Lebanese Guitarist Amadeus Awad and vocalist Elia Monsef join forces one more time to bring The Book Of Gates (out on November 28, via Power Prog 2014) under the Name Amadeus Awad’s EON; A Progressive Metal Opera EP with Oriental elements, featuring members from, Symphony x, Avantasia, Kamelot, Trillium, ARK, OSI, Dream Theater, Myrath, and Ostura.

Amadeus Awad, proudly dubbed in the western media as the Arjen Lucassen of the Middle East, is a Lebanese guitarist/composer/lyricist & mastermind of many projects. He worked with a long list of world renowned artists and has an arsenal of releases under his name.

Elia Monsef, The voice of Amadeus Awad and Ostura; is a Lebanese singer/composer/lyricist/filmmaker/and producer  whose name is related to some of Lebanon’s most prominent acts in several genres of music.

After Releasing the critically acclaimed Schizanimus in 2013, the duo released a second EP, The Book Of Gates  that features:

Russell Allen (Symphony x, Adrenalin Mob) – Vocals as the Pharaoh
Amanda Somerville (Avantasia, Trillium, Kamelot)  – Vocals as the Queen
Kevin Moore (ex-Dream Theater, OSI, Chroma Key) –  Keyboards & effects (tracks 2,3,4)
John Macaluso (ARK, Yngwie Malmsteen, Riot, James Labrie) – Drums
Dan Veall – Bass
Elyes Bouchoucha (Myrath) – Additional Keyboards (track 1)
Danny Bou Maroun (Ostura) – Additional Orchestration & Effects (track 1)

Elia Monsef – Vocals as Necromancer /Composer/Producer
Amadeus Awad – All Guitars/Programming/Production/Composer/Lyricist

Brett Caldas-Lima (Ayreon, Megadeth, Devin Townsend, Pain Of Salvation) – Mixing and Mastering  at Tower Studios, France

More information at http://rockonaut.bandcamp.com/album/the-book-of-gates-special-edition

Plot of the opera :
In the quest for an afterlife, kings die, queens betray and priests use religious manuscripts to control the minds of the people. Relying on a vision in a dream, the queen claims she discovered the elixir of divine mortality, a suicide by a serpent’s venom on a full moon night will grant the king an afterlife. Blinded by love, the king swallows the drops of greed and dies, only to be faced with what appears to be the deceptions of the gods of Egypt who plot to send him back to kill the queen. Once he is back, a simple question rises as bright as a thousand sun, is he back because the queen said the truth, or because Ra wants to punish her?

In the Special edition release is a Bonus EP , Schizanimus (MRR2013) an ambient Progressive rock EP that the Duo worked on and released as a solo Album by Amadeus Awad in 2013.

Schizanimus Features :
Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, King Crimson) – Drums
Danny Bou Maroun – Orchestration , Additional Keyboards
Dan Veall – Bass
Amadeus Awad – All Guitars, Keyboards, Programming, Composition, Lyrics, Production
Elia Monsef – All Vocals, Composition, Production
Karim Sinno – Mixing at Mixdown studios , Lebanon
Simon Lahham – Mastering

Contact information:

http://www.Facebook.com/amadeus.awad.official – http://www.facebook.com/elia.monsef.official – http://www.YouTube.com/amadeusawad – http://www.reverbnation.com/amadeusawad – http://www.soundcloud.com/amadeusawad