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.
In the meantime that we wait news about the third album I gladly repost here a nice interview with the soprano singer of the Finnish fantasy metal Kivimetsän Druidi (Official), Leeni-Maria Hovila done on 2010 for the promotion of their second album “Betrayal, Justice, Revenge” out at the time on Century Media Records. Read more info @ (via Interview : Leeni-Maria Hovila – Kivimetsän Druidi (2010) « Femme Metal Webzine)
(via Interview : Leeni-Maria Hovila – Kivimetsän Druidi (2008) « Femme Metal Webzine)
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 : Prophecy Productions
Review by Luisa Mercier
Nucleus Torn is a Swiss alternative/metal band that has a lot of influences: from folk to ambient, to prog to post-rock. The present recors is a kind of prequel for the trilogy that the band has released in the previous years formed by the albums “Nihil”, “Knell” and “Andromeda Awaiting”. The main mastermind is Fredy Schnyder and around him there have been many musicians. The line-up has changed a lot in the years. On “Golden Age” Maria D’Alessandro and Anna Murphy from Eluveitie sing. The title-track is also the opener and is an elegant, classy 12-minute acoustic/prog/folk track in which just the piano, the flute, the strings and the acoustic guitars can be heard while female and clean male vocals duet in a melacholic dialogue. Really beautiful, though not an easy song to listen to. “Hunger” is another acoustic song in which Anna Murphy delivers once again a moving vocal performance especially when backed by strings and drums. The song becomes epic and in the end the folk feeling is very apparent. Patrick Schaad is behind the mic on “Silver” together with female vocals. His soothing, warm performance makes this prog track even more fascinating. Just piano and strings, til now there was no hint of rock or metal. Distorted guitars appear on “Against” but there is no violence or harshness, they are 100% prog, somehow this track remembered me a mix of old Opeth and new Opeth, the ones from “Heritage”. “Ash” finally has metal/rock riffs, after an acoustic intro. I would rather call them post-rock riffs which alternate with calm moments and true metal style, you can even hear a solo! Last song is “Death Triumphant”, another very long song which mixes metal, post-rock, folk, prog and even jazz! A real listening experience. “Golden Age” is a complex record, one you want to listen to in the right mind setting, otherwise the risk is that you might find it boring. To tell the truth it is very well crafted and it deserves more than one listening session.
Rating - 80/100
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Interview by Roberta Ilaria Rossi
With a new member inside the project, Nucleus Torn comes back with a new album, called “Golden Age”. We’ve met Fredy Schnyder, the main composer, which told us something about this latest album and some revelations about Anna Murphy!
Hi Fredy, welcome to Femme Metal.net. After 15 years of the creation of your own band, what’s new for Nucleus Torn?
On “Golden Age”, we’ve significantly expanded our line-up. Whereas we had seven musicians on the first three “real” albums, we now have thirteen. Some instruments have been forced a little bit into the background, others come to the fore more often than before. Most importantly, the album focuses on the vocals, we’ve worked a lot on that part of our sound. In the past, we treated vocals as another instrument, on “Golden Age”, they clearly lead the songs.
What are the main influences of the band? Did you take inspiration from any band in particular?
Nucleus Torn has many influences; so many, that it is impossible to single out any of these. We are fascinated by all kinds of music, and you can obviously find traces of all of them on our records. Progressive rock, jazz, metal, folk, pop, classical music (from the Medieval ages to the present) – you name it. On “Golden Age”, the focus is primarily on progressive rock, I decided to explore this area of interest to a further degree.
Between the creation of the band and the release of the very first album, “Nihil”, released in 2006, many years have gone. What was the reason of this long wait?
We (I) did a couple of EPs, I also worked with other groups at that time. When I’d finally figured out that I couldn’t work with other bands, I decided to focus on Nucleus Torn for good and accepted that I needed (and wanted) to do the majority of the work myself – songwriting, performance, recording/engineering, layout, packaging, releasing, advertising. That’s when things started to work out and NT could attract other talented musicians willing to share in my adventure.
You’re the main person who most works on this project. How do you manage the entire work you have to do in the studio?
I like to work.
Before the release of “Golden Age”, Nucleus Torn released the last chapter of the trilogy who ends up in “Andromeda Awaiting”. Why have you choosen to complete with this album?
Interestingly enough, “Golden Age” is part of that collection of albums, too. “Golden Age” is a prequel to the other three albums, that makes it a tetralogy. I needed to find the roots to the story we told on “Nihil”, “Knell” and “Andromeda Awaiting” in the present, in our own society and culture, and deal with them on an artistic level.
Recently, you’ve taken part as guest musician in the forthcoming Eluveitie album: how was working with those guys? If I’m not mistaken, you had already worked for some instrumental track in “Evocation – part I”…
Yes, you’re right. It’s always a pleasure working with them. First, Chrigel engineered my sessions for “Evocation I”, then I engineered Meri’s violin recordings for “Everything Remains”, now Anna engineered my session for “Helvetios”, which was pure joy. Ivo was kind enough to give me a lot of advice on how to record metal guitars… Last but not least, I joined the band to perform “Meet the Enemy” live in Zurich a few weeks ago. So I got to know the band pretty well, we get along on a personal and professional level. As I said, it’s always a pleasure.
How many musicians/artists/bands you’ve worked with so far? Which is the artist/which is the band that gave you the most at a personal and artistic level?
Oh God, so many I’ve lost count (but certainly not track). It’s not possible for me to decide on one particular person/performance. It’s a big puzzle and everyone I’ve worked with has contributed a share to it.
What have you learned from them?
New sounds, new ways to work, new ways to arrange, new ways to record/mix/master, sometimes new ways to look at music/art and its place in life.
Recently, Anna Murphy joined the band. What could you tell us about it? What were the reasons about this choice?
I like her voice, her songwriting skills, her wonderful vocal lines, she plays several instruments, she’s going to be an amazing engineer one day… Well, she’s got an exceptional talent. Plus: we seem to understand one another pretty well. She’s one of the very few people that I will be able to write with.
What are the goals that you’re going to ask yourself a few years from now? What, however, will be the future projects?
We’ll find out. “Golden Age” was the end of the first professional phase of Nucleus Torn. I spent more or less every single musical idea I’d had and absolutely had to take a break from writing, which lasted for almost two years, in which I completed “Andromeda Awaiting”, the compilation “Travellers” and “Golden Age”. I needed to shut down and restart. As for the present, all I can say is that we are working. As usual.
Are you going to tour Europe very soon?
We’ll see. Having a new singer and multi-instrumentalist on board, there are new options. Time will tell.
Is there any artist or band you would like to cooperate with in a nearest future?
I’m quite sure that there will be fascinating things in store for me, there always have been. I don’t think that this will necessarily mean that I’m going to work with/for some of my “idols”, after all, there’s no guarantee that we would actually enjoy this and create something of exceptional value.
Thanks so much for the time you’ve given us. Is there something you would like to tell to Nucleus fans?
Thank you for your continuing support, enjoy our music.
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Review by Tony Cannella
From Portugal, Chaos in Paradise had previously released a 4-song demo. They now return with a 6-song 26-minute EP called “Let the Bliss Remain”. Their style blends straight forward heavy metal with aggressive thrash metal like rhythms. After opening with the 2 ½ minute intro “Inertia”, Chaos in Paradise comes tearing out of the gates strong with “Sign of Deliverance”. Lead vocalist Sara Valente alternates between a clean vocal style and a more aggressive approach ala Maria Brink from In This Moment or Alissa from The Agonist. It is a pretty forceful approach and packs a huge impact on songs like “Awareness”, “The Hunter” and “Beyond the Horizon”. One thing is for certain, there is no shortage of energy or aggression on “Let the Bliss Remain”. On “Let the Bliss Remain”, Chaos in Paradise picks up where their demo left off. With a demo and an EP under their belt, hopefully a full-length isn’t too far off in the future for this cool Portuguese band.
Rating - 75/100
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Label : Siore Immelstorn Records
Review by Tony Cannella
Mortalium are a Gothic Doom Metal band from the Ukraine. With their debut 4-song, 17-minute output the band show a style that includes many great and heavy riffs and the crystal clear vocals of Maria at the front. The CD kicks-off with the slow, deliberate pacing of the title song. A heavy riff and Maria’s likeable vocals are the driving force behind this song. The band speeds things up just a bit for the next track, “Wake Up”. Yaroslav contributes some interesting keyboard work on this one. Another excellent track that features some more solid riffing. “In Sadness and Fear” is next and as you might gather by the title, has a melancholic tone to it; still this is one of my favorites. The use of violin definitely helps accentuate the despair that the song conveys. “Worms Are Waiting” brings this all-too-short EP to a close on a positively doom-y note. This song features quite a few tempo changes and was another highlight. After listening to these 4-songs on “On the Broken Wings” it is apparent that Mortalium have something cool going on. After just 17-minutes, I was ready for more.
Rating – 83/100
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Label : Century Media Records
Review by Tony Cannella
Finland’s Kivimetsän Druidi have described their music as extreme fantasy metal. After listening to their newest release “Betrayal, Justice, Revenge” (awesome title, in my opinion), that is indeed a fitting description. The band include two lead singers with Leeni Maria on female vocals and Joni taking command of the growling, male vocal parts. The 9-songs and 45-minutes worth of music contained here feature some big, bombastic, slightly orchestral music, mixed quite nicely with symphonic power metal, Folk and even some elements of Thrash metal, which is never a bad thing. The CD begins with the melancholy timber of the opening piano intro “Lament for the Fallen” which leads into the absolutely crushing track “Aesis Lilim”. Next the band tear into one of the best tracks on the CD “Seawitch and the Sorcerer”. Other highlights include: “The Visitor”, “Chant of the Winged One” and the final track “Desolation: White Wolf” quickly became another favorite. “Betrayal, Justice, Revenge” is loaded with some truly powerful guitar riffs and the duel vocals are well done and play a huge part in making this CD so enjoyable.Another thing I really liked about “Betrayal, Justice, Revenge” is the bands ability to be melodic at times while being aggressive at others.I have to say that it is always cool when a band that you’re not at all familiar with turns out to be a powerful and impressive entity - such is the case with Kivimetsän Druidi. There are a lot of interesting, heavy and even some surprising not so heavy moments (such as the piano intro) on “Betrayal, Justice, Revenge”. This Finnish band are really a force that I am sure will be reckoned with.
Rating - 88/100
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Label : Century Media Records
Review by Tony Cannella
In This Moment have steadily built a loyal fan base since their debut, “Beautiful Tragedy” was unleashed in 2007. As good as that one was, it was their second, “The Dream” that really forced a lot of people to sit up and take notice. Now, on the third album from this Southern California based quintet, “A Star-Crossed Wasteland” the band continues to display their aggressive, melodic metal sound. One of the many strengths that In This Moment displays is the ability to be ultra-aggressive at times and melodic at others. That fact hasn’t changed on their third album. From the combative sounding opening duo of “Gunshow” and “Just Drive” to the more melodically driven “The Promise”, In This Moment is a band that definitely gives the listener a happy medium between aggression and melodicism. Of course, the diverse vocal style of Maria Brink is the focal point; she has a cool style that fits in well with the tempo changes that In This Moment is known for. “Standing Alone” is a heavy track, but still packs a melodic punch, and features a great chorus. “A Star-Crossed Wasteland” slows the chaos down a bit, with a pretty piano opening and Maria delivers one her best vocal performances of her career, totally expressive and the song just draws you from the start. “Iron Army” is one of the more hostile and heavy numbers on display here. With a playing time of 42-minutes, “A Star-Crossed Wasteland” is a perfect addition to the ever-growing In This Moment catalog.
Rating – 88/100
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Label : Inferno Records
Review By Tony Cannella
From Bulgaria, Rampart are a band that play no-nonsense, pure, true heavy metal à la early Warlock, Crystal Viper and Running Wild. With their debut release “Voice of the Wilderness” the band features 9-songs and 42-minutes worth of passionate and powerful metal with an energy and enthusiasm that is quite contagious. The opening number “Under Control” proceeds to get things off to a rousing and headbanging beginning. Track 2 “Warriors” starts off slow in tempo, but soon shifts gear into just a great straight-forward metal track with some cool vocals put down by Maria, with her voice reminding me a bit of Kai Hansen from his early Helloween days, this song also features a cool chant along style chorus. I would never say that the songs on “Voice of the Wilderness” are dated, but they provoke memories of metal as it was from about 1981-‘84, when I was just getting into bands like Accept, Saxon, Manowar and the aforementioned Warlock and Running Wild, the material on this CD has that same feeling and vibe flowing through the songs. The songs feature some crisp and clean guitar work from the duel axe attack of Yavor and Victor, the leads are especially impressive and one of the best things about the material on this CD. This is a pretty powerful CD for the most part, as songs like, “Voice of the Wilderness”, “The Flood” and the powerhouse closing number “Stay Aside” will attest to. Maybe Rampart won’t appeal to the nu-metal crowd or to fans who just jump from trend-to-trend, but for those of us who miss the denim and leather days of the early to mid-80s, than “Voice of the Wilderness” will no doubt become a welcome addition to our collection. It is always great when a band plays what they want and doesn’t bow down to the trends of a certain period or time and for that reason, I will always have a soft spot in my heart for a band like Rampart. In my opinion, this style of metal will always be timeless.
Rating - 90/100
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