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 : Wannasee Records
Review by Tony Cannella
My only knowledge of the German singer Claudia Uhle – otherwise known as Angelzoom – has been through various compilation albums. Her new album “Nothing Is Infinite” is out now and this is my first chance to sample an entire album from this talented singer. Musically, Angelzoom offers a wide scope of ambient, electro and gothic influences. “Nothing s Infinite” features 14-songs and 50-minutes worth of cohesive, innovative and atmospheric music. Some of the strongest tracks are: “The Things You Said”, “Runaway”, “My Innermost” and “Fragile”. The vocals of Claudia Uhle are on full display throughout the album and it helps to create an enjoyable listening experience. The music on “Nothing Is Infinite” is pretty laid back and at times relaxing to listen to. Angelzoom is a different kind of animal than what your average metal head might listen to but still it is cool to put on for a change of pace, besides you can’t bang your head all the time. Can you?
Rating - 75/100
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Label : Sleazy Rider Records
Review by Tony Cannella
From Germany, WolveSpirit offers something a little bit different than today’s crop of Female Fronted metal bands.With their debut album “Spirit Metal”, WolveSpirit gives the listener a healthy dose of pure heavy metal, combined with 70s era classic hard rock/heavy metal, to create an album that ironically sounds fresh in today’s metal landscape. The opening duo of “Change” and “Hero” gets the ball rolling. While technically, Debbie is not the greatest vocalist you will ever here, she has got a huge voice loaded with passion and heart, which in some cases is more valuable than technicality. Her voice is just a great metal style, which at times is reminiscent to me of Jutta from the legendary German metal band Zed Yago. Also, the Hammond Organ sound provided by Oli is what helps to give the band their 70s influence. The 3rd track “Ride On” has a very up-tempo style and free spirit to go along with the subject matter. This is just a good song to cruise around to on a gorgeous summer day, with your stereo cranked to 11. Other highlights include: “Wolves of Woden”, “Dune”, “Release” and “Home”. I will always find time for a band like WolveSpirit who plays just no frills, to-the-bone metal and for that reason I can highly recommend “Spirit Metal”.
Rating - 87/100
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Label : Ravenheart Records
Review by Tony Cannella
WitchcrafT is a dark, progressive metal band from Russia. They were formed in 2005 and released their debut “The Voice From Inside” in 2008. Their just released second album is titled “Ash”. Musically, WitchcrafT offers a classy style and the angelic vocals (no pun intended) of Angel. The band utilizes very prog-like keyboard passages that interplay nicely with the guitars. The intro “Memories” begins things and sorta reminded me a bit of Dream Theater when the keyboards kick in. That’s no surprise since DT is listed as one of the bands influences. After the intro, the band launches into the haunting title track “Ash”, tempo wise this song shifts gears from a slower style to faster and more bombastic, a cool guitar solo is also on display here. In addition to the beautiful vocals of Angel, some male vocals are also present throughout “Ash”. I apologize for not being able to provide who performed the male vocals, but I could not find them anywhere on-line. “Flaming Night” is next and is a melodic power metal type of song and also one of the heavier and more straight forward numbers include here. The male vocalist takes the lead on this one. The ballad “Frail Rime” slows the tempo down a down a few notches and delivers a stunning vocal performance from Angel.The use of violins on this track helps to make it a somber, melancholic track. Other highlights include: “Oblivion”, “Mist” and “Sleepy Hollow”. “Ash” is a very strong second release from WitchcrafT. It maintains a steady, consistent path musically throughout its 53-minute playing time. Fans who love Prog-metal with haunting and dark undercurrents should check out WitchcrafT.
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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Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
From Italy comes another Symphonic Metal band, adding to that countries rich heritage in that genre of metal. They are Whispers of Fate and their debut release is called “Embrace My Winter”. The band began in 2007 with the two core members being vocalist Betty and guitarist Kaos. The bands line-up is completed by Venom (Keyboards), Joey (Bass) and Alexander (Drums). “Embrace My Winter” features 7-songs and 30-minutes worth of music that displays Whispers of Fate’s brand of Symphonic Metal with lyrical subject matter dealing with beauty, nature and the decay of man. The orchestral intro “Forgotten Prayer” starts things off and segues nicely into “Pain of Earth”. This is a melancholic opener that is a cool way to start things. The tempo doesn’t change much on the following track “Dance of the Clouds”. There is a beautiful poetic sensibility in the songwriting that Whispers of Fate displays. “Dance of the Clouds” in particular has a nice rhythmic quality to it. “Wasted World” is next and speeds up the pace a bit. “Sphere” is next and has a “Mother Earth” era Within Temptation vibe to it. Even though the song is only 5-minutes long it has the feel of an epic, thanks in part to its big, orchestral arrangement. The short haunting track “Preludio D’Inverno” leads into the final number “Frozen Heart”, thus bringing “Embrace My Winter” to its conclusion. Musically, there is nothing new going on here, but who cares; everything’s already been done before anyway. “Embrace My Winter” is a good album filled with good songs and strong musicianship. Fans who can’t get enough of Symphonic Metal should definitely give Whispers of Fate and their debut “Embrace My Winter” a try.
Rating - 70/100
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Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
VelvetSeal are a 4-piece female fronted band from Budapest, Hungary. Musically the band lies in the realm of Symphonic power metal, with some touches of classical, gothic and progressive metal thrown in as well. The 4-songs presented here are just a taste of what we can expect on the band’s forthcoming 9-song debut release, titled “Lend Me Your Wings”. The band are fronted by Gabriella Foti on vocals. The rest of the lineup goes like this: Csaba Ratz (guitars, orchstration, synths), David Kalmar (bass) and the quartet is completed by Balazs Hornyak on drums. The title track “Lend Me Your Wings” sets things in motion with a heavy guitar riff and some big sounding orchestration. The vocals of Gabriella are very strong and emotional. This is a solid opener with a huge chorus that is both catchy and dramatic. This was one of the definite highlights for me and at only 3-minutes long it is over too soon. Next is “The One”. This is another dramatic sounding number. It still maintains the heaviness of the previous song, but it is slower in tempo. The vocals on the chorus sound very cool, almost like a choir. It definitely provides great atmosphere and emotion to the song. The song keeps a steady pace throughout and never wavers. it is just a solid track. Next up is “Desperati”. This song begins with some eerie sounding intro music and then launches into a heavy riff accompanied by rhythmic chanting and the vocals of Gabriella Foti once again take center stage. I should also mention that the production is very good. They have obviously put a lot of effort into the overall presentation and that effort definitely pays off. The final track, “The Divine Comedy?” is a perfect way to end things and leave the listener hungry for more. This is an epic and dramatic sounding song and one that had me reaching for the play button once again. The only negative I can really say about this is that I wish it was longer than just the 4 songs. VelvetSeal are a great, talented, up-and-coming band, that I would suspect that we will hear more from in the months and years to come. I hope we do anyway. The 4-songs offered here are a perfect teaser for what it is to come. I am not too familiar with the Hungarian metal scene but I would describe the music contained here as just pure, classy metal. Excellent vocals, great musicianship and most importantly fantastic songs, what more can one ask for? If these songs are any indication of the future than I am eagerly awaiting the day that I get to hear the full version of “Lend Me Your Wings”. I’m sure it will be well worth the wait.
Rating - 85/100
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Label : Dark Balance Records
Review by Tony Cannella
I first became aware of Budapest, Hungary’s VelvetSeal via their 4-track “Lend Me Your Wings” sampler CD, which came my way in 2008. The music contained on the sampler hinted at a world of potential for this band and really wet the appetite for their full-length debut. Well, now in 2009 the band have finally issued the complete version of “Lend Me Your Wings” and I think it is safe to say that the promise that was hinted at on the 4-track sampler, has now been realized. Lead vocalist Gabriella fronts this 4-piece band and they play a sort of mix between dark, gothic and symphonic metal. It’s a strong mix of styles and it works quite well. The orchestral intro “Opening” begins things and manages to do a good job in building anticipation for the next track “Lend Me Your Wings”, which also includes some symphonic orchestration. “The One” is next and it keeps up the level of consistency of the previous song. It has a nice groove to it and a strong guitar riff that remains throughout the track. “Desperati” begins with a choir-like vocal intro then the song really gets rolling. The choir vocals pop up here and there throughout the track and their is some more cool orchestration. “Where Statues Cry” is just plain phenomenal and maybe my favorite track. This might sound crazy but I think this song has a real shot at having some commercial appeal if given the right kind of support, that is not to say that it is a commercial song, but it’s potential and melodic sensibility cannot be denied, and I think if given the chance to hear it, people will really dig it. Other highlights include: “Torn Within” (featuring an awesomely catchy and powerful melody), and “FreeFall”. Perhaps the main highlights for me are the songs: “The Divine Comedy ?” and “The Tragic Overture”. The material contained on the CD is very strong, but those two songs (as well as “Where Statues Cry”) just seem to really stand out for me. The vocals of Gabriella are really strong and confident, just great for the material on the CD. The songs have plenty of layers and depth to them and are also very well written and the musicianship is quite impressive all the way around. “Lend Me Your Wings” features 9-songs that never fails to make quite an impression. The songs are just loaded of ambiance, atmosphere and plenty of bombast that only seems to get better upon repeated listening. Perhaps the only complaint I have with this CD is that at 35-minutes long maybe it is too short, but that is indeed a very minor criticism. The overall material contained on “Lend Me Your Wings” is strong and of a very high caliber and also quite professional. It will be interesting to watch this band as they continue to grow and progress. “Lend Me Your Wings” is a powerful statement that should send VelvetSeal well on their way.
Rating - 80/100
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Label : Femme Metal Records
Review by Tony Cannella
After releasing a demo in 2007 and an EP (“Volatile Territory”) in 2009, the UK.’s Groove-Metal band Solsikk returns with their ferocious full-length debut, simply titled “Solsikk”. I have to admit that I first became a big fan of Solsikk when I first heard their demo; it is hard to believe that it’s been four years since then, and now their debut full-length is finally unleashed upon an unsuspecting metal world. Throughout the 10-song 42-minute debut, you can hear re-recorded versions of songs that already appeared on their demo and “Volatile Territory” EP. These new versions of those songs are helped out by better production and even more power than the original versions. The opening track “Relish in Nervous Delights” gets things off to a frenzied start. The following track “Viridescere” brings forth even more intensity as vocalist Vykki Turner spits out the vocals in rapid fire succession. Solsikk also filmed a video for this track. “Keep Pushing Me” and “Freefall” two songs that can previously be heard on their first demo are next. “Cut a Little Deeper” is a cool ballad that gives the listener a chance to catch their breath, before the band launches into the aggressive “Your Blistering Tongue”, which has always been my favorite song from Solsikk. Other highlights include: “Razored Cell”, “Volatile Territory” and “Bloodlust”. It is good to finally hear a full-length from Solsikk. After the impressive initial demo and EP, the band has really delivered here. The band delivers an album worth of unrelenting guitar riffs and a perfect balance of melody and aggression.
Rating - 88/100
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Label : BlueFreya Media
Review by Tony Cannella
Australia’s Gothic Metal duo Temujin released their debut effort “1000 Tears” in 2008. Now, three years later they have returned with a brand-new single. The song is called “Demons” and coming off the positive impression that their debut left on me, I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into this one. “Demons” is the lone track on the single, but it is a pretty good track with haunting vocals performed by Kelly and a simply infectious melody that dominates the four minute song. It is difficult to tell where a band is headed musically based on one song, but if “Demons” is indicative of where Temujin are headed than fans of their debut will not be disappointed.
Rating - 88/100
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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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