Cellador

Cellador came together in Omaha, NE, during the summer of 2004, drawing inspiration from European power-metal pioneers such as Helloween and Blind Guardian along with the more contemporary “extreme” approach pioneered by Dragonforce. The fledgling lineup—Michael Gremio on vocals, Chris Petersen handling both lead and rhythm guitar, Bill Hudson covering lead guitar and keyboards, Valentin Rakhmanov on bass guitar, and David Dahir behind the drums—had been active for less than twelve months when they supported death metal act the Black Dahlia Murder. Impressed by the set, the Black Dahlia Murder forwarded Cellador’s demo to Metal Blade Records owner Brain Slagel, who promptly offered the band a deal. While preparing their first full-length album, Enter Deception, the group maintained a busy touring schedule that took them across the United States alongside Kreator, Sonata Arctica, and Trivium.