Founded in 1985, ZED YAGO succeeded very soon also internationally. Their highly acclaimed debut album “From Over Yonder”, which dealt with the story of original character of Zed Yago, the fictitious daughter of the Flying Dutchmen, became the album of the month in the German METAL HAMMER – leaving even AC/DC in the dust. Just in the first month after its release it sold more than 30.000 copies. At that time a metal band wit a female singer was absolutely unique – as was the use of Wagner motives in the music.
ZED YAGO’s second album “Pilgrimage” took the band to Europe’s biggest venues supporting Deep Purple, it peaked as number 1 of the Japanese Metal Charts and on its back the band toured as a support of W.A.S.P. through Ireland and England.
Coinciding with the band’s 20th stage anniversary in 2006, ZED YAGO released a highly acclaimed live-album which featured next to ten live tracks two unreleased titles. ZED YAGO was the flagship of a brand new and today flourishing musical direction: “Dramatic Metal”, the combination of epic and mystic classical elements with dramatic metal arrangements which has been influential to bands such as WithinTemptation, Evanescence or Nightwish.
ZED YAGO’s new studio album will be released in early summer 2010.
In addition to 12 stunning brand new tracks it also features a cover version of the DEEP PURPLE classic “Burn”.“DEEP PURPLE has always been supporting us in an extremely friendly way – so it was obvious we wanted to do that song”, says guitarist and songwriter Jimmy Durand. “Especially since so far no other female singer dared singing that track.” Listening to the new album it is more than clear that ZED YAGO’s credo hasn’t changed a bit, as Jimmy points out: “It has always been a challenge for me to go our very own way musically; only if you do that a band can create and keep its own style and sound. Recognition is the most important for ZED YAGO. And also – sometimes it’s just more fun to swim against the tide and stick out of the masses.”
Source : http://www.zed-yago.com/HTML_ENG/index.html
