Nightwish

Sede Vacante – Conium Review

By El Cuervo on November 3, 2022 in Reviews, Gothic Metal, Symphonic Metal, 15 comments

“Certain assumptions will be made about gothic/symphonic metal bands. They will be fronted by a woman. They will prioritize strings as the most important melodic instrument. They will be Finnish. In the case of Sede Vacante and their sophomore release entitled Conium, these are at least partly right. You’ll note the female singer centralized in the band photo below. Strings do indeed feature. But the one sheet informs me that the band is both Finnish and Greek. What a revelation! Dusk aspiration.

Therion – Leviathan II Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on November 2, 2022 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, Symphonic Metal, 39 comments

“Therion and I go way back, but not as far back as the Great Ape because he’s as old as the oil that lubricates my engine. Therion has always been the same bizarre operatic, symphonic enigma. I’ve been an enthusiastic fan, from Vovin to Secrets of the Runes to Lemuria/Sirius B. But after the release of Gothic Kabbalah, I begin to lose interest. With the release of Leviathan II, I revisited the band’s entire discog, and while I hate agreeing with Dumb Druhm, he is right.” Oeuvredone.

Behind your Fear – Anthropocene Review

By GardensTale on October 17, 2022 in Reviews, Dark Rock, Gothic Metal, 12 comments

“Stefanie Duchêne sang for gothic metal band Flowing Tears in the 90’s and early 00’s, making some small waves by bucking the trend of Nightwishcore sopranos, but when she left that band she did not return to the style for decades. Now, 20 years later, she fronts Behind your Fear, hoping to reclaim her seat. Does she still know her way into the hearts of metalheads or did she get lost along the way.” Exchanging tears for fears.

Blood of Indigo – Dawn of the Shaded World Review

By Grymm on August 24, 2022 in Reviews, Gothic Metal, 20 comments

“Here’s an interesting factoid for you: in my formative metal years, one of my all-time favorite “guilty pleasure” genres of metal was of the Gothic variety. Back in the 90s, groups like Moonspell, Tiamat, and Samael ruled my heart and eardrums with their combined ferocity, ingenuity, and dark energy to the point where I searched out many a band bedecked in frilly shirts and side-laced leather pants. So when Toronto upstarts Blood of Indigo look to welcome back a treasured sound which, combined with their love of gaming(!!!), I thought that this should be a no-brainer, win-win scenario, especially when you consider they spent five years working on their debut, Dawn of the Shaded World.” Goth is the new purple.

Deep Sun – Dreamland – Behind the Shades Review

By Twelve on June 10, 2022 in Reviews, Symphonic Metal, 36 comments

“Wherever I end up in life, I’ll always have a soft spot for symphonic power metal. As much as I’m happy to malign the genre for its general lack of innovation, I always try to make some time to let it prove me wrong. Discovering Dreamland – Behind the Shades, the third full-length release from Swiss Deep Sun gave me what felt like my first chance this year to do exactly that.” Night(wish) falls in Dreamland.

All Things Fallen – Shadow Way Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on June 9, 2022 in Reviews, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, 15 comments

“We all have a type. Deep down inside, my type often reflects as moody, noodly, groove-kissed prog. So, when I see a promo that promises all of those things, I can’t help but shove it in my ears and hope for the best. Enter All Things Fallen who presents as a supergroup of sorts, boasting members of Pain of Salvation, Darkwater, and Almah—a little digging reveals it’s more of a supporting cast coalition. A little less ego can go a long way in collaborative projects, so smaller names are not exactly a bad thing.” Manbun-core.

Gladenfold – Nemesis Review

By Twelve on May 1, 2022 in Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, Power Metal, Symphonic Metal, 46 comments

“I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed some solid Finnish metal. You know what I mean—the kind of metal that’s aggressive, adventurous, inspired by nature or history or something along those lines, with that je ne sais quoi that is the Finnish charm. I didn’t realize at the time that Gladenfold is a Finnish band though—mostly I just liked the album cover on Nemesis, and the promise of some solid melodeath helped too.” Race to the Finnish.

Siren’s Rain – Rise Forth Review

By Carcharodon on October 11, 2021 in Reviews, Folk Metal, Heavy Metal, 21 comments

“Sometimes, the cover of an album is meaningless, you know, just a cliched picture of a skull or zombie or something to adorn the record sleeve. Sometimes, however, the artwork can tell you a lot, both about what to expect from a record and about the band behind it, which presumably signed off—or in a few cases even designed—the artwork in question. In the case of Tacoma, Washington’s Siren’s Rain and their self-released debut album, Rise Forth, the artwork triggered an all too familiar sinking feeling.” Graphic displays.

Lost in Grey – Under the Surface Review

By GardensTale on July 2, 2021 in Reviews, Symphonic Metal, 19 comments

“It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed female fronted symphonic metal, or to use a common colloquialism, Nightwishcore. This has not been entirely happenstance; though I do blindly grab an album from the bin on occasion, I’ve otherwise avoided all the usual markers wherever possible. But I’ll make an exception for Lost in Grey, the only Nightwishcore I’ve ever granted my wholehearted recommendation for attempting to escape the tightly cinched corset of the genre’s many clichés.” Own the night(wish).

Nergard – Eternal White Review

By Twelve on May 22, 2021 in Reviews, Symphonic Metal, 24 comments

“We throw around the phrase “Nightwish clone” in here a lot (at least it seems like we do; I have no inclination to check my claims), but in this case it feels eerily accurate. With Eternal White, Nergard channel Century Child with some Winterheart’s Guild-era Sonata Arctica thrown in for “spice.” “Spice” is in quotation marks, by the way, because this isn’t a very spicy album – in fact, it’s played very safe, leaning on a formula that has served the Leaves’ Eyes, the Xandrias, and the Sirenias of the world well: symphonic first, metal second.” White is a passive color.