Edge of Paradise

The band was formed in 2011 after Margarita Monet met guitarist Dave Bates on a freelance project. At the time, Bates was part of a band called "Bleed" with singer Robin McAuley, bassist Tony Franklin, and drummer Gregg Bissonette. Edge of Paradise reworked Bates' unreleased songs and included them in the band's debut album.[6]

The group's debut album, Mask,[7] was released on September 15, 2011 by Melrose Music Studios. It features a rhythm section consisting of Gregg Bissonette on drums and Tony Franklin on bass.[8]

Edge of Paradise's second album, Immortal Waltz,[9] was released on May 22, 2015 via Pure Steel Records and Soulfood.[10] The album was produced and mixed by Michael Wagener,[11] the album cover art was created by Timo Wuerz,[12] and the music videos for the singles "In a Dream"[13] and "Rise for the Fallen"[14] premiered via the magazine Revolver. The album was voted album of the week by Revolver's readers.[15]

Edge of Paradise's third release, the EP Alive,[16] was released March 10 via ILS/Universal.[17] The six-song EP entered the Billboard charts upon its first week of release, on Billboard's Current Hard Music Albums chart at #58 and Top New Album Artist chart at #94.[18] The songs have more of an industrial feel to the music, using vocal effects, more rapid drum beats and more distortion to provide the album a different character than the symphonic-sounding Immortal Waltz.

Alive gained acclaim from music critics, who called the band a hard rock sensation.[19] Bravewords.com described the EP as a "whole new world, another planet".[20]

The single and title track "Alive" was released on February 3,[21] followed by the music video which premiered on Metal Underground[17] on February 10, and released on Vevo.[22]

Alive was produced by Chuck Johnson, mixed by Jay Ruston, Mike Plotnikoff and Michael Wagener.[23]

The music video for "Mystery" from the band's EP Alive premiered on Loudwire.[24] It placed in top 10 videos on Loudwire's Battle Royal at #2 in its first week.[25] Music critics praised the song for its songwriting and performance.[26] The band dedicated the song to Monet's cousin, opera singer Oganes Georgiyan, who died in the plane crash of Russian TU-154 flight (a dedication appears at the end of the video).[27]

Edge of Paradise released the song "Shade of Crazy" and its accompanying music video[28][29] on July 26. The video premiered on Revolver's website;[30] the song received its radio debut on a major Los Angeles radio station (95.5 KLOS).[31] The song was produced by veteran producer Chuck Johnson, and mixed by Jay Ruston. It was noted as "sounding heavier while still showcasing [the band's] symphonic and theatrical edge."[32]

In 2017, recognizing the need for an additional musician to buttress their sound, Edge of Paradise hired guitarist Dave Ruiz, a friend of bassist Nick Ericson. According to Monet, "He thickens up our sound, adds depth and more energy to our live show." [33]

Edge of Paradise joined the lineup for Femme Festival, a megaconcert of female-fronted hard rock and heavy metal bands, in Eindhoven, Netherlands. Edge of Paradise was the only American act. Although Alive had a more industrial sound, the band also has a strong symphonic sound from Immortal Waltz, which mirrors many of the European acts who come from symphonic and European power metal influences. Edge of Paradise was well-received among the European fans. The new song, "Face of Fear", was played at Femme Festival.

Edge of Paradise has been writing for a forthcoming album due for release in late 2019. The band announced their new album to be titled Universe, due for release on August 11, 2019.[34]