Roberto Sunga
Guitars/Grunts/Orchestra/Bass/Percussion
Date of Birth: June 25, 1991
Country of Birth: United States
Hometown: Juarez, Mexico & El Paso, Texas
I was born in El Paso, Texas and grew up just across the border in Juarez, Mexico. Ever since I can remember there were hundreds of vinyls, cassettes, Cd's, and VHS or DVD concerts lying around the house thanks to my father's love for music. I used to listen to The Beatles or Led Zeppelin all day long and pretend food containers were my drum set as I hit them with whatever "drum stick" shaped objects I could find. I picked up the acoustic guitar at the age of 6 following my brother's steps and because my family refused to buy me a drum set.
Some years later I fell in love with metal music when I discovered Metallica, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath. Since that day I was inspired to make music my life and my dream of some day being in a big band was born.
I started writing my first riffs and in 2006 I composed my first complete song. During my last high school year I played the cello in the school orchestra and started digging deeper into the world of music. After graduating I started learning about audio engineering and MIDI programming, which greatly helped me bring the music in my head to life. I also had the opportunity to produce demos and even albums for other bands.
It was also during this time that my band at the time and I played our first gigs, although years and many line up changes later lead me to learn that my band mates weren't as passionate and dedicated to music as I was.
I took a break from being in a band for a few years, only doing guest appearances and writing music.
In 2015 I decided I wanted to go big or go home. I discovered that Foroogh whom I had known for a few years over the internet could sing and I had a light bulb moment. I asked her to record one of the songs that I had been working on. After a few months she did and that's how the next wonderful chapter of my life called AKHETH started. Of course this story is just beginning...
Drinks:
1. IPA Beer
2. Unsweetened Iced Tea
3. Black Cold Brew Coffee
4. Natural Smoothies
5. Mexican Coca-Cola
Foods:
1. Porterhouse Steak
2. Sushi
3. Italian Food
4. Barbacoa, Pastor, Tripitas Tacos
5. In N' Out Burgers
Albums:
1. Opeth - Ghost Reveries
2. Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny
3. Ayreon - The Human Equation
4. Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2 Scenes From a Memory
5. Mago de Oz - Gaia II: La Voz Dormida
6. Metallica - Kill 'Em All
7. Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
8. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
9. Adagio - Dominate
10. Circus Maximus - Nine
11. David Gilmour - Live at Pompeii
12. Ensiferum - Victory Songs
13. Epica - The Phantom Agony
14. Evergrey - Recreation Day
15. Haken - The Mountain
16. Mayan - Quarterpast
17. Nightwish - Wishmaster
18. Secret Sphere - A Time Nevercome
19. Wintersun - Time I
20. Moonspell - Extinct
"AKHETH comes from the Egyptian hieroglyph "akhet," the "h" at the end was added to make the word unique to the band. AKHETH represents the place where the sun sets or rises. In the logo, the "A" is a mountain or pyramid and the circle around it the sun or moon behind it."
Band Members:
Mahafsoun (Foroogh Atash)
Vocals/Piano Composition
Date of Birth: June 17, 1992
Country of Birth: Iran
Hometown: Vancouver, B.C. Canada
I am a Persian bellydancer and artist, with drops of Azerbaijani and Egyptian in my blood. This combination, aside many other reasons, makes me passionate about some of the most beautiful dance forms in the world - Oriental Dances. Out of all the magickal dances of the Middle East, at the age of 15 I fell eternally in love with the spiritual, ancient and immortal art of Bellydance. To this day that undying desire is growing.
I was born and raised in Tehran, Iran and moved to Canada at the age of 8. During the same time that I began dancing, I also began experimenting with photography, videography, modelling, playing the piano, and singing. At the time, I did most of these art forms as a hobby, until I joined AKHETH and began using my voice for something more than simply singing to myself. I remember when I first heard symphonic metal music. I was blown away by how powerful yet 'delicate' this genre was. At the time, I was around 15 years old. I never imagined being a part of a band myself roughly 10 years later.
Other than the art of bellydance, I am passionate about photography (editing/retouching), singing and composing on my piano. I occasionally collaborate with photographers, as a model, and combine my ideas with theirs. Each of these forms of art allows me to express myself in a different way and live life through a different perspective.
Drinks:
1. Coffee
2. Coconut Water
3. Pomegranate Juice
4. Mateus
5. Water
Foods:
1. Poke
2. Sushi
3. Pizza
4. Kabab Koobideh
5. Chipotle
Albums:
1. Deftones - Diamond Eyes
2. A Perfect Circle - Thirteenth Step
3. Crosses - Crosses
4. Septicflesh - The Great Mass
5. Moonspell - Extinct
Lillian Liu
Piano/Violin/Keys
Date of Birth: July 14, 1992
Country of Birth: Taiwan
Hometown: Vancouver, B.C. Canada
I was exposed to music at the age of 3, starting my piano lessons then- and then I went on to pick up the violin respectively at 7. After a rigorous childhood of honing my craft with pianist Connie Shih and Lorraine Ambrose at the Vancouver Academy of Music, I went on to do my undergraduate degree in classical piano at the University of British Columbia under Dr. Corey Hamm.
From there, I went on to audition for my masters degree- and after having to decide between NYC or London, I went with The Royal College of Music in the United Kingdom under Nigel Clayton. Currently, I am on faculty at 3 music institutions, and perform solo or collaboratively when possible.
I also enjoy acting as a session musician for a variety of genres and musical styles- and although classical music and black metal are the closest to my heart due to being the most influential in my formative years, I live and breath for all kinds of art. Akheth is no exception to my lust for variety and the appreciation of the giant umbrella that is metal as a whole- and I wholeheartedly appreciate being here with fervour.
On the side, I also work and travel in North America and Europe as a creative photographer/retoucher under "Lillian Liu Photography," along with being a very occassional model. My work has been published in print within the pages of Vogue, along with other various magazines such as Marie Claire and Fae. I met Foroogh through photography and modeling many years ago- and it was through her that I touched base with Akheth. Everything comes full circle in this life.
Drinks:
1. Black Tea
2. Green Tea
3. White Tea
4. Red Tea
5. Iced Tea
Foods:
1. Japanese
2. Nordic
3. Korean
4. Italian
5. Indian
Albums:
1. Drudkh - Autumn Aurora
2. Blood of Kingu - Sun in the House of the Scorpion
3. Deathspell Omega - Drought
4. Blind Guardian - Imaginations From the Other Side
5. The Ruins of Beverast - Foulest Semen of a Sheltered Elite
6. Mournful Congregation - The Monad of Creation
7. Esoteric - Paragon of Dissonance
8. Urfaust - Verräterischer, nichtswürdiger Geist
9. Akhlys- The Dreaming I
10. Clann- Kin Fables
Jeroen Simons
Session Drums/Percussion/Co-Producer
Date of Birth: February 25, 1978
Country of Birth: The Netherlands
Hometown: Goes, The Netherlands
I was from a young age deeply touched by music with emotions and layers and surrounded by classical based pop music. I started playing the snare drum in drum corps and at 15 years of age I joined my first metalband. We played Metallica/Dream Theater and of course grunge music. I also took classical percussion lessons at the local music school and learned to sight read music.
At age 17, I recorded my first demos with the band Tremor and I got noticed as a talented drummer by Anthony vd Berg in the Dutch magazine Aardschok. With the same band I recorded my first album when I was 18 and my playing was influenced by drummers like Gene Hoglan and Sean Reinert. They led me to more fusion based music and my love for progressive rock/metal.
I took private lessons with a Dutch Jazz/fusion drummer Chris Strik and I met Mark Jansen when I was 20, I would play with my band Cassiopeia and him with After Forever. When I was 22 I already played as a session-/studio musician in various styles with at least 6 bands every day of the week and started to study at The Conservatory of Music in Rotterdam.
In 2002 I was ask to join Sahara Dust to play on their demo CD and soon after it turned into EPICA. With EPICA I played from 2002 until 2006. In 2007 I started my own drum school and played drums as a session-studio drummer for various international projects. I also began recording my own drums, studying recording and mixing techniques, producing, and began to compose material for a drum book. On YouTube I started to show lessons and drum techniques and of course the recording projects.
In 2013 I got an invitation to come to EPICA's 10 year anniversary RETROSPECT and I lauched the idea to play with the original members. We successfully did with Quietus. In November 2016 Roberto asked me to play on The Asylum song. I'm nowadays (2018) busy with finishing the editing of my first very complex drum book: Progressive Licks & Beats for the 21th century drummer.I also launched my own Drummer JS Cymbal Sample package and I'm starting to produce & mix more and do more studio sessions as a online studio drummer. I'm endorsed by Amedia cymbals, Balbex sticks & Cympad since 2005...
Drinks:
1. Tea
2. Water with lemon
Foods:
1. Vegetarian Food
Albums:
1. Death - Human
2. Cynic - Focus
3. Sting - Ten Summoner's Tales
4. Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage
5. Planet X - Moonbabies
6. Allan Holdsworth - Secrets
7. Jing Chi - 3D
8. Dead Can Dance - The Serpent's Egg
9. Toto - Mindfields
10. Tony Williams - Lifetime
11. Varese - Nocturnal
12. Depeche Mode - Greatest Hits
13. Jeff Buckly - Grace
14. Messhugah - Destroy Erase Improve
