Visions of Atlantis – “Ethera” (2013)
Label : Napalm Records
Review by Tony Cannella
It’s been a long road for the Austrian Symphonic power metal band Visions of Atlantis. They are true survivors of the genre. They’ve survived numerous line-up changes and yet still they remain as strong as ever. As a testament to VoA’s lasting endurance and strength the band have just released their 5th full-length album “Ethera”.
“The Ark” starts things off with male vocalist Mario Plank beginning the song before Maxi Nil joins in. This is pure Visions of Atlantis and an excellent way to begin things. This is now the second album to feature Maxi Nil (not including the EP “Maria Magdalena”) and she continues to be a great fit for this band. Continue reading »
Upon Wings – “Afterlife” EP (2013)
Label : Sword of the Spirit LLC
Review by Tony Cannella
“Afterlife” is the debut EP from the Detroit based operatic metal band Upon Wings. The EP features only 4-songs and 15-minutes worth of material but from the very beginning it made a positive impression on me. Musically there is a lot to like about this band, but it was the enthralling vocals of Anne Autumn Erickson along with the thoughtful, introspective lyrics that drew me in.
Anne Autumn Erickson does have an operatic vocal style but it is not over-the-top. She knows exactly when to rein it in and be a little more subdued. Some singers are so enamored with the fact they have this immense vocal ability that sometimes they go a little overboard. Continue reading »
Maxine Petrucci – “Back to the Garden” (2013)
Label : Angelina Records
Review by Tony Cannella
Some fans may remember Maxine Petrucci from the early 80’s metal band Madame X. They had a minor hit on MTV with the anthem “High in High School”. Some may also know of her due to her sister, Vixen drummer Roxy Petrucci. She also has a bit of a solo career going and has just released her third album “Back to the Garden”. This is a heavy, eclectic and unique mish-mash of metal styles, and to say the least it is also a high energy, guitar driven affair.
“Back to the Garden” may be a polarizing album. Fans are either going to love it or maybe not so much. One of the divisive things about it is bound to be Maxine Petrucci’s vocals. Continue reading »
Masterforce – “Until the End of Time” DEMO (2011)
Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
Hailing from (Where else?) Italy comes the 6 person power metal band Masterforce. This band also employs a full time violinist which perhaps sets them apart from a lot of power metal, since violins are usually associated with folk metal. Masterforce is fronted by the vocals of Francesca Bidut. Their debut demo goes by the title of “Until the End of Time”, so let’s delve into it a bit.
There are four songs that make up “Until the End of Time” and to me the best part of the demo is the guitar playing and power metal and classic metal riffs the infuse every song, and that’s taking nothing away from the other musicians particularly vocalist Francesca. Continue reading »
Maledia – “Your Angels Cry” EP (2012)
Label : Ravenheart Records
Review by Tony Cannella
From Rome, Italy the Gothic metal band Maledia released their debut album “She and Her Darkness” in 2009. It was quite impressive for a debut and now finally three years later they follow that up with a 7-song 38-minute EP “Your Angels Cry”.
At 38-minutes it is obviously longer than your average EP but not long enough to be considered a full-length. “Your Angels Cry” is a heavier album than their debut and a bit darker, and injects their Gothic sound with a bit of a Black Metal influence. This is never more evident than on “Obscura” which sees one of the more bizarre vocal duets of the year, with female vocalist Luana Imperatore teaming up with the Italian Black Metal growler Agonia Blackvomit. Continue reading »
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