Tag Archives: Nightwish

Album review: EXIT EDEN – Femme Fatales

exit eden femme fatales

Napalm Records [Release date 12.01.24] Exit Eden are down to the trio of Clémentine Delauney (Visions Of Atlantis), Anna Brunner (League Of Distortion) and Marina La Torraca (Phantom Elite), for this, their second album, after Amanda Somerville left the band … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review : ONE DESIRE – Live With The Shadow Orchestra

ONE DESIRE – Live With The Shadow Orchestra

Frontiers [release date 21.04.23] Rising Finnish band, One Desire return with a live album. What is it with rock/ metal bands and orchestras? The ambition to match up the two has been realised regularly ever since most of us can … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review : TRANSWORLD IDENTITY – Seven Worlds

transworld

Frontiers [Release date 17.3.23] Transworld Identity is a breath of fresh air. Vocalist Mila Bosa previously fronted a hard rock covers band, inevitably moving onto original material with her own band, T-ID. Hard to tell just how long they’ve been … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: BLOODY HEELS – Rotten Romance

BLOODY-HEELS-rotten-romance-COVER

Frontiers [release date 10.06.22] Sounding heavier and harder than on their previous albums, it’s clear that Bloody Heels have realised that the confines of a genre only exist for those musicians who lack wit and imagination. There are few better … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: GRACE – Hope

GRACE - Hope

Frontiers Music [Release date 10.06.22] Under the Grace moniker, Hope is an album put together by twenty year music biz veteran, Isra Ramos, and it’s a genre hopping blast. Ramos has toured to support Europe, Nightwish, The Scorpions, Angra and … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: SHEWOLF – SheWolf

SHEWOLF-cover

Frontiers [Release date: 18.03.22] Aiming to climb the Power Metal mountain, SheWolf release their self titled debut album this month. Led by stunning Greek vocalist, Angel Wolf-Black, the band, The Hunter (guitars), The Predator (bass) and Alpha (drummer) might sound … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: ANETTE OLZON – Strong

AnetteOlzon-Strong-cover2021

Frontiers Records [release date 10.09.21] A Symphonic Rock album for the ABBA generation, Anette (Dark Element/ Nightwish) Olzon’s collaboration with maestro, Magnus Karlsson, titled Strong, is huge, confident and full of heartstopping hooks. It has a lovely gloss to it… … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book review: ERJA LYYTINEN – The Blues Queen by Mape Ollila

Erja Lyytinen - The Blues Queen

Docendo Oy Publishing [Publication date 06.11.20] ‘Erja Lyytinen – The Blues Queen’ is a refreshingly honest biography about a hugely talented classically trained violinist turned rock blues guitarist,  singer-songwriter,  band leader and perfectionist in search of respect and acceptance. It’s … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: MIRKA RANTANEN’s CIRCUS OF ROCK – Come One Come All

MIRKA RANTANEN's CIRCUS OF ROCK - Come One Come All

Frontiers [release date 06.08.21] Circus Of Rock is a multiple guests band … singers, musicians … put together by King Company drummer boy, Mirka Rantanen. The album, Come One Come All is the realisation of a life long ambition, a … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: FALSE MEMORIES – The Last Night Of Fall

false memories last night

Frontiers [Release date 07.05.21] Guitarist, Francesco Savino founded False Memories in 2015, but it was only when he recruited vocalist, Rossella Moscatelli in 2018 that the band’s career gained some momentum. Subsequently, they were one of a mere handful of … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

News – KING CRIMSON, NEIL YOUNG, ULTRAVOX (September 2020)

Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Hyde Park, 12 July 2014

King Crimson release a 26-disc set, ‘The Complete 1969 Recordings’, through Panegyric on October 23. It features a brand new Dolby Atmos mix by Steven Wilson of the band’s 1969 debut album ‘In The Court of the Crimson King’, and includes … Continue reading

Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, Festivals & Large Events, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, PledgeMusic/Kickstarter Campaigns, Pure Metal/News, Re-issues/special editions, RIP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: KOBURG – Position Of Power

KOBURG - Position Of Power

Bandcamp [Release date 01.01.20] It sounds like a fairy tale but, at the stroke of midnight, as the old year passed into the next decade, a new Queen was crowned. Now, America has Amy Lee, Holland has Floor Jansen, Sweden … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: THE DARK ELEMENT – Songs The Night Sings

THE DARK ELEMENT - Songs The Night Sings

Frontiers Music [Release date 08.11.19] Dark Element is the second coming together of Symphonic Rock’s golden couple, Jani Liimatainen and Anette Olzon. One recorded 8 albums with genre giants Sonata Artica and Stratovarius, the other 3 albums with the genre’s … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: NORTHWARD – s/t

NORTHWARD

Nuclear Blast [Release date 18.10.18] The cover art image of the two main protagonists here – Nightwish vocalist Floor Jansen, and Pagan’s Mind guitarist Jørn Viggo Lofstad – photoshopped head to head, jaws agape and bawling at each other, offers … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: AURI – s/t (Tuomas Holopainen)

AURI

Nuclear Blast [Release date 23.03.18] Auri – a side project of Nightwish pair Tuomas Holopainen (keyboards) and Troy Donockley (acoustic guitars, Uilleann pipes, vocals) – is one that’s been a while in the gestation. The oldest song in the set, … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: AYREON UNIVERSE – The Best of Ayreon Live

AYREON UNIVERSE – The Best of Ayreon Live

Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group [30.03.18] Ayreon are masterminded by Arjen Anthony Lucassen, who prefers to create music in the studio rather than appear live and the announcement that Ayreon would play two shows in September 2017  (their first official … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: THE DARK ELEMENT (featuring Anette Olzon & Jani Liimatainen)

THE DARK ELEMENT (featuring Anette Olzon & Jani Liimatainen)

Frontiers Records [Release date 10.11.17] After Anette Olzon’s unceremonious departure from Nightwish in 2012 she took stock, brushed herself down, and fashioned the beginnings of a solo career. ‘Shine’ was released in 2014 and was one of my favourite albums, … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: TARJA – From Spirits And Ghosts (Score For A Dark Christmas)

TARJA - From Spirits And Ghosts (Score For A Dark Christmas)

earMUSIC [Release date 17.11.17] Former Nightwish vocalist Tarja Turunen has been successfully building a solo career where she makes the music she wants to and that suits her vocal style/musical visions. It comes as no surprise then she has decided to record a … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: TARJA – The Shadow Self

TARJA - The Shadow Self

earMUSIC [Release date 05.08.16] Tarja returns with her fourth album and on this one there are a few surprises, none more so than guest vocalist/growler Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy on ‘Demons In You’. This one is possibly the heaviest … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gig review: DOWNLOAD, Donington Park, 10-12 June 2016

DOWNLOAD, 10-12 June 2016

My last visit to Donington was back in 1988 when – as ‘Monsters Of Rock’ – it also featured Megadeth and headlined by Iron Maiden. I never really embraced the three day event and with not enough bands of interest … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quick plays: TELERGY, TARJA TURUNEN

TARJA TURUNEN - Ave Maria

TARJA TURUNEN – Ave Maria earMusic [Release date 11.09.15] This is a big gamble for both Tarja and her record label, as even they have not released an all classical/crossover album as far as I am aware. On this album … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: TARJA – Luna Park Ride

TARJA - Lune Park Ride

earMUSIC [Released 01.06.15] Earmusic certainly keep Tarja Turunen’s name in the limelight, even if she is between new albums, releasing the live ‘Beauty and the Beast’ last year and now this new live album, recorded at  Buenos Aires’ Luna Park … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

News: TRACER, DEGREED, NIGHTWISH – Monday 11th May 2015

Tracer - Sheffield, The Plug, 8 June 2013

Degreed release their new album, ‘Dead But Not Forgotten’ on June 19th. The reissed Jethro Tull album ‘Minstrel In The Gallery’ has entered the UK album charts at no.59. David A Saylor (Push UK) will release his new album ‘Built … Continue reading

Posted in Album News, ALL POSTS, Festivals & Large Events, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, Re-issues/special editions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: NIGHTWISH – Endless Forms Most Beautiful

NIGHTWISH - Endless Forms Most Beautiful

Nuclear Blast [Release date 30.01.15] Delain’s April Rain (2009) was my introduction to symphonic rock/metal, and Within Temptation The Unforgiving (2011) completed my education.  I’ve subsequently discovered that a little ‘symph’ goes a long, long way.  Metal meets Eurovision is … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

DVD review: LIVE AT WACKEN 2013 – 24 Years Louder Than Hell

Live At Wacken 2013

UDR  [Release date 04.08.14] For the last 24 years a small village in Northern Germany has become the centre of the heavy metal universe for one weekend of drunken antics, sloppy mud and loud music. Welcome to Wacken Open Air! … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment