Pyramaze

Hailing from Denmark, Pyramaze fuses progressive and symphonic power metal through sweeping, cinematic soundscapes, propulsive riffs, and instantly memorable melodic hooks. The group first gained attention in the early 2000s via intricately plotted, story-focused albums such as Legend of the Bone Carver (2006) and Immortal (2008), then entered a hiatus in 2011. Following multiple lineup shifts, Pyramaze resumed activity with Disciples of the Sun (2015) and maintained its progressive melodic metal direction through the subsequent decade on acclaimed releases including Epitaph (2020) and Bloodlines (2023).

Guitarist Michael Kammeyer established the band in 2002; it later expanded to a five-piece with the arrival of drummer Morten Gade Sørensen (Wuthering Heights, Anubis Gate), bassist Niels Kvist, keyboardist Jonah Weingarten, and vocalist Lance King (Balance of Power). Pyramaze issued its debut, Melancholy Beast, in 2004 via Nightmare Records. Guitarist Toke Skjønnemand came aboard soon afterward and made his recording debut on the 2006 concept album Legend of the Bone Carver. Lance King exited the following year, yielding the microphone to Iced Earth’s Matt Barlow for the 2008 release Immortal, though Barlow’s tenure proved brief as he returned to Iced Earth after the album’s completion.

A major transition unfolded in 2011 when founder Kammeyer and bassist Kvist stepped away, yet keyboardist Weingarten and drummer Sørensen committed to continuing; they recruited longtime producer Jacob Hansen for guitar duties and installed Terje Haroy as the new frontman. The refreshed lineup delivered Disciples of the Sun in 2015 on Inner Wound Recordings, followed two years later by the band’s fifth studio album, the post-apocalyptic concept work Contingent.

Pyramaze signed with AFM Records prior to Epitaph in 2020, which included guest contributions from Brittney Slayes (Unleash the Archers) alongside former vocalists Matt Barlow and Lance King. Bloodlines, issued in 2023, delivered a vigorous mixture of symphonic grandeur and riff-driven power metal aided by guests Melissa Bonny (Ad Infinitum) and guitarists Andrew Kingsley (Unleash the Archers) plus Tim Hansen, son of Helloween and Gamma Ray virtuoso Kai Hansen.