The Victoriandustrial Age is Upon Us... Well at Least for One Artist it is

What happens when the whole premise of using electric guitars is substituted with the use of an electric violin? Well a few things can happen, most of which are not important, except for one artist: Emilie Autumn. She blends various musical genres together to make what she calls "victoriandustrial." This portmanteau is used to represent the industrial elements of her music mixed with strong victorian influences.

Her "Opheliac" album found its way to America on October 7, 2008. Prior to this release date the album was released around Europe from 2006 to 2007. This would not be a problem is she was from a foreign country, but she is from the United States. Regardless of release dates it is a relief that the album finally made its way back to America. Well, it is what music should be, an artist expressing themself rather than purely attempting to make a quick buck.

The album has a constant industrial sound to it, but is not afraid to add a classical victorian flair here in there through instruments such as violens, cellos, and harpsichords. The title track, which is also the first song, does this this. It starts off with about a minute long introduction with a harpsichord, and then segues into a more alternative industrial sound. The song makes countless allusions to Shakespeare's "Hamlet," specifically the character Ophelia, but in some parts Hamlet too. The song goes as far as quoting the letter Hamlet wrote for Ophelia in Act 2 Scene 2; "Doubt thou the stars are fire;Doubt that the sun doth move;Doubt truth to be a liar;But never doubt I love."

The lyrical content of the remainder of the album is largely up to interpretation, though Emilie Autumn has explained several of the premises for them in various interviews. Most, if not all, of the songs have to do with her personal life, which allows her to perform them in a deeply emotional way. Songs such as "Liar," "I Want My Innocence Back," and "Gothic Lolita" revolve around the theme of betrayal. While there are subtle differences in themes they all have a dark, gothic feel about them. Also worth noting is that she bases her song "Shalott" on the victorian ballad "The Lady of Shalott," by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

There is also a bonus disc, which is shorter but still entertaining. The songs "Thank God I'm Pretty" and "Marry Me" possess a dark humor. Both songs are void of industrial influences and focus more on classical styles, which fully appear on the second instrumental on the disc, "Bach: Largo for Violen." There are three poems of various lengths, an interesting classical industrial instrumental that mimicks a movie soundtrack which blends into a melodic industrial track. A few bonuses on the album include an interview with her, outtakes, and bonus video footage accesable through the computer.

At the very least the album is worth listening to, but is worthy of being bought by anyone interested in the wondrous, but rare art of genre blending. Perhaps the hardest part is finding the album, but most Hot Topic stores have at least one copy of it.

Final Score: 8.8/10

My band: Summer Solstice

I feel it is time for a little shameless self promotion. This shall be done for my sorta band, Summer Solstice. As of late there has been a sudden increase in profile views, from around 400 to more than 3000. All this within a span of three and a half weeks. Due to this, I am inclined to care more about the page, but there is a major problem; there is no band.

The project was started early 2009, and never really did much, but now it is time to act. Members needed for the project include:

-singer (female or male, or both)

-keyboardist

-bassist

-drummer

-possibly another guitarist

Major influences include Nightwish, Sonata Arctica, Leaves' Eyes, Tori Amos, and various power/symphonic/gothic metal bands. There is always room for genre blending. Afterall, too much of one genre gets stale, which is why it would be very interesting to include some dark cabaret into the mix, along the lines of bands such as Stolen Babies and Birdeatsbaby. Honestly, it would be very interesting to have a male and female singer, which would open up room for duets and vocal harmonies.

If anyone knows anyone interested in joining a band it would be appreciated if you tip them off about this one. At the moment the myspace page is pretty empty, with the only music being demos and concepts to be included in future songs. I am currently recording a new song which I hope to upload sometime this week. Still, if you're interested then you can check out the page here http://www.myspace.com/summersolstice55

Any help is much appreciated, thanks, have a great week.

Tarja Turunen - My Winter Storm

Embarking on her solo career after being asked to leave her former band, Nightwish, Tarja released "My Winter Storm." Unlike her previous band, there is a noticable abscence of a heavy metal sound. This comes as no surprise considering that she trained as a classical singer in college, and was not into metal when first joining Nightwish. This may be a turn off for some, but it's quite the opposite.

The whole album feels like a movie soundtrack, and though it's not perfect, it is quite enjoyable. First, why it is not perfect, and to put it simply, the album is confusing. Confusing because she attempts to incorporate characters into it that never really coincide or fit with each other. Now, this could be taken as each song being completely unrelated, and in that sense it's acceptable, but in her first music video she has each character in it, and while it may look interesting it is also confusing. It is worth noting that her first video was for the song "I Walk Alone," which is a reply to being told to leave her former band, and the song essentially says that she does not need them to have a successful music career.

Musically the album is interesting, with the exception of a few out of place tracks. Most notable is "Ciaran's Well," which tries too hard to be a heavy metal song, but it comes out forced and out of place. Then there is "Oasis," a song that never ends, or for that matter begins. The middle of the song has her singing in Finnish, which is interesting and done well, but the rest is a dreadfully long, uninspired, string instrumental that drags far too long into the song.

Though, the amount of good songs outweigh the bad. After playing the song "Boy and the Ghost" to various people and having them all display the same reaction proves that the song accomplishes its goal. That is, to put a feeling of hopelessness into the song, which then turns itself into a beautifully depressing song. Truth be told, there really isn't an uplifting song on the entire album except for "Sing for Me" and surprisingly, when translated into English, "Oasis."

If anyone has been following Nightwish the they are either going to hate or love Tarja's voice. For those who have never heard her refer do not rely on just one Nightwish album to demonstrate her talents, instead listen to "My Winter Storm." It would be a cliche to say that this is a hidden gem, and it actually isn't, only in America it is. In an age where it is possible to listen to a whole album online there is really no reason not to give it a chance. When all is said and done the final grade for this album is: 8.5/10

A little FYI concerning the previous blog

I mentioned symphonic metal in the above blog and then realized that most people probably don't know what it is. Without copying and pasting a definition I shall attempt my own description of said genre. Like all metal there are guitars, bass, drums, and a singer or two or three or six depending on the band. What makes the genre different is that there is the incorporation of orchestrated pieces throughout the album. These bands often start off with keyboard orchestra simulations, but often use synthesized strings. Eventually, many of these bands are able to afford full orchestras either for recordings or live shows. Often they will use only parts of orchestras for recordings as to cut down on costs, and if they don't do even that they will overdub enough keyboard simulations to make it sound as if they recorded with a full live orchestra. Also, but not always, there are some bands that incorporate classical influences into their writings.

It is a common misconception that this genre is exclusive to upbeat, female fronted bands with singers who attempt to sing classically, but in reality only a few singers actually know how to sing in such a way. This misconception came about due to Nightwish, the first female fronted symphonic power metal* band that became popular, with a singer who actually studied classical singing in college. Many bands came before them in the early 90s that mixed symphonic with other genres such as black metal, which has a plethora of subgenres.

*power metal: not quite sure of the exact origins, but it is safe to say that Ronnie James Dio and Iron Maiden are amongst the originators of the genre. Often it consists of fast, upbeat music, but as of late has become somewhat more complex as many artists mix it with progressive metal. Notable bands in the genre consist of Stratovarius, Helloween, Sonata Arctica, Hammerfall, and Blind Guardian.

Starting off

Tis a pseudo-historic day. For it is the first of many posts to be found on this page. No sense wasting time rambling. Instead I shall go right to an album review.

Hailing from Norway, Leaves' Eyes are gradually making their mark on the European symphonic metal scene. "Vinland Saga" is the sophomore release from them, and unlike their debut there is a concept to the album. It tells the tale of Leif Erikson, the original founder of North America, and throughout the album is seen through the perspetive of either his crew or their wives back in Norway.

Contrary to numerous metal albums of all subgenres, there are virtually no mind blowing guitar leads. Rather, the band opted for a more atmospheric sound, incorporating movie like scores which compliment traditional band instruments (i.e. guitar/bass/drums). Additionally, various instruments are added to lend a native Norweigan tone to the music. To pick a standout track would be difficult considering that they are all on the same high level, though if one was to be chosen it would be "Misseri (Turn Green Meadows into Grey)" and for an acoustic song, which there are several of, "Mourning Tree" takes the lead.

"Misseri" goes through the emotions of a wife who's husband has gone off on the voyage to the new world. The lyrics are not particularly complex, but their simplicity contributes to a realer emotion for the character of the wife. In the second verse she becomes lonely enough that whenever she hears "rain patter against [her] window" she desperately wants to believe it's her husband come home.

Coincidently, "Mourning Tree" is also about the wife. Though, instead of having a desperate tone it is somewhat optimistic. Throughout the song she expresses the connection that they will forever share no matter how far apart. This comes right after the song in which the listener learns that her husband and the crew have found new land, and the two songs following "Mourning Tree" are about his return home to her.

None of these songs would be memorable if it wasn't for singer, Liv Kristine. Often times she sings both parts, with the exceptions when Alexander Krull who does all the studio keyboard recordings and at times appears with death growls in the more aggressive parts of songs. When singing in her native tongue her voice may make the listener wonder why so many singers with processed voices get so much praise and this band is relatively unheard of.

All in all it is definitely worth checking out this album. Naturally, this will not appeal to everyone, but there may be those who find it quite interesting. Surprisingly this album can be found at most major retail stores such as Best Buy and FYE. Anchors aweigh, and let the Vinland Saga begin.