Lead singer Many Stürner, keyboardist Jens Kuckelkorn, drummer Peter "Ringo" Kei, guitarist Sebastian Eden, and bassist Petra Hasselkuss teamed up in 1992 to form the Germany rock group called Avalon. Some of the original members would depart, and new blood was brought in to fill any spot left vacant, like drummers Ronny Dehn and Jacques Voutay, and singer Chitral "Chity" Somapala. When the new millennium rolled around, Avalon still held its own, and had just finished up a fourth album. In 1993, when the band was only a year old, it headed across both Canada and Germany for an impressive tour. Avalon also recorded a debut album that year, Why Now. By 1994, the band was showcasing its act in the U.S., landing new fans at every appearance. The next couple of years brought tours through Switzerland and other countries. For 1997 a sophomore album, Mystic Places, finally hit the market. Not long after its release, drummer Kei and lead singer Stürner both left the band for unforeseen medical reasons. Dehn and Somapala quickly replaced them. Avalon finished the '90s out with a few more headline tours and a third full-length offering, Vision Eden. In 2000 a brand new album, Eurasia, was released, and a new drummer, Voutay, joined the team. Avalon's music is a mixture of progressive metal rock and interesting cultures, ranging from melodic power metal from Europe, to Buddhist chants, to conventional Asian sounds. Some of the tunes fans can find on the band's albums are "Black Hold Wisdom," "Through the Eye of the End," "Rhythm of My Heart," "They Are in Between Us," and "More Than Words Can Say." ~ Charlotte Dillon