Round-Up: 5th April 2014

I'm not even going to have the gall to call this a weekly round-up as I haven't posted on here for nearly 2 weeks. Instead, think of it as a bit of a catch-up post. A bit of a mixed bag this week, with Melodic Gothic Doom rubbing shoulders with sublime Pop and classic Heavy Metal throwing down with a band of lunatic Norwegian trolls. Sound interesting? Well, read on....

Siegewyrm

I came across this band a few weeks back and wasn't really very excited about the prospect of yet another Melodic Death Metal act from the US playing a sub-standard version of the Gothenburg sound...well, once I managed to get past my initial reservations and actually play this album, I got a bit of a surprise. What these chaps play is actually more akin to (very) early Paradise Lost meets Kalmah....and it really is rather good. I know record labels aren't as important as they once were, what with the likes of Bandcamp, Soundcloud et al, but I am still surprised that this band is unsigned / independent. They definitely deserve to be heard by a larger audience.

Gamma Ray

Do you like latter-day Iron Maiden? Of course you do. Well,  it would appear that these German veterans do too. Even though the Maiden / Priest influences occasionally border on plagiarism - opener "Avalon" being more than a little reminiscent of "Dream Of Mirrors" for example - the new Gamma Ray album is an exhilarating ride -  filled with catchy hooks, quality song writing and more than its fair share of tunage. Sometimes I get so obsessed with the idea of hearing something fresh and new, that I forget how good the refreshing passion and honesty of good old fashioned, straight to the point Heavy Metal can be.

Anette Olzon

After her spectacularly unceremonious sacking from Nightwish, Miss Olzon retreated into the shadows, refused to be drawn into a slanging match and set about plotting her return...and here it is. I have to admit, I was expecting something along the lines of Nightwish-lite from this young lady. Instead, it would appear that Anette has drawn more from her pre-Nightwish work with Alyson Avenue and has delivered the sort of Pop Rock record that is far more suited to her particular vocal style. I would definitely say that this was a shrewd move. "Shine" might not be what people were expecting, but it's hard to deny the sublime beauty of tracks such as "Floating".

Trollfest

I posted a song by these chaps on my FB page recently to pretty much overwhelming apathy, which is a real shame as TrollfesT are one of the most energetic, inventive and frankly, manic, bands the Folk Metal scene has to offer. Think Finntroll turned up to 11 with Eastern influences....and brass instruments. To be fair, trying to describe these guys is - to paraphrase Anthrax - like clapping with one hand. Hold that thought and click on the link below. Pure genius.

Lacuna Coil

I heard the song "Die And Rise" from this album a few weeks back and I was very quick to lament that it sounded a bit Nu Metal and that I was concerned about the forthcoming album. Well, I am very pleased to report that my, admittedly shameful, knee-jerk reaction was premature and unfair. This is actually a superb record. I won't say it's classic Lacuna Coil, because it isn't. It isn't inasmuch as they don't feel the need to stay firmly lodged in one particular time-period or style and yet again, have pushed their sound forward, while managing to maintain their individuality and distinctive edge. Everything you want from LC is here - The vocal harmonies, Gothic Metal riffs, big songs with even bigger choruses and THAT angelic voice. Very possibly the best album of this band's career.