Edge of Paradise is an American
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band that was formed in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, United States, in 2011. The band currently consists of
Margarita Monet
Margarita Monet (born Margarita Martirosyan; February 15, 1990) is an American singer, pianist, composer and an actress. She is the founder/ lead vocalist for the hard rock/symphonic metal band Edge Of Paradise. Known for her powerful voice and ...
(vocals/keys), Dave Bates (guitars), David Ruiz (guitars), Jamie Moreno (drums) and Kenny Lockwood (bass). The band is known for its heavy guitars complemented by industrial and classical influences, as well as Monet's large vocal range. In 2012, Monet was featured in ''Metalholic''’s "Top 25 Women in Hard Rock and Metal."
History
The band was formed in 2011 after Margarita Monet met guitarist Dave Bates on a freelance project. At the time, Bates was part of a band called "Bleed" with singer
Robin McAuley
Robin McAuley (born 20 January 1953) is an Irish singer. He is best known as the vocalist for the rock band McAuley Schenker Group from 1986 to 1993, which saw the band release three studio albums: '' Perfect Timing'', '' Save Yourself'', '' M.S ...
, bassist
Tony Franklin, and drummer
Gregg Bissonette. Edge of Paradise reworked Bates' unreleased songs and included them in the band's debut album.
The debut album, ''Mask,'' was released on September 15, 2011 by Melrose Music Studios. It features a
rhythm section
A rhythm section is a group of musicians within a music ensemble or band that provides the underlying rhythm, harmony and pulse of the accompaniment, providing a rhythmic and harmonic reference and "beat" for the rest of the band.
The rhythm sec ...
consisting of
Gregg Bissonette on drums and
Tony Franklin on bass.
Edge of Paradise's second album, ''Immortal Waltz'', was released on May 22, 2015 via
Pure Steel Records and
Soulfood
Soulfood Music Distribution GmbH is a German company distributing music and video games as well as related merchandise products. The company's distribution deals usually cover Germany, Austria and Switzerland (G/A/S). The headquarters of the co ...
. The album was produced and mixed by
Michael Wagener, the album cover art was created by Timo Wuerz, and the music videos for the singles "In a Dream" and "Rise for the Fallen" premiered via the magazine ''
Revolver
A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...
''. The album was voted album of the week by ''Revolver''s readers.
Edge of Paradise's third release, the EP ''Alive'', was released March 10 via ILS/Universal.
The six-song EP entered the ''Billboard'' charts upon its first week of release, on ''Billboard''s Current Hard Music Albums chart at #58 and Top New Album Artist chart at #94. The songs have more of an industrial feel to the music, using vocal effects, more rapid drum beats and more distortion to provide the album a different character than the symphonic-sounding ''Immortal Waltz''.
''Alive'' gained acclaim from music critics, who called the band a hard rock sensation. Bravewords.com described the EP as a "whole new world, another planet".
The single and title track "Alive" was released on February 3, followed by the music video which premiered on Metal Underground
on February 10, and released on
Vevo
Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...
.
''Alive'' was produced by Chuck Johnson, mixed by Jay Ruston, Mike Plotnikoff and
Michael Wagener.
Edge of Paradise has been writing for a forthcoming album due for release in late 2019. The band announced their new album to be titled ''Universe'', due for release on August 11, 2019.
Reception and popularity
After the release of their first album, Edge of Paradise toured over 20 states, sharing the stage with
Kamelot
Kamelot is an American power metal band from Tampa, Florida, formed by Thomas Youngblood, in 1987. The Norwegian vocalist Roy Khan joined for the album ''Siége Perilous'', and shared songwriting credit with Youngblood until his departure in Apr ...
,
Chris Broderick of
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...
,
Bullet Boys
BulletBoys is an American hard rock/ glam metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1986. The group's original lineup was composed of singer Marq Torien (formerly of Ratt, King Kobra, and Kagny & the Dirty Rats), guitarist Mick Sweda, bassist Lonnie ...
,
Hellion,
Helmet,
Dave Lombardo
David Lombardo (born February 16, 1965) is a Cuban-American drummer, best known as a co-founding member of American thrash metal band Slayer. He is currently playing drums with Testament, Fantômas, Suicidal Tendencies, Dead Cross, Mr. Bungle ...
of
Slayer
Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style ...
, and
Michael Angelo Batio.
''Metalholic'' stated, "Monet's voice is something that you don't expect, earth-shattering range, rich tone, pure power and strength. That girl can sing and she sings with her heart and soul, I think that's what literally hypnotizes people. There is something iconic about her. She can be idolized not only by generations that are into heavier music but also by the kids that are growing up on pop culture". ''Hard Rock Haven'' claimed, "The band can not only put on a show, but they are great songwriters as well. With their memorable hooks and huge choruses, listeners can hum their tunes long after hearing them play. There is no doubt in my mind that Edge of Paradise is on their way to the big stages; they are bound to break through."
''Immortal Waltz'' received critical acclaim as well. The blog The Metal Pit stated, "''Immortal Waltz'' by The Edge of Paradise is one of the most unique-sounding albums I’ve heard in a long, long time."
Members
Current members
*
Margarita Monet
Margarita Monet (born Margarita Martirosyan; February 15, 1990) is an American singer, pianist, composer and an actress. She is the founder/ lead vocalist for the hard rock/symphonic metal band Edge Of Paradise. Known for her powerful voice and ...
- vocals (2011-present)
* Dave Bates - lead guitar (2011-present)
* David Ruiz - rhythm guitar (2017-present)
* Kenny Lockwood - bass (2023-present)
* Jamie Moreno - drums (2020-present)
Former members
* Nick Ericson - bass (2015-2018)
* John Chominsky - drums (2012-2018)
* Kevin Katich - drums (2011)
* Gene McEwen - drums (2012)
* Kurt Schaeffer - bass (2011-2014)
* Steven Cook - bass (2011)
* Vanya Kapetanovic - bass (2018-2020)
* Jimmy Lee - drums (2018-2020)
* Ricky Bonazza - bass (2020-2021)
* Justin Blair - bass (2021-2023)
Discography
Albums
* ''Mask'' (2011)
* ''Immortal Waltz'' (2015)
* ''Universe'' (2019)
* ''The Unknown'' (2021)
* ''Hologram'' (2023)
EPs
* ''Perfect Shade of Black'' (2013)
* ''Alive'' (2017)
Singles
Music Videos
References
{{Authority control
Hard rock musical groups from California
American symphonic metal musical groups
Musical groups established in 2011
Frontiers Records artists
2011 establishments in California
Female-fronted musical groups
Musical quintets from California