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.
Finally with this article we lauch our gallery section and we do it in grand style because with this extensive blog we invite you (to watch) a massive report of Italian metal/rock bands that have played during the ” Valery Records 10 Years Night” on 16 Dec 2012 and was shooted by our photographer Anna. The photoset feature photos, among the others, of the following bands AmbraMarie Official, Tystnaden, TRICK OR TREAT, Clairvoyants and Supporting Elektradrive - for a full set of bands and phots click the link below and enjoy! (via 16-12-2012/VALERY RECORDS 10 Years Night @ Factory, Milan, Italy « Femme Metal Webzine)
As tradition wants, you cannot call Christmas without a release and tour by extravaganza band +Trans-Siberian Orchestra so Tony (our reviewer) have had the tough task to review the latest TSO release “Dreams of Fireflies (On a Christmas Night)” out now on Universal Republic Records and seems that he liked it very much- he has rated this EP 80 out of 100, read below a few words : “This really isn’t a radical departure musically; it is simply the classic TSO sound. Listening to TSO will always put you in the holiday spirit and if you haven’t done so already, be sure to check out their Christmas tour – it is quite a spectacular experience.” For continue to read this review check @ (via Trans-Siberian Orchestra – “Dreams of Fireflies (On a Christmas Night)” EP (2012) « Femme Metal Webzine)
(via NEWS : “BLACKMORE’S NIGHT – THE BEGINNING”: il box in uscita!!! « Femme Metal Webzine)
Label : Ministrel Hall
Review by Luisa Mercier
The happily married wife of Ritchie Blackmore decided to go solo and provide us with this nice collection of tracks. Of course, they stray away from the usual medieval tinged acoustic music played by Blackmore’s Night and propose us a mixture of pop, pop-rock and sometimes hard-rock. For example “Gone, Gone, Gone” the first single, is a perfect catchy rock song while the following “Black Roses” and “Now and Then 2011” go back to the fairish atmosphere we are used to associate to her. “Dangerous Smile” could have been a real hit if sung by some pop-star and with a slightly different arrangement. Completely Celtic influenced is “For You”, so it fits the imagery Candice has created around her during these years. “Call It Love” is a bit cheesy, but it is equally a good song to listen to, followed by “Robin Red Breast”, a sweet ballad driven by acoustic guitar and Candice’s vocals. Violin is the lead instrument in “Alone with Fate” which closes the album together with the medieval sounding outro “In Time”. A good release, not a masterpiece, but sounds suitable as pleasant background music.
Rating - 75/100
Tracklist
Line Up
Label : Grailight Productions
Review by Vard Aman
In Russian: Артания – “Ночь Оденет Тебе Свой Венец” (“Noch Odenet Tebe Svoy Venets”). Formed in 2007, Artania hail from Voronezh in Russia (about 450km South of Moscow) and “Night Shall Crown Ye” is their debut offering. They play some highly accomplished melodic Symphonic Black Metal with all of the right ingredients for fans of this genre to enjoy, and enjoy a lot. Artania are very good at what they do but the originality is somewhat lacking. With this album they seem to have chosen to excel at the tried-and-tested rather than to take the ingredients, mix them up a little and create something new or at least somewhat different. The album is generally well produced and the songwriting and performance are of a very high standard. The guitar work is the stand out feature on the album throughout – intricate, melodic and heavy; perfect for this genre of music. The symphonic elements back up the guitar work well, without ever becoming dominant (this could be a good or bad thing depending on your personal tastes). The drums have suffered a bit in the mix however – they sometimes tend to sound a little ‘typewriter-esque’ in places, especially during some of the blast beats, although not nearly as bad as the ‘typewriter-esque’ drum sound on Cradle of Filth’s “Cruelty and the Beast”. Fortunately the problem is relatively mild, so it does not detract too much from the overall quality of the album, nor from the quality of the drumming which is really good. The lyrics are all in Russian and cover such topics as the works of Aleister Crowley; the prophecies of Nostradamus; Countess Bathory; etc. The tracks are all in fairly similar vein and/so there are no weak songs on the album but there are a few that do stand out from the others: for me they are “Mysteries of the Order of Priorate Zion”; “Liturgy in Black Colours”; and most notably, “Fogs of Witches’ Heath”. The vocals, handled mostly by Vadim (aka “Vad Kaiphas”) are as they should be for this kind of music with plenty of high and low pitched growls. They’re very effective and well delivered, but never really stray into the realm of the demonically awesome (but that may well still come). Backing vocals are provided by the keyboardist Elena (aka “Bathory”), and here is where I think Artania have missed a trick or two. Elena performs a few spoken word passages, some really good soprano vocals (she has a beautiful clear voice) and also possesses a harsh, cold, evil scream which she delivers most prominently on the final track “Secrets of the Moon” but better on “Fogs of Witches’ Heath”. Elena has been severely underutilized on this album! Had her vocal talents been used more extensively, they would have added a really dynamic (and evil in the case of her scream) extra dimension to the music and to the sound of the band – something that would have made Artania really stand out from many of the rest of the bands in this genre. There is a hint of what I mean in “Fogs of Witches’ Heath” where in places the dual vocals create a considerably more intense atmosphere, as opposed to the standard solo, or dual male vocal growls. Hopefully, Artania will realize the potential of what they have at their disposal in time for their next album, and if they do while continuing to develop on what they have done here on their debut, it should to be a mouth watering cracker of a prospect indeed! “Night Shall Crown Ye” is a good melodic Sympho-Black album and is a must have for any fan of this genre. Don’t expect something new, but expect something good. This is a very competent debut from a very competent band, and they have displayed the potential to grow and to rise above the rest of the genre in the future. Artania – you’d do well to keep an eye open for this name!
Rating - 79/100
Tracklist
Line Up
Links
Label : AFM Records
Review by Tony Cannella
Now for something complete different. Eklipse are a German string quartet who gives their special treatment to some modern rock and pop songs, some well known, others are not. Eklipse really are not a metal band; however they have been chosen to open for Nightwish, which is a cool thing. Whether you like the songs chosen or not, Eklipse has certainly breathed new life into some of the material. The members of Eklipse portray a sexy image and there is always the danger that it might overshadow the music. I don’t think that’s the case at all on “A Night of Strings”. The band offers their takes on such songs as “Wonderful Life”, Linkin Park’s “In the End”, “Cry Me a River” by Justin Timberlake (which the band also made a video out of) and “Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga. Eklipse gives the songs a melancholic twist. Of course this is not music to band your head to; it’s more or less something that you can chill out to. I don’t know how this will go over with a metal audience, but it is still quite different than what the metal community is used to. The four musicians who make up Eklipse are obviously very talented. It would be interesting to see how their music translates into a live setting. It might be appealing to hear Eklipse cover more traditional metal songs, or even write their own material at some point, and one or two guest vocalists wouldn’t hurt either. Wherever they go from here, Eklipse has definitely put their own stamp on some well known songs.
Rating - 79/100
Tracklist
Line Up
Links
Interview by Tony Cannella
The band Eklipse is made up of four ladies playing classical interpretations of pop and rock songs. Their debut album is titled “A Night in Strings”, and while it may not be strictly a metal album, there is no denying the talent that this band possesses; besides they are opening for Nightwish, which is a cool thing. Recently, the Viola player Viola was kind enough to answer some questions and give us more info on Eklipse.
First of all, congratulations on a unique album (“A Night in Strings”). For those who don’t know, how would you describe the music of Eklipse?
Thanks for the compliment on our album. We are a string quartet playing the beautiful themes of the great bands and composers of contemporary music.
How did Eklipse first get together?
We met at a festival in St. Petersburg. We got to know each other at a party and immediately knew that we had something in common. We searched for a way to combine our classical background with our love for pop music. It’s wonderful how everything came together that night and how well it is going ever since.
How do you feel about getting press from metal publications, even though Eklipse are not really a metal band?
During our musical career each of us did a lot of different musical styles. We have a strong connection to the gothic and metal scene, so we are proud and very happy that our music seems to fit so well.
You covered a wide variety of rock and pop songs. Some well known, some not. How did you decide which songs to cover?
Each of us has ideas which songs she wants to cover and we try a lot of different songs before deciding which one works the best. It’s important that there is a story behind the songs; something that connects us with it.
Are there any songs you would have liked to cover for “A Night in Strings”, but didn’t get around to it?
Yes, there are many. We tried a lot and we still have some arrangements that are waiting to be recorded. At the moment, we are concentrating on our live performance, but our next album is already planned.
Might those songs end up on your next album?
They might. But right now we are discussing what the album will be about. We are thinking we might do a theme or try a slightly different concept. But nothing can be announced yet. So, you have to be patient. ?
You were chosen to open for Nightwish. How excited are you about this opportunity?
We are very excited. We like Nightwish very much. It’s an amazing band which over the years managed to stay unique. That’s something that is not easily done and we hope for ourselves to be that lucky.
What can fans expect when they come to see Eklipse live?
We are always as passionate as possible in everything we are doing. We want to create a mythic atmosphere on stage. For us it is very important that everyone can drown in their own imagination.
Do think you will ever add guest singers to some of your songs like Apocalyptica does?
We have many ideas on what to do and we don’t want to decide yet. But for now, we are not done with our recent concept and are very excited for the things to come.
You filmed a video for your cover of the Justin Timberlake song, “Cry Me a River”. Why did you choose this song?
It’s a beautiful song! It’s very percussive and it was a challenge to transfer it to the strings. Also, the strings emphasize the melancholy of the song. It’s always a miracle how a song changes in the process of arranging.
Musically, there is no doubt that the members of Eklipse are very talented. Please tell us a little about your musical training.
We started playing as children and had classical training. We all had a lot of different musical experience over the years and always wanted to find something unique, something we can relate to in many different ways. Eklipse is a perfect project for the four of us because we can be creative on more than the musical level. Our optical output – the photos, the videos, our outfits and everything to come – is very important to us because it is one more creative need that we are able to fulfill.
How has the reaction to “A Night in Strings” from the media and fans been?
It is just fantastic. Most of the reactions we get are very positive and enthusiastic. There had been a few pretty critical reports and comments on the internet, but that’s great too. We are happy that we are not just another “nice” band but actually have a controversial side.
Are you afraid that the media and fans may focus more on your sexy image rather than the music?
No, we are not afraid of that. As we said before, the outfit is part of how we want to present the strong emotions of the songs. We don’t want our private lives to be strongly involved, so instead of telling our personal background, we have chosen this way to reveal parts of our personality.
Who are some other musicians and bands that you are influenced by?
We love all kinds of music. It’s quite a wide range of musicians and bands that are important to us.
What are your plans beyond the Nightwish tour?
We are playing some festivals in the summer and maybe there will be another tour soon.
Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. Is there anything you would like to add? The final words are yours.
Thank you. We hope that we will entertain a lot of people with our music.
Links
Latest Multimedia
Label : Spinefarm Records/Universal
Review by Tony Cannella
Ritchie Blackmore, Candice Night and their merry band of minstrels have been spreading the gospel for fine renaissance music since 1997. Who ever thought it would last this long? I sure as heck didn’t but the fact remains that Blackmore’s Night has quietly and steadily built up a strong back catalogue of material that continues with their latest offering “Autumn Sky”. Musically “Autumn Sky” is not really much of a departure from what Blackmore’s Night has been known for. The tandem of Ritchie and Candice Night continues to explore their fascination with Renaissance era music and sounds. Candice Night, in particular has been a huge, integral part of Blackmore’s Night’s sound and evolution – both with her voice and her lyrics. Songs like “Highland”, “Vagabond”, “Journeyman”, “Celluloid Heroes” and “Strawberry Girl” are all strong indeed and continue the tradition that began in 1997 with “Shadow of the Moon”. Of course Ritchie Blackmore is far removed from his days as a guitar virtuoso in such legendary bands as Deep Purple and Rainbow and is fully entrenched in the Renaissance thing. Candice and Ritchie are obviously doing something they enjoy and that comes out loud and clear on “Autumn Sky”.
Rating - 84/100
Tracklist
Line Up
Links
Label : Firedoom Records
Review by Tony Cannella
From France, Remembrance play funeral death/doom metal and have previously released two full-length albums. Their third and latest is called, “Fall, Obsidian Night” and it is their first one to feature new drummer Norman Muller. “Fall, Obsidian Night” also features some of the heaviest and doom-filled riffs I have heard in recent memory - well, since their last one, “Silencing the Moments…”. Remembrance features two vocalists, Carline Van Roos is the female singer, her vocals are clean sounding and sometimes operatic. The male grunt vocals are performed by Mathieu Sachs and this is what you hear on the majority of the CD.There are only 7-songs on, “Fall, Obsidian Night” but the album clocks-in at 51-minutes worth of high calibre Doom metal, with the majority of songs being in the 7-9 minute range, the only exception being the almost 5-minute (mostly) instrumental track, “Our Memories Are Made of Stones”. Album opener, “Ageless Fever” begins with eerie keyboard music as the tune kicks in. The guttural, grunt style of Mathieu are on display for most of the track as the angelic female vocals of Carline adds a bit of a contrast to the song. Remembrance gets even slower and doomier on the next track, “Stone Mirrors”. The heaviness just keeps on coming with, “The Omen”, “Ice-Cold Conscience” and album closer, “Obsidian”. The overall vibe on, “Fall, Obsidian Night” is dark, bleak and foreboding with a wall of sound that is just massive. If you like slow, deliberate and heavy riffing, then Remembrance are the band for you. With, “Fall, Obsidian Night” Remembrance have released a solid and worthy follow-up to “Silencing the Moments…” that fans of that album should love.
Rating - 73/100
Tracklist
Line Up
Links
