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Webzine dedicated to the metal band fronted by girls. We also like ambient,darkwave,rock & electronic music.

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posted 1 year ago
* Amberian Dawn - “Circus Black” (2012)

Label : Spinefarm Records

Review by Tony Cannella

The Finnish symphonic metal band Amberian Dawn has come a long way since their inception in 2006 and their debut in 2008. With their 4th and latest album, “Circus Black” the band continues to emerge from the shadow of fellow Finns Nightwish and maintain a steady path to move onwards and upwards.The bombastic, beautifully lush “Circus Black” starts things off and is followed by “Cold Kiss”. For this song lead vocalist Heidi Parvainen is joined by Stratovarius front man Timo Kotipelto for an amazing duet. For the next song “Crimson Flower”, the band is joined by Stratovarius keyboardist Jens Johansson for a song that really revolves around the remarkable operatic vocals of Heidi. Guest keyboardist Jens Johansson is allowed to go off on his own for a bit in this song, he was also once upon a time a member of Yngwie Malmsteen’s revolving door of musicians and the guitar solo and keyboard part remind me a bit of the Swedish guitar wiz. “Crimson Flower” would make a great video track from this album. “Charnel’s Ball” is a slower paced song with a huge operatic/symphonic feel to it. “Fight” is just a fast paced power metal tune, which once again recalls the past glories of Yngwie as well as Stratovarius. Of course the operatic vocals are what set it apart from those two bands. Other highlights include: “Letter”, “I Share With You This Dream” and the excellent instrumental “Rivalry Between Good and Evil”. I am not really a fan of instrumentals but this is one of the better ones I’ve heard in a long time, and it is a great moment where the musicians are left alone to show their phenomenal talents. “Circus Black” is another strong achievement for Amberian Dawn and may be their most ambitious effort yet. Is it their best? That’s hard to say, each album has its own charm and “Circus Black” is a great addition to their catalog. Time may tell if this is the album that pushes Amberian Dawn over-the-top.

Rating - 85/100

Tracklist

  1. Circus Black
  2. Cold Kiss
  3. Crimson Flower
  4. Charnel’s Ball
  5. Fight
  6. Letter
  7. I Share With You This Dream
  8. Rivalry Between Good and Evil
  9. Guardian
  10. Lily of the Moon

Line Up

  • Heidi Parvainen – Vocals
  • Kasperi Heikkinen – Guitars
  • Kimmo Korhonen – Guitars
  • Tuomas Seppala – Keyboards
  • Jukka Koskinen –Bass
  • Heikki Saari – Drums

Links

MySpace * Facebook * Twitter * Site

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posted 1 year ago
* Avariel - “The Dawn” (2010)

Independent Release

Review By Tony Cannella

From Boston, Massachusetts, Avariel plays symphonic, Power Metal. Vocally, they are led by the energetic and yes, powerful voice of Shannon Kelly. But beyond the outstanding vocals, this band really has it together musically as well. Their debut album is titled “The Dawn” and musically, stylistically and presentation wise, Avariel could give some already established bands a run for their money. “The Dawn” features 9-songs and runs at a healthy 55-minute long. This is another band that caught completely unawares, even more surprising because they are close to my neck of the woods.  The pounding rhythms of “Bleed” open things on a seriously intense note. The riffs are heavy and the usage of keyboards and synths are well done, on this song and throughout the entire album. The band strikes a perfect balance between symphonic and power metal elements. The band slows down the pacing a bit on the excellent second track “Tunnel’s Light”, as Shannon Kelly really demonstrates her vocal range. The gloriously melodic “Emotionless” is next and things are proceeding quite well. On “Victim”, Avariel ratchets up the intensity and features some growly type male vocals, helping to make this the most aggressive track on “The Dawn”. The closing track is the 12-minute prog-style epic “Phoenix”. Other highlights include: the 8-minute “Still”, the beautiful piano driven ballad “Especially Alone” and “In Heaven”. I can’t find enough positive things to say about Avariel and their excellent debut “The Dawn”. But don’t take my word for it; see for yourselves, especially if you love symphonic power metal. “The Dawn” should please even the most jaded fans of the genre.

Rating – 95/100

Tracklist

  1. Bleed
  2. Tunnel’s Light
  3. Emotionless
  4. Victim
  5. Still
  6. Especially Alone
  7. In Heaven
  8. Dark Harbor
  9. Phoenix

Line Up

  • Shannon Kelly – Vocals
  • Michael Rose – Guitars, Piano, Keyboards, Vocals
  • Scott McDonald – Guitars, Vocals
  • Ryan Kelly – Bass
  • Jay Narbonne – Drums

Links 

MySpace * ReverbNation * Facebook

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posted 1 year ago
* A New Dawn - “Finally…” EP (2010)

Independent Release

Review By Tony Cannella

Even though the Dutch metal band A New Dawn has been in existence since 1997, it was only in 2008 that the band released their first (and only) full-length debut, “Falling from Grace”. In addition to that full-length the band has released a number of EP/Demo releases that showcases the duel female-fronted attack of this great band from The Netherlands. Now the band has returned with their new 3-song EP titled, “Finally…”The 3-songs and almost 20-minutes worth of music is a metal fans dream. From aggressive, classic metal sounding and pounding rhythms of the opener “Desire”, and not to mention the focused and powerful vocals provided by Jamila and Alysia, this is an excellent way to kick things off. This is truly an up-tempo, melodic slice of powerful metal. Next is the more mid-tempo, yet no less relentless, “Masque of the Red Death”. On this track the female vocals are accompanied by grunt vocals of Mike. This is another tune that has a great melodic base to it and just a truly monstrous riff grows and builds as the song proceeds. The band even performs a cool Queen-like vocal harmony thing near that is really well done. The final track is the almost 8-minute “Final Verdict”. The track begins with a riff similar to Black Sabbath’s “Neon Knights” before settling into an unrelenting groove and tempo changes that brings “Finally…” to a complex and satisfying conclusion. I thought “Falling from Grace” was an excellent release, but if these three songs on “Finally…” is any indication, than A New Dawn is hopefully ready to ascend to the next level. 

Rating – 90/100

Tracklist

  1. Desire
  2. Masque of the Red Death
  3. Final Verdict



Line Up

  • Jamila Ifzaren – Vocals
  • Alysia van Horik – Vocals
  • Mike van den Heuvel – Grunts
  • Elbert de Hoog – Guitar
  • Michiel Glas – Guitar
  • Michel van Beekum – Bass
  • Rik Bruineman – Drums


Links

MySpace * ReverbNation* Facebook* Twitter * Site

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posted 1 year ago
* Amberian Dawn - “River of Tuoni” (2008)

Label: Suomen Musikki

Review by John Davies

Amberian Dawn’s debut release is one of the most anticipated albums to come out since Nightwish’s “Dark Passion Play”. I know a lot of people have been waiting anxiously for this album. Coincidently, this band is also from Finland and I really think they are on par with Nightwish as far as the quality of their music goes. Amberian Dawn have put together an outstanding collection of symphonic power metal songs that will leave everyone more than delighted when they finally get their hands on a copy of this CD. I pre-ordered mine by the way and promptly received it only a few days after the official release date, and I’m way over here in North America. Everyone has probably already heard the opening track “River of Tuoni” on the band’s MySpace site, but it’s nice to hear it at better quality. It’s a strong, well crafted song, and it certainly sets the tone for the rest of the album, which is loaded with wonderful, enchanting melodies carried by superb metal guitars and intricate keyboards. Vocalist Heidi Parviainen gives a flawless performance throughout, and sings almost entirely in an operatic style. In the future, I would perhaps like to hear a little more variety in range from Heidi. Most of the songs are fairly lively and upbeat, with staccato rhythm guitars and a lot of double kick drums. I found the kick drums a little too busy at times but they do help to keep the level of excitement on a high level. The guitar and keyboard solos are very impressive, showing the strong musical abilities inherent in this band. Most of the songs have very stirring instrumental intros. There is actually very little evidence of any orchestral components. In fact, I don’t think there are any, other than some kettle drums. There are some choir parts, but they are very subdued and hardly noticeable. Their songs are not written on as grand a scale as some other bands of this genre might do. There are no epic masterpieces, most songs being roughly three and a half minutes long. But the quality is certainly there. And the sophistication is such that each track is almost like a little mini epic. The guitar and keyboard parts are very detailed, breathing life into each of the rousing tracks. All the music is written by guitarist Tuomas Seppala and Heidi Parviainen writes all of the rather poignant lyrics. Basically, between the excellent musicianship and the beautiful caressing vocals, this is a total winner and an exceptional debut release that the band should be very proud of. I can’t imagine anyone into symphonic/gothic style metal not being very impressed by this album. I will be looking forward to more exhilarating music from this band in the future.

Rating - 90/100

Tracklist

  1. River of Tuoni
  2. Wings Are My Eyes
  3. Lullaby
  4. Valkyries
  5. Fate of the Maiden
  6. My Only Star
  7. The Curse
  8. Passing Bells
  9. Sunrise
  10. Evil Inside Me

Line Up

  • Heidi Parviainen – Vocals
  • Tuomas Seppälä – Lead Guitar, Keyboards
  • Kasperi Heikkinen – Rhythm Guitar on tracks #7 #9, Guitar Solo on track # 9 
  • Tom Sagar - Keyboards
  • Tom Joens – Bass 
  • Heikki Saari – Drums, Percussion 
  • Joonas Pykälä-aho – Drums, Percussion 

Links

MySpace * Facebook * Twitter * Site

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posted 1 year ago
* Afterdawn - “Break” EP (2008)

Label : Transmental Music

Review by Jon Estelle

Out of New York city comes an explosive new force to the rock scene. Afterdawn has recently released their new five song EP “Break”. The band manages to combine beautiful vocals with a lot of heavy hitting, in your face instrumental work. This album can best be described with a quick run through of each track. “Bury It Deep” : This song starts off with a heavy riff and quickly leads into the rock inspired vocals of front-woman Corynne Wilder. The track moves at a fast pace and provides a good opener for what the band is about. The vocal work is very catchy and pleasant to listen to. “Top of Occasions”: First opening with some guitar work laid down by Steve Solution, this track then moves on to a softer, more atmospheric phase. The second phase does not last too long, as the band kicks everything back up a notch. The song then closes out with some fast and hard hitting instrumental work. “Last Chance”: Featuring a mix of soft vocals and some fancy guitar work, this song really stands out. Corynne does a phenomenal job matching up with how the guitar is paced. The momentum and energy throughout “Last Chance” really keeps the listener drawn in and guessing what is around the next corner. “Sure Way Out” : The softest part of the album but still no slouch. “Sure Way Out” mixes in some heavy transitions to give the track a unique feel. The way the band maneuvers around between the two tones really adds a lot of emotion to the song. “Peacemaker”: The final song features a darker vibe, both lyrically and musically. There is more aggression here. It is almost as if the band has been building everything up until this point. Jumping around quite a bit, Afterdawn displays their versatility. A great ending that leaves the listener wanting more. There’s not much to dislike here. The vocals are clean and catchy. The instruments meld together and keep everything flowing. Afterdawn has honed their own gritty rock sound to make things stand out from other bands. After a few listens through I found myself still drawn to the music and wanting to sing along. Each song on “Break” oozes with emotion. Every part has a distinctive feel and there is never a dull moment. Rock fans will feel very comfortable giving this album a spin. Afterdawn shows a lot of potential and I eagerly await their future releases.

Rating - 85/100

Tracklist

  1. Bury It Deep
  2. Top of Occasion
  3. Last Chance
  4. Sure Way Out
  5. Peacemaker
  6. Things Will Change
  7. Bridges Burning
  8. Weak
  9. Don’t Say
  10. Hate You More
  11. The Reason Why
  12. The Last Time
  13. Movie
  14. Flame
  15. Keep Falling (acoustic)

Line Up

  • Corinne Wilder – Vocals
  • Owen – Keyboards
  • Steve Solution – Guitars,
  • Guillaume Durand - Guitars, Choirs
  • Matt Kaskela – Bass, Choirs 
  • Vinny Listrani – Drums 

Links

MySpace

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posted 1 year ago
* VV. AA. - “Ferocity & Femminity” (Femme Metal Compilation) (2008)

Label: Anthem Records

Review by Tony Cannella

Metal is truly a worldwide phenomenon. Okay, maybe that is the understatement of all time but it is great to see how metal is represented all over the world. Different styles, different genres, it all has something to offer. In the realm of female fronted bands, it is no different. There is a lot of good music out there, sometimes you just have to look for it. Here now is a compilation CD brought to you by the good folks at the Femme Metal Webzine titled “Ferocity and Femininity”. Represented are 15 bands and over 70-minutes worth of some of the best up-and-coming bands in the Female Fronted metal scene. The CD begins with “The Reach” by the UK’s Adastreia. This is a good track to choose as an opener, since it sets the standard very high right away. The song is dramatic with great operatic vocals. From there are another two bands representing the UK are on board. The first of which Hanging Doll are on board with the fantastic “Sweet Retribution”. This is an excellent track with an infectious melody and more great vocal work. That is followed by another equally good song by Submerged titled “This Thing of Darkness”. A cool mid-tempo number that has plenty of killer riffs. Canada’s AraPacis check in with “So Many Leapers”. This song ups the heaviness a bit with it’s Maiden-like galloping rhythms. It’s just relentless. Their style is more in a traditional metal vein, but equally effective as the previous bands. Next is Fateless Tears from the U.S. Their style generally reminds of good progressive music as can be heard on their track “Mesmerized”. Dueling female and male grunt vocals are used here. The UK’s hAND are represented with “I Find Myself” and this is musically phenomenal track and the vocals are very strong. Dremora from the US check in with “Alone” and Maida Vale from the Netherlands with “Remote Control”. A couple of perfectly crafted songs that highlight the strengths and differences of both bands. Dendura from the US are represented with Symphony - a symphonic metal masterpiece and that is followed Celticia (from the UK) with “Misshaped Scenes”. Next is Afterdawn with “Top of Occasions”. The great Australian band Temujin is heard with “Let You Go”. This is one of the most promising new bands I’ve heard in quite some time and this is one of my favorite tracks from their brilliant “1000 Tears” CD. Dyonisis - another great band - is up next with “Xact”. The final two songs “Ghost in the Shell” by Liquid Sky and “Disclosed” by Norway’s Ancestral Legacy bring this collection of female fronted metal to a rousing conclusion. With 15-songs and over 70-minutes worth of powerful music, this CD should provide a great resource for fans who are always on the lookout for new bands to support. Caz and the Femme Metal crew have put a lot of dedication and heart in compiling this CD and that is to be commended. The spotlight is shone brightly on these 15 bands, who each bring something unique and interesting to the table. This is truly a great collection of songs and bands that should please not only fans of the femme metal genre, but fans of music in general. The packaging layout and artwork also deserve a special mention. Plus, it’s all for a good cause. All proceeds will go to aid Cancer research.

Rating - 90/100

Tracklist

  1. Adastreia - “The Reach”
  2. Afterdawn “Top of Occasion”
  3. Ancestral Legacy - “Disclosed”
  4. AraPacis - “So many Leapers”
  5. Celticia - “Misshaped Scenes”
  6. Dendura - “Symphony”
  7. Dremora - “Alone”
  8. Dyonisis - “Xact”
  9. Fateless Tears - “Mesmerized”
  10. hAND - “I Find Myself”
  11. Hanging Doll - “Sweet Retribution”
  12. Liquid Sky - “Ghost in the Shell”
  13. Maida Vale - “Remote Control” (New 2008 Version)
  14. Submerged - “This Thing of Darkenss”
  15. Temujin - “Let You Go”

Links

Site