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.
We realize that it’s quite late to publish this interview but the meantime that UK progressive rock band Touchstone is recording the fourth album, it’s the right moment to delve into Tocuhstone and their last album “The City Sleeps”. As singer Kim Seviour states this album is not a concept but “behind the album as a whole some stories have been continued from different albums and we wanted to carry those on. When “Shadows Fall” carries on from “Shadow” from our first full-length album “Discordant Dreams” and “The City Sleeps” follows on from “Wintercoast”. There’s not only space for serious stuff, Kim doesn’t hide the fact that she “would love to work with Peter Gabriel”. Well, we’re at the end of this special feature about this promising band that it has only a (brilliant) future that we’re looking forward to follow closely.
Interview by Erwin Van Dijk
An interview with Michelle Loose from Brave. On June 1st the compilation double cd “Demonic and Divine” is released by Femme Metal Records.. The cd is to support the Macmillan Cancer support and Cancer research UK. Brave appears with the song “Driven”. This song originally appeared on the album “Monuments”. Brave is a Progressive rock/metal band from Washington DC (United States). This interview is with Michelle Loose, who is responsible for the keys and vocals.
For starters: How was the gig with Cynic in Springfield?
It was amazing! Definitely a dream come true to play with Cynic. We’ve been huge fans of theirs since the early ‘90’s. They put on a great show. They are so good live, so talented.
Did you always wanted to become a singer?
I’ve always loved music and singing but I never dreamed that I would actually be a singer. I’m a pretty shy person so I never imagined that I would actually sing in front of people. I was really forced into singing for the band – but I’m so glad that I was!
Who are your favourite singers and musicians?
Tori Amos probably tops my list. Other singers/musicians include Lisa Gerrard, Ann Wilson, Geoff Tate, Ray Alder.
And to what kind of music do you listen yourself?
I’ve really been on a proggy metal kick lately. I listen to a lot of different bands but right now I’m really digging Dream Theater, Cynic, Fates Warning, Metallica. I also frequently listen to The Gathering, Lacuna Coil, Genesis, Faith No More, Tori Amos.
Did you sing in any other bands before Brave and do you any other bands right now?
We were previously known as Arise From Thorns which includes the same core lineup of myself, my brother Scott Loose on guitar and drummer Trevor Schrotz. I did a brief part on a demo before joining AFT for another band but that’s really it. I’ve done a few recordings here and there for other artists including Power of Omens, David Gallegos, While Heaven Wept and Project Failing Flesh.
You also play piano. What do you prefer, singing or playing piano?
I probably prefer singing. I feel more confident singing rather than playing piano.
You have been active in Brave (and Arise From Thorns as the band was called in the early days) since 1997. What are the highlights for you so far?
We’ve had some really great live performances opening for bands that I’ve longed admired like Fates Warning, Cynic, Lacuna Coil, Opeth and others and that has been amazing. We’ve been so fortunate to get on these gigs. I’d also say that meeting and working with so many other music lovers has been wonderful. I never would have had these experiences without being in the band. We’ve truly met a lot of great people, fans and professionals.
And did you have any negative experiences?
We have had some not so good live performances, nothing terrible but some nasty club experiences. Overall we’ve been extremely lucky and fortunate not to have too many negative experiences.
Why did you choose Brave as the name for your band?
We decided to change the name from Arise From Thorns back in 2000 because we wanted a less dramatic and more memorable name. There were a few serendipitous events that took place with the word “Brave” and it’s always had personal meaning for me. I have to remind myself to be ‘brave’ daily whether it be in my regular day to day life or when singing in front of people. I try to be brave and grow personally and professionally all of the time. It’s a strong word with powerful meaning.
How would you describe Brave’s music? Because Progressive Rock/Metal covers a lot of music these days, from Stratovarius to Epica.
We’ve always been somewhat difficult to pigeon hole in terms of labelling a specific style. We have our moments when we are more on the prog/metal side of the spectrum but we also have songs that would be considered slightly more contemporary or commercial sounding. We try to really vary up our style and sound. We don’t think about what kind of music we want to write, it just comes out the way it is and we keep it that way. For us the joy in writing music is writing whatever we want and not creating any musical boundaries.
And what makes Brave different compared to all the other female fronted bands in the world?
I would say that our sound is unique, passionate and dynamic.There are definitely a lot of female fronted bands out there so we stand out amongst all of the bands with our own sound.
Can you introduce us to the other members of Brave?
Scott Loose: Guitars, founding member of Arise From Thorns and Brave - Matt Kozar: Guitars, joined Brave in 2007 and has been a wonderful addition to the family both personally and musically. -Trevor Schrotz: Drums, founding member or Arise From Thorns and Brave. - Ben Kelly: Bass, joined Brave in 2003 and has been a long time friend of ours and a great addition to the band - Suvo Sur: Violin/Keys, joined Brave in 2003 and has really defined our style with the added instrumentation of violin. Suvo is an amazing musician and we’ve so enjoyed working with him.
You and Scott are brother and sister. Does this make things easier in the band or not?
Fortunately we get along pretty well so there are no dramatic family fights or anything like that. I find that we are both really on the same page musically so I think that helps to have that connection. I’m also married to our drummer Trevor so it’s definitely been a family affair for a long time.
Why did Brave choose the song “Driven” for the “Demonic and Divine” album?
That’s one of our favourite songs from our recent CD “Monuments”. It’s fun, heavy and uplifting so we wanted to include this on the compilation.
And how did you (the band) got in touch with Femme Metal?
I believe my brother Scott actually started talking with them. Caz and everyone at Femme Metal have been wonderful to work with. We were honoured that they wanted to release a 10 year anniversary CD for us.
Is song writing teamwork in Brave or is there a mastermind behind the music?
Mostly it’s a team effort, we all add our own spices to the mix if you will. Most of the main riffs and ideas are written by Scott but we all get to add our own styles to each song. It’s definitely a collaborative effort.
Washington D.C.’s progressive/rock band Brave signs deal for a 10 year anniversary album with Femme Metal Records from England. The album, entitled “Lost in Retrospect” ,will feature selected tracks from all of the Brave and Arise From Thorns (former band name) albums, including some songs that are long out of print. “Lost in Retrospect” was released February 20, 2009. Brave’s singer Michelle Loose said about the album: “We are very excited about this collaboration for a 10 year anniversary CD with the new record label, Femme Metal Records. We can’t believe we’ve been making music together for 10 years now and are glad to be able to re-release some of the older songs that have been long out of print. We are so happy to be working with Femme Metal Records and thank you for your support with this collaboration.” Can you tell us something about the songs on “Lost in Retrospect” ?
It was a hard decision to select songs from the last 10 years. We really just picked out our favourite and most meaningful songs to us and narrowed the selection down to what we could use with the time that is allotted for CD. We then picked songs that we though would flow well together and this is what we came up with. It’s a good overview of AFT/Brave over the last 10 years.
What is the idea behind the title of the album?
The title is actually from the song “Lost in Retrospect” which was on our CD “Waist Deep in Dark Waters”. That song was written by a dear friend of ours who was also in our band at the time, Tom Phillips from While Heaven Wept. The title seemed to work perfectly for what we were creating.
And what is your favourite song on “Lost in Retrospect” ?
Probably “Candle in the Dark”.
What are Brave’s plans for the future?
We have a few live performances coming up so we are focused on those for now. Eventually we’ll probably write again and go from there.
And the last question: Is there anything the reader should know that I have not asked?
Please feel free to check out our music samples at www.myspace.com/braveband if you’d like to check us out. Thank you so much for the interview!!
Links
Interview by Lindz Riot
In America you wouldn’t ever even begin to think a gothic metal band would come from their lands. Sure, Europe is very well known for producing favourites like Within Temptation and Nightwish, and we have been lucky enough to get the alternative act We Are the Fallen from California! America needs to brace itself for a brave band from Oklahoma City who are mastering the European metal sound with an angelical siren named Julia. They are called Angelical Tears and they describe themselves at angelical vocals with demonic guitars. You have to hear them for yourself! Their recently released EP is very impressive. Here’s what Julia has to say about her journey with the band so far.
Hello Julia and welcome to the Femme Metal Webzine, thanks so much for taking the time do this interview with us. First of all I would love to know the origin of Angelical Tears. When and where did it all start and how did the band come to be?
Well, Angelical Tears was born around Halloween time 4 years ago in Oklahoma city to fill a void it had in the symphonic female fronted metal scene.
After taking a good listen to your songs I feel as if they are fantasy based, but that could just be because of your sound. What are the stories behind your songs? Are they true stories?
I try to write my lyrics that are based on real life – my experience or my friend’s life stories.
So regarding your live show: what is the music scene like in Oklahoma? How have your shows and fans been? How long have you been playing live for anyways?
If we were a country ensemble the music scene in Oklahoma would be amazing. The rock and especially the metal scenes are practically non-existent. Most of the time we end up playing shows with hard-core metal bands. Because the scene is so undeveloped here we get better reception outside of Oklahoma.
From what I hear your sound is very much like that of the music coming out of Europe. What bands have inspired Angelical Tears as a whole?
Each band member had its own inspiration some love classical musical, some dig heavy metal. And of course European metal with female singers is something that we all like. Bands like Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation and so on definitely in some way has inspired us to write our stuff.
So I wanted to say congrats on the Australian distribution and the release of your self titled EP! It’s really great stuff. How are you finding the response has been to these 6 songs?
The response has been great, especially in Europe. Hungary and Romania have been quite receptive.
What is the song writing process like for Angelical Tears? Who mostly writes the music and who is the main lyricist?
We all try to write music and lyrics. But mostly I write lyrics and the guys write the music. Each one of us tries to contribute whatever he/she can during the creative process.
My favourite song is “Tomorrow Happens Now”, if you don’t mind telling me what’s the story behind it? What is your favourite song and why?
“Tomorrow Happens Now” – that song is about wanting that special someone to be with you right now in the moment. Dreaming about that person, but he’s far away and you don’t know when you are going to meet him/her again. It’s hard to say which song is my favourite. They are all meaningful to me and have their own story.
Links
Interview by Lindz Riot
In America you wouldn’t ever even begin to think a gothic metal band would come from their lands. Sure, Europe is very well known for producing favourites like Within Temptation and Nightwish, and we have been lucky enough to get the alternative act We Are the Fallen from California! America needs to brace itself for a brave band from Oklahoma City who are mastering the European metal sound with an angelical siren named Julia. They are called Angelical Tears and they describe themselves at angelical vocals with demonic guitars. You have to hear them for yourself! Their recently released EP is very impressive. Here’s what Julia has to say about her journey with the band so far.
Hello Julia and welcome to the Femme Metal Webzine, thanks so much for taking the time do this interview with us. First of all I would love to know the origin of Angelical Tears. When and where did it all start and how did the band come to be?
Well, Angelical Tears was born around Halloween time 4 years ago in Oklahoma city to fill a void it had in the symphonic female fronted metal scene.
After taking a good listen to your songs I feel as if they are fantasy based, but that could just be because of your sound. What are the stories behind your songs? Are they true stories?
I try to write my lyrics that are based on real life – my experience or my friend’s life stories.
So regarding your live show: what is the music scene like in Oklahoma? How have your shows and fans been? How long have you been playing live for anyways?
If we were a country ensemble the music scene in Oklahoma would be amazing. The rock and especially the metal scenes are practically non-existent. Most of the time we end up playing shows with hard-core metal bands. Because the scene is so undeveloped here we get better reception outside of Oklahoma.
From what I hear your sound is very much like that of the music coming out of Europe. What bands have inspired Angelical Tears as a whole?
Each band member had its own inspiration some love classical musical, some dig heavy metal. And of course European metal with female singers is something that we all like. Bands like Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation and so on definitely in some way has inspired us to write our stuff.
So I wanted to say congrats on the Australian distribution and the release of your self titled EP! It’s really great stuff. How are you finding the response has been to these 6 songs?
The response has been great, especially in Europe. Hungary and Romania have been quite receptive.
What is the song writing process like for Angelical Tears? Who mostly writes the music and who is the main lyricist?
We all try to write music and lyrics. But mostly I write lyrics and the guys write the music. Each one of us tries to contribute whatever he/she can during the creative process.
My favourite song is “Tomorrow Happens Now”, if you don’t mind telling me what’s the story behind it? What is your favourite song and why?
“Tomorrow Happens Now” – that song is about wanting that special someone to be with you right now in the moment. Dreaming about that person, but he’s far away and you don’t know when you are going to meet him/her again. It’s hard to say which song is my favourite. They are all meaningful to me and have their own story.
Label : SPV/Steamhammer Records
Review by Tony Cannella
Fans of symphonic Prog rock and metal have got a band that they can really sink their teeth into. They are Touchstone from the U.K. and they have just released their 4th full-length album titled, “The City Sleeps”. Touchstone is no doubt influenced by many of the great prog bands of seventies, but they add enough modern touches to make them relevant in 2011 and beyond. “The City Sleeps” is chock full of progressive, musically involved epic numbers combined with solid metal guitar riffs. Touchstone is fronted by the duel male/female vocals of Kim Seviour and Rob Cottingham. The pair makes a nice duo and the vocals are split pretty evenly. The opening track “Corridors” is a cool opener that displays the bands polished prog metal sound. The next track is the excellent 10-minutes of pure, epic prog nirvana, “When Shadows Fall”. “These Walls” and “Throw Them to the Sky” are next and they are both shorter songs with enormous mainstream potential (in my opinion). In particular, “Throw Them to the Sky” is my favorite song and one that is a good starting point for anyone interested in checking out Touchstone. In addition to some solid vocals, great songwriting and melodic songs, there is also plenty of dazzling keyboard work courtesy of Rob Cottingham throughout. Other highlights include: “Sleeping Giants” (another excellent, melodic track), “Horizons” and the 11-minute “The City Sleeps”. While Touchstone can be considered a prog band, without a doubt, they are not bound by the limitations of the genre. Sure they have those long epic numbers that are often associated with prog music, but they also know and understand the value of a good 3-5 minute song that really grabs the listener. But at the end of the day, Touchstone is a prog band, and a damn good one at that.
Rating - 87/100
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Label : SPV/Steamhammer Records
Review by Tony Cannella
Fans of symphonic Prog rock and metal have got a band that they can really sink their teeth into. They are Touchstone from the U.K. and they have just released their 4th full-length album titled, “The City Sleeps”. Touchstone is no doubt influenced by many of the great prog bands of seventies, but they add enough modern touches to make them relevant in 2011 and beyond. “The City Sleeps” is chock full of progressive, musically involved epic numbers combined with solid metal guitar riffs. Touchstone is fronted by the duel male/female vocals of Kim Seviour and Rob Cottingham. The pair makes a nice duo and the vocals are split pretty evenly. The opening track “Corridors” is a cool opener that displays the bands polished prog metal sound. The next track is the excellent 10-minutes of pure, epic prog nirvana, “When Shadows Fall”. “These Walls” and “Throw Them to the Sky” are next and they are both shorter songs with enormous mainstream potential (in my opinion). In particular, “Throw Them to the Sky” is my favorite song and one that is a good starting point for anyone interested in checking out Touchstone. In addition to some solid vocals, great songwriting and melodic songs, there is also plenty of dazzling keyboard work courtesy of Rob Cottingham throughout. Other highlights include: “Sleeping Giants” (another excellent, melodic track), “Horizons” and the 11-minute “The City Sleeps”. While Touchstone can be considered a prog band, without a doubt, they are not bound by the limitations of the genre. Sure they have those long epic numbers that are often associated with prog music, but they also know and understand the value of a good 3-5 minute song that really grabs the listener. But at the end of the day, Touchstone is a prog band, and a damn good one at that.
Rating - 87/100
Tracklist
Line Up
Links
MySpace * ReverbNation * Facebook * Twitter * Site
Label : Nuclear Blast Records
Review by Stina
Hot on the heels of last year’s “Triumph : Tragedy : Transcendence - Live at the Hammers of Doom” comes While Heaven Wept’s fourth studio album, “Fear of Infinity”. It was never unusual for these by now legendary Virginia Epic Doomsters to go several years between full-lengths, so two of them (and a live album) in the span of two years is a pretty big deal for loyal fans. But after impressing audience and press alike with 2009’s “Vast Oceans Lachrymose”, things were bound to change. Fresh off a record deal with perhaps the most famous rock and metal label in the world – that is to say, Nuclear Blast, While Heaven Wept took an exceptionally short time in crafting a follow up, and, after announcing the signing in November, they rushed into the studio to have the album ready before this April – which could make our alarm bells ring as for the quality of the product, especially considering the high standards set by a band that has been around for twenty years and at the top of their league for at least half of them. And, while whatever they could put together in a few months is still a lot more than what an average band could put together in a career, “Fear of Infinity” is not quite on par with said standards: sure, it’s a While Heaven Wept album, and thus possesses all the trademarks and signature elements of their latest style – epic cavalcades, twin guitar melodic scale progressions, Michelle Schrotz’s chilling but elegant synth work, her vocal duels with Tom Phillips, melancholic melodies and overall technical proficiency. But this ultimately turns out a double edge sword: “Fear of Infinity” is on the verge of falling short in the sense that it’s often difficult to spot the differences between it and its predecessor; at times it’s like the album sounds as though it could easily have been spawned during the same recording session – which is, actually, something not far removed from the truth, since the majority of “Fear of Infinity” was rehearsed alongside the “Vast Oceans Lachrymose” material. Therefore, is no surprise that this latest effort neither pushes any envelopes nor changes any games, much in its seven tracks only sounding as a slight variation (albeit a surely enjoyable one) of something else done before by the same band – which is to say, dangerously close to stagnating and dull. An off-putting thing for fans of female vocals (which is saying a lot of you readers, or else you wouldn’t be browsing Femme Metal reviews!), is the scarce prominence given to Michelle as a singer: as said before, she mostly harmonizes with Tom without benefiting of much exposure, therefore only the most fervent WHW fans among you will want to get their hands on this album. To me, it felt too much of a genre exercise to maintain album-length interest – even though a mild effort by While Heaven Wept is still a nice slab of melancholic, doomy epicness and therefore quite the pleasure for our metallic ears.
Rating - 72/100
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Label : Cruz del Sur Music/High Roller Records/Iron Kodex Records
Review by Stina
On some occasions, live albums/DVDs might tend to mark certain – hopefully memorable – circumstances: relevant anniversaries, for example, or maybe a special performance in a significant venue. While Heaven Wept’s first live package – a CD/DVD 2 disc set released via Cruz Del Sur Music on November 8th, 2010 in a quantity of 3000 copies, plus an additional, limited edition 2LP set released through a joint collaboration between Cruz Del Sur Music, High Roller Records and Iron Kodex Records in a quantity of 1000 copies, including a poster, insert and housed in heavy gatefold sleeve – adheres to any of the aforementioned criteria yet it is not truly any of the above. A document of a band in their 20th year, and – and as far as locations go, recorded during the band’s appearance at Hammer of Doom festival, in Germany, the real purpose of this release is better explained in the words of primary writer and overall engine of the band, mainman Tom Philips: “The philosophy behind this release is twofold; first, it is an expression of our gratitude to everyone who attended the show – who made it such a special, unforgettable experience for us. Secondly, being that there are many places that WHW would like to perform, but we’ve yet to reach, hopefully this will hold those waiting over until we can broker a deal to appear in your city, in person”. “Triumph:Tragedy:Transcendence” might not capture the most extensive live set ever performed (a total of seven tracks, plus the usual bonus material including rehearsal films, a 20-minute interview and three additional live versions of songs already played in the Hammer of Doom show), but it does surely make up for that detail, as it reaches as far back as the band’s 1998 debut “Sorrow of the Angels”, bringing together a nice collection that spans all the band’s releases, much to the fans’ pleasure. This renders the result not just a cobbled-together, fans-only collector’s item, but also an overall enjoyable work, and even an excellent introduction to the legendary Doom act from Virginia, also thanks to the excellent quality of the performance, both sound-wise and also technically. Covering an expanse of nuances from the serene and celestial to the epic and raging and a kaleidoscopic plethora of dispositions in-between due to the reason mentioned above (as anyone who’s familiar with the discography of WHW is able to testify), “Triumph:Tragedy:Transcendence” showcases a jaw-dropping interplay between the musicians that’s remarkably fluid, perfectly coordinated and crystal clear – individual contributions are outstandingly discernible and the atmosphere created by the synths of Michelle Schrotz (the lady of the band, with whom she has recently parted ways – only on a temporary basis, thankfully – due to maternity reasons), who is also responsible for the harmonized female vocals, coat the execution of the songs in a chilling but soothing fashion. This live release has mostly been criticized for its coldness (most of the audience’s reaction is silenced, which gives an impeccable but a bit studio-like feel to the overall performance) but the presence of this flaw which the reviewer only perceives as minor should be let get in the way of the validity of the work. Sure, While Heaven Wept may not have invented melody-infused Epic Doom, but they sure have put an indelible stamp on it over the last twenty years – which means two things: first and foremost, any fan of the band would better grab a copy of this live release, and secondly, if you, reader, are yet to investigate the soundscapes of this fine femme-related band, don’t you think the time is now?
Rating - 80/100
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Label : Kicking and Screaming Music
Review by Tony Cannella
New York City’s Stark are a three piece band that play high energy, straight-forward, hard rock music with a bit of punk edge to them. Their newly released third album is titled “Race to the Floor” and it features 9-songs and 31-minutes worth of music that is completely and utterly dripping with attitude and swagger. It is all pretty much your basic rock and roll, yet it all feels new, thanks in large part to this trio’s enthusiasm and energy that is quite evident on each and every song. The high adrenalin opener, “On the Edge” kicks things off in a huge, energetic way. “Get It” is next and is one the best the CD has to offer. Just a fast paced, catchy number that features a pretty cool groove running throughout the whole song. These songs rock hard as can be heard on: “Getting Along”, “Wasting Air”, “Drunkaholic”, “What It Is” and “Nightmares”. The closing number, “Puttin’ Out Your Fire” ends things on a high note and leaves the listener wanting more. “Race to the Floor” is chock full of powerful riffs, cool solos and the underrated vocals of Lani Ford. Just great and passionate performances all the way around from this power trio. “Race to the Floor” is a gritty, riff-heavy rock record that never gives the listener a chance to come up for air until the last note is played. A very good effort from this NYC based band and a CD that comes highly recommended. It can be ordered via CD Baby.
Rating - 85/100
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Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
On their debut album “As the City Sleeps”, Canada’s Mary and the Black Lamb showcase their energetic, darkly romantic gothic hard rock/metal. Throughout the course of the 10-song, 33-minute CD, Mary and the Black Lamb take us through a multitude of emotions set to the soundtrack of razor sharp guitar riffs and instantly catchy and memorable songs. ead vocalist Lindz Riot, leads the charge with a vocal style that alternates between fiercely aggressive and sweet. The opening track “She Is” is a great melodic opening number that sets the tone. “Stay Away” and “Departed” continue on in a similar direction before the band slows down a bit with the great ballad “Gone”. This is a song that I could definitely see getting some radio airplay. The band switch things up again with the awesome, “Emily”. Lindz really stretches her vocals out on this one. Hands down, “Emily” is my favorite track on “As the City Sleeps”. The songs on “As the City Sleeps” really have the potential to reach a wide array of fans. Other highlights include: “The Price”, “Forget You Now” and “Silence”. I have to admit that Mary and the Black Lamb are a bit different than what I normally might listen to, but I found myself falling in love with “As the City Sleeps”.
Rating - 90/100
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