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 : Napalm Records
Review by Tony Cannella
The end of 2011 has seen some of the best releases of the year, in my opinion. There’s Trillium, the new Nightwish and now you can add the 3rd full-length album from the Dutch, alternative/modern metal band Nemesea, titled “The Quiet Resistance” to the list of excellent albums that came out in 2011. According to guitarist HJ via their bio, “there are times when you want to be brutally honest and speak your mind, that’s the quiet resistance within you”. Amen and where do I sign up? Seriously though, that is the lyrical path that “The Quiet Resistance” ventures down and it is a strong subject matter that I think many of us could relate to and agree with – at least that’s my take. Musically, “The Quiet Resistance”, definitely has a modern, melodic hard rock/metal feel with a distinct pop flavor in the songs. At various times other influences creep in such as hip-hop, electronica and industrial, but those influences don’t overwhelm anything. Opening this 14-minute, 55-minute affair is the eerily, spooky intro “The Quiet Resistance”. This leads us into the up tempo electronica of “Caught in the Middle”, vocalist Manda has an excellent voice, especially on the gut wrenching, memorable chorus that this track provides. This song also features the lyric “What’s the point in giving up, when you know you’ll never stop”, just a small dose of the optimism that Nemesea offers. Manda has got such an expressive voice and one that drives home the subject matter in the songs. Next is the first video track “Afterlife”, another song that has an up tempo chorus. “Whenever” changes tempos several times from slow to heavy, and the chorus is rather straight-forward, and once again memorable as the guitarist HJ really comes through with a heavy riff, the keyboard bit near the end also gives it a prog-like feel. “If You Could” is a melancholically, wistful ballad, that features some orchestration. This is one that I can definitely imagine hearing on the radio and is a perfect example of their mainstream potential. “Say” features a record scratcher utilized by many rap bands (what are they called?), but for the most part is definitely Nemesea, this song provides the excellent lyric “Say it like it is, say it like you mean it, words are strong enough to say you care”. Male vocalists are also featured prominently on some songs like on the previous song “Say” (not much, just a bit), but mostly on the next track “It’s Over”, that sees Manda singing a duet and more scratching is included, but this turned out to be my favorite song. Other highlights include: “High Enough”, “I Live” and “Stay With Me”. The instrumental “2012” has an electronic influence and this leads us into the industrialized Rammstein like final track “Allein”, this is different than anything else here, the track is sung in both German and English with a male vocalist handling the German parts and Manda singing the English parts. “Allein” definitely ends “The Quiet Resistance” with authority. “The Quiet Resistance” is a great album and Nemesea is certainly a band to watch out for in the future. This is definitely music that has the ability to reach a mainstream audience, whether it does or doesn’t that is another question, but I will say this – they perform their craft better than a lot of bands that are hugely successful.
Rating - 95/100
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Label : Prikosnovenie
Review by Stina
Russia’s Caprice have spent nine studio albums finding nuance in elvish fairy pop, sometimes inspired by the work of J. R. R. Tolkien. Now, they’re using their tenth studio effort to graciously yet vigorously steamroll over canonical conceptions of music, delivering their sound into a transporting, eccentric suite that gathers symphonic harmonies, sheer Prog brilliance, echoes of baroque memory, and Ethereal Voices into one sophisticated, wildly charming package. “Masquerade” is a work about poetry and expression of Art – and, just as Art is meant to do, it embraces an eclectic, unbridled flow that drips with passion and personality, orchestrated by the tender and agile soprano voice of Inna Brejestovskaya, whose mother-tongue lyrics transport the listener one century back in time, straight into the brighter and darker faces of the tangle between Russian history and Art: in this case, the Silver Age with its creative ecstasy and queries about Love and Beauty, counterbalanced by the shades of terror cast upon the population and the Artists by Lenin and Stalin’s rules. The title “Masquerade” was reportedly picked as an allusion to said times: ‘because in Stalin’s times people could only live and make art hiding under a mask’, but also to a playful and liberating conception of Art ‘Venetian masquerade with its glorious, festive atmosphere was an inspiration for many Russian poets’. And what makes “Masquerade” pulsate with life and vividness is how the clash of these opposites – most notably, the delight of creation and the fear of being crushed by the totalitarian machine – lends it dynamism and realism, together with a variety of mood and structures – sometimes smooth, other times uneven and with their full arc only becoming clear by track’s end. But the most effective way this dualism is mirrored is in the division of “Masquerade” in two chapters: the first half is centered on the pure joy of creation. From the fitting entrance point of the soft and ethereal soundscapes of “Reality”, on to the unconventional and meandering “Agnesa”, or even in the jaw-dropping proggy architectures of “To a Girl”, the emotional palette of the first half is one that contains nuances of euphoria, dreaminess, and rapture. With the cinematic, dark atmosphere of “The Master’s Shadow”, the second part starts on a more ominous and dark tone; from there, “Masquerade” remains deeply reverent of exuding the anguish inflicted by the totalitarian climate, and portraying the works, the lives – and, most notably, the deaths of five poets (Daniil Harms, Velimir Khlebnikov, Marina Tsvetaeva, Nikolai Gumilev, Anna Akhmatova, Vladimir Mayakovsky) that succumbed to those tragic circumstances. “What Have I Done to You” surfaces delicate and consuming feelings I fail to pinpoint with a name; “Listen!” is a sort of elegy about the hope of peace and relief after death, while the conclusive “Fox and Cockerel” tells of a poet who, totally deranged and maddened by fear, while being dragged to his execution laughs in the face of his executioner. The free and impassioned nature of the music makes it difficult to pinpoint references or influences behind the creation, and any sense of one-dimensional characterization is completely erased by Caprice’s ability to portray the manifold conceptual body that informs the record. As a whole, “Masquerade” is a compelling stroke of passionate, otherwordly genius.
Rating - 95/100
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Label : Listenable Records
Review by Tony Cannella
England’s Sarah Jezebel Deva is a true veteran in the world of metal. Her journey started in the 90s as the female vocalist for Black Metallers Cradle of Filth and saw her participate in various other projects. Now, her journey continues with the release of her second solo album “The Corruption of Mercy”. After a brief symphonic intro, the opening song “No Paragon of Virtue” blasts through the speakers with breakneck like intensity. The duo of “The World Won’t Hold Your Hand” and “A Matter of Convenience” are next and there is simply no letting up. The hauntingly orchestral next track, “Silence Please” is a bit of a change of pace and quickly became a huge highlight. One thing that is apparent to full effect is the fact that Sarah Jezebel Deva is one excellent vocalist. The grindingly powerful “Zombie” is next and another highlight. The pretty piano ballad “Pretty With Effects” follows. Some other highlights that can be found on this 43-minute disc are: “Sirens”, “The Eyes That Lie” and “The Corruption of Mercy”. That’s pretty much the whole album. Sarah Jezebel Deva is sure to give each song its own feel, which helps to give “The Corruption of Mercy” a diverse vibe. I really liked her first solo album, “A Sign of Sublime” but I love “The Corruption of Mercy”. This is SJD firing on all cylinders, her voice sounds great, the writing is superb and the band is excellent. All the way around, “The Corruption of Mercy” is a satisfying sophomore effort from this underrated talent.
Rating - 95/100
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Review by Vard Aman
Delia, and now Marvel – Kiev, Ukraine, seems to be holding onto some real gems currently, that’s for sure! Marvel formed in 2006, and released their debut album, “V Kazhdom iz Nas” (which at the time of writing this review I had not yet heard) in 2010. In early 2011 they released two versions of a new EP “Reduce My Pain” (in English) and “Ona” (in Russian – meaning “She”); and at the end of 2011, their new single “Naiti Sebya” (meaning “Find Yourself”). Marvel describe their music as being Alternative Rock, which is a pretty broad description but probably a good one as Marvel’s musical style going by their EP and single is a very hard one to categorize. There is a very strong Metal element in their music as well, in fact, considerably more so than many of the bands out there who do claim to be some kind of Metal (usually in the guise of Modern Metal or Nu-metal). Marvel are honest and true to themselves. They play the music they want to play. They’re Marvel. So, with that, let’s stop talking about what they play and concentrate on how well they play it instead – which is very well indeed! “Reduce My Pain” consists of 3 tracks. All 3 are very well written and arranged and very well preformed and produced (and really catchy – they’ve been dominating the in-my-head playlist for a while now, and I’m certainly not complaining). Vocalist, Olga Skripova, makes use of a perfect combination of power and control, and she uses her voice not just really well, but wisely too. Her voice is the dominant feature but compliments the music perfectly – displaying an amazing talent but never forgetting that she’s part of a band. This to me is the hallmark of a really great vocalist – which Olga most certainly is (whether you share my opinion on hallmarks or not – listen and you’ll hear). “Tantra” is the first track and has a feel to it that the song title suggests. It’s also the most uptempo song on the EP but with measured changes that lays the platform for the next 2 tracks. One criticism I do have of “Tantra” is the use of a distortion effect on some of the vocals – I don’t think the effect really adds anything to the sound other than give it a slightly industrial feel (what for?) and I think that anything that excessively masks a voice like Olga’s is really taking something away rather than adding something. Other than that one small criticism it is a really good track. The next 2 tracks, “Reduce My Pain” and “My Own Passion” are the real highlights of the EP. They are both intense and powerful songs, and superbly (and intricately) written. They are a musical journey full of rises and falls; nadirs and zeniths; calm serenity building into brutal crescendos and falling again… all within 8 minutes (12 if you count “Tantra”). There is no central lyrical concept connecting all 3 tracks, but musically it does feel as if there is – and Marvel could not have done a better job of it had this actually been their intention (or maybe it was). That said; perhaps it is a good thing then that this is just a 3 track EP. Had it been longer, might the effect of its impact have been lost? Maybe, or maybe not; but one thing for sure is that while it might be a short musical journey, it is not one that will be forgotten in a hurry. And it’s a journey that makes one want to go back to the beginning and do it all over again… and again… and again….
So what if they had added a fourth track to the EP? Well, just listen to “Naiti Sebya” straight afterwards and find out. Marvel’s musical journey continues. The single is similarly well written to the material on “Reduce My Pain” with all of the musical crests and troughs and interesting extras that seem to typify Marvel’s music. “Naiti Sebya” is slower (in parts) than the material on “Reduce My Pain”; almost a ballad (in parts). The production is a little muddier here compared to the crystal-clear production on the EP but only when compared to the EP (in other words, if you listen to “Naiti Sebya” on it’s own you won’t notice). I’ve listened to both versions of the EP (“Reduce My Pain” and “Ona”) and think that overall I prefer the English version. Olga has a firm grip on the English language and the vocals on the English version seem to flow better than on the Russian version. In this case it is to do with Olga’s lyrics and vocal delivery on the 2 different versions and on the English version she has absolutely nailed it! There is only one version of “Naiti Sebya” – in Russian. Both versions of the EP and “Naiti Sebya” are available for FREE DOWNLOAD from Marvel’s website and I very strongly recommend you head over there, download it and listen to it. (For the Cyrillicly impaired: Скачать = download. Go to the Музыка tab to find “Reduce My Pain”). You’ll be very glad you did, and there is something here for everyone. I tried all review to resist the temptation to put it this way but in the end I had to give in: Marvel are just, well, marvellous!
Rating - 95/100
Tracklist
“Reduce My Pain” EP
“Naiti Sebya” SINGLE
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Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
Fans who have a love for melodic, up-tempo, symphonic epic metal ala classic Helloween, Dark Moor and Rhapsody of Fire and can’t get enough of the genre, the Spanish band Eternal Dream are one to check out for sure. This band first came on our radar with their 2009 7-song EP “The Seed of Naryll”. Right away they established what the band represents both musically and lyrically. Eternal Dream returns with their debut full-length “The Fall of Salanthine” and compared to the aforementioned EP, Eternal Dream has definitely hit another gear and has come into their own. First off, five of the seven songs that appeared on the EP are also on “The Fall of Salanthine”. They have been re-recorded and benefit greatly from the superior production. Eternal Dream are firing on all cylinders and vocalist Ana Moronta is singing so good and has a strong vocal range. Maybe from a variety stand point; this is not the most varied release you will ever hear. You pretty much know what you are going to get from Eternal Dream, which is up-tempo metal with a huge, extravagant presentation and songs that are fantasy based. They do what they do and do it very well. The intro “March of the Immortals” has an epic fantasy movie soundtrack vibe to it as it segues into the intense opener “God of War”. This is a great way to start things as the track is just a fast paced, up-tempo masterpiece. Songs like the powerful “Last Battle of a Hero”, “Symphony of Horizon” and “Elysion Era” keeps things pretty much on a steady course. The ballad “Farewell” slows the pace down a bit and allows the listener to catch their breath. Ana performs a duet with Alexis Serrano of the band Anamnesis on “Farewell” and it proves to be one of the highlights. The violin and piano dominated “The Rising” is just a short interlude between songs as “Frozen Salanthine” picks up the tempo once again. This song is just flat out intense, with an awesome guitar solo and a galloping rhythm that just won’t quit. “The Fall of Salanthine” is concluded by the epic trilogy “Memories of a Lyliac at Dawn”, thus ending this beautiful album with an exclamation point. While bands who play this epic symphonic power metal tend to sound the same at times, Eternal Dream definitely has the ability to stand out thanks to the material on “The Fall of Salanthine”. Sometimes when a band releases concept albums they paint themselves into a corner and tend to get pigeonholed as a conceptual band. I hope that doesn’t happen with Eternal Dream. Their songs are good enough to stand on their own and that is all that matters in the grand scheme of things.
Rating - 95/100
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Label : Nuclear Blast Records
Review by Tony Cannella
Whether you like them or don’t, the one thing that you have to admire about Epica is that they never ‘half-ass’ it. Not when it comes to the song writing, lyrics, production and overall presentation of their new material; they are all-in. Their albums are always packed to the fullest and that trend continues on their newest album “Requiem for the Indifferent”, which features 14-songs and a playing time of 77-minutes. There is something to be said for knowing what you are going to get from a favorite band and Epica is one such band that delivers on what their fans have come to expect. Not that they are predictable or contrived, but you know you are going to get quality as well as quantity. “Requiem for the Indifferent” sets the scene with the opening intro “Karma – Prelude” and leads into the blistering – and dare I say awesome, “Monopoly on Truth”. Simone Simons sounds great as always and delivers another awe inspiring performance, as does extreme growler/screamer Mark Jansen –but in a different way of course. Next is the equally potent yet more subdued and accessible “Storm the Sorrow” which the band shot a video for. “Requiem for the Indifferent” is classic Epica mixing grandiose, symphonic epic songs with shorter, more easily digestible material. Probably the crowning achievement on this here release is the 10-minute “Serenade or Self-Destruction”. This song is like a musical journey with peaks, valleys and tempo changes. It is what is great about Epica crammed into 10-minutes; it may actually be their most ambitious song to date. The rest of the album is not bad either: “Delirium”, “Internal Warfare” and the 8 ½ minute title song should please long time fans and new ones alike. So, is this the best Epica album ever? I would never say that, but it sure as heck stacks right up there with their best work. I love the new Epica album and I think it rates right up there with the rest of their audio outputs. “Requiem for the Indifferent” seems to follow the same blueprint that the band has used over the years, but hey, it works and the band continues to fire on all cylinders, and deliver their music with a sincerity and passion that cannot be faked.
Rating - 95/100
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Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
From Paris, France, the band Elyose was formed around 2009. After releasing a 6-song EP the band began work on their debut. “Théogyne” is the fruits of their labor. Elyose combines metal with eloctronica, industrial, progressive and classical to produce a top notch debut with “Théogyne”. “Théogyne” features 12-songs and almost 50-minutes worth of some fine metal with various influences shown by Elyose. The opening “Intro” is a pretty cool classical piece that segues into the excellent opener “Le Liberateur”. Elyose comes out of the gates strong and they are led by the strong, powerhouse vocals of Justine Daaé who has a diverse singing voice. She does excellent on the operatic stuff, but is also quite good when the song requires that she rein things in and the operatic style is not required as much. In addition to Justine, Elyose features excellent musicians all the way around who can play any style you want – the vocals and the musicianship complement each other so well, and the chemistry is just perfect. The electronic edge that introduces the next song “Overload” has a bit of a latter day Atrocity vibe to it. The majority of the lyrics are sung in French and some other highlights include: “Théogyne”, “L’Orientale”, “Incandescence” and “Derive”. There has been a lot of buzz on the internet with regards to Elyose, and after listening to “Théogyne” it is easy to see why. While “Théogyne” is undoubtedly metal, Elyose also does a great job in incorporating other musical ingredients to create an excellent debut. This is a thoroughly enjoyable listen throughout.
Rating - 95/100
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Label : Nuclear Blast Records
Review by Tony Cannella
In the burgeoning metal sub-genre of Folk Metal, it doesn’t get much better than Eluveitie. If they are not at the top of the Folk Metal Mountain, then they’re pretty damn close. The Swiss band returns with their fifth album “Helvetios”, and from the word go, this is a relentless aural assault that pretty much is unyielding until the end comes after about 59-minutes. “Helvetios” may be Eluveitie’s most complex work to date, as the band has gone all out to raise the bar a little higher. The opening narration of “Prologue” sets up the story as the band blasts into the intense “Helvetios”. From the opening intro it is easy to discern that “Helvetios” is a concept album, you can read online what the story is about – it is far too long and complex to describe here, but as far the songs and the music goes, this is one merciless album from beginning to end. The choruses are forceful, memorable and delivered with genuine authority. Eluveitie comes at you with a powerful blend of their trademark folk-metal sound combined with Thrash-Metal like intensity. The bulk of the vocals are handled by Chrigel Glanzmann whose style is aggressive and harsh. Female vocals are present mostly for background and they really do enhance the songs, but the females in the band Anna Murphy and Meri Tadic make significant contributions besides on the vocal end of things as they add such non-traditional metal instruments as the hurdy gurdy, flute and violin, so their contributions should not go unrecognized, they are a big part of what Eluveitie does. After “Helvetios” next up is the phenomenal “Luxtos”, this is a perfect example of a song with an unforgettable chorus and one of my favorite songs. “Santonian Shores” has an upbeat, faster tempo and quickly became another favorite. Once again, a great chorus is present on this one. The female vocals are given the full spotlight and allowed to shine on “A Rose for Epona” and “Alesia”. “Alesia” in particular is phenomenal. It starts off slow like a ballad before getting heavier and the two different vocal styles (the female and male) duet on this one and it sounds just tremendous. The whole story is wrapped up nicely with the ending “Epilogue” drawing “Helvetios” to a close. Yes, Eluveitie do get mentioned in the Folk-Metal genre quite a bit. Maybe it’s deserved, maybe it’s not. There are certainly some Folk-ish elements in the songs, but that is just a part of what they do and why they are so effective (in my opinion). They don’t flaunt their Folk moments like ‘Look what we can do’; rather they utilize them when needed. “Helvetios” It is just a great album that – in my book – sets Eluveitie far apart from other bands in the genre.
Rating - 95/100
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Label : Napalm Records
Review by Tony Cannella
The German/Norwegian outfit Leaves’ Eyes released their debut album “Lovelorn” back in 2004. Since then they have continued to churn out great symphonic metal releases one after the other. Now, on their fourth studio album, the band just may have released their most ambitious and different album to date, “Meredead”. “Spirit’s Masquerade” opens things and it more than proves that Leaves’ Eyes are in fine form. “Étain” is next and keeps things operating smoothly. The third track “Velvet Heart” has a great almost commercial vibe to it and would make a great single, in my opinion. “Krakevisa” is next and is Leaves’ Eyes take on a traditional Norwegian tune. A cover of the Mike Oldfield (of “Tubular Bells” – the Exorcist theme fame) song “To France” is up next and is a strong rendition of the song. Alex Krull’s production as always is strong and while he does show up once in a while on vocals, it seems as though he is stepping aside and letting Liv Kristine take the helm as the primary vocalist. On the almost 9-minute epic “Sigrlinn” Liv is joined by her sister Carmen (from Midnattsol) on lead vocals, creating one of the strongest moments on “Meredead”. Other highlights include: “Meredead”, “Empty Horizon” and the excellent closer, “Tell Tale Eyes”. Leaves’ Eyes are also joined by a host of guests this time around. In addition to Carmen, the band is joined by members of the band Elfenthal and the Lingua Mortis Orchestra among others. The limited edition version of “Meredead” comes with a live DVD of the band tearing it up at the Metal Female Voices festival in 2010, a bonus track (“Sorhleod”) and some very cool packaging. I would definitely recommend this version. “Meredead” is an album that simply does not let up. It’s true that “Meredead” is perhaps their most unique album to date, but it is still unmistakably Leaves’ Eyes. This is an album that brings Symphonic Metal to a whole new level.
Rating - 95/100
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Review by Tony Cannella
Yet another reason you can never judge a book by its cover, especially when it comes to metal bands, artists and musicians. Take the California band In Virtue for instance. Judging by the pictures of the band, I am not sure what I was expecting, but what I found was a potent power metal force, which was not afraid to mix in influences from various other sub-genres and styles, such as classical and even a little bit of prog on their second full-length “Embrace the Horror” but the vibe is decidedly and gloriously metal. I am no guitar player, so take it for what it’s worth but guitarist Trey Xavier strikes me as a guitar virtuoso in waiting. It’s just my opinion, but damn, listen to some of his solos. So it has been established that this is a band that has a lot to offer in the way of musicianship, but are the songs any good? The opening track “Suspense of Disbelief” made a believer out of me (sorry for the bad pun, couldn’t resist). Vocalist The Infamous Ms. C style is right on par with the music and offers a perfect complement to what is going on musically and guitarist Trey is also there to provide some more extreme metal vocals. “Twin Species: The Virtuous and Vengeful” offers some more in the way of virtuosity in the way of guitar as some prog influences creeps into the sound but mostly this is a soaring metal track, that features some tempo changes and the diverse vocals of Trey and Ms. C.The third track “Witch Hunt” ups the ante with its heavy opening riff as guest vocalist Arthur von Nagel from the band Cormorant provides some extreme vocals, while Ms.C starts off with some cool harmonizing in the background before joining with an operatic style, proving that she is adept at providing different styles to use. Two of my favorite tracks are the two most epic numbers, first the 9-minute “The Essence of Unreason” and the closing 12-minute classical/progressive/metal/polka fused out-of-this-world instrumental “Afterture”. This track just goes everywhere and for a 12-minute instrumental it maintains the listeners’ attention throughout, it’s just brilliant. In between you will find some cool material like “In Service to His Madness”, “Foresworn II – Parabola” and “Dead Black Eyes” Man, In Virtue totally shattered all of my expectations with “Embrace the Horror”. What I found was an album that features 1-hour of unrelenting metal music and an album that I would hope would be ‘embraced’ by metal fans the world over. In Virtue is the real deal.
Rating - 95/100
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