Secret Sphere is an Italian symphonic power metal band from Alessandria, fo… Read Full Bio ↴Secret Sphere is an Italian symphonic power metal band from Alessandria, formed by guitarist Aldo Lonobile in July 1997.

Early Years (1997–2011)

Guitarist Aldo Lonobile formed Secret Sphere in July 1997. Early on, the band was influenced by hard rock, heavy metal, and classical music. After some lineup changes in December 1997, the band recorded their first demo, Between Story and Legend, in September 1998. The style of the demo was firmly in the symphonic power metal genre that was expanding in Italy at that time.

The demo caught the attention of the Italian progressive/power metal label Elevate Records, who signed the band to a two-album deal. In June 1999, Secret Sphere recorded the first full-length album, Mistress of the Shadowlight. The album continued in the stylistic direction shown on Between Story and Legend, and included re-recordings of a few songs from that demo.

In October 2001, the band returned to New Sin studios (where the first album had been recorded) to record their second full-length album, A Time Never Come, also released on Elevate Records.

Secret Sphere recorded two promo CDs in 2002 while in search of a new recording deal. They caught the attention of major German heavy metal label Nuclear Blast, who would go on to release the band's third album, Scent of Human Desire, in May 2003. Scent of Human Desire presented a change in direction for the band, focusing less on fantasy themes and more on romantic, sexual themes. After the release of Scent of Human Desire, drummer Luca Cartasegna left the band, citing difference in musical tastes.

The band's fourth album, Heart & Anger, was released in May 2005 on Nuclear Blast. Daniel Flores (Mind's Eye) was brought on as a session drummer for the recordings. After the album was released, a full replacement drummer was found in Federico Pennazzato. That same year, the band planned to back up the Danish progressive metal band Royal Hunt, however, the tour was cancelled two days before it was set to begin. A 2006 Scandinavian tour backing King Diamond was more successful for the band.

In 2008, Secret Sphere released their fifth album, Sweet Blood Theory, on Avalon in Japan and the German label Dockyard 1 Records in Europe. The album was based on the short story "The Vampyre", written by John William Polidori, as well as the atmospheres of Tim Burton's cinematographic work. Longtime members Antonio Agate (keyboards) and Paolo "Paco" Gianotti (guitars) departed the band after the release of the album; both had been with the band since the recording of their demo a decade before.

Dockyard 1 Records folded in 2009, but the band was picked up by the Italian heavy metal label Scarlet Records in time for their sixth full-length album, Archetype, released in September 2010. This was the first recording with new keyboardist Gabriele Ciaccia and new guitarist Marco Pastorino.

Vocalist change, later years (2012–)

In 2012, the band began recording for their seventh album. However, part way through recording, vocalist and founding member Roberto Ramon Messina left the band due to differences in musical direction. Michele Luppi, former vocalist of the Italian progressive power metal band Vision Divine, was recruited as Roberto's replacement, and the album, entitled Portrait of a Dying Heart, was released in November of that year on Scarlet Records. Drummer Fredderico Pennazzato left shortly after; Marco Lazzarini was chosen as his replacement.

Secret Sphere returned to the studio in 2015 to re-record their second album, A Time Never Come, in commemoration of the fifteenth anniversary of its release. A Time Never Come – 2015 edition was released by Scarlet Records in April 2015.

The band signed a multi-album deal with Frontiers Records in April 2016. Later that year, Frontiers released the band's first official live recording, One Night in Tokyo, as a 2CD + DVD set. Following the release of One Night in Tokyo, guitarist Marco Pastorino left the band. The band's eighth album, The Nature of Time, was released in June 2017, with only Lonobile on guitars.

The band released their most recent album, Lifeblood, on 12 March 2021. This album features the return of vocalist Roberto Messina for the first time since 2012.

Dance With the Devil
Secret Sphere Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Walking on a razor's edge together
Living in an underworld
Creatures of the night we are
Like vampires we are king of the darkness

With us you're gonna play with fire burning in your heart
Set free the energy running through your veins

When the shadows call you take their hand
Ten thousand dreams are layin' ahead
Leave the fears behind, dance with the devil
Hear the shadows whispering your name
Ten thousand souls are playing the game
Take his hand tonight, dance with the devil

Like a hellish circle, sensual stares
Surrounded by black veils
Sexy witches move around you
Princess of the damned with angels' eyes that kill

With us you're gonna play with fire
Burning in your heart
Set free your wild side screaming in silence

Shadows call you

Overall Meaning

to leave behind all your fears and join them in their dark world. As creatures of the night, they invite you to dance with the devil, to indulge in the pleasures of darkness and let go of your inhibitions. The chorus encourages you to take the devil's hand and immerse yourself in the ten thousand dreams and souls that await you in the underworld.

The second verse describes the atmosphere of the underworld - a hellish circle with sensual stares and black veils. The witches around you are sexy and alluring, drawing you further into their world. The princess of the damned with her angelic eyes is both beautiful and deadly. The lyrics hint at the dangerous and addictive nature of this world, but ultimately leave the decision to the listener whether to heed their call or not.

Line by Line Meaning

Walking on a razor's edge together
We are living dangerously close to the line of society's expectations.

Living in an underworld
We are living in a world that is hidden from the mainstream society.

Creatures of the night we are
We are nocturnal beings who come alive in the darkness.

Like vampires we are king of the darkness
Just like vampires are the kings of the night, we too are the kings of the darkness.

With us you're gonna play with fire burning in your heart
Being with us will ignite the passion and desire that burns within you.

Set free the energy running through your veins
Let your inner energy and excitement flow freely within yourself.

When the shadows call you take their hand
When the darkness calls you, don't hesitate to follow it.

Ten thousand dreams are layin' ahead
The future is filled with infinite possibilities and potential for you.

Leave the fears behind, dance with the devil
Let go of your fears and inhibitions and embrace living life to the fullest.

Hear the shadows whispering your name
The darkness is calling out to you specifically and seductively.

Ten thousand souls are playing the game
Many people are living life dangerously and with passion, just like we do.

Take his hand tonight, dance with the devil
Take the risk and embrace living life on the edge with us, don't hesitate to follow the darkness.

Like a hellish circle, sensual stares
We are all trapped in a tempting cycle of living on the edge, seducing and being seduced.

Surrounded by black veils
We are surrounded by the darkness and the unknown, which is both thrilling and unpredictable.

Sexy witches move around you
People with dark and alluring personalities and desires might be attracted to you and surround you.

Princess of the damned with angels' eyes that kill
You are a beautiful and seductive person who has both underworld and heavenly qualities, which can be irresistible and deadly at the same time.

Set free your wild side screaming in silence
Let your inner wildness and hedonism come out, even if your actions might not always be visible to the world.

Contributed by Jasmine K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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