Epica

Cathubodua – Continuum Review

By Master of Muppets on October 23, 2019 in 2019, Belgian Metal, Massacre Records, Power Metal, Reviews, Symphonic Metal, Power Metal, Symphonic Metal, 33 comments

“Fucking fuck you fucking all, you fuck fucking fucks. I absolutely fucking hate everyone right now and I blame each and every one of you miserable shits. I suppose I could blame Steel, him having personally assigned me to the nightmare which I must shortly relive, but I blame you. You, ‘dear’ ‘read’-er, are why we do the over worded and under think-ed things that we do, and to the best of my knowledge I have never hurt any of you enough to owe anyone the undertaking that was Continuum, an album I’ll be dedicating my life and liver to erasing the memory of.” Powers.

Ethereal Kingdoms – Hollow Mirror Review

By Twelve on October 20, 2019 in 2019, Danish Metal, Mighty Music, Reviews, Symphonic Metal, Symphonic Metal, 22 comments

“Every once in a while, I’m put in a position where I have to explain to some wide-eyed innocent how it could possibly be that I don’t care much for Nightwish. The only reason this happens, mind you, is because of the band’s undying popularity and colossal influence in their genre. My problem? I like symphonic in my metal. But I don’t like the band that everyone seems to copy to get there. So why would I pick up Hollow Mirror, the debut full-length from Danish band Ethereal Kingdom?” Wishing for the night.

Moonlight Haze – De Rerum Natura Review

By Dear Hollow on June 17, 2019 in 2019, Italian Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Scarlet Records, Symphonic Metal, Power Metal, Symphonic Metal, 40 comments

“I guess I brought this on myself. All that trash I’ve been talking at the office about power metal has finally come full circle, and here I am laying out the carpet for a power metal band. The debate rages on: does power metal belong among the ranks of true metal or is it too melodic? I suppose, since the beginning, one of metal music’s core tenets has always been a focus on excess. Whether it be slamming death metal’s absurdly violent lyrics or black metal’s corpsepaint, power metal’s dramatic focus on the operatic and epic certainly fits.” Abuse of power.

Embrace of Disharmony – De Rervm Natvra Review

By Twelve on June 7, 2019 in 2019, Avante Garde, Italian Metal, My Kingdom Music, Symphonic Metal, Symphonic Metal, 81 comments

“Stagnation is a problem. In this wondrous day and age where music can be shared across the globe at a mere few clicks, you’d think that “too much of the same” in metal would be a laughable concept. Instead, it’s an actual problem. An uncountable number of fledgling bands are being influenced by the same big acts and creating essentially the same sound over and over again. There is nothing more exciting in this musical sphere than a band that breaks the cycle of stagnation, who smashes through stereotypes and clichés both to rise above the rest and revitalize their sad, tired genre. Symphonic metal, I give you Embrace of Disharmony and their sophomore effort: De Rervm Natvra.” Symphonies of slickness.

Pythia – The Solace of Ancient Earth Review

By Kenstrosity on May 15, 2019 in Reviews, Epic Metal, Melodic Metal, Power Metal, Symphonic Metal, 93 comments

“Ah, yes. Symphonic power metal fronted by an operatic leading lady. This is the stuff that got me into metal in the first place, and my love for it remains unflagging still. But great albums from this specific formulation of the genre made themselves scarce in recent years, with only Elvellon, Delain (shut up, entire AMG staff!), and Epica (shut up, entire AMG staff!) releasing albums I enjoy on a consistent basis. So when I saw a promo that featured name drops from two of those three bands and Nightwish, I knew what I needed to do.” Metal cred is overrated.

Ancient Bards – Origine – The Black Crystal Sword Saga Part 2 Review

By Eldritch Elitist on January 23, 2019 in 2019, Italian Metal, Limb Music, Power Metal, Reviews, 47 comments

“When it comes to my favorite metal guilty pleasures of the past decade, Ancient Bards’ first two records have locked down a pretty sweet slot. Arriving at a time when even the first wave of Rhapsody imitators were beginning to lose relevance, the Bards fully embraced the irony of their “Ancient” moniker, injecting a well-worn formula with Power Quest-levels of sugar-coated melodies and the invigorating folk overtures of Equilibrium to formulate something that was fully cheesy, yet fully fresh.” Bards, beets, Battlestar Galactica.

Lemuria – The Hysterical Hunt Review

By Kenstrosity on January 14, 2019 in 2019, Belgian Metal, Black Metal, Massacre Records, Reviews, Symphonic Metal, Black Metal, Epic Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 149 comments

“It would probably surprise nobody to learn that my background as a metalhead began with symphonic metal. Somehow (read: through a series of ill-advised sessions of reckless YouTube binges) I discovered it during the early days of high school. Symphonic metal enlivened me and became my gateway into this marvelous metalverse. Today I return to that hallowed ground upon which my transformation manifested. Waiting there for me is Lemuria—a symphonic black metal band from Belgium, est. 1999—with their third epic The Hysterical Hunt.” Night hunt at the opera.

Once – After Earth Review

By Lokasenna on October 16, 2018 in 2018, German Metal, Pride & Joy Music, Reviews, Symphonic Metal, Symphonic Metal, 77 comments

“There are few things that break my heart quite like seeing people with passion give their all to something and fail anyway. It’s inevitable in many cases, and often funny (darkly or otherwise), but something about it tugs at the heartstrings. Apropos of nothing let’s discuss Once, a German band named, presumably, for the Nightwish album you just thought of. Having toiled in the underground for a half-decade, Once are finally here with a debut album, After Earth. How does it stack up against the glut of material in their chosen milieu of symphonic power metal?” Once is enough.

The Loudest Silence – Aesthetic Illusion Review

By Ferrous Beuller on July 16, 2018 in 2018, Bosnian Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Symphonic Metal, Symphonic Metal, 50 comments

“When reviewing copious amounts of music, you may think that the process engenders a multitude of questions. Sadly, the one I am most wont to ask — and by an abyssal margin — is ‘why.’ Why did I bring this on myself? Why is this happening? Why did they think this would be okay? Clearly in some alternate universe I must have pissed in Jørn’s pocket and told him it was raining, because his wrath has extended beyond all manner of quasar, quantum and quark to facilitate my punishment with Sarajevo’s The Loudest Silence, a symphonic metal band whose name and debut album title, Aesthetic Illusion, have me buckled under the weight of such irony. ” Jørn givith, Jørn taketh away.

Whyzdom – As Time Turns to Dust Review

By Master of Muppets on April 25, 2018 in 2018, French Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Scarlet Records, Symphonic Metal, Power Metal, Symphonic Metal, 85 comments

“In the curd kingdom of Powermetapolis, in the days just before World War III, things were not well. A cruel wizard, known as Dread Lord Chëëse, had descended upon Powermetapolis with his army — the Trite Trope Troop — and engulfed the lands in flames of predictable parmesan. The echoes of endless Epica clones haunted the air with their carbon-copy cries, over-the-top orchestral orchids had all but choked the indigenous metal flora into extinction, and the kingdom found itself reduced to a laughable shell of its former potential in the wake of the invading tides. Times were trvly tough for Powermetapolis, and in 2007 a group of a peculiar species known as Frenchmen formed an alliance known as Whyzdom, a musical militia whose mission was to bring back the life, the glory, and the powah to the kingdom.” Take the powah back!