It was neither the alcohol nor their similar band backgrounds which brought the guitarist Jari Sündström and singer Ian E. Highhill together on that unforgettable concert evening in a small town in Finland in 2002. It was the passion for melodic, symphonic metal music and one which led the two experienced musicians to the important decision of founding a band with the name of Olympos Mons (the highest mountain on Mars and the largest volcano in the known universe). Jari Sündström feels just as much at home in the world of classical music as he does in rock and metal, has been composing songs for many years and his aggressive style of playing guitar has made him a popular figure on the local scene. For his part, Ian E. Highhill has a voice of exceptional range and is also known worldwide both as a composer and as the author of dark, romantic lyrics. Their new album, Conquistador, clearly shows that Olympos Mons have jumped the queue to become forerunners in the field. The impressive production by Janne Saksa from Sound Supreme Studios, the excellent mixing by Nino Laurenne (Sonic Pump-Studio) as well as the brilliant mastering by Mika Jussila (Finnvox Studios) make sure that Conquistador is just as huge and sounds just as explosive as the name Olympos Mons implies.