Hump Day Hot Ticket: Lux Terminus “Epilogue: Fly”

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I know it's been a while since I have worked on this feature, but sometimes it takes something really exceptional to get the spark of inspiration going again.

That special something is called Lux Terminus, an instrumental prog band formed by 3 musical prodigies from Cleveland, Ohio. To prove that this term isn't just being thrown around lightly: the band's debut album features some pretty impressive guest stars, such as Delain's Timo Somers, and former vocalist of The Gathering, Anneke Van Giersbergen (the latter of whom provides the only vocals you will hear on the entire album).

That being said, the video I am reviewing is for “Epilogue: Fly”, that one song with vocals. The reason I decided to write this as a video review instead of just posting some nice words on the band's social media is because I want to prove how music can change minds and open hearts. I want to show that my reactions are sincere, because while my initial opinions on certain things will probably never change, that doesn't take away from the positive viewpoint I also have about other things.

On that note, I should probably explain what I mean.

For over 13 years, I have written for Sonic Cathedral, a site that specializes in female-fronted metal bands. I have been a fan of this scene for far longer than that, so I know my history rather well, know who the movers and shakers are, so on and so forth. In regards to the gothic/symphonic scene that began in the 1990s and gave way to bands like Nightwish, Within Temptation, Lacuna Coil, and so many others, The Gathering and Anneke Van Giersbergen have constantly been cited as the founders of this movement. Much like what “The Big 4” are to thrash metal, The Gathering is among a small group of bands that went on to influence the bands that would become the stars of the scene. A band that garners a lot of respect in the scene, a band that everyone takes for granted that we all like because we are fans of this music. However, if you have ever read this blog or know me remotely at all, you can probably sense where this is going.

Over the years, hard as I have tried, and as much as I have given it a chance, I could not get into The Gathering. More than that, I could not hear what was so great about Anneke's voice. When she did the duet of “Somewhere” with Sharon den Adel, vocalist of Within Temptation, everyone else heard the “best duet ever”, but I was left wondering if I was hearing the same thing. To me, her voice always sounded the way a bland meal tasted; it wasn't bad, but something was off with the seasonings, and if just a little more salt or pepper was added, it would be quite a tasty dish. Whenever I listened to her music, I always felt as if this intangible quality was missing. Any time she had a new band or project, I would listen, thinking that maybe it wasn't the right lineup before, and she would do something that would turn on the figurative lightbulb for me and shine a light on what I had not recognized before. Because of her standing in a scene that I followed so closely, I probably gave Anneke more chances to win me over than anyone else would, but it just never happened.  I finally just accepted that Anneke would be one of those vocalists that I respected for her contributions, but one I would never “get” or fully appreciate.

Or maybe, just maybe, I had to wait for Lux Terminus to show up.

One thing I do know: Lux Terminus keyboardist Vikram Shankar is a musical genius, and that is also not a phrase I throw around loosely. For as young as he is, he has such a mature and insightful style that it took years for many of his contemporaries to reach. Whether he is playing his own material or making piano-only covers of metal songs, Vikram owns it and it will pierce you right in your heart if you aren't prepared. So when he takes that masterful style and wraps it around Anneke's voice, it is truly something wonderful.

I also have to give props again to Wayne Joyner, who put this video together. The beautiful imagery of sunny skies, clouds, and city skyscrapers just drive it home visually, what has been captured lyrically and musically. I'm just the no-talent hack who has to find the words to describe this beauty, and I am honored to be let into this world for the last 4 minutes!

So, does this mean I have converted as an Anneke fan? No, but I do have a new appreciation for her voice that I never had before. When I first heard about her involvement in this project I prepared not to expect very much with that particular track. Instead, I was blown away, and it was another reminder that one can never become too complacent with music. Something always comes along to jolt you out of a rut or remind you of the things you love about music in the first place. I don't need to be a fan of Anneke to like what I hear, and now, if I were to hear she would be working with Lux Terminus again, I would not be disappointed.

Though, to be honest, I'm still holding on to hope that their next collaboration will be with Snoop Dogg.

For more information on Lux Terminus, or to pre-order their album The Courage to Be, visit their official Facebook page.

Special thanks to Vikram Shankar and Wayne Joyner.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Polarys “Trapped in the Hub”

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As many bands from Italy that I have reviewed here on this blog, I have only visited France one other time before this week's entry; which is a bit of a shame, because France has produced some pretty solid music from what I have heard. One thing about the French metal scene that I like (again, just based on the bands I have heard) is that they have this exceptional skill at combining genres that, in theory, do not sound as though they belong together; yet when they blend these sounds, it creates something so cool and unique that you wonder why more bands don't try their hand at such musical concoctions.

For example, the band I am reviewing this week is a band from Paris called Polarys, who describes their sound as “futuristic prog-power metal”, mixed with thrash elements and guttural vocals. A visit to the band's Facebook shows a list of their major musical influences, two among them being Slayer and Dream Theater. Come to think of it, those two bands might be a good way to describe the music of Polarys: imagine if Dream Theater and Slayer had a child together, and Polarys would be it.

In their latest video for the song “Trapped in the Hub”, Polarys gives viewers a glimpse into their “futuristic prog-power metal” world: the band performs in what looks like an engine control room, or some sort of underground holding cell (literally “trapped in the hub”?). Some smoke and lighting tricks give an eerie feel, and well-placed camera angles suggest that something is watching through the dark crevices, as they look above them for an escape route.

For more information on Polarys, visit their official website.

Femme-Metal Friday: Onydia “A New Safe Path”

Photo credit: Guilia Valentina Riccioni

It's been a while, but guess where I'm going this week? If you guessed back to Italy, then you are a loyal reader of this blog, and I thank you for your support!

It seems that the talent coming from Italy is pouring out faster than I can keep up, so there is never a shortage of bands to discover. This Friday's feature is Onydia, a prog-metal outfit formed by ex members of the band Elarmir, who decided to break off and put a band of their own together. The newly-formed Onydia signed a deal with Revalve Records in 2016, and this year saw the release of their debut album.

The video for the song “A New Safe Path” begins with a woman emerging from underwater, and dancing her way to the shore in quick, jerky movements. There is another woman there, standing completely still, in a long cloak and hood. The dancing woman moves around her, removing the hood in one swift gesture. She struggles to pull at the cloak until it falls away, and the dancer takes to the air in quick little jumps. (I believe the correct ballet term is “petit allegro”.) Soon, both women are gracefully moving about, as the cloak blows in the wind. Before long, the women are moving together in time, playing tug-of-war with the cloak, and ultimately finding their own rhythm as they move in their own way to the song. The second woman walks into the depths of the water and completes the cycle, showing a great metaphor for daring to step outside your boundaries and try new things; to be unafraid of the unfamiliar, and to stand alone as an individual without cutting off from the world, and its lessons for us.

For more information on Onydia, visit their official Facebook page.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Iris Divine “Taking Back the Fall”

Photo credit: Rob Fortenberry Photography

As I mentioned in my entry last week, there must be something in the water around Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and its surrounding area, because there is such an abundance of great music coming from the vicinity, that I keep finding myself returning there to review yet another regional talent.

This week, my attention turns to Iris Divine, a progressive metal band whom I'd initially heard about through MindMaze, a band who is not from this particular locale, but has worked with so many of these bands and played in the area enough to be considered adopted members of this tightly-woven musical community.

Deemed by critics as a “modern-day Fates Warning”, Iris Divine has grabbed the attention of the prog-metal world with their melodic yet heavy-as-fuck sound. To be honest, I think comparing them to Fates Warning sells them far short! But, if I must make a comparison to a known band in the genre, to say they are an amped-up version of King's X? That's still selling them short, but a lot nearer to the mark, if one is looking for such comparisons. Personally, I only find such comparisons useful when trying to describe the music to someone who has never heard it, using examples of music they might already know.

For their video of “Taking Back the Fall”, Iris Divine keeps it simple and low-key—just three talented guys, jamming in a dimly-lit warehouse, allowing the music to be its own adornment, and just rocking their asses off. Sometimes, you don't need a lot to get your point across, and Iris Divine has no trouble conveying that message with the same precision as their music!

For more information on Iris Divine, or to pre-order their upcoming album, The Static and the Noise, visit their official website.

Femme-Metal Friday: MindMaze “One More Moment”

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A couple months back, I wrote about the Pennsylvanian band MindMaze, who are one of my favorites among the female-fronted bands from the U.S. Their enthralling mix of progressive and power metal combined with melodic hard rock makes it impossible to categorize this band into a neat little box. There is enough musical influence of certain genres to recognize it when you hear them, but never so much that you can instantly slap a label on it and define the music as being that particular thing. For many fans, this is the appeal of MindMaze, and what sets them apart from their contemporaries in the scene. For many fans of female-fronted metal who have grown tired of the countless symphonic-based bands, MindMaze is a breath of fresh air with a musical approach that is less classical music and more classic rock.

The year 2017 has been a productive year for the band: their third album, Resolve, was released; they embarked on a tour with Arkona and Sirenia, which brought them to their West Coast fans for the first time. Now they are about to launch a new Kickstarter project for an EP slated for release sometime next year. So I thought this would be a perfect time to review the band's lyric video for “One More Moment”, which was released a few months back.

MindMaze has some really beautiful ballads, and this song is absolutely stunning. The lyric video shows glimpses of the band playing piano, guitar, or drums, with some footage of Sarah singing the words that we see onscreen. There is also some graphic art of a face in profile, and what appears to be a withered tree in flames. I also like the way the graphics of the flames surround Jeff's guitar during its solo, making it look like his awesome guitar-playing causes flames to appear!

For more information on MindMaze, or to learn more about their Kickstarter, visit their official website.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Vintersea “Skies Set Ablaze”

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There is something about the Pacific Northwest that produces some of the best music. Many of my favorite bands are from Seattle (one of which I have written about on this blog more than once!). If you have ever been to the region, the aesthetic of its music scene makes much more sense: there is a dark loveliness to it; a dense forest washed by rain, where everything feels fresh and new, yet older than time. There is a vibrancy to the music from the Northwest, with a maturity at its core that sees far beyond its years. It sounds like nothing you have ever heard before, yet hauntingly familiar and comfortably identifiable. I truly believe that music is a product of its environment, and each corner of the world has its own unique imprint on the music it produces. The Pacific Northwest is no different, and no matter what genre of music its residents choose for artistic expression, that distinct mark shows through time and time again.

Oregon's Vintersea is a newer band on the scene that uses their brand of progressive metal to capture “the majesty of the Pacific Northwest”, and this is apparent in their very first video, “Skies Set Ablaze”. Some Rush-influenced guitar work opens up this 7-minute track with a wintry motif. Alternating between the conceptual side of the video, where vocalist Avienne wanders through a snowy landscape, and the performance side, where Avienne wears both a white and a black dress (white for “clean” vocals, black for growly vocals), and rocks out with the band.

Thematically, the video's story centers around a woman lost in the forest in the middle of winter. She tries starting a fire, she sleeps in a hole in the ground for shelter, and follows a small river until she is seen digging frantically in the snow for one small sign of life: a small crimson-red flower. As the river carries the red flower away, we are reminded of the fragility of life.

For more information on Vintersea, visit their official Facebook page.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: MindMaze “Sign of Life”

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After several weeks of showcasing bands from afar, I am content to look a little closer to home for this week's video, and turn a spotlight on good, homegrown talent right here in the U.S.

Hailing from Pennsylvania, MindMaze is a band I have wanted to talk about here for quite some time, but haven't had many chances, considering their last full-length album was over 3 years ago. But that's all changed; MindMaze has a brand-new album out later this week, and will be hitting the road with Arkona and Sirenia shortly thereafter.

Incorporating the best of what progressive metal and melodic rock has to offer, MindMaze is one of the most promising up-and-coming talents on the scene these days. Their new release, Resolve, is a concept album already being called the Operation: Mindcrime of its generation by some critics. That is quite a comparison, but one that the brother-sister team of Jeff and Sarah Teets can live up to. Their musical foundation was built on those classic albums and influential names, so while it seems like a tall order to fill, MindMaze has proven their worth to be named in the same sentences as those greats.

For the band's first video for Resolve, “Sign of Life”, MindMaze chooses to let the music do the talking and not let the visuals overcomplicate things. It is a standard performance video; the band rocks out in an underground basement of some kind, with lightbulbs hanging overhead. Throughout the near-5 minutes of the video, everyone looks like they are having fun just playing music: whether it is the interplay between guitar and bass, or Sarah whipping her magnificent mane of hair, the entire band looks like they are enjoying themselves. And why not? When your music is this awesome, wouldn't you have fun playing it all the time?

For more information on MindMaze, to order their album Resolve, or check for tour dates near you, visit their official website.

Special thanks to Emil Westerdahl at Inner Wound Recordings.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: The Silent Wedding “A Dream of Choices”

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In my weekly quest for music from across the globe, it seems that certain regions have been producing talent in a given genre at quite the impressive rate. Last year, I discovered many bands from Italy in the melodic metal style; but not too far behind them was Greece, who was also churning out their fair share of top-notch music. From symphonic/gothic metal such as Fallen Arise, power metal such as Wardrum, or progressive metal such as Black Fate; just to name a few—Greece has made their presence known on the world map of metal.

Over the last decade, one of the many talented bands hailing from Greece is progressive metal band The Silent Wedding. Working behind the scenes with some of the same people as Kamelot, Opeth, and Rhapsody of Fire—among the most respected names in their genre—this quintet has gotten off to a good start and now, with their second album, promises better things to come.

For the album's first single, the band joins forces with another highly-respected name on the scene, and someone I have mentioned here before—Evergrey's Tom Englund, who generously shares his voice with anyone who asks. And why not? Tom is an amazing vocalist and anything he adds his voice to is just going to sound that much better.

The song, “A Dream of Choices”, starts off with slow, melancholic pianos that builds to an atmospheric burst of symphonic-influenced gothic melodies. The video itself is a lyric video with images of dark clouds, withered trees, and black birds flying across the screen as the words scroll past. The vocal interplay between Marios Karanastasis (the band's singer) and Tom Englund is quite complementary to each other: Marios' impassioned, pleading vocals in contrast to Tom's husky, tortured voice further emphasizes the emotional content of the lyrics.

For more information on The Silent Wedding, or to purchase a copy of their latest album, Enigma Eternal, visit the band's official website.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Last Union “President Evil”

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When I started this weekly feature earlier this year, it was truly on a whim: a friend posted a video on her Facebook wall, and I liked it. I hear a lot of music that I like, but for some reason, the spark of an idea came to me from watching the video that I should start giving more attention to this blog and start showcasing a lot of the music that comes my way as a writer for two metal music-based sites. I have really come to enjoy looking for new videos to share here each week: sometimes I had an ample list of bands waiting to be shared for weeks in advance; and then there were other times when nothing reached my desk, thus prompting me to go out there and seek even further. But no matter whether it was a new discovery or a band I had liked for a long time, it became a pleasure to log in to this blog every Wednesday and share something with all of you.

So, as the year comes to a close and I reach my final weekly installment of 2016, what is the best way to put a cap on it and send it off into 2017? I think one good way is to pay tribute to a particular recurring theme that has—completely unintentionally—become another fun aspect of writing these weekly entries. Over the last 8 months since I began this feature in early April, the abundance of music from Italy that kept finding its way here every Wednesday was something of which I could not help but take notice. Whether it was symphonic metal, power metal, or progressive metal—Italy has been bringing levels of quality music to the metal scene that cannot be denied. Therefore it is only fitting that my final Hump Day Hot Ticket entry of 2016 takes us back to Italy one more time.

This week, I introduce you to Last Union: not only a band from Italy, but a well-rounded supergroup consisting of respected musicians from other parts of the world. Like fellow Italian band Secret Rule (whom I have featured here twice before), Last Union calls upon some of the most esteemed names in the power and progressive metal scene, and creates kick-ass music that keeps the genre alive and well. Featuring ex-Helloween drummer Uli Kusch and Symphony X bassist Mike LePond, Last Union's melodic metal style takes the best of what prog and power metal have to offer, with some lovely female vocals on top.

For the band's first single (and the video I am reviewing), “President Evil”, Last Union levels up their supergroup status in a huge way and enlists the talents of none other than Dream Theater vocalist James LaBrie. This merger is what caught my attention towards Last Union, and piqued my curiosity to hear what this band was about, as I am a huge Dream Theater fan (remember that “musical holy trinity” I wrote about a few weeks back?), and I love LaBrie's voice. So naturally, I had to hear this.

Musically, this is a heavy track that highlights LaBrie's more “aggressive” vocal style, which fits the lyrical content perfectly. This is a lyric video, so we see a lot of imagery set to the song's lyrics, such as graphics of a dollar bill or newspaper headlines reworked to feature a line from the song. Many could read into the lyrics to have relevance to the current political state in the U.S. right now, with lines such as “President slowly goes insane”, “give the world a star to fool with your business and playing the solemn game”, or “stare at your scenery...leader, make up your mind”, or “preaching for tomorrow, lacking for today...questioning contacts, dark speeches are running out of time”. However, because this is not a political blog, I will make no commentary one way or the other, as it is not my place to tell anyone how they should interpret lyrics or what one's relationship to music should be. That is what makes music wonderful, after all: we each hear the same thing, but no two people listen identically.

For more information on Last Union, or to purchase their debut album, Most Beautiful Day, visit the band's official website.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Queensrÿche “Hellfire”

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Since I started this weekly feature earlier this year, it has mainly been a place to shine a spotlight on lesser-known bands. However, I never made it a rule that this feature could only be about unsung talent. In fact, I expressed my hope that as time went on, I would also have the opportunity to showcase more well-known bands.

OK, so it probably comes as no surprise to anyone who reads or follows this blog that eventually, I would review a Queensrÿche video for this feature. I have written about this band so much here that it has been said in jest that this site should be renamed “Rÿche the Darkness”. I get it. Queensrÿche are one of my all-time favorite bands. They make up part of my “musical Holy Trinity” (those who know me or read this blog should know who the other 2 bands are—those who don't...well, if I told you, then you would have no incentive to keep visiting here to find out!). The music of Queensrÿche has been with me for over 2/3 of my life. There was a time when their music was the only thing that pulled me through one of the darkest times in my life. Over the last several years they have experienced a resurgence that reminded me just how—and why—they earned such a valuable place in my personal musical hierarchy. So yeah, their music means a lot to me, and you could probably say I am more than a little passionate about it. Maybe I do write about them a lot, but perhaps if you look at it from the perspective I have just presented, you can understand the reasons for this.

However, all personal feelings aside, Queensrÿche is a damn good band that values musical proficiency over image. They are perfectionists with a strong work ethic. The band has such high regard for their fans to the point where they will let a little blog like mine review their video without the whole “my people call your people” nonsense that can sometimes take all the fun out of writing reviews...but wait, I am being biased again, aren't I?

One aspect that really embodies these good traits, to me, is Queensrÿche's approach to music videos. Considering that the band's rise to fame began at around the same time MTV was new, they became known for incorporating evocative visuals to further express the thought-provoking points they made lyrically. So when Queensrÿche began their return to form a few years ago, part of the excitement, for me, was seeing their 11-minute “Ad Lucem” video: a song featuring 2 full songs and 2 shorter pieces, combined to tell a story that looked more like a mini-mystery movie than a music video—which is what made it fascinating. It was reminiscent of all those conceptual videos the band used to make back in the ’80s and ’90s, and to a fan like me (who loves conceptual videos, as I have written here before), it was exciting to think of what else they could come up with. Granted, we no longer live in the MTV age, and music videos are not the big event they used to be, but they are still a helpful promotional tool and can still be a great way for a band to take their creative vision to other levels. With the release of Condition Hüman, Queensrÿche has kept on that road and with the release of their “Eye9” video, showed a more eclectic side to their videos without losing the ability to craft a story within those few minutes.

The latest video for “Hellfire” is vintage Queensrÿche both musically and visually. The video's concept is based on the horrific events surrounding Malaysian flight MH17 in July 2014; which was deemed “the deadliest airliner shootdown”. Socio-political lyrical content is what Queensrÿche is known for, so a video for the song is a perfect platform to make a strong statement—and they do.

The video takes place in a news studio, where reporters are expressing panic and confusion behind the scenes, and a man at the control panel is manipulating what is seen and heard (not much unlike actual news stations today!). Among this are real-life images of the actual tragedy: of the plane wreckage, missiles launching through the air, and violence in the streets, as the news reporters back in the studio helplessly watch on. No punches are pulled; the footage shown is graphic, it's disturbing, it's real. Insanity like this is an everyday part of life for many people all over the world, and turning away won't change that, even when the reporters in the news room try to do just that. Seeing the clips of military tanks rolling through the city, then switching to the image of flowers and teddy bears left at the site of the tragedy is powerful stuff indeed. That same imagery makes a riveting statement about the sometimes-contradictory nature of humanity: how we can inflict such violence upon each other in one moment, yet find it within ourselves to reach out and comfort one another in our grief in the next. The footage used in the video matches the lyrics to a tee, and the storyline of a frustrated news reporter who grows increasingly angry as the video goes on, until she is compelled to throw up her hands and walk off the set in the end—I think that perfectly represents the collective disgruntlement that so many people seem to feel these days.

For more information on Queensrÿche, or to purchase their latest album, Condition Hüman, visit the band's official website.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Seventh Wonder “The Promise”

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If you are a regular reader here, you might recall a couple of years ago I wrote a blog entry naming some bands and artists I hadn't heard from in a long time, that I would like to hear some new music from again. One of those bands was the Swedish progressive-metal band Seventh Wonder; who have been around for well over a decade, but who have gained a lot of recognition over the past several years ever since their vocalist Tommy Karevik took over frontman duties for the band Kamelot in 2012. Admittedly, this is also how I became aware of Seventh Wonder as well, but I also must confess that as much as I love Kamelot, I really enjoy Seventh Wonder's music too, and have wanted to hear more music from them. (Would it be wrong for me to admit that I actually would prefer a new Seventh Wonder album to a new Kamelot album right now?)

Because of Tommy's divided commitment between two bands, new music from Seventh Wonder has been slow to come, but the band has hardly been resting on their laurels! For the past couple of years, their main focus was their one-time performance in 2014 of their concept album Mercy Falls, at Atlanta's yearly festival for progressive and power-metal music, ProgPower (rehearsing for more than a year prior to the concert, and then putting the DVD footage together afterwards). This special concert would be filmed for a future DVD release, and a new song, “Inner Enemy”, was released shortly before the show to give fans something to look forward to. The wait was long, but 2 years after the concert in Atlanta, the DVD saw the light of day, and fans would finally get a proper release of “Inner Enemy” as a bonus track on the live CD for the live album, Welcome to Atlanta.

Not only that, but an entirely new song would be included on the live album: a 10-minute track called “The Promise”, which sounded like a perfect blend of the band's 3 albums with Karevik. It did not disappoint, and for many fans it was not only well worth the wait, but it was a great indication of what they could come to expect musically from Seventh Wonder once their long-awaited follow-up to 2010's The Great Escape was released (at the time of this writing, a new album is tentatively scheduled for sometime in 2017).

The positive feedback for the song prompted the band to create a lyric video, which you will see here. The design is fairly simplistic; not too much distraction to take away from the intensity of the music. The band's recognizable “SW” logo is shown in flames, and still photographs from the Welcome to Atlanta DVD are shown during the instrumental breaks. It's all the intricate progressive perfection you have come to expect from Seventh Wonder, and quite a good tide-over until a proper full-length album sees the light of day.

For more information, visit the band's official website. To purchase the Welcome to Atlanta DVD, visit MerchBooth.net.

Special thanks to Jon Freeman at Frontiers Records.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Meka Nism “Mouth of God”

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Over the last few weeks, my musical travels have mostly taken me across Europe, so now I am flying a little closer to home once again with a band from the good ol' U.S. of A. Describing themselves as “epic shaman rock”, Orlando, Florida's Meka Nism combines the sounds of nu-metal, progressive rock, with a touch of symphonic flair and art rock showmanship. Fronted by “vocal artist and shaman” Ms. Meka takes the shaman moniker very seriously: her onstage look resembles a tribal shaman, with makeup on her face in harsh, bold lines; her outfit resembling something out of a Mad Max movie, and holding a shamanic wand in one hand, and a microphone in the other. It's a very cool look that complements the powerful musical sound quite well.

Musically, the song “Mouth of God” is about the Kamikuchi—Japanese shaman women through whom the spirits spoke—in other words, acting as a “mouth of God”. From the tribal chanting at the beginning of the song, you get the message very quickly. The video shows the band in a live setting, but you can also see the sort of power that Ms. Meka holds as a frontwoman and how she is able to captivate the audience, which probably makes this quite the fitting song to introduce new listeners to the band, what they're all about, and what you can expect to see from them at a live show. I like their sound a lot; it's quite different from some of the other stuff I have heard on the American femme-metal scene over the last few years. I can't exactly categorize them as one of those bands looking to take the scene back to more traditional heavy metal sounds, and they certainly do not classify as one of the bands looking to expand the symphonic metal scene into American territory. They do have somewhat of a nu-metal or alternative sound, but I feel those labels are so run-of-the-mill and not even close to describing their sound. I guess you will just have to watch the video and decide for yourself. Besides, good music is good music—does it really matter whether you can slap a label on it or not?

For more information on Meka Nism, visit their official website.

Special thanks to Jennifer K. Barry.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: DGM “Ghost of Insanity”

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If you have been following this blog regularly, then you have probably noticed that Italy has appeared on my radar quite a bit as of late; so it should come as no surprise to you that this week I am showcasing yet another Italian band. However, it isn't because I have some sort of fascination with Italy or a bias towards Italian bands—but if I think music is good, I am going to share it, regardless of where it originates. This week I'm going to talk about a power/prog-metal outfit from Italy called DGM, who have been around in various incarnations since the mid-1990s.

Now, even though I write a lot about music both here and in other places, it stands to reason that you aren't going to hear everything that's out there; not even the more popular bands in your preferred genre. When you listen to as much music as I do, and are constantly being sent material from bands all over the world, it becomes very easy to overlook a lot of what else is happening on the scene. One band that I regretfully admit I have been “late to the party” about is Evergrey, a well-respected band on the scene. I had heard bits and pieces of a song or two over the years, but never enough to determine whether it was anything I might be interested in. Then a few weeks ago I heard a song on one of my favorite internet radio stations and decided it was about time I get acquainted with this band.

So, you are probably asking, what does this have to do with DGM? Well, beside the fact that both are bands I am just getting familiar with, they have both collaborated together on this video I am about to share with you. Evergrey's vocalist, Tom Englund, has provided guest vocals on the track “Ghost of Insanity”, which will be on the upcoming DGM album, The Passage.

Since this is a “lyric video” (for all you older folks unfamiliar with this term, it is basically a music video where instead of seeing a band performance or a story, you read the song lyrics as they appear on the screen; sometimes with cool graphics or imagery), there is not much to see by way of the actual video. But the music does the talking loud and clear—the voices of Tom Englund and DGM vocalist Mark Basile complement each other wonderfully. Both have strong voices, but neither overpowers the other, and they each blend into their parts so seamlessly that either could take on the other's vocal role and nothing would be lost in the transition. Musically, it's both heavy and melodic, without too much overblown pomp and circumstance that both prog and power metal can be guilty of at times.

DGM's album The Passage is available on August 26th via Frontiers Records. For more information about DGM, visit their official website.

Special thanks to Jon Freeman at Frontiers.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Overtures “Artifacts”

Band photo

When discussing European power metal, there are always those particular countries that are mentioned in the conversation: Germany (where many believe power metal originated; with bands such as The Scorpions, Accept, and Helloween), Finland (where bands like Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica helped to make power metal the country's biggest export), and Sweden (the home of power metal's undisputed guitar god, Yngwie Malmsteen).

However, plenty of other European countries are producing their own brand of top-notch bands, such as Italy's Overtures; a band infusing the power metal theatrics of Kamelot and the progressive intricacy of Dream Theater. The music has all the flair of power and the complexity of prog, but there is an added heaviness to give the music that extra kick.

In their latest video for the track “Artifacts” (from their album of the same name), regret seems to be the concept behind the video's storyline. We begin with the opening shot of a coffee cup, with a man looking down at a family photo in his hands, while empty picture frames hang on the wall behind him as the band plays in a dimly-lit room. As the story progresses, we see the main character frolicking around with various women, and then the same shot we see in the beginning is now of a woman, looking at the same pictures with tears. Assumedly this is the main character's wife or love interest. The pictureless frames continue to remain the central symbol throughout, as the couple's turbulent relationship unfolds on camera and both are left separately staring at the empty frames while the photo of their broken family stares out at the viewer.

Artifacts is now available via Sleaszy Rider Records or the band's official website.

Special thanks to Nicoletta Rossellini.

Mini-review: Master Sword—Epoch (EP) (2015)

 

 Epoch album cover

Album: Epoch

Artist: Master Sword

Genre: Power metal

Tracks: 4

Total time: 20:02

Since I write primarily about music on this site, I don't get the chance very often to talk about my interests or hobbies outside of music, so few of you (if any) know little to nothing about other things that I like.

Like many metal fans, I am a huge fan of video games (however, as I do not own the newest and latest consoles, I cannot in good conscience call myself a gamer, as much as I would like to). One of my favorite video game series of all time is The Legend of Zelda series. Link has been my constant companion for nearly 30 years, ever since I was 8 or 9 years old. In many respects he is the perfect man: he never speaks, and he is always willing and ready to lend a helping hand to a lady! He also has a bad-boy streak: he loves to go into the homes of strangers and smash their pottery to take the money they have hidden in there. He goes into battle fearlessly and never hesitates to take on any favor asked of him, no matter how great or small.

Like any other man, he also has his faults: chickens are his Achilles' heel, and he has a penchant for sleeping in. Sometimes he also tends to hang out with the wrong crowd, like annoying little fairies that are yelling, “hey, listen!” in his ear every 5 seconds; or playing games with masked children who want to destroy the world. But he is kind to animals, is a true-blue friend who can ride a horse, sail a boat, and travel through time. His spirit reincarnates through several timelines and alternate universes. He's the only man who can wield the Master Sword. He is the destined hero of Hyrule. Link is a certified bad-ass.

So then, with all of these epic qualifications, it only stands to reason that The Legend of Zelda works perfectly with power metal. They both share many similar attributes. Much as I love the Zelda soundtracks, I also find that listening to power metal when playing the games works nicely as well. There are certain albums that just work with the ambiance of Zelda games, and one of my favorite things about playing a new Zelda game is finding that perfect album to complement it.

Apparently, I must not be the only one who does this, because one power metal band has taken it a step further. What Battlelore is to Tolkien's writing, Master Sword is to the Zelda games. This is a band dedicated to writing songs based on the Zelda series; either elaborating on the tales told in the games, or giving a metal version of a beloved theme, Master Sword is meeting the demand of combining the worlds of Zelda and of power metal, because they belong together and it is actually quite surprising that this hasn't already been done.

Calling upon their fellow musicians in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area, Master Sword has put together a roster of talent to bring these songs to life and to bring Zelda fans that much closer to Hyrule.

 “The Mountain (One Last Fight)”: From the moment the opening notes begin, you are instantly transported to the landscape of Hyrule, if you are a Zelda fan. You can almost see it right before your eyes as you hear the music: you can see the rolling green hills of Hyrule Field, you sense the looming shadow of Death Mountain at your back, you can hear the lapping waters of Lake Hylia, and you can smell the scent of grass and hay from Lon-Lon Ranch. The chiming bells, the rising of the music makes you feel as if you are beginning an adventure. Then, a metal guitar riff of the iconic Zelda theme tells you exactly where you are. Chad Keyser (from the band Wild Storm) tells a tale of a young hero scaling a mountain to his destiny through his high-pitched screams. The song ebbs and flows, punctuated by fast, hard riffing, and then calming down to cadenced drumming and the chanting sing-song of The Goddess Choir.

 “The Forsaken Tribe”: The first song I heard from Master Sword, this heavy rendition of the Gerudo Valley theme tells the story of the all-female tribe of bad-ass pirates. Who better to sing their song than the Queen of Hell herself, A Sound of Thunder's own Nina Osegueda? There is only one male born to the Gerudo tribe every 100 years, and it just so happens he is the King of Evil, Link's arch-nemesis, Ganondorf. The Gerudo Valley theme is very Western in feel; it sounds like something you'd hear in a cowboy movie, and Master Sword kicks it up to the next level by adding in that dramatic power metal flair, coupled with Nina's insane vocals. The Gerudos are no-nonsense, take-charge kind of women, and somehow I can see Nina fitting in perfectly with them!

 “A Terrible Fate”: The familiar sounds that make up my favorite Zelda game, Majora's Mask, start off this track, and then the band rips it up seconds later, with a progressive-flavored jam for the ages. You can almost feel the sense of urgency as the clock ticks down in Termina and the band plays a variation of the boss battle music. The voice of Aries vocalist Rob Bradley comes in to tell us about the impending doom if you haven't noticed the giant moon descending to earth! You've only got 3 days to save the world, and you need to find as many masks as possible to make sure the world of Termina doesn't meet their impending doom. No pressure! In case you haven't read my previous reviews about Aries, then perhaps I should tell you that Rob's giant voice is perfect to represent the story of the 4 giants trying to hold back the moon from crashing into humanity.

“Legends”: The final track is much calmer and more mellow than the others; the Goddess Choir female voices are very Celtic-sounding, and the music is sparse and simple. Slow percussion, lovely guitars, and the strong female vocals. This song tells the tale of how Hyrule was submerged underwater so as to keep Ganondorf from rising and ruling again. Just when you think the song is going to end on a slow note, the band comes back in to give a rousing interpretation of the classic Legend of Zelda theme, complete with guitars and keyboards going back and forth in another prog-style rock-out; ending much the same way the EP began.

Overall opinion: If you are a Legend of Zelda fan, you owe it to yourself to check out Master Sword, even if you do not consider yourself a fan of rock or metal music. Zelda fans around the world have paid tribute to the works of Koji Kondo by putting their own spin on the music, and this is far more than just a rock version of the Zelda theme, or game music done with guitars. Lyrics are written that tell the listener a story, so that even for those who are not fans of the game or who are not familiar with the story can still follow along. You can tell by listening to this that these guys are fans of the games, obviously; but you can also tell that these are fans that know the source material and not only pay proper homage to it, but embellish it further with their own interpretation (much like the many “fan theory” videos that run rampant on the internet, which I admit I love to watch). What I love about power/progressive/symphonic metal more than any other genres, is the ability the music has to unfurl visions through the music. When you listen to each song, you can see the world of Hyrule (or Termina, in the case of “A Terrible Fate”) opening up before your eyes. You almost want to grab your ocarina and jam along! Maybe this is just me, as I am a fan of the games and through the various riffs here and there that are reminiscent of game music, I can easily envision the places that the music is referring to; but I would like to think that even the average listener can envision the fantasy world that Master Sword is painting with their music. If you listen to “The Forsaken Tribe” and honestly cannot envision a Gerudo warrior woman brandishing her double scimitars, or if you cannot feel the suffocating dread of uncertainty when you listen to “A Terrible Fate”, then either you have never played the Zelda games, or if you have, maybe you need to play them again because you haven't been paying attention! For only being 4 songs, this EP is a solid piece of work and I would love to hear a full-length album from Master Sword one of these days. There is 3 decades' worth of material for them to work with, so it's certainly a possibility!

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Special thanks to Nina Osegueda & Rob Bradley