Into Forever
Music has been an important part of Michael Ray Gould's creative life for decades. Into Forever (If) is his cinematic symphonic metal project, blending powerful orchestral arrangements, soaring melodies, and immersive storytelling into epic musical journeys. As producer, songwriter, guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist, Michael is currently bringing together an exceptional lineup of musicians to help define the band's next chapter.
Drawing inspiration from symphonic metal, progressive rock, cinematic film scores, and theatrical storytelling, Into Forever explores history, mythology, fantasy, science fiction, and the timeless themes that connect them. The band's debut album is nearing completion, with a second concept album inspired by the original television series The Daughters of Eve and additional releases already in development.
Into Forever also carries forward the legacy of the award-winning symphonic metal project Theatrum Mundi through the ongoing Theatrum Mundi Song Cycle Series. Building upon that foundation, the band continues to combine ambitious storytelling, rich orchestration, and imaginative worldbuilding into a distinctive musical experience that bridges concept albums, original fiction, and cinematic storytelling.
The next chapter of Into Forever is just beginning... and the full lineup will be revealed soon.
MUSIC FROM INTO FOREVER COMING SOON!
Into Infinity
Music has been at the heart of Michael Ray Gould and Anthony Saitta's creative partnership since 2012. Into Infinity (II) is their collaborative studio project, exploring the space where classic songwriting meets modern production. Together, Michael and Anthony write and produce music that blends memorable melodies, rich arrangements, and thought-provoking ideas into a sound that is both timeless and forward-looking.
Drawing inspiration from art pop, classic rock, progressive music, electronica, cinematic soundscapes, and contemporary production, Into Infinity explores themes of science, technology, philosophy, alternate realities, and humanity's place in the cosmos. Free from the constraints of a traditional performing band, the duo embraces the creative freedom of the studio, allowing each song to find its own voice while remaining unmistakably part of the Into Infinity universe.
As the musical counterpart to the broader Many Worlds creative vision, Into Infinity serves as a laboratory for new ideas, combining imaginative songwriting with modern sonic landscapes and cinematic storytelling. The project celebrates curiosity, wonder, and exploration—inviting listeners to look beyond the horizon and imagine the infinite possibilities that lie ahead.
MUSIC FROM INTO INFINITY COMING SOON!
Theatrum Mundi
Before Into Forever, Mike and Anthony collaborated in the award-winning symphonic metal band Theatrum Mundi, where they fulfilled many of the same creative roles they continue today. The band's music combined symphonic metal, progressive rock, and theatrical storytelling, often drawing inspiration from history, mythology, and original literary works.
One of Theatrum Mundi's most ambitious projects was a concept album inspired by The Eyes of the Realm, Mike's historical fantasy novel, which also serves as the foundation for the television series currently in development. The project expanded beyond music when Mike and keyboardist Li'Anne Drysdale co-wrote No One Expects a Rock Opera About The Spanish Inquisition!, a stage musical based on the same story and set during the Spanish Inquisition. Directed by Jon Herbert, the production was staged at The Blue Room in Springfield, Missouri, in November 2013.
Theatrum Mundi received significant recognition within the symphonic metal community, including Band of the Year (2013) on AiiRadio's Female-Fronted Symphonic Metal Show and Band of the Month on the Women of Metal Radio Show in April 2014. Mike also co-organized and performed at the Women of Metal Fest in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in July 2014. Today, the spirit of Theatrum Mundi lives on through Into Forever's Theatrum Mundi Song Cycle series, which continues the tradition of combining music, storytelling, and imaginative worldbuilding.
Rubber Universe
Before Theatrum Mundi, Mike was the driving creative force behind the progressive rock project Rubber Universe. Many of the musicians who would later form the core of Theatrum Mundi first collaborated together in Rubber Universe. The transition to Theatrum Mundi coincided with the arrival of drummer Anthony and a necessary name change, as the band's previous drummer retained co-ownership of the Rubber Universe name.
The band's signature release, The Parliament of Fooles, was an ambitious concept album exploring humanity's enduring fascination with dreams and their meaning. Each song examined a different cultural or historical perspective on dreams, drawing inspiration from sources as diverse as Native American traditions, ancient Babylonian dream interpretation, Freudian psychoanalysis, medieval dream-vision literature, and poetry. The album featured an impressive roster of guest artists, including Eric Woolfson of The Alan Parsons Project, members of Pilot, guitarist Godfrey Townsend of the John Entwistle Band, and acclaimed cellist Zoë Keating of Rasputina.
Among the band's notable recognitions was an invitation to perform in conjunction with a retrospective of the work of legendary psychedelic poster artist Wes Wilson at the historic Gillioz Theatre in Springfield, Missouri. Wilson, widely regarded as one of the founders of the San Francisco psychedelic poster movement and the artist behind iconic imagery associated with bands such as Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead, personally requested Rubber Universe for the event. When informed that organizers intended to feature recordings from classic 1960s psychedelic acts, Wilson instead expressed a desire to showcase a contemporary local band that embodied the movement's original spirit of artistic innovation and new music. His endorsement of Rubber Universe remains one of the band's most memorable honors.
Through its combination of progressive rock, conceptual storytelling, and international collaboration, The Parliament of Fooles established many of the creative themes and artistic ambitions that would later continue through Theatrum Mundi and, ultimately, Into Forever.