INFOS : webzine@femmemetalwebzine.net
Webzine dedicated to the metal band fronted by girls. We also like ambient,darkwave,rock & electronic music.
INFOS : webzine@femmemetalwebzine.net
Webzine dedicated to the metal band fronted by girls. We also like ambient,darkwave,rock & electronic music.
Label : Lion Music
Review by Tony Cannella
On their 2009 debut album, Denmark’s Infinity Overture released a solid debut album that set the template for their melodic, symphonic metal style. Now the band has returned with a cool follow up opus titled, “The Infinite Overture Pt. I”. The band has made some key line-up changes and musically has headed into more of a prog-metal direction with an extra emphasis being placed upon the guitar elements that Infinity Overture present. The biggest line-up change comes with the addition of new female vocalist Kimmie Tenna Nielsen. Her voice is perfect for the music that is being played and is a solid addition to Infinity Overture. The 9-song 47-minute disc also features numerous guest appearances, the most prominent being Amanda Somerville who contributes vocals on several different songs and Rhapsody of Fire front man Fabio Lione. The guitar harmonies of the opening track “The Hunger” gets things off to a great start and sets the bar very high. Fabio Lione performs on this track along with female vocalist Kimmie Tenna Nielsen and the duo has great chemistry together. Grunt vocals appear at various points throughout “The Infinite Overture pt. I” and are very well done and don’t overwhelm anything, they are placed perfectly. The album builds up plenty of momentum as it progresses and my three favorite songs turned out to be the last three, “Smoke and Mirrors”, the 7-minute “The Infinite Overture Part I” and the hauntingly beautiful closing ballad “Darkness of Mind”. In addition to those three, there are plenty of other standout performances to be found here, for instance the euphorically melodic “The Stand” featuring a stunning vocal performance courtesy of Kimmie Nielsen. “Angels” starts off as a ballad but quickly evolves into a beautiful mid-tempo number. “Evernight” is one of the heavier, more guitar-driven tracks here and is a perfect showcase for the diversity of the band. “The Infinite Overture Pt. I” is a different kind of animal than their debut album, but no less brilliant. The line-up changes and guest appearances have really helped to shape this album. Fans of the first album and melodic metal in general should really come to appreciate what Infinity Overture has to offer.
Rating - 89/100
Tracklist
Line Up
Links
Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
Black Ink is a Progressive metal band from Italy. In 2011 the band released its debut (and only, thus far) demo called “Reminiscence”. So, let’s delve into what this Italian band has to offer. “Reminiscence” is longer than your average EP at 30-minutes, and it is made up of 5-songs, four of which are over 6-minutes long. The production on “Reminiscence” is really professional sounding and I would classify this more as an EP than a demo – the sound is crystal clear. Musically, the band reminded me a bit of Dream Theater – especially with the intricate jamming they do on some songs. The opening track “Cold Soul” gets things off to a good start. Lead vocalist Laura Lerti has a clean Amy Lee style vocal approach. The music is heavy and very much riff oriented, but also technical and melodic as hell. “New Day” starts off with a short drum intro before the heavy guitars come in. The next song “Black Ink” starts off with a 70s like prog rock piano that is soon joined by the guitars and keyboards. This is a mid-tempo song that slowly builds into another heavy one, but this is also the most prog-rock like song on “Reminiscence”. The next song is the ballad “Bitter Tears”, at almost 5-minutes is the shortest song featured here. Obviously this is the most accessible song in the Black Ink repertoire and sounds tailor made for the mainstream. The final song “Confused” starts off with just pure heaviness, the song features an orgy of guitar riffs as they come at you fast and furious. This is just a massive way to end things. “Reminiscence” has some pretty cool moments backed within the 30-minutes provided here. Black Ink is different from a lot of metal coming from the great country of Italy these days which should help them stand-out in the ever growing Italian metal scene.
Rating - 89/100
Tracklist
Line Up
Links
MySpace * ReverbNation * Facebook * Twitter
Independent Release/Revalve Records
Review by Tony Cannella
Italy’s Sinheresy began in 2009 as a Nightwish cover band before they started playing their own original music. In 2010 they released a two song demo and have now followed that up with this five song EP titled “The Spiders and the Butterfly”. Despite the fact that Sinheresy started as a Nightwish cover band, in their current incarnation they are far from a clone of the popular Finnish band. Sure, there are a lot of similar qualities between the two, symphonic orchestral music and a first class operatic female vocalist is two things that come to mind. That vocalist is Cecilia Petrini and she is joined on male vocals by Stefano Sain. The pair makes a good team and split the vocals pretty evenly. Cecilia actually reminds me more of Simone Simons from Epica than Tarja Turunen and Stefano’s voice is more of a straight-ahead metal style, but he also adds some roughness and aggression to his vocals as well. The songs on “The Spiders and the Butterfly” are mostly up-tempo and heavy. “Temptation Flame” is the first song and one of the better ones. The next two songs “The Spiders and the Butterfly” and “Merciless Game” definitely hit the mark before the ballad “Forever Us” calm things down a bit. The work between the two vocalists is extraordinary; the two possesses some serious chemistry. The melodic “When Darkness Falls” ends things with a bang, not a whimper. Sinheresy has done a massively impressive job on their debut EP. Sometimes, symphonic power metal can be a hit-or-miss proposition, but on “The Spiders and the Butterfly”, Sinheresy nailed it.
Rating - 89/100
Tracklist
Line Up
Links
MySpace * ReverbNation * Facebook * Twitter * Site
Label : Spinefarm Records
Review by Tony Cannella
From Helsinki, Finland comes the Symphonic/Epic/Viking/ Folk Metal band Crimfall. In 2009, they released their full-length debut “As the Path Unfolds…”. Their new album is titled “The Writ of Sword”. Admittedly, I have never heard this band before, so I have nothing to compare “The Writ of Sword” to, but I have to say that after one listen (and subsequent listens), I like what I’ve heard. Crimfall are fronted by the dueling male/female vocals of Helena and Mikko. Helena’s powerhouse vocal style clashes with Mikko’s more aggressive approach. Sure, that’s nothing new, but who cares, when it’s done well it adds a lot to the songs, and the two vocalists at work in Crimfall, do their thing very well. After the obligatory intro “Dicembré”, Crimfall comes storming out of the gates with the powerful “Storm Before the Calm”. This is really a heavy track with a bit of a Thrash Metal vibe. The opening to the next track “Frost Upon Their Graves” slows the pace down with an acoustic intro, before the heavy guitars comes crashing in. This is a good mid-paced song and one of my favorites. Other highlights include: “The Writ of Sword”, the 8-minute “Silver and Bones” and “Son of North”. “The Writ of Sword” is a hard driving, relentless sophomore release that rarely falters. Fans of Battlelore, Turisas and Eluveitie would be well advised to check this band out.
Rating - 89/100
Tracklist
Line Up
Links
MySpace * ReverbNation * Facebook * Site
Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
Italy’s Tothem has just issued their new EP, “Osaka Bed & Breakfast”. This is another band that caught me by surprise, I am not sure what I expected out of a band called Tothem but to say the least they exceeded all expectations. Let’s check in to the “Osaka Bed & Breakfast”. The opener “Cross the Line” features a rumbling guitar riff some cool interplay between guitars and keyboards. Vocalist Roslen Bondi’s style is quite impressive and she’s got quite a diverse range. Right away this track grabbed my attention. “Rescue” is next and has just a great melody and some stellar vocal work, making it my favorite track. The next track “Light of Soul” starts off as a pretty ballad that features piano prominently. The song picks up in tempo about half way through. The album is concluded by the final two tracks “Metamorfosi” and “The Truth Behind”. “Osaka Bed & Breakfast” has crispness in its production and presentation. Even fans who may not be familiar or even a fan of the Gothic Metal genre may find something in Tothem that they like. Tothem are another very excellent band to come from Italy.
Rating - 89/100
Tracklist
Line Up
Links
Label : Independent Release/Fono LTD
Review by Tony Cannella
From Russia, t.h.e. Sacrament play melancholic Gothic Metal. Their independently release debut full-length effort is titled “The Sobering Cold” and it features a good cross section of styles, from the more mournful, Gothic inspired melodies to surprisingly up-tempo, melodic music. The 1-minute “Intro” kicks off “The Sobering Cold” in a spooky way, with eerie music it definitely sets the right atmosphere for the first full track “Falling Star”. This song is a good opener and a track that really grabs your attention and holds it. “Burning to Ashes” continues in a similar vein as the previous number. This is faster paced track which also features some pretty crunchy guitar and the obligatory death grunts are also present on this one. The death grunts do make an appearance here and there but they are held to a minimum, but when they are used, they are done quite well. The thing that really stood out for me concerning t.h.e. Sacrament were the vocals of LoraSS.Her voice has a strength, passion and beauty to it that fits right in there with the music and really gels well with the other talented musicians who complete this band. The next track “New Life” quickly became one of my favorites with it’s great, catchy opening guitar riff and infectious melody, this would make a great single/video track. Other highlights include: “Fall Asleep”, “I’ve Got Only One Day”, “Cover Me” and “Little Kingdom”. “The Sobering Cold” contains 12-songs and 49-minutes worth of high quality power/Gothic Metal that should take this Russian band to the upper echelon of the genre. The music of t.h.e. Sacrament is quite beautiful at times whilst still being forceful and aggressive at others, a pretty good combination and a damn cool debut.
Rating - 89/100
Tracklist
Line Up
Links
Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
From France, Soulmaker play technical heavy metal with some elements of Thrash metal mixed in. Their debut full-length is titled “Discordances” and the band really shows off their heavy riffs and melodic songs throughout the course of this 12-song 49-minute album. On “Discordances”, Soulmaker offer up plenty of crunchy riffs and melodic songs. Many of the lyrics are sung in the bands native French language and the band provides plenty of aggression and intensity to go along with the melody. “Married to a Ghost” is a strong opener that draws you in from the very outset. From there, “A Vide” and “Sing” keep things chugging ahead at full speed. “Requiem for a Creep” is another highlight with some of the riffs reminding me a bit of early Iron Maiden. Also impressive are the multi faceted vocals of Marina Viotti. She has the ability to go from a clean singing style to aggressive often times in the same song. There is simply no coming up for air until the final song, “I Remember” which is a beautiful, haunting ballad. On “Discordances”, Soulmaker creates an enjoyable metal experience that leaves quite an impression on the listener.
Rating - 89/100
Tracklist
Line Up
Links
Label : Einheit Produktionen
Review by Tony Cannella
From Germany, Odroerir play epic Folk Metal. Their third – and newest – full-length release is titled “Götterlieder II” and features 7-songs and over an hour’s worth of epic, pagan folk metal all sung in German and dealing with Nordic mythology. “Götterlieder I” was released in 2005 and work on part-2 began in 2008 and finally saw its release in spring of this year .“Götterlieder II”, Odroerir employs instruments such as Violin and Cello to give the songs a Folk Metal feel, but the band maintains a heavy guitar-driven sound throughouy. The opener is the 8-minute “Heimdall” which succeeds as an opening track in setting a definite atmosphere in what is to follow. The next track, the acoustic “Bifröst” is the shortest at 3-minutes and serves as a bridge to the next track, the 8-minute “Des Thors Hammer Heimholung”; this song has a huge sing-along style chorus (you can sing-along if you know German, of course). You want epic? It simply doesn’t get more epic than the 19-minute closing track, “Allvater”. This is an exhaustingly, monumental piece that features so many changes in tempo and mood that after its conclusion the listener is drained, but you can only marvel at the scope and ambition of this track. Throughout the course of the CD, Odroerir employ the male vocals provided by Fix in combination with beautiful vocals of Natalie. There is no doubt that “Götterlieder II” is a hugely, ambitious undertaking and surely Odroerir will reap the benefits of their hard work.
Rating - 89/100
Tracklist
Line Up
Links
Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
Noxiferis are a new Gothic/Progressive metal entity from Poland. This 5-member band has just issued their new demo and I have say that “Signum Noctis” proved to be a worthwhile and enjoyable listen. First thing that is quite obviously from the get-go is that the songs on “Signum Noctis” are sung in Polish. The CD includes 7-songs and a playing time of just over 45-minutes. Noxiferis mixes standard 4 and 5 minute songs with more epic type 7 and 8 minute numbers. There are certainly some heavy guitar riffs, lots of intricate musicianship and melodies. The lead vocals are handled by Eydis, who does a remarkable job giving the songs a semi-operatic touch. I have to say that one of the biggest highlights for me was the 9-minute instrumental “Mrok”. On this track, the band has delivered a complex and interesting instrumental. “Signum Noctis” is a great offering from Noxiferis. Even though this is a demo, it has the look, feel and presentation of a professional release.“Signum Noctis” is available for a free download on the band’s official My Space profile.
Rating – 89/100
Tracklist
Line Up
Links
Label : Thundering Records/Manitou Music
Review by Tony Cannella
Karmic Link is the progressive/atmospheric metal project founded by Stathis Kassios. The band had previously released their debut in 2008 and now they are back with their latest output, “Esoterica”. Mina G. from Greece’s The Rain I Bleed returns to contribute her vocals to “Esoterica” which weaves a complex tale that should be well received by fans of conceptual metal. Definitely at the heart of “Esoterica” is the stellar musicianship that the band displays and the stunning vocals of Mina G. that offers such a great compliment to the music that is being played. The songs range from up-tempo to atmospheric to soaring metal tracks, and all are expertly played. The story that unfolds throughout “Esoterica” is quite involved so I won’t go into it here (if you want to read more about it, you can do so at their official MySpace site). The opening number, “Cold” is a strong beginning that sets the story in motion. The following track, “Esoterica” is a fast paced, pounding metal number that also features quite a few tempo changes, the band follow that up with three more standout tracks, “Fire”, “Whispers on a Breeze” and “Still” became instant favorites. “The Separate Reality” is one of the more interesting tracks as the band features male and female newscasters accompanied by some great instrumental backing, I don’t know if that description does the track justice, but it is one that should definitely be heard. Other highlights include: the instrumental track, “Pleasure Is Nothing Without Pain”, “Twisting Patterns” and the closing number, “Vanilla Skies”. Stylistically, I would say that Karmic Link compare favorably to “Operation: Mindcrime” era Queensryche. Mina G. continues to be a great choice by Stathis Kassios to be the lead singer, her voice has many different layers to it, she can do the more melodic, commercial metal stuff and at times even an operatic style, she is quite the complete vocalist. With a playing time of about 48-minutes, Karmic Link offers the listener a challenging 11-song opus that picks up strength as the album progresses and never gets boring. “Esoterica” is not only a great concept album, but a great album period.
Rating - 89/100
Tracklist
Line Up
Links
