Neopera

Neopera
Neopera at the Wacken Roadshow 2014
Background information
Origin	Hamburg, Germany
Genres	Symphonic metal
Years active	2011 (2011)–present
Labels	earMUSIC
Associated acts	Xandria Gamma Ray Freedom Call Counter-World Experience Crystal Breed Dark Age Holy Moses Dead End Circle Syndemic
Website	neopera.com
Members	Dirk Schlächter Thorsten Harnitz Jörn Schubert Mirko Gluschke Thorsten Schuck Nina Jiers

Neopera is a German band which combines symphonic metal music with light electronic music, operatic (male/female) vocals and death growls. The band was formed in 2011 in Hamburg.

Jörn Schubert (Dark Age) always wanted to combine heavy metal music with classical music. For this purpose, he sought suitable musicians, eventually finding the soprano Nina Jiers and the baritone Thorsten Schuck. At that time, Jiers had no experience with metal. Mirko Gluschke (Dead End Circle), who is a good friend of Schubert, became the growling vocalist. Dirk Schlächter (Gamma Ray) became the band's bass guitarist. In addition, during the recording of the demo, Corvin Bahn (ex-(?)Gamma Ray), André Schumann (Dark Age) and Guiomar Espineira (flautist) helped, in order to release the first demo ("Destined Ways'") in mid-2011, in collaboration with the producer Elke Freese (Dark Age, Hammer Studios).

On 29 May 2012, Schubert signed a contract with the record company earMUSIC which asked him to record an entire album. The recordings for the album Destined Ways began in June 2012 and were finished in November 2012. It was released in Germany on 29 August 2014 and internationally on 18 July 2014. The two year time gap between the completion of the album and its release was explained by the search for a suitable sample space and new members. Schumann and Espineira were only intended in the studio recordings and Bahn was not available at that time for live performances. Therefore, the band searched for new live musicians. Eventually, Mikis Trimborn (Syndemic) became the second guitarist, while Thorsten Harnitz (Counter-World Experience, Crystal Breed) became the drummer.

On 1 August 2014, Neopera made their second appearance at Wacken Open Air Liveshow.