Progressive metal band Vuur was formed in 2016 by Anneke van Giersbergen, former singer of pioneering Dutch alternative metallers the Gathering. After leaving the Gathering in 2007, van Giersbergen formed a solo project, Agua de Annique, with which she took a softer pop/rock direction. Over the course of the next decade, she released three albums under this name and two under her given name, and collaborated on a great number of other releases by the likes of Devin Townsend, Within Temptation, and Anathema's Danny Cavanagh. In 2014 she joined the one-off project the Gentle Storm, created by prog metal supremo Arjen Lucassen. The experience of performing the album live reminded her how much she liked heavy music, and she decided to form a new metal band which she would make her main focus, while reserving her given name for acoustic projects. Recruiting most of the Gentle Storm -- guitarists Jord Otto and Ferry Duijsens, bassist Johan van Stratum, and drummer Ed Warby -- she formed Vuur ("Fire") and the band set about writing and recording their debut album. Released by Inside Out in October 2017, In This Moment We Are Free: Cities was a powerful debut of thunderously heavy, melodic progressive metal. ~ John D. Buchanan