Newsflash: Tragul Ramp It Up!

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RockmusicRaider Newsflash - Tragul 2018

Same as the dreaded Henry MetalTragul ramped up their presence ever more during 2017. Only that this particular band took a much more interesting route.

The newly formed outfit decided to forego the usual treadmill chasing records. Instead, every 1-2 months a new video sees the light of day. A kind of a drip feed to the hungry masses addicted to your soundbites, which – in itself – is an interesting concept.

In a few short months, their style morphed from an electronically tainted and symphonically challenged Sirenia offshoot to Symphonic Metal with a pretty serious Power Metal [...] Click to raid more!

Epica – The Holographic Principle (2016) – Review

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Epica are known for their penchant for super-epic, somewhat overstuffed, and choir-heavy productions. Starting as a Symphonic and Gothic Metal outfit with the astonishing The Phantom Agony, the band slowly evolved towards an orchestral-laden, bombastic style that left many of their earlier fans confused in their wake.

Over the last years, we have seen many of the major players in this genre move into a similar – if not the same – direction. Which means that what should be innovation turns out to be the new mainstream of sorts. It is a little like this drive to political correctness, [...] Click to raid more!

Nightwish – Once (2004) – Review

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Yes, it is! The 2004 release Once of Finnish metallers Nightwish really is … typical Nightwish fare after all. But with a real hard-edge Heavy Metal twist that I have not seen displayed yet by this band; before and after this record.

Because the ones that came before – for instance Oceanborn and to a lesser extent Century Child – ended up being some sort of a uniform amalgam of stuff. Power Metal and Gothic Metal – yes to an extent – but nothing really knocking the socks off my feet. And the albums following this here release are of a different style in a sense.

Once already exudes

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Nightwish – Imaginaerum (2011) – Review

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Following the outstanding Dark Passion Play, Nightwish created their 7th studio album Imaginaerum. And wary we were, believe it or not. Because after such great results, one is never sure how to top the last edition of a band’s delights.

Now, to start, the band – together with director Stobe Harju (The Islander) – decided to accompany the album with a film created in tandem. The movie finally saw its light of day in 2012 and features reinterpretations of tracks on this current album, plus some new stuff. The tracks Slow, Love, Slow, an instrumental of I [...] Click to raid more!