Label : Massacre Records

Review by Danny Robertson

VOD’s press release for “Power Dive” describes them as having a sound somewhere between gothic and symphonic metal, and it’s not wrong; at times sounding like a heavier Nightwish, or during their more restrained moments sounding reminiscent of Within Temptation, but without sounding like a cheap copy of any act within those genres. Their combination of sounds gels together well without sounding forced - the keyboards don’t overpower the rest of the instruments, whilst the guitarwork is especially impressive, epic without being pompous or gratuitous, and Maike’s vocals work well with the instruments rather than relegating them to the background, thus avoiding the pitfalls others within the genre occasionally find themselves in. Tracks such as the title song and “Dedication” show off their more operatic side, whilst standout track “Kami” is a nice demonstration of the band’s range in a single song, with some heavy riffing throughout. Voices of Destiny have delivered a strong second album here, one that should see them win new fans in further territories. If you’re fan of big, bold, unashamedly epic metal, then try this album out!

Rating - 80/100

Tracklist

1. Intro
2. Power Dive
3. My Separation
4. Dreams Awake
5. Kami
6. Untouchable
7. Being Worth
8. Dedication
9. Your Hands
10. Red Winter’s Snow
11. Outro

Line Up

• Maike Holzmann - Vocals
• Chris Gutjahr - Guitars
• Lukas Palme - Keyboards/vocals
• Jens Hartwig - Bass
• Erik Seitz - Drums

Links

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Interview by Matteo Bussotti

As soon as their new album, “Power Dive”, came out, we had to ask Voices of Destiny’s singer, Maike, what’s behind this album, the creative process behind it. She was very nice and answered politely to all our question, making Voices’ style and history clearer. So, let’s take a “Power Dive” into their new album and this interview!

First of all, have you ever been to Italy? And if you have, what differences have you found from your homeland?

Yes I’ve been to Italy many times but only on holidays with my family when I was a child. Of course a big difference is the climate, the beach and the sea Italy has. I also liked the temper of Italian people a lot.

What was, in your opinion, the best country you’ve ever been, especially while touring with Voices? How one country differs from the others?

Well, that’s very difficult for me. We’ve just been on tour through some countries in eastern Europe by now and we had great experiences everywhere. I liked it very much to play in Budapest (Hungary), where the people were remarkable friendly and generous. We could visit the city as well and it was a great day there. Besides touring I love Ireland and Wales a lot. There the people are so hospitably and the landscape is beautiful.

Let’s talk about “Power Dive”: what do you think is the strongest point of your second album?

I like to listen to the album as a whole artwork, but there are some songs I listen to more often. For me that’s “Power Dive”, “The Untouchable” and “Your Hands” at the moment. I like the structure of these songs, the way I could interpret the lyrics and the heavy parts in it.

How do you think you’ve changed, as a band, but also you as a solo, from your first album “From the Ashes”?

All in all the album is much more aggressive and there are more strong feelings to be found I’d say. We decided to reduce the orchestral elements a little bit and give more room to the guitar and the growls. For my person I think I improved in expressing the feelings that I have about the songs.

Looking at the future, in what ways you think you can evolve, what do you think you can improve?

I’m still young and I think I can improve in many ways. I’d like to get even more volume and hope to improve my breathing technique as well. As band I hope we can play some more live shows to get more confident on stage.

There are bands which really struggle themselves to give the best during concerts, making every one of them a unique experience. On the other hand, there are bands which see concerts only as a “showcase” of their songs, like “These are our songs, we are great and powerful. Now go buy our cds.”. What’s your point of view? What do you think about concerts? Do you try to give your fans a unique experience, maybe delivering some sort of message?

That’s a very good question, thank you for that. Well, we’ve just been on tour and for me it should always be the goal to make the audience happy and give them a good time during your show. We always have a great time on stage and I hope the people realize that. I feel happy when the audience seems to like the performance or when I see people singing along. But what I like most about concerts is to get in touch with the fans afterwards. I really enjoyed talking to different people from several cities and get to know them. For me it’s very important to keep in touch with the fans and not just think of them as (potential) consumers.

Is there any crazy thing you’ve done, or you’d like to do, during a concert?

Not until now. But you never know what the future brings ;-)

You are very into social networks, in fact, on your band’s website are linked you facebook, twitter and youtube pages. What’s your opinion about them, and the opportunity they give the fans to interact with the artists?

For us it’s a great opportunity to stay in touch with our fans and to spread our music all over the world. We all like it to get to know bands we listen to and therefore we want to enable our fans to get to know us and our music as well.

If you had to describe the other members of Voices in…let’s say 30 words, how’d you describe them?

Chris is our idealist and organizer, Jens is the critical one and cares for the finances and Lukas is the genial musician. All of them are very crazy and funny and some of my best friends. (Sorry, now there are 36 words ;-))

Who you usually writes the lyrics in the band?

Most of the songs and therefore the lyrics are written by Lukas, two songs on “Power Dive” were written by Chris.

Is there some particular theme you’d like to sing about in your songs? What’s your favorite song you’ve written so far?

No there is no special theme that occurs over and over again, but most of the songs deal with daily problems and often the lyrics are about interpersonal relations.

Last but not least…is there something special you’re looking forward to in the next few months?

Yes we will start to work on new material in summer. We all are very excited about what comes next.

Links

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Latest Multimedia

Interview by Erwin van Dijk

Dawn of Destiny is a German power metal band and was founded in 2005. They have done numerous gigs since then (mostly in Germany). With their latest album “Rebellion in Heaven” I think it is about time to do some gigs abroad. Or at least an interview. Usually we interview the females of the band so this interview with Jens Faber is a first.

The first question: how did your album release party with guest (& my friends from) A New Dawn go?

It was a very nice evening with hours of good music, friendly people and many drinks.

You are the bass player of Dawn of Destiny and that makes you the Steve Harris of the band. Who are your favourite bass players and to what kind of music do you listen yourself?

I listen to nearly all kinds of metal. I like Helloween as well as Dimmu Borgir, Nightwish or Nile. I must confess that I do not care so much about who might be the greatest bass player because the songs are much more important to me but I think Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big) and John Myung (Dream Theater) belong to the best.

Did you have any bands before Dawn of Destiny or are you currently in other bands besides Dawn of Destiny?

There were probably rather more projects than real bands that I played with and currently there is nothing more than Dawn of Destiny.

What do you prefer: The traditional four strings on your bass or five?

By now I prefer five strings basses because it gives me more opportunities to vary my sound and my play.

And what kind of bass and amplifier do you use onstage?

I use a five string Grass Roots (ESP) Bass and a Line6 amplifier on stage. I am satisfied with both of it.

Power metal and Germany are almost identical in the world of metal. Why is this kind of metal so popular in Germany?

This kind of music has its roots in Germany. Helloween played that style first and some many followed. Maybe people in Germany still like tunes and melodies with high screaming voices and fast double bass attacks but I think it’s similar in other countries like Greece, Italy or Finland.

And what makes Dawn of Destiny different from all those other Power Metal bands?

We have a different approach concerning songwriting. We do not use the classical structure with Verse and Chorus. Furthermore we have more influences than just power metal because we like to express different feelings and emotions within our music. We want to create our CD’s diversified and obviously it was proven to be right considering the reviews we got for “Rebellion in Heaven”.

Another ‘German’ question: how big is metal really in your country? We foreigners know Germany mostly from all those festivals like Wacken Open Air and this might give some the impression that one out of five Germans is into Metal. Is metal really that big in Germany?

As far as I know metal is more popular in Finland (related to the population). In Germany metal was big in the 80’s and almost dead in the 90’s. By now Hip Hop is unfortunately the most popular music in Germany.

Does the album title (“Rebellion in Heaven”) have any special meaning?

Some lyrics deal with a examination of God, so we thought this title would be fitting. Besides it just sounds cool to us.

Is there one mastermind behind Dawn of Destiny’s music or is song writing teamwork?

No, I am the only songwriter but we all discuss the songs and the other members share their ideas to change some arrangements.

Can you tell us something about the songs on the album?

There are 14 songs and most of them sound different from the others. We have classical power metal stuff like “Angel Without Wings” or “Days Of Crying”, some heavy thrashing parts like “Inquisition” or some Gothic influences like “Tears”.

Your debut album is called “Begins” which is of course a perfect name for a debut album. What have you done different compared to “Begins” while writing and recording “Rebellion in Heaven”?

There are not so many differences between both albums. To me “Rebellion in Heaven” is the consequent continuation of “Begins” with the difference that we had a producer (Siggi Bemm) this time.

And the artwork: How did you get in touch with Mattias Nòren?

We found some very good material on his website and asked him to work with us for our first album.

Can you tell us something about the other members of Dawn of Destiny?

Tanja Maul– Vocals

Tanja and me make music for nearly six years. When we met each other she liked everything in music – everything but Metal!! Seemed to be a misunderstanding that we did not want to have a female singer and she did not want to sing in a metal band but it worked. Contemporaneously she sang in an a cappella band which has been a total contrast to our kind of music. Tanja has a very strong will and would do nearly everything for DOD. Her voice is crystal clear and enhances the emotions in our music perfectly.

Veith Offenbächer – Guitars

Veith is an extraordinary guitarist and a very pleasant character who fits perfectly to DOD. He was the latest member and joined us during the recording session of “Begins”.

Dirk Raczkiewicz – Keyboards

The ‘Grandfather’ refered to his age with a good sense for nice tunes.

Ansgar Ludwig – Drums

Maybe you wouldn’t expect him playing drums but he has very fast feet and a heavy groove.

What are Dawn of Destiny’s ambitions for the future?

We want to spread our name all over the world and maybe there is one day a chance for touring the whole world and selling enough CD’s to make DOD a full time living! We had several fantastic experiences and will always remember that.

And, the last question, is there anything the reader should know that I have not asked?

Not really. We thank you for the interview and hope that we could advise the reader of our band.

Links

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Interview by Eetu “Ene” Niskanen

We have reached by email Dawn of Destiny’s singer, Tanja Maul, for talking about the new album “Human Fragility” out now and more… Enjoy it!

Hello Tanja and thanks for accepting our interview.

You are very welcome.

So, you released your third album “Human Fragility” on September 21st, how much work did it take to get it out to the stores?

Most of the work is done by our songwriter Jens, who has the talent to write extraordinary songs within a very short time. The whole band decides which songs will be on the album and after the decision we practise and enter the studio. This time it took about three weeks recording and about one week mix and master. We all like the work in studio because it is an intense examination with our music that we all enjoy.

How much have you grown as musicians since your debut?

I think that “Human Fragility” contains my best performance so far. We all learn from studio and live experiences and try to improve ourselves.

On May you found a new drummer, Patrick Klose replacing your old dummer Ansgar Ludwig, how has he settled to the band?

We all are sad that Ansgar left the band but we found a very talented young drummer to join our DOD family. He fits perfectly and brings some creative ideas to the band. Although we had not much time to practice before the first shows with him he managed it very well.

Could you tell us something about your other bandmates?

Oh, where should I start? I make music with Jens for about eight years now and it is quite amazing considering our first attempts what we reached untill today. We started with a little PC, no real bandmembers, bad sound, only few ideas and a different taste of music. A few years ago Dirk joined the band and Veith completed Dawn of Destiny. Together we lived through some hard and some good times. When I speak of DOD as my second family it is more than serious. They even know me better than my parents.

Have you had any vocal training?

Yes, for about half a year I had a vocal coach. Afterwards I joined an acapella band for nearly two years that improved my auditory and my technique.

What kind of music do you listen yourself and how often?

I love melodic metal. Of course I sometimes listen to the big idols maybe to copy some little things. I do not listen to other kinds of music and I need to listen to it every day. It seems like the air to breathe for me.

Who are your biggest influences?

I try to perform my own style but influences for me are Stratovarius, Helloween, Blind Guardian, Nightwish, Evergrey, Kamelot or Within Temptation, just to mention some.

Independent Release

Review by Tony Cannella

On their My Space profile, Memphis, Tennessee’s Order of Týr list among their influences power metal, electronic music and… video games. Their album cover has a definite video game vibe to it and throughout their second album “Flames of Destiny”; Order of Týr incorporates some video game-like sounds along with their metal. That said, it is certainly a unique approach to take musically and the end result is an adventurous sounding second release. After the 2-second (that’s right 2-second) opening intro, Order of Týr launches into the 8-minute “Angels of Majesty / To Yourself, Be True”. Order of Týr also incorporates movie soundtrack influences into their music; “Ignite the Desire” is a perfect example of this. The epic 18-minute “Onward, My Children, to the Brink of Destiny”, is a great song that changes direction so many times throughout the course of its 18-minutes and never gets boring. Other Highlights: “Identity”, “Odin Speaks”, “Fight On, Forever” and “Angels of Majesty”. It is difficult to simply sit back and describe the music on “Flames of Destiny”, it must be heard to get a feel of the overall sound that Order of Týr presents. Whether you like it or don’t, this is a bold second step from a band that shows off loads of promise. I am still a little unsure about what genre this band lies in, perhaps a new one, video game power metal? Whatever the case, Order of Týr do things their own way and that is to be commended.

Rating - 72/100

Tracklist

1. Angels of Majesty / To Yourself, Be True
2. Identity
3. Odin Speaks
4. Chasing After the Sunlight
5. Ignite the Desire
6. Control
7. Dawn of Reckoning
8. Fight On, Forever
9. Lightning Strikes
10. Onward, My Children, to the Brink of Destiny
11. Angel of Majesty
12. To Yourself, Be True 

Line Up

• Donna Brown – Vocals
• Jordan B. Sanders – Guitar, Keyboards & programming
• Michael Klodzinski – Drums, Vocals & programming

Links

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Label : Massacre Records

Review by Tony Cannella

Germany’s Voices of Destiny play symphonic heavy metal and features Maike Holzmann on lead vocals. Their debut album is titled “From the Ashes” and has just been released via Massacre Records. “From the Ashes” features 12-songs and 46-minutes worth of classy, bombastic, symphonic power metal. To put it quite simply, “From the Ashes” is an excellent debut. Maike Holzmann is the female lead vocalist for Voices of Destiny and her style is clean and sometimes operatic and very expressive. Her vocals are very well done and it is possible to understand every word she is singing. “From the Ashes” also includes its share of extreme male vocals (reminiscent of Epica) and there is some cool work done with the two styles, but the majority of vocals are handled by Maike.The songs on “From the Ashes” are melodic and very theatrical, dramatic and - at times - progressive. Highlights include: “Ray of Hope”, “Twisting the Knife”, “Icecold”, “Apathy” and “Red Winter’s Snow II: Blood and Stone”. With “From the Ashes”, Voices of Destiny are sure to appeal to fans of bands like Epica and Within Temptation and other female fronted symphonic metal bands. This is a good debut, that will hopefully catapult Voices of Destiny to the upper echelon of the symphonic power metal genre. Very well done.

Rating - 83/100

Tracklist

1. Ray of Hope
2. Twisting the Knife
3. Return from the Ashes
4. Relief
5. Icecold
6. Apathy
7. Endeavour to Life
8. All Eyes on Me
9. Bitter Visions
10. Hourglass
11. Red Winter’s Snow II: Blood and Stone
12. Not the One

Line Up

• Maike Holzmann - Vocals
• Chris Gutjahr - Guitars
• Lukas Palme - Keyboards & Vocals
• Jens Hartwig - Bass
• Erik Seitz - Drums

Links

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Label : Mute Records

Review by Luisa Mercier

Beth Jeans Houghton is a 22 years old girl from Newcastle, who is now releasing her debut album with the monicker of Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves of Destiny. “Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose” is a very nice record that mixes rock, art pop, folk orchestral sounds and other influences, resulting in something that vaguely recalls Florence + The Machine but with much more attention and care as far as arrangements are concerned. The album starts with “Sweet Tooth Bird” : choirs, very nice orchestrations, vocals that only on the surface may seem raw, but that are able to reach interesting emotional heights. It was also shot a video for this track, sort of weird mini-movie; you can watch it on Mute channel on YouTube. “Humble Digs” is indie pop enriched by folk music, I’d say the influence of country music is quite evident, but does not annoy. It is very nice, indeed. The other single is “Dodecahedtron” which is slightly melancholic and baroque. I got a My Brightest Diamond feeling while listening to it. I especially loved the vocal work that shows how Beth has a certain versatility in switching from a range to the other. “Atlas” has a structure similar to the other songs in the record: choirs, orchestra, percussions and a progressive attitude that makes Beth really different from the other girls in the indie scene. “The Barely Skinny Bone Tree” and “Liliputt” are maybe the most effective songs on “Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose”. The first one starts off quite slow, melancholic and gradually builds up til the final explosion, while the second starts with a delicate harp followed by strings, percussions and vocal lines which are really ethereal. “Veins” is the one closest to Florence Welch but with its own identity, “Franklin Benedict” has a nice string section and the closing track “Carousel”, as the title says, is full of violin solos. This debut is really fascinating and a must for all indie lovers!

Rating - 70/100

Tracklist

1.  Sweet Tooth Bird
2.  Humble Digs
3.  Dodecahedron
4.  Atlas
5.  Nightswimmer
6.  The Barely Skinny Bone Tree
7.  Liliputt
8.  Veins
9.  Franklin Benedict
10.  Carousel

Line Up

• Beth Jeans Houghton - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboard, Banjo, Loop Pedal
• Dav Shiel - Drums, Cajon, Keyboard, Vocals, Steel Pan
• Rory Gibson - Bass, Vocals
• Findlay Macaskill - Violin, Vocals, Eyebrows
• Blazey Blazey - Trumpet, Vocals, Guitar, Drums

Links

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Links

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