- Joined: January 2004
- Post Count: 643
The melody beginning at 3:23 through 3:40 makes me literally shiver. Her voice sounds a LOT like Liv Kristine on the verses, too. Compare both artists' versions of "Scarborough Fair" some time.
The last song Sarah blew me away with was "Deliver Me" (actually, I liked her "Eden" album quite a bit), and her "Dive" album in the early 90s (her first foray into more "rock" oriented music, IIRC...I love "The Second Element").
But "Fleurs du Mal" stands head and shoulders above anything she's ever done, IMHO.
When she embraces, your heart turns to stone
She comes at night, when you're all alone
And when she whispers, your blood shall run cold
You'd better hide before she finds you...
- Joined: July 2000
- Location: Surf City, USA
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I've been spinning Leaves' Eyes, "We Came With the Northern Winds". I like this better then "Vinland Saga" and Vinland better then "Njord". I just ordered up "Legend Land" and "Lovelorn". I really am liking their older stuff over their more recent offerings.
Sometime's you reach what's real by making believe.
- Joined: January 2004
- Post Count: 643
I've been listening to a band called Gwyllion the last few days. Kinda like a female-fronted Iron Maiden with a symphonic edge. The vocalist sounds like a friend of mine from "back in the day" from a NYC band called "Wench." That's a GOOD thing...
When she embraces, your heart turns to stone
She comes at night, when you're all alone
And when she whispers, your blood shall run cold
You'd better hide before she finds you...
- Joined: January 2004
- Post Count: 643
I just got the deluxe "Design Your Universe" in the mail from CM Distro today...
When she embraces, your heart turns to stone
She comes at night, when you're all alone
And when she whispers, your blood shall run cold
You'd better hide before she finds you...
- Joined: January 2004
- Post Count: 643
Most likely my vote for Album of the Year. In ANY genre. "Martyr of the Free Word." Amazing. I Iove the video, too. There's something about her pointing to her ring at the beginning that I find incredibly sexy, for some reason. And I love the dark eyes in the scenes where she's supposed to be a dead girl, or something.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNGzltK_tlc
I'll be listening to this one a LOT...
When she embraces, your heart turns to stone
She comes at night, when you're all alone
And when she whispers, your blood shall run cold
You'd better hide before she finds you...
- Joined: July 2000
- Location: Surf City, USA
- Post Count: 5,309
That is a great song, and great video. She is doing nothing but getting hotter and hotter....I cannot wait to see her live, oh, and the band too.
Sometime's you reach what's real by making believe.
- Joined: January 2004
- Post Count: 643
Although I have a gigantic crush on Sharon den Adel, Simone is FAR and AWAY the hottest woman in the entire symphonic genre...I can't wait to get home to listen to DYU again!
When she embraces, your heart turns to stone
She comes at night, when you're all alone
And when she whispers, your blood shall run cold
You'd better hide before she finds you...
- Joined: January 2004
- Post Count: 643
Okay, after living with "Design Your Universe" almost exclusively for a few days, I have a few criticisms. You don't have to (and probably won't) agree with me, but here I go:
As brilliant as it is:
1) Simone is UNDERUSED. Almost WOEFULLY underused. If you have the deluxe version, you'll hear that she doesn't sing on "Incentive" (bonus track) at ALL. She has what may be the greatest voice in rock music today, and she's outdone by WAY too much grunting and growling by the guitar player. I know many of you guys LOVE that sort of thing (I like it myself, but in MUCH smaller doses than there should be on an Epica album). The duet she does on "White Waters" is completely unnecessary; she could have gone it alone.
First Rule of Female Fronted Symphonic Metal: It's all about HER! NO ONE goes to see Within Temptation to hear Robert Westerholt's awkward attempts to steal the spotlight away from The Goddess Herself with his stage banter...you formed the band with your awesome girlfriend and write all the melodies...we GET it...now shut the F up and let's get back to Sharon (BTW, I have a HILARIOUS list of the 100 rules of Female Symphonic Metal if anyone would like to read them).
2) "Burn to a Cinder." GREAT title. The first two minutes are a great foot-stomping tip-of-the-hat to 80s metal...then it meanders into too many different places, and never returns to that awesome riff. IT SHOULD have been the "Never Enough" of the album. It DOES, however, showcase the fact that Simone is WAY more than just a soprano,
Actually, I think those are my ONLY beefs with DYU. Back to listening to it...
When she embraces, your heart turns to stone
She comes at night, when you're all alone
And when she whispers, your blood shall run cold
You'd better hide before she finds you...
- Joined: July 2000
- Location: Surf City, USA
- Post Count: 5,309
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Don Giro 
1) Simone is UNDERUSED. Almost WOEFULLY underused.
First Rule of Female Fronted Symphonic Metal:
It's all about HER!
This is the problem I have with the latest Leaves' Eyes, "Njord". Liv's voice is so drowned out by the music and grunting that it's almost not worth listening to. The good news is their previous albums are much better, her voice is much more prevalent.
One album I'm been spinning non-stop these last few days is Nightwish's "Dark Passion Play". When I first heard this with Anette I wasn't too impressed, I was comparing her to Tarja too much and not listening. Now that it's been several days I am much more impressed. I do miss Tarja though.
As for you comments Don, thanks. I hope to get my disc in a few days. While Simone and Epica got me hooked on symphonic-metal, it's Tarja who I think has the best voice with Simone a close second. The power of Tarja's voice is one that is hard to beat.
Sometime's you reach what's real by making believe.
- Joined: January 2004
- Post Count: 643
There are pix of Epica's show at the Female Metal Voices festival up on their site:
http://gallery.epica.nl/?page=gallery&show=Live⊂=2009%2F10%2F17%2FMetal%20Female%20Voices%20Fest%20VII
I think Simone may have just outdone Sharon's "Black Symphony" grand entrance. It's one thing to appear wearing a gigantic red gown with a 30-foot train...
It's another thing entirely when your lead singer makes her entrance on fire...
When she embraces, your heart turns to stone
She comes at night, when you're all alone
And when she whispers, your blood shall run cold
You'd better hide before she finds you...
- Joined: January 2004
- Post Count: 643
When she embraces, your heart turns to stone
She comes at night, when you're all alone
And when she whispers, your blood shall run cold
You'd better hide before she finds you...
- Joined: July 2000
- Location: Surf City, USA
- Post Count: 5,309
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Don Giro
Okay, after living with "Design Your Universe" almost exclusively for a few days, I have a few criticisms. You don't have to (and probably won't) agree with me, but here I go:
As brilliant as it is:
1) Simone is UNDERUSED. Almost WOEFULLY underused.
I cannot agree Don. This is a fantastic CD, one of their best, if not the best to date and in no way is Simone underused.
Sometime's you reach what's real by making believe.
- Joined: January 2004
- Post Count: 643
The more I listen to "DYU," the more I love it. I agree, I may have been a bit hasty in my judgment of Simone's "underuse." I probably would still say she was underused if she was the ONLY voice on the album
. I get taken to another world when her voice first kicks in on "Resign to Surrender," and I pretty feel the same way throughout most of the disc.
I watched Kamelot's DVD the other night because I heard that Simone was in it (good DVD, BTW), and I got REALLY confused when the first female singer came out, and I thought it was Simone...I was SO bummed, because the hair color was off..."Oh, NO,she's not a redhead after all!" But when Simone finally emerged in all her redhead glory and the crowd went nuts, it was bliss...
But, seriously, did anyone know this new live Within Temptation acoustic CD was coming? And will there be a DVD as well?
When she embraces, your heart turns to stone
She comes at night, when you're all alone
And when she whispers, your blood shall run cold
You'd better hide before she finds you...
- Joined: January 1999
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James, they need the mellow acoustic versions to ease the BABY into the music! ;)
Don, I *wish* I was at that festival. I was just cracking wise over that funny band name.
"How wonderful it will be to have a leader unburdened by the twin horrors of knowledge and experience." -- Mr. Wick
- Joined: January 2004
- Post Count: 643
I just listened to "DYU" AGAIN...
I have the new WT ordered. "Gimped" WT is better than no WT at all. I just hope there'll be a DVD/BD to go along with it. Must. See. Sharon...
I've seen the clip for the one new song "Utopia" on YouTube. Nothing much, I think having babies is having too much of a mellowing effect on Sharon and Robert...
I haven't read too much about that festival, except that Epica were awesome, Amberian Dawn and Delain went over really well, the acoustic Leaves' Eyes played only four songs, and Tarja worked in "Deep Silent Complete,"" Nemo," and" She is My Sin into her set. I'm trying to find out more...
When she embraces, your heart turns to stone
She comes at night, when you're all alone
And when she whispers, your blood shall run cold
You'd better hide before she finds you...
- Joined: July 2000
- Location: Surf City, USA
- Post Count: 5,309
This DYU CD is addicting, it's all I've been listening to. The last minute of the song "Unleashed" really shows the power and operatic voice of Simone.
Sometime's you reach what's real by making believe.
- Joined: January 2004
- Post Count: 643
Two more listenings of DYU since my last post. I take back EVERYTHING I said before. I was too hasty in my judgment. DYU is near perfect: The production, Simone, Mark's "coherent" growls, and almost as importantly, the "flow" of the songs is masterful. I think "White Waters is the only thing that interrupts the flow. I'd like it better as a bonus track. And although I like the male singer's voice, there's no need for it, lyric-wise. It sounds..awkward.
And, for the record, I don't know what I was thinking when I complained about Simone being "underused."
"Album of the Year" for me. Definitely...
When she embraces, your heart turns to stone
She comes at night, when you're all alone
And when she whispers, your blood shall run cold
You'd better hide before she finds you...
- Joined: July 2000
- Location: Surf City, USA
- Post Count: 5,309
Yeah Don, when I first heard the CD I didn't notice a lot of Simone (compared to their previous CDs) but after several more spinning's, her voice really stands out. This CD they blended a lot more vocals with Simone's, added more grunting and seems more choir as well. There's a lot of Simone it's just mixed in more, where as, with their previous CDs she had a ton more solo.
This has far become one of my top favorites and I sure hope they play a lot of songs from DYU at their concert. I really hope they do "Tides of Time", easily one of my favorites.
Sometime's you reach what's real by making believe.
- Joined: January 2004
- Post Count: 643
It's official: DYU is my favorite Epica album. I've been listening to it back-to-back with "The Divine Conspiracy" and "Consign to Oblivion," and I think "Design Your Universe" tops them...
When she embraces, your heart turns to stone
She comes at night, when you're all alone
And when she whispers, your blood shall run cold
You'd better hide before she finds you...
- Joined: January 2004
- Post Count: 643
I've been listening to a lot of After Forever lately (in between listenings of "DYU," of course).
Floor's voice is amazing. She makes it seem so...effortless...I don't think she ever really got a "fair shake" in the genre because she's not as "attractive" as the other gals (and over 6 feet tall...which I find VERY attractive in itself, BTW).I wish they hadn't broken up. I understand that they have a pro-shot concert video that they never released. If so, I WANT IT!
I listened to "Discord" about five times today already (off their awesome, final, self-titled CD). The dual "beauty and the beast" vocals on this track are flawless. And don't get me started on the wonderful "Follow in the Cry."
BTW, Lasers Edge has the After Forever two-CD retrospective "Mea Culpa" for $13. I've seen it for upwards of $35 elsewhere...
When she embraces, your heart turns to stone
She comes at night, when you're all alone
And when she whispers, your blood shall run cold
You'd better hide before she finds you...
