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 : Psychonaut Records
Review by Luisa Mercier
The Gathering is a band that has got all of the fans quite used to change, evolution from album to album and “Disclosure” makes no exception. After the atmospheric, liquid sounds in “Home”, the catchy, classy rock of “The West Pole” (and the introduction of new singer Silje Wergeland), the Dutch combo is back with an eerie, downtempo, psychedelic record that reminded me of Slowdive and all that music populating the lands of electronic/darkwave/ambient. Guitars have not been forgotten, but they have no a major role in the album. “Disclosure” is opened by “Paper Waves”, a mid-tempo in which electronic and rock mingle creating a lush sound and Silje’s vocals are soft, emotional, a bit melancholic, though not sad. The already known “Meltdown” follows. The opening always reminds me of Muse and alternative/indie rock in general. Male vocals appear (courtesy of ) and the song goes on til it becomes more uptempo and in it has that progressive feeling to it without sounding boring. Silje is fascinating in the bridge, only backed by electronica and a few instruments. And here you are one of my favourite: “Paralyzed” opened by strings and electronic plus sexy Silje. It is a slow, sweet ballad where synths cradle us as sea waves, soft, hypnotic, absolutely oustanding. “Heroes for Ghosts” was releases more than a year ago with a nice video, so most of us already knows the song by heart. It is a long piece where Silje’s vocals shine, especially in the chorus, the music is more an accompaniment, never too intrusive. “Gemini I” is maybe the rockiest of all the songs, the riffs recall those of older works such as “Nighttime Birds” as long as the overall atmosphere. A track that nostalgic fans will appreciate. Back to atmospheric sound in “Missing Season”, another slow song full of melancholic longing but with a pinch of hope. “I Can See Four Miles” is another beautiful highlight (well, the whole album is full of stars, these just stand out a little bit more). As “Paralyzed”, the song is eerie, embraces the listener til half when it becomes more rock, well more post-rock maybe, with strings in the background. The songs finishes after this long instrumental that is connected to “Gemini II”. Unlike part I, this second section is slow-paced, quiet with a strange final part where far away sounds echo, like pipes in the wind. What can I say more? The Gathering never made an album that was similar to the previous one, they always try different things and manage to stay interesting, never boring and catchy. Another masterpiece.
Rating - 90/100
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Label : Rare Noise Records
Review by Luisa Mercier
After a successful EP and a beautiful debut album, the Italian post-rock band from Naples is back with another fascinating record. “Ghost Dance” delivers us eleven tracks that show an evolution towards more ethereal soundscapes. Less rock, more keyboards, synth, thick moods, closer to acts like Sigur Ros or soundtrack music. “Heads or Tails” is an example with its piano ending while “Death Baby Chicco” toys with electronic music and distortions. “The Wolf” has some apparent psychedelic influences coming from Pink Floyd, “Trieste” is a rocking, melodic piece where blues makes its appearance. So I guess you must have understood that The Mantra ATSMM has a lot to offer: progressive, post-rock, shoegaze, electronic music, beats. My personal favourite is “Harlequin”: dreamy, soft, it is like a trip. I think that the title really captures the essence of the album: light, melancholic, nostlagic, ethereal like a ghost wandering in a room.
Rating - 75/100
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Label : Rare Noise Records
Review by Luisa Mercier
In May 2010 The Mantra ATSMM finally released their debut after all the expectations built up by their promising EP “Rooms”. The full-length succeded in getting raving reviews both in Italy and abroad, confirming the band as one of the most important post-rock realities in a country where this genre is almost unknown. “Defeated Song” is a sophisticated, elegant, classy record opened by “Golden Mermaids”. This already is one of the highlights of the album and is opened by guitars and vocals, the voice of Adriana, a disturbed angel. The first single is the following “Septembers”, a bit more lively than the previous one, playful but always with a vein of melancholy. Last verses are in Italian. Again sad and nostalgic is “Mangrove” with a hint of electronics in the end. Adriana performance is quite emotional here, mixed with piano and synth. My personal favourite is “Blanca”, maybe one of the most complex songs on the album, but really you can perceive the vibration of every instrument, the quiet, the sadness, the sweetness. There are many emotions in this track, all to be discovered. Gothic, romantic mood is what we find in “Rooms” and it goes on the same atmosphere in “The Inner Season” which is decadent, gloomy, dissonant, while closing track “Lines of Fire Bless The Mountain” is warm, sweet, romantic. It is sad to see such a talented Italian band forced to find success abroad, but we Italians know how the scene works here, so I am happy that they found someone able to appreciate them in England (their label).
Rating - 70/100
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Label : Rare Noise Records
Review by Luisa Mercier
The Mantra ATSMM is an Italian post-rock act from Naples. They have already released two albums and this is their debut EP, which was recorded back in 2009. In this record we find a foundation made of minimal rock enriched by moody electronic atmospheres that recall Sigur Ros, Bjork and The Gathering (the “How to Measure a Planet” age). The four tracks show personality and a talent that the good production highlight as best as it can. I will mention above all the opener “Helder Pedro Moreira” in which we can perceive the strong influence of the Icelandic little singer in the ethereal, floating atmosphere. “Rooms” is a quiet track, dreamy and very short that introduces “The Fog” which has some similiraties with trip-hop, especially Portishead. It is mesmerizing, that is for sure. Closing track “A Friend with a Knife” is opened by some whispers and Adriana singing a capella. Dissonance, screaming, despair make this song quite gloomy. This EP marked the beginning of an interesting career for this Italian band as we will analyze further with their two full lenghts. Really a pleasant surprise coming from my country!
Rating - 70/100
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Label : Vàn Records
Review by Luisa Mercier
After the highly praised debut “In Witch Order”, Castle are back after only a year with “Blacklands”. The vocalist Elizabeth was and still is impressive with her gloomy, raspy voice, perfect for this kind of music, but, of course it is the whole band that is really convincing. Without too many pretenses, the band managed to create some of the heavier doom metal out there. There are no embellishments in these riffs, which seem to get more fluid and encompassing as the album goes on; and Elizabeth not only contributes with vocals, but also with her powerful bass. Castle manages to draw a thin line between traditional and doom metal. The lyrics are smart texts about the dark sides of life, forcing the listeners to think about it. Definitely “Blacklands” is one of the best albumns released in contemporary doom metal, one which mixes old classics and more modern myths, so if you are a fan of the genre, please take a listen.
Rating - 70/100
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Label : The Asylum Emporium
Review by Luisa Mercier
Six years. A long time passed since “Opheliac”, Emilie’s last full-length release, but now she is finally back. I love her, love her imagery, the world she has created around her, her lyrics, her sarcasm and I even quoted “Opheliac” in my thesis when I graduated off university. And now here we are, “Fight Like a Girl” is going to be released in a few days. The opener “Fight Like a Girl” starts with a clock ticking and then electronica takes over. The style is not much different from what Emilie used to write in the past. It is catchy, fun and she ranges from a sweeter tone to harsh vocals. Following “Time for Tea” is much creepier, with a mood that remembers the gothic novels of the Nineteenth century. She even uses growling and the music is close to industrial plus her usual violin and harpsichord. Really worth listening. “4 O’ Clock” is a single released in 2008 and in “Fight Like a Girl”, Emilie proposes an orchestral reprise that has a soundtrack feeling. “What Will I Remember” is a melancholic ballad which could be easily be soundtrack for a Disney movie (and it is meant like a compliment). It is sweet with an hint of sadness to it. Completely different is the following “Take The Pill”, which is quite aggressive and the electronic music is dark and quite groovy. Emilie sounds threatening, sexy, expressive as always. The ending is absolutely explosive, one of the highlights of the record. “Girls! Girls! Girls!” starts with harpsichord and vocals and then it gets a cabaret mood, like we were in the Paris of two centuries ago. You can perceive the irony in her words and I love her for that. It is more like being on a stage than just listening to a song. “I Don’t Understand” is a sort of dialogue in music while “We Want Them Young” has an ethnic feeling with the percussion in the background and the epic music. I guess that soundtrack/orchestral sound is one of the new elements that appear in the album. Like an horror movie. This is what the start of “If I Burn” suggested me before it gets close to normal Emilie style with harpsichord, electronica and synth. Maybe it is the track that remembered me the most of “Opheliac”. “Scavanger” goes on on the same creepy notes, slow and doomish and “Gaslight” is a ballad for strings and harpsichord. This last instrument was used a lot more in this album than in the previous releases, more than her well-known electric violin. “The Key” is a short psychotic interlude in which Emilie recites the words rather than singing on a epic orchestral piece which would be perfect for a thriller movie . It flows into “Hell Is Empty”, an even shorter orchestral piece. I must admit that the second half of the album is very, very disturbing and I guess it is connected to a place that Emilie has often used as integral part of her imaginarium: the asylum. Hence the creepy atmosphere and the overall gloomy sound. In fact she stated that the album is: “an operatic feminist treatise set inside an insane asylum, wherein the female inmates gradually realize their own strength in numbers.” A little bit of peace with the instrumental reprise of “Gaslight” “Goodnight, Sweet Ladies”is a track in which Emilie uses her high pitched voice and creates an ethereal, almost neoclassical song. “Start Another Story” leads into “One Foot in front of the Other”, the closing track. It has a martial pace, like an army advancing. I can say that “Fight Like a Girl” is for sure connected to his predecessor as far as sound and style is concerned but it developed even further certain aspects of Emilie Autumn trademark. Now it is more epic, darker and the symphonic side has been well united to the rest.
Rating - 80/100
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Independent Release
Review by Luisa Mercier
ElfenWald are an Italian duo who delivers us a very interesting self-released debut album. “Part I” blends industrial, ambient and neoclassical music with the dark and beautiful voice of Prinzessin Simhild. Though self-produced, the record does not suffer many flaws and it seems to be well crafted in every detail. The songs shift from German to English and Italian language with an equally effective result. For instance, “Wo Ist Meine Welt” is more industrial-oriented while “Gelide Notti” is closer to neoclassical style with its keyboards and strings, creating a Romantic atmosphere. “Darkness” is a soaring, creepy track, mostly instrumental and only graced by some vocalization of Prinzessin Simhild. “Alone” is the longest song on the album and during its seven minuts it explores various musical landscapes: from neoclassical, to dark cabaret, to a gloomy industrial sound. “Lilith (The Garden of the Damned)” closes “Part I” and it’s a track which showcases a fearsome atmosphere with some choruses all over which surround the beautiful voice of Simhild. Being self-produced, this album is overall a very good release and I hope they’ll soon find a label for their following works!
Rating - 80/100
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Label : Alfa Matrix
Review by Luisa Mercier
The Belarussian combo Diffuzion is about to release their third album, delivering once again their sexy mix of techno/industrial and pop. The opener “Wintercities” is quite slow, and the vocals by Xev create a sensual soundscape you cannot miss. Definetely darkwave. The following “Dbd” is just pure harder industrial music, maybe a bit repetitive while “Lace of Veins” once again embraces the listener in an erotic, soft dark mood. “C.S.” and the following “Pure Venom” lead us again in the real of industrial, the first a bit more catchy than the second, which quite mesmerizing. “Vogue” and “Dust2Dust” go on in the same steps of the previous ones; to say the truth I feel a certain lack of hooks and variety even though the quality of “Wintercities” is quite high. Overall it a record which is balanced between darkwave and industrial and there are songs like “What Will You Do for Love?” that are a nice mix between the two genres. The songs are mostly mid-tempo ones with some slower and others a little bit faster (“Playing God” and “AC-27” which are maybe the catchiest ones on the album). The album is closed by two remixes of “C.S.”, the one by the label mates Acylum is quite interesting and highlights the creepy industrial nature of the original track.
Rating - 70/100
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Label : Sire/Warner Music
Review by Luisa Mercier
I have to admit I am not that much into this kind of American blues/folk tinged rock, so I approached this record being a little bit cold. Gladly I had to change my mind quite soon, since the first track. “Holding on to Good” where the soaring female vocals and keyboards instantly captured my attention. The song is sweet, epic and slowly builds up its mood with guitars and drums til the catchy chorus. The strings in the instrumental break are just emotional as well the keyboards. The following “Is Anybody Out There” is much more rockish and groovy, sung by a warm, soft male voice, while girls are to be found in background choirs. Once again the instrumental break captured me. These guys know how to create an emotional atmosphere, for sure. “Morning Comes” is the typical American acoustic ballad at the beginning which becomes more uptempo after a few seconds. It could make a perfect second single. Another slow tempo song is “If I Loved You” where female vocals are back behind the mic. Beautiful as the previous ones, it has a distinctive country influence. First single was the short “Bottom of The River”. The southern influence is very apparent and brings me back to “Gone with the Wind” mood. Lovely really. “Country House” is another delicate, romantic song with acoustic guitars, strings, keyboards and soft male vocals. Trumpets open “Surrounded” before a nice piano and vocalisings start a melody that reminded me of old Coldplay before bursting out into rock. “Dance in the Graveyards” is once again a folk tinged rock song lively and uptempo, while “Fire” has in the vocals a bit of the Southern melancholy mixed with anger. One of the highlights of the record according to me. Another ballad is “Forgive the Children We Once Were”, full of pathos and emotions. Piano and female voice for “Unlike Any Other”, another ballad, maybe more traditional than the previous ones. Closing song is “Hey Hey Hey”, which is quite fun and soulful. Perfect closure for an adorable album. If you are a fan of typical Southern rock this record is perfect for you, but it can appeal you even if you are part of a more mainstream audience.
Rating - 80/100
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Label : Relapse Records
Review by Luisa Mercier
This record is not the usual Relapse record, it is an album that is quite far away from the styles which are usually proposed by this label: the debut by Royal Thunder is neither death metal nor sludge, but it is a mix of southern rock and doom with the vocals of Mlny Parsonz on top. The band deliver us a full-lenght that unites hard-rock, psychedelia, Southern rock and progressive. The powerful voice of Mlny is accompanied by dreamy atmospheres created by the guitar riffs, courtesy of guitarist Josh Weaver and drummer Jesse Stuber (who recorded the album). Doubtlesse, this is a record that catches the listener attention and the will to listen to it again after the last track is stronger than ever. What are the main highlights of “CVI”? It is hard to say since every track is really worthy on its own, but I will try to point out some that have impressed me the most: the opener “Parsonz Curse”, “Whispering World”, “Sleeping Witch” and the closing track “Black Water Vision”. This album is a true cult for all the people who love the styles I listed above, but it can be suitable also for newbies since I find it not too difficult to listen to, and this is a good quality given the genres here involved.
Rating - 75/100
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