Ex-Rage guitar maestro Victor Smolski has wasted no time in forming a new band and signing with Nuclear Blast.

While sadly Rage parted ways with each other towards the beginning of the year, there is no breaks for workhorse Victor Smolski. The guitarist has decided to form a new band, in the same neo-classical vein of the successful LMO album released in 2013, called Almanac. Smolski was quick to follow up that the band have signed to Nuclear Blast, the same label that has released the past few Rage albums.

“After ten years of cooperation with Nuclear Blast, a friendship evolved. Nuclear Blast trusted in me a lot for my work as composer and producer of the Nuclear Blast All-Stars ‘Into The Light’, Rage and LMO records. Because of that, I will continue with my new band Almanac together with the established team of Nuclear Blast. I hope that our previous successes will continue with Almanac.”

Since joining Rage in 1999, Smolski has been responsible for writing some absolutely stunning pieces of music, not to mention some unbelievable guitar work. It is more than likely that his new band will be another gem in his career, now with the full-freedom to write how he wants to write. The band line-up is as follows:

Victor Smolski – guitar, keys
Andy B. Franck – vocals
David Readman – vocals
Jeannette Marchewka – vocals
Dana Harnge – soprano
Michael Kolar – drums
Armin Alic – bass
Orquestra Barcelona Filharmonia & Enric Garcia – keyboards

And of course the official announcement trailer of the band below: