Pegazus

Pegazus
Origin	Melbourne, VIC
Genres	Power metal
Years active	1993 - present
Labels	Metal Warriors, Nuclear Blast, Battlegod
Associated acts	Black Majesty, Eyefear, Anarion, Catwitch, Turret, Horizons Edge, Katana Cartel, Drop Forged
Members	Johnny Stoj, Andy Sharp, Matt Ientile, Joe Stanley
Past members	Axel Winter, Cory Betts, Ange Sotiro, Rob Thompson, Joe Fata, Bernie Goldstein, Robbie Stoj, Hanny Mohammed, Danny Cecati, Dave King, Jusitn Flemming

Band Members

• Current Line-Up
  • Johnny Stoj (guitar)
  • Andy Sharp (drums)
  • Matt Ientile (bass)
  • Joe Stanley (vocals)

• Former Members
  • Axel Winter (vocals) 2013 - 2015
  • Cory Betts (bass) 1999 - 2001, 2008 - 2013
  • Ange Sotiro (drums) 2004 - 2014
  • Justin Flemming (vocals) 1993 - 1995, 2009 - 2013
  • Rob Thompson (vocals) 2000 - 2008
  • Joe Fata (bass) 2004 - 2007
  • Bernie Goldstein (drums) 2003
  • Robbie Stoj (drums) 1993 - 2003
  • Hanny Mohammed (bass) 2002 - 2003
  • Danny Cecati (vocals) 1995 - 2000
  • Dave King (bass) 1993 - 1998

Formed

Melbourne, VIC, 1993

Band Information

Pegazus is a power metal band formed by Johnny and Robbie Stoj in Melbourne in 1993. Justin Fleming was found the same year and Dave King joined as bassist in 1994. The self-titled debut was released in 1995 and shortly afterward Danny Cecati replaced Fleming. Originally released independently by the band, Wings of Destiny was released internationally by Nuclear Blast soon after. In August 1998, Pegazus played its first shows outside of Melbourne, travelling to Europe where they played on two different stages at Wacken Open Air festival, a spot on the main stage and another in the black metal tent when Darkseed withdrew from the show at the eleventh hour. King had already left the band at this point however and was temporarily replaced by Eric Martins. A brief return to Australia was followed by several dates in Europe with HammerFall.

By late in the year, Pegazus had begun working on album number three. Cory Betts joined the band in January 1999. The Breaking the Chains album was released late the same year. In March 2000 it was announced that Cecati had left Pegazus under conflicting circumstances. In late September Rob Thompson joined the band as lead vocalist and Pegazus completed another album, The Headless Horseman. Betts left the band after finishing the album to dedicate his time to Black Majesty. That band's guitarist Hanny Mohammed replaced Betts for live shows for the next year or so. Robbie Stoj was forced to quit the band in September 2003 after sustaining a hand injury; Pegazus recorded a live album in mid-2003 with Bernie Goldstein filling in on drums.

In late 2003 Pegazus and Nuclear Blast parted ways acrimoniously with the band issuing Live! - Thunder Down Under independently. Ange Sotiro and former Black Majesty bassist Joe Fata joined Pegazus in 2004.

During 2007, Thompson suffered personal tragedy when his daughter died in a car accident. Betts re-joined the band following the departure of Joe Fata, but in April 2008 Thompson left Pegazus. Polish label Metal Mind reissued Wings of Destiny, Breaking the Chains and The Headless Horseman with bonus tracks including the Metalbound demo and various cover songs. Justin Flemming performed with the band at a show in Sydney in early 2009 before being announced as Thompson's permanent replacement. After more than a year of silence, Pegazus announced their first new album in almost a decade in early 2011, In Metal We Trust. A European tour was announced, but was postponed, then cancelled. Fleming left Pegazus in 2013 and Axel Winter replaced him, Sotiro was replaced by Andrew Sharp in 2014 and the band played sporadic live shows in Melbourne and Sydney. By 2016 the line-up was Stoj, Sharp, bassist Matt Ientile from Katana Cartel and Joe Stanley on vocals but the group's activity since then has been minimal.

Discography

Albums:

1995	Pegazus	Independent
1998	Wings of Destiny	Nuclear Blast
1999	Breaking the Chains	Nuclear Blast
2002	The Headless Horseman	Nuclear Blast
2004	Live! Thunder Down Under	Independent
2011	In Metal We Trust	Black Leather