It is Eurovision week here in Europe, the only week out of the 52 were I unleash my more nerdy side. You probably think that I am a poser for following this spectacle of catchy pop music and shiny dresses, but the music is not the main reason to why I follow this competition, because it is a fantastic opportunity to see what the rest of Europe is listening to. Sure, I would love more rock and metal in this show (and we do get some this year :D), but the genre is still a minority in the music industry. Oh well, I am looking forward to the competition, and I will write a "Thoughts From A Metal Mind" segment of this year's competition, just like last year, after the final on Saturday. Until then, let us enjoy three new songs that will be added to the playlist.
All of the songs on this segment is gathered in a Spotify playlist, you can find it here
The Classic: Nightwish - Nemo
Did you know that Nightwish tried to qualify to the Eurovision Song Contest? They did in 2000 with
the song "Sleepwalker", but ultimately finished 3rd (1st among the televoters though) in the Finnish qualifiers. Such a shame, but the song itself does not have the quality that we would get used to in the future, which is why I have chosen the five year younger sibling "Nemo" instead. A masterful and beautiful creation in which Tarja Turunen gets to use all of her opera abilities to create a magical mood, but it is the grand chorus that makes this song so memorable. And in true Eurovision fashion, we end it by increasing the key up one level, and thus comes the goosebumps.
and for those of you who are interested in "Sleepwalker", here is the band performing it in the Finnish qualifying final.
The Newcomer: Moonsorrow - Jumalten Aika
To be honest, it has been a fairly slow week of metal, which is why I have chosen a song that was not in a album released this last week. Instead, we have the title track from a great album known as "Jumalten Aika", made by Moonsorrow. While the entire album is worth mentioning, I believe that the title track is the stand out, thanks to its strong folk influences, beautiful melodies and great emotions. It is a close to 13 minute song, but it goes by in a flash, a fantastic opening to an amazing album.
The Personal Favourite: Teräsbetoni - Missä Miehet Ratsastaa
You thought I would chose Lordi's "Hard Rock Hallelujah" here (whom won the ESC in 2006), did ya? Oh no, I am not that predictable, but we are still staying in Finland, and move forward another two years, and find another great metal entry. Teräsbetoni delivered a manly performance, with loud drums, battle cries, and probably the manliest thing of all, the Finnish language. "Missä Miehet Ratsastaa" is best translated as "Where the men are riding" and is a straight forward metal tune with good riffing, catchy chorus, and a sweet solo (that is shorter in the competition due to time restrictions, do not worry, I have the longer version in the playlist). They did not win, but a honorable spot in the final is not too bad.
Stay metal!
Robert "Sharkruisher" Andersson
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