Interview : Helena Iren Michaelsen – Imperia

Interview by Ed MacLaren

If music is a reflection of the soul then Imperia’s fine new album gives you a wide-open look at the inner spirit of vocalist and lyricist Helena Iren Michaelsen. With “Secret Passion”, the Dutch metal band lays bare Helena’s emotions on a bed of darkly gothic yet surprisingly accessible melodies that ebb and flow across the album’s 13 tracks. To get to the heart of her secret passions, Femme Metal talked to Helena about the album’s evolution, her inspirations and her relationship with Imperia’s fans. Congratulation on “Secret Passion”! It’s a stand-out album and definitely your strongest release yet. Are you pleased with the results?

Thank you for the flowers. (Laughs) I’m very pleased with the positive feedback we get from fans and media, and personally I agree with you that this is the best release of Imperia until now.

“Secret Passion” is a very accessible album. It’s still full of driving gothic melancholy – heavy and dark – but the melodies and vocal lines will definitely attract a new group of fans. Was this something you set out to do with this album?

Yes and no; it’s not a change of direction we really made on purpose, but it rather came naturally in the process of making the album. We didn’t steer into a different direction intentionally. But indeed, most of the songs turned out more accessible than in the past, and probably also more catchy. So I suppose a lot of them also appeal to a more mainstream-orientated audience this time.

“Secret Passion” features some eastern influences and a killer chorus – it would make a fantastic single. When you record to you think in terms of singles or “hits” or is it creating a cohesive collection of songs as a whole?

I try my best in general to always have a chorus that people can sing along to. I don’t want to make things too complicated or hard to follow. I believe that a simple, catchy and touching melody will still reach people’s hearts the easiest. “Secret Passion” is a good example for that kind of chorus. Then again it’s not that we really thought much over which song might make a good single or not, basically we try to have every song as good and catchy as possible.

Vocally, with this album, you seem to be moving more and more away from a strictly operatic performance into a more diverse vocal style punctuated with a very emotive and unique tone. Tracks like “Suicide” sound like you were doing some real vocal experimentation. Were you consciously expanding your vocal palette?

The music is different this time and so of course that strongly reflects in the singing. We kind of moved away from the opera-metal direction and to me as a singer it felt kind of like putting myself in a cage being limited to only use this one kind of singing. I love to explore the different colours of my voice, since it gives room to put many different emotions into my vocals. It’s not that I dislike the opera voice, but it’s just one option out of many others. So to me it’s a lot more satisfying as an artist if I can use all colours instead of just one, and on the new album I had the chance to do it that way.

Even with the vocal changes, you can still pull out the operatic vocals when you need to. Your voice is so versatile that using the operatic register more sparingly actually seems to give more weight and drama to the vocal. What effect are you trying to bring to your music with these vocal changes?

I think you gave the answer already. It’s exactly as you say it, when putting the opera voice in the right moment it makes a really dramatic effect and it can put a real climax to a song. Using it only in those spots where it really fits perfectly actually enhances the effect you can create with it.

“Mistress”, the digipak bonus track, has some strong electronic/dance elements. Your vocals are very well suited to this style. Is this a musical area that you want to pursue?

It’s not that I really have a clear plan to do anything like that. But I like to dance and there’s a lot in dance music which I actually like. Let’s say I certainly don’t see it as a future direction to take for Imperia, and also I am not planning to do a dance-album in the near future. But as an extra-thing it was great fun to make, and I think it’s cool to have it on the album.

Your lyrics are intensely personal. During the recording of “Queen of Light” your daughter was born but you had also dealt with some negative things happening in your life which also infused themselves in your lyrics. Where is Helena now and what has your life experiences brought to your writing for “Secret Passion”?

The life I have now is a lot more peaceful and safe than I had it at the time of doing the previous albums. So I think this also reflects in the lyrics of the album very much, there is much more room this time also to sensitive or romantic lyrics. My past still is and always will be a part of me, and this is what lyrics of songs like for instance “Violence” or “Suicide” spring from. But this time they can stand right next to a song like for instance “Secret Passion”, and to me it feels perfectly natural and right that way. The biggest difference to the life I used to have is that I don’t feel afraid anymore. And this changed a lot, of course.

You open yourself up to your listeners in your music and lay yourself bare in your lyrics. Is it difficult to share those parts of your and let people in to that?

No, it’s no problem for me to share these things with the fans that listen to the music. Making music and writing lyrics is extremely personal to me. It’s like a world of its own, where I can let out all the emotions I feel inside of me, and it’s these emotions that make it intense and touching to the people listening. Singing can feel like a relief at times but also it can be extremely exhausting. Some songs are really hard to do, just because of the topics they deal with and the emotions I feel when singing them. It can give relief at times but also it can really drag me in to the mood of a song and then be really painful. If you want, you could say that sometimes the music kind of is my shrink or my therapy. And I know from letters I got from fans, that it can also be a therapy to others that have been going through similar experiences in their lives. But in particular with those songs that actually are hard to do, it feels like the music that goes with the words gives something back to me, gives comfort if needed. If you feel like crying, the music can wipe the tears away. So all in all I consider it kind of a healing process, and out of all therapies, music is probably the best there is.

Listening to your lyrics, it’s pretty obvious that you have a romantic spirit. Is there room for romance in metal when lyrics in this genre tend to lean towards the dark, aggressive and fantastic?

I am a romantic person, so it reflects in the music automatically. As for what the rest of the genre does, or what people think is the right kind of lyrics for metal songs or not, I don’t really care much to be honest. I think there is room to everything in every genre, if you choose as an artist to give it room. There are no rules that everybody is obliged to follow, unless you choose to accept those rules. And I obviously don’t!

You speak often in interviews about living in the forest. It seems to have a profound influence on your musical perspective. How do the trees and the woods influence the dark gothic nature of your music?

Imperia sports one of the most international line-ups in the business – no one even lives in the same country. How does that arrangement work? You can’t just ring up the guys and say, “We’re jamming at my place tonight. Bring the beer!”

No indeed, that would be a long trip and I suppose the beer would have gone warm before, let’s say, Steve arrived from Germany. (Laughs) But still thanks to technology nowadays it’s not much of a problem, you can work on the same piece of music while everybody is in a different country. Twenty years back probably this would have been completely impossible, but nowadays you can just send files all across Europe in more or less real time.

How do you guys create an album without spending any time in the studio together?

The basis for the recordings was the guide tracks that our guitar-player Jan had provided. To those the drums were recorded at Spacelab studio in Germany and at the same time Oliver Philipps was working on the orchestrations already. When all this is done, the songs sound pretty much complete already. These are the versions we used when recording the vocals, actually here at my house in Norway. At the same time Gerry was laying down the final bass-tracks at a studio in Belgium, Jan was recording the definitive guitar-tracks for the album in Finland. So at the end of every evening there was a lot of files being sent across the globe, so at every place the projects could be updated with the latest tracks recorded. It sounds a bit complicated maybe, but in practice actually it’s not. It actually all worked perfectly fine and could not have been any easier if all being in the same place at the same time.

Does the distance impact the creative process in any way?

In a way I think it gives more space to everybody’s creativity. Let’s say when I work on the vocals, I like to try out a lot of different things. When having the whole band around, of course everybody has an opinion, and sometimes that can feel like a limitation. I feel a lot more free in trying out whatever comes to mind when doing it this way. And still you can, of course, change things again later if not everybody is satisfied with the result. Everybody’s opinion, of course, is relevant and should be respected, but it’s not always helpful to get all the opinions while still being the creative process. I liked the freedom I felt in these recording sessions, working at my own house, working at my own clock, and whenever I felt in a creative mood. I am not entirely sure Oliver always liked it the same as much, let’s say he didn’t exactly get a lot of sleep. (Laughs)

Kids and family are obviously important to you. With recording and touring, is it a sacrifice to do music in a way because it takes away from your family time?

Actually, there isn’t a lot time for me that I could spend on the band. So I don’t sacrifice family-time to the music, but rather do the exact opposite. The priority is to my children, and also all the animals that share life with me on my little farm in the forest, so basically it’s impossible for me to just go on tour for a couple of weeks for instance. Of course, I sometimes miss this feeling of freedom I had back then having less responsibility, being free to go on tour whenever there comes a chance, doing things spontaneously without much planning needed in advance, basically just going wherever the wind may take you. It’s just a completely different life now, with much more responsibility, and a much higher need for stability also. But I don’t want to complain actually. I think there is a time for everything in life, and right now, I am actually happy to be where I am.

Do you have any advice for any of the other Metal Moms out there who are trying to achieve a level of stability with family and career?

Actually, my advice would be that if you choose to have a family, you should give priority to that. I think it’s near impossible to combine being a mother to excessive touring activities, at least not as long as the children are small. And certainly not as a single mother, I don’t see how that should be possible.

You’re a very interesting contradiction – very sensitive, emotional and compassionate yet onstage you’re aggressive and powerful. Is it difficult to balance? What does each side impart to the other?

I don’t see a contradiction there at all. I’m a really emotional person, and in the music, all these different emotions find a place and come out.

Imperia also records as your musical “alter-ego” Angel. That band was originally developed as an outlet for some of your musical idea that didn’t quite fit under the Imperia moniker. As Imperia’s sound has evolved is Angel still a viable musical outlet for you?

Yes, I think it still is, but right now there is no concrete plans for a new album or anything like that. But there certainly will be one as soon as there is time for it.

What’s happening with Angel right now? Will we be seeing some new material from that band anytime soon? Maybe Angel could be the vehicle to vent some of the electro gothic sounds you’re developing?

Maybe so, maybe not. How could I know in advance? Actually anything is possible, and the music and lyrics will come naturally when starting to write the album. As said before, I don’t plan much in advance or put limitations to my creativity. I try to give room to just about any inspiration that comes, and then I let myself be surprised with the album that comes out in the end.

What are Imperia’s tour plans for the summer? Will you be venturing away from the European continent at all?

It may be we’ll do a couple of gigs in Holland and Belgium in summer, but there will not be a full European tour. It’s just not possible at the moment.

Have you ever thought about having Angel open up for Imperia in a kind of Leaves’ Eyes/Atrocity kind of concert? That way you could cover your entire musical catalogue.

Actually, we even did that once a couple of years back. And it was fun to do, but in I don’t think it’s a good idea as a general concept. The audiences Angel and Imperia are appealing to are quite different from each other actually; with Imperia we have a real metal-crowd and Angel appeals a lot more to people that are into much more mellow kind of music, like acoustic arrangements and more of a pop-approach. So I don’t think it makes more sense to present both bands separately than having them on the same night in the same venue.

(Famous) Last words?

Music is my passion. And you are the air that keeps the flame still burning.

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Interview : Amanda Somerville – Trillium

Interview by Roberta Ilaria Rossi

Many are her collaborations in the metal scene, such is her reputation in Europe. After having released an album for her new project, Trillium, the peppery Amanda Somerville is back to town. We had the pleasure to chat with the blonde American singer, who told us many things about her latest work. Here is what she has revealed to us!

Hi Amanda and welcome to Femme Metal.net. Recently, you’ve released the album “Alloy” for your last metal project, Trillium. In my honest opinion, it is a very good album. Would you like to share with us something more about this project, for those who haven’t listened to the album and/or to be updated about your last work(s)?

Thank you very much; I’m happy and honored that you like it! I tend to call the music on Trillium singer/songwriter metal” because most of my songs started out as piano/vocal demos from me and have a lot of emotion and heart in them, in addition to the hard edge and heavy guitar riffing that’s so typical of metal. Also, since I’ve traditionally been a singer/songwriter and have worked in the metal scene for so long, it was bound to happen. I think there are several subgenres of metal represented here, as well as rock. Elements of melodic, gothic, doom… I like diversity! Still and all, this is the single most straight-forward album I’ve ever released, stylistically speaking. Being that I’m as much a writer as I am a musician, the lyrics are of utmost importance to me as well as the music that goes along with them. My songs are always very emotional because I don’t believe in writing or performing anything you don’t totally believe in or can’t make people feel along with you. On the most basic level, they’re all about human struggles and relationships; something we can all relate to, but many of the songs have a very violent streak in them. All of my songs are personal-based, whether it was something I went through or a dream that I had or someone/something that inspired me. My songs are little windows into the innermost workings of Amanda Somerville.

Which is the concept behind the creation of this band?

It’s debatable whether to call this a project or a band. For me, it’s simply a new facet in my work as a musician. I wanted to keep it separate from what I release under my name for the simple fact that I’d like to keep it as “pure” as I can, genre-wise. For years now, I’ve been asked by fans who know me from my work in the metal scene when I would either form my own metal band or release a metal album. The idea had to grow on me because I simply wasn’t ready for it until just the past couple of years and I don’t do anything I don’t believe in 100% and can give 110%!

Was the Trillium project born randomly or was something already created in your mind since a long time ago?

I think I kind of summed up that answer in #2, however the true turning point in the desire to make my own metal album came when I was working on HDK with Sander Gommans in 2007. I loved writing and performing metal music (which only continued to grow after I went on tour with Epica in 2008 to fill in for Simone Simons when she was ill and then with Avantasia) and had planned to make my next solo album more uniformly in that direction. But after some careful consideration, I decided to make it a project to keep it totally separate from my solo music so that I can still put a jazz ballad or Jamaican drinking song on my next solo album and not have to explain or apologize to anyone. It’s still 100% me and those who know me as a solo artist are used to me being rather musically schizophrenic, but since I’m relatively new in the metal scene, I wanted to keep it more clear-cut. The ideas kept coming together and about a year and a half ago, I had everything lined up the way I wanted it to be and Trillium as it exists today was born.

Listening to the album, I’ve been surprised about the second “half” of this record and I’ve noticed that there’s a great cooperation with an artist I really admire: Jorn Lande! I know that there’s a good friendship and a professional relationship with him, moreover he also took part in the Avantasia project. How was the cooperation with him born? What did make you choose him for the track “Scream It”?

Since working with him on Avantasia and touring with him, he’s become a very good friend and won my utmost respect as a musician and vocalist. The man is an incredible talent and I adore his voice! He’s also a wonderful person and can play a role perfectly. I had him in mind when I wrote the antagonistic role in “Scream It” because his voice and character fit so well and I was fortunate enough to have him gladly take part. He did an incredible job and it was exactly what I had in mind!

How did you choose your music partners? I know that there’s a strong feeling between you and Sasha Paeth (since early days with “Virgo”) since so many years now…

I’ve been working with Sascha so long now and we know each other so well, both professionally and personally, that our work flow is always very smooth. Sascha’s the “Big Boss” and so we all (everyone involved with the Gate Studio) owe everything to him. He’s absolutely brilliant and one of the hardest working guys I’ve ever known and I love, appreciate and respect him dearly. Miro and I have a similar taste musically and being that we’re both keyboardists, he catches on very easily to whatever I deliver to him demo-wise. I can give him a very rudimentary piano-vocal demo and it seems like he reads my mind in terms of what I’m imagining arrangement-wise. Robert Hunecke and Olaf Reitmeier I met in 2001 and we’ve done lots of things together, both in the studio and playing live. Those guys can play anything!! Simon Oberender came into our team around 2004, I believe, and he was an amazing asset to our team. Mat Sinner and I got in touch through Kiske-Somerville and we’ve also toured together with an outfit called “Rock Meets Classic”. He’s a powerhouse, a good guy and a big talent and has come to be another close friend of mine in the scene. Sander Gommans and I have worked together for nearly 9 years and we complement each other quite well as songwriters, even though we’re so completely different in the way we approach songwriting. I guess opposites attract and this particular constellation works out beautifully in our cooperation with one another! Sascha and Sander add a totally new aspect to my songs very much of the time for the simple fact that they’re guitar players and take a different approach to song structure and instrumentation than I typically do. It’s a great balance!

I’ve noticed that, inside your crew, there’s also Sander Gommans, ex After Forever former guitar player. How are the working relationship with him that, however, has been a good member for a band that made history in the Dutch metal music?

Yep, he’s pretty great. I call him my Riff King and anyone who knows After Forever, HDK or Kiske-Somerville can hear what an incredibly talented songwriter/musician he is. But I rambled on about that in the previous answer!

Is there a song taken from “Alloy” to which you feel more connected to? If so, why?

I’m really bad with “favorite” questions because my songs are like my children and it just doesn’t seem fair to call one out over the others. That being said, it’s also difficult for me because each is special in its unique way and I’m constantly changing my moods. So one day, I’ll be like, “Man, “Coward” is seriously such a great song!! I think that might be my favorite yet,” because it’s so decadent and the line, “Justice comes to dance upon the graves of cowards” so aptly sums up my belief in karma. Then the next day, it’ll be “Justifiable Casualty” because it’s so emotional and makes me cry every time I hear it, especially the line, “She said there’s no one who can declare a war on warfare.” I don’t know why – it gets me every time!!! Then another day it’ll be “Scream It” because Jorn really nailed the metal “Romeo & Juliet” tragic love story vibe I was going for and it turned out so perfectly. Then the next day, it’ll be “Machine Gun” for its powerful imagery and empowering anger it encompasses Then the next day… do you see a pattern here? Anyway, I love and treasure each song in a different way for a different reason because each one also has its own unique story and personal connection for me.

How the recordings have been so far? How long did they last? How long it took to write the lyrics and music?

Some songs I wrote already a couple of years ago, some I started working on just before we started on the production. All in all we were demo-ing, recording, mixing & mastering from March until August 2011.

On a technical level, “Alloy” is an album based on a deliberately obscure and chilly production, ingredient that combined with the songwriting process could already predict a masterpiece itself, sounding pop/rock, which also shows a great elegance. If you were to describe the album just with three words, what adjectives would you use?

Emotional. Loaded. Dark.

You will start a tour with Trillium in the next months and you will visit so many cities in Europe next to another Dutch band, which was born in these last years: Delain. How did the choice to support this band for the very first Trillium tour happen?

Sander and I have been in touch with them for a while regarding various aspects. I think they’re a good fit to Trillium and it’s something new, so I’m really looking forward to the collaboration.

What are the expectations for this tour?

I’m not a person who believes in having expectations. I like having a blank slate and filling in the spaces as I go along. In my opinion, expectations can only get you into trouble. If you let yourself simply enjoy the experience as it comes along, it’s much more fulfilling and you’ll never be disappointed. I’m just looking forward to the tour and am grateful that I have the opportunity to do what I love to do and share the experience with some great people. I hope for the best and that’s all.

What do you expect from this band?

Ah, yes. See my previous answer on the subject of expectations.

Besides being an excellent mezzo-soprano and composer, you’re also a vocal coach. You’ve been the teacher of many singers (like, for example, Simone Simons from Epica), what have you learned from your pupils? What is it left of each of them inside you?

First of all, thank you very much for your kind words. I must correct the statement, however, that I’m a mezzo-soprano. Though my range is actually all the way from tenor to soprano, I feel most at home as an alto. I’m not quite sure where this whole”mezzosoprano” description came from that someone placed on my Wikipedia page but I can assure you that’s not the case. And that being said, I’m a student of life. Each person I’ve worked with, each project I’ve been involved with has presented me with new challenges to change and grow, both as a person and as a musician. I think it’s important to always find new stimuli to keep you on your toes and strive to always be better. In the same turn, I also learn about how I would not like to be and things I definitely don’t want to do. It works both ways!

You’ve started singing from the early age. How your passion for music was born? How did it happen?

I grew up in a very musical family where music was a very basic and essential part of life. According to my mother, I was singing before I was talking. It was always a “learning-bydoing” process and I was fortunate to also have very good music mentors in both my family and at my elementary school, so I learned to read music and play piano at a rather young age. There was no sudden moment or conscious decision in my wanting to become a musician; that’s all I ever wanted to be and do. All throughout my life, I was giving concerts, performing in talent shows and competitions, even DJ-ing, hosting karaoke & singing in cover bands and jazz combos to earn money when I was in university. It’s just always been a part of my life!

Which are the artists or bands who have most influenced your artistic growth, your music and your Arts education?

I never did study music formally, nor was I classically-trained in singing. My grandmother taught me how to read music and gave me the basic foundation that I still use for composing today. As far as turning points go, the big milestones were: starting to work with Sascha and the Gate Studio team and releasing my first solo album in 2000; then writing “Aina” in 2002-2003; doing more and more work for and with metal bands; writing thrash metal in HDK with Sander Gommans; getting involved in Avantasia; releasing “Windows” and now working on Trillium. I’d say those are the big ones!

We could say that you have a great long path behind. You’ve worked with artists like Kamelot, Michael Kiske, Epica, Avantasia and so on. What these people have given to you on an artistic level and/or a personal level?

Every new album, each new project or band or artist I work with or write and record is a further step in my growth process as a musician and as a person. So each one has changed my life because it left a lasting influence on me that’s led me to who I am today.

How do you feel, at this point, in your career? Are you satisfied about the work done until now? Do you have some other expectations or some other project you would like to do in your artistic career?

I’m very satisfied. I get to do what I love to do, travel all over the world, meet and work with some wonderful and amazingly talented people and I can pay my bills from that. I don’t think anyone could ask for anything more fulfilling on a professional nor on a personal level. I would love nothing more than to just keep the ball rolling!

As I’ve said before, you are best known for having worked with so many bands, in particular one of these bands reflects your fame: Epica. How do you feel like working with this famous Dutch band?

I’ve been working with them since before they were even called Epica (back then, they were Sahara Dust and had Helena Michaelsen as their singer!). They’ve joked that I’m the not-so-secret 7th member of the band and it’s been great being involved.

In 2008, you’ve had to replace Simone Simons, who was facing a serious illness which has forced her to retire herself from the music scene for a while. How did you feel like replacing one of your most famous pupil? I remember that, in the same year, you both performed together in Italy (for the festival called Rock In Field) in a beautiful duet. What could you tell us about it?

It was certainly a logical choice for them to ask me to fill in for her since I’d co-written all of their songs, coached Simone, produced the vocals and sung on every song. For me to agree to it was because I didn’t want my friends to have to miss out on a huge opportunity because the tour was going to be a very important one for them. It wasn’t easy, however, because I had no idea what to expect from the fans, whether I’d get tomatoes thrown at me or what because it’s always a tricky thing to replace a lead singer and not everyone is interested in the details or background story. However, it all worked out great and the fans were very gracious. Our duet in Italy was simply natural since we were both playing at the same festival; Epica and Avantasia. We had a good time!

Having mentioned one of the most famous female fronted metal bands of Europe, what is your thought about bands with female singers? Are you in favour or against the bands that use a girl for their own music? Which is your thought in general?

Haha!! Is this supposed to be a “new” concept, having a woman fronting a musical event? Being a “girl” myself, why on earth would I be opposed to it? I think the term “femalefronted” is a rather laughable one, to be honest. You never hear the term “female-fronted pop” or “female-fronted jazz”, or “female-fronted R&B”, right? So what’s the big deal about it in metal? I think some guys need to get over themselves a little because chicks rock just as much as – and sometimes, quite frankly, even more than – dudes do.

Talking about collaborations and cooperations, in 2010 you’ve released an album with another famous partner: Michael Kiske and last year, you’ve also took part in the new Serenity album, called ”Death & Legacy”, where you’ve played the role of the Queen in the amazing song “Changing Fate”. How was for you interpreting musically speaking a so important historical role? Which were your impressions when this Austrian band asked you to cooperate?

I loved the song and thought the musical portrayal was beautiful. I’m a bit of an actress and a lot of a romantic, so it was fun and fulfilling. I think Serenity is a very talented band and wish them tons of success.

As I’ve quoted before, you are also a great composer. In 2003, you’ve been the backbone of the band Aina, for the album “Days of Rising Doom”, in which you’ve done most of the work: you wrote the lyrics and the music and you’ve also taken part as a singer. What do you remember about this experience? Was it hard to do everything by yourself?

It was scary but extremely exciting. That was my first real, big project I did in the metal scene and I had no idea how I was going to do it, I just thought, “I’m going to accomplish this, come what may!”. And I did. I didn’t do everything by myself, just the concept, story and lyrics and I co-wrote a minimal amount of the music. That was my initiation into the Gate Studio team and I proved myself and was soon a steady member.

How does a work, created by Amanda Somerville? Where does the inspiration for the music and lyrics come from?

I’ve never really been able to force a song. I don’t believe in doing anything contrived, especially when it comes to songwriting. I think it’s a blasphemy to one’s art. Music is my emotional outlet and I let it take me wherever it leads. If I have an idea that’s just not moving further, I set it aside and wait for it to “speak” with me again. Some songs have taken months or even years to finish for that reason; they just need their time. And sometimes, a deadline can be a miraculous motivator. As far as songwriting goes, I don’t really have a “normal process”. Sometimes a song will begin as a chorus or a verse, or just a melody, or some chords. Sometimes it’s just lyrics and the body of the musical composition comes later. And sometimes a song will come to me from start to finish in its entirety; chords, vocal lines, lyrics and all! So every time, it’s different. Being that I’m as much a writer as I am a musician, the lyrics are of utmost importance to me as well as the music that goes along with them. My songs are always very emotional because I don’t believe in writing or performing anything you don’t totally believe in or can’t make people feel along with you. On the most basic level, they’re all about human struggles and relationships; something we can all relate to, but many of the songs have a very violent streak in them. All of my songs are personal-based, whether it was something I went through or a dream that I had or someone/something that inspired me. My songs are little windows into the innermost workings of Amanda Somerville.

Which is the most beautiful part in creating an album, entirely written by you?

My albums, my songs are like children to me. It’s a huge labor of love, filled with soaring highs and sometimes horrible depths. Music is my highest form of emotional and personal expression. It’s very fulfilling to see everything come together and wind up being a work of art and rather a snapshot of myself at a particular stage in my life.

Do you have already something new in your mind after the tour that will see you around Europe with Trillium or are you going to take a little rest and work, later on, on new projects?

Nope, I’m going to keep on truckin’ and keep the ball rolling! Not to sound greedy, but I want more, more, more!

Thanks so much for the great chat, Amanda. I really hope to see you on tour with Trillium very soon. Is there something you would like to tell to your fans and to Femme Metal users?

Thanks so much for your time and interest! I really hope I can see some of you while I’m out on the road – it would make me super happy!! xx Amanda

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Latest Multimedia

Imperia – “Secret Passion” (2011)

Label : Massacre Records

Review by Tony Cannella

It is hard to believe that it has been 13-years since Helena Iren Michaelsen first burst on to the metal scene as the female vocalist for Trail of Tears and singing on their excellent “Disclosure in Red” debut. From there she released an album with the band Angel (not to be confused with 1970s arena rock outfit of the same name), before finding her home fronting Imperia. The band released their debut “The Ancient Dance of Qetesh” in 2004, followed that up with “Queen of Light” in 2007 and now have finally issued their long awaited third album “Secret Passion”. “Touch of Your Hand” is a great opener and one that sets the tempo straight away. Helena is in fine form vocally throughout the 60-minute playing time of “Secret Passion”. You have to respect the depth, character and emotion she is able to convey with her voice. She can go from an operatic style to more of a mid-level range, whatever the song calls for. “Secret Passion” is next and slows the pacing down a bit at the start before slowly picking up steam and settling into a steady groove that helps to elevate it into being one of the best songs offered up here. Other highlights include: “Fragile”, “Out of Sight”, “Let Down”, “Violence”, “Hold On”, “Greed” and I could go on and on. “Secret Passion” is concluded with “My Sleeping Angel” a song that sees Helena dueting on the track with Everon vocalist Oliver Philips. The digi-pack features the bonus track “Mistress” which is quite an interesting song.In my humble opinion, “Secret Passion” is Imperia at their best and one of the best things that Helena Iren Michaelsen has recorded in her long, distinguished and underrated career.

Rating – 95/100

Tracklist

1. Touch of Your Hand
2. Secret Passion
3. Fragile
4. Out of Sight
5. Let Down
6. Violence
7. Like Rain
8. Suicide
9. Hold On
10. Greed
11. Missing It All
12. My Sleeping Angel
13. Mistress (Bonus Track)

Line Up

• Helena Iren Michaelsen – Vocals
• Jan Orkki Yrlund – Guitar
• Gerry Verstreken – Bass
• Steve Wolz – Drums

Links

MySpace * ReverbNation * Facebook * Twitter * Site

Trail of Tears – “Bloodstained Endurance” (2009)

Label : Napalm Records

Review By Erwin Van Dijk

Before we start a question: do you like Trail of Tears? If the answer is yes you can buy this one without hesitation. I did an interview with Ronny and Cathrine about this album and according to Ronny the idea behind the name of the album is: “It is a reference to the band itself and it’s history. We have endured a lot of negativity over the years, we might be scarred but not gone and with this album we have proven that those scars will heal and that what doesn’t kill you, will in fact make you stronger”. This is the first album with a renoved line up which 3 of them came from Cathrine’s second band Lucid Fear. Talking about the album, instead, there is a nice touch thanks to the contribution of Audun Gronnestad on “Bloodstained Endurance”. He is after all a member of Imperia and this is the band of Helena Iren Michaelsen, Trail of Tears’ first female singer. Although Lucid Fear is a black metal band this does not mean Trail of Tears has turned into this kind of music. Ronny is still the mastermind behind all the songs and most songs on the album are written by the Thorsen, Paulsen & Olsen trio. Exceptions of the rule are among others “Farewell to Sanity”, which is done by Moe, Næs and Cathrine and my favourite song “A Storm at Will” which is entirely done by Bjørn Næss. With other words, the new members had the opportunity to add some to the album as well and the album did not turn into Ronny’s solo album. Compared to the last album that featured Cathrine Paulsen, “A New Dimension of Might” Trail of Tears has dumped all the bombast and returned to the core. Well written and very dark without resorting on too much special effects, opera, choirs etc. There is one song I really want to mention: “A Storm at Will” : this is really the Cathrine song on “Bloodstained Endurance”. The song starts almost like an acoustic ballad until the guitars kick into gear. With this song she can finally show what she can. Personally I think this is a good album. As said before, it is more down to earth and certainly not entertainment for the masses but Trail of Tears has never been this before.

Rating – 80/100

Tracklist 

1. The Feverish Alliance
2. Once Kissed by the Serpent (Twice Bitten by Truth)
3. Bloodstained Endurance
4. Triumphant Gleam
5. In The Valley of Ashes
6. A Storm at Will
7. Take Aim.Reclaim.Prevail
8. The Desperation Corridors
9. Farewell to Sanity
10. Dead End Gaze
11. Faith Comes Knocking

Line Up

• Ronny Thorsen – Vocals
• Cathrine Paulsen – Vocals
• Paul Olsen – Guitar
• Bjørn Erik Næss – Guitar
• Endre Moe – Bass
• Cato Jensen – Drums

Links 

MySpace * Facebook * Site