Hump Day Hot Ticket: Signum Regis “Living Well”

Band photo

I come across a lot of interesting music looking for new entries for this feature. This week my musical travels take me all the way to Slovakia, home of power-metal band Signum Regis, who have been around for nearly a decade. Some websites suggest that they are a Christian band—I know, some of you are already envisioning those Stryper gigs from the ’80s, where the band is throwing out Bibles to the audience—but hey, I'm not about to let labels or preconceived notions get in the way of enjoying good music, so why should you? And what is wrong with a band wanting to use music to spread their good message? Plenty of other bands do it by way of socio-political means, and I've got nothing against that either. In fact, one of the first power metal bands I ever heard was Ohio's Jacob's Dream, an openly Christian band who wrote songs based on Biblical epics the same way that other bands in their genre use mythology or fantasy. So I am certainly not offput by a band who wishes to infuse religious imagery into their music.

Speaking of the ’80s, I grew up a quintessential ’80s kid, in that I had my butt parked in front of the television, watching MTV like every other kid (my mom even says that as a child, I watched MTV more than cartoons, and if you know my love of ’80s cartoons, that's saying a lot!). So, when watching videos as a kid, I became particularly fond of the “mini-movie” video format—the type of video that told a little story during the song. Sometimes those videos re-enacted the message of the song perfectly; other times the story seemed to have nothing to do with the song, but it was always interesting to see the kinds of stories that could be told in 3-4 minutes. In fact, when listening to music, it became part of your psyche to imagine what a video for that song would look like, and the disappointment you sometimes felt when the actual video was nothing like you'd pictured at all!

On to the Signum Regis video. The band is rocking out in a jail cell, while the camera cuts to a man in another cell. He appears to be a boxer or MMA fighter of some kind. As the video proceeds, we see him in a match while a seedy bookie is off to the side of the ring, collecting bets. Clearly the fight is fixed. While contemplating his loss, he meets a young lady. As their courtship progresses, they are seen walking together, when the crooked bookie and one of his fighters proceed to assault him and the girl. In defending her honor, he ends up going to jail, where we see his single-minded devotion in returning to his girl, who may or may not be waiting for him. Without giving away the complete ending, let's just say that she was waiting for him, but she was not alone!

Musically, the band has a fantastic power metal sound; some elements of their sound reminded me of Seventh Wonder, who might be considered more prog-metal, but like I said, labels really don't matter much to me. The band's vocalist has a voice that is a little more gravelly or rough-around-the-edges than your standard power metal vocalist, but I think he sounds great. This video is a little over a year old, so I look forward to checking out more of their music and hopefully sharing it here!

For more information on Signum Regis, visit their official website.

Special thanks to Scott Johnson.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: DGM “Ghost of Insanity”

DGM band photo

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

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

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

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

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

Special thanks to Jon Freeman at Frontiers.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Porphyra “Porphyra”

Porphyra band photo

Ever since I began this weekly feature back in April, I have kept the content rather up-to-date; featuring videos that are fairly current or brand-new. However, this is not a rule of thumb, and this week I've decided to break from the pattern thus far and go back a little bit to a video from early 2015. So while it isn't brand-new, it could still be considered “fairly current”, and most likely it is new to many of you reading this!

About a year ago, I wrote a list of my favorite “singular” albums (i.e., bands who only released one album). Among these was the album Destination Unknown by a band from New York called Phoenix Reign. Although Phoenix Reign disbanded, the band's guitarist Billy Chrissochos went on to form a new band called Porphyra; whom, as I briefly mentioned on this blog, has become the very first heavy metal band ever to play the legendary Carnegie Hall. That's saying a lot, considering how many metal bands with far greater popularity would give anything to put that on their own résumés.

What I have always enjoyed about both bands (and obviously, Billy's creative vision being the connecting thread between the two) is that the music could be categorized as “power metal”, but there are many other different musical influences at work, which makes it vastly different from your typical power metal band. Lyrically, Billy has always touched upon themes rooted in Greek history, which gives the music that same epic storytelling that bands like Iron Maiden have done so well. Within the scope of Porphyra, other themes such as science fiction have also been incorporated; but ultimately it is the band's nod to their Greek heritage that gives both their music and lyrics that certain flair that their contemporaries just don't have.

And because the best bands always have songs named after themselves, Porphyra's musical namesake is a shining example of the band's knack for weaving strong imagery into the music. In the video for “Porphyra”, the Middle-Eastern stylings of the song is perfectly matched with seductive belly dancers—some of whom are quite limber, might I add—as they entertain a very disinterested-looking king on a throne. Chandler Mogel's hypnotic vocals perfectly complement the music, as it invitingly reels you in and takes you on an enchanted journey through song.

Currently, Porphyra is holding a crowdfunding campaign for their album in the making. Follow the link here for more information or to contribute. Or visit their official website to learn more about their “Grecian rock opera” that has wowed the audiences at Carnegie Hall!

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.