#alwaid

It's time for the last CMO for January, AND I'M ACTUALLY EARLY! I have A LOT to get through in this one because I'm doing an intense purge of my watch later playlist. So let's see those honorable mentions.

Awaken Solace - Moon Over the Mountain Annatar - Reflection Eve's Fall - Enough Edenbridge - A Turnaround in Art Sozos Michael - Life Finds a Way (Helion Prime cover) Aastraal - Majesty of the Nightfall Dragonfly - Silent Scream Nyx Aether - Odyssey of the Forlorn Acid Deathtrip - The Aftermath A Dream of Poe - Lady of Shalott Silent Descent - Voices Origins - The Power Inside Septicflesh - Martyr Kyle Morrison - Mammoth feat. Sean Zatorsky (Sinsaenum), Adrienne Cowan (Light & Shade) Fourth Circle - Iron Drops Dawn of Morgana - Embers Fade Nightmarer - Skinner Eric Hazebroek & Gogo Melone - Winter is Coming Crimfall - Mother of Unbelivers The End Party - Debutante Gary Numan - Ghost Nation Tristania - Pale Enchantress Vanguard - Hyper1one The Sins of Thy Beloved - My Love Shade Empire - Map of Scars The Dark Element - Only One Who Knows Me Meden Agan - The Purge Starset - Frequency Dust in Mind - Anesthesia Dust in Mind - Coward Heilung - Othan (live) The Murder of My Sweet - Echoes of the Aftermath Camila Cabello - Crying in the Club Skies Collide - This Divide

Now for the excessive amount of real obsessions.

1) Edenbridge - The Die is Not Cast

The Great Momentum turned out so much better than I thought it would be. Such a powerful symphonic power metal album with such a strong symphonic element. It's also a lot more aggressive (riff wise) than I was expecting it to be. The chorus is so dramatic and I love it so much. Just an amazing song all the way through.

2) Alwaid - Amphisbaena

This is their latest single off their new album and it's pretty good. It takes a dramatic turn near the end of the song which I really enjoy. It starts out strong and continues to bring throughout the track. I'm definitely am gonna have to give the new album a listen.

3) The Classic Crime - Driftwood

This is a gorgeous atmospheric rock track. If you need something beautiful to chill to, this is it. The singer's voice is so lovely and pleasant and really suits the instrumentals. A very pleasant song.

4) Crystal Gates - Dreamers (Revisited)

This is the second song I've heard from them and holy tits is it amazing. It starts out seeming like it's going to be a pretty ballad track, then it escalates into the chorus and turns into the gorgeous symphonic metal track. And the vocal lines after the first chorus. Gurl. Yes. So good.

5) Adeia - Architect

Found these guys while browsing the metal archives in the Netherlands section. The Dutch prog scene has always been amazing to me, but this band is so different from the ones I've heard in the past. This song is really great and has such a cool vibe to it. I love the subtle symphonic touches to it in the instrumentals.

6) After Forever - My Choice

How am I so late on finding this music video??? I found it out of nowhere one day and got hooked. I've always been a huge fan of After Forever and this is a traditional song of theirs. Very strong vocals as always, but I mean it's Floor Jansen, of course they're gonna be strong. Also I LOVE the bodysuit that Floor wears in this video. It's so cool and funky.

7) Zoe Nash - Rather Die

I have no clue how I found this song, but I absolutely love it. It's so catchy a fun, but with such a dark-ish twist. The way that the background singers sing "I'd rather die" is just a bit to happy sounding. This girl has such a different voice. It's kinda raspy and strange, but so pretty at the same time, which is what has me hooked.

8) Blessed with Rage - Nightfall

This is one of those songs that catch you off guard as to how good it is. I've always have loved bands with a great electronic element to them. I LOVE the edm bit in the bridge. Such a fun touch. It reminds me a bit of We Butter the Bread with Butter, just not as intense and in your face.

9) Lovelorn Dolls - Dead Sea

This song is so great. I'm not too familiar with them, but everything I've heard has been wonderful. The chorus is so simple, but it's so powerful at the same time. It's so weird how that works out. Definitely give this song if you're into gothic metal. Definitely a great jam.

10) Swallow the Sun - Weight of the Dead

I heard this song on Pandora one day a few months ago and finally got around to listening to it on my own time. What a great gothic doom metal track. It really takes off around the last 3 minutes and just evolves into this gorgeous and haunting doom track. It's so powerful. I really need to check out more from them.

11) Banks - Goddess

I haven't heard a bad song from her yet and I'm kinda scared for the day I find something that I don't like. This song is absolutely gorgeous and so fucking pretty. I still don't really know how to label her music. Modern pop? Trip-hop? Experimental? I don't know, but who cares, it's fucking beautiful.

12) Dream Ocean - Forever feat. Jake E. (ex-Amaranthe)

Found this song through a friend on Facebook and it's so pretty. I'm definitely gonna check out more from them, because their singer has such a pretty voice and she herself is really pretty. I mean look at her hair! Anyways, definitely digging this.

13) Unleash the Archers - Ten Thousand Against One

Apex is how their last album should've sounded. I know I keep saying that, but this album is MILES better than the last one. This and Cleanse the Bloodlines have to be my favorites. It's powerful, dramatic and heavy. What more could you ask from an aggressive power metal band?

14) Jucifer - The Mountain

Found these guys when digging through the metal archives to see what the metal scene is like here in Atlanta. Turns out it's not active, just as I expected. But I did find this sludge band here. This song is pure sludge/stoner metal and I love it. I wonder if they'll release any new material any time soon.

15) Dawn of Morgana - Revelations

I found these guys while searching for symphonic metal bands based here in the States that are listed on the metal archives and gurl are they good. It's so hard for me to actually like symphonic metal bands from the States since so many aren't good, but these guys are dramatic and powerful as all get out. Don't sleep on these guys.

16) Tigersclaw - Princess of the Dark

Randomly found this song one day on the recommended videos on YT. It's a pretty good symphonic power metal track. Their singer has a really pretty and high pitched voice and girl can hit a note. It is a bit cheesy, especially since the chorus is repetitive, but it's a great song nonetheless.

17) Amber Asylum - Cardinal Sin (Dead Can Dance cover)

This is the second song I've heard from them and it's absolutely gorgeous. They did a really great job with this cover and making it their own. My question is though is do these guys have any "metal" songs? I found out about these guys while trying to find some prog bands from the States, but this and the other song I've found aren't even metal songs. But besides that, really beautiful and haunting stuff.

18) DRMCTHR - Get Lost

Found this through Spaceuntravel and really dig it. It's almost as if alternative rock and shoegaze had a baby and this song was made. I'm really interested in possibly checking out more from these guys, because this song is really lovely and great to chill to.

19) Crimfall - Wayward Verities

I decided to listen to Amain after hearing a few great songs off it (and also because the cover art features a "naked" dude on it) and this is one of my favorites off it. The bridge is on some other level because it completely shifts tone. It just turns into this epic track in that moment with the choir bits. I also LOVE the yodeling in the intro. Such a great touch.

20) Trail of Tears - Empty Room

Decided to try to find a song off this album after reading an interview Ailyn (ex-Sirenia) did in which she talked about how Emma worked with Trail of Tears before, so I had to find out what exactly she did. That's how I came across this gorgeous and powerful gothic metal track. I honestly prefer Emma here over Sirenia. It just seems as if her voice is more well suited for this kind of music. Definitely check this song out.

21) Gali - Dancing to Another Love Song

Discovered this song through Hellvetika's IG story one day when she posted about having to listen to this song at the gym. I can't remember if she liked it or not, but I decided to give it a go and needless to say I fucking love it. VERY reminiscent of mid 2000's electronica, which was my shit as a tween. I still love it to this day. Such a fun song and girl has some pipes.

22) MILCK - This is Not the End

I discovered her through her song Quiet, so when I saw she dropped a new track, I decided to give it a listen. This song is also a really empowering track and is so lovely. The chorus is rather catchy, but that's necessary when creating a song that's going to be treated as an anthem. The burst of emotion right as the final chorus starts is so wonderful.

23) Sanguine Glacialis - Monsters

Discovered them through their record label and I am so hyped for their upcoming album after hearing this. This song is such a ballbuster. It's been so long since I've found a promising female fronted death metal band. This a bit of an avant-garde metal flare to them that I'm really digging. Oh, and she sounds fucking insane and ferocious.

24) Shade Empire - Lecter (Welcome)

This song is so amazing and is a wonderful start to an amazing album. If you enjoy symphonic black metal, definitely give Poetry for the Ill-Minded a listen. This, Anti-Life Savior and Map of Scars are my favorites. They're all so powerful and leave such a huge impression. I never once thought I'd hear a song about Hannibal Lecter, but here we are with this track.

25) Starset - Unbecoming

This and Satellite have to be my favorites off their new album. It has such a cool vibe and is slightly haunting. The electronic element is so strong and adds this really cool dimension to the music that I am absolutely in love with. Definitely a great jam.

26) Diablo Swing Orchestra - Interruption

Pacifisticuffs is such a fun album and this is one of the many cheesy songs off it. It's cheesy, but in the best way possible. That's how this band works with its cheese. The chorus starts with a strong "ohhhh wah-ohhh" that just sucks you in. So much fun. Definitely can't wait for the day I can see these guys live.

27) Fairy Bones - Killing Me

This is their latest single and it's so fun. I LOVE the blend of psychedelic rock with punk. Such a cool and fun sound. They're always bringing some new vibe in with their music and I always love it. Definitely give these guys a listen.

Aujourd'hui sur Blog à part – Alwaid: Twelve Daemons Parmi mes nombreuses lubies, il y a le metal symphonique à voix féminine, comme dans ce Twelve Daemons, le nouvel album d'Alwaid. #metalsymphonique #symphonicmetal

On a tous nos petites lubies, les trucs qui font tilt dans l’entendement, que ça soit très rationnel ou pas. Parmi les nombreuses lubies qui transforment mon cerveau en sapin de Noël, il y a le metal symphonique à voix féminine. Et c’est en grande partie pour cela que j’avais précommandé Twelve Daemons, le nouvel album d’Alwaid. Alwaid est une formation française, un quatuor originaire de la…

ALBUM REVIEW: Alwaid – The Machine and the Beast

Als je denkt aan Franse metalbands, welke schieten je als eerste te binnen? Na Gojira, Year of No Light, Betraying the Martyrs en Chunk! No, Captain Chunk houdt het snel op. Binnenkort kun je daar misschien ook Franse Symphonic Metal act Alwaid aan toe gaan voegen. De band, afkomstig uit Lille, brengt op 2 februari in de BeNeLux zijn tweede album The Machine and the Beast uit. Is dit album het…

Alwaid est un groupe français de métal symphonique dont le premier album, Lacus Somniorum, est intéressant. En général, quand on pose un tel épithète, on veut souvent dire « ce n’est pas bon, mais je ne veux pas vexer » (ou alors, on rejette la faute sur Fred Bezies, qui me l’a signalé). OK, je mentirais si je disais que j’ai aimé cet album, mais je ne l’ai pas détesté non plus.

Disons les choses ainsi: le métal symphonique d’Alwaid est classique, sans doute trop; vous me connaissez, j’ai tendance à préférer les variantes un peu plus alambiquées et ici, ce n’est pas trop le cas. On y retrouve un peu toutes les recettes du genre, à commencer par l’inévitable duo vocal entre la soprano et le growler (dans un siècle, Disney fera sans doute un dessin animé avec ce titre).

Au niveau du format, Lacus Somniorum reste également dans le classique, avec dix pistes entre quatre et sept minutes, pour un total d’un peu plus de cinquante minutes. S’il existait un label ISO du métal symphonique, Alwaid serait pile dans les specs.

Une fois posé ceci, il faut reconnaître qu’Alwaid a tout de même des arguments à faire valoir: déjà, les musiciens sont bons. Ensuite, si les compositions sont très plan-plan – pour le genre, s’entend – on y trouve quand même quelques pépites très agréables, comme certains éléments de « The Dreaming » ou « The Scream that No One Heard ».

On sent que c’est un premier album, avec tout ce que cela implique: la voix de Marie, la chanteuse, n’est pas toujours en phase avec la musique – trop soprano, pas assez métal – et l’album ne bénéficie pas exactement de la production la plus léchée, d’où une impression de manque de relief. Il y a du potentiel, mais il va encore falloir un peu bosser pour le réaliser complètement.

Lacus Somniorum, qui est disponible sur Bandcamp, est un album qui est donc intéressant, en ce qu’il montre un groupe qui a de bons atouts pour se faire un nom dans le métal symphonique. À ce stade, il mérite d’être écouté, diffusé, encouragé, mais je ne vais pas non plus le shortlister pour l’album de l’année 2015 (surtout qu’il est sorti en 2014). Les amateurs de voix féminines y trouveront sans doute leur compte.