Merry Christmas!

I know I promised not to share any more holiday songs, but today is Christmas, and there is a new Von Smith video that I had to share.

In commemoration of the holiday, Von gives us his take on Mariah Carey's “Miss You Most at Christmastime”. I personally think Von's version, but I am biased, and for another, I am not what would be considered the world's biggest Mariah Carey fan. But Von has an excellent knack for taking a song and making it his own, which he does here. The video itself is simple, with no frills: Von stands in an empty theater, and sings next to Logan Evan Thomas, playing piano. There is not much else you need when Von sings, because his voice commands attention and needs no ornamentation. Hopefully a Christmas album will come from this?

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Femme-Metal Friday: Tarja “Feliz Navidad”

Photo credit: Tim Tronckoe

I am back one more time with another Christmas video...I will share one more on Christmas Day, and then I promise to be done with the holiday music for the rest of the year!

The third and final Tarja video from her Christmas album From Spirits and Ghosts is her rendition of “Feliz Navidad”, known best by singer José Feliciano. Tarja also recorded a version featuring several other rock and metal singers to raise money for hurricane relief in Antigua, but I am going to write about the solo version featured on the album, because a lyric video was released for that song.

Unlike the other two videos, which showed the contrasting Light/Dark Tarja costumes, Tarja is dressed in a simple black dress in a room with a gold or beige background, with some lit candles and a comfortable-looking chair. The lyrics are in a lovely handwritten script, so that listeners can learn both the English and Spanish phrases. This is a stark contrast from the José Feliciano version: this song is known for being upbeat, cheery, and catchy. Tarja's version is subdued and dignified, as if to emphasize the solemnity of what Christmas means, and to convey that her wish to everyone for a Merry Christmas is not made lightly. It sounds almost like an entirely different song; any up-tempo elements have been completely stripped away and made into a somber, serious ballad that holds its own elegant charm and loveliness.

For more information on Tarja's Christmas album, visit the From Spirits and Ghosts website.

Season's greetings!

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Orion's Reign “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”

Band photo

Another Wednesday in December, another Christmas video from Orion's Reign...only this time, I have a new video for you!

Minniva is back on the vocals for this rendition of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, with plenty of high-octane power metal vocals to spare. Everyone is rocking out to a festive backdrop, and just looks like they are having so much fun! There is imagery of Santa flying in his sleigh on a snowy night...honestly, I don't know how one can listen to Orion's Reign and not get into the holiday spirit; I suppose it is possible, but they probably don't like Christmas music anyway. As for those of us who love metal and love Christmas music, Orion's Reign has got you covered.

Season's greetings!

Femme-Metal Friday: Tarja “O Tannenbaum”

Photo credit: Tim Tronckoe

I'm back with another Christmas video from Tarja! Let's get started, shall we?

This video starts off with drawings of a busy city at Christmastime: people tramping through the streets in Santa hats, holiday lights illuminating shop windows, and a likeness of Tarja as she was dressed in the previous video  (“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”, which I reviewed last week). The camera pans out to show it is all inside the pages of a book that Tarja is reading.

This time, Tarja is wearing all black: her hair is raven-black, and the room is dark with black furniture. Tarja's face is painted white, and the small lights on the black Christmas tree give some brightness to the dark scenery. Again, the only spot of color can be found in the dark red on Tarja's lips.

As she sings the beloved Christmas carol in its native German, the drawings appear again, showing happy Nutcracker soldiers in the streets, while a lone shadowy figure approaches a cold and empty graveyard. Then the drawings dissolve to real images, returning to Tarja dressed in white. The camera alternates between her light and dark looks until the two are seen together, sitting across from one another. Now Tarja's dark side is seen in animation, approaching the graveyard as the holiday parade marches down the street. Dark Tarja looks as if she's about to start some trouble as a parade float drives by, and Light Tarja looks worried that something will happen. As the two sides draw nearer, the images flash between real and animated. Then we are left with the book closing on a drawing of the two Tarjas sitting across from each other.

For more information on Tarja or on her Christmas music, visit the official From Spirits and Ghosts website.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Orion's Reign “Deck the Halls”

Band photo

I hope everyone has enjoyed my forays into Christmas music so far, because there's more to be had! It is the season for sharing, right?

Once again, Wednesdays focus on Orion's Reign, whose power metal-infused renditions of classic Christmas carols have become a favorite of mine at this time of year. Their videos are also of a fun and light-hearted nature, making these festive tunes even merrier.

Like last week's video, this one is a couple of years old, but Christmas music is timeless, so the shelf life of a music video shouldn't matter too much.

The video for “Deck the Halls”  begins with the band setting up their gear in the middle of a forest. Ladies in lovely dresses sit on the grass, trying on flower crowns. After working so hard, one of the bandmembers stops to relax at a nearby tree. As he appears to drift into dreams, the music starts. The ladies stop to look at the band, headbanging in the middle of the forest. At first they seem stunned, then curious, and before long, they are smiling. They follow the sound of the music, hiding behind trees as they watch in awe. As they tiptoe around the wooded areas, it is clear to see that they are fairies, and with one wave of their magic wands, the guitars turn into giant candy canes! The magic wand is brandished a few more times, and before long, the band is “decked” out in red and green, dressed as merry elves as the fairies dance around them and join in the fun.

Was it a bit of Christmas magic, or simply the dreams of a tired musician? You'll just have to watch for yourself.

For more information on Orion's Reign, visit their official website.

Femme-Metal Friday: Tarja “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”

Photo credit: Tim Tronckoe

As I promised on Wednesday, I was going to feature artists known for being particularly fond of Christmas. If you are a fan of symphonic metal, then the name Tarja already comes to mind; but she has also become known for her beautiful holiday musical renditions.

Ever since going solo, Tarja has consistently released Christmas albums and singles, and performs Christmas concerts in her home country of Finland each year. Her first solo project was a Christmas abum; counting her side project Harus, she has released 3 Christmas albums within the last decade (along with occasional holiday singles here and there). Needless to say, Tarja really knows how to get into the spirit of the season!

Her latest Christmas album, From Spirits and Ghosts, combines Tarja's love of Christmas music with her trademark dark gothic sound. The first video from the album is the one I'm reviewing today: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”.

The video itself is of Tarja performing the song amidst white, withered tree branches. She is also dressed completely in white—a white dress, a long white wig, and her face painted white—with a black backdrop, and dark circles painted around her eyes, the only touch of color being the crimson-painted lips, dramatically set against the stark white of her face. The imagery only seems dark and cheerless, but as Tarja sings and the light casts little orbs, the wintry color scheme is of little importance. At the end, the imagery switches to Tarja dressed all in black, but those dark red lips remain.

For more information on Tarja, visit her official website.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Orion's Reign “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”

Band photo

As I mentioned last Friday, the review writing has been put on “cruise control”, and I am turning it over to holiday music.

With the holiday season under way, the time for playing festive songs for the occasion has arrived. We all have our favorite seasonal tunes, and each year it is guaranteed that at least one of our favorite musicians will release a Christmas album.

That being said, until Christmas, both on Wednesdays and Fridays, I am going to feature two artists within the symphonic metal genre that have come to make Christmas music their specialty.

One of these is the Greek band Orion's Reign, whom I have reviewed here before. Known for their symphonic metal renditions of Christmas classics, Orion's Reign creates a holiday soundtrack for those who like a little more heaviness in their Jingle Bell Rock.

The video for “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” is over 5 years old, but the song itself is far see than that, so who cares? I only have a short window of time to review cool metal Christmas videos, so I am gonna review this one.

Featuring vocalist Marit Børreson and symphonic metal mastermind PelleK, Orion's Reign wishes us a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in the grandiose, dramatic way that only a symphonic metal band can do. Marit and PelleK are dressed up in Santa hats, the band performs among a Christmasy backdrop, and stockings adorn the drums and guitars.

For more information on Orion's Reign, visit their official website.

Femme-Metal Friday: Leah “Winter Sun”

Leah & Eric Peterson

For the next few weeks, I think I am going to do something a little different and put the reviewing on cruise control, so to speak. The holidays are fast approaching, so why not look for some seasonally appropriate music?

Granted, I am really putting it on cruise control this week: it's a lyric video, and it's also from two years ago. But good music is timeless, right?

This week, I am reviewing the “Celtic folk metal” vocalist Leah, whose musical description sounds pretty bad-ass. Further solidifying her bad-assery, she has joined forces with Testament guitarist Eric Peterson. Then, they proceeded to write this song in 3 days, in different countries altogether, using nothing but smartphone apps to compose the song! That's bad-ass, in my book!

Using background images of Leah (who sings beautifully), Eric (who sheds masterfully), and a frozen stream in the snow-capped wilderness, it's the perfect song for ushering in the winter season without being a holiday song. It's perfect for those who want to celebrate the season, but either hate Christmas music or are sick to death of hearing it. Christmas is not the only winter holiday, and this is perfect for Solstice, or just for welcoming in winter.

For more information on Leah, visit her official website.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Iliad “He Knows You Know”

Band logo

In my search for music, I write about bands of varying age and popularity. Usually a quick Google search provides the most basic information about any band from any area. However, this might be a first for me: a band so new that even Google can't find them!

I wish I had more to write about this band, Iliad—I think they might be from the UK—but all I have is this video, which is how I found this band in the first place. The song is a cover, originally done by Marillion, one of my favorite prog-rock bands (at this point, prog purists will jump in and insist that Marillion is “neo-prog”—whatever that's supposed to mean—have fun with your labels!). The song was shared on the official Facebook page of Marillion's original singer, Fish, which is how I heard this cover.

“He Knows You Know” is a dark song with even darker lyrical content; it's sinister tone always so perfect for metal. Iliad takes the song's underlying frantic anxiety, and pushes it to the forefront, giving this song about drug addiction that extra degree of delirious obsession.

The lyric video provides perfect visuals: a sketch of clawing fingernails during the line “crawling up your bathroom wall”; a shot of a toilet at the lyric “singing psychedelic phrases to the depths of the china bowl”, and the image of a pale, strung-out junkie staring into a mirror, dark circles under his emotionless eyes. The most jarring visual comes when an image is displayed of a faceless addict sorting out lines of cocaine, as the lyric “he's got experience...he knows you know” scrolls across the screen.

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

Femme-Metal Friday: Ann my Guard “Obsidian Tears”

Band photo

Since yesterday was Thanksgiving in the U.S., that means the holiday season has officially started. While everyone else is pushing and shoving at the mall for the best Black Friday sales, I am going to take advantage of the long weekend and spend some time catching up on the music that has flown by my radar, but up to now has not been given rightful attention. So yes, the video is several months old, but good music doesn't have a time limit, and neither should discussion of that music.

Several months back, the Hungarian band Ann my Guard was one of these bands. They define themselves as “doll metal, space witch metal, whatever”, which may not be the most detailed description, but it is certainly an interesting one! What exactly does “doll metal” or “space witch metal” sound like, anyway?

Whatever the categorization, the music is good: a little bit of hard rock, some goth, some alternative...it all fits together nicely. The band's vocalist, Anna (clearly where the group gets its namesake) sounds as though she could have fit right into one of those female-fronted alternative bands from the early ’90s.

The music video itself is filmed in black-and-white, and starts with Anna in the middle of a field, dressed in black. Then a quick shot Anna again, this time dressed in white, clutching a bouquet of wilted flowers, laying perfectly still and unblinking, as if dead. Snakes writhe around her bed, and the band is shown playing in a shed or barn of some kind. A new shot of Anna, looking very bad-ass with a pair of scimitars, of which she wears one on each arm, looking like she's about to do serious business with those snakes!

The video sets a frenzied pace throughout, blurred or frantic glimpses of the band, Anna in white, Anna in black, and the snakes symbolically coiling around an apple. There is a rain (or blood?)-streaked mirror that separates Anna in white from Anna in black. It also sounds like she is singing in Hungarian toward the end of the song. I always like when bands from non English-speaking countries sing in their own native language, so that was a bonus I was not expecting!

For more information on Ann my Guard, visit their official Tumblr page.

Special thanks to Costa Miccas of The Metal Syndicate.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: My Indigo “My Indigo”

My Indigo: Solo project of Within Temptation vocalist Sharon den Adel

There used to be a time when the words “going solo” was the equivalent of a death sentence for a band; a poison that led to an imminent breakup or major bandmember change that would forever fracture the “classic” lineup. Whenever a singer or key bandmember announced their desire to work on a solo project, fans took it as the beginning of the end, and that their favorite band would soon be no more.

Thankfully, things are no longer this way (why they ever had to be in the first place, I'll never know). While for some bands, a solo project may still hearken these things, these days it seems to be rarer of a case than it was in the ’70s or ’80s. Nowadays, a band can break apart, pursue solo interests or form entirely new bands altogether, then come back together; sometimes even with a renewed sense of purpose, because they were able to do something creatively that could not be fulfilled within a band. Even fan reaction to these side projects are different: many fans now embrace the idea of hearing their favorite musicians in new settings, and the possibilities it opens up for the band once they reconvene to make a new album.

Personally, I like when a favorite artist goes solo, or embarks on a project different than their primary band. It gives me a chance to hear the other sides of their musicianship; to hear what they might have sounded like if they had chosen another musical path. Even if the final result is not something I end up liking, I still appreciate the artistry of it, and respect their need as an artist to create.

That being said, when Within Temptation frontwoman Sharon den Adel announced about 2 weeks ago that she had been working on a solo album, I was very excited. Sharon has one of the most beautiful voices, not just in metal, but overall (this is only my opinion, of course). She has a voice that pierces my heart whenever I hear it—she could sing the phone book, and I would be in tears by the time she got to Mr. Abraham! As Within Temptation has grown as a band, they have incorporated more experimental sounds into their music, therefore it was not surprising that Sharon had a need to express herself musically in ways outside of WT. She has lent her voice to various projects from prog rock to dance music, so I had no doubts that whatever style her solo album was, it would sound great. (This is also why I chose this as Wednesday's feature, and not Friday, because while it does have female vocals, this is not considered metal.)

The project, titled My Indigo (which seems to be the name of the band as well as the album), which is described as “alternative pop”. The first single is also called “My Indigo”, and the video is a conceptual piece—my favorite kind.

The video's concept is quite dark for a song that sounds so upbeat and cheery. It begins with a crime scene, and the separation of a mother and child. Desperately trying to run to her one last time, the young boy manages to grab the bracelet off his mother's wrist before he is taken away, and she is hauled off to jail. As they are each taken to their own separate prisons and begin the painful reality of life without each other, the boy finds comfort in music: an old-school walkman with a mixtape labeled “My Indigo”.

The boy is taken to foster care while his mother is placed behind bars. He finds a friendly hand reach out to him in this strange place, as his mother's bracelet falls out of his bag and is returned to him by a girl bunking next to him. We see shots of the mother and son, each one alone at night, thinking of the other. Restless, the boy wanders into the library, where he finds drawings of some kind of flying machine, his face registering some sort of interest or idea. As he sneaks off to a nearby shed in the middle of the night, he does not see his bunkmate watching him through the window.

As the days go on (seen by the marks on the mother's prison wall), the boy is secretly working in the shed to recreate the flying machine in the pictures. His new friend joins in to help him along. Soon, it becomes a group project, as all the children in the home take part in putting this machine together, everyone sneaking objects out of the house and the school to complete the machine.

Then the boy is caught, and makes a mad dash on his bicycle to reach his machine, which he rides off a cliff. It flies into the air, as he pedals faster away. His mother's bracelet, serving as a charm, suddenly falls off in mid-flight. As he tries to grab it, he loses control and begins to plummet. At the same time, his mother is freed from jail; as she walks out to freedom, she sees a strange flying object falling from the sky. Her mother's instinct somehow tells her that it is her son, and she runs frantically into the woods nearby. As the boy looks around the wreckage, disoriented, he sees a familiar sight, and everything is right again...or is it? You don't expect me to give away the little twist at the end, do you?

For more information on My Indigo, visit the official website.

Femme-Metal Friday: The Dark Element “The Ghost and the Reaper”

Band photo

Surprise, surprise—I'm writing another video review of The Dark Element! Can I help it that I like their music? Come to think of it, why do I need to explain what I review on my own blog?

If you have read all my previous reviews about this band, then no introduction or backstory is needed. If you haven't, then feel free to read one, so that those who have read them can get to the video review without reading too much rehashed information.

The band's second performance video, their third altogether, The Dark Element continues on with their pop-laced, hard-rockin', electronic-infused, AOR sound with “The Ghost and the Reaper”, one of the heaviest—yet also one of the catchiest—tunes on the album.

In contrast to their first video—“My Sweet Mystery”, which was filmed in a brightly-lit open space—“The Ghost and the Reaper” has a darker aesthetic; the band is shown in a closer space, and there is little light. Anette is wearing a black hooded jumpsuit, the hood partially covering her face. The rest of the band's faces are obscured here and there as well, either by the lighting or by the hair in their faces. Whether this intentional or not, it works. (Can I just mention that I really like the design on the drum kit?) I think it's also cool the way Jani gets into the song and is seen mouthing the lyrics along with Anette. Of course, no metal is complete without synchronized headbanging, and even the short-haired bass player manages to whip his hair around, which not many short-haired folks can pull off very convincingly when they are headbanging. Everyone looks like they are having fun, even when they're trying to maintain that tough “metal” vibe.

For more information on The Dark Element, visit their official Facebook page.

Thanks to Jon Freeman at Frontiers.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Niviane “The Druid King”

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I always like writing about talent from my home state, and when it comes to metal, Northern California has never lacked when it comes to producing quality music. Whether it was the thrash movement of the ’80s, or the variety of bands from the hair metal of Tesla to the nu-metal of the Deftones, the Bay Area and its surrounding vicinity has always been amply represented. Whatever metal subgenre you are into, chances are that there's a metal band somewhere in Northern California that is filling that musical need.

Case in point: Niviane, from Sacramento, who describe their music as “the new breed of American power metal”. Influenced more by the melodic aggression of bands like Iced Earth and less by the soaring theatrics of old-school power metal such as Blind Guardian, Niviane does not compromise either musicality nor heaviness. Fronted by the voice of Norman Skinner (aka “The Metal Chameleon”, due to his ability to seamlessly switch from brutal growls to harmonious clean vocals), Niviane is taking the best of new and old power metal sounds, and putting their own spin on it.

In the lyric video for “The Druid King”, Niviane plays into the dark, foreboding imagery that is familiar within power metal, such as a tree in a misty forest, guarded by a hooded figure which is undoubtedly the song title's namesake. Little flames flicker, and then the words scroll across the screen on a dark gray backdrop, giving descriptive verse to the visuals we see.

For more information on Niviane, visit their official website.

Thanks to Benjamin at Lords of PR.

Album review: Amberian Dawn—Darkness of Eternity (2017)

*Originally posted at the Female-Fronted Power Facebook page.

Album: Darkness of Eternity

Artist: Amberian Dawn

Genre: Symphonic/melodic power metal

Label: Napalm Records

Tracks: 10

Total time: 43:06

I admit, before writing this review, Amberian Dawn was one of the many bands out there on the symphonic metal scene that I had heard of in passing, but had not actually listened to. That might come as a surprise to many who know me, considering my penchant for Finnish metal bands. But as many bands as Finland produces, I suppose one could not blame me for not knowing about them all, or maybe I can be excused for not knowing about every band in Finland because I am not exactly Finnish! So many bands, so little time, right? That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! Onward.

Since I didn’t know anything about this band when I was approached to review their latest album, I did a little reading up about them, and learned a fun fact: they are huge stars among the Rock Band game community, having contributed more songs to the games than any other band. As both a metalhead and a video game enthusiast, I think that is pretty cool info, but it still told me little about the band’s music itself. Because I was new to the band’s music, I figured it was probably best to start with the most recent material, so my judgment was not clouded by anything in the band’s past catalog.

I find Amberian Dawn’s sound to be quite enjoyable; they have a great symphonic metal sensibility while also infusing elements of pop, hard rock, and melodic metal. The band’s vocalist, Capri, has a gritty roughness to her voice that reminds me of ’80s vocalists like Bonnie Tyler or Alannah Myles, but she can also belt out the gorgeous high notes whenever she has a mind to. However, I rather like that she doesn’t fall back on the sweet, angelic vocal styling that is so common among bands in the genre these days. There is churning metal aggression, layered with atmospheric harmonies, bouncy hooks, soaring riffs, and majestic elegance.

Whether it’s more straight-up rock songs like “I’m the One”, poppy melodies like “Sky is Falling” or “Ghostwoman”, power metal theatrics like “Abyss” or “Luna my Darling”, haunting gothic ballads like “Breathe Again” or the album’s closer (subtitled “Darkness of Eternity”), Amberian Dawn runs the gamut of different sounds while still maintaining a solid, identifiable sound. While there are elements of their music that clearly place them in a power/symphonic metal genre, I am hard-pressed to say they sound like any particular band or sound out there. They have a knack for playing to their genre just enough to be categorized, but are doing enough differently that no one could mistake them as a copycat of another band. It’s nice to discover a new band (or new to me, anyway) and hear something that is not instantly reminiscent of someone else (that I know of).

I look forward to going more into Amberian Dawn’s back catalog and hearing how the rest of it holds up to Darkness of Eternity. As for the rest of you, enjoy the new album!

Photo credit: Toni Härkönen

Thanks to Henk van Nieuwenhoven at Female-Fronted Power.

Special thanks to Claudia Steinlechner at Napalm Records.

Album review: The Dark Element (2017)

Album cover

*Originally posted at the Female-Fronted Power Facebook page.

Album: The Dark Element

Artist: The Dark Element

Genre: Symphonic/power metal

Label: Frontiers Records

Tracks: 11

Ever since her controversial split with Nightwish over 5 years ago, Anette Olzon has been somewhat of a ‘dark horse’ on the music scene: no one really knew what to expect from her after departing from the band that made her famous, and the loyal fans she had amassed during her brief 5-year stint in the band did not allow her to stay silent, even when it seemed she wanted to do just that during those first few months after the breakup. Musically, Anette has not done much outside of her solo album in 2014, which was a pop/adult contemporary-based project that she had been working on as far back as 2009, and was as far removed from the sound of Nightwish as anyone could expect. It was no secret that Anette stumbled into the metal world upon joining the band, and that she came from more of a pop/AOR background. However, it was through a metal band that most of her fans found her, and many of them still wanted to hear what she would do in a heavier vein.

Enter Jani Liimatainen, former guitarist of Sonata Arctica, and current guitarist of Cain’s Offering, a band featuring another vocalist from a prominent Finnish band (Timo Kotipelto of Stratovarius). If you know your Nightwish history, you know that Nightwish and Sonata Arctica have had close ties to one another over the years, so perhaps it was not too much of a stretch of the imagination to guess that former bandmembers of these two bands would find each other and collaborate together. Maybe they wanted to stick it to their old bands? Who knows? After all, success is the best form of revenge!

Yet, if getting even with their old bandmates was not their initial purpose for joining together musically, the project that became The Dark Element quickly became the most anticipated new album among fans in both camps, and among the symphonic and power metal scene. This was the heavy style of music Anette’s fans wanted to hear more of from her, and people were curious to hear how her voice would work with Jani’s signature guitar work.

From the opening title track, The Dark Element starts off running, with catchy, poppy melodies woven into dark gothic and electronic sounds. There is no denying that on songs like the title track, “Dead to Me”, “My Sweet Mystery” and “Last Good Day”, that you can hear the Nightwish influence in the music. But there is just as much there that is instantly reminiscent of Sonata Arctica or Cain’s Offering—in fact, much of the album sounds like an experiment in what Cain’s Offering might sound like with a female singer; some good examples are “The Ghost and the Reaper”, “Halo” and “I Cannot Raise the Dead” (hmm, seems to be a pattern among those titles there!). That being said, Anette’s stamp is on this album too—the album closer “Only One Who Knows Me” easily sounds like something from her Alyson Avenue days, “Here’s to You” is rooted in AOR influences and the songs “Someone You Used to Know” and “Heaven of Your Heart” are gentle ballads that would have fit perfectly on her solo album.

The Dark Element is a solid album, from start to finish. Even if you are not familiar with the music from either Anette Olzon or Jani Liimatainen, if you are a fan of power metal, female vocals or hooky pop or electronic elements within metal music, you might want to give it a listen. Fans of Nightwish, Sonata Arctica, Stratovarius and Cain’s Offering are sure to enjoy this already. This is the type of album that Anette’s fans have been waiting for since she left Nightwish, so they will not be disappointed! There may be some aspects to it that are lacking in regards to their former bands, but if you don’t go into it expecting an exact sound-alike of those bands, you will be pleasantly surprised. The influences are there, but clearly The Dark Element is trying to carve out its own identity, which they have done brilliantly. Whether this is just a one-off project or if this is going to evolve into a full-time band with future albums to come, this merger between two components of Finnish metal’s biggest titans is a surefire winner and a worthy addition to your music collection.

Thanks to Henk van Nieuwenhoven at Female-Fronted Power.

Special thanks to Dustin Hardman and Jon Freeman at Frontiers Records.

Extra-special thanks to Oceansouls of America.

Femme-Metal Friday: A Sound of Thunder “Lifebringer”

Band photo

I know it hasn't been very long since I last wrote about A Sound of Thunder, but if you ask me, I don't write about them nearly enough! In the few short weeks since my last review, the band has been busy: in-between launching a Kickstarter, recording a new album, and preparing for their first European tour, they managed to find time to free an entire country! In case you have been living under a rock over the past month, Catalonia has seceded from Spain, and A Sound of Thunder's “Els Segadors” was heard blasting through the streets as people celebrated in victory. Now, maybe the band is too humble to say that they were responsible for this, but...didn't I predict in my last entry that their music would heal the world? One country at a time, folks. One country at a time.

Yet with all of that going on, they still had enough spare time to make another music video! Meanwhile, I think during that time, I binge-watched old reruns of Matlock and spent an afternoon trying to figure out where I left my keys.

The video for the song “Lifebringer” gives fans a taste of what they can expect not only from the upcoming album It Was Metal, but also what they can expect from the accompanying comic book that goes with the album. The artwork is stunning, there are warriors, there are tyrants, and somewhere among all that, a theremin is involved. What more do you need? It sure as hell beats another marathon of Murder, She Wrote, and it's anyone's guess which region will be liberated by this song. Maybe Sicily. It is the birthplace of my favorite Golden Girl, after all.

For more information on A Sound of Thunder, or to contribute to their Kickstarter (only 3 days left!), visit their official website.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Von Smith “Long Ago Maybe”

Von Smith

I know it seems like I tend to focus on only a handful of the same artists from week to week, and maybe that's true. However, in my own defense, can I help it if there are particular bands or artists that I find exceptionally talented, and want to write about whenever I can, so that many people can discover this music, too? Is that really such a bad thing?

Also, if there are bands you want to hear more about or music you think I should feature here, you are always welcome to recommend anything you like in the comments section! I certainly do not mind showcasing new music whenever I can.

Now that this disclaimer is out of the way, I can talk about the new video from Von Smith! For me, he is a singer that can do no wrong. I love everything he sings—whether it's with Postmodern Jukebox or on his own—Von has such a distinct, versatile voice that he can sing anything...which, in many respects, he does. More than this, he can sing anything and sound great doing it, which not many singers can do. This is not a knock on amyone; many vocalists out there are the gold standard in their particular genre, but would never sound exactly right singing another style. While Von particularly shines on more R&B or pop sounds, I have the feeling that if he ever wanted to make a rock album, or dabble in something more avant-garde,  he would be brilliant at that as well. He just has that type of voice, the kind that fits in anywhere, and is addictive to listen to—a combination that even some of the vocal greats do not possess.

If you watch the video for “Long Ago Maybe”, you might be able to understand what I mean. The song is stripped-down, not a lot of bells and whistles—just an acoustic guitar and Von's voice—but it's all you need. The power and emotion in his voice carries the song with the same weight as if he were being backed by a full orchestra. His vocals just pick you up and lift you away, until you are completely lost in the song. His higher notes are more subdued, instead of putting it up in the forefront, as is expected. Visually, the video is equally straightforward: Von sits on a stool and sings, while guitarist Matt Appleton sits beside him and plays his acoustic guitar. If this song of heartbreak doesn't put tears in your eyes, then you have either never really loved before, or you are the one doing the heart-breaking. I'll let you decide. I'm not here to judge!

For more information on Von Smith, visit his official website.

Album review: Beyond Forgiveness—The Great Wall (2017)

Album: The Great Wall

Artist: Beyond Forgiveness

Genre: Symphonic/gothic metal

Tracks: 10

Total time: 57:03

*Originally posted at the Female-Fronted Power Facebook page.

The symphonic metal scene in the United States has been rapidly growing over the last several years, and one of the bands at the forefront of this explosion is Colorado’s Beyond Forgiveness, who has shown with their perfect marriage of dark gothic melodies and grandiose symphonic arrangements, that they can hold their own with some of their more well-known European counterparts. Bringing back a sound reminiscent of the scene’s halcyon days, Beyond Forgiveness channels the best of early Tristania and classic Nightwish, giving us an interesting take on what either of these bands might have sounded like if they had not delved into other musical styles and kept strictly to the operatic vocals and classical-infused heaviness.

In 2016, Beyond Forgiveness made their first mark on the music world with their debut EP, The Ferryman’s Shore, which garnered rave reviews around the world and won the band respect outside of the United States. Now, nearly 2 years later, the band’s much-anticipated full-length follow-up is here, ready to fulfill the promise of its predecessor, as The Great Wall raises the bar for what is to come next.

From the moment the cadenced drumming taps in on the opening track “End of Time”, Beyond Forgiveness takes you on a musical journey; the songs averaging between 5-7 minutes. The two voices of Talia Hoit and Richard Marcus are the quintessential “beauty and the beast” dueling vocals that have become a hallmark of gothic-symphonic metal, and they do it so well. There is no overkill of the growly vocals; they know exactly when and how much to use them.

Talia’s voice is so powerful, especially on the title track, “The Great Wall”, where her vocals just soar into the stratosphere. “Sanctuary” starts off slow but comes in heavy, and Talia’s voice is so emotional on this track (one of the first songs from the new album that I heard, when I was given a special “sneak preview” of the album, still in the making at the time). “Imprisoned” is another beautifully dark, heavy tune where Richard’s guttural vocals provide just enough jarring contrast to give it that gothic edge. Guitarist Greg Witwer's guitar skills really shine on the instrumental “Interlude” midway through the album.

“Moment of Truth” is another track where the interplay between Talia’s clean vocals and Richard’s guttural voice are perfectly balanced, as well as the symphonic and gothic elements of the music, both are evenly matched here. So far this is my favorite track on the album. “Never Before” would be a perfect choice for a single or music video, it has that “crossover” potential with its sing-along chorus, and barely crosses the 5-minute threshold, making it accessible to a wider audience. If you ever wondered what Within Temptation and Nightwish would have sounded like if they wrote a song together in their early days, “Never Before” is probably as close as you could come to hearing it!

Beyond Forgiveness also has beautiful slow ballads too, as can be heard on the track “Dream Until I Sleep”. Talia’s vocals on this one will put tears in your eyes as she mournfully sings, “you’ve crossed over the edge, but you’ll always be mine…the silence is noise, I must remember your voice”. I’m putting this out there right now: I want the band to play this song at my funeral!

The band wastes no time returning to heavier songs right after that, “Fight ’Til the End” is Beyond Forgiveness at their gothic-symphonic best. It’s got the spooky, chilling gothic piano, the soaring, bombastic operatic vocals, and the imposing, brutal growling male voice. If you love Morten-era Tristania, then this is your kind of song. Beyond Forgiveness gives it their all on this one, making it all the more fitting of a song title and the perfect penultimate album track.

The final track, “Every Breath”, has a whimsical, folksy sound to it. In fact, it almost sounds like the music you would hear in The Lost Woods on a Legend of Zelda game! You almost feel like you are in a forest among the wood sprites, and Talia sings the voice of their people. It’s a perfect close to an album that takes the listener on such an adventure: this is a track that calms, winds down, and leaves you a little wistful that it has all come to an end.

The Great Wall has lived up to all the potential of the first EP, and then some! Beyond Forgiveness has grown a lot since The Ferryman’s Shore, and they were already off to an excellent start then. The band’s musical direction is clear, the songs are consistently good, and they can each stand alone; however, every song works together in a bigger picture to make a cohesive whole. If you are a fan of grand, sweeping, dramatic symphonic metal and also like a touch of sinister gothic gloom, then Beyond Forgiveness fills the void left behind by their earlier predecessors who have since gone on to other sounds and styles. If you are someone who thinks Nightwish hasn’t made a good album since Oceanborn, or that Tristania hasn’t been the same since Morten left, then Beyond Forgiveness is the perfect fit for you. Even if you are not one of those kinds of fans, if you like those albums or that era of music from those bands, then you will probably like Beyond Forgiveness just the same. At any rate, they are showing that the United States is no slouch in the symphonic metal department anymore, and we have some excellent music to offer that would make our European cohorts proud.

Thanks to Henk van Nieuwenhoven at Female-Fronted Power.

Femme-Metal Friday: Serenade “Hold me Back”

Band photo

Although I am writing about a new band here this week, it will probably come as no surprise to anyone that it's another band from Italy! However, I must plead my case and say that this week's entry started out as mistaken identity!

When you have a one-word band name like “Serenade”, not only are you tough to find in a Google search, but you also risk the chance that there are several other bands with the same name, as is the case with this week's entry.

I should probably back up a little: as I wrote last holiday season, I love Christmas music. A few years back, one of my favorite internet radio stations played a lovely German rendition of “Silent Night”. However, the band's name escaped me, and countless online searches yielded nothing, until the same radio station played a song by a band called Serenade. The name rang a bell, and sure enough, after a quick YouTube search, there was the Christmas song I had been seeking.

Now, I cannot be sure if that was the same Serenade that led me to the one I was looking for, but when I got an e-mail link to this video, I assumed I was reviewing a German symphonic metal band called Serenade that had a Christmas song that I liked. Imagine my surprise to learn that there was another female-fronted symphonic metal band from Italy, also called Serenade!

However, mistaken identity can be a good thing, and as I have found, Italy has no shortage of excellent music, so the Italian Serenade is another great band I can add to the list. How fun this has been, to discover new music while sharing new music with all of you!

The video for “Hold me Back” is pretty simple: the band performs in a dark room, with occasional close-up shots of each bandmember. Serenade's vocalist, Claudia, is shown in fog, or surrounded by candles. She is also rocking some cool purple lipstick, which matches bassist Dario's guitar strap. Even metal bands wearing all-black can be color-coordinated!

For more information on Serenade, visit their official website.

Thanks to Alex at Grand Sounds.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Luna “Friends”

Photo credit: Luz Gallardo

Yes, I am writing again about another band I have recently reviewed! Considering that I am beginning to think no one really reads this blog anyway, does it really matter? And if someone is reading, you are probably wondering: why even write if I don't think anyone is reading it anyway? Well, because I like to write, and even if no one is reading this, I will keep on writing, so I may as well write about whatever I want!

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I can talk about the new video from Luna. The second video from their covers album A Sentimental Education, Luna pays tribute to The Velvet Underground, and the timeless theme of unrequited love.

Where the previous video was filmed in black-and-white, this one is done in vibrant color. A conceptual video set in a high school, we follow a young boy as he attempts to win the heart of the girl he loves. We see that his crush is a couple of years older than he is, so clearly the girl sees him only as a friend, as she goes off with other boys closer to her own age. In the hallways, a band plays: they all look like younger versions of Luna! It is cute to see how they must have looked in high school.

As the video progresses, we watch the boy's various tactics to get the girl to notice him. He has a knack for making cute flip books, starring a dog character, whom we see in stuffed animal form. These little books entertain her, but clearly the cute older boy has her full interest. At first, it appears that the two boys do not like each other (or that the elder is wary of the younger), but the girl comes along, encouraging them to join her as they go out to the school football field, where the band is playing and everyone is having a good time. The stuffed animal makes an appearance too, but I can't spoil the ending, can I?

For more information on Luna, visit their official website.

DVD review: Delain—A Decade of Delain (Live at Paradiso)

Album cover

Album: A Decade of Delain (Live at Paradiso)

Artist: Delain

Genre: Symphonic metal

Label: Napalm Records

Tracks: 23

(Originally posted at the Female-Fronted Power Facebook page.)

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that Delain has already been around for 10 years! It seems like only yesterday that their album Lucidity hit the scene. In fact, considering their wild success since then, it is even easier to forget that Delain originally started out as just a project featuring guest musicians (ala Ayreon) with no real intention of being an actual live touring band. But so many people loved the album that Delain were prompted to play a few shows, which turned into a small tour, which turned into more live shows and more touring…before long, Delain started playing new songs at their shows, which indicated that they were here to stay, and this was no longer a one-off project. Soon, they were in the same esteemed circles as their sister band, Within Temptation, and other prominent acts in the genre. Inside a few short years, Delain’s popularity exploded, far surpassing the “musical project” they had originally envisioned for themselves.

As Delain approached a decade of music, it seemed like a no-brainer that the band would want to commemorate such a milestone. Starting a PledgeMusic crowdfunding campaign, the band announced they would be performing a special 10th anniversary show, to be filmed for DVD in their home country of The Netherlands. Fans from around the world jumped at the opportunity to be a part of this special show, featuring guest musicians and a setlist with songs that hadn’t been played in a long time.

Now, the DVD is here for everyone to see, and it was worth the wait! The show starts off firing on all cylinders, and Delain wastes no time introducing their guests as Alissa White-Gluz arrives for the show opener “Hands of Gold”. Her roaring vocals shake the Paradiso, and before anyone can recover, Delain continues to launch into their high-energy repertoire with favorites like “Suckerpunch”, “The Glory and the Scum” and “Get the Devil Out of Me”. An array of confetti fittingly covers the Paradiso for the track “The Hurricane” (my favorite from Moonbathers, the latest Delain studio album), followed promptly by the classic Delain favorite “April Rain”.

The second of the evening’s guest vocalists take the stage when Fear Factory frontman Burton C. Bell arrives for “Where is the Blood?” I am not a huge fan of the “metalcore”-type vocals, but he does a good job and complements Charlotte’s voice well. After that, Delain taps into their more aggressive side with “Here Come the Vultures”, keeps it heavy with the Moonbathers fan-favorite “Fire With Fire”, where the fans go absolutely crazy with the headbanging (at this point in the video I see my friend Bill Seaberry in the audience!). I also love the way Charlotte articulates the lyrics with hand gestures, like when she mimics slamming a door when she sings the line “open doors, then shut them hard”. Can I just say that I have always thought that the Paradiso looks like a cool venue for a concert, and I envy you Dutch people who get to see shows there all the time?

Alissa White-Gluz makes a return for “The Tragedy of the Commons”, and if I thought she sounded brutal before, she unleashes her beastly vocals to maximum capacity here! Delain keeps the crowd going with “Danse Macabre”, where the fans clap along with Charlotte. After that, Delain digs deep into the vault and brings back former bandmembers Rob van der Loo, Guus Eikens, and Sander Zoer for the Lucidity classic “Sleepwalkers Dream”.

From there, Charlotte announces that they have a “virtual guest”, and Nightwish bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala appears on-screen for the song “Your Body is a Battleground”. Delain returns to old-school favorites with “Stay Forever”, and then is joined onstage by Liv Kristine for “See me in Shadow” (where things seem to calm down for the first time during this energetic show). The trip down memory lane continues with the song Charlotte deems as the “party favorite” among Delain fans: “The Gathering” (which feels a little flat without Marco, but makes up for it with fan enthusiasm, where everyone jumps up and down and cuts loose). The nod to Delain’s debut continues with “Pristine”, where the searing vocals of George Oosthoek provide some guttural ferocity and the entire band headbangs in sync (along with some fans in the balcony as well!). Delain, along with George, lead the audience into clapping along with them (where I catch another glimpse of my friend Bill!), culminating into synchronized fist-pumping throughout the Paradiso.

The show reaches its home stretch as Delain makes its way back towards more current material (i.e., the latter half of their 10-year career) with “Mother Machine”, a song that is normally a fantastic show opener, but fits well here as a way to mark the last part of the concert. Another video appearance from Marco Hietala comes afterwards on the track “Sing To Me” and when Delain reaches the song “Don’t Let Go” (my favorite Delain song to hear live!), it becomes clear that we are reaching the end of the journey, since this song is usually one of the last at a Delain show. But the crowd stays with it and remains as animated as if it were the beginning of the concert, as they chant and clap along.

As soon as the familiar opening notes of “We Are The Others” begins, there is no mistake that we have reached the end of the concert, because this song usually closes out the band’s shows and it has become their most recognizable anthem. But it is a fantastic close to a lively performance, and a perfect cap on a tribute to 10 years’ worth of music. The song has become the theme song for all Delain fans and it is only proper that the show would end with something that the audience most identifies with, since it was the enthusiasm of the Delain fans from the beginning that brought this “musical project” to life and turned them into the actively touring and recording superstars that they are now, a decade later. Delain knows that too, and thanks their fans with the hopes that there will be another 10 years to celebrate. The entire evening’s cast ensemble joins them onstage for the final bow, as the cameras capture the passionate Delain fans that made this moment possible.

Thanks to Henk van Nieuwenhoven at Female-Fronted Power.

Extra thanks to Mona Miluski at Napalm Records.

Special thanks to Ben, Chip and Scott at Delain American Street Team.

Extra-special thanks to John Thornburgh at Sonic Cathedral.