Short Bio: Absolon is an exciting and dynamic heavy metal band founded by singer/songwriter Ken Pike. Combining NWOBHM and European metal with today's symphonic power metal, Absolon has managed to create a sound all their own, a sound which is new yet will be familiar with the metal community. Absolon has been heralded as a vanguard of the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal (NWTHM) and, since hitting the scene, has taken the metal world by storm. Not long after its conception in 2013, Absolon released their debut album;Darkness Rising: A Tale of Derek Blackheart to great fanfare and fantastic reviews here in the USA and abroad. A concept album, Darkness Rising was regularly compared to Queensryche's successful concept album Operation Mindcrime, both in scope and ambition. Fans of Queensryche will definitely hear the similarity, especially in the vocals of Ken Pike, who is a big Queensryche/Geoff Tate fan. On October 31, 2022, Absolon released their long-awaited follow-up to their debut album called; A Portrait of Madness. With an all-new set of players in tow, Absolon has produced yet another intricate concept piece, one which they believe surpasses the debut with stronger songs and an all-around better production.