Skylark is an Italian

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within a symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in co ...

band founded in 1994 by Eddy Antonini and is still active today.

History

Skylark was founded by Eddy Antonini in 1994 with the intent of exploring several musical styles in one project.Eduardo Rivadavia,

Skylark ''Alauda'' is a genus of larks found across much of Europe, Asia and in the mountains of north Africa, and one of the species (the Raso lark) endemic to the islet of Raso in the Cape Verde Islands Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially ...

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

After adding four members, the group recorded the 1995 album ''The Horizon and the Storm'', the first of a series of yearly releases. From 1996 they released on the Italian label Underground Symphony. The 1997 released ''Dragon's Secrets'' received several positive reviews in metal magazines. at Tartareandesire.com Antonini also recorded a solo effort, ''When Water Became Ice'', in 1998 in between Skylark releases. In 1999, they released the first of a two album project, ''The Divine Gates''; the second half was released the following year. The group had several of their albums released in Japan, where they found critical success, particularly in the music magazine ''

Burrn! is a monthly Japanese magazine for fans of heavy metal music, published since September 1984. It is the major publication on heavy metal music in the country. As of 2013, it is published by Shinko Music Entertainment in Tokyo Tokyo, off ...

''.Skylark biography
at

MusicMight MusicMight (formerly RockDetector) was a rock music website that provides artist and product information through a global website and an ongoing book series. Based in New Zealand, the site was founded by British writer Garry Sharpe-Young, and wa ...

They toured Europe in 2000 playing in Germany and headlined at the Rock Machina 2000 festival in Spain. After 2001's ''The Princess Day'', the group embarked on a world tour, including dates in Japan. The group then went on a short hiatus, returning in 2004 with ''Wings'', featuring Kiara Laetitia the new vocalist. After three albums on

Scarlet Records Scarlet Records is an Italian independent record label based in Milan. It is most notable for featuring two side projects from Soilwork front-man Björn "Speed" Strid, as well as bands like Agent Steel, Royal Hunt, Skyclad, Eldritch, Hates ...

, they contracted with Underground Symphony again in 2006. In 2007, they continued the ''Divine Gates'' project with a third release "The last gate". In 2007 "The last gate" hit the HMV Japanese Rock and Pop charts at No. 3 only behind

Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Sayreville, New Jersey in 1983. The band consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarists John Shanks and Phil X, percussionist Everett Bradley ...

and

Dream Theater Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 in Boston, Massachusetts. The band comprises John Petrucci (guitar), John Myung (bass), Mike Portnoy (drums), James LaBrie (vocals) and Jordan Rudess (keyboards). Dream Theat ...

staying in the Top 50 for several weeks. In January 2008, Skylark played the longest Pan China tour of History for a western band. They played seven headliner shows touching even

Harbin Harbin, ; zh, , s=哈尔滨, t=哈爾濱, p=Hā'ěrbīn; IPA: . is the capital of Heilongjiang, China. It is the largest city of Heilongjiang, as well as being the city with the second-largest urban area, urban population (after Shenyang, Lia ...

, capital of

Heilongjiang Heilongjiang is a province in northeast China. It is the northernmost and easternmost province of the country and contains China's northernmost point (in Mohe City along the Amur) and easternmost point (at the confluence of the Amur and Us ...

, plus one supporting gig with

Nightwish Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee. The band was formed in 1996 by lead songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former lead singer Tarja Turunen. The band soon picked up drummer Jukka Neval ...

and

in Beijing and one supporting gig in Shanghai with

. In May 2008 Skylark played for the first time in the United States and recorded a live DVD of their performance in Phoenix Arizona. This DVD "Divine gates part IV The Live Gate" hit position No. 4 in the HMV Japanese charts only behind

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris (musician), Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most ...

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

and

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...

. Skylark as of 2010 played 5 tours in Japan. In 2011 Kiara Laetitia leaves Skylark. The album ''Twilights of Sand'' stayed on the Japanese Amazon rock/metal chart for 30 days, occupying position number one for 10 days and position number two (only behind the new Van Halen release) for another 10 days. ''Twilights of Sand'' also reached the top 100 global chart remaining there for 15 days, reaching its peak at number 12 and ending 32nd in the second week of January (best western act ahead of artists such as Adele and Lady Gaga).

Discography

Albums

*1995 - '' The Horizon & The Storm'' (self production) *1997 - '' Dragon's Secret'' (Underground Symphony, Meldac Japan, Rock Empire Taiwan re-mastered) *1999 - '' Divine Gates part I: Gate of Hell'' (Underground Symphony, Hot Rockin Japan, Magnum Music Taiwan, CD Maximum Russia, Pony Canyon South Korea) *2000 - '' Divine Gates part II: Gate of Heaven'' (Underground Symphony/Pick up/SPV/Metal Blade, Hot Rockin Japan, Magnum Music Taiwan, CD Maximum Russia, Dark Angel Records Thailand tape version, Pony Canyon South Korea) *2002 - '' The Princess' Day'' (Underground Symphony/Pick up, Hot Rockin Japan, Magnum Music Taiwan, CD Maximum Russia, Dark Angel Records Thailand tape version, Pony Canyon South Korea) *2004 - ''

Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces both lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-drag ratio, which compares the bene ...

'' (Scarlet Records/Audioglobe, Soundholic/Tokuma, Nems Argentina, CD Maximum Russia, Evolution South Korea, Rock Empire Taiwan, Renaissance/Koch Epic re-mastered) *2005 - ''

Fairytales A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful being ...

'' (Scarlet Records/Audioglobe, Soundholic/Tokuma, CD Maximum Russia, Evolution South Korea, Rock Empire Taiwan, Renaissance/Koch Epic) *2007 - '' Divine Gates part III: The Last Gate'' (Underground Symphony/Audioglobe, Soundholic/Tokuma, Renaissance/Koch Epic, Rock Empire Taiwan, Melodic Pia KOrea) *2012 - '' Twilights of Sand'' (Media Factory, Moon Records, Underground Symphony) *2015 - '' The Storm & The Horizon''

EPs

*1996 - '' Waiting for the Princess'' *1999 - '' Belzebù''

Compilation

*1998 - '' After the Storm'' (Underground Symphony) *2005 - '' In the Heart of the Princess'' (doppio CD, Scarlet Records/Audioglobe, Soundholic/Tokuma, Evolution South Korea) *2013 - '' Divine Gates Part V Chapter I: The Road To The Light'' (Compilation)

Live

* 2009 - '' Divine Gates part IV: the Live Gate'' (Underground Symphony, Soundholic/First, Renaissance/Koch Epic)

Line-up

Current members

* Roberto "Brodo" Potenti -

bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...

Guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

* Eddy Antonini -

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Mus ...

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

harpsichord A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a musical keyboard, keyboard. Depressing a key raises its back end within the instrument, which in turn raises a mechanism with a small plectrum made from quill or plastic that plucks one ...

Former members

* Ashley Watson -

vocals Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...

* Fabio Dozzo -

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...

* Kiara Laetitia -

* Nico Tordini -

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

* Carlos Cantatore -

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

* Francesco Meles -

* Federico Ria -

Drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

* Fabrizio "Pota" Romani

Guitars The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

References

External links

Skylark Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skylark Italian power metal musical groups Musical groups established in 1994 Scarlet Records artists