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.
If I’m not wrong, we have already talked about the new upcoming EP by US Operatic metal band Upon Wings revealing some infos about the production and guests musicians but today is the time to unveil instead the tracklist and the cover album. “Afterlife” will be out on March 5th (again!) via Sword of the Spirit Records LLC. I invite you to more about this release here (via US Operatic Metal Band UPON WINGS Reveals “Afterlife” Track Listing & Cover Artwork « Femme Metal Webzine)
Mark your calendar ‘cause on 5th March US Operatic Metal band Upon Wings will release their upcoming EP “Afterlife” that features the guest vocals and production from Brett Hestla (Ex-Creed, Dark New Day) in addition to this Kevin Jardine, best known as the guitarist of Canadian nu metal giants Slaves on Dope and drummer Peter Tzaferis also contributed to the EP. I’m sure that the lead, mezzo-soprano vocals played by the frontwoman Anna Autumn Erickson will blown you away. More infos in the link below. (via US Operatic Metal Band UPON WINGS To Release New EP “Afterlife” on March 5th « Femme Metal Webzine)
Label : Fono LTD
Review by Vard Aman
RabieS (the band… with a capital S – they asked me really nicely) comes from Magnitogorsk in the Chelyabinsk Region in Russia, at the extreme Southern end of the Ural Mountains. OK, that’s enough geography, onto a bit of science and etymology. Most people know rabies as the name of a disease, and it is one of the most unpleasant and fatal diseases known; but RabieS have taken their name not from the disease but rather from the origin of the word itself, which is Latin for “madness” or “fury” (the name of the disease obviously has the same origin). They formed in 2006, and “Kaplya v Beskonechnost” is their debut offering – and what a pleasant debut it is! RabieS play some highly accomplished and beautifully constructed Symphonic Operatic Metal – of the kind that is going to make musical comparisons with Tarja-era Nightwish, I’m afraid, inevitable. Comparisons in quality at least I think are fully justified; but RabieS comes from Magnitogorsk in Russia while Nightwish comes from the Metal Capital of the World and Nightwish are also one of the pioneers of this sound. (I do think though that RabieS has a better and prettier singer than Tarja-era Nightwish did. There! I said it! Bring on the hate mail!).
Vladislava has a beautiful and rich operatic soprano voice, and her vocals provide the highlight of this release… most of the time at least. At the middle and higher end of her range she is awesome (and even more so when she harmonizes… wow!) but on lower notes it sometimes sounds like she is straining just a little and in one or two places the result is that her normally beautifully flowing voice gives way to… I’m not sure what it’s called so I’m going to give it my own name – “alarmed hen syndrome”. She still hits the notes perfectly but something just doesn’t feel right. It might also be a consequence of an operatic style not being quite suited to that particular part of the song – perhaps in the parts in question, a normal singing style would have been better suited (and as a bonus might also have served to give the operatic parts more impact when they came in, especially when the operatic vocals are of such outstanding quality as Vladislava’s are). Still, those moments are few and far between, and most of the time her vocals are right up there among the most beautiful, flowing operatic vocals that I’ve heard from an operatic singer in Metal; and her voice suits the music perfectly. Turning our attention to the rest of the band and the production, the performance and the song writing is really good. The songs are not overly complex and succeed in creating the kinds of feelings and emotions through the sound and the melodies that they should. The songs are also catchy – 3 days after hearing the single “Vozvrascheniye” (and watching the video) for the first time I found myself humming the chorus to myself.
Occasional male vocals and growls are provided by the keyboardist Eduard. The kick drum could have used a little more low-end EQ (and/or a little less high-end EQ) in the mix, but that isn’t too much of an issue. The album is also quite short by today’s standards: 9 songs (including the bonus track) at just over 32 minutes but this is not a bad thing at all. The songs are all equally good, there are no fillers, and when the album ended I found myself feeling both very satisfied by what I had heard and wanting more at the same time. Bands that try to make long albums just for the sake of making a long album (““we have the time, let’s use it”) often fail to have this effect. Credit must go to RabieS for avoiding this temptation… although, that said, perhaps one or two more songs on this album certainly would not have hurt. Or you can just listen to the album again, like I did, and like I have done several times since and will do again. “Kaplya v Beskonechnost” is a good debut indeed, but there are a few minor creases that I think the band needs to iron out for the next one; and if they do, the next one should be even better. So, with that, I strongly recommend getting RabieS! I’ve got RabieS and I’m enjoying every minute of it!
Rating - 85/100
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Label : Brennus Music
Review by Tony Cannella
France’s Symphonic Power Metal maestros Wildpath return with their 3rd round of inspired, classical tinged symphony laced metal with “Underneath”. While “Nyx Secrets” and “Non Omnis Moriar” were both solid in their own right, “Underneath” has the potential to land Wildpath in the upper echelon of symphonic metal. The orchestral intro “Seeds of a Dream” segues into the powerful, up-tempo, melodicism of “Unearthed”. This song has a great big chorus featuring a choir that really adds a lot to the song. Right away it is apparent that Wildpath has something cool to offer. Next up is “Dive” which starts off orchestral before breaking into some serious speed riffing and the strong operatic vocals of Marjolaine Bernard come in. The next song “Reviver” is a bit of a change of pace from the other material and has a bit of a jazzy vibe, showing that Wildpath are not bound by restrictions. Other highlights include: “The Craft”, “Anchored”, “Buried Moon”, “Frozen” and the 7-minute instrumental “Underneath”. The whole “Underneath” album takes the listener on a surreal journey whilst playing with different nuances, tempos and styles, yet also managing to produce a coherent metal masterpiece. Disc 2 features orchestral versions of “Underneath”, similar to what Nightwish did on “Dark Passion Play”. These are interesting, alternate versions of some already great music. Wildpath has continued to grow and progress from album-to-album and “Underneath” is no exception. Far be it for me to say that this is their best album, since everyone will have their own opinions on the matter, but this just may be. Of course comparisons are sure to be made to Nightwish (particularly the “Century Child” and “Once” eras), and there are some similarities, but Wildpath continues to break out of the mold and walk their own… um, path.
Rating - 90/100
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CD 1
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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
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Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
My first introduction to Holland’s Ex Libris was on the Femme Metal compilation “Beauty and Brutality” with their excellent contribution “Destined”. That song also appeared on their debut full-length which was released in 2008. Now this powerhouse, heavy, progressive band returns with a new 3-song 21-minute demo called “Medea”. All three songs on “Medea” are in the 7-8 minute range and show Ex Libris at their best and give the listener a diverse look at the band. The opener “Medea” blasts off and has an almost thrash metal like feel to it. On the next track “Murderess in Me”, the tempo is a bit slower but just as heavy, with hints of classic metal and some great operatic vocals from Dianne van Giersbergen (no relation to Anneke, I don’t think). Even though Ex Libris has been described as Goth (isn’t every metal band with a female singer, these days?) or symphonic metal, to me they sound closer to a technical progressive metal. They are heavier than your average prog metal band, but they play with an impressive amount of technicality and the songs are also well written and quite enjoyable. The 7-minute “Daughter of Corinth” brings “Medea” to an intense conclusion with a barrage of heavy riffs and Dianne’s in-your-face vocals. Through these three songs presented on “Medea”, Ex Libris shows where they are headed in the future. This is an excellent return to form from one of Holland’s best up-and-coming bands.
Rating - 78/100
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MySpace * ReverbNation * Facebook * Twitter * Site
Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
From Paris, France, the band Elyose was formed around 2009. After releasing a 6-song EP the band began work on their debut. “Théogyne” is the fruits of their labor. Elyose combines metal with eloctronica, industrial, progressive and classical to produce a top notch debut with “Théogyne”. “Théogyne” features 12-songs and almost 50-minutes worth of some fine metal with various influences shown by Elyose. The opening “Intro” is a pretty cool classical piece that segues into the excellent opener “Le Liberateur”. Elyose comes out of the gates strong and they are led by the strong, powerhouse vocals of Justine Daaé who has a diverse singing voice. She does excellent on the operatic stuff, but is also quite good when the song requires that she rein things in and the operatic style is not required as much. In addition to Justine, Elyose features excellent musicians all the way around who can play any style you want – the vocals and the musicianship complement each other so well, and the chemistry is just perfect. The electronic edge that introduces the next song “Overload” has a bit of a latter day Atrocity vibe to it. The majority of the lyrics are sung in French and some other highlights include: “Théogyne”, “L’Orientale”, “Incandescence” and “Derive”. There has been a lot of buzz on the internet with regards to Elyose, and after listening to “Théogyne” it is easy to see why. While “Théogyne” is undoubtedly metal, Elyose also does a great job in incorporating other musical ingredients to create an excellent debut. This is a thoroughly enjoyable listen throughout.
Rating - 95/100
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Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
From Italy, Settima Draconis are an interesting Symphonic/Gothic/Death Metal band. Their debut 4-song, 30-minute demo is titled “Vengeance”, and it is a heavy, bombastic and dramatic addition to the metal realm. Settima Draconis features two vocalists. The male Erik provides a Death Metal style, whilst Francesca adds her operatic style. The opening track, the 7-minute “Vengeance” begins with a strange sounding intro before Erik introduces himself with his forceful vocal style as the rest of the band joins in and we are off and running. The second track, “What Do I Have Left” is 9-minutes long and a true epic. This song, hands down, became my favorite as it takes so many twists and turns and features a strong orchestral presence. “Secret Spring” is next and has melancholic vibe, featuring violins and Francesca is allowed to really shine on this one. The final track “Bloodspawn” is another huge highlight that brings “Vengeance” to a stunning, frenzied conclusion. I have to admit that at first, I didn’t know quite what to make of “Vengeance”, but after repeated listenings it is obvious that Settima Draconis has something substantial to offer.
Rating - 90/100
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Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
From New Jersey comes the Symphonic Goth Metal trio Luminis. Luminis began as a Symphonic Metal tribute band, playing songs from their favorite bands of the genre before embarking on their current path of writing and performing original material. Their initial work is called “From Within” and features a playing time of 4-songs, 21-minutes. Their sound is melancholic, moody music with symphonic elements and the operatic at times vocals of Tara. Piano signals the opening of the laid back first track “Into My Sin”. This has a mournful, somber quality to it. “Nightfall Child” begins with piano once again and has a slower tempo to begin things and follows the same musical path as the previous song. The songs are mostly taking on a down tempo pace, and I don’t think anyone would say that this is happy sounding music; still it is obvious that the band put a lot of their heart and souls into the crafting of these songs. The 3rd track “Falling Away From Me” begins with an acoustic guitar and orchestral opening which pretty much dominates throughout the duration of this ballad, which has a sad quality to it. The final song, “The Other Side of the Mirror”, is one of the heavier tracks featured here and quickly became my favorite, thanks to some excellent vocal work by Tara, changes in tempo and a cool choir-like chorus. For a first try, Luminis has delivered a pretty good introduction with “From Within”. The band could probably be helped with a better production, but despite the weak production, the quality of the music shines through.
Rating - 72/100
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MySpace * ReverbNation * BandCamp * Facebook * Google Plus * Twitter * Site
Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
Symphonic Power Metal with duel male/female vocals is not a new concept. Talk about stating the obvious. This metal sub-genre has become increasingly crowded over the years and the fact remains that there are many good, quality bands that are only too eager to show off their Symphonic Metal chops. That brings me to Greece’s Fallen Arise and their debut 5-track EP, “Eternal”. The band has only been together since 2009, but in such a short amount of time they have laid the foundation for something potentially awesome on their debut. The narrative “Intro” begins things and segues into “My Fall”. This is a really solid opener that showcases the operatic vocals of Evelyn and the classic metal approach of the male singer Jon. The next track “Eternal Sins” is nothing short of breathtaking. This is just a great big melodic track, with plenty of symphony elements. There is also some great give-and-take between the two vocalists and a pretty impressive guitar solo. In fact, I would have to choose this as my favorite track and one that I immediately went back to again and again. “Never Forget Me” is up next and is a wonderfully melancholic piano rich ballad. Evelyn is allowed to shine on this track and does a fantastic job. Fallen Arise gets back to what they do best on the final track “Heavens Away” which has a bouncy up-tempo style with a great chorus that ends things on a high note. Even though “Eternal” is only about 20-minutes long and given the short amount of time that Fallen Arise has been in existence, “Eternal” is certainly worthy of high praise. I especially liked the fact that the band did not adhere to the tried-and-true formula of pairing an angelic female voice with the typical male death grunt style, instead opting for two technically proficient singers who work well together.
Rating - 90/100
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Links
MySpace * ReverbNation * Facebook * Twitter * Site
