Before the review of the new Dragonforce platter hits, the power nerds at AMG wanted to nerd out with a ranking of their noddle-fests. We let them for some reason.
Epica
Ember Belladonna – The Grove Review
“I was a clarinet player as a child, but I tried my absolute darndest to learn the flute for a time (5 minutes). I found the mouthpiece simply impossible to figure out, and I could only produce the sounds of pathetic, tinny flatulence. Moved on though I have, I’ve always loved the music of professional flute players. Thus was my interest piqued by Ember Belladonna, the moniker of one Emma Kramer-Rodger, a classically trained flutist from Saskatchewan, Canada.” Blowing in the wind.
Angra – Cycles of Pain Review
“Ten albums down. This landmark tests a band in many ways—not everyone’s destined to land on Defenders of the Faith after all. That vital quality, consistency, remains part of that longevity. And as Angra Metal Guy has stated before “Consistency has been hard to come by for Angra.” At least that was until Secret Garden fell upon the world and took with it those words.” Angra management.
Mystfall – Celestial Vision Review
“Symphonic metal is an overstuffed genre with precious few top-tier acts. Success depends on compelling vocal performances, ear-worm choruses, apocalyptic orchestral arrangements, and diligent production to meld it all together. Not even a year old and recently signed to Scarlet Records (alongside last year’s power metal standouts Fellowship) Greece’s Mystfall has wasted no time in bringing forth their debut album Celestial Vision.” Bombast in the myst.
GardensTale goes to Graspop
What happens when we embed an AMG staffer at the Graspop metal festival in Belgium? Heavy drinking and strong takes happen.
![The EP, Split and Single Post Part 1 [Things You Might Have Missed 2022]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Cuervo-bigger-e1608518000407.jpg)
The EP, Split and Single Post Part 1 [Things You Might Have Missed 2022]
Many EPs were missed in the mad rush of 2022. This is the course correction you need.
TheKenWord’s and Carcharodon’s Top Ten(ish) of 2022
TheKenWord and Carcharodon bring their special sets of skills to Listurnalia and things get…interesting.
Sede Vacante – Conium Review
“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.
Meteora – …of Shades and Colours Review
“I can only imagine it’s daunting to form a new symphonic metal band. Arguably one of the most popular forms of metal, the scene is supersaturated with talent, and it often feels like the “greats” have already come, made their mark, and started to move on. Trying to make a dent in the sea of symphonic sanity is a huge task, but many are those who step up to try, and they all have my respect for it. The latest of their number I’ve come across is Meteora, who formed in 2010 in Hungary.” Grand expectations.
Deep Sun – Dreamland – Behind the Shades Review
“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.
