Hump Day Hot Ticket: Walk in Darkness “Walk Like Heroes”

Walk in Darkness, with Nicoletta Rosellini

In my entry last week, I mentioned that Italy has produced some great bands on the European metal scene. The name of this blog is a tribute to one of my favorite Italian bands, Lacuna Coil. So for the second week in a row I am turning my attention towards Italy, and sharing some more music with you that I think deserves some recognition.

Described as “mysterious gothic metal”, Walk in Darkness has a similar characteristic to another band I wrote about several weeks ago, Hail Sagan. Like Hail Sagan, Walk in Darkness consists of musicians that keep their identities private; using long, hooded cloaks to conceal themselves, and allowing their female vocalist to stand out as the identifiable member of the group. In the case of Walk in Darkness, the female voice belongs to Nicoletta Rosellini, who is also the frontwoman of another Italian band, Kalidia. Nicoletta is credited as a guest vocalist, but it is her face that is seen in their music videos.

The band's latest video for “Walk Like Heroes” is a dark, doomy tune that features contrasting images of Nicoletta riding around in a huge limousine on a sunny day, yet she is alone and pensive among the bright imagery. The other image is of the band performing in a dim, dank dwelling; while Nicoletta stands in a foggy archway, dressed in black and looking completely at ease among the dark imagery.

For more information on Walk in Darkness, visit the band's official website.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Overtures “Artifacts”

Band photo

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

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

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

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

Special thanks to Nicoletta Rossellini.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Sorronia “Lost in Falling” (live)

Photo courtesy of StarWish Photography

One of my favorite newer bands on the symphonic metal scene, Hungary's Sorronia is representing the next generation of dynamic female-fronted European metal with classical vocals. Since the release of their debut album Words of Silence in 2013, Sorronia has moved right up the ranks in their genre. Touring with everyone from the legendary Tarja to Xandria to Nightwish, Sorronia has proven in a few short years that they can hold their own right alongside some of the best on the scene.

In this live video for the song “Lost in Falling”, you can see for yourselves the kind of performers they are, and just why so many well-respected bands in the genre hold them in such high regard. Vocalist Anna Király commands the stage in her trademark red-and-black dress with her soaring high vocals, while the rest of the band rocks it out and tears it up on stage. This video comes from the band's recent performance opening for Nightwish for the second time. As Sorronia continues to work on their second album, it won't be long before they are the show headliners!

For more information on Sorronia, visit their Facebook page, or visit their SoundCloud page to hear their “Betrayal” EP.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Moxy and the Influence “Stomp You Down”

Photo credit: Lyn Marie

As a fan of female-fronted metal, it is always particularly cool to see an all-female metal band on the scene. As an old-timer metalhead who sometimes wonders what the hell the kids are listening to these days, it also warms my blackened metal heart to see young talent on the scene, waving the metal flag and picking up the mantle for a younger generation of rockers.

Such is the case with Moxy and the Influence, yet another band hailing from my native Southern California. Ranging in age from late teens/early ’20s to the youngest bandmember being only 13 years of age, Moxy and the Influence is already showing a huge amount of potential for such a young age, which you will see in their video for the track “Stomp You Down”, which is chock-full of heavy guitar riffs, pounding drums, and powerful vocals.

The video starts out with the band in the middle of nowhere: some old, dusty shack in an old, dusty ghost town (probably filmed somewhere around where I live now!). Then the band breaks out into a headbangers' jam that will knock your socks off! The bandmembers are shown jamming on their instruments in various spots of this barren wasteland and smashing old television sets painted with graffiti reading certain negative phrases and words. The song is absolutely fierce, and the video is pretty impressive too. I look forward to hearing more from these gals in the future!

For more information on Moxy and the Influence, or to purchase their latest EP, The Best Revenge, visit their official website.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Hail Sagan “Dark Cloud”

Hail Sagan frontwoman Sagan Amery

Sometimes, when searching all over for new music to feature here every week, I come across a find that is close to home, and such is the case this week with Los Angeles-based band Hail Sagan, who consists of vocalist Sagan Amery (the band's namesake, I am guessing!), Powerman 5000 guitarist Nick Quijano, and a rhythm section called “The Nothing”.

Mixing sounds of gothic rock, punk, and alternative, the video for the song “Dark Cloud” is a rallying cry against abuse, harassment, and bullying. The video shows images of the band rocking out on the song while Sagan sits at her crystal ball, which invokes images of people screaming, crying, inflicting self-harm, and replaying incidents of abusive situations. At the end of the video, The Nothing is seen approaching the victims with the same dark skull masks that they wear, seeming to suggest that the people in the video are therefore empowered and are not alone anymore. On the band's YouTube and official website, information to contact various centers such as the National Suicide Hotline and the National Domestic Violence Hotline can be found.

To listen to more of the band's music or to purchase official merchandise, visit the official Hail Sagan website.

Special thanks to Demas Miller.

Album review: Thrillkiller—Showdown (2016)

Showdown album cover

Album: Showdown

Artist: Thrillkiller

Genre: Pop-metal/hard rock

Tracks: 10

Total time: 39:58

Continuing to progress at rate so fast that you wonder if these guys are super-human beings, in less than a year's time, Baltimore's Thrillkiller has already released an EP, and now their first full-length album is dropping like an atom bomb on the world of music, determined to obliterate the competition until there is nothing left.

With the addition of Sebastian Ochoa and Boma Jack (the latter joining after the album was made; so drums on Showdown are courtesy of Matt Bittman), Thrillkiller now has a lineup to round out their sound and continue making good on the promise that was so evident on the Time EP. The band's core members, Rob Bradley and Maxim Sobchenko, are still present and have added 6 more songs to the ones we remember from Time. Not only does Showdown follow up on the promise that Time hinted at, but completely doubles-down and ups the ante to dizzying heights.

“Passion Killer”: Just as on Time, this is Showdown's opening track, and why fix it if it ain't broken? This is a quintessential opening track, complete with tasty guitar licks, a toe-tappingly satisfying rhythm section, and a hooky chorus that is sure to get you up and moving. This is a perfect track to set up the rest of the album, so buckle up and rock out!

“Showdown”: Goddamn, this track is so sexy, for lack of a better word. It's got this groove to it with a gritty edge, and then along comes a smooth, seductive solo courtesy of a saxophone! That's right, you read that correctly: a saxophone. Thrillkiller manages to take a saxophone and make it sound completely at home in a hard rock song, something that many bands have tried but very few have pulled off with more panache.

“The Storm”: Another track where Maxim shows off his mad riffing skills. Like I said before, this song sounds like something that would be in a James Bond movie or some sort of action/mystery film. It's got this churning cadence to it that invokes feelings of suspense or tension, along with dramatic vocal flair that keeps things interesting, and a guitar solo that is so smokin' that you'd better keep a fire extinguisher nearby!

“Living in Infamy”: Now here is a song that has that zip to it that makes you want to snap your fingers and bob your head (or headbang really hard, depending on how you prefer to express yourself). Everything on this track is a hook: the verses, the chorus, the music; every part of this song is designed for one purpose: to be a complete earworm that sticks in your head for as long as humanly possible.

“The Fever”: This song is so hypnotic, it just pulls you in and before you realize what has happened, you're completely hooked by the time the mantra-like chorus wraps itself around your soul.

“A Reason”: A touch of power metal melody and electronic-pop smoothness, I can see this being a favorite among many. It's already a favorite for me. The song is intense without being heavy or fast; it's mellow without being complacent or predictable. Maxim gets in touch with his prog side on the solo, and Rob's voice sounds huge without taking up all the spotlight. This would be a perfect choice for a single; it's not too in-your-face with the heaviness, nor is it so poppy that rock fans would be turned off.

“The Believer”: Thrillkiller is revisiting their metal roots a little with this one, which is just fine with me. Rob is spitting his vocals out so fast that it almost sounds like he's rapping, which is an awesome contrast to his high notes. If there are mosh pits at Thrillkiller shows, it might be a good time to start one when this tune starts playing.

“In Too Deep”: This song is my jam. I said it. Seriously, I fucking love this song. I would marry it if I could. This song has hooked me from the start and I still love it. I still turn it up whenever I hear it, and it still gets stuck in my head instantly every time I hear it.

“Time”: This is another song that I can see being a huge hit at live shows; it's perfect for a crowd sing-along or a show closer. Just listening to it makes you want to pump your fist in the air and headbang your ass off. Another song that is so fucking catchy that it's going to stay with you long after you've stopped listening to it.

“A Social Disease”: This is where Thrillkiller pulls out all the stops and reminds everyone that for all their pop/jazz/blues/funk influences, they are still a rock/metal band at heart and are going to make sure you remember it before this album is over. A fast-paced song with a lot of kick to it, and then a guitar solo that almost sounds like it came out of a surfing movie! As a native Southern Californian, I can definitely appreciate that. And holy shit, those piercing high notes Rob hits towards the end of the song are positively epic. What a perfect closing track!

Overall opinion: Pick your musical poison, and Thrillkiller taps into it in ways you don't expect. Combining elements of ’80s AOR, hard rock and metal, along with pop, blues, funk, and R&B; Thrillkiller is putting it all together with finesse. For being in existence for less than a year, they already sound better put-together than a lot of bands out there who have been at it for years. Very few bands come charging out of the gate sounding so fully evolved, so if this is what Thrillkiller is capable of on their first time out, then we can expect to hear even better things from them. As someone who listens to a lot of music (both signed and independent), I would put Showdown up there with some of the signed acts who put out great albums this year. I would even go as far as to say that Thrillkiller would positively bury some of those bands! Not only does Thrillkiller possess high-caliber musical talent, but they have high quality standards as well. This is no hastily put-together demo with a couple of promising ideas that peep through. You can tell that Thrillkiller is a band that puts their best foot forward in all they do, and you aren't going to hear anything from them that isn't their best work. This is one of the best debut albums I've heard in a while, if not the best debut I've heard this year. At any rate, Thrillkiller definitely gets my pick as the best new band of 2016.

Thrillkiller band photo

For more information on Thrillkiller, visit their official website.

Special thanks to Rob Bradley and Maxim Sobchenko.

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This article was brought to you by Super Shops: “Because everyone deserves performance!”

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Beyond Forgiveness “Dust to Dust”

Beyond Forgiveness band photo

It always pleases me to see how much the femme-metal scene is growing in the U.S., especially in the symphonic metal genre; so when a new talent crops up from the States that specializes in my favorite brand of music, you bet I have to give it a listen!

Hailing from Colorado, Beyond Forgiveness is bringing back the dark gothic sounds of early Within Temptation and Tristania, complete with dueling vocals between the guttural growls of male vocalist Richard Marcus, and the high, operatic lilt of female vocalist Talia Hoit.

The video for the band's song “Dust to Dust” is laden with wintry gothic imagery: Talia walking through a snowy landscape until she comes to an old castle-type manor (it's a real location, called Bishop's Castle). There is lots of snow, which is probably a subtle reminder that the band is from Colorado! As soon as Talia's voice is heard, the music is almost cheery and Christmas-like, with the gentle chiming of bells in the background. As the song progresses, we see the band performing inside the manor, beneath the high cathedral ceilings. You can see the frost coming from their breath, it is so cold! There are also shots of Talia wandering through the old castle, standing by a balcony in a long white coat, or singing outside as guitarist Greg Witwer rocks out on his guitar beside her. About midway through the song, Richard comes in with his brutal vocals, as he stands outside in the falling snow. Towards the end of the video, the 3 male bandmembers are seen walking through the snow without Talia. All in all, a very well-put together video.

For more information on Beyond Forgiveness, visit their official website.