Official Anthea Website
About Anthea
Anthea is a symphonic metal band hailing from Los Angeles, CA. The band draws inspiration from bands like Nightwish, Kamelot, and Wintersun, as well as composers such as Hans Zimmer, John Williams, and Danny Elfman, resulting in a unique theatrical sound blending progressive, power, and thrash metal elements with a grand cinematic edge.
The band's inception dates back to 2015, as a small side project by Diego Valadez who began writing original material with symphonic and progressive metal elements during his spare time while playing with Cellador. He recorded an EP with some lifelong musician friends, including drummer Peter Vasquez, and chose the name Anthea for the project. After realizing how much they enjoyed playing together, Vasquez and Valadez decided to form an official band lineup.
Juan Pina on guitar and screams, and Marcos Mejia on lead guitar were added, providing Anthea with a fuller sound. On October 10th, 2015, Anthea played their first live performance at the Whiskey a Go-Go in Hollywood, CA. After parting ways with their original bass player, the group announced they were in search of a new member. Eric “EJ” Guerrero stood out and was chosen for his similar musical influences, and background in multiple genres of heavy music, as well as his personality fitting well with the group.
The band's demo songs gained attention in the local metal scene, leading to more live shows around Los Angeles, including opening for Rhapsody of Fire, Wind Rose, and Quiet Riot, among others.
In late 2019, Anthea announced they would be re-recording their singles and creating new material for an official EP, "Illusion." Rockshots Records suggested recording a full-length debut album instead, offering to release it under their label, and Anthea agreed, resulting in more material being produced.
"Illusion," Anthea's debut album, was released on October 23rd, 2020, and received positive reviews from various magazines, blogs, and podcasts. The singles "Moirai," "Illusion," and "Reach" were played internationally on various rock and metal radio stations.
In 2022, Anthea released their second album, "Tales Untold," under Rockshots Records, which was met with great success and praise in the metal community. Critics have praised the album's epic and cinematic sound, with Power Play Magazine's Mark Lacey giving it a perfect score of 10/10. Metal Gods TV's Iron Mathew also commended the album for its massive sound, while Rock You Show's Doug Groff described it as surpassing all expectations for a progressive power metal album. Metal Express Radio's Bryce Van Patten summed it up as "tales worth telling!"
