Ravenheart Music: Reviews
S-Z Reviews
WINTER'S EVE..'SHARDS'
(Independent Release) Reviewed 27th July 2010
Winter’s Eve is a brand new British band who are not afraid to declare their influences, Within Temptation, Nightwish and Evanescence. Their music explores these avenues creating a diverse but coherent collection of songs. They take the essence of Evanescence, particularly with Lena’s passionate and emotional vocal style and the use of rich string sounds and atmospheric passages, but their signature sound is far meatier, with walls of warm fuzzy guitars courtesy of James (Axeman Jim), Storm’s throbbing bass, Klepsy’s skilful drum patterns, and spiralling guitar solos, also from James. ‘Winter’s Eve’, ‘Angel’, ‘Shadow’ and ‘Spellbound’ are mighty songs that show influences from powerful gothic bands like Therion with a ‘Kashmir’ Middle Eastern flavour. The two epic, swaying, ¾ gothic songs ‘As I Fall’, featuring a delightful interlude with Lena's voice accompanied by Storm’s bass arpeggios, and ‘Dust to Dust’, which starts out with a lovely keyboard motif before really taking off, remind me of fellow Brits, Hanging Doll. ‘Midnight’, with its twinkling piano figure, ‘Image’, built around a wonderful clean guitar chordal riff and featuring a superb electric violin solo, and ‘Fade’, a truly dramatic song with Pranay really letting rip, lean towards the more Evanescence end of the spectrum with their melodic verses and powerful choruses. The title track ‘Shards’ is a moody symphonic rocker that rumbles along at a cracking pace. The production sound is thunderous and cavernous, with exemplary instrumental and vocal performances by the entire band. Their website http://www.winterseve.co.uk has some samples, and their Myspace is www.myspace.com/thewinterseve. This is a mightily impressive opening gambit that is sure to appeal to all symphonic metal fans, and is available for download from iTunes and CD Baby (no news as yet of a physical release), a Ravenheart recommended 9/10 (Reviewed by Phil).
VENA VALLEY..'PLAYGROUND'
(Insanity Records) Reviewed 24th July 2010
Poland has a long history of loving prog rock going back to the days before the curtain fell and pioneers like Pendragon were one of the few Western European bands to explore this untapped market, becoming very successful in the process. Vena Valley started out in 2003 (recording a demo debut), I believe that the album was recorded back in 2007 but not released until last year, and I have been desperately trying to get hold of a copy since I first heard them some months ago. Leading from the front is Justyna Krysiak, a sultry, striking, blonde bombshell with an excellent, expressive, pop-rock voice. Their music hovers around Porcupine Tree, Riverside, Muse, Ayreon and Touchstone. They pack a hell of a lot into each of the songs which all last around the four minute mark - lots of great melodies and hooks; atmospheric keys, sounds and effects; glistening and meaty guitars; changes of power, pace and intensity; a mix of the dreamy, funky, jazzy, driving and pounding; all of which makes it fascinating to listen to. The crowning glory is the final cut ‘Libido’, an awesome cracker of a tune that will stay in your head long after disc stops spinning, I have put the official video for it on the blog http://thefemalevoices.blogspot.com/ for your delectation and delight. It is all topped off with top quality production and sound – crystal clear, powerful and beautifully balanced. Don’t ask me how to get a copy outside Poland, I had to borrow one from John at Progressiveland, but you can start with their Myspace www.myspace.com/venavalley and the record company at http://www.insanity-records.pl/, if you succeed you will be rewarded with a rare treat. They inhabit a world not too dissimilar to Muse, they’ve got the looks, hooks and melodies that will appeal to the mainstream, but their music is intelligent enough for the prog crowd, meaty enough for metal fans, and with a gothic edge that will attract those who love gothic rock/metal. I’m off for a swing in their playground, 9/10 (Reviewed by Phil).
VARIOUS..'BEAUTY and BRUTALITY'
(Femme Metal Records) Reviewed 14th July 2010
I am never really sure how to go about reviewing compliations. However, it is great that there are compilations out there featuring the female fronted genre, and Caz and her partners in crime at Femme Metal proudly continue to fly the flag for this type of music. This cd is a double featuring 31 tracks of some of the best that the genre has to throw at us. Some of the music on offer here will be familiar to many that love female fronted rock and metal, whilst some tracks may not be that familiar. And as the title suggests, this double package offers the more melodic and the somewhat heavier stuff too. Of the familiar, Revamp are featured with a track from their debut ('Head Up High'), and Epica open cd2 with 'Unleashed' (from Design Your Universe). Of the less familiar, I am overly impressed with Dama's 'Rainy Roads', that track coming from the unreleased 'EIRWEN' album. This Femme Metal double whammy gets released in October, proceeds to Macmillan Cancer Research. Well worth checking out..9/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
SCANDELION..'DEMONIA PRAEDICTIO CHRONICLES'
(Self Released Demo) Reviewed 14th July 2010
Scandelion, Demonia Praedictio Chronicles, Self Released Demo
I don’t normally review demos, but this Spanish band of symphonic metallers, formed by keys player Jorge, has really intrigued me. After an introductory waltz comes ‘Curse of Thousand Souls’, early Epica like, floating, soaring symphonic metal over a rather groovy synth bass riff. Then comes the melodramatic ‘My Bitter Death’, with lighter, more powerful and heavier growly passages, a really well put together song. ‘My Doom’ sways dreamily over a bed of chugging guitars, and finally ‘A Dead Rose on Your Grave’ pounds and throbs along with yet more interesting musical variations. Jorge shows himself to be a highly talented and very skilful keys planer, creating a rich orchestral backing, while the lovely singer Sonia has an excellent, pitch perfect, soft mezzo soprano voice. They are currently recording a full length debut, and I for one will be one of the first in the queue to grab a copy. Their Myspace to find out more is www.myspace.com/scandelion. A very promising and impressive demo, 8/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
TRIOSPHERE..'THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED'
(AFM Records) Reviewed 12th July 2010
Triosphere hail from Norway, have been picked up by AFM Records and are fronted by the impressive pipes of Ida Haukland. And what a star they have in Ms Haukland! This is their second album, and mixed by none other than Tommy Hansen too. 'Ignition' is the instrumental intro to this album that starts slow, and just when you thought the track offered a nice and mellow start to the record, it becomes a riff tastic fury of noise (nice noise btw). Next track up, the melodic 'Driven' puts the word Power into Power Metal and Melodic into Melodic Power Metal - still with me? This album is in-fact a Melodic Power Metaller's wet dream, being full of melody, full of power and yep, you've guessed it, full of metal. And with vocals that offer quite a bit of clout I must add!. This is a totally cool album throughout with some awesome musicianship from every member of the band. Fave tracks? - plenty of them but I quite like 'The Anger And The Silent Remorse' (fantastic stuff) and 'Watcher' (great chorus and guitar solo). This record is good, and one of those albums that you just want to listen too, out loud!! 9/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
SHADOWS (TENI)..'POISONED PARADISE'
(Hot Jam Records, Rostok Records, Dizzaster Music Label) Reviewed 11th July 2010
Tracklist:
1. Ghost 2. BreakFaith 3. That Day 4. Alone 5. Forever Yours 6. Queen of Swords 7. Nova 8. In Soul 9. The Last Words 10. Between the lines 11. Blind-spot 12. Unforgettable.
Chernyakov Eugen (keyboards, samples), Rodionov Aleksandr (guitar), Semagina Nika (vocals), Horunzhaya Dasha (violin, back-vocals since September 2009), Alisa Kuznetsova (violin, back-vocals to August 2009), Maschenko Denis (drums), Osichnuk Stan (bass).
The Ukraine seems to be punching way above its weight in producing top quality gothic metal bands. After the wonderful Delia comes Shadows (or Teni in Ukrainian), but these young metallers have a different style, more We Are The Fallen esque alt metal rather than Within Temptation like symphonic. You also have to throw some Lahannya, Omega Lithium and Stream of Passion into the mix as well. The ravishing raven haired Nick has a multi dimensional voice, stylistically a mix of Marcela Bovio and Carly Smithson, with a touch of operatics, and she really gives it 110%, quite remarkable for someone so young. The awesome ‘That Day’ is a typical example of their craft, alternatively atmospheric, groovy, throbbing and soaring. Other faves include the gothic opener ‘Ghost, the swaying ‘Forever You’, and the impassioned closer ‘Do Not Forget’ with its startling ending. The sound is rather beefier and meatier than We Are The Fallen, with powerful twanging guitars, grunting bass, excellent electronic rather than symphonic keys (more Vangelis than Wakeman), and Alisa’s melancholic violin (her bow has now been taken over by Dasha). The booklet is in a mixture of Ukrainian and English, so I have listed the songs and members for you. They certainly have the product, just have a look at the video for the English language version of their new single ‘Holloworld’ on the blog, http://thefemalevoices.blogspot.com/. I have also really enjoyed their very professionally shot and produced live DVD, ‘Poisoned Paradise Live in Luhansk’. They put on a really good live show with excellent sound and a proper stage set. Nick is a stunning, charismatic, captivating and exceedingly impressive performer, helped by a very energetic band, with violinist Dasha and some especially lively dancers/baton twirlers adding to the eye candy. In fact Dasha takes the mike for one number, showing she too has a wonderful voice. This is available along with the album and the new maxi single ‘Holloworld’ from their website http://www.teni.com.ua/index.php. If you enjoy alt and gothic metal then this is a real treat for your eyes and ears, 9/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
TAINTED GRACE..'DENIAL DAYDREAMS'
(Independent Release) Reviewed 10th July 2010
The self funded EP by this awesome UK band has been recorded with the expert help of Season’s End guitarist Tim Goatham at his home in Hampshire (UK). And what a good move that has turned out to be. Fronted by the very likeable Trissy Norris, Tainted Grace with this 5 track EP, are already flirting with the Premier League. And they are proving that there is some awesome female fronted talent here in the UK, which still for some reason seems to get criminally ignored by the European labels. 'Catatonic' and 'Labyrinth' kick things off, and this opening salvo proves how the band has moved on leaps and bounds from some of their previous recorded material ('Liberatae Mai Vol 1). Trissy's vocals indeed taking on an occasionally folk like feel, which mixes well with the heavy style of music on offer. 'Eternal Night' is a slower accoustic style of song, but still with the heavy guitars to spice it up a bit. 'Shadows On The Tide' (my fave track here), has some cool metal riffs and has a hideously catchy chorus to boot, while 'The Rapture' closes this current chapter in the band's recording history, and I must say this record to my ears is a winner. It is heavy, it's melodic and it HAS to be checked out by lovers of our beloved genre, so go to www.myspace.com/taintedgraceband - PLEASE! 8.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
SUB-DIVISION.. 'TEN YEARS BEFORE THE DREAM'
(Danse Macabre) Reviewed 6th June 2010
Sub Division is a French industrial gothic rock Anglo/French duo comprising Fodge and Lol from Toulouse who have been around for about 10 years, hence the title. On this album they are joined by the saucy Dee from the band Atomic Tabasco (must be a hot band), In there own words they take their inspiration from ' The Downward Spiral ' by Nine Inch Nails and Prodigy's ' The Fat of the Land ', but I can also detect some modern Gary Numan. The outstanding song is the electro-pop dance floor filling opening cut ‘Love Assassin’, the rest of the album tends to be rather more experimental, full of industrial beats, weird synths and whispered menacing voices, with Dee appearing only sporadically. If you like your music more on the industrial side of the scale rather than electro pop, then this will be just the ticket. You will find them at their Myspace www.myspace.com/subdivision33. 7.5/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
THE MARIANA HOLLOW..'COMA HEART'
(Independent release) Reviewed 4th June 2010
The Mariana Hollow fronted by Rebecca Spinks, is an alternative metal quintet hailing from Greater London. Their sound is steeped in dark melody, sometimes angry, often melancholic, and always passionate, and to be honest, they should go down a storm here and in the USA. Dynamic twin guitar lines and complex rhythms occasionally take the music in a progressive direction, yet the band never lose sight of the impact of a great chorus. 'Coma Heart' runs at nearly 38 mins and is mixed by Chris Sheldon (Foo Fighters, Skunk Anansie, Biffy Clyro, Oceansize, Anthrax). The album is an awesome slab of alternative rock/metal, and this band surely cannot remain unsigned for long, with their knack of writing complex although very accessible tunes coupled with somewhat infectious melodies. To be honest, this is the kinda band a label like Universal Records should be taking a serious look at. All seven tracks here pack a serious punch and I myself am finding it difficult to pick out a fave, as they are all that good. However, 'Paper Plane' may just shade it. The Mariana Hollow proves what great talent the UK has, if only the major labels would just sit up and take notice. Check them out for yourselves at www.myspace.com/themarianahollow. This is worthy of a 9/10 - good stuff!! (Reviewed by Dave)
THE LETTER BLACK..'HANGING ON BY A THREAD'
(Tooth & Nail Records) Reviewed 23rd May 2010
Calling all Paramore and Flyleaf fans to name just two bands. I am sure you have the idea by now. An awesome album we have here by Christian Rockers The Letter Black, fronted by the lovely Sarah Anthony. And they do not hang around, as 'Fire with Fire' fires out of your speakers like a turbo charged machine gun! What an opener! And if you thought that was a blaster, then we have the heavy 'Invisible', with it's catchy riffs and chorus, this being one of my favourite tracks. The title track, another fave carries on the momentum with yet another awesome chorus - 'save me from losing myself, I am hanging on by a thread'. The occasional male vocals on this album by Mark Anthony (Sarah's husband) remind me a little of Lacuna Coil. The cd continues at a steady melodic pace throughout with choruses galore, and I do find the lyrics at times pulling on my heartstrings...'there'll come a day when I can hold you and say it's forever', from the super ballad 'There'll Come a Day'. 'Best of Me' is another track I adore, and I am sure I have heard this one before. Lovely!!! Thirteen tracks of great Christian Rock on this release, and boy, it sure rocks too. Great stuff and easily obtainable from Amazon etc. Worthy of a 9/10. (Reviewed by Dave)
WINTER..'A MATTER OF TIME'
(East Central One) Reviewed 20th May 2010
Winter is a Swedish Band who released their self titled debut album in 1999 and who have now built up a healthy following in the UK. Fast forward to 2010 and this release (their third) features eleven new songs from the pen of vocalist and main lady Anna-Lena Winter. What we have here is a selection of laid back rockers all on the theme of love, the good, the bad along with a healthy dose of lust and longing. No fillers on this release and I really do find this album a good listen, particularly after a hard day at the office. Check out 'Face On The Wall' which is one of my favourites on this release, while there is also a country vibe aswell, this vibe being found on tracks that include the ultra catchy 'Cccc'mon', the slower 'Book of Love', the superb 'Crazy' and the awesome 'Run'. If you are a metal head, this may not appeal, but to anybody that enjoys a good listen to some catchy laid back rock music with an organic and accoustic feel, this may well be for you. Sure worth checking out at www.myspace.com/winternet. Gets released 24th May....good stuff so sit back and enjoy this cool and refreshing album. 8.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
VIRGIN ISLAND..'FANTASY OR REALITY?'
(Self Release) Reviewed 19th May 2010
No, this is not Richard Branson’s latest holiday resort in the Caribbean, but a melodic rock band from land locked Bavaria in Germany, a country that appears to hiding some excellent groups at the moment like Rawkfist and Onyx Eyes, a fact born out by this being their second album. They are lead by the wonderful, distinctive voice of Ulrike Peetz-Kunkel, whose vocals range from the almost Tarja’ish semi operatic to Hazel O’Connor. They have obviously raided their extensive record collections, taking their favourite bits from bands like Within Temptation, Tarja, Domina Noctis, Cars, The Runaways, Katrina and the Waves, Cher, Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy and goodness knows what else to create groovy, catchy, melodic, driving rock songs that are instantly recognisable, but totally new. The outstanding ‘Don’t Turn Back’ (this would make a great single) together with ‘I Don’t Need’ and ‘Let’s Get High’ are classic power pop/rock songs with galloping verses and sing-along choruses, while ‘Disappointment’ and the title track ‘Fantasy or Reality?’ are more symphonic with soaring melodies. You also get the lovely solo guitar and voice ballad ‘Wherever You Will Go’ (it is great to hear a song kept nice and simple for a change without any histrionics), the slow brooding Black Sabbath bluesy shuffle ‘Sweet Hell’ with it’s atmospheric gothic passages, the strutting gothic rocker ‘The End of Our Dreams’, and the anthemic final cut ‘Let’s Stop The Wars’. It you look at the song titles, you can guess the style, so the music and lyrics fit perfectly together. The whole album is a total joy to listen to, very easy on the ear, with lots of variety and interesting instrumental bit and pieces. They don’t create anything dramatically different, but who cares, just enjoy the music, if it isn’t bust, don’t fix it. After all, ‘no man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main’ (John Donne). Take a cruise to their Virgin Island (it is Island, not Islands, by the way) website, http://home.arcor.de/virgin-island/frame.htmwhere you can sail away with the CD from the band’s fan shop or follow the link to the Get Your Music store. A delighted Virgin Islander gives this a 9/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
THE STORM..'BLACK LUCK'
(WR Productions/Target Records Denmark) Reviewed 16th May 2010
Since the band was founded, The Storm has been one of Denmark’s absolute most renowned and talked about bands in both the media and amongst music fans. Their 2007 Universal Records debut, ’Where The Storm Meets The Ground’ with production by Roy Thomas Baker (Queen etc), has already gone platinum. And while nations abroad are curiously monitoring the band, The Storm is currently touring Denmark with nothing but sold out shows – quite an achievement for a band that has only existed since 2006. Their success can be put down to the collaboration between two of Denmark’s most respected musicians and performers - Johan Wohlert and Pernille Rosendahl (Vox), who are also together in their private life aswell. The music on this their second record, sees Universal Records replaced by their own label, in close collaboration with metal-connoisseurs Target Records. And what a release we have here. 10 tracks of awesome melodic/alternative/hard rock, every track being a right corker. The comparison that springs to mind is (maybe) Kelly Clarkson kinda going metal! 'Wall of Shame' is a great start to this album and it never lets up, with numbers like 'Are Your Shoes Too Tight', that refuse to leave your head. Typical in-fact of all the songs on this superb cd. But the best I feel is the duo of 'Herculean Task' that siegues perfectly into the title track during the second half of the record. These two tracks you could say combine to bring a piece of music that lasts over 8 minutes, and throws eveything at you, barring the kitchen sink. There is even a brief flirtation with techno! From start to finish, this cd has it all, and I am very near gobsmacked. If you like your music, heavy and very melodic, contact Target Records at http://www.targetshop.dk/thestorm/ and get a copy. I did!! Awesome..9.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
WE ARE THE FALLEN..'TEAR THE WORLD DOWN'
(Universal Records) Reviewed 13th May 2010
Ben Moody, he of Evanescence fame had a well publicised fall out with Amy Lee a while back now. Very unfortunate, because I do not feel Amy's band has been quite the same since, and I eagerly await their new material as a consequence. Meanwhile, Ben has kinda missed the sound he so dearly loves, and without a Gothic Queen as his singer. Well, for one who waits with patience, they will be duly rewarded. And he was rewarded when Carly Smithson appeared on the scene. 26 year old Carly is a Dublin born soul/pop rock singer-songwriter, now from San Diego, California, who was the sixth place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. Without going into full details and indeed having to cut a long story short, she hitched up with Ben Moody to become the vocalist in We Are The Fallen. And what about the music on this their debut release? From the shop floor (they are the punters), feedback by and large is good, I know as I am being told. The media reaction though from what I have read so far is mixed. My view - The songs on offer on 'Tear The World Down' are basically mid paced rockers with the odd ballad thrown into the mix. 'Bury Me Alive' gets things going, a melodic rocker, and okay, it could be Amy Lee singing this, but it ain't. Great orchestral outro to this song by the way. The Evanescence/Amy Lee comparisons do continue, with things slowing down for the awesome piano led ballads, 'Sleep Well My Angel' and 'I Am Only One', while I rank 'St John' (great chorus) and the epic title track as other faves of mine. Okay, this album may well be judged by the media for all the wrong reasons, and yep, I am a sucker for female fronted Rock & Metal, but on music alone (and I do not care who it sounds like), this is cool, and is worthy to my ears of an 8/10. (Reviewed by Dave)
WINTER IN EDEN..'AWAKENING'
(Independent Release) Reviewed 8th May 2010
Winter In Eden...what can I say? This band can be summed up as being a totally awesome gothic act from NE England, and should, no I shall rephrase that - WILL take on the world and win! I know for a fact they are causing a stir in some parts of Europe, at a certain website in the USA and here in their homeland, and it is about time the bigger labels woke up to this band. Fronted by the vivacious Vicky Johnson (who is surrounded by some extremely competent musicians who make up WIE), 'Awakening' is their debut full length offering, and there is simply no justice in this world, if this band does not crack the big time. The album gets going with 'Oblivion', a cool intro before the songs chugs out of the speakers. A great start, with almost a progressive slant at times during this track. 'Inside', the next song, ups the tempo a little more, while the excellent 'Fate Will Oblige' will be familiar to those who own the band's EP. 'Stolen Fairytale' is so catchy that it just bangs around in your head ages after hearing it. I am in seventh heaven! 'Aragon' is an instrumental that leads us into the uptempo 'Ruled By Fear', before 'Frustrated Dreamer' confirms to me what an awesome band the UK has here. Great track! 'At The Edge of The World' and the tear jerking ballad 'Cry' are up next, these are two of my fave tracks btw, that featured on the EP, while the interestingly titled instrumental 'Windelfell' is next. I wanted to do an Irish Jig when I saw this live. The slightly prog metal feel of 'Alighieri' is next up and when I googled Alighieri, it came up with an Italian poet. The closing duo - 'The Awakening Chapter One' and the lovely 'The Awakening Chapter Two' closes what to me is an extremely inspiring album, that should grace everybody's cd collection. Vicky has a distinctive and captivating vocal style, and it is this style that gives Winter In Eden a sound of their own. With production by Fred Purser (Tygers of Pan Tang), this is a very good record which can be purchased at http://www.winterineden.com/. Please support this band, and a note to record labels - start forming an orderly queue here. 9.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
SOLISIA..'ORDINARY FATE'
(Underground Symphony) Reviewed 7th May 2010
When this Italian quintet started cooking up the idea of Solisia in 2006, they took the finest ingredients to create their signature dish. Take a power metal band like Holyhell at full throttle, add a portion of Ayreon prog, a pinch of Dream Theatre and Rick Wakeman, mix in some AOR Asia type songs, top off with some Cher style rock vocals, cook well in an immense earthquake inducing production, et voila, you have Ordinary Fate. The platter is ram packed with goodies. ‘Life Diamond’ sounds like Boston on steroids, while the ballad ‘I’ll Take You With Me’ makes a Gun and Roses sound like the Osmonds, with a guitar solo that would make Slash want to eat his hat. ‘Lightning of Reality’ has a touch of the ‘Hall of the Mountain Kings’ about it, and the instrumental ‘Overlude’ sounds like it came from a Hollywood blockbuster, as hordes of knights steam into battle. ‘Vortex of Indifference’ is an awesome stomper with a breakdown that can destroy foundations, and the riffing on ‘Inner Will’ is simply superhuman, the guitarist must have had his underpants on over his jeans. Singer Marilena Stigliano has an awesome set of pipes with crystalline enunciation, sadly she left just after recording, and the new vocalist Medea has a massive set of boots to fill. The musicianship from the lads is top drawer, while the production by Simone Mularoni is of the highest professional standards. It is all wrapped in a lovely digi-pack with artwork by Alexandra V Bach who has worked with Kamelot, Adagio, Operatika and many others, his company is called Ravendusk, so they must be good! If you love power metal, symphonic metal, or any old sort of metal, then you will be by now stampeding your way to their Myspace site, www.myspace.com/173638483 , to order a copy, just form an orderly queue. 9.5/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
MARTIN VILLARREAL..'CELESTIAL DREAM'
(Ravenheart Music via Code7) Reviewed 4th May 2010
Martin Villarreal is a musician/composer from Uruguay, who sprung on the idea to record an album of ballads, featuring female rock singers. On this album are eight ballads and four instrumentals, featuring such artists as Ann Mari from Swedish Band ARCANA, Morgan Lacroix from MANDRAGORA SCREAM, Eirin Bendigtsen from WHERE ANGELS FALL and Christina Kroustali from DIE VERBANNTEN KINDER EVAS amongst others. This is a cool laid back release that features mainly just piano and orchestration - one for those lazy hazy days of Summer. The album will see distribution via Ravenheart Music in July. Contact Ravenheart Music for more details...8/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
SHADOWSIDE..'DARE TO DREAM'
(LCM/SkyBlue Music) Reviewed May 1st 2010
Even though these four metallers come from different origins (Lithuanian, German, Portuguese and Italian), they were born and raised in the land of soccer legends, Brazil. And with one full album already under their belt, in 2009, Shadowside's second studio effort 'Dare To Dream' was considered to be one of the best releases of that year by the Brazilian Media. Now us Europeans and indeed the rest of the world, has the chance to make our own minds up when the album sees the light of day across the globe on May 28th. Fronted by the rather lovely Dani Nolden, her voice may give you an idea as to what Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) may sound like if Brucie was a lass :) This is pretty tasty melodic power metal, with the emphasis on melody and a little less on the power.'Nation Hollow Mind' comes out of the blocks however, quicker than Eugene Bolt on steroids, which is then followed by 'In The Night' with it's catchy chorus. 'Last Thoughts' showcases Dani's awesome vocal prowess, and indeed, for such a pretty petite looking lass, she has one helluva powerful voice. The melodic 'Hideaway' follows and this ranks as one of my fave tunes on the album. 'Baby In the Dark' with it's subtle use of synths keeps the momentum going, while 'Ready Or Not' is another catchy melodic track, taking advantage of Dani's powerful voice. The second half of the album does not relent, producing further excellent catchy melodic metal including the title track and the rather cool ballad 'Time To Say Goodbye'. Recorded, produced and mixed by Dave Schiffman (Audioslave, System of a Down, Six Feet Under) and mastered by Howie Weinberg (Iron Maiden, Metallica, Pantera, Rush, Aerosmith and several others), 'Dare to Dream' is sure worth checking out. 8.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
SKYRION..'BEYOND CREATION'
(Irond) Reviewed 12th April 2010
This Brazilian bunch produce no holds barred, full throttle, hook laden, classic heavy metal. Leading lady Vitoria has a seriously fine set of metal pipes, with a touch of the Janis Joplins about her, and she is joined by a couple of guest gentleman who also possess seriously mighty metal voices, Renato Tribuzy (Tribuzy) and Guilherme Sevens (Reckoning). ‘Hiding My Hate’ reminds me of Alice Copper, while ‘Born For Metal’ is the ultimate call to arms for all you metalheads out there. ‘Burning Temptations’ start out bluesy and groovy, before turning seriously heavy, and the Eastern flavoured ‘Innocent Eyes’ rampages and soars, this calls for some serious headbanging folks. ‘What If’ rises into an inspiring lighter waver, then the seriously catchy melodic rocker ‘Blind Faith’, time for some serious air guitar (hang on, my G strings out, just a tweak, that’s better). ‘Beyond Control’ is another good melodic song, ‘Liars’ sounds like AC/DC jamming with Metallica, this gets seriously angry, and the penultimate tune ‘Future’, which is rather Nightwishish (try saying that after a couple of pints). The real ace in the pack is the last number ‘Alone in Darkness’, the finest song that Yes have never written, a total revelation that shows a totally different side to the band, this tune could be a smash in the USA. If you were born for metal, and you love your Maiden, Priest, Metallica, power metal, or indeed any old sort of metal, then you cannot argue with the quality of music on offer here, this is seriously good stuff. The only problem is getting hold of it, especially for people outside the Americas, but a good starting point is their Myspace site www.myspace.com/skyrion. 9/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
SHINING FEAR..'APOCALIFE'
(Emmeciesse/Heart of Steel Records) Reviewed 9th April 2010
Founded back in 2004 by singer Barbara Mischeri and guitarist Matteo Migliorini, Shining Fear are now ready to unleash their mighty metal on an unsuspecting world. Saying Shining Fear are symphonic‘ish’ metal only tells half the story. Imagine a Nightwish/Lacuna Coil/Holyhell mashup suped up until the needles turn red and the speakers start to quake, then top it off with Barbara’s mega powerful soulful rock voice, and you might come near to the experience of this aural onslaught. Close, but no cigar. Raging riffage, pummelling drums, bowel emptying bass, teeth rattling keys, they come at you like an express train on heat. The CD itself, I have a promo copy but I guess the proper version is the same, looks and feels like a miniature version of an old vinyl record. You youngsters out there don’t know the joys of vinyl - dust, scratches, jumps, hissing, crackling, aah, the good old days when I was a lad. We get off to an awesome start with the apocalyptic title track ‘ApocaLife’, full of might and menace, but with a touch of finesse, which sets the scene for the other songs, a blend of the ferocious and the calm, brains and brawn, giving each one a subtle twist. They go all power metal, ease on down, turn gothic, speed up, slow down, change direction, get progish, what a ride. There is so much put into each number it is rather unfair to pick out faves, nine songs lasting over 50 minutes, but I am particularly taken with ‘No One Erase’, ‘Two Worlds Collide’, and the last tune, ‘Final Sentence’, where Barbara sounds like a female Jeff Buckley. Fans of rampaging gothic/power metal can easily catch this shining fear of a rollercoaster on their Myspace site, www.myspace.com/shiningfear. Hang on tight, it’s gonna be quite a ride! 8.5/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
XOCH..'HOLLYWOOD'
(Independent Release) Reviewed 7th April 2010
Xoch from the USA, is a good friend of mine, and she has in-fact been good friends since before Ravenheart Music was even conceived. And she and her band have this uncanny ability to write and perform rather catchy little numbers. I feel for this lass, as a few years ago she had a UK deal. The label based in the NW of England went bust, and she even had to buy her own cds back from the distributor in London. Fast forward to 2010, and this cd is testament to this girls drive and ability. As for this latest offering 'Hollywood' - what we have is 8 listed tracks of inoffensive pop/rock (9 tracks on the cd in total) that you can blast out on your car's stereo on a nice Summer's day, with your sunroof down. Or if you are one of the many here in the UK that do not have a sun roof, then with the car windows wide open :) This cd is cool, pure cool. 'Stay With Me' starts proceedings, and is an awesomely catchy song that is followed by 'Winter In Hollywood'. A slower song but equally as catchy as the opener. The piano led 'Lullaby' follows and I do like this song. 'Break Your Heart' is pure Xoch bliss, while 'The Happiest Girl' is a song originally by Donna Fargo, and features just Xoch and her autoharp. One of my faves on the album, 'Wounds (When I Dream Of You Tonight)', picks up the pace, while the closing duo of 'Don't Look Back' and 'The End Of The World' closes what is a very pleasurable listen. There is a ninth track however, another version of 'Break Your Heart', so do not take the cd off the cd player prematurely. Check out www.myspace.com/xoch and then buy it. In summary, this is good and it is easy for me to mark this highly as I kinda know this lass. However, it has to be a 9/10...good stuff Xoch. (Reviewed by Dave)
SCYTHIA.. 'OF WAR'
(Self Release) Reviewed 28th March 2010
Come my friend, sit with me by the warming fire, fill my cup with foaming ale, and I will tell you tales …. of war. Scythia are a Canadian sextet who take their name from the late Iron Age kingdom that occupied parts of what is now southern Russia and the Ukraine. They play a blend of metal, classical and folk, featuring two maidens fair for your delectation, all the way from Costa Rica comes violinist Marisol with her angel’s harp, and drummer Samantha with her mighty mallets of destruction. Joining guitarist Dave on vocals is guest Celine Derval, while bassist Terry contributes the doom hammer voices. The land is racked with war, and so our six heroes must set out to find the wise Red Wizard (any relation to the evil wizard?) whose skills of diplomacy can hopefully restore peace to Scythia (an ancient Henry Kissinger?). This is an album of two halves, split by the delightful short violin piece, ‘Elegy’. After the gentle folk introduction ‘’Caspian Rhapsody’ comes three Rhapsody meets the Pogues battle hymn polkas, full of gypsy fiddle, all done with a suitably rousing, rombustuous and stirring aplomb. The second half’s three songs are more metal and dramatic, full of Russian classical violin, with a hint of Dream Theatre and Rimsky Korsakov. It closes with the ‘Epilogue’, an appropriately galloping classical metal piece with a sweet violin and piano ending. Fans of bands ranging from Rhapsody to Alestorm, their hearts set and their minds made, will be charging at full speed through the deepest of snow and the fiercest of weathers to CD Baby, pity those who get in their way. See their Myspace www.myspace.com/429226765 for more tales .... of war. 8.5/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
NATASCHA SOHL..'DIRTY LITTLE WORD'
(Granite Music) Reviewed 18th March 2010
UK Rock singer, NATASCHA SOHL, has an extensive profile of excellent shows, from intimate private parties to sold-out arenas. Born in Paris and a twin, she showed musical promise from childhood (writing her first song at 8 years old), but formed her first band – LITTLE ENTITY. – while at Sixth Form college. I have Natascha's debut album in my collection, 'Strange Fascination', that I purchased a while back now for a silly cheap price on Amazon. 'Strange Fascination' alerted me to the fact that we have a talent here in the UK that should not go un-noticed. Fast forward to 2010, and 'Dirty Little Word' continues the good work, offering the listener a mix of gut-wrenching ballads and full-on stadium anthems, and it is damn good. Check out the title track as one cool rockin' track, and 'Beauty In Silence' that is so so catchy! Other goodies amongst a host of goodies include the rocking 'I'm Not Listening' & 'Yesterday's Rain' and the ballad 'Fade'. This is one for fans of pop/rock who are into Alanis, Kelly Clarkson, Avril and the like. Natascha is a real pro, an awesome lass and this album is well worth checking out when it gets released (12th April I believe). Check out her myspace, www.myspace.com/nataschasohl for more info. Good stuff indeed! 8.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
t.h.e. SACRAMENT..'THE SOBERING COLD'
(Self Release) Reviewed 18th March 2010
The brand new debut from the Russian sextet, featuring the pop/rock vocals of the delectable Lora SS on vocals, and the equally seductive Juliett on keys. They started to record this back in 2006, but various trials and tribulations befell the band, and it is to their enormous credit that at last we can all enjoy the fruit of their labours. The music is somewhat similar to a less symphonic, more rock orientated WithinTemptation. This gives the band plenty of space to play, Kirill showing off his impressive collection of cymbals, Still putting in some fancy bass fills, and a variety of solos from the plank spankers, Om and Vlad, as well as Juiliett of course. They also love going off piste with some very unusual musical moments, for example on ‘I’ve Got Only One Day’ they briefly turn into Santana! All this makes for a varied, fascinating and pleasurable listening experience. There are the occasional incongruous growls, which do not suit their lighter style, thankfully they are only brief. Highlights, well, every song will provide plenty of entertainment, but I was particularly taken by the driving rock of ‘New Life’, the slow boogie of ‘I’ve Got Only One Day’, the Fleetwood Mac excursion on ‘Light of Illusions’, the majestic ‘Cover Me’ and the dramatic ‘The Little Kingdom’. The whole CD is professionally packaged and produced, with the mastering done at the famous Finnvox studios. If you’re a Within Temptation enthusiast , celebrate this wonderful discovery with a few glasses of whatever tickles your fancy (mines a bottle of Delirium Tremens, lovely, I think it’s your round), and then enjoy The Sobering Cold at www.myspace.com/the-sacrament. 8.5/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
THE NURI..'MASQUERADE'
(Self Release) Reviewed 28th February 2010
The simple and highly effective sleeve art give no clue as to the treasures that lie within from this young German outfit. Their music is melodic, loud/quiet, rock/metal with sophisticated musicianship from all the members, but that bare description does give their music the justice it deserves. They take elements from the best and most intelligent bands, such as Muse, Ayreon, Porcupine Tree, Radiohead, Stranglers, and Streams of Passion, and then create their own unique Nuri style. Interspersed are a couple of atmospheric instrumentals, and the incredible centrepiece, the symphonic ballad ‘The Morning’. Singer Sandra Pfeiffer has a remarkable voice, not dissimilar to Marcela Bovio, and the keys and guitars add so much delightful flourish and interest to the music that it is a truly wondrous listening experience. I find it quite staggering that a band that is this good and with so much commercial potential, is so little known, this is premier league alt/rock/metal/prog superbly self produced. This will appeal to all fans of melodic rock/metal, and thanks to their musicality, to melodic prog fans as well, just head to http://www.thenuri.de/wp/?cat=3 . Quite amazing, a very exciting discovery, I’m almost speechless, well, not quite, otherwise this would be a very short review! 9.5/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
VAMPYRE HEART..'GHOST OF TIME'
(Promo/Demo) Reviewed 27th February 2010
Firstly, I want to say that the UK certainly has some unsigned talent scattered around this amazing country of ours. At the same time, Bournemouth sure is not known as a rock mecca. But hiding somewhere down there is a duo who go by the name Vampyre Heart. Vampyre Heart consist of D Soul and vocalist Summer. The style of music I would class as Gothic/Electro, and I feel that some of the songs here would go down well in clubland. We have the hideously catchy 'Don't Shelter Me', the hauting and atmospheric 'Killing Me' and the rockier 'Hell Asked Why' . 'Ride The Wind' is a personal song involving an incident in Summer's life. Check the band out at www.myspace.com/666vampyreheart as from what I understand, Vampyre Heart with Summer's sexy and rather distinctive vocal style, is creating a few waves in the USA at the moment. And you can either contact the band or Ravenheart Music for further info. Interesting stuff! 8/10 (Reviewed by Dave).
WILDE STARR.. 'ARRIVAL'
(Furnace Maximus Records) Reviewed 26th February 2010
Do you want to rock? I didn’t hear ya, I said, DO YOU WANT SOME METAAAAAAL!!!!!! This will kick you round the mosh pit and leave you in a bloodied, battered and bruised heap, but with a delirious grin on your face! Here you have the debut from the American duo comprising the jaw dropping London Wilde on mega mighty voice and keys, and Dave Starr on guitar and bass. Dave was the bass player for Vicious Rumors (the American power metal group), but after 12 years he grew tired of being stuck at the back with the drummer’s hi-hat in is ear, so he grabbed a guitar, headed out front and decided to create his own music, and this is the almighty result. 10 prime cuts of melodic power metal that are hotter than hell. Dave’s guitar playing is extraordinary, he has a singing, ringing tone to his sound, and London can really belt it, her range is astronomical, on ‘Rise’ she goes supersonic. Picks include the soaring ‘Arrival’, the dramatic ‘Touching God’, the dark ‘Down of the Sun’, and the epic ‘Nevermore’ If you like your Priest, Maiden, Queensryche, this will blow you away, tell the medics to cart you to www.myspace.com/wildestarr and grab a copy before you pass out. 9/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
STORMY ATMOSPHERE..'COLOR BLIND'
(Self Release) Reviewed 19th February 2010
This is my second excursion into Israeli prog after the wonderful Slaves for Life by Amaseffer, which saw singer Mats Levin going from the paganism of Therion to a story based on Moses! Color Blind is the debut from this melodic prog outfit formed back in 2002. The intertwining dual vocals are truly stunning, with the sumptuous Dina Shulman, the lovechild of Marcela Bovio and Simone Simons, and the powerful lungs of Teddy Svets, the result of a liaison between Tony Kakko and Michael Ball. My weather report starts with ‘Awaken’, a period of Stream of Passion gothic prog, with sudden squalls of prog metal, and a blistering guitar solo by Artiom Lichtstein. The sun comes out briefly for the bright folky ‘The Earthworker’ before the black clouds gather for the cyclonic Dream Theatre/Epica/Ayreon prog metal of ‘Circle’. The conditions calm for two delightful Mostly Autumn/Marillion melodic prog songs, ‘Bridge’, with its gorgeous instrumentation, including an exquisite flute solo from Teddy, and the more blustery ‘Fifth Season’, both with occasional thundery spells, and a fantastic flurry of keys by Eduard Krakov. Then we are into the lovely misty first part of ‘Conspiracy’ before the swirling metal and melodic tempest of the second half. The freshening wind of the powerful melodic prog ‘Hand Coloured’ is followed by the brief atmospheric breeze of ‘Last…’ which segues into the symphonic prog metal maelstrom of the last track, ‘…Chance’. The music is as changeable and unpredictable as the climate, which makes every gust and lull so enjoyable and fascinating. In summery, the outlook is that fans of Stream of Passion, Ayreon, Mostly Autumn, Epica, Sonata Arctica and Dream Theatre will storm down to CD Baby and order this shining CD. 9.5/10 (Reviewed by Phil Wooldridge)
WAVES UNDER WATER..'SERPENTS AND THE TREE'
(Calorique Records, Danse Macabre, Alive) Reviewed 16th February 2010
Here we have a darkwave electro trio from Sweden featuring the angelic Angelica Segerback on Vox Humana, Johan Svardshammer twiddling the electronics, and Richard Kretschmer parradiddling the live drum pads. Johan also designed the expressive sleeve art, and it is good to see a band creating a potent image with their distinctive steampunk look, it sets the scene for their dark romanticism. Angelica’s voice dreamily floats over a sea of dancing beats, rippling sequencers, and gorgeous rolling synths. By using minor key signatures and thoughtful lyrics they create a dark, dramatic, atmospheric sound, whilst remaining danceable, intelligent and richly melodic; this is music for the mind, soul and feet. The tunes range from dancefloor fillers like ‘Summerland’, to the folk pop of the title track, ‘Serpents and the Tree’, to the moody and deep ‘Because She Is Immortal’, to the mellifluous ‘Winter Garden’, to my fave, the melodramatic ‘Wake the World’. With the right promo they have the potential to cross over into the mainstream. Basically, if you want something that you can really enjoy listening to, or you like swinging a leg if the mood takes your fancy, then you can dance away with this number from most of your fave emporiums, 8.5/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
The SATIN DOLLS..'ILLUMINATI'
(Warm Tide Audio) Reviewed 11th February 2010
The Satin Dolls are a Warwickshire (UK) based four-piece rock/pop band. The group has been lucky enough to perform & record with some well known producers & performers in the UK music scene. The music on offer here is catchy but hard hitting British Rock, that to me at times brings back memories of the punk era. 'Bleed For You' is a catchy track that ranks as a fave of mine on this little gem, and I like 'Walk away' too. 'Walk Away' being the first song professionally recorded by The Satin Dolls, and was produced by Mike Crossey (producer of the Zutons, Artic Monkeys, OMD etc). The Satin Dolls have so far supported some very well known acts in the UK, such as the Feeling, the Specials, Stranglers & the Subways etc. And with the awesome vocals of Julie, there is no reason why this band should not go far. Check them out at www.myspace.com/thesatindollsofficialbandsite and buy the cd. 8/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
SIX MAGICS..'BEHIND THE SORROW'
(Coroner Records/Code7) Reviewed 10th February 2010
Let us now enter the realms of powerful Melodic Bombastic Metal. And this is what these Chilean rockers offer up on this, their third release. Who are Six Magics I hear you cry? Well actually, they have been at the forefront of the Chilean metal scene for 10 years or so, and have shared the stage with such greats as Nightwish, Blind Guardian and Rhapsody. Fronted by the brooding sultry voice of Elizabeth Vasquez, the band's sensational new lead vocalist, and enlisting the services of multi platinum producer, David Prater (Dream Theater amongst others), this album is totally mind blowing. We have 10 tracks and close on 50 minutes of some unbelievably catchy metal...just listen to the title track to see where I am coming from. The whole album rocks, and will surely please fans of the aforementioned Nightwish, Blind Guardian and Rhapsody amongst many others of that genre. Six Magics on this offering deserve to be not only heard, but they should become huge within the genre too. Tracks like 'Run' (with it's 9/11 references), 'Lies and Rules' , 'Hands Of Time' and the power ballad 'They' will leave you gasping for more. And the track 'It's Not The Way'. Unbelievable and totally captivating! Indeed, after the cd finishes, you will be reaching for the repeat button. Buy it when it gets released on 15th February and then...play it loud! Check them out at www.myspace.com/sixmagics. In summary- this is a totally awesome record that demands one attention! This is major label material...enough said! 9.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
THE EDEN HOUSE..'THE LOOKING GLASS'
(Jungle Records) Reviewed 5th February 2010
This new release from The Eden House (their second), that was released on February 1st contains a DVD of a live set recorded only days before the bands first live appearance, plus a 5 track CD of covers of some of the bands favourite songs, from artists as diverse as The Shangri Las, Radiohead and Bjork to name just three! The DVD was mixed at Pink Floyds Astoria studio, while the cd like the debut was mixed by Andy Jackson (Pink Floyd). The core members of the band remain Stephen Carey (This Burning Effigy), and Tony Pettitt (Fields of The Nephilim). And there are four ladies sharing vocal duties, including All About Eve's Julianne Regan. I like this style of atmospheric rock, and this little package would be an ideal introduction to anybody who may be unfamiliar with the band but fancies "giving them a try". 8/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
There are stacks more reviews (from 2006 til Jan 2010) at http://www.ravenheartarchives.com. Check em out!
(Independent Release) Reviewed 27th July 2010
Winter’s Eve is a brand new British band who are not afraid to declare their influences, Within Temptation, Nightwish and Evanescence. Their music explores these avenues creating a diverse but coherent collection of songs. They take the essence of Evanescence, particularly with Lena’s passionate and emotional vocal style and the use of rich string sounds and atmospheric passages, but their signature sound is far meatier, with walls of warm fuzzy guitars courtesy of James (Axeman Jim), Storm’s throbbing bass, Klepsy’s skilful drum patterns, and spiralling guitar solos, also from James. ‘Winter’s Eve’, ‘Angel’, ‘Shadow’ and ‘Spellbound’ are mighty songs that show influences from powerful gothic bands like Therion with a ‘Kashmir’ Middle Eastern flavour. The two epic, swaying, ¾ gothic songs ‘As I Fall’, featuring a delightful interlude with Lena's voice accompanied by Storm’s bass arpeggios, and ‘Dust to Dust’, which starts out with a lovely keyboard motif before really taking off, remind me of fellow Brits, Hanging Doll. ‘Midnight’, with its twinkling piano figure, ‘Image’, built around a wonderful clean guitar chordal riff and featuring a superb electric violin solo, and ‘Fade’, a truly dramatic song with Pranay really letting rip, lean towards the more Evanescence end of the spectrum with their melodic verses and powerful choruses. The title track ‘Shards’ is a moody symphonic rocker that rumbles along at a cracking pace. The production sound is thunderous and cavernous, with exemplary instrumental and vocal performances by the entire band. Their website http://www.winterseve.co.uk has some samples, and their Myspace is www.myspace.com/thewinterseve. This is a mightily impressive opening gambit that is sure to appeal to all symphonic metal fans, and is available for download from iTunes and CD Baby (no news as yet of a physical release), a Ravenheart recommended 9/10 (Reviewed by Phil).
VENA VALLEY..'PLAYGROUND'
(Insanity Records) Reviewed 24th July 2010
Poland has a long history of loving prog rock going back to the days before the curtain fell and pioneers like Pendragon were one of the few Western European bands to explore this untapped market, becoming very successful in the process. Vena Valley started out in 2003 (recording a demo debut), I believe that the album was recorded back in 2007 but not released until last year, and I have been desperately trying to get hold of a copy since I first heard them some months ago. Leading from the front is Justyna Krysiak, a sultry, striking, blonde bombshell with an excellent, expressive, pop-rock voice. Their music hovers around Porcupine Tree, Riverside, Muse, Ayreon and Touchstone. They pack a hell of a lot into each of the songs which all last around the four minute mark - lots of great melodies and hooks; atmospheric keys, sounds and effects; glistening and meaty guitars; changes of power, pace and intensity; a mix of the dreamy, funky, jazzy, driving and pounding; all of which makes it fascinating to listen to. The crowning glory is the final cut ‘Libido’, an awesome cracker of a tune that will stay in your head long after disc stops spinning, I have put the official video for it on the blog http://thefemalevoices.blogspot.com/ for your delectation and delight. It is all topped off with top quality production and sound – crystal clear, powerful and beautifully balanced. Don’t ask me how to get a copy outside Poland, I had to borrow one from John at Progressiveland, but you can start with their Myspace www.myspace.com/venavalley and the record company at http://www.insanity-records.pl/, if you succeed you will be rewarded with a rare treat. They inhabit a world not too dissimilar to Muse, they’ve got the looks, hooks and melodies that will appeal to the mainstream, but their music is intelligent enough for the prog crowd, meaty enough for metal fans, and with a gothic edge that will attract those who love gothic rock/metal. I’m off for a swing in their playground, 9/10 (Reviewed by Phil).
VARIOUS..'BEAUTY and BRUTALITY'
(Femme Metal Records) Reviewed 14th July 2010
I am never really sure how to go about reviewing compliations. However, it is great that there are compilations out there featuring the female fronted genre, and Caz and her partners in crime at Femme Metal proudly continue to fly the flag for this type of music. This cd is a double featuring 31 tracks of some of the best that the genre has to throw at us. Some of the music on offer here will be familiar to many that love female fronted rock and metal, whilst some tracks may not be that familiar. And as the title suggests, this double package offers the more melodic and the somewhat heavier stuff too. Of the familiar, Revamp are featured with a track from their debut ('Head Up High'), and Epica open cd2 with 'Unleashed' (from Design Your Universe). Of the less familiar, I am overly impressed with Dama's 'Rainy Roads', that track coming from the unreleased 'EIRWEN' album. This Femme Metal double whammy gets released in October, proceeds to Macmillan Cancer Research. Well worth checking out..9/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
SCANDELION..'DEMONIA PRAEDICTIO CHRONICLES'
(Self Released Demo) Reviewed 14th July 2010
Scandelion, Demonia Praedictio Chronicles, Self Released Demo
I don’t normally review demos, but this Spanish band of symphonic metallers, formed by keys player Jorge, has really intrigued me. After an introductory waltz comes ‘Curse of Thousand Souls’, early Epica like, floating, soaring symphonic metal over a rather groovy synth bass riff. Then comes the melodramatic ‘My Bitter Death’, with lighter, more powerful and heavier growly passages, a really well put together song. ‘My Doom’ sways dreamily over a bed of chugging guitars, and finally ‘A Dead Rose on Your Grave’ pounds and throbs along with yet more interesting musical variations. Jorge shows himself to be a highly talented and very skilful keys planer, creating a rich orchestral backing, while the lovely singer Sonia has an excellent, pitch perfect, soft mezzo soprano voice. They are currently recording a full length debut, and I for one will be one of the first in the queue to grab a copy. Their Myspace to find out more is www.myspace.com/scandelion. A very promising and impressive demo, 8/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
TRIOSPHERE..'THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED'
(AFM Records) Reviewed 12th July 2010
Triosphere hail from Norway, have been picked up by AFM Records and are fronted by the impressive pipes of Ida Haukland. And what a star they have in Ms Haukland! This is their second album, and mixed by none other than Tommy Hansen too. 'Ignition' is the instrumental intro to this album that starts slow, and just when you thought the track offered a nice and mellow start to the record, it becomes a riff tastic fury of noise (nice noise btw). Next track up, the melodic 'Driven' puts the word Power into Power Metal and Melodic into Melodic Power Metal - still with me? This album is in-fact a Melodic Power Metaller's wet dream, being full of melody, full of power and yep, you've guessed it, full of metal. And with vocals that offer quite a bit of clout I must add!. This is a totally cool album throughout with some awesome musicianship from every member of the band. Fave tracks? - plenty of them but I quite like 'The Anger And The Silent Remorse' (fantastic stuff) and 'Watcher' (great chorus and guitar solo). This record is good, and one of those albums that you just want to listen too, out loud!! 9/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
SHADOWS (TENI)..'POISONED PARADISE'
(Hot Jam Records, Rostok Records, Dizzaster Music Label) Reviewed 11th July 2010
Tracklist:
1. Ghost 2. BreakFaith 3. That Day 4. Alone 5. Forever Yours 6. Queen of Swords 7. Nova 8. In Soul 9. The Last Words 10. Between the lines 11. Blind-spot 12. Unforgettable.
Chernyakov Eugen (keyboards, samples), Rodionov Aleksandr (guitar), Semagina Nika (vocals), Horunzhaya Dasha (violin, back-vocals since September 2009), Alisa Kuznetsova (violin, back-vocals to August 2009), Maschenko Denis (drums), Osichnuk Stan (bass).
The Ukraine seems to be punching way above its weight in producing top quality gothic metal bands. After the wonderful Delia comes Shadows (or Teni in Ukrainian), but these young metallers have a different style, more We Are The Fallen esque alt metal rather than Within Temptation like symphonic. You also have to throw some Lahannya, Omega Lithium and Stream of Passion into the mix as well. The ravishing raven haired Nick has a multi dimensional voice, stylistically a mix of Marcela Bovio and Carly Smithson, with a touch of operatics, and she really gives it 110%, quite remarkable for someone so young. The awesome ‘That Day’ is a typical example of their craft, alternatively atmospheric, groovy, throbbing and soaring. Other faves include the gothic opener ‘Ghost, the swaying ‘Forever You’, and the impassioned closer ‘Do Not Forget’ with its startling ending. The sound is rather beefier and meatier than We Are The Fallen, with powerful twanging guitars, grunting bass, excellent electronic rather than symphonic keys (more Vangelis than Wakeman), and Alisa’s melancholic violin (her bow has now been taken over by Dasha). The booklet is in a mixture of Ukrainian and English, so I have listed the songs and members for you. They certainly have the product, just have a look at the video for the English language version of their new single ‘Holloworld’ on the blog, http://thefemalevoices.blogspot.com/. I have also really enjoyed their very professionally shot and produced live DVD, ‘Poisoned Paradise Live in Luhansk’. They put on a really good live show with excellent sound and a proper stage set. Nick is a stunning, charismatic, captivating and exceedingly impressive performer, helped by a very energetic band, with violinist Dasha and some especially lively dancers/baton twirlers adding to the eye candy. In fact Dasha takes the mike for one number, showing she too has a wonderful voice. This is available along with the album and the new maxi single ‘Holloworld’ from their website http://www.teni.com.ua/index.php. If you enjoy alt and gothic metal then this is a real treat for your eyes and ears, 9/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
TAINTED GRACE..'DENIAL DAYDREAMS'
(Independent Release) Reviewed 10th July 2010
The self funded EP by this awesome UK band has been recorded with the expert help of Season’s End guitarist Tim Goatham at his home in Hampshire (UK). And what a good move that has turned out to be. Fronted by the very likeable Trissy Norris, Tainted Grace with this 5 track EP, are already flirting with the Premier League. And they are proving that there is some awesome female fronted talent here in the UK, which still for some reason seems to get criminally ignored by the European labels. 'Catatonic' and 'Labyrinth' kick things off, and this opening salvo proves how the band has moved on leaps and bounds from some of their previous recorded material ('Liberatae Mai Vol 1). Trissy's vocals indeed taking on an occasionally folk like feel, which mixes well with the heavy style of music on offer. 'Eternal Night' is a slower accoustic style of song, but still with the heavy guitars to spice it up a bit. 'Shadows On The Tide' (my fave track here), has some cool metal riffs and has a hideously catchy chorus to boot, while 'The Rapture' closes this current chapter in the band's recording history, and I must say this record to my ears is a winner. It is heavy, it's melodic and it HAS to be checked out by lovers of our beloved genre, so go to www.myspace.com/taintedgraceband - PLEASE! 8.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
SUB-DIVISION.. 'TEN YEARS BEFORE THE DREAM'
(Danse Macabre) Reviewed 6th June 2010
Sub Division is a French industrial gothic rock Anglo/French duo comprising Fodge and Lol from Toulouse who have been around for about 10 years, hence the title. On this album they are joined by the saucy Dee from the band Atomic Tabasco (must be a hot band), In there own words they take their inspiration from ' The Downward Spiral ' by Nine Inch Nails and Prodigy's ' The Fat of the Land ', but I can also detect some modern Gary Numan. The outstanding song is the electro-pop dance floor filling opening cut ‘Love Assassin’, the rest of the album tends to be rather more experimental, full of industrial beats, weird synths and whispered menacing voices, with Dee appearing only sporadically. If you like your music more on the industrial side of the scale rather than electro pop, then this will be just the ticket. You will find them at their Myspace www.myspace.com/subdivision33. 7.5/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
THE MARIANA HOLLOW..'COMA HEART'
(Independent release) Reviewed 4th June 2010
The Mariana Hollow fronted by Rebecca Spinks, is an alternative metal quintet hailing from Greater London. Their sound is steeped in dark melody, sometimes angry, often melancholic, and always passionate, and to be honest, they should go down a storm here and in the USA. Dynamic twin guitar lines and complex rhythms occasionally take the music in a progressive direction, yet the band never lose sight of the impact of a great chorus. 'Coma Heart' runs at nearly 38 mins and is mixed by Chris Sheldon (Foo Fighters, Skunk Anansie, Biffy Clyro, Oceansize, Anthrax). The album is an awesome slab of alternative rock/metal, and this band surely cannot remain unsigned for long, with their knack of writing complex although very accessible tunes coupled with somewhat infectious melodies. To be honest, this is the kinda band a label like Universal Records should be taking a serious look at. All seven tracks here pack a serious punch and I myself am finding it difficult to pick out a fave, as they are all that good. However, 'Paper Plane' may just shade it. The Mariana Hollow proves what great talent the UK has, if only the major labels would just sit up and take notice. Check them out for yourselves at www.myspace.com/themarianahollow. This is worthy of a 9/10 - good stuff!! (Reviewed by Dave)
THE LETTER BLACK..'HANGING ON BY A THREAD'
(Tooth & Nail Records) Reviewed 23rd May 2010
Calling all Paramore and Flyleaf fans to name just two bands. I am sure you have the idea by now. An awesome album we have here by Christian Rockers The Letter Black, fronted by the lovely Sarah Anthony. And they do not hang around, as 'Fire with Fire' fires out of your speakers like a turbo charged machine gun! What an opener! And if you thought that was a blaster, then we have the heavy 'Invisible', with it's catchy riffs and chorus, this being one of my favourite tracks. The title track, another fave carries on the momentum with yet another awesome chorus - 'save me from losing myself, I am hanging on by a thread'. The occasional male vocals on this album by Mark Anthony (Sarah's husband) remind me a little of Lacuna Coil. The cd continues at a steady melodic pace throughout with choruses galore, and I do find the lyrics at times pulling on my heartstrings...'there'll come a day when I can hold you and say it's forever', from the super ballad 'There'll Come a Day'. 'Best of Me' is another track I adore, and I am sure I have heard this one before. Lovely!!! Thirteen tracks of great Christian Rock on this release, and boy, it sure rocks too. Great stuff and easily obtainable from Amazon etc. Worthy of a 9/10. (Reviewed by Dave)
WINTER..'A MATTER OF TIME'
(East Central One) Reviewed 20th May 2010
Winter is a Swedish Band who released their self titled debut album in 1999 and who have now built up a healthy following in the UK. Fast forward to 2010 and this release (their third) features eleven new songs from the pen of vocalist and main lady Anna-Lena Winter. What we have here is a selection of laid back rockers all on the theme of love, the good, the bad along with a healthy dose of lust and longing. No fillers on this release and I really do find this album a good listen, particularly after a hard day at the office. Check out 'Face On The Wall' which is one of my favourites on this release, while there is also a country vibe aswell, this vibe being found on tracks that include the ultra catchy 'Cccc'mon', the slower 'Book of Love', the superb 'Crazy' and the awesome 'Run'. If you are a metal head, this may not appeal, but to anybody that enjoys a good listen to some catchy laid back rock music with an organic and accoustic feel, this may well be for you. Sure worth checking out at www.myspace.com/winternet. Gets released 24th May....good stuff so sit back and enjoy this cool and refreshing album. 8.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
VIRGIN ISLAND..'FANTASY OR REALITY?'
(Self Release) Reviewed 19th May 2010
No, this is not Richard Branson’s latest holiday resort in the Caribbean, but a melodic rock band from land locked Bavaria in Germany, a country that appears to hiding some excellent groups at the moment like Rawkfist and Onyx Eyes, a fact born out by this being their second album. They are lead by the wonderful, distinctive voice of Ulrike Peetz-Kunkel, whose vocals range from the almost Tarja’ish semi operatic to Hazel O’Connor. They have obviously raided their extensive record collections, taking their favourite bits from bands like Within Temptation, Tarja, Domina Noctis, Cars, The Runaways, Katrina and the Waves, Cher, Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy and goodness knows what else to create groovy, catchy, melodic, driving rock songs that are instantly recognisable, but totally new. The outstanding ‘Don’t Turn Back’ (this would make a great single) together with ‘I Don’t Need’ and ‘Let’s Get High’ are classic power pop/rock songs with galloping verses and sing-along choruses, while ‘Disappointment’ and the title track ‘Fantasy or Reality?’ are more symphonic with soaring melodies. You also get the lovely solo guitar and voice ballad ‘Wherever You Will Go’ (it is great to hear a song kept nice and simple for a change without any histrionics), the slow brooding Black Sabbath bluesy shuffle ‘Sweet Hell’ with it’s atmospheric gothic passages, the strutting gothic rocker ‘The End of Our Dreams’, and the anthemic final cut ‘Let’s Stop The Wars’. It you look at the song titles, you can guess the style, so the music and lyrics fit perfectly together. The whole album is a total joy to listen to, very easy on the ear, with lots of variety and interesting instrumental bit and pieces. They don’t create anything dramatically different, but who cares, just enjoy the music, if it isn’t bust, don’t fix it. After all, ‘no man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main’ (John Donne). Take a cruise to their Virgin Island (it is Island, not Islands, by the way) website, http://home.arcor.de/virgin-island/frame.htmwhere you can sail away with the CD from the band’s fan shop or follow the link to the Get Your Music store. A delighted Virgin Islander gives this a 9/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
THE STORM..'BLACK LUCK'
(WR Productions/Target Records Denmark) Reviewed 16th May 2010
Since the band was founded, The Storm has been one of Denmark’s absolute most renowned and talked about bands in both the media and amongst music fans. Their 2007 Universal Records debut, ’Where The Storm Meets The Ground’ with production by Roy Thomas Baker (Queen etc), has already gone platinum. And while nations abroad are curiously monitoring the band, The Storm is currently touring Denmark with nothing but sold out shows – quite an achievement for a band that has only existed since 2006. Their success can be put down to the collaboration between two of Denmark’s most respected musicians and performers - Johan Wohlert and Pernille Rosendahl (Vox), who are also together in their private life aswell. The music on this their second record, sees Universal Records replaced by their own label, in close collaboration with metal-connoisseurs Target Records. And what a release we have here. 10 tracks of awesome melodic/alternative/hard rock, every track being a right corker. The comparison that springs to mind is (maybe) Kelly Clarkson kinda going metal! 'Wall of Shame' is a great start to this album and it never lets up, with numbers like 'Are Your Shoes Too Tight', that refuse to leave your head. Typical in-fact of all the songs on this superb cd. But the best I feel is the duo of 'Herculean Task' that siegues perfectly into the title track during the second half of the record. These two tracks you could say combine to bring a piece of music that lasts over 8 minutes, and throws eveything at you, barring the kitchen sink. There is even a brief flirtation with techno! From start to finish, this cd has it all, and I am very near gobsmacked. If you like your music, heavy and very melodic, contact Target Records at http://www.targetshop.dk/thestorm/ and get a copy. I did!! Awesome..9.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
WE ARE THE FALLEN..'TEAR THE WORLD DOWN'
(Universal Records) Reviewed 13th May 2010
Ben Moody, he of Evanescence fame had a well publicised fall out with Amy Lee a while back now. Very unfortunate, because I do not feel Amy's band has been quite the same since, and I eagerly await their new material as a consequence. Meanwhile, Ben has kinda missed the sound he so dearly loves, and without a Gothic Queen as his singer. Well, for one who waits with patience, they will be duly rewarded. And he was rewarded when Carly Smithson appeared on the scene. 26 year old Carly is a Dublin born soul/pop rock singer-songwriter, now from San Diego, California, who was the sixth place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. Without going into full details and indeed having to cut a long story short, she hitched up with Ben Moody to become the vocalist in We Are The Fallen. And what about the music on this their debut release? From the shop floor (they are the punters), feedback by and large is good, I know as I am being told. The media reaction though from what I have read so far is mixed. My view - The songs on offer on 'Tear The World Down' are basically mid paced rockers with the odd ballad thrown into the mix. 'Bury Me Alive' gets things going, a melodic rocker, and okay, it could be Amy Lee singing this, but it ain't. Great orchestral outro to this song by the way. The Evanescence/Amy Lee comparisons do continue, with things slowing down for the awesome piano led ballads, 'Sleep Well My Angel' and 'I Am Only One', while I rank 'St John' (great chorus) and the epic title track as other faves of mine. Okay, this album may well be judged by the media for all the wrong reasons, and yep, I am a sucker for female fronted Rock & Metal, but on music alone (and I do not care who it sounds like), this is cool, and is worthy to my ears of an 8/10. (Reviewed by Dave)
WINTER IN EDEN..'AWAKENING'
(Independent Release) Reviewed 8th May 2010
Winter In Eden...what can I say? This band can be summed up as being a totally awesome gothic act from NE England, and should, no I shall rephrase that - WILL take on the world and win! I know for a fact they are causing a stir in some parts of Europe, at a certain website in the USA and here in their homeland, and it is about time the bigger labels woke up to this band. Fronted by the vivacious Vicky Johnson (who is surrounded by some extremely competent musicians who make up WIE), 'Awakening' is their debut full length offering, and there is simply no justice in this world, if this band does not crack the big time. The album gets going with 'Oblivion', a cool intro before the songs chugs out of the speakers. A great start, with almost a progressive slant at times during this track. 'Inside', the next song, ups the tempo a little more, while the excellent 'Fate Will Oblige' will be familiar to those who own the band's EP. 'Stolen Fairytale' is so catchy that it just bangs around in your head ages after hearing it. I am in seventh heaven! 'Aragon' is an instrumental that leads us into the uptempo 'Ruled By Fear', before 'Frustrated Dreamer' confirms to me what an awesome band the UK has here. Great track! 'At The Edge of The World' and the tear jerking ballad 'Cry' are up next, these are two of my fave tracks btw, that featured on the EP, while the interestingly titled instrumental 'Windelfell' is next. I wanted to do an Irish Jig when I saw this live. The slightly prog metal feel of 'Alighieri' is next up and when I googled Alighieri, it came up with an Italian poet. The closing duo - 'The Awakening Chapter One' and the lovely 'The Awakening Chapter Two' closes what to me is an extremely inspiring album, that should grace everybody's cd collection. Vicky has a distinctive and captivating vocal style, and it is this style that gives Winter In Eden a sound of their own. With production by Fred Purser (Tygers of Pan Tang), this is a very good record which can be purchased at http://www.winterineden.com/. Please support this band, and a note to record labels - start forming an orderly queue here. 9.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
SOLISIA..'ORDINARY FATE'
(Underground Symphony) Reviewed 7th May 2010
When this Italian quintet started cooking up the idea of Solisia in 2006, they took the finest ingredients to create their signature dish. Take a power metal band like Holyhell at full throttle, add a portion of Ayreon prog, a pinch of Dream Theatre and Rick Wakeman, mix in some AOR Asia type songs, top off with some Cher style rock vocals, cook well in an immense earthquake inducing production, et voila, you have Ordinary Fate. The platter is ram packed with goodies. ‘Life Diamond’ sounds like Boston on steroids, while the ballad ‘I’ll Take You With Me’ makes a Gun and Roses sound like the Osmonds, with a guitar solo that would make Slash want to eat his hat. ‘Lightning of Reality’ has a touch of the ‘Hall of the Mountain Kings’ about it, and the instrumental ‘Overlude’ sounds like it came from a Hollywood blockbuster, as hordes of knights steam into battle. ‘Vortex of Indifference’ is an awesome stomper with a breakdown that can destroy foundations, and the riffing on ‘Inner Will’ is simply superhuman, the guitarist must have had his underpants on over his jeans. Singer Marilena Stigliano has an awesome set of pipes with crystalline enunciation, sadly she left just after recording, and the new vocalist Medea has a massive set of boots to fill. The musicianship from the lads is top drawer, while the production by Simone Mularoni is of the highest professional standards. It is all wrapped in a lovely digi-pack with artwork by Alexandra V Bach who has worked with Kamelot, Adagio, Operatika and many others, his company is called Ravendusk, so they must be good! If you love power metal, symphonic metal, or any old sort of metal, then you will be by now stampeding your way to their Myspace site, www.myspace.com/173638483 , to order a copy, just form an orderly queue. 9.5/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
MARTIN VILLARREAL..'CELESTIAL DREAM'
(Ravenheart Music via Code7) Reviewed 4th May 2010
Martin Villarreal is a musician/composer from Uruguay, who sprung on the idea to record an album of ballads, featuring female rock singers. On this album are eight ballads and four instrumentals, featuring such artists as Ann Mari from Swedish Band ARCANA, Morgan Lacroix from MANDRAGORA SCREAM, Eirin Bendigtsen from WHERE ANGELS FALL and Christina Kroustali from DIE VERBANNTEN KINDER EVAS amongst others. This is a cool laid back release that features mainly just piano and orchestration - one for those lazy hazy days of Summer. The album will see distribution via Ravenheart Music in July. Contact Ravenheart Music for more details...8/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
SHADOWSIDE..'DARE TO DREAM'
(LCM/SkyBlue Music) Reviewed May 1st 2010
Even though these four metallers come from different origins (Lithuanian, German, Portuguese and Italian), they were born and raised in the land of soccer legends, Brazil. And with one full album already under their belt, in 2009, Shadowside's second studio effort 'Dare To Dream' was considered to be one of the best releases of that year by the Brazilian Media. Now us Europeans and indeed the rest of the world, has the chance to make our own minds up when the album sees the light of day across the globe on May 28th. Fronted by the rather lovely Dani Nolden, her voice may give you an idea as to what Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) may sound like if Brucie was a lass :) This is pretty tasty melodic power metal, with the emphasis on melody and a little less on the power.'Nation Hollow Mind' comes out of the blocks however, quicker than Eugene Bolt on steroids, which is then followed by 'In The Night' with it's catchy chorus. 'Last Thoughts' showcases Dani's awesome vocal prowess, and indeed, for such a pretty petite looking lass, she has one helluva powerful voice. The melodic 'Hideaway' follows and this ranks as one of my fave tunes on the album. 'Baby In the Dark' with it's subtle use of synths keeps the momentum going, while 'Ready Or Not' is another catchy melodic track, taking advantage of Dani's powerful voice. The second half of the album does not relent, producing further excellent catchy melodic metal including the title track and the rather cool ballad 'Time To Say Goodbye'. Recorded, produced and mixed by Dave Schiffman (Audioslave, System of a Down, Six Feet Under) and mastered by Howie Weinberg (Iron Maiden, Metallica, Pantera, Rush, Aerosmith and several others), 'Dare to Dream' is sure worth checking out. 8.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
SKYRION..'BEYOND CREATION'
(Irond) Reviewed 12th April 2010
This Brazilian bunch produce no holds barred, full throttle, hook laden, classic heavy metal. Leading lady Vitoria has a seriously fine set of metal pipes, with a touch of the Janis Joplins about her, and she is joined by a couple of guest gentleman who also possess seriously mighty metal voices, Renato Tribuzy (Tribuzy) and Guilherme Sevens (Reckoning). ‘Hiding My Hate’ reminds me of Alice Copper, while ‘Born For Metal’ is the ultimate call to arms for all you metalheads out there. ‘Burning Temptations’ start out bluesy and groovy, before turning seriously heavy, and the Eastern flavoured ‘Innocent Eyes’ rampages and soars, this calls for some serious headbanging folks. ‘What If’ rises into an inspiring lighter waver, then the seriously catchy melodic rocker ‘Blind Faith’, time for some serious air guitar (hang on, my G strings out, just a tweak, that’s better). ‘Beyond Control’ is another good melodic song, ‘Liars’ sounds like AC/DC jamming with Metallica, this gets seriously angry, and the penultimate tune ‘Future’, which is rather Nightwishish (try saying that after a couple of pints). The real ace in the pack is the last number ‘Alone in Darkness’, the finest song that Yes have never written, a total revelation that shows a totally different side to the band, this tune could be a smash in the USA. If you were born for metal, and you love your Maiden, Priest, Metallica, power metal, or indeed any old sort of metal, then you cannot argue with the quality of music on offer here, this is seriously good stuff. The only problem is getting hold of it, especially for people outside the Americas, but a good starting point is their Myspace site www.myspace.com/skyrion. 9/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
SHINING FEAR..'APOCALIFE'
(Emmeciesse/Heart of Steel Records) Reviewed 9th April 2010
Founded back in 2004 by singer Barbara Mischeri and guitarist Matteo Migliorini, Shining Fear are now ready to unleash their mighty metal on an unsuspecting world. Saying Shining Fear are symphonic‘ish’ metal only tells half the story. Imagine a Nightwish/Lacuna Coil/Holyhell mashup suped up until the needles turn red and the speakers start to quake, then top it off with Barbara’s mega powerful soulful rock voice, and you might come near to the experience of this aural onslaught. Close, but no cigar. Raging riffage, pummelling drums, bowel emptying bass, teeth rattling keys, they come at you like an express train on heat. The CD itself, I have a promo copy but I guess the proper version is the same, looks and feels like a miniature version of an old vinyl record. You youngsters out there don’t know the joys of vinyl - dust, scratches, jumps, hissing, crackling, aah, the good old days when I was a lad. We get off to an awesome start with the apocalyptic title track ‘ApocaLife’, full of might and menace, but with a touch of finesse, which sets the scene for the other songs, a blend of the ferocious and the calm, brains and brawn, giving each one a subtle twist. They go all power metal, ease on down, turn gothic, speed up, slow down, change direction, get progish, what a ride. There is so much put into each number it is rather unfair to pick out faves, nine songs lasting over 50 minutes, but I am particularly taken with ‘No One Erase’, ‘Two Worlds Collide’, and the last tune, ‘Final Sentence’, where Barbara sounds like a female Jeff Buckley. Fans of rampaging gothic/power metal can easily catch this shining fear of a rollercoaster on their Myspace site, www.myspace.com/shiningfear. Hang on tight, it’s gonna be quite a ride! 8.5/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
XOCH..'HOLLYWOOD'
(Independent Release) Reviewed 7th April 2010
Xoch from the USA, is a good friend of mine, and she has in-fact been good friends since before Ravenheart Music was even conceived. And she and her band have this uncanny ability to write and perform rather catchy little numbers. I feel for this lass, as a few years ago she had a UK deal. The label based in the NW of England went bust, and she even had to buy her own cds back from the distributor in London. Fast forward to 2010, and this cd is testament to this girls drive and ability. As for this latest offering 'Hollywood' - what we have is 8 listed tracks of inoffensive pop/rock (9 tracks on the cd in total) that you can blast out on your car's stereo on a nice Summer's day, with your sunroof down. Or if you are one of the many here in the UK that do not have a sun roof, then with the car windows wide open :) This cd is cool, pure cool. 'Stay With Me' starts proceedings, and is an awesomely catchy song that is followed by 'Winter In Hollywood'. A slower song but equally as catchy as the opener. The piano led 'Lullaby' follows and I do like this song. 'Break Your Heart' is pure Xoch bliss, while 'The Happiest Girl' is a song originally by Donna Fargo, and features just Xoch and her autoharp. One of my faves on the album, 'Wounds (When I Dream Of You Tonight)', picks up the pace, while the closing duo of 'Don't Look Back' and 'The End Of The World' closes what is a very pleasurable listen. There is a ninth track however, another version of 'Break Your Heart', so do not take the cd off the cd player prematurely. Check out www.myspace.com/xoch and then buy it. In summary, this is good and it is easy for me to mark this highly as I kinda know this lass. However, it has to be a 9/10...good stuff Xoch. (Reviewed by Dave)
SCYTHIA.. 'OF WAR'
(Self Release) Reviewed 28th March 2010
Come my friend, sit with me by the warming fire, fill my cup with foaming ale, and I will tell you tales …. of war. Scythia are a Canadian sextet who take their name from the late Iron Age kingdom that occupied parts of what is now southern Russia and the Ukraine. They play a blend of metal, classical and folk, featuring two maidens fair for your delectation, all the way from Costa Rica comes violinist Marisol with her angel’s harp, and drummer Samantha with her mighty mallets of destruction. Joining guitarist Dave on vocals is guest Celine Derval, while bassist Terry contributes the doom hammer voices. The land is racked with war, and so our six heroes must set out to find the wise Red Wizard (any relation to the evil wizard?) whose skills of diplomacy can hopefully restore peace to Scythia (an ancient Henry Kissinger?). This is an album of two halves, split by the delightful short violin piece, ‘Elegy’. After the gentle folk introduction ‘’Caspian Rhapsody’ comes three Rhapsody meets the Pogues battle hymn polkas, full of gypsy fiddle, all done with a suitably rousing, rombustuous and stirring aplomb. The second half’s three songs are more metal and dramatic, full of Russian classical violin, with a hint of Dream Theatre and Rimsky Korsakov. It closes with the ‘Epilogue’, an appropriately galloping classical metal piece with a sweet violin and piano ending. Fans of bands ranging from Rhapsody to Alestorm, their hearts set and their minds made, will be charging at full speed through the deepest of snow and the fiercest of weathers to CD Baby, pity those who get in their way. See their Myspace www.myspace.com/429226765 for more tales .... of war. 8.5/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
NATASCHA SOHL..'DIRTY LITTLE WORD'
(Granite Music) Reviewed 18th March 2010
UK Rock singer, NATASCHA SOHL, has an extensive profile of excellent shows, from intimate private parties to sold-out arenas. Born in Paris and a twin, she showed musical promise from childhood (writing her first song at 8 years old), but formed her first band – LITTLE ENTITY. – while at Sixth Form college. I have Natascha's debut album in my collection, 'Strange Fascination', that I purchased a while back now for a silly cheap price on Amazon. 'Strange Fascination' alerted me to the fact that we have a talent here in the UK that should not go un-noticed. Fast forward to 2010, and 'Dirty Little Word' continues the good work, offering the listener a mix of gut-wrenching ballads and full-on stadium anthems, and it is damn good. Check out the title track as one cool rockin' track, and 'Beauty In Silence' that is so so catchy! Other goodies amongst a host of goodies include the rocking 'I'm Not Listening' & 'Yesterday's Rain' and the ballad 'Fade'. This is one for fans of pop/rock who are into Alanis, Kelly Clarkson, Avril and the like. Natascha is a real pro, an awesome lass and this album is well worth checking out when it gets released (12th April I believe). Check out her myspace, www.myspace.com/nataschasohl for more info. Good stuff indeed! 8.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
t.h.e. SACRAMENT..'THE SOBERING COLD'
(Self Release) Reviewed 18th March 2010
The brand new debut from the Russian sextet, featuring the pop/rock vocals of the delectable Lora SS on vocals, and the equally seductive Juliett on keys. They started to record this back in 2006, but various trials and tribulations befell the band, and it is to their enormous credit that at last we can all enjoy the fruit of their labours. The music is somewhat similar to a less symphonic, more rock orientated WithinTemptation. This gives the band plenty of space to play, Kirill showing off his impressive collection of cymbals, Still putting in some fancy bass fills, and a variety of solos from the plank spankers, Om and Vlad, as well as Juiliett of course. They also love going off piste with some very unusual musical moments, for example on ‘I’ve Got Only One Day’ they briefly turn into Santana! All this makes for a varied, fascinating and pleasurable listening experience. There are the occasional incongruous growls, which do not suit their lighter style, thankfully they are only brief. Highlights, well, every song will provide plenty of entertainment, but I was particularly taken by the driving rock of ‘New Life’, the slow boogie of ‘I’ve Got Only One Day’, the Fleetwood Mac excursion on ‘Light of Illusions’, the majestic ‘Cover Me’ and the dramatic ‘The Little Kingdom’. The whole CD is professionally packaged and produced, with the mastering done at the famous Finnvox studios. If you’re a Within Temptation enthusiast , celebrate this wonderful discovery with a few glasses of whatever tickles your fancy (mines a bottle of Delirium Tremens, lovely, I think it’s your round), and then enjoy The Sobering Cold at www.myspace.com/the-sacrament. 8.5/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
THE NURI..'MASQUERADE'
(Self Release) Reviewed 28th February 2010
The simple and highly effective sleeve art give no clue as to the treasures that lie within from this young German outfit. Their music is melodic, loud/quiet, rock/metal with sophisticated musicianship from all the members, but that bare description does give their music the justice it deserves. They take elements from the best and most intelligent bands, such as Muse, Ayreon, Porcupine Tree, Radiohead, Stranglers, and Streams of Passion, and then create their own unique Nuri style. Interspersed are a couple of atmospheric instrumentals, and the incredible centrepiece, the symphonic ballad ‘The Morning’. Singer Sandra Pfeiffer has a remarkable voice, not dissimilar to Marcela Bovio, and the keys and guitars add so much delightful flourish and interest to the music that it is a truly wondrous listening experience. I find it quite staggering that a band that is this good and with so much commercial potential, is so little known, this is premier league alt/rock/metal/prog superbly self produced. This will appeal to all fans of melodic rock/metal, and thanks to their musicality, to melodic prog fans as well, just head to http://www.thenuri.de/wp/?cat=3 . Quite amazing, a very exciting discovery, I’m almost speechless, well, not quite, otherwise this would be a very short review! 9.5/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
VAMPYRE HEART..'GHOST OF TIME'
(Promo/Demo) Reviewed 27th February 2010
Firstly, I want to say that the UK certainly has some unsigned talent scattered around this amazing country of ours. At the same time, Bournemouth sure is not known as a rock mecca. But hiding somewhere down there is a duo who go by the name Vampyre Heart. Vampyre Heart consist of D Soul and vocalist Summer. The style of music I would class as Gothic/Electro, and I feel that some of the songs here would go down well in clubland. We have the hideously catchy 'Don't Shelter Me', the hauting and atmospheric 'Killing Me' and the rockier 'Hell Asked Why' . 'Ride The Wind' is a personal song involving an incident in Summer's life. Check the band out at www.myspace.com/666vampyreheart as from what I understand, Vampyre Heart with Summer's sexy and rather distinctive vocal style, is creating a few waves in the USA at the moment. And you can either contact the band or Ravenheart Music for further info. Interesting stuff! 8/10 (Reviewed by Dave).
WILDE STARR.. 'ARRIVAL'
(Furnace Maximus Records) Reviewed 26th February 2010
Do you want to rock? I didn’t hear ya, I said, DO YOU WANT SOME METAAAAAAL!!!!!! This will kick you round the mosh pit and leave you in a bloodied, battered and bruised heap, but with a delirious grin on your face! Here you have the debut from the American duo comprising the jaw dropping London Wilde on mega mighty voice and keys, and Dave Starr on guitar and bass. Dave was the bass player for Vicious Rumors (the American power metal group), but after 12 years he grew tired of being stuck at the back with the drummer’s hi-hat in is ear, so he grabbed a guitar, headed out front and decided to create his own music, and this is the almighty result. 10 prime cuts of melodic power metal that are hotter than hell. Dave’s guitar playing is extraordinary, he has a singing, ringing tone to his sound, and London can really belt it, her range is astronomical, on ‘Rise’ she goes supersonic. Picks include the soaring ‘Arrival’, the dramatic ‘Touching God’, the dark ‘Down of the Sun’, and the epic ‘Nevermore’ If you like your Priest, Maiden, Queensryche, this will blow you away, tell the medics to cart you to www.myspace.com/wildestarr and grab a copy before you pass out. 9/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
STORMY ATMOSPHERE..'COLOR BLIND'
(Self Release) Reviewed 19th February 2010
This is my second excursion into Israeli prog after the wonderful Slaves for Life by Amaseffer, which saw singer Mats Levin going from the paganism of Therion to a story based on Moses! Color Blind is the debut from this melodic prog outfit formed back in 2002. The intertwining dual vocals are truly stunning, with the sumptuous Dina Shulman, the lovechild of Marcela Bovio and Simone Simons, and the powerful lungs of Teddy Svets, the result of a liaison between Tony Kakko and Michael Ball. My weather report starts with ‘Awaken’, a period of Stream of Passion gothic prog, with sudden squalls of prog metal, and a blistering guitar solo by Artiom Lichtstein. The sun comes out briefly for the bright folky ‘The Earthworker’ before the black clouds gather for the cyclonic Dream Theatre/Epica/Ayreon prog metal of ‘Circle’. The conditions calm for two delightful Mostly Autumn/Marillion melodic prog songs, ‘Bridge’, with its gorgeous instrumentation, including an exquisite flute solo from Teddy, and the more blustery ‘Fifth Season’, both with occasional thundery spells, and a fantastic flurry of keys by Eduard Krakov. Then we are into the lovely misty first part of ‘Conspiracy’ before the swirling metal and melodic tempest of the second half. The freshening wind of the powerful melodic prog ‘Hand Coloured’ is followed by the brief atmospheric breeze of ‘Last…’ which segues into the symphonic prog metal maelstrom of the last track, ‘…Chance’. The music is as changeable and unpredictable as the climate, which makes every gust and lull so enjoyable and fascinating. In summery, the outlook is that fans of Stream of Passion, Ayreon, Mostly Autumn, Epica, Sonata Arctica and Dream Theatre will storm down to CD Baby and order this shining CD. 9.5/10 (Reviewed by Phil Wooldridge)
WAVES UNDER WATER..'SERPENTS AND THE TREE'
(Calorique Records, Danse Macabre, Alive) Reviewed 16th February 2010
Here we have a darkwave electro trio from Sweden featuring the angelic Angelica Segerback on Vox Humana, Johan Svardshammer twiddling the electronics, and Richard Kretschmer parradiddling the live drum pads. Johan also designed the expressive sleeve art, and it is good to see a band creating a potent image with their distinctive steampunk look, it sets the scene for their dark romanticism. Angelica’s voice dreamily floats over a sea of dancing beats, rippling sequencers, and gorgeous rolling synths. By using minor key signatures and thoughtful lyrics they create a dark, dramatic, atmospheric sound, whilst remaining danceable, intelligent and richly melodic; this is music for the mind, soul and feet. The tunes range from dancefloor fillers like ‘Summerland’, to the folk pop of the title track, ‘Serpents and the Tree’, to the moody and deep ‘Because She Is Immortal’, to the mellifluous ‘Winter Garden’, to my fave, the melodramatic ‘Wake the World’. With the right promo they have the potential to cross over into the mainstream. Basically, if you want something that you can really enjoy listening to, or you like swinging a leg if the mood takes your fancy, then you can dance away with this number from most of your fave emporiums, 8.5/10 (Reviewed by Phil)
The SATIN DOLLS..'ILLUMINATI'
(Warm Tide Audio) Reviewed 11th February 2010
The Satin Dolls are a Warwickshire (UK) based four-piece rock/pop band. The group has been lucky enough to perform & record with some well known producers & performers in the UK music scene. The music on offer here is catchy but hard hitting British Rock, that to me at times brings back memories of the punk era. 'Bleed For You' is a catchy track that ranks as a fave of mine on this little gem, and I like 'Walk away' too. 'Walk Away' being the first song professionally recorded by The Satin Dolls, and was produced by Mike Crossey (producer of the Zutons, Artic Monkeys, OMD etc). The Satin Dolls have so far supported some very well known acts in the UK, such as the Feeling, the Specials, Stranglers & the Subways etc. And with the awesome vocals of Julie, there is no reason why this band should not go far. Check them out at www.myspace.com/thesatindollsofficialbandsite and buy the cd. 8/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
SIX MAGICS..'BEHIND THE SORROW'
(Coroner Records/Code7) Reviewed 10th February 2010
Let us now enter the realms of powerful Melodic Bombastic Metal. And this is what these Chilean rockers offer up on this, their third release. Who are Six Magics I hear you cry? Well actually, they have been at the forefront of the Chilean metal scene for 10 years or so, and have shared the stage with such greats as Nightwish, Blind Guardian and Rhapsody. Fronted by the brooding sultry voice of Elizabeth Vasquez, the band's sensational new lead vocalist, and enlisting the services of multi platinum producer, David Prater (Dream Theater amongst others), this album is totally mind blowing. We have 10 tracks and close on 50 minutes of some unbelievably catchy metal...just listen to the title track to see where I am coming from. The whole album rocks, and will surely please fans of the aforementioned Nightwish, Blind Guardian and Rhapsody amongst many others of that genre. Six Magics on this offering deserve to be not only heard, but they should become huge within the genre too. Tracks like 'Run' (with it's 9/11 references), 'Lies and Rules' , 'Hands Of Time' and the power ballad 'They' will leave you gasping for more. And the track 'It's Not The Way'. Unbelievable and totally captivating! Indeed, after the cd finishes, you will be reaching for the repeat button. Buy it when it gets released on 15th February and then...play it loud! Check them out at www.myspace.com/sixmagics. In summary- this is a totally awesome record that demands one attention! This is major label material...enough said! 9.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
THE EDEN HOUSE..'THE LOOKING GLASS'
(Jungle Records) Reviewed 5th February 2010
This new release from The Eden House (their second), that was released on February 1st contains a DVD of a live set recorded only days before the bands first live appearance, plus a 5 track CD of covers of some of the bands favourite songs, from artists as diverse as The Shangri Las, Radiohead and Bjork to name just three! The DVD was mixed at Pink Floyds Astoria studio, while the cd like the debut was mixed by Andy Jackson (Pink Floyd). The core members of the band remain Stephen Carey (This Burning Effigy), and Tony Pettitt (Fields of The Nephilim). And there are four ladies sharing vocal duties, including All About Eve's Julianne Regan. I like this style of atmospheric rock, and this little package would be an ideal introduction to anybody who may be unfamiliar with the band but fancies "giving them a try". 8/10 (Reviewed by Dave)
There are stacks more reviews (from 2006 til Jan 2010) at http://www.ravenheartarchives.com. Check em out!