Nozomu Wakai's DESTINIA

Nozomu Wakai's DESTINIA is a heavy metal project led by Japanese guitarist Nozomu Wakai. The project gained international attention with the release of their album "Metal Souls" in 2018. For this album, Wakai collaborated with high-profile musicians including vocalist Ronnie Romero, bassist Marco Mendoza, and drummer Tommy Aldridge. Wakai's goal with DESTINIA is to create music that pays homage to classic 80s and 90s metal while adapting it for modern audiences.

Wakai started his musical journey relatively late, becoming interested in music around age 16 or 17. He cites Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore as a major influence that sparked his passion for heavy metal. DESTINIA represents Wakai's effort to break into the international metal scene, as he aims to follow in the footsteps of Japanese metal pioneers Loudness.