Draft:Alhena (band)

Alhena – a Polish band performing rock and metal music embracing progressive and metal elements with atmospheric art rock and symphonic metal influences.

History
The band was formed in January 2010 in Bydgoszcz. At the end of 2011, the band released their first mini-album, titled „Alhena”. . The release was well received by music critics from printed media (e.g. Metal Hammer), as well as by online music portals, both home  and foreign. This response resulted in the decision to transform Alhena into a regular band. Alhena actively promoted the material, playing concerts with such artists as Banau, Łąki Łan or Closterkeller, and also playing at the Concert Studio of Polish Radio PiK (with simultaneously live broadcast).

In February 2012 the band was invited to take part in the Compilation „Des filles et des riffs, vol.3” organized by a French musical portal Des filles et des riffs. It was focused on rock and metal bands with female vocals around the world. Previous editions of the compilation featured artists such as Tristania, Eths, Edenbridge, To-Mera, or Diablo Swing Orchestra. In the third edition, Alhena was presented alongside with Stream of Passion, Leaves' Eyes, Nemesea, Arkona, Epica, Jinjer and others. The compilation was released in June 2013 by Savage Prod, and the French label Season of Mist was responsible for global distribution. In the same year, Alhena was invited to take part in another French compilation „World of Glass”. The compilation, like the previous one, was aimed at bands with female vocals, and its name refers to the third album of the band Tristania (considered by many fans and critics to be the most representative album of this Norwegian formation). The third „World of Glass” was released in June 2013. Also in that period Alhena was announced twice as the Performer of the Day of the Muzzo Magazine, part of the Polish, nationwide Interia web portal. Thanks to that, the main page of the Muzzo website was dedicated to Alhena that day. Information about the band's activities also appeared on the Interia website.

On January 20th 2013 the fifth edition of the „Sampler” compilation was released by Halotan Records label, which is mainly associated with the gothic, industrial and dark electro music scene. However, in the fifth edition, the organizers decided to present some guitar sounds. As a result, Alhena was one of the invited performers. Next, in April 2013 the band was also invited to take part in American compilation „Virgines Metallium” (formerly „Maidens of Metal”). The initiator of the project was the American label Delinquent Records (however, the compilation was released on February 25th, 2015).

The band continued their activity, playing concerts with artists such as Tides from Nebula, Egoistic or Closterkeller. Next, on May 9th 2014, Alhena played a concert at the Municipal Cultural Center in Bydgoszcz. The concert was audio-video recorded in order to produce a concert album on CD and DVD. The release was announced for the second half of 2015, but for unknown reasons it was not unleashed.

On the occasion of the performance at the 12th Tomasz Beksiński Progressive Rock Festival in Toruń, where Alhena shared the stage with the Votum and Lebowski, the band released a single titled „Like a Doll”. The release was an announcement of the upcoming LP, in addition to the title song, it also included the song „Alhena”, for which a drum music video had previously been made. In April 2019 a music video for the song „Like a Doll” was also released. This single was also an announcement of the upcoming album Breaking the Silence... ...by Scream, which premiered on October 4th 2019. The album was released by Around Music label.

At the beginning of 2021, the Prog Metal Rock label released a double compilation album „Prog Metal Rock compilation vol.1”. This release targeted prog rock and prog metal bands from all over the world. Alhena took part in the compilation together with Polish artists (i.e. AnVision, Art of Illusion, Bright Ophidia, Distant Dream, Division by Zero) and foreign artists (i.e. Avandra, Pyramid Theorem, Threshold and others).

In February 2023 Alhena released a music video to a single titled „Nemesis”, known from the album Breaking the Silence... ...by Scream, but recorded anew, with a new line-up and a new arrangement. The single was number 1 for two weeks at Lista Przebojow Kultowej Akadery chart on the Polish Radio Białystok. The song was also included on the compilation „Cold Hands Seduction, vol. 248”, published by the German music magazine Sonic Seducer. Previous editions of the compilation featured bands such as Xandria, Delain, Diary of Dreams, Powerwolf, The Birthday Massacre, Moonspell, Lord of the Lost, Depeche Mode, Paradise Lost, Nightwish, Lacrimosa and many others. In the same period Alhena announced upcoming concerts, together with Collage, Millenium, Riverside, Disillusion and Threshold

On November 15th 2023 the music video for the song „Scarlet” was revealed. The single was an announcement of Alhena's upcoming album, the premiere of which is planned for the first half of 2024. To promote the new material, the band plays a series of concerts, among others in the concert studio called ''Legendarne Studio M im. SBB at Polskie Radio Opole'', also with simultaneously live broadcast.

Current line-up

 * Dominika Kapuśniak – vocal and violin (since July 2022)
 * Tomasz Bogulski – guitar (since January 2010)
 * Bartosz Kazimierski – guitar (since October 2020)
 * Piotr Grugel – drums (since January 2010)
 * Piotr Pryka – keyboards (since November 2019)
 * Maciej Tonder – bass guitar (since December 2022)

Guest / session

 * Jędrzej Kołecki – bass guitar (live on November 2014, session musician in 2015)
 * Damian 'Sfenson' Bednarski – growl (session vocalist in 2015)

Former members

 * Robert Puk – bass guitar (from January 2010 to August 2010)
 * Katarzyna Dziemianowicz – vocal (from August 2010 to March 2012)
 * Tadeusz Kołecki – bass guitar (from November 2010 to September 2012, from October 2015 to August 2016)
 * Natalia „Natt” Bassak – vocal (from March 2012 to September 2013)
 * Marta Bejma – vocal (from September 2013 to October 2015, from July 2017 to March 2021)
 * Grzegorz Ostrowski – bass guitar (from February 2013 to November 2014)
 * Piotr Kowalski – keyboards (from January 2010 to November 2019)
 * Magdalena Zach – vocal (from September 2021 to May 2022)
 * Patryk Durko – bass guitar (from April 2017 to November 2022)

Albums

 * Breaking the Silence... ...by Scream (2019, Around Music)

EPs

 * Alhena (2011, self release)

Singles

 * Alhena (2017, self release)
 * Like a Doll (2018, self release)
 * Nemesis 2.0 (2023, self release)
 * Scarlet (2023, self release)

Compilation albums

 * Sampler, vol. 5 (compilation, 2013, Halotan Records)
 * World of Glass, vol. 3 (compilation, 2013, World of Glass Promotion)
 * Des filles et des riffs, vol. 3 (compilation, 2013, Savage Prod / Season of Mist)
 * Virgines Metallium (compilation, 2015, Delinquent Records)
 * Prog Metal Rock Compilation, vol. 1 (compilation, 2021, Prog Metal Rock Promotion)
 * Cold Hands Seduction, vol. 248 (compilation, 2023, Sonic Seducer)