California's NEW EDEN is a heavyweight Progressive Metal band founded in 1998 and centred on guitarist Horacio Colmenares, an erstwhile member of STEEL PROPHET. The band, fronted by singer Victor Vaca, opened proceedings with the 'Savage Garden' demo which swiftly led to a deal with Dennis Gulbey's Sentinel Steel label for the 'Through The Make Believe' inaugural album. NEW EDEN at this juncture boasted a roll call of Colmenares, Vaca, guitarist Dan Delucie and the erstwhile SHADOW INSANE rhythm section of bassist Nardo Andi and drummer Brian Craig.

Problems with the cover artwork led to the release of the NEW EDEN debut album to be delayed from its original late '96 release date, by which time both Vaca and Craig had quit to form a new band in a similar musical vein.

Vaca's place was quickly filled by OBSCURE vocalist Mike Grant although his tenure would be brief. Grant would go on to LEGEND MAKER and ex-HELSTAR frontman James Rivera recorded their next four track demo although still remaining a member of CHAOTIC ORDER. The inclusion of Rivera ignited a bidding war between various European labels to secure the band for their next record. When the dust settled NEW EDEN had signed up to the German Nuclear Blast concern. However, with Rivera unable to make up his mind whether he should leave CHAOTIC ORDER for NEW EDEN in a permanent move NEW EDEN decided to draft in another vocalist.

Meantime Rivera, Delucie, Andi and Craig had created DESTINY'S END signing to the Metal Blade label for the 'Breathe Deep The Dark' opus.

The new voice at the NEW EDEN microphone would be New Yorker Tony De Vita. Their new frontman's credits numbered stints with INVASION, a brief spell with ODIN, WIRED, MISBEHAVIN and appearing on the CARFAX ABBEY album 'Danse Macabre'. NEW EDEN would also welcome in further fresh recruits in the form of guitarist Tim Thomas and drummer Ozzy Echavarra for the 'Obscure Master Plan' album issued in 1998.

During 2001 the band enrolled bassist Melanie Sisneros on loan from Californian Metal act RAVEN MAD and the uniquely all female IRON MAIDEN tribute band the IRON MAIDENS in which the Sisneros ("Stephanie Harris"!) stars alongside PHANTOM BLUE members . Before long she would be inducted into the ranks as a full time member performing at the 'Classic Metal' festival in Kalamazoo and the 'Bang Your Head' event in Houston. The band would also find time to record two cover tracks for tribute albums, namely AC/DC's 'You Ain't Got Ahold On Me' and BLACK SABBATH's 'Wheels Of Confusion'.

NEW EDEN drummer Dave Chedrick would temporarily act as substitute in PROTOTYPE during May of 2002. In July of 2002 Melanie Sisneros would be announced as new bassist for the Finnish based Power Metal band SINERGY. In September NEW EDEN revealed that none other than STEEL PROPHET and TARAXACUM vocalist Rick Mythiasin was to front the band for their next album provisionally billed as 'Stagnant Progression'. This move came despite Mythiasin breaking his leg in three places whilst trying to perform a handstand (!)

The third album, 'Stagnant Progression', was released to little or no fanfare on the P&P Records label in 2003. Horatio Colmenares did the lion's share of the work for the album including playing bass and guitar, recording, mixed, engineering, mastering as well as the layout and artwork! Drumwork was handled by Jimmy Schultz. Unfortutnately, the album remains virtually unknown even today with almost no press or distribution, which is a shame for it is a excellent step in their storied career.

In October of 2004 Tim Thomas joined the ranks of Van Nuys Power Metal band STEEL PROPHET.