Kari Rueslatten - Other People's Stories (2004)

Released seven years after the other album of hers, this is a lighter weight, more internationally friendly album. For one thing, the lyrics and vocals are in English. Her voice is as sweet and lilting as before, delicate and fragile like a feather on the breeze, but with a power to it too.

The cover booklet is sophisticated and modern, with photographs "enhanced" by white vectored lines that are used to depict motion, perhaps? The paper is sturdy and quite glossy, high quality ink. It almost looks laminated.

The album opens with the gentle "Other People's Stories". The vocals dominate, the gently strumming guitars playing a pleasing background to the lilting vocals and autumnal rhythms.

Another pleasant and gentle piece with some folk-type rhythms, "Sorrow to My Door" is not a particularly cheerful song, although the litling vocals are sweet and pure as bells, even when singing sorrow:

"The house burned down, to the ground, to the ground, ashes and dust."

 "Dog Star" has a slightly bubbly sound to it, like a record. The vocals are playful and oh-so innocent, Kari's accent becoming more apparent. It's a very narrative song, with the lyrics being rather simplistic, befitting the mood.

"Cry" has a slightly technical edge to it, a twirling, whirling accentuation to the vocals - which are again soft and delicate.

"When Lillies Bloom on Winter Days" is like crystalline snowflakes drifting down to gild the frozen flowers. Pure, untainted, with an icy chill lit by sunlight.

Somewhat more modern, almost technical and with the rhythms more typical of one of the dance genres, "Push" is a faster paced and far more commercial in feel.

"Ride" is another combining the vocals with strangely electronically eerie noises and the stronger modern beats.

Even more spectral and vocal, "Fishing" relies entirely on the vocals. Kari's voice dancing up and down the rhythms, high and sweet and pure. Several verse in the instruments start, a whimsical accompaniment.

"Carved in Stone" is another pleasantly gentle piece with slightly more stirring choruses and light electronic accompaniment.

"Life" offers more of the same and "Orlando" offers little more, although it has a pleasingly melancholic feel to it.

 Overall, this is an extremely easy album to listen to - but not a very inspirational one. It makes for pleasing, soothing background music - along the lines of Enya (but less irritating) with its slow pacing and languid, relaxed rhythms. The tracks are short - the longest being just over 4 and a half minutes. Whilst Kari's voice is certainly sweet and aurally pleasing, each track blurs into one and it's a bit dull.

Rating 6/10.

Banshee Reel - Orchaestrated Litany of Lies (1995)

Now defunct Wellington band, Banshee Reel, are one of the best New Zealand bands from the mid 90s. Their sound is a fusion of folk and country, with a strong Irish element. They are competent musicians, skillful songwriters and sadly parted ways. Guitarist, Julia Deans, is now a member of Fur Patrol. She is responsible for the female vocals on the album, with Chris O'Connell and Allan Clark sharing the male vocals.

The album looks pretty cheaply made. The cover is white, a simple singlefold affair. Half the cover is some sort of peasant jester, covering half his face, the other is the title set out in a not very exciting font and displaying a somewhat lack of typesetting. Inside there is a band listing and a message to the people of New Zealand, Canada and Alburqueque, as well as a threat to some folks that stole their band equipment.

The album opens with the strumming, tinkliness of "Sorrow", like teardrops dripping down a painted, wooden face. Vocals are filled with sorrow, bittersweet and angsty, with a touch of an Irish accent. Or maybe kiwi-Irish. Catchy rhythms.A rather dramatic mandolin solo.

Slower, bolder; "Never Can Tell" has a slight country-hint to the rhythms and plenty of acousitc guitar. This is a song of murder, deceit and all beautifully sung with accompaniment from Deans and the lislting flight of a tin whistle.

Vocals lead us into "Blood on Your Hands", and then the instruments bounce in with almost carnival-esque rhythms: strong and bold and fast. Fast and surprisingly bouncy given the context is, once again, murder.

There's a brief reel and then we are into the looming, haunting "Lament".  An entrancing, otherworldy piece with beautiful harmonies, backed with strings and guitar. One of the finest, most atmospheric folk songs I own - this is the song that sold the album to me. Well, the cassingle - the album came some years later.

This is followed by the most devastatingly heart-breaking track on the album. "The Miner" starts with piano, but is largely dominated by the heart-renching vocals. Listen to the lyrics - they will haunt you and linger with you and bring a tear to your eye. The music is a soft, sorrowful accompaniment.

".. I don't blame you for leaving, my lovely; I don't blame you for leaving this slum. It was no life for you, watching me die, but I wish was out in the sun..."

 Deans gets the leading vocals on "Honest to God". Not my favourite song - more old school kiwi feeling than Irish, even with the accompaning fiddles. Good pace and entirely danceable.

"In Yer Dreams" is far more rockabilly country-esque with its fast, chugging pace and catchy choruses. Same vocalist as "The Miner".

It's back to the bittersweet melodies with "40 Miles of Pain" - it has a fast pace but the vocals and the voice of the string instruments lend a melancholic air.

More traditional folk - "Burn Me" has nice rhythms and somewhat morbid lyrics.

"First I heard her screaming when I laid my head to sleep. She turned my dreams to nightmares enough to make me weep..."

I'm not sure if she's a real person, deceased or some sort of demonic spirit. Probably the second or third option.

Another with strong country influences, "I Haven't Time" rocks along at a cracking pace, mostly guitar with a hint of fiddles.

"Horses" is slower, with wonderful folk rhythms and  the vocals like a gentle caress. This is listed on the cassingle as "Equus: Fear of Tides". Another achingly haunted piece.

We conclude with "Lament II" - the same structure and rhythms, but slowed down into bittersweet melancholy and with different lyrics (I think) and possibly more strings. A majestic, beautiful piece and a wonderful way to conclude.

Banshee Reel were a talented and original band, that I wish could have been with us for longer. Their music is sublime, variable and gorgeously emotive and their songs linger with you and haunt you for hours afterwards. There are some weaker tracks on this album, but they are vastly overshadowed by the powerful ones. They definitely deserve a 9/10.

Dark Moor - Between Light and Dark (2003)

Dark Moor are a power metal/neo classical band from Madrid, Spain. They have survived through various line-up changes, having shifted through several vocalists, both male and female. The one for this album was Elisa Martin, she also spent some time with Fairyland (on an album I don't own) and now is with Dreamaker. This was her  last album with Dark Moor. I also own another one, "The Gates of Oblivion".

This one is an 8 track EP and has a folk vibe to it. Elisa's voice is lower in pitch and deeper than many of the other females on the metal scene, sounding almost masculine at times, whilst at others been higher pitched with a slightly savage edge. She does lack the high and pure sound of, say, Nightwish.

The album cover is appealing, albeit rather dark and moody looking. Two angels gaze from either side, at the stylised D and M whilst beside them a gloomy horizon. The lyrics inside are set in a large and very easy to read font (I think it might be Century Schoolbook, or maybe Georgia) with the band members faces intermingling with waves between them.

"Memories" opens the album with its haunting melancholia. Elise's voice bleeds desperation. The instrumentation is light and very definitely folk-inspired.

The wispy voice of a flute leads us into "From Dawn to Dusk", another folk piece with light instrumentation and a good melody. There is hope here, and faith, but also regret.

Strumming guitar and mournful melodies lead us into "A Lament of Misery" with  lilting vocals that soar into a swansong.There are strings in this song too, adding to both the lament and the misery.

Piano brings in "Echoes of the Sea" with its haunting and somewhat ominous edge, like some beast lurking out there, beyond the tide. It too has violins, leading into an energetic-ish reel, perhaps a pod of dolphins at play in the waves? This appears to be purely a classical instrumental, so how many of the actual band are involved in it, I do not know. Someone on Amazon called it chamber music, and it is rather peaceful, but quite evocative.

"Mistery of the Goddess" returns to the folk-ish melodies and structures. Elise's voice is gentle and soothing, rising in passion for the chorus.

"In my heart, in my heart, I feel so alive... with you!"

Losing the folk, we head into "The Shadow of the Nile", a bonus track from "The Gates of Oblivion". Here Elisa shows a little more vocal diversity, and is joined by backing male vocals adding a pleasantly deep harmonies. The music is also heavier, with the symphonic influences and a decent guitar and keyboard solo.

The keyboard melodies and energetic, triumphant beat continue into "Dies Irae", a track also on the "Gates" album, but this time with added orchestra. The male harmonies on the choir are excellent, and the rhythms very stirring.

Another classical piece, "Fall of Melnibone" is a bonus track from "Hall of Olden Dreams" and starts with classical arrangements but twists into folk, with choral vocals, before charging into Epic Power Metal. It is based on the writings of Michael Moorcock. Melnibone is his Dragon Isle. Elisa sounds somewhat like an elven queen, she has that slightly pagan edge to her voice and rises octaves effortlessly.

This album is quite different from Dark Moor's other albums, or anything else Elisa has done. The first half is softer, more melancholic and longing with a hint of brooding. The harmonies are more reminscient of mediaeval folk ballads than of the triumphant power metal they are more noted for. I enjoy it because I like the gentle folk songs and the emotive feel, but to some listeners it may prove to be a disappointment. It makes for pleasant background music while writing or engaging in other creative endeavours. The final three tracks are more in the manner we would expect from DM.

My rating is 7/10.

Phoenyx - Keepers of the Flame (1990)

This album was a bit of a gamble - albeit a very cheap gamble. It lay in the Real Groovy Sale Price bins, at the kingly cost of $1 or $2. The band photo on the back makes them look like wanna-be gypsies from the mid 80s - big hair, tattered clothing in a cornucopia of styles. The cover depicts a phoenix so stylised that I only just realised it WAS a phoenix. It's pretty wicked - all celtic design. Nice gold font on the cover too - that must have cost a fair amount to print. Inside, the paper is thinner, more like an actual booklet than the glossy cd covers I'm used to, and the list of instruments is appealing - electric violin, mandolin, tambourine, bodhran, mandola, flute and something called a florlogue.  Also bagpipes and a female vocalist. Hrm, I thought - sounds like folk. Could be folk-metal, could be folk-rock or could be pure folk, either way, it's probably worth $2.

And when I put it in, I fair wooped with glee. DEFINITELY worth $2.

Phoenyx are pretty obscure. They're from San Francisco, California and labelled as "Celtic fusion rock". Googling "Heather Alexander" is interesting - because the vocalist is apparently actually Alexander James Adams - from his website:

Alec is also the appointed heir to Heather Alexander. Heather, who was actually a changeling, was called back to faerieland in November 2006; at the same time, Alexander, the child in whose place she had originally been left and who had been raised in faerieland, was released after beating the faerie queen in a fiddling contest. Thus, Alec now carries on Heather’s musical legacy.

This band just become officially even more interesting (finally reading more carefully through wikipedia I discovered he is transgender and transitioned in 2006). He also indulges in a little filk music. And he's pretty funny too. Okay, so I've got distracted and am visiting his website, where this is video of him performing "He of the Sidhe" - this is the story mentioned above (the duel with the faerie queen) - ohmigosh, that man can fiddle! Seriously, I expected to see smoke coming off the strings. He appears to be a bit of an icon in the Pacific North-West. He now lives in Oregon with his wife and many animals.

This is the only album Phoenyx released and it is (not surprisingly) out of print. But if you think it sounds interesting, there is a bunch of solo stuff available through his website both of his and Heather's.

Now, to get back on track... Inside the booklet, the lyrics are illustrated with simple line art, giving it a real storybook feel and the music, well, let's give it a listen, shall we?

"Banish Misfortune/Lark in the Morning" are two folk reels, playing back to back and inspiring a lively, frisky mood upon the listener, promises of what to expect. There's a slightly discordant edge to one of the instruments, I think Ritual make use of them.

In "Stormbringer" the vocals come in, and oh boy, does Heather have a powerful voice or what! There are definite echoes of the 80s here, with a lilt to her accent and an almost masculine depth* - when she wants it to. Not metal by a long shot, but definitely rock. The music is alive and energetic, giving quirky little trills.

"The King of Elfland's Daughter" is a duet, between male and female (Heather and Alec, now that would be weird and chronologically improbable) - there's no other vocalists listed for this track.

"Black Unicorn" has a menace to it, the music low and looming. Vocals with the lilting accent. Music evocative.

A far more lively number is "Cat and the Fiddle". Pure folk, with very little of the rock but perhaps a tiny touch of country.

"Hey diddle diddle, answer me this riddle...
Hey diddle do, tell me what you will..."

 "Marley O'Reilly"  is a reel jig, with a good rhythm to dance and spin to and some very delicate fiddling.

"The Voices of the Sea" is a haunting number, with eerie vocals drifting in a spectral fashion. Heather's voice is edged with sweetness. This is a siren song - a soft and gentle, luring tune from a mermaid to a sailor, wishing them well on their voyage.

The mysterious "Creature of the Night" gets off to a haunting start. Alexander's voice is powerful and slightly ominous. It increases in tempo and menace, as the sinister Satyr lures the innocent and ithe ignorant into the woods. The gentle music evokes the feel of the dark forest in which strange creatures lurk.

Another set of reels now - starting with the slow and melancholic, "Musical Priest" becomes more lively as it frisks and folics into "Butterfly" then dives and dips into "Swallowtail".

Something a little more aggressive now - "March of Cambreadth". It opens with some marching fiddle and violent lyrics:

"Axes flashing, broadswords swing, shining armour's piercing ring..."

Keeping in the spirit of the Celts, they even spelled "armour" the English way.

Now, something's "Up in the Loft" - something threatening and strange. The turne is dramatic and the chorus jerky and a little discordant, while the fiddles whimper and the drums and guitars thrum with tension.

"Oh but yesterday I heard it, with its haunting mournful cry..."

A jerky and strange intro leds us into the ghostly, modern and pretty intense "Concentration". Vocals on this piece are from Cat Taylor. It's not a heavy song, but the back-and-forth tribal rhythms and the whispered vocals are disturbing and creepy. Very different from everything else.

The album concludes with "Yo Ho!" A rousing nautical tune with somewhat dark lyrics that - partway through, goes into the folk song about sailors that we all know and love (but with possibly different lyrics).
Like all good folk songs at sea, it has a light and whimsical verse, then a rousing chorus that the rest of the crew can join in with.

"If you eat ship rats then you get more meat..."

Hrm, I'm in the mood for pirates now. Maybe I should skip past Q this time (it's just Queensryche again, I've nothing else) and leap into Running Wild. What do you think?

This is a charming album, folk blended with  rock and a smattering of the quirky and curious. It has a light and whimsical feel, like the band were having a bit of a lark when they created it. For something a little bit fun, with some quite entertaining lyrics and a vocalist that sounds like she stepped out of the 80s and does a bitchin' tenor**, this might well be the album for you. Of course, it's out of print, so you're out of luck - unless your local store is trying to clear it at a mega cheap price, that is!

Let's give it a 7/10.

* not surprising, really. 
** I'm trying to prove I know something about vocal scales now. I don't. So if I'm wrong, so be it.

Fish - Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors (1990)

Fish is a somewhat eccentric Scotsman, who started singing in Marillion before leaving them to undertake a solo project. His influences lie in the 80s and there is a sound of Genesis, Pink Floyd and other rock bands of that era in his music, along with a small smattering of the Celtic. This is his first solo album.

It has an interesting, rather 80s rock cover - depicting a man and a woman wrapped in rather strange attire and standing atop a tower of televisions, on each screen is a face - possibly his. In the centre of the booklet, you get to see the entire painting - and it is surreal - a city in the background, a hill covered in crucifixes, nuclear waste, soldiers, men in biohazard suits. It's totally crazy, like a demented collage. The sky above is a black and blue streaked twilight affair, in which at one point sun rays split the clouds and a satelite appears against the black.

We start with the haunting melancholia of "Vigil". Fish's voice actually reminds me a little of Phil Collins, but his songs are more emotive.

The next track - "Big Wedge" - is a rockier number, catchy rhythms and an even catchier chorus. You know, I always thought he was saying "big wave". This is a song with a social message - an anti-America message from the sounds of things. It's all about consumerism.

A pop-py opening to "State of Mind" in which we hear more of Fish's political views:

"I don't trust the government, I don't trust alternatives. It's not that i'm paranoid, it's just that's the way it is..."

Again we've got the Phil Collins-slow rock vibe going on here. The music plays a twiddly and playful counterpoint to Fish's voice.

With a slightly folk-esque vibe, "The Company" is one of my favourite tracks. The music is gentle, an accompaniment to Fish's voice rather than telling a story of its own. It has a dreamy, moody feel with a somewhat Irish feeling chorus.

Gentle piano, and soft strings usher us into the finest song on the album - the haunting and beautiful "Gentleman's Excuse Me". The melodies and lyrics are sublime.

"Do you still keep flowers in the bottom drawer, with your Belgian lace, taking them out every year to watch the colours fade away..."

To me, this is a song of innocence and fragility, and its fleeting nature.

"The Voyeur" is another rockier number, with a vaguely amusing, vaguely sinister air to it.

"I like to watch..."

It seems to be about the voyeur inside us all when it comes to television - how we like to watch video nasties, natural disasters and all manner of terrible and dramatic things happening to other people. So much truer today than it was in the 80s, too.

Back into rather serious issues - "Family Business" is a moody song, with an element of the spirited and angry - the main theme being domestic abuse hidden behind the house doors.

Another moody and melancholic start, "A View from the Hill" quickly takes a turn for the rockier, as the guitars come crashing in for the chorus, then fade out again for the verses.

"Cliche" is another hurt and bittersweet piece. The guitars seem laden with confused misery, the vocals filled with inner fragility. It's almost as though he wants to write a love song, but cannot find the words because "...the best way, is with an old cliche..." And this turmoil, this inability to express how he feels, is driving him into sorrow. But finally, he comes up with the simplest, and the best.

Whilst there are some rockier numbers here, the general mood of this album seems to be melancholic (I know I've used that word a lot, but I'm really feeling it in the music) and moody. It is haunting, and beautiful, the songs centred around Fish's powerful and somewhat distinctive voice (which makes sense, since the album is named for him, after all). The lyrics are interesting, sometimes insightful and overall I rank this album a 7.5/10.

Elvenking - Wyrd (2003)

I was initially planning on listening to Elis ("Gods silence, devil's temptation") this time through, but I am afriad that their music did not really inspire me. I felt like something a wee bit different.

And thus Elvenking it is.

Who are Elvenking? Well, they're a folk/power metal band from Italy. They were formed in 1997 by a couple of friends with a love of metal and folklore. Since then they have gone on to acquire a few other members, and release seven studio albums (I own three) and have become one of the most well-renowned Italian metal bands. They draw influence from Skyclad, but they have slightly less puns (although they do have a song called "Miss Conception" on another album).

This is their second album, and is gorgeous. The cover is beautiful with a lovely Celtic border, in the centre of which a tree person heaves himself from the earth. The art is  heavily inked and coloured making it appear straight from a storybook. On the back, a lion-headed trunk sprouts from the ground, whilst around it drift autumnal leaves and an eagle soars. Inside the lyrics are white on black overprinted above the cover images, the shadowing effect designed to make them easier to read.

Mine is the Limited Edition version with two bonus tracks, screensaver and wallpapers. I tried, and failed, to install the screensaver. Oh well. This is one of the many albums that I purchased, added to my collection, listened to once (did not even rip onto my computer playlist) and promptly shelved and forgot about it. I'm not even sure where I got it from, but it's probably another Real Groovy acquisition.

The vocalist for this one is a different one from "Heathenreel", his name is Kleid, and I believe this may well be the only album he makes with the band, before the former vocalist returns to reclaim his post. His vocal style is fairly similar, but a little more diverse. I probably should have reviewed "Heathenreel" first, but I felt this one deserved to be listened to. None of the band use their full names on the album cover.

The enchanting "Loser's Ball" opens the album - with acoustic instruments and clapping hands. A female vocalist adds her melodious voice to Kleid's lower tones.

It is followed up by the rather racier "Pathfinders", with fast paced instruments fading into more folk-orientated rhythms. This is a far more power metal number - excepting for the folk touches.

"Jigsaw Puzzle" is an energetic number. Every so often, Kleid's voice will soar off into melodic swoops and dives, before gliding back down and into the faster paced verses, then shouting as we get into the chorus.

Starting with vioin and electric guitar, "The Silk Dilemma" gives us a nifty folk/power fusion. It is quite reminscent of Skyclad. I've been listening to a fair amount of Skyclad recently (in my car, on cassette tape, therefore not yet for this blog) and I can certainly hear similarities between the two bands. Possibly its because there are very few folk/metal fusion bands. It ends with a bang and a clang.

The next track, "Disappearing Sands" is one of the two limited edition tracks. Unlike most bands, Elvenking have buried their bonus tracks in the album instead of sticking them at the end. A rather upbeat start sends us spinning in to this somewhat more metal number. There are touches of Helloween and Edguy here, culminating in chorused voices. Some of the vocals are quite aggresive and snarled.

"The tears in my eyes were like rain come from the gloomiest cloud."

"Moonchariot" gets off to rather a wild and chaotic start, with energetic acoustic guitar giving way to rather heavier guitar and bass, complete with a low and guttural growl and thrashing death drums. Then, as suddenly as it began, it switches into more wild acoustic guitar intermingled with rather gentle vocals. This dives into heavier again, before soaring forth as very melodic and magnificant chorus. The lyrics are quite spellbinding:

"I built a cradle for the Moon and from her chariot she grants my boon - I'll keep my promises, I'm sure she won't betray me."

Another fast paced, folk number is "The Perpetual Knot". Good rhythms, litling reels. Some nice melodies.

This sound continues into "Another Haven", along with what sounds a little like wind chimes. The combination of metal and traditional is deftly woven and beautifully constructed, the violin and other instruments adding an otherworldly, forgotten era edge.

"A Fiery Stride", one of the bonus tracks, starts with ethereal acoustic plucking, whilst over it the violins add their sorrowful voice. With a bang, the (not so acoustic) guitars come crashing in. It has all the melody and power typically found in the power metal genre, with its sing-along choruses and powerful vocals. The solo is solid and tightly structured.

A rather heavier number, "Midnight Circus" comes crashing in with fast guitars and slammin' drums. This is pure power, the folk dismissed in favour of more European traditional metal with solid guitar and the occasional lapse into pure melody. There's a bit of piano added into the mix too. Feels a bit like Edguy-meets-Iron Maiden, with a touch of Helloween.

The final track, "A Poem for the Firmament" is the compulsory epic piece, clocking in at over ten minutes long and divided into sections - Dawn, Day, Twilight, Deep Night. It starts with Dawn, the riping sky heralded by gentle acoustic guitar and strings as the sun's pale fingers split the dark asunder and cast their glow upon the land. The vocals are exquisite and accompanied by flurried guitar. Day breaks with dramatic guitars, before rising into a noon of melody and beauty. There are some moments of trilling speed metal.. As night falls, and twilight darkens the land, the female vocalist returns, her voice litling and melancholic. There are actually three different females singing on this album. The keyboards and guitars race in as darkness seizes the land. After a dramatic few minutes of the churning, wild Deep Night, dawn arrives again, bringing us to a soft and gentle end.
What a song! It is impossible not to feel the energy and vibrancy of this band, combined with the sheer diversity and melody. If you want one song to show how changes in pace, volume, intensity and instrument can effect the structure of the song, this would definitely be a high contender. It is the highlight of the album, and certainly deserves several listenings.

I enjoyed this album - and although some of the songs seemed a little similar to one another, I imagine with repeated listenings they shall develop their own personalities. Elvenking are definitely skilled at what they do and, more to the point - enjoy doing it. You can hear their energy and their enthusiasm in their rhythms. The recording is crystal clear and well mastered. It is not as heavy as the previous album ("Heathenreel").

I shall give it an 8/10.

My other albums are: Heathenreel and Two Tragedy Poets.

Ritual - The Hemulic Voluntary Band (2007)

What can one say about Ritual? They are a not very well known band from Sweden who amalgamate folk and rock with a touch of progressive. They have released very few albums, and although they have a website, they do not appear to be updating it regularly.

I think if I were to give their music a sound, I would call it "Goblin rock".

What drew me first to this album was the cover - which features some rather weird little critters playing instruments. Several songs are based on the moomin series by Tove Jansson. The cover is quirky - and right up my alley given that I love things a wee bit weird and whimsical. The booklet is a delight - from the charming cover to the interior illustrations - which include the lyrics - including one in the form of a tale (based on one of Jansson's picture books) and the whole thing is designed to look like a book.

In style, their music is very quirky and kind of "organic". The sounds are slightly disharmonious, a little higher in pitch than you regularly get, with quirky little rhythms and reels. Like the dart of insects. It is very, very, easy to imagine the band to be these relatively formless, long muzzled beings.

I cannot remember when I bought this album, but I cannot help but feel that it inspired the gnome species in my novel "A Midsummer Knight's Quest". Heh, fancy that.

Instruments listed include: clavinet, harmonium, grand piano, rhodes, irish bouzoki, hammer dulcimer, recorders, whistles, nyckelharpa - I don't even know what half of these are!

The first track is the "Hermulic Voluntary Band" with its quirky, organic rhythms and a small dose of additional chaos. Erratic beats and little trills make it feel slightly discordant.

"In the Wild" is a slightly more refined number. The vocals are a bit smoother and the music somewhat restrained, although still prone to darting off into unexpected little rhythms. It fades into some rather sweet piano and then the rather discordant guitarish instrument takes over like a darting, swarming, biting bee.

A somewhat melancholic and rather quirky ballad, we have "Late in November" - which has recorders. This is from Snufkin's perspective.  Snufkin strikes me as rather an introspective nomad, who cherishes walking in the late autumn.

The is a sense of the ominous in "The Groke" as she stomps on in in a rhythmic march, bringing the winter and death with her. Her presense is ominous, and the music portends to this, but there is also an edge there - perhaps she is not so much evil and nasty, as just misunderstood?

"Waiting By the Bridge" is a poppy, lively little number. It is about Moomintroll waiting for his friend to come and take him away on a grand adventure. It is filled with cheer and hope.

Now we have the final track - and it is so epic it is longer than the other songs put together, clocking in at a massive 28 minutes. "A Dangerous Journey" opens with a cheerful rhythm and begins the tale of a young girl called Susanna, who seeks adventure.

"Life was so humdrum and always the same."

That is, she sets down her glasses and has them stolen - and replaced with another pair - a pair that change the way she sees the world (and grows her cat into a monster-cat). Here the tone changes, taking on an ominous edge, as the cat races away into the forest. She follows, and finds a swamp filled with ominous creatures and then a barren sea shore. Where can cat be? Things turn strange as she comes upon a peculiar pair. Things turn more sinster as, nearby, a volcano erupts.Whilst the lyrics are quite ominous, the nature of the music still makes it all sound very upbeat and exciting. Rather a contrast.There is a brief bit of dramatic tension coming towards the end of the track as they are pursued by a monster. But luckily a balloon swoops down and snatches them away to a pleasant valley where they have a picnic.

Oh, and the cat comes back.

For originality and quirkiness of sound, Ritual would easily rate a 10/10. Alas, for all their charm and whimsy, the music is just ever so slightly discordent and can be irritating if played too loudly or too many times. So I'm going to have to give it a 7/10.

Eluveitie - Evocation 1 - The Arcane Dominion (2009)

Remember how I said early on that this blog was to encourage me to listen to my actual CD collection instead of buying more? Well, in that it has failed - for I have bought more CDs in the last two weeks than I did in the entirity of 2012. Admittedly, that is a total of two CDs, but still!* I used some of the money accruing in my Paypal thanks to tarot deck sales on the Game Crafter, for one of them, however, so that hardly counts. Right?

Now, onto Eluveitie, who are a Swiss folk/death metal  fusion - with heart aching violins and other classically inspired  instruments interwoven with heart wrenching female vocals and snarling, furious male vocals. The lyrics are generally in the language of Gaulish, which is an "extinct" language.

The cover is moody and evocative in monochromatic shades of green - a bare-chested man stands, hands raised. In one, he grips a necklace; in the other, a flame flickers and burns. His expression is one of intense concentration, or perhaps constipation.

The album begins with "Sacrapos",  a whispered passage in English. Although the lyrics are printed, they are all but impossible to read due to the rather jagged font that seems to be fading. This gives it an excellent ancient look, but renders it almost illegible.

This first song, "Brictom" opens with rather upbeat violining. The female vocalist, Anna Murphy, has a sweet and delicate voice; the language must be Gaulish. It has a good rhythm and suits the music perfectly. The male vocalist, Chrigel, comes in occasionally, adding his guttural growls to the blend.

"A Girl's Oath" is taken in Gaulish - which has some quite harsh sounding syllables but flows like delicate water. We then whistle our way into "The Arcane Dominion". The folk sound is sublime and rolls over you, taking you away to those deep green forests, with ancient trees and trailing moss, where small creatures skitter in the undergrowth and great beasts prowl and growl in the shadows. The female vocals are divine, interspersed with masculine howls and the solemn voice of the violins/fiddles.

"Within the Grove" brings us a nymph, sitting on a moss-covered stump, her hair threaded with flowers and leaves as she plays her flute, pausing every now and then to take a quick breath.

"The Cauldron of Renascence" is an urgent, hurried song with growling vocals which, combined with odd scratching sounds, makes it sound as though some sort of beast is about to rage upon the scene. It is over in the flicker of a memory as forlorn bagpipes banish it and "Nata" begins. The male vocals are deep, forboding and forlorn; heavy with longing and loss. I suspect this is a song of mourning. Or perhaps a declaration of war. Maybe both.

Sampling and multilayered vocals add power to "Omnos". Not very folkesque, but it does make for a surging sound. The drum sounds oddly modern too. The song is, however, beautiful and catchy so I shall forgive them their anachronisms. Some parts of this remind me of Nightwish, except in a language I cannot understand. It certainly feels more contemporary than anything else so far.

"Carnutian Forest" starts with a swelling and a thrumming, with flute and whispered voices - something ominous is stirring. Perhaps some sort of Pagan ritual beneath the trees? The sound is one of emptiness and loss (is that the hurdy-gurdy?). Then the violins break through, lightening the oppression, like the clouds are breaking and showering us with summer rain. A crazed dance begins, beneath the trees.

Harsh, sibilant whispers herald that something sinister is afoot in "Dessumiis Luge". This fades into rather catchy, but slightly vicious female vocals. It sounds almost like a challenge, spitting words at one another, circling each other. It ends with a scream.

More gentle fluting and acoustic guitar marks "Gobanno". It is a song of sunlight, filtering through the rich green canopy, casting striations of light upon the forest floor, upon which strange ethereal beings dance.

"Vovesi in Mori" is a haunting number, whispers, mournful female vocals, weeping violin.

The forlorn wail of bagpipes brings us into "Memento". Is it coincidence that Memento and Mori are so close together? I believe this is a song of rememberance, and mourning.

"Ne Revg Na" is characterised by strong female vocals, although the language is quite a guttural one with many harsh syllables. This is counterpointed by the haunting voice of the flute.

Spectral string instruments mourn in "Sacrapos - the disparaging last gaze". Their sounds are eerie, otherworldly, ethereal. Like spirits dancing in the dying rays of the sun.

Now we are into the bonus tracks, including the very lively "Slana" which is a folk medley and a delightful reel to get your feet moving - or in my case, tripping over each other.

Finally, we conclude with a somewhat simpler version of the previous "Omnos". The vocals are a mix of the melodic and the snarled, with whispered passages. I love the rhythm of this song. Less of the extravagant additional instruments.

This is another band in which the vocals are more a supplement to the music, enhancing it, than that the music is merely there to support the vocals. The music is rich and vibrant, alive with the verdant nature of the forest, like sunlight and rain and the wild. This is a plus, in my opinion, as I am not overfond of the guttural, growling male vocals and actually enjoy the evocative nature of the music more. It probably helps that the language is not one that I (nor many people) will understand, allowing full scope for the imagination and your own interpretations of what the songs are about.

Beautiful and verdant - 8/10.

* I only bought one cd last year (Nightwish's "Imagineraeum") on account of having no decent cd stores left standing in Christchurch and an inability to find any in the USA when we toured there. I do not regularly buy CDs over the interweb anymore, since there is very little I know I want that I don't have already.

Heavy Metal Genres (in brief)

I thought I would take this opportunity to actually offer some "education" in the various genres of Heavy Metal. You see, when I inform people that I listen to Heavy Metal, they immediately develop some rather biast pre-conceptions - that metal is not music, that the singers can't sing and that it is really just a whole lot of noise and no rhythm.

They are, of course, naive and ignorant of the great scale of the metal genre.

Heavy Metal is, as a genre, as encomposing as "Rock Music" or "Classical". And indeed probably has more sub-genres than both combined. Now, I am sure there are many hidden nuances and subgenres to Rap and House music as well, but as they have never proven to be of any interest to me whatsoever, I think it is in my best interests to just ignore them and leave them to their experts.

Not that I'm a metal expert, but I have had over 20 years auditory experience.

And my mother said it was "just a phase".

Firstly, when I say I listen to Heavy Metal - I do not mean all the subgenres. I do not like hardcore, or grindcore or anything that is too aggressive or sounds like the vocalist is trying to cough up their oesphagus or that the guitarists each have six arms and cannot hear what each other is playing. Despite the fact that their vocalist is a bird (literally, he's a parrot - and no, they don't perform live, he's recorded separately and then added into the music) I do not like Hatebeak. I do not like death metal either. Black metal amuses me in small doses and if it is not too serious (Cradle of Filth and Ancient are acceptable, and I rather like Sadness, for example).

But:

My interest mainly lies in the other half of the spectrum. The melodic stuff.

Now, there is quite a wide diversity amongst the melodic stuff too. Let me discuss the various SubGenres that you are likely to see referenced in my labels:

Note: These are my own interpretations, and may not quite be the same as those found on, say, wikipedia. This is because the metal genre is entirely too complicated and confusing and you need a degree in Heavy Metalogy to understand it properly. So consider this a summary.

Power Metal - This is the real creme de croppe - sophisticated guitars, occasional inclusion of classical instruments, usually the vocals have a slightly operatic edge. Themes are generally fantasy or historical or occasionally pseudo-religious. Bridges and choruses, often quite catchy, clever melodies. Generally feeling rather intense, powerful, almost like being caught in the middle of an epic scale D&D campaign battle. The sort of music that makes your heart swell fit to bursting and inspires you to run around your room, waving a ruler like it's a sword and putting the light fixtures at risk*.

Bands of that ilk:
Helloween (esp the "Keeper" years), Stratovarius, Edguy, Blind Guardian, Dragonforce, PowerQuest, Gamma Ray, Avantasia, a large proportion of my collection.

~ * ~ 

Progressive Metal - Similar to Power Metal, but with more synthesizers, a generally more "modern" vibe and lyrics about more mature themes such as politics or love.

Bands of that ilk:
Dream Theater, Queensryche, Angra, Rush.

~ * ~

Folk Metal - The addition of folk instruments such as fiddles, bagpipes, and things that I don't even know the names of. Songs that make you want to jump around and engage in various forms of, well, folk dance. Usually have fast, repetitive rhythms; catchy, repetitive lyrics and are overall pretty damned awesome. Topics generally about maidens of various humanesque species, rogues and vagabonds - or in Skyclad's case, serious political issues and far too many puns.

Bands of that ilk:
Skyclad, Elvenking, Phoenyx, Subway to Sally, Amorphis (some albums)

~ * ~ 

Doom Metal - Slow, heavy, ponderous - as though every beat is an effort. Vocals can be low and growling (doom-death) or almost operatci (awesome). Lyrics generally about death and dying - sometimes depressing, sometimes not as bad as you would expect. Sometimes violins and other maudlin classical instruments are incoporated to add to the general feelings of desolation.

Have the roots in early Black Sabbath.

Bands of that ilk:

Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus, Confessor, Anathema, My Dying Bride.

~ * ~

Symphonic Metal - Really complex structures, soaring instruments, intense emotions - basically, symphonic metal makes use of the many various "voices" of classical music to create not only a song, but a whole atmosphere. Not disimilar in some ways to Power Metal, but the lyrics are generally more sophisticated and they make more use of synthesizers. Often have female vocalists or female AND male vocalists.  Symphonic Metal bands are AMAZING live.

Bands of that ilk:

Nightwish, Alpine Fault, Epica, Therion, Rhapsody, Leaves Eyes.

Looking at Wiki, it appears that Symphonic and Power are VERY similar and many of the bands that I have rated as one, they have rated as the other. I believe trying to pigeonhole bands is probably a fool's game. But kinda a fun one. I'll just label things as both, okay?

~ * ~

Thrash Metal - characterized by heavy percussive beats and fast, hard riffs. Aggressive, churning music - often with intelligent and political lyrics.

Bands of that ilk:

Metallica, Megadeth, (early) Anthrax.

~ * ~

Speed Metal - heavy, fast and technically demanding metal - often with fairly complex guitar rifts and of a higher, faster pace than Thrash (above). Not usually as aggressive and can, in fact, be rather positive. European stuff tends to be "happier" than American, which still remains quite aggressive. Vocals generally higher pitched - sometimes screaming, shrieking or (my favourite) operatic. Later evolved into power and symphonic metal.

Bands of that ilk:

Paradox, (early) Rage, Running Wild. (oops, these are all German bands, heh), Toxik.

~ * ~ 

Polish Funk Metal - This genre never seems to feature on the more formal Metal Genealogy charts. Why, you might even think I just made it up! But, since I own a couple of CDs that cannot possibly be labelled as anything but PKM, here we go! This is a kinda funky  metal, undertaken by Polish bands with relatively broken english and off-beat attitures. A few years ago I got chatting to a Heavy Metal fan from Poland who was delighted that I actually knew something of the bands from his actual country. There are two other Polish metal bands that I know of - Turbo and Dragon, but neither of them are particularly funky.

Bands of that ilk:

Wolfspider, Acid Drinkers.

Okay, so mostly they're considered to be thrash bands. Spoil my fun *pouts*

But it's thrash with funk!

Okay, too tired to continue this for now - but stay tuned cos I will make updates as I add more genres in to my labels.

* But let us not speak of the "Manowar Incident"

Xandria - Ravenheart (2004)

Xandria fall into the category of folk-metal-with-female-vocals and as such are an amazing act. Nowadays, they sound a little more Nightwish, but at this stage in their career, they bore more in common with Within Temptation (of the same era, not their more modern stuff) and Leaves' Eyes.

This is one of those "enhanced CDs" which means when you insert it you can choose it to begin a program. This was all well and good, except once I had it on, I could not turn it off without going into my Program Manager and forcibly closing it down. Bit irritating. It did give me the opportunity to watch the video for Ravenheart however. It's a rather moody clip - with some colours exaggerated and saturdated to enhance the otherworld quality. Gosh, she really is a redhead! But I feel bad for the ravens - why are they branded messengers of evil? There are "little red riding hood" vibes in this too. Looks like it was done on a relatively low budget.

The packaging likewise seems a little cheap and self indulgent - the vocalist is rather pretty, but I'm not sure if her startlingly green eyes and the red feathers brushing her equally red hair were what drew me to this CD, although I suspect it did help - since I was going through a power metal/folk with female vocals phase (and I still am). I may also have had them recommended to me. She has gorgeous eyelashes too.

Inside, the lyric booklet uses dark reds and ochre yellows to create a somewhat melancholic mood.

The CD opens with the crashing symphony of "Ravenheart", which fades gently into hushed folk-inspired vocals. Lisa Schapaus has a sweet tinged, but powerful voice.Crashing chords increase the energy and it is almost as though she is flinging flocks of black birds into the sky, with them swirling and flapping through the storm-filled clouds above.

Haunting vibes and rhythms usher us into "The Lioness", until the symphonic sound crashes down, smothering them with their intensity, then fades again as the vocals take hold. Fragile vocals, ephemeral. Such a sweet voice, but predatory words:

"... feel her coming near, she smells the blood, her prey is near..."

Lisa is something of a lioness herself, her voice is like a gentle touch, a sweet caress, but one cannot help but feel there is power and danger behind it.

"Back to the River" starts with some awesome and haunting sitar, before moving into a more modern sound. It is a gentler song, lacking the symphonic power of its predecessors on this album, and for some reason is intermingled with sampled speech.

With flute and piano, "Eversleeping" matches its name with its haunting serenity.

"Fire of Universe" has a rather more modern vibes going on - more technical sounding.

"Some Like It Cold" is another dreamier number, the vocals dominating the song and evoking feelings of blue-tinged sadness and soliture.

"Answer" is another perfectly pleasant blend of female vocals and light background music, with the occasional hint of more modern sound.

The haunting, ghostly sounds that begin "My Scarlet Name" bring with them a touch of the winter chill, and the guitar speaks of loneliness and solitude.

"Snow White" begins with some vaguely familiar chords and a bit more promise. It does follow a similar structure to the rest of this album - bold start, music fading to highlight the vocals, then coming in with them again in a more subdued manner.

"Black Flame" brings with it a bit more energy, but is pretty light by metal standards.

More atmosphere and mood reigns in "Too Close to Breathe". Here the gentle, soft, sweet vocals intermingle with the occasional pounding bass, before the music is once again tamed.

The final track "Keep my Secret Well" is similarly polished and clean, with a somewhat modern edge to it and some fairly banal lyrics:

"...Keep my secret well like my eyes keep their tears...

Some sweet whispered moments and a fairly gentle, mild-natured song with some nicely soothing piano to conclude both the track and the album.

Whilst a perfectly pleasant album, with powerful, symphonic vocals and the occasional soaring guitar, there seems to be something lacking in Xandria. Almost as though they have tried so hard to be polished and pure that it has somehow sanitised the raw energy. The album starts strong, but fades into mediocrity, peeking out its head again with only a couple more stand-out tracks. These later songs - whilst pleasing to listen to, do not show any real creativity or distinction over what has come before. I think too much emphasis has been put on the vocals, and the music is somewhat subdued and tamed beside it. The two need to act in concert to create more energy and atmosphere.

Because I do really like the first two songs plus "Eversleeping" and "My Scarlet Name", I'm umming and hahhing with how to rate this album, trying to decide between a better-than-average but unremarkable six and a quite-good-but-not-excellent seven.

Rating = 6.5/10

The Waterboys - Dream Harder (1993)

The Waterboys have been around for some time, gracing the world with their fusion of rock and folk, catchy tunes and fresh somewhat upbeat feel. They formed in 1983, dissolved in 1993 (obviously after this album) and then reformed again in 2000. I believe they were in fact performing in Australia yesterday too. Apparently over 50 people have passed through the band, spending time as a "waterboy" - some short term, others longer.

Now, for this album - which is something of a rockier number from them. I pounced on it in a sale bin in Real Groovy on one of my Wellington expeditions, knowing exactly one song from it - "The Return of Pan". The cover is appeallingly whimsical - depicting a man with guitar, a rather stylised tree, with hills and a rising sun behind him. I would say, acrylic paints have been used. Despite the childlife simplicity of the artistic style, the clouds look delightfully fluffy and it suits the music which seems to have a similarly whimsical innocence to it. Inside - no lyrics, but instead we have a story. Entitled "The Dream" it is short and not particularly well written (says my inner editor). Not sure how it relates to the actual CD, but it is definitely different!

The track opens with the sparkling, rockin' "The New Life". Solid rock bassline, strong vocals; and a uplifting message:

"The world is a miracle, and so are you!"

"Glastonbury Song" seems to be about finding god in the beauty of the English countryside. Again, uplifting rhythms, catching chorus and very catchy. This is a sunshine song, with rolling green hills, streams trickling merrily through grassy plains and around ancient runes. It contains a fresh vibrancy that cannot help but make you feel glad to be alive.

Now for a song about how love makes you feel like "Preparing to Fly". Bright, fresh, vibrant and polished. The music swoops and soars with the vocals, and one cannot help but feel brimming with hope about the future.

The first song I had heard from this album - "The Return of Pan" begins with... panpipes, of course. I remember videoing this from music TV back in the early 90s and thinking "that's a lot of goats". Pan is a pagan god, occasionally confused with the devil because he's cloven hoofed. But Pan is a nature God.  Or rather, was, for he was "killed" with the rise of Christianity. The panpipes weave along with the rock tune, making this the first actual folkish track on this CD. It's a powerful and haunting song, with a little bit of Pan's wildness in it.

We get a little bit country in "Corn Circles". It is a gentler number, the vocals being accompanied only by acoustic guitars.

And I think possibly a bit bluesy in "Suffer". This is the first actual negative song on the album, and it's more a pushing-you-away-because-I'm-sick-of-you-traipsing-all-over-me song than a you've-hurt-me-and-made-me-suffer.

"I'm gonna suffer for you no longer, I'm gonna suffer for you no more..."

So, really, it's more of a self-empowerment song than an angsty number.

Back into the folksy ballads now, with "Winter Winter" bringing with it a touch of the early chill wind, sending shivers down your spine. It is over in a heartbeat and after winter we are into "Love and Death". The blend is so flawless that I failed to notice it straight away. "Love and Death" is a melancholic number, beautiful and haunting, thanks to the additional of a cello's mournful voice..

Bringing a bit more of a spring into the step, with "Spiritual City". Reptitive choruses, nonsensical but fun lyrics and a darned catchy song overall and pleasantly upbeat. And it stars Billy Connolly, as well.

"Hey ho, skedoodle-a-lo..."

 "Wonders of Lewis" is a strange little number. Who's Lewis? Perhaps something to do with drugs? The music is haunting (celo again?), the vocals spiritual and dream-like. Kinda a little bit hazy too.

And one of the most memorable pieces from the album - "The Return of Jimi Hendrix" which is an entertaining rock number with some goodly guitar, perhaps reminiscient of the great man himself.

And what better way to end a CD then with "Good News". Something of a slower, mellower number. It sounds almost melancholic, but flavoured with the bittersweet taste of hope and faith. Rather lovely.

A nicely eclectic CD, with a goodly blend of the rockin' and the mellow. Perhaps a little less folk than some of their fans might like, but definitely worth a listen.

Rating = 8/10.

Tempest - Turn of the Wheel (1996)

I stumbled upon this band in the metal section of the music store one day. Being a fan of the metal/folk fusion, I pounced on it. However, it's not metal, it's more just folk with a hint of progressive rock. No matter, because it is a great album, and I feel I should delve further into the folk genre.

Tempest are a Californian Celtic band. They've had a number of line-up changes, but the vocalist throughout is Lief Sorbye (he's Norwegian), who also plays the electric mandolin. Formed in 1988, they have released a number of albums and perform both traditional folk songs and original renderings based on folk tales both real and imagined. Other instruments include octave mandolas, flute, harmonica, bodhran, keyboards, violins and a pennywhistle.

The album jacket suits the music - the cover featuring a button or similar, in which 11 frowning faces encircle a dome.  Inside, the lyrics are laid out in a text with a distinctly medieval font that is, nonetheless, easy to read and interlaid with folkish lineart. The inspiration for each track is noted at the top, giving the listener opportunity to research it further, should they so desire. The lyrics are delightfully narrative and a pleasure to listen to.

The general musical style is jaunty folk, with the traditional intruments infused with keyboards and the electric mandolin. These modern instruments are used subtly, so that it never becomes over-poweringly progrock and make a unique and memmorable blend.

The album opens with "The Barrow Man", inspired by the Norwegian myth of the ancient man in the mound.

"Dunmore Lassies" is an instrumental folk dance, combining two reels from Ireland - "the Dunmore Lassies" and "Toss the Feathers". Get up and get dancing!

"The Soul Cages" tells a haunting tale about a merrow who entrances and entraps men and cages them under the sea.

Then it is into "Bogey's Bonnie Belle" which is a traditional Scottish ballad and with a neatly lilting rhythm. It tells the tale of a young man who takes up work for a farmer, Bogey, but gets involved with a farmer's daughter, Isabelle. As their relationship grows, she winds up pregnant and no amount of secrecy can hide their relationship. Bogey, needless to say, does not take this well and sends our narrator on his way - along with the baby. We end with a couple of further folk reels.

A moodier and broodier song, "The Midnight Sun" - a ale of leaving behind your homeland and making the steps into a brave new world. It is a beautifully original ballad and possibly also autobiographical - as it speaks of fjords and the midnight sun, and Sorbye was Norwegian-born. His voice certainly portrays the emotion well.

A crooked little instrumental is "Winding Road". It is recommended that you do not dance to this one. It has a tempting rhythm but is temperamental and changeable.

Then for another version of "The Farmer and the Crow". Here it is entitled "Bonden Og Kraka", the traditional Norwegian folk song followed by several Norwegian halling tunes. These hallingdans is a solo acrobatic dance performed by a man that involves a fair amount of squat-dancing and concludes with him springing in the air and kicking a hat from a stick held high by a woman.

"For Three of Us" is a haunting travelling ballad, and the sort of song that sparks feelings of being far from home, travelling across broad, open spaces with exquisite vistas and rolling hills.  It is tinted with a hint of winter and fueled by the north wind.

Then into two more Irish reels with "Nine Points of Roguery".

Until finally concluding with the bouncy "Cat in the Corner" which tells the tale of a young man's misfortunes - a rogue wanderer with an eye for the ladies and a thirst for whiskey, he is.

If you wish for an eclectic blend of folk music - performed by a band located in sunny California, then Tempest are the band for you. Their music is polished and practised, overlaid with Sorybe's voice.

Rating - 9/10

Promethean - Gazing the Invisible (1997)

Poor Promethean don't seem to have made much of a mark on the Music Market - they don't even have a Wikipedia page. They do, however, have three core members (guitar, vocals, mandolin, keyboard) and an eclectic blend of "friends in need are friends indeed*" with instruments - guitar, drums, flute, violin, cello and even recorder. Taking many aspects of folk music, they have blended it with a fairly light metal sound and applied vocals that are not disimilar to those of My Dying Bride (the singing, not the growling) and Anathema.

The album cover is kinda dreary really - sepia tones, a strange image that seems to consist of a kneeling naked person with their lower body turned to stone and their hair merging into smeared, surreal braids. The band name, in a font only slightly darker than the general green-browns of the cover is quite difficult to read and the lyrics are so tiny and white on sepia that one almost needs a magnifying glass to read them, like the songs, they merge into one and are divided by paragraph breaks but not headed by titles making you wonder if you are intended to just listen to the entire album from beginning to end.

The spine reads:

"When everything is nothing and all new is but the same cover the earth with your sins and never feel any shame"

 It is all rather avantgarde (like their label) but does not make for very impressive or eye-catching packaging - which kind of makes me wonder why I picked them up. I am glad they did, however, because although their packaging may be drab and kinda cheap, I do like their music.

This music has great atmosphere - I believe it is the folk elements. It is very much "Mood" music, the sort that you could play cheerfully in the background for ages, and never grow tired of. It is pretty soothing though - no roaring guitars or raging drums - making you quite realise how extremely eclectic the "metal" genre is.

I have decided to listen to this album from beginning to end to get the feel for it, then listen to it again and begin my track dissection. Thus I shall save it for now and begin the "breakdown" of songs later today.

Let's see if a dissection can improve my understanding of this album:

The CD begins with some discordant notes before breaking in to soothing folk music of "Eternal Fall". This theme continues through much of the album. The vocalist's voice is rich, deep and mellow with good harmonics.

More mellow folk sounds lead us in to "Polygon" along with a few of the more discordant screeching beats, and a steady thrum building hte the background. Vocals are whispered, quoting lyrics that are at once poetic and also somewhat nonsensical - the ones printed on the spine, in fact. We are then treated for some very mood-infused folk music, mellow, laid back, like an evening spent lounging in the sun, perhaps strumming your mandolins or guitars as you put your feet up, lean back and close your eyes, sinking in to the music.

Birdsong and flute marks the beginning of "Gazing", a sound invoking thoughts of two lovers, gazing into each other's eyes as they lie in a field of golden corn, the wind twisting and whipping it around them.

"The" is a lovely intrumental piece.

The pace picks up a little, but only a smidgeon, for "Invisible". It has some nice trilly bits, introducing butterflies to our cornfield, but ultimately the sun is still shimmering down and the sending striations of light upon the ground, between the stalks. It is also devoid of vocals.

The vocals return in "Don't Mind the Dancer" as a child skips and spins through the cornfield, turning circles whilst butterflies flutter around their outstretched arms and the wind shimmers and shines around them. The serenity and innocence is shattered as we enter into the second half of this track, "The Dance with the Diseased" with discordant twanging music and a barely audible ranting voice.

"All Blue is Beautiful" and so is this song, with its frolicking flute and some other sort of buzzy-sounding instrument (I really wish I knew what these things were called).It inexplicably ends with the beeping of a disconnected telephone.

Haunting chords usher us in to "The Kiss of All that Remains". The vocals begin again, with almost half the lyrics on the sleeve remaining for this song and the next.

And then my Windows Media Player spontaneously forgot that I have a CD drive.

Luckily I had already stored this album on my harddrive, and thus can listen to the last track.

Not surprisingly, "Flowing Downwards" is something of a slow and romantic tune - at least for the first minute or so, then abruptly it ups the beat and breaks into something a tad more aggressive (but only a tad, this is the soothing and laidback Promethean, after all). This song is like the river, at times relaxed and slow, sluggish between the banks, other times narrow, deep and dangerous. There is a hint of the ominous on the horizon - a waterfall, perhaps?

"...I'm a god now and the slaves shall serve..."

As far as this album is concerned, the songs do sort of merge together, and although I would compare it with Amorphis's "Elegy" I think it would benefit from having a couple faster-paced numbers. As it stands, it is sort of like a gentle flow of sound, all beautifully structured and very musical but no real stand out pieces.  For the most part, pleasant and soothing.

This earns it a rating, from me, of  7/10.


* Which I presume means friends WE need as opposed to friends that need us.

For some reason, possibly due to Orphaned Land, I have remembered this band, and now just want to listen to this song several times, very loudly:

Babylon Whores - In Arcadia's Ego 

If anyone can get me the CD this is off, "Cold Heaven" I will.. do something nice for you.   I had a copy of the video, taped from MTV, but alaso, time is not kind to Video Cassettes and it was devoured by mould...

Leaves' Eyes - Meredead (2011)

Following on in the wake of the Nightwish and Evanescence tide, a lot of female lead symphonic metal bands hit the scene - many were very good - and some, like German-Norwegian group Leaves' Eyes are excellent. Blending the heavy sounds of doom-death metal band, Atrocity, with the melodic warblings of vocalist, Liv Kristine (ex- Theatre of Tragedy). Their lyrics are based on nature (like early Within Temptation) and  mythology. There is a heavy folk vibe as well and the band make use of traditional instruments.

I have the digi-pack version, which is a nice hard-covered digipack (I am not so fond of those flimsy cardboard affairs) and additional live DVD. With the booklet being attached to the case, it's almost like a little, odd-shaped book. Very nice, even if it doesn't slot into my CD rack. The cover is beautiful and seems to show a dark-haired, elfin woman water bending.

 The CD begins with choral singing and chanting as we delve into the haunting "Spirits' Masquerade". The combination of instruments and the beat, with the flowing, water-droplet sweet voice of Kristine weaves a deeply spiritual feeling.

"Etain" is melodic and beautiful. She is from Irish mythology. It is easy to imagine a dancing blue butterfly, flitting along to this tune.

Violins and guitar herald us into "Velvet Heart", along with something that could be wind chimes. It has a stronger beat.

We then have the folk song "Krakevisa" which is the story of the Crow and the Farmer and a traditional Scandinavian folk song. I've also heard it performed by Tempest under a different name. It's very strongly folk, but also rather heavy, with much use of violins  (or do you call them fiddles?). This version is a lot slower and more melancholic than Tempest's rendition. In case you are curious, it's the story of a crow that attacks a farmer, and then gets killed and butchered, its parts put to various use. Kinda macabre.

Mike Oldfield's "To France" is next on the agenda and turned from a old-school pop-rock song into an epic anthem. Blind Guardian have given this song their own treatment too. It has a lot of power - I really should listen to the original. This one is quite melancholic and filled with longing.

"Meredead" is ghostly and sung in Olde English. I do not understand a word of it (I thought it was Norwegian) but it speaks of death in the sea. "Meredead" is a word that Liv Kristine coined herself.

"Sigrlinn" starts very folk, but is the first song on the album to have very clear "Beauty and the Beast" vocalising, with Krull growling in Norwegian - NOT his native tongue (he's German) and something he had to do phonetically. Also offering vocals in this song is Liv's sister, Carmen. This is a tale of an epic journey, and the changeable mood of the music reflects that.

Also in a foreign lingo, "Mine Jaror er ei Geimme" is a very soft, gentle song without the Atrocity acccompaniment. It is a medieaval ballad - a poem of a woman mourning her husband who has fallen in battle. Beautiful, ephemeral.

Followed up by the rather heavier "Empty Horizons" which reminds me of Atrocity's finer moments - the low - but not growling, vocals of Krull intermingled with Kristine's finer range. A haunting duet.

"Veritas" provides an intro to the traditional Norwegian stave of "Nystev".

Flutes and some form of string instrument (mandolin) lead us into the lovely "Tell Tale Eyes", in which the Beauty and the Beast singing style is exchanged for a melodic ballad, displaying the true vocal talents of Alexander Krull. The only accompaniment, the mandolin. The lyrics are slightly menacing, despite the beauty of the song.

The final, bonus track, "Sorhleod" is really lovely, even if I do not understand a word of it.

Overall, a beautiful amalgamation of folk, metal and power, establishing this group firmly amongst the best of the genre.

Rated: 9/10

Kari Rueslatten - Spindelsinn (1997)

Okay, so listening to someone whose first name starts with K is kinda cheating, but it was her or Kiske, and I didn't feel like listening to more Michael Kiske today. Pity I didn't buy that Kamelot CD, eh?

Kari Rueslatten is a Norwegian lass who is 6 years older than me, making her 41. And, she actually looks it. Her voice, however, is like liquid silver, dipped in honey. She, along with her symphonic doom band - 3rd and the Mortal, were inspiration for such greats as Nightwish. She has performed with several groups, integrating doom-laden metal with folk vibes and her haunting, ethereal* voice.

The elements of folk are strong in this CD, her debut solo one (albeit a remastered version). Alas, the lyrics are all in Norwegian - a language I do not speak, and thus I cannot comment on her song writing abilities. However, despite the language barrier, I enjoy the way she sings, the lilt to her voice and the various levels she can attain.

Except that I have found translations! And the lyrics are as haunting and beautiful as you might imagine. I'll link them from the songs, so you can at least know what the titles and themes are. In lack of understandable lyrics, instead we are treated to an evocative combination of intruments and voice, portraying the message through sounds, not words, that are understandable in any language.

So, let us begin. And yes, I know I should be using the appropriate characters for some of these letters, but I haven't figured out how to do the special Norwegian letters. My apologies.

"I Manens Favn" ("In the Moon's Embrace") is a song about a dancer, whose magical dance lures in the women. It is most definitely folk inspired, and has a very bouncy rhythm. I could dance to this. I SHOULD dance to this.

We get slower with  the haunting "Spindelsinn" ("Mind Web"). A song that weaves an enchanting tune.

Now that I know what the "Skogens Kjole" ("The Forest's Song") is about,  I cannot help but feel the spirit of the forest in the words. It's easy to imagine snow-shrouded branches and leaves dropping in the breeze. The song is delicate and fragile.

The very sweet "Agatha" follows. It sounds like a love song. Agatha strikes me as being a wispy, spiritual being - a guide from another world.


"Trollferd" ("Troll Journey") takes you to another world, into a boreal forest, where snow sticks tot he moss laden trees and a trail of strange footsteps leads you through the snow, while above the sky is pale with the promise of frost.

"Vintersol" ("Winter Sunlight") picks up a more upbeat tone, sunbeams glinting off the snow, banishing the cold and portraying the world as pure and clean. A perfect day for a winter walk. The music has the promise of spring in its step, and the inclusion of classical instruments makes it seem divine.

A tender, beckoning song - "Jeg Kommer Inn" ("I'm coming in"), with string instruments, singing alongside Kari's beautiful voice. There's a little bit of bounce in the middle.

"Hor Min Sang" ("Hear My Song") is a very sweet and gentle piece, as soft as a caress.

"Som Av Meg" ("As of Me") is beautiful and ephemeral, a delicate whisper.

The chilling and ghostly "Nordnatt" ("Night of the North") ends the album, a haunting song of long, chilling nights and a vivid tapestry of stars. It fades slowly, the music ghosting away.

There are two more tracks - live versions of "Spindelsinn" and "I Manens Favn".

This is a beautiful album, a soundrtack to a cold winterland. The folk aspects and the classical instruments are a flawless combination with the sweet, lonely voice of Kari Rueslatten. The only downside is that the lyrics are not in English, but it loses none of its beauty because of this - and perhaps gains an extra element of mystique.

Overall rating = 9/10.

I have another CD by Kari, and it is in English.

* You will probably hear this term a lot in these reviews, this is because I like females with haunting, ethereal voices and have quite a collection of these CDs. If I can think of a different adjective, I shall make use of it. Okay?

Edenbridge - Shine (2004)

Once upon a time, there used to be a most awesome music store in town, known as "Real Groovy". Every once in a while, I would make my way along their aisles, flicking through the "Metal" section and select 2-3 CDs that for some reason or another caught my eye. Unlike JB Hi-Fi, in Real Groovy, you could listen to your chosen CDs and thus make a spur-of-the-moment decision to try a new band.

That was how I discovered Edenbridge.

It was in the time when Evanescence* were big, and I had discovered wonderful female lead acts such as Within Temptation and Nightwish, but always on the look-out for more. And I fell in love with Edenbridge.

One reason, I think, is because they just sound more cheerful than Nightwish and Elis* and Epica* and most of the other female-lead symphonic metal bands.

The vocalist, her name is Sabine Edelsbacher, is sylph-like and her voice is ethereal and operatic. There is an edge to it (and to the music that accentuates it) that makes my heart soar with energy and light and love.

The album opens with the inspirational "Shine". The music complements Sabine's rich voice, and is laden with positive emotion.

We move into "Move Along Home" with its opening Oriental sounding instruments, inspiring thoughts of Arabain Nights

"Centennial Legend" is beautiful and haunting, with an ephermeral quality.

 "Wild Chase" starts with traditional instruments, giving it a tribal, Indian, feel, before soaring into something that would best be described as folk-inspired metal.

"And the Road Goes on" opens with Sabine's sweet warbling. The lass has beautiful vocal range.

"What You Leave Behind" is followed by the slower "Elsewhere", with its piano accompaniment.

"October Sky" is a rather more powerful and heavier number.

The ethereal "Canterville Prophecy" leads into the epic "Canterville Ghost".

We conclude with the bonus track "On Sacred Ground" which is both haunting and ghostly, the sort of song that lingers in your mind after the last chord has faded.

Edenbridge  are a damned fine band, one of my favourite of the "female lead symphonic metal" genre - rich with emotion and a full array of more classical instruments, blending together to unleash a sound that is at once melodic and beautiful, haunting and ephermeral. I will give this album my first 10/10.


* Why, do you think, so many of these bands start with "E"? Is it to make my decision on which E CD to listen to first more difficult?