Nightwish and Epica, oh my!

Nightwish and Epica are BOTH having tours in the States this fall, which I'm super excited about.  Nightwish will actually be hitting my home city of St. Louis, which bands seldom do.  For whatever reason, Nightwish loves little St. Louis and makes a point to visit us every tour.  I'll be seeing them (and Epica) in Atlanta for Progpower USA, but I'll probably hit my local show, too.  I'm not sure about making the trek to Kentucky or Chicago to see Epica a second time.  Their set at ProgPower probably can't be beat, so I'll skip out on that.  Unless Simone does another makeup contest and I win.  :)

Speaking of Epica, they just released a new music video!  It's very artistic and really showcases the message of their album.  Watch it!  I love Simone's makeup when the oil-stuff is about to consume her.  Such pretty blue eyeshadow and crazy curly designs!

Nightwish also just released a teaser trailer for their long-awaited film, Imaginaerum.  The album has already been released and it's great (albeit short), and I'm quite impressed with how the film looks so far.  It definitely has the Burton feel to it that Tuomas wanted.  That being said, I'm fairly certain there won't be an American release in theaters.  I know, it's sad :(  But I'm just not sure how an American release would be pulled off.  We're just NOW finally getting Miyazaki films in theaters, and Disney has had his stuff for yeeeaaars.   

And that's all, folks!  Hopefully you'll be able to catch Nightwish and Epica this fall!
 

New Video from Nightwish!

And I thought Alestorm were silly :P  I'm glad that Nightwish are re-recording old songs using Annette's voice!  And, although this is a live song (any fan of Nightwish can tell), it sounds just like something from a studio album!  I also like the change from guitar solo to keyboard solo, as poor Emppu has to do all the electric guitar work himself!

Enjoy :D

<3

 

New Video from Alestorm!

Pirate Metal band Alestorm never disappoint.  They're so lovably goofy, as you can see in "Death Throes of the Terrorsquid."  I'm sad I missed them at Paganfest III, but I'm sure they'll come back soon enough. 

Here, let some squid brighten your Wednesday :P




<3

Amaranthe - Hunger video (and a rant about over-sexism in Metal!)

Amaranthe are a band that mix a ton of Metal genres, and I love it.  Though their three-singer (male clean, male harsh, and female clean) formula isn't as original as everyone thinks it is (poor Trail of Tears get no love), their sound certainly is a breath of fresh air.  It's extremely catchy and makes me want to dance, yet it's able to retain heavyness.  It's a hard thing to do, and they've found a great balance.  I can't wait to see them live at ProgPower USA!

Female singer Elize Ryd is gorgeous, but I'm starting to see a trend of over-sexed women in Metal now.  In the video she's flaunting her flat, uber-toned tummy and batting those fake eyelashes like no tomorrow.  And the Metal fanboys are just salivating over her like demented puppies.  If you go to read the comments on YouTube there's a discussion on it, even.

I think it's sad that record companies are sinking to selling sex to sell records.  Just look at Huntress.  I love the band's music, but there are so many pornographic pictures of frontwoman Jill Janus that it makes me frustrated, as I'm clearly not the demographic the band (or their management) cares about.  I mean, really:  Look at this.  Tell me that's not selling sex. And tell me that's not pornographic.  C'mon, I dare you.  The kid doing the photoshop on it probably had to airbrush her nipples out just to get it in the magazine.  Because I know her nipples can't be hiding in that jacket.  If they are, then I give kudos to her ninja nipples.   

Both of these bands are just starting out, so perhaps this is a method that all female-fronted Metal has used to get started and I just never knew.  If that's what it takes to sell your first albums, all right, but don't make it so obvious that you're showing off for the fanboys.  Pretty please? :D 

Lacuna Coil - back?

On my first listen of Lacuna Coil's new album, Dark Adrenaline, I heard a lot of good things.  There's more variation in their sound (guitar solos?!  Cristina does different things with her voice!), and some songs gave me a Comalies feel.  Which is good.  I need to give it a few more listens to be sure. 

I think that generally Lacuna Coil haven't "sold out"--they just need a new producer.  Their albums since Comalies have all been SOO polished (almost over-polished?), and I think that has affected their sound.  They sound way more mainstream because of how polished their songs are.  I  liked Karmacode and a few songs off A Shallow Life, but I admit Shallow Life was preeeetty "mainstream"-sounding.  I almost gave up on Lacuna Coil after that, but decided I'd give Dark Adrenaline a try.  And I think they're going back to what they used to be.

Expect a full review to come later, but for now here's the video for the extremely catchy song, "Trip the Darkness!"

Serenity at Progpower XIII

I love Austrian Power/Prog band Serenity.  I bought their new album, Death & Legacy, on a whim while at an F.Y.E. store in Chicago last summer (I had never seen so much good music in a physical store before.  It was glorious.) and immediately fell in love with it.  The singer's voice is fabulous (I have no idea why YouTube trolls say he sounds like Mickey Mouse), the music sounds akin to a mixture of old Kamelot/Sonata Arctica (both of which I miss very, very much), and I think I listened to the album exclusively for two weeks or more.  There are also lots of guest female vocalists, which is delicious icing on an already-awesome rainbow cake.

So it should be no surprise that I'm extremely excited that Serenity are coming to the States for ProgPower XIII!  And it was announced this morning that Serenity will be bringing a female vocalist, Clémentine Delauney, with them for the show.  I was hoping their guest vocalist would be Amanda Somerville, as I'm a huge fan of hers and I haven't heard much of "Clemi."  She sounds great on YouTube, though, and I look forward to seeing her perform with Serenity this September!

Here's a video of Serenity's "The Chevalier" featuring the lovely Ailyn from Sirenia!  I love this song, and it's the reason I bought the Serenity album in the first place.

    I really hope they play this song at ProgPower.  -crosses fingers-

Paganfest America III!

I'm a huge fan of Folk Metal and its many incarnations, but unfortunately I've never been able to attend a Paganfest.  This year is no different, which sucks because the lineup is AMAZING.  Seriously.  I definitely recommend you attend this show if you can, because I'm sure it'll blow your mind.  There's something for everyone here, be you a fan of Folk Metal, pirates, female singers, clean vocals, screaming vocals, accordions, war paint, crazy Scandinavians--it's all represented here. 

And without further ado, here's the lineup:

• Turisas
• Alestorm
• Ex Deo
• Arkona
• Huntress

 Turisas have got to be one of the most epic bands ever.

Here's a new video from Arkona.  It's quite sexy ;D

Alestorm look like they're funny guys.  <3

Here are the dates and locations: 
3/29 - Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
3/30 - Worcester, MA @ Palladium
3/31 - New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre
4/01 - Montreal, QC @ Club Soda
4/02 - Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
4/03 - Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's
4/04 - Detroit, MI @ Blondie's
4/05 - Chicago, IL @ Reggie's Rock Club
4/06 - Saint Paul, MN @ Station 4
4/07 - Louisville, KY @ Vernon Club
4/08 - Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall
4/09 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
4/11 - Dallas, TX @ Trees
4/12 - Lubbock, TX @ Jake's
4/13 - Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
4/15 - Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
4/16 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
4/17 - San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge
4/18 - West Hollywood, CA @ Key Club
4/19 - Tempe, AZ @ 910 Live**

**no Alestorm

Hopefully you can make it and tell me how it was!  Because I really wish I could be there.  Ugh. 

Happy Valentines Day!

So, it's Valentines Day.  A wonderful occasion full of candy, candy, and more candy.  And, perhaps, flowers and jewelry.  But I'm mostly in it for the candy. 

And what better and more Metal way to spend Valentines Day than with this new video from Xandria?  They've been MIA for a while now, and their last album was less than stellar (very Pop-y).  I admit, however, it is one of my girly guilty pleasures when the mood strikes me.  But this new song sounds very Metal, with an early Nightwish sound to it, don't you think?

Enjoy!  And pay no mind to the creepy clown holding a heart.  I think it's a heart.  I don't want to think about it.  :S

Stay tuned later tonight for my review of Kat Von D's new nail polish!

The Hard Rock/Metal Grammy winners are...

...The Foo Fighters.  Really?  Wait, the Foo Fighters won ALL Rock Grammys?  Okay, well, it could have been worse. 

But let's see who the other nominees were for the ONLY Grammy that was for Metal (Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance):

• Public Enemy No. 1, Megadeth
• On the Backs Of Angels, Dream Theater
• White Limo, Foo Fighters
• Curl of the Burl, Mastodon
• Blood In My Eyes, Sum 41  (Does this one even make sense?)

Wait, Dream Theater FINALLY got nominated for a Grammy?  Hell yes!  Oh, except that somehow the Academy thought White Limo was a better HARD ROCK/METAL performance.  Well, I haven't listened to the Foo Fighters since I was in High School, so let's listen to this song that won the Grammy.  Maybe it is better, but I seriously doubt it. 

. . .

Oh.

Okay, so let me get this straight.  The Foo Fighters, with this song, won a Grammy.  That's hard enough to wrap my mind around, but THAT song, which had its lyrics written in just two minutes, was considered a better Hard Rock/Metal performance than this:

 Of course, The Foo Fighters are a very marketable, mainstream band, no one watching the Grammys had even heard of Dream Theater, etc.etc.  I get it.  But there are so many more amazing American Metal bands!  Symphony X, Iced Earth, Kamelot!  And Sum 41 got nominated? 

The Grammys are a joke.  I realize that.  But when a deserving band finally gets nominated after 20+ years of churning out fantastic albums, only to lose to this garbage, shit gets serious. 

Floor is BACK!

I'm a huge Floor Jansen fan.  She's been my favorite female singer (Metal or otherwise) ever since I first listened to After Forever's album, Decipher.  Her voice can go from operatic soprano to Power Metal belting, and I love her either way.  

For the last year or so she's been going through a "burnout," which means exactly what you'd expect it to mean, but she's on tour with ReVamp again!  Here's a video of Floor singing Sancta Terra onstage with Epica.  If you don't have time to watch the whole video, start at 3:44.  You won't regret it.  They make such beautiful harmonies together at the very end, too.  <3

Maybe we'll see ReVamp at ProgPower this year? ;D  I certainly hope so. 

Eluveitie - A Rose for Epona

While I'm at it, here's a new video by Eluveitie.  They're using Anna Murphy's lovely clean vocals more often, which makes me very happy.  :3

Enjoy!