Turilli/Lione Rhapsody - Zero Gravity (Rebirth And Evolution) (2019)

My relationship with the ever changing entity known as Rhapsody has always been complicated. At one hand, I appreciate the grand unique spectacle that the band usually give us, but I also feel like they cross over the cheesy line more often than not, making every listen extremely frustrating. It does not help either that the band is different every time they pop up on the news feed, whether it be a new name, a new line up, or a combination of both. So here we have another branch on the Rhapsody tree, with founder Luca Turilli leaving his own Rhapsody on the sidelines for now, to once again collaborate with former Rhapsody (and current Angra) singer Fabio Lione in a project called, what else, Turilli/Lione Rhapsody. Just had to stick in that Rhapsody at the end, didn't ya?

To be honest, I do not blame their branding decision here, because this is as Rhapsody as it can become, all of that glorious epic symphonic cheese metal in an all you can eat buffet. It is grander than an ancient gladiator fight at the Coliseum in Rome, and it is more dramatic than the biggest of drama queens. Needless to say, if you have any interest in anything of Turilli's and Lione's previous Rhapsody work, this will most likely suit you nicely.

It is still teetering dangerously on that thin line between brilliance and cheese, but the duo fortunately ends up successful more often than not. There is this overwhelming confidence going through this record that wins me over time and time again, a multi layered sound scape of fantastic musicality that is just wonderful to behold. A track like "Decoding The Multiverse" is a prime example of this, a song that should have been over the top with its ridiculous premise, symphonic overload, and an over acting Lione, but it is all performed so expertly that it churns out pure quality instead of Gouda.

The whole first half of the record is overall top notch stuff. Opener "Phoenix Rising" sets the bar nicely with its Middle Eastern spices and catchy chorus, which is then followed up by "D.N.A. - Demon And Angel", where Lione is doing some excellent duet work with Amaranthe's Elize Ryd. Turilli gets his moments too, like the apocalyptic "Fast Radio Burst", and in the solo of the title track.

So it all seemed well and good, and my hopes of finally starting to love a Rhapsody album started to peak out, only to go right back to its hideout at the midway point. The second half has some questionable choices that makes this record slightly front heavy, like why are they suddenly changing between English and Italian? Just a weird choice that does nothing to benefit the album as a whole. There is also more classical influences in here, which is not utilized to its fullest potential unfortunately, it just becomes overly dramatic for my taste. "I Am" and "Multidimensional" saves this second half from being complete confusion, but it does not help my view of any Rhapsody project.

Despite that disappointing ending, "Zero Gravity (Rebirth And Evolution)" is still one of the more powerful Rhapsody records I have heard in some time, showing off the brilliance that both Luca Turilli and Fabio Lione can do when they bash their collective minds together. It makes you miss the good old days, when there was only one Rhapsody out there and not three. Bravissimo to the both of you.

Songs worthy of recognition: Fast Radio Burst, D.N.A. - Demon And Angel, Decoding The Multiverse, Multidimensional

Rating: 8/10 Origins

tlrhapsody.com/
twitter.com/ltrhapsody

Avantasia - Moonglow (2019)

Everyone's favourite side project is back again, but after celebrating 20 years of existence and 8 full length releases, it does not really feel right to call Avantasia a side project. In fact, it feels like Tobias Sammet has put more effort into this group than what he does to Edguy as of late, almost trying to find every excuse imaginable to gather his fellow vocalists to continue on his theatrical fairytale. Well, as long as the quality is still there, I am all aboard.

So it should not come as a surprise that "Moonglow" is pretty close to its predecessors in terms of sound, using that copyrighted style of epic symphonic power metal that Tobias has developed close to perfection. The guest list is also pretty familiar, with returning vocalists such as Jørn Lande (Jorn), Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids), Bob Catley (Magnum), Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween, Unisonic, Place Vendome), and Geoff Tate (ex-Queensrÿche). We do get a couple of surprises though, but I will get to them later, just rest assured Avantasia fans that Tobias is not going too far from his normal formula.

It all starts with "Ghost In The Moon", a close to 10 minute track that is just typical Avantasia cheese to the core, and it is pure cheese, with no guest artists adding any additional spices to it. It goes on for a bit too long, but it is a fine opening. The album does really take off in the next track "Book of Shallows, in which Jørn, Ronnie, and Hansi Kürsch from Blind Guardian (who makes his first Avantasia appearance, which feels odd) step in together with Tobias to create a nice and meaty masterclass sandwich. It all goes well, then suddenly, around the half way point, the guitars get heavier, the tempo shifts, and in comes Mille Petrozza and turns this track into a brilliant Avantasia/Kreator fusion that should not work, but oh man it does! Talk about making an impact.

After a calm and beautiful title track (featuring Candice Night from Blackmore's Night), we get another mastodon in "The Raven Child", an 11 minute monster that starts off with some nice Blind Guardian acoustics, and then it just picks up the intensity as it goes along, leading to some incredibly epic moments. This might be one of my favourite 10+ minute songs from Avantasia, just for how it keeps the listener on its toes throughout the run time, and then also rewards said listener to a truly epic finish, where Jørn gets to do what he is best at, shriek like Ronnie James Dio, and rock out. Add Tobias who goes back and forth with Jørn for more than a solid minute, and we get some great, headbanging epicness to close out one of the highlights of the record.

And it is easy to think that the album does not get much better from here, and it does not, but it still has a few aces still in its sleeve. "Starlight" is another classic Avantasia tune that we have heard before, but is still just as great, and in "Requiem For A Dream" we get Kiske in good old Helloween form, passing by in blazing fast speeds. Then we have the two Geoff Tate only tracks "Invincible" and "Alchemy" that are pretty different from each other, but they are equally awesome, showing some of the most emotional work we have heard from Tate in years. Who knew it took a German power metal singer to bring back that Tate to our lives.

While there are a good bunch of quality in this record, it does still have some questionable decisions. Like was it really a good idea to cram in Tobias, Ronnie, Jørn, Eric Martin (Mr. Big), Bob, and Tate into "The Piper At The Gates of Dawn"? No, it was not, it is way too many chefs for this soup. Also, was it really necessary to add in a cover of the classic "Flashdance" song "Maniac"? The cover is perfectly fine, adding some cool guitar work to an already groovy song, but it does not add anything to the record. Besides, I think Firewind did a stronger and more personal effort on their cover, so go check out that one instead.

Despite that, there is still no question that Tobias Sammet is still the co-king of multi vocalists projects (together with Arjen Lucassen of course), delivering another excellent Avantasia record to the people. It might not push the boundaries on what the band can be, but it does deliver on what it wants to do, displaying some epic theatrical music with some of the best vocalists around. "Moonglow" is certainly shining bright, both at night and at day.

Songs worthy of recognition: The Raven Child, Book of Shallows, Invincible, Alchemy

Rating: 8/10 Ghosts In The Moon

www.tobiassammet.com/
twitter.com/_avantasia

More reviews of Avantasia
The Mystery of Time
Ghostlights

Within Temptation - Resist (2019)

I am right now waiting for the newest installment in the gaming franchise Trials, a game series that mixes silly fun with Finnish pin point precision. The upcoming Trials Rising looks incredible, and adding this fun to the Switch is gonna be great. So, why am I talking about a game where you ride a motorcycle from point A to point B in a review of the latest Within Temptation record? Well, that is because the new album "Resist" actually reminds me of a previous Trials game, the futuristic Trials Fusion.

So yes, "Resist" has a futuristic style to it, but the band continues onwards from their predecessor "Hydra", which puts less emphasis on the symphonic part, and more on making catchy choruses. It is a strategy that might not suit everybody, but when it works, it is damn effective, and I am glad to say that the band is much more consistent this time around, having few missed steps and more home run hitter. Songs like "In Vain", "Mad World", and many more are easy to sing along to after just a few listens, certainly making "Resist" memorable.

Another thing that the band continues doing is collaborating with other artists. Opening track "The Reckoning" has a solid appearance from Jacoby Shaddix from Papa Roach. The song itself is okay, but not a highlight. Then we have Anders Fridén from In Flames in "Raise Your Banners", and while he just screams "Blood for freedom" over and over again, the song is epic as hell, making me want to make a sign and complain about something outside city hall. It is a grand track where I am just thankful that Anders does not have to do any clean duties. Jasper Steverlinck ends the guest line up with an appearance in "Firelights".

All the glory to the guests, but the driving force of Within Temptation is still Sharon Den Adel and her fantastic vocals. She has a flow to her vocals that is just magnificent to behold, enhancing the melodies to its maximum potential. There are several examples of this throughout the record, but "Holy Ground" probably shows it best with its free flowing chorus that somehow becomes memorable just by how Sharon express herself. She is just wonderful, and the band would be lost without her.

While there are a lot of enjoyable moments in here, I do think there are a couple of blanks being shot as well. Both "Firelights" and "Mercy Mirror" tries to change up the album, but instead of giving "Resist" more diversity, they just stand out as an odd couple that does not fit in at all, breaking the complete picture of the album. Also, mostly thanks to the futuristic sound, the production is a little too perfect, not having the warmth that probably would have helped the slower and more emotional songs in this record. Just small complaints, but they do affect the album significantly.

So as I said, "Resist" is just like the video game Trials Fusion. It sounds futuristic, has a lot of memorable content that is easy to enjoy, and it has some new ideas as well, while still holding on to the previously working formula. The cons are the same as well though, with it being a little too slick for its own good, having a couple of bugs, and not including online multiplayer at launch. With that said, I still think "Resist" is a strong effort that fans of the band will not be disappointed by. You could also say that they will not be able to resist "Resist"...

I will take my leave, good bye.

Songs worthy of recognition: Raise Your Banner, Endless War, Holy Ground, In Vain

Rating: 8/10 Mad Worlds

https://www.resist-temptation.com/
https://twitter.com/WTofficial

More reviews of Within Temptation
Hydra

Auri - S/T (2018)

With Nightwish on a much needed break after some extensive touring, founder Toumas Holopainen finally had some time to create a new project that he had wanted to do for years. Together with fellow Nightwish member Troy Donockley and old friend Johanna Kurkela, Toumas has formed Auri, a group that is probably best described as the band that Nightwish was originally intended to be, a calm, acoustic band that took inspiration from the forests of Finland. Okay, this band is not fully acoustic, but the use of electric guitar in here is minimal, and there are no regular drums or bass to be heard.

So you are all probably wondering the same question, is this a band the common Nightwish fan should listen to? I definitely think so, because even if the element of metal is gone, fans should be able to enjoy the symphonic aura that this band has around it. If I had to compare Auri to another band, I think that The Gentle Storm is the best bet, having similar feelings in the music even if the inspiration is different (also, Johanna sounds kind of like Anneke Van Giersbergen too).

There is not much technical work in here to really grasp on, but everything is certainly carefully placed into the very smallest of details. You can truly notice how passionate all three members are about this project, with everything being so beautifully arranged into a very spiritual album. It transports you to one of the thousand lakes of Finland, among the beautiful nature and soothing landscapes. It is a relaxing album that you can easily come back to if you want to get away from the stress.

With that said though, this is most definitely not an album for everyone. A lot of you guys will probably find this record to be boring, and I cannot blame you, because I found myself drifting away from the album several times. While the sound is very relaxing and soft, there just is not enough music in here to really engage me fully into the band. The songs do very little to stand out, which takes the album dangerously close to "Sounds of the forest" territory, you know, those discs you play when you want to sleep more easily. There is enough meat in here so that "Auri" does not get classified as such an album, but this type of style will never have the strength to knock anyone out, or even emotionally touch someone to great levels.

I love that Toumas, Troy, and Johanna get to live out their dream, to finally create this project and present it to the world. Their love and devotion is obvious here, and it should be enough to draw a decently big crowd around its camp fire. I still think a lot more people will just see this as a snore fest though, which is of course a shame since there is a lot of care behind the product. I appreciate the effort from the band, and I do hope that they come around to make more material in the future, but this is simply not an album for me, even if I found it to be a very pleasant record that will be a nice soundtrack on my Pokemon Go walks in the Swedish forest.

Songs worthy of recognition: The Space Between, I Hope Your World Is Kind, Night 13

Rating: 6,5/10 Desert Flowers

www.nuclearblast.de/en/label/music/band/about/4804238.auri.html
www.facebook.com/AURlband/

Therion - Beloved Antichrist (2018)

If you had three hours to spare in your precious short lived life, what would you do to fill up that time? Maybe you would watch an American Football game, or perhaps write a kick ass song, or maybe take that special someone to an experience you two would never forget. Or you could just waste those three hours by picking up Therion's latest full length effort, and press play. It sounds insane, almost out right impossible, but Therion has taken the epic concept record to a whole new level, going longer than any other band has ever gone. You thought Dream Theater's "The Astonishing" was long? Well, wait until you get a load of THIS!

This madness of a record is Therion's 14th effort (not counting the compilation album "Crowning of Atlantis" and the cover album "Les Fleurs Du Mal"), and I know it has been 7 years since they released their latest original opus, but did they really have to release ALL of the songs they wrote during that time? "Beloved Antichrist" is a religious concept opera record that spans just over three hours, is divided into three acts, and contains a total of 46 songs. 46 SONGS! WHAT ARE THEY THINKING!?!? I can barely count to 46, and they decide to cram in every single one of these songs into a single record! Why not split it up into two or three records like a lot of other bands have done, like Blaze Bayley, Vanden Plas, Between The Buried And Me, or Scar Symmetry (btw, where is part 2 and 3 of "The Singularity" guys?).

With this amount of songs, it becomes incredibly hard to decipher what song is what, how it sounded, connecting the dots from hook to title. Let me make this clear from the get go, "Beloved Antichrist" has a lot of great ideas within it, solos that are fantastic, vocal harmonies that are exquisite, instrumentation that is very close to perfection, but when you have so much of it in one place, it is very easy to get lost among it all. Nothing in here truly stands out, so it all becomes an enormous blob of operatic prog metal that does sound pretty good, but you get tired of it pretty quickly.

As for the concept, it is kind of cheesy, but just as with "The Astonishing", there is a lot of work put into it, and it certainly is noticeable, so you kind of automatically respect it just for the amount of hours that has been spent on it. But while Dream Theater did an amazing job in creating a story that was original and well thought out, with dialogues within the album and a massive internet library they shared with the fans so that they could understand it more, Therion's concept is harder to take in, not only because you do not always understand what they are singing, but also because it is kind of more muddled in the shadows. It is based on "A Short Tale of The Antichrist" (short?) by Vladimir Soloviev, speaking about satanism and religion in itself, so you can get more information that way, but still, judging by the disc alone, it does not come through well enough.

The biggest problem with this record though is that it is just not as dynamic as it needs to be. Close to every song has sort of the same tone to it, being moderately fast and has a lot of symphonic elements to it, which just makes this album more confusing. Sure, some songs do turn up the speed and insert some heavier guitar work, and others slow things down a lot, but there is not enough variety or enough special moments in "Beloved Antichrist" to elevate it higher. The only tracks that I sort of remember from the top of my head is the epic power metal speed of "Anthem" and the main riff of "Night Reborn", that has some similarities to the classic Dio song "We Rock". Remembering 2 out of 46 songs is not very good, that is only 4,3% of the album.

This saddens me, because there is so much great stuff in here that would have gotten the credit it deserved if the band just would have had the common sense to split this album into three 1-hour pieces released around 2 months apart. Therion is an incredibly skilled band, they know how to handle their instruments and how to write engaging music, but their own vanity just takes over here ten fold. This is the most pompous, over bloated, overly long, excruciatingly boring album I have ever come across. It is incredibly frustrating to put a simple number to this album, because none of them makes it justice. Do I give it a high rating because the quality of the craft is fantastic? Or do I give it a low rating because the length completely kills it? In the end, I land somewhere in between, but maybe more towards the negative side, because an album is first and foremost supposed to be enjoyed in its entirety, and I simply do not have the patience or the strength to get through this brick wall of sound. If you decide to test out this album, make sure you have a snack and lots of beverage by your side, because you are gonna be staying for a while.

Songs worthy of recognition: Anthem, Night Reborn, Temple of Jerusalem, Shoot Them Down!

Rating: 4,5/10 Daggers of God

www.megatherion.com/
twitter.com/_therion

The Dark Element - S/T (2017)

I kind of feel bad for Anette Olzon, she never really got a fighting chance when she replaced Tarja in Nightwish. Her time in the band was anything but pleasant, despite doing an alright job on two full length records. Sure, she was not a good fit (Nightwish needs a strong female vocalist, and Anette is more delicate), but I always hoped that she would bounce back into the metal scene some day to get her redemption.

Well, seems like she is getting an opportunity this year, because together with former Sonata Arctica guitarist (and co-founder) Jani Liimatainen, they have created The Dark Element, a new symphonic power metal band that tries to squeeze their way in to a genre that already has tons of talent. Looking from the outside, it is a project that certainly sounds interesting. Jani is a great songwriter and seems to know how to utilize those around him to make the product as good as possible, just look at the latest Cain's Offering album "Stormcrow" for proof.

Sure enough, this album definitely uses Anette's vocals better than Nightwish did, even if a lot of the music here is directly borrowed from the legendary Finnish band. "The Dark Element" is an incredibly melodic record with tons of catchy melodies and choruses, sure to leave an impact on you whether you like it or not. But for a band that is called The Dark Element, there is very little darkness in this record. We get some heavy riffs and some gloomy atmospheres, but this is a fairly jolly album, and that is honestly not a bad thing, just think it is false advertisement that your band have a name like The Dark Element (and an album cover as gruesome and disturbing as the one that is fronting said album), but play music that is pretty harmless in its nature.

As said before, this album has a good amount of Nightwish in it, like just listen to "My Sweet Mystery", that opening with the haunting keys and bone crushing riffs is literally stolen from "Dark Passion Play". Fortunately, I do not think it overshadows the whole album, because it does have more in common with Cain's Offering, but with some more symphonic moments sprinkled around. It feels very natural in a way, taking Jani's preferred style and incorporating Anette into it all, creating a nice fusion between the musicians.

And there are some really good music in here. The previously mentioned "My Sweet Mystery" is a fantastic, powerful song that certainly gets you going, "Here's To You" is simply loud and proud, "Dead To Me" have a really nice rhythm and a very satisfying chorus (even if it does steal from Nightwish again), "The Ghost And The Reaper" is nice and heavy, and even some of the calmer moments are really nice, giving some nice variety (although, I gotta say, the lyrics in "Someone You Used To Know" give off creepy stalker vibes, when I think it is supposed to be a lost love story).

Overall, I do not think The Dark Element will wow anyone with its simplicity, but it has enough good content to go around. This debut record is certainly very enjoyable despite it borrowing from other bands within the genre, the strength of the songs helps you get through the record with ease, and there is enough chemistry in here to really make this project last for some time. So if you are a fan of any of the two main contributors, you should definitely check this release out, even if it is a little brighter than the name and artwork suggests.

Songs worthy of recognition: My Sweet Mystery, Here's To You, The Ghost And The Reaper

Rating: 7/10 Halos

www.facebook.com/TheDarkElement/

Amberian Dawn - Darkness of Eternity (2017)

I am not the last to admit that I miss the good old days, at least when it comes to the Finnish power metal group Amberian Dawn. Ever since they changed lead singer, the band has lost an edge in both originality and energy, making two fairly decent records in "Magic Forest" and "Innuendo", but they did not stay in my mind for very long. I still like the band, a single member change does not affect me that much, but it does feel like that their best work is behind them.

Which leads me to "Darkness of Eternity", an album that is very close to literally piss me off. You see, it opens up really nicely with "I'm The One", a more or less classic Amberian Dawn song that has power, drive, and a sense of wonder that you can only get from some kind of fairy forest. Yes, this is a track that breathes Amberian Dawn from start to finish, and so does the aggressive "Dragonflies" a little later in the album, another very good track with some crunchy riffing.

Unfortunately, it goes pretty much downhill from there, with almost the rest of the material being head scratchingly weird. No seriously, I am fine with the band and what they have done in the last couple of albums, but this is just awkward. Several of the songs in "Darkness of Eternity" sounds like, and I kid you not, ABBA songs. Yes, freaking Sweden's first international super star group, that is what Amberian Dawn sounds like today. Jesus Christ...

So what exactly is it with the music that makes me claim this statement. Well, a lot of the songs, like "Maybe", "Sky Is Falling", and "Breathe Again", are very bright and jolly, drenching in 70's glory. Add to the fact that the fantasy vibes that is the personality of the band is very toned down, almost missing completely. You can just take any famous ABBA song to compare with, then try to tell me with a straight face that Päivi "Capri" Selo would not fit in as the fifth member of the group. It drives me nuts, I may like ABBA, and I respect everything they have done for Swedish music, but a Finnish symphonic power metal group should not sound like them.

Okay, I am being a little too harsh, I do still think that "Darkness of Eternity" has some redeeming qualities. Production is nice, several songs are memorable, and we also get some really nice instrumental performances here and there, but this album is hurt badly by its incredibly uneven nature, it goes back and forth without settling for something to latch on to. I want more of "Dragonflies, "Luna My Darling", "Abyss", and "I'm The One", that is the Amberian Dawn I know and love, but we do not get enough of it in this record.

So this leaves me with this question, do I prefer "Innuendo", which is a solid, but easily forgettable album, or do I like the more memorable "Darkness of Eternity" better despite its inconsistencies? It is kind of a coin flip, but I do at least get a couple of songs here that will stick with me for some time. It does not mean I like the album as a whole, it is a very bumpy ride with strange decisions, but it is kind of interesting to see this band take this path, hearing them dive deep into their inspirational banks. So yeah, while "Darkness of Eternity" can be frustrating, it is still an intriguing listen, even if it does sound like 70's pop at times.

Songs worthy of recognition: Luna My Darling, I'm The One, Dragonflies

Rating: 6,5/10 Golden Coins

http://amberiandawn.com/
https://twitter.com/amberiandawn

More reviews of Amberian Dawn
Magic Forest
Innuendo

End of The Dream - Until You Break (2017)

The Netherlands seems to have a never ending supply of female fronted symphonic metal bands, they literally pop up everywhere you look. Everything from Epica, Within Temptation, After Forever, Delain, Stream of Passion, and ReVamp, this country is an endless well of symphonic goodness. Now we can add End of The Dream to that group, a band that has been active for about 4 years, but have made good use with their time so far. Their 2015 debut "All I Am" gave the band some good reputation early on, but the second album will define if this band is something we should look out for in the future, or leave behind in the dust.

Some big drums open up the title track, with singer Micky Huiijsmans entering shortly in a song that is pretty standard stuff, but it does set the bar nicely, giving you enough hints on what to expect from the rest of the album. The sound has a lot of Within Temptation in it, so it is far from the most original you will ever hear, but when the heavier guitars enter in the following song "Who Do You Think You Are", the quality instantly lifts to a new level. It does not happen nearly enough though, which is of course a shame, because the heavier riffs give a sense of the now disbanded ReVamp, a band I really miss.

It is definitely obvious that this band knows how to write some captivating melodies that fits with the sound landscape, memorable songs that take short time to memorize. And most of the songs also have an epic vein added, which fits Micky's range very nicely. There is a lot of emotions behind that voice, and those emotions comes out really well in several songs like "In My Hands" and "Erase Me", making Micky a real strength to the band. It just makes me wonder how many great female vocalists there really are in the land of tulips and windmills, they just keep popping up.

In general this is all nice and dandy, but I do miss some meat on the bone. I am not talking about the originality issues here, those are pretty small and can easily be over looked, the real issue is that "Until You Break" feels like an empty house, well built and looks good from the outside, but go inside and you will not find much content. It is mostly the instruments that are to blame here, they are simply not sticking out in any particular way, which forces the songs to rely a lot on the vocals. This is not too uncommon in symphonic metal, unfortunately.

I don't know man, this is a hard album to set a score on, because it has something that makes it quite enjoyable, but at the same time, it just feels hollow. To me, this is the perfect "time to time" album, an album that you can listen to once every now and then, but it is not something you would spin around several laps in a row. The potential is there though, the corner stones to build a great album are there, so it is all a matter of picking them up and putting them together. So for now, the dream is definitely not at its end, it might actually only be at the beginning.

Songs worthy of recognition: Who Do You Think You Are, Erase Me, In My Hands

Rating: 6,5/10 Poisons

twitter.com/endotdream
www.endofthedreammusic.com/

Epica - The Holographic Principle (2016)

Once a band has created its own unique sound, it is hard for said band to further develop it, taking it to the next level in each and every new album. While Epica is a part of those bands that has not taken huge steps in their evolution, they have still steadily built from their foundation, taking their skills and knowledge  further and further into the future. That is even more evident in "The Holographic Principle", a album that measures up to a length of 1 hour and 12 minutes, containing 12 songs, which is a little less than half that the band has written over the course of the past year. The band is going big, and I could not expect anything less from the Dutch. 

The first thing that strikes me with this album (besides that beautiful album cover, easily the best one from this year), is that sense of familiarity, yet still containing enough freshness to not feel like a deja vu. Yes, we still have the epic choir, the grand sound, the heavy guitars of Mark Jansen and Isaac Delahaye, and the incredibly stunning vocals of Simone Simons, one of the premier female singers on this planet, so there is really nothing ground breaking over "The Holographic Principle", but why fix something that ain't broke, just perfect it even further instead.

So yeah, it is pretty obvious straight from the start with the short instrumental "Eidola" and "Edge of The Blade" that Epica is not here to go wild and crazy, they are more or less as close to safe as one can be. "Edge of The Blade" is vintage Epica, a catchy and beautiful melodic song where all major elements gets their chance to shine. Yeah, you have heard it before, but it is still fine quality to it. The same can be said to the first released song, "Universal Death Squad", a song that I did not give too much about in the first place, but has really grown on me lately, with its interesting structure and great, but subtle, riffing.

And the album gets even stronger with "Divide And Conquer", a fairly complex song with lots of layers, and several cool stuffs going for it. It is one of few songs that Mark Jansen and his harsh vocals gets some room, and he kills it, cooperating with Simone in a fantastic way. But it is the chaotic ending, and the bone chilling choir that really makes "Divide And Conquer" a big highlight of this album. The goosebumps will surely hit you hard here.

After that though, the album takes a plunge. Not that the drop of quality is all the way down to the rock bottom, but it is a drastic one still, a bland mix of slower songs and uninteresting ones makes "The Holographic Principle"'s middle part a very dull one. It is a shame that this dip comes, because the band has good track record when it comes to consistency, and just hearing the band sounding like The Gentle Storm from time to time is not good at all.

The band does get back into shape towards the end with "Tear Down You Walls" and the 11 and a half long title track. The title track is especially interesting, because Epica is not well known for their mastodons, even if they have tried it before (like in their last album, "The Quantum Enigma"). "The Holographic Principle" was intriguing at the first few listens, but failed to grow. Still, a valid effort that ends the album in a good way.

"The Holographic Principle" is a beautiful record, but there is some smudge here and there that takes away some of the album's overall quality. The uneven quality hurts the album quite badly, and while the grand production masks some of the flaws, it cannot cover them all. The sound is still there, epic as always, but it might be time for the band to either evolve it, or just minimizing it, making the most of every second. "The Holographic Principle" is after all a fairly long record that does not last all the way through, and does not hold up against Epica's grandest creations. Still a good album, just not brilliant.

Songs worthy of recognition: Divide And Conquer, Edge of The Blade, Tear Down Your Walls

Rating: 6,5/10 Universal Death Squads

www.epica.nl/

twitter.com/Epica

More reviews of Epica

The Quantum Enigma

Devin Townsend Project - Transcendence (2016)

I might be a huge Devin Townsend fan, and I always have high expectations whenever the Canadian releases another record, but my hopes for "Transcendence" were even greater than normal. Why so? Well, let us just call it a hunch after knowing all the hard work Devin had to endure to complete "Z²". So it was not too surprising that Devin would go back to basics, back to the music that felt more natural to him.

It is certainly safe to say that "Transcendence" is a very typical Devin record. It is light, epic, and just as magical as you want it to be. However, to my surprise, this album is not something I have heard before in the DTP format. Sure, it has connections to both "Epicloud" and "Sky Blue", but this album has more in common with the early solo releases, mostly "Infinity" and "Terria". It has that effervescent sound that just resonates with my calmer self so well. It is nothing fancy or anything, it is just that magical mood that Devin is so good at that gives me the chills.

I had a feeling this album would be like this after Devin was on a Toontrack stream, where he laid out the demo of the song "Stars" live. As soon as I heard the main riff of the song, I wrote "that sounds like some "Terria" shit right there" on the chat. That feeling became even stronger when the first single, "Failure", was released. This song is one of the coolest first singles I have heard in a long time. Carrying such simple riffs and structures, but still creating such an amazing mood that makes your mind wander off to some kind of a space like place. And then we have the solo, which is beyond awesome, not only because of how it sounds, but also because Devin is a man that rarely does solos that stand out. Needless to say, this is how you present an album.

But Devin should not get all of the cred (even if it is his project), because the rest of the DTP helped out on the album, giving Devin a helping hand with how the album should sound. The chemistry between Devin and the project has grown stronger for each album, and just watching these guys making this music together is just wonderful. A documentary has been uploading episode on Devin's YouTube page, describing every part of the band and how they all are as persons, which does give us an understanding to just how much Devin care for Ryan, Dave, Mike and Beav. Definitely worthy of a look.

Another contributor is Anneke Van Giersbergen, and she does a nice job as per usual, even if she is used much more sparingly in this record, and to be honest, I am okay with that. We have gotten a lot of Anneke in the DTP discography, almost to the part were it gets kind of tiring and predictable, so even if you like Anneke and her voice, it is very easy now to just go "meh" over her being in yet another DTP album. Devin should seriously consider hiring her full time for her services, making her a permanent part of DTP, if he chooses to include her again.

The strongest trait that the album have is its cohesiveness. Every song are connected to each other, while still having their own personalities that makes them stand out, making "Transcendence" a really colorful album. But when you reach towards the end of the album, you might get a chock, because there is one song that does skew off the rails, not enough to make it misplaced, but just enough to surprise you. The song I am talking about is "Offer Your Light", a fast, synth driven song that is so god damn epic and catchy that is ridiculous. What is even more ridiculous though, is that the song literally sounds like something made by The Unguided, only much better. It is kind of funny that Devin sounds more The Unguided than The Unguided, turning their stale style into something grand and epic.

There are just so many things with "Transcendence" that are so interesting, like the re-worked version of "Truth" from "Infinity", the Ween cover "Transdermal Celebration", or the simple fact that this might be one of the deepest records that Devin has presented us with. The song roster is incredibly strong (even if some of them drag out for some time), and the performance is straight from the heart. You can truly tell that Devin has put his heart and soul into this record, taking his time to get everything right. This is hands down my favourite DTP record to date, and I tip my hat once again to the man with the endless supply of brilliant musical ideas.

Songs worthy of recognition: Failure, Stormbending, Secret Sciences, Stars, Offer Your Light

Rating: 9,5/10 Truths

Avantasia - Ghostlights (2016)

The original "solo project with tons of guest artist thrown into the mix" band is here again. Edguy singer Tobias Sammet has once again gathered his forces for an full frontal attack, I could be wrong, but this might be the strongest army Tobias has gathered thus far. Or what do you say about Sharon Den Adel, Dee Snider, Michael Kiske, Jorn Lande, Marco Hietala, and some unknown dude named Geoff Tate. Good guy Tobias Sammet, giving small names a chance to shine.

Anyway, "Ghostlights" is just what you would expect from a Avantasia album. It has its distinct sound, with small little tweaks so that the guests can perform at their best. For instance, we have a heaviness and power in "Master of The Pendulum" that fits Marco Hietala like a glove. It is just like he was singing a Nightwish or Tarot song. Tobias certainly balances on that thin line between originality and straight copying a little more than he usually does, but it still feels like a pure Avantasia record.

The most worth noting thing in this album is that it could contain a future Eurovision Song Contest participant. Yes, you read that correctly, Avantasia is competing to be the German entry for this year's ESC (which is in Stockholm, Sweden). It is the opening track "Mystery of A Blood Red Rose" that is competing, but not in its original state. Because of the rules of the competition, the track is shortened to about three minutes when it competes. The original song is a great one, bombastic and grand, just like Avantasia is, and I do think it fits the whole spectacle that ESC is. I hope it makes it to the main competition, because then I know who I will vote for :).

Back to the album, a album that is one of the heavier ones in the band's history. Well, maybe not heavier, but it is not as melodic as previous efforts. I do not mind this at all, because as long as it sounds great, I am in. Of course, the main portion of the album is still pure, bombastic power metal, and especially the three Kiske songs (the title track, "Unchain The Light", and "Wake Up To The Moon") are really bursting in a classic way.

This album may not have a big concept like the last album had (or I have just missed it completely), but it does have a big, epic story within it. "Let The Storm Descend Upon You" is a 12 minute epic that not only features an epic line-up of Jorn Lande, Ronnie Atkins, Robert Mason, and of course Tobias. It is without question the song that makes the biggest impact, with its ultra epic chorus and fantastic musicality. Each singer makes a awesome effort to make the listener sit on the edge of their seats during the full play time, cooperating in an impressive manor. Sammet sure knows how to create some epic mastodons.

I still think the album misses some kind of edge, something to take it up to the next level. Oh well, it is still a really nice album that fits really well in Avantasia's discography. It is a classic Avantasia album, bombastic, epic, lots of different voices and characters, but still a unified sound that is instantly recognizable. Tobias never ceases to amaze me, he still manages to create great new Avantasia records, despite it only being a side project from Edguy. Great job Tobias, and good luck on "Unser Lied Für Stockholm" (Our Song For Stockholm).

Songs worthy of recognition: Let The Storm Descend Upon You, Mystery of A Blood Red Rose, Master of The Pendulum, Unchain The Light

Rating: 8/10 Babylon Vampyres

www.tobiassammet.com/
twitter.com/_avantasia

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Rhapsody of Fire - Into The Legend (2016)

Looking back at the latest album from Rhapsody of Fire, "Dark Wings of Steel", the first album without Luca Turilli, it feels like I was one of few that actually enjoyed the album. Could be that I did not care that Luca was no longer in the band, or the fact that it was a bit different from the normal sound the band produces (a sound that has always made me feel indifferent). Anyway, it was a decent album that I hoped that the band would build upon on this, their new album entitled "Into The Legend".

The things that keeps me from loving the band are still here. The weird pronunciations, the over the top theatrical approach, and songs that have a low memorability factor. It is pretty obvious that the band has a niche of fans, and I am clearly not among them. Yet somehow, there is something with this band that makes me come back to them again and again. After all, I do not hate the music they make, I just don't love it.

There are still several things to appreciate in "Into The Legend". The band's performance is impressive, attacking the listener with fast solos and beautiful arrangements, and the production is clear and sharp, just what you would expect from a band of this caliber. Also, let us not forget that cool looking cover.

The overall song quality is fairly good, but just like in the last album, I am missing memorable songs. The entire album is certainly fine when you listen to it in its entirety, but the chance of remembering anything besides the chorus of the title track is slim to none, especially if you have a lot of experience with the band before, because there are a lot of songs in their discography that are similar to these ones.

But I still have to chose some favourites, so here it goes. "Valley of Shadows" is a good one, with good intensity and some nice, Italian singing mixed in it. Now that I think of it, Rhapsody of Fire is often at its best when they involve the Italian language into their music, go figure. Anyway, "Distant Sky" and "Into The Legend" are another couple of decent tracks, but "Realms of Light" is really impressive, lots of anger and epicness in it that makes it a clear stand out (just needs a more memorable chorus to be a masterpiece). The album ends with two completely different songs, the classic power metal tune "Rage of Darkness", and a 16 minute epic known as "The Kiss of Life". The latter one is a little boring because there is not much going on in it, but it has its interesting parts that makes it a worthy listen at least once. However, it is far from the epic finisher I believe the band tried to achieve.

I really did not expect "Into The Legend" to be an overwhelming experience, and I was right. It is Rhapsody of Fire to the core, and it should not come as a surprise that the Italians has made what they know and love. "Into The Legend" does have its share of interesting moments and enjoyable songs, but my view of the band is still the same, even if this is the best album I have heard from them. I am not sure if I will ever fully embrace the band and its sound, but I will sure keep listening to them and enjoy the little things that does make me smile. After all, there is still some fine craftsmanship inside this album.

Songs worthy of recognition: Realms of Light, Valley of Shadows, Rage of Darkness

Rating: 7,5/10 Shining Stars

Amberian Dawn - Innuendo (2015)

Most of us are bummed out that Amberian Dawn have gone down the same path as Nightwish, from being a exciting power metal band with opera influences, to becoming more "normal" in their approach. And while I did enjoy "Magic Forest", I had an uneasy feeling that the band's original personality was close to be extinct, and that the extinction would happen in any of the coming album. It certainly seems like I spoke too soon about that.

Released only one year after its predecessor, "Innuendo" is Amberian Dawn's 6th studio album, and it continues on the same road in which the band has been going on for quite some time. While the performance is stupendous as usual, I miss the technicality and speed that the band had in its early phases. No crazy guitar solos, no power songs a la "Lionheart", and no Heidi Parviainen and her opera voice. The only thing remaining is the symphonic aspect of the music, which even seems to be highlighted with the song "Symphony Nr 1, Part 1 - The Witchcraft", a interesting song that acts more like a play than a actual song, which is kind of weird.

Now, I will say this, the cover looks amazing, certainly my favourite cover from the band to this date. It got details, and it just fits the band perfectly. It also displays the music pretty well, those small touches of classical music takes you to some royal masquerade ball some time during the 18th or 19th century. I can imagine that it was a simple time to be alive, no worries about global warming and the phenomenon known as Hipsters had yet to be invented. Splendid!

But back to the music in "Innuendo", I rarely find myself disliking any of the tracks in this album, but I cannot really say that I love any of the tracks. During the short period of time Amberian Dawn has been around, they have created some amazing power metal, so I guess it is easy to compare this with the early material, which really makes it injustice. I tried to disconnect those thoughts, treating "Innuendo" for what it really is, but it just left me feeling the same way anyway. Not saying that the album pure out blows, but it does not blow me away either.

There is still some interesting music in this album, and it certainly meets the standard that the band has established during its existence. The opening act "Fame & Gloria" is one of my favourites with its great instrumentation and a structure that helps in telling the story. It is also one of few songs in which Capri excels with her voice. "Rise of The Evil" catches my attention with its heavy approach, and while the chorus may be tamer than what I want it to be, it is evened out with a terrific two part guitar solo, and the same can be said about "Chamber of Dreadful Dreams". For those who wants more classic AD, listen to "Ladyhawk" and the title track

"Innuendo" is a charming little album, with a nice old fashioned personality that fits the band as well as the fantasy did in the previous album. The music might not be as strong as one would hope, but it is certainly still enjoyable. With that said, I still find the early material to be better and more exciting, and no, it is not because of the opera vocals. Bring more insanity to the music please, and loosen up on being as fancy as a upper class citizen.

Songs worthy of recognition: Rise of The Evil, Fame & Gloria, Innuendo

Rating: 6,5/10 Ladyhawks

Cradle of Filth - Hammer of The Witches (2015)

When Cradle of Filth first was formed back in the early 90's, the band was one of the pioneers and creators of extreme metal, showing off a evil the world has never seen. Now, over 20 years later, they are about as harmful as a cup of milk, especially compared to all of the endless black metal and satanic acts that is out there today. But is it possible for the English band to gain back some of the fearful respect they acquired in the early stages of their career? This new release could make the answer to lean towards the yes side.

It is not that the band's 11th effort "Hammer of The Witches" is their most terrifying record yet, but it does contain a sort of self awareness, in which the band seem to understand that they have to stop focusing on the horror and the darkness, and instead focus on what really matters, the music. And they really seem to do just that, even if some of the songs here are on the lighter side, "Hammer of The Witches" still holds that Cradle of Filth vibe that we know all too well. It is fast, technical, dark, but not as heavy as several of their previous efforts.

The quality is there though, and it is shown instantly with "Yours Immortality...", a track with a lot of mean riffing, blasting beats, and a wide diversity. And the strong attacks from the band just keeps on coming. With songs like "Deflowering The Maidenhead, Displeasuring The Goddess" and "Blackest Magick In Practice", the band has a great foundation to stand on, and to build upon.

But for some odd reason, the band loses momentum further into the album, making "Hammer of The Witches" a "are we there yet?" experience. The record is generally a pleasant listen, but it would not have hurt the Cradle to cut one or two songs to make it tighter. And the fact that I got a version which includes two bonus tracks (both fairly mediocre) does not help the matter.

Despite being a little too long, "Hammer of The Witches" is an interesting album that certainly fulfill your needs for a daily dose of good, demonic metal. It definitely seem like their move to Nuclear Blast has served the band well, first delivering a nice offering in "The Manticore And Other Horrors", and now this. I do not think that Dani Filth and the rest of his crew will ever relive the time when they were one of the more evil acts in the business, but they should gain back some recognition with this excellent release.

Songs worthy of recognition: Blackest Magick In Practice, Yours Immortality..., "Deflowering The Maidenhead, Displeasuring The Goddess"

Rating: 7,5/10 Christian Soldiers

Luca Turilli's Rhapsody - Prometheus - Symphonia Ignis Divinus (2015)

Since 2011, the world has had to deal with two different versions of the Italian symphonic metal band Rhapsody of Fire, one with, and one without the founding member Luca Turilli, but so far, none of them have really lived up to the reputation of the original. Both bands have released one album each since the split, and both of them were okay, but nothing impressive. I did enjoy "Dark Wings of Steel" more since it had some more power in it, while "Ascending to Infinity" was more fitting as music for a apocalyptic movie.

But Luca has returned for his sophomore effort with his new Rhapsody project. The name is "Prometheus - Symphonia Ignis Divinus", and just like the name suggest, it is another grand, epic album that wants to take the listener to an incredible journey. But whenever I listen to it, it just reminds me that I have a shit ton of movies that I want to watch. Seriously, almost everything in this album would fit better in either a motion picture or at some opera show in the Coliseum. Just listen to the opener "Nova Genesis (Ad Splendorem Angeli Triumphantis)", and you will instantly think that it is the start of something made by an Italian Tim Burton. For the record, I am not saying that this is anything bad, I just mean that it feels weird.

I can instantly say that the music here in "Prometheus..." is a step forward from "Ascending To Infinity", having more focus and determination to attack the listener with. I can sense that Luca has taken his time to really perfect all parts of this album towards his liking, and it really shows in the final product. The overall song material might not be ultra strong, but it holds a good, consistent standard throughout the album, making it a really solid piece of music.

The big red line that goes through the album is the mix between the Latin and English language, which works perfectly fine most of the time. Whether the band only uses English (like in the LOTR song "One Ring To Rule Them All"), only Latin ("Il Cigno Nero" and "Il Tempo Degli Dei"), or a mix of the two, the band can still create some beautiful stuff to go along with it. You could complain that the lyrics would be harder to understand, which I totally get, but it still sounds good in my ears, and that is enough to please me. However, I do feel like some of Alessandro Conti's English pronunciations is kind of off, something that he needs to keep working on in between albums.

The album also contains the second part of the giant epic known as "Of Michael The Archangel And Lucifer's Fall" (first part was in "Ascending To Infinity"), and just like its first part, it is the meatiest song in the album, clocking in at a whooping 18 minutes and 5 seconds. Unfortunately, I am having a hard time in trying to follow with the entire track, a trait that the first part also had. It is a pretty decent epic, but I wish that it would have been more consistent, not feeling like Luca just cut and pasted some different elements into a song that is too big for its own good. If you enjoyed the first part, you will most likely enjoy this one as well.

Luca has created a pretty good symphonic metal album that certainly beats out the other Rhapsody (for now). However, I am still a little annoyed that the music has such a big movie feel to it. I really would not be surprised if Luca would give up his career as a metal artist in the near future to travel to Hollywood and write film scores for some epic fantasy adventure. But for now, I am happy that Luca still creates metal music, and "Prometheus..." is a testament that he still can create some great stuff. Your move Rhapsody of Fire.

Songs worthy of recognition: Prometheus, Rosenkreuz (The Rose And The Cross), One Ring To Rule Them All

Rating: 7,5/10 Yggdrasils

Nightwish - Endless Forms Most Beautiful (2015)

After a couple of turbulent years with Anette Olzen as the front woman, Nightwish has moved on to a new singer, and the woman who gets to carry on the relay stick from Anette and Tarja Turunen is the Dutch singer Floor Jansen, most known for her work in After Forever and ReVamp. It was a choice that immediately made me convinced that Nightwish had found the right piece of the puzzle. Floor is an amazing singer that is tougher than Anette and can handle a broad range of vocals. The only thing left now was to see in what direction the band was going to take their music for their 8th full length effort, entitled "Endless Forms Most Beautiful".

The answer is that the band is continuing on the same track on which the 2011 album "Imaginaerum". The music is grand, epic, and just reeks of fantasy, but this time, the band has kicked up the gear in the heavy scale, and I think that Floor is one of the reasons why they did that. It is not that "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" is drastically harder than any other Nightwish record, but it is obvious that Holopainen and Hietala has adapted after the vocalist change, which is impressive. The classic Nightwish vibe is still there though, most present in the first single "Élan", and it is as good as ever, but the added heaviness definitely gives this album its own personality and helps spicing up the music.

And it really is those heavy songs that is the stars of this grand spectacle. The epic orchestral opening to "Weak Fantasy" builds up to a hard hitting and catchy song that should be a future fan favourite in the set list when the band hits the road, which I also hope "Yours Is An Empty Hope" will be since it has one of the coolest and grooviest riffs the band has ever performed, and the rest of the song is a great epic experience. Among the hard songs can we also find the opener, "Shudder Before The Beautiful", a fast steam roller with a classic Nightwish sound.

But there are more to this album besides the heavy songs, even if most of those songs are rather disappointing. The single "Élan" is a fine song that is exactly what you would expect from this band, but it is more or less a copy of the more excellent track "Amaranth" from "Dark Passion Play". If you want a good fantasy track from this album, I would rather suggest "My Walden" whom impresses with its steady beat and beautiful harmonies. I also do enjoy the title track, mostly because it is incredibly catchy, and not in the annoying "gum-under-my-shoe" way. Finally, listen to "Edema Ruh", a beautiful tune that really displays how broad Floor's vocals really are.

The album ends in a way that is a lot like the album cover, mind blowing insanity. "The Greatest Show On Earth" is a 5 part song that takes up 24 minute of space, almost 1/3 of the entire album, making it the biggest Nightwish creation up to date. It is a song that more or less tells the story of the Earth's birth, life, and all of its inhabitants, which I think is a pretty cool concept, but putting it all in into such a huge song might have been a mistake for the band. It takes a special kind of skill to create a song like this and excel with it, and it is something that might take several attempts to really master (just ask Dream Theater). I am not saying that "The Greatest Show On Earth" is a bad song, it does have several awesome parts and it displays the whole range of the band, but since it is so big, it is very hard to take it all in. It is a pretty good first try for the band and I will not mind if they try to create more mastodon songs in the future, but they really have to make sure that those tracks stand out and keep it cohesive so that it does not feel so outspread.

The first album of the Floor Jansen era is according to me a success. "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" may be a complete cluster fuck in the cover, but behind it lies a grand and epic album that crushes most of the opposition. This album stands tall and definitely deserves its rightful place in the Nightwish discography. It may not be the Finns finest album, but it holds an incredibly high standard and I am sure the fans will love it. This is certainly no weak fantasy, this is a epic that is worthy of being told and listen to for the coming decades.

Songs worthy of recognition: Weak Fantasy, Shudder Before The Beautiful, Yours Is An Empty Hope, Edema Ruh

Rating: 8,5/10 Alpenglows

The Gentle Storm - The Diary (2015)

The Gentle Storm is a new project in the metal world, containing two of the most acclaimed musicians that has ever come out of the small European country The Netherlands. The duo is the multi instrumentalist Arjen Lucassen, whom we know from Ayreon, Star One and many other bands, and the female vocalist Anneke Van Giersbergen, former The Gathering singer who have also worked with Devin Townsend and her solo project. A very talented duo that has worked together before in the Ayreon albums "Into The Electric Castle" and "01011001", so the chemistry between them is obviously there from the start.

The album is called "The Diary", and it is a double album best described as two sides of the same coins. The same songs are in both of the albums, but in different versions. The first one is the gentle album and the second is the storm one, which more or less means that the first album is calm and only contains acoustic music, while the storm album uses more electric instruments to give it a heavier sound. Not surprisingly, I enjoy the storm part of "The Diary" more, not only because it is heavier, but because the music sounds grander in that version. However, the gentle part is still enjoyable and the two versions are not so different from each other, which really makes me wonder why they chose to arrange it like this. Why couldn't they have made two separate albums instead with different songs in each one? Just makes the album sound like a big, almost 2 hour long echo.

Just like any other record made by Arjen, "The Diary" is a concept album, and it takes the listener to the 17th century, where we get to follow Joseph Warwijk and Susanne Vermeer in a story of love, sickness, adventure and long distance relationships. It is an interesting story, which you would expect from a guy like Arjen, and it is neatly told within the album, even if I miss a male vocalist that could play Joseph, but that matters very little when Anneke does a fantastic job behind the mic.

As previously stated, the double album tends to become pretty repetitive and boring from time to time, but that is not because the material itself is bad, it is because it all sounds roughly the same. Same tempo, same structure and same style. It is a good cohesive piece, but it is such a big blob that it really takes some effort to even make out which song is which. There are some songs that stands out slightly more than others, like the beautiful nautical anthem "Heart of Amsterdam", the oriental "Shores of India", and the bombastic opener "Endless Sea", but the lack of a up tempo song really hurts the album and takes away the effort that is behind the music. Such a shame, since this album had a good amount of potential.

It is a shame that all of the hard work that Arjen and Anneke spent on "The Diary" was almost gone to waste. The material is there and the ideas are interesting, but the execution and arrangement is far from perfect. This blob of an album does have its good share of quality, but the lack of variation really kills it for me. It really surprise me that a musician like Arjen could do something like this, especially considering that he has some of the greatest concept album the metal world has ever seen. My hopes are still up that this project could go on and become better for each album since the talent is there, so I will keep my eye on what will happen to this project in the future, and wish them the best of luck in their journey.

Songs worthy of recognition: Heart of Amsterdam, Endless Sea, The Greatest Love

Rating: 6,5/10 New Horizons

Amberian Dawn - Magic Forest (2014)

It is almost a shame that the Finnish symphonic power metal band Amberian Dawn has been heavily compared to Nightwish, but there are reasons to why these bands has been compared to each other. Just like Nightwish, Amberian Dawn quickly grew a reputation as a fast playing band that mixed heavy riffs and melodies with the female opera singer Heidi Parviainen behind the microphone. But in 2012, Heidi left the band and was later replaced with Päivi "Capri" Selo, who is a "normal" singer. Most of us know what happened to Nightwish when they went through the same phase, Anette Olzon replaced Tarja Turunen, and even though the two albums she was involved in was some of the band's strongest works, she herself was heavily criticized by the fans of the band.

Checking around in some various metal sites and such, I get the feeling like the fans are a little hesitant about the new singer and that most of them wants Heidi back. Even though Capri is a good singer, I can actually agree with these fans, but mostly because it is hard to accumulate from one style of singing to another. We already got some heads up with the best of album "Re-Evolution" where Capri sings on some old Amberian Dawn classics, and she did a pretty decent job, but it was pretty clear that it was not at the same class as the original versions.

Anyway, how is Capri doing in "Magic Forest", the band's 5th studio effort? Well, she is doing a good job and it is clear that the band has succeeded in writing songs that fits Capri's voice while still maintaining the typical Amberian Dawn sound. I still miss Heidi though, but that does not take away that Capri is a great replacement for the band.

The music itself is nothing surprising, solid and melodic power metal at its finest. However, I do miss some of the craziness that the band usually brings in the guitar department, especially in the solos. Sure you can do a great solo without shredding until your fingers bleed, but it was one of the trademarks of Amberian Dawn in their early career and one of the things that made me a fan of the band. There are however very little in the music I can complain about, even if most of the songs in "Magic Forest" has been done before in any other of the band's albums. I also feel that the album starts of good with strong songs like "Cherish My Memory" and "Magic Forest", but it becomes weaker and more anonymous the longer it goes.

But in the end, "Magic Forest" is just another solid album by the band, and it is definitely a step forward from the lackluster effort known as "Circus Black". The band has made it as easy as possible for Capri to fit in the Amberian Dawn formula, and she is doing a wonderful job fitting in. So do not mourn over Heidi's departure, be happy over that Amberian Dawn still creates highly enjoyable melodic power metal.

Songs worthy of recognition: Magic Forest, Cherish My Memory, Sons of The Rainbow

Rating: 7,5/10 Warnings

Epica - The Quantum Enigma (2014)

Few bands in the world have a name that fits more to their musical style than the Dutch band Epica. Created in 2002 by Marc Janssen (after leaving his previous band, After Forever), this band has been proving again and again that it is amongst the top in the Dutch symphonic metal community, together with Within Temptation, The Gathering and Delain.

So you would easily expect greatness from the band's 6th album entitled "The Quantum Enigma", and sure enough, this album contains a lot of things that we have learned to love with Epica. The epic melodies, the wide variety in vocals (from harsh to female and quire) and the technical craftsmanship is all there to enjoy within the album.

And so is also the strong quality in the songs. I would say that the band has become a little heavier in their sound since their last album, the 2012 offering "Requiem For The Indifferent", which is of course a good thing. I have always liked it when Epica has leaned more towards their heavy side than their symphonic side (even though I enjoy that part of them as well). But one thing that really surprised me with "The Quantum Enigma" is that it grows on you. After the first couple of listens, I did not really think that the album was something special, but the more I listen to this album, the more I enjoy it. This was not the case with the other Epica albums, but I have to admit, it definitely increases the life span on "The Quantum Enigma" more than on any of the earlier albums.

Song wise, you can be sure to find a couple of songs that you like. Do you like catchy and easily memorable songs? Then the single "The Essence of Silence" is perfectly suited for you. More of the progressive type? No problem, "Sense Without Sanity - The Impervious Code -" and the title track will meet your needs. And don't forget that the album is also packed with grandiose tracks like "Natural Corruption", "The Second Stone", "Omen - The Ghoulish Malady -" and "Chemical Insomnia".

So the variety is not one thing that "The Quantum Enigma" is lacking, but I could wish for some stronger refrains, since several of them are lacking a good punch. But otherwise, there is not much to mark on this album. The production is clean, the instrumentation is nice and Simone Simons sings like a queen. And even though I like Simone and I understand that she is the lead singer of the band, I would like to see a little more from Mark Jansen's harsh vocals. They may not be very original, but they give Epica's music another dimension that most bands within the same genre does not have.

If Delain showed how good a simplistic symphonic metal album can be with "The Human Contradiction", then Epica is showing how good a more complex ditto can be. "The Quantum Enigma" could be one of the more meatier Epica albums up to date, but once you're getting down to its bone, you will see what an amazing piece this is. This is definitely an impressive album that helps Epica maintain their position as one of the best bands in the symphonic metal scene.

Songs worthy of recognition: The Second Stone, The Essence of Silence, Chemical Insomnia, Omen - The Ghoulish Malady -

Rating: 8,5/10 Victims of Contingency

Devin Townsend Project - Epicloud (2012)

What is this? Was not Devin Townsend Project supposed to be a 4 album series? Well it was, but I have not found out why Devin chosed to continue under this name even after the four albums (if any of you know, feel free to inform me in the comment section). Anyhow, "Epicloud" was conceived during a time where Devin felt he was over thinking and over doing things, especially in the work of "Z2", so he had to make a record that was "naked". A simple record that he could make while on autopilot.

This is indeed a simple album. Very few solos, few places for any of the band members to hide, but that does not have to mean that the music is flat. On the contrary, it is just as epic as the title suggest. Devin has surely created some lovely tunes, and together with the gospel choir, the music reaches epic heights that should be impossible to reach. I also like that Devin uses former The Gathering singer Anneke Van Giersbergen as much as he does (that sounds very wrong).

Even though I would say that this is a pop metal album, "Epicloud" has some heavy moments. The two fast songs "Liberation" and "More!" comes with an impressive assault with great riffs and an intensity that is hard to match. Then we also have "Kingdom", which some of you might recall from "Physicist". Compared to the original, I like this version better since it has a cleaner production and it also feels more epic now then what it did on "Physicist". No matter what, I like this song, and I like that Devin wanted to bring it up in a album he does not hate.

Besides from the heavy part, "Epicloud" displays other sides of Devin. The single "Lucky Animals" shows a really silly side of Devin that is almost worthy of being a Monty Python sketch, while the more epic "Save Our Now" feels like a song that could easily go well in the clubs. Then we also have more calmer songs like "Where We Belong" and "Divine". But it is the epicness that stands out in this album, and boy, there is some epic tunes here. And even if most of these songs are cheesy and has lyrics about love, Devin does a great job with the music. For instance, "Grace" is the grandest of the grand with the screaming choir and heavy riffs, while "Hold On" instead relies on Anneke's strong, emotional vocals.

"Epicloud" truly deserves the name that it has been given. Sure, the lyrics are corny and far from perfect, but the pure epicness makes you forget all about that. Devin, Anneke, the choir, everyone makes an amazing effort to make this pop metal album one of the best Devin Townsend records up to date. This album makes you happy, and I can almost guarantee that not even Ebenezer Scrooge could listen through this album without smiling. Effervescent quality!!!

Songs worthy of recognition: Liberation, Lucky Animals, Where We Belong, Save Our Now, Kingdom, Grace

Rating: 9,5/10 Angels