Formed in 2015 by Belarus-born guitar virtuoso
Victor Smolski,
Almanac sees the ex-
Rage guitarist continuing to push the boundaries of both heavy metal and classical music. Similar in scope to
Smolski's
Rage side project
Lingua Mortis Orchestra,
Almanac features songs written for band and orchestra with multiple lead vocalists. Joining
Smolski are his
LMO bandmates Jeannette Marchewka (vocals) and Enric Garcia (keyboards), along with bass player Armin Alic, drummer Michael Kolar, and vocalists David Readman and Andy B. Franck. The collective's debut studio long player,
Tsar, was released in March 2016 via
Nuclear Blast. ~ James Christopher Monger