Going from good to bad is one thing, but starting at bad is another

The internet is home to numerous things, good and bad. Recently, bands and artists have been getting popular over myspace. This in itself is not a bad thing, and a lot of good bands have been found this way. Still, the lack of quality in the bad artists is horrible. Though bad music is made all the time, it often goes un-noticed. However, this is not the case for The Millionaires.

After putting up a few tracks, the Millionaires became an overnight sensation. Upon listening to their "music" one may wonder why. Sure, it is a little catchy and is slowly getting better musically, but the lyrics are just unforgivable. Every song from "Alcohol" to "Just Got Paid, Let's Get Laid" screams senseless immaturity. This is a shame, because, as previously stated, the background music is progressively getting better.

Though, to take a glimpse into the world of the Millionaires, one song shall be chosen out of random, because each song is essetially the same. For fun we shall look at "Rated X-Mas." At first glance it seems like another song with some sexual references, specifically Christmas references. This is not a horrible concept, and can be a fun sort of song if done right. The problem is it is way to explicit, and not done right. It is possible to go on for quite some time about these lyrics, but this one verse may suffice:

I'm staring at the clock
Waiting for my santa cock
In an out my chimney
Cause he's been around the block

Just where to begin? Apparently Santa is, for lack of a better word, a player who sleeps around a lot. So, now you are probably thinking it cannot get worse, and if it is just this it is acceptable, well guess again:

As I'm licking on his peppermint
I'm gentle with his ornaments
Icing on my lips
Now it's time to open my present

Yes, this is real, and they are signed to a legit record label. Somehow it is possible to get signed when writing songs about, well Christmas porn. Though, these lyrics are to be expected with the pre-chorus that goes something like this:

I'll make you skeet like snow
As i take off my clothes

As any sane, thinking person can tell, these lyrics are just atrocious. Needless to say, there is no point in listening to this group. Though I have never tried it I cannot imagine the songs being any better while being under the influence, especially since their voices are ear piercingly screechy. When all is said and done I will not tell you I told you so, but if you listen to them remember you read this blog as your warning.

The Phantom of the... nah, we prefer the Ghost Opera

The latest album by Kamelot, a symphonic metal band from Florida, "Ghost Opera," may be taken as a fresh start for the band. It is the first album in quite some time to not follow a story, but still maintains its own feel. Overall, each song is dark, which is surprising for a genre that usually has somethin uplifting. Still, the choruses are relatively catchy, which keeps the record from being stale.



"Love You to Death" is definitely the stand out track, and is amongst their best songs. It revolves around two lovers, and the title is pretty self explanatory. Still, the song is rather sad. After all, the girl dies, and she knows she is going to as stated in this particular section of the song:

She got weaker every day
As the autumn leaves flew by
Until one day, she told him,
"This is when I die"

Adding to the atmosphere of the song is the video for it, which is all in black and white.

The album contains more interesting guitar parts than their prior release. This may be due to not having to follow the same story throughout an album, hence allowing for more musical freedom. Though, the album maintains a constant feel that has become the signiature sound of the band. Credit must be given to their singer, Roy Khan. Again, as with Mutiny Within, Khan is not from America. Rather, he hails from the land of Norway. As an aside, why are there no American singers who seem to be competent enough to sing well? Regardless, he has three years of classical vocal training, which he uses to add an impressive range to his voice and displays an emotional impact when needed. If nothing else, his voice may be reason enough for some people to listen to the band, and this album, and through that the rest of the band's talent will shine through.

"In my world love is for poets, never the famous balcony scene..." - Swanheart

Few albums have left me in awe as the first two songs on Nightwish's "Oceanborn" have. The band's maturity since their debut appears very obvious with this release. Surprisingly, their music on this release shines above most music released in 1998.



Lyrically, the album is particularly uplifting, well at least for every song except for "Swanheart" and "Sleeping Sun." Regardless, "Swanheart" may be the best ballad the band has ever recorded. Virtually every line in the song conveys deep emotions that simply are not found in most music. This is not because of the lyrics, though they too are good, but because of Tarja Turnen's vocal performance, which should be counted amongst the top female singers. "Sleeping Sun" does not lack any of the emotion portrayed in "Swanheart," but has an interesting subject matter. The song was inspired by a solar eclipse during 1999 in Europe, and has a dreamy atmosphere surronding it.

Though these songs are slow and emotional, there are faster, more upbeat tracks. One such is "Gethsemane." Honestly, I cannot figure out what the song is exactly about, but it seems to have religious overtones. This likely is true considering that gethsemane is the place where Jesus and his disciples went to pray the day before his crucifixion. Also, there is the line in the chorus that is inspired by Christianity, which reads: "You wake up where's the tomb? Will Easter come, enter my room?"

Other songs such as "Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean" are quite dark in content, but have an uplifting section. Particular, in this song there is this verse:

"We shall come to set the dolphins free
We shall wash the darkened bloodred sea
Our songs will echo over the mountains and seas
The eternity will begin once again in peace"

As their previous album was musically interesting, this album has much improved technically. Particularly with the guitar work. This release sees the growing skill of guitarist Emppu Vuorinen. There are many songs that have guitar and keyboard harmonies, which lend to a fuller sound not found on their debut. Many, including myself, believe this is the bands greatest album, and it should not be missed by anyone remotely interested in wonderful female vocals and interesting song writing.

The 13th Floor

True, it would have been clever to make this the thirteenth post, but this album simply cannot wait. the latest album by gothic metal band Sirenia has matched the level of their debut. Though, rather than being another overly depressing album likes so many gothic metal albums are, this has a sort of upbeat feel to it. The songs usually have a catchy chorus, but never actually become too popish.

Naturally the lyrics need a singer, and though there are two singers on the album, only one really is significant with the exception of one song. Ailyn joined the band for this album, and her voice really helps in making the music interesting. It is hard to say whether or not she has a great vocal range or anything because it was her first album with the band. Still, looking back on past videos and recordings she has without the band it is evident that she will be able to led a lot more vocally on the next album. After all, being selected out of more than 500 possible candidates for their new singer is quite impressive.

The other signer is Morten Veland, who is also the lead guitarist, songwriter, and programmer. The final track, "Sirens of the Seven Seas" is sung only by him, and really shows off his vocal ability. Other than that song he has various parts within other tracks, but he performs death metal growls on them that are becoming weaker with each album. Still, his main role is to be the songwriter, which is does a solid job with throughout the whole album.



Going back to the catchy parts of the album there is the reoccuring keyboard riff in "Winterborn 77," which is one of the best songs the band has ever produced. Surprisingly the chorus in "Sirens of the Seven Seas" is catchy. This is surprising because it is done completely by a chorus that sings in what I believe may be latin, though I may be wrong.

Overall this is a very solid album. All the parts fit perfectly with each other. It will be interesting to see how their next album turns out if they still have Ailyn as their singer (they seem to have a problem keeping the same singer for more than one album). Though the most amazing part of this album is that it can be found at Hot Topic. Even if you do not like the album you can check out Ailyn's solo wor, though because she is from Spain it is mostly in Spanish, but still good.

Angels Fall First

Bringing symphonic metal from obscurity to popularity,"Angels Fall First" is the debut from the Finnish band, Nightwish. During a time when every unsigned band tried too hard to be the same this band stood out. Rather than having largely overdone guitar solos or any other generic element of metal, their first demo was all acoustic. That is, acoustic with a female opera singer. Needless to say, this was definitely new at the time, and because of that they were quickly signed to a label and created "Angels Fall First."

Originally the band wanted to be an acoustic only project, but then they realized the strength in Tarja Turnen's voice. Though, there is still an acoustic vibe on the album, with a majority of the songs either being exclusively acoustic or having acoustic parts in them. Most notably is the title track, which is solely acoustic.
Notable because of the wonderfully heartfelt lyrics. For an example read the following lines:

"Yesterday we shook hands
My friend
Today a moonbeam lightens my path
My guardian"

Needless to say, the song is about how death can happen at any time to anyone. Though it is impossible to escape death there is still faith that the deceased may ascend to heaven to watch over and protect those they love.

Do not be tured off if you are not a fan of ballads and the like, because there are many upbeat songs on the album. The problem is that if you are not a fan of fantasy or Disney then you most likely will not enjoy the lyrics. The song "Beauty and the Beast" is based soley on the Walt Disney adaptation of the story.

Still, the music itself is quite good for a relatively low budget album. Surprisingly the keyboard orchestra and strings sound not too bad, and the rest of the keyboard effects are pleasent. Even if this album does not fully impress you it must be noted that their sophomore release taps further into their potential, and is arguably their best album. This will be reviewed at a later date, but for now experience the album that started it all.

Anyone up for a cabaret, well dark cabaret that is

Lurking in the shadows of the music underground is dark cabaret. A wonderful genre of music that has yet to become even remotely popular. This is still fine, because the music is quite enjoyable to listen to. Often, the music is made to have a fun, upbeat tone, while still maintaining dark or sarcastically dark lyrics. There actually are a large amount of these types of bands, but they essentially reside in the underground. Rather than discussing them all, I shall focus on one in particular, and eventually will come back to some other ones later in the blog. The band of choice is Birdeatsbaby.



The band is from the United Kingdom, and right there a little light should go off in your head telling you they are probably good. Well, regardless of whether the light went on or not they are a good band. Without listening to their full debut album, Here She Comes a Tumblin' it is still evident that they are quite talented. Instead of having guitars, they use a violin and cello. These instruments often contribute a dark, hypnotic tone to the music. Surprisingly, every song they write is original, and hard to compare to anything else. Mishkin, the piano player and singer does not have a lack of passion while playing. This translates through there music and her voice.

Often, the lyrics are rather odd, but so is every other dark cabaret artist. Some songs focus more on sexuality, such as "Miserable." Then there are those songs that go where most songs won't go, such as "Jim," where Mishkin starts the song off by asking:

"So do you still
Think of me?
While you’re masturbating slowly over Kiera on TV"

Ah, the best part of the band is that they are from the UK. You may be wondering why that matters. Well I shall tell you why. Their music videos are so absolutely English. In other words, they are subtlely witty and charming. Just watch their latest video for "I Always Hang Myself With the Same Rope," and you will see exactly what I mean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2F8ZzjW610

Still, it is worth watching their ultra-low-budget video for "Miserable," just because it shows how much can be done with so little.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zdqh28jPB8&feature=related

Essentially, if you are even remotely interested in entertaining music that is original then this is most definitely the band for you.



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