Reviews 2009

[Jonny B]

This is the 'Note To Self' list, updated once again. Now, it includes every release thus far, and their scores, if they were given scores. Basically, my outline/rough draft of my 2009 in Review/2010 in Preview.

Scores So Far:

Gothic Metal
Sirenia "The 13th Floor" (98 / 100)
Amberian Dawn "The Clouds of Northland Thunder" (96 / 100)
Leaves' Eyes "Njord" (90 / 100)
Stream of Passion "The Flame Within" (90 / 100)
Edenbridge "LiveEarthDream" (89 / 100)
Delain "April Rain" (88 / 100)
Epica "Design Your Universe" (87 / 100)
Krypteria "My Fatal Kiss" (87 / 100)
Leaves' Eyes "My Destiny EP" (86 / 100)
For Selena and Sin "Primrose Path" (81 / 100)
Within Temptation "An Acoustic Night At the Theatre" (80 / 100)
Nightwish "Live In Hong Kong" (Not Scored)
Lacuna Coil "Shallow Life" (63 / 100)
Epica "The Classical Conspiracy" (Not Reviewed)
Elis "Carthasis" (Not Reviewed)
Echoes of Eternity "As Shadows Burn" (Won't Review)
Factory of Dreams "A Strange Utopia" (Won't Review)


Hard Rock
Halestorm "S/T" (Not Scored)
Holyhell "S/T" (94 / 100)
Mastercastle "The Phoenix" (84 / 100)
Dawn of Destiny "Human Fragility" (82 / 100)
Doro "Fear No Evil" (73 / 100)
Solna "Eurometric" (71 / 100)
Era For A Moment "When Earth Meets Sky" (Indie Artist)
Paramore "Brand New Eyes" (59 / 100)
Lunatica "New Shores" (58 / 100)
Lita Ford "Wicked Wonderland" (38 / 100)
Flyleaf "Memento Mori" (34 / 100)
Agnes "Redemption" (Not Reviewed)
Alyson Avenue "Omega II" (Not Reviewed)

DVDs
Leaves' Eyes "We Came From the Northern Winds" (Not Reviewed)

Blu-Ray Discs
Nightwish "End of an Era" (Not Reviewed)
Within Temptation "Black Symphony" (Not Reviewed) (Limited Edition DVD set is now region-free, Blu-Ray version gets second defect-free pressing.)

Reissues
Witness "S/T"
Tane Cain "S/T"

Pushed to 2010
Visions of Atlantis, title TBA
Tacere, title TBA
The Murder of my Sweet "Divanity"

[Jonny B]

You probably already know my formula for determining good bands:
1.) Does the band use keyboards?
2.) If not, does the singer (preferrably female and not screaming) use a lot of harmonies?
3.) And if the band does use keyboards and/or harmonies, is the songwriting strong?

Flyleaf "Memento Mori"
Based on that formula, I hated Flyleaf's debut album. A keyboardless band completely devoid of memorable hooks and harmonies...and the singer used too many annoying screams.

Album #2 sees a little improvement, but not much. Songwriting has its moments, but loses its flare and becomes too 'modern' for my liking after the 3rd track. And without keyboards, the fillers are no better than the typical cookie-cutter indie artist. There's only one solid track in 'Alone.' (In fact, I rank that song as high a quality as a Halestorm track.) A couple terrible tracks were saved by good choruses ('In the Dark,' 'Swept Away,' 'Treasure,') But after that, there's nothing else on this album that wowed me. I will give the singer credit though, for she stopped screaming, only revealing that her vocals border on power-pop...another no-no in my book.

Review Score: 34 / 100
Best Track: 'Alone'

[Jonny B]

Paramore "Brand New Eyes"
Now Paramore are the polar opposite of Flyleaf, but not in the way that they're any better. Unlike said band, and after listening to previous works, Paramore have convinced me that musically, they're legit. Stronger songs and hooks than their previous works, and you probably won't ever find too many female-fronted nu-breeds that have no gothic or power-pop influences. However...that said, a band can only as good as their singer, and I'm not a fan of her voice. (that kills a review score, every time.)
Review Score: 59 / 100

(I wonder if Lzzy Hale of Halestorm would be willing to kareoke this album for me?)

[Jonny B]

Skipping another review, this time for Factory of Dreams "A Strange Utopia."

I was intrigued by the debut a little bit. Production wasn't that great, and music was a bit unpolished. Yet, it almost had that Ambeon sound that I have sorely missed since Arjen Lucassen's one-and-done project. Yet, FoD fell short.

I hoped for improvement on album #2, and got the opposite. Production is worse than last album, and sound quality is about as tight as a live band who never practiced before a show. There's expermenting, and then there's experimenting gone bad...songs so brutal a listen that I couldn't even finish the album.

And I listened to the new Lita Ford start-to-finish...should give you an idea of how unlistenable this is.

I feel bad for Jessica Lehto that this is the best project that she could sing for. She's the only bright spot on the whole album.

-----

Now that I think about it, I don't think the realm of Ambient Goth is in my reach, really. I've heard Tarja's solo work, early The Gathering, and now Factory of Dreams as well as a couple of indie artists I've never mentioned here, and the results are the same: not a fan. The closest I ever came was with that one Ambeon cd. I always said that there is always one good song or one good album even in the most unlistenable genres. And in the Ambient Goth world, that album is Ambeon.

[Jonny B]

For Selena and Sin "Primrose Path"
Do you remember The Gathering during the 'Nighttime Birds' era, before they started experimenting and becoming more and more unlistenable as each album regressed? Take the style of that album, make it more keyboard-friendly, add a few commercial-sounding tracks to hold it together, and that sums up For Selena and Sin in a nutshell. I'd rather hear more of that commercial side ('Countdown To the Stars,' 'Psycho Lover,' 'Sister Sunset') then I would the rest, which is more representitive of the early classic goth of the 90's. Perhaps album #3 will see improvement?
Review Score: 81 / 100