It has been a long time since I was able to spend hours scouring the Internet for new music, and longer that I had money to spend frivolously on new CDs. That is why, when I recently had the opportunity to listen to Symphony X's Paradise Lost, I jumped.
And I reeled. In the first track is all the curious and impeccably skillful songwriting of Divine Wings of Tragedy and The Odyssey, now coupled with a full-on orchestra. What more could one ask?
Apparently quite a bit, though I wouldn't have guessed. Following 'Occulus Ex Inferni" (track one) is "Set the World on Fire (Lie of Lies)" (check out the video here), exemplary of a broader and more powerful Symphony X than might be generally recalled. The guitars are downright snarling (as is Russell Allen's voice), the lyrics scorching (to borrow the word), and the orchestration powerful. And the chorus is a great treat, as well--an oasis of clear-as-water vocals and harmonies, which will be seen again and again throughout the album.
And there's more. The vocal style in the chorus of "Lie of Lies" is repeated and expounded in two ballad-like tracks that lead us for an emotional walk through Eden, and following the lyrical paths, we may find ourselves in the middle of Milton's Paradise. Throughout the album there is mourning, hatred, love, and downright evil, enlivened by intelligent and seemingly thought-out lyrics (thank heavens metal is not all the same), and brought together with technical brilliance and truly amazing songwriting. But then, from Symphony X, how could we have expected anything less?
Final Verdict: Truly epic. A must-listen.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Tarja Turunen: My Winter Storm
As an ardent Nightwish fan, I was a little befuddled and more than a little sad at the firing of Tarja Turunen. Thankfully, though, she's been pressing on with her solo career, and I am glad to have snagged a copy of her latest release, My Winter Storm.
The first track, "Ita, Missa Est," let's the unwary listener know that this isn't another Nightwish album. The very sweet sounding oboe and strings blend seemlessly with the next track, "I Walk Alone." This guy brings back the distorted guitars, but couched nicely in a very well-orchestrated backdrop, including some particularly nice horn parts. Definitely enough to warrant further listen.
The following tracks reveal some pretty heavy Holopainen influence, heard very easily in a choir section of "Lost Northern Star." Vuorinen's technique and tone occasionally creep in, whether purposefully or because Turunen's guitarist wishes he could play for Nightwish, I don't know. But even so, it seems that Tarja has developed her songwriting abilities well enough to construct a fairly diverse and individual album.
Of course, there are weak points. A few melodies here and there are generic and every once in a while are pop-ish enough to aggravate. Occasionally, the guitars become rather uninteresting, particularly in the orchestra-scarce "Poison."
Still, there are enough wonderful moments in this album to warrant pressing the repeat button. Turunen's voice is in top form, and she's actually shucked the opera style a couple times with good results (I remember a couple disasters of this area with Nightwish). So, it looks as if Tarja may be shaking off the dust of her heavy metal days (the album rates at heaviest hard rock, but even that's a little sketchy) and taking her own path.
Final verdict: Definitely worth a listen, but Nightwish-seekers beware: this is not an extenuation of "old" Nightwish, or even operatic metal. But if you love the voice and don't mind it in a different setting, go stand in Tarja's storm for a few minutes.
The first track, "Ita, Missa Est," let's the unwary listener know that this isn't another Nightwish album. The very sweet sounding oboe and strings blend seemlessly with the next track, "I Walk Alone." This guy brings back the distorted guitars, but couched nicely in a very well-orchestrated backdrop, including some particularly nice horn parts. Definitely enough to warrant further listen.
The following tracks reveal some pretty heavy Holopainen influence, heard very easily in a choir section of "Lost Northern Star." Vuorinen's technique and tone occasionally creep in, whether purposefully or because Turunen's guitarist wishes he could play for Nightwish, I don't know. But even so, it seems that Tarja has developed her songwriting abilities well enough to construct a fairly diverse and individual album.
Of course, there are weak points. A few melodies here and there are generic and every once in a while are pop-ish enough to aggravate. Occasionally, the guitars become rather uninteresting, particularly in the orchestra-scarce "Poison."
Still, there are enough wonderful moments in this album to warrant pressing the repeat button. Turunen's voice is in top form, and she's actually shucked the opera style a couple times with good results (I remember a couple disasters of this area with Nightwish). So, it looks as if Tarja may be shaking off the dust of her heavy metal days (the album rates at heaviest hard rock, but even that's a little sketchy) and taking her own path.
Final verdict: Definitely worth a listen, but Nightwish-seekers beware: this is not an extenuation of "old" Nightwish, or even operatic metal. But if you love the voice and don't mind it in a different setting, go stand in Tarja's storm for a few minutes.
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