In 1996, West joined neoclassical power/progressive metal group Artension, who released their debut album Into The Eye of the Storm the same year.

His first two, Mind Journey (1997) and Permanent Mark (1998), adopted a neoclassical metal style with many extended instrumental sections.

After concentrating on Royal Hunt for a few years, West returned in 2002 with the concept album Earth Maker, which showcased a more song-oriented writing style while still retaining much of his previous sound.

He appeared as the lead singer for Bosnian guitarist Emir Hot on his debut album Sevdah Metal in 2008 and keyboardist Mistheria's solo effort "Dragon Fire" in 2010.

He also collaborated with Danish guitar virtuoso Niels Vejlyt on a project called Sage's Recital, which put out their self-titled debut album in 2013 and followup The Winter Symphony in 2016.