 It
was around 1992/93, when keyboard virtuoso Vitalij Kuprij, who
was studying classical music in Switzerland at that time, met
Roger Staffelbach, a Swiss guitarist whizz who was also studying
at the Jazz School in Lucerne.
They soon founded their band "Atlantis Rising",
which played several instrumental gigs in Switzerland. After
having recorded some demos, they got in touch with Mike Varney
of Shrapnel Records, who showed great interest in the band but
suggested to add some vocal lines to their songs.
Vitalij had already known stunning drummer Mike
Terrana from one of Yngwie Malmsteen's tours. His friend, bassist
Kevin Chown, also joined the band and enriched their sound with
solid experience and great musicianship, and Artension
was born.
Mike Varney introduced Vitalij and Roger to several
musicians, one of them being John West, whose soaring vocals,
along with Vitalij's and Roger's lightning-fast solos, became
the trademark for Artension's neo-classical meets progressive
music.
Into The Eye Of The Storm
was released in 1996 with glowing reviews from the worlds press.
The band original yet accessible sound was captivating for all
who managed to hear it.
This was quickly followed up by 1997's
Phoenix
Rising where a stronger production was heard yet maintaining
the song writing approach heard on the debut. It was around this
time that the band was starting to cause a major buzz on the
metal underworld. Vocalist John West was offered the vocal slot
with Yngwie Malmsteen, but Yngwie unwillingness to have anyone
collaborate on vocal melodies and lyrics proved the death of
this collaboration.
Forces Of Nature was
released in 1999 to universal critical acclaim, the album featured
the bands strongest and most accessible material to date, bolstered
further by an ultra-powerful production. Reviews were again
ecstatic but the labels unwillingness to give funds to support
a tour helped to reduce its impact globally. Japan was touted
as possible venue for a tour but nothing ever came of it.
John West then filled the vacant vocal spot in Royal
Hunt but fans were relieved to see that he would still continue
with Artension.
The band quickly reconvened for 2000's
Machine;
a darker more progressive affair which added a new element to
the bands sound. By now the songwriting partnership of West/Kuprij
and Staffelbach was really hitting its stride. The album again
saw no tour and proved to be the bands last release on Shrapnel.
The band then signed to European based Frontiers
Records (a label with an excellent reputation for promoting
metal acts) and 2001 saw the first fruits of this partnership
in Sacred Pathways. This album
saw the band combine elements of all their previous albums and
was widely regarded as another excellent album. It did however
see Kuprij's keyboard become the main focus on the instrument
side.
This slight change in direction was further enhanced
by 2003's New Discovery, an album
that sadly was let down by a mix that masked the excellent guitar
work of Staffelbach (see reviews section). Still no tour has
happened and this may ultimately lead to the band never reaching
the next level commercially.
2004 saw the band reunite (with ex Testament bassist
Steve Degirio on board) for what was to become Future World.
The album saw a European release in early 2005 via Lion Music.
The album displays a return to the more progressive sound heard
on earlier albums.
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