Xandria was formed around the year 2000 in Germany, but it's difficult to say exactly when they became the band they are today. Xandria is made up of five members, them being Marco (Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals), Lisa (Vocals), Philip (Guitars), Roland (Bass) and Gerit (Drums).
The band was founded by Marco, who had the idea of a band with a dreamy and sensual sound that could still rock, almost in a heavy metal sense. But most important to him was the need for good songs. Many bands (in the scene that Xandria is supposedly included in) have a good atmospheric sound, but no real idea or melody that sticks in your head, which is where they go wrong. Xandria is set on fixing this problem.
Artists such as Pink Floyd, Abba, Metallica and Black Sabbath are just some of the bands that Marco was influenced by. After hearing the aforementioned artists, Marco found bands such as Paradise Lost, Anathema, The Gathering, Lake of Tears, and most importantly Tiamat (which were called Gothic Metal, even though their influences went far beyond just gothic, or just metal) that seemed to capture the same sound he was into. Marco has said that in 1994, Tiamat's album "Wildhoney" is what first brought on the idea of Xandria.
In the late 90's, influences such as Marilyn Manson, Type-O-Negative, Madonna and HIM were creating a sensual sound that eventually would turn into a dark-rocking modern Electronica approach, and this sound was also added to the list of things Marco wished to create. It also led to the idea of a male/female combination on vocals.
From 1994 to 1997, a band was brought on with Marco in it, but broke up soon thereafter when no specific direction for the band was formed. With songs from that period of time (along with some new ones), Marco set off to find new band members in 1999, after two years of learning about songwriting and song arrangement. A new band was finally formed, one that looked as if it may actually have a future in music. That band? Xandria.
In late 2000, this new band started recording the songs for what would become the "Kill the Sun" EP Demo. They feature Lisa's wonderful voice, along with the great musical talent of the other members of the band. These songs gained huge success on websites such as mp3.com and besonic.com, even topping their genres in many cases. Over the year 2001, the number of people downloading Xandria songs was remarkable and there was fan feedback from all over the world.
The year 2001 also saw some lineup changes for Xandria, but at the same time it saw excellent musical press reviews all over Germany, including "Best Newcomer of the Year" over the demo disk "Kill the Sun". By the end of 2001, the lineup was complete and Marco, Lisa, Philip, Roland and Gerit started doing live shows all over Germany for 2002. At the same time, they recorded new promo tracks and checked to see what kind of music was coming along in the music industry.
Finally, negotiations about a record deal with Drakkar Records began in the summer of 2002, which went very positively and resulted in the recording of an official debut album, which was released in May of 2003. Drakkar Records is a very successful German indie label which has signed many great artists, such as Nightwish, Kreator, Killer Barbies and Rage.
The official Kill the Sun album features ten lovely songs by five wonderful musicians, and is merely a sample of what Xandria could possibly do further down the road. The disk displays the style and beauty not often found in music anymore, both musically and lyrically. Lisa’s vocals are utterly amazing and the band seems to pour their hearts and souls into their instruments. The band has written some truly amazing music.
A second album is currently being planned, with a 2004 release date being sought. These five individuals have definitely got what it takes to continue making great quality music for years and years to come. This is a band with a great beginning that is sure to have an excellent future. No one should miss out on Xandria!