Cristiano Filippini’s Flames of Heaven return with their new album “Symphony of the Universe” and bring once again that big, emotional power metal sound full of melody, epic vibes and heart. After the strong debut “The Force Within”, the band faced challenges, personal trials and years of hard work to shape this second chapter, and the result truly feels passionate and alive. In this interview, Cristiano talks openly about the band’s journey, the inspirations behind the new songs, the connection with “Saint Seiya”, the personal lyrics and the vision for Flames of Heaven moving forward. Enjoy the read and feel the fire!
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
Give us a short biography of Cristiano Filippini’s Flames of Heaven. Why did you choose that name for the band?
First of all, I’d like to say hello to all the followers and reader of Myth of Rock GR! During my career as a composer of symphonic epic music I was contacted by Marco Pastorino, a real fortune as he proved to be the perfect singer for this band in the years to come. I later met Michele Vioni, even pretending to be his student haha to offer him the position as guitarist of the band and he immediately accepted with enthusiasm. It was then natural to choose Giorgio Terenziani and Paolo Caridi, two of his friends and exemplary professionals. The name Flames of Heaven refers to the flames of the Holy Spirit, a blessed fire. Musically it contains our two souls, Flames (Epic Power from the 90s) and Heaven (AOR from the 80s).
It’s been five years since “The Force Within”. How did it feel to return with a new album after that time?
It took so many years for the simple fact that I had some health problems and because we tried to have total control over the product by doing mixes and mastering, but the final result was not up to par with the compositions and therefore we entrusted everything to the hands of the great Simone Mularoni who worked with me side by side for six months. But now I am extremely satisfied with the final result.
When did the very first idea for “Symphony of the Universe” appear? Do you remember the moment?
It’s not easy because some ideas and songs are taken from my compositions from twenty years ago. Others are recent. It’s really a mix that’s impossible to fix chronologically. I wanted to create something truly majestic by combining all this temporal energy.
Did you feel any pressure to follow up such a strong debut?
No honestly no, because in these twenty years I have written so much music of this level that I could produce about ten records all to this standard. For the third album alone I wrote 700 ideas. between riffs, melodies and vocal lines. The problem is always opposite haha.
What was the main inspiration behind the title “Symphony of the Universe”?
Most of the songs are inspired by the famous manga “Saint Seiya” by Masami Kurumada. An epic work perfect for the musical atmospheres I had in mind. The other songs are mainly autobiographical songs detached from the main concept.
The album sounds very uplifting and positive. Was that mood intentional from the start?
Yes, I try both with art and in real life to instill positivity towards everyone because that is exactly what the world needs. Epicness is something that also manifests itself in everyday life by facing the small and big problems of life, with strength, patience and Faith.
You mix metal with real classical instruments. What do these instruments bring that synths alone can’t?
I’m a Synth lover but I use them as Synths, real synthesized sounds and VSTs, not as substitutes for a classical instrument or instrument in general, budget permitting. For the majority of classic instruments, both Synths and VSTs are not suitable on their own, but perhaps by superimposing them with techniques on real instruments they can work. I love Synth when it plays its role, not as a surrogate.
How would you describe the chemistry between the members of the band while recording this album?
We record everyone separately, I’m the only one overseeing all parts of every production process both online and live, so I meet everyone but not all of them meet haha. Having said that, they are all very good friends and know everyone’s way of playing perfectly.
Your guitar work really stands out — what part of the guitar-writing process gives you the most joy?
The guitar recording process works like this: I compose almost all the rhythmic parts and some just more melodic ones, giving Michele the indea guidance, while he then does a general harmonic check and writes all the most virtuoso solos. However, all the guitars are recorded by him, I don’t have time to do that too, because it’s a very long process and he’s excellent at it.
The vocals are incredibly emotional. How did you work with Marco Pastorino to shape the vocal lines?
I really think that Marco’s timbre and voice intersect perfectly with our music. I write all the vocal lines and lyrics and he instead offers studio backing vocals and some vocal arrangements.
Do you write lyrics first, or does the music lead the way?
I generally always write the music first, then the lyrics follow closely. Writing beautiful music is natural for me, while lyrics are a more reasoned and complicated process. You have to write interesting things following the metric, you are not free.
Seven songs are inspired by “Saint Seiya”. What made that story so meaningful for you?
We kids of the 80s grew up on bread and American and Japanese cartoons so they are part of us in our childhood and in our growth and education. “Saint Seiya” is one of my favorite manga along with “Hokuto No Ken”, “Berserk” and “Dragonball”. I had this thing in mind for twenty years and it finally came true.
Three songs have autobiographical themes. Would you like to share a bit about which ones and why?
Of course, “When Love Burns” is about a love story, which had to be interrupted but which concerns a person with whom the common thread will probably never break, and even in the future I don’t rule out a flashback haha. “Don’t Leave Me Tonight” is about how I felt gripped by the loop of life’s routine knowing that only true love could interrupt this sense of oppression, allowing you to move forward. “Eclipse” on the other hand talks about disorders and demonic attacks in sleep, evil always tries to discourage you during the day and attack you at night, but with Faith in God you achieve victory.
The album feels like it tells a story from start to finish. Was it planned as a full musical journey?
The songs linked to “Saint Seiya” are connected but have no chronological thread while the others are quite unrelated. Let’s say that the theme of the Universe is dominant, like main theme, otherwise they are quite independent.
How important is visual art to you when presenting your music? Did the cover inspire the music, or the other way around?
For me, aesthetics is fundamental in every part of life, the eyes must always enjoy a beautiful image. So, I take care of this thing down to the smallest detail, both in the videos and in the Lyric videos, every detail is important to create a winning product. The idea for the cover had already been ready for some time and perfectly reflects the atmosphere. For the most important things I will always use a real illustrator while for the more secondary things we also used AI.
What was the biggest challenge you faced during the making of this album?
Two things slowed us down. In recent years I have had many health problems of all kinds that have put me to the test like never before on a human level and then we wasted a year trying to mix and master the album ourselves, but the result was not up to par so fortunately I started collaborating with Simone Mularoni, professional and fantastic person. A blessing for Flames Of Heaven.
Your sound pays respect to classic power metal bands, but it also feels fresh. How do you balance tradition and modern elements?
Yes, my objective from the beginning was to combine the sound of 90s Finnish power with the 80s American AOR rock sound, the best of both worlds but with symphonic and electronic inserts with a fresh and modern sound. I think we succeeded.
Do you think melodic power metal still has something new to offer in the current music world?
I think that power metal made with intelligence, extreme care and great inspiration still has a lot to give. Unfortunately, however, I see few interesting bands, little personality especially in the details and production. And then we also need an evolution in terms of image, I see people who leave out too many important details. And few have the magical touch of songwriting.
Many fans say your music feels very emotional and personal. How do you feel when you hear this?
Who are completely right. I write music to excite, that’s all I care about. I want everything to be at the service of the song. I want people to be moved and find strength from my compositions. So, I’m very happy when they tell me this.
If a new listener hears Flames of Heaven for the first time, which song from the new record should they start with?
To say that on average I think that a song like “When Love Burns” is practically perfect and that it best summarizes the spirit of Flames of Heaven.
Do you have a favorite song on the album — and why that one?
I think the rock part is perfectly represented by “When Love Burns”, while the power part by “On The Wings Of Phoenix”. The epic mid-tempo aspect from “A Flame from The Sky” and the ballad “Don’t Leave Me Tonight” represents to mine the versatile and romantic aspect of the band. So, I would say these four.
Are there plans for live shows or tours, and what would you want the live experience to feel like?
At the moment I would like to focus on growing the Flames of Heaven brand and increasing the fan base. In the future I won’t rule anything out and if we were to have good offers and interesting possibilities the live aspect could also be addressed. The other guys all have more or less an average of two thousand concerts behind them so if I had to prepare properly the car could start even before the third or fourth album. We’ll see.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be?
I can tell you who my favorite songwriters have been over time… Joey Tempest, Tobias Sammet, Timo Tolkki, David De Feis, the Oliva brothers, Steve Harris, Kai Hansen…singers like Eric Adams, Bruce Dickinson or Michal Kiske. Some of them would be nice to have them in a future rock metal opera although I tell you, all this has already been done and real bands have never resorted to particular collaborations to get noticed and emerge. It’s a recent thing.
What do you think is the biggest misunderstanding people have about power metal today?
I think there are no particular misunderstandings towards power metal, many have always liked it and you know what you find without too many surprises. However, I am sorry that metal and hard rock in Italy is ghettoized and treated as a niche when in fact there are some of the best composers, musicians and singers in the world and a nice fan base. There’s a lot to work on.
What does this album mean to you personally, now that it’s complete and out in the world?
It was an album that tested me as a man. Every step forward was a challenge. Every day a battle. I learned many things and suffered a lot. I wanted to create what in my mind could get as close as possible to the perfect album. I gave my best and so did the others. We are very satisfied. Everyone is appreciating it totally and enthusiastically. Thank you so much for the amazing interview and incredible review!!!! You have captured everything about our musical and non-musical essence.
