History: Mystic Opera was founded by keyboard player and composer Anssi Pajuoja in November 2005. Anssi, bass player Janne Myllymäki and drummer Janne Honkanen had played together in a power metal band called Arcadian, and the Mystic Opera line-up was completed by Sami Pilve (guitar) and Emilia Rantasalo(vocals). Mystic Opera is a symphonic powerblack metal band influenced by Rhapsody, Dimmu Borgir, King Diamond and classical composers like Frédéric Chopin and Johann Sebastian Bach. The band's lyrics are based on The Lord of the Rings and Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. In February 2006 Juha Arola replaced Janne Honkanen as Mystic Opera's drummer and Emilia Rantasalo left the band in March 2006. The band began searching for a new singer and after auditioning a dozen female vocalists they chose Mira Honkanen as their singer in May 2006. Sami Pilve left the band in October 2006 and Janne was replaced by Jaakko Oksanen in bass in November 2006. In December 2006 guitarist Matti Hyyrynen joined the band and Mystic Opera and Mira Honkanen decided to discontinue their cooperation.