Andy Gillion
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Andy Gillion (born 4 September 1988) is a British-born multi-instrumentalist, composer, and songwriter. He is best known as the former songwriter and lead guitarist of the
melodic death metal Melodic death metal (also referred to as melodeath) is a subgenre of death metal that employs highly melodic guitar riffs, often borrowing from traditional heavy metal (including New Wave of British Heavy Metal). The genre features the heavines ...
band,
Mors Principium Est Mors Principium Est (Latin for "death is the beginning") is a Finnish melodic death metal band formed in 1999. History The band was formed in 1999 in Pori, Finland by singer/lead guitarist Jori Haukio, guitarist Jarkko Kokko and keyboardist T ...
. His debut solo album, ''Neverafter'', was released on 15 November 2019. The first single, "Skyless" features
Jeff Loomis Jeff Loomis (born September 14, 1971) is an American musician, best known for his role as lead guitarist in the progressive metal band Nevermore during its existence from 1991 to 2011, as well as brief tenures in its precursor, Sanctuary (band) ...
of
Arch Enemy Arch Enemy is a Swedish melodic death metal band, originally a Supergroup (music), supergroup from Halmstad, formed in 1995. Its members were in bands such as Carcass (band), Carcass, Armageddon (Swedish band), Armageddon, Carnage (band), Carna ...
, and Sam Paulicelli (66Samus) of
Decrepit Birth Decrepit Birth is an American death metal band from Santa Cruz, California. They have released two studio albums through Unique Leader Records and two through Nuclear Blast, and a demo independently. All of their studio albums feature artwork ...
. As of 2017, Gillion is endorsed as an
Elixir Strings W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. is an American multinational manufacturing company specializing in products derived from fluoropolymers. It is a privately held corporation headquartered in Newark, Delaware. It is best known as the developer of wate ...
Artist, as well as a
Fractal Audio Fractal Audio Systems, often shortened to Fractal, is an American audio equipment manufacturer founded in 2006. Fractal became pioneers of the high-end digital amplifier modeling market with the release of the rack-mount Axe-FX, which has been ...
Artist.


Biography

In 2011, Andy Gillion was selected as the new songwriter/lead guitarist for the
melodic death metal Melodic death metal (also referred to as melodeath) is a subgenre of death metal that employs highly melodic guitar riffs, often borrowing from traditional heavy metal (including New Wave of British Heavy Metal). The genre features the heavines ...
band,
Mors Principium Est Mors Principium Est (Latin for "death is the beginning") is a Finnish melodic death metal band formed in 1999. History The band was formed in 1999 in Pori, Finland by singer/lead guitarist Jori Haukio, guitarist Jarkko Kokko and keyboardist T ...
from over 200 applicants. Since then, he has written and released four albums with the band, under
AFM Records AFM Records GmbH is a music label based in Schwalmstadt, Germany. They focus on the heavy metal musical genre, signing bands such as U.D.O., Doro, Lordi, Kotipelto, Masterplan, Nostradameus, Redlight King, and Annihilator. In 2005, Can ...
: '' ...And Death Said Live'' (2012), ''
Dawn of the 5th Era Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the appearance of indirect sunlight being scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc has reached 18° below the observer's horizon. ...
'' (2014), ''Embers of a Dying World'' (2017) and ''Seven'' (2020). In 2016, Gillion was a runner up in the final of the
Guitar Idol Guitar Idol is an international online talent competition for unknown guitarists. The guitarists compete through 3 online heats and one online knock-out round, for a chance to fill 12 places to play at the London International Music Show. The com ...
Competition and performed live at the
100 Club The 100 Club is a music venue located at 100 Oxford Street, London, England, where it has been hosting live music since 24 October 1942. It was originally called the Feldman Swing Club, but changed its name when the father of the current owner ...
in London, UK. In November 2019, his debut solo album, ''Neverafter'' was released. The first single, "Skyless" features
Jeff Loomis Jeff Loomis (born September 14, 1971) is an American musician, best known for his role as lead guitarist in the progressive metal band Nevermore during its existence from 1991 to 2011, as well as brief tenures in its precursor, Sanctuary (band) ...
of
Arch Enemy Arch Enemy is a Swedish melodic death metal band, originally a Supergroup (music), supergroup from Halmstad, formed in 1995. Its members were in bands such as Carcass (band), Carcass, Armageddon (Swedish band), Armageddon, Carnage (band), Carna ...
, and Sam Paulicelli (66Samus) of
Decrepit Birth Decrepit Birth is an American death metal band from Santa Cruz, California. They have released two studio albums through Unique Leader Records and two through Nuclear Blast, and a demo independently. All of their studio albums feature artwork ...
. The album also features Paul Wardingham and Christina Marie of '' The Voice''. The record was co-produced, mixed, and mastered by Thomas “Plec” Johansson, who previously worked with bands like
Soilwork Soilwork is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Helsingborg. They have released twelve studio albums. Formed in late 1995 by Björn Strid and Peter Wichers, the band was originally known as ''Inferior Breed''. In late 1996, they changed t ...
and
Scar Symmetry Scar Symmetry is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Avesta, formed in 2004. The band has released seven albums, with seven released singles. They are signed to Nuclear Blast Records. History Formation and ''Symmetric in Design'' (2004−2 ...
. Andy has authored a novel set during the Second World War entitled 'Far From Grace' which was published on Amazon. Andy also composed and played the soundtrack for the Game 'Metal Heads', released by Otreum Games in March 2021.


''Neverafter'' (2019)

''Neverafter'', his debut solo album, was released on 15 November 2019. It is a predominantly instrumental concept album composed of symphonic, progressive and melodic death metal elements. The music tells the story of a young girl, Aria, and her journey through a dreamworld as she searches for resolution after the loss of her mother. The album features
Jeff Loomis Jeff Loomis (born September 14, 1971) is an American musician, best known for his role as lead guitarist in the progressive metal band Nevermore during its existence from 1991 to 2011, as well as brief tenures in its precursor, Sanctuary (band) ...
of
Arch Enemy Arch Enemy is a Swedish melodic death metal band, originally a Supergroup (music), supergroup from Halmstad, formed in 1995. Its members were in bands such as Carcass (band), Carcass, Armageddon (Swedish band), Armageddon, Carnage (band), Carna ...
, Sam Paulicelli (66Samus) of
Decrepit Birth Decrepit Birth is an American death metal band from Santa Cruz, California. They have released two studio albums through Unique Leader Records and two through Nuclear Blast, and a demo independently. All of their studio albums feature artwork ...
, Paul Wardingham and Christina Marie of '' The Voice''. The record was co-produced, mixed, and mastered by Thomas “Plec” Johansson, who previously worked with bands like
Soilwork Soilwork is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Helsingborg. They have released twelve studio albums. Formed in late 1995 by Björn Strid and Peter Wichers, the band was originally known as ''Inferior Breed''. In late 1996, they changed t ...
and
Scar Symmetry Scar Symmetry is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Avesta, formed in 2004. The band has released seven albums, with seven released singles. They are signed to Nuclear Blast Records. History Formation and ''Symmetric in Design'' (2004−2 ...
. As described by Metal Injection, "Gillion has truly created an epic masterpiece that would have raised Chopin's brow if he were still alive", while
MetalSucks MetalSucks is an American heavy metal music Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a Music genre, genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock ...
commented, "predictably, the results are magnificent"


''Arcade Metal'' (2022)

''Arcade Metal'', his second solo album, was released on 2 September 2022. It is an instrumental concept album. It features
Matt Heafy Matthew Kiichi Heafy ( ; born January 26, 1986) is a Japanese-American musician, best known as the guitarist and lead vocalist for heavy metal band Trivium. He was also the lead vocalist for the band Capharnaum, along with Trivium's former pro ...
of
Trivium The trivium is the lower division of the seven liberal arts and comprises grammar, logic, and rhetoric. The trivium is implicit in ("On the Marriage of Philology and Mercury") by Martianus Capella, but the term was not used until the Carolin ...
,
Jeff Loomis Jeff Loomis (born September 14, 1971) is an American musician, best known for his role as lead guitarist in the progressive metal band Nevermore during its existence from 1991 to 2011, as well as brief tenures in its precursor, Sanctuary (band) ...
of
Arch Enemy Arch Enemy is a Swedish melodic death metal band, originally a Supergroup (music), supergroup from Halmstad, formed in 1995. Its members were in bands such as Carcass (band), Carcass, Armageddon (Swedish band), Armageddon, Carnage (band), Carna ...
, Per Nilsson of
Scar Symmetry Scar Symmetry is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Avesta, formed in 2004. The band has released seven albums, with seven released singles. They are signed to Nuclear Blast Records. History Formation and ''Symmetric in Design'' (2004−2 ...
,
Yuzo Koshiro is a Japanese composer and sound programmer. He is often regarded as one of the most influential innovators in chiptune and video game music, producing music in a number of genres including rock, jazz, symphonic, and various electronic genres s ...
of
Streets of Rage ''Streets of Rage'' (titled ''Bare Knuckle'' in Japan) is a series of side-scrolling beat 'em up video games. It centers on the efforts of several ex-police vigilantes trying to rid the fictional American metropolis of Wood Oak City of a crime ...
, Li-sa-X, Stephen Taranto and Paul Wardingham, and drums throughout by 66Samus of
Decrepit Birth Decrepit Birth is an American death metal band from Santa Cruz, California. They have released two studio albums through Unique Leader Records and two through Nuclear Blast, and a demo independently. All of their studio albums feature artwork ...
.


''Exilium'' (2024)

''Exilium'' is the third solo album by Andy Gillion.


Discography


Mors Principium Est

* '' ...And Death Said Live'' (2012) * ''
Dawn of the 5th Era Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the appearance of indirect sunlight being scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc has reached 18° below the observer's horizon. ...
'' (2014) * ''Embers of a Dying World'' (2017) * ''Seven'' (2020)


Solo

*''Neverafter'' (2019) *''Arcade Metal'' (2022) *''Exilium'' (2024)


Equipment


Guitars

*Daemoness Cimmerian 6 String (Featuring Valkyrie hand painted finish) *
Elixir Strings W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. is an American multinational manufacturing company specializing in products derived from fluoropolymers. It is a privately held corporation headquartered in Newark, Delaware. It is best known as the developer of wate ...
Artist - NANOWEB Coating


Amplification

*Fractal Audio Axe-FX *
Neural DSP Neural DSP Technologies is a Finnish audio equipment manufacturer founded in 2017 by Douglas Castro and Francisco Cresp. Headquartered in Punavuori, Helsinki, the company is best known for its flagship guitar amp modeler, the Quad Cortex, and ...


References

1988 births Living people British male guitarists British lead guitarists British heavy metal guitarists Progressive metal guitarists Video game musicians Freelance musicians British video game composers Progressive metal musicians British composers British multi-instrumentalists {{UK-music-bio-stub