ARK was a

progressive metal Progressive metal (often shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal music, heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified electric guitar, guitar-driven sound of the former with t ...

band from

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

founded by guitarist

Tore Østby Tore Østby (born 1972) is a founder, guitarist, producer, and songwriter for Norwegian progressive metal band Conception. After the band stopped playing on a permanent basis (the band was active from 1989 to 1998 and went on a 10-year hiatus) h ...

( Conception, D. C. Cooper, Frankie's Playground, Redrum) and drummer

John Macaluso John Macaluso is an American drummer who has played for bands such as Ark, TNT, and Yngwie Malmsteen. Born in Commack, New York, Macaluso started playing drums at age 11. He has recorded over 200 records and played in multiple world tours. He ...

(

TNT Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...

Riot A riot or mob violence is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The p ...

, Spread Eagle, Alex Masi,

Yngwie Malmsteen Yngwie Johan Malmsteen (; born Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck, on 30 June 1963) is a Swedish-American guitarist. He first became known in the 1980s for his neoclassical metal, neoclassical playing style in heavy metal music, heavy metal, and has ...

Powermad Powermad is an American thrash/speed metal band formed in Minneapolis in 1984. The group has been called an "innovative and often forgotten speed metal band...who infused progressive metal styles and European styles into abstract American spee ...

), who later joined up with singer

Jørn Lande Jørn Marumsrud Lande (born 31 May 1968) is a Norwegian hard rock and heavy metal singer. He is known for his work with the bands Ark, Beyond Twilight, Millenium, Vagabond, The Snakes, and most notably with power metal band Masterplan. He ...

to record two albums. Lande, Østby and Macaluso were joined by Randy Coven (

Steve Vai Steven Siro Vai ( ; born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, songwriter, and producer. A three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, Vai started his music career in 1978 at the age of eighteen as a Transcription (music), transc ...

Steve Morse Steve J. Morse (born July 28, 1954) is an American guitarist and songwriter. A seven-time Grammy nominee, he is best known as the founder of the Dixie Dregs and as the longest serving guitarist for Deep Purple. Morse also enjoyed a successful ...

) on bass and

Mats Olausson Mats Johan Olausson (17 April 1961 – 18 February 2015) was a Swedish keyboard player known from bands such as Yngwie Malmsteen, Ark, Evil Masquerade, Kamelot, Jean Beauvoir, John Norum, and many others. Later in his life, he lived in T ...

(

) on keyboards for their second effort.

History

Ark's self-titled debut album was released in 1999. After touring to support the follow-up album ''Burn the Sun'', ARK went on hiatus and eventually broke up, with Jørn Lande joining

Roland Grapow Roland Grapow (born 30 August 1959 in Hamburg) is a German guitarist and music producer. He is best known for his time in the power metal band Helloween, with which he played for twelve years, after replacing founding member Kai Hansen. He subse ...

and

Uli Kusch Ulrich Kusch (born 11 March 1967) is a German heavy metal drummer. He is best known for playing with Helloween, Gamma Ray, Masterplan and Holy Moses, among others. He is known for his technical style of playing, fast-paced speed metal-like rh ...

in the classic power metal band Masterplan, as well as pushing his own solo career.

Reunion and disbandment

John Macaluso updated his discography to include a new ARK album, called ''Aradiokaos''. Very little has been heard thus far, but when the news broke on

Metal Storm Metal Storm Limited was a research and development company based in Brisbane, Australia, that specialized in electronically initiated superposed load weapons technology and owned the proprietary rights to the electronic ballistics technology ...

, screenshots confirming the project were posted. All original members other than Jorn will be on the new album, but his successor has yet to be revealed. Macaluso has stated several times on his personal Facebook profile that ARK was working with the new album and a new line-up. But his last post concerning the subject has put an end on the band's history, with his confirmation of the cancellation of the production and the beginning of a new band. The band officially disbanded in 2011. On 20 May 2014 bassist Randy Coven's death was announced and keyboard player Mats Olausson's death was announced a year later.

Members

– vocals (1999–2002), keyboards (1990–2000) *

– guitar (1999–2002, 2009–2011), bass (1990–2000) *

− drums (1999–2002, 2009–2011), vocals (2009–2011) * Randy Coven − bass (2000–2002, 2009–2011; died 2014) *

− keyboards (2000–2002, 2009–2011; died 2015) ;Additional musicians *Ingar Amlien – bass *Trond Nagell-dahl – keyboards

Timeline

Discography

* ''Ark'' (1999) * ''Burn the Sun'' (2001)

References

External links

* Norwegian progressive metal musical groups Musical groups established in 1990 1990 establishments in Norway Musical groups disestablished in 2003 2003 disestablishments in Norway Musical groups reestablished in 2009 Musical groups disestablished in 2011 2011 disestablishments in Norway Musical groups from Oppland {{Norway-band-stub