2012 News Updates, and the occassional Review

[Jonny B]

If there are any detailed reviews this year, you will find them here. But as I said, there won't be many. Mostly brief thoughts and news to pass along. Here's the first post for 2012:

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Just learned that Nightwish got their first Top 40 showing in the USA! 'Imaginaerum' charted #27 this week. I think it could've been better, but without a US tour in plan, at least not yet, I don't think it'll get better than that.

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Lacuna Coil's 'Dark Adrenaline' is great! They've taken the best aspects of their previous 3 albums and put together a solid set of songs. However, I could've done without the cover of 'Losing My Religion.' This was one of many reasons why I hate 90's grunge, and even the Lacuna Coil touch didn't change my mind with this one.

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Lana Lane is coming back! New album slated for the Spring.

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In addition, Lita Ford has also returned. Different album title though, ('Livin' Like A Runaway') which she describes as that; a classic sounding Runaways-style album....personally, any album that sounds like Lita Ford pre-Black is a good thing.

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Delain already has my vote for 'worst album cover' for 2012. But I will forgive them if the new album 'We Are the Others' is as good as 'April Rain.' ...A US tour wouldn't hurt either.

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Apparently, the We Are the Fallen concert is only available for digital download...I guess they won't get my support. I want a DVD/Blu-Ray. I for one, am not one who is glued to a computer or digital device.

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Thus concludes the first post for 2012.

[Jonny B]

My monthly update for 2012, as of late February/early March. Lots of interesting things going on.

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Lacuna Coil's new album 'Dark Adrenaline' charted #15 in the States in its first week of sales.

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Halestorm posted the music video for their new single 'Love Bites.' The video isn't too exciting, but the song is killer. I have high hopes for this upcoming album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmkHqUwa4zg&ob=av2e

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A friend lent to me an advance copy of Lullacry's comeback album 'Where Angels Fear,' and I tell you what, this is a grossly disappointing album. No big hooks, no memorable choruses....Perhaps they were right about disappearing. If these songs were the same ones they've been shopping around all these years, it doesn't surprise me no label wanted to take them on...the official release date is in early April.

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Amberian Dawn also have a new album coming up, entitled 'Circus Black.' They have a teaser online on YouTube, and I'm impressed with the samples. It sounds like they're moving away from the technical aspects of neoclassical and focusing more on listener-friendly power metal songs. Check out their single 'Cold Kiss.' They still need to work on writing a hookier chorus, but I like the direction they're going in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EDJRjZimxI

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A demo version of a new Delain song has been circling about, entitled 'Get the Devil Out of Me.' ...and it's not good. I hope this isn't the single. And I hope this isn't the best the new album has to offer.

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Sirenia are already back in the studio producing demos for a new album...I hope they continue to find the right balance between the commercial and the artistic.

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Epica's new album 'Requiem For the Indifferent' is out within the next couple of weeks....Is there any other group more overhyped than Epica? This is another album I've had the luxury of listening to early, and it's really just the same old Epica, just a little faster than previous albums. I should give them praise for being one of the very few symphonic/gothic bands to stick to the formula they started out with...but it's a formula that just doesn't work for me. They're a step above the third-rate bands, I will say that. But they always seem to lag behind elite groups ala Nightwish, Sirenia, Lacuna Coil, etc. They do so much with their songwriting, and yet there's always something missing...

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While on the topic of third-rate bands....How about a group that never...and I mean never...wowed me, who come out of nowhere and suddenly put out a single that would gave Tarja-era Nightwish a run for their money? Check out the new single from Xandria. I'm thinking it's time to give this group a second chance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekHjGVgiKsk

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Tacere's official website no longer exists. In addition, their Myspace page hasn't been updated in 4 years...I'm really disappointed. Their debut album was one of the best debuts I've listened to, and several steps above a lot of the Finnish scene at the time (and there was a lot of competition at the time mind you.) ....At one time, I predicted they would carry the torch of Finnish metal had Nightwish ever taken a Stratovarius-like fall from the top (it was possible. Nightwish had yet to name a new singer to replace Tarja, so anything was possible....) ...But it looks as though that will never happen. Tacere is apparently done for good.

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Thus concludes my monthly 2012 update.

[Jonny B]

Hope you'll forgive the lack of updates...I've been battling depression the last couple months, but I've been fighting through it and at least keeping track of the female rock scene...

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The finished version of Delain's new single 'Get the Devil Out of Me,' is vastly improved over the demo version, and it gives me hope for the new album. It sounds like a cross between 'The Gathering' and some of the better aspects of the 'April Rain' album.......my only gripe is the lack of vocal layers and harmonies that were so prominent on 'April Rain.' But the song is strong enough.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaATQzLr_20
No plans for a North American release, at least not yet.




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Halestorm's new album 'The Strange Case Of' is rock solid. If you loved the debut, you'll love this album...But I'm still disappointed with their tendency to drop a clunker of a power-pop song...if you delete 'Beautiful With You' and 'In My Room,' it's a perfect album.

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I knew that Dawn of Destiny was due for a new album, and they now have one in 'Praying For the World.' ....Their lineup has taken a complete overhaul, including a new singer. Overall, the album is ok. They've mellowed out a bit and focusing on the more artistic side while still maintaining good chorus hooks...it's too bad the new singer doesn't have quite the range or power as the previous singer.

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Got a couple of newcomers on the scene. End of September and Shadowside are releasing solid debut albums, focusing more on modern rock. Good chorus hooks....Unfortunately, outside of good female vocals, they sound like every other modern rock band.

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I've heard some clips of Lita Ford's new album 'Livin' Like A Runaway,' and I will say that it's a huge improvement over 'Wicked Wonderland. ...but I sense that it doesn't quite live up to the standard that fans of the classic Lita Ford would expect....There's a LOT of hard rock and heavy metal that has come out in the past few decades...average isn't good enough anymore....Me thinks she could use some lessons from Lzzy Hale.

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In This Moment have hinted around releasing a new album...I've made it clear. If they stick to screamo, I'm done with them.

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Edenbridge and Elysion have announced they're working on new albums as well...releases not slated until the end of the year.

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I don't really understand why Nightwish who got their first ever Top 40 charting on US soil, would only have a single US tour...They did FOUR for the 'Dark Passion Play' album...seems to me that their most successful album to-date is deserving a more than one US Tour, and preferably with tour dates at other venues than the usual ones.

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Thus concludes the update for May.

[Soloud]

The finished version of Delain's new single 'Get the Devil Out of Me,' is vastly improved over the demo version, and it gives me hope for the new album. It sounds like a cross between 'The Gathering' and some of the better aspects of the 'April Rain' album.......my only gripe is the lack of vocal layers and harmonies that were so prominent on 'April Rain.' But the song is strong enough.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaATQzLr_20
No plans for a North American release, at least not yet.

July 3

[Jonny B]

Kind of a filler post since I haven't been around posting updates. I plucked a post from my 2011 in Preview.

If there was any one year that will be make-or-break for anything remotely gothic, this is it. For starters, there will be new releases from Nightwish, Within Temptation, Delain, Sirenia, and (I think..) Evanescence....(if they can get out of the studio...should've been released last year.) That alone is an all-star cast across the remains of the gothic spectrum....2011 could very well be the last stand for gothic metal.....Four of the five mentioned groups are coming off their most successful album. The problem in the past, is that I've rarely had a favorite band of mine follow-up their best album with one that was better then the last. I just have a terrible feeling that it's gonna be a really huge letdown year...I'm predicting at least 3 of these groups will disappoint me.

With the release of the new Delain album 'We Are the Others,' my Top 5 have all released their new albums. How did they fare?

Nightwish
Previous Album: Dark Passion Play
Past Prediction: Due for a letdown. DPP was their best album to-date and they had yet to release a true clunker.
Next Release: Imaginaerum
Results: It was bold that they chose to do up a movie, and the soundtrack to go with it. Problem is, it's looking like the movie won't get off the ground, and the songs intended for the movie, ended up being the weakest tracks. As a whole, 'Imaginaerum' contained the worst tracks of their career (Slow Love Slow, Scaretale, the second half of Song of Myself, the title-track medley,) But at the same time, 'Imaginaerum' featured some of their best work as well (Ghost River, the first half of Song of Myself, The Crow, the Owl, and the Dove, and the mighty Rest Calm.)
The Conclusion: Mixed. Wasn't a letdown. Wasn't awesome. But definitely a step below normal standards for Nightwish. They need to tread carefully, or this could be the beginning of a Stratovarius-esk downfall for the group. They can right the ship by sticking to the formula that has worked so well and not trying to fix it.

Evanescence
Previous Album: The Open Door
Past Prediction: Of the Top 5, I felt 100% certain that Amy Lee would kill the Evanescence name for good. 'The Open Door' had only one good track. The few demo leaks had no potential, and twice the group imploded.
Next Release: 'Self-Titled'
Results: My 2011 Album of the Year, as well as my 2011 Comeback of the year. Amy Lee scrapped the original demos and went all-out, writing every song like it was gonna be the last one. Songs like 'Made of Stone,' 'The Change,' 'Over You,' and 'Lost In Paradise,' instantly made us forget about 'The Open Door.'
Conclusion: Way above anything I had expected, and of the 5 releases, the strongest of the bunch. Amy Lee found the perfect ground between the experimental aspects of 'The Open Door,' and the commercial parts of 'Fallen.' Question is, can she keep writing consistently?

Sirenia
Previous Album: The 13th Floor
Past Prediction: They tied Delain for my 2009 Album of the Year. I was expecting the group to take another step forward.
Next Release: The Enigma of Life
Results: Mixed. Biggest problem was the running track order. In addition, Sirenia was starting to show signs of overcommercialization (basically losing their signature sound completely to cater to the mainstream crowd.) Their strength lies in vocal diversity. The more styles of vocals that are used in each song, the stronger Sirenia's sound was. But when they started adding Ailyn-only tracks, the album suffered.
Conclusion: Mixed. Deleting tracks and rearranging the track order does give me another album as perfect as 'The 13th Floor.' But I fear that Sirenia may be abandoning what they do best.

Within Temptation
Previous Album: The Heart of Everything
Past Prediction: The previous album showed signs of weakness, but I was confident WT would continue to write high-quality symphonic gothic metal...at least until they said they were 'evolving their sound.' Good indication to expect a letdown.
Next Release: The Unforgiving
Results: Hate on first listen. This was NOT the WT I fell in love with. I shelved the album for months before listening to it again. I spun the album 5 months later, and concluded it wasn't as bad as I made it out to be...The Unforgiving, though it sounded absolutely nothing like the WT I loved, it had a lot in common with 80's rock, which in turn, changed my original opinion. The production on the album was also one of the most outstanding jobs I've heard on any group with the gothic label.
Conclusion: Mixed. I still wasn't 100% impressed, only because the themes of the album repeat themselves too much to enjoy it start to finish. Bands who've outright changed their sound have done much worse...Speaking of...

Delain
Previous Album: April Rain
Past Prediction: April Rain eventually won my tiebreaker for 2009 Album of the Year. Loads of keyboard-driven melodies, killer hooks and vocal harmonies. I felt that Martijn Westerholt had an opportunity to stick it to his former band and surpass them in every way, and I thought they would. However...
Next Release: We Are the Others
Results: Beware of any early review that mentions a 'maturity or evolution of sound,' or 'a grower album.' It's a good sign a group has abandoned every part of their winning formula. Instead of a keyboard-driven, harmony-laced masterpiece, we have a mostly guitar-driven semi-modern rock album with virtually no vocal harmonies to speak of. I've listened to this multiple times to see if the 'grower' effect would kick in, but it never happened. I concluded that it's a painful listen just to get to the best track 'Get the Devil Out of Me,' which is very reminiscent of 'The Gathering,' and by far, the best song of this so-called 'matured' Delain sound.
Conclusion: One thing that a lot of groups can learn from Nightwish, is that once you find a winning formula, stick with it for a few albums before changing your sound. This was my highest anticipated album of the 5, and was also the biggest Fail of the 5...In fact, I don't even rank Delain in my Top 5 anymore. 'We Are the Others' could very well become the second album since Ev's 'The Open Door' to land both my Song of the Year, and my Most Disappointing Album at the same time.

...By the end of the year, another group will replace Delain in my Top 5 favorite groups. Lacuna Coil have the inside track with their solid album 'Dark Adrenaline,' but I'm still waiting on a few more releases.

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So in the end, only one album met my expectations, the one I had the fewest expectations for. The one album I anticipated the most, failed utterly (that's the theme every year it seems,) while the other three were mixed, albeit fixable.

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You will most likely not hear another update from me for a good long while. I've been keeping busy while waiting for that one standout album to floor me. I have no plans to post another update until said awesome jaw-dropping album is made.

[Jonny B]

I thought I'd be here posting the one album that absolutely floored me. Unfortunately, I'm here to do the opposite....Now normally, I usually don't bother to review albums that would normally score really low. Or, if I do, it's because a band isn't living to expectations and people need to be warned.

But never in my life of posting reviews have I ever given a female rock album the dubious 1 out of 100 score, the absolute worst of the worst. But in the home-stretch of 2012, one band truly deserves it.

First, let me tell you about this group. Their debut started as a mixture of clean and Screamo with some raw songwriting. You probably already know my beef against screaming. It got a low score for that reason.

Then album #2 came out. And to my surprise, it was mostly a clean vocal affair. And some pretty awesome vocals at that. The songwriting? Spectacular. And in 2009, where Evanescence seemed all but dead, where Halestorm hadn't quite proved themselves, and a slew of other American rock groups that had singers that were too girly to be considered serious rockers, this particular group had an opportunity to put female rock on the map in the US and finally give some competition to the European counterparts.

But alas, it swayed to the opposite direction. Album #3 showed another mixed affair of Screamo and clean vocal. There was enough good songwriting in spite of the screams getting in the way, but it seemed as though they were going by the fans' posts online, on Myspace and Facebook and the like. I felt like the Lone Ranger, as the only person of 35,000 being vocal over begging the singer to stay clean and deliver those amazing vocal layers and harmonies like she once did.

And now, enter Album #4, the new release, the one that would define the band once and for all what direction they would stay for good.

Obviously, it was the wrong direction, or I wouldn't be dishing out a 1 out of 100 score.

In This Moment released 'Blood' last week, and to no surprise, they caved in to their minority Screamo fan base. It's literally 90% Screamo, with a little bit of clean vocal. What's worse, they've chosen to become completely experimental, and for all the wrong reasons. Many of the songs have no cohesiveness of any kind. Even the few clean tracks are wasted by a lack of memorable hooks and porous experimentation.

Now normally, if In This Moment were more like Kittie and were completely 100% Screamo, all the time, I wouldn't care less about them. They wouldn't have been mentioned or recommended at any point.

However, I was teased into the amazing album that was 'The Dream.' Fact is, in the past, In This Moment proved they could be a serious band, writing killer guitar hooks, and with an amazingly beautiful clean metal voice to back it up. They were the best that American Female Rock had to offer. But now, instead of becoming harder rocking than Halestorm, more powerful than Evanescence, a bigger force than the more girly Paramore, and the uncontestested leader of America's female rock scene, In This Moment have completely lost their identity. 'Blood' is just a clusterfug of undecipherable noise, with their best days long behind them. It's for these reasons does In This Moment deserve the 1 out of 100 score.

I can't be the only one. Of their 235,000 Facebook fans, only 500 have actually 'liked' the album, with only 60 posts bothering to be vocal about how they love Screamo schit. That tells me, there's 234,440 unsatisfied fans leftover. If they call themselves fans, they should be vocal like I was, and tell them This is NOT what we want!

It's just another Ugly Tragedy in A Star-Crossed Wasteland of a music world where The Promise of better times was broken. Now, I'll be donating my Blood to a cd store, and reliving The Dream one more time, knowing it will never happen In This Moment again.

[Jonny B]

I don't even have much of a news update even though months have gone by.

Six Magics released a new album out, called 'Falling Angels,' but since I have a large car repair bill looming over my head, investing in a copy for review probably won't happen. Will have to look up songs on YouTube.

Elis is no more. The remaining members minus the replacement singer of the late Sabine Dunser have formed a new band called Zirkonium. No word on a singer or an album.

And that is it. By now there should've been a new Forever Slave but there's been no update since the end of last year.

That's it. I've got a vacation coming up in October, and will probably take a day or two browsing for new releases that I'm not aware of.

[Jonny B]

...And just when I thought 2012 was an Epic Fail year for female rock, it hits a new low...

http://forums.melodicrock.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=56006

[Jonny B]

Lana Lane posted her new album 'El Dorado Hotel' on her website in full, as of early 2012:
http://www.thetank.com/lledh.htm

My opinion: Below Average. And I expected better, considering it's been 5 long years when she used to release one almost every year. El Dorado Hotel is even more laid back than 'Curious Goods' (coincidentally, my least favorite album from her,) but the difference? Even that album had a couple great rockers in 'Escher's Staircase' & 'Symphony of Angels.' I'm looking up and down and for some kind of big hook, and 'Life of the Party' comes the closest to pulling that off. Though a couple songs come close, ('Maybe We Will Meet Again,' and the softer title track,) they fall short on the chorus. I listened up and down and there's no big hook to tie any of it together....And sadly, she sunk so low as to use a little bit of auto-tune (the only style of vocal I hate more than screamo.)

Lana Lane 'El Dorado Hotel,' at least to my dismay, has more in common with a 70s album than a symphonic metal album...not my style.

[Jonny B]

Probably will be my last post before the Year-End Review (except if I missed something before then.) All the technology surrounding me keeps trying to fail utterly and so it's been difficult to keep track of music. But here's a list of the rest that I've been aware of:

Synful Ira 'Between Hope and Fear'
Verdict: Band to watch.
There's been a glutton of symphonic/gothic metal bands...none of which have been worth mentioning. Synful Ira, on the other hand, wrote a very good album. Their debut has a lot of promise ('My Friend' and 'Inside My Fears' are probably the best of the bunch,) but I will have to wait for another album before I can give a better judgement call.

Issa 'Can't Stop'
Verdict: Her Best Yet.
Sadly, it's been such a terrible year that this covers album has the best shot at Album of the Year. Biggest problem with Issa in previous albums was she was too girly/power-poppy to be considered a serious AOR singer...she has addressed that. It took a album full of obscure AOR covers, but her voice finally grew up. (Best tracks: 'Can't Stop,' 'Dream On,' 'Whereever I Run.'

Dante Fox 'Lost Man's Ground'
Verdict: Falls A Little Short
An EP, and an indie release at that matter, Dante Fox keeps reappearing out of the woodwork every now and then to release something new. This EP effort is just ok. The early tracks are better ('Who Stole Your Innocence,' 'Go Where Your Heart Is,') but then it mellows out and makes you wonder why they didn't keep rocking it hard.

Chasing Violets 'Outside Heaven'
Verdict: Standard AOR
Not much more to say about this one. Good voices. Good songs...but very standard AOR that can't compete with the 80's greats.

Doro 'Raise Your Fists'
Verdict: One for the established fans
Same old Doro, but the quality of the songs has improved over the previous album. I would like to hear her clean vocals more on the rockers, as on her ballads; Her screech has weakened over the years. There'd be some fantastic songs if she'd sing them clean.

Elysion 'Killing My Dreams' EP
Verdict: What? No physical release?
Not their best song for a single ('Never Forever' was way better,) and features acoustic and live versions of material from their debut. Biggest problem is the 'digital only' format. Pointless if lossless audio isn't a downloadable option.

[TageRyche]

Doro 'Raise Your Fists'
Verdict: One for the established fans
Same old Doro, but the quality of the songs has improved over the previous album. I would like to hear her clean vocals more on the rockers, as on her ballads; Her screech has weakened over the years. There'd be some fantastic songs if she'd sing them clean.

Interesting review. I'll have a review of the album tomorrow I hope and I'll cross post it here.

[Jonny B]

Doro 'Raise Your Fists'
Verdict: One for the established fans
Same old Doro, but the quality of the songs has improved over the previous album. I would like to hear her clean vocals more on the rockers, as on her ballads; Her screech has weakened over the years. There'd be some fantastic songs if she'd sing them clean.

Interesting review. I'll have a review of the album tomorrow I hope and I'll cross post it here.

Got another one for you to check out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXmZQyGHe1k

Kobra and the Lotus is becoming a new favorite of mine. Heavy, but with a very clean, powerful female vocal.

Apologies if there's a commercial to start it. YouTube is becoming somewhat annoying because of it.

[Soloud]

You might also enjoy To-mera's new one - Exile. Not sure it falls in the symphonic/gothic stuff you prefer, but it's not in the vein of the recent WT and Delain style of 'power-pop' that you have said you're not a fan of...so maybe it is worth a listen

[Jonny B]

You might also enjoy To-mera's new one - Exile. Not sure it falls in the symphonic/gothic stuff you prefer, but it's not in the vein of the recent WT and Delain style of 'power-pop' that you have said you're not a fan of...so maybe it is worth a listen

Their first couple albums were very goth and also very progressive (two genres that don't always mesh well together.) The second album wasn't so great, because the keyboardist quit and so also went a lot of the songwriting that I really liked in the debut album. I heard samples of the third album and they seem to have become less goth and more experimental. The problem with anything progressive or experimental is that I have to be in the right mood for it (as I was for the first album,) and so I've avoided it for those reasons. I'll probably check it out in full before the year's over.

[TageRyche]

Ran out of time to get a review done today, so I'll have to hope I can get the Doro CD review done tomorrow.

[TageRyche]

My Doro CD is up!

You can check it out HERE!

[Jonny B]

I will be working on my 2012 in Review in the next 2 to 3 weeks.