Beyond the Black is a German symphonic metal band formed in Mannheim in 2014. The band was founded by vocalist Jennifer Haben (formerly of Saphir). Their debut album, "Songs of Love and Death", achieved immediate commercial success and entered the German and Austrian music charts. In 2014, after completing production of their debut album, Haben assembled a group of live musicians consisting of Nils Lesser (lead guitar), Christopher Hummels (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), Michael Hauser (keyboards), Erwin Schmidt (bass), and Tobias Derer (drums). The band made their live debut at Wacken Open Air 2014 and also performed on tour as a support act for Saxon and Hell. "Songs of Love and Death" was released on 13 February 2015. It reached number 12 in the German charts and number 21 in Austria. The album was produced by Sascha Paeth and received generally positive critical reception. Following its release, the band promoted the album with television appearances and a German tour that included festivals such as Wave-Gotik-Treffen. The band's second album, "Lost in Forever", was released on 12 February 2016. A deluxe edition included additional live recordings, a cover song, and bonus material. In mid-2016, Jennifer Haben and her then-musicians parted ways, after which Haben continued the project with a new permanent lineup. The new lineup was announced in November 2016 and included Kai Tschierschky (drums), Tobi Lodes (rhythm guitar), Chris Hermsdörfer (lead guitar), Stefan Herkenhoff (bass), and Jonas Roßner (keyboards). From this point onward, Beyond the Black functioned as a stable band rather than a solo-led project with session musicians. In 2017, "Lost in Forever" was reissued as a tour edition with additional material. The band toured internationally, performing in countries including the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Poland, Russia, and Japan. They also supported Aerosmith and Scorpions on tour. In 2018, keyboardist Jonas Roßner left the band. Later that year, the third album "Heart of the Hurricane" was released, followed by a European tour supporting Within Temptation. In 2019, a reworked edition titled "Heart of the Hurricane (Black Edition)" was released, featuring additional songs. The band also completed a European headlining tour. On 19 June 2020, the fourth studio album "Hørizøns" was released and became the band’s highest-charting album to date. Following its release, Beyond the Black announced a co-headline tour with Amaranthe. In 2022, the band performed at the Midalidare Rock Festival in Bulgaria. In the same year, Jennifer Haben featured as a guest vocalist on an alternate version of "Make It Better" by Amaranthe. The fifth studio album, "Beyond the Black", was released on 13 January 2023. The sixth studio album, "Break the Silence", followed on 9 January 2026. Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_the_Black Studio albums Songs of Love and Death (2015) Lost in Forever (2016) Heart of the Hurricane (2018) Hørizøns (2020) Beyond the Black (2023) Break the Silence (2026)