Tag Archives: Napalm Records

Reviews

(novi post – recenzija) Avantasia – Here Be Dragons (Napalm Records)

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Avantasia je osnovana daleke 1999.kao side projekt pjevača Edguya, Tobiasa Sammeta. Prvotno je bila zamišljena kao projekt za jedan dvostruki album, no kasnije je nastavila dalje kao projekt s novom grupom muzičara uz spomenutog Sammeta. Fast forward na 2025.i evo nam novog, desetog studijskog albuma. Album sadrži deset pjesama u postavi Tobias Sammet – vokal, klavijature, piano, orkestracije, bass, uz njega Sascha Paeth na gitari, klavijaturama, pianu i orkestracijama i Miro Rodenberg na klavijaturama i orkestracijama, tu je i bubnjar Felix Bohnke kao gost muzičar. Kao i svi albumi Avantasie, muzika je odličan konceptualni melodični i himnični power metal s puno simfo i orkestralnih dijelova, genijalnim refrenima i ponešto prog metal utjecaja u strukturama pjesama, tek toliko da se nađe. Kao i na svakom albumu, ovaj album također sadrži brojne slavne goste na vokalima pjesama i moram nabrojiti nekoliko koji su moji favoriti prilikom slušanja, a to su: Everybody’s Here Until The End u kojoj pjeva Roy Khan(ex Kamelot), pa zatim The Moorland At Twilight sa Michaelom Kiskeom(Helloween), meni jednim od najdražih glasova u power melodic metalu, kao i naslovna stvar koju pjeva Geoff Tate(ex Queensryche) svojim legendarnim trademark glasom. No, to ne znači da su ostale stvari i ostali gosti manje dobri i vrijedni. Moja preporuka je da cijeli album preslušate u jednom komadu kako biste pohvatali svu grandioznost priče i svu genijalnost stvaralaštva Tobiasa Sammeta i njegove ekipe.

Reviews

(review) XANDRIA – ‘The Wonders Still Awaiting’ (Napalm Records)

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German symphonic power/gothic band Xandria have been in the scene for almost thirty years now. Led by mastermind Marco Heubaum, only remaining founding member through many line-up changes, this is band’s eighth full opus, first one in six years with completely new line-up. New singer Ambre Vourvahis sounds really convincing with her strong and melodic voice, and her interplay with Marco’s growled and almost black metal screamed voice comes to front in songs like awesome ‘You Will Never Be Our God’, featuring guest performance by Ralf Scheepers of Primal Fear/Gamma Ray fame, being one of my personal favorites on this one. This brand of symphonic melodic gothic/power metal didn’t always sit with me well in the past, but this band always somehow was good and they continue that way. Choirs and symphonic orchestrated parts are epic, bombastic and band is still metal besides that and guitars and their melodies lead the way through soundscape of music which opens up and touches you most inner feelings and fights and struggles. Songs that I can also list as my favorites are: ‘Ghosts’, ‘Your Stories I’ll Remember’.

8/10

Reviews, Various

(review) Agathodaimon – The Seven (Napalm Records)

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I remember Agathodaimon well from second half of the nineties when they released their great albums Blacken The Angel and Higher Art Of Rebellion, both being a masterpiece of gothic influenced vampiric black metal with long songs, perfect mixture of black screaming and clean vocals and great melodies bringing something progressive and fresh into the scene. They released six albums and disappeared and now they are back with new opus and new line-up, but the constant backbone is guitarist/vocalist Sathonys. New opus contains 10 songs of beautiful melodic atmospheric black metal with great songwriting, fantastic melodies but the one thing that really stands out for me is interplay between Ashtrael´s shrieking voice and Sathonys´ clean and gothic voice thus delivering the skinprickling atmosphere of almost touchable darkness. The songs are not so long as in the first albums, but they tell the story of persistence, emotions, darkness, a bit romantic gothic vampirism and longing, eros and thanatos. My personal favorites are Mother Of All Gods which features ex member Vlad Dracul, also Ain´t Death Grand and both In My Dreams conceptual songs. Welcome back Agathodaimon, with a strong return album.

8,5/10