FLAMEKEEPER was founded by the Italian musician, spiritual agitator Marco S. Vermiglio in 2018. After 10 years of militancy in the European Black Metal scene as the frontman of the Roman band DEMONOMANCY, Marco changed drastically his artistic path, driven by his decision to live his life with the only purpose of becoming a living message of resilience, inner strength and faith. This burning desire translated into writing and performing music that stands as a manifesto for change, as a voice to the voiceless, as a beacon for hope in tumultuous times and as a reminder that, even in the darkest of moments, the human spirit remains unbreakable. In early 2019, Marco relocated from his hometown Rome, Italy to Stockholm, Sweden, due to his interest in the city's prosperous musical landscape. Later during the same year, Invictus Productions heralded the release of the inaugural EP, "We Who Light the Fire", where Marco performed all instruments. Every plan to bring the new music on stage was postponed until 2022 due to the world pandemic. Meanwhile, the international mosaic that constitutes the FLAMEKEEPER's live line-up took its form featuring an ensemble of Stockholm-based musicians, namely Filipe Jesus Minhava from Portugal on guitar, Davide Benincaso from Italy on bass and Axel Johansson from Sweden on drums, with Marco S. Vermiglio leading the band as the main vocalist. The songwriting and production processes for the highly anticipated debut album, simply named "Flamekeeper" lasted cumulatively almost 4 years, necessary to establish and refine the FLAMEKEEPER's epic, life-affirming and explosive sound: anthemic choruses suitable for stadium-wide sing-alongs alternate with intimate and dramatic instrumental sections, echoing the Southern European heritage brought by Vermiglio and Minhava. While drawing inspiration from classic acts of the golden era of Hard ‘n Heavy music such as Metallica, Dio and Manowar, Vermiglio’s vision deliberately rejects nostalgic clichés, solidly setting its ground in the present moment. FLAMEKEEPER aims not to belong to any musical scene, but to tell the story of how finding out who you really are, living according to your nature and embracing your purpose in this world represent the only key to achieve true freedom. The highly anticipated self-titled debut album will be unveiled on May the 10th, 2024, once again under the esteemed banner of Invictus Productions.
