“I know what you’re thinking. That cover, those outfits, the absolutely killer orange-tinted glasses—they must be Italian. And it’s-a true, the members of Sinheresy hail from Trieste, which technically, in its annexed sliver, flies il Tricolore all the same. Also technically, Sinheresy plays metal, albeit in a variety that resembles the anthemic sympho-ish bounce of Olzon-era Nightwish smattered about with Björiffs to provide a kind of glossy crust.” Sinners bleed orange.
“Before picking this promo up, I had never heard of Sanguine Glacialis before, but I quickly fell head over heels for their wild extreme metal after checking out the kaleidoscopic blunderbuss that is Hadopelagic, their 2018 sophomore record.” Tastis the Glacialis.
“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.
“As all know, corset-core is not exactly my jam. But in 2020, Eleine set out to impress old Grier. And impress they did! And impress they did, and you all got to make various inappropriate comments as you experienced the heaviness of Dancing in Hell. And that heaviness and the vast supply of riffs impressed me the most about Eleine. Sure, the song structures are always about the delivery of the chorus but rarely did a song overstay its welcome. And the hooks were as pleasing as bourbon punch. Now Eleine is back, hoping to deliver their finest album yet and push Dancing in Hell off the mountaintop.” Come on, Eleine.
“A supergroup of sorts—featuring members of Temperance, Serenity, and Even Flow, among many many others—Wonders play a triumphant, uplifting, adventure-bound sort of heavy/power metal. That means belted cleans, big stadium-crushing choruses, sparkling synths, speedy guitar chugs and noodles, double bass runs out the ass, and ten thousand metric tons of shredded cheddar.” If Wonder Bread was cheese.
“In the early days of Frozen Crown, I was unsure exactly what they wanted to be. Hell, I’m not sure they knew the answer themselves. I described their formula as “awkward” in my review of The Fallen King back in 2018, and as much as I love that debut, its mashing together of Sonata Arctica, Wintersun, and Nightwish feels as charmingly disjointed today as it did five years ago.” The Crown and the bling.
“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 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.
“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.
“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.
