Tag Archives: symphonic metal

Friday Morning Metal – Avantasia – Against the Wind

Big bombastic music from Avantasia inbound! Operatic Metal Super Group Avantasia, including Kenny Leckremo from H.E.A.T., released a new song off their upcoming album “Here Be Dragons,” which is a great name for an album. I guess these guys were formed by the former singer of Edguy, which is pretty cool. I used to dig on Edguy a ton, and the vocalist was a big part of it. Unless the vocals in this track is Kenny Leckremo, which it could be. Never heard of the guy, but he’s a vocalist so there’s that.

All in all it’s pretty solid song, full of soaring riffs and frenetic drums. The chorus does give Edguy vibes, so now I can’t unhear that. Going against the wind has to be tough, gotta worry about your hat blowing off and all sorts of crap potentially flying into your face. The breakdown transitioning into one of the noodliest guitar solos I’ve heard in a while is fun, and kind of a kick restart into the song. Also the bit before the coda totally sounds like the part in the opera where the whole cast comes out and sings in unison about how they’re all going their way or something.

I do look forward to the whole album, maybe it’s a concept album about sailing into unknown dragon infested waters and having to go against the wind to reach Valhalla or something.

Friday Morning Metal – Carmeria – A Thousand Winter Rains

Australian symphonic metal! Vocal harmonizing! Carmeria have an album coming out today, Tragédie D’amour, and A Thousand Winter Rains is their first single off the album. And it’s got all the grandeur and keytarification that’s part and parcel of the genre.

I wouldn’t necessarily say symphonic metal is a blind spot for me, I listen to a lot of power metal that toes the line, but usually I get into my groove and listen to like thrash or speed metal. That being said, this song is pretty catchy, especially with the vocal harmonizing on the choruses. There is a growly singer in some of the interludes which I didn’t expect, but it fits in just fine.

In addition to a solid noodly guitar solo, they’ve got what sounds like a wicked keytar solo about halfway through. Their other single from the album, Immortal, is a full video, and you can see their keytarist lick the keytar while shredding. Oh also there’s a lady bassist, which rules, and her vocals add great layers to the choruses.

The band does give off a sexy vampire look, so if you like sexy vampire metal, this is for you!

Friday Morning Metal – Rhapsody of Fire – Vanquished by Shadows

Rhapsody of Fire have a new album out, and Bjørn Spotify wanted me to hear one of the tracks. This Italian symphonic metal band has been around since 1993 under various names, including THUNDERCROSS and Rhapsody. Thundercross is a cool name, I wonder if there’s a cyclocross race using that name now. The album art is pretty legit, with some sort of wizard wanderer guy and his magical falcon. I bet he’s the talk of Baldur’s Gate.

Clocking in at 16 minutes and change, this song actually takes longer than I do to make one of these posts. I didn’t remember them having a growly voice guy in the band, but the first movement (hah) features them heavily. It’s a juxtaposition to hear big bombastic symphonic metal with all them growls, but then the chorus is clean vocals so there’s that.

At around the 5 minute mark there’s a bit of a breakdown/transition that sounds like it’d fit really well in Castlevania or a Final Fantasy boss battle, before turning into plinky plunky grandspas guitars. After a mild rest, it changes gears and kicks into a bit of a slower chug.

The second movement (hah) in the track feels much more symphonic, with the clean vocals forward and heavy emphasis syllaBLES in each LINE. Maybe this is after they vanquished the shadows and are trying to figure out what to do. The solo at the 11 minute mark is triumphant and gives off a mild “Wyld Stallyns saved the day” vibe.

And then there’s some additional noodly goodness including a keyboard solo 13 minutes in. More metal bands need keyboardists. The song hits a bombastic crescendo, full of double kicks and the clean vocalist joining forces with growly guy. Or that was the third movement (hah) based on how it was different enough from the second movement (hah).

The song closes with some plinky plunky grandspas guitars, kind of similar to the break between the first & second movements (hah). Gotta give a lot of bless yous to Giacomo, one of the composers/lyricists. This song is a romp.