This is a whopping double album compilation featuring no less than 31 artists and 140 minutes worth of music, all proceeds from which are going towards cancer research too. For once I feel like I am drowning in lovely ladies, shame it’s not in real life. Just yesterday I was dipping into the new Tarja album and now this. There are some old favourites and the separate discs both start with the most well known acts, ReVamp and Epica. I also noted that half way through each the B-listers get in on the act with the fantastic Asrai and Kivimetsan Druidi offering songs. But you know all these bands right? There is probably a wealth of artists who you don’t and I am going to drop a few of these into the review rather than concentrating on the better known names.
Not everything is metal, there is a strong rock presence first noticeable on Exilia track ‘No Tears For You.’ A couple of particularly strong songs come early on the first disc. Magion are from Holland and enforce the countries strong FFGM heritage with ‘War Of Hearts’ a symphonic ripper with both sexes getting in on the act. Soulmaker were obviously French as they sing in the language on ‘A Vide.’ I liked this from the off too and the interplay of female vocal parts and rasping brutal parts worked really well. Apparently “the band calls its style ‘Neo Heavy Metal’ (influences from Nu, Black and Progressive Metal’) which is interesting in itself and both these bands debut albums are no doubt worthy of looking closer at. I am determined not to mention every track and am writing this as I listen again. Disdained from Sweden compel me to mention them too as their song ‘Longing For Serenity’ from their debut EP proves that they can put together a lush melody and singer Therése Thomsson has a cracking voice. The brutality moniker is slightly misleading if you listen to brutal music per se, however the male vocalist and drummer of Ukrainian band Infinite Tales have a crack at bringing it to the fore around singer Kiwi’s more feminine charms. One Without get a mention too as I have reviewed their album ‘Thoughts From a Secluded Mind’ and the Finns who are signed to Lifeforce are gorgeous, their cut ‘Withered Serenade’ reminding of everything from Brave to All About Eve. Sticking right out amidst the rock and opera singers are ‘Reactive Black’ whose electronic and darkwave sound adds different dimensions to the compilation and my one complaint here is I would have liked to hear a few more purely Gothic bands and maybe even some doom bands, rather than Gothic metal.
Moving onto some of the artists on the second disc who grabbed my attention both Exoterik from the UK (and first band mentioned from here) and Ozge Ozkan a singer from Turkey both go for the simplicity of letting lilting vocals soar over accessible musicianship and in doing so both acts have the vocals at the forefront and shining through. Ozge Ozkan do have a burst of male vocals in their number and boy did the singer remind of Nick Holmes. Dimlight build upon fragile piano into a symphonic overture with their ‘Absence Of Light.’ These Greeks know a thing or two about penning a good arrangement and their singer Sanna Salou has a captivating voice especially when singing in a classical Greek style.
The good thing about this compilation is that having listened to it a couple of times right the way through, there is not a single track that had me grimacing and wanting to hit the skip button, there was absolutely nothing to dislike about this. The double album is due out in October and it looks as though there is a Halloween release party with some of the bands playing in Birmingham. Details of this, the album and a full track listing can be found at the link below.
http://www.femmemetalrecords.com
