Project Masquerade
Noud Smeets - 7 and 8 String Guitars
Dennis Leeflang - Drums
Barend Courbois - Bass Guitar
Mark Brekelmans - Bass Guitar
Doug Odell - Bass Guitar
Chandler Mogel - Vocals
Grain - Vocals
Dmitri Kostitsyn - Vocals
Daniel Verbrugge - Vocals
Michel Zandbergen - Vocals
Suzy Silverstein - Backing Vocals
PROJECT MASQUERADE is the brainchild of Dutch guitarist /
songwriter Noud Smeets, .
The new album “ NOTHING BUT EVERYTHING WILL REMAIN”
follows up the highly acclaimed “Cybernetic Empire” cd, released in
2010 on the Italian Steelheart label.
It is a culmination of brutal but melodic heavy/power metal at its
best. Packed full of powerful songs and first class musicianship with
soaring vocals, lightning fast guitars and a rock solid backline
Project Masquerade albums a line-up of some well known names in progressive / power / metalcircles provide the potent performances on the album.
Drums come from Dennis Leeflang (Bumblefoot, Lita Ford, Sun Caged), Bass tracks are performed
by Barend “The Bear” Courbois, (worked with Tamas Szekeres, Bert Heerink, Michael Lee Firkins,
Zakk Wylde, Ian Parry, Vengeace and Steve Fister to name a few), Mark Brekelmans (Xystus,Edge of Serenity) and Doug Odell (Ted Poley & session player)
Noud Smeets is also proud to introduce some great vocals on the album by Chandler Mogel
(Outloud), Dmitry Kostitsyn (Hung), Daniel Verbrugge ( Ethereal), Michel Zandbergen
(Masquerade, Picture) and dutch singer-songwriter Grain, who made a breathtaking solo album
last year.
Musically, Project Masquerade leans towards the classis heavy metal sound with moments ofcomplex heavy thunder rhythm contrast with very groove based melodic parts, and of course
brilliant solo sections, and singable choruses all which give the album its own distinctive sound.
It's all about energy, aggression, melodies and finesse .
Lyrically the album tries to find themes in specific stories and circumstances.
Opening track DISEASE tells the story of Persian born scientist and polymath Ibn al-Haytham( known in the West as Alhazen) Alhazen made significant contributions to the principles of optics,
as well as to physics, astronomy, mathematics, ophthalmology, philosophy, visual perception, and
to the scientific method. He is considered as the father of modern optics .
MASTERPLAN, the only instrumental track in the album is based on “Metropolis”, a movie directedby Fritz Lang in 1927.
Another important theme on the album is “finding your soulmate”, represented by two tracks: “
“Carve your heart” and “ Restless Souls”
When a child is born it has a male or a female soul and you have to search all your life to find the
opposite part. These two opposites have no power alone, but, when united they have the power to
create in this world.
The album was written and recorded between 2008 and 2010 .
The last of the recording sessions were finished just after Noud and his girlfriend saw their first
child born during the albumcreation! Mixing, mastering and Artwork took the better part of 2011
