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.
Since the early days of FMW, US Atmospheric Progressive Metal Duo Fateless Tears were the protagonist of many many reviews and interviews during the years and this time we propose you the REVIEW of the “Halogen Dawn” EP. This EP, as Luisa writes, is focused “on the slower, sweeter side of Fateless Tears”. Are you a deep connoisseur of this act or simply are you prog metal fan? Well, it is just out this review at the following link (via Fateless Tears – “Halogen Dawn” EP (2012) « Femme Metal Webzine)
Label : Anova Music
Review by Tony Cannella
The 2nd full-length album from Israel’s Eatliz, “Teasing Nature”, can be quite a challenge to listen to at times. I don’t mean that in a bad way, their brand of prog rock/metal, mixed with various other genres really defies description and thus is as experimental as anything that I have heard in recent memory. Eatliz is fronted by the charismatic vocals of Lee Triffon. She is really underrated and helps to drive “Teasing Nature”. The music contained on “Teasing Nature” is eclectic to say the least as Eatliz really has not set any boundaries for themselves, as the songs flow seamlessly from one to the next and then the next. This eclectic collection includes some interesting, complex moments like: the opener “Your House”. This is one of my favorites and is pretty indicative of what to expect throughout the CD. This is certainly not an album that will make an immediate impact. Other highlights include: “Zoo”, “Berlin”, “O.K.”, “Lose This Child” and “Mystical Lady”. I will admit to not being blown away at first listen, and I still don’t know if I love it – but with the level of musicianship and the uniqueness of Eatliz, I would definitely recommend this to my prog friends. This is something that definitely grows on you, and I found myself liking it more with each listen. With “Teasing Nature”, Eatliz has released an adventurous, experimental prog rock creation that is as interesting as it is creative.
Rating - 70/100
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Label : Anova Music
Review by Tony Cannella
Hailing from Tel Aviv, Israel the pop, prog rock band Eatliz seems to be picking up some momentum, thanks in part to their latest album “Teasing Nature”. This album however was released in 2009 and is a 7-song EP. “Delicately Violent” followed their 2008 debut “Violently Delicate”. The laid back “Food Fighters” starts things off and is followed by the acoustic opening of “Fire”, another slower one. As on “Teasing Nature”, vocalist Lee Triffon has proven to be a very charismatic front lady with a voice to match. The next track “Must Get Laid” (You’ve got to love that title!), speeds things up a bit and is barely over two minutes long is features a male vocalist throughout with Lee Triffon singing background vocals. Eatliz speeds things up even more with the two minute, almost punk-like “Spliff”. This – in my opinion – is the best song and the perfect showcase for how diverse Eatliz is capable of being. “No Feelings” is another heavy one with some wicked guitar riffs, which offers some tempo changes as well. The whole 21-minute package is concluded by a haunting cover of the Björk song “Army of Me”. To say that Eatliz are eclectic is an understatement. This band moves in so many different directions that it is hard keep up with them sometimes, but fans that enjoy adventurous prog music with a pop twist should enjoy the ride.
Rating - 73/100
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Label : Anova Music
Review by Tony Cannella
Tel Aviv, Israel’s prog pop band Eatliz has – up to this point – released two full-length albums and one EP. Their debut “Violently Delicate” was released way back in 2008, but for fans who loved their latest release “Teasing Nature”, this is a good chance to see how things started for this eclectic and unique band. The album begins rather quietly with the piano intro of “Bolsheviks” before getting substantially heavier. This is a good way to begin things, showing off the bands quirky style. The overall vibe is that “Violently Delicate” is a bit heavier than what comes after. The intricate track “Violently Delicate” is just all over the place, but it is also one of the best songs. “Attractive” is next and slows the tempo down a bit, I’m a bit hesitant to call it a ballad, but it does come close to that territory. This is another excellent track, and a change of pace for the band. “Hey” is another heavier one, but as the norms with Eatliz don’t get too comfortable as tempo changes abound. Other highlights include, “Sunshine”, “Say Where”, “Big Fish” and “I Don’t Care”. Honestly, Eatliz will not appeal to everyone, and at first I had no idea what to make of them. They are often referred to as a prog band, but I’m not sure if that label even aptly describes them. Sure, they are progressive in that they are a “forward” thinking band, but to put them in one category of music is impossible. In my opinion, it is difficult for a band to do something truly unique while still coming out with a coherent piece of work. Eatliz manages to do just that. Eatliz has been one band who has managed to fly under the radar. Hopefully their latest album “Teasing Nature” will change all that. I have liked all three of their releases but in my opinion their debut is their best – taking nothing away from what came after. If you are new to this rather unique band than “Violently Delicate” is a perfect opportunity to see how it all began.
Rating - 80/100
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Label : KScope Music
Review by Luisa Mercier
There are records that have the power to leave you completely speechless, to leave you there wondering if what you have just listened was just music or also something else. Records that are able to raise such a storm of emotions that you cannot even say what you are feeling in that moment. This is what I felt when I listened for the first time to “Weather Systems”, the new Anathema masterpiece. It is the perfect follower of “We Are Here Because We Are Here” retaining the same mood, full of light and atmosphere. You cannot help but crying on the melodies contained in “Untouchable part 2” or “The Storm Before the Calm”, every time you will be surrounded by melancholy and nostalgia. Musically speaking, the album is a little bit rockier, but there are songs like the two already mentioned that have completely different structure, relying mostly on vocals, piano and electronica. A bigger role now is played by Lee Douglas, the female singer, who sings much more than just some versed and the whole “Lightning Song”, who will give you chills. I cannot really pick up a song that will stand over the others, thay are all unique on their own right, perfect and fragile. Anathema succeeded in building a caleidoscope of feelings, ranging from calm to sadness to a hint of despair in “The Gathering of Clouds” and as I have said to someone if you cannot be moved listening to “Weather Systems”, you must have a heart of stone.
Rating - 90/100
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Review by Tony Cannella
From Spain the band Masque of Death play good melodic metal. The band have only been in existence since 2008 and despite their relatively short time together they have managed to record a debut EP that would give many longer running, more established acts a run for their money. Even though Masque of Death lists only three members in their line-up, bass was played by Sergio Rabanal who has since left the band prior to the release of “Ivory Cities”. “Ivory Cities” features only 6-tracks and a playing time of about 35-minutes, but it is the quality not the quantity that makes this such an enjoyable listen. The band combine pounding metal rhythms, great riffs and solos with the self-assured vocal prowess of Sofia Ruiz to create a solid piece of work. Sofia Ruiz provides her strong passionate vocals that she also combines with an extreme vocal style on many of the songs - it is pretty impressive how she manages to employ two vastly different vocal styles throughout the course of “Ivory Cities” and she does it quite well. It is that style that drives such songs as “Abeyance”, “Numedak”, “Alive” and “Darkest Eyes”. The final track “The Shape of Things To Come” is probably my favorite, with a cool acoustic intro that quickly gives way to a galloping metal riff that is unrelenting and quite addicting. The songs on “Ivory Cities” are pounding, relentless and sometimes fierce, with some great melodicism, while still maintaining an undeniable heaviness throughout. Sofia Ruiz’s style is somewhat reminiscent of Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil and - at times - she also reminded me a bit Amy Lee from Evanescence. Masque of Death are not currently signed, but after listening to “Ivory Cities”, I have a feeling that will change soon enough. A very professional and satisfying debut from this Spanish band.
Rating - 90/100
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Review by Tony Cannella
Israel is not really known as a metal hotbed, obviousl, but that doesn’t stop the interestingly named band Laid 8. With their self-titled 4-track EP Laid 8 gives the listeners an earful of highly melodic and dramatic metal, with a great deal of skill as both musicians and songwriters. The overall vibe of Laid 8 is mid-tempo, straight forward metal. The vocalist Tal Itay – at times – reminds me of Amy Lee from Evanescence, that is the closest comparison that I can think of, but she injects enough of her own personality into the songs to not be mistaken for an Amy Lee clone. The demo opens with the riff-heavy powerful rocker “Necessary Evil” and from there Laid 8 pretty much continues on in a similar vein. “Point of No Return” is another hard hitting number. That is followed by my favorite track, “Answers”. The band does some cool stuff on this one with vocal harmonies. The final track is a bit of a departure from the previous three and features some tempo changes. There is no denying the power and the hugeness of Laid 8’s sound, particularly with the singer. Overall, I was impressed with Laid 8’s songs throughout this EP. The band maintains its heaviness, while still offering plenty in the way of melodicism that potentially could appeal to a wider audience.
Rating - 88/100
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Label : KScope Records
Review By Tony Cannella
From the U.K., Anathema are a long-running atmospheric metal band. Their career first started way back in 1990, with the band releasing their full-length debut in 1993. In that time they have built up quite a cult following all over the world, and now with the release of their new album, “We’re Here Because We’re Here”, Anathema are sure to build up their fan base even more. The majority of the vocals are handled by Vincent Cavanagh with Lee Douglas adding female vocals throughout the album. The songs on “We’re Here Because We’re Here” continues the evolution of this legendary band. The songs are well thought out - and at times - progressive and quite addicting. With a playing time of about 1-hour, “We’re Here…” includes a couple of songs in the 7 - 8 minute range, with the best of these being, “A Simple Mistake”. This song features some outstanding musicianship and great male and female vocals. The track, “Everything” quickly became a favorite, with it’s piano driven opening as the song builds slowly and the vocals provided by Vincent Cavanagh and Lee Douglas work well together. Other highlights include, “Angels Walk Among Us” (featuring Ville Vallo of H.I.M. on backing vocals), “Universal”, “Presence” and “Hindsight”. There are quite a few big, orchestral moments throughout the CD. Even though Anathema have been at it for 20-years, they continue to release good, quality music, “We’re Here Because We’re Here” is a testament to the longevity and consistency of Anathema.
Rating - 80/100
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Review By Tony Cannella
Canada’s Viveynne are a project that features 14-year old Mikaila “Mikki” Straatsma on vocals and piano. Yes, that’s right I said she is just 14-years old, although you wouldn’t know it by listening to the songs on the debut release titled “Becoming Jane Doe”. In addition to adding her lead vocals and contributing piano and synthesizer, Mikki wrote all of the music and lyrics on the EP. She has also received many awards and accolades for her music, which you can see on her MySpace site. “Blood to Bleed” sets the mood perfectly and is a powerful opener. Immediately Mikki’s soaring, operatic vocals grab the listeners attention and then the rest of the musicians join in and the song really takes shape. The vocals are well out in front in the mix, but they don’t overshadow anything. The voice and the music go hand-in-hand and compliment each other very well. In fact, the musicians on this CD are very good and an integral part to the overall sound and feel of the songs. The next song, “Becoming Jane Doe” begins with a melancholic piano intro, and gets heavier around the first chorus. This is perhaps the highlight for me. This song is just so haunting, that it’s impossible not to love. Next is “This Phobia” and this track keeps things running smoothly. “Goodbye Good Morning” is just a beautiful straight-up ballad and another definite highlight. This song also features a very cool guitar solo. The song is very dramatic, orchestral and pretty. “It’s Been Dark” speeds things up a bit and moves along at a nice pace. The final three songs “The Exiled and Her Opera House”, “Come Crawling” and “Sounds of Starlight” definitely conclude things on a high and leaves the listener wanting more. Vocally, Mikki reminds me a bit of Amy Lee of Evanescence, but she also has her own thing going, she definitely packs a lot of power and passion in her delivery. All of the songs are in the 3-minute range and are very well written. The whole CD is very well produced, but not over-produced.It would be easy to dismiss this release and say “She’s good for a 14-year old” but her age is irrelevant. The fact is, she’s good for any age. Just listen to the 8-songs and 27-minutes worth of music that is contained on “Becoming Jane Doe” and judge them on their own merits and come to the realization that this is one heck of a CD. A thoroughly enjoyable listening experience.
Rating - 85/100
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Label - Reality Entertainment/Dreamcell 11/Aural Music
Review By Tony Cannella
The Shiver is a melodic, gothic metal band from Italy. Their second album is titled “A New Horizon” and the band has already drawn favorable comparisons to Evanescence, thanks in part to the infectious melodies that can be found throughout the CD and the Amy Lee-esque vocals provided by Federica Faith Sciamanna. “A New Horizon” features a playing time of 41-minutes and the first thing that I realized is that there is a certain contagious charm on display throughout the duration. The songs flow together nicely and from the outset of the opener, “In Obscurity” is quite apparent that “A New Horizon” will be an enjoyable ride. “Crushing Down” follows the opener and instantaneously became a huge highlight. The band shows an immense appreciation for melody throughout the CD as can be heard on “Empty People Empty Words”, “Nothing Left To Waste”, “No Longer Here” and “Desire”. The Shiver maintains a similar tempo in the songs throughout “A New Horizon”. In addition to her soaring vocal delivery, Federica also adds some death grunts at various points, these are done more as background enhancements on choruses, so they don’t overwhelm anything and they are a nice, added touch. “A New Horizon” is an excellent first effort from this very talented and appealing Italian band. The Shiver is a new powerful force in the realm of gothic metal.
Rating – 80/100
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