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

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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.

Album review: The Dark Element (2017)

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*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: The Dark Element “Dead to Me”

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Normally when working on these twice-a-week features, I try not to showcase the same bands or artists within too close a time frame, but as the saying goes, “strike the iron while it's hot”. Right now, The Dark Element is a pretty hot topic, and they've already got another video to review, so why not jump at the opportunity? Besides, this is my blog, which means I can make the rules, or break them if I see fit. If I want to write about the new lyric video from The Dark Element, then I see no reason why I should wait for a “substantial” amount of time to pass!

If you read my feature last month on The Dark Element, then no introduction is needed. For those who did not read my previous review, then please refer to said review for further information. To give a very brief rundown, The Dark Element is a project featuring ex-Sonata Arctica guitarist Jani Liimatainen, and former Nightwish vocalist Anette Olzon. Now that you're all caught up, let's move on to the review!

A lyric video for a song called “Dead to Me”, it is too easy to quickly spot similarities between both Olzon and Liimatainen's previous bands. As I am a Nightwish fan, I instantly hear remnants of songs like “Dark Chest of Wonders” and “Shudder Before the Beautiful”, to name some examples. But, as I am also a fan of Liimatainen's other band, Cain's Offering, I hear many comparisons to that band as well. It stands to reason that both artists are so identifiable by their old bands, that the sound of those bands is bound to come out through the music they make together. In a way, it's an interesting insight on what Cain's Offering might sound like with a female vocalist, or how Nightwish might sound if they joined forces with Sonata Arctica.

As for the video itself, it has a gray backdrop, with pictures of the band, along with shots of Anette in black-and-white, singing as the lyrics flash on the screen. I like how she still does her little head-bobbing thing when she sings, the way she did in her Nightwish days.

I am glad this is a lyric video, because when Anette reaches the line “you ate my bread and drank from my well”, it sounds like she is singing “you ate my brain”! I am pretty sure this is not a song about zombies, so good thing I was able to get that misheard lyric corrected right away! Then again, the song is called “Dead to Me”, so you never know...I guess that will have to be one of those questions that will remain unanswered!

For all its upbeat tempo and fast heaviness, this is one hell of a breakup song! I tell you, these “revenge anthems” from today's pop princesses are child's play compared to heartbroken metalheads! With verses like “I wish I could say I wish you the best, it isn't true”, “I won't write you an ode nor confession, not a song but a war declaration”, “you were the harlot of my heart, like a fool I played my part”, and “you're no one, mean nothing, you're worthless, dead to me”, it's obvious that The Dark Element has far more creative ways to tell an ex, “we're never getting back together”!

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

Thanks to Dustin Hardman at Frontiers.

Special thanks to Oceansouls of America.

Femme-Metal Friday: The Dark Element “My Sweet Mystery”

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It is not very often that I get the chance to review more well-known names in these features, let alone one as highly anticipated as The Dark Element, a musical project featuring ex-Sonata Arctica guitarist Jani Liimatainen, and former Nightwish vocalist Anette Olzon.

Perhaps it is good timing or a happy coincidence that The Dark Element's new video premiered this week; an event that occurred within just a few days of the 10-year anniversary of Dark Passion Play, the Nightwish album that first introduced Anette to the world. Whichever of the two it may be, in any case the milestone occasion is a perfect way to remind the public that Anette is still out there. Aside from a solo album in 2014 and a couple of singles here and there, not much has been heard from Anette since her greatly publicized split from Nightwish 5 years ago (another milestone that happens within the next few days). Since her solo album was more pop-oriented, this is the first time we have heard Anette in a metal setting since parting with Nightwish. That alone was enough to stir curiosity from both sides of the metal community—both the die-hard Anette fans who have stood by her, and the Anette “haters” who were never convinced that she belonged in Nightwish. So when it was announced that she was joining forces with Jani Liimatainen, a respected name on the scene in his own right, people all across the board of public opinion were curious to hear what this merger would produce.

Sounding like a cross between the Nightwish songs “Storytime” and “Bye Bye Beautiful”, the song “My Sweet Mystery” is undeniably catchy and upbeat. It is also much closer to the sound that fans want to hear from Anette, as opposed to her solo album. The majority of her fans discovered her through Nightwish, and so would prefer to hear her in a heavier style of music. The music is also reminiscent of Cain's Offering, another collaborative project of Jani's, featuring Stratovarius frontman Timo Kotipelto.

As for the video itself, it is a straightforward performance video, taking place in an old warehouse or abandoned building that is brightly-lit, with white walls and big windows. Stylistically, it may remind fans of the “Bye Bye Beautiful” video, as it also takes place in a similar setting, and Anette does many of the same dance moves in both videos (except there are no bandmembers transforming into supermodels this time!). I will say that Anette's fashion sense has improved over the last 10 years, and it hardly looks as if she has aged at all!

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

Special thanks to Dustin Hardman at Frontiers Records.

Extra thanks to Oceansouls of America.