Album Notes

"Upon the lake, upon the windless water,
swim down to me, beautiful bird.
Mercy, stay not forever out of reach.
I hear, I hear your evening song, strange alien song."
-- "The Loon"

With accomplished musicians working in the symphonic terrain, Aesma Daeva draws from a rich background of 20th century music, world music, and rock instincts. As you listen, imagine and move.

Most audiences were introduced to A.D. with the songs "Stay" and "Introit II," both of which appear on several European compilations, including Orkus Magazine: Best of and Diva X Machina.

Following the band's first release, A.D. played Festival Obscuro in Mexico City, opening for H.I.M. and Tristania. They've also shared the stage with Nightwish, Kamelot and Therion. This fall, the band will reunite with Therion to tour the U.S. and Canada.

A.D.'s current lineup came to together in 2005, with Lori Lewis's versatile, classically trained voice at the forefront, Chris Quinn on bass, John Prassas on guitar, Earl Root on guitar, and Tim Klatt on drums. With this power lineup, A.D. was ready to record a new album but needed to reach a new level compared with the first release. A.D. was vigilant and stayed true to this goal. After enlisting Grammy award-winning producer Neil Kernon, the album Dawn of the New Athens was completed.

Dawn of the New Athens is a symphonic poem that journeys across the globe and the temporal realm, from the Tisza River in Hungary to a dark and timely Orwellian world.

"The meek and low christen the kingdom's coming,
building the great machines of war.
Men feed machines this century of dark
coming of the hour of the kingdom of night."
--"Since the Machine"

World instruments such as the bawu (a Chinese wind instrument) are blended with a symphonic metal backdrop, bringing a wealth of musical cultures together. Songs like "Artemis" showcase the bawu in its melancholic sound, emphasizing the lyrics of independence.

"In your name, cruel sacrifice,
embrace my art. Love let me go.
In your name, cruel goddess touch,
embrace this song, the wind, thy womb.
I don't need anyone.
I don't love anyone.
Embrace the art of letting go."
--"Artemis"

The idyllic beauty of nature provides inspiration for both "Tisza's Child" and the lament cried by the woman who has lost her lifelong mate in "The Loon." The seasons are particularly influential for the band: "The colors of fall are inspiring, and I find myself re-creating those colors in the music," says Prassas, original founder of the group.

"Bluish Shade" was inspired by the struggle that is very much part of a musician's life and the idea that "music chooses you." "I once read 'Our destinies are self-fulfilling prophecies; the energy you transmit via your music will be returned to you amplified," says Prassas. "However, the ability to control the course of our specific destiny is questionable. The entire band agrees that we really would have liked a different course at times."

"D'Oreste d'Ajace," an adaptation of an aria originally composed by Mozart for the often-censored opera Idomenio, reminds us that music of the past is still new and relevant.

Aesma Daeva's growing body of work reflects musical maturity and an unremitting desire to move forward, coupled with an appreciation for its past. A.D. is like a phoenix rising from its own ashes.