Pathfinder (PL)

About

Polish symphonic power metal outfit Pathfinder built their sound around sweeping keyboard orchestrations, chugging riffs, blinding guitar solos, and soaring vocals, aiming from the start to blend film score grandeur with classical music and heavy metal. Formed in Poznań, they toured with Iron Maiden's ex vocalist Paul Di'Anno before even releasing a proper album, which gives you a sense of how quickly they made an impression on the international metal circuit. Their debut full length, Beyond the Space, Beyond the Time, featured guest appearances from members of Labyrinth, Firewind, and Stratovarius, and was followed in 2012 by Fifth Element, a conceptual continuation of the same lyrical story. That second record came loaded with covers, including a Cher track for Japan and a Spartakus bonus for Europe, and earned comparisons to Dragonforce and Lost Horizon. In 2017 the band re recorded the Fifth Element title track with new vocalist Przemysław Uliczka.