Ballads Away: "Rainy Roads" by Dama

I am addicted to Dama!  I have moved on from playing their cover of "Live to Tell" over and over again and have switched to this supremely excellent ballad, "Rainy Roads."  I have played this countless times today on my MP3 player during my travels. It's simple, but it's so beautiful and so emotional.

The lyrics are lovely, too.

Then the light and hunger between us
A surrendered moment
Take it if you like
Then a step
As a mark between us
I'll be your own velevet
If you'll give to me
That bright new age


As I walk I breathe you in
Through rainy roads
An invisible line
I follow
In darkness
Your sweet perfume
Set myself free


Then comes pain
Too much thirst between us
Echoes of a sigh
That will never die
Then your look
As wet drops between us
I'll be shiny velvet
If you'll lay
Upon this age of mine


Hands of greed
That run after each other
To the core of the existence within
You're the only one place in which I can live
Will you ever love me?

They're really evocative and I love that line in the chorus "As I walk I breathe you in through rainy roads."

Here is the song, which, incidentally has an Italian version called "Ombre."  This CD is released in North America August 9 and I'm fucking buying it.

Ballads Away: Return to You

Here is an underrated metal ballad I can't get enough of. This is Visions of Atlantis's "Return to You" sung by former vocalist Melissa Ferlaak, who I believe also wrote the song as a tribute to her father who passed away. It's a gorgeous song, powerfully and emotionally sung.

Enjoy!



And while we're on the topic of VoA, the band now has a four-minute teaser of their upcoming CD release, Delta, up on their MySpace page, here.

Ballads Away: What Kind of Love

Despite my negative reviews of Avantasia's two follow-up CDs to The Scarecrow, I really can say I liked The Scarecrow a lot. This is perhaps my favourite song from that release, and it features Amanda Somerville, who has collaborated not only with Avantasia but also quite a lot with Epica, and she is also Simone Simon's vocal coach. While her solo stuff isn't exactly my cup of tea, I do love her voice. She even filled in for Simone during a tour when Simone was ill, and she did a wicked job from what I can tell from YouTube footage I saw of her performances.

Here is "What Kind of Love." Enjoy!

Ballads Away: Away

Not only do I think Nightwish's "Away" is an underrated ballad period, I also think it's one of Nightwish's most underrated songs period. It's very simple, but it's very lovely, I think, and I particularly like the harmonies. Another great track from Over the Hills and Far Away, though in the biography, Tarja called this song a piece of crap, and Tuomas said he didn't like it either. I don't get it!

Ballads Away: Elis's "Rainbow"

I have really liked Lichenstien's Gothic metal outfit, Elis, ever since I discovered them a few years ago. Tragically, their original singer, Sabine Dunser, suddenly passed away before the age of 30 of a cerebral hemmorage, and she was eventually replaced with Austrian vocalist Sandra Schleret. I totally dig Sandra! She sounds amazing on Elis's newest CD, Catharsis, and I even like her unique, Asian-inspired sense of style. Catharsis is without a doubt my favourite Elis effort; though the vocals have a different style, the songwriting is the band's strongest, and Sandra rocks big time.

There is one ballad on Catharsis, and it's called "Rainbow." I love it. The lyrics are beautiful, and the song itself is just...goose-bump-inducing.

Here are the lyrics:

Rainbow

Fate touched my life
Led you my way
Within a heartbeat
I was caught by your light

The surface shivered
Unveiled so unexpected beauty
True and fateful bright

You are the thought that covers me tonight
Beautiful soul, sacred ways of life
Unfold my wings,reach out for your light
To shelter you from pain tonight

A flare in time
Gathered our souls
As they touched gently
Sacred ways of fate

Love entered my life
So unexpected though so welcome
Living in your eyes

And though I know my fight begins
My soul's melting within

You are the thought that covers me tonight
Beautiful soul, sacred ways of life
Unfold my wings, reach out for your light
My heart it breaks for you tonight

My heart steady beats for you (eternal on, eternal on)
No despairing darkness can blind my sight
Show me your colours, my ray of light...
I'm burning bright, alive!

You are the thought that covers me tonight
Beautiful soul, sacred ways of life
Unfold my wings, reach out for your light
Never forsake, it's once in a life...

And here is the song. Enjoy!

Ballads Away!

Yes! Another series!

This one is purely devoted to underrated metal ballads - underrated according to me!

So, I love a good ballad. Sue me! I am a woman, after all, with a romantic streak, and a good ballad always puts me in a good mood. A ballad will move me and make me feel alive.

So, here is my inaugural pick. This comes from Dawn of Destiny, one of my favourite bands ever, and a band that is totally underrated. This ballad is the final song on their Rebellion in Heaven CD, and it's lovely. It's emotional, beautiful, powerful, and I find it moving. It's everything a metal ballad should be.