tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52826879816051343062024-03-19T05:49:12.434+02:0023.58Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5282687981605134306.post-16822569886696581082013-11-25T10:05:00.002+02:002013-11-25T10:05:53.644+02:00Mad Hatter's Den – Welcome To The Den<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sN-FcF4vgqnYI8U8Xg3hy6Xe5hazosjxD-0uBmcznKZNR2wQv5duhsfwSlgoWAKH2CHfr-KabTC6OytJbswn149V4KmV7dZh79W6cRoCVS9lQ2W065pjeAwXSM5-7fQpQGLTCAGqx2I/s1600/icon_review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sN-FcF4vgqnYI8U8Xg3hy6Xe5hazosjxD-0uBmcznKZNR2wQv5duhsfwSlgoWAKH2CHfr-KabTC6OytJbswn149V4KmV7dZh79W6cRoCVS9lQ2W065pjeAwXSM5-7fQpQGLTCAGqx2I/s1600/icon_review.jpg" /></a></div>
Roughly a year has passed since we reviewed their first release, the <i>Dark Wheel</i> EP, and today <b>Mad Hatter's Den</b> are back with a brand new full album <i>Welcome To The Den</i>. The line up has stayed intact since Dark Wheel, but the vocalist <b>Taage Laiho</b>'s presence in the band has solidified further and he now has lyrics writing credits for all new tracks for example. Hopefully this is an indication of stronger commitment to the band; that Taage is here to stay.<br />
<br />
Welcome To The End comprises 9 tracks excluding the intro, out of which 3 have been previously released: <i>Shadow Lord</i> and <i>The Dark Wheel</i> from the Dark Wheel EP, and <i>Stone Cold Flame</i> as a single. That leaves us with 6 new tracks or 32 minutes of previously unheard heavy metal from the Pirkanmaa metallers.<br />
<br />
Musically Welcome To The Den is a pure sequel to The Dark Wheel release as the sound is still the easily recognizable 70-80s heavy metal sound. There's perhaps slightly less of galloping guitars, but in contrast keyboards play a bigger role now, and not completely in the Hammond-esque way either; in fact, there are some very beautiful, not-so-Hammond-style melodies scattered throughout the album.<br />
<br />
<i>Welcome To The Den</i> and <i>Blind Leading The Blind</i> are your generic -for the lack of better word- trustworthy heavy metal songs: they don't particularly stand out, but that doesn't mean they're bad. Easy on ears and a good introduction to the album as whole. <em>Shadow Lord</em> follows fourth and still sounds just as good as always -- no news here.<br />
<br />
The fifth and the next new track, <i>Sinister Monologue</i>, begins with strange progressive guitar riffs which reminds me instantly of <a href="http://youtu.be/_HDTdeb_AVw" target="_blank"><b>Powerwolf</b>'s <i>The Evil Made Me Do It</i></a>. The familiarity is shrugged off pretty quickly, only to drift into another type of familiarity: <b>Iron Maiden</b> -- reminiscent of something like <i>Where The Wild Wind Blows</i>. I cannot exactly say why, but we all have our odd associations. There's a particular atmosphere on this track and it's owed in great lengths to Taage's vocal performance which is nothing short of outstanding. Definitely one of Taage's high points on the album, if not across his whole career. Sinister Monologue quickly rises to the top position of the album so far.<br />
<br />
<i>Journey</i>, which follows next, is a slow and mellow ballad, something that isn't that much to my liking in all honesty. And unfortunately Journey will likely remain the track where I just press skip. Fortunately, on the other hand, Journey is the only song on the album to do that.<br />
<br />
If you're at all into power metal you've definitely heard <i>Legacy Of The Kings</i> by <b>Hammerfall</b>. This time Mad Hatter's Den aren't here to cover anyone and their rendition of <i>Legacy Of The Kings</i> is an instrumental, keyboard-driven show-off from the keyboardist <b>Petja Puumalainen</b>, who also has composing credits for the song. I'll be straight: I like Legacy Of The Kings, and I like it because it feels very 80s and classical. It feels like a tribute to 80s games and their soundtracks. And it also sounds like <i>Castlevania</i>! Anytime a song manages to do all that, I'm instantly sold. I would gladly listen to more of instrumental wonders like this one.<br />
<br />
The last new song on the album is a cunningly named track <i>Sharks Of Power</i> which was released as a trailer for the album a few weeks before the actual album release, so I'd heard it before. And it kicks ass, serious ass, Duke Nukem biting sharks kind of serious ass. No time for chewing bubble gum during this one. The main guitar riff etches into your brain like a music-thirsty parasite. Alongside Sinister Monologue Sharks Of Power is the best new material this album has to offer.<br />
<br />
The Dark Wheel and Stone Cold Flame conclude the 50 minutes of heavy metal and I'm left, again, with a very positive vibe -- even more so than with the Dark Wheel EP. Mad Hatter's Den continue extremely strong on their path doing what they do best: damn good melodic heavy metal. If you're looking to buy one heavy metal album this year, make it be Welcome To The Den. I don't think you'll be disappointed. One of the best releases this year, and considering the number of high quality releases from many notable bands this year, that's a lot to say.<br />
<br />
You can listen to some of the tracks and buy the album <a href="http://www.madhattersden.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/tEppElFvRzc" target="_blank">Sharks of Power on Youtube</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">9</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWacCcctOajr6yC_3hTKTow5k1JQ6z52pnStY9oNNS8ta8Vme_mvEsspjG20GLdNsj3kNCF15F2RRW5PIErE_ZaiGjlilYce4V2o9Fno-7Px06XqgJT3hDvEV453JHYEi4Ipx8RqnoHu0/s1600/9_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWacCcctOajr6yC_3hTKTow5k1JQ6z52pnStY9oNNS8ta8Vme_mvEsspjG20GLdNsj3kNCF15F2RRW5PIErE_ZaiGjlilYce4V2o9Fno-7Px06XqgJT3hDvEV453JHYEi4Ipx8RqnoHu0/s1600/9_10.jpg" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5282687981605134306.post-3025238904613510422013-05-04T18:20:00.000+03:002013-05-04T18:21:41.511+03:00Vomitron - No NES for the Wicked<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Kd1I54hypUkDdz-EPD4kTr3Pq_JNdQf2QrorE4uwAUrXtxXMkBmGHhswP4vT9xbhXEMQSEdD_9AJqtPLux6yDY02keibtA8kJ7eadj-Fdce20KUvQgByTlYF0VyQU_mR3w27KHNOS38/s1600/icon_week.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Kd1I54hypUkDdz-EPD4kTr3Pq_JNdQf2QrorE4uwAUrXtxXMkBmGHhswP4vT9xbhXEMQSEdD_9AJqtPLux6yDY02keibtA8kJ7eadj-Fdce20KUvQgByTlYF0VyQU_mR3w27KHNOS38/s1600/icon_week.jpg" /></a></div>
<i>No NES for the Wicked</i> is a tribute to the 8-bit music of NES by the American <b>Peter "Vomitron" Rutcho</b> (e.g. <b>Armory</b>, <b>Graveheart</b>), and its style is in vein of symphonic power metal, a bit like his other band Armory's. Video game tribute bands seem to be a relatively common occurrence across the big pond, and other popular North American acts such as <b>Armcannon</b>, <b>Minibosses, </b><b>Powerglove </b>and<b> Stage 3-1 </b>also represent the genre (albeit not strictly limited to any particular console).<br />
<br />
The album was released already in 2011, so a lot of water has flown under the bridge since then giving me ample time to get to know this record well. And the more I listen to it the more I am convinced that No NES for the Wicked is the best console video game tribute in whole, surpassing even such releases as <i>Legvacuum</i> and <i>Metal Kombat for the Mortal Man</i> by Armcannon and Powerglove respectively, which I'd considered top releases of the genre for long.<br />
<br />
The tracks on the album are more or less based on classic NES games, but curiously enough, such popular titles as <i>Mega Man</i> and <i>Super Mario</i> have been completely excluded. Perhaps this is suitable to its purpose since both themes have been remixed and covered to no end by both well and lesser known artists. Instead of that, Vomitron focuses on <i>Ninja Gaiden</i> (European title <i>Shadow Warrior</i>) for two tracks worth spanning all six acts, and doing it with quite a masterly touch, totally toppling Minibosses' Ninja Gaiden song which I previously regarded as <i>The</i> Ninja Gaiden remix. That isn't to undermine the Minibosses' version but to further highlight the skillful touch and genius of Vomitron.<br />
<br />
Other high points of the album are <i>Blaster Master</i> – a title somewhat unfamiliar to me
–
and of course everyone's favorite pieces, both <i>Zeldas</i>. Especially the relative nutcase of the game series, <i>Zelda II,</i> gets such a treatment in Vomitron's hands that it reaches the top of the album along with Ninja Gaiden. <br />
<br />
Three pieces of <i>Tetris</i> have also been included as certain types of intermezzos, but unfortunately they never quite manage to hold my attention, and frankly I'd rather have seen them dropped altogether. Not a big hit or miss in any event due to their short lengths and spacing around the album.<br />
<br />
When the legendary <i>Castlevania</i> themes are finally finished, Vomitron's style hasn't trembled at all. <i>No NES for the Wicked</i> is premium quality and deserves a permanent place on my cell phone's playlist. One must hope that Mr. Rutcho will invest in the game music genre in the future as well, maybe in the form of No <i>SNES</i> for the Wicked? I dare to think that the mister's treatments to certain <i>Final Fantasy</i> songs would bring tears to one's eyes and make shivers run down the spine. And in case the Final Fantasy series feels too worn-out already, there are lots of other potential SNES titles for such material. Failing that, there are a bunch of NES tunes still to plow through, or what say thee <i>Shadowgate</i>, or a little less known masterpiece called <i>Tecmo Cup Soccer</i> (JP: <i>Captain Tsubasa</i>). Here's hoping!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">9 </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWacCcctOajr6yC_3hTKTow5k1JQ6z52pnStY9oNNS8ta8Vme_mvEsspjG20GLdNsj3kNCF15F2RRW5PIErE_ZaiGjlilYce4V2o9Fno-7Px06XqgJT3hDvEV453JHYEi4Ipx8RqnoHu0/s1600/9_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWacCcctOajr6yC_3hTKTow5k1JQ6z52pnStY9oNNS8ta8Vme_mvEsspjG20GLdNsj3kNCF15F2RRW5PIErE_ZaiGjlilYce4V2o9Fno-7Px06XqgJT3hDvEV453JHYEi4Ipx8RqnoHu0/s1600/9_10.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
You can buy the album (along with a nice t-shirt and a poster you wouldn't want to miss for life) on the <a href="http://www.vomitron665.com/" target="_blank">Vomitron website</a>.<br />
<br />
No NES for the Wicked is also on <a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/1mTmQ5xrkMFtJl40v54GHl" target="_blank">Spotify</a> along with some of Vomitron's earlier works.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5282687981605134306.post-6858072908826675272013-04-30T10:19:00.000+03:002013-05-07T19:20:00.275+03:00Dreamtale – World Changed Forever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sN-FcF4vgqnYI8U8Xg3hy6Xe5hazosjxD-0uBmcznKZNR2wQv5duhsfwSlgoWAKH2CHfr-KabTC6OytJbswn149V4KmV7dZh79W6cRoCVS9lQ2W065pjeAwXSM5-7fQpQGLTCAGqx2I/s1600/icon_review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sN-FcF4vgqnYI8U8Xg3hy6Xe5hazosjxD-0uBmcznKZNR2wQv5duhsfwSlgoWAKH2CHfr-KabTC6OytJbswn149V4KmV7dZh79W6cRoCVS9lQ2W065pjeAwXSM5-7fQpQGLTCAGqx2I/s1600/icon_review.jpg" /></a></div>
On Friday the 26th of April 2013, <b>Dreamtale</b> released their sixth album <i>World Changed Forever</i> under their own label <i>Secret Door</i>, preceded by two single releases as well.<br />
<br />
Unlike most of Dreamtale's earlier albums, WCF is a concept album, and should also be regarded as such since this concept gives the record a whole new dimension. The album begins with a peaceful melody of the first track <i>The Shore</i>, which sounds almost like a lullaby. It's not an explosive way to start a power metal album, but certainly an apt "once upon a time in 2040" piece. That's right – the story of the album takes place in the future. Although the tracks tell the story from the beginning to the end, the CD booklet adds a lot of information to the mere lyrics – in fact even such essential details that without them the whole concept will not open up.<br />
<br />
The second track,<i> Island Of My Heart</i>, leads the listener to genuine power metal and deeper understanding of the story. The song begins with an exciting intro and is topped off with a catchy chorus – a feature very peculiar to Dreamtale. It is followed by<i> Tides Of War</i>, the first single release and a song with an equally fine chorus and melodies which get stuck in your head. Both tracks are good examples of why the founder and main composer <b>Rami Keränen</b> should receive a lot of appreciation for his skills and creativity.<br />
<br />
The story goes on with <i>We Have No God</i>, the song with ominous verses uttered in a lower tone, and <i>The Signs Were True</i>, which resembles a proclamation in its humble pomposity. <i>The Heart After Dark</i> was a bit tougher track to get a good hold of, but it turned out to be versatile, conveying a variety of emotions, as well as the lack thereof in an excellent way.<i> Join The Rain</i> is yet another great track which thrives from the very beginning to its strong chorus – however, such lines as "join the rain, my blackened angel" may sound slightly lame with a term that bears resemblance to a pre-teen goth's online nickname, and in this case only the additional text in the booklet justifies the use of such words.<br />
<br />
Personally, I think ballads are a difficult form of art and too many such songs turn out unsuccessful, but Dreamtale has succeeded in that as well. The title track <i>World Changed Forever</i> is a very beautiful piece which also honours <b>Erkki Seppänen</b>'s emotional vocals – moreover, it is also the only exception composed by him instead of Keränen. <i>Dreamtime</i> is not a ballad but a song swinging from one mood to another, growing from peacefulness to real power metal. <i>Destiny's Chance</i>, the last track, is a fine way to bring the story to its end, which is not exactly "and they lived happily ever after", yet its chorus has a glimmer of hope with the lead and backing vocals chanting <i>"sing now my friends although this is the end"</i>.<br />
<br />
As a whole, the album is again another strong proof of Dreamtale's talent and urge to create awesome power metal, such masterpieces as the aforementioned tracks as well as <i>My Next Move</i>, which contains an interlude slightly similar to that of <i>Lady of A Thousand Lake</i>'s and is also a great track despite its slightly awkward ending. The tracks also contain some character dialogue of the story, performed not only by Seppänen and a guest star Heikki A. Kovalainen but also the band's keyboard genius <b>Akseli Kaasalainen</b>. And if one doesn't pay attention to the concept and the story, that dialogue may seem unnecessary and disconnected, yet those lines also have a lot to tell. The story is like a modern, alternative and particularly unscrupulous version of <i>Pocahontas</i>, even starring a cold-blooded self-seeker called John.<br />
<br />
Not everything on the album opened up when listening to it for the first time through, but it is a solid, great Dreamtale release – lived up to the expectations one can set for the band and compared with their previous album, it is of the same high standard. Since Rami Keränen hasn't obviously run out of successful ideas for melodies yet, we can probably start looking forward to equally excellent future releases. But until that happens, World Changed Forever will certainly stand up to heavy listening.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">9</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWacCcctOajr6yC_3hTKTow5k1JQ6z52pnStY9oNNS8ta8Vme_mvEsspjG20GLdNsj3kNCF15F2RRW5PIErE_ZaiGjlilYce4V2o9Fno-7Px06XqgJT3hDvEV453JHYEi4Ipx8RqnoHu0/s1600/9_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWacCcctOajr6yC_3hTKTow5k1JQ6z52pnStY9oNNS8ta8Vme_mvEsspjG20GLdNsj3kNCF15F2RRW5PIErE_ZaiGjlilYce4V2o9Fno-7Px06XqgJT3hDvEV453JHYEi4Ipx8RqnoHu0/s1600/9_10.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5282687981605134306.post-17139798602500740462013-04-25T14:36:00.000+03:002013-04-25T14:36:48.925+03:00LIVE: Stratovarius, support: Dreamtale, April 20th<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxVYh2lLPW-1ZDaYFHIIs5aeNsywZi94SvIBjHl-HPPwXZc3uUbPbf1Lbty0IWBGVrkTKGBf3sPGEtjrRIGJ97DqdipeGoRa4zo7NcslsBouwJoUNveFD58TsCa0rJTdYLIhQNJUt0O8/s1600/icon_gig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxVYh2lLPW-1ZDaYFHIIs5aeNsywZi94SvIBjHl-HPPwXZc3uUbPbf1Lbty0IWBGVrkTKGBf3sPGEtjrRIGJ97DqdipeGoRa4zo7NcslsBouwJoUNveFD58TsCa0rJTdYLIhQNJUt0O8/s1600/icon_gig.jpg" /></a></div>
On April 20th <b>Stratovarius</b> returned to Tampere to celebrate and promote their newest album <i>Nemesis</i>, which was released two months earlier. Pakkahuone was not full, which was probably unfortunate for the artists yet certainly comfortable for the audience.<br />
<br />
Tampere's own power metal act, <b>Dreamtale</b>, was also there to warm up the audience for Stratovarius. They are also just about to release their sixth album <i>World Changed Forever</i> on April 26th, and nearly half of the songs performed on Saturday were off that new album.<br />
<br />
Dreamtale's gig started out with <i>Powerplay</i>, which is one of their best tracks – and a magnificent live track, and something I had never heard at the very beginning of their show before, but it was a nice surprise. It was followed by <i>Firestorm</i>, a powerful track they have often played at the beginning, but it also tends to be a successful way to turn the audience on. Soon we got to hear something they haven't been playing much lately – <i>Wings Of Icaros</i> off the album <i>Difference</i> – yet they had apparently played it before when warming up for Stratovarius.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNHPIuGc8RGX4Q1en4F9-91Qz_4VPz3-TnKDxegtBMmmXCMMlROBuDUMXD7dyGkPMRJjjQhlrYEE8pck2DRoLW-rkvbn3N-6sD7fNvxJwM0o1BAi_4t-FXvh2hn9xP1lKWdhjMY2UDB2M/s1600/DSC_0547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNHPIuGc8RGX4Q1en4F9-91Qz_4VPz3-TnKDxegtBMmmXCMMlROBuDUMXD7dyGkPMRJjjQhlrYEE8pck2DRoLW-rkvbn3N-6sD7fNvxJwM0o1BAi_4t-FXvh2hn9xP1lKWdhjMY2UDB2M/s640/DSC_0547.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The new songs sound great and set high expectations for the upcoming album. Even yours truly, who usually prefers to hear only familiar songs live, can truly enjoy those tracks, even hearing more than one or two new ones. <i>Tides of War</i>, <i>The Signs Were True</i>, <i>Island of My Heart</i> and <i>Join The Rain</i> are all warmly welcome to Dreamtale's future live sets!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRGFEA-Nr2kz7IABRdpScGGlt2Pid8MKDDkz8mU9r6ibXQdrnN-bbPdkgyteKfOGboyH5tm80anqyQzmt0s8yqf2PbdTQLWkgXyxVjLOtQlZwZ66uwqS1CBZ-1JyRL-ysVI1Tp3TSicc/s1600/DSC_0553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRGFEA-Nr2kz7IABRdpScGGlt2Pid8MKDDkz8mU9r6ibXQdrnN-bbPdkgyteKfOGboyH5tm80anqyQzmt0s8yqf2PbdTQLWkgXyxVjLOtQlZwZ66uwqS1CBZ-1JyRL-ysVI1Tp3TSicc/s640/DSC_0553.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
While<i> Where Eternal Jesters Reign</i> is a good track and a nice enough live track, I would rather leave it out and include <i>Angel of Light</i> or <i>Lady of a Thousand Lakes</i> in an ideal Dreamtale setlist, but all in all, the show which was finished with<i> Take What The Heavens Create</i> was particularly enjoyable and fierce. And, unfortunately for Stratovarius, Dreamtale rocked the night.<br />
<br />
Stratovarius started out with the first track of their new album, <i>Abandon</i>, which isn't a bad song, but not the best or the most stunning way to open up a live show. However, the second track, <i>Speed of Light</i>, made up a bit for what <i>Abandon</i> couldn't do. The third one, <i>Halcyon Days</i> off the new album, was a good choice too, being one of the nicest new songs.<br />
<br />
Then the band returned to the 90's to please those who are not too fond of the newer material with <i>Eternity</i>, yet it was followed by a new track again – <i>Dragons</i>. However, it also belongs to the strongest new tracks and was an agreeable live piece. The set comprised the majority of the songs included in the newest album, and didn't offer much to those who prefer their older material. <i>Destiny</i> was heard, as well as <i>Against the Wind</i> – and naturally, <i>Eagleheart</i>, <i>Black Diamond</i> and <i>Hunting High and Low</i>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeaq8GUGBZsD6rnNkz1M8Hc-krN2l5oSP5exhJM60NMtwgZiN_XLgpCRyuKzSBavqaZBnYJQFBX5M6pDmk4I_RFoa5qow_eSEAFLzjBaFoSwrE-WAzHHsugpJbbKTjXJYNJVdjLMg8g0/s1600/DSC_0568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeaq8GUGBZsD6rnNkz1M8Hc-krN2l5oSP5exhJM60NMtwgZiN_XLgpCRyuKzSBavqaZBnYJQFBX5M6pDmk4I_RFoa5qow_eSEAFLzjBaFoSwrE-WAzHHsugpJbbKTjXJYNJVdjLMg8g0/s640/DSC_0568.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
One moment between songs was filled with a drum solo, showing off how a guy from Tampere, <b>Rolf Pilve</b>, can handle his drumsticks in front of the audience from his hometown. While the act was skillful, it was unnecessary and relatively boring, obviously making many people in the audience yawn and eagerly waiting for the next actual song. Later <b>Lauri Porra</b>'s bass solo turned out to be somewhat more interesting and enjoyable, but still not a particularly good way to spend time during a live show. And since the show didn't feel particularly versatile to begin with, the solo parts did not really claim their place.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnqaFj-iNdSoZCp448Gjvfy5hUXKchZQCrqiy7XthZaploHcUomKqVKaFNVhpNO8d8Y-cQ23VaH0wFt3qR8q3U76s5AZCK3PzEv7GYCckUdlGqTHrtBlOMYlI6SVbSRIKWouzbubnj00/s1600/DSC_0575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnqaFj-iNdSoZCp448Gjvfy5hUXKchZQCrqiy7XthZaploHcUomKqVKaFNVhpNO8d8Y-cQ23VaH0wFt3qR8q3U76s5AZCK3PzEv7GYCckUdlGqTHrtBlOMYlI6SVbSRIKWouzbubnj00/s640/DSC_0575.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
For those who both attended the concert where <i>Under Flaming Winter Skies – Live in Tampere</i> live album and DVD were recorded and have also been listening to those, some moments during the gig were sort of small déjà vus. <b>Timo Kotipelto</b> says such things between the songs which are touching at best but cliché at worst, and some phrases and sentences were exactly the same or very similar to those uttered in 2011. Sure it is a difficult task for the vocalist to come up with something smart to say between the songs, a gig after gig and a tour after tour, but Kotipelto's attempts to flatter his audience are not particularly convincing. Making the audience repeat "hunting high and low" again and again is not also the most interesting way to get them engaged and excited (at the very end of the gig).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqK6YFNwSKIRdRPW6XKRQUU-M6Lctw5MvDyR0Q7fMO9q_DXKapDzaX9P3uc_iBURDV8C3hJQd1zaKiarP79BKfR1ZPfWUQgNw6qg1bYyhJrhjnPpaRmI3ogE9Si5e2O1jf9u6rZQ82dl4/s1600/DSC_0571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqK6YFNwSKIRdRPW6XKRQUU-M6Lctw5MvDyR0Q7fMO9q_DXKapDzaX9P3uc_iBURDV8C3hJQd1zaKiarP79BKfR1ZPfWUQgNw6qg1bYyhJrhjnPpaRmI3ogE9Si5e2O1jf9u6rZQ82dl4/s640/DSC_0571.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
All in all, Stratovarius's show was a disappointment, boring as a whole despite the occasional very enjoyable tracks. As stated earlier, the support act was the winner of the night. Both bands suffered from slightly bad sounds though, leaving especially vocals occasionally quite muffled, which was unfortunate, yet not the reason why Stratovarius didn't manage to blow my mind.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5282687981605134306.post-11706528912355842922013-03-14T22:27:00.003+02:002013-03-14T22:27:56.452+02:00Gloryhammer – Angus McFife<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmOyLyyWCfyAnRP-wse9idmxvLVrJJiWqXAprnDoJ8Go3hj4KdauprqpWHzuX0H1Y5uOXTHVva-nyi4nOK9DDfXwRMedwQcvdBpMdw2HHZqXS_bwFRoxKx9ngs_-5B8b2vvf1J0PhUbk/s1600/icon_video.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmOyLyyWCfyAnRP-wse9idmxvLVrJJiWqXAprnDoJ8Go3hj4KdauprqpWHzuX0H1Y5uOXTHVva-nyi4nOK9DDfXwRMedwQcvdBpMdw2HHZqXS_bwFRoxKx9ngs_-5B8b2vvf1J0PhUbk/s1600/icon_video.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Christopher Bowes</b>, the frontman of the pirate metal band <b>Alestorm</b>, is making new music with his side project <b>Gloryhammer</b>. The band plays very honest and epic power metal, and Bowes himself can be found behind the keyboards this time.<br />
<br />
Their first album,<i> Tales from the Kingdom of Fife</i>, is to be released on March 29th. It is a concept album with a story set in medieval Scotland with fantasy elements – well, yes, such classic power metal themes as dragons, battles, wizards and magic. Since such stories need an epic hero, <i>Angus McFife</i> is wielding his weapons in the name of glory.<br />
<br />
And the first video, <b>Angus McFife</b>, is quite promising. In spite of being a fan of Alestorm, I hadn't really been looking forward to Gloryhammer's releases – mostly because I had forgotten to pay enough attention. Well, Gloryhammer is an entirely different project anyway, but it seems that Chris Bowes has a lot more to give to the metal scene than just piratey folk and power metal. Gloryhammer is symphonic and impressive – and certainly gave a good first impression! <b>Thomas Winkler</b> is also singing like a siren and contributing quite a lot of power to metal in this act, being a very fine choice for a vocalist.<br />
<br />
While some can probably find the lyrical themes quite cheesy and comical, the song is still particularly catchy! And the video – it's not too comical or ridiculous, it's actually warm (and I am not only referring to the color scheme with a yellowish sky) and cosy – something you should see for yourself.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VTW30Q4B3Go" width="640"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5282687981605134306.post-12965616770333207182013-02-13T14:30:00.000+02:002013-02-13T14:30:03.655+02:00LIVE: Amorphis, December 29th, 2012<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxVYh2lLPW-1ZDaYFHIIs5aeNsywZi94SvIBjHl-HPPwXZc3uUbPbf1Lbty0IWBGVrkTKGBf3sPGEtjrRIGJ97DqdipeGoRa4zo7NcslsBouwJoUNveFD58TsCa0rJTdYLIhQNJUt0O8/s1600/icon_gig.jpg" /></div>
After the world again ended but before the year 2012 came to its timely end Amorphis toured the Finnish venues in December again -- a seemingly semi-customary tradition by now. We stopped by to check out the Pakkahuone gig in Tampere once again after some consideration. To warm up for them two bands had been announced: <b>Blackstar Halo</b> and <b>Brigadnij Podrjad</b>. We were sure to be on time for Blackstar Halo who would kick the evening off at around 20:00 local time.
<br />
<br />
Upon our arrival it was noticeable how few people there were. We got in close to the stage where only a handful others were by that time. And the majority of those who were already present were just securing their front row spots for Amorphis from the looks of things.<br />
<br />
Blackstar Halo started pretty much right on time with one of my favorite tracks <i>Alice in Wonderland</i>. The singer <b>Ville Hovi</b> looked to be in a happy mood and was constantly reminding the audience to smile a little. After <i>Alice</i>, the band played two or three completely new songs from their upcoming album which should be coming out in 2013. The third track I'm not sure of as it was just described as "Rammstein" but there was a certain familiarity to it so I'll have to wonder if it was something from the existing releases. Be what it may, the new songs sounded good, especially a track titled <i>Wolf the Mender. </i>To complete the unfortunately short set of only 6 songs, <i>In Flames</i> and <i>Illuminated</i> were then played. I had hoped for <i>Dark Parade</i> and <i>End of the Story</i> but perhaps another time then!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_RaKS1dAPXWFkXx7cLeNkvJnHmHt4clSHmcsEnYWRimiOXhrMst0u4RviEm8XNInRUjG0pIx90Cu5DxZvk5tRKJTJD9g3QG3-3i_GBHnW3zfS7GHsJNbt0RmwnEe3lt7S6-_TfpxQZE/s1600/DSC_0471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_RaKS1dAPXWFkXx7cLeNkvJnHmHt4clSHmcsEnYWRimiOXhrMst0u4RviEm8XNInRUjG0pIx90Cu5DxZvk5tRKJTJD9g3QG3-3i_GBHnW3zfS7GHsJNbt0RmwnEe3lt7S6-_TfpxQZE/s640/DSC_0471.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The sounds were (surprisingly) crisp and clear throughout the entire show and the rest of the band seemed to have a good time too, not just the singer. Alongside him, the guitarist <b>Timo Eskelinen</b> had a happy grin on his face for most of the show. Blackstar Halo left the few of us in the audience largely happy I would wager and looking forward to the next performer, <b>Brigadnij Podrjad</b>.
<br />
<br />
At 20:45 it was time for the mysterious, unknown to most people I imagine, <b>Brigadnij Podrjad</b>. My eyes first caught the British flag painted guitar on the guitarist (on left in the picture below) and then the bassist (on the right) who was dressed in a very hipster kind of way. After the music began, <i>Anarchy in the UK</i> vibes coursed through my veins: this is as punk as things can get! The show consisted of a lot of short tracks, as is customary for punk I believe, with some speaks between the songs that mainly prepared the audience for the chorus that was coming up in the next song so we could sing along. And it worked, at least for me.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sGerH9mR3Z1mUAan5lCdsVpdL2KgAhwMC33PN_m-NcccRvoZHfxCED-3rNgj3bOm0hJuB0tX7bijmCQ7QxhxwT0fUfK4pYWKqf3VWSZ4L4XVjYfBUI3MKjMRFI9MqPK0lDDJKEtD1KQ/s1600/DSC_0481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sGerH9mR3Z1mUAan5lCdsVpdL2KgAhwMC33PN_m-NcccRvoZHfxCED-3rNgj3bOm0hJuB0tX7bijmCQ7QxhxwT0fUfK4pYWKqf3VWSZ4L4XVjYfBUI3MKjMRFI9MqPK0lDDJKEtD1KQ/s640/DSC_0481.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This punk band from St. Petersburg apparently (and already active in the 80's!) did an extremely entertaining show for most parts, but it was perhaps a bit too long as some repetition reared its ugly head towards the end. Sounds were again very good but there were very audible backing tracks on some guitar parts at least. Nevertheless, when the quintet left the stage I was smiling; they came to do what a warm-up band should do.<br />
<br />
By this time more crowd had gathered up but the murky Pakkahuone was still far from being crowded. Even the beer queues were short, which is always a good thing though! Around 21:50 the lights went out and it was time for <b>Amorphis</b>. I've seen Amorphis so many times that I knew they would do a solid show like always, especially since <b>Tomi Joutsen</b>'s entry to the band. The full set list of the show is readable on <a href="http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/amorphis/2012/pakkahuone-tampere-finland-bda4de6.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">setlist.fm</a> and I won't repeat it here. Suffice it to say there were no big surprises but it's always nice when they shuffle things a bit and include lesser-played songs like <i>Better Unborn</i> or <i>Sign From the North Side</i>. The new track <i>Mehtä</i> sounded very heavy (think <i>Majestic Beast</i>) but melodic, something you would expect from Amorphis in all honesty.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPfWCe93eRnsegp9ILiJrpbOKG7IpKpEy4QadViFNjIWxrqOVYv69eB5PkgAE0Xrj-jazc-9wZmq7XaekS-HrvM45M-JJFsLdSaT0vdr40LUDYXzapMlQBggCncP_Oq3SQb6LCmDJMm8/s1600/12120005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPfWCe93eRnsegp9ILiJrpbOKG7IpKpEy4QadViFNjIWxrqOVYv69eB5PkgAE0Xrj-jazc-9wZmq7XaekS-HrvM45M-JJFsLdSaT0vdr40LUDYXzapMlQBggCncP_Oq3SQb6LCmDJMm8/s640/12120005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Before the encore, a record label representative came out to announce Amorphis had scored gold on their latest album <i>The Beginning of Times</i> and was met with applauds and cheers. Personally the album is a hit and miss for me, but that's for another discussion or review. Still, it's not easy for a metal band to get recognized like that and Amorphis with their 20-year-long+ career surely deserves it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFE362iV8x-ENlZyXEQ0YSebdmRKZzwg1puf2wMQYInd0j1TU3R5zRIZJM-wNEqpTsoJDCoQrRPrIfuytfTAPWfZAQkU2wH4yn68CnCqsfk7VeLY-wD4xqLgI8t7sK_G-aOqCOA4XVkro/s1600/12120015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFE362iV8x-ENlZyXEQ0YSebdmRKZzwg1puf2wMQYInd0j1TU3R5zRIZJM-wNEqpTsoJDCoQrRPrIfuytfTAPWfZAQkU2wH4yn68CnCqsfk7VeLY-wD4xqLgI8t7sK_G-aOqCOA4XVkro/s640/12120015.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Unlike in case of warm up bands, the Amorphis sounds were a bit dusty and "packed up", and just not as clear as with prior performers. When the gig ended to <i>Black Winter Day</i> it was time to roll out to a black winter night mostly pleased with the evening. <b>Blackstar Halo</b> were definitely good as were
<b>Brigadnij Podrjad</b>. <b>Amorphis</b> tours so much in Finland it's easy to get an overdose on them, and this perhaps felt a bit like that.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5282687981605134306.post-75721942980961062082013-01-11T22:03:00.000+02:002013-01-12T16:14:18.448+02:00Civil War - Civil War EP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_pV_kpi3S-d1VQ7GST-RKY4RwDoSeqAG0M_tFzk-COn1XtR95-SZzV86NhlMFld9i4nRO07S5srH2kfrzfAlD83f5hG8a-jGfX3jRasHikUUkSaPu7VkIE_NlwnFT7hY_fei5Raz9Vs/s1600/icon_ep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_pV_kpi3S-d1VQ7GST-RKY4RwDoSeqAG0M_tFzk-COn1XtR95-SZzV86NhlMFld9i4nRO07S5srH2kfrzfAlD83f5hG8a-jGfX3jRasHikUUkSaPu7VkIE_NlwnFT7hY_fei5Raz9Vs/s1600/icon_ep.jpg" /></a></div>
After the Swedish warmetallers <b>Sabaton</b> split up in two oddly-sized halves in the early 2012, <b>Daniel Mullback</b>, <b>Oskar Montelius</b>, <b>Daniel Mÿhr</b> and <b>Rikard Sundén</b> suddenly found themselves without a band. However, that period was short-lived and the phoenix arose in form of <b>Civil War</b>, who are here today to continue the warmetal path for which <b>Sabaton</b> paved the way. To fill the singer and drummer boots, <b>Nils Patrik Johansson</b> of <b>Wuthering Heights / Astral Doors / Lion's Share</b> fame and <b>Stefan Eriksson</b> (<b>Volturyon)</b> were recruited. Civil War's<b> </b>first release is their eponymous <b>Civil War</b> EP, released via a small label named Despotz Records.<br />
<br />
The EP contains five tracks, one of which is a fairly curious cover of a <b>Nelly Furtado</b> song called <i>Say It Right</i><i><b>.</b></i><i> </i>The other four represent the style of metal Civil War are about, and if one were to describe it using traditional genres, heavy metal springs to mind first and foremost. I don't have a lot to say, negative or positive, about the cover track, so I'll focus on the actual Civil War music in this review.<br />
<br />
The EP starts off with a track called <i>Rome Is Falling</i>, and I dare say right off the bat it's one of the catchiest heavy metal songs I've heard. The chorus especially is exceptionally captivating, and the incredibly talented <b>Nils Patrik Johansson</b>'s voice has never sounded better. Considering the EP originally came out in 2012, I can't nominate <i>Rome Is Falling</i> as the track of 2013 even though I'd like to! Pretending I have a time machine at hand, I'll go back to late 2012 and declare <i>Rome Is Falling </i>as the best track in 2012.<br />
<br />
<i>Forevermore</i> is a ballad-esque song where the voice of <b>NPJ</b> gets all the space it deserves making chills run down one's spines. However, ballads are something I don't particularly find very interesting and <i>Forevermore</i> isn't really an exception. Don't misinterpret me; <i>Forevermore</i> is not a bad track, but there are times when you'd rather listen to the roaring thunders of a civil war more than to a soft ballad! The track is saved by the magnificent rendition of vocals by <b>NPJ</b> once again which makes the song have such a good feeling to it despite its style.<br />
<br />
The title track <i>Civil War</i> represents quite the traditional heavy metal and there are no big surprises contained within this track. A good track, but nothing spectacular. I do like the compact sounds but apart from that there are no really eyebrow-raising moments here. Just good, solid heavy metal for the fans of it.<br />
<br />
To close down this chapter of an EP, the last track, <i>Custer's Last Stand</i>, tells the tale of the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876 where the joint forces of the Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes under the lead and visions of Sitting Bull rose against the US armies who'd invaded and taken over their sacred lands. Lt. Colonel George Custer, a popular Civil War hero then, and his troop of 210 men were overwhelmed and massacred by the Indians resulting in nationwide demand for retribution, which ultimately culminated in the destruction of the Sioux tribe about a year later.<br />
<b><br /></b>So much for the history lesson! The song starts with war-like drumming and gloomy guitars as if opening up for the thunderous events of battle to come. Yet again I must praise the vocals as it's really difficult to imagine anyone else laying the same feeling to this song than <b>NPJ</b>. The whole composition of the song works out great and there are no dull moments in this track. <i>Custer's Last Stand</i> is a fitting ending track for Civil War EP as it leaves one wanting to hear more, and more, and more. And more.<br />
<br />
Civil War is not just another Sabaton by any means even though there are Sabaton-like moments here and there, particularly the sound environment is reminiscent of that of Sabaton's. The EP doesn't leave anyone with liking for the genre in cold; in fact, even as an avid Sabaton fan, I'm now far more interested in hearing the next Civil War album than the next Sabaton album. I for one welcome the different aspects into depths of history as provided by Civil War, not just the modern warfare era. I was skeptical what would happen after the split in Sabaton, but now I'm more than happy that it happened. Let's hope this won't be <i>Civil War's last stand</i>, and indeed the guys are, according to their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Civilwarsweden" target="_blank">Facebook updates</a>, in process of producing new songs for the upcoming full album. Nine cheers for Civil War! <br />
<br />
You can listen to <i>Rome Is Falling</i> on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IprP2Bdq4s" target="_blank">Youtube</a>. Civil War EP is also on <a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/4SOEFoTyZjoUdj2n3o7XaP" target="_blank">Spotify</a>.<br />
Buy the album directly at <a href="http://despotz.bigcartel.com/artist/civil-war" target="_blank">Despotz Records</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">9 </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWacCcctOajr6yC_3hTKTow5k1JQ6z52pnStY9oNNS8ta8Vme_mvEsspjG20GLdNsj3kNCF15F2RRW5PIErE_ZaiGjlilYce4V2o9Fno-7Px06XqgJT3hDvEV453JHYEi4Ipx8RqnoHu0/s1600/9_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWacCcctOajr6yC_3hTKTow5k1JQ6z52pnStY9oNNS8ta8Vme_mvEsspjG20GLdNsj3kNCF15F2RRW5PIErE_ZaiGjlilYce4V2o9Fno-7Px06XqgJT3hDvEV453JHYEi4Ipx8RqnoHu0/s1600/9_10.jpg" /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5282687981605134306.post-49569470560192289882012-12-28T13:42:00.000+02:002012-12-28T13:43:20.870+02:00Orden Ogan – To The End<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sN-FcF4vgqnYI8U8Xg3hy6Xe5hazosjxD-0uBmcznKZNR2wQv5duhsfwSlgoWAKH2CHfr-KabTC6OytJbswn149V4KmV7dZh79W6cRoCVS9lQ2W065pjeAwXSM5-7fQpQGLTCAGqx2I/s1600/icon_review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sN-FcF4vgqnYI8U8Xg3hy6Xe5hazosjxD-0uBmcznKZNR2wQv5duhsfwSlgoWAKH2CHfr-KabTC6OytJbswn149V4KmV7dZh79W6cRoCVS9lQ2W065pjeAwXSM5-7fQpQGLTCAGqx2I/s1600/icon_review.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Orden Ogan</b> released their fourth full-length album a few months ago, titled <i>To The End</i>. The version to be reviewed here is the LTD Digipak which included two bonus tracks and a DVD – the latter shall be omitted, though it comprised <a href="http://2-min.blogspot.fi/2012/09/orden-ogan-things-we-believe-in.html"><i>The Things We Believe In</i> video</a>, its "behind the scenes" and Wacken 2010 live show.<br />
<br />
In spite of the positive first impression (which began with the first single releases), the album turned out to be difficult to get a good grasp of. It sounds like Orden Ogan immediately, but it had to be played through several times in order to fully get into each individual song.<br />
<br />
The album begins with an instrumental track <i>The Frozen Few</i>, which has some nice and simple guitars with a growing orchestral feeling, something which sounds very peculiar to Ogan. The opening leads to the title track <i>To The End</i>, which is catchy enough to be placed at the beginning, to introduce those choirs which are very typical of Orden Ogan.<br />
<br />
Most songs on the album are strong power metal pieces, with some pleasant and occasionally fast guitars and—as already stated—some pompous choirs. Such vocals have been included in every track on the album, more—like in <i>Till The Stars Cry Out</i> with several different repeated sections with choirs—or less, like in the first ballad <i>The Ice Kings</i>, in which the chorus parts are relatively peaceful, less bombastic, with a nice and slightly swinging melody. Orden Ogan's habit to use choirs to such extent may be a bit debatable – on one hand it is like a trademark, sort of a vocal way of adding "power" to "metal", yet on the other hand it may become a burden as well, making one wonder what else could have been used to produce such powerful songs. Fortunately, the choirs have been used in varying ways, like at the very end of <i>The Ice Kings</i>, or in <i>Dying Paradise</i>, where they only repeat the name of the song every now and then.<br />
<br />
The regular edition ends with the other ballad, <i>Take This Light</i>, which is very beautiful and comprises piano melodies recorded at the cathedral of Wildeshausen. On the limited edition, this song is followed by the bonus tracks, <a href="http://2-min.blogspot.fi/2012/12/orden-ogan-masks.html">an original Ogan track <i>Masks</i></a> and a cover version of <i>The Battle of Waterloo</i> (originally by <b>Running Wild</b>). These are actually some of the most interesting tracks, and personally I would certainly have included <i>Masks</i> in the regular edition. The cover song is a respectful gesture towards Running Wild, carried out in the familiar Ogan way.<br />
<br />
Even though the album consists of creative and strong tracks with variable sections, it still hasn't hit the goal of being nearly perfect. On one hand the album is very solid, consistent and harmonious, and on the other hand the tracks do, in spite of their versatility, sound rather similar to each other. Yet that is their style, something that defines Orden Ogan, but it would be refreshing to get to hear something slightly different, something to prove they are not confined to the elements which all the tracks share, maybe only one exceptional song to break the habit. Ogan's song melodies are interesting in their own right, but the decorations are usually the same. Perhaps an acoustic folk version of <i>Mystic Symphony</i>?<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">8</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggz5bXuqMi0Kjkv4MuT1OZ4VJk5CEaHHGVS1OWlm3jMqmf8zhfhyphenhyphenXiOgvv8-SahV566d6kRk7BfWiVp7wP8p3f_8weA-cTVL2l8XZ888wt2r1qERDP96qnGvRjrwvXqCHsjUTXC8tXuvA/s1600/8_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggz5bXuqMi0Kjkv4MuT1OZ4VJk5CEaHHGVS1OWlm3jMqmf8zhfhyphenhyphenXiOgvv8-SahV566d6kRk7BfWiVp7wP8p3f_8weA-cTVL2l8XZ888wt2r1qERDP96qnGvRjrwvXqCHsjUTXC8tXuvA/s1600/8_10.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5282687981605134306.post-91868439868265387722012-12-19T14:08:00.000+02:002012-12-19T14:08:46.010+02:00Orden Ogan: Masks<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmOyLyyWCfyAnRP-wse9idmxvLVrJJiWqXAprnDoJ8Go3hj4KdauprqpWHzuX0H1Y5uOXTHVva-nyi4nOK9DDfXwRMedwQcvdBpMdw2HHZqXS_bwFRoxKx9ngs_-5B8b2vvf1J0PhUbk/s1600/icon_video.jpg" /></div>
<div>
Orden Ogan are at it again with a brand new music video titled <i>Masks</i>, which is actually a bonus track on the limited edition of the latest album <i>To the End</i>. We also have a review of the album lined up and it should hopefully be coming sometime in not too distant future! Suffice it to say if you are a fan of German power metal, <i>To the End</i> is one of the better releases in the genre this year.<br />
<br />
As usual per Orden Ogan's style, effort has been put into the visuals and the theme, and once again it's not your traditional "we are a metal band playing metal music in an abandoned metal factory" (hi Spinefarm) video.</div>
<br />
Like the song title, <i>Masks</i>, the video is also based on a story revolving around the mask concept: A theater actress discovers a mask and puts it on, after which creepy things start happening and insanity ensues. Towards the end of the video things get really anxious in a horror flick like way. The video actually reminds me of the movie <i>Black Swan</i> in some ways.<br />
<br />
Personally I do wonder why the track has been listed as a bonus track, as it really is good enough to be on the regular album. Enough of my babble however, enjoy the song and video!<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/z5yWy-iMaoM" width="640"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5282687981605134306.post-38353645921035451882012-12-06T22:39:00.000+02:002012-12-06T22:39:07.968+02:00Heavy Metal Perse – Aikakirjat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sN-FcF4vgqnYI8U8Xg3hy6Xe5hazosjxD-0uBmcznKZNR2wQv5duhsfwSlgoWAKH2CHfr-KabTC6OytJbswn149V4KmV7dZh79W6cRoCVS9lQ2W065pjeAwXSM5-7fQpQGLTCAGqx2I/s1600/icon_review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sN-FcF4vgqnYI8U8Xg3hy6Xe5hazosjxD-0uBmcznKZNR2wQv5duhsfwSlgoWAKH2CHfr-KabTC6OytJbswn149V4KmV7dZh79W6cRoCVS9lQ2W065pjeAwXSM5-7fQpQGLTCAGqx2I/s1600/icon_review.jpg" /></a></div>
The strange Finnish power and heavy metal band <b>Heavy Metal Perse</b> released their second full-length album <i>Aikakirjat</i> on November 16th. The reason why I'm dubbing the band as strange is the remarkable difference between my personal views on them: considering the prejudices I had, the first impression I got when hearing their first album for the first time was particularly positive – and positively surprised. Thus, yours truly was quite excited about the new album which saw the light of the day almost five years after the first one.<br />
<br />
Heavy Metal Perse's songs are generally very melodic, which is certainly a good thing. If that is what the listener is looking forward to, the first nine seconds of the first track, <i>Paha Paavo</i>, might make one's heart skip a few beats. What is this, thrash metal? Have no fear, after the initial shock it turns out to be the same familiar HMP. <i>Paha Paavo</i> is a very catchy song, with particularly hilarious lyrics, and its theme bears some resemblance to their older song <i>Pahaksi Parkittu Lalli</i>. It's an energetic way to open an album, a good choice despite the first seconds.<br />
<br />
Although Heavy Metal Perse stands out from its peers in many ways, one of the most remarkable feature is their lyrics. The songs on the new album have just as brilliant lyrics as their older ones do. They can barely be overly praised; it is just a pity that the non-Finnish-speaking audience cannot understand the ingenious choices of words. Most of the praise goes to the main lyricist and drummer Heikki Romppainen, who has said – contrary to my initial expectations – that his lyrical themes are not derived from role play games or fantasy books. However, they tell interesting stories, they use the Finnish language in intriguing ways and every now and then they are so good they just make you laugh. But in spite of being occasionally very funny, they are not cheesy or ridiculous. Each track on the new album has strong and refined lyrics and it would be difficult to raise one above the others based on these merits.<br />
<br />
And the melodies, well, they are also strong and enjoyable. Honest and melodic heavy metal. <i>Vainolaista vastaan</i> is an interesting track with its few a cappella lines, making it sound like a drinking song in a good way. <i>Hornan koje</i> is attractive because of its strategically placed pauses and a sharp ending to its choruses. And Matias Palm's boyish yet still slightly rough voice fits HMP's songs in such an excellent way and is a pleasure to listen to.<br />
<br />
The last three tracks of the album are <i>Viimeisen sillan taistelu</i>, <i>Vanhus ja meri</i> and <i>Vesikeuhko</i>. The very last one is a cover version of <b>Jethro Tull</b>'s song <i>Aqualung</i>, and it's quite a weird track on a Heavy Metal Perse album. Well, perhaps it is in the right place being the last track as it seems a bit separate from the rest of the material. In a way it sounds quite true to the original song, in a way it does sound a bit like HMP... But perhaps not enough. Personally, I'm picky – of course the translation is something already, but I find cover songs more interesting if they differ a lot from the original. And even though the song is not actually bad, it is something yours truly doesn't feel like listening when in need of some heavy metal. And when it comes to the last two original HMP tracks, I think they could have been swapped over: even though <i>Vanhus ja meri</i> is a nice, peaceful track, it does make the album fade towards its end, especially since followed by something as dragging as <i>Vesikeuhko</i>. <i>Viimeisen sillan taistelu</i>, on the other hand, is yet another catchy track, a genuine HMP song, and it would have been a good way to end the album with a bang rather than quietly sneaking away. Besides, the name of the song translates to "the battle of the last bridge".<br />
<br />
Despite the slightly fading ending, <i>Aikakirjat</i> is a very good and strong album – at least as good as the previous one. One could expect bands to always exceed the expectations set by the previous release, though it does not happen too often. Heavy Metal Perse has at least lived up to those expectations, not leaving me disappointed. Keep up the good work, guys!<br />
<br />
You can listen to the album on <a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/5OABGVCsfDxmOxAXqhBmMR">Spotify</a>. See also HMP's <a href="http://www.myspace.com/heavymetalperse">Myspace</a> and their website <a href="http://www.heavymetalperse.com/">www.heavymetalperse.com</a><span id="goog_1521918977"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1521918978"></span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">9</span>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWacCcctOajr6yC_3hTKTow5k1JQ6z52pnStY9oNNS8ta8Vme_mvEsspjG20GLdNsj3kNCF15F2RRW5PIErE_ZaiGjlilYce4V2o9Fno-7Px06XqgJT3hDvEV453JHYEi4Ipx8RqnoHu0/s1600/9_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWacCcctOajr6yC_3hTKTow5k1JQ6z52pnStY9oNNS8ta8Vme_mvEsspjG20GLdNsj3kNCF15F2RRW5PIErE_ZaiGjlilYce4V2o9Fno-7Px06XqgJT3hDvEV453JHYEi4Ipx8RqnoHu0/s1600/9_10.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5282687981605134306.post-72984957762450471172012-11-29T20:51:00.000+02:002012-11-29T20:51:40.226+02:00LIVE: Sabaton, November 23rd<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxVYh2lLPW-1ZDaYFHIIs5aeNsywZi94SvIBjHl-HPPwXZc3uUbPbf1Lbty0IWBGVrkTKGBf3sPGEtjrRIGJ97DqdipeGoRa4zo7NcslsBouwJoUNveFD58TsCa0rJTdYLIhQNJUt0O8/s1600/icon_gig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxVYh2lLPW-1ZDaYFHIIs5aeNsywZi94SvIBjHl-HPPwXZc3uUbPbf1Lbty0IWBGVrkTKGBf3sPGEtjrRIGJ97DqdipeGoRa4zo7NcslsBouwJoUNveFD58TsCa0rJTdYLIhQNJUt0O8/s1600/icon_gig.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Sabaton</b>'s Swedish Empire Tour had three stops in Finland in November, shows supported by <b>Dynazty</b> and <b>Raubtier</b>.<br />
<br />
We arrived too late to see Dynazty at all, yet heard most of Raubtier's gig anyway. With little knowledge of the band beforehand, the experience was surprisingly entertaining. Raubtier was actually a very good support act for Sabaton; in spite of representing a different genre to begin with, the band does sound a bit like Sabaton and seemed to excite the audience and certainly warm them up for what they all had come to see.<br />
<br />
The venue was at least nearly sold-out, with roughly a thousand metalheads shaking their fists along to Sabaton's war inspired metal. The gig began almost on time too, starting out with <i>Ghost Division</i> (after <i>The Final Countdown</i> and <i>The March to War</i>). After the Panzer Elite had set the audience on fire, it was the time for <i>Gott Mit Uns </i>off of their newest album <i>Carolus Rex.</i><br />
<br />
After the first two songs <b>Joakim Brodén</b> introduced the following song by saying it probably needed no introduction in Finland at all – as it was <i>White Death</i>. It was followed by <i>Carolus Rex</i> and then <i>Karolinens Bön</i>, which was actually performed in Swedish. Sabaton had asked in advance on Facebook whether their fans in Finland wished to hear their new songs in English or Swedish. English was the leading option in the poll, yet obviously comments and other requests had resulted in a compromise solution. In spite of the change in language, there were many people singing along in the audience anyway.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQH3ap7-3nIhGO0T3ye538bOh7gKRQQOVNuBEy-CgrTdezGvSQszGe6VyyHLLYDx8pdvG5wG-mc4Ws73QEwl8sAMjuoPr_YwsKlv3u-joOiOyZMzKMlafmfZoCA1mrDa3NL8CmwyR-RU/s1600/sabaton231112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQH3ap7-3nIhGO0T3ye538bOh7gKRQQOVNuBEy-CgrTdezGvSQszGe6VyyHLLYDx8pdvG5wG-mc4Ws73QEwl8sAMjuoPr_YwsKlv3u-joOiOyZMzKMlafmfZoCA1mrDa3NL8CmwyR-RU/s640/sabaton231112.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Songs such as <i>40:1</i>,<i> Cliffs of Gallipoli </i>and<i> Uprising</i> kept the audience on fire, singing along and throwing their fists in the air until a brief, calm moment when a keyboard was brought onto the stage for Joakim and most people in the audience fell silent to concentrate on listening to <i>The Hammer Has Fallen</i>. Those few minutes were certainly the most peaceful during the whole gig, with some matching purple lighting to create a dramatic yet serene atmoshpere – with a couple of cigarette lighters waving among the audience to compliment the performance. The peace did not last long though since soon enough Berlin was burning with <i>Attero Dominatus</i>.<br />
<br />
Although the band did leave the stage for a few minutes, encore came soon enough with <i>The Art of War</i>, <i>Talvisota</i> – to the Finns' national entertainment (or is it just pride?) and naturally, <i>Primo Victoria</i>, to which the audience was also jumping wildly. And last but not least, with the war theme abandoned, <i>Metal Crüe</i> to remind us not to take this genre too seriously.<br />
<br />
Altogether the one-hour-and-a-half long gig was energetic and engaging. The setlist was good, yet a few magnificent tracks were missed – <i>Coat of Arms</i>, <i>The Final Solution</i>, <i>Panzer Battalion</i> and <i>Wolfpack</i> to name a few. And to keep us all excited still, Sabaton revealed they would be playing at <b>Sauna Open Air</b> metal festival next summer. I bet Tampere is eagerly waiting.<br />– cm_<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
<br />
For me it was the second time I got to see Sabaton's full live performance. I originally saw them in Sauna Open Air 2007 but merely from the bar area, and I only recognized <i>Primo Victoria</i> anyway. Tuska 2009 was my first proper show, and a damn good one at that. Unfortunately, in 2010, I missed out on the Coat of Arms tour despite really wanting to go, so it was about the time I got to see Sabaton again.<br />
<br />
The gig was held in <b>Pakkahuone</b> in Tampere (Finland), which is a venue well-known in the Pirkanmaa region. As noted at the start, the venue was nearly sold-out with around 1000 infantry troops showing up. Since it was an under 18 gig, the area was split into two halves: one for the alcohol-thirsty battalion and the other one for the kids and drivers of the aforementioned battalion. That also meant the beer queues were fairly long, with only 4–5 lines to serve all the thirsty panzer corps.<br />
<br />
As noted above, we skipped Dynazty and arrived to witness some of Raubtier's performance, and their live act indeed was pretty good, with some short speaks completely in Finnish between the songs! Musically they were somewhere along the lines of industrial metal. Pretty good live act, but probably not as tempting on a studio album.<br />
<br />
Sabaton played a solid set with not many surprises. The set list perhaps left a bit to be desired (as always), and I'd have liked to hear <i>Into the Fire</i> and <i>Coat of Arms</i> also. <i>Cliffs of Gallipoli</i> is not a bad song, but in its stead the similarly-arranged <i>The Price of a Mile</i> would've been more to my liking.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>White Death</i> is a great tune and I was certain we'd hear it (since it's about a Finnish sniper in WW2) and I was happy about it. I can't say the same about <i>Talvisota</i> which as a song doesn't live up to many others, but due to its patriotic theme for Finns they just "had to" play it I suppose.<br />
<br />
<i>The Hammer Has Fallen</i> was an oddity I didn't expect. While it was fun one time, I hope it's not a permanent addition to the set after the tour is over. Some people also have criticized <i>Art of War</i> as an encore song but I'll disagree. I thought it fit in well and I don't find it a dragging song like some people have described it.<br />
<br />
All in all a good gig, but I'd rate the Tuska 2009 gig higher. The band seemed to have fun and it was great to see <b>Thobbe Englund</b> on the stage, and not to mention the one and only <b>Snowy Shaw</b> who filled in for the drummer boots while <b>Robban Bäck</b> was away due to family matters. Hopefully the set list gets a bit of a refresher for Sauna Open Air 2012, and we'll get to hear songs like <i>Poltava</i> or <i>Killing Ground</i> (and naturally more of Coat of Arms)!<br />– dw_Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5282687981605134306.post-15138700691563612062012-11-26T12:03:00.000+02:002012-11-26T12:03:36.191+02:00Machinae Supremacy – Redeemer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Kd1I54hypUkDdz-EPD4kTr3Pq_JNdQf2QrorE4uwAUrXtxXMkBmGHhswP4vT9xbhXEMQSEdD_9AJqtPLux6yDY02keibtA8kJ7eadj-Fdce20KUvQgByTlYF0VyQU_mR3w27KHNOS38/s1600/icon_week.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Kd1I54hypUkDdz-EPD4kTr3Pq_JNdQf2QrorE4uwAUrXtxXMkBmGHhswP4vT9xbhXEMQSEdD_9AJqtPLux6yDY02keibtA8kJ7eadj-Fdce20KUvQgByTlYF0VyQU_mR3w27KHNOS38/s1600/icon_week.jpg" /></a></div>
From the northern Sweden hail Machinae Supremacy, a band renowned for their "SID metal" sound which incorporates synthesizer sounds from a device known as SidStation – a device capable of "mimicking" the MOS 6581 aka SID sound chip found on old home computers such as the famous Commodore 64.<br />
<br />
MaSu originally rose to fame by covering old game tunes such as <i>The Great Giana Sisters</i> or the<i> Sidology</i> medleys using metal-like approach backtracked by the SidStation. These tracks would then find their way on the MaSu website in the early 2000s for redistribution – a method which proved immensely popular at the time.<br />
<br />
Following their internet-based success MaSu released their first album titled <i>Deus Ex Machinae</i> in 2004 via a UK based label MDB Records. In autumn 2006 one of the better known metal labels Finnish Spinefarm took MaSu under their wing.<br />
<br />
<i>Redeemer</i> was released in early 2006 – first as a self-release (titled <i>Underground Edition</i>) – and later in 2006 officially by Spinefarm, simply dubbed as "<i>Retail</i>". This review is about the retail version, and it's worth pointing that out as its tracklist is different to that of the <i>Underground Edition's</i>.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Redeemer</b></i> follows in the<i> Deus Ex Machinae</i> vein but takes things one step further, a natural evolution process that is. The musical genre is still glued to what one could well describe as power metal with SID-like synthesizers. The singer and main songwriter, Robert "GaZ" Stjärnström, still has his easily identifiable, somewhat creaky voice, which one will either love or hate, and the guitar melodies and synthesizers are just as high-blazing as on Deus Ex Machinae. The main changes stem from slightly more serious lyrical themes as opposed to writing tracks (mostly) about video games. In fact, one of the clearest video game reference tracks, <i>Fury</i><i>,</i> was indeed left out of the retail release which is a huge shame as it's a very good song.<br />
<br />
Most tracks are fairly mid-tempo with some faster beats here and there, but one thing they all have in common: memorable choruses. The songs are very easy to get into despite their musical prowess and showmanship of instruments. The album ends with the slow, darkly atmospheric and perhaps a bit sad <i>Reanimator</i> which is also the 3rd installment in the <i>March of the Undead</i> series.<br />
<br />
Lyrics mostly deal with individuality and choices in life, often times telling a kind of a story while leaving the exact meaning and background open for listener's interpretation. Some political criticism (<i>Seventeen</i>) is up in the air as well.<br />
<br />
Overall Redeemer is a rock solid album, standing on its own from the first seconds on until the end, with only small bows inbetween. To me Redeemer defines what Machinae Supremacy are about, and I would wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone with keen interest in (old) games and (new) metal. Once you've been bit by the MaSu bug it's difficult to let go – and why should you, there are other albums like this one waiting for you out there, including the brand new <i><b>Rise of a Digital Nation</b></i>, of which a review is coming up within the next weeks!<br />
<br />
You can listen to <a href="spotify:album:7Em9HtA7wUXASue7OOneB0">Redemeer</a> and other <a href="spotify:artist:6cmp7ut7okJAgJOSaMAVf3">Machinae Supremacy</a> albums on <a href="http://www.spotify.com/">Spotify</a>.<br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/2QEfbvxPk0I?hd=1" target="_blank">Through the Looking Glass musicvideo</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">9</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWacCcctOajr6yC_3hTKTow5k1JQ6z52pnStY9oNNS8ta8Vme_mvEsspjG20GLdNsj3kNCF15F2RRW5PIErE_ZaiGjlilYce4V2o9Fno-7Px06XqgJT3hDvEV453JHYEi4Ipx8RqnoHu0/s1600/9_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWacCcctOajr6yC_3hTKTow5k1JQ6z52pnStY9oNNS8ta8Vme_mvEsspjG20GLdNsj3kNCF15F2RRW5PIErE_ZaiGjlilYce4V2o9Fno-7Px06XqgJT3hDvEV453JHYEi4Ipx8RqnoHu0/s1600/9_10.jpg" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5282687981605134306.post-33119032311153295172012-11-15T12:56:00.000+02:002012-11-15T12:57:12.909+02:00Battle of Songs: Instanzia vs. The Clan Destined<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HRnTEkHvAAXhvMAWZoxzcppoLA17Y-hPyPvqoq4VuJqVihChsd2teR1a_c83ncAmLGF8pkvtDNYLyRixWbCXwQZfalPgkGY49dW2mQ39cLPHAVzNsjbb0KiHfz7ISMyAaXUsSmuw2a0/s1600/icon_battle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HRnTEkHvAAXhvMAWZoxzcppoLA17Y-hPyPvqoq4VuJqVihChsd2teR1a_c83ncAmLGF8pkvtDNYLyRixWbCXwQZfalPgkGY49dW2mQ39cLPHAVzNsjbb0KiHfz7ISMyAaXUsSmuw2a0/s1600/icon_battle.jpg" /></a></div>
<i>In the Battle of Songs we both choose a song for each other to listen and review. Each battle has a theme, however random we decide. The purpose of the battle is to introduce such individual songs which may not get much attention otherwise.</i> <i>Feel free to suggest themes!</i><br />
<br />
Theme of the battle: A song about a person who lived in the 20th century.<br />
<br />
For <b>cm_</b> to review:<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Instanzia – The Desert Fox</span></b> <br />
On seeing the length of the given song, over 11 minutes, I felt like 'woah', perhaps a bit prejudiced as well; it's not easy to compose a song so long, not everyone is Matt Smith.<br />
<br />
So the song is about Erwin Rommel, who was widely known as the Desert Fox. If you don't know much about this man, well, the song will surely teach you something. The lyrics tell quite a story, and it seems to be rather accurate as well (without actually checking out the details).<br />
<br />
The lyrics, yes... Such a concept could have been carried out much better. The lyrics contain a lot of information, but occasionally they are so awkward it's horrible. Some parts of the song are lyrically just anything but beautiful or interesting. Personally I like rhymes a lot, but they are not the key to interesting lyrics. Some parts sound just like they were listing the most important facts and merits of Rommel, perhaps in a chronological order. However, some repetition, that of the chorus, saves the lyrics from being thoroughly awful. The C part closer to the end of the song is relatively good already, though the beginning left me upset.<br />
<br />
The song certainly gets better towards the end, and much to my surprise, it's not too long with its remarkable length. The melody is nice, but not breathtaking, and the awkward lyrics and strange lines spoil the beginning. The best parts of the song would be very good material for an epic power metal piece, yet there would have been a lot to refine.<br />
<br />
You can listen to The Desert Fox on <a href="http://youtu.be/kjE5dafHMhY">Youtube</a>. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">7</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pv18-x14MuGALZlojNgEqGD9QkFaoASQ_W-3iL7ZrLn0bF-4Bz8hLiZgJT-uQrjBODtrB6NQudS2Qt9vNguo9Ouao8WJRmgB5V8GfuZDicedpuLreGTLxWF6R1IssLm3-dguN92N33Q/s1600/7_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pv18-x14MuGALZlojNgEqGD9QkFaoASQ_W-3iL7ZrLn0bF-4Bz8hLiZgJT-uQrjBODtrB6NQudS2Qt9vNguo9Ouao8WJRmgB5V8GfuZDicedpuLreGTLxWF6R1IssLm3-dguN92N33Q/s1600/7_10.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
For <b>dw_</b> to review:<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Clan Destined – T. C. Lethbridge</span></b> <br />
For the Battle of Songs I was given a track called <i>T.C. Lethbridge</i> by <b>The Clan Destined</b> (a band formed by ex-Skyclad singer Martin Walkyier).<br />
<br />
I'll
be honest and admit upfront I'd never heard of anyone named T.C.
Lethbridge prior to hearing the song, but apparently Thomas "Tom"
Charles Lethbridge was an archaeologist and an "experimental scientist"
with notable interest in occult-like pursuits.<br />
<br />
While
much remains in haze (without really extensive background checking)
about the character himself, The Clan Destined draw upon his apparently
rather ridiculed image in their fairly straight-forward heavy metal song
about the man in question.<br />
<br />
I've always been a fan of being straight-forward, and I must say I like the song. I'd heard <i>A Beautiful Start to the End of the World</i> by The Clan Destined previously, but wasn't really sure what to expect from this particular song.<br />
<br />
There
are no amazing guitar tricks, super-groovy bass lines or audacious drum
beats, but simple, genuine, good-hearted heavy metal. I've always liked
Walkyier's rough voice, and it fits The Clan Destined sound very well.
The chorus is clever in all its simplicity, even if it's basically just
chanting the letters "T.C.L.E.T.H.B.R.I.D.G.E". There are added female
vocals during the chorus, but the song would've been just fine also
without them.<br />
<br />
At 3:06 minutes the song's length remains
quite optimal. Like this, it's easy to get in to, easy to grow fond of
and easy to listen to every time you'll need another reminder of yet
another wrongly understood scientist, whose legacy will undoubtedly live
on among the wiser of mankind.<br />
<br />
You can listen to some of Walkyier's other work, including the song in question, at his <a href="http://www.myspace.com/martinwalkyier">Myspace website</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">8</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggz5bXuqMi0Kjkv4MuT1OZ4VJk5CEaHHGVS1OWlm3jMqmf8zhfhyphenhyphenXiOgvv8-SahV566d6kRk7BfWiVp7wP8p3f_8weA-cTVL2l8XZ888wt2r1qERDP96qnGvRjrwvXqCHsjUTXC8tXuvA/s1600/8_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggz5bXuqMi0Kjkv4MuT1OZ4VJk5CEaHHGVS1OWlm3jMqmf8zhfhyphenhyphenXiOgvv8-SahV566d6kRk7BfWiVp7wP8p3f_8weA-cTVL2l8XZ888wt2r1qERDP96qnGvRjrwvXqCHsjUTXC8tXuvA/s1600/8_10.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5282687981605134306.post-57109813917861338232012-10-13T16:53:00.000+03:002012-11-24T21:12:20.161+02:00Grayscale - When The Ghosts Are Gone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Kd1I54hypUkDdz-EPD4kTr3Pq_JNdQf2QrorE4uwAUrXtxXMkBmGHhswP4vT9xbhXEMQSEdD_9AJqtPLux6yDY02keibtA8kJ7eadj-Fdce20KUvQgByTlYF0VyQU_mR3w27KHNOS38/s1600/icon_week.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Kd1I54hypUkDdz-EPD4kTr3Pq_JNdQf2QrorE4uwAUrXtxXMkBmGHhswP4vT9xbhXEMQSEdD_9AJqtPLux6yDY02keibtA8kJ7eadj-Fdce20KUvQgByTlYF0VyQU_mR3w27KHNOS38/s1600/icon_week.jpg" /></a></div>
<i>Album of the week is not necessarily an album review, nor the album presented a new release, but it's something that has impressed lately, for whatever reason we say.</i><br />
<br />
At the beginning of the 2000s a band called <b>Grayscale</b> took off from the dark forests of Mikkeli, Finland, playing melancholy and slightly gothic metal. Prior to Grayscale, at the end of the 1990s, the band was known as a quartet called <b>Four Bitches</b>, but on the only full length album the band ever released, <i>When the Ghosts Are Gone</i>, the crew comprises six people. Grayscale was buried apparently after the demo <i>Interior World</i>, which was to be their last, in 2004. Later on some of the band members have appeared in such bands as <b>Crimfall</b> and <b>Enthrope</b>.<br />
<br />
Basically, Grayscale is Four Bitches taken onto the next level. After using merely harsher vocals during the Four Bitches era, clean vocals have been added beside them, leading the album more towards gothic metal, reminding one of older <b>Entwine</b> and <b>To/Die/For</b>. The same feeling is also prompted by synthesizers which were not yet used during Four Bitches.<br />
<br />
Some tracks on When the Ghosts Are Gone are remakes of songs found on Four Bitches' demos, others are previously unheard, newer material. Old songs have been transformed into excellent adaptations for Matti Hämäläinen's clean voice, while some contrast is provided by the guitarist Miika Partonen with his rough voice – just like on the demos. The songs flow delicately accompanied by keyboards and melodic, albeit fairly simple, guitar lines. Melancholy self-destruction theme is present in most songs, and I would hazard a guess certain Lopakka's lyrics notebook has been open somewhere in the background.<br />
<br />
It's difficult to point out individual tracks above others, but the most memorable are straightforward and melodically simple <i>The Fire Inside Me</i>, which is about a fading will to live, and musically more saucy <i>Shape In The Shadows</i>. Otherwise the style of the songs throughout the whole album is quite similar – a feature which could be considered a flaw as well.<br />
<br />
Grayscale is probably quite an unknown act outside Finland, and hardly particularly famous even when domestically speaking. When The Ghosts Are Gone is still very high-quality material for the lovers of gothic metal, and it's still available for a reasonable price at least in Finnish record stores. All in all, Grayscale is an excellent combination of Sentenced, To/Die/For and Entwine, and quite recommended to the fans of the genre.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">8</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggz5bXuqMi0Kjkv4MuT1OZ4VJk5CEaHHGVS1OWlm3jMqmf8zhfhyphenhyphenXiOgvv8-SahV566d6kRk7BfWiVp7wP8p3f_8weA-cTVL2l8XZ888wt2r1qERDP96qnGvRjrwvXqCHsjUTXC8tXuvA/s320/8_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggz5bXuqMi0Kjkv4MuT1OZ4VJk5CEaHHGVS1OWlm3jMqmf8zhfhyphenhyphenXiOgvv8-SahV566d6kRk7BfWiVp7wP8p3f_8weA-cTVL2l8XZ888wt2r1qERDP96qnGvRjrwvXqCHsjUTXC8tXuvA/s320/8_10.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5282687981605134306.post-49602825101166781672012-10-01T22:44:00.000+03:002013-05-12T15:06:47.278+03:00Dreamtale – Epsilon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Kd1I54hypUkDdz-EPD4kTr3Pq_JNdQf2QrorE4uwAUrXtxXMkBmGHhswP4vT9xbhXEMQSEdD_9AJqtPLux6yDY02keibtA8kJ7eadj-Fdce20KUvQgByTlYF0VyQU_mR3w27KHNOS38/s1600/icon_week.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Kd1I54hypUkDdz-EPD4kTr3Pq_JNdQf2QrorE4uwAUrXtxXMkBmGHhswP4vT9xbhXEMQSEdD_9AJqtPLux6yDY02keibtA8kJ7eadj-Fdce20KUvQgByTlYF0VyQU_mR3w27KHNOS38/s1600/icon_week.jpg" /></a></div>
<i>Album of the week is not necessarily an album review, nor the album presented a new release, but it's something that has impressed lately, for whatever reason we say.</i><br />
<br />
Dreamtale's <i>Epsilon</i> may be picked up for two reasons: firstly, it is a particularly good album to be an album of just any week. Secondly,<b> it was officially released in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Benelux countries a few days ago</b> by Rock It Up Records. Although the album was first released in Finland in 2011, its release in the aforementioned European countries is remarkable as well. While I'm looking forward to their next album and hopefully a lot of gigs in local bars here, I also wish the guys could gain success abroad as well – they have all the potential.<br />
<br />
And what makes <i>Epsilon</i> so fancy? It's Power with a capital, Erkki Seppänen's magnificent power metal voice and Rami Keränen's grand and creative compositions, backed up by a talented band. And by saying "particularly good" I meant "particularly strong" – none of the ten songs on the album are weak. Lack of speed doesn't add to the lack of strength, and while some tracks—such as <i>Angel Of Light</i>—keep releasing energy right from the very first second, others build it up for a bit longer to be released later, like <i>Lady Of A Thousand Lakes</i> or <i>Reasons Revealed</i>. And something has to be said: the combination of energetic and vigorous (guitar) melodies and moments of nearly perfect silence works very well.<br />
<br />
The album has many songs which make awesome live songs too – so many of them are likely to set you in motion one way or another, whether you feel like banging your head or even dancing. (Yes, Epsilon has actually dominated the playlist I listen to when exercising.) One of the most ingenious parts is the C one of <i>Fly Away</i>, being something that reminds one of something else but metal, but is still very... metal. And most melodies are just simply very catchy and nice. <i>Firestorm</i> opens up both gigs and the album equally well, <i>Where Eternal Jesters Reign</i> has excellent synthesizers and backing vocals, <i>Mortal Games</i> rules with its interesting drums and chorus.<br />
<br />
Hopefully Dreamtale's next album will be at least something equally stunning – and if it's much better, it has to be something... woah. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5282687981605134306.post-33221525495493096132012-09-20T21:02:00.000+03:002012-09-20T21:03:08.375+03:00Orden Ogan: The Things We Believe In<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmOyLyyWCfyAnRP-wse9idmxvLVrJJiWqXAprnDoJ8Go3hj4KdauprqpWHzuX0H1Y5uOXTHVva-nyi4nOK9DDfXwRMedwQcvdBpMdw2HHZqXS_bwFRoxKx9ngs_-5B8b2vvf1J0PhUbk/s1600/icon_video.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmOyLyyWCfyAnRP-wse9idmxvLVrJJiWqXAprnDoJ8Go3hj4KdauprqpWHzuX0H1Y5uOXTHVva-nyi4nOK9DDfXwRMedwQcvdBpMdw2HHZqXS_bwFRoxKx9ngs_-5B8b2vvf1J0PhUbk/s1600/icon_video.jpg" /></a></div>
I'm not an avid music video fan to begin with: while some of them are truly interesting and worth watching, most of them are simply too boring to appeal to me. I am rarely excited about new music video releases, but I encountered an exception on Monday: Orden Ogan released a video to their new single <i>The Things We Believe In</i> off of their new album which is to see the light at the end of October (or should I say, to see the darkness). Well, at least yours truly has been looking forward to the said album!<br />
<br />
And yes, on Monday I found myself truly excited to see a new music video. Orden Ogan's <i>We Are Pirates</i> is probably the best music video I know – well yes, I am slightly biased because of pirates, but it is really interesting in its own right. Since the song is relatively long, the video is almost like a short movie with a lot of fascinating events. Now that Orden Ogan released something new, I didn't expect the theme to be so dear to me anymore, but I was looking forward to seeing another good quality music video anyway.<br />
<br />
My first impression in brief: snow, ice, cold. Homeless people, miserable people, people in serious trouble. Musicians resurrecting those who didn't quite make it. Hm, I think I've seen this all before. But the song was good.<br />
<br />
My second impression: strange tubes. Is that an oxygen mask? What's with that city in an apocalyptic state? Seeb, what are you wearing, cyberpunk gear? What's with that oxygen mask guy's gun, does it shoot laser rays? Who's that guy with a top hat and a torch? What, a strange portal to another dimension? Seeb, why are you glowing, are you sure you are alright? <br />
<br />
But the song is good. It sounds just like Orden Ogan, with pompous choirs supporting the chorus. The song didn't quite blow my brains onto the wall, but it was enough to make my nose bleed and make me wait for the album. I guess the video wasn't so bad either... It's full of clichés and unoriginal ideas, but the strange additions make it seem peculiar enough to be worth watching again. The story remained vague to me, but then again... the song was good. And visually the video was fascinating enough, yet I tend to support music videos with strong storylines.<br />
<br />
How about you see and hear for yourself?<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ir_BVxBz5do" width="640"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5282687981605134306.post-59513740911698041742012-09-18T18:48:00.000+03:002012-09-18T18:48:58.321+03:00LIVE: Ensiferum, support: Brymir, A.R.G September 6th<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxVYh2lLPW-1ZDaYFHIIs5aeNsywZi94SvIBjHl-HPPwXZc3uUbPbf1Lbty0IWBGVrkTKGBf3sPGEtjrRIGJ97DqdipeGoRa4zo7NcslsBouwJoUNveFD58TsCa0rJTdYLIhQNJUt0O8/s1600/icon_gig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxVYh2lLPW-1ZDaYFHIIs5aeNsywZi94SvIBjHl-HPPwXZc3uUbPbf1Lbty0IWBGVrkTKGBf3sPGEtjrRIGJ97DqdipeGoRa4zo7NcslsBouwJoUNveFD58TsCa0rJTdYLIhQNJUt0O8/s1600/icon_gig.jpg" /></a></div>At the end of August Ensiferum released a new album, <i>Unsung Heroes</i>, and consequently toured in Finland with Brymir and A.R.G. In spite of the tour hitting Tampere on a Thursday night, the venue had pulled in relatively big crowds of metalheads.<br />
<br />
The evening kicked off with a show from Brymir. Brymir play very distinguishable pagan/folk/melodic death metal akin to Ensiferum, and apparently they were originally called <i>Lai Lai Hei</i> – a song by Ensiferum indeed.<br />
<br />
Brymir's approximately 35 mins long show was so good that I spent my merchandise money for the night solely on them. I would even go as far as to say Brymir's show was the best of the night. I wasn't familiar with their material before, but I'm getting into it now. They have one full-length album at the time of writing this called <i>Breathe Fire to the Sun</i>.<br />
<br />
A.R.G. performed after Brymir, and where Brymir were full of surprises, A.R.G. were full of disappointments. Their oldschool thrash metal just didn't strike out to me, and I resorted to watching parts of the gig from afar (Ensiferum pun intended) enjoying my beer. After a few songs I'd seen and heard enough -- unfortunately, for I was hoping to enjoy a decent thrash metal gig, especially from a band so cult in the Finnish thrash metal scene. Alas, no dice this time. After A.R.G. finished, it was getting time for Ensiferum. -dw_<br />
<span id="goog_1003804981"></span><span id="goog_1003804982"></span><span id="goog_1003804983"></span><span id="goog_1003804984"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsxfFtoXKyi3KlDLY6bdM1GdqiaSiZw_dp0sdoLVgDk67SIXGvsbdDa2IGriW3MR0vaUEvBbLVagRnNu9UJaW_P42NVuo3ZQ9Ii69tR9zneuuEPlEVvYew8neikXeXfOicd6oacR4Gzc/s1600/DSC_0409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsxfFtoXKyi3KlDLY6bdM1GdqiaSiZw_dp0sdoLVgDk67SIXGvsbdDa2IGriW3MR0vaUEvBbLVagRnNu9UJaW_P42NVuo3ZQ9Ii69tR9zneuuEPlEVvYew8neikXeXfOicd6oacR4Gzc/s640/DSC_0409.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Yours truly had contradictory feelings about the upcoming gig: on one hand Ensiferum have made plenty of songs which sound fierce when played live, on the other hand none of the new songs had exactly made such a strong impression beforehand. Being more into their older material, my song wishes comprised those from their self-titled album.<br />
<br />
Not that the new album wouldn't have any songs with great live potential; <i>In My Sword I Trust</i> at the beginning works fine to set the audience on fire and get them engaged. The song works better live than it does on an album, being an easy <strike>sing</strike>roar-along catch with its simple chorus.<br />
<br />
Not every song from <i>Unsung Heroes</i> does have the same live potential. While <i>Pohjola</i> may be quite an epic track in its own right, it's merely an awkward addition to a setlist. Vesa-Matti Loiri's deep voice heard on playback seems out of place when a bunch of metalheads are either concentrating on their pints of beer or eagerly waiting for the next moshpit. (Speaking of which, even moshpits quickly suffer from inflation if your encourage people to do it too often.)<br />
<br />
All in all, each of their albums was presented with more than one song, yet the selection could have been better. It was to be expected that their newest album would get the most attention, but many particularly good live songs were omitted. Studies show that <i>Into Battle</i> or <i>Stone Cold Metal</i> haven't been on the summer festival setlists either, which is a great pity. The lack of <i>Treacherous Gods</i> left me quite disappointed as well, yet it could be excused with <i>Battle Song</i>, which was, along with another gem from the first album, <i>Hero in a Dream</i>, the best part of the gig.<br />
<br />
The most enjoyable thing about Ensiferum's gigs, however, is the fact that the band really seem to be enjoying what they are doing. They are having fun on the stage, they're showing it, and they're spreading that mood into the audience as well. -cm_ Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5282687981605134306.post-26200262144817137872012-09-10T20:11:00.007+03:002012-10-01T22:45:16.308+03:00Mad Hatter's Den – Dark Wheel EP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_pV_kpi3S-d1VQ7GST-RKY4RwDoSeqAG0M_tFzk-COn1XtR95-SZzV86NhlMFld9i4nRO07S5srH2kfrzfAlD83f5hG8a-jGfX3jRasHikUUkSaPu7VkIE_NlwnFT7hY_fei5Raz9Vs/s1600/icon_ep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_pV_kpi3S-d1VQ7GST-RKY4RwDoSeqAG0M_tFzk-COn1XtR95-SZzV86NhlMFld9i4nRO07S5srH2kfrzfAlD83f5hG8a-jGfX3jRasHikUUkSaPu7VkIE_NlwnFT7hY_fei5Raz9Vs/s1600/icon_ep.jpg" /></a></div>
Mad Hatter's Den, who in all likelihood owe their name to the tales of certain Alice, are a quintet from the Pirkanmaa region of Finland. The group has previously gained fame as one of the more prominent Finnish Iron Maiden coverbands called Coverslaves. The MCD, dubbed Dark Wheel, is the band's first published record, although they have been somewhat active on live stages prior to the release of Dark Wheel, most often "warming up" for their more established Coverslaves act.<br />
<br />
Dark Wheel is a prestigious and polished release for a debut CD. Taage Laiho of Kilpi/Ghost Machinery fame has lent his voice to all songs on the album but is apparently not a permanent member according to the website. The lyrics were contributed by Erkki Seppänen (Dreamtale, Ку́рск, Coverslaves) for all tracks apart from track 5, the lyrics of which were written by Pekka Snellman (Coverslaves). All compositions have been handled by the band's guitarist and leading character Jaakko Hänninen. The musicianship presented throughout the album is on a professional level both in terms of sound and handling of instruments: these guys have definitely played together before. The biggest gripe ironically is the person with the greatest experience, i.e. Taage, but not to the point where it would become distractingly obvious; however, at certain points he sings a little too high and it doesn't sound very good (portions of Drain the Fountain spring to mind).<br />
<br />
Iron Maiden are a clear influence here with the twin guitar harmonies and the trademarkedly galloping to an extent, followed up by some more generic straight-forward melodic heavy metal lines and a sweet scent of power metal. Add 70s-80s synth sounds in the mixture and we've arrived at Dark Wheel. In fact, if Iron Maiden + Kilpi (and perhaps Altaria) were combined, this is what it would probably sound like.<br />
<br />
Dark Wheel is not reinventing the wheel by any means, but it is a strong show from Mad Hatter's Den and leaves a promising trail to follow up to what hopefully one day will be a full album release.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">8</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggz5bXuqMi0Kjkv4MuT1OZ4VJk5CEaHHGVS1OWlm3jMqmf8zhfhyphenhyphenXiOgvv8-SahV566d6kRk7BfWiVp7wP8p3f_8weA-cTVL2l8XZ888wt2r1qERDP96qnGvRjrwvXqCHsjUTXC8tXuvA/s1600/8_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggz5bXuqMi0Kjkv4MuT1OZ4VJk5CEaHHGVS1OWlm3jMqmf8zhfhyphenhyphenXiOgvv8-SahV566d6kRk7BfWiVp7wP8p3f_8weA-cTVL2l8XZ888wt2r1qERDP96qnGvRjrwvXqCHsjUTXC8tXuvA/s320/8_10.jpg" width="190" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0