Tag Archives: Symphonic Rock

Phantasma – The Deviant Hearts (2015) – Review

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To ease my Death Metal injured ears somewhat, I started listening to some loftier and softer stuff. And stumbled across a band called Phantasma belting out a seemingly Nightwish-esque tune on an album called The Deviant Hearts.

The fact that Charlotte Wessels (Delain) is the female front on this project really piqued my interest right away. After all, she can truly sing and is one of the most respected professionals in the genre. 

Interestingly, the project actually features three core band members. The remaining two: Georg Neuhauser (Serenity) and Oliver Philipps (Everon). And they harmonize really well, … [...] Click to raid more!

Tuomas Holopainen – The Life and Times of Scrooge (2014) – Review

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No, it is not Metal. And it is not Nightwish – for sure, whereas there are similarities as described further down below. Tuomas Holopainen‘s 2014 solo project The Life and Times of Scrooge is nothing more (and nothing less) than a soundtrack for a story. A graphic novel – that never quite became a film – kind of in waiting for a film project to emerge. And it is a great story, by the way.

When I first learned about The Life and Times of Scrooge way back last year, I thought this was just a crazy idea (I … [...] Click to raid more!

Epica – The Quantum Enigma (2014) – Review

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What a change since The Phantom Agony and the likes. Some ten years have passed and a few follow-on records, too. But this kind of change is still rough.

And – oops – gonna make friends again! Or perhaps not with all these august fans in action to protect and serve. And even the Revolver Mag giving The Quantum Enigma very high notes.

Well, I am torn on this album. And it is indeed a mixed bag that you get from the Dutch Symphonic Metal band Epica. No doubt about it.

For sure the production kinda rocks. But … [...] Click to raid more!

Within Temptation – The Unforgiving (2011) – Review

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OK, I get it! Nothing is ever easy and change is a constant, as there is no such thing as a steady state in physical music creation. And it needs some courage to do the change-over that these guys have done. Like in radical and absolute. Nothing much left of Metal and Gothic or Symphonic, whilst there are some attempts to get back on track.

The 2011 album The Unforgiving from Within Temptation is a totally new direction from what was before. Some of my co-reviewers compared the record to Nightwish, but there is no Nightwish ingenuity in there, … [...] Click to raid more!