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
Tracklist
Line Up
Links
Label : Red Pony Records
Review by Tony Cannella
From Italy (where else?), comes the symphonic metal band TeodasiA. The band is fronted by vocalist Priscilla Fiazza and has just issued their debut album titled “Upwards”. “Upwards” begins with the 3-minute intro/instrumental “Intro-Spection” and then segues into “Temptress” which proves to be a powerful opening number. The next song “Revelations” immediately became a favorite of mine, thanks to the stellar instrumentation and Priscilla’s soaring vocals. That is followed by the monumental song “Lost Words of Forgiveness”. This song sees Priscilla sharing vocals with Rhapsody of Fire front man Fabio Leone – the song has a huge epic vibe to it, and the two vocalists show great chemistry together. This is another highlight. I really like the way TeodasiA uses the symphonic, orchestral elements throughout the album. Nothing is overdone and they don’t rely on the orchestral side of things too much. Everything ties right in with the songs and it complements the music perfectly. Moving on, the ballad “Close Call” brings the tempo down a bit and is a good change of pace from the previous material, but in my opinion it is one of the weaker songs. Other highlights include: “Aurora”, “Eulogy” and the fabulous closing number “My Minotaur”. With “Upwards”, TeodasiA offers the listener a perfect combination of sophisticated, dramatic metal with a lot of melody while still being moody and emotional as well. For a debut, “Upwards” is a great first step. For fans of the symphonic metal genre – and even if you just love good metal – there is a lot to like about TeodasiA.
Rating - 93/100
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Label : Underground Symphony
Review by Tony Cannella
The veteran Italian Melodic power metal band Skylark returns with their ninth album. It is hard to believe that this band has been around this long, but since their inception Skylark has maintained a certain level of consistency that their fan base has come to love. Skylark also returns with a new singer. She is an American named Ashley Watson and she makes her debut on their new album “Twilights of Sand”. Skylark is primarily known for their conceptual “Divine Gates Trilogy”, and “Twilights of Sand” has some of the same traits that “Divine Gates” had. The new lead vocalist Ashley Watson fits in quite well with the rest of the band. She’s got a likeable voice and she would not sound out of place singing in a pop band, but she also handles the heavier material quite well. In addition to Ashley, there are also a number of male vocalists who takes part as well as some other female vocalists – it really would have been helpful to have a bio sheet, because it is hard to decipher who sings what but I am pretty sure Ashley Watson handles the bulk of the female vocals. The intro track “The Tears of Jupiter” kicks things off and leads us into “The Princess and Belzebú”. This is an ok song, but I am not sure if I like the male vocals here. The female vocals are good but the male seems a bit out of place. Other than that it is a pretty up-tempo song. “She” is next and has a pounding classic power metal vibe. The next track “Love Song” is really not a love song (in fact the chorus says “This is not a love song”) and it has a really fast tempo to it and is one of my favorites. There is some other pretty cool material on here like “Tears”, “Lions Are the World” and “The Wings of the Typhoon”. Another one of my favorites instantly became “Aitakatta” I have no idea what the title means, but it is such a departure from the rest of the album. It has a fast up-tempo, bouncy and happy vibe to it. The epic 10-minute track “Little Girl” concludes this album which clocks in at almost 80-minutes. “Little Girl” features the best of the male vocals on this album in my opinion and has a classic rock feel to it. The limited edition comes with a bonus CD featuring alternative, unreleased and different takes on some of the material. Skylark has already become a hit in Japan. Let’s hope that the rest of the world will give this band a chance too.
Rating - 78/100
Tracklist
Disc 1
Disc 2 (Limited Edition)
Line Up
Links
Label : Simmons Records/Universal Music Canada
Review by Tony Cannella
You can describe the band Kobra and the Lotus in one word. Metal! That’s it. If you want to know what genre or sub-genre to put them in, their self-titled debut album is about as metal as it gets. Hailing from Canada Kobra and the Lotus is a band that fans who have a love for pure metal, should seek out. There are a growing number of current bands who are bringing metal back to its purest form, but with all due respect to some great bands; in fact it is a great movement in the genre but you would be hard pressed to find a band better than Kobra and the Lotus. They have also received attention from Kiss’ fire breathing demon Gene Simmons who signed them to his label. Kobra and the Lotus’ debut album is a relentless metal extravaganza from the word go and the opening track “50 Shades of Evil”. Lead vocalist Kobra Paige has such a huge voice that has so much power behind it that it is right there in-your-face and impossible not to feel it – her metal-ness cannot be denied. Also impressive is the songwriting and the guitar work from Timothy Vega and Jasio Kulakowski. Next is the grinding “Welcome to my Funeral”. The final song is the blistering “Ana of Karmika” which features a galloping Iron Maiden feel to it musically and end things with a bang. The 10-songs on display here are laced with heavy riffs, some great melodic moments and just a huge sound that does more than pay homage to metal of the past – sure those Judas Priest and Iron Maiden influences are there (they have also been compared to the NWOBHM movement, but I don’t really hear it), but the material is far beyond a band that is simply paying respect to their hero’s. Kobra and the Lotus deliver the songs with such sincerity and ferocity. They are the real deal. Highlights include: “Forever One”, “Heaven’s Veins”, “Sanctuary” and “No Rest For the Wicked”. There is really not much more to say about Kobra and the Lotus except for the fact that this is not only the best debut I have heard all year but in a number of years. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love all of the different styles of metal I am exposed to with this gig – and I have had the pleasure of being exposed to many, many great bands, but sometimes it is easy to become jaded, then along comes a band like Kobra and the Lotus who re-ignites my excitement in metal and music in general. This album did it for me.
Rating - 98/100
Tracklist
Line Up
Links
Label : Nadir Music
Review by Tony Cannella
While perusing the internet, I noticed that some reviews for the latest album by Morgana, “Rose of Jericho”, were less than kind, some were harsh, too harsh, in my opinion. “Rose of Jericho” is not a bad album, it’s actually pretty good. Morgana is the alter ego of vocalist Roberta DeLaude and she is no newcomer, she is actually a veteran of the Italian metal scene. She began singing in heavy metal bands in 1983 at the age of 16 and released the debut EP from Morgana in 1988. Since then she has released material sporadically, but now Morgana returns with her first album of new material in years, so long time fans of the band should rejoice. Appropriately enough the instrumental “Alive…” gets things started and announces the return of Morgana. Next is “Love Me the Way I Am” and showcases Morgana’s melodic metal sound with a grinding guitar riff. Other songs such as, “Golden Hours”, “Lady Winter” and “610” pretty much gets the point across what Morgana is all about and what “Rose of Jericho” has to offer, just simple, basic, melodic heavy metal. I don’t mean that in a negative way at all. The songs are what matters and for the most part they are good. The instrumental “…And Kickin” – fittingly enough – brings “Rose of Jericho” to its conclusion. The whole thing features 9-songs and only 36-minutes worth of music, barely longer than an EP. I have to admit that while I had always heard the name Morgana, I wasn’t familiar with her music at all, so I had nothing to compare “Rose of Jericho” to. Taken on its own merit and with no preconceived ideas about her past music, “Rose of Jericho” is just a good melodic heavy metal album that recalls the 80s, while still having a hold on what is relevant in 2012.
Rating - 75/100
Tracklist
Line Up
Links
Label : Poets Labyrinth Productions
Review by Tony Cannella
Even though Christmas just passed, it is never too late for some quality holiday music. That brings us to the new single by Pennsylvania based singer/songwriter Tiffany Apan in collaboration with Chuck Owston as they present their version of the 16th century English Folk classic “Greensleeves”. I have to admit that I have always loved this song and found it deeply moving; it always seems to lend itself well to a rock setting or classical backdrop. The version that Tiffany Apan and Chuck Owston has presented us with is a more traditional, mournful rendition of the song. Right off-the-bat, Tiffany Apan has a phenomenal classically trained voice as she is accompanied by Chuck Owston on mandolins. “Greensleeves” is a perfect treat for the holiday season, but it is not just Christmas music.This is a timeless classic that Tiffany Apan and Chuck Owston has injected their heart and soul into and should be enjoyed year ‘round.
Rating - 85/100
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Label : AFM Records
Review by Tony Cannella
Fans of Progressive Power Metal rejoice! The new project from Virus IV guitarist Samuel Arkan is here and he is joined by an outstanding array of talented musicians for the debut of Epysode titled “Obsessions”. For 14-songs, totaling about an hour’s worth of music, the listener is drawn into a conceptual story (which sounds like it would make a killer movie) with each singer playing a role as the story unfolds throughout the album. After the opening intro of “File 4180-1” the next track “Silences of Dawn (Poetry)” is a beautiful minute-and-a-half piano peace featuring the vocals of Valentine and Dial frontwoman Liselotte Hegt as this segues into the majestic “First Blood”. This is a multi-faceted dramatic track featuring some cool interplay between all of the vocalists on the album, Kelly Sundown Carpenter (Beyond Twilight), Oddleif Stensland (Communic), Magali Luyten (Virus IV), Hegt and Rick Altzi (At Vance, Thunderstone) all turn in epic performances. From there the album moves forward with a lot of momentum on the equally awesome “Obsessions” featuring some more great vocal work performed by Carpenter and Luyten. “Invisible Nations” is next and features a melodic up-tempo atmosphere with Carpenter and Altzi once again taking the lead role in the vocal department. I must say, the chemistry between the two is breathtaking. This song also includes a pretty cool prog rock style keyboard section in the middle. The next track “Gemini Syndrome” – with Liselotte Hegt and Kelly Sundown taking the lead – is a beautiful piano dominated ballad that allows the listener to catch their breath before the crushing riff of “Fallen’s Portrait” should get those heads banging once again. Other highlights: “Season of Redemption”, “The Other Side”, “One Chance” , “Divine Whispers” but I could on. There is no doubt that Samuel Arkan from Virus IV is the creative force behind this project; he wrote the music, lyrics, story and produced, but he has also surrounded himself with some top-notch talent who also put their unique stamps on “Obsessions”. Doing a concept album on this grand a scale can be quite risky and the possibility exists that it could be viewed as hokey or cheesy, but thankfully Samuel Arkan and the rest of the stellar cast put a lot of care, effort and thought into Epysode. For a concept album this ambitious, “Obsessions” never comes off as overblown or overdone, it strikes the right balance between music and drama which is one of the best things about it.
Rating - 90/100
Tracklist
Line Up
The Cast
Musicians
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Label : Independent Release/Revalve Records
Review by Tony Cannella
Pursuing the End is an interesting little band from Italy. In 2011 they released their 4-song 15 ½ minute EP, “Dawn of Expiation”. Now the band returns with a new 3-song, 10 ½ minute single titled “Withering”. There is actually a lot to like about this operatic, symphonic metal band as their debut EP hinted at. “Withering” is mostly a good effort. The male vocals by Giacomo Benamati are clean metal vocals, no screaming or grunt here, they are more along the lines of the male singer from Visions of Atlantis. The angelic sounding female vocals by Caterina Bonfanti are excellent as well. Unfortunately though, in my opinion the female operatic vocals are a little too over-the-top. Others may disagree and find this right up their alley, but I think Pursuing the End would be better served if they toned down the opera elements. That is not to say that there are not parts where it could definitely work.“Overture” starts things off with its orchestral intro setting the stage for “Withering” which starts off with the ultra-operatic vocals when Giacomo takes over and the angelic female vocals come in, these definitely save the song for me. There are a hint of grunt vocals in the background but they are very low in the mix. Musically, “Withering” is a beautiful song that shows that this band is capable of so much more. “A Glimpse of Forbidden” closes out the trio of songs and once again has a lot going for it musically. Thankfully the band relies mostly on the clean male vocals and the angelic female vocals and strong choir-like background vocals. The operatic vocals are utilized but not as much as in the previous song. “Withering” is definitely a step forward from “Dawn of Expiation”, but the operatic vocals are certainly going to be an acquired taste for some, but others may love them and others may be turned off by them. There is no accounting for taste, I guess. Pursuing the End is a good band, but in my opinion could be so much better.
Rating - 75/100
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Label : GMR Music Group
Review by Tony Cannella
Ever since they burst onto the metal scene in 2005 with their excellent debut “In Distortion We Trust”, the Swedish all female metal band Crucified Barbara has become one of the best and most successful bands of the femme metal genre. There is a definite feeling of knowing what you are going to get with Crucified Barbara – let’s face it, they’re not trying to re-invent the wheel or heavy metal for that matter and that is always re-assuring to their fan base. They just continue to churn out high energy, raw and powerful metal with plenty of attitude. Why should their 3rd – and latest – album “The Midnight Chase” be any different? It is a new Crucified Barbara album but features the same intensity and enthusiasm as their previous two. The frenzied drum intro lead us into the opening tune “The Crucifier” and this is classic Crucified Barbara. It has almost a Motorhead feel to it and I picture this song opening their live shows on their upcoming tour. The whole album has a live feel to it and no shortage of energy and enthusiasm. Next is the powerhouse riffing that opens up the confrontational “Shut Your Mouth”. Lead vocalist Mia Coldheart is at her raspy voiced best. “Into the Fire” is next and another straight-ahead exorcise in heavy rock. “Rules and Bones” became one of my favorites and I found myself singing the chorus ‘rules and bones were made to be broken’ long afterwards – this is just an excellent song. “If I Hide” has great potential as a single if the band chose to release it as one. While still being heavy this is a really cool mid-tempo track. “Count Me In” is an acoustic ballad that has a cool melancholic and mournful vibe to it and is packed with emotion and heart. This is one of the few times that you will hear the tender side of Crucified Barbara. Other highlights include: “Everything We Need”, “The Midnight Chase” and “Rock Me Like the Devil”. “The Midnight Chase” is one of those albums that is not very hard to like. Sure, Crucified Barbara continues to follow the same musical path as their previous two, but what is wrong with that? “The Midnight Chase” should satisfy longtime fans as well as (hopefully) see the band gain more. I can’t really say if “The Midnight Chase” is better or worse than its predecessors, it is just a band that sounds like they are having fun and continues to maintain a high level of consistency. That is not a bad place to be.
Rating - 85/100
Tracklist
Line Up
Links
Label : Music Buy Mail
Review by Tony Cannella
Bosnia is not known as a hotbed for metal music, or music in general for that matter, so that is what makes the band Heaven Rain somewhat unique. The band sites Kamelot, Sonata Arctica and Nightwish as some of their chief influences, but I can’t really say that they sound like any of these bands. The band has previously released one full-length album back in 2008 and is back at with an album of new material called “Second Sun”. Musically, Heaven Rain contains plenty of soaring melodies with plenty of power and power metal influence behind them, but vocalist Miona Graorac is what sets this band apart from their influences. Her style is more rock than metal and not what I was expecting at all – that is not meant to be a negative, to the contrary it is one of the things that I really liked about this band – and is a refreshing change from the norm. Another thing I liked is the musicianship which shifts from power metal to hard rock and once in a while to prog metal. The intro “Close to Dawn” kicks off this 41-minute foray into melodic metal and segues into the song “Heaven Rain”. “My Only One” is an infectious mid-tempo song that is the first song I would play for anyone I wanted to introduce this band to. This is the song that stands out the most for me. “Nowhere” is a nice ballad and the band picks up the tempo for the next song “Raven in Heart”. Other highlights include: “Dreamless”, “Face of Misery” and “When Day Fades to Dark”. “Second Sun” flows really nice and Heaven Rain shows that Bosnians can indeed rock on a high level.
Rating - 78/100
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