Black Majesty

Black Majesty
Black Majesty concert on Masters of Rock 2007 festival.
Background information
Origin	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genres	Power metal Heavy metal
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Limb
Associated acts	Pegazus, Catwitch, Cyclone Tracy
Website	blackmajesty.com
Members	John 'Gio' Cavaliere Steve Janevski Hanny Mohamed Evan Harris Ben Mazzarol
Past members	Joe Fata Mark Kelson Cory Betts

Black Majesty is an Australian power metal band formed in 2001 as Kymera. Founding members were Cory Betts on bass guitar (ex-Pegazus), Steve Janevski on guitar (ex-Cyclone Tracy) and Hanny Mohammed on guitar (ex-Catwitch). After the release of a three track sampler album they signed a five-album contract with German-based label, LMP Records. The group released their fifth studio album, Stargazer, in July 2012.

The band formed in Melbourne in 2001 under the name Kymera. Guitarist Steve Janevski was drawn from Cyclone Tracy, a long-running heavy rock/hair metal outfit. Bass player Cory Betts was a member of Pegazus, a Melbourne power metal band that had toured Europe in 1998, although he did not join that band until early 1999. Kymera's other guitarist Hanny Mohammed had recorded an album with a band called Catwitch who had been featured on a television documentary. moniker due to a US band sharing the same name. After a flirtation with the name Arkaya, the band began recording material but Betts then left and the group renamed itself Black Majesty.

The Sands of Time album was recorded in 2002 and prefaced by a three-track promo disc that gained them a five-album contract with German label LMP. The album's sound was a mixture of progressive metal and power metal drawing influence from Queensrÿche and Jag Panzer. Reviews of the album were extremely positive, and in several online polls it won "Album of the Year" honors. Bass tracks were recorded by both Betts and Evan Harris, and Cavaliere duetted with Silvio Massaro from Vanishing Point and cousin Danny Cecati from Eyefear on two tracks. Joe Fata replaced Betts in the interim but left before the album was released in 2003 and since then Black Majesty has not had a permanent bass player, instead looking towards local bass players to fill duties. During this time period guitarist Hanny Mohammed played bass at infrequent live shows with fellow Australian power metal band Pegazus, although by the end of 2002 Mohammed fully focused on his work in Black Majesty.