CD Review: Nightwish's Imaginaerum (Eric's Version)

Ah yes, the much anticipated album of the year is finally out. Nightwish releases their seventh studio album Imaginaerum, the same name by which the movie will be named after. Knowing this album is based around a movie, the music is going to be basically a film score with Nightwish playing over it. And of course as expected, the hype surrounding this album is so out of this world and many wonder if this will meet all the expectations.

As mentioned on my Dark Passion Play review, I felt that their new vocalist Anette Olzon seemed out of place in the music and the range of the vocal melodies were too high in pitch for her. As of late, Anette hired a vocal coach to help with some of these issues she had from the previous album. Will it pay off? I really admire her courage and desire to improve. Of course, there will never be a vocalist like Tarja Turunen again in Nightwish. She was so unique and really brought out the essence and beauty of Tuomas’ music. Despite that, I am willing to accept Anette as their vocalist and see what she can offer on this album.

With all of these expectations and hype, will Imaginaerum live up to it? Well let’s dive right into my song by song review of the new Nightwish album!

1. “Taikatalvi“: (4/5) The intro track. Starts off with a toy box playing a melody with Marco singing in Finnish. He sounds great as he usually does. I wish I knew Finnish though. I think the song gets very beautiful when the flute and the string instruments come in. A very good intro track.

2. “Storytime”: (4/5) The first single of the album. A very catchy and upbeat song with a very strong orchestral section in the middle. It also features a children‘s choir, one of the elements that is unique about this album. I will admit that this is a “safe” Nightwish song so to say with everything that you most likely will hear by this band, but it does a good job in representing the album as a whole.

3. “Ghost River”: (4/5) The song starts off with a great guitar riff. Reminds me of Van Halen, but this is of no surprise since Emppu plays in an 80’s throwback band (Brother Firetribe). Marco sounds very dark and cynical in the song, especially in the pre-chorus sections. The children’s choir singing part of the chorus was very nice. A very good song.

4. “Slow, Love, Slow”: (4.5/5) This is the most unique song Nightwish has ever composed. It is a jazz song. Yes, a jazz song made by Nightwish! Out of all the songs I heard with Anette singing in it, this has to be perhaps the best and most versatile vocal performance in her career with Nightwish. Her voice fits the mood of the song so well. I also love Emppu’s solo in this song as well. It is unorthodox for him to come up with such a bluesy solo, but it sounds so good and I rate this solo one of the best in his career with Nightwish. No other band in their genre would dare to reach these territories. Just brilliant.

5. “I Want My Tears Back”: (4/5) This song is a bit more structured, much like “Storytime” and could easily be another single from this album. The chorus is extremely epic and well written with Marco and Anette giving great vocal performances. The highlight of this song is Troy Donockley on uillean pipes. He gives this song such a great atmosphere and the folksy breakdown with him and Emppu dueling is fantastic. Very cool. A recommended listen.

6. “Scaretale”: (4.5/5) Symphonic power metal at it’s best. A very creepy intro I must say, but when it gets into the good parts, it takes off and never lets up! It’s very bombastic and a big sounding song. Also, Anette’s vocals are so powerful in this song. Here, she sounds dark and evil, something I never would have thought she would sound like. The middle part of the song is so crazy! It’s basically circus music! At first, I thought this was very odd, but the more I listened, the more I liked it and it is actually quite brilliant. One of the album’s highlights.

7. "Arabesque": (3.5/5) An instrumental. A very cool orchestration, but it isn’t the highlight of the album. It is worth listening to though for good atmosphere and feeling. It’s almost like intermission.

8. “Turn Loose The Mermaids”: (4/5) A folksy ballad with Celtic influences. At first I did not care for this song that much, but the more I listened, the more I liked it and realized that it is actually very good. I think Anette sounds very nice on this song too. Beats the hell out of "Eva" that’s for sure.

9. “Rest Calm”: (4/5) A slower metal track, but good nonetheless. Marco sounds so powerful and literally blows you out of your seat in this song during the verses! I like how they have Anette singing this one, going from one emotion to another during the chorus sections. Very clever. The children’s choir is also featured in this song. A very recommended song.

10. “The Crow, The Owl, And The Dove”: (3.5/5) Honestly, I really disliked this song when I first heard it, but like “Turn Loose The Mermaids”, the more I listened the more it grew on me. The only thing is that this is probably the most radio friendly song Nightwish ever released. Despite that, this is actually a well written song. One thing I didn’t care for is the breakdown where Troy Donockley sings. Yes, the pipist sings! It sounds out of place, but it doesn’t destroy the song. Not my favorite song on the album, but it is worth a good listen for sure!

11. “Last Ride Of The Day”: (5/5) Epic!! That is exactly what this song is! A very good bombastic song with a whirlwind of emotions and feelings throughout. The highlight of the song is the chorus. In my opinion, it's one of the best choruses in Nightwish’s career. A great melody! The orchestra and choir is used so well in this song. The best song on the album for me. Just pure Nightwish.

12. “Song Of Myself”: (2.5/5) A very long song, clocking in at almost 14 minutes. Great orchestra sections, choirs throughout… etc. Why is this song only a 2.5/5? Well because it is only half of a song! The first half sounds very powerful and good. The second half of the song is basically dialogue! What?? Really? Yes, we have six and half minutes of basically strings, piano, some guitar, and people reading dialogue from what appears to be a script from the movie I assume. I don’t know. All I know is that it was unnecessary to have for that long and because of that the song is a big letdown. A little bit would have been okay, but I think that part of the song should have been a separate track in my opinion. But it is worth a listen if you like poetic script reading and if you pay attention, there is some interesting stuff being read actually if you have enough attention span to get through it all.

13. “Imaginaerum”: (3.5/5) Another instrumental and the title track. Seems to be the music you would hear at the end of the movie during the credits. It is basically the orchestra, led by Pip Williams, playing the highlights from every song on the album. This track sounds very nice, but it isn’t my favorite one and I think it is one of the weaker tracks.

So that is my song by song review of Imaginaerum. Here are my overall thoughts:

Pros:

• Much better album overall than Dark Passion Play, with better lyrics and better songs throughout.
• Anette’s vocals are vastly improved, mainly due to the fact that the songs are now written for her range.
• Marco sounds so epic and great as usual.
• Very epic orchestral sections throughout.
• So much variety and experimentation.

Cons:

• Lack of good guitar work at times, but when needed, Emppu has good stuff on here.
• Parts of the album has flaws, like Troy singing in “The Crow, The Owl, And The Dove” and the second half of “Song of Myself” for example.
• Some listeners may have to listen to it a few times to get the idea of the album.

I feel that Nightwish has really stepped up on this album. I am so impressed with how they made a great comeback since the last album. Dark Passion Play seemed very awkward and not like a true Nightwish album the way I know them. All the mistakes that were on Dark Passion Play are corrected on this album. If you are a fan of the last two albums, you may have a difficult time accepting this album at first because of it’s theatrics and experimentation. The last couple of Nightwish albums were definitely more commercial sounding compared to this one. Imaginaerum goes back to their roots with the lyrics and songwriting aspects, while at the same time incorporating elements from the last two albums. There are literally so many crazy things going on in this album, and you really do need to listen to it a couple of times to get it all. If you listen to the album from beginning to end, it actually makes more sense.

As far as Anette goes, I am impressed with her on this album. Her vocals have improved so much and I can tell she is really trying to get better. As I said in the last review, I had nothing against her as a person, but I felt that she did not belong in a band like Nightwish. But after listening to this, I can say that she actually belongs now with all the diversity that this band can bring to the table. Think about it, she sings in a jazz song, a folk song, and a bunch of epic symphonic power metal songs. As much as I miss Tarja in Nightwish like most of us do, you have to admit that she did a pretty good job and I don‘t think Tarja can sing some of these songs as well as her either. Sure some people may not like her sound vocally and she isn‘t the most unique singer ever, but I think that if you still have issues with Anette, keep an open mind because you will be very surprised with what is offered on this album.

This kind of diversity of music is not something many bands can achieve, which is why Nightwish is one of the greatest bands of all time to me. This is why they are legends and should be accounted as being perhaps the best band of our generation. Tuomas knows how to impress people, and I can honestly say that he has done it again! It is an exciting time to be a Finnish metal fan. The music that comes out of that country is so great and this is another album to add to your collection if you like symphonic power metal or female fronted metal. It is by far their most consistent album since Wishmaster. It has its flaws of course, but the good outweigh the bad and remember to keep an open mind when listening to this. I give this album a horns up as I can honestly say that the true new era of Nightwish starts now! \m/ Congratulations Nightwish on a job well done!

Overall score: 4/5

DVD Review: Nightwish's From Wishes to Eternity

In the dawn of the new Nightwish album Imaginareum, I have finally decided to review From Wishes to Eternity. I know I have waited a little long to review this DVD since I said I was going to review it back on my Dark Passion Play review, but here it is!

In 2001 during Nightwish's Wishmaster tour, the band released their first live DVD recorded in Tampere, Finland which was on December 29th, 2000. And boy what a treat it is to watch anytime I get around to it! I could honestly say that this DVD really gives me chills every time watching it as well as reminding me how great Nightwish was during the peak of their career with Tarja Turunen as lead vocalist. It is also the only live DVD of the band to feature Sami Vänskä as their bassist. I actually prefer Marco at bass since he brings a bigger dimension to the band with his powerful voice, but Sami did a great job in Nightwish nonetheless.

What is great about this DVD is that everyone in the band is performing at a very high level. For example, Tarja's vocals on this release shattered all of the studio versions of the songs performed at this concert. Her voice is very angelic and powerful, as it usually is, but her performance at this particular show is beyond amazing and nothing I have heard before from her! She really knows how to bring the emotions out in Tuomas' songs. And speaking of Tuomas', he showcases his best keyboard work on this DVD, most notably in "Wanderlust" and "The Pharaoh Sails To Orion" where is completely shreds with confidence and style.

The other members were also on top of their skill level too. Emppu's guitar work is creative and stellar, especially when he adds his own guitar fills where it actually enhances the songs more. I especially dig him in the "Crimson Tide" "Deep Blue Sea" covers, but unfortunately that track was not on the DVD I got, which is quite a shame because that performance was outstanding! Jukka's drumming is just fun to watch. I love how he always shows so much passion when playing drums, like how he still does to this day! Sami also seems to be pulling out some good bass licks in the songs too! It's great seeing the band have so much fun on stage together! During the song "Fantasmic part 3", Tuomas jumps out from his keyboard and headbangs with the rest of the band! That is something you don't see everyday! Another funny moment is when there was a break in "Wanderlust", Emppu gave a friendly pat on Tarja's head! How cool is that! :D

Another cool aspect of this DVD are the guest vocalists. My personal favorite performance of the concert is "Beauty & the Beast", where Sonata Arctica's vocalist Tony Kakko provides the male voice. He was a great choice to sing this as opposed to Tuomas, who is a great songwriter and keyboardist, but not a great vocalist. I love how both Tarja and Tony showcase great stage presence together with so much passion and emotion. It looks so theatrical and bad ass at the same time! The other guest vocalist, Tapio Wilska, provides live vocals on "The Pharaoh Sails To Orion". Being the former vocalist of Finntroll, his on stage theatrics are a sight to see. It is really cool to see a guy have so much fun on stage with a band like Nightwish. It is very rare that you will hear his vocal style in a Nightwish song. It is probably the closest Nightwish will ever sound to being death metal!

Other cool additions to the DVD are the bonus features on it. There are interviews with Tuomas and Tarja, two music videos, two live videos, a cool photo gallery, and their discography as of 2001. There is also some off-stage footage where you can see Nightwish backstage! If you happen to get this DVD, you need to watch that because you will get a good laugh at some of the stuff they did during their tour!

So that is my review of From Wishes to Eternity. Here are my overall thoughts:

Pros:

• An excellent performance by an excellent band!
• Great camera work and sound quality.
• Enough bonus material to keep you wanting more!

Cons:

• Wish there were a few more Oceanborn songs on the setlist, but this is a minor complaint.
• Some DVD's do not have the "Crimson Tide" and "Deep Blue Sea" covers.

You can tell by watching this that Nightwish was at the height of their career as a band during this show. The energy that radiated from this show is something that was special here and I don't think it could ever be repeated again! I actually think this performance overall tops End of an Era, though both concerts were very good in their own respect. This is probably my favorite live DVD despite the fact that the "Crimson Tide" and "Deep Blue Sea" covers were not on my copy. At least there is a video of it on YouTube! This DVD is a must have for any fan of Nightwish or symphonic power metal in general. It doesn't get much better than this! Horns up for me! \m/

Overall rating: 5/5

CD Review: Visions of Atlantis's "Maria Magdalena"

I love how some bands save their best material for EPs.  Leaves' Eyes does this all the time, with the exception of Melusine, which was pretty bad compared to gems like their Legend Land EP and their Elegy EP.  From a marketing standpoint, these EPs make total sense, and it makes sense to keep some little surprises back from the fans so they'll buy more stuff.

Maria Magdalena, released Oct. 21, is VoA's first EP, and I have to say, though I liked Delta well enough (review here), I on the whole like this EP a lot more.

It starts off with the cover of a song I'd never heard before, "Maria Magdalena", originally performed by German pop artist Sandra.  You can listen to the original here.  It's very typical 80s pop and it kind of makes me cringe when I listen to it.  The VoA version, which you can listen to here, is a much more updated, modern version and it rocks.

Also included on this EP are a few new songs, the faster "Change of Tides" and "Distant Shores" and the slower, ballad-like follow up to "The Poem" from 2007's Trinity, entitled "Beyond Horizon - The Poem Part II."  This latter song is great, mainly because it shows of Mario Plank's sensitive side.  In fact, one of the things I liked most about this EP overall is that Mario uses his clean vocals and leaves his growlier voice at home for a while.  In "Beyond Horizon" he sounds amazing and emotional like he never has before.

The other song on this 6-track release that I enjoyed a lot was a remake of "Last Shut of Your Eyes", which originally appeared on VoA's 2004 release, Castaway, back when Nicole Bogner was still lead singer. (Oh, Nicole, where are you now?  You were so awesome!)  This newer version of course features current VoA female lead Maxi Nil, who is an excellent singer.  She really shines on this EP, and when listening to this song in particular, I got a sense of nostalgia.  This is a song that originally got me into the band, yet I hadn't heard it in ages.  Hearing "Last Shut of Your Eye" has inspired me to go back through VoA's discography and revisit my old favourites because it's just been plain too long.

This is definitely an EP worth listening to if you're a VoA fan, as I am, and if you're looking to get into the "new" VoA.  Though Delta is certainly a worthwhile listen, Maria Magdalena doesn't have a single weak or filler song on it, so I definitely recommend it.  Horns up! \m/

CD Review: Týr's Lay of Thrym

Týr is:

Heri Joensen – vocals, guitar
Terji Skibenæs – guitar
Gunnar H. Thomsen – bass
Kári Streymoy – drums

Like Ensiferum, Týr is one of my favorite folk metal bands. Awaiting this new release has me on the edge of my seat because I have always been such a big fan of this band’s music since I first started listening to them! What separates them from other metal groups is their uniqueness in both style and flare. They do not even have a keyboarder and they still sound great without one too and of course in their genre, it is unique to not have a keyboardist. Also Heri Joensen’s vocals are great as well, so unique that no one can even come close to his abilities!

So the question remains; will this be another great release by Týr? As of late, Týr has been making their songs faster and more upbeat than what they did in their earlier releases. Of course as I always mention, every band evolves and never wants to stay the same so that bands can stay fresh sounding. Well let’s dive into this album with my traditional song by song review of The Lay of Thrym.

Here is my rating system revised for both songs and albums:
6/5 = Classic/Perfect
5/5 = Outstanding/ Near perfect
4.5/5 = Amazing/Excellent
4/5 = Great/ Worthy material
3.5/5 = Above average/ Good work
3/5 = Average/ Kind of bland
2.5/5 = Sub par/ Bland
2/5 = Poor/ Rushed
1.5/5 = Awful/ Garbage
1.0/5= Pathetic/ Worthless
0/5 = Abomination/AutoTuned crap

1. “Flames of the Free”: No question that this is a fun and catchy metal song. Fast paced and furious, this song is a great opener and is sure to impress many! This is very power metal sounding, only with that flare that Týr provides. Laying down some impressive vocals from Heri Joensen as well as catchy riffs, this is a great way to open the album! (4/5)

2. “Shadow of the Swastika”: Without a doubt, my favorite song on the album. This song, judging by what I heard and by the lyrics, is a retaliation to certain groups of people in which Heri says “kiss my Scandinavian ass”. That is amazing and this is indeed the most angry song this band has ever composed! The first verse is about the German organizations accusing Týr (and bands like them) that they are a band who promotes Nazism and racism through ancient symbols of Scandinavian mythology. The second verse is a total bashing of Nazism and racism in general! So wow, I had no idea that Týr was capable of writing something so angry! This is a great song and one of my favorites by this band! (5/5)

3. “Take Your Tyrant”: Another upbeat song with a very typical Týr riff to begin the song with some very bombastic vocals from Joensen yelling TAKE YOUR TYRANT! Indeed a fun song to get into done very well. (4/5)

4. “Evening Star”: A slower, more ballad feel than the first three songs. I really like the lyrics in this song as it adds so much emotion in this song. I really like the faster more upbeat part of the chorus as it is very catchy indeed. A very nice solo here too. Another worthy song! (4.5/5)

5. “Hall Of Freedom”: Right away we are back into another furious song again! Damn this song is catchy! Very cool hooks and lyrics once again, and is another song worth listening to. Though not the strongest song on the album, still a great song to get your fist pumping to! (4/5)

6. “Fields Of The Fallen”: Judging by the beginning of this track, I would of never guessed this was a Týr song. It starts out with some traditional power chord riffing and then it erupts into a furious intro solo. There are basically no folk elements in this song which is disappointing, but this song proves that they can expand their style. The main chorus is a little repetitive I will admit but damn the guitar solos really rock on this song. (3.5/5)

7. “Konning Hans”: Ah yes, we get a song sung in Danish! Very cool! Unlike the previous songs, this one is done more in their traditional style; slower with more progressive elements. Great vocal melodies with plenty of folk elements throughout make this a great track indeed! (4.5/5)

8. “Ellindur Bondi A Jadri”: Now that we got a song in Danish, this one is in Faroese! Very nice! That is what I like about Týr. They choose to do different things and aren’t afraid to take chances! Another fast paced song with power metal elements. The solo in this song is mind-blowing as well! Very good track again with great melodies! (4/5)

9. “Nine Worlds of Lore”: The intro reminds me of the “Flames of the Free” intro. While not one of the stronger tracks on the album, it still has that cool Týr sound we all come to like. A catchy song, but not one of the better songs. (3.5/5)

10. “The Lay of Thrym”: The title track as well as the most complex and longest song on the album! A very good intro followed by an ass-kicking lead into some serious folk metal fury! Once again the power metal elements are present and Joensen once again lays down some impressive vocal tracks. The guitar riffs and harmonies are very well put together as well! Definitely worth a listen! (4.5/5)

The next two tracks are bonus tracks, but they are also covers of two Dio sung songs (perhaps in memory of his life.. RIP Dio). So I am just going to compare both versions and give the one I liked better!

11. “I” (Black Sabbath cover): This is honestly a very good cover of this song as I know that Týr could do no doubt! Dio is a tough act to follow of course, but Joensen is a great vocalist too and he puts his heavy metal fury into this. Not as good as the original, but worth a listen for sure!

12. “Stargazers” (Rainbow cover): This is a hard song to sing and perform no doubt. When I first saw this, being that this is my favorite Rainbow song, I was skeptical if Týr could actually pull this off, but they sure as hell did. Granted, the vocals by Joensen are not as good as Dio because he is a tough act to follow as I mentioned earlier. Also, Ritchie Blackmore’s guitar work and style is hard to emulate and Cozy Powell’s drumming in the beginning of the song is tough to get down too. But damn this is as good of a cover as it could be with what Týr did to it. Standing ovation for Týr, not only for covering these two Dio songs, but for paying tribute to one of the greatest vocalists of all time! I am sure Dio would be proud to hear these versions!

So that is my song by song review of The Lay of Thrym. Here are my overall thoughts:

Pros:
-Very catchy and upbeat songs throughout! Not a single dull moment!
-Great guitar melodies/solos and awesome singing by Joensen once again!
-Very cool lyrics and themes.
-Great Dio covers!

Cons:
-The songs aren’t as complex as a normal Týr album, with shorter songs and more power metal elements.
-Less folksy sounding than their previous releases.
-A few filler songs.

If you are a big fan of the style from Eric The Red, then you would be a little disappointed with this release because it is much faster and more power metal oriented than what they usually do. In my opinion, I think that this is a worthy Týr album, and unlike their older material, I think this album is certainly easier to digest for sure. I think they definitely are masters of their style and they know how to keep material fresh to listen to. I am going to give this album a horns up no doubt! \m/ Everything this band has done is nothing short of amazing. These guys continue to rock, and I know they aren’t done making quality albums. I actually recommend their whole discography including this one because these guys are certainly on top of the folk metal genre! Very impressive and I hope to hear more from these guys in the future with more great albums!
Overall rating: 4/5

CD Review: Solisia's "Ordinary Fate"

Here is another band I've seen a lot of buzz about on the interwebs lately and thought they were worth looking into. Hailing from Italy, Solisia's Ordinary Fate is their first full-length release after a shorter demo came out in 2007. Most commonly labeled as progressive power metal, Solisia is a female-fronted band with a ballsy lead vocalist, Marilena Stigliano, who belts out in a decent alto-ish range.

How important is labeling? The eternal question. When it's done right, it's not an issue. When it's not, it becomes an issue. Solisia is definitely not symphonic power metal, and if you listen to it thinking it is symphonic PM, then you are going to be disappointed. There really are no symphonic elements in here to speak of. Perhaps this is why Arno Callen, who reviewed this CD over at Black Wind Metal, might not have liked the album so much.

I personally though it was very good and very promising. It has all the trappings of good melodic metal: it's fast, bombastic, heavy on the keyboards, has strong guitar work, and altogether has an amazing PM feel to it. However, had Solisia gone with a classical soprano and some of the more traditional symphonic sounding keyboard elements, I would probably have agreed with Arno because those would have made this band sound a bit cheesy and cliche. As it is, though, Marilena's vocals are a definite rock-style in a lower range and the keyboard elements have an 80s synth sound to them that sounded pretty cool and pretty different for the genre. These two elements alone make Solisia a bit of a stand-out to me. Marilena is does not have a "sweet" tonality to her voice, which makes it not poppy, but rather she is quite powerful and at times she reminded me of Coronatus's original rock alto Lisa Lasch and Silentium's Riina Rinkinen.

Standout songs for me were the title track, "Ordinary Fate" which starts the album off with a terrific bombastic intro and with the backing vocals reminded me a lot of Edenbridge, and the final track, "Unrevealed Words", which has a pretty epic feel to it. There is one ballad, "I'll Take You With Me" that I enjoyed, and there was a really cool instrumental piece entitled "Overlude" that was also very well done.

So, in the end, I enjoyed this and think it's a promising start for Solisia. Horns up! \m/

Here is "Ordinary Fate."

CD Review: Liv Kristine's "Skintight"

Oh, how I love Liv Kristine! I love her voice, she rocks the corset, she is ridiculously gorgeous. I first encountered her a few years back when I discovered Leaves' Eyes, which subsequently became one of my favourite bands and Liv one of my favourite vocalists. It did take me some tome to clue in, however, to the fact that she had a solo career on the side that was more of the pop/rock persuasion than the metal. I listened to Deus ex Machina and it was not my cup of tea, though I love how she sounds on it.

When I heard Skintight was coming out, I wouldn't have given it much thought, except I read Liv's description of the concept, and I was intrigued. She said:

Most recordings were done 'in one go,' i.e. record a complete song without
breaks. Moreover, we've kept and paid attention to the natural processes which
take place during singing, like breathing, movements of the lips, emotional
expression and strength etc. All this makes the album authentic, real, and
direct. The music is played with only a few, however, original instruments.

Recording a song without breaks sounded very curious to me, since I am not unaware of the fact that the complex multi-tracked recordings I usually listen to are obviously not recorded all in one go. The simplicity Liv described above appealed to me, as did the idea of using only a few instruments. Upon the release of the "Skintight" video, I was a little skeptical. There is kind of a flashy, fashion-y thing going on here that put me off a bit. Things change!

Since finally receiving my copy of the CD and sitting down with the CD booklet and really listening to the songs, I am in love with this release. I am addicted to the song "Skintight."

I wouldn't necessarily class the CD as pop, per se. It's a mellow rock with a lot of acoustic elements in it that speak to the concept of simplicity. The lyrics, written by Liv herself, are beautiful: thoughtful, insightful, and expressive. They are honest. Liv's voice in Skintight leaves behind the drama of Leaves' Eyes; there is a pureness to it that I really enjoyed. Backing vocals are kept simple and minimal, and I found that a really cool thing to hear because I am so used to complex harmonies & backing vocals in LE.

I find myself quite haunted by this CD and I've barely been able to stop playing it since I got it in the mail last week (the same day that Loreena McKennitt's new CD arrived; another amazing disc that has been competing with Liv for play time here at home). Songs that I particularly love and find resonant are "Skintight", "Twofold" and "Wonders." The closing track, "The Rarest Flower" is also lovely.

This is definitely a CD to be savoured over and over again. Awesome job, Liv. Horns up. \m/

CD Review: Unsun's "Clinic for Dolls"

As I mentioned before, I have a soft spot for UnSun even though I have no idea why. I purchased their debut CD, End of Life, and liked it at the time, but I think what happened is that I just grew out of it. Compared to the bands I found after, this album seems quite mediocre now for the Gothic genre. But I wasn't exactly put off forever; I was curious to see what their follow-up sounded like and if there had been any growth since EoL's release in 2008. When the band released their first single, "Home", from the new album, Clinic For Dolls, I was optimisitic. It's a good song and it's actually a good video, too.

So, I have Clinic for Dolls, and I have listened to it many times. My impressions are these: it's a much stronger album than EoL. It's faster, heavier, and the writing is more complex. In fact, the composition end of it is really good and a huge improvement from their debut. The guitar work is better, as are the keyboards. This is a far less "poppy" (how I hate that term, but I can't find a better one right now) CD, and it's evident right from the beginning that a lot of time and thought has gone into writing something way more meaty music.

The intro to the first song, "The Lost Way" sets the tone and impressed me right off the bat. Heavy, melodic, and fast - great headbanging stuff for sure, and this is one of the strongest tracks on the album. "Home", as I mentioned, is also a strong song, and other notables are "Time", and "Mockers." The ballad "The Last Tears" is quite lovely and emotional, and is singer Aya's best peformance on this CD.

Lyrically, this is also a much stronger album. These songs are full of dark, desolate, and very lonely themes and images. They talk about abuse, marginalization, institutionalization, futility, secrets, death, and all kinds of stuff like that. Here is a good example, from "Time":

When rain washes blood off the ground
down the shadowy path I’ll come by
When you utter your last sin aloud
my star will shine in the sky
When time decides to kill
when time closes our eyes
our sins will vanish in tears
the ground will hush our cries

So, musically & lyrically, I like this. It's not up there with Nightwish, Epica, and bands like that I am into, but it's not bad, and like I said, it's a big improvement over EoL.

However, there is a rather disappointing, glaring weakness, and that is the vocal performance of Aya. The girl can sing; I don't think she has a bad voice. I just don't think she has a voice strong enough or powerful enough for this music. Her singing is heavily accented, but I'm not overly concerned about that. "Weak" is the only word I can find to describe how she sounds with this band. The only exception I found on this album where I really enjoyed her voice was the aforementioned "The Last Tears." She is excellent here: she brings power and some very poignant emotion to this piece and it's gorgeous. But overall...It's just not great.

She does sound decent live, I must say. UnSun seems to be getting some gigs at bigger venues lately, including appearances at Metal Female Voices Fest in 2009 and this past October, and I found this video of the band, and Aya sounds great.

This is still a highly listenable album and I have to say it shows a lot of promise for the future. I just think the vocals need...work.

Horns up, though. \m/ My soft spot is still in tact!

CD Review: Tarja's "What Lies Beneath"

All righty, it's my turn to weigh in on Tarja's new release. I have a slightly different take on What Lies Beneath, but I am not a musician like Eric is, so I usually have different takes on most of the music we have in common.

First of all, let me say, I had one hell of a time actually getting this CD into my hot little hands. I ordered it from The End Records in the States and it took over 4 weeks to get to me. I could have ordered it from Amazon Canada, but at the time the pre-order became available on The End Records, Amazon didn't have its act together and the CD wasn't available from them for several days after I decided to go with TER. Also, the price wasn't as good, and here in BC we now have an extra sales tax that would have added more to the price. The US exchange rate, however, is around par, which is excellent, so it was going to be less expensive for me to get the CD from TER instead of from a Canadian vendor. BIG MISTAKE. Given how long it took for the CD to arrive here, I should have spent the money and gotten it from Amazon because I would have had it in one week as opposed to 4.

Anyway, now that I do have the CD and have had ample time to listen to it, let's get down to what I think about it.

To put it succinctly, I love it.

As Eric said, it has its weaknesses. I think "Until My Last Breath" is probably the most commercial track and probably the weakest - which isn't to say I don't like it, but it's not quite up there with many other songs I can mention. I also can't quite get behind "Montañas de Silencio;" while her voice sounds amazing here, it's just not my cup of tea. And "Little Lies" doesn't quite enthrall me, though I appreciate its heaviness.

The rest of this album, though, is beautiful, and the beauty is what captures my interest and heart here. The harmonies, symphonic elements, and the obvious increased versatility and power of Tarja's voice make this CD so amazing. This release also shows off so much more of Tarja's heart and soul, and so much more of her talent, than My Winter Storm did. That album, to my ear, had an empty feeling to it and seemed to be missing complexity, variety, and the soul of Tarja. WLB has all that in it. Lyrically, this is a strong album, and I had a good feeling about this element when I heard Falling Awake for the first time. I respectfully disagree with Eric's opinion about this song; I love it because it's about empowerment and I think, given what we know Tarja's been through in the past five years, that this song marks a real turning point in her ability to express raw emotions and to show us the healing process she's been through since the whole Nightwish debacle. "Falling Awake" may not be especially complex musically, but I identify with what is being expressed by Tarja here, and for that reason it's one of my favourites on the album.

Other highlights for me are "Anteroom of Death" which I think was an awesome choice for the first song; it's progressive, it's heavy, I love the imagery it evokes, and I love that van Canto makes an appearance in it. I also love "Underneath", "In for a Kill", and I really do love "I Feel Immortal." One song I find especially evocative is "Naiad", which appears on the bonus disc. This is such a beautiful, romantic song that I can just imagine myself dancing to with some lovely man under a glitter ball in the dark. If you think that sounds cheesy, tough tiddlywinks. But if I ever get married again, this will be the first dance song - and that's saying a lot since I hate weddings, I hate dancing, and I hate the concept of the first dance - and I will even consent to a dancing lesson or two so I can do this justice! So there!

In general, I really admire the variety of sounds and styles Tarja plays with here. If this is the new musical direction she is taking, then bring it on, because it's awesome, and it outshines MWS by a million light years.

All that being said, I do have some complaints (this is me, after all). First of all, we all know of the confusion pre-release about the various versions of the album and some of the songs, who was getting what artwork, and all that. Yeah, I'm a little pissy about that still, actually, especially because the version of "Falling Awake", which features a guitar solo by Joe Satriani, isn't as good as this version I found on another site with a different solo. The Satriani solo seems like it's more of an afterthought and that it's trying to hard to stand out. I also prefer the GAS video version of "I Feel Immortal." The version on my CD is rather different, where some of the keyboard melodies have been left out or re-done, and I don't find it as effective as the GAS video version.

Additionally, I am not impressed at all with the el-cheapo digipack packaging this CD set came in! Basically, we have no spine here and two sleeves. The CDs are tucked into the sleeves, one with the booklet itself. I have plenty of other digipacks that have a hard plastic CD holder in them, which makes the product more durable and gives me a little more confidence that my CDs are being protected when they get shuffled around or when I move, or whatever. I love the album art a lot, but this digipack sucks.

I am super happy for Tarja and what she's accomplished here, and I am very excited about her future because she has it made, people! I hope she announces some North American tour dates soon, because I WILL go out of my way to travel to Vancouver or Calgary to see her live!

Horns up! \m/

CD Review: Tarja's What Lies Beneath (Eric's Version)

Listen to the Podcast Episode of this review here.

Since Tarja's departure from Nightwish, Finland's most popular female singer has been fully engaged in her own solo music career. Beginning with Henkays Ikuisuudesta (an album with Tarja singing Christmas songs) and followed by her first full-length album My Winter Storm, Tarja releases her latest album in 2010 entitled What Lies Beneath. Prior to the release of her new album, has Tarja truly been able to capture her former glory from her former band? Well, from what I had heard up to that point in time, not that much! Of course, this happens to a lot of musicians who break away from their former bands, especially when they first start off. Regardless, her voice is still very strong and she is improving every step of the way!

What set Nightwish apart from other female-fronted metal bands was this: not only did they have perhaps the greatest and most unique (in the 90's especially) female metal vocalist of all-time, but they also had a truly unique and inspired group of musicians that made the music possible. Sure, you could argue with me that Nightwish may not be as "fast" or "brutal" as other bands in the metal community, but their uniqueness is what gave them their edge from other metal bands. The problem with My Winter Storm was that it lacked that musicality and good songwriting quality that Nightwish (Tuomas) possessed. I realize that Tarja does not want to sound like Nightwish and comparing the two isn't fair, but some fans of old Nightwish are going to want something better than what has been brought to the table so far. There was hardly anything from My Winter Storm that was a slight bit memorable because it seemed so boring and dull to listen to. Could What Lies Beneath be any different?

In the same fashion as My Winter Storm, Tarja hired some of the most skilled metal and rock musicians around in order to make her project work. They definitely give her some much needed notoriety and recognition, plus their input to her work has really paid dividends for her! While My Winter Storm had only a few guest musicians, What Lies Beneath has many more acts on this release. Guests include world famous guitar virtuoso Joey Satriani, All That Remains vocalist Phil Labonte, members from German a capella metal band Van Canto, Living Color drummer Will Calhoun...wow..HOLY SHIT! I don't know how Tarja was able to pull this off, but she sure did! Of course, with this kind of pro talent on board, what can we truly expect? Will there be fist pumping metal action, or more of the same from the last album? Since I heard the Deluxe Edition, I am going to review each song off of that, including the European released single "I Feel Immortal". If you want to read my rant on the marketing of What Lies Beneath, click here. Well let's dive into my review of What Lies Beneath:

1. "Anteroom of Death": Without a doubt, the greatest song of Tarja's solo career! A great song and an awesome way to start the album! With the help of a capella metal band Van Canto who makes incredible harmonies in the piece, and with the creative "broadway-esque" style of songwriting displayed here, this is truly one song that stands out from the rest. The way the keyboard works in the song is just brilliant as well. This song does take a while for a casual listener to get used to at first primarily because of it's unique blend of musical styles meshed into one. But once you get the feel for it, it is a great track. But now, can the rest of the album be like this? Well, we will find out! (4.5/5)

2. "Until My Last Breath": Out of all of the songs on the album, this is by far the most radio friendly song she has. For the most part, it is a catchy song and while it appears to be a great karaoke sing along track, it loses it's staying power after a while. Recommended for fans who like instant catchy pop rock/metal music, but fans of more sophisticated metal songs may be turned off by this one. Or course, this song WAS designed to be a hit single. Listen at your own risk! (3/5)

3. "Dark Star": A much darker song in contrast to what she has done before. Taking it's roots from American metal along with Phil Labonte doing guest vocals, it no doubt has the ingredients to help produce a pulsing song. The song actually flows very well and while it is dark, it has an interesting contrast between radio friendly rock and dark music. So the better of both worlds here. (3.5/5)

4. "Underneath": The album's first ballad and my favorite ballad on this release. Tarja sounds very emotional and the instruments really help illuminate the feel of the music. I can honestly say that this is easily her best ballad to date without a doubt. It never lacks power and the guitar solo is very nice. (4/5)

5. "Little Lies": Like "Dark Star", this is another pulsing "American" styled metal song. The opening palm-muted guitar riff reminds me of something a metalcore band would do during a breakdown. Tarja sure is experimenting here. The song has a decent flow and it would really impress fans of metalcore and nu-metal, but the detuned guitar riffs are a bit tedious to me and it isn't as impressive as needed to be. (2.5/5)

6. "Rivers of Lust": Another ballad which features no metal instruments, but that of acoustic instrumentation and epic choirs. The listener is treated to Tarja's own style of mixing new age, classical, opera, and theater all into one in order to create this unique piece of music. Another emotional and heartfelt song. (3.5/5)

7. "In For A Kill": Another pulsing metal song. What's funny is that this song title sounds like it could be the next James Bond movie! Maybe Tarja will sing in the next movie! That would be pretty cool, but unlikely at this point. While not the strongest song on the album, the orchestra gives the song some serious justice here and the chorus is fun and powerful with Tarja chanting and shouting "In For A Kill"! (3.5/5)

8. "Montañas De Silencio": This was a wasted track. Sorry Tarja, but you really could have left this one out. Tarja sounds pretty as usual, but it is just a boring track overall and I think it is lackluster compared to the other two ballads so far. Definately skipable. (2/5)

9. "Falling Awake": The other hit single on this album. Like "Until My Last Breath", it is a little too radio friendly for my taste. Though I find this song pretty dull overall, the one thing that makes this song stand out however are Joey Satriani's guitar solos. The first solo after the second chorus and breakdown is amazing. Though not playing to his "full" capability, he makes the listener understand why he is one of the greats. The second solo after the last chorus, though not as impressive, still ends on a very impressive note with a very cool dive bomb. Without his guitar solos, this would have been a 2.5/5 from me, but he has elevated it some. (3/5)

10. "The Archive of Lost Dreams": Another ballad? Seriously?? Tarja, I love your voice in ballads, but I would like to hear more metal songs from you! Not only is this another ballad, but it is a boring one too. It does have a neat little piano solo section from Tarja, but this would be another song I would probably skip over as well. (2.5/5)

11. "Crimson Deep": Easily the most progressive song on the album. Cool, Tarja ventures into progressive metal now! Woo hoo! Anyways, the riffs, melodies, and orchestral arrangements are all very well put together in this song. The lyrics are poetic and very haunting too. Trust me, this is no "Ghost Love Score" or "Fantasmic", but this long song is easily the best long song put together by Tarja in her solo career. The dramatic nature of her voice really speaks loudly for this song as it makes it sound very epic and powerful. Will Calhoun's drumming at the end is also very impressive! Tarja, we need more like this! (4/5)

Disk 2:

Disk two of the Deluxe Edition:

1. "We Are": Though the song starts out very nice and pretty, it gets VERY repetitive and the song loses steam immediately. This goes without saying, but this is not a very good song in comparison to some of the counterparts on the main disk. Very plain is the word to describe this song with too many nu-metal influences. The breakdown section is very interesting, so I have to give credit where it is due. (2.5/5)

2. "Najad": You guessed it, ANOTHER BALLAD! :p I will admit that the lyrics are touching in this song, even though it is not the best ballad Tarja has written. The song musically has very strong points, but at times is a little dull and can drag, but it isn't bad and I recommend this one if you like the majority of Tarja's ballads. (3/5)

3. "Still of the Night" (aka how to rape an 80s hair metal song): *Facepalm* WHY TARJA, WHY???? WHY COVER WHITESNAKE TARJA!?!! Sorry, I just had to let that one out! XD But in all seriousness, this is just one example of a poor song choice to cover. Playing the guitars a whole octave lower than the original makes it sound ridiculous, and Tarja's voice is VERY unfitting. The lyrics are basically about men having their way with women. Hearing Tarja sing it is just awkward as hell! The only redeeming factor is the bombastic outro, but even then it still is very overdone. First "Poison", then "Smells Like Teen Spirit", now this???? Please cover songs that are more of YOUR style Tarja! Thank you! (1.5/5)

"I Feel Immortal": The one song that did not get released in America happens to be yet another ballad. This song was a pretty big hit on the German and European charts, so I wonder about why they did not want to include this song with the rest. Anyways, this is in my opinion the worst ballad Tarja composed for What Lies Beneath. So the fact that it did not come included in the North American version does not make me feel bad at all. It's a bland and boring ballad. (2/5)

So that is my song by song review of What Lies Beneath. Here are my overall thoughts:

Pros:

• Surprisingly unique, experimental, and creative music from Tarja.
• Great variety of styles in music.
• Musicmanship is much better than on My Winter Storm.
• Noticeable improvement in Tarja's songwriting skills.
• Heart filled lyrics throughout.
• Guest musicians make this album way better.

Cons:

• Too many ballads.
• Some very boring and uninteresting songs.
• The album seemed too overproduced at times.
• The variety of styles can confuse the listener into what to look for here.
• Poor songs on the bonus disk.

As a follow-up to My Winter Storm, this is a HUGE improvement to that. What Lies Beneath takes Tarja's career to a new level, proving that she too can write very well written music as she was able to get from Nightwish when she had success with them. This is a step in the right direction for her which is very exciting to see that she is finally coming into her own as a solo artist. All of the guest musicians really did a great job contributing and Tarja is now using her voice toward the music much better than what we have heard before. A criticism I have here is that of the confusion of what audience she wants to draw in. Fans of classical, heavy metal, top 40, rock, and even new age can find many reasons to enjoy this album with a doubt in my mind. For metal purists though, I would listen at your own risk because if you want fast upbeat power metal action much to what Nightwish provided with her, this is not it, and that goes for her first album too. But keep an open mind because I think Tarja can really win a lot of new fans over with this release and I truly believe that she found a unique sound and style for herself in a genre that has gotten a little over saturated in recent years. I recommend a couple of things on the next album for Tarja: more fast songs and less ballads. I am not saying ballads are bad, but too many on a metal album can really throw off the listener if someone is expecting more metal songs. Also, I think that Tarja should cut down on some of the radio friendly singles, but that is asking a lot since she is signed to a major record label like Universal so that is to be expected. Nonetheless, we can finally get an album that can truly complement her voice well! This album is a horns up from me! \m/ It isn't a masterpiece album, but there is indeed a lot to enjoy here as well! Fans of Tarja and Nightwish are sure to be satisfied with this release!

Overall rating: 3.5/5

CD Review: Nightwish's "Once"

Nightwish's fifth studio album "Once" was released in 2004. This album was one of the biggest steps for the band and a lot of people took notice at this. The band was more popular than ever and many people had mixed reactions towards this release due to the change in sound and direction this album has led them too. Commercially, it would be the most successful album to date for the band, hitting the charts in multiple countries (including the U.S. Heatseekers charts) for the first time and selling 1.2 million copies worldwide. So this would mean that Nightwish was starting to finally make a mark into the mainstream.

On "Once", there were a lot of changes to the sound and feel for Nightwish. One of the biggest changes is their use of Pip William's London Philharmonic Orchestra (Lord of the Rings) into their music. This was utilized on nine of the thirteen tracks on Once, making it a definite symphonic metal experience. Another experimentation the band would use is the use of some industrial metal sounds used in songs like "Wish I Had An Angel" or "Dead Gardens" for example. This kind of an experiment of course would receive mixed reactions from their fans as it would stray away from their original sound, but never lose that distinctive Nightwish sound. Tarja's voice would be less operatic than on "Century Child" as well. Of course, she still sounds very distinct and apart in her voice from anyone else in the scene.

As many new and exciting things as this album has, it has many flaws to go with it. One of the biggest problems with "Once" is the overproduction. For the first time in the band's history, Nightwish sounds too polished and overproduced. Everything sounds good though and I am not really complaining about that, but I think it is missing it's raw edge the previous albums really had. For example, Emppu's guitar sounds too synthetic, Jukka's drumming sounds more in the background and doesn't have the same presence, and the orchestra can get too overpowering at times and it can really drown out Tuomas at the keyboard.

Another thing that is noticeable about this album is the the lack of hearing the actual band perform. There are so many guest musicians on this release that we do not really hear the band performing as much as before. For example, Emppu has much less influence and staying power on this album. He has less solos and more generic guitar work that is mainly used for backing. Tuomas' keyboard work is hardly existent because the orchestra has taken so much of that away from him (although in "Planet Hell", he does have a lot of keyboard work here).

But despite these setbacks, the album has a lot to offer and a lot of good stuff that is both memorable and full of quality. This is a different Nightwish with a new sound. So now here is my song by song review:

1. "Dark Chest of Wonders": The album starts out very strong with this explosive and powerful song. The orchestra works very well here and this is what we should expect if Nightwish was to change their direction for the better. A very catchy and memorable chorus, great lyrics, and an overall fun symphonic juggernaut that will leave you breathless! A great track to start the album. 5/5

2. "Wish I Had An Angel": This is one of Nightwish's most commerically successful songs. While a big hit in the mainstream market, I personally find this song very overrated and mediocre. It isn't a bad song really, but it isn't something I would listen to all the time either. For one thing, the main beat sounds too industrial and fake which is something I am not used to hearing from Nightwish. I will admit, it is a fun song to listen to at a bar or something, but it really is not what I would call a masterpiece though. 3/5

3. "Nemo": This is probably the most commerically successful Nightwish song to date. A very subtle mid-tempo song that has a very catchy melody to it and makes use of the piano very well. I also think this song is overrated too. Better than "Wish I Had An Angel", but knowing what this band is capable of, this isn't even close to their best track. 3.5/5

4. "Planet Hell": Now THIS rocks! My personal favorite song on the album. The intro is extremely epic and powerful with Jukka's drumming along with the orchestra. The song is very bombastic and intense which shows what Nightwish is all about. Marco and Tarja really showcase their skills very well here and there really is never a dull moment on this track! 5/5

5. "Creek Mary's Blood": A ballad about Native Americans and the Trail of Tears. A very sad and emotional song which is something that is captured here in this song. John Two-Hawks is the guest musician here and he really makes his presence felt! A very good song indeed and a great tribute to the Native Americans. 4.5/5

6. "The Siren": A very hypnotic song with Tarja pulling off some unique work with her voice. Marco also does a great job singing in the chorus to give it depth here too. This song has a mysteriousness to it that cannot be matched. 4.5/5

7. "Dead Gardens": This one is a filler track and doesn't do a whole lot for me. Just a boring mid-tempo song with nothing to brag about. 2.5/5

8. "Romanticide": A nice riff that introduces the song and is led to the angriest song on the album. Tarja's performance is nice here and the guitar solo (though rare on this album) is outstanding. Marco really sounds incredible at the end. Though not as strong as "Slaying the Dreamer", it still has that edge and anger to it. 4.5/5

9. "Ghost Love Score": This is a pure symphonic metal epic that is over ten minutes long. This is considered by many to be Nightwish's greatest song. I think it is a great song, but I also think that it is maybe a little overrated. I know that I am going to get jousted for that, but nonetheless, it is a great song with lot's of memorable stuff here and Tarja provides a great performance! 4.5/5

10. "Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan": A symphonic ballad sung entirely by Tarja in Finnish. I just cannot get into this song, even though it sounds nice and pretty, it just doesn't do a lot for me. 3/5

11. "Higher Than Hope": This is a very sad song about Tuomas' friend Marc Brueland who died due to an illness. I like the idea for this song, but the song just doesn't deliver for me. It is just very average to me. Not bad, and it is worth a listen, but it isn't that great of a song. 3.5/5

12. "White Night Fantasy": The first of two bonus tracks. Okay, they should have left this track out! Man, this should not have been made! Tarja sounds unusually awkward and silly here and the piano sounds really cheesy. The only good part of this song is the acoustic guitar solo provided by Emppu. Besides that, it is a very forgetful song. 1.5/5

13. "Live To Tell the Tale": The second bonus track. This is another one they really should not have made. From a very cheesy opening piano melody to the rest of the song, this was a filler that really never got off the ground. This one should be skipped over too. 2/5

So that is my review of "Once". So here are my thoughts:

Pros:
-Orchestra works very well
-Some very catchy songs
-Lots of diversity and experimentation

Cons:
-Lack of good instrumentation from the band (lack of guitar solos, etc.)
-Lots of filler and mediocre tracks
-Too much overproduction
-Bad bonus tracks

So despite the flaws and kinks throughout the album, this is still rather good and worthy of a quality Nightwish album. But with some of these songs, the signs of directional change are evident on this album and this will carry them forward to their next release. But yes, despite it's issues, this is still a horns up. \m/ The orchestra was a nice addition and there are some very memorable songs on here too. This is still very good symphonic metal you cannot miss! Rock on!

Overall rating: 3.5/5

CD Review: Kiuas' "Lustdriven"

So the wait is finally over! The new album from one of my favorite bands entitled "Lustdriven" by Kiuas is finally out. Without a doubt, Kiuas is one of the most unique power metal bands around, mixing styles like folk, thrash, and even death metal into their music. After three solid albums, this band has proven that they indeed can compete with the best around in their genre as they have a sound that no one else possesses. With their new release "Lustdriven", they have once again proven that they are a force to be reckon with!

One of the most noticeable factors with this release is the improvement of vocalist Ilja Jalkanen. I have always felt that his voice was unique and powerful for the power metal genre. On this album he has seemed to have a much better tone and uses his style much better than he has on the previous albums. His maturity and experience can be heard on songs like "Summer's End" or "Lights are Many" where he sings softer but has a better understanding of how to use his vocals. So Ilja as a whole is sounding better than he ever has!

"Lustdriven" also keeps the same type of instrumentation present. Guitarist Mikko Salovaara keeps his signature style on guitar with his excellent shredding and sweeping skills while keyboardist Atte Tanskanen continues his assault on the keyboard with many excellent piano melodies and solos throughout the album. The drumming, provided by Markku Näreneva, is as chaotic as ever, and the bass guitar work done by Teemu Tuominen is as fast and driving as needed in a band like this.

With everything that makes Kiuas great, there is a noticeable difference on this release. As opposed to the first three albums, "Lustdriven" goes away a little from the pagan themes and focuses on humanity and lust. While this may be hard to get used to at first, I think this is a nice little change for the group to experiment and try different concepts. Like I said during the "Century Child" review, doing the same thing on every album can get a little tiring.

So now here is my song by song review of "Lustdriven":

1. "Kiuassault": With a name like "Kiuassault", expect something big and powerful! And that is exactly what this song is! In a typical Kiuas album, this one follows a great line of exciting and exhilarating fast power metal album openers! A catchy chorus along with plenty of fast and melodic guitar and keyboard work is what Kiuas is good at doing and this is exactly what this song provides! 4/5

2. "Cry Little Angel": Though not as strong as "Kiuassault", this song provides plenty of moments that are very typical of Kiuas with another catchy chorus section and plenty of cool guitar work that we would expect out of Kiuas. Not the strongest song on the album, but definitely worth a listen. 3.5/5

3. "Of Lust, Love and Human Nature": A very dark song with plenty of nice riffs, creepy piano, and hooks throughout. You can see Ilja's improvement on vocals on this track. 4/5

4. "Aftermath": Much like "Race with the Falcons" or "Conqueror", the song starts out with a furious riff that really melts your face. The middle section of this song has Mikko playing his heart out as the song slows down with his solo and then it erupts back again with plenty of energy that will guarantee a head bang with this song! Very recommended for those looking for some good modern thrash/groove metal! 4.5/5

5. "Lights are Many": As stated above, this is a song that shows Ilja's vocal improvement and versatility with how he can sing. This is basically a rock ballad that can really be a radio hit the way it is structured. The middle breakdown section has one of the most moving and powerful piano solos I ever heard! It really is amazing. That alone really boosts this song even more. While boasting a radio-friendly song, it is a very nice song and Kiuas knows how to make it work. 4/5

6. "The Visionary": Starts right away with a bang! The intro is very powerful and epic as expected from a band like this. The song never lets up from there with very impressive progressive and symphonic sections. It is even provided with the typical Kiuas chorus to top it off. 4.5/5

7. "Heart and Will": Another impressive intro at the beginning of this song. While not the most impressive track on this album, it is another good listen. 3.5/5

8. "The Quickening": A nice mid-tempo song with an impressive piano/vocal intro. This song has an 80s rock feel to it in the way the riffs and melodies are written. Another very catchy and interesting song. 4/5

9. "Summer's End": An acoustic song. To me, this is perhaps Kiuas' best acoustic song written to date. You can really tell Kiuas has a strong folk influence, especially with a track like this. The outro is unexpected and interesting, but it works and it finishes the song with plenty of epic fun. One of the album's best songs for sure! Very recommended. 5/5

10. "Winter's Sting": This is my personal favorite song on the album. A very nice upbeat power metal song with an interesting switch from acoustic to electric guitar throughout. This song is very memorable and a great way to end the album! The guitar solo is also very impressive. It has this jazzy/bluesy feel to it which is what makes Kiuas unlike any other power metal band. One of my favorite Kiuas songs to date! 5/5

So that is my song by song review. So here are my thoughts:

Pros:
-Ilja's vocals have improved tremendously
-The instrumentation is impressive as it ever is
-Every song is catchy with plenty of hooks

Cons:
-The lack of pagan themes at times
-Some songs can seem a bit average

Once again this album proves why Kiuas is the rising future of power metal in Finland. The band is showing lots of maturity and growth as this is another very solid release with a lot of new elements and plenty of stuff that everyone can enjoy! This is a horns up for me as this album doesn't disappoint! \m/ This is another great release from a great band! Rock on!

Overall rating: 4/5

CD Review: Magica's "Dark Diary"

When I used to think of Romania, I'd go back to my teen years when news of the fall of communism & Nicolae Ceauşescu was in the news, and to when pictures of babies in Romanian orphanages, most of them ill and poorly cared for, made me sick to my stomach. After that, I remember lots of stories about these Romanian orphans who were adopted to Canadian couples and had terrible psychological issues as they grew up.

Magica came into my life a couple of years ago, and kind of wiped away the gloomy impression I previously held of Romania. Right from the start, I enjoyed this power metal band's fast, well-crafted music. I love Ana Mladinovici's voice, and I love the folklore themes of their albums. They have a great cast of musicians, including this wicked keyboardist called Six Fingers and a killer guitarist named Bogdan ‘Bat’ Costea.

Though I found their music strong and enjoyable, there was kind of an unpolished element to it, and I always felt that Magica was just missing out on some small level of sophistication that was keeping them from being truly magnificent. But I always had faith!

Enter Dark Diary, the band's most recent release. Right from the beginning of the first song, I was blown away. I could tell from the start that Magica had finally arrived as a power metal powerhouse. And I was thrilled!

The album opener, "Anywhere but Home" starts out with a thrashy intro, setting the pace and atmosphere for the whole album. The guitar work here and in all the songs is astounding, and the vast improvement in the band's songwriting is evident not only in this first song, but throughout. There is no filler in this release at all; all of the songs, in my opinon, are strong. "Anywhere but Home" is heavy, powerful, and really catchy. In fact, the catchiness of most of the songs on this CD is one of the things that stood out to me. Magica proves you can write hooky choruses without sounding cheesy, limp, and pop-like.

Other strong songs include "Tonight", "Wait for Me", and a song with an interesting 90s kind of feel to it entitled "On the Side of Evil." This is a really fun song for those of us who remember 90s rock really well, though make no mistake, despite it's retro-ness, this is still a metal song. In three songs, Magica utilizes a male back-up vocalist, which I very much enjoyed and found strengthened the overall sound of the album.

I have two main criticisms of Dark Diary. The first one is the mix; Ana's vocals seemed to get lost in the heaviness of the bass, lead & rhythm guitars, and there is a fuzzy kind of sound in some songs where I think they are trying to be more thrashy. Secondly, they totally under-utilized Six Fingers! The keyboards have really been relegated to the background, except in the lovely Ana-Six Fingers duet, "Dead Diary", which is less than two minutes long. I found this really disappointing because the keys were always something I admired about Magica's sound.

But all in all, this is Magica's best release in their discography and I am very happy for them. This is pure power metal awesomeness and it gets a huge horns up from me! \m/

Here is "Anywhere but Home" for you to enjoy.

CD Review: Nightwish's "Century Child"

At this point in time, Nightwish was rising in popularity and everyone was starting to take notice. Appearing in magazines, countless interviews, and numerous appearances on television, Nightwish was doing it all.

Their fourth full-length release, "Century Child", was released in 2002. The band at this time saw numerous changes that greatly affected them. The biggest change was hiring bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala in the place of Sami Vänskä. If you did not know already, Marco is the former bassist of Sinergy, another female-fronted metal band from Finland, and from Tarot as some may have known already. Sami was a good bass player and got the job done, but replacing him with Marco was a great choice and the best possible person they could have hired. Not only does he have a great set of pipes which makes Nightwish more versatile, he also brings in his experience and veteran leadership which helps them tremendously, especially with live performances.

If any of you have noticed, one of the biggest flaws with this album however is the overall production. While I thought that "Wishmaster" had great production, "Century Child" just didn't at all. The sound quality is better than it ever has been, but the mixing was just not good. The bass frequencies (Hz) were way too high and caused a "muffled" sound on this one. Out of all the albums I own, this one is the bassist I have and while I enjoy a nice thick sound, this was just overkill. Thankfully, they fixed this on their next album ("Once").

Another noticeable change was the change in style overall. Tarja's vocals are noticeably less operatic than they were in Nightwish's first three releases. She instead gives out a more emotional sound to her voice which she would adapt and evolve into later on in her career. The musical style on "Century Child" is also more symphonic, which means that the music is less power metal and slower than before. This is also the first album in the Nightwish discography to have a full orchestra recorded. Though not as prevalent or as big until the next album, this was a turning point for their sound. The songs on this album also have a different "feel" to them than before. Tuomas goes away from the fantasy lyrics and starts to really focus on emotions and feelings. These changes are not necessarily a bad thing, plus it keeps the material fresh rather than relying on the same style for every album they release.

So here is my song by song review:

1. "Bless the Child": The song starts out with a great intro which is very epic, powerful, and memorable. The intro is the best part of the song no doubt. The rest of the song is nice too, being heavily bombastic and symphonic throughout. It is a good way to start the album. 4.5/5

2. "End of All Hope": Another bombastic Nightwish song that gives off that "Wishmaster" flow to it. Though not as good as "Wishmaster", it can hold it's own and is a very powerful and rich song with lots of emotion and intensity along with a great chorus to top it all off. 4.5/5

3. "Dead to the World": This is my personal favorite on "Century Child". The intro starts out with Tarja and Marco singing the main part of the chorus together followed by a great keyboard riff provided by Tuomas. This song also is the first to feature Marco at vocals. With this song, he proves why he is a great fit for this band. This duet with Tarja, especially in the chorus section, make this a very memorable song with some very touching lyrics. 5/5

4. "Ever Dream": The song begins with Tarja and Tuomas playing their respective roles. Tuomas' intro on piano is probably one of the most recognizable in the band's history while Tarja sounds very beautiful and emotional with a build up to the main part of the song. A very romantic song that has great lyrics that really go to the extent of Tuomas' abilities as a songwriter. Emppu provides his best solo on the album and the outro chorus is just amazing. One of the better tracks on the album for sure. 5/5

5. "Slaying the Dreamer": Up to this point in time, Nightwish never made a song more angry than this one! Man, Tuomas was really pissed off when he wrote this! This song just yells metal right from the beginning with a simple, yet intense riff in the beginning. Tarja shows us her vocal versatility and intensity on this song as well. The best part of this song is the outro section where Marco just lets himself go all out. He really sounds powerful here. Tarja also does great in this section as well with her operatic skills which gives this song the final touch that it needs! 5/5

6. "Forever Yours": After such a powerful and intense song, we start to settle down to this ballad. This is the point of the album where the quality takes a step down. I usually like the ballads Nightwish comes out with, but this one is just not up to par. It just sounds corny and the melody is a bit weak, even coming from Tuomas. Definitely the weakest track on the album (besides the bonus track "Lagoon"). 2/5

7. "Ocean Soul": A rather average and bland song here as well. The lyrics are about Tuomas and what he could have been if he was a marine biologist instead of a musician. The lyrics are pretty thoughtful, but the execution is just not there and Tarja doesn't sound as good as she usually does either. Worth a listen, but not that great. 3/5

8. "Feel for You": The song begins with an odd timed bass line by Marco. That part is great, but the rest of the song just doesn't do a whole lot for me. The song is apparently about a relationship Tuomas once had judging by the lyrics. Marco does a nice job on vocals giving it more depth, but it isn't enough because the song is just average for Nightwish standards. 3.5/5

9. "Phantom of the Opera": A cover of the title song from the famous musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber. This is a great symphonic metal cover and it really does work with Marco and Tarja. The live version on "End of An Era" is better and more powerful sounding, but this is nice too. 4/5

10. "Beauty of the Beast": Another long, epic song that Nightwish is known for doing. Part one (Long Lost Love) is the slow section of the song. Tarja sounds very good here and Marco does a great job on the chorus. The next part (One More Night To Live) is the intense part of the song as it gradually builds up into an awesome symphonic metal piece that will leave you in awe! Everyone in the band plays incredible here and it is really outstanding! The last part (Christabel) is very fitting and flows very nicely while some spoken words of poetry go right with it, ending a well thought out ten minute plus song. A nice way to end the album. 4.5/5

11. "Lagoon": The first of two bonus tracks on "Century Child". Wow, this is different! I don't know what to think of this one, other than it's just not up to par to Nightwish standards. Honestly, this is one of Nightwish's worst songs and I do not know what the purpose for this song was for. Tarja sounds unusually awkward here and the music is incredibly bland too! Not recommended if you are a fan of their normal music. 2/5

12. "The Wayfarer": The second bonus track. Much like how "Wanderlust" was, this song begins right away with a very fast lead melody that is epic as hell! I am surprised this song doesn't get talked about much because this is a great song that should have been in the main setlist with the rest of the songs on "Century Child". This is pure epic symphonic power metal at it's best and there is plenty to like off of this track. 5/5

So that is my review of "Century Child". Here are my thoughts:

Pros:
-Some very important and memorable songs
-Very meaningful lyrics throughout
-The addition of Marco provides more depth in the vocals

Cons:
-Production and overall mastering could have been better
-More filler tracks than a normal Nightwish album
-Tarja is less operatic

So while this is not Nightwish's best release, I think it is still very solid and worthy of owning for anyone into symphonic power metal. This style change really was mixed by some fans, but I think change is a good thing and experimenting is what bands need to do in order to stay out of the realm of redundancy. This is definitely a horns up from me! \m/

Overall rating: 4/5

CD Review: Nightwish's "Over the Hills and Far Away" EP

In 2001, Nightwish released their "Over the Hills and Far Away" EP. I consider this an "extension" of their previous release "Wishmaster". So what is really on this EP you ask? Well, there are two original songs, one cover, and one remake of an old song plus six live performances, which happens to be audio from their DVD "From Wishes to Eternity". Since they are live performances, I am not going to bother to review them other than they were all performed very well, especially "Beauty and the Beast" which blows the studio recording away by miles. I think they could have left out a few of these live songs and put a few more original songs on this, but that is a very small complaint. One more thing to note that this would be bassist Sami Vänskä's last appearance on a Nightwish release before being replaced by Marco Hietala. So anyways, here is my song by song review:

1. "Over the Hills and Far Away": A cover of a Gary Moore song. It is rare that you see a band cover a song and making it better than the original, but this is pretty damn close! This really is a great cover and I think this is Nightwish's best cover song as a band. The song has an Irish folksy feel to it which makes it catchy and fun. The keyboard and guitar work are done very well and is very true to the original while adding that ever so famous Nightwish "flare", and Tarja really shines and makes this song her own! Nice cover. 4.5/5

2. "10th Man Down": A song inspired by war with the intro being the ambience of a battlefield, which is very similar to Metallica's "One" intro. The song then explodes into a nice mid-tempo, symphonic power metal song with plenty of bombastic moments and headbanging fun. Tapio Wilska, who was their guest vocalist on a couple of songs on "Oceanborn", provides some dark eerie parts on this track once again and it really flows well with the song. The song is fun, dramatic, theatrical, and exciting all at the time! 5/5

3. "Away": The EP's ballad. From what I hear, the band and Tuomas really dislikes this song. I personally don't think it is that bad of a song as it has a nice atmosphere and the lyrics are good yet sad at the same time. Overall, the melody is a little boring to me and doesn't match up to some of their other ballads. It's not bad, but I think the band can make better ballads and they have. But it is solid. 3.5/5

4. "Astral Romance" (2001 Remake): This is a remake of "Astral Romance" from "Angels Fall First". For one, the production on this verison is WAY better. The guitars are crisper, the vocals are mixed better, and the keyboards provide more ambiance in the mix. And of course, the male vocals are WAY WAY better (no offense Tuomas!). Provided by Tony Kakko of Sonata Arctica, the male vocal section in this song is sung amazingly and is much better and more tolerable than it was in the original. The outro guitar solo by Emppu is also very long and memorable. A great remake and this is the version I always listen to. 5/5

Since the rest are just live songs, I am going to end this review here. So here is what I thought:

Pros:
-Great production
-Every song is solid and well put together
-Tarja's vocals continue to improve

Cons:
-Only a couple original songs
-Too many live tracks for filler(though a few like "Beauty and the Beast" was a great performance and was a good song choice on this EP)
-Too short (I know it is an EP!)

I think this was a nice release despite being short and with only two original songs. It is worth getting because of the nice Gary Moore cover, "10th Man Down", the remake of "Astral Romance", and of course the live version of "Beauty and the Beast". This is indeed a horns up! \m/

Overall rating: 4/5