NEWS!
"Unleash the Siren" out now!
“Unleash the Siren” is the eagerly awaited successor to DIANNE’s first solo single “After the Storm” and the second song of her upcoming solo album "Soulward Bound".
“Unleash the Siren” is a bombastic, symphonic metal song about dealing with PTSD and facing the devil within. An honest, heartfelt tale with a victorious ending!
The song was written together with producer Joost van den Broek, is performed by various musicians from the symphonic metal genre and will feature another video produced by Blackbriar.
vOCALS
DIANNE VAN GIERSBERGEN
"Maleficence is here!
In eerie nights and waking dreams."
"My second single “Unleash the Siren” is a song about coping with trauma related stress and anxiety. About how to face up to that demon within."
~ Dianne van Giersbergen
the story continues
a 5 year journey has started!
With the release of “After the Storm”, on February 14, 2023, Dianne van Giersbergen’s launched her long-awaited solo carreer and announced that she will be releasing her debute album "Soulward Bound" under her own name "DIANNE".
The album will be co-written, orchestrated & produced by Joost van den Broek (Epica, Blind Guardian, Powerwolf, ao) and will feature various well known guest musicians from the genre.
soulward bound
a symphonic metal album
vision
On the 13th of September 2022, exactly 5 years after her departure from Xandria, Dianne announced her return into symphonic metal through the creation of her own solo album: “Soulward Bound”, under her own name "DIANNE". The album will embody the drive and devotion that guided Dianne on her journey towards finding herself again. To have the album mirror her journey, “Soulward Bound” will be released in a new and unconventional way: spread out over 5 years, with 2 singles each year.
songs
The songs released and announced for "Soulward Bound" so far are:
"After the Storm"
Released on February 14, 2023
Featured guest musicians: Isaac Delahaye (Epica), Johan van Stratum (Blind Guardian, Stream of Passion), Koen Herfst (van den Berg) and Joost van den Broek (After Forever, Ayreon)
"Unleash the siren"
Expected on September 22, 2023
Featured guest musicians: Timo Somers (Delain, Ayreon), Luuk van Gerven (After Forever, Ex Libris), Roel van Helden and Joost van den Broek (After Forever, Ayreon)
teaming up with Joost van den Broek
"Soulward Bound" will be a joined creation of Dianne van Giersbergen and Joost van den Broek, who will not only produce the album but also co-write and orchestrate all songs.
"Over the past 8 years, I've worked together with Joost on all of my releases with Xandria, but also on the latest Ex Libris album. I've seen him at work as co-writer, mixer, producer and it is fair to say that he has been a steady, trustworthy and most of all mind-blowing creative factor in my career. Therefore, I could not imagine writing this album with anyone else than with him!"
The Netherlands-based, Joost van den Broek has produced, arranged, and mixed albums for over 10 years with great international success. Working for clients like Epica, Ayreon, Powerwolf and Blind Guardian, he has build up an impressive portfolio, received multiple gold and platinum awards and gained a reputation in the metal scene by consistently delivering the highest standard in modern, epic productions.
About DIANNE van Giersbergen
Dianne van Giersbergen (1985) received her first singing lessons as a birthday present from her parents when she turned four. In the following years she was taught by various music teachers en sang with several choirs and ensembles. In 2005 she started her studies in classical music at the 'ArtEZ Academy of Music' conservatory. She graduated with distinction in 2009 (bachelor) and in 2012 (master). Her voice type is a spinto/dramatic soprano.
Dianne is best known as the former lead vocalist of German symphonic metal band Xandria.
For more details about her education and discography please scroll down.
Dianne lives in the south of the Netherlands, close to Sandlane Recording Facilities where she recorded most of her albums with Xandria, her latest album with Ex Libris and many guest features.
When she's not working as a vocalist, voice over or song writer, she devotes her time to her own jewelry brand: 'Precious Metal Jewelry', for which she created jewelry out of musical materials donated by famous and upcoming bands from the rock and metal genre.
Once every two weeks you can also listen to Dianne on her podcast 'Are We Better Friends Yet?', that she hosts together with her good friend and collegue vocalist Marcela Bovio. In this podcast they will try to deepen their -one might say- interesting friendship!
discography
everything from lead to additional vocals
Over the years Dianne has been asked by various bands to join them on their new releases. Some of them are famous bands, others are well on their way of becoming just that. What they all have in common though is that they offered Dianne a vocal part she could sink her teeth into, whether its a full feature, ear catching lead lines, choir parts or additional vocals.
From 2013 to 2017 Dianne has been the front woman of German symphonic metal band ‘Xandria’. In the four years that the formation was together they toured the world, gathered millions of views on their videos and released 2 albums and 1 EP, all through Napalm Records: “Sacrificum” (2014), “Fire & Ashes” (2015) and “Theater of Dimensions” (2017).
In 2004 Dianne founded progressive symphonic metal band ‘Ex Libris’. Their latest album “ANN” came out in 2019: a trilogy in which the band tells the tales of 3 historical female characters: Anne Boleyn, Anastasia Romanova & Anne Frank. A new concept album is planned for the future. Earlier on the band released “Amygdala” (2008) and “Medea” (2014).
education
classical training
In 2005 Dianne started her studies in classical music at the 'ArtEZ Academy of Music' conservatory where she was taught classical singing by Elena Vink. During her studies she was a trainee at the Nationale Reisopera and she took master classes from Barbara Hannigan, Barbara Schlick, Dr. Maribeth Dayme, Claudia Patacca, Lodewijk Meeuwsen, Riekje Bakker and Felix Schonenbaum, among others. In addition to the classical repertoire, in her spare time Dianne brushed up on popular music with singing teacher Jolanda Geven. Caroline Almekinders taught her musical theatre. 19th May 2009 she rounded off her Bachelor’s with distinction. Her graduation was also the admission for the Master studie with which she decided to continue her studies.
While studying for her master degree, Dianne perfected her techniques to have classical music intermingle with metal music. Her master’s thesis deals with the vocal techniques and the compositional demands required to blend these styles and with the merging of protocol and free performance in this crossover style. Supervised by economist for the music industry Ton Lamers, she wrote a business plan outlining her vision of combining and executing this in practice, and staged a concert as part of her graduation recital in which she managed to combine, then blend, and eventually fuse these two genres.
In addition, she also attended composition courses, she wrote poems on behalf of composers and during her first year was chairman of the ‘New Artez Student Association’, a group of master students that focused on organizing and performing interdisciplinary classical concerts
