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.
Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
Formed in 2005 in Denver, Colorado, Born in Winter first came onto the radar with their debut album in 2007. After releasing another full-length the band returns with their third album “Dreaming in Seasons”. The bands style is an interesting mixture of Gothic/Alternative/Mainstream metal, all rolled up into one. The main focal point in Born in Winter and what really got my attention initially was lead vocalist Nicole Benton. Her voice is just huge, dramatic and highly expressive. She’s got star quality written all over her, oh yeah, and the rest of the band is pretty good too. The opening track “Wasted Life” is actually kind of disarming, as it features some grunt male vocals, before Nicole joins in with her magical voice. Musically, this is about a mid-tempo song, which is the style that Born in Winter plays for the most part. The next track is my favorite. “Martyr” starts off slow, before the pounding riffs comes crashing in, the song is also uplifted by an undeniably catchy chorus, but the main thing that stands out is that riff, and Nicole’s voice. “More Than I Deserve” has a slower tempo, while still being heavy; this song has got some serious mainstream potential. Other highlights include: “Watching Walls Fall”, “Like You”, “Buried in Ashes” and “Nowhere to Hide”. The male grunt vocals return sporadically throughout the CD, but they don’t overwhelm anything and don’t take away from the excellent performance of Nicole. After 8-songs and only about 35-minutes worth of music, it is easy to come away impressed with Born in Winter. There is a ton of depth, character and potential to be had on “Dreaming In Seasons”.
Rating - 80/100
Tracklist
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Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
A lot of really good bands are coming from Italy these days. Ethereal Faun is another such band. They play an eclectic mixture of power metal, progressive metal with some folk metal elements thrown in for good measure. It is those mix of styles that make their debut CD “The Nightlitany” such a powerful and promising release. Before getting into the music, I shall introduce the band to you all. Their current band line-up looks like this: Marta Pierdomininci (vocals), Marco Parlapiano (lead/rhythm guitars), Lorenzo Marcelloni (lead/rhythm guitar/backing vocals), Francesco Capomagi (bass/backing vocals) and Alessandro Menoni (drums). Okay, now with the intros out of the way, on to the music.The CD opens with the classical flavored intro “The Macabre March”. This is a beautiful piece that really sets things up nicely. It is only about a minute-and-a-half long but it does project a marching vibe as it segues into the powerful opening track, “Suffocating Night”. This is a heavy guitar-driven number that really draws you in right away. Marta’s vocals are powerful and passionate. A strong first track that sounds like it would be a good set opener. Something to get the crowd moving. It features a great guitar solo as well and some cool sounding male vocals. Next is the more melodic “Archway of Stars”. This is just an outstanding track. Not quite a ballad, but not as heavy as some of the other songs. It keeps a strong, steady pace and it is one my favorite tracks. I really like Marta’s vocals. She does not employ an operatic style, like so many female fronted bands are doing these days, instead her delivery is in more of a traditional metal vein and that is a refreshing change. That is not to say that she can only sing in that style. She actually has very good range and diversity and she applies it very well to whatever the song calls for. The next song “The Afternoon of a Faun” is really a change of pace and it shows the band can be quite diversified. It is a slower, somewhat folk-ish track that is as pretty as it is different. Absolutely stunning! The band picks up the heaviness and energy once again with the next track “Ambiguous Greeds”. This keeps things moving along nicely. The chorus really grooves and is catchy-as-hell. The 8-minute “Dewforged Fairy” brings this CD to an epic conclusion. I mean, this song is just so huge and bombastic that it is a fitting way to end things. “The Nightlitany” features 6-songs and 30-minutes worth of high quality metal from an up-and-coming Italian band. Musically, at times the band reminds me a bit of Gamma Ray and Kai Hansen era Helloween. The addition of male grunt vocals on several of the songs is a nice touch. It definitely only enhances the songs. The packaging of this CD should also be mentioned. It comes with lyrics, cool artwork and a great layout. The band should be commended. I am very happy that this CD came my way. Anyone who just loves metal should give this band a chance. After listening to “The Nightlitany” they certainly deserve it.
Rating - 90/100
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Label : Raging Planet Records/Ravenheart Music
Review by Tony Cannella
Rating - 85/100
Tracklist
Line Up
Links
