Symphonic Metal - Dutch - Page 6

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.

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.

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...

Just got my tickets to see Epica in San Francisco on Feb. 17. I cannot WAIT for this show.

I just got the deluxe "Design Your Universe" in the mail from CM Distro today...

Awesome. I'm eager to hear what you think about it. I've been listening to it every day and it's just an incredibly awesome CD. The band really made a dramatic leap in evolution since the Divine Conspiracy.

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...

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.

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!

Simone dressed as a nurse at the end...oh my.

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...

White Waters is a completely throwaway song. Feels out of place on the CD actually.

As for Simone being underused, I don't get that impression. If anything, they've tried different things to vary her vocal range a lot more than in any of their previous releases. There is a lot of grunting, but maybe I'm just used to it now because it doesn't bother me as much as it used to. Previously, I'd just tolerate the grunting so I could hear the sweetness of Simone. On DYU I actually kind of like the grunting.

I should be receiving my special edition package (CD, poster and t-shirt) from CM Distro very soon.

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.

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...

How did we not know about THIS?

http://www.amazon.com/Acoustic-Night-at-Theatre/dp/B002OHB3CG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1257208616&sr=1-1

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.

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?

I didn't know that acoustic CD was coming out. As much as I like WT, I'll probably pass. I'm not a fan of acoustic CDs. For an epic sounding band like WT to go acoustic is kind of weak in my mind. I'm sure it will sound good, but taking all those powerful songs and gimping them is not terribly appealing to me.

Back to listening to DYU...

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.

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...

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.

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...

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.

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...

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...

I YouTubed some "After Forever", wow, not a fan. The leads voice is very pop'ish sounding, not very operatic at all.

Ron:

WOW. 

Negative on After Forever? Floor is by and large considered the best singer of the genre.  The beauty of her voice as that she can "rock" out  and then shock the crap out of you when she belts out the high notes.  Trust me, her voice can "Floor" you...pun kinda intended...

In fact, the HILARIOUS "101 Rules of Female-Fronted Metal" has THIS to say:

47. If you can sing in operatic style, try to be Tarja Turunen.

48. If you can't but you can still carry a tune and have a voice that is more sultry than sweet, try to be Cristina Scabbia.

49. If, on the other hand, you can carry a tune and your voice is more sweet than sultry, try to be Sharon den Adel.

50. But please don't wave your arms around in live shows quite so much.

51. If you can't do any of the above, gargle with a cup of hydrochloric acid before each show and try to be Angela Gossow.

52. If you follow any of Rules #47-49, while in interviews, express dismay over how people say you're just cloning somebody else.

53. Do not try to be Floor Jansen. You will fail in the attempt.


I thought for SURE that Nightwish were gonna recruit Floor after the whole Tarja fiasco. You ARE aware that Mark Jansen formed Epica after leaving AF, right?  And that all the Epica tracks that fall under the "Embrace that Smothers" umbrella are "continuations" of  songs and ideas from way back in After Forever's early days?

Also, Floor came out and sang AF's "Follow in the Cry" with Epica at the Metal Voices festival in Belgium last month.  OH, how I HOPE they're serious about the DVD of that show...

Of course, I'm not trying to steer you one way or the other, but there are many, MANY AF songs that are at least as heavy as Epica's work. 

But I like Epica better, too...

I like Epica better, Nighwish (both female leads), and even Leaves' Eyes better. Floor's voice, at least with the YouTube's I watched, she was not operatic at all and very pop sounding with little range. Their music is good, just don't care for that pop sounding voice of Floor's.

Simone and Tarja are two voices that have yet to be bested in this genre, they are the best and really have that operatic voice that I love about this music.

How 'bout this?  In terms of her voice?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC4oRqcadVk&feature=related

Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Just based on being a pure power voice, no one touches Floor Jansen. I will say that the last two After Forever albums before they broke up had a definite mainstream edge to them. The earlier After Forever stuff is a lot more metal inspired, but it also includes a lot of Mark Jansen's growling, so I guess it all depends on how much you like that. One of my favorite AF songs is actually a cover of Who Wants to Live Forever.

I wouldn't put Floor on the same level as Tarja or Simone, but she's on a level just below those two.

On another note, I just bought a bunch of Therion. Good male fronted band. 

I've also been listening to a lot of Lacuna Coil. Now there's a band that's been all over the map. Their early stuff was not very power-inspired, but I think they were at their best with Karmacode. Just a fantastic album with lots of memorable power riffs. The only throwaway song was a cover of Depeche Mode's Enjoy the Silence. Blech. I think they took a real step back with their latest one, Shallow Life. Pretty disappointing effort I think. They went from the greatness of Karmacode to being a Linkin Park wannabe on their latest. Sometimes trying to sound more "mainstream" isn't the best idea.