Cristiano Filippini - I would like to perform again in theatre, have a lot people interested in CF’s Flames Of Heaven - sell a lot of cds - health  for me and my family and find a balance in everything

If you wait about ten years to finally release your debut, then you do it better in an epic way, Cristiano Filippini must have thought . The classically trained Italian composer does have a few instrumental albums to his name, and has gained a reputation in certain circles. So now he's releasing an album under the name Cristiano Filippini's Flames of Heaven in which elements of power symphonic metal are connected to that classical music. If you like a strikingly epic approach within the metal scene, you'll love this rather long album. 
You can read the full review here
http://www.musiczine.net/nl/cd-reviews/item/80518-the-force-within.html
Also reason enough for us to ask Cristiano some questions about this project, the past and present and the plans for the future.

Let's start with a question that you've probably already got tired of hearing :) why did it take you so long to finally release this debut?
Well, first of all thank you for the interview! Basically because it took long time to find the right and perfect players and bandmates who could fit in the band. I was looking for great players and amazing persons and i found both…it was a very long and not easy research. Marco, the singer, contacted me in 2010 after my first epic symphonic solo album but I found the other guys just 3 or 4 years ago…

Of course you haven't been sitting still in the meantime, tell us something about yourself, your musical influences and so on?
Of course…I’ve been using composing music since I was 16 years old and almost every day I compose something…i have more than 4000 minutes of music to pick the right ideas for the albums aha…i knew that one day I would have found the right members for the band so I’ve never stopped to compose metal music. About my influences I can say all the best bands from AOR Hard Rock ’80, also pop and rock music from the eighties, and all the epic power metal from the early eighties till 2000 and few years later…but nothing more…for the symphonic parts…I can say the epic soundtracks from the ’80 epic movies and some romantic/opera/baroque/and contemporary music..

Over the years, what do you think is the big evolution next to digitization?
I think that the digitization was a big step. You can produce high level music with a great sound with a reasonable price. You can promote your music. You can sell online by yourself. From the other side music now is basically free and everybody think that you are a musician, composer, director, photographer just having a good pc with a decent software. There are a lot of people other interested in purchasing music but the offer is huge and quality is medium low…it is not easy for a buyer to find the right record to buy…so they have to spend hours and hours on spotify….

The reason for this interview is of course the record 'The force Within'. a very versatile record, you can't stick a musical style to what you're doing (that's what convinces me the most) how would you describe your own musical style?
Thank you, is a great compliment to me because I worked on every single details for a long time. My goal was to create a sound that could be a bridge between aor hard rock ’80 and power epic metal 95/2005…with a modern and powerful production. Also with a real orchestra. The second goal was to create a tracklist that could be able to keep the listener always focus on the music, without filler or boring, weak tracks. So I worked on the quality of the tracks but also composing in various style, from power to aor, from romantic ballads to epic suites etc…you can find everywhere my composing style but in different keys..

What were the contributions of Matias Kupiainen (Stratovarius) and Mika Jussila (Nightwish, Stratovarius) to the album?
I needed the best sound I could so it was not difficult to decide the mixing and mastering engineers…i grew up with that sound so clear and powerful so I contacted them. I worked with Matias online for few weeks and then I joined him in Helsinki for the second part of the mix. There he introduced me Mika Jussila and we joined him in Finnvox. After one year, this September, we improved the mix and the mastering to get the best results we could an I think we achieved our goal.

This is a true rock opera that never gets bored from start to finish. Is that how we may describe the record? A rock opera? Or am I wrong?
I can say that is a mix between concept album, rock opera etc…because there is in some songs a common topics like the Angels against Demons, or the force within that lies in all of us…not an easy question…I’d say a mix between all of them

How do you feel about recording 'The Force Within' and an opera like 'Sword and Flames'?
The Force Within was a first chapter of this new hard rock and metal path…it was a very difficult production, a huge productions, It took four years…in several studies with a lot of people working on it so…about Swords And Flames…just the final version of the Opera (2 hours of symphonic epic music) took 7 years…we recorded some parts live in the concerts…but I think that there are too many good music there…in some ways I will use it again in the future…

How are the general reactions to this release actually?
I got a huge amount of positive feedback from almost everybody, a lot of amazing reviews from all over the World…very good results about digital and physical sales…many interviews from all the most important magazines and websites in Europe and over…the most important power metal community on facebook put our debut as best debut 2020 and in the top 2, 12 or 14 power metal album 2020…so I am very glad to got this results…

I suppose your plans couldn't go ahead either? Feel free to tell us more about it
My plan now is to compose and produce a new CF’s Flames Of Heaven album to be released between late 2021 and late 2022..half of a tracklist is already at a good point…of course due to the Covid19 we are not able to play live for a while I guess…

In some interviews people tell me that these corona times were just a time to recharge? For you as well? How do you deal with it as a human being and as a musician?
Musically talking for me was a useful time because I had a chance to produce two video clips instead of one, we planned just “Far Away” before the Covid time and to work on the mix and the mastering again in order to improve it. Talking generally of course was and sadly is still a horrible page of the human history…

How do you personally think music and culture will survive this crisis?
Not easy questions…before the Covid the culture and the music business were already suffering….now everybody can make music but the quality is medium low level and it is not easy for a listener to focus on the high quality production and bands because maybe he needs, spends or waste time in the deep ocean of offers….30 years ago was almost impossible to produce music without spending a huge amount of money…we need  a mid-way…and basically the music is free.. not easy at all…

Live performances aren't there yet, are there plans for streaming concerts? How do you feel about that?
No.. for the moment we didn’t plan such of this things.. honestly I don’t like that solution a lot....i prefer to focus on composition for the next album....when or if will be a chance to check any offers from live management will do it...until that moment is better to focus on other things...

To embroider a little on that. What is your opinion on spotify and social media?
Well as I told you before.. the music is now basically free…if we don’t find a new solution that can replace the cd selling the future will be just streaming etc…it is very easy to be known but at the end to produce a cd takes a lot of money, time and energy…and just few people seem understand it….i hope that somebody can think of something more that streaming or something like that….

What are the further plans for the new year 2021?
Musically talking I’ve already started to compose the new album…I don’t think I will be able to produce it within 2021 but never say never…within 2022 for sure…so I will focus on it…and on improving my skills in every field of music and music business…

After all these years, what are the further ambitions?
I’d like that everybody can give a chance of my solos orchestral epic compositions and the music of Flames Of Heaven…I would like to be performed again in theatres…have a lot people interested in CF’s Flames Of Heaven…sell a lot of cds…health  for me and my family…and find a balance in everything…

And besides this project 'Flames of Heaven'?
FOH are my band and the only thing concerns heavy metal…in order to release every time a high quality album I cannot spend resources in other things…I would like to have a chance to be performed in theatres again because my solo epic symphonic opera “Swords and Flames” I think deserve it….

Thank you for this pleasant conversation, I hope we will soon be able to repeat this face to face between 'pot and pint' as we say at some concert or festival. Stay safe and happy new year!
It was a pleasure for me too Erik, thank you for the interview and Happy New Year to you and your family too!!!!