Sascha Paeth

Sascha Paeth — born in Germany in 1970 — is a guitarist and producer, and one of the figures who most shaped the sound of European melodic metal over the past three decades. His influence lies above all in the producer's chair. Paeth has produced, mixed and often co-written records by Rhapsody of Fire, Kamelot, Epica, Angra and Edguy, among many others — a set of bands from different countries sharing a recognisable trait: orchestrations integrated into the structure of the tracks, guitars with clean definition, and a mix that accommodates symphonic layers without any one smothering the others. That standard passed, to a large extent, through his hands. He works in a long-standing partnership with keyboard player and arranger Miro, and together they form the technical structure behind much of European symphonic metal — two studio professionals whose signature is audible on records by bands that have never played together. Since 2007 he has been part of Avantasia's core, playing guitar and producing Tobias Sammet's project — a rock opera with dozens of guest vocalists, orchestra and choir, which is exactly the kind of work demanding a producer able to organise that scale without losing clarity.