Forsaken

Not to be confused with a later Swedish ensemble that later adopted the same name, the Maltese five-piece Forsaken played a pivotal role in bringing the compact island nation to the attention of global heavy metal audiences. Operating in shifting configurations from 1990 onward, the group had stabilized around vocalist Leo Stivala, guitarist Daniel Magri, keyboardist Mario Ellul, bassist Albert Bell, and drummer Simeon Gatt when they unveiled their debut full-length, Evermore, in 1996. The album fused classic, doom, and progressive metal elements in an unusually personal manner, yet its progress was abruptly halted after Magri, still only twenty-five, was diagnosed with cancer and ultimately succumbed to the disease in 2001. During his illness and the period of grief that followed, the band entered a prolonged dormancy, remaining close to their stricken comrade until the end. Their return began with the 2003 Iconoclast EP, which introduced new guitarist Sean Vukovic and received widespread critical praise, followed by the well-received full-lengths Anima Mundi in 2004 and Dominaeon in 2005. Through these releases Forsaken have continued to develop their distinctive progressive doom sound without interruption.