copying...they need to mature before I give them more serious attention. However, there are exceptions:

If you want to partake of something that aligns itself with the "metal opera" tag, while still having a clue, check out the often terrific efforts of Virgin Steele. I highly reccomend their albums Marriage of Heaven and Hell, Invictus, and House of Atreus. I just discovered them recently, and I think they're the only real "metal operas" worth listening to; there's some interesting Leitmotif employment, vocal arranging, and overall just great conceptual songwriting.

There is a band from Australia called Dragonsclaw. They play a high energy brand of NWOBHM-ish metal. Great vocals and the songs are really good. I highly reccomend them, they're perfect for anybody into Classic Metal with a modern production.

I really liked Virgin Black's cd, "Mezzo-Forte"; it's gothic doom metal with imaginative orchestral and chorale arrangements. One of the songwriters is featured playing some gorgeous cello. I think they're one of the best out there today, certainly one of the most interesting.

There is a really good band out of Santiago, Chile called Vastator. They are a bit of a cross genre band, with black, death and thrash mixed with Classic Metal. It works quite well. Really good playing, and the singer Señor Diaz (who is also handling vocals for Lyraka Volume 2), handles the different styles excellently. Vastator did a killer video with our singer, Veronica Freeman, called "The Gods Give No Reply", and their albums "Night of San Juan" and "Machine Hell" are excellent.

For releases that are mostly just recent for me: I bought "Framing Armageddon" by Iced Earth. It's the only album I like by them, and I think it's great. Jon Schaffer did some excellent writing for voice on that album, and I think the vocals of Ripper Owens reached a peak.

I've loved doom metal gods Candlemass for over twenty five years, started out with Epicus Doomicus Metallicus the year it came out. My favorite era is the Messiah Marcolin: Nightfall, Ancient Dreams, Tales of Creation, and the most recent one they put out with him in 2005. The material with Robert Lowe has often been devastating as well, and his other band, Solitude Aeternus, is great! Both Robert and Messiah are fabulous vocalists, and the music they've put out both with and without Candlemass has been phenomenal, I highly reccomend it.

I like some of Rhapsody of Fire's music, but the shredding style of Luca Turilli tends to bore me more often than not. However, some of Rhapsody of Fire's compositions are really cool; Turilli writes most of them with the keyboardist. There are some engaging multi-voiced compositions and creative vocal chorale stuff. I must also reccomend Metal fans to keep a lookout for the next release by Manowar. They have been getting more symphonic, and I think "The Asgard Saga" is going to be spectacularly good. Eric Adams is a phenomenal singer, and Joey DeMaio is a bit of a hero of mine. I wouldn't have discovered the music of Richard Wagner without Manowar, so I am deeply indebted to them, and not just for that reason. One of my favorite bands.

As for players, I like Pete Wells of Benedictum, he is interesting because he won't always play what you would expect him too. I tend to value players who aren't afraid to not do things the "accepted" way all the time, and Pete is one of them. Another great player is Vernon Neilly, and I highly reccomend his Stevie Wonder covers album. He is a very creative player and arranger.

Taz Taylor is also a fine player, very melodic and a good songwriter.

I think Guthrie Govan is a freaky great player, just mind blowing. And, although Albert Lee isn't new at all in the guitar world, he is one of the best guitar players that ever lived. And I'll always like Joe (Stump).

There are also really excellent players and songwriters on the Dinosaur Rock Guitar Forum, including  both Nick Layton and Paul Kleff of Firewolfe, Joe Todaro of Awaken, and Curt Anderson. I reccomend the Dinosaur Rock Guitar site itself, as there are all kinds of great articles on lead guitar phrasing, playing mindset, gear reviews, and killer interviews with legends like Wolf Hoffman of Accept. Michael Schenker is also highly valued there, so it's mandatory membership for me. Here, check it out:

Do any guitarists still intimidate you?

Oh, there are so many excellent players out there. But the only guitar players who to this day make me think about putting the guitar up for good are Jeff Beck and Uli Jon Roth. There are two reasons I don't own many Jeff Beck recordings: one, because I don't find him to be a consistently interesting songwriter; two (and most important) because it sucks listening to someone who spanks you all the time.

With Uli, I own most of his stuff, but it can be hard for me to listen to his later work, like Transcendental Sky Guitar; it's often so ferociously brilliant I get literally depressed. I honestly think that Uli's music should be taught in the guitar schools, a special class, because Uli is in a class all by himself. Both Jeff and Uli have progressed to a point in their playing where you could be blindfolded and know it was them playing, on practically anything.

There's a difference between great guitarists and favorite guitarists. My favorite guitar players are Ritchie Blackmore, Uli Jon Roth, Michael Schenker, and Tony Iommi. But Jeff Beck is probably the best lead guitar player in Rock history, and I mean Rock in its broadest definition, including all genres inherent. Only Uli comes close to his level of playing skill in the present day, and to be fair Uli is nearly 10 years younger than Jeff.

I should mention that I give the overall musical edge to Uli, as he continues to progress from both a compositional standpoint as well as playing. This is saying a lot, considering his voluminous accomplishments.

How do you think the internet has changed the music industry?

It tends to clog things up. Fashion often takes precedence over any kind of substance. But that isn't anything new.

Hey, it can get really tiresome hearing "artistes" complain, so let me concentrate instead on giving productive advice.

When you create an account on a site in order to get your music heard, don't assume that your music will be found, or that you're entitled to an audience. Make music because you really love it, and fans will come to you.

Also, as much as you don't want to hear this, it's helpful to give up on the idea that someone is going to appear magically and throw money into your musical project. I say this not just because the music business has been in a major decline, but because it's an unhealthy, unproductive frame of mind to have. Sometimes musicians get lucky and run across someone (who isn't a part of their family) who wants to help, and it's always best to be surprised rather than feel entitled to that. By thinking that someone is going to pop up and put cash into your music, you hold yourself back from moving forward. Always try to look at things as though you are totally on your own, as if nobody is going to help you with anything at all. And persevere in that type of thinking. Trust me, you'll thank me for this advice.

Some encouraging words: If you're putting in the time to actually study music composition (whether by ear, book or both), while staying conscious of emotional content in your playing and writing, then you're ahead of the pack. Don't fall into the trap that so many get stuck in these days: endlessly aping old heros. Instead, take what your heros did and expand upon it, utilising your own playing techniques and style to progress past them. Eventually you'll break free from your influences, and sound new and exciting.

You and Jasmine have contributed part of your Lyraka profits to Japan Quake and Tsunami Relief. Tell us more.

Both Jasmine and I were heartbroken over the awful tragedy in Japan. As the devastation mounted we understood how far-ranging the ramifications of the Quake and Tsunami disaster would be. Our modest contributions have been the least we could do. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our CD-buying fans for helping us support our wonderful Japanese friends in their hour of crisis. Hey, let's all give more:

You mentioned Extreme Metal, are there bands you like in that genre?

Oh yeah, I remember back when albums like Ride the Lightning and Live Undead were considered extreme. Love them. Plus, classic German Thrash like Kreator, Sodom. I remember hearing seminal death metal like Deicide and Death back in 1990 and thinking they played the most evil music I'd ever heard.

In regard to Black Metal, I must declare the musical catalogue of Emperor as exceptional, not just for the genre, but for Rock as a whole. For me, besides Emperor and some of the early Burzum and Satyricon, very little of the what's known as the "second wave of Scandinavian Black Metal" was as good as classic Bathory. Extreme metal bands often try too hard from a compositional standpoint, for instance layering many obnoxiously distorted voices at once in an attempt at what they feel is "advanced" writing. Most often it sounds like a mess, underscoring their poor understanding of dynamics. It's full on almost all the time. That was the main problem that otherwise promising Black Metal bands like Cradle of Filth ran into: too much in your face, too often. It's like looking at detailed photos of atrocities: the shock value wears off. Three or four songs and you're through with it.

But maybe that's what Extreme Metal fans want.

I should mention that some of the post-Black Metal projects are interesting. The German band Blut Aus Nord is a fine example, their music really is like a very dark sound painting.

Where do you see yourself musically in 5 years? What is your goal?

I will continue writing and composing new music for Lyraka because it's an epic. I'll be looking to work with more elaborate orchestral ensembles and choirs as well.

Five years from now the movie will have been made, and three CDs of the set will have been released.

Jasmine and I will not let anyone or anything stand in the way of our vision, because we are assured that what we are doing is great.

We're going to rock the world.

Give us an update on any new things happening with your music or recording.

A recent update on Lyraka Volume 2: The majority of writing for the second Lyraka album is finished. Where Lyraka Volume 1 orbited around the concept of belief, Lyraka Volume 2 will be centered more around the concept of will, from multiple philosophical and theological perspectives.

Here are a few song titles and commentaries:

"Volcano" is a duet I have written for Graham Bonnet and Veronica Freeman. It is a very heavy and dissonant track, with an involved chorale section inspired by the music of Béla Bartók. The lyrics explore the concept of Will, and were inspired by the philosophies of Arthur Schopenhauer and Friedrich Nietzsche.

"Lyraka (On Dragon's Wings)" is a pop-py, upbeat track written for Graham Bonnet. It's very catchy and driving, and we hope to inspire people with this composition's positive message.

"Defender of the Faith" is song I've written for Graham Bonnet, Mark Boals, and Liz Vandall. It's another metal epic detailing the existential angst experienced by the character Locke, who is the head of Lyraka's palace guard. The lyrics were inspired by the crisis experienced by the character Wotan in Richard Wagner's epic opera "Die Walküre".

"Lilliput" is a thrashy song about the desert queen of Errandia, sung by Uli Jon Roth's resident vocalist extraordinaire Liz Vandall. This track will blend in different styles of metal and rock with some Arabian orchestration and atmosphere.

"Father" is the album's mega-epic, sung by Mark Boals as the character Neires and Liz Vandall as Lilliput. It features massive, Götterdämmerung-ian orchestration and various vocal stylings. The composition is constructed like a symphony, with several movements within. One movement, or song within the song, will be the track "Semmonet" which is sung by Al Atkins (founder of Judas Priest). "Semmonet" is a banging blues-metal track at base, but with other musical genres interwoven to add dimensions to the character.

"Abyss" is a song I've written for Rob Diaz of the Chilean band Vastator. It is musically related to black metal, but of course with that typically Lyrakan classic metal base, and features plenty of crazy guitar. Lyrically the song is influenced by the philosophy of Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard."

The cd "Lyraka Volume 2" is set for release in February 2013.

Some words about our musicians: Graham Bonnet is one of the only "old school Metal" vocalists that has all the unique tone and power that he had early in his career. Both Graham and Ronnie Dio are my all time favorite Rock/Metal singers, ever, so you can imagine how satisying it has been to work with Graham, not to mention how heartbreaking it was to hear of Ronnie's death. Because Graham's work with Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, and Lyraka has been a huge inspiration to me, he is the main vocalist in Lyraka, with most songs being written for him.

We have also worked with Tommy Heart of Uli Jon Roth/Sky of Avalon and Fair Warning fame. He is more operatic than Graham, so there's a fascinating set of differences between the two. Tommy was scheduled to play the part of Neires for Lyraka Volume 2 as well, but he ended up getting swamped with touring and studio work. Because of the operatic nature of the part, we chose Mark Boals, of Yngwie Malmsteen and Uli Jon Roth fame, to take over the role from Tommy. Mark's reputation in the neo-classical field precedes him, and of course we are very excited and inspired to have him on board.

We also employ Veronica Freeman of Benedictum fame. Veronica's vocal talents lie both in her incredible power and obvious passion for classic Metal. Jeff Pilson (of Dio and Dokken fame) did the vocal engineering for her vocals, and he did an amazing job. Jeff is of course a fantastic musician and professional, and it was a great honor to work with him. He'll be handling recording for Veronica on this upcoming album as well.

We acquired the services of vocalist Rob Diaz of the Chilean heavy metal band Vastator. I have been listening to Señor Diaz for many months now. He is like a 21st century Rob Halford or King Diamond, with the added twist of an authentically operatic baritone.

We are proud to announce the acquisition of Liz Vandall for Lyraka Volume 2. I have been massively impressed by her accomplishments, including her work with Sahara and Uli Jon Roth. Liz's association with the masterpiece that is Uli's Under a Dark Sky puts the pressure on for me to write top flight music, which is good because pressure inspires me!

Tommy, Veronica, Rob, Liz, Al, and Graham are absolutely fabulous singers, five of the best in the world in my composer's opinion.

How do you describe your music to people?

Wagnerian Opera Metal, defined.

Tell us about your Richard Wagner site.

Our Father of Metal is designed to both promote interest and provide a basic education for the young Metalhead in the operas of the most important Metal maestro in history, Richard Wilhelm Wagner. I started the website because I think that Wagner's loathsome political views have kept his operas from being studied with the exhaustiveness their artistic value warrants. Wagner was the Shakespeare of opera and Metal, the greatest orchestrator whom ever lived, and is easily the equal of the mighty Beethoven in terms of music composition. I urge young players and composers to set aside their (understandable) outrage at Wagner's boneheaded racist blather, and instead immerse themselves in the study his Art itself.

Contrary to weird belief, Wagner's operas do not promote or glorify Nazism, the plots are based on what could be termed morally neutral symbology.

Better yet: listen to the music, study the texts, and make up your own mind, that's why you have a brain.

Here's the site:

Proudest moment to date?

Writing this music for my only love in the world.

What does music mean to you?

Music is the most effective way of expressing what's inside.

What inspires you to do what you do?

The love I feel for Jasmine is my deepest and most consistent source of inspiration. And I know that feeling itself comes from God. I am a happy Roman Catholic.

What is your all time favorite movie?

"Rocky". That movie encapsulates what I went through in my life. I had a traumatic childhood, and because of this I ended up self-destructive, feeling like I had nothing and no one. I spent most of my adulthood homeless, drinking, stealing, and beating up people (including myself). And I gave up for years two things that I loved very much: guitar and Metal, just because I was made to feel I didn't deserve anything that made me happy.

Years went by, with many waking nightmares and hard lessons learned; then I found my way back to guitar and ended up living my dream: recording with the singer from my favorite band (Graham Bonnet from Rainbow) and getting the woman of my dreams (Jasmine).

One organization that really helped me to recover, and might help others with abusive family members, is here:

The greatest beauty of all this music making, this new life, is that it makes me feel so fantastic! I've never had much money, and don't expect to make much with this innovative, non-commercial music. But this gives me the oppurtunity to compose music that Jasmine and I love and admire, and not to worry about the rest. 

This whole world that she and I are building, we have so much gratification just in the act of building it. To quote Ronnie James Dio, "the thrill of just the chase is worth a lifetime".

Like Rocky, I don't need a title, or money, to be a winner.

I already won with the girl.

Lyraka.com & Lyraka screenplay © Jasmine Lyraka 2011 / Music © Andrew DiGelsomina 2011. All Rights Reserved. The concept art featured on Lyraka.com are in no way indicative of the final product. All outside images were used with permission and link back to the copyright holder's site.