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!
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!
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.
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!
It has been a while since the last time I wrote about the femme-metal vocal supergroup Exit Eden, but they have been doing a lot since then! They have released a bunch of videos for their album Rhapsodies in Black; so much that I have not been able to keep up with them until now. If I was going to review any video for any song off the album, this was the one I most hoped would have a video release, and the one I most wanted to review. Good things come to those who wait!
If you read my review of the Rhapsodies in Black album, then you know that my favorite songs on this album of covers were the ’80s tunes: the soundtrack of childhood with a fresh, new sound. Of all the ’80s covers, however, my favorite was the album's opening track, Exit Eden's take on the Depeche Mode classic “A Question of Time”. So naturally, when the band started releasing several videos for the album, I hoped that eventually, this song would get a video treatment as well.
Thematically, the Exit Eden videos appear to share a similar thread, which leads one to wonder if the videos are connected, or if the order of their release somehow paints a larger picture (somewhat like the Guns ’n Roses “video trilogy” of the early ’90s, where three seemingly random songs from the album tied together to tell a bigger story on-screen). The videos all show the same imagery: alternating between the group performing in a room with some sunlight coming through the windows of an old house, and the women individually either walking through the house or shown in rooms lit with candles. The women are seen walking through the halls, each one carrying a different item: Marina LaTorraca has a rose, Anna Brunner holds a pendant of some kind, Clémentine Delauney holds a small golden box, and Amanda Somerville holds and onyx ring. As the video ends, we see quick shots of the band performing onstage, alternating between shots of what rests in the women's hands: the rose, the box, the pendant, and the ring.
For more information on Exit Eden, visit their official website.
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”!
Last weekend I reviewed the new album from Secret Rule, one of several bands from Italy that I have written about here before. Originally, this review was going to be written last week for another video entirely, but ultimately things work out as they are meant to, because now I get to review a brand-new video hot off the presses, on release day. Appropriately for Friday the 13th, the new Secret Rule video is for the very gothic track “Imaginary World”, featuring ex-Sirenia vocalist Ailyn Gímenez.
The video just screams pure goth: from the dark backgrounds, subdued lighting, freaky dim lights, and bewildered face of a child, all within the first few seconds. Ailyn and Secret Rule vocalist Angela di Vincenzo are standing perfectly still as the music builds up, and then everyone is in motion.
The object of the boy's fascination soon becomes clear as we see circus performers walking on their hands, juggling, and balancing on stilts. The band themselves appear as though they are performing within a circus tent, as scary clowns lurk in the shadows. In keeping to the song's title, we see that the little boy is viewing this all through a Viewmaster-looking contraption (or a virtual reality headset, for you younger folks?); everything we see are just the images created by the viewfinder. When he takes the headgear off, there is no one there but someone sweeping the floor. He is a mime or a clown, leaving us to wonder if this circus was part of the boy's “imaginary world” after all.
Over the last few years, Italy's Secret Rule has been anything but a secret: drawing attention to themselves by recruiting talent from some of the biggest bands on the scene, Secret Rule's 2015 album Machination got a lot of notice from fans of the genre, stoking curiosity as to what their next project had to offer. Led by the strong, harmonious voice of Angela Di Vincenzo and guided by the musical hand of Sonata Arctica keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg, Secret Rule was striking a path away from the prestigious guest stars, and was unveiling their new band lineup on their third album, The Key to the World.
However, it would not be completely bereft of guest appearances: ex-Sirenia vocalist Ailyn Gimenez would lend her voice alongside Angela's for a rousing merger of strong and sweet on the dark, gothic track “Imaginary World”. Another duet is heard on the song “Twin Flames”, this time with Henning Basse (of MaYan and Firewind fame), sounding very much like the yin and yang complementary twin souls as their voices blend together like fitting puzzle pieces.
After the short instrumental title track starts things off, the album is driving, melodic, hard-hitting, and bombastic, with Angela's voice leading the charge. The single “Song of the Universe” reminds me a lot of fellow Italian band Macbeth, and perhaps those who are fans of bands like Delain or Triosphere could find a lot to enjoy about Secret Rule as well. “Empty World” sounds like a cross between Delain and Lacuna Coil. Songs like “A Reverie”, “Are You Gone?” (my personal favorite), and “I’m You” (undoubtedly the most experimental track on the album) introduce some elements of electronica while still being positively brutal. “The Lost Child” is a straightforward rockin’ tune that is sure to get a crowd going, while “No More” is a sad, tender ballad that will prompt the lighters to come out at a live show. There are more gothic/symphonic-sounding tracks, such as “Trip Of Destiny” and the final track “100 Poets (Calliope)”, which sounds like a nightmare inside a music box!
For those who enjoyed the last Secret Rule album, they continue to build on that momentum, and there will surely be a lot here to please fans. If you are new to the band, this is as good as any a place to get started. With outstanding work like this, it won't be long before Secret Rule is no secret any longer!
For those two or three people that follow my blog regularly, it is likely you already know that one of my favorite bands from this decade is A Sound of Thunder, the only thing to come out of Washington D.C. that has integrity, honesty, and a backbone! Not to be corrupted by record labels or pigeonholed by mindless categorization, the Thunder has succeeded on their own terms, continuing to boggle the minds of music biz suits that are so certain that sucking up to the man is the only way to get to the top.
Without help of a record label or (up to recently) management, ASOT has become metal's modern-day grassroots movement: relying on the 21st century variant of “word of mouth”—otherwise known as social media—to bring them new fans. Using Kickstarter as their promotional platform, the Legion of Thunder (i.e., devoted fans) back their belief in the band's talent by contributing to the Thunder's musical endeavors; making sure that the band has all the freedom to create the music they want, without pressure from a record label to write a hit single or to construct an image more suited for mass consumption.
Another component to the Thunder's appeal is their outspoken stance on social and political issues. Whether it is writing about the Memphis Three, contributing to causes such as LGBT rights and charities such as Rock Against Dystrophy, or their “feminist Manowar tribute band” side project Womanowar—the members of A Sound of Thunder are strong in their beliefs and do not back down from random trolls who threaten to leave the fandom for not staying safely middle-of-the-road so as to please those fans.
So then, when the band announced the first single for their upcoming seventh album It Was Metal, it came as no surprise to anyone that they composed a variation on the Catalonian national anthem “Els Segadors”—after all, frontwoman Nina Osegueda is of Catalonian descent. However, what started out as homage to her heritage coincided with current events sweeping the region, and within days of releasing this lyric video (directed by Vicky Ryder), A Sound of Thunder's take on Catalonia's national anthem quickly went viral among Catalonians and became an unofficial anthem for the secession movement.
Perhaps for anyone who had never heard of ASOT before all this finds it as an “out of nowhere” success story, but anyone who knows and loves the Thunder never expected anything less from them than to lead the charge and write the anthems of a revolution. Because, after all, what can be more metal than that?
The song itself, of course, is a national anthem, so it has the cadenced drumming and marching beat that make up the foundation of most anthems. Then you've got Nina's voice, so strong and sure, that it just sounds like she is commanding a rebel army! With lyrics like “raise up your scythes”, and “destroy the enemy, their conceit has sentenced them to death”, if these are translated lyrics from the original, it was already the most metal national anthem before ASOT got hold of it! But once Nina starts singing in Catalonian, it is clear why so many new fans from the region are proclaiming this the new anthem after Catalonia receives independence. Who knows? After all the recent controversy here in the U.S. over our national anthem, maybe A Sound of Thunder can give us a new national anthem as well?
In the words of my friend Craig Phillips, A Sound of Thunder “is the real-life Wyld Stallyns” (Google it, young folks!)—a band that is so loved by everyone that they bring about world peace. Truth be told, ASOT is the only band I have ever successfully “converted” anyone to—everyone I meet who hears them instantly likes them, and goes on to tell others, who like them too. Perhaps Craig's compliment will be a self-fulfilling prophecy, and rewriting the national anthems across the globe will be the start of ASOT's healing of the world.
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!
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.
Although I do a lot of writing about the female-fronted metal scene, it is impossible to know about every band out there, and admittedly, there are even some of the more popular ones that I'm not as familiar with as one might expect. I try to keep up with the latest names who are making a splash, but the great thing about the scene is that it is so diverse, and there is always something new to discover.
One name that has kept popping up on my radar for some time—over the past year, at any rate—was Edge of Paradise, a band from my hometown of Los Angeles. Several of my friends and fellow writers gave this band great praise, but I had not found the time to check them out for myself—until a friend told me the band was playing in the town where I live now, an area that seldom ever gets good rock shows, let alone any femme-metal gigs.
Suffering from concert withdrawals for nearly a year, and excited by the prospect of getting to discover some new music, I decided that the time had come to finally give this band a proper listen. As everyone else does these days, I looked to YouTube and found the most recent video, which is the song I am reviewing here.
The song “Mystery” is a lovely ballad with some spiritual overtones, and the video complements the song's fragile loveliness by not being too overwhelming or over-the-top. The video itself shows vocalist Margarita Monet sitting at a piano, playing a haunting melody. The rest of the band is dimly illuminated and wreathed in clouds of smoke, so you only ever see their silhouettes and are never distinctly visible. There are some close-up of Margarita either sitting at the piano or singing directly to the camera (what a voice she's got, by the way!), but she is the only person we see clearly throughout the video.
At video's end, a message reads that the song is in memory of someone; the YouTube comments mention that the in memoriam is for Margarita's cousin that passed away. As I cannot get official confirmation on that at this time, I will say simply that whoever it was for, it was a lovely tribute. After hearing this song, I viewed several other videos of theirs, but this song continued to stand out for me, and why I decided to review it as opposed to one of their heavier or more popular tracks. It probably goes without saying, but I will say it anyway: I am glad I finally got around to listening to this band, and look forward to seeing them rock my metal-deficient town this Saturday!
For more information on Edge of Paradise, visit their official website.
If you have been visiting this blog over the last few weeks, then you probably read my feature on Chastain vocalist Leather Leone. If so, then you probably also know that I have the utmost love and respect for Leather, and that she is one of my most favorite people in the world; not just in the music biz, but as a person.
While I never aspired to become a musician or to form a band, I often think that when it comes to strong female role models, the 1980s was a great time in which to grow up. The landscape of heroines to emulate was vast, and so diverse: from cartoon superwomen like Jem, and She-Ra; television characters from The Golden Girls to GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling); pop music idols from Madonna to Cyndi Lauper, rock stars from Pat Benatar to Heart's Ann Wilson.
If you were a little metalhead, like me—9 years old, reading Rip magazine and watching Headbanger's Ball—even the ultra-macho metal scene was not bereft of female role models. There was Doro Pesch, Lee Aaron, and Betsy Bitch, to name a few. And then, of course, the bad-ass that is Leather Leone: a no-nonsense woman that refuses to play by the rules and hates the gender divide within music so much that she probably would not like it very much if she were part of a feature called “Femme-Metal Friday”! But, whether she has wanted the title or not, she is considered a pioneer for women in metal, and many women who came of age in the ’80s and ’90s consider her as much of a metal icon as Rob Halford or Ronnie James Dio.
However, the band's name is Chastain, and there has always been the silent partner to Leather's visibility; the yin to her yang, the quiet force that drives the engine: David T. Chastain, a guitar genius whose name should be spoken with the same honor as the likes of Randy Rhoads, Eddie Van Halen, or Tony Iommi. Yet unlike most guitarists, he prefers to work behind-the-scenes and let the music do the talking. He is the anti-“guitar hero”, so to speak—Chastain has no inclination for noodling intricate riffs for its own sake. You won't find him up on a stage, executing 30-minute solos every night (in fact, you would be hard-pressed to find the reserved Chastain on a stage at all!).
It has been this ability to stay low on the radar that has afforded them the good fortune to remain relevant in a time when many of their contemporaries struggle to maintain their identity without painting themselves into a corner. It has also been their polar opposite dynamic that has kept the music fresh and exciting, while other bands are clearly showing wear and tear.
For their video “I Live for Today”, Chastain incorporates imagery of the rat-race business world: towering skyscrapers, visions of Wall Street, the New York Stock Exchange, Times Square, and piles of money. “It's all just a Ponzi scheme...your money is an illusion...betting on numbers and letters, sleight of hand creates confusion”, reads one of the lyrics that show up on the screen. Towards the end of the video, the song's message is clear when, very faintly, words such as “bankruptcy”, “dividends”, “stocks”, “bonds”, and “income” flash across the screen.
As my musical discoveries take me across Europe, one place I had yet to visit: Portugal, the home of Blame Zeus, the featured band this Friday. With a heavy-hitting, hard-rocking sound, Blame Zeus has all the gritty, raw power of straightforward, classic rock and roll.
Originally forming in 2010, Blame Zeus took a few years to get up and running before breaking out on the Portuguese concert scene. Now with a second album under their belt, Blame Zeus has released a music video and is looking to expand their fanbase beyond Portugal.
In the video for their song “Speechless”, a plainly-dressed woman enters a dressing room where a bunch of scantily-clad, sexy women instantly give off an intimidating vibe. As the “mean girls” laugh and joke around, the plain girl looks through a bunch of skimpy outfits that do not appear to be her style at all! Finally, she finds an unadorned white dress on a hanger and decides to try it on. As she sits at the makeup table and begins her transformation, her confidence grows. Meanwhile, the other dancers are chatting it up onstage, completely unprepared for the unobtrusive little nobody in their midst. Once she hits the stage, she soon starts leading the others in a racy burlesque routine, proving that there is always more to what we see than just outer appearances!
For more information on Blame Zeus, visit their official website.
In every musical genre, each year there is always a highly-anticipated release that receives a great deal of attention, press, and general hype among its fanbase—a beloved artist returns after a long sabbatical, a flagship band reunites, or a new, promising young talent hits the scene and generates such a buzz that the entire fan community stands up and takes notice.
For most of 2017, if you are a fan of either symphonic metal or female-fronted metal in general, then you probably already know that the big name on everyone's lips has been Maidens of the North. The brainchild of Dutchwoman/Finnish expatriate vocalist La Vero (known for her work with bands like Heavenqueen, as well as being a multi-talented dancer, actress, and model in her native country of The Netherlands), she sought to form a female band of “all equals”, where there was no set frontwoman, but each person contributed her own unique talent to the greater whole.
Upon moving to Finland, she would find her fellow musical kindred spirits in Satu Eronen and Elsa Wellamo. After meeting up with composer Helena Haaparanta, the wheels were set in motion and the first steps were taken to form what La Vero referred to as “the metal version of Celtic Woman”. By January 2017, the group of women that formed the original core of Maidens of the North was born.
The idea was simple: each woman represented a particular element (water, air, fire, etc.), and combined their abilities to form a musical sisterhood where empowerment was key. In a scene where competition and rivalries are oftentimes encouraged as being the norm, Maidens of the North aimed to channel their energies in the opposite direction and nurture each other's talents. Maidens of the North would be about positivity: building up, not breaking down.
With such a unique concept, word spread quickly about the band, and they received an outpouring of support when they launched a crowdfunding campaign for their upcoming album and video. Without ever hearing a note of their music, fans around the world took them on faith and picked up on their good vibes of loyalty and encouragement. Maidens of the North were already living proof that we get back the energy that we put out into the world, and they received that positive enthusiasm back in abundance.
By the time the band announced the name of their first single and video, “Carry Your Darkness”, the fanbase had been whipped into such a frenzy that anticipation was at a fevered pitch. Everyone who had chosen to “enter the saga” with Maidens of the North were now excited to hear the end result of the long months of waiting.
The video starts off in a sterile, white museum, where there are artifacts sealed behind glass cases. As the camera pans through the pristine hallways, we come to a room where some paintings kept beneath a white sheet fall to the ground. The shot zooms in closer, and the bright color portrait of the ancient Maidens of the North transport us into their world.
As this is the public's first introduction to Maidens of the North, we see each of their personalities come through; but as the song is called “Carry Your Darkness”, the video's concept shows each woman dealing with personal trauma, and how they find their own inner strength to pull through. One woman runs in fear from a chasing wolf. Another resists an angry mob looking to burn her at the stake. Yet another is caught in a storm. Each one is approached by a maiden dressed in black, the Maiden of Spirit, and as she touches each of them, they gain the power to confront their fears and “carry her darkness” so that what she fears cannot hurt her any longer.
As the Maiden of Spirit transforms each woman, they are empowered, and join her as she continues to seek out each Maiden, and gives them their newfound strength. The final Maiden, running away from a group of people chasing her, clings to an old book. As she falls to the ground, she opens the pages, and a big flash appears, causing the crowd to faint dead in their tracks, leaving only the woman who has transformed into the Spirit Maiden, who also had her own darkness to carry.
“As the sun rises, we are still here”: this line is delivered as we see the Maidens stand together hand in hand, showing their unity. The story's moral is plain to see, and it is such a positive message: everyone goes through tough times, but we don't have to suffer alone. We are so much stronger when we stand together and lift each other's spirits. Sometimes we find the best part of ourselves when we allow others to help us.
For more information on Maidens of the North, visit their official website.
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!
If you are a regular visitor to this blog, then you will probably know that this will not be the first time I have reviewed a band from Slovakia. However, it will be the first time I am reviewing a Slovakian band who is not Signum Regis, so I am looking forward to hearing what other types of talent that this country has to offer.
This Friday, I am showcasing the Slovakian power/symphonic metal outfit Anthology, who has been in existence since 2008, but experienced problems with lineup changes until vocalist Raylyn Shayde entered the fold in 2013. The first album with their new vocalist quickly gained recognition, garnering them a loyal fanbase in Japan, which has been a difficult market for femme-metal to break through. For their latest album, Anthology wanted to expand their sound, and recruited British vocalist Connor Sanders to provide some brutal male guttural vocals. Angel's Revenge saw the light of day in late 2016, and their video for the single “Last Weep” was released a few months later.
The video starts off with the band playing onstage with some pyro. I really like Raylyn's voice; she sounds a lot like Epica's Simone Simons, except I actually enjoy Anthology's music, while I am not a fan of Epica. However, like Epica, I find the male vocals to be too harsh for the music; but this is just my own personal preference. Anyway, on to the video...
Thematically, the video's concept is very typical of a power metal video: there are swords, axes, and shields; there is a woman walking with candles down a dim corridor, while the band provides a lot of hair-whipping and fire. The music sounds like something off a soundtrack to Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones, so it only stands to reason that the video would touch upon similar themes. Good stuff.
For more information on Anthology, visit the band's official website.
In case you missed my post yesterday, I am expanding on the Hump Day Hot Ticket feature due to a high volume of reviews. Now I will not only share a video on Wednesday to get you over the Hump Day slump, but now I will add a little extra goodness to your Fridays by featuring some of the best female-fronted metal I can find.
This week, for the first edition of “Femme-Metal Friday”, I bring to you a band I have written about here before: Hail Sagan, another L.A. band that I really enjoy and hope to share more of as time goes on. Consisting of vocalist Sagan Amery, guitarist Nick Quijano (also known as Sci55ors from the band Powerman 5000), and masked bandmates known as “The Nothing”, Hail Sagan brings together the sounds of goth, alternative, electronica, and puts a heavy metal bite into it.
As mentioned before in my review of the band's “Dark Cloud” video, Hail Sagan also uses music as a way to raise awareness for issues that matter to them: Sagan is an outspoken advocate for anti-bullying, and like fellow musicians Lindsay Schoolcraft and Alissa White-Gluz, promotes a healthy vegan lifestyle. The band also plays fundraisers for veterans and mental health awareness. One thing about bands from L.A. that often gets overlooked is that we are a socially conscious town, and even if a band is not openly political in their music, most local musicians can be found supporting one cause or another through their music (even Slayer, the most brutal metal band ever to come out of Huntington Park, has been known to cuddle with rescue cats!). It is something I have always been proud of as a native Southlander, and it is something I find very admirable about Hail Sagan.
For their latest video, “Stealing the Crown”, the band gets more in touch with their dark aesthetic sensibility by giving us imagery of a snowy landscape while we are still in the middle of summer! I once read somewhere that MTV Europe (or some other video music channel from way back when) never aired wintry-themed videos during summer months, and I can see why—seeing all this snow and fog when it is over 100 degrees outside makes me a little wistful for a chilly breeze. Then again, I'm from Southern California, where it never snows, so it has about the same effect in July as it would in January!
The Nothing is dressed all in black, a stark contrast in the white snow, as Sagan moves through the woods in her trademark purple, like a Little Violet Riding Hood! She is carrying a basket, dropping dollar bills along her path (just like Hansel and Gretel, she is leaving her figurative “bread” behind; “bread” being an old slang term for money). She is being followed by some shady characters known as the “Greed Monsters”, who immediately swipe her money no sooner than it hits the ground. Looking dead-eyed and listless, the Greed Monsters catch up to her, taking her basket away and ripping off her hood. The camera shows the torn cloak in the snow, as Sagan flees from them into an icy pool of slush, where she finds the titular crown and claims it for herself. Now wearing the crown on her head, she and the band are all dressed in white, blending in to the frosty backdrop.
One of my favorite newer bands to come out of the L.A. rock scene over the last couple of years, this is not the first time I have written about The Spider Accomplice, and I am pretty sure it won't be my last. A refreshing mix of alternative rock, quirky folk, and everything in-between, The Spider Accomplice beautifully captures the diverse and unique spirit of L.A.: a place that waves its freak flag like no other, and a place that any free spirit would be proud to call home.
When I listen to TSA's music, I do not feel homesick; immediately I am transported and VK Lynne's voice takes me on a beach cruise with the windows down and the temperature at a perfect 75 degrees. It is relaxing, unimposing, and inviting; much like the nature of Southern California. We don't ask for outside acceptance or approval; we just want to do our own thing.
The Spider Accomplice is all about “doing their own thing”, and doing it well. In fact, their new video for their brand-new song “User”, shows TSA in their element, and all the various ways in which they are indeed “doing their own thing”. We see them in the midst of their music-making process, as an occasional lyric scrolls across the screen. As we see, it isn't always a glamorous procedure: there are missed cues, there are technical difficulties, and a lot of waiting around. But even during the most tedious moments, they all appear to be having fun, and each have their own unique methods of stress-relief.
For more information on The Spider Accomplice, visit their official website.
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.
