SONG OF THE DAY

SONG OF THE DAY

SONG OF THE DAY

SONG OF THE DAY

GREAT WORKS: AMORPHIS - TUONELA

Amorphis comes from Helsinki of Finland and formed in 1990. They have released 7 full albums and 3 EPs, and they are ready to release their 8^th album on August. In the beginning they performed death metal, with many traditional and melodic riffs on their songs, with keyboards to follow the guitars. Slowly, they inserted psychedelic influences from the ‘70s and bands such as Pink Floyd and Hawkwind.

Their 4^th full length album is 1999’s “Tuonela” and it is their best album up to date. On this album, Amorphis have diminished to the minimum the death metal elements, and the ‘70s influences are evident more than any other album. Despite this fact, that leaded the band to pass from a kind of audience to another, due to the change to music, Amorphis create an incredible album. In musical level the band combines guitar parts, which have a traditional Finnish touch, with space/psychedelic keyboard parts. The whole music matches perfectly with the very special voice of the band’s singer, Pasi Koskinen and the final result takes off the ground. All the songs have coherence and a travel mood which makes the listening of the album very pleasant, almost to every listener, independently his music background. The lyrics of the album are about personal moments of the writter and all the talking is done by traditional Finnish tales.

Not to forget to mention that, “Tuonela” is the name of underworld in “Kalevala”, and the name of the plant on album’s cover, is Pihlaja and grows only in Finland.

AMORPHIS discography:

(1992) Karelian Isthmus
(1994) Tales From The Thousand Lakes
(1996) Elegy
(1999) Tuonela
(2001) Am Universum
(2003) Far From The Sun
(2006) Eclipse
(2007) Silent Waters

SONG OF THE DAY

SONG OF THE DAY

SONG OF THE DAY

SONG OF THE DAY

SONG OF THE DAY

SONG OF THE DAY

SONG OF THE DAY

Conversation Spot : Favorite movies' themes

Welcome to our weekly discussion spot where everyone is invited to express his/her opinion on the subject of conversation. This week our topic is music from the films but also series or even cartoons and anime. Have fan!

Chris Caffery - Pins and Needles (Album Review 2007)

Hello to you all out there. After days of silence, today again I will put my comments on an album that really made me change my mind about the former member of "Savatage", Chris Caffery. Having his new album in my hands, makes me really happy, because we are talking about a very progressive metal album. I have to admit that Caffery has a huge imagination, since he has combined melodies that comes suddenly in your ears from the nowhere and lyrics that create a silent, promising, mystical atmosphere. The only thing that brings you back from the focusing on "what sound will I hear next" is the rock smashing guitar solos and the jazz moments of some songs. A heavy, alternative, power, hard rock, Progressive metal album that can not be heard that easily. The first hearing will leave you with the expression "what happed here", but after trying to hear it again and if that isn't enough, and again, your effort will be rewarded and the time that you will spend, it will spend for taking a step forward to your music horizons.

Chris Caffery have released the next stuff:

2004	Faces
2004	Music Man [EP]
2007	Pins And Needles

++Keep The Flame Burning++

SONG OF THE DAY

GREAT WORKS: LED ZEPPELIN - IV

1970. Led Zeppelin has already released their 3^rd album “III”, which, except the hard rock anthem “Immigrant Song”, is a mix of folk, hippie and west coast rock staff. Irrelevant, that the album had very good sales and all the Led Zeppelin shows were sold out, the music press generally, and the British especially, condemned that album. This fact pissed off Jimmy Page, band’s guitarist, who decided to write the best music that he could and to release the new album without the band’s name, without a headline and any further information. Jimmy Page, with that action aimed, all those who would buy the album, will have to concentrate to music and nowhere else. It was his revenge.

Their music label, Atlantic Recordings, didn’t accept to release the album under these circumstances, but Page refused to give them the bobbins with the recordings, so Atlantic Recordings buckled and the album released on 1971. The band took a huge risk releasing the album in that way and refusing to release “Stairway to heaven” as a single, after continuous requests from the label. Finally the album reached No. 1 in British and No. 2 in US music charts. Endless tours followed shortly after album’s release and the band was building its myth. As of July 31, 2006, IV has sold 23 million copies in the US, making it one of the top four best selling albums in the history of the US music industry. Worldwide, it ranks at number eleven in album sales.

Musically the album is the probably best that Led Zeppelin ever released. It contains hard rock songs (Black Dog, Rock ‘n’ Roll), dance (Misty Mountain Hop), hippie (Going to California), folk (The Battle of Evermore, Four Sticks) and blues (When the Levee Breaks) staff. Last but not least, the album contains the monumental song Stairway to Heaven. Any interpretation relevant with this song is simple blasphemy.

The album has several names. “IV” is one, following the naming of their earlier albums (I, II & III). Another naming is “Four Symbols”, because of the 4 mystical symbols () used at the artwork, which represented each member of the band. One more name is “The Untitled Album”, for obvious reasons.

This is an album that reached immortality for all the above reasons. Led Zeppelin created a true monument of music, with which a couple of generations grew, by listening to it, and numberless musicians have influenced by its content. This is an album that his absence from any music suggests lack of knowledge and loss of many unique moments.

GREAT WORKS: Deep Purple - Machine Head

Machine Head is by many considered the best album of Deep Purple. This album of 1972 that Richie Blackmore , Ian Gillan, Jon Lord,Ian Paice and Roger Glover created and performed is a magnificent sample of what music is capable of.
The story of this album is quite noticeable as it was recorded in Switzerland. There in Geneva happened a story that almost everyone has listened but doesn't know. They had booked the casino for two weeks for the recording. Frank Zappa was giving a show there and someone fired a flare gun into the roof. The casino was burnt and Deep Purple had nowhere to record their album. They found Grand Hotel that was closed for the winter and they rented part of it. The album was recorded in a corridor (basically because Paice considered that the Drums was sounding better there). This story, the story of this superb album is narrated in the most famous song of the album and one of the most known songs of Rock music, Smoke on the water.
Smoke on the Water is a song that has everything it takes to be a masterpiece. It is quite simple and to it belongs the riff that everyone knows. The lyrics are simple and yet effective. The mixing is superb ( the album was originally recorded in quadraphonic sound. The original mixes are available on the SACD).
The lyrics of the album surprise us with their simplicity that works in favor of the poetic result and not against it. The music with outbursts that seem to come from a metal album but also with clear and nice melodies combine practically everything. The allegro is mated with andante and the voice is clear and captures your attention. This album cannot be described by words since its diversities leave us incapable of describing without analyzing every second. One last thing is that this album contains some of the nicest keyboard parts that I have listened to (Jon Lord did an exceptional job and is my favorite of course).
Concluding the SACD presents the original sound as it was meant to be presented so for those that possess the appropriate sound system I strongly suggest they acquire it. In the SACD there can be found the "when a blind man cries" a terrific song that was not originally included on the album. If you have not listened to this album it's time you do!

DODHEIMSGARD - SUPERVILLAIN OUTCAST [2007] (album review)

In this year of grace, the black metal pioneers Dødheimsgard (Dhg) released their new, 4^th in order full-length album, “Supervillain Outcast”. For about eight years after their last release, 1999’s “666 International”, I was waiting impatiently, and I guess all the band’s friends, for this one. I can’t explain the reason why I was so impatient, whole this period, but I guess that I must “put the blame” on their innovative last album. Ladies and gentlemen, Dødheimsgard crossed the threshold of this solar system, in 1999 and they sent us a brief report about what exists out there, written into “666 International” album. Now, with their triumphant return back to earth, they are describing their whole experience into “Supervillain Outcast”.

With the first listening of the album, it’s clear that we have to do with a “special” album, for once more time. The riffs are amazing and somewhere between 1998’s EP “Satanic Art” and “666 International”, with continuous changes from melodic to morbid, and from frenzied to groovy. The programming/effects are diminished a little bit, comparing to “666 International”, but they are placed to the appropriate points in order to serve each song’s aim, by creating cold and weird atmospheres. The drumming is simply genius from a gifted musician, Czral. Behind the microphone, the new singer Kvohst replaces Aldrahn and he manages to almost disappear, this absence, as his performance is remarkable. I believe that it’s not coincidental that Vicotnik the band’s master and guitarist, released his project’s Code debut album, in which Kvohst sings also, before “Supervillain Outcast”, in order to make clear to all of us, Kvohst’s abilities. It will be not fair, if I don’t mention the psychedelic cover of the album and the beautiful artwork.

If I had to made a further mention for some tracks from the album, these will be “Horrorizon” which is atmospheric with many Ved Buens Ende references, “Ghostforce Soul Constrictor” which is my album’s favorite, “All Is Not Self”, which seems to have escaped from Ved Buens Ende’s “Written in Waters” album, and finally “21^st Century Devil”, whose main theme is based to a melody from “Sonar Bliss” song (this melody is played by grand piano at 4.05’ min ) of “666 International” album.

Dødheimsgard discography:

[1995] Kronet til Konge
[1996] Monumental Possession
[1998] Satanic Art EP
[1999] 666 International
[2007] Supervillain Outcast

for further information visit: www.myspace.com/dodheimsgard

Dew Scented - Incerate (Album Review) (2007)

Hello friends and music brothers!!!! Today I will put my comments on an album that after hearing it several times I can say that it is a rewarding offspring of the band named as "Dew Scented". The album is called "Incinerate", a classic melodic-death metal album with brutal vocals, as in every death metal album, and guitar riffs that will make you headbang for every second of every track. Following the new, and old in some ways, wave of melodic death metal, made by bands such as the "At the gates", the "Dew Scented" have made an album with powerful riffs followed with very nice guitar solos and fast drum beats that can be characterized as "stone breaking". Some of the listeners may say that they look alike the style of the band named "The Haunted", but as I have said before, we have a new wave of melodic death metal and now just a style coping. There are few to say more about this METAL album... just hear it... It has something to say since the band isn't new in the neighborhood :P

So fans out there, hear the album and HEADBANG as much as you can!!!

"Dew Scented" have also released the following albums:
Immortelle 1996
Innoscent 1998
Ill-Natured 1999
Inwards 2002
Impact 2003
Ill-Natured & Innoscent [Compilation] 2003
Issue VI 2005


++Keep The Flame Burning++

IN MEMORY OF : QUORTHON (02/17/1966 - 06/06/2004)

Among other articles, reviews, or news, you can find to our blog every month a tribute to an extinct artist, who left his mark indelible to our music with his work, over the years. This month we pay homage to a legend of extreme music, who created music which was influential for innumerable bands in metal music, from black to epic metal bands. We pay homage to a man who was creating music straight from his heart. We pay homage to a man who listened to his heart, before his every step, without compromising. This legend’s real name was Tomas Forsberg, but he will stay immortal in metal’s music history as QUORTHON.

Quorthon created his band Nosferatu, at 1983, which later renamed to BATHORY. Bathory released their same name debut at 1984, which was an irregular mixing of Motorhead, The Exploited and GBH influences, with totally insane solo parts and vocals from the other side. The first critics were disappointing, but a core of fans, who were thirsty for extreme and uncompromising music, created in due. In 1985 “The Return” released and the music turns to a more thrashy direction. What released on that album, was that created a whole scene some years later. That scene was the famous Norwegian Black Metal scene. The lack of promotion of Bathory’s albums, the lack of photos in albums’ inlays, the lack of interviews and the denial for live shows, was spreading a veil of mystery around Bathory, which helped their myth to become huge enough, among the metal fans. That fact leaded fans to confess their dedication to group with very weird ways. For example, Quorthon received once, a letter from two Japanese girls, fans of the band, which was written to a four meter long rice paper. In 1986’s “Under the Sign of the Black Mark”, Bathory let some epic elements to make their apparition into some songs, fact that leaded to the next album’s songs, the epic elements to be dominant. 1988’s “Blood Fire Death” was a masterpiece, with lower speed tempo, majestic melodies, brutal and hymn vocals and lyrics taken straight from the Scandinavian mythology and tradition. “Blood Fire Death” was the beginning of a trilogy, which continued to 1990’s “Hammerheart” and 1991’s “Twilight of the Gods” albums. These two albums are full of Viking related music, effects and lyrics and they are probably the most original epic albums in the history of heavy metal. After all these albums, Quorthon showed signs of tiredness and a transition era started for the band. Two compilation with unreleased songs and also two albums free from the epic elements released. Those albums brought back the thrash character of the band, and they were 1994’s “Requiem” and 1995’s “Octagon”. After these, “Blood on Ice” released in 1997, which was an album with leftovers from 1990-91 sessions. Two more compilation albums followed and after 5 years at 2001 “Destroyer of Worlds” released. The last two albums that Bathory released were 2002’s “Nordland I” and 2003’s “Nordland II”, which were a return to the epic sound, after fans’ demand.

Unfortunately, Quorthon didn’t have the chance to create more albums, since his heart betrayed him and all his fans. Tomas Forsberg passed away at 06/06/2004 due to heart failure. He was found dead in Monday 7^th of July, in his small apartment at Stockholm. It was not later than that moment, that it was made known that the last years he encountered some heart problems. He was only 39 years old. The figure that Quorthon dedicated most of his songs, took him to the other side. His life’s ending had the same ending with the most Scandinavian myths, a sad one. Even to his last moment he stayed consistent to the principles, that he chanted to his songs. The world and our music are poorer with his absence. Only Valhalla earned from this departure.

Influencial for: Black metal bands (Darkthrone, Mayhem, Burzum, Emperor and more), Death metal bands (Amon Amarth, and more) Epic metal bands (Doomsword, Grand Magus and more)